+ assisted dying, dark humour, dementia, euthanasia, fiction, friendship, humour fiction, loneliness, memory, politics, review
Shaking Hands With Elvis by Paul Carroll
An uncaring government has legalised assisted dying, but it’s not only the terminally ill they loosen the rules for.
Anybody considered to have nothing to contribute, a drain on resources, or simply past it, is encouraged to do the decent thing and opt for an early check out.
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Entrepreneur Callan Clay is quick to fill the market gap through Go Gently, his business offering inventive ways, including an Elvis Presley themed demise, for customers to lawfully shuffle off their mortal coils. Assisted dying is the latest must-have lifestyle choice.
But when Geraldine, Dawn, Jeffrey and Woody, each having a different reason for giving up the ghost, book appointments for their final journeys, they discover not everything at Go Gently’s state- of-the-art Charon House clinic lives up to the brochure. As the clock ticks down to their appointed hour, is it really the end of the line for the gang of four, or is there life in the old dogs yet?
My Review
I’m so stunned by this that I don’t really know where to begin. I’ve never been sure about assisted dying, but then I listen to someone like Dame Esther Rantzen talking about joining Dignitas. “The 83-year-old, who has stage four lung cancer, is campaigning for people who have physical illnesses, and a life expectancy of six months or less, to have the right to choose when they die.
“Assisted dying is illegal in England, Northern Ireland and Wales – and anyone who travels abroad with a person who ends their life could be prosecuted when they return.” – Sky News
Fair enough. It’s very sad, but I get it. Dame Esther Rantzen was a huge influence on my early life and I shall hate to see her go. However, in Shaking Hands With Elvis, we have gone way beyond that. The NHS has been disbanded (let’s hope that’s not going to happen any time soon or ever) and ‘assisted dying’ looks like a good option for anyone who is past their sell by date. But now we have the age-old questions – are they being pushed before they can jump? Does money/inheritance come into it? And is it a way to bring the population down (good for the environment is a selling point), by culling those who don’t want to be here anyway?
Put like that – the last part only – it sounds like a good idea. But it is so open to abuse, that I refer to my initial comment about being on the fence. Because in the words of Hotel California, “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” Once you’ve bought your ticket, it’s a one-way trip, Hit The Road Jack, Goodnight Irene, and other cliched songs.
But back to the book. It revolves around our intrepid gang of four. Geraldine is lonely, Dawn is in constant pain, Jeffery has dementia, and Woody is on a totally different path. But Callan Clay doesn’t care. He’s an entrepreneur and he just sees a business opportunity and a way to make more money. And vile secretary of state for ‘wellbeing’ (ha!) Lawrence Pestel is looking for a fast track route to Number 10. And between them, they dress it up as being given a choice blah blah.
I’m not sure how many times I gasped at some of the things that happened, or were suggested by Clay and Pestel. It’s dark humour at its best. Yes it is really funny even though it shouldn’t be.
There are so many ethical questions, which only get worse as the story progresses. And I was devastated by the ending, but I can’t say anymore. Anyone who is unsure about assisted dying should read this, though it probably won’t help you make up your mind!
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Writing that puts the ‘stab’ into establishment.
Paul’s novels consistently let fly at the latest social trends in an entertaining mix of cutting observation, human drama, dark humour and compassion. Before turning to writing Paul worked in the field of PR for many years, including campaigns for well-known brands such as Boddingtons, Heineken, Thorntons Chocolate, Chicago Town Pizza, Big D peanuts, Co-op Funerals and Manchester Airport.
Selling things to people they didn’t realise they needed is at the heart of many of Paul’s books, often with unanticipated consequences for the latest get-rich-quick merchant eager to turn a quick buck at somebody else’s expense.
Born and brought up in Leeds, Paul has a degree in English Language and English Literature from the University of Manchester. Paul lives in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.
A marketing gamekeeper-turned-poacher, Paul is to be found peering behind the curtains of ‘the next big thing’ when he’s not writing.
Shaking Hands with Elvis (2024) is Paul Carroll’s fifth novel, following Don’t Ask (2021), Trouble Brewing (2017), Written Off (2016) and A Matter of Life.
Oskar Bachmann always imagined that giving his first lecture would be the defining moment of his life.
It was, but not in the way he expected… Growing up a misfit in Nazi Germany, a victim of his father’s beatings, Oskar’s love of books is a constant comfort in a world turned upside-down by violence. As a student, as a pilot in the brutal Luftwaffe during the Second World War, in an unhappy marriage to an English bride, he finds himself returning over and over to the circumstances of his childhood.
Genre: Historical fiction
Pages: 376
Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner Publishers
What was the source and cause of his father’s abuse? Could there have been more to it than he had once believed? Little did Oskar know that his first lecture at the University of Tübingen would ultimately lead to the end of a lifetime of searching… and finally reveal the figure who had been controlling his life from a distance.
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An emotional and inspiring World War Two time-slip novel of danger and courage. This is a story inspired by true events and stories of Irena Sendler and the women of the Polish Żegota.
It’s the worst time in humanity and yet there is still light in the darkness…
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1942, Warsaw
Young Zofia finds herself leading a double life when she is enlisted to help the fearless Irena Sendler save hundreds of Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto.
Every night, Zofia risks her life to shepherd the children to safety. But when the worst happens, she is forced to make her riskiest journey yet to keep Irena’s mission alive.
Now, Seattle
After yet another miscarriage, heartbroken Lizzie returns to the comfort of her childhood home, where she stumbles upon a hidden photograph of her great-grandmother among a mysterious group of people.
On a quest to discover more, Lizzie uncovers a buried past darker and more dangerous than she could ever have imagined…
A sweeping and heartbreaking story of two remarkable women, generations apart, each finding courage when all hope is gone. Perfect for fans of The Midwife of Auschwitz and The Woman Outside the Walls.
My Review
In 1978 I accompanied my father to Poland to visit his family. He hadn’t returned since 1939, when he joined the Polish infantry at the age of 16 and was captured by the Russians and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp north of Siberia. When we arrived, one of his older half-sisters had died four hours before we got there and another was in nursing home suffering with dementia. No, she didn’t have any good days, unlike Magda in the book. During our visit staying in a small town quite close to Wroclaw (I got very excited when Zofia goes there), my father had a reunion with his nephew and his best friend from school. They reminisced, and laughed and drank a lot of brandy (not vodka), and got very drunk and cried. I mention this, because there is a scene where Lizzie finds a missing relative and they drink vodka and celebrate and I was immediately reminded of that night with my dad in Poland.
In fact so many times during the book I was reminded of my family connections. We did actually visit Warsaw and I kept thinking ‘we went there’, but we didn’t visit the site of the Jewish ghetto, because my father wasn’t Jewish (my mother was – but that’s a whole other story).
I finished reading the book at 1.15 in the morning and it’s now 1.30 am and I am writing this before I forget. I feel such a connection with my heritage and my Polish family, just like Lizzie. She can’t speak Polish, neither can I, because my mother spoke Romanian and they never conversed in any other language than English. I guess that’s what it was like for Lizzie after Magda emigrated to America and was not part of a Polish community. It just dies out. More important to speak the local lingo for school, work etc.
There were tears in my eyes at the end, for those we lost, for the inhumanity of it all, and for those we found again after so many years. Daughters of Warsaw is heartbreakingly sad at times, but there is also so much courage and hope in the face of adversity. Zofia is an inspirational hero, helping her friend Irena Sendler to bring hundreds – maybe thousands – of Jewish children out of the ghetto, where they would either die of disease or starvation, or perish with their parents in Treblinka concentration camp.
This book has had a profound effect on me. It reminded me that I am a daughter of Poland (if not actually Warsaw) and without people like Zofia and Irena, my family would not be free.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #DaughtersOfWarsawBlogTour.
About the Author
Maria Frances was born in London and grew up in the UK and Germany. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Durham. She works as a writer and translator and lives with her husband and four children in Berlin. She is the author of five novels which she writes under her real name, Juliet Conlin. Her first German-language novel is also publishing in 2023. Daughters of Warsaw is her first book with Avon.
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Lily is taking her elderly mother on a road trip around the UK, revisiting places which meant a lot to her.
It’s challenging because Moira can no longer be described as ‘a bit forgetful’; she has started singing Abba songs in public and talking to imaginary friends, and last week she tried to rip off her clothes in Poundland.
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Humour
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
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Lily is worried and embarrassed by her mother’s behaviour but, despite the recent dementia diagnosis, Moira is happy – albeit in a sweary sort of way – and insists the journey will help her write a memoir. As they clatter across the country in an ancient VW campervan, they’re intending to celebrate the past. But a chance encounter for Lily, means this road trip may also be about building a new future.
My Review
Three main characters, three generations of the same family, all living in Brighton. Firstly we have Moira, aged 79, strong-willed, feisty, but a bit frail and suffering the first symptoms of dementia. Sometimes she’s completely lucid, at others she can’t remember things she’s done that morning. She swears – a lot – and does odd things like dancing in the aisles at Asda or going for a walk without her shoes. But she wants to go on a road trip and has the full support of her doctor. It will do her good and she also wants to write a book about her life.
Then we have Lily, mid-forties, everyone’s doormat, from her mother and her ex-husband Nick, to her daughter Eleanor. Lily doesn’t really want to take her mother on this road trip, but she soon rolls over, and off they go in her rusty old VW campervan.
Finally we have Eleanor, high-flying lawyer, who always seems to be shouting at someone on the phone. She argues with Lily and with granny Moira. She thinks the road trip is a ludicrous idea, and even worse, she doesn’t think Lily is capable of looking after her own mother. So horror of horrors, she decides to join them part way through and bring them home.
In spite of the sadness of Moira’s dementia, it’s a feel-good book about family, friendship, love and hope. We meet a lot of people along the way including Oliver from Moira’s past life, the hilarious owners of the guest house in Keswick and a surprising love interest for Lily, who really deserves it. Because Lily has always just been the conduit in everyone else’s life and maybe she deserves her own happiness, as she points out at one point.
My only teeny weeny criticism is that the campervan should definitely have had a name, like Susan Calman’s Helen in her TV series Grand Days Out. I’m told Breadloaf is a popular moniker in some places, but I’m just going to call it something really simple like Wilma The Wandering Wombat.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #MemoryRoad blog tour.
About the Author
“I am the author of three published novels, the most recent of which is THE BAD WIFE. Like my previous two novels, A THOUSAND TINY DISAPPOINTMENTS and HIS OTHER WOMAN, this is a domestic drama, touching on issues which affect families and showing how the characters deal with crises that threaten to derail their lives.
“In 2024 I have three more novels being published by Bloodhound Books, the first of which will be Memory Road, which will be available from 1st March.
“Before turning to fiction, I worked as a journalist for many years, and during my career I interviewed hundreds of people with stories to tell. Listening to their experiences gave me a fascinating insight into humanity in all its guises: what makes people tick and how they react to whatever life throws at them. I aim to write books that suck the reader in: plots that keep you turning the pages and characters who work their way inside your head. The sort of books where you have to read just one more chapter before you turn off the bedside light at night.
I live in Gloucestershire with my husband, three (almost grown-up now) children and far too many animals. If you’d like to find out more about me and my writing, please visit my website – www.sarahedghill.com.”
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Discover a gripping crime thriller set on the secluded Welsh island of Anglesey.
Genre: Thriller | Crime
Publisher: Lume Books Crime | Joffe Books
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tudor Manx has spent twenty-five years working for the London Met – an experience that accounts for his cynical, sardonic nature, and the dark, puffy rings that pucker beneath his eyes. Now he’s been transferred to his native Island of Anglesey in North Wales, where, at forty-nine, he plans to wind down towards retirement. But returning home means he’ll have to confront his haunted past.
THE SETTING
The Isle of Anglesey is a North Wales beauty spot, known for its long stretches of beachfront and ancient sites. But, at the mercy of the elements, the scenery is often drained of colour. To the north, the Snowdonia mountain ranges hide under a thick roll of grey cloud. And to the south, banks of mist roll in from the Irish Sea, concealing the small islands and inlets along the coast. The Menai Strait – a long stretch of fast and unpredictable water – separates the island from the mainland.
DI Tudor Manx Series
Book 1: Anglesey Blue
Book 2: Doll Face
Book 3: Shadow Soul
Anglesey Blue
Longlisted for the Guardian’s prestigious readers’ choice award, Not the Booker Prize.
Meet DI Tudor Manx, a sardonic, sharp-witted detective with a troubled past.
Recently transferred from the London Met, Manx has returned to his native island of Anglesey, hoping for a quiet life. But his hopes are dashed when a brutally mutilated body is found nailed to the bow of a fishing boat.
The body sends shockwaves through the peaceful community. Is it a message? A warning of more murders to come?
Manx is under pressure to solve the case quickly. But his team is inexperienced, and Manx is distracted by his own troubled past. The disappearance of his sister, Miriam, still haunts him.
Can Manx solve the case before the body count rises? And how will he cope when he is forced to choose between his family and his duty as a police officer?
This atmospheric and hardboiled murder mystery is perfect for fans of Scandi and Scottish noir, and anyone who enjoys Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk, Pauline Rowson, Elly Griffiths, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave.
Doll House
In this hardboiled murder mystery, DI Tudor Manx leads the hunt for a brutal serial killer.
A woman has been murdered and mutilated in her own home; her liver cut out, and a message left within it.
Tasked with leading the case, DI Tudor Manx identifies several suspects, including the victim’s estranged husband. But all trails run cold.
Then, another victim dies – and from the modus operandi it seems that North Wales police are dealing with a serial killer. But who would target the inhabitants of such a peaceful island?
As the death toll increases, Manx and his colleagues must pick their way through long-forgotten history to trace the killer. But when one of them disappears, it seems that solving this crime may come at a terrible price.
This atmospheric and gritty crime novel is perfect for fans of Scandi and Scottish noir, and anyone who enjoys Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk, Pauline Rowson, Elly Griffiths, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave.
Shadow Soul
A quest for revenge plunges the Isle of Anglesey into a summer of fear in this gripping Welsh crime mystery.
The body of RAF Base Commander James Flynt is found dead on one of Anglesey’s popular tourist beaches. DI Manx leads the investigation, and soon discovers it’s far more sinister than he first imagined.
Meanwhile, Flight Lieutenant Bobbie Matthews is sent to Anglesey to complete trauma counselling. A grieving widow stripped of ‘combat ready’ status, Bobbie’s life spirals out of control.
She’s determined to uncover the truth about her husband’s death. But her quest sets in motion a series of events that puts the whole of Anglesey on edge – and pushes DI Manx to his limit.
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Fifty-two journal prompts to help you become the best possible version of yourself.
Weekly nudges to get you through the year.
Genre: Self-help – Non-fiction
Some thoughts
As soon as I posted the free link on Amazon, I downloaded the book to my Kindle and started reading. Here are a few extracts:
“Your worth is not tied to your wealth, your weight, your work or your worries….Your worth is so much more than a number on the label in the back of your jeans or the digits printed on your payslip…Every day this week I want you to write ‘I am worthy’ and believe it.”
“How can you put a little more love into the world every day? Write ‘choose love’ on a post-it note and stick it somewhere you will see it every morning.”
I did just that and stuck it on the front page of my diary. I may put another one somewhere else as well, more visible.
Every week there is a task you need to perform – a ‘weekly journal prompt’ such as:
“Acceptance leads to growth or peace and you get to decide which. What causes you most consternation in your life? Can you accept it or will you try to change it?”
“Think about a time you failed. Write down the positive lessons you learned from failing and how that helped you moving forward.”
“Open your journal. Write ‘I’m going to just BE.’ Close your journal, close your eyes and spend ten minutes just being. Enjoy the stillness.”
Let this book be your guide for the year ahead. It’s full of great advice.
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+ family, fantasy, fiction, friendship, grief, love, mystery, review, romance, secrets, superstition, time travel
A Shape On The Air by Julia Ibbotson
A haunting Anglo-Saxon time-slip of mystery and romance
Can echoes of the past threaten the present?
They are 1500 years apart, but can they reach out to each other across the centuries? One woman faces a traumatic truth in the present day. The other is forced to marry the man she hates as the ‘Dark Ages’ unfold.
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How can Dr Viv DuLac, medievalist and academic, unlock the secrets of the past?
Traumatised by betrayal, she slips into 499 AD and into the body of Lady Vivianne,who is also battling treachery.
Viv must uncover the mystery of the key that she unwittingly brings back with her to the present day, as echoes of the past resonate through time. But little does Viv realise just how much both their lives across the centuries will become so intertwined.
And in the end, how can they help each other across the ages without changing the course of history?
My Review
The book is basically a time slip story in which modern-day Dr Viv DuLac finds herself in the year 499 AD as the Lady Vivianne. The first time it happens she is deeply shocked and disbelieving. How did she get there? And what is the connection with water and the mere?
Viv’s partner Pete suddenly decided to leave her for one of her best friends. She cannot understand why, when they have always had such a strong relationship, living together in her beloved apartment. He also seems to have undergone a major head transplant, as he has become a totally different person, no longer kind and caring, but bullish and selfish. She is devastated and traumatised by his behaviour.
Viv is understandably distraught until she meets Rory, who reminds her of Sir Roland in her ‘other’ life. But how can that be? And why doesn’t he treat her as if she is going mad?
As the story progresses, she slips back and forth with increasing frequency, but while she can spend hours or even days in the past, time stands still in the here and now.
The author has undertaken a considerable amount of research, because we are not talking about slipping into a made up fantasy world. I know very little about the so-called ‘dark ages’, but I can see that the references to the language, artifacts, lifestyle, and beliefs of the time are both detailed and accurate, or the book would have little authenticity.
I was interested to learn about the term ‘shapes in the air’ and also the information about the Einstein-Bridge Theory. It involves parallel universes and wormholes, but that’s all I’m going to say as it’s hard to understand and I don’t want to dig myself into a hole (wormhole?) of ignorance.
I wouldn’t usually choose this genre (I’m not generally a fan of time travel, fantasy or sci fi), but it’s the richness of the history and storytelling that made this such an interesting and entertaining read.
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Dr Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of resonances across time. She sees her author brand as a historical fiction writer of romantic mysteries that are character-driven, well-paced, evocative of time and place, well- researched and uplifting page-turners.
Her current series focuses on early medieval dual-time/time-slip mysteries. Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language/ literature/ history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher.
Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s. She has also indie-published three other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest, Daughter of Mercia, is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual time mystery/romances where echoes of the past resonate
across the centuries.
Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘compelling character-driven novels’, ‘a skilled story-teller’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘incredible writing style’, ‘intricately written’, ‘absorbing and captivating’, and ‘an absolute gem of a trilogy’.
In a realm where dreams and reality intertwine, the final battle brews.
The gods of Order have vanished. Despite priests like Dantess and Myra struggling to maintain peace, the Harbingers of Chaos fan the flames of rebellion, bringing the world to the brink of war.
Galen, drawn into the heart of the Dreaming—an ethereal realm where past, present, and future collide—confronts not only his nemesis, the cunning Carnaubas, but a horrifying truth: the exiled gods of Order still hunger for dominion.
Genre: YA Fantasy 11-18 yrs
Pages: 387
Luckily, Galen is not alone. Eve, a young girl gifted with the uncanny ability to see the threads the connect everything, joins him on a desperate quest to find the elusive god of Chaos, their only hope for preventing Order’s return.
The Realm of Gods is more than just a story; it’s a descent into the battle between Order and Chaos, a testament to the enduring power of human connection, and a battle cry for rebellion against tyranny.
About the Author
Glen Dahlgren is the award-winning author of the acclaimed book series, the Chronicles of Chaos, dubbed “what fantasy fiction should be” by New York Times bestselling author and fantasy legend Piers Anthony.
Books in this now complete series won multiple Readers’ Favorite Gold Medals, American Fiction Awards, Independent Author Network Book of the Year awards, and the Dante Rossetti Award.
Glen has also written, designed, directed, and produced critically-acclaimed, narrative-driven computer games for the last three decades. What’s more, he had the honor of creating original fantasy and science-fiction storylines that took established, world-class literary properties into interactive experiences. He collaborated with celebrated authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (The Death Gate Cycle), Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time – now a TV series from Amazon), Frederik Pohl (Heechee saga), Terry Brooks (Shannara), and Piers Anthony (Xanth) to bring their creations to the small screens. In addition, he crafted licensor-approved fiction for the Star Trek franchise as well as Stan Sakai’s epic graphic novel series, Usagi Yojimb
Author blog: http://www.mysterium.blog/
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Luke and his team investigate goings-on at GNE, a global news and entertainment company, after a whistleblower asks for their help.
They are shocked by what they uncover but executives refuse to act, even when it becomes apparent there have been deaths that are unaccounted for.
Genre: Crime thriller
Publisher: Apple Loft Press
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A serial killer is taking advantage of the culture of secrecy and no one is safe.
My Review
First of all let me say that this is so well written. It’s tight, witty, humorous, perfectly constructed and full of believable characters. If the author were to write a new version of the telephone directory, I’m sure it would still be entertaining.
I wish I’d read the first two books in the series, but if I didn’t know they existed, I wouldn’t have guessed. We know that Luke Sackville was in the police before becoming Head of Ethics at Filchers, but then every main character in a book will have a past of some sort, especially if they are a bit older. We know he was a DCI, and that his wife died in a hit-and-run a year ago.
Luke and his team comprising Helen, Sam, Josh and Maj have been asked to investigate some worrying goings-on at GNE, a global news and entertainment company. With several references to Jimmy Saville and Operation Yewtree, they need to take it seriously. Are some of the celebrities and contestants actually involved in child abuse, procuring children for underage activities, and possibly even murder, after one teenage boy disappears and another is found in a watery grave.
GNE is responsible for a number of successful TV reality shows and the celebrities have a lot of fans. Fans who wouldn’t miss the chance to attend parties where they will get to meet their heroes. So when we first meet teenagers Alfie and Owen, all excited and raring to go, their experience turns out to be very different from what they expected. In fact Alfie is too scared to even talk about what happened and what he saw. But Owen goes again and discovers more than he bargained for.
There are a couple of ‘side stories’ going on as well like the one involving poisonous mushrooms, Sam’s mum’s online romance, and the obvious misogyny in another company. As an ex-copper, Luke leaves no stone unturned. His team loves working for him and often put their heads on the line to support him. Sometimes they walk straight into danger.
This book is brilliant. I literally read it in two sittings. Definitely 5 stars – and I don’t give 5 for crime fiction very often, and while the premise isn’t totally unique, it’s relevant, important and so much better executed than much of what is out there.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #FogOfSilence blog tour
About the Author
“Let’s get one thing straight: my name’s Steve. I’ve never been called ‘SJ’ but Steve Richards is a political writer hence the pen name.
“I was born in Bath and have lived at various times on an irregular clockwise circle around England. After university in Manchester my wife and I settled in Macclesfield before moving to Bedfordshire then a few years ago back to Somerset. We now live in Croscombe, a lovely village just outside Wells, with our 2 sprightly cocker spaniels.
“I’ve always loved writing but have only really had the time to indulge myself since taking early retirement. My daughter is a brilliant author (I’m not biased of course) which is both an inspiration and – because she’s so good – a challenge. After a few experiments, and a couple of completed but unsatisfactory and never published novels, I decided to write a crime fiction series as it’s one of the genres I most enjoy.”
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+ audio book, crime fiction, fiction, murder, police drama, psychic, review, serial killer, supernatural
Time to Die Detective Jennifer Knight #2 by Caroline Mitchell
He will predict your life… and your death.
Don’t ever cross his palm with silver. He will reveal your most shameful secrets. He will predict your death. He is hiding a secret. He is hiding a monster. And all his predictions come true.
Investigating a series of chilling murders, Detective Jennifer Knight finds herself tracking a mysterious tarot card reader known only as The Raven.
As the death toll rises, Jennifer and her team build a picture of a serial killer on the edge of sanity, driven by dark forces. But these are not random killings. And the method behind the madness could be the most terrifying thing of all …
Especially when it seems the death of one of their own is on the cards.
Time to Die is an absolutely gripping serial killer thriller with a breath-taking supernatural twist.
My Review
Hooray for another brilliant audiobook. I’m so glad I discovered Borrowbox, where the books are free (though there may be a long wait for some of them). If you’ve never tried it, you get access through your library.
Time To Die is different from most crime novels because of the supernatural element. Both Detective Jennifer Knight and a serial killer known only as The Raven are clairvoyant or psychic – call it what you will. Jennifer can also see into people’s minds. The killer, on the other hand, uses tarot cards to reveal your guilty secrets and also to predict your future. He might also have a hand in your ‘prophesy’.
He’s a very sinister character, whose childhood was somewhat disturbed. He was a twin but his mother doted on his brother Callum, while he was treated with disdain. He suffers from severe eczema and always seems to be in discomfort, tearing at his own skin, which adds to the sense of foreboding. And then there are the ravens – the actual birds – which he seems to control. It’s all rather weird, unnerving and very Alfred Hitchcock.
Jennifer works with a great team including Will, with whom we sense a budding romance, plus her boss Ethan, Police Sergeant Claire and newcomer Zoe, co-opted from another force. I love the way the narrator voices Zoe.
I’ve read this author before and she certainly doesn’t shy away from dark and creepy. The Bone House was about as creepy as it gets. I highly recommend her books. Next time though, I’ll start with the first in the series rather than jump into book two or three.
About the Author
New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post and International #1 Bestselling Author. Shortlisted by the International Thriller Awards for best ebook 2017, the Killer Nashville Best Police Procedural 2018 and the Audie awards 2022. Over 1.5 million books sold.
Caroline originates from Ireland and now lives in a village outside the city of Lincoln. A former police detective, she has worked in CID and specialised in roles dealing with vulnerable victims, high-risk victims of domestic abuse, and serious sexual offences. She now writes full time.
Caroline writes psychological and crime thrillers. Her stand alone thriller Silent Victim reached No.1 in the Amazon charts in the UK, USA and Australia and was the winner of the Reader’s Favourite Awards in the psychological thriller category. It has been described as ‘brilliantly gripping and deliciously creepy’.
The first in her Amy Winter series, Truth And Lies, has been optioned for TV.
+ bullying, celebrity, cosy mystery, crime fiction, Dogs, fiction, murder, murder mystery, revenge, review
The Boot Camp Murder by Matthew Ross
An an ambitious high-achieving young woman, unfairly bullied from her job, her career in ruins; her brother, a charming slacker getting by on good looks and charisma; an out-of-control unstoppable terrier called Winkle, and a popular social media star bludgeoned to death – who said pet-sitting would be a walk in the park?
Monica was on the corporate ladder striving to be a high-flying executive, but when the misogynistic bullying from the privileged pale stale males becomes too much she snaps and quits on the spot. At her lowest ebb, a chance remark from her charming slacker brother Paddy identifies a business opportunity – she becomes a pet-sitter!
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She’s enthusiastic, she loves animals, and she’s got the management skills – it’s bound to be a success, isn’t it? Monica quickly finds dealing with her team of misfits as easy as herding kittens.
Monica and Paddy soon very publicly clash with a much beloved personal trainer that has made their local park his own personal kingdom. However, after he is brutally murdered with his own dumbbell, legions of his online devotees are quick to pronounce Monica guilty in the court of social media opinion.
When the demands for retribution threaten to overspill into Monica’s real life, she knows she must find the killer before the lynch mob comes for her.
My Review
Well this was entertaining! And as a dog lover, I couldn’t resist, because there are lots of dogs in the book. It was certainly a great read, with plenty of added doggy (and fluffy cat) fun.
Monica Minton is a high flying executive, who walks out of her well paid job after being bullied one time too many by her horrible, misogynistic boss. I’m surprised it took her that long. I might have even punched him.
Her handsome, charismatic brother Paddy lodges with her and does basically very little. But he does walk dogs for busy people. It’s all a bit haphazard, so when Monica finds herself unemployed, she decides to take the business in hand, create a plan and turn it into a pet sitting empire called We Sit Pets. She already has a few of Paddy’s mates to do the dog walking. And she loves dogs. What could possibly go wrong?
A lot it would appear. When Boot Camp Dan is launching his TV career as a personal trainer on a stage in the park, Monica happens to be passing with one of the dogs, who happens to get loose, and just happens to run across the stage, causing mayhem. BCD is not best pleased – in fact he is furious – and the launch has to be delayed. Except when the curtains open, he is lying face downwards with a dumbell embedded in his skull. Ouch!
Of course it’s the best photo opportunity his cameraman has ever had, but his promoter can see the sponsors pulling out and his business going in the bin with the poo bags.
As for Monica, well BCD’s fans are many and enthusiastic to put it mildly, and they are not going to let her get away with it. It’s her fault that their hero was murdered and she’s going to have to find the killer, and fast, before they come for her.
The Boot Camp Murder is a hilarious romp, with plenty of quirky characters. I can imagine it’s going to be a series, with We Sit Pets becoming amateur sleuths in more comic, canine capers.
Many thanks to @ZooloosBT for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Matthew Ross is the author of 3 published novels to date. His first novel, Death Of A Painter was selected by The Sun newspaper as one of its picks of the week. Matthew wrote his first novel after undertaking the prestigious Faber Academy 6-month novel writing course under the tutelage of Richard Skinner. Prior to that Matthew wrote material for a leading British stand-up comedian for their live performances, corporate bookings, national theatre tours and their appearances on TV and radio shows such as Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week and The News Quiz. In addition, he was commissioned to provide material and sketches for several comedy series that were broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Matthew lives in Kent with his family and pets.
Matthew’s Links
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PoynterElectricalServices
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattw_ross/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattwross
Website: http://www.mattwross.uk
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203097096-the-boot-camp-murder
Buy Links – https://mybook.to/bootcampmurder-zbt
Can fake dating turn into something more with a baby on the way?
High-flying exec Lauren Kirkham is having a bad week. Unexpectedly pregnant, out of work and – when dumped by her boyfriend – with nowhere to live. She needs a respite, and so goes to visit her friend Anna in Polkerran for a short stay.
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Canelo
Polkerran’s local handyman Daniel Tremayne is busy building his own ‘grand design’ on one of the cove’s cliffs. When TV crews turn up to film, expecting a happily paired up couple, he urgently needs a fake live-in girlfriend, since he’s also split with his ex.
Can Lauren and Daniel solve their mutual dilemmas by joining forces, and if so, will their hearts emerge unscathed?
A heartwarming and fun Cornish romance, perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Jessica Redland and Phillipa Ashley.
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