Book Synopsis:

Which is more dangerous, a secret or a lie?

Poppy has a secret.

It was a whirlwind romance. And when Drew, caught up in the moment, suggests that he and Poppy don’t tell each other anything about their past lives, that they live only for the here and now, for the future they are building together, Poppy jumps at the chance for a fresh start.

But it doesn’t take long for Poppy to see that this is a two-way deal. Drew is hiding something from her. And Poppy suddenly has no idea who the man she has married really is, what he is hiding from her or what he might be capable of.

Drew says he has nothing to hide. Drew is lying.

Truth Hurts is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

I was a huge fan of this author’s debut novel so I was very excited to read more from her. I thought Truth Hurts was a fantastic page turner that was hugely addictive.

The author cleverly weaves an intriguing picture of Poppy and Drew’s relationship, giving them an intimate look into its ins and outs which was great to read about. Slowly the reader pieces together their story which on the outside seems perfect but actually has a lot of cracks in it. I found it fascinating to dig below the surface and learn more about the characters and their relationship.

This was a fast paced book which I couldn’t put down. I often found myself trying to hide away from the children so I could fit in a few more pages and constantly thinking about it when I wasn’t able to read it. I loved the unraveling of all the secrets and lies, whilst all the twists kept me guessing how everything would turn out.

This would make a holiday read as it’s very readable with a great flow to it which would be perfect to enjoy in the sun by a pool

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy of this book which I will be recommending to everyone!

About The Author:

Rebecca is a freelance journalist. She is a columnist for the Telegraph Women’s section, works for Metro Online and has written for Marie Claire, the Guardian, the Saturday Telegraph, the Independent, Stylist, Glamour, the iPaper, the Guardian, Indy100, LOOK and the New Statesmen amongst others.

Rebecca is a regular contributor to Sky News and ITV’s This Morning as well as appearing on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, LBC, BBC News 24 and the BBC World Service to discuss her work.

She graduated from Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing MA in 2015 and Perfect Liars is her debut novel. 

Rebecca lives in North London with her husband.

Book Synopsis:

Sabina Park Rangers is the first team of black players to reach the final of the Watney’s Challenge Cup. But coach Horace McIntosh has more selection problems than most. The First Division champions want to sign one of his best players – and right up until the day of the match he is uncertain that he will have a team for the biggest game in the club’s history because of arrests, a scam and an atmosphere of impending violence.

My Review:

More Than A Game is an entertaining, engaging read that is definitely about more than football! This is actually a fascinating account of life in the early 80’s which, I’m too young to remember, but was obviously quite a turbulent time.

Firstly I didn’t realise that racism was still so common in the UK at this time and I often found myself getting very angry about how they were treated. The author peppers the story with true events from the period which I found fascinating, having not read much set in this period before. I enjoyed looking them up on the internet and learning more about them.

I loved the descriptions of the Jamaican community which was vividly described so I could well imagine their experience. The Jamaican dialogue helped add to my feeling of inclusion into their community and helped me to feel I was actually there watching everything unfold. I warmed to Horace and his family instantly so felt very upset on their behalf over their treatment by some, especially as they obviously have a lot of love for Britain.

I thought this was a fast paced, hugely enjoyable read that was very interesting. It was also very thought provoking and I have found myself thinking about it long after reading it.

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

About The Author:

Ralph Robb was born and raised in the industrial town of Wolverhampton, England, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife, two cats and a dog. A proud father of four, Robb works as an engineering technician and loves rugby, martial arts and of course a good book. His world is balanced by his obsession with comic books, quality TV, global events and the great outdoors.

Book Synopsis:

The explosive, gripping new thriller from bestselling author Rob Sinclair – for fans of Orphan X, I Am Pilgrim and Nomad.

Aydin Torkal – aka Sleeper 13 – is on the run.

Hunted not only by the world’s intelligence agencies, but also by the elite brotherhood of insurgents he betrayed, he has lived the past year like a ghost.

Until now.

MI6 agent Rachel Cox knows Aydin better than anyone. The only person who believes he is an ally in the ongoing war on terror, not the enemy.

So when a coded message arrives from him, warning her not to trust her own colleagues, Rachel must choose between her career and the truth.

But as Aydin hunts down those who destroyed his childhood, the trail he follows will lead him closer to home than he ever expected.

He won’t stop until he has his revenge.

He is FUGITIVE 13.

Fugitive 13 is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Having read and enjoyed the first book in this series I was very excited to read the follow up – and I was not disappointed. Fugitive 13 is another action packed, thrilling read that follows Aydin and Rachel as they try to find out more about ‘the farm’ and who is behind it.

The characters in this book are very well developed and once again I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Aydin and Rachel. They seem to work really well together, each having different strengths and weaknesses to bring to the case. I found I enjoyed following them throughout the book and wanted them to succeed!

The author has cleverly created two quite defined groups of goodies and baddies who each had some fabulous characters. There was also some murky characters who I couldn’t work out whose side they were on. I found it hugely enjoyable to try and work out what their role in the story would be and whether they were a mole of not .

This was a fast paced, action packed read which I found difficult to put down. There was always lots happening to keep the reader interested and the many twists kept me guessing as to who was behind everything. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Rob is the author of the critically acclaimed and bestselling Enemy series and James Ryker series of espionage thrillers as well as the globetrotting thriller hit Sleeper 13. His books have sold over one million copies with many reviewers and readers having likened Rob’s work to authors at the very top of the genre, including Lee Child and Vince Flynn. 
​
Rob began writing in 2009 following a promise to his wife, an avid reader, that he could pen a ‘can’t put down’ thriller. He worked for nearly 13 years for a global accounting firm after graduating from The University of Nottingham in 2002, specialising in forensic fraud investigations at both national and international levels. 

Originally from the North East of England, Rob has lived and worked in a number of fast paced cities, including New York, and is now settled in the West Midlands with his wife and young sons.

Rob’s website is http://www.robsinclairauthor.com and he can be followed on twitter at @rsinclairauthor and facebook at https://www.facebook.com/robsinclairauthor/

Book Synopsis:

Dorset, 1935. Stationmaster Ted has never cared much for romance. Occupied with ensuring England’s most beautiful railway runs on time, love has always felt like a comparatively trivial matter. Yet when he meets Annie Galbraith on the 8.42 train to Lynford, he can’t help but instantly fall for her.
 
But when the railway is forced to close and a terrible accident occurs within the station grounds, Ted finds his job and any hope of a relationship with Annie hanging in the balance…
 
Present day. Recovering from heartbreak after a disastrous marriage, Tilly decides to escape from the bustling capital and move to Dorset to stay with her dad, Ken.

When Ken convinces Tilly to help with the restoration of the old railway, she discovers a diary hidden in the old ticket office. Tilly is soon swept up in Ted’s story, and the fateful accident that changed his life forever.
 
But an encounter with an enigmatic stranger takes Tilly by surprise, and she can’t help but feel a connection with Ted’s story in the past…

Don’t miss this haunting and evocative timeslip novel from Kathleen McGurl.

The Stationmaster’s Daughter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so you can imagine my excitement at getting invited onto the blog tour for The Stationmaster’s Daughter, her latest book.

As usual the author manages to weave a fantastic dual timeline story that is almost impossible to put down. The stories follow Ted Morgan in 1935 and Tily who is the daughter of the man restoring the railway in the present day. Both stories are wonderfully evoked and had a great feel to them so I felt very involved in the story. Unusually for me I didn’t have a favourite timeline but actually enjoyed watching both if them unfold.

The story centres on Tily finding a diary which is one of my favourite things in a novel. I’ve often fantasised about finding an old diary and the secrets I’d discover there, so I enjoyed living precariously through Tily as she reads all the entries. The story she finds there is a very intriguing one of love and honour which had me gripped from the start. I felt I had to keep reading as I so wanted to find out what would happen.

The two threads are brilliantly plotted and come together nicely to create a surprising twist at the end. The reader is given the impression that the story might not have a happy ending early on but I kept hoping that things would turn out differently to what I expected and I wasn’t disappointed This is quite an emotional read which often made me tear up whilst reading. I always think this shows great skill by the author to make someone feel so strongly about events in the book.

I’m often dubious about books described as similar to Kate Morton but I completely agree with the comparison in this case. If you like Kate Morton’s books or similar then you’ll enjoy this book.

I’ve thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to HQ Digital for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women’s magazines, and written three How To books for writers. After a long career in the IT industry she became a full time writer in 2019. When she’s not writing, she’s often out running, slowly. 

Website: kathleenmcgurl.com
Twitter: @KathMcGurl

Book Synopsis:

Former police officer Dean Matheson has been playing it safe since the case that cost him almost everything. But working as a PI doesn’t quite cut it, that is until a British woman walks into his office with a job that Dean can’t resist. 
The woman’s daughter, Hannah Walker, and her friend Jodie have gone missing whilst working at a ski resort in Colorado. It’s clear there’s something sinister about the girls’ disappearance, but then why are the local police department being so unhelpful?
So begins Dean’s journey to Lone Creek on the trail of the missing girls – and he’ll soon find out that in Lone Creek, everyone has something to hide …

Where The Snow Bleeds is available in ebook now for the fantastic price of £1.99. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was a shocking but thrilling book that I found hard to put down!

I always love books set in snowy environments as I always think it helps to add an extra layer of intrigue and danger. This book was no different and I found myself fully absorbed into the story almost instantly. The author is very clever at weaving the story so that it keeps the reader guessing as to who the murder was which I always find really enjoyable.

The new team of Dean and Eva was a very interesting one which I loved watching develop. The two characters come from quite different backgrounds and have to learn to work with each other quite quickly. Each has different things to bring to the case which ultimately makes them a great team. I hope to see them work together in a future book.

I thought this book was quite fast paced and there was always lots happening to keep me thoroughly intrigued. The mystery about who the kidnapper is was very cleverly done, with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

This is the second book in the series but I feel like it could be read easily as a standalone, as I have done. I will definitely be going back to read the first book asap.

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

About The Author:

Wendy is a former Coroner’s Assistant turned crime writer who lives in the UK with her husband.

Who Cares If They Die and Where the Snow Bleeds are the first two books in the Dean Matheson series, with more on the way. As well as her crime thriller series, Wendy has written a YA crime novel – The Girl Who Died – and she has several short stories published in UK and US anthologies. She has also been shortlisted and longlisted for various competitions, including the Mslexia Novel Competition.

For behind the scenes gossip and updates on her books (or photos of her cats), follow her on social media!

Website: https://wendydranfield.co.uk/
Twitter: @WendyDranfield
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyDranfield1/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7g8miK6akDG2pFqgGeLFAw

Book Synopsis:

High priestesses are few and far between, white ones in Africa even more so. When Diane Esguerra hears of a mysterious Austrian woman worshipping the Ifa river goddess Oshun in Nigeria, her curiosity is aroused. It is the start of an extraordinary friendship that sustains Diane through the death of her son and leads to a quest to take part in Oshun rituals. Prevented by Boko Haram from returning to Nigeria, she finds herself at Ifa shrines in Florida amid vultures, snakes, goats’ heads, machetes, a hurricane and a cigar-smoking god. Her quest steps up a gear when Beyonce channels Oshun at the Grammys and the goddess goes global. Mystifying, harrowing and funny, The Oshun Diaries explores the lure of Africa, the life of a remarkable woman and the appeal of the goddess as a symbol of female empowerment.

The Oshun Diaries is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I must admit that I’d never heard of the IFA religion before, but this was the main thing that drew me to this book as I always love learning new things.

This book is a fascinating insight into a different culture and religion as viewed by a outsider. Through her we learn all about the beliefs, customs and rituals of the IFA religion which was very interesting. The author actually participates in some which I found particularly interesting as it showed her gut reactions to something that was obviously completely out of her comfort zone. I liked how honest she was about her feelings and that she joins in things despite feeling awkward or a bit embarrassed about doing so.

The two main characters, Adunni and Vassa, that the author follows through her experience were very interesting to read about. They are two white, Western women who are thoroughly involved in an African religion and I enjoyed learning about their experience of this. They are very keen to embrace this new religion but are aware that their presence might taint things for others. I wish the author has told us a bit more about their background as Adunni’s past in nazi Germany seemed especially intriguing.

I thought this book was very well written and thoroughly absorbing read which I raced through in a few days as I wanted to learn more. I felt it was part memoir, part adventure and I loved reading about the author’s adventures in Nigeria, a country that seemed beautiful but slightly dangerous. I would definitely be interested in reading more from her in the future.

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

About The Author:

Diane Esguerra is a writer, a psychotherapist and a traveller. For a number of years she worked as a performance artist in Britain, Europe and the United States. She has written for both theatre and television and is the recipient of a Time Out Theatre Award and a Geneva-Europe Television Award. She is the author of Junkie Buddha: A Journey of Discovery in Peru and The Oshun Diaries: Encounters with an African Goddess. She lives in Surrey, England.

Book Synopsis:

When ex-undercover agent Jackie Shaw visits northern Japan for a holiday, he is in search of relaxation, an escape from the brutality and tragedy of his past.

But when a local man is butchered as he spies on a young woman in the seedy heart of Sapporo’s entertainment district, Jackie is dragged into the hunt for a terrifying serial killer and begins a long and bloody battle with vicious yakuza gangs.

From the twisted underbelly of one of Japan’s largest cities to the vast, unforgiving wilderness of the northern territories of Hokkaido, DRY RIVER is a uniquely menacing and compulsive thriller which will take you to places you’ve never been before.

If you like Barry Eisler, Mark Dawson, Adrian McKinty or James Clavell, you’ll love John Steele’s books. DRY RIVER is the third book in John’s Jackie Shaw series and the most gripping yet!

Dry River is available in ebook now for the fantastic price of £1.99. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was an action packed, thrilling book that was a hugely entertaining read. This was a new series and a new author for me which is always exciting. I will definitely be interested in reading more from him in the future.

I have to admit the setting of this book really intrigued me as I have a bit of a fascination with Japan and Japanese culture. I therefore really enjoyed the vivid descriptions in this book, which made me feel like I was really there experiencing everything alongside the characters. It has definitely made me more determined to visit the country, though hopefully I won’t encounter the Mafia!

There is a lot of action and violence in this book which you would expect when the Mafia is involved. There are many fabulous twist that kept bring up new information which kept me firmly on my toes. Just when I thought I had figured everything out something would happen which would throw the story in a completely different direction.

Jackie Shaw is a very interesting main character who I liked from the beginning. He’s an undercover agent and as such is a very tough guy who seems to get into a lot of trouble. As he goes after the Mafia, and tries to save his friend, the tension slowly builds up as the two sides try to find each other. This results in an intense read which is very difficult to put down as I was desperate to find out what would happen next and who would win.

Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy from BOTBS publicity for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

John Steele was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1995, at the age of twenty-two he travelled to the United States and has since lived and worked on three continents, including a thirteen-year spell in Japan which inspired Dry River. Among past jobs he has been a drummer in a rock band, an illustrator, a truck driver and a teacher of English. He now lives in England with his wife and daughter. He began writing short stories, selling them to North American magazines and fiction digests. Dry River is his third novel and the third Jackie Shaw book. The first two, Ravenhill and Seven Skins, are published by Silvertail Books.

Book Synopsis:

The trees are disappearing and the adults don’t care. Toletis, his dog Amenophis and friends Claudia and Tutan are on a mission to turn their little valley town, set deep in the mountains, lusciously green again. The odds are stacked against them. Can they succeed …with some very unusual help? A deep appreciation for nature, art, language, music, friendship, family, the passing of time, old age, loneliness, and the importance of sitting still and reflecting on life, pervade this exquisite story. A must read for 7 to 107 year olds!

Toletis is available in paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Toletis is a beautifully written, magical book that my six year old and me loved reading together.

The book includes 12 tales following Toletis through the different seasons. Toletis is wonderful little boy who is able to see all the magic in the world. The vivid descriptions of the natural world were fantastic and made me smile. It has made both of us appreciate the things we see on walks and has led to some lovely discoveries and discussions between us.

The gorgeous illustrations that accompany the story help bring the story to life and kept my two eldest children busy for ages as they flicked through looking at them. They are big, bright and beautiful with some of the drawings being over two pages. They are all relevant to the story and my six year old could actually tell the story to his sister purely from them.

The book is described as being for children from seven years old, which I agree with though my son found some of the words a little hard at times. Older children would also appreciate the deeper meaning behind the story but my kids still loved the imagery the book provokes. This was a fabulous book to share with my kids at bed time and has quickly become one of our firm favourites. It has obviously stuck in my son’s mind as he often mentions it and talks about it when we are outside. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and look forward to reading more from him in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Neem Tree Press for my copy of this book which has become a permanent fixture on my son’s bookshelf.

About The Author:

Rafa Ruiz is a journalist and author who has a staunch commitment to culture, art and the environment. He spent 25 years at Spanish newspaper El País and is a partner-founder of the Press Association for Environmental Information (APIA). He has written numerous children’s books, and he codirects the Mad is Mad art gallery in Madrid which gives space to up-and-coming artists. He is one of the partner-founders of the Press Association for Environmental Information (APIA).

About The Illustrator:

Elena Hormiga is an illustrator with a sense of humour. She studied and worked as an engineer and later turned to illustration.

About The Translator:

Ben Dawlatly took an MA in Hispanic Studies and Translation Theory at UCL. He translates both technical and literary texts. However, his real calling is in fiction and poetry.

Book Synopsis:

Has the killer in DC Maggie Neville’s cold case returned after a decade of silence?

Katy Pope was seventeen when she was brutally murdered on a family holiday in Majorca. Despite her mother’s high rank in the Met and the joint major investigation between the British and Spanish police, Katy’s killer was never caught.

Ten years later, Katy’s family return to the Spanish island to launch a fresh appeal for information, taking with them the now skeletal team of investigating Met detectives, and newly seconded Maggie as the family liaison officer.

But Maggie’s first international investigation quickly goes from being more than just a press conference when another British girl there on holiday goes missing, and Katy’s killer announces that it’s time for an encore . . .

Dead Guilty is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Dead Guilty is the fourth book in the DC Maggie Neville series and quite possibly the best yet! I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty and gripping read which kept me guessing until the end.

In this book the author has cleverly breathed new life into the series with Maggie moving to the Met to help them with a cold case. I felt this allowed the reader to learn more about Maggie as she is in a new, unfamiliar situation working with a team who aren’t the same quality as the one she’s used to. This means she has to think between the lines a bit more and shows off parts of her personality we haven’t seen before which made the book very interesting.

The police procedural part of this book was very well done and felt realistic as it was solved without any huge leaps in evidence or strange coincidences. Instead the reader is able to follow the investigation from the start which made me feel more involved in the story as I tried to piece together the clues alongside the characters. There were a lot of red herrings, with the spotlight being put on different characters until the surprising reveal at the end which always makes for a fantastic read!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book. I really hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Maggie!

About The Author:

Michelle Davies was born in Middlesex in 1972, raised in Buckinghamshire and now lives in north London.

Her debut crime novel, Gone Astray, was published in Hardback in March 2016 and features Family Liaison Officer DC Maggie Neville as its central police character. The paperback version is due for publication on 20th October 2016. Gone Astray was part of a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan and the follow-up, Wrong Place, also featuring DC Neville, is due for release on 27th February 2017.

Book Synopsis:

FOR THIS KILLER, IT’S A GAME OF A B C

When the body of a man is found brutally murdered in a wildlife park and tattooed with a letter A, criminal profilers Jan Grall and Rabea Wyler are thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse. 

Later, two more mutilated bodies are found, again with tattoos on their skin – B and C – and it becomes clear that Grall and Wyler are dealing with a brutal serial killer. One who won’t stop until his set is complete. 

When Grall’s hotel room is marked with a Z and his girlfriend kidnapped, the race is on to find out who the killer is. 

Before it’s too late . . . 

A pulsating new crime thriller that will have you gripped from start to finish. 

The Alphabet Murders is available in ebook and paperback on the 22nd August 2019. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a dark, twisty and gripping read which is unbelievably the author’s debut thriller.

The book opens with quite an intense torture scene with a tattoo gun which throws the reader immediately into the story and the mind of the twisted killer. I do read quite a few dark books but I have to admit to finding a few of the descriptions in this book quite stomach churning at times. If you aren’t a fan of gruesome scenes this is probably not the book for you!

Despite its dark storyline there are some fantastic characters in this book, who are very likeable. I liked that the author provides the reader with some background on each of them, allowing the reader to understand them more. They are all having to deal with personal issues in their private lives which makes for very interesting reading, particularly if they spill over into their work lives.

This was quite a fast paced read with lots of twist and turns to keep the reader gripped. The tension in the book slowly builds up as the story goes on and I soon found myself flying through the pages as I desperately wanted to find out what happens. I kept thinking I had figured out where it was going and then something would happen to throw the story in a completely new direction!

This the first book in a planned series and I’m excited to read more from this author. I really hope some of the characters will be featured in the next book as I really enjoyed reading about them.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Zaffre Books for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Lars Schütz was born in 1992. He works as a copywriter for a large advertising agency in Düsseldorf. The Alphabet Murders is his debut thriller.