Tag: blog tour

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Fresh Start – Johnny Worthen

ramblingmads

A ship, a gun, and a nice teal robe to find one killer on a planet of criminals: will Qays Mendoza get the answers he is looking for? New novel from the bestselling author of the Coronam series.

On the edges of mankind’s domain there is a penal planet called Fresh Start where a sentence is at best exile to five generations, but more likely death in its harsh unforgiving wastes. It is to this planet the empire sends the worst of the worst and it is on this planet that Qays Mendoza searches for his old captain.

The galactic empire is falling, civilization contracts. Fresh Start is abandoned. Without oversight, the planet is wild, without guards; the Oubliette, the supermax prison on the supermax planet, lies open, and the Butcher of Raznak, a killer worse than the one Qays seeks, is on the loose.

With the help of a street waif called Patience, Qays seeks answers. His soul is stained with guilt and his spirit broken by complicity. Religion did not have the answer; duty did not explain it. Birthright and station were not enough. His answers lie somewhere on Fresh Start.

Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, multiple-genre, tie-dye-wearing author, voyager, and damn fine human being! Trained in literary criticism and cultural studies, he writes upmarket fiction, long and short, mentors others where he can and teaches at the University of Utah.

My thoughts: This was a lot of fun, I really liked Qays and Patience and their mad adventure across a penal planet gone rogue. Qays is searching for the captain of a ship he served on as a marine. Along the way there are run-ins with dangerous mad men and helpful and fairly well behaved criminals and their descendants, who help them out and even save their lives.

Qays might not be as holy as his monk’s robes suggest, but he is trying to figure things out and would rather not kill anyone, but unfortunately he has to contend with a former military captain who was sent to Fresh Start for the massacre he led.

It was a funny book, lots of humour, mostly in the relationship between Qays and Patience as they get to know one another and dodge death. I’d love a sequel that chronicles the adventures the two of them get up to as they travel the slowly disintegrating Empire and try not to get into too much trouble.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: A Killer Plot – E.C. Nevin

ramblingmads

In the follow-up to A Novel Murder, mystery author Jane Hepburn is back and determined to keep her sleuthing skills in the pages of her novels. That is, until she’s invited to a prestigious literary party in London—where the gathering of glamorous attendees may be hiding a killer.

Jane Hepburn has almost made it. After solving the murder of her literary agent at last season’s crime-book festival, Jane receives a burst of internet fame that lands her an invite to a splashy book launch in London. Visiting beloved bookstores along the winding alleyway of Cecil Court, and brushing shoulders with famous writers and the editors and agents who made them stars, Jane is looking forward to a fun, murder-free weekend and a distraction from her own writer’s block. The party might not be for her novel, but still, Jane’s happy to celebrate her far more successful friend with free wine and plenty of books.

However, things take a turn for the worse when the hotshot editor is nowhere to be seen. And they really go south after Jane discovers a body in the bookshop cellar.

To ensure that another event isn’t overshadowed by an unsolved murder, Jane and her two friends—debut novelist and star of the party Natasha Martez and clumsy publicity assistant Daniel Thurston—must put their sleuthing skills to the test. But nothing is as it seems at a party full of attendees with secrets they’d do anything to keep.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Scent of Youth – Mandi Martin

ramblingmads


Scorned for his unusual appearance and nature, young Josiah’s expulsion from school leads him to the grim world of rat-catching at the local orphanage. Amid new-found bonds and a simmering
animosity, a longing for independence draws him towards the quiet life of a nearby village.

Welcomed by kind souls, Josiah earns his keep as a skilled vermin remover and helpful stable hand.

But when a rat-borne illness strikes the town, Josiah’s unique abilities bring him to the attention of the imposing Duke.
Within the castle walls, caught in the strange dynamic between the Duke’s son Bergen and the formidable Helga – children and ogres in one – Josiah’s life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival
of the spirited Nadia. Their shared love of poetry ignites a passionate connection, but joy is fragile, and loss leaves an indelible mark.

Unbeknownst to Josiah, Helga’s deep-seated hatred of children is taking root within the Duke’s domain, setting in motion a chain of events that will irrevocably alter his destiny…

Waterstones Amazon UK Amazon US

I’m an Isle of Wight author with Birmingham roots. Writing became an outlet after a late diagnosis of autism, and it became more important after health problems also came about. I take my style and inspiration from classical novels and folklore. Some of my royalties are given to
charities that supported me, but my main aim is to take people on a journey.

Facebook – Mandi Martin

My thoughts: Josiah doesn’t have a happy childhood, his father is cruel and mistreats him, his mother is too timid to help him. So leaving to move elsewhere, even working as a rat catcher, something he seems to be very good at.

Unfortunately his employers are the new Duke and his ghastly wife – who hates children and decides what they need is someone to hunt them out and round them up so she doesn’t have to even see them in the distance.

This was an interesting story and I think I know which infamous character from fiction Josiah is inspired by (or perhaps becomes) but I’ll leave that for you to decide when you read it!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: The Malfunction – Orval Wax

ramblingmads

Welcome to the tour for The Malfunction, a dystopian sci-fi by Orval Wax! Read on for more details!

The Malfunction (Deilonium Trilogy Book 1)

Release Date: February 1, 2026

Genre: Science Fiction

  • Robot-hunter
  • Technology out of control
  • Billionaire oligarch taking over the world
  • Robots becoming human through uncontrolled AI learning
  • Nature vs. AI
  • Humans playing God and destroying the world

It was only supposed to be a simple intelligence boost – a routine procedure to make the lovebot better company outside of the bedroom.

And then something went wrong.

Whether it was through mathematical probability, or divine intervention, Lance the LUV U-69 amorous companion droid has accidentally been downloaded with enough brainpower and free will to crack open the lid on a very dangerous can of worms.

Unless AWOL Retentions Agent Charlie Bear Claw can stop him.

In Book One of The Deilonium Trilogy, the primitive hunter with a troubled past stalks his high-tech prey on a secret mission. But their personal struggles soon become trivial in light of the unholy force they find undermining the fabric of the world. As the pair draws closer to their showdown, both man and robot come to realize they are ultimately at war with a common maniacal enemy.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

 

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

 

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Death’s Shadow – TA Müller-King

ramblingmads

Summertime in London. Alfresco drinks, park picnics, and a killer getting away
with murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Parker is hunting a ghost. A violent murderer who leaves no
DNA at the crime scenes and evades CCTV. How is that possible in one of the most
surveilled cities in the world?

There’s nothing to connect the victims either, other than a card with the female symbol on it left in each one’s mouth.

With few clues, the investigation is floundering. Can DCI Parker stay focused even when everything connected to the case starts to feel too close, too familiar, bringing up dark memories he’d rather forget?

To prevent another gruesome crime, he’s going to have to set aside his emotions. But that’s assuming the killer will let him…

Goodreads Purchase

TA Müller-King was born in Cape Town, did a post-graduate degree at the London
School of Journalism, and worked in magazines for many years.

But an obsession with crime novels was a lifelong thing. As was the desire to merge fiction with real issues, to create stories that entertain but also make you think.

In her first series, that happens with the help of DCI Spider Parker and DS Grace Regan, who stepped out of her head and came to life on the page.

She writes in London and Spain, where she lives with her family – her husband and
their two cats.

Website

My thoughts: In a world where violence against women and girls seems never-ending, it’s not really a surprise that someone (even fictionally) decides to take revenge on the sort of people who add to the misery, like a judge who let’s a rapist walk.

Unfortunately taking the law into your own hands is a crime and DCI Peter Parker, known as Spider (for obvious reasons) and his team are assigned the case, which is tricky as there’s not a lot to go on. The killer seems to be forensically aware and leaves no trace, just a sort-of calling card.

As Spider works on the case, he’s distracted by other things, often disappearing on his team, and being unfocused when he is there.

This was a really interesting read and there’s a huge twist that made me gasp. I don’t know where the author intends this series to go next but I’m intrigued to find out.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Then There’s Trust – Susan Gray

ramblingmads


A forbidden love…a relationship in jeopardy…a tested trust

Darcy Dukas is fearless and feisty – but can she be trusted? Left bereft after a personal
disappointment, her vulnerable mindset causes her to seize an opportunity to pursue her dream career.

When Marcel Duval arrives in Durham to establish his detective agency, she agrees to work
with him. But is she prepared for the risks she will encounter? Risks for her safety…risks for her young marriage…and risks affecting her family’s trust?

In 1952 Josh Smallwood, Darcy’s brother, returns home after completing his national service. Trying to sort his future, he begins working on the family farm and befriends Judy, a young nurse. He is
baffled to discover any liaison with her is forbidden by her family. This mystery fuels an intense, secret relationship…can they overcome obstacles to be together?

A shroud of guilt clings to Chantal Martin – will she ever be free from its taint? As an unmarried mother, her once tenacious trait seems to have deserted her. Striving towards the final hurdle, an unexpected decision and an untimely event threaten to blight her resilience…can her trust be
rewarded?

Then There’s Trust is a gripping, emotional story of love, fidelity and trust set in 1950’s northeast England.

Amazon UK Amazon US 


‘Never too old to follow your dreams’ has become Susan Gray’s mantra since beginning to write novels after celebrating a significant birthday. Susan endeavours to entwine the genres of mystery and romance and sets her books in the Twentieth Century.

She lives with her husband in northeast
England, setting her books in this picturesque area. She has a son and daughter, both married, two granddaughters and a grand dog. When not writing she loves to spend time reading, puzzling, walking and catching up with friends over a coffee. She enjoys travelling and tries to include many of
the places she has visited in her books.

Her plots are inspired by ‘life’ and how her characters navigate the waters. She loves to ‘people watch’ and creates her characters based on the many
strangers she has observed.

She has written eight novels, but only four are published so far. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel. BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH, HOPE ON HOPE and THEN THERE’S TRUST are a series.

Facebook Instagram Goodreads X

My thoughts: I haven’t read the previous two books in this series, so I wasn’t familiar with the characters and how they’re all connected, so it took me a little while to get them all sorted in my head.

The story itself was a lot of fun to read, even the sad bits, because it was so engaging and full of energy and excitement.

There’s thwarted love, undercover shenanigans and drama at every turn. The members of this extended family don’t exactly live quiet, easy lives. Darcy is an investigative journalist, who after a terrible loss, decides to raise awareness of how women like her are treated, determined to make change. She also assists a private detective in some of his cases, even though she’s put in danger by doing so. She’s a very modern woman trapped by the mores of the 1950s.

Her brother, Josh, also struggles against the rules, few young women these days would allow their fathers to behave as his girlfriend, Judy’s does. Controlling and even kidnapping her because he doesn’t like Josh’s family. Although after some digging into the past, things change.

Then there’s Darcy’s aunt, Chantal. Her partner Sam is still married to his miserable wife in Scotland, who won’t grant him a divorce, even though she lied to get him to marry her. Chantal has to live with the stigma of being unmarried and a mother to twins. Nowadays it’s not such a big deal and Sam would probably find it easier to get a divorce too.

All of these characters are trapped by the social conventions and attitudes of their time, pushing against the way society perceives them. But they’re also very lucky to have each other for support and aid when they need it.

An interesting and enjoyable read, strange to think things were so different not so long ago.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Under the Blazing Sun – Jenny Lund Madsen, translated by Paul Russell Garrett

ramblingmads

Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut – and she’s out of ideas.

After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses. But inspiration doesn’t strike – murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation … again.

The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn’t.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she’s trapped inside one.

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed scriptwriters (including the international hits Rita and Follow the Money) and is known as an advocate for better representation for sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. She made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater) and her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness, first in an addictive new series, won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the year, was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key Award, longlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger, and won the Crime Fiction Lover Award for Best Crime Book in Translation. She lives in Denmark with her wife and young family.

My thoughts: Hannah wrote a brilliant crime novel after her involvement with a murder in Iceland, but now she’s stuck again. She’s under contract for another crime novel, but wants to go back to her literary fiction roots. So her agent, Bastian sends her to a friend’s villa in Sicily to write. 

And she gets involved in another murder. She’s even a suspect, which is crazy because she barely knows the victim. The police don’t believe her, her lawyer doesn’t seem bothered either. What can she do? Well, she’ll just have to solve the case and prove her own innocence. Obviously. And then write a book all about it.

Chaos ensues, especially after her Icelandic lover (with husband and children in tow) shows up, Hannah has a holiday fling with the one police officer who believes her, and after discovering whose house she’s staying, calls the one person she vowed never to, because she really needs help.

Hannah’s life is completely crazy, despite her insistence that it isn’t, and maybe she should stop leaving home as she seems to encounter murder everywhere she goes.

It’s actually a really funny book and would make a great movie on Netflix, the sort of film I would definitely watch (I love a crazy crime caper). More please!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blogathon: Nowhere Girl – Ruth Dugdall

ramblingmads

From the top of the Ferris wheel, Ellie can see everything. Her life, laid out beneath her. Ellie looks up. She wants freedom.

Down below, her little sister and mother wait, watching as people bundle off the wheel and disappear into the crowd. No Ellie. Must be the next box.

But the Ferris wheel continues to turn.

When Ellie goes missing on the first day of Schueberfouer, the police are dismissive, keen not to attract negative attention on one of Luxembourg’s most important events.

Probation officer, Cate Austin, has moved for a fresh start, along with her daughter Amelia, to live with her police detective boyfriend, Olivier Massard. But when she realises just how casually he is taking the disappearance of Ellie, Cate decides to investigate matters for herself.

She discovers Luxembourg has a dark heart. With its geographical position, could it be the centre of a child trafficking ring? As Cate comes closer to discovering Ellie’s whereabouts she uncovers a hidden world, placing herself in danger, not just from traffickers, but from a source much closer to home.

My thoughts: Cate has left the probation service and her messy family court case behind and moved to Luxembourg with her daughter Amelia and boyfriend, police detective Olivier.

When the older sister of Amelia’s school friend goes missing at the carnival, Cate is dragged into the case via her sort of friendship with the girls’ mother Bridget. Olivier is leading the case but won’t discuss it with Cate.

As the days pass, it becomes increasingly less likely that Ellie will be found, and that’s before Bridget confesses something that changes how the police view the case.

Meanwhile a newly arrived teenage girl attempts to understand her new life and the world of undocumented migrants that she finds herself in.

Clever and relevant, this is another brilliant book from Ruth Dugdall that had me absolutely gripped and will get its hooks into you too. By placing the reader right there in the middle of everything, with sweet Amina who just wants a better life, with terrified Ellie who wants to go home and with Cate, who thought she was doing the right thing in leaving Suffolk, but realises that she was really just running away from her troubles. Cannot wait for the next book.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books

Blog Tour: From the Depths – Emily Renk Hawthorne

ramblingmads

Happy release week to author Emily Renk Hawthorne! From the Depths is now available!

If you enjoyed Black Water Sister, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, or The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, you will enjoy Of Mountains and Seas—a Chinese mythology–inspired urban fantasy duology set in California.

From The Depths (Of Mountains and Seas #2

Release Date: June 9, 2026

Genre: Urban Fantasy

In the wake of a failed coup, peace comes at a cost.

A new regime enforces order by erasing the memories of every Shifter.

But Nivi remembers everything.

Immune to the memory-wiping tincture that silenced her kind, Nivi carries the weight of the past alone. Her powers set her apart, but so does the truth she can’t forget. Once again, Nivi finds herself isolated from her family and friends, and something begins to fracture, within herself and within the forest of her hometown Yuras.

Strange happenings are accumulating. A road of abandoned homes in Yuras. A missing crabbing crew in Alaska. A student abduction at the local Shifter school.

With danger creeping closer and reality unraveling for both Shifters and Statics, will the fight for what’s been lost be worth unearthing truths they fear?

GET IT HERE

 

BOOK TOUR ORGANIZED BY:

R&R BOOK TOURS

 

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Death of Shame – Ambrose Parry

ramblingmads

When you are a prisoner of your secrets,
the death of shame is the only path to liberty

Annabel Banks was promised work as a maid with a prestigious Edinburgh family. But on her first day, she’s nowhere to be found. Concerned relatives contact Sarah Fisher to help. Sarah might know her way around the city – its light sides and dark – but soon she’ll discover the plight of dozens of girls ensnared in its many brothels: lured, abused and left ruined in the eyes of the world.

Meanwhile, a prominent society figure throws himself from the Scott Monument. Will Raven is asked to establish whether the death was suicide or if someone else was involved. Drawing upon real historical events, The Death of Shame takes the Raven and Fisher series into a treacherous labyrinth of shame and the pitfalls of a culture obsessed with moral purity.

Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. The couple are married and live in Scotland. Chris Brookmyre is the international bestselling and multi-award-winning author of over twenty novels. Dr Marisa Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist of twenty years’ experience, whose research for her Master’s degree in the History of Medicine uncovered the material upon which this series, which begun with The Way of All Flesh, is based. The Way of all Flesh was longlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. @ambroseparry

My thoughts: i really like this series, probably because it’s well written, well researched and the cases are so fascinating. Blending historical figures of Edinburgh’s past with the fictional Will Raven and Sarah Fisher, who dig into mysteries surrounding the medical fraternity of the city.

This time, it’s Will’s father-in-law at the centre of the case. Having apparently committed suicide, from the Scott Monument, but Will’s wife, Eugenie, insists her father would never do that. Will discovers that he was being blackmailed. Could that be why the eminent doctor took his own life?

Meanwhile Sarah has been asked to find her late husband’s niece, Annabel, who arrived in Edinburgh for a job as a nursery maid but then disappeared. Has she met a terrible end or is she as tough as Sarah and somehow survived?

As Will and Sarah investigate, an unwanted figure from Will’s estranged family appears and Sarah finds herself in terrible danger.

Another absolutely gripping adventure for the two doctors (Sarah’s determined to be one) and investigators, which finally also gives us some answers about their relationship too.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.