For fans of The Lost Apothecary or the Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, a deliciously atmospheric historical novel about the rivalry between two female mediums during Victorian London’s obsession with Spiritualism.
Mrs. Violet Wood is London’s premier medium. Her ambition and work ethic are relentless, and her unique abilities have earned her quite the reputation among London’s elite. Mrs. Wood knows just how to read her wealthy patrons and deliver them exactly the messages they long to hear from their loved ones visiting from beyond the grave.
However, one London newspaperman is on a quest to expose the false mediums among them, just as the pressure increases to outperform the upstart Americans—who, to Mrs. Wood’s horror, are promising their audiences more and more fantastical visions. When Mrs. Wood learns her own finances are in crisis, she realizes she must raise her own profile to secure her career and her place in society, or risk being quickly replaced by the next big thing.
Her solution? Accepting as an apprentice the sweet young girl who appears at her door, who carries an uncanny talent for the craft. But is Miss Finch everything she appears to be? And will she be Mrs. Wood’s salvation, or her downfall?
My Review
This was a cracking read! And such a lot of fun. A few months ago I attended a ‘seance’ as part of a podcast recording, where we attempted to debunk some of the myths around mediumship. It was fascinating. Seances were always held in pitch darkness – not to prevent the spirits from getting upset – but to allow the medium to perform their ‘tricks’ without being seen. You’d never get away with it today, but in those days the participants were far more impressionable. Especially when celebrities such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were firm believers (though this is set earlier in 1873).
Widowed Mrs Violet Wood is London’s most famous – and trusted – medium. She performs elaborate Grand Seances, private readings and visits to her patron’s houses, with the assistance of her friend Miss Newman. While there is some trickery involved (illusion is everything), she really believes she is helping people overcome their grief, by contacting the spirit of their dead loved one and letting them know that they are happy. She goes into a trance and receives messages from the other side. And people are genuinely made to feel better.
But for many it’s not enough. They want sensationalism and full spirit materialisation, as is happening in America. Mrs Wood does not want this, but with her finances failing she needs to put herself back on the map. She needs something new. Then one day she encounters a girl who has been hanging around her house for weeks. Sixteen-year-old Emmeline Finch begs Mrs Wood to teach her to become a medium, tells her how much she admires her, believes she has talent. And for the first time ever, Mrs Wood agrees.
The girl is pretty and clever and learns quickly – too quickly. Editor of The Spiritual Times, Magnus Clore is fascinated by ‘Emmie’, but he also wants to expose false mediums. Mrs Wood warns Emmie not to try and impress too fast, but she soon finds out that the girl is not to be trusted and the rivalry begins.
What a brilliant read this was, full of intrigue, warmth and humour. I have always been fascinated by reading books about mediums and seances (yes I have done it – haven’t we all?), and The Other Side of Mrs Wood is up there with the best.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Lucy Barker was the runner-up for the Curtis Brown First Novel Prize with an early extract from The Other Side of Mrs Wood. She holds an MA in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck College and is a Curtis Brown Creative and Novelry alumna. Lucy worked for years as a PA in theatre and heritage, including coordinating the Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, before moving into social media management. She is currently a freelance copywriter and lives in rural Hampshire with her husband, two young children and the dog.
Join happy helpful Dorothy on her magical adventures as she secretly tidies up after the messy Lees family home every night, but with a mischievous twist
From putting things in the wrong places to discovering newfangled contraptions like mobile phones and washing machines, Dorothy’s antics are sure to tickle your funny bone.
#DorothyDustbucket @christi87942442 @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #childrensfiction
This hilarious poetry picture book is perfect for kids aged 2-6 who love a good laugh and don’t mind a bit of dust in their fairy tales. So grab your wand and get ready to laugh with Dorothy Dustbucket!
My Review
I wish my dust was fairy dust and Dorothy could come and help with the housework. I used to tell my kids that there is no such thing as the underpants fairy, but now there is.
While everyone is asleep, Dorothy goes from room to room tidying and cleaning. But she doesn’t always get it right from ‘putting things in the wrong places to discovering newfangled contraptions like mobile phones and washing machines’. Ha ha Dorothy – washing machines are not exactly newfangled – they’ve been around for decades.
This is such fun. Hilarious pictures of Dorothy rushing around the house. Kids aged 2 – 6 will adore it.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Christina has had a successful career in the Art, Design and TV Industry before owning her very own Art Gallery. Inspired by her love of reading and doodling, Christina decided to put pen to paper and create ‘Dorothy Dustbucket.’ Splitting time between Europe and the UK, she lives in the beautiful county of Cheshire, along with her husband and two children, who provided much of the inspiration for the children’s books.
Christina’s Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christi87942442
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_b_bianco_/
Tik Tok : https://www.tiktok.com/@1christinabbianco
Book Links
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156737966-dorothy-dustbucket
Buy Link – https://mybook.to/DorothyDustbucket-zbt
+ bullying, Canada, fiction, France, Historical fiction, magic, Paris, review, satanism, supernatural, witchcraft
The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson translated by David Warriner
1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them.
1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable.
#TheBleeding @JoGustawsson #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours @OrendaBooks #blogtour #historicalfiction
2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation.
Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love.
My Review
As part of the religious studies module of my Open University degree, we studied modern Wicca and the history of witchcraft, spiritualism and theosophy in the early 19th century. I became fascinated by some of these concepts, the darkest of which was the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It was founded by three Freemasons in 1888 (hence why some people believe there are links between the Masons and black magic).
*”The Order of the Golden Dawn is a Hermetic Society whose members are taught the principles of Occult Science and the Magic of Hermes.” I haven’t thought about it for years, but I noticed in the acknowledgements at the end of this book, the author mentions it as one of the influences for the book. I have included some further reading about it at the end of this review for anyone who is interested.
But back to the review proper. The Bleeding is dark, very dark. Not at first, when it dabbles in rituals and spiritualism, but as the three stories of Lucienne in Paris in 1899, Lina in 1949 post-war Quebec and Detective Maxine Grant in 2002 progress and come together, it becomes increasingly scary. With a twist at the end, which as they say, I really didn’t see coming.
It’s 2002 and Maxine, partner Jules and forensic psychologist Gina are investigating a horrific murder. Ex school-teacher Pauline Caron is accused of stabbing her husband 31 times in a most violent and frenzied fashion. But why should she do that? They were a devoted couple, who mainly kept themselves to themselves. She was loved at school by her pupils. But she has secrets and they are far worse than anyone could imagine.
In 1899 Lucienne’s house burns down and her two young daughters are killed in the blaze. Lucienne believes they are still alive and uses her friend to introduce her to spiritualism – if they are dead they will surely let her know.
In 1949, teenager Lina is being bullied by classmate Tamara. Can the old lady at the asylum where her mother works help her to defeat Tamara? And just how far is she prepared to go to make it happen?
All three stories are terrifyingly macabre – one in particular will remain with me for a very long time. This book was absolutely brilliant, evoking both fear and dread. The questions I asked myself at the end were, ‘How could they and how far would you go?’.
*https://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/570
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in 28 countries. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. The Bleeding – number one bestseller in France and the first in a new series – will be published in 2022. Johana lives on the west coast of Sweden with her Swedish husband and their three sons.
As an aside the following extract is very interesting:
**”Why should anyone in today’s world care about what the Golden Dawn did? What did its members achieve? Well, if you have any regard for literature, you might be interested to know that one important member of the Golden Dawn, William Butler Yeats, won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yeats, who was one of the greatest poets of the 20th century, stated that next to his poetry, the Golden Dawn was the most important pursuit of his life. If you love the theater, it might surprise you to learn that another member of the Golden Dawn, Annie Horniman, built and funded Ireland’s famous Abbey Theater, and was considered a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival. If you love art, it might interest you to learn that a leading member of the Order, Moina Mathers, was one of the first to employ the art form of collage, and William Horton was a prominent graphic artist in the Art Nouveau movement. In fact, many members of the Golden Dawn wrote a number of books on a variety of subjects, from many aspects of occultism to poetry, fiction, bibliography, medicine, and entomology. Among these authors in the Golden Dawn Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood are perhaps best known.
“But the real contribution made by the magicians of the Golden Dawn was in the area of magic and spiritual growth. Anyone with an interest in the occult, metaphysics, mysticism, and spiritual evolution, should be aware of the fact that almost all modern practical occultism came directly or indirectly from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In the last century, the influence of the Golden Dawn has been strongly felt in all areas of magic. Today, many magical organizations have borrowed heavily from the methods used by the Golden Dawn, but often without giving credit to the Order. The Golden Dawn was the archetype of all magical groups. No group that existed prior to its establishment could compare to it??”and no group that has come after it has ever matched its achievements.
“…the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn??”an organization which has exerted a greater influence of the development of Occultism since its revival in the last quarter of the 19th century than most people can realize. There can be little or no doubt that the Golden Dawn is, or rather was until very recently, the sole depository of magical knowledge, […] A great many other occult organizations owe what little magical knowledge is theirs to leakages issuing from that Order and from its renegade members.”
“Who were the magicians that comprised this magical fraternity? The members of the original Golden Dawn were almost all respectable middle-class people, men and women, who were interested in the occult. Some were from the upper class, and there were quite a few doctors and writers. Many members of the Order also belonged to other esoteric groups, such as the Theosophical Society. Many were Masons. They were intelligent, creative, and otherwise normal people who had a great thirst for spiritual knowledge. They sought to understand the hidden mechanics of the universe through the study of magic. In short, they were not unlike today’s practitioners of Golden Dawn magic.
“The goal of the Golden Dawn has always been the continued preservation of the magical tradition. It is the teaching of new initiates, and their continued spiritual growth. This spiritual endeavor has been referred to as the “search for the Quintessence, the Stone of the Philosophers, True Wisdom, Perfect Happiness, the Summum Bonum,” It is “the Completion of the Great Work.” The number of people who are studying the Golden Dawn’s system of magic in this day and age is steadily increasing.”
**https://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/570
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.
+ adventure, Carcassone, Catholic Church, female friendship, feminism, fiction, Historical fiction, history, journal, literature, love, religion, review, secrets, slavery
The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse
Piracy. Romance. Revenge. Across the seas of the seventeenth century, two seafarers are forced to fight for their lives. The sequel to The City of Tears, The Ghost Ship is the third novel in The Joubert Family Chronicles from bestselling author Kate Mosse.
The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months it has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved during the course of their merciless raids, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands.
#TheGhostShip @katemosse #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours @MantleBooks @panmacmillan @ChristianLLewis #blogtour
But the bravest among them are not who they seem. The stakes could not be higher. If arrested, they will be hanged for their crimes. Can they survive the journey and escape their fate?
A sweeping and epic love story, ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, The Ghost Ship is a thrilling novel of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes and hidden secrets on the High Seas. Most of all, it is a tale of defiant women in a man’s world.
My Review
When you read a book by award-winning novelist Kate Mosse, you know it’s going to be epic. And it is. I’ve read the first two books in The Joubert Family Chronicles (plus a few of her others) – each one has different protagonists, but I think Louise may be my favourite. She embodies the spirit of feminism – 300 years later and she’d have no doubt been a suffragette.
Not only did I love her, but I also loved everyone else. Minout and Piet, Marta, Alis and Cornelia, Jean-Jacques, all from the previous story, and now Gilles, brave and devoted. And the crew of ‘The Old Moon’. Apart from the captain, but we’ll come to him later.
One of the things that got me really excited was when the ship arrived at Gran Canaria. I’ve been four times and will be going back later in the year for almost two months. The familiar names of the places – Las Palmas, Galdar (we stayed there for a couple of days last October), Agaete, San Bartolome de Tirajana – I’ve been to all of them. Nowadays Gran Canaria is one of the most chilled places I’ve ever been, but then we don’t have the Spanish Inquisition in situ anymore.
We start off in France, in La Rochelle, where Louise lives with her grandparents Minou and Piet. Her mother Marta and father Louis Vidal were murdered 25 years earlier in Holland. Louise was a child and remembers seeing her mother’s body – so much blood – but can’t remember anything else.
In the meantime Gilles was living with his mother, who tormented him and physically abused him. When his twin died, he was sent away to live with his uncle where he learnt all about the wine trade and was valued and loved. But don’t imagine his mother did it out of the goodness of her heart – her motive was purely financial.
Ten years later, a tragedy forced him to leave and it was Louise who rescued him. Now we are into the main story. Louise and Gilles are aboard ‘The Old Moon’, but as a woman Louise can’t be in charge, so Henrik Joost is engaged as the aforementioned captain after his father has paid enough to keep Cornelia’s company afloat (excuse the pun). He’s not exactly popular with the crew.
The ship is to sail to the Canary Islands, owned by the Spanish (still is), but the inhabitants show their allegiance grudgingly as the Spanish took it by force. There is a museum in Galdar where you can learn more about the origins of Gran Canaria.
The book is quite long so I won’t bore you with my take in too much detail, but suffice to say that once we are at sea, the story moves at a cracking pace, a bit like ‘The Old Moon’ when the wind is in her sails.
Why is it called The Ghost Ship though, I hear you ask. It’s because for months ‘The Old Moon’ has been hunting ‘pirates to liberate those enslaved during the course of their merciless raids, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands’. But no one sees it come and go, it gains a mystical reputation, hence being known as the ghost ship.
Piracy, the slave trade, murder, romance, intrigue and secrets galore, this is Kate Mosse at her very best. Wonderfully written and perfectly researched, I hope there will be a fourth book to continue with the story as hinted at in the last chapter.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Kate Mosse is an international bestselling author with sales of more than five million copies in 42 languages. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), and Citadel (2012), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). The Taxidermist’s Daughter was published in 2014.
Kate is the Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction (previously the Orange Prize) and in June 2013, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to literature. She lives in Sussex.
‘For once, these men are the objects;
I am the subject. Me, me, me.’
Journalist and influencer Rosemary Mac Cabe was always a serial monogamist – never happier than when she was in a relationship or, at the very least, on the way to being in one. But in her desperate search for ‘the one’ –- from first love to first lust, through a series of disappointments and the searing sting of heartbreak – she learned that finding love might mean losing herself along the way.
This Is Not About You is a life story in a series of love stories, with each chapter dedicated to a different man. There’s Henry, with the big nose and the lovely mum, with whom sex was like having a verruca frozen off in the doctor’s surgery: ‘uncomfortable, but I had entered into this willingly’.
There’s Francis, who was married. There’s Luke, who gave her a split condom…. And then there’s Brandin — Rosemary’s husband and the father to her son. This is Not About You is the story of one woman – and, in a way, every woman – and her quest to find her happy ever after, no matter how high the price.
Not only a gripping and humorous telling of one woman’s experiences with men, This is Not About You is also an important commentary on consent and confidence issues in young women. Witty, relatable and honest, This Is Not About You will appeal to fans of Dolly Alderton, Nell Frizzell and Bryony Gordon and is a powerful memoir menmoir from a renowned journalist, influencer and podcast host.
Guest Post
“I was born in Dublin, grew up in Kildare and then returned to Dublin as soon as I could afford to, and lived there until, in my 33rd year, I upped sticks and moved to the Midwest, to spend some time with my sister. Then I met a man and, well… here I am, with a husband, a house, a baby. I guess I live here now.
“My parents’ house in Kildare is full of books – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t read. I’ve always loved the power of a book to transform what’s right in front of us, and to transport us, too. They weren’t book snobs, by any means; my Dad will read pretty much anything (except, I hope, for my book) while my Mum is a little more selective. Nothing with animals as the main focus, mainly.
“I’ve known I wanted to write since I was little, too. I can’t quite pinpoint the moment I developed that ambition, or desire; it feels to me now as if it was always there. We lived in quite a rural setting, and in a way my early writing was all crafted with the intention of setting the protagonist, always a proxy for myself, somewhere far more exciting, with a thrilling, mysterious, adventure- filled life that was very far from my own.
“I guess it’s slightly ironic that I’ve now written a memoir.
“My book, This is Not About You, is a recounting of my life so far, confined only to my dating years. It’s my adulthood, broken down into the relationships that marked each life stage.
“I have always been absolutely obsessed with the idea of romance, of being desired, of loving and being loved and being chosen, I think, and this led to a sort of serial monogamy that feels, in hindsight, very single-minded. I wanted to write about this need of mine, but also about the myriad ways that women are conditioned, and often expected, to mould themselves to fit the desires and ideals of men. Or, at least, the desires and ideals we project onto those men.
“The book started out as a series of letters to all of the men I’ve dated, but I’d only gotten a short way in to it when I realised that I was going about this all wrong. My dating history isn’t, in fact, about any of these individual people – it’s about me. It’s always been about me. What I wanted, what I was willing to give and sacrifice to get it, how small I was willing to make myself in the process.
“I think the book shows an evolution, of sorts, a sort of kernel of wisdom that grows with each passing year – but it also shows the kind of snakes and ladders quality of life, that, no matter how wise or strong or brave we get, we’re never far from a moment where we’ll lose all of that and go sliding right back down to be the person we were in our teens or twenties. Our insecurities and perceived shortcomings are never far from the surface.
“I’d like to think the book will be relatable to a lot of women – but also, that it will be helpful for a younger generation of women who are still grappling with a lot of the issues that I grappled with, as I was going through those formative years of adolescence and young adulthood: self-worth, consent, sexual pleasure and fertility.
“I learned a lot about myself through reading the book, and not all of it was good – but it was very honest, and I’m hoping that’s something people will recognise, and maybe give me a little more grace than I gave myself.”
Many thanks to READ Media for inviting me to share a guest post from This is Not About You.
About the Author
Rosemary Mac Cabe is a journalist, writer and podcast host from Dublin, Ireland. She has written for publications including the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Tatler, IMAGE, Irish Country Magazine, STELLAR and more. Her work was featured in the mental health anthology You, Me & Everyone We Know, published by Inspire Ireland. Rosemary has over 43k followers on Instagram and hosts a successful podcast with her sister: Not Without My Sister. Rosemary lives in Indiana, US with her husband and sons. This Is Not About You is her first book.
+ crime fiction, dark humour, female friendship, fiction, love, murder, murder mystery, relationships, review, romance, serial killer
Don’t Swipe Right by LMChilton
Finding true love can be murder.
Gwen Turner, 29, entrepreneur and part-time barista.
Likes: true-crime podcasts, cheese-based snacks (the more unnaturally orange the better) and constantly refreshing her dating apps.
Dislikes: two-day hangovers, people who refer to themselves as entrepreneurs… and discovering her latest match is actually a serial killer (probably should have put that top of the list).
They say romance is dead – but if Gwen can’t catch the mystery killer who’s targeting every man she’s ever dated – it’s about to get a whole lot more deadly…
My Review
Maybe it’s because most of us reading with Pigeonhole are a lot older than Gwen (who is 29), that we did find her really annoying. She thinks she’s funny with her throwaway comments and constant jokes, but it was all a bit lame. In fact some of us would go as far as saying she’s an idiot. I’d like to say she’s likeable in a weird kind of way, but she’s not.
However, the book is extremely funny and I loved it. I couldn’t wait to read on each morning to find out who dies next (and no I don’t dislike Gwen that much), while we all tried to work out who is the serial killer. None of them seem clever enough. Or have a motive. Other than being totally bonkers. Quite a few of my fellow Pigeonhole readers guessed, though I didn’t.
About three-quarters of the way through I began to warm to Gwen. I started to see her true vulnerability and the reasons why she always resorts to inane humour to cover up her insecurities. Just like many of us do.
As for the whole Connector app thing – I’ve never used any kind of dating app, we’re about to celebrate our Ruby Anniversary – but I know many young people who have. In fact one nephew met on one and married in 2014 and they have just had their first child. A niece met her partner on one three years ago, and another close relative is currently using Facebook Dating and Bumble.
None of them have matched with a serial killer though – yet – and I hope they never do, but there is still time! The plot is actually rather clever and the author has certainly done his research on how it uses algorithms and stuff to match. There are also more and more red herrings on every page, plus some, shall we say, interesting murders. Josh is my favourite.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
L.M. Chilton is a journalist with fifteen years’ experience working on TV shows such as This Morning, Loose Women and The One Show, as well as writing columns for Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Metro and The Mirror. He lives in London, thinking of twists for murder mysteries while practising the banjo, much to the annoyance of his neighbours. Don’t Swipe Right is his debut novel.
Follow L.M. Chilton
Twitter: @LM_Chilton
TikTok: @lm_chilton
Instagram: @lukechilts
Website: lmchilton.com
Follow Head of Zeus and Aries Fiction
Twitter: @AriesFiction
Facebook: Aries Fiction
Instagram: @headofzeus
TikTok: @headofzeus
Website: http://www.headofzeus.com
+ abuse, alcoholism, child abuse, childhood, crime fiction, fiction, jealousy, journalist, murder, obsession, revenge, review, serial killer, thriller
Saving Grace by Cristina Slough
An ambitious reporter seeks a window into an obsessed killer’s mind—and is forced to take a hard look in the mirror, in this dark psychological thriller.
It starts when a Cornwall fisherman finds a body in the ocean. The blood of the victim has washed away, but the angry message etched deep into the victim’s back is crystal clear: Grace—Number 1.
It’s the kind of story that could make local reporter Jennifer Mack’s career—if she can keep her hypercompetitive colleague, Hayley, from undermining her at every turn.
Twitter #cristinaslough #SavingGrace @KellyALacey @lovebookstours #SavingGraceTour #Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter Instagram @Cristina_slough_author
When the next body turns up far away in London, another carved message makes the link unmistakable—a serial killer is on the loose.
Then, Jennifer receives a package from the killer. As she begins to communicate directly and publicly with a murderer-at-large, it appears she’s been chosen to write the headline story.
But as lines between right and wrong start to blur, Jennifer is forced to come face-to-face with her own inner darkness . . .
My Review
Wow! This was a serious page-turner. Exciting, twisted, full of turns of events and utterly mind-blowing.
There are two narrators – Jennifer Mack is an ambitious journalist, who has returned to her home town in Cornwall to write for the local rag. At least that’s how she sees it. Below her. What is there to write about in this sleepy, tourist-driven county? Until a body turns up in the sea. And there’s a message carved dep into the girl’s back – Grace Number 1. When a second body turns up miles away in an abandoned video store in London with Grace Number 2 etched into the flesh, Jennifer knows she’s on to something. This could be the making of her career, and the story is hers. Apart from her nemesis, Hayley, who is trying to undermine her at every opportunity and steal the story from under her nose.
Our second narrator is the killer. It’s written from the first person point of view. We feel every hateful, twisted emotion. This is someone who is filled with rage and wants revenge, on everyone and everything. And there are some very dark thoughts going on in their head.
Jennifer, at this point, decides to communicate directly with the killer, using the newspaper to do it. Until she receives a gruesome package from the killer (no it’s not Gwyneth Paltrow’s head or a boiled bunny), and is now as scared as she is excited. So was I.
This was so good. I wanted to bunk off work and keep reading. There’s nothing like trying to get inside the head of a serial killer in the dead of night. And I’m not just talking about Jennifer.
Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #SavingGraceTour
About the Author
Novelist, movie addict, and animal lover, Cristina Slough is the author of Till Death Us Do Part, The Life She Left Behind and Saving Grace. Cristina is married with two children and has a passion for delivering killer plot twists.
Buy Links
Amazon
+ family, fiction, Greece, grief, holiday, lies, loss, love, marriage, motherhood, murder, obsession, relationships, review, secrets, thriller
The Other Guest by Heidi Perks
Laila and her husband arrive for a week’s luxury holiday at the exclusive White Sands resort on a stunning but tiny Greek island.
They’re in desperate need of a reset on their relationship. As Laila sits by the pool, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to another family staying in the resort.
#TheOtherGuest @HeidiPerksBooks @centurybooksuk #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #blogtour
Em has no idea who Laila is, or that she has been watching her and her teenage sons and husband so intently.
Five days later Em’s world is blown apart by a horrifying event. Laila thinks she knows the truth of what happened. But in telling Em what she’s seen, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. And what if she’s got it wrong?
My Review
I am sorry to say that I really didn’t like Laila. I have two children and four grandchildren, so I can’t possibly understand how she feels about not being able to have any, but her fixation is blowing her marriage apart. Her husband James wants to stop after five failed IVF attempts, her family and friends also think she should give it a break for a while. The devastation following each failure is taking its toll on them and their relationship.
So James decides to use their savings to take Laila on a five star holiday to the Greek island of Ixos. The hotel is unimaginable luxury, everything should be perfect. Laila is angry that he spent the money reserved for the next round of IVF on the trip, but James felt they needed the reset.
Then Laila becomes obsessed with a family staying at the resort – mum Em, husband Rob, and two teenage boys Isaac and Theo. Laila calls it ‘people watching’ – some (me included) would call it stalking. Is it because they have children? Or because they are rich? Or is it something else? I found Laila’s behaviour rather odd and a bit creepy.
Then tragedy strikes and a body is found floating in the pool. At this point, I would have thought that the hotel would be totally evacuated, and the guests found alternative accommodation. But maybe it’s because there could be a killer amongst them that they have to stay put – if the death was suspicious that is. Not much of a happy holiday. I hope they got a refund.
Poor Em. I really liked her, and Rob is such a supportive person. Even if he is a bit uptight and boring – he’s better than James, who’s starting to look like he’s not all Laila thinks he is. What secrets does he have, secrets that never came out before they married ten years ago. She never spends time with his family – he keeps them apart. What could they tell her?
Because she has spent time hanging around Em’s villa, Laila has information that might tell the police what happened. If she’s got it right that is. And how can she tell Em without being accused of stalking her, which she is.
‘Oh what a tangled web we weave
‘When first we practice to deceive,’ (It sounds very Shakespearean, however it actually comes from Scottish author, Sir Walter Scott, writer of novels, plays, and poems.)
But I digress. I think this quote most definitely applies to Laila. In fact the more everyone lies – and she is not the only one – the deeper the hole they dig themselves into.
The Other Guest is a story full of murder, secrets, lies, misunderstandings, twists, obsession and stalking. Of marriages falling apart, and insurmountable grief. It’s a fabulous holiday read – honestly!
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Multiple Sunday Times bestselling growing brand author for Century, with over 580K copies of her books – Now You See Her, Come Back For Me, Three Perfect Liars, The Whispers – sold to date.
Heidi’s debut novel Now You See Her was selected for the 2019 Richard and Judy Book Club and was optioned for TV from the production company behind BBC One’s ‘The Miniaturist’. She is a graduate of the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative Online Novel Writing Course and lives with her family in Bournemouth.
Follow Heidi on Twitter @HeidiPerksBooks and join in the conversation
with #THEOTHERGUEST
+ feel-good, female friendship, fiction, forgiveness, friendship, grief, List, literature, loneliness, loss, love, motherhood, music hall, obsession, psychiatric hospital, relationships, review, secrets, strongman, strongwoman, suffragette movement, whimsical
My Top 8 Books of 2023 – Part Two
Here are my favourite eight books of the second quarter of 2023. One or two of these might make it into my top four books of 2023. Still a long way to go. While I read a lot of crime novels all of these books are other genres, as a crime novel needs to be totally unique and exceptional to make it into my favourites. So here we go.
Lyrics For The Loved Ones by Anne Goodwin
Having just finished it, I am still reeling from the sheer brilliance of this book. I have previously read Matilda Windsor is Coming Home, which I thoroughly enjoyed (though parts were difficult for me to read – you can see my review for the reasons) and Stolen Summers, but Lyrics for the Loved Ones is in a league of its own.
I confess it did take me awhile to work out who was who and the relationships between eg Gloria, Tim and Brendan, Wesley and Oh My Darling (Clementine), Denise aka Mrs Jefferson and Goodnight Irene and Scarlett, who Matty calls Bluebell etc. Then there are the Loved Ones ie the rezzies (residents), their rellies (relatives) and all the other names for the various characters. I loved the names. I tried to work out the connections with Matilda Windsor, but could only remember Irene and her relationship with Matty’s brother Henry.
For my full review click here
Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran
If you were looking for a light-hearted, funny read, you might be surprised. This is not The Good Karma Hospital. I am devastated. Not because it’s not Good Karma, but because there are images I will never get out of my head. Why are people so cruel to each other? I don’t understand. We could all live together in peace so easily.
Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is a masterpiece and everyone should read it. Because it’s not just about the predicament of the Tamils or outright racism. (Imagine being asked a question and giving your answer in Tamil. Having petrol poured over you and being set alight. Answer in Sinhalese and they let you go.)
For my full review click here
The Forgotten Garden by Sharon Gosling
I’m not normally a sentimental old romantic but this book left me an emotional wreck. I cried buckets, but then I did have Covid when I read it, so that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
Luisa MacGregor is in a rut. After her husband Reuben died in an accident, she hasn’t been able to move on. Never having worked as a landscape designer, the degree in which she mastered, she works for a dreadful boss, lives with her sister Jo and has put her love life on hold forever. That is until she is gifted a piece of land in the rundown seaside town of Collaton on the north-west coast of Cumbria. She can turn it into a beautiful community garden – it was Reuben’s dream to do something like this – but can she make it work?
For my full review click here
Preloved by Lauren Bravo
I love browsing charity shops, especially in places like Wimbledon or Oxford where the quality of the donated items is really good. I don’t dwell on the history of the items though – most are not really interesting enough – but I may do so now.
But what’s so special about Preloved is the staff. Most of the people who volunteer in our local charity shops are over 75, think Next is a designer brand, and wear polyester that looks like a hairdresser’s overall. I jest and I apologise.
For my full review click here
Vita And The Birds by Polly Crosby
The Unravelling was one of my four favourite books of 2022 (and probably all time). Therefore I had great hopes and expectations for Vita And The Birds. I was not disappointed. I love the cover to start with.
In 1997, Eve Blakeney returns to the place where she spent her summers with her four brothers and her Bohemian mother Angela. During these holidays they hung out with the local teenagers and her brothers’ friends who came to stay, having picnics on the beach and drinking. Angela was not exactly a traditional mum. On one of these nights, Eve and Henry’s friend Elliott, both intoxicated, accept a dare and go off to explore the disused Cathedral of the Marshes. It’s dangerous and scary and lots of myths surround it. Then an accident and the discovery of a painting change Eve’s life forever.
For my full review click here
The Dictionary Of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Absolutely fantastic! Who knew that a book about compiling a dictionary could be so emotional and beautiful.
It’s a combination of fictitious characters like Esme and her father ‘Da’, and others like Dr Murray, his daughters Elsie and Rosfrith and Ditte who really existed. The author gives some of the real people more importance and personality in the story than we know as real – Ditte for instance is very central to the book, but in reality we know little about her in real life.
For my full review click here
Vulcana by Rebecca F. John
Seeing as my son is a novice strongman, how could I not want to read this book. The feats of strength they perform today would no doubt make Atlas and Vulcana look tame in comparison, but while Atlas – William Roberts – may not have been all he purported to be, Kate was undoubtedly exceptionally strong for a woman.
Kate ran away from home when she was sixteen to be with William, who she had met when she was fifteen. He was twelve years her senior and already had a wife Alice, who was a number of years older than him (old enough to easily be Kate’s mother), and they already had five children (reportedly). While Kate remained passionately in love with William until the day she died in 1946 at the age of 72, his relationship with Alice was very different. Kate and William had at least four children together, or maybe six – accounts vary – though they never married. Alice looked after them as well as her own, while Atlas and Vulcana toured, often for months at a time. It all seems a bit strange to us, but Alice was happy with the arrangement and she and Kate became good friends.
For my full review click here
The Fascination by Essie Fox
This is one of my favourite books of the year so far. I simply adored it. I don’t read that much historical fiction, but when I do it has to be unique and something special and this is. It’s the third book I’ve read this year which involves music halls, entertainers and ‘freak shows’, and The Fascination did not disappoint.
It’s mainly the characters – Theo Seabrook, disowned grandson of Lord Seabrook, the twins Keziah and Tilly, sold by their quack medicine-man father to the mysterious ‘Captain’, Aleski Turgenev based on real-life Fedor Jeftichew, better known as the Dog-Faced Boy, a sideshow performer in Barnum’s circus, Martha who hid her face because of a disfiguring harelip and Dr Eugene Summerwell, owner of the Museum of Anatomy in London, who becomes Theo’s employer.
For my full review click here
Norman was born to write, but doesn’t know his destiny is written in his DNA, inherited from generations of earlier Normans who yearned to put pen to paper – once those items had been invented!
Yet with nothing to show for all his literary endeavours and struggling to pay the rent, he tells himself there must be easier ways of making a living. It’s only when Norman discovers his descent from a long line of wordsmiths who’d experienced many of the same setbacks as himself yet had found the resolve to keep on going, that he wants to know: ‘What was their secret?’
#TheWritersGuideToObscurity @SteinbergStory @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour
The Writer’s Guide to Obscurity is an illustrated record of Norman’s research into his vast family tree, sharing with us his predecessors’ trials, triumphs and absolute catastrophes through the centuries, before bringing us back to Norman today – and the twist in his own tale.
My Review
A very short book which follows different ‘Normans’ through the ages, from seeking materials and making your own ink, to the invention of the printing press. A ‘Norman’ is always there, but rather than publishing his own work, he is helping someone else, even Shakespeare at one point.
We start with Ancient Norman in 4500 BCE. Norman needed something to write on, which meant parchment, but he ‘immediately found himself out of his comfort zone when faced with an animal carcass’. I’m with you on that one Norm. He required his neighbours to lend a hand.
In Ancient Greece 700 BCE, Norman had to go though the same ‘stringent, character-building physical regime that was part and parcel of the development of the ordinary Athenian male’. Those who like Norman were ‘built more for comfort than for speed’ had to find ways to survive. But it wasn’t all bad news. Norman was able to perform his comedies and poetry, which were very popular, but he needed a patron so he could pay for food and lodgings.
In Ancient Rome c.700 BCE, Roman Norman was involved in ‘writing statements and other commissions for paying clients’. Basically, Norman was being paid to improve on his patrons’ writing, but he had to give up any rights to his work. So no progress yet as an author in his own right.
Dark-Aged Norman 410 – 1066 CE. Now we are heading into more modern times. Norman had to give up Latin and learn Anglo-Saxon, but this was all for the good as he liked the stories that went with it, such as the tales of Beowulf.
Norman Norman 1066 CE and we see our intrepid writer assisting on the Doomsday Book, but much of his income came from writing boring religious scripts rather than narrative epics and romantic literature.
In the Middle-Ages, 1066 to c.1600, sponsors were rare but Norman being literate was always able to find work as a clerk. And luckily for Norman, he retained all the education of his forbears, which he was able to put to good use. With his knowledge, he could have written a play and put his money into producing it. Simpler though to chuck in his lot with a playwright and actor called – you guessed it – Will Shakespeare.
Early Modern Norman 1600-1900 and things are changing rapidly. Along came the printing press. Unfortunately, this new-fangled contraption saw the end for those employed in the laborious production of hand-written manuscripts, so it was ‘adapt or get laid off’. And never let it be said that Norman wasn’t adaptable! Literature was becoming available to the masses and more advanced presses meant a wider range of books was being published.
Finally, Modern-Day Norman from the 19th century to today and education for everyone means literacy was at an ‘all-time high’. Pen and paper had been replaced by the typewriter, and eventually word processing and computers, but still Norman hadn’t had any success with his own writing.
But things didn’t change until Norman found himself able to share his experiences with his writer community, and the rest, as they say, is history.
This was a lot of fun – I sat and read it in one go – it’s witty, cynical, has hilarious illustrations, and gives us a historical insight into the development of writing and being an author. In fact I read it again in order to pen this review.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Born and raised in North London in 1952, John still lives in the city with his wife and three children. Privately educated, John left school after ‘A’ levels and completed a business diploma in what is now the University of Westminster, before entering banking.
He started training as an accountant but did not complete the course, choosing a position in his family’s furniture manufacturing business instead. John started his own mergers and acquisitions business in 1987, which he ran for almost 20 years before quitting to become a full time writer in 2007.
John has co-written and produced comedies for the stage and has created a series of books for children. “Previously, I had only been interested in comedy and finally started to write down the things I said or thought of. That led me to co-write and produce a play, In the Balance, and then W for Banker – which appeared at the New End Theatre, Hampstead. It was then I decided to quit the world of business in favour of writing full-time, and move toward more serious subjects. My first novel has taken two years to write and is the first in a series of books I am calling the ‘Steinberg Stories’.”
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steinbergstories/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steinbergstories/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteinbergStory/
Website: https://steinbergstories.com/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124864581-the-writer-s-guide-
to-obscurity
Buy Links – https://geni.us/riLMlA7
+ abuse, child abduction, child abuse, childhood, crime fiction, fiction, grief, loss, love, murder, revenge, review, thriller
Girls Don’t Cry by Peter Kesterton
A decade after his young daughter’s murder, a grief-stricken father’s need for justice puts his own life in danger as events spiral out of control . . .
Ever since Caitlin Grady was released from prison, Darren has been tormented by rage and injustice. He finds himself venting online, where a stranger befriends him—and encourages him to seek revenge.
#GirlsDontCry @Peter_Kesterton #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #BlogTour
But Caitlin no longer goes by that name. She has been given a new identity and is living quietly, dreading exposure as the tabloids—with help from her publicity-hungry mother—try to hunt her down. And having committed the crime at age eleven, Caitlin struggles as an adult on her own, out in the world beyond prison walls.
Will Darren manage to track Caitlin down, and if he does, will he be able to carry out his plans?
My Review
What can you say about a story with two such unlikeable protagonists? The one a child killer who was only a child herself when she killed a little girl – the other the victim’s father, who should be a sympathetic character, but in actual fact is horrible.
Caitlin Grady has been released from prison after ten years and has been given a totally new identity. Darren is the grieving father, so filled with hate and rage that he drives his wife away and seeks support online. He finds himself befriended by a stranger, whose lust for revenge appears greater than his own. But what is his motive?
He also goes to the press to talk about the injustice – they should have thrown away the key etc – starts a campaign to reveal the identity of the ‘killer nextdoor’, and even appears on TV to talk about it. Unfortunately he has no idea what is going to happen next and finds himself in a situation beyond his control.
It’s hard to imagine feeling sympathy for Caitlin, but we do. My generation will be reminded of 11-year-old Mary Bell who choked two little boys to death in 1968. She was cleared of murder, found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and served a ‘life’ sentence amounting to 12 years. She is living under a secret identity, and is purported to have a daughter and a granddaughter.
However, we are also reminded of the horrific murder of James Bulger in more recent years, and how while Robert Thompson is living under a new identity with a man who knows who he is, the other, Jon Venables, was released, sent back to prison in 2010 and 2017 for possessing indecent images of children, and was refused parole in 2020. It’s Venables that we remember. Released to do it again, though thankfully he hasn’t killed anyone else.
Thanks to Darren’s campaign, a lynch mob mentality is created and Riley’s Law attracts thousands of supporters.
Initially I struggled with the subject matter – how could I sympathise more with Caitlin than with Darren? I felt bad for giving her a second chance, but stick with it. And how could there be any humour in the story? I admit I cried buckets at one stage but I also laughed – not a laugh out loud laugh – but amusement at a very clever twist. A brilliant book. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
“I was born in Manchester to Irish parents who gifted me the tradition of storytelling and a love of words. Unusually for an Irish family I was an only child and found company in books and stories. I moved to Bristol to go to university, and loved the city so much I stayed on after graduating. I landed a job as a technician at the BBC and worked on radio dramas. Not content with simply doing the sound effects, I decided to write my own radio play. Many years and drawers full of rejections later, I had my radio drama Heads You Win, Tales I Lose, broadcast on BBC Radio 4. I went on to write stage plays, notably Air Guitar for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre and Playing with Snails which won the Croydon Warehouse International Playwriting competition 2011. In 2019, I went to Bath Spa University as a mature student, undertaking an MA in creative writing. I graduated with distinction. Girls Don’t Cry was partially written on the course. For more information visit: http://www.peterkesterton.com.”
From Award-winning actor, filmmaker, and founder, Jaret Martino, comes Single Parents Rock! (Based On a True Story and Feature Film, DONNA: Stronger Than Pretty). Streaming everywhere you buy and rent movies.
A story about a creative, caring, and strong young girl who has the most caring heart and sees the world in ways we can all learn from. Shay knows just how special single parents are, and is excited to introduce you to the strong females in her family. When Shay turned five, her Mom and Grandma got to work on making her party extra special. Shay is exuberant to invite her friends from school and just met a new friend Nala. Through Shay’s heart we see her embrace the world’s differences with love. When her Grandma makes her a cape and a crown, she feels the magic and power of the long line of strong women that surround her.
#SingleParentsRock #JaretMartino @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour
To our Shay-Shine, as Grandma loved to call you. Continue to light up the world with your heart and smile. Love, Uncle Jaret.
To my loving Mother, Donna, who handled the role of Mom and Dad with such grace. Your untimely passing only amplified your accomplishments as a teacher and parent and I will continue to spread, unwaveringly, all your lessons and your every expression of love. Shay Marie, your beautiful granddaughter, will always be reminded of the long line of Strong Women in her family, and of the bravery it takes every woman to make a life for herself and her children.
“Women have to be Stronger Than Pretty. We have to be warriors…you look like a warrior to me.” – from feature film DONNA: Stronger Than Pretty.
Stronger Than Pretty LLC. Love Wins Productions, Distribution and Film Festival. Creating awareness for subjects deserving attention.
Book design by Mery Pelecine.
My Review
Shay is about to turn five and her mum is organising her birthday party with the help of her Grandma (who looks incredibly young). Shay has invited her friends from school, including her new friend Nala, who has two mums.
Shay’s mum is a single parent, and has to play the role of mum and dad and she does an amazing job. Her Grandma has made her a cape and a crown, so she can feel the magic and power of the long line of strong women in her family.
This is a picture book story about love, diversity and being ‘stronger than pretty’. It has beautiful illustrations to enhance the magic of the book.
Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the Author
Jaret Martino began his acting career at age six in theatre and has gone on to appear in TV / Film productions, including The Middle, Law and Order SVU, 30 Rock, One Life To Live, Modern Family, Teen Wolf, and national commercial campaigns for Mastercard, Usher & Lady Gaga’s Tour Promo, Sonic, and T-mobile. Jaret studied at Fordham University, as well as The Lee Strasberg Institute. Always placing an importance on education he continues to study with top industry professionals, such as Larry Moss. In loving memory of Gary Austin (Founder of The Groundlings), and Elizabeth Kemp.
Today his journey as an artist includes writing and producing Films in an effort to bring awareness to subject matters deserving attention. Jaret formed a Production company, and some credits include Driven The Documentary, an empowering film created to inspire women, artists and anyone with a dream that feels impossible. Driven has played at film festivals worldwide, receiving support from companies such as Microsoft and Step Up!
Jaret Martino and Love Wins Productions is an original content and third party production company, designed for the 21st century’s changed media landscape. Focused on raising awareness for subjects deserving attention. With a focus on women’s empowerment, diversity and inclusion and LGBTQIA messages. Specializes in the development, production, marketing and distribution of talent- driven films, television, and digital media content. Jaret’s award winning films have been seen throughout the world in festivals and streaming platforms. From Love Wins Productions and Distribution and Gravitas Ventures, Feature Film,
DONNA: Stronger Than Pretty is now available worldwide, everywhere you buy and rent movies! http://www.DonnaTheMovie.com His latest release is Children’s Book, SINGLE PARENTS ROCK! celebrates the toughest job in the world and is available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart and Target.
Book Links – GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123154447-single-parents-
rock
Buy Links – https://bit.ly/3q8ixQF
Bookchatter@Cookiebiscuit 