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
Book Links/Buy Links
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Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
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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
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Website: https://www.eriktherme.com
Book Links
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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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Lucy Potter is a successful artist but she has done no new work in months. She fears she has lost the creative spark that sustained her and enabled her to express her view of the world. Will she ever regain it?
The chance discovery of an old notebook while on a walk in the woods provides a welcome distraction, raising questions she cannot answer. Who wrote it, why is it in code, what secrets does it hide? And why does it include the address of a house that does not exist?
Partial decoding of the notebook, surely written many years ago, reveals troubling incidents in the life of an unnamed girl. Deeply affected by the girl’s plight, Lucy feels impelled to find out who she is or was and what happened to her. Could she still be alive?
Lucy’s search for answers has an outcome she could never have anticipated. But will the re-appearance in Lucy’s life of fellow artist Rex Monday help or hinder her attempts to re-establish her position in the art world – and provide the stability she needs in her personal life?
As the story unfolds, we are drawn into the world as seen through Lucy’s eyes. A world of colour and light, of shape and pattern and texture, inviting us to see it that way too.
My Review
This was such a change from my usual diet of crime fiction, Gothic horror, psychological thrillers and Scandi noir. A very gentle read, character driven, and for those who love art and an intriguing mystery.
Lucy’s career is in a slump. As a successful artist who has exhibited in Paris and New York as well as London, she now can’t find the inspiration for new work. But a reunion of her art college peers reintroduces her to fellow artist Rex Monday and they soon begin a relationship, though they both keep their own homes and studios. And Lucy finds her spark again, though it may or may not have anything to do with Rex.
In the meantime, while out walking, Lucy finds an old notebook, written in code. With the help of a friend of a friend, they manage to decode part of it and what is revealed shows a very unhappy childhood of an unnamed young girl. But is it real? Or is it fiction? There are plenty of clues to lead her to the owner of the notebook, and a separate story unfolds.
I found the story of the notebook owner more interesting than that of Lucy herself to be honest. She had a colourful life with a horrible mother (as documented by her), and an interesting relationship with others including her older husband. If I was Lucy I would also have searched for the truth. A beautifully written book with more than its share of drama, and just enough mystery to keep the reader intrigued.
About the Author
Christopher Bowden lives in south London. He is the author of six novels, each with a colour theme. The Amber Maze, published in September 2018, is the latest. His previous books have been praised variously by Andrew Marr, Julian Fellowes, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Shena Mackay. Of his third novel, The Red House, Sir Derek said, “Very entertaining, cleverly constructed and expertly paced. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Website:
www.christopherbowden.com
Being the middle child can feel invisible. Ellie knows what it’s like to be stuck in the middle – squished in the middle seat, wearing hand-me-down shoes, too small for rides and too big for a stroller.
Sometimes, it seems downright unfair! But maybe the middle isn’t so bad after all.
Genre: Children’s (3-9)
Pages: 24
Publisher: Yorkshire Publishing
Illustrations: Vanessa Alexandre
With playful rhymes and heartwarming charm, Being Middle celebrates the joys, challenges, and surprising perks of being a middle child. The second book in the award-winning BEING ME series, this delightful story is perfect for middle kids who sometimes feel overlooked – and for families who want to remind them just how special they really are.
My Review
I’m not in the middle,
I’m the youngest of two.
I then have two children,
And they also have two.
But I do understand
This much is true,
That a baby can hog
All the limelight from you.
I’d have loved a baby sister, brother not so much, I already had an annoying older one of those. I never thought about being in the middle, being the youngest was already a pain. In this story, we hear from Ellie, the one in the middle and how she feels invisible.
But her mum explains to her that being in the middle is the best place to be. You have a sibling to look up to she tells her, and one who looks up to you. You are the bridge between here and there. You are the filling in a sandwich and the cream in an Oreo biscuit.
It’s a lovely little story and the illustrations are fabulous.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #BeingMiddle blog tour.
About the Author
Lori Orlinsky is a multi award-winning, bestselling children’s book author who lives in Chicago. Her newest book, Being Middle, is a humorous and heartfelt celebration of the often-overlooked middle child. While Lori may not be a middle child herself, she does have her hands full raising one, and her real-life daughter Ellie served as the inspiration for the story.
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She opened the wrong door. Now her life will never be the same.
When Lucy Foster visits her old friend, she doesn’t expect to hear a baby crying behind a locked cellar door. But what she finds shatters everything she thought she a terrified teenage girl and a newborn, hidden away like a secret shame.
As Lucy’s quiet life spirals into a media frenzy, and as the town turns against her, one thing becomes clear—someone is watching. And they want Lucy to stop helping the girl in the cellar.
Because the truth is darker than anyone imagines. And unlocking it may cost Lucy everything.
A gripping psychological thriller packed with secrets, lies, and jaw-dropping twists, Behind a Locked Door is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell, and Shalini Boland.
My Review
I shouldn’t really give this five stars as a lot of it is so far-fetched, but I adored it. In the second half, it was so exciting I had to keep listening until the end (this was on Audible). It’s got everything, murder, psychopaths, kidnapping, mystery, secrets, suspense…
Psychology teacher Lucy Foster is a single mother to fifteen-year-old Theo. His dad is in prison for drug-related offences. He was Lucy’s teen sweetheart and she hasn’t really dated since. When Lucy rescues Alice and new born baby Jess from the basement of her friend Miriam’s house, where they have been locked up, Theo becomes a bit obsessed.
When Alice is well enough to go home, she begs Lucy to help her start again so social services don’t take baby Jess away. But Lucy doesn’t really want the responsibility – she doesn’t know Alice and has enough to do taking care of a teenager who she recently had to drag away from an illegal rave. But Alice is emotional and persuasive and Lucy struggles to say no.
Unfortunately, her relationship with Alice has caused all sorts of problems including a stalker and creepy notes and carvings left in her garden. She decides to back off but Alice starts seeing Theo behind Lucy’s back.
This wouldn’t be the great story it is without lots of twists along the way and Behind A Locked Door has plenty of those. There are times when the twists are believable, but Lucy’s ludicrous behaviour is over the top to say the least. She’s a school teacher after all, not a vigilante. It would almost be amusing if it wasn’t so scary. I just loved it, every crazy minute.
About the Author
Sarah A. Denzil is a Wall Street Journal bestselling suspense writer. She is also known as young adult author Sarah Dalton.
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller Silent Child, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read Aiden’s Story, a short story and sequel to Silent Child. It’s completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
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+ childhood, family, fiction, gay, ghosts, loneliness, loss, love, motherhood, mystery, review, secrets, siblings, supernatural
The Season of Secrets by DE McCluskey
To make sense of what was happening around you, could you believe?
‘This could be your mother’s last Christmas,’ were not the words Alison wanted to hear so close to the holidays.
Determined to spend one last festive season with her ailing mother, Alison, her daughter Grace, and Anthony her brother, decide to make the journey back to the town where they grew up.
However, an uninvited guest comes with them. Lisa, Grace’s imaginary friend is along for the vacation too.
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When Grace then starts acting out of character, blaming Lisa for urging her on the strangely familiar sounds around the house begin. An old Christmas tune resonates through the rooms, carrying with it long forgotten memories of their late father, the Spirit of Christmas, and the town’s boogieman, Old Mr Sharpe.
As dark, long hidden secrets begin to unravel they find that if they want to make sense of what is happening around them, then they must believe.
The Season of Secrets is a tale of ghosts, forgotten memories, and secrets, from DE McCluskey author of The Boyfriend, The Twelve, Reboot, and The Contract.
My Review
When I saw that the author writes in the horror genre, I was put off initially, as I don’t read horror or watch horror movies anymore. But I do like a bit of the supernatural, especially ghosts, though no demons please. I love the type of book where a soul can’t rest until someone discovers how they died, finds their body, and gives them a proper Christian burial. Other religions equally apply.
In The Season Of Secrets, eight-year-old Grace has an imaginary friend called Lisa. But is that all she is? An imaginary friend?
A few days before Christmas, Alison and Grace head over to Alison’s mother’s house, where they will meet up with her brother Anthony. Lisa is coming too, Grace informs them. The house was their childhood home. Their mother is very ill and this will be her last Christmas, the doctor has told them.
But when Grace starts acting strangely and even disappears in the middle of the night, terrifying mum Alison and Anthony, they begin to wonder whether there is more to it than that.
For Alison, memories come flooding back of a time when she was eight years old and Anthony was six. It was Halloween and some local children dared them to go to Old Man Sharpe’s spooky home. It almost ended in disaster. And all the time they can see a light up ahead and hear an old hit song from the late 1960s about the magic of Christmas, sung by ‘Johnny Plaid’.
It’s all very eerie and a bit scary (I don’t scare easily I hasten to add), and full of secrets, memories and old loves. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. You don’t have to believe in ghosts, but it probably helps!
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Born in Liverpool in the UK, Dave McCluskey left school and began working in a music shop selling guitars and drums and playing in bands around the local music scene. When he realised that fame and fortune, and rock god status, was proving elusive, he decided to go to university to see what they had to offer. This led to him wasting almost 30 years of his life playing around with computers.
He became an author in his 30s having been an avid reader since he was a child. He writes as DE McCluskey, mostly in the genre of horror (mainstream, extreme, and comedy), although he has been known to dabble in thrillers, romance, science fiction, fantasy, and also children’s books (cleverly disguising his pen name as Dave McCluskey, no one would ever put those two names together).
He began by creating comics and graphic novels, thinking they would be easier to write and sell than traditional novels (how wrong he was). He then made the switch into the media of novels and audiobooks as someone told him that way lies the riches and the fame he has always craved.
Even though the riches and the fame has continued to elude him, he has not looked back since.
His books include the highly regarded The Boyfriend, Zola, Reboot: A Cosmic Horror, The Twelve, Cravings, CRACK, and the historical thriller In The Mood for Murder.
Dave remains an avid football fan although sometimes he wonders why, and he has been known to lurk around the stand-up comedy circuit in the North-West of England.
He lives at home with his partner, their two children, and a sausage dog with an ego, just because he will soon be getting his own children’s book series, called Ted (the series will be called The Adventures of Lord Teddington of Netherton).
You can find Dave hanging around social media like a bad smell. He is most active on Facebook but has been known to pop up on Instagram and TikTok. He is not active on Twitter, or X as it is now known, as that platform is terrible.
Where can you find them?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demccluskey/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demccluskey_author
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@demccluskey
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242452780-the-season-of-secrets
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/seasonsecrets-zbt
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