+ adventure, China, dark humour, female friendship, fiction, friendship, humour fiction, India, review, Russia, sisterhood, thriller, trafficking
Sinister Sisterhood by Jane Badrock
Elle’s dreams of married bliss are shattered by David’s dalliances. She needs a new life-plan and it’s thrust upon her by her tiger-loving aunt in India.
Converted to the cause, she’s now committed to combating cruel animal exploitation whether it’s trading in endangered animal parts or trophy hunting.
But she can’t do it on her own. What she needs is money and a terrific team beneath her. What she gets is an assortment of amazing women with their own agendas. But the battle is getting bigger. There’s a mysterious mastermind building an execrable empire on the back of craved creatures’ carcasses.
The Sisterhood are devious, deadly and dedicated – but not necessarily to Elle’s cause. Can they succeed in getting what they want? Can Elle find her nemesis? Be they in England, America, Russia or China – they’re all going to have a damned good try.
My Review
I’m not sure what I’ve just read! At times it’s so bonkers that I started to question my own sanity. But it’s certainly entertaining and that’s what I look for in a good story.
If I wanted reality, I’d read non-fiction, which I don’t, because I usually read to escape the drudgery of real life. Sinister Sisterhood is a combination of that escapism and the reality of animal exploitation, trophy hunting and trafficking.
All the characters are larger than life. Elle Scarlett, formerly known as Angel to her devoted boyfriend David, Bessie, owner of a chain of hotels worldwide, Chloe, cleaner extraordinaire, who can remove everything from bodies to bloodstains, ex-police officer Penelope, and Delilah, whose animal skin thongs are creating a stir, to name but a few. Then there is Iqbal, an entrepreneur of sorts, but rarely if ever, on the right side of the law.
But when David finds romance elsewhere and a successful career as a TV presenter, Elle must re-evaluate her life plan. It’s only when she travels to India to stay with her Auntie Pat at her tiger reserve, that she becomes committed to saving endangered species. But she needs money and a team of dedicated women to help her track down the worst trophy hunters in the world.
Add to this a plot by an unknown mastermind to bring illegal animal products onto the black market and we have the makings of an exciting, if crazy, ride from Russia and Azerbaijan, to India and China on the other side of the world. Jane Badrock is one of my favourite authors and Sinister Sisterhood did not disappoint.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Jane writes novels, short stories and poems, usually with a good dose of humour in them. She’s probably owes it all to her late grandmother who, she’s just found out, also wrote short stories and poems. She tends to get an idea and then run with it whether it be a 100 word short story or an 80 thousand word novel. It all depends on the voices in her head at the time…
Follow her on:
Twitter/X: @janebadrock
Facebook: Jane Badrock Author
Write to me: janebadrockwriter@gmail.com
In a world where the gods have long deserted mortals, a powerful sorcerer emerges from a 100-year-old prison.
Releasing an army of beasts, he enters a path of destruction while searching for an ancient relic.
Tasked with challenging the darkness, a pure and naive-hearted boy named Luke embraces his destiny to defeat the wizard – for the promise of a better tomorrow.
#BlueLunarAndTheApexGrail #RickyBaxter @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #extract
Equipped with a divine armour, fashioned by the most powerful goddess, Luke will journey across the land in pursuit of the dark sorcerer, making unforgettable allies and bonds along the way. However, as a long-buried tragedy slowly comes to light, the boy will question everything he believes in… including his destiny.
Here is a short extract from the book:
‘Looking to the distance at the bulb of light that is Aurora, the pair find her standing in the central square – opposite the Sitis Monstrum: the very thing responsible for corrupting the minds of the townsfolk. Being the only structure still standing, its waters continue to flow as though unashamed of its doing. With her left eye pulsating with anger, the winged warrior stands quietly – glaring at the cursed fountain for many moments. Taking a small step forward she addresses the mysterious creation.
‘“Well, are you not going to say anything at all? This is all your fault… all of it. Tell me, who created you and what was their motive? Answer me!”
‘Voice echoing throughout the tarnished town, carried by the wind, her cry reaches the ears of the young comrades who stand afar in suspense. To their shock and surprise, a gruesome and otherworldly voice is heard from the evil fountain.
‘“Hawww… my creator? My master is the one who shall obtain the Apex Grail, and there is nothing you can do to stop him!”
‘“The Apex Grail? So you must be referring to Phantom the wizard king. Why does your master want the Apex Grail so badly? Is all this suffering and bloodshed truly worth it?”
‘“The suffering you mortals experience today is but a speck of dust compared to the horrors of the great Divine War. I was merely placed here to apprehend you, nothing more, nothing less. Now, do you realise? You will always be one step behind my master. Worry, not foolish warrior, for everything my master does is for love… love… love…”
‘The fountain repeats its words – its voice growing louder and louder. The notion of love con- fuses and angers Aurora, who shouts “what does that even mean? How could this possibly be for love? Explain yourself!”
‘“Love… love… love…”
“Shut up!” Screams the warrior – taking flight into the sky and clouds above, watched by her two comrades who stand transfixed as she prepares to finish off the cursed structure. Wings beautifully stretched wide for the rest of nature to adorn, she gazes down at the wicked creation like an angel of judgement.’
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Ricky Baxter is a London born, fantasy author of novels and short novellas. He is an avid blogger, giving advice and thoughts to fellow creators from all walks of life. Starting out as a composer after graduating with a Ba(Hons) in music and multimedia, Ricky worked for many independent short film directors, gaining notable IMDB credits. Since then, he has embraced his earlier passion for writing fictional stories.
Ricky’s Links
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/authorricky/
Tik Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@author.ricky6
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61864105-blue-lunar-the-
apex-grail
Buy Link – https://mybook.to/bluelunar-zbt
+ bullying, child abuse, childhood, crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, friendship, murder, police drama, police procedural, review, serial killer, thriller
The Silent Man (DI Grace Archer & DS Harry Quinn) #3 by David Fennell
A father is murdered in the dead of night in his London home, his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. But the victim’s only child is left alive and unharmed at the scene.
Met Police detectives Grace Archer and Harry Quinn have more immediate concerns. Notorious gangster Frankie White has placed a target on Archer’s back, and there’s no one he won’t harm to get to her.
@DavyFennell @ZaffreBooks #TheSilentMan @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
Then a second family is murdered, leaving young Uma Whitmore as the only survivor. Once again the victim’s face is found wrapped and inked.
With a serial killer at large, DI Archer and DS Quinn must stay alive long enough to find the connection between these seemingly random victims. Can they do it before another child is made an orphan?
My Review
This is the third book in the trilogy involving Met police officers Grace Archer and her sharp-as-a-tack, sarcastic partner Harry Quinn. Grace was brought up by her Granddad and he features highly in the book. Grace and Harry’s relationship is purely professional (if they have history then it’s not alluded to in The Silent Man).
There are three main threads here. A sadistic killer is on the loose having murdered a father who is discovered with his head wrapped tightly in tape, a crude sad face penned over his facial features. His young son is left alive though. His wife was out at the time.
Gangster Frankie White (who I guess is a major player in the first two books) is responsible for the death of Grace’s father and has designs on her too. She knows that neither she nor Granddad will ever be safe while he and his mobsters are at large.
Finally we have a totally unrelated story. Fourteen-year-old Brynn is bullied at school and abused by his drunken father at home. His mother left years ago to run off with another man and he hasn’t seen her since. His only friend is Iris, who has come to stay next door. She is also bullied because she wears a helmet to protect her head when she has an epileptic fit and falls over. The bullies call her Epi-Iris.
I will warn you that parts of the story are really quite graphic and gruesome, but also emotionally heart-wrenching and often seem personal. Brynn’s treatment by his father is harder to read at times than the murders.
It’s a brilliant book, far better than the average crime thriller – The Silent Man is about as creepy and chilling as they come. I know it is the final chapter in the series but there are hints that there may be more to come.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour and to NetGalley for an ARC.
About the Author
David Fennell was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for London at the age of eighteen with £50 in one pocket and a dog-eared copy of Stephen King’s The Stand in the other. He jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career in writing for the software industry. He’s been working in Cyber Security for fifteen years and is a fierce advocate for information privacy.
+ crime fiction, cult, Detective novel, devil worship, fiction, murder, police corruption, police drama, police procedural, retreat, review, satanism, Scotland, Scottish Highlands, superstition
The Devil Stone by Caro Ramsey DCI Christine Caplan #1
A macabre massacre of a wealthy family brings DCI Christine Caplan to the Highlands in her first thriller in a new series from master of Tartan Noir, Caro Ramsay.
In the village of Cronchie, a wealthy family are found brutally murdered. The Devil Stone, an heirloom rumoured to bring death if removed from their home, is the only thing stolen. The key suspects are known satanists. But when the investigating officer disappears, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to investigate.
#TheDevilStone @CaroRamsayBooks @canongatebooks #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #BlogTour
Caplan knows she is being punished for a minor misdemeanour when she is seconded to the Highlands, but she’s confident she can quickly solve the murders and return home to her fractious family. But as she closes in on the truth, it is suddenly her life, not her career, that is in danger.
My Review
This was so exciting! It’s my first Caro Ramsay but it won’t be my last. It’s all a bit Line of Duty with bent coppers always being a silent presence in the background. Plus murder, drugs and satanism and you have the perfect combination for a brand new police procedural.
DCI Christine Caplan isn’t always likeable, but then she’s not perfect. An ex-ballet dancer (I know that’s bizarre), slender as a reed, immaculately turned out, hair pulled back into a neat chignon, her home life is complicated. Her husband Aklen has sunk into a deep depression and hasn’t been out for seven years. He sits wrapped in a duvet, watching daytime TV or sleeping. Nineteen-year-old son Kenny is a nightmare, dropping out of university and maxing out his mother’s credit cards. Daughter Emma however, is doing her thesis, is self-sufficient and a bit of an eco-warrior.
Following the brutal death of five members of the same family, Caplan is sent to the village of Cronchie in the remote Highlands to join the team of investigators. She’s not exactly welcomed by the team, who seem to know everything about her. She’s been demoted to DI after losing vital evidence from an investigation, and she is now being accused of hurting a mugger, who died on the scene from what appeared to be the results of taking a new drug called ‘snapdragon’.
The murdered family were three generations of the McGregors, and they just happened to be the richest family in the area. They owned acres of land, a development site and half of the nearby island of Scone, the other half belonging to a retreat – or is it a cult? It also happens to be the place where the youngest son and only survivor Adam McGregor is living.
As far as the local constabulary is concerned, it’s very simple. A couple of local teenage criminals, fuelled by drugs and satanic worship, committed the murders in order to steal the cursed ‘Devil Stone’. But it’s all a bit too neat and Caplan isn’t convinced. With the combined IQ of Vicky Pollard and Mr Bean, and the strength of a small hamster, there is no way they could have masterminded such a slick operation, let alone overpowered the two McGregor men. And now the previous DCI in charge has apparently disappeared off the face of the earth, along with Adam.
Caplan is certain something weird is going on and she’s afraid that someone on the team is trying to stop her from getting at the truth. And that means that it’s not just her reputation on the line any more, her life is also in danger. Brilliant stuff!
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Caro Ramsay is the Glaswegian author of the critically acclaimed Anderson and Costello series, the first of which, Absolution, was shortlisted for the CWA’s New Blood Dagger for best debut of the year. The ninth book in the series, The Suffering of Strangers, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2018.
+ depression, fiction, grief, lies, loss, love, marriage, mental health, mental illness, mystery, relationships, review, supernatural
101 by Tracy Martin-Summers
Alice glanced at the property brochure resting on her lap and let out a sigh.
She was on her way to Cedar Grove which, according to the brochure set out before her, was the answer to her prayers. The estate agent had promised that this was the one.
The most perfect house, with everything she had asked for.
She smiled as she took in the sight of the pretty, quirky semi at the end of the road with its royal blue shutters and coordinating front door. There was something about this house that moved her.
Something was drawing her to it.
#101 @TracyMartinSum1 @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour
So why was it that their world started to crumble around them bit by bit, as though they had been hit by a demolition project, destroying everything they held dear, especially one another?
Who was doing this to them and why had her neighbour, Sally, disappeared along with the rest of the neighbourhood? There was no one left.
The vision, as described on the day of the viewing had vanished, fallen off the face of the earth and she was deemed psychotic. Was she losing her mind? She didn’t think so…
My Review
This was a very quick read, which I devoured well into the night. I was tired by the end, so I read the last part again in the daytime. And I needed to.
Alice has viewed 100 properties, but none came up to scratch. Then the brochure for 101 Cedar Grove comes into her possession and she decides to view it alone. Neither her husband Will, nor the estate agent, are willing to go with her, as both are fed up with the number of houses she has rejected. But this one is different. 101? Is it an omen and what is drawing her to it?
When she arrives, the house is picture-perfect, the flowers in the front garden, the water feature, the blue front door and matching shutters. This is the one, she knows it. Inside is just us lovely, if very old-fashioned, and the neighbours Sally and her three-year-old daughter Daisy are going to become her best friends.
Six months later, she and Will are moving in – he never actually viewed it himself – but the place seems to have deteriorated as if it had been empty for years. And none of the neighbours remember Sally and Daisy, or Sally’s husband Bill, a door-to-door salesman. That for me was the first trigger as I don’t think door-to-door salesmen exist nowadays, other than Nottingham knockers.
Will is worried about Alice, who had a period of depression in the past, following her best friend’s death, and ended up spending six months in a rehabilitation unit called Chapters. She hated it and dreads being sent back. Yet she knows what she saw, only no-one believes her. But how is any of it possible? Is she hallucinating or having a lucid dream? Will finds her a therapist, against her wishes, but she agrees to see her.
So who is lying? Is Alice psychotic or psychic? Or is she the only sane one? I had no idea and I’m not sure I do now. A very clever and intriguing story with plenty of twists to keep you guessing.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Tracy was born in Harrow Weald, Middlesex, growing up in a loving family home. She married her first husband in 1990, has two grown up children and two granddaughters. She studied a variety of topics via moduled learning, embarking on City and Guilds and NVQ courses, ranging from a brief spell in hairdressing to administration and now works for a utility company in North West London. Tracy has numerous hobbies ranging from landscape painting to landscape gardening and always likes to paint the scene, even if it’s changing the colour scheme,yet again, within her home.
Tracy has always enjoyed writing and used to write short stories for her own children’s amusement but it has only been in the last few years that she has taken this more seriously and has gone on to write her first police procedural psychological thriller series, comprising Gordon Square, Arlington Terrace and Keeper’s Lodge. On the 1st August she released her latest psychological thriller 101 and is now already plotting her next book.
Tracy married her second husband in 2014 and now lives in Bedfordshire in a sleepy hamlet where she writes whenever she gets a spare moment.
Tracy’s Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracy_martinsummers/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/TracyMartinSum1
Website : http://www.tracymartinsummers.co.uk
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181442107-101
Buy Links – https://mybook.to/101-zbt
+ alcoholism, childhood, fiction, Ireland, lies, motherhood, review, secrets, seventies, sisters
Be Careful What You Wish For by Lorraine Murphy
A mother determined to hide the truth. A sister about to expose it.
When Tara Ryan gets the results of a DNA test one rainy afternoon, all her dreams come true. She discovers she’s not an only child, she has a long-lost sister, Cassie. What she doesn’t know is that Cassie is homeless, strung out, and praying for a break.
#BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor #LorraineMurphy @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour @inkubatorbooks
As socially awkward Tara lets street-wise Cassie into her life, shocking secrets come to the surface – a dark web of illegal adoptions, betrayal and death. All rooted in a horrifying children’s home scandal which occurred many years before.
Has Tara’s mother been deceiving her for her entire life, or is Tara looking to the wrong person for the truth?
Someone is lying – and they must pay the ultimate price.
My Review
Three main characters – Tara, socially awkward, most probably autistic, has no friends and takes care of her mother, Mary. Cassie, her long-lost, drunken, homeless sister, who she discovers through a DNA test. Except Tara is an only child, so how can that be possible?
And of course, 82-year-old Mary, selfish, manipulative, religious fanatic, never allows Tara to live her own life. Mourns the premature loss of her late husband, Tara’s Daddy RIP.
So how do these women connect and how will the relationships play out? What does Cassie know that Tara does not? And is she telling the truth?
Fascinating and heart-breaking, we all feel the utmost sympathy for Tara. But what about Cassie? Is she the result of a tragic childhood spent mostly in a children’s home, which is being investigated, or is she just a wicked, horrible person, taking advantage of both Tara and Mary? Born in the seventies, this was when babies in Ireland were still torn from an unmarried mother’s breast and ‘sold’ to a good Catholic family (different times says Mary).
And what about Mary? Old, fragile, disabled following the accident that killed her husband, and now dying. Or is much of it a ploy to keep Tara with her?
So who is the real villain here? Is it Cassie, always looking for someone to take advantage of and someone to blame? Or is it Mary, who has been keeping secrets from Tara her whole life? And what are those secrets and just who is telling the truth? Maybe Tara wants to believe what she wants – that she has a sister who will become her best friend, and that her mother was another innocent victim.
Someone is lying, but who? A short book with so many surprising twists, I’m still not sure who to believe.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Lorraine Murphy takes everyday situations and twists them into terrifying tales. She is the author of Into the Woods and numerous published, and winning, flash fiction stories. A software engineer by profession, she’s had many careers including slimming club leader, adult educator, charity co- founder, chairperson, activist and entrepreneur. Asa teenager, she adored Stephen King and later found herself on the jury of an infamous murder trial.
When she’s not writing, Lorraine is always into something, whether it be competing in/for her local Toastmasters club or jumping out of a fully functional airplane. She lives in Westmeath, Ireland with her husband Brendan and three taller children. This is her second psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.
Lorraine’s Links
Twitter : https://twitter.com/MurphyLorr
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lorraine.a.murphy/
Website : http://www.lorraineamurphy.com/
Book Links
Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194949863-be-careful-what-
you-wish-for
Buy Links : https://mybook.to/becareful-zbt
+ crime fiction, fiction, grief, kidnapping, loss, murder, obsession, psychopath, review, serial killer, sisters, thriller
The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard
It’s the nightmare scenario that every girl is warned about, and she knows the dangers all too well – but what other choice does she have?
As they drive, she alternates between fear and relief – one moment thinking he is just a good man doing a good thing, the next convinced he’s a monster. But when he delivers her safely to her destination, she realises her fears were unfounded.
#TheTrap @cathryanhoward #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #BlogTour
And her heart sinks. Because a monster is what she’s looking for, to discover what happened to her missing sister. She will try again tomorrow night. But will the man who took her sister take the bait?
My Review
Very very clever. There are so many crime novels out there, but this is in a class of its own. It’s so intricately plotted that when I had finished it, I had to go back and re-read some of it. Did it really happen like that? It’s going to be very hard to write about because every passage, every clue, is a spoiler. So this will be a short review.
We open with a young woman walking along a lane in the dark. She’s putting herself in extreme danger – she knows that – but how else can she trap the man who took her sister. How else can she find out what really happened? By using herself as ‘bait’ and hoping he’ll take it.
Women have gone missing and the police are getting nowhere. Operation Tide has been set up to find the women and catch a serial killer. But they are no further forward.
Lucy’s sister Nicki was one of those women. Where is she? No-one seems to care, not to the extent that 17-year-old Jennifer Gold attracted the media’s attention. But then Jennifer was a pretty, perfect, innocent teenager – the poster-girl for a missing persons investigation – while Nicki was drunk and had walked off into the night without even saying goodbye to her friends. She had it coming therefore, didn’t she.
FLO Denise Pope doesn’t agree. Together with Angela from the MPU, they are looking into other disappearances.
There are so many twists and surprises in this book. When you finish reading you’ll think ‘how did I not see that coming?’ because I guarantee you won’t. Smart, perfectly constructed, a masterpiece for our times. And the chapters written from the point of view of the killer are chilling and at times rather graphic.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Catherine Ryan Howard is an internationally bestselling author from Cork, Ireland. Her work has been shortlisted for the CWA’s John Creasey New Blood and Ian Fleming Steel Dagger awards, and in 2019 her novel The Liar’s Girl was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. The Nothing Man was a no. 1 bestseller in her native Ireland. She currently lives in Dublin, where she divides her time between the desk and the sofa.
+ abuse, child abuse, childhood, Covid, family, fiction, grief, lies, lockdown, loss, love, motherhood, Psychological fiction, review, secrets, sisters, social distancing
Stay by Jane Bailey
I simply slung my rucksack on my shoulder and climbed into the car – and into the life – of perfect strangers.
It was meant to be Caitlin’s perfect summer, but betrayed by her best friend and her boyfriend, she finds herself hitchhiking home alone, heartbroken, and penniless.
When a smiling family pulls up on the roadside to help her on her way, she’s relieved – they seem so friendly, safe. And when they offer her a warm bed in their isolated house for the night, she’s grateful not to have to travel back alone in the dark. In any case, she’s in no rush to get home, where a grave secret is lying in wait to blow her family apart.
#Stay @JaneBailey15 @orionbooks #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #BlogTour
One night soon turns into two, and then three. The increasingly spellbinding couple wants her to stay, and why shouldn’t she? Their children need a tutor, and the longer she can avoid home, the better. But then an older member of the household warns her to leave immediately. And when her phone suddenly goes missing, when she realises that this perfect family is a perfect lie, it might not be so easy for her to leave…
My Review
I love a book that’s set in my home county, though I didn’t recognise the places mentioned in Stay, apart from the nearest town being Cheltenham, where I live. I was also excited to learn that the author is Writer-in-Residence for Cheltenham Festivals.
I simply adored Stay! Caitlin is both smart and naive at the same time. She knows what’s going on, but she isn’t mature enough to deal with it. And then there’s the children – thirteen-year-old Henna and five-year-old Daisy. They need her, they trust her and she is starting to love them back. Is she the only person who is trustworthy in this strange set-up?
And it is strange. Marcus and Mimi are married – or are they? You wouldn’t think so at times. They grow weed on an industrial scale in polytunnels, have secret ‘offices’ and supposedly rescue unmarried mothers. It’s the pandemic (remember that?), so the children don’t go to school, but they don’t have the internet so they can’t learn online. Then in walks Caitlin, perfectly placed to tutor them.
And she is very happy to do so until her phone disappears and no-one wants to help her find it or go into the nearest big town to get a charger or even replace it if it can’t be found. She desperately wants to tell her mum and sisters that she is OK. The only way she can contact them is by mail.
Initially there seems to be a simple reason for everything, but she soon realises that she is trapped, and not just by the pandemic. What’s more, she doesn’t even know exactly where she is if she wanted someone to come and get her. She just knows she’s in Gloucestershire, a long way from her home in Cornwall.
Stay is a slow burn, with us the reader, discovering the truth alongside Caitlin, as it becomes more terrifying and sinister. It’s a great story – I haven’t really read anything like this before.
There is also a backdrop of traditional folk songs, which Caitlin learnt from her grandmother, and sings to the girls at night, sometimes making up her own words.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours and to NetGalley for an ARC.
About the Author
Jane Bailey was born and brought up in Gloucestershire, where she now lives. She has written seven novels, including Lark Song, What Was Rescued and Tommy Glover’s Sketch of Heaven, and has been shortlisted for the Dillons Fiction prize and the RNA award. She has edited four anthologies of work by young people as Writer-in-Residence for Cheltenham Festivals, First Story and Gloucestershire Hospitals Education Service.
+ art, community, fiction, friendship, humour fiction, lies, memory, murder, review
Cogrill’s Mill by Jack Lindsey
George Cogrill is troubled. He has been made to give half of his inheritance, which includes his beloved Water Mill, to Vicky Gloam, a gorgeous female photographer.
He finds himself becoming increasingly drawn to her but there are dark forces at work determined to wrench the mill from his grasp and threaten his very existence.
This is a humorous tale of treachery and intrigue, featuring romance and murder. Beautiful women, scheming villains, a dog that inherits a fortune and a cat that does not exist, all combine to ensure that his life will never be the same again.
My Review
Absolutely bonkers, reminded me initially of Blandings with George looking like Jack Farthing as the dopey Freddie (not at all like the dastardly George in Poldark). I couldn’t get that image out of my head, so I stuck with it.
George Cogrill is trundling along quite nicely, thank you, making cider for his own consumption and living off his inheritance. He has no ambitions, no plans to marry and no chance of producing a legitimate heir. Unfortunately for George, if he doesn’t do anything with his life by the time he is thirty (which he is now), he will forfeit half of it, including his beloved Water Mill to photographer Vicky Gloam, whose father was conned by his own father many years before. Vicky is a photographer, albeit a not very good one, and moves into the Mill with her arty-farty, Bohemian friends.
He was informed of all this by his Aunt Jane, a formidable woman who rides round on an old motorcycle – British of course. She owns a stately home and has a dog called Winchester who is set to inherit if George can’t sort himself out. And a cat called Mable (Mabel?) who doesn’t appear to exist.
I couldn’t work out exactly where it was set – seems a bit Forest Of Dean to me by the accents – or when. I didn’t realise initially that it was actually written in 2005, so my fellow book club Pigeons and I surmised the 80s or 90s.
It started out very witty and surprising, though often too much detail, which I was desperate to cut out. But then it got more bonkers by the minute and lost its way, which is a great shame. It has some really good characters, though there are only so many ridiculous names before it ceases to be funny. An engaging, light read, which could do with some editing and bringing up to date and a bit more emotional engagement. I still really enjoyed it.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Jack Lindsey is a pen name of Keith Jahans. He formed Peatmore Press as an online magazine in 1996 to publish and promote his writing. In 2008 he left his microbiology job at Defra’s Veterinary Laboratories Agency and established Peatmore Press as a Limited Company the following year.
His first novel, Cogrill’s Mill, was released as an e-book in 2005 and as a paperback book in 2009. He decided to use the pen name of Jack Lindsey for this novel to separate his fictional work from that he has published as a microbiologist. A second novel, Victim of Compromise, written under a second pen name of Luke Johnson, was published on 15 February 2010. Crime and Passion, a collection of twelve contrasting short stories by Luke Johnson and Jack Lindsey, was published in ebook format in August 2011. This was followed by four audiobooks, the first of which was released at the end of 2011. A second Jack Lindsey novel, Gifford’s Games, was launched in June 2012 in the month preceding the London Olympic Games (it has nothing to do with the Olympics but everything to do with games). New Beginnings, a collection of short stories written under his own name, was published in August 2014.
In October 2013 he published his first non-fiction book, American Road, as an ebook in kindle and epub formats describing a motorcycle journey in words and pictures he undertook in the Southwest of the USA during 1982. Then following successful sales on Amazon he followed this in April 2015 with the publication of Bike Travelling Man in Kindle format describing his experiences with two motorcycles.
He lives in England and spends a lot of his time writing and travelling. Further information about him can be found by visiting his website at http://peatmore.com.
One murder mystery weekend. Two rival sleuths. They’re looking for answers. But will they find love?
Kate Brannon is delighted to be attending her first murder mystery weekend in a movie-worthy Victorian manor house. Still getting over being dumped, cracking the case would be a welcome boost to her flagging confidence. And the prize money wouldn’t hurt either.
But Kate’s dreams of victory become a nightmare with the arrival of Max Ravenscroft. Smart, enigmatic and annoyingly handsome, Max is Kate’s sleuthing nemesis.
When she and Max are forced to work together, Kate despairs. But, as the investigation brings them closer, she finds being his partner in solving crime isn’t all bad. With growing suspicions that the game is rigged against them, can Kate and Max beat the odds to find the killer? And, as their partnership deepens, can they find romance too?
And here is the fabulous cover:
Clues To You will be published on 19th September. To pre-order, please use this link https://mybook.to/CluesToYou
About the Author
Claire Huston lives in Warwickshire with her husband and two children. Art and Soul was her first novel. Elle’s A-Z of Love is her second.
A keen amateur baker, she enjoys making cakes, biscuits and brownies almost as much as eating them. You can find recipes for all the cakes mentioned in Art and Soul on her website along with over 100 other recipes. This is also where she talks about and reviews books.
As well as her website, you can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram: linktr.ee/clairehuston_author.
+ family, fiction, grief, loneliness, loss, love, mental health, mental illness, motherhood, obsession, relationships, review, seventies
Becoming Liz Taylor by Elizabeth Delo
Val looked around. The baby appeared to be all on its own. There was no sign of a mother. No sign of anyone.
Val didn’t think about it. She didn’t even break her stride. She kicked the brake off the pram and pushed it as if she did it every day.
#BecomingLizTaylor @elizabeth_delo @AllenAndUnwin #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #blogtour
Val, a widow living in Weston-super-Mare, spends lonely evenings dressing up as the movie star Elizabeth Taylor. It seems to be a way of coping with the loss and sadness she has experienced in her life. One day, when Val sees a pram left unattended on the seafront, on a whim she kicks off the brake and walks away with it…
Set in the present and the 1970s, Becoming Liz Taylor is a vivid and touching depiction of love, loss and bereavement – thought-provoking, moving fiction for fans of Rachel Joyce, Emma Healey and Ruth Hogan.
My Review
This would be a great bookclub read because the main discussion is – do we feel sorry for Val? In order to ‘root’ for her (as someone put it in a review) we have to assume that her overwhelming grief following her loss, led her to completely lose sight of reality and what she has done.
I had three issues with this. Firstly, why it took her almost 50 years to completely lose it, secondly, she made an assumption that she was ‘rescuing’ a neglected baby from a teenage mother who wanted someone to take it, and finally, I felt desperately sorry for her son Rafe. He never recovered from the feeling of being second best, being told he was a difficult child, and from the embarrassment of his mother’s obsession with dressing up like Elizabeth Taylor – fur coat, drawn on eyebrows, beauty spot, the lot.
I’ve often wondered whether Madeleine McCann’s siblings have ever been able to have a normal life, or whether their parents have been so wrapped up in grief that they couldn’t love the other two. And then there was my own mother, who lost my sister at 17 months to tubercular meningitis before I was born. There were no photos of myself or my brother when we were babies or toddlers. And yes, she would often talk about how perfect my sister was (compared to me I guess). But I did understand, really I did, and while she always had delusions of grandeur, she never went out dressed as a film star, or stole a baby.
Because that is what Val has done. Taken a baby from under the big wheel at Weston-Super-Mare’s seafront and walked off with it. I say ‘it’ because she doesn’t discover whether it’s a boy or a girl for ages. She doesn’t look back to hear the hysterical mother screaming, she just keeps on walking. Then she goes home, gets her car, straps the baby’s carrycot into the front seat and starts driving.
It was heartbreaking to witness her total disintegration, but also to read about poor Rafe, whose sad lifestyle after his relationship has broken down is like witnessing a car crash. He hasn’t seen his mother in decades. Can they ever be reunited? I hoped for that more than anything else.
But back to whether we have sympathy for Val. The jury is still out, but ultimately, this shows what a well-written and emotional book this is, otherwise it wouldn’t have raised all these questions.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Elizabeth Delo trained as a teacher and has worked in schools in London, Birmingham, Paris and Somerset. After writing fiction in her spare time for many years, Elizabeth took a break from teaching to do a master’s degree in creative writing at Bath Spa University, graduating with Distinction. She runs creative writing classes and has worked as a freelance editor. She lives in Somerset with her husband and has three children.
+ crime fiction, Detective novel, fiction, love, murder, police drama, police procedural, review, serial killer, thriller
A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
A killer is hiding in plain sight, like a snake in the long grass…
When Dr Nell Ward stumbles across a woman’s body amongst the purple heather on Furze Heath, she was on the lookout for nests of poisonous adders.
But something is lurking out here far more dangerous than vipers.
#AGenerationOfVipers @Sarah_Y_L @emblabooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
A cold-blooded killer is on the loose and this is not his first victim. As DI James Clark begins to investigate, a pattern emerges pointing towards this being the work of a serial killer. Every victim shares the same physical characteristics – all of which are a match to Nell herself.
As Nell is pulled into a tightly coiled mystery, she can’t help feeling someone is tracking her every move…
Can she unmask the murderer before they strike again?
My Review
I was ready to give this 4 stars – a police procedural albeit with an ecological twist – but then it became so exciting and fast-paced, with an unexpected outcome that I upped it to 5 stars (at least). I was reading while sipping my cappuccino, after my swim at our local Lido, I carried on reading with my lunch (home-made kedgeree in case you are interested, though I am sure you are not) and then kept going until I had finished it by about 4pm. I just couldn’t stop reading. Oh that ending! I’m so excited but I can’t say why.
This was a serial killer thriller with a difference. Particularly if you like bats and snakes and I love both. I’ve often had a python wrapped round my shoulders (yes that sounds weird), but I do enjoy an animal encounter, though more often they are of the furry rather than scaly kind.
This is the fourth book in the Nell Ward series, but it can be read as a standalone. There are references to Nell’s past history – we know that detective James is her ex and that current boyfriend Rav has been in an accident, leaving him with life-changing injuries. We also know that her family are wealthy aristocrats, but Nell is very down-to-earth. Her working team is great, though the three new members of staff are all a little weird.
That’s the background, now for the story. Basically, four women have been murdered and the evidence points to it being the work of a serial killer. The MO is similar enough and the ligature used is identical in all the cases. It’s not yet been identified, but the marks it leaves are the same. Even more worrying is that Nell looks just like the victims. Both James and Rav fear for her safety.
But Nell won’t be deterred, not when there are adders and lizards to be relocated and bats to be nursed back to health. That means going out at night to the very place she found the fourth victim, out on the heath. Well, you would wouldn’t you? Actually I wouldn’t, but then maybe I’m just a wimp with a penchant for pythons. Or not an idiot.
This was a cracker of a read, I was breathless by the end. I’m not sure if it was realistic, bizarre or slightly tongue-in-cheek, but it was brilliant all the same. A perfect story on a summer’s day and a great holiday read.
Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogtour
About the Author
After spending sixteen years as an ecologist, crawling through undergrowth and studying nocturnal habits of animals (and people), Dr Sarah Yarwood-Lovett naturally turned her mind to murder. She may have swapped badgers for bears when she emigrated from a quaint village in the South Downs to the wild mountains of the Pacific Northwest, but her books remain firmly rooted in the rolling downland she grew up in.
Forensically studying clues for animal activity has seen Sarah surveying sites all over the UK and around the world. She’s re-discovered a British species thought to be extinct during her PhD, with her record held in London’s Natural History Museum; debated that important question – do bats wee on their faces? – at school workshops; survived a hurricane on a coral atoll whilst scuba diving to conduct marine surveys; and given evidence as an expert witness.
Along the way, she’s discovered a noose in an abandoned warehouse and had a survey de-railed by the bomb squad. Her unusual career has provided the perfect inspiration for a series of murder mysteries with an ecological twist – so, these days, Sarah’s research includes consulting detectives, lawyers, judges and attending murder trials
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