Book Synopsis:

England, 1899. A new century is dawning, and two young friends are about to enter into a world of money, privilege and family secrets…
Josie has never questioned her life in a South Yorkshire mining village. But everything changes when she meets Tommy from the neighbouring village. Tommy has been destined for a life underground since the moment he was born. But he has far bigger dreams for his future.
United by their desire for something better and by their fascination with the local gentry, Josie and Tommy become fast friends. Wealthy and glamorous, the Sedgewicks of Silvermoor inhabit a world that is utterly forbidden to Tommy and Josie. Yet as the new century arrives, the pair become entangled with the grand family, and discover a long hidden secret. Will everything change as they all step forward into the new dawn…?

The House At Silvermoor is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was another enjoyable page turner from this hugely talented author, who writes some of my favourite historical timeline books.

Firstly I loved Tommy and Josie the two main characters and so enjoyed getting to know them throughout the book. They are such warm, relatable characters and I felt very sad when I finished the book and had to leave them behind. I had a lot of respect for Tommy who wants to break out of the life that is expected of him and try and finish his education. I felt quite sad that the rigid class structure meant that people were only able to do certain things.

The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene and I just drank in all the fabulous details of what life was life back then. The harsh conditions of working down the mines was sharply contrasted with the aristocracy of Silvermoor and made you realise how different things could be back then.

This was the type of book that I knew instantly I was going to like so I could just relax and enjoy the story. There was always something going on to keep my attention and even when there wasn’t I found myself just loving being in Tommy and Josie’s company. The way the book ended makes me hope that there might be a sequel with the same characters which would be amazing. Either way I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Huge thanks to Milly Reid for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Tracy Rees was born in South Wales. A Cambridge graduate, she had a successful eight-year career in nonfiction publishing and a second career practising and teaching humanistic counselling. She was the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition and the 2015 LoveStories ‘Best Historical Read’ award.

Book Synopsis:

TWO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART.

On a summer’s day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?

Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of the children will not survive the week.

Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker’s son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is a tender and unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

Hamnet is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was an absolutely exceptional, emotional book that was simply a stunning read.

I’ve always loved books which involve taking an actual historical character and making an alternative story with them so this book instantly appealed to me. Everyone knows who Shakespeare is but not much is known about his wife, known to the world as Anne Hathaway but whose actually name was Agnes! Here the author gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the woman she might have been, subtly giving explanations for some of the rumours that exist about her. I found I really liked Agnes who came across as warm, capable woman who had a lot of love for her kids.

The author does a fantastic job of making everyday life in Tudor times come to life. I really enjoyed learning more about the period, especially the roles a woman were meant to take on within the home and the skills they were meant to have. It was interesting to see the difference in the daily routines between a town person and someone living in the country. The weird and ineffective ways that doctors of the time tried to treat the plague was very eye opening and made me realise how far medicine has come.

This isn’t a particularly fast paced book but it is an incredibly compelling read which will quickly draw you into the story. Having read some of the other reviews my understanding is that there are some very clever hidden meanings behind the writing and the way the book is written which I think must have gone over my head. Please don’t be put off by this as I thought it was still an amazing story in its own right without realising this. It’s a fabulous piece of historical fiction and one I’ll be recommending to everyone.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Georgina from Midas publicity for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Born in Northern Ireland in 1972, MAGGIE O’FARRELL grew up in Wales and Scotland and now lives in London. She has worked as a waitress, chambermaid, bike messenger, teacher, arts administrator, journalist (in Hong Kong and London), and as the deputy literary editor of The Independent on Sunday. She is the author of After You’d Gone (winner of the Betty Trask Award); My Lover’s Lover; The Distance Between Us (recipient of a Somerset Maugham Award); The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox; The Hand That First Held Mine; Instructions for a Heatwave (winner of a Costa Book Award); This Must Be the Place; and most recently, I Am, I Am, I Am.

Book Synopsis:

The accident.
The lie.
The fallout will be huge . . .

When Liza’s little boy has an accident at the local health club, it’s all anyone can talk about.

Was nobody watching him?
Where was his mother?
Who’s to blame?

The rumours, the finger-pointing, the whispers – they’re everywhere. And Liza’s best friend, Sarah, desperately needs it to stop.

Because Sarah was there when it happened. It was all her fault. And if she’s caught out on the lie, everything will fall apart . . .

The Fallout is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I so enjoyed this gripping and thoroughly addictive read which had me reading long into the night.

Firstly I’ve always been a huge fan of books that involves groups of friends as it’s always fascinating to dig under the surface and see what secrets are hidden. This book does a great job of picking apart the dynamics of a friendship group and seeing what pressures or influences are there. Some of the groups problems could have easily been solved by just being honest with each other and I did find myself wishing I could go into the story and explain this to them at times.

I didn’t particularly warm to any of the mum’s as they seemed quite superficial and not people I would be friends with. I did have a lot of sympathy for Sarah as I know what it’s like to have someone else’s kid get hurt on your watch and how easy it is to try and tell a small white lie to make the situation better. Her story was especially interesting to follow as I wanted to see how she would sort everything out.

Overall I thought this was a very enjoyable, gripping read which I flew through in a few days. It was quite a moving book at times too which I wasn’t expecting. The different threads in the book compliment each other well and come together for a very satisfying ending.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Jen Harlow for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Rebecca Thornton is an alumna of the Faber Academy Writing A Novel course, where she was tutored by Esther Freud and Tim Lott. Her writing has been published in The Guardian, You Magazine, Daily Mail, Prospect Magazine and The Sunday People amongst others. She has reported from the Middle East, Kosovo and the UK. She now lives in West London with her husband and two children.

The Fallout is her third novel.

Book Synopsis:

Detective Sergeant Khenan Malice is a rubbish ex-husband, a crap father but a damned good detective. It’s a shame he spoils his only redeeming quality by being a bent copper.

Detective Kelly Pietersen joins the team to help find a missing woman. But Kelly has a secret…

Damien Kaplan is a leading criminal barrister and a keen amateur potter. He also happens to be a serial killer with a chilling approach to creating his art. He’s married to Elsa, though she considers him more of a possession than a husband. She controls those around her using sex and procures men and women for her husband to play with but only after she’s finished with them first.

Killing Pretties is his passion, having sex with them is hers. It is difficult to say which one is worse.

The missing woman brings all four crashing together – an incendiary mix that doesn’t end well.

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

My Review:

I’m such a huge fan of this author so was very excited to learn he had a new book out.

As with most of the world I am in need of distraction at the moment and this book was exactly what I needed. The author has a fantastic way of just drawing the reader into the story and getting them quickly hooked. This was no exception and I enjoyed following the deliciously twisted Damien and Elsa who have to be one of the most despicable couple I’ve ever read about. I loved to hate them and it was great fun ( seems wrong to say that somehow) to learn more about them and follow them throughout the story.

DS Malice was a fabulous main character who quickly became one of my favourite fictional police officers. He was quite a complex character with a bit of a murky personal life, especially one little side business which doesn’t really go with his professional job. I found it interesting to get to know him and to see how he manages to juggle everything.

This was a fast paced, dark thriller which was absolutely impossible to put down. I had to keep reading in order to find out how it all ended up. Some of the scenes are a little disturbing so might not be to everyone’s taste but if you’re looking for a dark, addictive read then I don’t think you can go wrong with Rob’s books.

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

About The Author:

Rob is married to Karen with two grown up daughters. He is originally from South Wales and after moving around with work settled in North Lincolnshire. Like all good welsh valley boys Rob worked for the National Coal Board after leaving school at sixteen and went to University at the tender age of twenty-three when the pit closures began to bite. Since then he’s worked in a variety of manufacturing and consulting roles both in the UK and abroad. It took Rob twenty-four years to write his first book. He only became serious about writing it when his dad got cancer. It was an aggressive illness and Rob gave up work for three months to look after him and his mum. Writing Those That Remain became his coping mechanism. After he wrote the book his family encouraged him to continue, so not being one for half measures, Rob got himself made redundant, went self-employed so he could devote more time to writing and four years later the Mechanic Trilogy was the result. Rob published Those That Remain, In Your Name and Pay the Penance with Bloodhound Books and has since written the DI Rosalind Kray series. These are Faceless, This Little Piggy, Suspended Retribution and Jaded which are also published by Bloodhound. His latest work sees the introduction of a new set of characters – DS Khenan Malice and DC Kelly Pietersen. The first book in the series is titled Killing Pretties and the second is Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Lies. Both books will be published this year. When he is not writing, Rob is a frustrated chef with a liking for beer and prosecco, and is known for occasional outbreaks of dancing.

Book Synopsis:

A riveting new mystery from the award winning author…

When Henry Farrell took a job policing Wild Thyme, Pennsylvania, he was recently widowed and still trying to find his feet.His first big cases put Officer Farrell face to face with Wild Thyme’s encroaching demons. Now, he’s got the lay of the land and he’s newly married to a local girl.

Then a body – headless and half eaten by a bear – is discovered in the woods. With the help of a local biologist, Henry tracks the bear, hoping to catch him before any more lives are lost, but when his nephew disappears into the same woods they realise they may be facing a far bigger and more sinister threat.

The Bramble And The Rose is available in ebook now and will be published in hardback on the 10th April 2020. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this unique, dark crime thriller which had a bit of a classic feel to it. This was actually a new author for me, though I have heard lots about him, so I was very intrigued to start reading.

Firstly the author does a great job of setting the scene with his wonderfully vivid descriptions of Wild Thyme, a small rural village in Pennsylvania. I felt that I could really imagine the little village and the woods with all the amazing nature. This helped me to understand the story more and I liked being able to imagine clearly the locations in the story.

The main character Henry Farrell was a fantastic creation who I enjoyed following throughout his investigation. He’s quite a complex character with a few skeletons hiding in his closet which I found very interesting to find out about. He seemed like a very real character, particularly as he had made a few mistakes and I found myself warming to him as the story went on.

The murder mystery was incredibly interesting to follow especially as it seemed like such an open and shut case at the start. The plot was very satisfying and I enjoyed following the different storylines as they came together towards the end. It does have a bit of a dip in the middle but do keep going as things get very exciting later on.

Huge thanks to Connor from Faber for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Tom Bouman’s first book, Dry Bones in the Valley, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He lives in Pennsylvania.

Book Synopsis:

A lifetime of love. Six months of silence. One last chance.

Frank hasn’t spoken to his wife Maggie for six months.

For weeks they have lived under the same roof, slept in the same bed and eaten at the same table – all without words.

Maggie has plenty of ideas as to why her husband has gone quiet, but it will take another heartbreaking turn of events before Frank finally starts to unravel the secrets that have silenced him.

Is this where their story ends?
Or is it where it begins?

With characters that will capture your heart, THE SILENT TREATMENT celebrates the phenomenal power of love and the importance of leaving nothing unsaid.

The Silent Treatment will be published in ebook and hardback on the 2nd April 2020. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Silent Treatment was a beautifully written story about love, sadness and secrets which somehow manages to be both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

Maggie’s story really resonated with me as I know very well how your relationship changes as the years go on and how having children can affect the relationship you had with your husband. Suddenly you have all these little people who need you in order to survive and this often means that your husband gets sidelined. I therefore really felt for Maggie and how she was feeling.

The story is told by both Maggie and Frank so that the reader gets to hear the story from both points of view. My favourite part of this was Frank’s story as I loved that he was telling us what was going on at the same time as explaining himself to Maggie. This intimate glimpse into their relationship was really affectively done and meant that I felt everything they were going through like it was happening to me.

I so enjoyed this wonderful book and felt very sad when I finished it as the characters had started to feel like they were old friends. The message in this book was a beautiful one, that you shouldn’t hold off telling someone how you feel as you never know what’s going to happen.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Georgina from Midas publicity for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Abbie Greaves studied English Literature at Cambridge University. She worked in publishing for three years before leaving to focus on her writing. She now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Silent Treatment is her first novel.

abbiegreaves.com

Twitter: @abbiegreaves1

Instagram: @abbiegreavesauthor

Book Synopsis:

Hassanakis is a young Muslim boy of Turkish descent growing up on Crete during WWI. Fifteen generations of his family have lived on the island and until now he has never had any reason not to think he is a Cretan. But with the Great Powers tussling over the collapsing Ottoman Empire and the island’s Christians in rebellion, an outbreak of ethnic violence forces his family to flee to the Cretan City of Chania. He begins to lay down roots and his snappy dress earns him the nickname of Hassan ‘the mirror’. As WWI draws to a close and the Turkish War of Independence rages, he begins a heady romance with the elegant Hüsniye. There are rumours that the Cretan Muslims will be sent to Turkey but Hassanakis can’t believe he will be sent to a country whose language he barely knows and where he knows no-one. This powerful novel drawn from the diary of a refugee family evokes the beauty, complexity and trauma of Crete’s past and weaves it into a moving tale of an ordinary man living through extraordinary times.

Children Of War is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase a copy using the link below.

My Review:

Children Of War is a beautifully written, poignant read which I found utterly fascinating. This book takes the reader through some of the interesting history of Crete which is a subject I didn’t know much about. I had no idea that they had such a interesting and colourful history so I enjoyed following events throughout the years. The story is interspersed with lovely poems and songs from the area which helps give the reader an idea of their culture and the kinship they enjoy which was also very interesting to learn about.

The author’s writing style was just beautiful and the diary entries helped make the story seem much more personal, so all that happens is very hard hitting. I often found myself getting teary whilst reading. The author perfectly blends fact with fiction which I thought was cleverly done. I always like being able to look up historical events and learn a little more about them.

The wonderful friendships between Hassanakis, Vladimiros and his wife was absolutely wonderful to read about. The fact that they could enjoy such a close, warm friendship despite their differences in religion was beautiful. I so enjoyed reading the passages involving them and I loved the descriptions of their special bond.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Neem Press for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Ahmet Yorulmaz was a Turkish a journalist, author and translator. He was born in Ayvalik to a family of Cretan Turks deported to mainland Turkey as part of the Greek/Turkish population exchange decreed in the Treaty of Lausanne. He was fluent in modern Greek and translated novels and poems from contemporary Greek literature to Turkish. Most of his original works were written with the aim of making people learn about Ayvalık, the city where he grew up. He dedicated himself to Greek-Turkish friendship and rapprochement.

Paula Darwish is a freelance translator and professional musician. She read Turkish Language and Literature with Middle Eastern History at SOAS in London graduating with a First in 1997. In 2015, she was invited to attend the Cunda International Workshops for Translators of Turkish Literature, where she participated in a collaborative translation of the works of Behçet Necatigil. Her submission from the novel Savaşın Çocukları by the late Ahmet Yorulmaz won a prize in the 2015 PEN Samples Translation Pitch competition. In 2017, her translation of the short story Uzun Kışın Suçlusu by Demet Şahin was part of the 10th Istanbul International Poetry and Literature Festival. She has also translated some notable non-fiction works, including a bilingual catalogue of the buildings of the famous Ottoman architect, Sinan. She is a qualified member (MITI) of the Institute of Translators and Interpreters.