blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Dread Wood – Jennifer Killick

Turn the lights on. Lock the door. Things are about to get SERIOUSLY SCARY!

The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps

It’s basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.

What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute…? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they’re all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge…

Amazon Goodreads 

Jennifer Killick is the author of Crater Lake, the Alex Sparrow series, and middle-grade sci-fi adventure Mo, Lottie and the Junkers. She regularly visits schools and festivals, and her books have three times been selected for The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge. She lives in Uxbridge, in a house full of children, animals and Lego. When she isn’t busy mothering or step-mothering (which isn’t often) she loves to read, write and run, as fast as she can.

Twitter

My thoughts: The Breakfast Club is one of my favourite films, with its group of misfits thrown together for a Saturday detention – something my school thankfully didn’t have. But Dread Wood school does, and this might be the worst detention ever because there’s something lurking in the grounds of the school and it’s hungry.

I should also state I am massively arachnophobic and reading this book freaked me out – a lot. If spiders aren’t your jam, don’t read this just before bed.

Angelo, Hallie, Gus and Naira are thrown together but they combine their individual smarts and talents as a group to fight back against those who want to hurt them and save the day, if not the school, but who hasn’t wanted to blow up at least one part of their school?

The first in a new series featuring this intrepid gang – The Loser Club – as Gus dubs them, it’s funny, smart and a bit creepy. There’s also bonus points for positive disability rep and diversity – no one is negative about the differences between them, which is great to see. And the gang do learn their lesson – they didn’t need to be menaced by monsters and crazed scientists to learn it either. Which bodes well for the rest of the series. Can’t wait.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Killer’s Family – Miranda Smith

We should never have kept our father’s secret.

Before, my sisters and I were close. Now, a year after our father’s funeral, we barely speak to each other. Molly won’t accept the truth. Rachel can’t forgive him. And I spend all my time digging through his life, trying to understand.

Then we hear the news. A woman has been found by the docks, her wedding ring stolen. The reporter says it appears the local serial killer has returned…

But I know that can’t be right, because I know who the killer was.

Henry Martin. Our father.

Someone is sending us a message. Someone knows we lied.

Now my sisters and I must work together to find out who is targeting us. How do they know what we’ve hidden? What do they want? And what other secrets lie buried in the past, putting us all in danger?

A brilliantly twisty suspense thriller that will have you flying through the pages and gasping at the twist. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware will love The Killer’s Family.

Amazon Audio UK Audio US

Listen to an extract here

Miranda Smith writes psychological and domestic suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Before completing her first novel, she worked as a newspaper staff writer and a secondary English teacher. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three young children.

Facebook Instagram

My thoughts: this was very clever, full of twists and turns and kept me guessing all along. Three sisters, united in grief are divided when they find out their father’s darkest secret – he was a serial killer. Dying suddenly his hidden cache of trophies and sinister photos weren’t destroyed, and when his grown up daughters find them hidden beneath the floor in his shed, they’re devastated. One of them, Cara is a crime writer married to a detective. Can they keep their dad’s secret? And what happens when a series of copycat killings begin, targeting people close to them?

Grief is a horrible thing and it can make us react in all sorts of ways, as it does here. Each of the sisters react in different ways and their discovery drives a deep wedge between them, they all want to do something with the knowledge, whether it’s destroy it or tell the police. And that pushes them apart.

The writing is tense and compelling, the new killings place the sisters right in the centre but not in ways they’re willing to point out too closely to Cara’s husband Tate, who happens to be on the investigative team. There’s a couple of huge twists towards the end, no spoilers, that you won’t see coming, they’re so cleverly done. But everything gets cast in a new light and honestly, the ending leaves you with questions, in the best way. Really enjoyable stuff.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: A Moment of Faith – Martin Svaneborg

Copenhagen, 1840 – Fighting to reconcile his obligations with a quest for romance, the eccentric philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, rushes through the cobbled streets, thrusting himself into the arms

of Regine and a disastrous engagement.
Copenhagen, 1855 – Withering away in a hospital bed, Bitter and alone, Kierkegaard conjures up a preposterous scheme. A vendetta against the Bishop of Copenhagen, and a mission to save the
future of love.
Copenhagen, now – Introvert Christian Kardahl, meets devout and mysterious Emma for the first time. Two days later, Christian comes across an old letter aimed to destroy a famous, eccentric philosopher. When a sudden murder is added to the mystery, the past has caught up. Christian and Emma are drawn into an involuntary quest that will make them question their belief in history and, unless they can sort out the puzzle, their faith and love will be forever doomed.
‘Brilliantly written, a bridge between the present and Kierkegaard past’ – Book Reviewer

Purchase

With a background in musical theatre as both an actor, singer, and dancer, Martin
Svaneborg has spent his teenage and adult life as a storyteller. In 2018, driven mainly by his interest in the history of religion, Martin started studying theology at the University of Copenhagen while
exploring other ways of telling stories as a theatre director, speech coach, and speaker, hence the transition to novel writing felt natural, and his debut novel is a fusion of his growing interest for the
personal life of the philosophers he encountered during his studies and the desire to tell an adventurous love story. Also, he, like Kierkegaard, has a thing for nice, long sentences.

Instagram (publisher) Instagram Twitter

My thoughts: I remember reading about Kierkegaard when I was studying theology and philosophy, although it was some time ago. So I was intrigued by this book, which moves between Kierkegaard’s life and a modern day mystery.

Christian has become fascinated by an unusual offshoot of Christianity and visits a church that follows this doctrine. There are not many congregants so he stands out as a stranger. He is drawn into a race against time to find the original deeds to the church building and save it from being sold and demolished. He and his new friend Emma need his knowledge of Kierkegaard and her knowledge of the church to solve the mystery.

Once this got going it was really enjoyable, I liked the glimpses into past Denmark and the adventure Christian and Emma find themselves on – hunting for hidden archives in the library and then being tracked to England, where they’re threatened in a church and chased to the airport. It’s all very exciting, gung-ho stuff.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: I Will Find You – Amanda Rigby

Three sisters…One terrible secret
Ashleigh: A creative, free spirit and loyal. But Ash is tormented by her demons and a past that refuses to be laid to rest.
Jessica: Perfect wife and loving mother. But although Jessica might seem to have it all, she lives a secret life built on lies.
Grace: An outsider, always looking in, Grace has never known the love of her sisters and her resentment can make her do bad things.
When Ashleigh goes missing, Jessica and Grace do all they can to find their eldest sister. But the longer Ashleigh is missing, the more secrets and lies these women are hiding threaten to tear this family apart.
Can they find Ashleigh before it’s too late or is it sometimes safer to stay hidden?
Purchase

Amanda Rigby is the nom de plume of the writing partnership between Amanda Ashby and Sally Rigby. Both authors live in New Zealand, have been friends for eighteen years, and agree about everything (except musicals). They decided to collaborate on a psychological thriller which they then entered into a competition, run by Boldwood, which they won!

Facebook Twitter Instagram
Newsletter Sign Up Bookbub

My thoughts: sisters, who’d have ’em? (I have one younger sister), relationships between siblings are very often complicated and messy, and the sisters in this book have secrets which add to their complex history. When Ashleigh goes on the run, her sisters are looking for her, and also the ones she turns to for help. But is that a mistake?

Tense and with a twist I did not see coming at the end, I couldn’t tell who to trust – everyone had so many secrets and were suspicious at different points. Grace seemed to be hiding who her unborn baby’s father was, Jessica had a whole secret life she kept from her family, and Ashleigh was losing her memories when she was drinking, she could have killed her friend and not remembered. Another excellent thriller from Amanda Rigby.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Haven – Amanda Jennings

It was meant to be paradise…

Winterfall Farm, spectacular and remote, stands over Bodmin Moor. Wanting an escape from the constraints of conventional life, Kit and Tara move to the isolated smallholding with their daughter, Skye, and a group of friends. Living off-grid and working the land, they soon begin to enjoy the fruits of their labour amid the breathtaking beauty and freedom of the moor.

At first this new way of life seems too good to be true, but when their charismatic leader, Jeremy, returns from a mysterious trip to the city with Dani, a young runaway, fractures begin to appear. As winter approaches, and with it cold weather and dark nights, Jeremy’s behaviour becomes increasingly erratic. Rules are imposed, the outside world is shunned, and when he brings a second girl back to the farm, tensions quickly reach breaking point with devastating consequences…

My thoughts: living in utopian style collectives and off grid appeals to a lot of people and you can see why, except for the thing everyone always forgets – other people. We all love a hierarchy deep down and crave a leader, and in this case Jeremy becomes increasingly unhinged and aggressive as he tries to assert control. He’s clearly not well but has decided doctors and medicine are evil and living off the land with his new friends is best.

But things are far from perfect as the weather turns, people get sick and arguments break out. I liked the differing viewpoints and how Dani and Tara interacted, although like Tara I was a bit concerned about a 14 year old girl being there without any parents.

The ending was rather sweet, things seemed to work out for most of the characters after the horrifying events on the farm at the height of the book. But I won’t be giving up heating and hot water any time soon.

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Party at Number 12 – Kerry Wilkinson

Everyone’s invited. Someone will never leave.

In a grand townhouse rented specially for the evening, Hannah beams at her guests under the sparkling chandelier. Her sisters, her mother and aunt, her best friends… although she’ll miss them all so much when she moves away, tonight is about celebrating the happy times and raising a toast to the future.

But the next morning, one of the guests is found cold and lifeless in their pristine white bed.

Hannah is desperate to call the police. After all, it must have been an accident. Perhaps too much wine, on a night where emotions were running high. But it soon becomes clear that every single person at the party has something to hide.

A mother who’ll do anything for her daughters.
Best friends with dark secrets between them.
A sister with a jealous streak.

What if one of them is a killer?

And what if this is just the first victim?

An absolutely unputdownable thriller that won’t let you sleep until you’ve reached the final page! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, The Hunting Party and Shari Lapena.

Amazon Audio: UK/US 

Listen to a sample here

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

My thoughts: this could have gone so differently, had people made different choices. But in deciding to cover things up, Hannah and her family make things a whole lot worse for themselves. Now the police have questions and Hannah’s big travel plans are on hold, everyone’s panicking and making themselves look more suspicious than ever. Hannah takes it upon herself to launch her own investigation as the police circle and is joined by Zach, her friend’s equally determined boyfriend.

There is an absolutely shocking twist right at the end that flips the whole thing on its head that you won’t see coming, I certainly didn’t. Not giving you any clues though. Just know you’ll be stunned.

Clever, gripping and with several surprises along the way, this is an excellent read.

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

books

Book Blitz: Future Skinny – Peter Rosch

Furture Skinny copy

I’m happy to share this upcoming release with all of you today! Future Skinny by Peter Rosch will be available later this spring, and if you pre-order all proceeds will go to eating disorder treatment programs like MEDA and Project Heal. Pre-order today!

Future_Skinny_Cover

Future Skinny 

Expected Publication Date: May 24th, 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller/ Suspense

TW: Body Dysmorphia/ Addiction

Casey Banks is a devoutly anorexic man who discovers he can see the future by binge-eating. His new plan? Perform visions for cash while staying thin by any means necessary. Reading futures proves to be lucrative, but when he ignores a vision of his girlfriend committing a grisly murder, it sets Casey on a dangerous path toward a destiny he’ll do anything to avoid.

*If you pre-order now, all proceeds will go to eating disorder treatment programs like MEDA and Project Heal.

Pre-Order

About the Author

5818195

Peter Rosch is what happens when a Polish drag-racing varsity bowler and a beautiful, but über paranoid, French Canadian Air Force brat get together on a disco dance floor in glorious Albuquerque, NM. An award-winning writer whose decades in advertising, music, and film introduced him to more than a few bad habits. He hopes it wasn’t for naught. Kirkus called his first novel, My Dead Friend Sarah, “a gripping story” in which “Rosch skillfully renders a unique story of a missing woman.”

Level9Paranoia | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Book Blitz Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

books, reviews

Book Review: The Florentine – Tom Trott

When Cain retired from the CIA, he moved to Florence, Italy to get away from his past. He’s had nine years to enjoy fine wine, good food, and the Tuscan countryside. But now his old boss has tracked him down, and he needs Cain to do one last job. What starts as a simple trade entangles Cain in a web of secrets involving the mafia, an NSA whistleblower, and his own past. With the Italian police and international assassins on his trail, he’ll have to survive the night to solve the mystery of who wants him dead.

Publishing in May, The Floretine is available to pre-order now for the excellent price of 99p/99c – Amazon UK or free on Kindle Unlimited

Tom Trott is an author, film nerd, and proverbial Brighton rock. He lives in Brighton, UK, with his wife and their daughter.

He wrote a short comedy play that was performed at the Theatre Royal Brighton in May 2014 as part of the Brighton Festival, a television pilot for the local Brighton channel, and won the Empire Award (thriller category) in the 2015 New York Screenplay Contest.

He published his first novel, You Can’t Make Old Friends, in 2016. Since then he has written four more books, three of which have topped the free books charts on Amazon UK and US. He writes film reviews and features for Frame Rated.

His inspirations as a writer come from a diverse range of storytellers including Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, Joel & Ethan Coen, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Ira Levin, Quentin Tarantino, and many more books and films beside.

Twitter Facebook Instagram

Excerpt Click here

My thoughts: this was very good, with double crossing spies, international assassins, dodgy gangsters, kidnapping, bombs in briefcases, and an excellent police detective. Cain is asked to do a job as a favour to an old friend, but when things go awry, is he being set up?

There’s a definite sense of le Carrè or Mick Herron about The Florentine – the world weary old spy, realising things aren’t going right, knowing there’s going to be at least one killer on his heels and considering the mess, probably the police, and without the shield of an agency from any country, it’s up to Cain to sort it all out. His quiet life in Florence is at an end.

I read this in one sitting and really enjoyed it, I loved Dolly, the passionate NSA analyst, who just wants the truth out there, but even more I enjoyed the Italian detective, Baroffio, who is clearly in need of his own series, even more. He’s smart and thinks outside the box but even when outwitted, never loses his calm demeanour. Very enjoyable.

I was kindly sent a copy of The Florentine to review by the author, but all opinions remain my own.

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Lying Club – Annie Ward

A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets

At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.

But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.

My thoughts: I have family in Colorado, but they don’t live in a community like this where people will just throw money at things to get what they want. Something that gets take advantage of in this book. The mothers at an elite private school are determined to get the best for their children, above and beyond what their teenagers really want but having something to boast about seems to be more important. Coach Nick is the target of much attention – every mother seems to want his focus and not just on their children.

As the story unravels the secrets and lies people have hidden are starting to bubble up. Brooke is super controlling and it’s pushing her daughter away, as she gets older she doesn’t want a helicopter parent and her behaviour is throwing Brooke into super controlling mode. Asha’s daughter is also hiding things from her mum, and Asha’s husband also seems to be behaving strangely.

I liked Natalie the most, as an admin assistant at the school, she’s in their world but not part of it. She doesn’t have their money or access, but she sees through them. Her relationship with Nick is very strange and I wasn’t surprised at how confused and lost she was.

As the investigation heats up and the three women get their stories straight, things start to come to light that change their perceptions of the recent past. Perhaps things might work out…

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

blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: Every Little Secret – Sarah Clarke

From the outside, it seems Grace has it all. Only she knows about the cracks in her picture-perfect life… and the huge secret behind them. After all, who can she trust?

Her brother Josh is thousands of miles away, and he and Grace have never been close – he was always their parents’ favourite.

Her best friend Coco walked away from her years ago, their friendship irreparably fractured by the choices they’ve made.

And her husband Marcus seems like a different man lately. Grace can’t shake the feeling that he’s hiding something.

But when her seven-year-old daughter makes a troubling accusation, Grace must choose between protecting her child and protecting her secret… before she loses everything.

My thoughts: there were a lot of twists and turns in this book, sending me in all sorts of directions and leaving me with lots of questions, could I even trust Grace as the narrator? What was going on in her house? Why would her daughter say such things? Slowly, very slowly, the author peeled the layers back, unravelling a lifetime’s worth of secrets, lies and cover ups. Everyone was hiding something from the 7 year old child to Grace’s mum. So many that it was shocking each time another piece of the puzzle was slotted in. Everyone has blood on their hands in some way – all of them misguided and plain wrong. In the end honesty is the only thing that can save Grace and her family.

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