Book Synopsis:

Varg Veum receives a surprise visit in his office. A woman introduces herself as his half-sister, and she has a job for him. Her god-daughter, a 19-year-old trainee nurse from Haugesund, moved from her bedsit in Bergen two weeks ago. Since then no one has heard anything from her. She didn’t leave an address. She doesn’t answer her phone. And the police refuse to take her case seriously.
Veum’s investigation uncovers a series of carefully covered-up crimes and pent-up hatreds, and the trail leads to a gang of extreme bikers on the hunt for a group of people whose dark deeds are hidden by the anonymity of the Internet. And then things get personal…
Chilling, shocking and exceptionally gripping, Big Sister reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers.

Big Sister is available now in paperback and ebook.  The ebook is currently 99p, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Big Sister is a very intriguing book.  It’s slightly different to other Scandanavian noir books I have read as it’s quite slow paced with tension and intrigue being gradually built up over the course of the book.  The reader realises quite early on that this won’t be the easy investigation Veum thinks with things becoming very intriguing and murky very quickly.

I liked the personal feel of this book as it gave me a chance get to know Veum a little more and for her to find out a bit about her family.  It was good to see some cracks appear in her otherwise cool armour and for the reader to see her appear ruffled at times.  This made her seem more real and I felt for her at times during the investigation when things didn’t go her way.

There are lots of twists and turns throughout the book which definetly kept me on my toes.  The huge twist at the end made me gasp as I really wasn’t expecting that to me the outcome.  I found myself flicking back through the pages wondering if I should have realised things earlier.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I look forward to reading more from him in the future.  If you like slow building, cleverly plotted and intriguing books you’ll love big sister.

Huge thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my copy of this book and to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway in 1947. He made his debut at the age of 22 with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over 20 titles, which have been published in 24 countries and sold over four million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Epsen Seim. Staalesen, who has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour), lives in Bergen with his wife. When Prince Charles visited Bergen, Staalesen was appointed his official tour guide. There is a life-sized statue of Varg Veum in the centre of Bergen, and a host of Varg Veum memorabilia for sale. Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award.

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I’m on the blog tour for The Sacred Storm by Theodore Brun today and I have an exciting extract to share with you.

The Sacred Storm is available now in ebook and hardback, you can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Forged in fire. Bound by honour. Haunted by loss.

8th Century Sweden: Erlan Aurvandil, a Viking outlander, has pledged his sword to Sviggar Ivarsson, King of the Sveärs, and sworn enemy of the Danish king Harald Wartooth. But Wartooth, hungry for power, is stirring violence in the borderlands. As the fires of this ancient feud are reignited Erlan is bound by honour and oath to stand with King Sviggar.

But, unbeknownst to the old King his daughter, Princess Lilla, has fallen under Erlan’s spell. As the armies gather Erlan and Lilla must choose between their duty to Sviggar and their love for each other.

Blooded young, betrayed often, Erlan is no stranger to battle. And hidden in the shadows, there are always those determined to bring about the maelstrom of war…

Chapter One Extract:

The apple was gone in a blink.
The horse nuzzled his other hand, expecting another.
‘You’re not an easy girl to please, you know that,’ said Erlan Aurvandil, tickling her hoary chin. But Idun loved apples, just like the goddess she was named after.
Gods, but she’s a grumpy-looking beast, he thought. Still, she looked a sight healthier than the bag of bones he’d ridden in on when he first arrived at the halls of the Sveär king. Good eating and rest had seen to that. And the odd apple.
Erlan produced another from his pouch. Idun gobbled it down.
‘Off you go, you old mule,’ he said, thwacking her rump. The horse plodded off to a clump of grass nearby. Erlan, meanwhile, began limping back towards the halls and smaller dwellings, inhaling the sweet, green air. It was one of those evenings that seemed swollen with life, a foretaste of summer, when even the pain in his ankle felt not quite so sharp. As if, one day, it might heal.
Of course, it never would.
The limp was his father’s mistake. He hadn’t known the rock lay under the sand waiting to change his son’s destiny. ‘Jump. I’ll catch you,’ he had laughed. A test of trust: at least that was what Erlan thought it was. He had jumped. His father stepped aside. The rock did the rest. No test then, just a lesson: that you can’t trust anyone in this world, least of all the ones you love. Aye, he had learned that lesson well. That was why his father, his home, his inheritance – his very name – were all buried under an oath. Buried with her.
Because of his father’s lie, she had had to die. Inga – his first love. Inga – the ghost in his soul. She had cut her own throat and with the same stroke cut him loose from all that he knew and loved. So he was here, and she was there, lying under some barrow in the land of his birth. A land he had sworn never to see again.
He spat into the dust, as if that could expel the bitterness that rankled in his blood. Here, he was an exile. An outlander. Yet this was where he had found a new home and a new life after that other life had ended.
A cuckoo’s call floated down out of the treetops of the Kingswood.
He sighed, shaking off worn, old thoughts. Surely even a cripple couldn’t feel bitter on an evening like this? After the long winter the beech trees were in full garb, bulging in on the Uppland halls while the last of the sun splintered through their branches. His nostrils filled with the scent of the woods and meadows. Laughter and shrill voices tinkled on the twilit air as mothers called their children home. And with the dusk-dew, a kind of peace settled over the shingled roofs around Uppsala.
Maybe this was enough. Maybe this was his reward after enduring that dark and savage winter. He had arrived no better than a beggar, but King Sviggar had accepted his oath in return for salt and hearth. And afterwards came those mysterious deaths. Sviggar’s daughter, Lilla, had disappeared. Erlan had stepped forward. He had followed the trail into a vast, cold wilderness until it led him down into the dark depths under the earth. He entered seeking death. Instead he found life, and her. And he was a different man when he restored her to her father. The grateful king had honoured him, given him gold and a place on his council, even given him a new name: Aurvandil. It meant
‘shining wanderer’. But for now he had no need to wander.
Now? Why not for ever?
He crossed the expansive yard of the Great Hall. All was quiet. Most folk would be settling down to supper around one of the many hearth-fires. His belly grumbled in anticipation, hoping Kai had cooked something good.
Kai Askarsson was his servant, at least in name. Erlan had rescued Kai from a whipping post in a lonely corner of Gotarland, many leagues to the south. At the time it had been against his better judgement to let Kai tag along, but since then the Norns – those ancient spinners of fate – had woven together their paths tighter than the great wolf Fenrir’s leash.
Kai was fearless, reckless, irreverent, irrepressible, mischievous, garrulous, sneaky and downright mad at times. In short, about as different from Erlan as a man could be. But Erlan liked him better than any other, too.
He set off down the slope towards the scattered halls and houses that lay to the east of the Great Hall, eager to discover what Kai would conjure from their pot tonight.
That was when he heard a strange noise.
It stopped him at once.
He turned and shaded his eyes against the sunset, judging the sound to have come from back towards the Sacred Grove. Seeing nothing, he was about to shrug it away, when out of the haze emerged the silhouette of a horse and its rider. Even from there, he could see the rider was slumped over the horse’s withers.
There was another sound, halfway between a strangled salutation and a wail.
‘You all right there, friend?’ he called as the horseman drew closer.
No answer. And the horse kept on, so that Erlan was forced to lurch aside. Before he had time to object, the rider had collapsed on top of him.
They hit the ground hard, Erlan winded under the man’s full weight. The rider was groaning like a stuck boar. He was wounded, clearly, but only when Erlan slithered out from under him and saw his own tunic soaked with blood did he realize how badly.
He rolled him onto his back. ‘We need help here, now!’ he yelled. A stable-thrall appeared from under a byre and came running. Then a woman in a head-cloth emerged from a smithy. When she saw the blood-soaked rider she screamed. That brought others.
The man’s breath was grating like a saw. Erlan smelled the stink of punctured bowels and peered at his wound. It was an ugly gash caked black around its edges. Blood still welled from inside. His cheeks were deathly pale. Still, his face was familiar. Another of the king’s house-karls, Erlan thought, named Uttgar or Ottar, maybe? There were so many of the buggers it was impossible to remember all their names. ‘He
needs water.’
The stable-hand rose and pushed through the gathering crowd. Meanwhile the rider was gulping at the air, bleeding.
Dying.
More folk were arriving, crowding round. ‘Give him some room, damn you!’ Erlan shifted, trying to cradle the karl’s head in his lap.
‘That’s Ormarr,’ said a thrall-girl.
‘Poor bastard,’ said a smith. ‘Look, he’s trying to say something.’
Certainly his lips were moving. Erlan put his ear to the tremulous breath.
‘The… Kolmark.’ Hardly a whisper.
‘The forest?’
‘Slain… all of us, slain.’
‘What’s he saying?’ the thrall-girl demanded, plucking at Erlan’s elbow.
‘If you shut up, I could tell you… Go on.’
‘War— tooth… War— tooth…’
‘Wartooth, he says. He must mean King Harald!’ declared the smith, who was leaning over Erlan’s shoulder. The name buzzed around the gathering. None was more hated or feared in all of Sveäland than Harald Wartooth, King of the Danes.
‘What’s the old bastard done now?’ growled someone further back.
Ormarr groaned.
‘He’s dying,’ the smith said, prodding a bony finger in Erlan’s ribs. ‘Ask him again.’
‘Look at me.’ He tried to brush Ormarr’s sweat-slicked hair out of his eyes. ‘What about the Wartooth? Who is slain? Speak, man.’ But the karl only rolled his eyes. ‘Where’s that bloody water?’ Erlan yelled, looking round for the errant stable-thrall. The nearest water butt was not thirty yards away but there was no sign of the fool. Not that a gulp of water would do much good now.
With a sudden surge of strength, Ormarr seized Erlan’s tunic and pulled him close. His eyes were burning with fever. He put his lips to Erlan’s ear and uttered his last words, so faint Erlan could barely hear them. Then his grip slackened, his eyelids drooped, his head fell back. Dead.
Erlan slumped back on his heels.
‘What ’e say?’ asked the smith.
But Erlan was staring at Ormarr’s lifeless lips.
‘He whispered something. Was it about the Wartooth?’
‘What did he say, damn it?’ demanded another.
Erlan rose to his feet, glaring right through the wall of eager faces, deaf to their questions, his mind fixed on one object and one alone. He had to see the king.
Because war was coming.

About The Author:

Theodore Brun studied Dark Age archaeology at Cambridge. In 2010, he quit his job as an arbitration lawyer in Hong Kong and cycled 10,000 miles across Asia and Europe to his home in Norfolk. A Sacred Storm is his second novel.

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Book Synopsis:

‘Had it not been for my weakness, someone who is now dead could still be alive. That is what I believed and consequently lived with every day in prison.’

It is the summer of 1938 and Phyllis Forrester has returned to England after years abroad. Moving into her sister’s grand country house, she soon finds herself entangled in a new world of idealistic beliefs and seemingly innocent friendships. Fevered talk of another war infiltrates their small, privileged circle, giving way to a thrilling solution: a great and charismatic leader, who will restore England to its former glory.

At a party hosted by her new friends, Phyllis lets down her guard for a single moment, with devastating consequences. Years later, Phyllis, alone and embittered, recounts the dramatic events which led to her imprisonment and changed the course of her life forever.

Powerful, poignant, and exquisitely observed, After the Party is an illuminating portrait of a dark period of British history which we are yet to fully acknowledge.

My Review:

I found After The Party really fascinating as it describes a part of history I had no prior knowledge of.  It’s a part of history that, as the blurb says, isn’t widely acknowledged and that Britain is perhaps a little embarrassed by.  With the benefit of hindsight it is unbelievable to me that there were British people who liked and supported or even sympathised with Hitler is very chilling.  The idea of this sends a shiver down my spine to think of the Britain and the world we could have ended up with if everyone had decided to think this way. It doesn’t bear thinking about.

The author does a great job of describing the atmosphere of the time, where everyone was concerned about events transpiring in Europe and very keen to avoid another war as the memory of WW1 was still clear in their minds.  The tension and uncertainty is almost palpable at times and may go a little way to describe why politics was something people turned to as they hoped to make a difference.

The historical detail is well researched and it was interesting to learn more about Britain at that time and how life was.  The little details about how people lived, entertained and the different, well defined, roles of the sexes were very interesting to read about.  These are all part of a bygone era now and it was great to realise how far as a society we had come.

I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters.  The people involved in the party and the sister’s friends aren’t very nice people.  Some of the things they get up to in the name of fun turned my stomach and made for uncomfortable reading, particularly an incident involving a pig near the beginning of the book.  I did sympathise with Phyllis a little as I’m not sure she really understood what she was getting herself involved in and only joined to keep her sister’s happy and to make some friends.

The book isn’t particularly fast paced, particularly at the beginning but it is very intriguing and if you are interested in this period of history I think you will enjoy this book.  From the beginning the reader is aware that something bad happened which Phyllis got sent to jail for  but when this was revealed I have to confess I was a little disappointed as I thought it would be a much bigger event.  The author does such a great job of building the tension and intrigue leading to the moment that I expected something really awful to have happened.  That said I think the event was quite realistic in the way it happened which does add a depth to the story, making it seem more believable.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Cressida Connolly is a reviewer and journalist, who has written for Vogue, The Telegraph, the Spectator, The Guardian and numerous other publications.

Cressida is the author of three books: The Happiest Days, which won the MacMillan/PEN Award, The Rare and the Beautiful and My Former Heart. Cressida is the daughter of writer Cyril Connolly. In 1985 she married Worcestershire farmer Charles Hudson. They have three children.

Book Synopsis:

Tom, single father to Hannah, is the manager of a tiny local theatre. On the same day each year, he and its colourful cast of part-time actors have staged a fantastical production just for his little girl, a moment of magic to make her childhood unforgettable.

But there is another reason behind these annual shows: the very first production followed Hannah’s diagnosis with a heart condition that both of them know will end her life early. And now, with Hannah a funny, tough girl of fifteen on the brink of adulthood, that time is coming.

With the theatre under threat of closure, Hannah and Tom have more than one fight on their hands to stop the stories ending. But maybe, just maybe, one final day of magic might just save them both.

A tale about growing up, the beauty of a special bond between father and daughter, and finding magic in everyday life, Days of Wonder is the most moving novel you’ll read all year.

Days Of Wonder is available to buy now in hardback and ebook.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I was such a huge fan of A Boy Made Of Blocks so you can imagine my delight when I was asked to be on the blog tour for his next book, Days Of Wonder.  I did initially approach this book with a bit of trepidation as I didn’t think it would be able to be as good as A Boy Made Of Blocks.  I was wrong!

This book is just so wonderfully magical and heart warming.  Some of the descriptions of the things Hannah’s dad had done for her in her childhood were brilliant to read about and brought a lump to my throat.  The wonderful descriptions just let me imagine the scenes from a child’s point of view which let me imagine the sheer awe Hannah must have felt on experiencing those things.

The father – daughter relationship that Tom and Hannah have is just incredible and so lovely to read about.  It was great to read about the little silly games they played and how much they obviously cared for each other.  They both just wanted the best for each other, even if they didn’t want it and the realisation of this brought tears to my eyes.

The story is told from both Hannah and Tom’s point of view which helps add to the emotional feel of the book as the reader is privy to both of the characters inner most thoughts and feelings.  Both of the characters are really relatable and easy to love which makes the reader a lot more involved with the story as you find yourself really caring about what happens.  I loved Tom’s goofyness, how he always tried to make everything fun and be everything that Hannah needed.  My heart went out to him as I can only imagine how hard the situation must be for him and how difficult it must be to not let Hannah’s illness rule their lives.  Hannah is brilliantly described as the moody, embarrassed teenager but it’s clearly obvious to the reader how much she does care and worry about her dad which was very poignant to read about.

This is such a wonderful, engrossing story that I so enjoyed reading and one that will definitely stay with me.  I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

Huge thanks to Clara Diaz and Little Brown for inviting me onto the tour and for my copy of the book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Keith Stuart is an author and journalist. His heartwarming debut novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and a major bestseller, and was inspired by Keith’s real-life relationship with his autistic son. Keith has written for publications including Empire, Red and Esquire, and is the former games editor of the Guardian. He lives with his wife and two sons in Frome, Somerset.

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Today I’m thrilled to have my lovely guest reviewer Kirsty back on the blog for her first ever blog tour, Carpenter Road by N. M Brown.

Carpenter Road is available now in ebook and paperback.  The ebook is currently only 99p but you can purchase a copy of both here.

Before I share with you Kirsty’s review, here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

When a young woman swaps coats with a prostitute then vanishes, it marks the start of a mystifying case for Leighton Jones.

After traffic officer Leighton is called to an altercation in a used car lot he is confronted by a prostitute rambling on about a girl who stole her coat. He thinks nothing off it. That is until the body of a Jane Doe shows up, matching the prostitute’s description.

What is the link between the fight in the car lot and the dead woman?

Leighton proceeds to gather evidence, which he attempts to pass onto the lead Homicide detective, Slater. However, Slater tells Leighton to back off, and that a suspect has been arrested.

Fearing there is more to the case than he first thought, Leighton is driven to keep digging and soon ends up on the trail of a serial killer.

But Leighton might be out of his depth this time…

Kirsty’s Review:

There is a lot to like about this book. The leading character Leighton is very likeable, he is warm, well rounded and it is clear from the beginning that he has become a cop to make a difference and do the right thing. I also liked the character Rochelle, she is a prostitute who becomes increasingly involved in the case. Yes, she has her troubles but I found her character warm and strong, willing to stand up for her friends and trying to carve out a better life for herself.

I immensely disliked Detective Slater and Leighton’s chief but that makes you route for the ‘good’ guys all the more, Leighton plays a clever game where they are concerned.

I found the start a little contrived, but bare with it as the book quickly picks up pace. The descriptions of Oceanside are well written and gave you a great sense of the stifling heat and the sights and sounds of the city. The book is written in very short, sharp chapters, I personally enjoy this as it makes me want to keep reading (just one more chapter!), in fact, I read this book in two sittings.

The killers story is told quite early on and I found this gave an interesting depth to the book as you realise his motivations and his justifications for doing what he did.

I must admit I was slightly unsatisfied with the ending, but overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I hope that Brown will write some more books featuring Leighton Jones, I feel his story hasn’t been fully told.

Many thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bloodhound books and Netgalley for letting me have a copy to review.

About The Author:

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Book Synopsis:

The legions of Rome are a fading memory. Enemies stalk the fringes of Britain. And Uther Pendragon is dying. Into this fractured and uncertain world the boy is cast, a refugee from fire, murder and betrayal. An outsider whose only companions are a hateful hawk and memories of the lost.
Yet he is gifted, and under the watchful eyes of Merlin and the Lady Nimue he will hone his talents and begin his journey to manhood. He will meet Guinevere, a wild, proud and beautiful girl, herself outcast because of her gift. And he will be dazzled by Arthur, a warrior who carries the hopes of a people like fire in the dark. But these are times of struggle and blood, when even friendship and love seem doomed to fail.
The gods are vanishing beyond the reach of dreams. Treachery and jealousy rule men’s hearts and the fate of Britain itself rests on a sword’s edge.
But the young renegade who left his home in Benoic with just a hunting bird and dreams of revenge is now a lord of war. He is a man loved and hated, admired and feared. A man forsaken but not forgotten. He is Lancelot.

Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian’s epic new novel tells – in Lancelot’s own words – the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur’s knights, the warrior who fought at his lord’s side – yet stole his wife. This is the story of the of one of the great figures of British myth and legend – a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.

Lancelot is available to buy in Hardback and paperback now, you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Lancelot is a stunning work of historical fiction about a legend I didn’t know much about.

The writing is exquisite with the reader drawn into the book almost immediately and transported to 5th Century Britain.  It was fascinating to read about what life was like at that time with some pretty brutal but realistic descriptions of the dangers and battles people would have faced then.  I felt at times like I was there walking along beside them experiencing all the action first hand.  I could hear the battles, and almost smell the blood and fear, which really added to my reading experience.

The story is told from Lancelot’s point of view and it was brilliant to see his transition from timid little boy to brave knight.  He was a character you could really get behind and support.  I found I developed a bit of a soft spot for him and I really wanted to continue reading to find out what happens to him.

This book is quite fast paced with lots of action and intrigue to keep the reader interested.  Despite the length I flew through the pages utterly fascinated by the story.  The old romantic in me did want the story to end slightly differently but I know that wouldn’t have been possible as it’s not how the legend goes.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I can’t wait to read more from him in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book.  If you like utterly fascinating, realistic and thrilling historical fiction you’ll love this book. A definite must read for fans of the genre.

About The Author:

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Book Synopsis:

Polly, 28, lives in London with her ‘perfect-on-paper’ boyfriend. She works a dead end job on a free London paper… life as she knows it is dull. But her banal existence is turned upside down late one drunken night on her way home, after a chance encounter with a man on a packed tube train. The chemistry between them is electric and on impulse, they kiss, giving in to their carnal desires. But it’s over in an instant, and Polly is left shell-shocked as he walks away without even telling her his name.

Now obsessed with this beautiful stranger, Polly begins a frantic online search, and finally discovers more about tubing , an underground phenomenon in which total strangers set up illicit, silent, sexual meetings on busy commuter tube trains. In the process, she manages to track him down and he slowly lures her into his murky world, setting up encounters with different men via Twitter.

At first she thinks she can keep it separate from the rest of her life, but things soon spiral out of control.

By chance she spots him on a packed tube train with a young, pretty blonde. Seething with jealousy, she watches them together. But something isn’t right and a horrific turn of events make Polly realise not only how foolish she has been, but how much danger she is in…

Can she get out before it s too late?

Tubing is out now in ebook and paperback now.  The ebook is currently only £1.99 and you can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

Tubing is one of the most original, addictive thrillers that I have read.  It had me wondering whether it was a real thing, I definitely won’t travel on the tube the same way again!

I wasn’t sure if I liked the main character Polly, she had a relationship most people would dream of but wants more than it can offer her.  She came across as being quite a silly, spoilt little girl who liked to pretend she was the victim when she quite clearly wasn’t! There were definitely times in the book that I wanted to shake her and ask her what on earth she was doing.

There was some quite risqué action in the book which might not be to everyone’s taste.  It isn’t graphically described though and helps to add a lot to the tension especially in the first part of the book as you wonder if this will be the time they get caught.

The action is quite fast paced at times, getting faster and faster as Polly gets drawn deeper into the seedy life of tubing and her ‘perfect stranger’.  I found I couldn’t put the book down, promising myselfmyself one more chapter’ than reading long into the night.

The reader is promised a twist from the blurb but despite this it still took me by surprise.  My mind had been swirling with possibilities and it wasn’t any of the ideas I had thought of which I thought was skillfully done.

This is the author’s debut book and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.  If you like fast paced, original and risqué thrillers then you’ll love this book.  For me I though it was similar to The Girl Before so if you liked that book, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Huge thanks to Anna from Red Door Publishing for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

K.A. McKeagney studied psychology in Bristol before completing a Masters degree in creative writing at Brunel. She won the Curtis Brown prize for her dissertation, which formed the basis of her first novel Tubing. She has worked in London as a health editor writing consumer information as well as for medical journals. Her writing has been commended by the British Medical Association (BMA) patient information awards.

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Book Synopsis:

When a family camping trip takes a dark turn, how far will one mother go to keep her family safe?

Struggling with working-mother guilt, Marlene Greene hopes a camping trip in the forest will provide quality time with her three young children—until they see fires in the distance, columns of smoke distorting the sweeping view. Overnight, all communication with the outside world is lost.

Knowing something terrible has happened, Marlene suspects that the isolation of the remote campsite is all that’s protecting her family. But the arrival of a lost boy reveals they are not alone in the woods, and as the unfolding disaster ravages the land, more youngsters seek refuge under her wing. The lives of her own children aren’t the only ones at stake.

When their sanctuary is threatened, Marlene faces the mother of all dilemmas: Should she save her own kids or try to save them all?

All The Little Children is available to buy now in ebook and paperback.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

All The Little Children is a book that I definitely won’t be forgetting any time soon! The book gripped me from the start with the action starting almost immediately.  I was instantly intrigued, what had happened? Where was everyone?

The tension in the book is almost unbearable at times as the author cleverly increases it as the situation gets more confusing and murky.  I found I simultaneously wanted to read more to find out what happens and to stop reading as I wasn’t sure if I’d like the answer.  I could almost feel Marlene’s sense of confusion and desperation as she tries to keep her family and the other children safe.  I found myself biting my nails as I read wondering what she was going to do.  I also wondered what on earth I would do in a similar situation.  I would be desperate to save my kids but I’d like to hope i’d help the others too.

Marlene is a fantastic main character and one that I found quite relatable as she does a lot of things I know I do with the children.  My husband and I are forever spelling words out and I often try to hide from them when I’m trying to talk on the phone.  (They always seem to get so loud and have a burning question that needs answering right then!) I did feel for her and the other adults in the book as they tried to keep everyone together and do what they thought was best.  Her fear and confusion about the situation she found herself in was quite heartbreaking and I wanted to give her a hug at times.

The pace and intrigue gradually increases as the story goes on making the book hard to put down.  It’s quite creepy at times and I did find that I didn’t want to turn the light off to sleep whilst reading it.  The twist at the end was brilliant and took me by surprise which was brilliant!

This is Jo Furniss’s debut novel which is hard to believe as this book is so well written and plotted.  It would make a great book club book as there is lots to discuss.  I definitely look forward to reading more from this author soon, her next book The Trailing Spouse is out in a few months I believe.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the tour and to Jo Furniss for sending me a copy of the book.

If you like gripping, dark dystopian thrillers you will love this book!

About The Author:

After spending a decade as a broadcast journalist for the BBC, Jo Furniss gave up the glamour of night shifts to become a freelance writer and serial expatriate. Originally from the United Kingdom, she has lived in Switzerland and Cameroon and currently resides with her family in Singapore.

As a journalist, Jo has worked for numerous online outlets and magazines, including Monocle, the Economist, Business Traveller, Expat Living (Singapore), and Swiss News. Jo has also edited books for a Nobel Laureate and the Palace of the Sultan of Brunei. In 2015, she founded SWAG—an online literary magazine for writers in Singapore.

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Book Synopsis:

In 1937, courageous and independent Martha Gellhorn travels to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War, and finds herself drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in devastating conflict. She also finds herself unexpectedly – and uncontrollably – falling in love with Ernest Hemingway, a man already on his way to being a legend. In the shadow of the impending Second World War, and set against the tumultuous backdrops of Madrid, Finland, China, and especially Cuba, where Martha and Hemingway made their home, their relationship and professional careers ignite.

But when Hemingway publishes the biggest literary success of his career, they are no longer equals, and Martha must make a choice: surrender to the suffocating demands of a domestic lifestyle, or risk losing her husband by forging her way as her own woman and writer. It is a dilemma that will force her to break his heart, and her own.

Based on a true story:

Martha Gellhorn was one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century

FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLS was dedicated to Martha, and inspired by the time they were together in Spain. It was Hemingway’s most successful book to date, it sold half a million copies within months, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and triumphantly reestablished his literary reputation.

Love And Ruin is available to buy now in ebook and in hardback on the 7th June.  You can purchase or pre-order your copy here.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction thars based around real life characters.  I love being able to look them up and find out more about them.

Love And Ruin follows Martha Gellhorn as she meets Ernest Hemingway and becomes a war correspondent during the civil war.  The author has a fantastic way of capturing the atmosphere of that time.  The Fear and uncertainty everyone feels is almost palpable at times.  I admired their courage in the face of the unknown.  The patriotic spirit and sense of optimism shown by the Spanish was wonderful to read about, though a little poignant as we know how things turn out.

I knew from previous books about Martha & Ernest that I would love the two main characters.  I’ve not read a book from Martha’s point of view before or one that gets behind the character, which was really fascinating to read about.  I definitely felt that I knew Martha a little better by the end of the book.  Martha is a very determined woman who knows what she wants and works hard to achieve it.  Her bravery in journeying to Spain alone and the courage she shows in certain situations in the book was brilliant to read about.  She is a little niave some times, hoping that everything would magically fall into place but I think that was part of her charm and made me like her all the more.

The author’s depiction of Ernest was spot on and exactly as I’ve always imagined he’d be like.  He really comes to life in the pages and I found I wanted to read on to find out what he’d do next.  Ernest Hemingway is one of the top historical characters I’d love to meet as I think he’d be very interesting and fun to talk to.

The only thing that stops this book being 5 stars is that the pace is quite slow.  This didn’t matter to me as I love reading books about this period and I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of Ernest and Martha’s growing relationship.  However some readers may find it hard going.  I’d recommend continuing though as this is a fantastic story about a remarkable woman that deserves to be read.

Huge thanks to William Upcott and Little Brown for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996.

She is the author of The Paris Wife, a New York Times and international bestseller, which has been published in thirty-four languages. The recipient of fellowships from Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, she is also the author of two collections of poetry; a memoir, Like Family, Growing up in Other People’s Houses; and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives with her family in Cleveland.

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Book Synopsis:

When a car is pulled from raging floodwaters with a dead man in the front and the decapitated body of an evil woman in the boot, Cumbria’s Major Crimes Team are handed the investigation. The woman is soon recognised, but the man cannot be identified and this leads the team and their former leader, Harry Evans, into areas none of them want to visit. Before they know it, they’re dealing with protection scams and looking for answers to questions they didn’t know needed to be asked.

When The Waters Recede is available to buy now in paperback and ebook.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

When The Waters Recede is a fast paced, gripping crime novel that I really enjoyed.

The author has cleverly chosen the recent flooding as a background to this story which helped add to the intrigue and tension of the story as you were never sure if the water was hiding anything else.  It also made the story seem more realistic as the floods happened fairly recently so most people should remember them and know what flood water can do.

The opening of this book was one of the most dramatic and gripping starts to a book that I’ve read for a while.  Being stuck in a car in water is one of my worse nightmares and I’ve often wondered what on earth I’d do if it happened.  I could well imagine the fear and panic that the victim would have felt in such a situation.

I loved Harry.  He’s a big, loveable character and I enjoyed reading about how he handled the case.  He has a lot of respect from his old colleagues but doesnt try to throw it in his replacements face which I admired about him.   He seemed to really care about finding the murderer even though the victim wasn’t a very nice person, another admirable quality of his.

The book is full of many twists and turns that keeps the reader on their toes and guessing about how it would end.  The tension is gradually built up throughout the book, increasing the speed of the book and ensuring the reader is thoroughly gripped.  I could out the book down at times and raced through the pages to the satisfying conclusion.

This is the first book by Graham Smith I have read though it won’t be my last as I really enjoyed this book and his style of writing.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Please note that Over The Rainbow Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway or the distribution of any prizes.