Tag: blog tour

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: A Farewell to Imperial Istanbul – Ayşe Osmanoğlu

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Set against the majestic backdrop of Imperial Istanbul in the aftermath of the First World War, A Farewell To Imperial Istanbul is a captivating tale of family, duty and the resilience of the human spirit.

İstanbul, 1922: As the Ottoman Empire crumbles in the wake of the Great War, the fate of the Imperial capital and the House of Osman come under threat. Emboldened following their victory in the Turkish War of Independence, the Turkish Nationalist Government in Ankara abolishes the
Ottoman Sultanate, marking the end of over six centuries of Ottoman rule. The Ottoman Caliphate endures for now, but Istanbul, stripped of its Imperial mantle, mourns its lost glory. Prince Nihad fears for the nation and the fate of the Imperial family, while his son, Prince Vâsıb, envisions a hopeful future defined by peace following the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne.

As the new Republic of Türkiye emerges from the ashes of the once-mighty Ottoman Empire, Istanbul and the Ottoman Dynasty confront the crossroads of history, their destinies entwined with the shifting tides of the Bosphorus. Yet, amidst these perilous currents that separate East and West, where the deep waters threaten to engulf the city’s Imperial past and sweep away its soul embodied by the Imperial family, the Ottoman Dynasty must navigate a new and uncertain course.

The history of the Turks and their vast and powerful Empire has been intertwined with the Ottoman Dynasty for over six hundred years. But can the Imperial family survive the tempest of change as the world enters a new era?

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Ayşe Gülnev Osmanoğlu is a member of the Ottoman Imperial family, being descended from Sultan Murad V through her grandfather, and from Sultan Mehmed V (Mehmed Reşad) through her grandmother. After reading History and Politics at the University of Exeter, she obtained an M.A. in Turkish Studies from SOAS, University of London, where she specialised in Ottoman History. Her debut novel, The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus was published in 2020.
Ayşe Osmanoğlu lives between Türkiye, France and the United Kingdom with her husband, five children and two cats. Her research and literary works concentrate on the late Ottoman period, exploring narratives embedded in her imperial heritage.

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My thoughts: I enjoyed the author’s previous book, The Gilded Cage on the Bosphorus, and was looking forward to reading this book. I wasn’t disappointed.

It conjures up a vanished world of Imperial splendour, with the Princes and Princesses of the Ottoman Empire in their finery, riding to parties in fine carriages and early motor cars. Their lives in the 1920s might be very different from their ancestors – power having passed to the government as opposed to direct rule, but they still remain the upper echelon of society.

As the tides of change flow along the Bosphorus, they sweep all before them. Beginning with the last Sultan’s journey into exile with his young son, it ends with the train ride that takes dozens of the Imperial family away, many for the final time, from their beloved homeland.

While the story could have been just a list of dry facts leading to exile, the author, a descendant of the Imperial family, infuses the events with personal recollections from her grandparents and their family, bringing the events to life.

I’m not an ardent monarchist, but the way the Osman family were treated seemed particularly heavy handed, stripping them of their titles, houses, and even their citizenship – a very cruel and unnecessary extreme, many of the family were never able to return because of this and are buried far from their homeland.

Some were presumably left rather impoverished, as they didn’t have hidden wealth, relying on the State to provide a stipend. From grand palaces, they were sent across Europe and Asia, to lives of uncertainty and loneliness.

The book was moving and sensitively written, obviously as this is the writer’s family, there is some bias, but overall it felt quite balanced, there was a sense of the facts being delivered and no animosity towards the Turkish government.

I don’t know a huge amount of Turkish history, despite having friends and colleagues whose families come from the country, so this was fascinating and deeply interesting. The world of interwar Türkiye is so far removed from the modern country, and probably from many memories that this provides an incredible look into a time and place that has long since passed.

Giveaway To Win an A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul prize bundle… (Open to UK Only) a Rafflecopter giveaway

The list of prizes is below:
 Paperback signed copy of A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul
 Scented Candle from the Imperial İstanbul Collection – Scent: Harem Garden (Jasmine, Rose
& Orange Blossom)
 Black matchsticks
 Traditional Rose Turkish Delight
 A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul postcard
 Set of four A Farewell to Imperial İstanbul bookmarks

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

**Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by
Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal
data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway
organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.**

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Blog Tour: The Theatre of Glass and Shadow – Anne Corlett

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Sometimes the greatest spectacle hides the darkest secrets . . .

In an alternate London, the city’s Theatre District is a walled area south of the river where an immersive production – the Show – has been running for centuries, growing ever bigger, more sprawling and lavish. The Show is open to anyone who can afford a ticket but the District itself is a closed world; even the police have no jurisdiction within its walls.

Juliet’s mother died when she was a baby. Brought up by her emotionally distant father and even more distant stepmother, she has never felt wanted. It’s only when her father passes away that Juliet – now nineteen – learns her birth was registered in the District. Desperate to belong somewhere at last, she travels to London where she hopes to unearth the truth about her identity, her mother’s death and her father’s years of silence – and claim her birthright.

But in the District, there is only one central truth: the Show must go on. And in a world where illusions abound, and powerful men control the narrative, Juliet has no idea of just how far some will go to ensure certain stories are never told . . .

Anne is originally from the north-east, but somehow slid down the map and finished up in a small village near Bath, where she lives with her partner and three sons. She has an MA in English Language and Linguistics from Edinburgh University, and an MSt in Linguistics from Oxford University. During her postgraduate studies, she worked as an etymologist and proofreader for a dictionary, carrying out research at the Bodleian Library.

Armed with her linguistics-related degrees and work experience, Anne took the somewhat illogical next step and became a criminal lawyer. In 2011, after several years spent working in the London courts and police stations, Anne remembered that she’d actually planned to be a writer, and commenced work on her first novel.  This was slightly unfortunate timing, given that she was right in the middle of relocating to Somerset with her family, who seemed to feel that a little less novel-writing and a little more packing might be warranted.  They probably had a point.

Over the next couple of years Anne fitted writing work around her day job as a solicitor. Her writing has appeared in various newspapers, magazines and anthologies, and has won various awards.

In 2016, The Space Between the Stars was published by Pan Macmillan in the UK and Random House in the US. She wrote most of this novel while studying for a Creative Writing MA at Bath Spa University. Her second novel, The Theatre of Glass and Shadows, will be published in May 2024 by Bonnier.

Anne enjoys working with other writers, through editing, mentoring and teaching.

My thoughts: this was a dark, clever fairy tale set in a version of our world where the Theatre District is still on the south bank of the Thames – roughly Southwark, where once theatres, bear pits and other such entertainment once plied its trade.

The theatre is all encompassing, Shakespeare died a penniless nobody, rather than the Bard of Avon, the show must always go on and since a king once gave the District his approval, the police have no jurisdiction (a bit like the City of London having its own force, and the Met not having power in the square mile).

Everyone who goes there wants to be in the show or learn its secrets, of which there are many. When Juliet’s father dies and she finds some things among his effects that suggest her past, and her mother’s identity, lie in this mysterious place, she heads there, determined to get answers.

What she finds there is a world of smoke and mirrors, illusion and misdirection. Just as she thinks she understands everything, it all tilts and turns on her and she learns the dark secrets at the heart of the show, and her life.

Clever,beguiling and beautifully brought to life, this dark fable lifts the curtain on a world of artifice hiding death and chaos, a Director clinging onto power by any means and players who will stop at nothing to gain 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.

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Blog Tour: The Blood Promise – Liz Mistry

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A deadly gift

Imogen Clark wakes up on her 16th birthday to find her parents dead at the breakfast table, along with a message from their killer.

A twist of fate

Detectives Jazzy Solanki and Annie McQueen join the investigation, but the more they discover, the more Jazzy suspects that the killing is a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and believes that this is more than a coincidence.

A race to catch a killer

When Jazzy discovers the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the dark past she was desperate to keep hidden. She must stop at
nothing to solve the case before she becomes the next victim…


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Liz Mistry moved to West Yorkshire in the late 1980s. Her gritty crime fiction police procedural novels set in Bradford embrace the city she describes as ‘Warm, Rich and Fearless’ whilst exploring the darkness that lurks beneath. Yet, her heart remains in Scotland, where childhood tales of bogey men, Bible John and grey lady ghosts fed her imagination.
Her latest work, The Solanki and McQueen crime series is set around West Lothian, where she uses the distinctive landscape, historic heritage and Scottish culture as a backdrop to her gritty yet often humorous stories.
Struggling with clinical depression and anxiety for many years, Liz often includes mental health themes in her writing. She credits her MA in Creative Writing from Leeds Trinity University with helping her find a way of using her writing to navigate her ongoing mental health struggles. The
synergy between creative and academic writing led Liz to complete a doctorate in creative writing researching the importance of representation of marginalised groups within the genre she loves.
Her husband, three children and huge extended British Indian family are a constant support to her.
In her spare time, Liz loves visiting the varied Scottish and Yorkshire landscape, travelling, listening to music, reading and blogging about all things crime fiction on her website blog, The Crime Warp.

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My thoughts: Liz’s books are a must read for me, I really like how she writes and the characters and stories she creates. This newest book is no exception.

I love Jazzy and the hilarious Queenie aka the Jazz Queens (the name does need work!) as they and their colleagues attempt to solve this grisly case. Jazzy is pretty sure the killer is leaving messages just for her, and that her past is vital in solving the case and putting a killer behind bars. But facing up to her sad start in life is hard and admitting that she’d far rather pretend it didn’t happen is never easy. Thankfully she’s got support from those around her, who won’t let her get too bound up in it.

The twists are pretty shocking and I didn’t see them coming, it’s all revealed so carefully. Hopefully this is the start of another great series of stories from a writer I really enjoy reading.

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

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Blog Tour: Non Serviam – Sfarda L. Gül

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NonServiam copy

A blood-soaked clashing of V FOR VENDETTA and BLOODBORNE, NON SERVIAM is written in the spirit of poetry and art cinema—suffused with visceral symbolism, lush purple prose, and philosophical pondering—its vividly complex worldbuilding inspired by Venice, Sardinia, and Etruscan Civilisation among much more. A dark and deadly web of intrigue.

Cover Front

Non Serviam: The Hypostasis of Dissent Book 1

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Genre: Gridmark Political Mystery/ Gaslamp/ Gothic Fantasy

❤️‍🔥Revolution & revenge
🫀Female hysteria, dark femininity, complex womanhood
🦷Found family
🥀Slow burn yearning enemies to lovers
🕯️“Whimsical grimdark”
🏛️Philosophy
🩸Bløød & gûts
🧠Mad scïence
💐Fully LGBT cast~
🎭Baroque/Venetian setting
❤️‍🩹Tragedy & navigating tråuma

Expressing emotion is prohibited by law in the city state of Vencenza.

Beneath its tyrannical shadow, Giorgianna, a deranged former playwright turned political fugitive, flees a brothel to seek justice for the murder of a beloved friend.

When the last remnants of her bloodline are reaped by the incorrigible Minister of Dominion, Giorgianna’s crooked path to retribution crosses with Vencenza’s Machiavellian revolutionary hellbent on regime overturn.

All the while, the weight of unending tragedy erodes Giorgianna’s psyche into a vengeful bloodlust plagued by cabbalistic visions hinting at an ever-darker face of the violent Powers That Be.

The first in a grimdark political mystery duology with gothic fantasy undertones, NON SERVIAM is written with a unique, experimental style in the spirit of poetry, art cinema, and classics—suffused with visceral symbolism, lush, archaic-esque purple prose, and philosophical ponderings aimed at interrogating totalitarianism, colonial legacy, and state violence. Venice, Sardinia, and the Etruscan Civilisation inspire its vividly intricate, queer-normative setting.

The paperback edition features 25 illustrations by the author, Sfarda L. Gül, as well as one illustration each by Ayşe-Mira Yaşın, Nadia Sampellegrini, and Sophia Arnaout.

Take note that this book is very heavy on worldbuilding and conlang (including footnotes and several POV types (1st person limited; 3rd person limited; 2nd person limited every other chapter for the first ~10% of the book; all past tense)), and features very dense, metaphorical poetic prose, something which some readers may find detracts from immersion for them.

Content Warnings: government oppression, death, graphic gore, self-injury, mental illness, sex trafficking, sexual harassment, police brutality, violence against women and trans-identifying peoples, birth-related trauma, gun violence, religion, classism, discussions of sexual violence (humans, minors, corpses), child abuse, workplace violence, divorce, smoking (tobacco and opium), alcohol, mention of intravenous drug abuse, surgical procedures and needles (singular instance), fires and burns, strong language.

ALL ROYALTIES earned from the title are donated to Doctors Without Borders, the Kurdish Red Crescent, and All For Armenia.

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Blog Blitz: Far From Home – T.A. Williams

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The secrets of the past will unlock her future…

Working in the fast-paced foreign exchange market in Canary Wharf, Amy never expected her job to drive her to collapse. With her doctor advising she take a month off work, when Amy receives a
solicitor’s letter informing her of a surprise inheritance in Italy, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
But who on earth has left her a house in the sleepy Tuscan hills?

As she gets to know the town and its inhabitants, Amy discovers more about the mysterious man who named her in his will. Shocking family secrets come to light, leaving Amy questioning the life she knew.

The town of Sant’Antonio holds more than just secrets. Here, Amy meets Adam, a renowned TV journalist whose documentaries take him to dangerous places. But as their attraction grows, so do
Amy’s worries. Her life is in England, while Adam’s is untethered and under constant threat…

An emotional, heartwarming love story full of family drama and quirky locals.

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I’m a man. And a pretty old man as well. I did languages at university a long time ago
and then lived and worked in France and Switzerland before going to Italy for seven years as a teacher of English. My Italian wife and I then came back to the UK with our little daughter (now long-since grown up) where I ran a big English language school for many years. We now live in a sleepy little village in Devonshire.

I’ve been writing almost all my life but it was only ten years ago that I finally managed to find a publisher who liked my work enough to offer me my first contract.
The fact that I am now writing escapist romance is something I still find hard to explain. My early books were thrillers and historical novels and I now also write cozy crime, but my first love has always been romance. Maybe it’s because there are so many horrible things happening in the world today that I feel I need to do my best to provide something to cheer my readers up. My books provide escapism to some gorgeous locations and descriptions of food to make you drool.

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My thoughts: I always enjoy this author’s books, and they always make me a) hungry and b) want a Labrador.

This book is no exception, there’s two delightful Labs in this book, Max and Coco, and lots of delicious Italian food. As Amy looks into who left her a beautiful, if somewhat dilapidated house in the Tuscan town of Sant’Antonio, near Pisa.

As she learns more about this mysterious legacy and gets the house remodelled, with a very useful plumber, builder and electrician. It helps she speaks fluent Italian as her mother and grandparents came from the country.

While there, she makes lots of friends, including the delightful Labrador, Max, and his sister Coco, and meets some ex pats, including handsome Canadian filmmaker Adam. Unfortunately just as things are beginning, he has to travel to Brazil to make a documentary. Then he goes missing.

Amy is torn between staying in Italy, in the house she’s had renovated, surrounded by her new friends, or returning to her life, and job, in London. Now I know what I would choose, if I was in Amy’s shoes.

This was a really enjoyable story and I loved how Amy found friendship, family and happiness in beautiful Italy, how all sorts of secrets came out and how sweet her relationship with Adam (and more importantly Max) developed. Truly delightful read, enjoy with your favourite tipple or a mug of tea! And snacks, you will need snacks.

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

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Blog Tour: Elusive – Genevieve Cogman

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Revolutionary France is full of blood and bite . . .

1793. Eleanor, once a lowly English maid, is now a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel: renowned for their daring deeds, and for rescuing aristocrats and vampires from the guillotine. When the notorious French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand goes missing, Eleanor and the League leap into action. But they uncover two vampire factions feuding for control over humanity’s fate. Talleyrand’s disappearance is part of a larger, more dangerous scheme – one that threatens to throw France into bloody chaos . . .

As the mutiny continues, a once-dead queen stalks the streets of Paris and the Scarlet Pimpernel is nowhere to be found. Eleanor must take control of her own fate. If she doesn’t, she may find herself the victim of the very people she came to save.

The thrilling follow-up to Scarlet, Elusive by Genevieve Cogman is a witty, inventive retelling of the Scarlet Pimpernel, perfect for fans of The Invisible Library series, Kim Newman and Gail Carriger.

My thoughts: the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel are back, and planning on rescuing more French aristocrats from Madame Guillotine. This time it’s Marguerite’s brother that the team are heading to Paris to retrieve.

But first they need a distraction – freeing the prisoners, including friend Fleurette, from Mont Saint-Michel and stealing a hot air balloon should do the trick.

Eleanor is discovering that she and Anima can do even more with the unusual mage powers, even free people from the influence of vampires, which could come in very handy if they run into the mysterious Prince of Paris, or even the undead Marie Anoinette.

This is another fantastic, rip roaring adventure, the second in this trilogy and protagonist Eleanor has grown in so many ways, this story has her really coming into her own. Separated from the others, she has to take charge and make decisions herself, often asking “what would the Chief do?” and thinking like the Pimpernel. She’s really brave and uses the fact that people in power don’t pay attention to servants to access the inner sanctum of the Committee on Public Safety, coming face to face with Robespierre.

She might be the best asset the League has, and they don’t really seem to realise it yet. I really enjoyed this book, as I did Scarlet, but I think this is definitely the best one yet. Can’t wait for book three!

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

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Blog Tour: Dressing the Countess – Rachel Brimble

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Fans of Kristy Cambron, Stephanie Dray, and Julia Quinn will adore this Victorian romance from historical fiction dynamo, Rachel Brimble.

Seamstress Rose Watson cannot believe her good fortune when she’s plucked from obscurity to work for Lady Christina, the Countess of Bath. Despite her parents’ distrust that the position will come with conditions, Rose accepts the unexpected offer.
When she arrives at the royal residence of Henlow House, a strange sense of destiny whispers through her, and Rose cannot wait for this new adventure to begin. Although, she has Henry Ward to
deal with, the handsome, risk-taking and—though she is loath to admit it—exciting royal saddler and horse trainer, who both fascinates and frustrates her in equal measure.

They could not be more different…with the exception of their hunger for more.
But as they begin to trust one another, and their bond flourishes, Rose’s connection with Henry could cause her to lose her position at Henlow House, which would destroy her. Will she be forced to choose between love and ambition? Either choice will change her life irrevocably.
A captivating escape that will touch your heart and keep you turning pages with impatient hope for Rose…

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Rachel lives with her husband, two adult daughters and beloved Labrador in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 30 novels and has been published by Harlequin Mills & Boon, Kensington Books and others. Her latest series includes the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy and the
Shop Girl series, both published with Aria Fiction. She also has several single titles with The Wild Rose Press. Her debut novel with Harpeth Road Press, Dressing The Countess, was released in May 2024.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Female Entrepreneur Association and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. She is also studying for a history degree with the Open University in her spare time…

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My thoughts: I really liked this Victorian set story about a young seamstress and her exciting new role as couturier for Lady Christina, Countess of Bath. Invited to design a dress for a mystery client at her parents’ dress shop, she later discovers that the client is the Countess, who hires Rose to design and create outfits just for her. 

There she meets Henry who works with his uncle as the Earl’s saddler and assistant horse trainer. There’s an instant spark between the two, and while Henry frustrates Rose at first, with his gambling and restlessness, they soon become close.

As Rose’s career flourishes and the Countess trusts her more and more, not just with her clothes but also with her secrets, Henry risks it all to find the future he thinks he wants. But will love thrive below stairs and bring Rose and Henry back together?

Rose is a delightful protagonist, clever and talented, she shines when given the Countess as a muse for her designs and as she helps Henry rid himself of his vices and evaluate what he really wants from life. Henry too is charming, the opposite of their employer, the Earl.

This is a charming and enjoyable story of two young people making their way in the world, following their dreams and falling in love as they do.

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

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Blog Tour: The Unbroken Queen – Terina Adams

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TheUnbrokenQueen copy

We’re touring The Unbroken Queen this week, which is the first book in a new enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance series called The Bone Throne!

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The Unbroken Queen (The Bone Throne Series Book 1)

Publication Date: April 21, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance

  • Forbidden Love
  • Burn the World Down Romance
  • Enemies-to-Lovers
  • Vengeance
  • Found Friendships

Born illegitimate. Trained an assassin. Crowned a queen.

As an illegitimate princess, I’m bound by duty and betrothed to the crown prince of the House of Tannard, rulers of the nearby realms. However, beneath the royal façade, I serve as a loyal disciple of the formidable Sistern of Silence, the masters of soul voice. The sacred legacy of the death arts, a rare gift, courses through my veins, a heritage from my father’s line.

Upon reaching the distant shores of Tarragona to meet my betrothed, I discover I’ve been manipulated by the Mother of the Sistern. I was chosen to be the future queen for a reason I can’t yet fathom—a reason that could bring catastrophic consequences upon the realms.

As the northern realm’s thirst for power intensifies and its enigmatic Razohan leader aims to reclaim the southern throne and the prized Etherweave, my disdain for my fiancé seems inconsequential, overshadowed by the imminent specter of war.

To protect the House of Tannard and maintain the delicate equilibrium of power, I must delve deeper into the clandestine pillars of the Sistern and awaken the lethal power of the death arts, lying dormant within me.

In a world where treachery and concealed truths dominate, I must remember that in war, love and mercy are luxuries none can afford. I’ve pledged my allegiance to the House of Tannard, but the allure of the Razohan leader, my constant shadow and adversary, tests my loyalty—and threatens to unravel my very soul.

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Blog Tour: The Village Detectives & The Art of Murder – Fiona Walker

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Welcome to the beautiful English village of Inkbury. Tucked deep in the North Wessex Downs, its only claim to fame is the picturesque riverside that once appeared in a Richard Curtis movie. That is, until the murder…

Former stand-up comic Juno Mulligan has been suffering a serious sense-of-humour failure. Not only has she lost the love of her life, but she’s having to relocate to the (admittedly idyllic) village of Inkbury to watch out for her elderly mother, who she’s genuinely worried might be marrying a wife-killer.

She hopes that her old friend, disgraced-journalist-turned-novelist Phoebe Fredericks can help her crack the case of whether her mother’s perma-tanned, iceberg-smiled, three-times-a-widower fiancé is hiding a murderous past.

But before they have a chance, the local art dealer washes up distinctly dead in the village’s famous river. His lover is in the frame, but Juno and Phoebe suspect that there is a deeper secret… One that relates to Phoebe’s own past and Juno’s present.

Will the unofficial Village Detective Agency solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? In sleepy Inkbury, as they soon discover, living one’s best midlife can be murder.

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Fiona Walker is the million copy bestselling author of joyously funny romantic comedies. Most recently published by Head of Zeus, she will be turning to cosy crime for Boldwood. The first in her new Village Detectives series, The Art of Murder, will be published in May 2024.

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My thoughts: this was a really fun read, I loved Phoebe and Juno, and obviously Mil the waiter with his motorbike and crazy fake deaths.

When local art dealer Si drops dead and falls into the river outside Mil’s pub, Juno decides the friends should investigate his death, having the local insight and being the ones who found the body.

Is it his partner in business and life, Oliver? His mother, as suggested by one of his sisters, a professional rival or is it someone from his past?

As they investigate, asking questions and looking into who Si was, Phoebe is trying  to finish her next book, and Juno is convinced her mother’s boyfriend is a serial killer – all three of his previous wives died in strange circumstances and he might be after her mum’s money as she’s suddenly selling the family home and moving into a retirement community.

They’re all a little eccentric and I just really enjoyed reading the book, which hopefully bodes well for the rest of this series – murder in an English village is a subgenre I particularly like reading (although I can’t stand the phrase “cosy crime”) and with these characters, it will be lots of fun.

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

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Blog Tour: The Goldilocks Genome – Elizabeth Reed Aden, PhD

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GoldilockGenomes copy

Welcome to the book release tour for The Goldilocks Genome by Elizabeth Reed Aden, PhD. Read on for more info!

TheGoldilocksGenome

The Goldilocks Genome: A Medical Thriller

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Genre: Medical Thriller

When San Francisco–based FDA epidemiologist Dr. Carrie Hediger uncovers a rash of unexplained deaths while investigating the suspiciously convenient death of her best friend, she becomes determined to find answers—even if it leads her to a murderer, and even if confronting authority, using her wiles, and bending the rules to get justice risks her future in the FDA.

To unravel the puzzle, Carrie assembles a team: some talented post-doctoral fellows, a quirky pharmacologist, an unctuous chemist, and a skeptical FBI agent that she can’t help her attraction for. Together, they follow the data through the twists and turns, eventually uncovering that the Goldilocks effect in prescription drugs—the premise that people are inclined to seek “just the right amount” of something—is central to understanding these mysterious deaths. Through the twists and turns, Carrie and her team enter a race to uncover the truth . . . and catch a killer.

Grounded in real data analysis techniques, real science and pharmacology, and actual current psychiatric practices, The Goldilocks Genome is simultaneously a taut, race-against-time thriller and a condemnation of the psychiatric industry’s failure to implement genetic-based “personalized medicine”—a problem that persists to this day.

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About the Author

Elizabeth, “Betsy” lives in Berkeley, California and successfully leveraged her doctorate in biomedical anthropology into a career in pharmaceuticals and biotech. She is the author of the forthcoming medical thriller The Goldilocks Genome and is working on a book examining the impact of her fieldwork in Melanesia on her life and career. Eunice Mays Boyd was her godmother. She recently discovered Eunice’s unpublished novels and is publishing her new and republishing the out-of-print mysteries.

Betsy is also bi-continental and lives part of the year in lovely, historic Valencia, Spain where she enjoys exploring the history and prehistory of the country. She love exploring the different beaches and swimming.

ELIZABETH REED ADEN

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