Month: May 2020

#BlogTour: The Creak On The Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdottir @evaaegisdottir @OrendaBooks @annecater #TheCreakOnThsStairs #EvaÆgisdottir #TeamOrenda #RandomThingsTours

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Book Synopsis:

When a body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.

Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her collegues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day …

But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice … before it’s too late.

The Creak On The Stairs is available in ebook now for the bargain price of 99p. The paperback will be published on the 1st October 2020. You can purchase or pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Creak On The Stairs is a clever, atmospheric read from an exciting new author.

Firstly I really enjoyed the main character Elma, especially as she is very unlike the normal police stereotypes you see in crime novels. She is a very clever, strong women and I enjoyed following her as she tried to solve the case. The author managed to put quite a bit of her personality into the story so she didn’t seem like an emotionless police officer and this meant that I felt I got to know her a bit better which I really liked.

This is very atmospheric read and the tension in the book slowly intensifies as the book continues. The author keeps the reader guessing as to who the murderer was with multiple suspects being introduced as the investigation continues. Just when I thought I had every figured out something would happen which sent the story in a completely new direction which I always find very enjoyable. The final twist was particularly surprising as I was convinced that everything was sorted and tied up at that point.

Overall I thought this was a well written and well developed book with a fantastic main character who I hope will appear in future books. The descriptions of Iceland were incredibly vivid and helped create some of the unsettled feeling in the book as I was never sure what it might be hiding. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orenda for my copy of this book. This is a must read for any Icelandic noir fans!

About The Author:

Eva Bjoerg AEgisdottir has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland. She worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel, The Creak on the Stairs. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award, a crime-writing prize hosted by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and Ragnar Jonasson, and became an Icelandic bestseller.

#BlogTour: The Orphan’s Gift by Renita D’Silva @RenitaDSilva @bookouture @nholten40 #TheOrphansGift #RenitaDSilva #5Stars

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Book Synopsis:

She allows herself to kiss her perfect child just once. She wraps the baby in her last gift: a hand-knitted cardigan, embroidered with a water lily pattern. ‘You’re better off without me,’ she whispers and although every step breaks her heart, she walks away.

1910, India. Young and curious Alice, with her spun-gold hair, grows up in her family’s sprawling compound with parents as remote as England, the cold country she has never seen. It is Raju, son of a servant, with whom she shares her secrets. Together, their love grows like roses – but leaves deep thorns. Because when they get too close, Alice’s father drags them apart, sending Raju far away and banishing Alice to England…

1944. Intelligent and kind Janaki is raised in an orphanage in India. The nuns love to tell the story: Janaki’s arrival stopped the independence riots outside the gates, as the men on both sides gazed at the starry-eyed little girl left in a beautiful hand-knitted cardigan. Janaki longs for her real mother, the woman who was forced to abandon her, wrapped in a precious gift…

Now old enough to be a grandmother and living alone in India, Alice watches children play under the tamarind trees, haunted by the terrible mistake she made fifty years ago. It’s just an ordinary afternoon, until a young girl with familiar eyes appears with a photograph and Alice must make a choice. Will she spend the rest of her life consumed by dreams of the past, or can she admit her mistakes and choose love and light at last?

A stunning and heartbreaking novel about how a forbidden love can echo through the generations. Readers who love Lucinda Riley, Kathryn Hughes and The Storyteller’s Secret will be captivated.

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

My Review:

The Orphan’s Gift is another beautiful, compelling read from this talented author. One of the things I most enjoy about this author is her incredibly vivid descriptions which enables the reader to fully imagine the story almost like they are watching it all unfold. This story was no exception as I soon found myself completely immersed in the story and the characters lives.

The book is told from two different points of view and two different time periods which made for very intriguing reading. I’ve always enjoyed books based in India at the time of British rule and so found myself drinking in all the little details of everyday life. The historical events mentioned in the book are real ones and I found it very interesting to learn more these times, especially the effect it had on everyone.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this absorbing though heartbreaking read. As a mum myself I felt very sympathetic towards Alice and the pure agony she must have felt. I found myself tearing up at some of the scenes as they were very emotional and quite poignant to read about. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical or dual timeline reads.

Huge thanks to Noelle from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Renita D’Silva loves stories, both reading and creating them. Her short stories have been published in ‘The View from Here’, ‘Bartleby Snopes’, ‘this zine’, ‘Platinum Page’, ‘Paragraph Planet’ among others and have been nominated for the ‘Pushcart’ prize and the ‘Best of the Net’ anthology. She is the author of ‘Monsoon Memories’, ‘The Forgotten Daughter’, ‘The Stolen Girl’, ‘A Sister’s Promise’, ‘A Mother’s Secret’, ‘A Daughter’s Courage’, ‘Beneath An Indian Sky’, ‘The Girl In The Painting’, ‘The Orphan’s Gift’. FB: https://www.facebook.com/RenitaDSilvaBooks Twitter: @RenitaDSilva Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renita_dsilva/ Website: http://renitadsilva.com/ Email: Renitadsilvabooks@gmail.com

#BlogTour: The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick @NicolaCornick @HQstories #TheForgottenSister #NicolaCornick

#BlogTour: The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick @NicolaCornick @HQstories #TheForgottenSister #NicolaCornick

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Book Synopsis:

One woman’s secret will shape another’s destiny…

1560: Amy Robsart is trapped in a loveless marriage to Robert Dudley, a member of the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Surrounded by enemies and with nowhere left to turn, Amy hatches a desperate scheme to escape – one with devastating consequences that will echo through the centuries…

Present Day: When Lizzie Kingdom is forced to withdraw from the public eye in a blaze of scandal, it seems her life is over. But she’s about to encounter a young man, Johnny Robsart, whose fate will interlace with hers in the most unexpected of ways. For Johnny is certain that Lizzie is linked to a terrible secret dating back to Tudor times. If Lizzie is brave enough to go in search of the truth, then what she discovers will change the course of their lives forever.

***

Moving between the Tudor era and the present day,The Forgotten Sister is a stunning historical novel that draws on one of history’s most compelling and enduring mysteries. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara Erskine, Victoria Hislop and Kate Morton.

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

My Review:

There’s nothing I like better than a good dual timeline mystery and Nicola is one of my favourite authors for this genre.

In The Forgotten Sister the author has taken a real historical mystery and made an intriguing story out if it. I really enjoyed learning more about Amy Robsart and her horrible, callous husband Robert Dudley, particularly as I think there was more to Amy than history has given her credit for. The characters really seem to come to life with real character traits that they were known to have being included into the story. The fact that the modern characters seemed like the historical characters reincarnated was well done and made the story very interesting.

The amount of historical details in this book was brilliant and I enjoyed learning more about Elizabethan England. Amy and Robert were two characters that I hadn’t heard of before so it was especially interesting learning more about their lives and the legacy they left behind. As always it was the little everyday details which made the book for me as I always find it fascinating to see how different life was back then compared to now. I spent a few hours looking up Amy and Robert on the internet and learning more about her mysterious death.

I was engrossed in this story from the start and found the book very hard to put down. It isn’t immediately clear what the links between the two timelines are and I enjoyed trying to work out how they were connected. The supernatural element of the story was a nice touch and helped add an unusual element to the story as it was done in a very believable way.

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

About The Author:

Nicola Cornick is a historian and author who works as a volunteer researcher and guide for the National Trust in one of the most beautiful 17th century houses in England. She writes dual time novels that illustrate her love of history, mystery and the supernatural. Her books have appeared in over twenty five languages, sold over half a million copies worldwide and been described as “perfect for Outlander fans.” Nicola also works as a consultant for TV and radio.

Her new novel, ‘The Forgotten Sister’ is a re-telling of the Tudor love triangle between Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley and Amy Robsart. It is out in April 2020 and is available for pre- order in paperback and e-book.

Nicola loves to chat to readers about history, reading and writing.
Join the conversation on Twitter @NicolaCornick,
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicola.cornick/
and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolacornick/
You can find Nicola’s website at http://www.nicolacornick.com where you can sign up for her newsletter to be first in line for events, news and exclusive chapters.

#BlogTour: Wartime At Liberty’s by Fiona Ford @Fionajourno @arrowpublishing @Rachel90Kennedy #WartimeAtLibertys#LibertyGirls3 #FionaFord #5stars

#BlogTour: Wartime At Liberty’s by Fiona Ford @Fionajourno @arrowpublishing @Rachel90Kennedy #WartimeAtLibertys#LibertyGirls3 #FionaFord #5stars

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Book Synopsis:

London, 1942

Flo Canning’s heart is beyond repair following the news that she has been dreading since the outbreak of war. As Flo throws herself into the role of fabric manager at Liberty’s, old and new friends alike help pull her from a whirl of despair.

Between work and home life there’s plenty to keep Flo occupied. Not least new deputy store manager, Henry Masters, whose arrival has consequences that Flo and her workmates could never have foreseen.

But there is more tragedy still to come, and Flo and her friends will need each other more than ever if they are to survive the uncertainty ahead.

Wartime At Liberty’s 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 fantastic series, so I was incredibly excited to learn there was to be a new installment especially as it meant I got to hang out with the wonderful Liberty Girls again. I absolutely love the tight knit group they have developed and always love the scenes showing their friendship. They are so supportive of each other through difficult times that I often found myself getting teary whilst reading. I would love to know them all personally and be part of their group.

Flo was always one of my favourite characters and I enjoyed getting to catch up with her again though I wish it was in happier circumstances. It was great to see her adjust to her new circumstances and develop throughout the book. The new characters including the store deputy Henry Masters helps send the story in a new direction and help make things very interesting at Liberty’s. I like how the author always manages to keep the story fresh by introducing new people to the group in such a realistic way.

This story had a lovely flow to it and I found myself drawn into the story from the first page and lost in Flo’s world. The author cleverly includes some historical details into the story in a gentle way so the story never feels bogged down with it. I enjoyed learning about all the changes happening in the war especially learning more about the utility fabrics and the changes to adoption which I hadn’t read much about before. The story is told in such a way that the reader starts to feel part of the group and very fond of the characters so all that happens feels very personal. I now can’t wait to read more from this amazing series!

Huge thanks to Rachel Kennedy from Arrow publishing for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About the Author:

Fiona Ford is the author of the Liberty Girls series, which is set in London during the Second World War.

Fiona spent many years as a journalist writing for women’s weekly and monthly magazines. She has written two novels under the pseudonym, Fiona Harrison, as well as two sagas in her own name in the Spark Girls series.

Fiona lives in Berkshire with her partner.