After losing her sister to an overdose, Chief Superintendent Jo Howe is desperate to tackle the world of drugs that consumes the shadowy backstreets of Brighton. Operation Eradicate is her response but not everyone sees it as a positive development.
For self-made millionaire Sir Ben Parsons it is a threat to his business – his colossal empire relies on addicts who survive on Respite Pharmaceuticals’ substitute drugs. With connections in the highest levels of government, media and organised crime, Parsons unleashes a brutal counterattack on Howe.
How will she survive being caught in the line of fire?
Graham Bartlett was the chief superintendent of Brighton and Hove police. His first non-fiction book, Death Comes Knocking, was a Sunday Times bestseller, co-written with Peter James. He has since published Bad for Good and Force of Hate starring Chief Superintendent Jo Howe. Bartlett is also a crime writing advisor helping scores of authors and TV writers inject authenticity into their work.
My thoughts: Brighton is in the grip of a drugs epidemic and Chief Super Jo Howe has devised a revolutionary plan to save the users and get them into treatment and get the dealers into prison. But there are those who oppose her scheme and will do anything to stop it.
Inspired by his job as the real life Chief Superintendent of Brighton and Hove, Graham Bartlett lifts the lid on the darker side of the Sussex seaside. This is an action packed, shocking and totally gripping police procedural thriller.
Jo’s whole life teeters at breaking point and the police force is falling apart around her as her enemies dismantle the services and go after officers and their families in order to put a stop to Operation Eradicate and claw back their money and control.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
The shortlist for the world’s largest and most prestigious literary prize for young writers – the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize – has been revealed today, featuring six extraordinary, emerging voices whose writing plays with formal inventiveness to explore the timeless themes of grief, identity and family.
Comprising of four novels, one short story collection and one poetry collection – with five titles belonging to independent publishers – this year’s international shortlist is:
– A Spell of Good Thingsby Ayòbámi Adébáyò (Canongate Books) – novel (Nigeria)
– Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking, Penguin Random House UK)– novel (UK/Ghana)
– The Gluttonby A. K. Blakemore (Granta) – novel (England, UK)
– Bright Fear by Mary Jean Chan (Faber & Faber) – poetry collection (Hong Kong)
– Local Fires by Joshua Jones (Parthian Books) – short story collection (Wales, UK)
– Biography of X by Catherine Lacey (Granta) – novel (US)
Worth £20,000, this global accolade recognises exceptional literary talent aged 39 or under, celebrating the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer Dylan Thomas and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. The prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today, nurture the talents of tomorrow, and celebrate international literary excellence.
Launched in 2006, the annual Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize is one of the most prestigious awards for young writers, aimed at encouraging raw creative talent worldwide. It celebrates and nurtures international literary excellence. Worth £20,000, it is one of the UK’s most prestigious literary prizes as well as one of the world’s largest literary prizes for young writers. Awarded for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under, the Prize celebrates the international world of fiction in all its forms including poetry, novels, short stories and drama. The prize is named after the Swansea-born writer, Dylan Thomas, and celebrates his 39 years of creativity and productivity. One of the most influential, internationally renowned writers of the mid-twentieth century, the prize invokes his memory to support the writers of today and nurture the talents of tomorrow.
A Spell of Good Things by Ayòbámi Adébáyò (Canongate Books)
Ayòbámi Adébáyò was born in Lagos, Nigeria. Her debut novel, Stay With Me, won the 9mobile Prize for Literature, was shortlisted for the Baileys Prize for Women’s Fiction, the Wellcome Book Prize and the Kwani? Manuscript Prize. It has been translated into twenty languages and the French translation was awarded the Prix Les Afriques. Longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award, Stay With Me was a New York Times, Guardian, Chicago Tribune and NPR Best Book of the Year. Ayòbámi Adébàyò splits her time between Norwich and Lagos.
Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Viking, Penguin Random House UK)
Caleb Azumah Nelson is a British-Ghanaian writer and photographer living in South East London. His first novel, Open Water, won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards, and was a number-one Times bestseller. It was also shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, Waterstones Book of the Year, and longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and the Desmond Elliott Prize. His second novel, Small Worlds was a Sunday Times Bestseller and was shortlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. He was selected as a National Book Foundation ‘5 under 35’ honoree by Brit Bennett.
The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore (Granta)
A. K. Blakemore’s debut novel, The Manningtree Witches, won the Desmond Elliott Prize 2021, was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, and was a Waterstones Book of the Month. She is the author of two full-length collections of poetry, Humbert Summer and Fondue, which was awarded the 2019 Ledbury Forte Prize for Best Second Collection, and has also translated the work of Sichuanese poet Yu Yoyo. Her poetry and prose has appeared in the London Review of Books, Poetry, the Poetry Review and the White Review, among other publications.
Bright Fear by Mary Jean Chan (Faber & Faber)
Mary Jean Chan is the author of Flèche (Faber & Faber, 2019), which won the Costa Book Award for Poetry and was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the Seamus Heaney Centre First Collection Poetry Prize. Bright Fear, Chan’s second book, was shortlisted for the 2023 Forward Prize for Best Collection and is currently shortlisted for the Writers’ Prize. In 2022, Chan co-edited the acclaimed anthology 100 Queer Poems with Andrew McMillan. A recent judge for the 2023 Booker Prize, Chan is the 2023-24 Judith E. Wilson Poetry Fellow at the University of Cambridge.
Local Fires by Joshua Jones (Parthian Books)
Joshua Jones (he/him) is a queer, autistic writer and artist from Llanelli, South Wales. He co-founded Dyddiau Du, a NeuroQueer art and literature space in Cardiff. His fiction and poetry have been published by Poetry Wales, Broken Sleep Books, Gutter and others. He is a Literature Wales Emerging Writer for 2023, and is currently working with the British Council to connect Welsh and Vietnamese queer writers. Local Fires is his first publication of fiction.
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey (Granta)
Catherine Lacey is the author of the novels Nobody Is Ever Missing, The Answers and Pew, and the short story collection Certain American States. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. She has been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, and was named one of Granta’s Best of Young American Novelists. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The New York Times, The Believer and elsewhere. Born in Mississippi, Catherine is currently a fellow at the Dorothy B & Lewis Cullman Center for writers and scholars at the New York Public Library, and is otherwise based in Mexico City.
The winner will be announced on the 16th May at Swansea University. Follow along online with the hashtag #SUDTP24 @dylanthomprize
The Lost Wells Trilogy is complete! We’re touring Severance of the Sorcerer and now you can read all 3 books without waiting! Severance of the Sorcerer (Lost. Wells Trilogy #3) Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Genre: Epic Fantasy/Fantasy A spreading darkness, a final prophecy, and one last chance to live … or die.
In his desperate bid to find answers of his own, Cassius Longinus—the ancient Child of Rome—released the killing darkness upon the world. A betrayal by Julia and Dom’s strongest ally and dearest friend, Ronan—who falls into Cassius’ ranks and advances the Sorcerer’s gruesome experiments—leaves the future looking more uncertain than ever for the Sovereign and the World Ruler.
Now on the run and isolated from their tight group of loyal allies, Julia and Dom must somehow pick up the pieces of their shattered trust, reconnect with their remaining friends, and together work to unravel the mysteries of the Otherworld’s most recent and worrisome portent—all while searching for a new path to end the darkness.
Get a copy of Tides of the Sovereign and Mantle of the World Ruler by visiting the Books page, and subscribe to the newsletter for updates on book releases, upcoming events, and more pertaining to the Lost Wells Trilogy.
We’re celebrating the release of Battle Scars by JJ Asher. Read on for more details!
Battle Scars (British Invasion #1)
Genre: Dark Romance
Publication Date: March 18, 2024
🖤Enemies to lovers
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Slow burn
🖤Found family
🖤Hurt/comfort
🖤Grumpy/grumpier
🖤Mental health rep
🖤Possessive MMC who will k1ll for his girl
No one’s perfect, not even me. Hell, my closet’s so full of skeletons the bones are spilling out. But have your ghosts ever driven you to the other side of the world to seek refuge amongst faces no one can be bothered remembering?
Mine did, because I craved the anonymity.
I needed to lose my name.
To forget…
About my parents, the trial, the paparazzi at my door—
Then she came along.
A cryptic puzzle, a tempest of chaos. As beguiling as she is unsettling.
She almost stabs me, knocks me out—then kisses me, igniting a fire I’d almost given up hope of rekindling.
With whispers of a past as dark as the scars that litter her body, I’m left trying to cling to the last of my sanity as hers falls apart at my feet.
Sexual assault (on and off page)- Discussions of kidnapping- Forced captivity- Descriptions of torture and maiming- Emotional abuse- Self harm- Alcohol abuse- Discussions of mental health related medication- Excessive foul language- Homophobic slurs- Familial betrayal- DubCon- Intentional self mutilation- MMC is with another female during the slow burn phase- Thoughts of suicide- Violence- Blood play- Intentional infliction of pain- Choking / Spiting / Slapping / Intentionally gagging- PTSD- Anxiety
If you could monetize staying in your pyjamas all day, Jordan would have been a millionaire years ago. A professional procrastinator masquerading as an adult, when she’s not eagerly awaiting her ult k-pop groups latest comeback, you can find her typing away at her laptop with her scruffy fifteen-year-old mutt, Basil, by her side.
In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…
Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club. But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…
Eva Glyn fell in love with Croatia during her first holiday there in 2019; the incredible scenery, the delicious food, the country’s dramatic twentieth century history all played their part, but most of all it was the friendliness of the people. One of these was tour director Darko Barisic, who told an incredible story about growing up in underground shelters during the war in the 1990s, and she knew she had to write a book around his experiences. This became her first Croatian novel, The Olive Grove, and she and Darko have become good friends and he continues to advise her on all aspects of Croatia. Eva delves into Croatian history and everyday life for her inspiration, and visits the country as often as she can, having uncovered so many stories by talking to local people. Travel in general is her passion, followed closely by food and wine, which also find their way between her pages. Although Welsh by birth she now lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with almost thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.
My thoughts: this was a really lovely read, the book club Claire starts in a Dubrovnik bookshop brings a disparate group together and their book choices, friendship and the magic of the bookshop slowly bring them together and allow old wounds to heal and new beginnings to flourish.
Claire has moved to Croatia to stay with her grandmother Fran and her husband, who is slowly succumbing to dementia. She had covid and is still anxious and afraid of crowds and getting sick again.
The bookshop offers her a chance to start rebuilding her life, make some new friends and live again. She bonds with Luna, her new colleague, who is also trying to build a new life – she’s gay and not out, but she wants to be, even though she’s scared of how her parents will react.
I loved how each member of the book club, even the ones who don’t read the books, get more than they expected from being with each other, and opening up to their friends, dealing with their pasts and working together to save the bookshop when it’s threatened with having to close.
Moving, enjoyable and with a blend of genres, this was a really interesting and gently heartwarming read.
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box. 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 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.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
The unputdownable new thriller from the bestselling author of The Perfect Holiday, which will have fans of Lucy Clarke and T M Logan gripped.
As soon as you first see the house, a former hotel in a picturesque enclave of the Cypriot hills, you know it’s the perfect home for you – with breath-taking views, a refreshing pool, and peace and quiet, away from the rest of the world. A private resort in paradise. A place to recover and grow. But paradise isn’t cheap, and as the debts mount, you could lose everything you’ve worked so hard for. Until someone makes you an offer: to keep your home, all you have to do is take a life. But you could never do that… could you? You’d die to stay here. But would you kill to?
Tracey lives in Scotland and writes psychological thrillers. Her short stories have been widely published in anthologies and literary magazines, and her feature writing has appeared in Stella magazine, Woman’s Own and The Sydney Morning Herald. Her first psychological thriller for Boldwood, The Perfect Holiday, was published in April 2022 and was an Amazon bestseller.
My thoughts: this is why I am suspicious of any of these wellbeing places that seem a bit too cult-like. There’s always way too much secret tension and no one is completely immune to the lure of the outside world.
When Sofia returns to the place her mother died, now a hugely wealthy and dangerous young woman, she’s there for revenge. She’s not coming back to see the people she once knew but offer them a terrible proposition. If they kill their leader, Quinn, she will give them three million euros and enable them to turn the dilapidated villa into a resort and make it a success.
But is this a price too far? Is murder too much, or will someone do anything for the right place. As Sofia’s offer forces the small cracks between the residents to widen and grow, Quinn starts to unravel and secrets come to light. Can this tiny community stay together or will the money drive them apart?
Tense, creepy and sinister, moving between narrators and timelines, this is a clever and gripping thriller set in the Cyprus hills.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
One great bake-off. Twelve golden pies. Two lovable, dogged amateur sleuths back in stride.
On a crisp, autumn evening, in quaint Bogus Hole, the village committee proposes a pie-and-buy charity auction to celebrate the first anniversary of Sycamore Medical Practice. Twelve bakes will make the coveted gingham table for a doctor-only bidding war, thus setting the scene for a memorable day.
The next week, when a doctor collapses at the annual Christmas fair and later dies, the gossip train rumbles with the burning question. Who baked a poisonous mushroom into their pie?
Team Awesome truffle hogs, Windy & Darling, are hot on the fatal fungus trail. Can our daring duo sniff out the killer of the not-so-fun guy?
Publication Date: 24th June 2024
The book will be available to purchase here on publication day
Author Bio –
Creativity’s a must for Scottish-raised, environmental science graduate Mark, who co-manages a self-publishing house, is formidable at book formatting, and writes cosy crime and sci-fi. He also makes music and fancies himself as a cartographer. A self-confessed geek, Mark’s hopelessly devoted to maps and roads, and his fondness for tree-hugging or pondering pylons takes whimsical to a new level. High on his priorities are reading, laughter, healthy food, and nature bathing. Mark adores animals, especially cats. Just ask Tahlula, his fussy old tuxedo puss.
Ironically, a cruel plot twist kick-started Wendy’s writing career. She’d always wanted to be an author but an MS diagnosis said no. Believing she’d never write again, Wendy swapped wallowing for blue sky thinking and, with drive and dedication, followed her vision by writing cosy mysteries and thrillers. Born in the original Washington, NE England, Wendy has a diverse CV. A serial word nerd, she’s now an erudite editor, and co-owns a self-publishing house, ensuring her lust for all things alphabetical and grammatical never wanes. She devours dictionaries, adding a prized new gem to her repertoire every day.
When not nitpicking, mentoring, or critiquing, Wendy’s a sworn bookworm. Her other loves are music, cooking, yoga, and comedy. She’s a hat freak, animal qwackers, loves a good quiz, and is a devoted nature buff.
Deadly Dough is the couple’s feature-length debut.
Happy publication day and congratulations to Lara Buckheit on the release of Our Immortal Hearts! Click “Add to Cart” now!
Our Immortal Hearts (Tales from the Wyldelands Book 1)
Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Genre: Spicy Vampire Romance/ Fantasy Romance
🌙Hurt/Comfort
🖤Fated Mates
🌙Found Family
🖤You’ve never hurt me. Ever
🌙You came! You asked!
🖤Hot Vampires doing Hot Things
🌙Evil Buffy Vibes
She is his ruination.
He is her salvation.
Destined for death, Rory Alarie’s life has never been her own. As Adelphi’s Sacrifice, every moment of every day is monitored by overbearing guards and a controlling family who will stop at nothing to ensure she remains obedient to the mortal kings. Except Rory harbors a secret–she doesn’t want to die. Not for her family, not for her kingdom, and certainly not so supernatural creatures can be eradicated from Norica.
Famed assassin Quill Godrickson doesn’t kill innocents. Yet when the vampire supreme threatens to kill all those he holds dear if he refuses, he accepts what’s supposed to be his easiest assignment yet–eliminate Adelphi’s Sacrifice before the mortal kings gain more power. However, when Quill arrives in Adelphi, he doesn’t expect to find himself irresistibly drawn to the one he’s meant to assassinate.
As Rory and Quill are caught between duty, desire, and death, it is Rory who must choose her final path: reluctantly die as Adelphi’s Sacrifice or allow Quill to turn her into one of the creatures she was raised to hate.
Our Immortal Hearts is the first book in Tales from the Wyldelands, a new collection of standalones featuring heart-pounding romance, glittering dark magic, and bloody intrigue, perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches, From Blood and Ash, and Throne of the Fallen.
Lara Buckheit was born and raised on the Eastern Shore. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Wilmington University, is a 2021 WriteMentor Mentee, an avid writer (and reader) of spice, and one time she met Taylor Swift’s dad.
She started writing at a very young age, mostly fanfiction centered around women with swords and men with devilish grins. And she hasn’t stopped since.
When not writing, Lara can be found drinking tea, hustling for her day job, reading from her endless TBR pile, or hanging out on her body confidence bookstagram.
Lara lives in Charlottesville, VA, with her husband, dog, and thirteen houseplants named after fictional characters.
Journey into the heart of 20th Century Russia in this fun and funny historical mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright and Helena Dixon.
1918 Moscow
Will following her heart mean losing her head? It could mean losing her job. Fiona Figg trails her nemesis Fredrick Fredricks to Moscow. But when she arrives at the grand Metropol Hotel, the bounder has vanished. After Fiona doesn’t show up for work at the War Office, Kitty Lane raises a red flag and tracks her to Russia. Seeking haven at the British Embassy, Kitty and Fiona become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Bolshevik government. But the plot turns deadly when Fiona goes undercover as a governess in the household of Iron Viktor, the Bolsheviks’ Head of Secret Police. And when Viktor turns up dead in his study, Fiona finds herself wanted for murder and on the lam. Can Fiona and Kitty find the real killer and escape the Kremlin before it’s too late? Or will this dangerous game of Russian roulette be their last?
My thoughts: we’re back with the intrepid spies Fiona Flagg, Kitty Lane and Poppy the Pekingese. Fiona has taken off to Russia after Frederick Fredericks, which of course turns into disaster in the middle of the First World War. The Bolsheviks have removed the Romanovs from the throne and are planning to withdraw from the war.
Fiona ends up locked up by the Cheka and then undercover in the home of the boss of the secret police. How does she keep getting into these scrapes? I went to Moscow and didn’t get arrested, OK it was the early 00s not 1917 but still.
Luckily Kitty, Poppy and Co are on the way, and there’s a plot to foil, with Archie’s safety on the line. Fiona needs to decide whether her heart belongs to the British spy or the dashing German Fredericks.
I really love this series, it’s clever and funny, filled with real people and events, as well as the brilliant Fiona and Kitty. Once again Poppy comes through with her exceptional scent tracking skills and Clifford manages to tell a few of his long winded stories 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
We’re celebrating the release of Invocation by Aileen Erin! Grab yourself a copy if you love supernatural fantasy, nephilim, and slow-burn romance!
Invocation (Days of Iron and Clay #1)
Publication Date: March 19, 2024
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Nephilim
🪽Found Family
😈Angels & Demons
🪽Daughter of Fallen Angel (FMC)
😈Slow-burn Romance
🪽Portals
😈Powerful Exorcist
There are three things I know without question. One, demons are real. Two, humans make awful mistakes that get them in demonic trouble more often than you’d think. And three, I’m the only one who can help them.
I straddle the line between the mortal and spiritual realms every day. People might think they’re two different places, but they’re not. They lay on top of each other. It’s messy, and that’s why so many people need my help.
Since I was little, I’ve been called all kinds of names—unusual, abnormal, even insane. Which is fitting since they keep throwing me in to mental facilities. I’ve been in and out of them my entire life.
But no matter what people say, no matter what I’m risking, I will always help those in need.
Because there’s an endless war carrying on all around us, every minute of every day. One that can’t be seen by mortal eyes. But I can see it, the spiritual battle for mortal souls, and I’m working to make sure my father is on the losing side.
My father—Astaroth, Satan’s general—is why I can do this. He’s why I’m not normal. I hear him, whispering my name at night, his taunts echoing through the spiritual realm. He’s hunting me, and I know the day will come when I must face him again.
Every portal I open could be the one that finally pulls me back to Hell, and I wonder if I will be brave enough, strong enough, good enough to fight him.
My name is Samantha Catherine Lopez, and I am Nephilim. This is my story.
Aileen Erin is half – Irish, half – Mexican, and 100% nerd—from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her family in Texas, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.
The Lost Wells Trilogy is complete! 
ramblingmads 