Jillian thought she knew her husband. They’ve been married for twenty years. But she doesn’t know him at all.
Jillian Harper thought moving to the quiet little town in Montana would be the fresh start her family needed. A charming farmhouse, friendly neighbors, and endless open fields — it was supposed to be perfect.
Until the bodies are found.
Buried deep on their land. Hidden for years.
#TheGirlsinTheBasement X(Twitter) @steenaholmes @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #booktwitter
Instagram @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram
The police are everywhere. The town is whispering. And Tucker — her devoted husband — is acting . . . strange. He won’t tell her where he was all day. He won’t explain why his phone was off. And worst of all — he won’t meet her eyes.
Jillian knows Tucker is lying. She just doesn’t know why.
But the truth is far worse than she imagined. Because someone left those bodies there. Maybe the real monster isn’t lurking out there in the fields . . . Maybe he’s sleeping in her bed.
My Review
Meet Jillian Harper, who takes the prize for the most naive wife of all time. No matter how many times her husband Tucker disappears and she can’t get hold of him, how many times he lets her and baseball-mad son Ethan down, or she hears him having shady discussions on the phone, she still believes he is innocent of any wrongdoing. Even after decomposing bodies are found in trailers on the land they bought for a pittance, having left protective custody and fled again, she still trusts him. But she can’t ignore the evidence forever.
Agent Meri Amber is a police officer, now working with the FBI. She is investigating the bodies in the trailers who they believe to be the victims of a sex trafficking ring. Meri has a vested interest – her sister disappeared twenty years ago and she is always searching for her. Could her sister be one of the bodies? And how many more bodies have still not been found?
The ‘Red House’ is the stuff of myth and nightmares, but we know it exists, because it’s where Lola lives with ‘Mother’, who hands the girls over to the ‘Lady’ to sell them to the highest bidder. Mother has always protected Lola, who she treats differently from the other girls. Lola has a scar on her face which they both hope will keep her safe as no-one will want her with her disfigurement.
How can Tucker be involved in something so heinous. Something that makes you sick to the stomach. He won’t explain, he just tells Jillian he is keeping her and Ethan ‘safe’, but can she go on believing him? And then there is Becky from her childhood, also missing for twenty years. And who is Old Man Cummins?
This is the kind of book you can’t put down, even though Jillian annoyed me a lot of the time. Poor Ethan is all I can say. I really liked Meri, and Lola’s story was probably my favourite, I so wanted her to get away.
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author. With 2 million copies of her titles sold world wide, Steena Holmes was named in the Top 20 Women Author to read in 2015 by Good Housekeeping. She continues to write books that deal with issues that touch parents heart, whether it is through her contemporary fiction or psychological suspense novels.
To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at http://www.steenaholmes.com
2012 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE BOOK Award for her bestselling novel Finding Emma
2015 USA BOOK NEWS Award for The Word Game,
2015 USA BOOK NEWS finalist for The Memory Child.
For softer, sweeter stories with a hint of chocolate, a lot of coffee and communities you want to live in, look for her stories under the name STEENA MARIE.
Steena’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsteenaholmes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/steenaholmes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsteenaholmes/
Website: http://www.steenaholmes.com
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228870583-the-girls-in-the-basement
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/girlsbasement-zbt
+ 1940s, audio book, diary, fiction, ghosts, love, Magical realism, Paris, review, secrets, stories, WW2
The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris by Evie Woods
This is the magical tale of Edith Lane, who sets off to find her fortune in the beautiful city of Paris.
Fortune, however, is a fickle thing and Edith ends up working in a vintage bakery in the positively antique town of Compiègne.
Escaping heartache and singledom in Ireland, Edith discovers that the bakery on Rue De Paris is not exactly what it seems and that some ghosts from the past are harder to escape than others. A heart-warming story that is sure to appeal to all of the senses, The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris is a mouth-watering journey of love, liberty and la vie en rose.
My Review
I did French for O level (and almost A level but we won’t go there) and I found that I understood almost all the French in the book. Useful and surprising, but not essential. Mostly it’s translated or hinted at in the text.
I’m a huge fan of the author and this book was gorgeous, with a lot of love, a bit of ghostly haunting and old secrets. I adored the characters of Edith, Hugo, Madame Moreau, Nicole and all the others from Compiègne. Even the customers of the bakery are fascinating.
But this is not just a tale about an old bakery with a love element thrown in. It’s also a dual-timeline story about war and injustice, prejudice and hope.
Edith Lane has left her single life in Ireland to take up a job as assistant manager at a bakery on the Rue de Paris. Believing it to be situated in Paris itself, she is confused to discover that it’s actually in a small town named Compiègne, north of the city. It’s a town with a history and links to the atrocities of Word War Two. And that is where the book became more layered and interesting. The bakery is struggling to survive, but can Edith help Madame Moreau and her grandson save it?
I listened once again on Audible (because I love the Irish narrators) and look forward to more from this author.
About the Author
Evie Woods is the pseudonym of Evie Gaughan, bestselling author of The Story Collector, The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris. Living on the West Coast of Ireland, Evie escapes the inclement weather by writing her stories in a converted attic, where she dreams of underfloor heating. Her books tread the intriguing line between the everyday and the otherworldly, revealing the magic that exists in our ordinary lives.
When Jack Canfield (Co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul series) says, “This is the book we’ve all been waiting for”, we do need to listen!
Here’s what awaits The Six Statutes of Money™: Master the principles that attract wealth. The Multi-Pronged Model To Manifest Your Infinite Riches™: Balance material and spiritual riches. Your Daily Ritual To Manifest Your Infinite Riches™: Create a routine that brings success. Real-Life Get inspired by people who’ve transformed their lives. Hands-On Practical steps to apply what you learn.
Join Pushkar on a four-part journey of self-discovery where he’s your guide, mentor, and friend. Drawing on his own fifteen-year epic journey to self-realization, Pushkar breaks down years of wisdom into practical advice and inspiring insights.
Packed with thought-provoking ideas and actionable steps, this is your personal playbook to becoming the person you were always meant to be. Learn to connect with your soul, attract wealth effortlessly, and live a life of abundance. Manifest Your Infinite Riches is your ultimate guide to a brighter, more prosperous, and richer future.
Here’s what people are saying about Manifest Your Infinite Riches…
“This book is a gift to all those seeking to live their best lives.”
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“I urge you to make the learnings from this book an integral part of your life.”
Mary Morrissey, Bestselling author and international speaker.
“An extraordinary, game-changing book based on a fifteen-year journey.”
David Meltzer, Forbes Top 10 speaker, former CEO, and entrepreneur.
Yes, you are infinitely rich; you are infinitely rich because you are you!
“I started Manifest Your Infinite Riches with these words because I know that every human being is infinitely rich – both materially and spiritually – and with access to the right content, disciplined application, and consistent execution, everyone can manifest their infinite riches.
“Manifest Your Infinite Riches takes the reader through a four-part journey of self-discovery. Drawing on my own journey to self-realization, I hold your hand as a guide, mentor, and tutor, sharing my deep understandings distilled through fifteen years of study, blended with my distinctive perspective on some key messages of other philosophers whose learnings helped me while on his own journey. The result is a unique and powerful manual for you to live your infinitely rich life.
“While my formal education took me to the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics, it was when I was in the early stages of my corporate career that a profound moment of insight in 2008 led me to re-evaluate my life’s expectations and priorities.
“This moment of insight set me on a quest as a seeker – an extraordinary quest of endless research and self-discovery that covered more than 500 books, thirty seminars, and an intense four-year, one-on-one programme of study with my spiritual and philosophical guide, Blaine Bartlett. Blaine is a leading global authority on the intersection of spirituality, business, and leadership, and I fondly address him as Grandmaster B2.
“My fifteen-year journey resulted in my founding the Centre for Infinite Riches® (www.centreforinfiniteriches.com) and writing this book. The Centre for Infinite Riches® is a social enterprise with a presence in every continent. Its purpose is to Uplift Humanity by enabling everyone it touches to become the person they were always meant to be.
“To become the person you were always meant to be, in turn happens when you meet four criteria. These criteria are: (i) You live in spiritual harmony, in harmony with your soul (ii) You recognize your spectacular potential (iii) You unleash your colossal forces (iv) You embrace abundance and prosperity.
“When you do these four things, you then are truly awake, and when you are truly awake, you are on the path to manifest your infinite riches – to become the person you were always meant to be!
“While it took me fifteen years to manifest my infinite riches, you can do it in much less the time – perhaps in a year or a bit more, or a bit less. The reason for this significant difference is that in my case, all the information I needed was dispersed across many varied sources and I had to research, identify, gather, organise and then finally, study and master it. For you though, everything I learnt is available in a structured and organized manner across the book and the website.
“The website includes free videos as well as paid programmes. Every product that is available (book, programmes, etc) is consciously priced at a rather accessible level…and this is because, in alignment with my purpose/mission to Uplift Humanity, I want the material available to people in every nook and corner of the world. My vision that follows from the mission, is to uplift four million people by my 50th birthday on 21st October 2026, and 100 million by Blaine Bartlett’s (Grandmaster Grandmaster B2) 80th birthday on 9th September 2029.
“Manifest Your Infinite Riches is divided into four parts: (i) Recognise Your Infinite Riches (ii) Unlock Your Infinite Riches (iii) Set In Motion Your Infinite Riches (iv) Manifest Your Infinite Riches. This structure helps you go on on a four-part journey of self-discovery, where you get years of wisdom broken down into practical advice and inspiring insights.
“Some highlights include:
· The Six Statutes of Money™: Master the principles that attract wealth.
· The Multi-Pronged Model To Manifest Your Infinite Riches™: Balance material and spiritual riches.
· Your Daily Ritual To Manifest Your Infinite Riches™: Create a routine that brings success.
· Real-Life Examples: Get inspired by people who’ve transformed their lives.
· Hands-On Exercises: Practical steps to apply what you learn.
“This liberating and transformative manual is packed with thought-provoking ideas and actionable steps, and diligently following what is taught there, will enable you to become the person you were always meant to be. Manifest Your Infinite Riches will take you on the journey to connect with your soul, attract wealth effortlessly, and live a life of abundance while being your ultimate guide to a brighter, more prosperous, and richer future.”
About the Author
Educated at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics, Pushkar Anand was in the early stages of his traditional banking career when a profound moment of insight in 2008 led him to re-evaluate his life’s expectations and priorities. This moment of insight set Pushkar on his quest as a seeker – an extraordinary quest of endless research and self-discovery that covered more than 500 books, thirty seminars, and an intense four-year, one-on-one program of study with his spiritual and philosophical guide, Blaine Bartlett. Bartlett is a leading global authority on the intersection of spirituality, business, and leadership, and is fondly addressed by Pushkar as Grandmaster B2. Pushkar’s fifteen-year journey resulted in his founding the Centre for Infinite Riches® and writing this book. The Centre for Infinite Riches® is a social enterprise with a presence in every continent. Its purpose is to Uplift Humanity by enabling everyone it touches to become the person they were always meant to be.
Pushkar’s Socials
– Pushkar Anand: Founder, Centre for Infinite Riches (@pushkaranandsworld) • Instagram photos and videos
– (3) Facebook
– Pushkar Anand: Founder, Centre for Infinite Riches – YouTube
– Pushkar Anand: Founder, Centre for Infinite Riches (@pushkarsworld) / X
In this gripping and provocative short story, #1 New York Times best-selling and award-winning author Jodi Picoult delivers a chilling glimpse into a dystopian world, seen through the fractured relationship of an ex-couple facing an unimaginable dilemma.
Please note: This content is intended for adult audiences. It addresses themes of pregnancy loss and may be distressing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
Margot and James are done—for real this time. Their breakup was sealed when James made it clear: he never wants children.
Narrated by Therese Plummer
Audiobook Tour – 7th – 18th April
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 38 mins
Publisher: Audible Original
But on the most important morning of his career, James—an ambitious lawyer at a prestigious firm—wakes to find himself inexplicably pregnant, part of a baffling epidemic sweeping the nation. As his condition becomes impossible to hide, James is denied a long-anticipated promotion, leaving him spiralling.
Across town, Margot, a dedicated social worker, faces the flood of frightened, pregnant teenage boys seeking answers no one has. When James calls her in desperation, Margot is forced to confront not only their shared past but the harsh reality of navigating a post-Roe America—where the personal has become terrifyingly political.
My Review
“In the landmark 1973 case Roe v. Wade, the US Supreme Court established a woman’s constitutional right to abortion, ruling that states could not prohibit abortions during the first trimester, and could only regulate them to protect the health of the pregnant person during the second trimester, and could ban them outright after the point of fetal viability (around 24 weeks).
“On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, ending the federal constitutional right to abortion and allowing states to regulate or ban abortion.” I mention this because I am in the UK and my fellow Brits may need some background.
Many states in the US now ban a woman’s ‘right to choose’. The extent of the ban varies and in some states includes rape and incest, such as forcing a 12-year-old girl to go to full term, even if she was raped by her own father. Abortion is still legal in some states, but in others it is even illegal to travel to one of those states to seek medical intervention. And the doctor can go to prison as well for ‘helping’.
So what would happen if men had babies instead of women? In Jodi Picoult’s latest short story Choice, 32-year-old James wakes up one morning and discovers he is pregnant. He then finds out that there are tens of thousands of other pregnant men in the US. All of them had to have had intercourse.
James recently split up from long term partner Margot, having told her he never wanted kids. At one point he asks her if it’s his fault that he is pregnant because of what he said. She tells him that even he is not that important.
Well the first thing most of the men want to do is terminate the unplanned pregnancy. But of course it’s now illegal and ‘men’ made the laws. But then it didn’t affect them, did it? They didn’t need to worry about being passed over for promotion, or the pain of labour, or losing their figures. Not that any of those would be the real reasons for undergoing a termination. Being a single mother, having no access to healthcare, no medical insurance, no way of bringing up a child alone, emotionally or financially, would be nearer the mark. Or being raped, or incest.
It’s such an interesting take on things. I won’t tell you the whole story. You need to listen and decide for yourself what you think.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the audio tour.
About the Author
Jodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-eight novels, including Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister’s Keeper, and, with daughter Samantha van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines, Off the Page and Mad Honey. Picoult lives in New Hampshire.
Buy Links
UK www.amazon.co.uk
US www.amazon.com
Instagram Handles/Tags
@audible_uk
@jodipicoult
@lovebookstours
#Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram #FreeBookReview #audiobook
+ crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, kidnapping, murder mystery, mystery, police drama, police procedural, psycopath, revenge, review
The Executioner by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #2)
Imagine your worst fear – and then meet your worst nightmare…
Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest’s head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim’s chest, the figure ‘3’ has been scrawled in blood.
#TheExecutioner X/Twitter #ChrisCarter @simonschusteruk @Tr4cyF3nt0n #booktwitter
Instagram @chriscarterbooksofficial @simonschusteruk @thebookdealer #CompulsiveReaders #blogathon #blogtour #bookstagram
At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?
Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.
My Review
Welcome to post number two on this fab #blogathon. I will be reviewing one book per month.
This was some seriously messed up stuff. It makes The Crucifix Killer look like an episode of The Bill. When I read out the blurb about the dog’s head to my son he said something like “you’re kidding right?”
In fact the first killing is probably more horrific for the boy who finds the body and the police officers who attend the crime scene than the victim, who appears to have met a swift end – apart from the poor dog that is. However, in case you are getting complacent, the second is probably the grisliest I’ve ever read about (though *cooking someone in a sauna while his bum is super-glued to the seat takes some beating, as does the deep-fat fryer incident in Spooks). To make it worse, we get the gruesome details over and over again. For me it was the worst (but not the last).
But now we have two unanswered questions – was the murder of the priest the killer’s first murder and will there be more. Because the priest has the number ‘3’ scrawled on him in blood. So were there two victims before him? As expert crime readers, we know it takes three murders for someone to be designated a serial killer, and so far we only have two bodies (minus one head).
With each ‘kill’ the perp becomes more sadistic, the crimes more horrific, so is it confidence or is he ‘descending into madness’ like in a Shakespeare tragedy. Robert and Garcia are struggling to find a motive. And can they discover common ground between the victims?
It’s a great story – I read it in two days – but definitely not for the faint-hearted. If you like your crime fiction a bit different and full of gory bits, then this is for you. Onwards and upwards. Bring on book number three.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogathon.
*The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen
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
Escape to Greece in 2025 with this joyful new novel about friendship, lost love and hidden stories!
Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?
Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.
And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.
In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…
My Review
The Santorini Writing Retreat is the story of three women. They are all at a point in their lives where they are embracing change, or at least trying to.
Jo has published a book under the name Jessica Rose. It was a huge success and she is now mentoring a writing retreat in Santorini. But she carries a devastating secret that could blow her life apart and the lives of a number of others including her own mother.
Zina has returned to Santorini leaving behind a thriving career in Athens, because her husband needed to get away from the pressure of living and working in the city. Zina has created a wonderful retreat, but living with her recently widowed mother and giving up everything she loved is taking its toll.
And Karmela? Well she was my favourite character in The Dubrovnik Book Club, so I was delighted to discover she was one of the main characters in The Santorini Writing Retreat. See what I wrote in my review:
“Karmela is a refugee, whose father escaped with his family from Sarajevo during the war in the 1990s, while others stayed to fight, and she still feels guilty. I loved Karmela – I think I would go so far as saying she is my favourite character (apart from Mis the cat of course).”
No Mis here, but we do have a greyhound called Sybil, and lots of goats.
Karmela’s fear of rejection has always stood in the way of her forming a meaningful relationship, but is she now ready for love?
This was such a lovely book, perfect as a holiday read, but it does cover some serious subjects, and is at times very emotional. I still love Karmela, and Jo of course – Zina could be very annoying. There are lots of other beautifully written characters like Zina’s husband Lambros, the other members of the writing group, and of course Iain.
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.”
Twenty years ago, Jen’s sister disappeared. Now, she’s looking for answers.
Jen Silver has moved to a new neighbourhood in affluent, suburban Pennsylvania with her partner, Dan, and her daughter. It’s a picture-perfect neighbourhood where the residents hang out on each other’s patios drinking margaritas on warm summer nights. They eagerly welcome Jen and her family.
But Jen isn’t who they think she is. Dan doesn’t know the truth either.
#ThePeopleNextDoor X(Twitter) #KateBraithwaite @JoffeBooks @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #booktwitter
Instagram @katebraithwaiteauthor @joffebooks @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram #blogtour
Jen has spent her life trying to find out what happened to her sister. She’s chosen this community for a reason — because Dan has his own connection to the neighbourhood and a past he thought was long-buried.
As Jen pieces together the events of twenty years ago, someone is determined to keep the facts from coming to light.
But secrets always come out and sometimes, the worst truths lie close to home. . .
My Review
The People Next Door was brilliant. It’s told from multiple viewpoints over two timelines. This can at times be a bit confusing initially, and I had to look back to remember who was ‘speaking’. Now and twenty years ago (when Jen’s sister Lynette went missing), we hear from Jen, current partner Dan, Lynette’s friend Natalie, and Aunt Jocelyn who everyone thinks is Jen’s mum. Jen’s ex is journalist Booker, who is Nina’s dad. He’s probably the only one without a troubled background.
I must at this point mention Jocelyn. What a woman, and I don’t mean that in a good way. She’s creepy, controlling, coercive, self-centred, intimidating – need I say more, She’s one of my favourite ‘villains’ ever in a book. Some readers may not even think of her as a villain, they may find her actions justified (I sincerely hope not). Personally I would be scared to be in the same room with her staring at me, and I definitely wouldn’t accept a drink she’d made. The one thing that Jocelyn banks on is that no-one will recognise her from before. Big mistake. Someone is bound to. Some people just don’t change that much.
At first I didn’t really understand what was going on or what the relationship was between Jen and Jocelyn, or why Natalie is so key to Jen’s sister’s disappearance. Slowly but surely secrets start to emerge. We learn about Jen’s dad leaving, her mum Sal (Jocelyn’s sister), her grandparents, and all the other goings on, and the people in Ithaca, where they lived twenty years ago.
My only criticism of the book would be around Dan. I just can’t see him as a neurosurgeon. He seems too dumb. And then there’s his relationship with Jen. I totally understand how she’s been bullied by Jocelyn’s obsession with finding out what really happened to her sister’s daughter, but to be pushed into a relationship with Dan seems a step too far. Or maybe not as you get further into the story. Nothing is out of bounds.
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Kate Braithwaite is the author of four historical novels based on true but overlooked events. Charlatan tells the story of Madame de Montespan and the Affair of the Poisons in 17th Century Paris. The Plot features Titus Oates’ Popish Plot, a scandal that earns him a place as one of Britain’s top ten villains. The Puzzle of Nellie Bly explores the exploits of a ground-breaking female journalist going undercover in a 19th Century New York lunatic asylum. The Scandalous Life of Nancy Randolph reveals a shocking rupture between two very different sisters in late 18th century Virginia.
Originally from Scotland, Kate studied English at Leeds University and has subsequently lived in Canada and the US. She is the author of Sis-Stories, a Substack publication all about sisters in history and fiction, and an editor for the Historical Novel Society. Kate and her family live in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Kate’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateBraithwaiteAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katebraithwaiteauthor/
Website: https://kate-braithwaite.com/
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228125367-the-people-next-door
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/peoplenextdoor-zbt
Still waters run deep in this baffling new case for the Charity Shop Detective Agency!
Wild swimming in February? No, thank you . . . To Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue, the retired ladies behind the counter at Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop, it sounds like torture.
Still, no one ever died of plunging themselves into the icy sea waters...Until now.
#DeathOfAWildSwimmer X(Twitter) @PeterBoland19 @JoffeBooks @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #booktwitter
Instagram @joffebooks @zooloosbooktours @joffebooks #bookstagram #blogtour
When the body of Colin Barclay — retired PE master and wild-swimming fanatic — washes up in a secluded cove, the ladies begin to realize just how dicey this wellbeing trend can be. Especially when a shifty new customer comes calling at their charity shop.
Is this where you solve murders? She asks, her eyes darting wildly round the shelves of bric-a-brac. I think I have one . . .
This woman knows Colin better than most. And she’s convinced his death was no accident. It was murder. But she’ll need the ladies to dive in and help her prove it . . .
My Review
I’ve always fancied the idea of wild swimming – theoretically. Me and cold water don’t really get on though. In reality I don’t care if there is snow on the hills and it’s minus 2 degrees, so long as the water is warm – hot preferably. With steam rising off the surface.
But the ladies of the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop want to help new found friend Beth to solve the murder of her friend Colin Barclay. Except the police believe it was an accident, no foul play involved. The wild swimmers have a rule – never swim alone – and Colin was a stickler for the rules. So what was he doing out on his own?
This leaves the question who is going to be the main investigator? It will involve some wild swimming, so for Daisy and Partial Sue, it’s a definite no-no, but Fiona is made of sterner stuff. So off she goes with her new teal-coloured swimsuit and a flask of tea. She is introduced to Ahmed and Rani who lend her a pair of leaky neoprene boots and tell her what equipment she will need to bring next time. She even left her tea in the car.
Death Of A Wild Swimmer is a very entertaining read, with the three main characters – Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue – being both likable, and nosy in a good way. They solve crimes in their own inimitable fashion, with the help of Fiona’s dog Simon Le Bon.
It romps along (or should it be splashes) at a cracking pace (relatively – the ladies are getting on a bit), and we meet all sorts of possible suspects along the way, like Roger from the surf shop, Ralph the surfer dude, Colin’s therapist Ted Maplin, ‘charming’ wild swimmer Will with his budgie smugglers, and a host of others.
I only have one query? Who looks after Simon Le Bon when the ladies are on holiday? Please do tell (I’m always available).
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
After studying to be an architect, Peter realised he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings he just couldn’t make them stand up, which is a bit of a handicap in an industry that likes to keep things upright. So he switched to advertising, writing ads for everything from cruise lines to zombie video games.
After becoming disillusioned with working in ad agencies, he switched to writing thriller novels (or was it because he just wanted to work at home in his pyjamas?). He soon realised there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about a year). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing, playing Nintendo Switch with his son, watching America’s Next Top Model with his daughter and drinking beer in a garden chair.
Book Links
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
Purchase Link: www.amazon.co.uk
Peter’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterBolandWriter
Twitter: https://x.com/PeterBoland19
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/peterboland.bsky.social
Joffe Books’ Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joffebooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joffebooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joffebooks
Website: https://joffebooks.com/
Bibi can’t wait to have fun in the sun, surf, and sand. But she’s shocked when the pristine playground she was expecting is covered in garbage.
Determined to solve the mystery, the conscientious child discovers the trash bins are broken, the no-littering signs are faded and the recycling area is hidden.
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Ages: 5-8 years
Pages: 38
Publisher: Aya Press
But with a job so big, she fears rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty won’t be enough to set things right.
Can Bibi recruit her community to jump in and turn the dump into a paradise?
My Review
The reason I gave this book 5 stars is not just because it’s a nice little story with lovely illustrations, it’s also about the message. And it’s one we should take very seriously.
Three of my four granddaughters (the youngest is only three) are learning about the climate and the problems with litter and are intent on protecting our wildlife. Many children of their age are very concerned (and some have even become anxious) about the state of the seas and oceans, and of the legacy we are leaving behind.
So this review is a serious one. We must follow the example set by Bibi and her friends. We must do something, however small, and ignore those who pretend it’s not a problem. At the end of the book, we have a double page section called How to Organize a Beach Clean Up! ‘Do you want to become an agent of change by promoting climate action?’ The section is very informative and sounds like a fun day. Always have adults on hand in case of hazardous waste. And share your event on social media so others can follow your example.
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
Buy Links
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Goodreads
www.goodreads.com
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+ 1950s, audio book, cosy mystery, fiction, Historical fiction, murder, murder mystery, review, superstition
Murder At Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd Nora Breen Investigates Book #1
A cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears
1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent. A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests—but when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.
My Review
Murder at Gulls Nest ‘stars’ Nora Breen, ex-nun turned Miss Marple. It’s very different from Jess Kidd’s other novels, but it still has the same ring to it. It’s the first in a series – I can’t wait for book two. I just adored it.
I love the narrator who sounds just like the presenter of The Great Pottery Throwdown. I kept waiting for her to say ‘Potters, you have one hour’. But then I realised it is her, Siobhán McSweeney! Of course it is.
Nora has left her religious order behind after 30 years to search for her friend, young novitiate Frieda, whose letters suddenly stopped. She follows her to the sleepy seaside town of Gore-on-Sea, where she takes a room in the Gulls Nest boarding house. It’s owned by the reclusive Mrs Wells, whose ten-year-old daughter Dinah is dirty, unruly, and doesn’t go to school. She also can’t speak. In my opinion I think Dinah is autistic, she shows obvious traits, but it wasn’t diagnosed in the 1950s.
Nora has taken the room once occupied by Frieda, but no-one knows who she is. She tells them she was a nurse, which she was, just not that she was in a convent. When one of the boarders dies in mysterious circumstances, Nora begins to investigate. ‘Let the police do their job’ is not in her vocabulary.
She doesn’t suffer fools gladly and she can sniff out a liar at ten paces. She upsets the police (I love the shoe throwing incident), though eventually Inspector Rideout warms to her, and respects her opinion. I became quite fond of him with his memories of the war and his dead mother’s garden.
I also loved Poppy and Toby dog even though I hate Punch and Judy, for numerous feminist and no doubt considered woke reasons. Bring on book two. I need it now.
About the Author
Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has been praised for her unique fictional voice. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder, published as Mr. Flood’s Last Resort in the U.S. and Canada was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her latest book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, has been released to critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.’
+ 1970s, audio book, fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, Ireland, List, review
My 3 Favourite Audiobooks of 2025 – Part One
So far I have only listened to three audiobooks this year and they are all by Jess Kidd. I have just finished her latest so expect to see that in Part Two.
The Hoarder by Jess Kidd
So this was my second audiobook book by Jess Kidd, with the same Irish narrator. This time I listened on Borrowbox. There is something about the strangeness of her work that draws me in. Her books and her writing are totally unique. There is once again more than a hint of the supernatural, but this time Maud sees the ghosts of dead saints. They are not quite what you would expect saints to be though – advising, warning and spewing sarcasm.
Irish comedian Dave Allen was my father’s favourite, but because of his irreverent pope jokes and sketches, he received death threats from offended Catholics in Ireland. I’m wondering if Jess has ever been criticised for being disrespectful towards the Church.
For my full review click here
Himself by Jess Kidd
Back to Audible and I’m reading Jess Kidd’s first novel, Himself. The story takes place in 1976 when Mahony returns to the place of his birth, Mulderrig on Ireland’s West Coast, to try and find out what happened to his promiscuous, teenage mother Orla Sweeney. Everyone says she left town, dumping her ‘illegitimate brat’ at the orphanage. Mahony – that very same ‘illegitimate brat’ – is not convinced.
He enlists (actually I think she enlisted him) the help of aging actress Mrs Cauley, who believes Orla was murdered, but then she loves a drama. There are those in the town who want to run him out, those with something to hide. They hated Orla for shamelessly flaunting her bastard for the whole town to see. The vile Father Quinn in particular, and nurse Annie Farrelly amongst others.
For my full review click here
The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
I’ve now listened to all four of Jess Kidd’s original novels (this time on Borrowbox), and while Things In Jars will probably always be my favourite, The Night Ship comes a close second. It’s written in two timelines – a young Dutch girl called Mayken in 1629 aboard the Batavia with her nursemaid, and Gil, 360 years later in 1989. Both have lost their mothers, one from the ‘flux’, the other from a drug overdose, but while Mayken is going to live with the father she doesn’t know, Gil has been sent to live with his grandfather on the same remote island off the coast of Western Australia where Mayken was shipwrecked.
It’s not typical of Kidd’s novels – there are no spirits of saints that only certain people can see, or nuns, or dead boxers, and it lacks the ‘Irishness’ of the other three books (though Dutch in 1989 is actually Irish – don’t ask). However, it has its own brand of magic, particularly Mayken’s story, which was my favourite of the two timelines, but only by a whisker. I know nothing of this period of history, especially as the characters are Dutch, so I know even less. There are plenty of superstitions and myths though to get your teeth into, if they don’t get their teeth into you first.
For my full review click here
The only thing for certain is the deaths were no accident.
Rayner High School – once a prestigious school – stands in ruins after such a terrible event.
#Ouija X(Twitter) @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #booktwitter
Instagram @zooloosbooktours @joffebooks #bookstagram #blogtour
A year later, a group of friends return to the abandoned school and their nightmare begins. Something wants to get out and won’t take NO for an answer…
My Review
When I was a child my mother told me that she and my father had tried having a seance with a Ouija. In those days you made your own letters of the alphabet and used an upturned glass as the planchette. She said the ‘spirit’ got angry and the glass flew off the table and smashed on the floor. So a few years later my brother and I tried the same thing. Needless to say we didn’t conjure up any deceased relatives or demons, but it did have a marked effect on us. We are both still fascinated by ghosts and things that go bump in the night. However, I wouldn’t be trying to contact the dead in the place where a horrific crime was carried out.
But enough of that and on to the book Ouija, the brilliant debut from a new voice in YA horror fiction, Zoe-Lee O’Farrell. Now anyone who knows me is aware that I find there is a very thinly drawn line between horror and dark humour and initially I found some of that here. A bit like The Blair Witch Project of the late nineties, which I struggled to take seriously much of the time. But Ouija gets scarier and scarier, without ever resorting to the ridiculous.
The nineties was the decade of teen horror films and there were loads. Ouija pays homage to the best of them, but it’s not a slasher story like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer (The Faculty is my personal favourite though that chucks in Sci-Fi as well), it’s all about lost spirits and a demon. Supernatural, the TV series which began in the early 2000s, immediately springs to mind.
I was slightly out of my comfort zone with Ouija, as my teen experience of horror was Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and the books of MR James and Bram Stoker, but I really loved it. In a review on Goodreads, the reviewer refers to Ouija being for fans of Point Horror, Fear Street and Goosebumps. I think these are from my children’s generation – I’ve heard of Point Horror but not the other two.
Ouija is quite short and because of that it never lets up on the shocks and scary moments. Nothing is wasted on long descriptions and while the ‘romance’ and text messages are a bit meh and bleh, they are teenagers after all, so are not likely to proofread their texts, looking for grammatical errors (like me)!
The story is very simple really. Six teenagers decide to visit the scene of a horrific crime – Rayner High School now in ruins – and see what happens when you try to conjure up spirits using a Ouija board. That’s just asking for trouble and moaning minnie Lara never misses an opportunity to make her feelings known. Perhaps they should all have taken her more seriously. Jon is the leader, Ben is Lara’s boyfriend, Caley is her best friend and twins Simon and Sophie are there for the ride. And some ride it turns out to be. More terrifying than Nemesis at Alton Towers (says someone who finds the teapot ride scary), it will have you closing your eyes and holding your breath.
It has everything a teen spookfest needs from shock and horror to suspense and a body count of, well, loads. Read alone in the dark for added scariness. Recommended for reading ages 13 to 18 years.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Zoé O’Farrell grew up in Watford but left the town life to live by the sea down at the White Cliffs of Dover. She spends her days working with numbers before escaping in the evening to the world of words and movies. Her go-to relaxation is watching a scary movie or reading a terrifying book!
She is a book blogger and tour organiser just to keep her extra busy. When she is not reading or writing, you can usually find her watching Watford FC or at a gig. Failing that she can be found rolling her eyes at her husband as he acts the same age as her spitfire of a Mini-Me whilst separating her two cats. Ouija is her debut novel.
Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZoeOFarrellAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zooloosbookdiary/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zooloo2008
Website : https://zooloosbookdiary.co.uk/
Book Links
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
Buy Links: www.amazon.co.uk
