About the novel: 11 Minutes is a crime novel inspired by Melbourne’s infamous 1976 Great Bookie Robbery, one of the most audacious unsolved heists in modern history.
In eleven minutes, six men vanished with the equivalent of $80 million — no arrests, no recovery — but within a decade, all were dead.
The novel blends true-crime detail with noir fiction, focusing not on the mechanics of the robbery but on the psychological aftermath: paranoia, loyalty, and the cost of a “perfect” crime. It has recently been featured in The Age (Australia) by crime reporter John Silvester.
So let’s look deeper into novels based on true crime. I am no expert so I asked the author of 11 Minutes, Gregory M Carroll, to provide me with his take on this blended genre.
Writing My Brother’s Ghost by Gregory M Carroll Guest Post – The Moral Line Between True Crime and Fiction
There comes a point in every crime story where the facts run out.
Police files end. Court transcripts stop mid-sentence. Newspaper clippings repeat themselves. What’s left isn’t evidence, It’s atmosphere. That’s the space fiction steps into.
For many readers, the joy of crime fiction lies in the “whodunnit,” the clever puzzle and the satisfaction of a case closed. But I didn’t set out to write a crime novel. I started writing a biography. My brother’s. I thought if I gathered enough material, archives, inquiries, old reporting, the shape of the story would settle. It didn’t. There were gaps everywhere.
Not gaps in dates or names. Gaps in why. In tone. In how people carried themselves before and after things happened. Gaps that official records don’t acknowledge because they can’t.
Fiction gave me a way to work inside those gaps without pretending they weren’t there.
The Weight of the Aftermath
That distinction matters. True crime is bound to what can be proved. That’s its strength, and its limitation. It can tell us what happened, and sometimes how. It rarely tells what it cost. Fiction, done carefully, can.
But being careful is the difficult part.
Writing around real crimes, especially crimes that still live in memory, comes with responsibilities that are easy to underestimate. There’s a temptation to tidy things up. To draw straight lines where none existed. To make meaning where the truth is that people acted badly, impulsively, or without thinking it through.
I resisted that. Not because I’m high-minded, but because anything else would be dishonest.
I was careful in how I approached true crime not to turn violence into a commodity. That mistakes consequences for drama; charisma for depth. Real criminal worlds don’t work like that. They grind people down. Slowly. Quietly. Often off-stage.
In my experience, the crime itself is rarely the point. The aftermath is.
Paranoia. Fractured loyalties. Men who stop sleeping properly. Families who sense something is wrong long before they know what it is. Those things don’t make headlines, but they shape lives.
The Logical End
There are also ethical issues that must be addressed. Writing, even in a fictionalised form, requires understanding that real families will be impacted. Children grow up. Histories don’t sit neatly in the past.
I’ve been careful not to make allegations. Public-record events stay intact. Everything else is clearly framed as interpretation. To leave readers with possibilities, not conclusions; a story, not a verdict.
That framing wasn’t legal caution. It was moral clarity.
I don’t believe in the idea of a “curse” attached to crimes like the one at the centre of my novel. Nothing mystical happened. What happened was predictable. Men operating in a violent economy eventually meet its logical end. As Hemingway put it, the fish has to be the fish.
Times were changing. Old codes broke down. What once held people together stopped working. That’s not tragedy in the classical sense. It’s erosion.
What Lingers After the Noise
Fiction allowed me to show erosion without needing to resolve it. That’s why I followed the characters beyond the event everyone remembers.
The robbery took minutes. The after effects took years. This is where the real story lies.
I have been asked if I think that this kind of writing is exploitative. I don’t believe so, or at least, that was not my intention. If anything, it’s an attempt to remove the myths that have grown up around such events, like the Great Train Robbery.
These men weren’t monsters. Nor were they heroes. They weren’t one-dimensional; they were complex, charming, and reckless. They were smart in some moments, and short-sighted in others. But their decisions had impacts, and those impacts continued to weigh long after the headlines had gone.
Fiction allows this to be handled in a way journalism can’t. It leaves questions unanswered, ends without resolution. It can accept that some things are not meant to be known.
For readers who enjoy crime narratives but feel uneasy about sensationalism, this kind of fiction offers a different trope. Quieter. Slower. More reflective. It doesn’t ask you to admire anyone. It doesn’t ask you to judge them either. It asks you to consider what lingers after the noise is gone.
That, to me, is where the blurring of true crime and fiction can reach an “emotional truth”.
About the Author
Gregory M. Carroll is not just the author of 11 Minutes – he lived it. Born and raised in the same tough world as the men in his story, he was more than a witness. He was a brother. Ian Carroll was his brother, his best man, and the man whose body he had to identify. Now retired, he writes from the Gold Coast, Australia, bringing lived experience to the page with sharp insight and unflinching honesty. Just like the lives that shaped it.
Where books are borrowed, friendships are forged and secrets uncovered…
As a beautiful summer unfolds in the Croatian islands, Ana Meštrović embarks on a new venture – transforming her beloved catamaran into a floating library.
Joined by crew members Lloyd, a widower whose past threatens to overshadow everything, and Natali, a young mechanic afraid of her own shadow, the newly formed trio all have their own powerful reasons for needing the travelling library to be a success.
As they explore stunning coastlines and visit picturesque harbours, they learn that, sometimes, the most profound changes happen not just in the pages of a book, but in the bonds formed along the way…
My Review
As with Eva’s other novels, of which I have read and reviewed two, The Croatian Island Library is a delight. Our three main protagonists are likeable, particularly shy, withdrawn Natali. I have to admit that Ana got on my nerves at times, with her indecision about virtually everything and her ‘what would others think’. She’s not a teenager, she’s in her mid-thirties, time to find herself I think.
Widower Lloyd is an inspiration and seems more capable of running the library than Ana. He has amazing ideas which probably saves the venture, but he does have his own secrets, which could also derail the project altogether.
Then we have my two favourite characters – Obi, a terrier of indeterminate breed, who provides the most heart-stopping moment in the book (and yes I flipped to the end to make sure the dog is OK). And Baka, the old lady who befriends Natali and changes both their lives.
The Croatian Island Library is filled with emotion, and characters who are beautifully written. We are rooting for all three, in spite of their flaws, which simply makes them human. I look forwartd to Eva’s next book.
Many thanks to the author and to NetGalley for a review copy.
About the Author in her own words
“I love to write emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the stories they hide. My passion is to travel (when possible, of course), but luckily I find inspiration can strike just as well at home or abroad.
“My last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by my friendship with a tour guide I met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. My second and third novels set in the country, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter are dual timelines looking back to World War 2. My books are published by One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins.
“I am also inspired by the work of my own favourite authors, who include Victoria Hislop, Rosanna Ley, Angela Petch, Jenny Ashcroft and Elizabeth Buchan.
“Although I am Welsh I am now happily settled in Cornwall, and I’m lucky enough to have been married to the love of my life for more than twenty-five years. I also write as Jane Cable.”
Bibi sees problems as chances to do good.
Bursting with curiosity, a school outing to a forest reserve fills the intelligent girl with respect for every life-giving pine, maple and oak. So her heart breaks upon discovering her family’s favourite picnic spot has been cleared by saws and axes.
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Ages: 5-8 years
Pages: 38
Publisher: Aya Press
Inspired to restore the land, her eyes grow bright as she gets a brilliant idea. And approaching her teacher and classmates, she crosses her fingers that they’ll be excited about the project and jump at the chance to pitch in.
My Review
Once again I’m giving this book 5 stars. It’s not just a great story with beautiful illustrations, it’s about the message and it’s one we need to take very seriously. I learnt so much from the story, which I can pass on to my granddaughters, particularly the two youngest, as the older two are already learning about this at school.
Bibi and her friends are really enjoying their school trip to the forest. They are learning all about deforestation and why it is bad for the earth. They are also learning about our precious ecosystem and making lots of notes and drawing pictures of the wildlife in their scrapbooks. They chat with the ranger about reforestation – replanting trees to replace the ones that have been cut down.
So Bibi is horrified to discover that her favourite picnic spot has been decimated, the area all bare and dry. We must do something to save the trees she thought, so the next day at school she went to the teacher and asked if they could organise a tree planting event.
There was so much to do but the day was a great success with everyone helping, including the community and the local garden centre. They even got a TV station to report on the event.
If you want to do the same thing or something similar, there is a section at the end which explains how. It’s very important that you read it and follow the instructions. There is also a glossary of terms used in the book.
Bibi Saves The Trees is so informative and tells children all about climate action and how involving the community can really help. Everyone should read this book and take note before it’s too late.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #BibiSavesTheOcean blog tour.
Author bio
Judith A. Ewa is the award-winning author of the new children’s book Bibi Saves the Ocean. Her international career as a finance professional, currently working in the area of climate change, has spanned the areas of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and peacekeeping. The focus of her career has been on improving the lives of children around the world, especially in developing countries. Her latest work is the second book in the Preserve the Planet Series. Through her books she aims to bring awareness to children about the importance of preserving the environment. Each book also offers a simple solution that children can actively carry out to bring about small changes today, to make a big difference tomorrow. Judith holds an MBA from the University of Leicester. She enjoys listening to jazz, is an avid football and tennis fan who currently resides in Switzerland. Find out more about Judith at www.judithaewa.com
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Your past is right behind you . . .
Jo has always kept her head down and surrounded herself with strangers who know nothing about her mum’s murder. But fifteen years after the killing she receives a box of unopened letters addressed to her – sent from the prison.
But before she can read them, they’re stolen, and soon Jo realises that someone must have a terrible secret to hide.
Book Tour & Charity Promo: 1st – 14th December
Genre: Psychological thriller | Thriller | Scottish Crime
Publisher: Mountain Leopard Press
Determined to protect her new life from the violence of her past, she embarks on a mission to find out the truth. But can Jo find the sender, before they find her?
A pacy, twisty thriller about secrets and betrayal, set amongst the historic streets of Edinburgh. Perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and C.L. Taylor.
My Review
This was brilliant. I really couldn’t put it down. I was so out of my comfort zone as I have no experience of this kind of life.
The book is written in two timelines. Jo is working in a charity shop with the lovely Jean, who looks after her wellbeing. Jo’s mum was murdered fifteen years earlier and Jo watched her die. Noew everything is going as well as can be expected until a box of old letters is delivered to the shop. On the side the box is stamped HMP. Jo has a good idea who sent it but doesn’t open any of the letters. And then they are stolen before she can read them. Someone wants to make sure she doesn’t see the contents. That same night Jo is at the pub with the staff and volunteers from the shop when she bumps into Ali from her previous life. What is the connection?
The other timeline revolves around Tink and Spider, two young teenage girls. Spider has a bad reputation and is a bit older than Jo. When her father dies in an accident, Tink finds refuge with Spider. But Tink’s mother has spiralled out of control into an alcoholic fugue and treats Tink appallingly. She hates Spider and numerous arguments follow.
There are two twists in the story – one is pretty obvious from the start – while the other is devastating and I would never have guessed. I felt so sorry for Jo, though sometimes it was hard to like her as she is not the most sympathetic character. I felt she needed to shed her guilt and find salvation, but it was very hard for her and she is often defensive and unapproachable. But Jean is always her biggest supporter.
The book is a triumph of survival against adversity. I would highly recommend it.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #WatchYourBack blog tour.
Love Books Tours Charity Support
Annually, Loves Books Tours is happy to support charities in a variety of ways including donating our time and free tours to promote charitable causes. This is our final charity tour of 2025, in support of The Brain Tumour Charity, which is very close to Emma Christie’s heart.
The Brain Tumour Charity is the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.
Committed to saving and improving lives, they are moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. They are set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And they are doing it right now. Because they understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour – a cure really can’t wait.
Website: www.thebraintumourcharity.org
About the Author
Emma Christie writes psychological thrillers set in Portobello, Edinburgh’s thriving seaside neighbourhood. Her debut novel The Silent Daughter was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2021, shortlisted for the Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021 and longlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award 2021. It was followed in 2022 by her highly acclaimed novels Find Her First and In Her Shadow. When she’s not travelling in her campervan, Emma lives in Barcelona with her girlfriend Mari and far too many plants.
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Murder, mince pies, and mayhem—a family Christmas takes a deadly turn.
For veteran lawyer Leo, Christmas Day is going according to plan. His vegetarian Wellington has been well received; his beloved partner Marion has finally introduced him to her dress-wearing brother Harold, who seems very happy with his partner Julian; Leo’s granddaughter Jazz is behaving impeccably; and his oldest friend Dennis, the doyen of crime journalists, is being kept under control by his wife Susan, helped by large quantities of wine. Even Leo’s dog Pumpernickel joins in the fun.
Until Julian, a reluctant player of charades, lies down to enact his last word, and fails to get up again. Suddenly, the festive mood turns dark. Was it a heart attack, something he ate, or could it be murder?
As they wait for the police to turn up, the tension isn’t eased by the arrival of Leo’s sister Becky with her husband and moody son. Family rows erupt and secrets jostle to the surface.
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Why did the victim hide away a box of champagne truffles?
Who was really meant to receive Harold’s glittering bracelet?
Was Pumpernickel right in detecting the presence of poison?
Answers are provided in this romp of a story featuring all the main characters of Peter Buckman’s romantic cosy crime series The Pumpernickel Mysteries. This novella is a tale of love, greed, death, devotion, and brandy butter.
My Review
I love a book that is totally bonkers and Dead Festive really hits the mark. It’s part of a series that involves four septuagenarians (as am I), and a very perceptive poodle called Pumpernickel. I also have a very perceptive pooch (she knows where ALL the treats are hidden), so I can identify in so many ways.
It’s Christmas Day and lawyer Leo (owner of aforesaid Pumpernickel), his partner psychotherapist Marion, oldest friend Dennis ‘the world’s most fearless crime reporter’ and his wife Susan are celebrating together. They have been joined by granddaughter Jazz, the eccentric cross-dressing Harold, who happens to be Marion’s brother, and his partner Julian. So far so good. Do keep up!
They are playing charades, which I love, but Julian hates. He reluctantly acts out the film Dead Man Walking and promptly drops down dead. In actual fact he sits down and doesn’t get up again, but ‘drops down dead’ sounds much more dramatic.
The police are called but they can’t attend for at least an hour so our intrepid foursome and co carry on eating and drinking – drinking mainly – as it would be a shame to let it all go to waste. They are joined by Leo’s younger sister Becky, who swears like a trouper and says the most inappropriate things, her husband Graham, and their moody-but-handsome son Jonathan.
So basically the story revolves around how Julian died and why, and what’s the importance of Harold’s bracelet? Pumpernickel thinks it’s poison – he has the nose after all – but why would anyone want to murder Julian? It’s all very irreverent – in a good way – and hilarious. I just love the way they carry on as normal with a dead body lying under a sheet, which hasn’t started to smell yet as someone observes.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
The Pumpernickel Mysteries series
Publisher: Word of Mouth Books
Available as Amazon Kindle and PB
PB ISBN: 978-1-0683333-6-1
Leo Wengrowski runs a one-man-and-a-dog legal practice in London’s Soho. Pumpernickel, a standard black poodle, is the dog. They are both in their seventies; the dog has more hair. Leo’s partner is Dr Marion Fitzwalter, a psychotherapist with an international reputation who is a couple of years older, and a couple of inches taller than Leo, though as he says it makes no difference when they’re lying down.
Leo’s oldest friend is Dennis Arbuthnot, ‘the world’s most fearless crime reporter’, who has extensive contacts among both the police and the criminal world.
Leo provides legal advice to victims and those suspected of violent crimes, Marion helps people with messed-up minds, Dennis rubbishes Leo’s attempts to act like a detective but occasionally provides inside information. Pumpernickel acts as a sounding-board for Leo’s ideas, offers reassurance to his nervous clients, and can sniff out drugs, disease, and dishonesty.
Four veterans who are still working, still learning, still arguing, still loving life and each other, and still able to surprise the younger generations who come to them with their problems. Problems that are often in today’s headlines, including the oldest headline of all: murder.
Also in the series:
Dead Early
Dead Honest
Dead Rich
Dead Famous
Dead Religious
Dead Unpopular
About the Author
Peter Buckman was one of the youngest editors in publishing and is now one of the oldest literary agents still practising. In between he was a full-time writer, producing books, plays, scripts for films, television and radio, articles and reviews. The Pumpernickel Mysteries are his first crime series, and feature a quartet of characters in their seventies (including the dog) who are still working, still learning, and still enjoying life with all its problems. Peter and his wife Rosie have lived in the same Oxfordshire village for over fifty years; they have two daughters, two grandchildren, and a black cockerpoo called, amazingly, Pumpernickel.
Can Siggy keep his word?
Will this sweet little sausage dog be able to resist his favourite tasty temptations, stay true to his pledge, and save a big birthday surprise?
Age Range: 5-7 Years
Pages: 32
Publisher: Tiny Tree Books (Insta, X, TikTok, Threads @tinytreebooks )
Join Siggy, as he learns about the happiness that comes from keeping promises, during his romp through a fast and fabulous adventure that ultimately takes him into the deep dark woods, where magic sometimes happens…
My Review
I have a one year old Jack Russell called Patch who loves Dachshunds. Probably because at her socialisation play sessions she met one called Arlo and they became best friends. I’m sure she’d adore Siggy as much as we do.
Mrs Chana has lost her bag.
“Oh no! My bag!” she cried.
“Help me! It’s my daughter’s surprise birthday present!”
So Siggy gave chase. He ran past Vivian the artist. He told her that he was in a hurry.
“No problem, Siggy,” she called.
“Come back later. I’ll have some Hortobagyi for you.”
Hortobagyi are pancakes stuffed with all sorts of delicious things that sausage dogs like.
And so it went on, until Siggy caught up with the bag. He was so pleased that he could give it back to Mrs Chana. There was so much food he loved, and Siggy decided that he liked Hortobagyi pancakes, and he adored Fairy Cake, but in the end there is only one thing a sausage dog likes best and that is, of course, sausages.
This is such a lovely book for children and dog lovers alike. The illustrations are whimsical and delightful, and perfectly suit the magical elements of the story.
About the Author
Children’s book author Brian Frederick was an insatiable reader from an early age, becoming particularly inspired by the Narnia books. After that, he always wanted to be a writer and began creating his own fictional worlds, winning praise and awards for his early stories.
Brian grew up in Northern Ireland, during “the Troubles” and went to a posh school where CS Lewis was once a pupil, and Samuel Beckett briefly taught. A young Brian made the sports page headlines as a champion swimmer and he admits he may have been more dedicated to training than to his studies at times.
After school, a legal career beckoned and he pursued it, but it turns out that Brian likes being a writer more than being a lawyer. “I much prefer writing stories to writing writs,” he quips.
WHAT DO I CARE ABOUT SAYS BRIAN?
“I don’t know if stories for children can change the world, but I hope they can make it a little better – certainly for my readers.
“I hope I can bring a little more joy into the world, and a little more truth and kindness.
“I do care that these and other important things are often in short supply when they needn’t be. Maybe we can change that together…”
To get sneak a peek at upcoming books, visit brianfrederickauthor.com
Many thanks to Iddy Biddy Book Tours for inviting me to be part of the #SiggyLovesSausages #blogtour
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+ crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, kidnapping, murder mystery, mystery, police drama, police procedural, psycopath, review, serial killer
Hunting Evil by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #10)
‘Every story one day comes to an end.’
As roommates, they met for the first time in college. Two of the brightest minds ever to graduate from Stamford Psychology University. As adversaries, they met again in Quantico, Virginia.
Robert Hunter had become the head of the LAPD’s Ultra Violent Crimes Unit. Lucien Folter had become the most prolific and dangerous serial killer the FBI had ever encountered.
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Now, after spending three and a half years locked in solitary confinement, Lucien has finally managed to break free. And he’s angry.
As ever, Carter’s background in criminal psychology is at the centre of his novel, which is all the more addictive and terrifying for it!
My Review
Welcome to post number ten on this fab #blogathon. I will be reviewing one book per month.
I’m conflicted with this one, though I still gave it 5 stars. It’s again very different as it’s a sequel to An Evil Mind, but it doesn’t follow the usual pattern of the other books in the series. We still have a psychopathic serial killer, but this time he has an agenda – revenge.
Lucien Folter – Robert Hunter’s ex-best mate from university – has escaped from prison, killing a number of guards along the way. He’s angry that he spent three and a half years in confinement, but also because the FBI took away his research papers, all 53 books of them. His life’s work, detailing his emotions while killing someone.
So when Lucien contacts Robert, leaving him with a riddle to solve, he admits that his next act of ‘brilliance’ will revolve around something he has never tried before. But even if the team of Robert, Carlos Garcia, Captain Blake, Tyler West of the US Marshalls, and FBI agent Pete Holbrook manage to decipher what it might be, they still need to work out where and when. And time is very short.
Lucien is a master of disguise, so catching him is an almost impossible task, even if they know roughly where he is. He could be the man sitting next to you, or the man on the bus. You would never know.
There is a scene near the end (without giving away any spoilers) that made me think of The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland, only a rather more gory interpretation. Even the riddle is very ‘Alice’. I could be getting carried away with the Alice references because of the bar Robert and Tracy go to.
I have to admit that I found the first part a bit frustrating – if you have read any of Chris’s novels, you know in how much detail he explains the methods of killing, the pathologist’s medical terms, police protocol etc. All that, combined with Robert’s back story, are things I’ve read before (ten times to be exact) and I needed to move on with the story. Once we got to the second half it was more exciting and I woke up at 5.30 in the morning and finished it at 8.15am!
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogathon.
About the Author
Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour at the University of Michigan. As a member of the Michigan State District Attorney’s Criminal Psychology team, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London. Visit his website www.chriscarterbooks.com
+ cosy mystery, crime fiction, dark humour, female friendship, fiction, gothic, murder, murder mystery, retreat, review, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, secrets, writers
The Author’s Guide To Murder by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
Three beloved New York Times bestselling novelists, one marvelously entertaining locked-room whodunit! When a famous writer is found dead in the book-lined study of a remote Scottish castle, three very different American novelists become prime suspects!
Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.
There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists.
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The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious.
Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death?
A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it!
My Review
The first thing you need to do is sort out our three main protagonists. Kat is obvious with her slinky body suits, her push-up bra, and her pantaboots – are they really a thing? Apparently they are, even Victoria Beckham has been seen wearing them. Then there is her constant smutty references to sex and intimate body parts. Initially she got on my nerves, though by the second half she was my favourite character.
Then we have Cassie, who writes cosy crime capers, and even has a cat as a main character. She is married to the gorgeous Chip (Cassie is punching way above her weight she believes) and they have six children. She spends half her time at the castle trying to contact him to check on the health of her youngest.
Emma is more high brow, writing historical fiction, often based around little known women from the past. Everything she writes is scrupulously researched and her pet hate is people getting their facts wrong. I am on your side Emma, but it can still be very irritating at times.
They are supposed to be best friends, on a writers’ retreat in a Scottish castle, where they can write a book together. Publisher Rachelle is promoting the venture. However, the truth is that they barely know each other, have suspect links to literary rock-and-roller Brett Saffron Presley who has been found dead in the castle tower’s library, and actually dislike each other intently.
But as the story unfolds, respect begins to replace dislike, and they may even end up being friends for real. That is unless one of them is the killer. Kat is certain Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh suspects her, but he’s just doing his job and interviewing the three lady writers is like herding cats.
There are lots of supposedly typical Scottish characters, or more like caricatures, and I hope no Scots were affronted by how they are being depicted. At times the silliness did grate a bit, together with the ‘rrrr’ in every other word, and the plaid, plaid and more plaid. It took me a while to get into but the second half is the best and had me laughing out loud at times.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Authors
Beatriz Williams
Beatriz Williams is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including The Beach at Summerly, Our Woman in Moscow, and The Summer Wives, as well as four other novels co-written with Lauren Willig and Karen White.
A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.
Lauren Willig
Lauren Willig is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen works of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages, awarded the RITA, Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards, and chosen for the American Library Association’s annual list of the best genre fiction. After graduating from Yale University, she embarked on a PhD in History at Harvard before leaving academia to acquire a JD at Harvard Law while authoring her “Pink Carnation” series of Napoleonic-set novels. She lives in New York City, where she now writes full time.
Karen White
With more than 2 million books in print in fifteen different languages, Karen White is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 34 novels, including the popular Charleston-set Tradd Street mystery series. Raised in a house full of brothers, Karen’s love of books and strong female characters first began in the third grade when the local librarian issued her a library card and placed The Secret of the Old Clock, a Nancy Drew Mystery, in her hands. Karen’s roots run deep in the South where many of her novels are set. Her intricate plot lines and compelling characters charm and captivate readers with just the right mix of family drama, mystery, intrigue and romance.
Not entirely convinced she wanted to be a writer, Karen first pursued a career in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, in a weak moment, she wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. Her books—referred to as “grit lit” (Southern Women’s Fiction)—have since been nominated for numerous national contests including the SIBA (Southeastern Booksellers Alliance) Fiction Book of the Year. Karen’s latest book, That Last Caroline Summer, was published by Park Row Books in July, 2025.
When not writing, Karen spends her time reading, scrapbooking, playing piano, and avoiding cooking. Karen and her husband have two grown children and currently live near Atlanta, Georgia with two spoiled Havanese dogs.
POWERHOUSE AUTHORS: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White have all amassed their own loyal following, especially on social media, and are superstars with readers groups. They are at their best when they tour together for their “Team W” books. Publishing their jointly written books is a great opportunity for Morrow to capitalize on three times the popularity with fans from the romance, Southern lit, and historical women’s fiction readerships.
EVERYONE LOVES A LOCKED ROOM MYSTERY: From Ruth Ware to Lucy Foley to all those Agatha Christie films, locked room mysteries are really having a moment. This whodunnit does not disappoint, with a dead literary superstar in the tower room of a Scottish castle. SET IN SCOTLAND! Perfect for armchair travelers and readers who love an atmospheric castle setting. Team W excels at creating stories that immerse readers in the setting, and this book delivers all the misty and mysterious vibes of the Scottish isles. UK Rights: We have World English.
When Elenora Grey inherits her late aunt’s flower shop in the sleepy Devon town of Totnes, she hopes for nothing more than a quiet fresh start.
But Time & Thyme is no ordinary florist. Beneath the ticking clock of East Gate Arch, strange things begin to stir — flowers bloom out of season, a cash register writes its own orders, and upstairs, behind a locked door, is a man who shouldn’t exist.
He calls himself the clockmaker. Calm, unreadable, and impossibly out of time, he knows more about the shop — and Elenora’s past — than he ever admits. As Elenora rebuilds her life from the ashes of fear and regret, she’s drawn into a world where grief takes root and time itself can heal… or haunt.
Tender, atmospheric, and quietly magical, The Clockmaker is a story about second chances, the ghosts we carry, and the courage it takes to let time move forward again.
My Review
The Clockmaker is only a short novella but I loved every minute, every page. It’s a bit Evie Woods and The Lost Bookshop, which is one of my favourite books.
I loved the character of Elenora – we know she is escaping from something or someone – but as this is a short read, we only get a gist of her back story. But my favourite character was the clockmaker himself, who appears one day after Elenora moves into the bookshop. There is something magical and unreal about him, but we don’t find out until much later on. There are lots of other unexplained happenings, like the notes that appear in the till each day with requests for specific items.
I read so many dark crime novels, that it is refreshing to read something uplifting, even though it is sad at the same time. It will no doubt be one of my favourite books of the final quarter of 2025.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheClockmaker blog tour.
About the Author
Roxan Burley is an author who delves into the intense world of urban fantasy, one where the segregation of magic has a powerful resonance on her characters abilities to change society. She also runs her own business as an interior designer. She lives in rural Devon where she is converting a barn with her husband, two children and their many pets. She spent her childhood lost in the world of magic and the possibilities it could create. She finally put pen to paper, despite the challenge of being dyslexic, with her debut adult novel Bloodstream of Moonlight in her Equal Rise series.
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Sisterhood can be fatal.
Leah has never been close to her younger half-sister, but she’s not surprised to get a frantic phone call late at night, asking for a ride. Amanda’s life has always been a snarled mess of bad choices and boyfriends, and it’s common for her to resurface mid-crisis.
But this time is different. Amanda is adamant about getting to the neighboring town of Belmont but won’t say why—only that her five-year-old son is in danger. But Amanda doesn’t have any kids.
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Before Leah can get answers, Amanda runs into the road and is killed by a passing car.
In the days that follow, Leah convinces herself that Amanda was confused that night, especially after the coroner finds hallucinogenic drugs in her bloodstream. But that doesn’t explain the nameless boy at Amanda’s visitation. Or the middle of the night phone calls with no one on the other end. Or the unshakable feeling of being watched.
Someone blames Leah for Amanda’s death. And that someone wants Leah dead.
My Review
I really wanted to like Leah, but I found it quite hard. It’s probably the way her relationship with her father has deteriorated since she discovered that he had fathered a child with a work colleague over twenty-five years ago. That child was Amanda – her half-sister. Her mum forgave him but Leah can’t. I know she’s hurt, but Leah, it’s not all about you. I think that’s my problem. She makes everything about her. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, but that comes much later.
So on to the story. Amanda has always been a bit of a loose cannon, so when she calls Leah saying she’s being threatened and needs a lift to a place Leah has never heard of, Leah refuses. Amanda is either drunk or high and Leah doesn’t want to get involved. But when Amanda runs off and is knocked down by a passing car, killing her outright, Leah is drawn in whether she likes it or not.
Then all sorts of scary things start to happen – Leah is being watched, but by whom, and what do they want? And someone blames her for Amanda’s death. And that someone wants her dead. It’s only the beginning, as Leah gets pulled into a web of deceit, where she no longer knows who to trust. Apart from irritating best friend and flatmate Emma of course. And then there is Parker – her father’s stepson from his recent marriage to the dreadful Nikki next door.
Erik has a very recognisable ‘voice’ in his writing. It’s hard to explain what I mean by that. It’s a no-frills, no-nonsense, fast paced style which is sometimes quite shocking. Like starting with a row between two of the main characters – then one walks into the road and is immediately mowed down by a car. But don’t let that fool you. It goes from simple to twisty and complicated very quickly and will keep you on your toes and probably up half the night reading.
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harboured runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature. Join Erik’s mailing list to be notified of new releases and author giveaways: http://eepurl.com/cD1F8L
Erik’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErikTherme.writer
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Website: https://www.eriktherme.com
Book Links
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
Purchase link: www.amazon.co.uk
Purchase link: www.amazon.com
When two teenagers are found brutally murdered on the island of Lidingö, dressed in white tunics and wearing crowns of candles, former French police officer Maïa Rehn joins local Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery with a shockingly dark heart. The highly anticipated sequel to the international bestselling gothic mystery, Yule Island.
As Autumn deepens into darkness in Lidingö, on the Stockholm archipelago, the island is plunged into in the space of a week, two teenagers, the son of the island’s mayor and that of a powerful businessman, are brutally murdered. Their bodies are left deep in the forest, dressed in white tunics with crowns of candles atop their heads, like offerings to Saint Lucia.
Maïa Rehn has fled Paris for Lidingö, where her husband has grown up, trying to come to terms with the death of their only daughter in a car accident. But when the murders shake the island community, the former police commissioner is drawn into the heart of the investigation, joining Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery as chilling as the Nordic winter. As they dig deeper, it becomes clear that a wind of vengeance is blowing through the archipelago, unearthing secrets that are as scandalous as they are inhuman.
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But what if the victims weren’t who they seemed? What if those long silenced had finally found a way to strike back? How far would they go to make their tormentors pay?
And you – how far would you go?
Dressed in a white tunic and adorned with candles, a teenager is found dead on the island of Lidingö, his skull smashed in. Twenty-three years earlier, a young girl was also found murdered in the same place, in the same garments, traditionally intended to celebrate Saint Lucia. At the time, the victim’s boyfriend was convicted of her murder, which he has always denied. Was he innocent? Has the real culprit struck again? But why now? Commissioner Aleksander Storm, with the unexpected help of French policewoman Maïa Rehn who recently moved to Sweden, stubbornly attempts to untangle the bizarre case and, in the process, uncovers a long-buried secret that holds the key to a deeper, darker mystery that will put everyone at risk…
My Review
This was a very interesting story that turned out to be far more complicated than it seemed initially. Two young teenagers murdered in the same fashion as a young woman twenty-three years earlier. The victim’s boyfriend was arrested, convicted and imprisoned. He insists that he was not guilty, but then don’t they all. We, the reader, don’t really know at this point. I didn’t have a clue.
Back to now and local Commissioner Aleksander Storm is dealing with the first murder. He is joined by former French police officer Maïa Rehn who left Paris to stay in Lidingö in Sweden, where her husband Ebbe grew up. She is trying to come to terms with the death of their only daughter in a car accident a year ago. It’s only near the end that we discover more about her back story, and it was not what I expected.
All the killings revolve around the legend of Saint Lucia, who I confess I had never heard of. She was a martyr who survived an attempt at being burnt at the stake and was eventually put to death by the sword. She was first tortured by having her eyes removed, though some versions of her story say that she gouged them out herself, yet she could still see. When she was buried, her eyes had been miraculously restored (Source Wikipedia).
But why were the three victims dressed as Saint Lucia? I could not have worked any of it out myself because the plot is far deeper and more involved. Eventually it goes in a totally different direction. Best to just go with the flow.
This is the third of Johana Gustawsson’s solo novels I have read including The Bleeding and Yule Island, both of which I adored as much as #ScarsOfSilence. Once again, David Warriner’s translation is seamless. I have also read Son written together with Thomas Enger.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Known as the Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson is one of France’s most highly
regarded, award-winning crime writers, recipient of the prestigious Cultura Ligue de
l`Imaginaire Award for her Gothic mystery Yule Island. Number-one bestselling books
include Block 46, Keeper, Blood Song and her historical thriller, The Bleeding. Johana lives in Sweden with her family.
About Orenda Books
Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.
+ 1940s, 1980s, family, gay, Historical fiction, nazi germany, poland, war, World War Two
The Last Orphan by Carly Schabowski
1939, Poland: Would you save a child in a warzone? Marcin is just hoping to keep himself safe during the Nazi invasion.
But once he befriends his Jewish neighbors, his fate is sealed, and when their building is raided by the Nazis, Marcin finds himself hiding their son, Adam.
Marcin vows to keep Adam safe at all costs. But as he starts an impossible journey across the borders of wartorn Europe towards safety, he begins to realize Adam isn’t the only child who needs his help. And when they encounter more orphaned children in hiding, Marcin becomes determined to save as many as possible. Even if that will put his own life—and Adam’s—at terrible risk.
What Adam and the other orphans don’t know, is that Marcin has a secret. He did something terrible in Poland. Something he can never forgive himself for. Until many years later, where he’s living his life peacefully in rural Washington, USA, and he answers a call from another mother in distress. Marcin is needed again. But this time, it’s Adam’s daughter who needs him…
My Review
It was interesting at the end of the book to read what the author had to say about trauma, grief, guilt, and the effect of alcoholism on many of those who had survived the war. My Romanian-Jewish mother, diagnosed with agoraphobia and chronic anxiety, I now believe was suffering from PTSD following her escape from the Nazis in Vienna in 1938.
My father on the other hand, was Polish. He lived in the countryside, not in the city, and by the time the Germans had taken Warsaw, he had joined the army and was taken to a prisoner-of-war camp north of Siberia. Like some of the orphans in the book, he ended up in the UK, where he remained.
In spite of her mental illness, my mother never drank alcohol, but was addicted to prescription barbiturates. My father drank a bit, but not to excess. I have no experience of trauma-induced alcoholism, or heavy drinking, as we see with Clara, her father or Marcin. Clara also uses recreational drugs – again I have no experience.
I can, however, see why alcohol and drugs would provide an escape from the reality and horror of war. But in Marcin’s case, we are seeing his guilt as well.
Clara also witnessed something no child should ever see. I can imagine how it must have affected her, but I still found her behaviour a bit self-indulgent many years later when her mother is ill and undergoing chemotherapy. My sons would probably accuse me of a lack of empathy because I am a ‘boomer’ and we don’t get it. So forgive me if I come across as judgmental, but I really wanted her to put her mother first before it was too late.
The individual stories of the rescued children like Sara, Zophia, Anna and the others were beautifully written and very emotional. How can we even begin to imagine being thrown from a train while our parents were taken away to be gassed in a concentration camp? It doesn’t bear thinking about and I hope it never happens again. We can live in hope.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of #TheLastOrphan blog tour.
About the Author
Carly Schabowski is a lecturer and the USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction, including The Rainbow, with translations in over ten countries. She is a former journalist, and is currently an associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University, where she completed both her MA and PhD.
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