Book Synopsis:

Miranda Reynolds has lost her home, her job and her husband – all thanks to an economic collapse that has brought America to its knees.

The shops are empty; the streets no longer safe. Miranda and her daughter Emma have nowhere left to turn.

There is one final hope, a self-sufficient haven for women who want to live a life free from men. Femlandia.

For Miranda, the secluded Femlandia is a last resort. Life outside the gates is fraught with danger, but there’s something just as sinister going on within.

Welcome to Femlandia… It’s no place like home.

Femlandia is out in hardback and ebook now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Femlandia is another amazing, chilling and thought provoking read from this talented author. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

Firstly I thought this author does a great job with the world building with the post apocalyptic world of Femlandia seeming very realistic which helps add to the sinister undertones in this book. The reader soon becomes aware that all is not as perfect as the leaders would like the residents to believe. When Miranda and her daughter Emma first join the community they are quickly given a long list of rules and expectations they have to follow which residents are punished for breaking . The residents, some of whom Miranda knows from her previous life, seem completely ok with all that is happening there. However there are some who aren’t happy with their lives there who firmly support Miranda in her quest to discover the truth about what’s going on on Femlandia.

The characters were interesting creations who I found very interesting to follow throughout the book. I liked that the author took the two ‘normal’ female stereotypes; one of a girly girl who liked playing with dolls and wearing dresses and an independent strong women who doesn’t need a man to survive and smudges the line between them showing that it is possible for women to be a bit of both. Miranda especially quickly shows that she has much more about her then the lady who lunched her mother dismissed her as when she created her female only community. I found Jen a very sinister character who I loved to hate. From the first mention of her I thought there was something very off about her. Her willingness to step into Miranda’s shoes as her mum’s surrogate daughter, the way she stamps her authority on Femlandia and the way she steals Emma from Miranda all had alarm bells going off in my head. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen and which side would win.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and read it very quickly as I found it very hard to put down. There was always something happening and the gradual build up of tension made this book very gripping. The ending,a massive showdown between Miranda and Jen, was brilliantly done and kept me guessing who would win until the end.

Huge thanks to HQ stories for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via netgalley. I think this would make a great book club read as I can imagine it creating a lot lively discussion.

About The Author:

Christina Dalcher is the Sunday Times bestselling author of VOX. She earned her doctorate in theoretical linguistics from Georgetown University, specializing in the phonetics of sound change in Italian and British dialects. She and her husband split their time between the American South and Naples, Italy.

Book Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The Librarian of Auschwitz, Antonio Iturbe, comes a captivating historical novel based on a true story – the extraordinary life and mysterious death of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince.

Writer. Romantic. Pilot. Hero.

All Antoine de Saint Exupéry wants to do is be a pilot. But flying is a dangerous dream and one that sets him at odds with his aristocratic background and the woman he loves. Despite attempts to keep him grounded, Antoine is determined to venture forwards into the unknown. Together with his friends, Jean and Henri, he will pioneer new mail routes across the globe and help change the future of aviation. In the midst of his adventures, Antoine also begins to weave a children’s story that is destined to touch the lives of millions of readers around the world. A story called The Little Prince . . . Fame and fortune may have finally found Antoine, but as the shadow of the Second World War begins to threaten Europe, he’s left to wonder whether his greatest adventure is yet to come . . .

Translated by Lilit Žekulin Thwaites, The Prince of the Skies is a moving tale of love and friendship, war and heroism, and the power of the written word.

My Review:

The Prince Of The Skies is a powerful, inspirational and absorbing read that I really enjoyed. It’s based on the true story of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry the author of one of my favourite children’s books ever, so I was very excited to read this book and to learn more about him.

I was soon drawn into the story and into Antonie’s life. The author does a great job of bringing historical characters to life and I loved that we got to know more about the person behind the book, learning more about his passions and what makes him tick. It made me feel like I knew him as a friend which I always like. He truly lead an amazing life and it was fascinating to follow him from the 20’s and through the war.

The author has clearly done a lot of research into this book and I found is very interesting to learn more about Antonie’s experience in the French air force during the war but also his key role in helping to create the air mail, a service to get letters delivered to other countries which is something that we take for granted now. It was great to follow him and influencial pilots Jean Mormoz and Henry Guillamet as they try to navigate this new service. It was especially fascinating to visit the many different countries with them and get a taste of what life was like there at that time.

Overall I thought this was an amazing read which I will be recommending to all historical fiction fans and anyone who is a fan of The Little Prince. I felt this book has a bit of everything lots of danger from being a pilot in quite primitate planes which had no cover for the pilots and exposed them to the elements as they flew, to a love story of his attempted romance with the lady he loved. There is also a beautiful quality to the author’s writing which just draws the reader in and keeps them enthralled until the end.

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

About The Author:

Antonio Iturbe lives in Spain, where he is both a novelist and a journalist. In researching his previous novel, the international bestseller, The Librarian of Auschwitz, he interviewed Dita Kraus, the real-life librarian of Auschwitz.

Good evening everyone I’m pleased to re-share my review of the fabulous When The Music Stops by Joe Heap today in celebration of its paperback release. As you can probably tell from my review below I loved this book when I first read it. If you haven’t read it yet I highly recommend you do!

Book Synopsis:

A truly original, bittersweet tale of life, loss and enduring love that had me completely hooked. A treasure of a book!’ Sunday Times bestseller, Ruth Hogan

This is the story of Ella.
And Robert.
And of all the things they should have said, but never did.

‘What have you been up to?’
I shrug, ‘Just existing, I guess.’
‘Looks like more than just existing.’
Robert gestures at the baby, the lifeboat, the ocean.
‘All right, not existing. Surviving.’
He laughs, not unkindly. ‘Sounds grim.’
‘It wasn’t so bad, really. But I wish you’d been there.’

Ella has known Robert all her life. Through seven key moments and seven key people their journey intertwines.
 
From the streets of Glasgow during WW2 to the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll of London in the 60s and beyond, this is a story of love and near misses. Of those who come in to our lives and leave it too soon. And of those who stay with you forever…

When The Music Stops is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below or by visiting your local indie bookstore.

My Review:

When The Music Stops has to be one of the most unique books I have read! It’s beautifully written and highly emotional which makes it a very compelling read.

There’s something very interesting about following one person throughout their life, especially if they have lived through some significant historical events. I found it fascinating to follow Ella and to see how certain things have shaped her life. That being said I never really warmed to Ella as a character as I found her to be very prickly and some of her decisions incredibly questionable. I did feel sympathetic towards her however and although I didn’t agree with her choices I had to admire her bravery.

The story is told in two timelines one following Ella through the important events her life, while the other focuses on elderly Ella who is trapped in a sinking boat with a baby. While she is trying to work out what’s happening and care for the baby she is visited by old friends who help her make amends for past mistakes. I have to admit I enjoyed the flash backs to Ella’s life much more then the present day as I found it quite stressful reading about Ella trying to care for the baby. It was a weird situation as I wanted to keep reading to see what happens to them but at the same time wanting to skip that part as I found the tension too great.

Overall I really enjoyed this absorbing and intriguing read which will definitely stay with me. I think I went through every emotion as I read, laughing and crying alongside the characters. I will be recommending this book to everyone and will definitely be buying a few copies as Christmas presents.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author

Joe Heap was born in 1986 and grew up in Bradford, the son of two teachers. In 2004, he won the Foyle Young Poets award, and he is a published poet. He studied for a BA in English Literature at Stirling University and a Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. Joe lives in London with his long-suffering girlfriend, short-suffering baby, and much-aggrieved cat. The Rules of Seeing is his first novel.

Book Synopsis:

Arthur C. Clarke Award winner Tade Thompson makes a triumphant return to science fiction with this unforgettable vision of humanity’s future in the chilling emptiness of space.

The colony ship Ragtime docks in the Lagos system, having travelled light years from home to bring one thousand sleeping souls to safety among the stars.

Some of the sleepers, however, will never wake – and a profound and sinister mystery unfolds aboard the gigantic vessel. Its skeleton crew are forced to make decisions that will have repercussions for all of humanity’s settlements – from the scheming politicians of Lagos station, to the colony planet of Bloodroot, to other far flung systems and indeed Earth itself.

Far From The Light of Heaven is available in ebook and paperbackback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Far From The Light Of Heaven us a very readable, absorbing and gripping book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I’m a big fan of books set in space as I feel they give the author great scope to use their imagination and it’s always fascinating to see what they come up with . This book was no exception and I loved the author’s vision of space and his ideas for future people living on other planets. I thought it was interesting to see that there were other languages in his vision, which were recognisable as languages on earth, as this isn’t something I remember from other books where everyone seem to speak English or some kind of alien gobbledegook.

The book is told mainly from the point of view of Michelle “Shell” Campion the captain of the Spaceship Ragtime. Shell is a very brave determined lady who is desperate to prove herself on this mission and step out of her famous father’s shadow. I loved her back and forth banter with Finn, the detective sent to try and solve the mystery of the missing people with her, especially as its soon aparent that neither of them trust the other.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which drew me in from the first page. There were lots of very interesting twist that kept me guessing and lots of mayhem to keep me very entertained right up to the last shocking reveal.

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

About The Author:

Tade Thompson is the author of the Rosewater novels, the Molly Southbourne books, and Making Wolf. He has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Nommo Award, and the Prix Julia Verlanger and been a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award, the Locus Awards, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Hugo Awards, among others. He lives and works on the south coast of England.

Book Synopsis:

It only takes one…

A murder

A resident of small-town Visberg is found decapitated

A festival

A grim celebration in a cultish hilltop community after the apple harvest

A race against time

As Visberg closes ranks to keep its deadly secrets, there could not be a worse time for Tuva Moodyson to arrive as deputy editor of the local newspaper. Powerful forces are at play and no one dares speak out. But Tuva senses the story of her career, unaware that perhaps she is the story…

Bad Apples is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

Ooh I do enjoy a Will Dean book and always look forward to new ones coming out. Bad Apples is another creepy, dark and addictive read from this talented author which, in my opinion, is his best book yet.

It was great to be back with Tuva and the characters from previous books. It was really evident how much Tuva had grown in this book and I like the new, confident more street wise Tuva we see in this book. She’s definitely a very brave lady as there were a few situations in this book I’d have run away, screaming from. There are some familiar faces from previous books including the fabulous troll sisters who I was pleased to see make an appearance. There are also some new faces which helped bring a new element to the story and were fun to learn more about.

The author has included some fascinating facts about Halloween, or Pan night in Sweden, traditions which make English traditions seem rather tame. It was interesting to learn more about them and these help to create some of the atmosphere and intrigue in the book which I thought was clever. Through these Tuva finds herself in some unusual situations which were a bit of an eye-opener to be honest.

Overall I really enjoyed this book which is perfect for reading on the run up to Halloween. It’s very twisty with the book often going in directions I wasn’t expecting. There’s lots of misdirection too and I couldn’t figure out who was guilty which I always find really fun. The ending was brilliant and I can’t wait to read more from this fabulous series.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Point Blank for my copy of this book. Highly recommended!

About The Author:

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands and had lived in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. His debut novel, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s Book Club, shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize and named a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year. The second Tuva Moodyson mystery, Red Snow, won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards, 2019, and was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2020. His third novel, Black River, was chosen as Observer Thriller of the Month. Will Dean lives in Sweden where the Tuva Moodyson novels are set.

Book Synopsis:

On the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea, Elspeth Swansome takes on a position as a nanny.

Her charge, Mary, hasn’t uttered a word since the sudden death of her twin, William – just days after their former nanny disappeared. But no one will speak of what happened to William.

Just as no one can explain the lullabies sung in empty corridors.
Nor the strange dolls that appear in abandoned rooms.
Nor the faint whistling that comes in the night . . .

As winter draws in, Elspeth finds herself increasingly trapped.

But is this house haunted by the ghosts of the past?

OR THE SECRETS OF THE LIVING . . . ?

I do love a spooky read in the run up to Halloween. There’s something lovely about being able to snuggle under a blanket while reading a scary book as it gets colder and the nights get earlier so this book instantly appealed to me.

I was quickly drawn into the story and into Elspeth’s new life on the remote Scottish island of Skelthsea. Elspeth’s new job definitely comes with a few challenges as a dual tragedy a few years before has caused Mary to become mute and there are some very strange, creepy things happening in the house which made my hair stand on end. This is definitely not a book to read just before bed as I kept swearing I could hear the lullabies at times. I even woke up my highly impressed husband to check I was just imagining it.

The author does a great job of setting the scene for this book with the vivid descriptions of the house and isolated island, battered by harsh weather, helping to add to the overall creepy atmosphere in the book. The characters are all fantastic creations who I thought seemed quite realistic and who I found easy to relate to. Throughout the book we learn more about the history of the family and how Mary came to live on the island with her aunt which was very intriguing and helped add to the mystery in the book.

Overall I loved this book and will definitely be recommending it to others. The author’s writing has a great quality to it reminding me of a classic story at times. I liked the way the tension is slowly increased until I felt completely transported into the story and able to feel the cold the author describes as well as the fear of the characters. There were lots of twists that I didn’t see coming and the ending was shocking but a great way to finish the story. I can’t believe this is the author’s debut and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Ella from Michael St Joseph for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Rebecca Netley grew up as part of an eccentric family in a house full of books and music, and these things have fed her passions.

Family and writing remain at the heart of Rebecca’s life. She lives in Reading with her husband, sons and an over-enthusiastic dog, who gives her writing tips.

The Whistling is Rebecca Netley’s debut novel and won the Exeter Novel Prize.

Book Synopsis:

A poacher vanishes, two young girls go missing, a tourist disappears… magic or murder?

Evil is at play in a South African game reserve.

A poacher vanishes into thin air, defying logic and baffling ace tracker Mia Greenaway.

Meanwhile Captain Sannie van Rensburg, still reeling from a personal tragedy, is investigating the disappearance of two young girls who locals fear have been abducted for use in sinister traditional medicine practices.

But poachers are also employing witchcraft, paying healers for potions they believe will make them invisible and bulletproof.

When a tourist goes missing, Mia and Sannie must work together to confront their own demons and challenge everything they believe, and to follow a bloody trail that seems to vanish at every turn.

Blood Trail is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

Extract:

‘The man you were tracking killed the rhino?’ Jeff asked Oscar.
Oscar nodded, a grave look on his face. ‘Yes, we picked up his tracks by the carcass. It was the same man.’
‘And he vanished.’ Foster snapped his fingers. ‘Poof, into thin air. Magic.’
Oscar looked up at him.
Foster again put his hand on Oscar’s shoulder. ‘It’s not your fault, bru. We’ve all been outsmarted by these bastards one time or another, but we’ll catch that one and we’ll drill him, hey?’
Oscar gave a small nod.
‘Do you know,’ Foster locked eyes with Jeff, ‘that there are now more gunfights per year in the greater Kruger Park – including here – than there were at the height of the old South African Defence Force’s war in Namibia?’
‘I did not know that,’ Jeff said. ‘Do you ever get scared, Graham? Do you pray for protection?’
‘God is on our side,’ Foster said, his eyes not wavering from Jeff’s. ‘Of that I have no doubt. You can write that in your laptop.’

About The Author:

Tony Park was born in 1964 and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. He has worked as a journalist, public relations consultant and a press secretary. He also served 34 years in the Australian Army Reserve, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2002. He is the author of 18 other thriller novels, all set in Africa. Tony and his wife, Nicola, divide their time equally between a home in Australia and a house on the edge of the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Book Synopsis:

A child who does not know her name…In 1903 fishermen find a wrecked boat containing a woman, who has been badly beaten, and a young girl. An ambulance is sent for, and the two survivors are taken to All Hallows, the imposing asylum, hidden deep on Dartmoor. The woman remains in a coma, but the little girl, Harriet, awakens and is taken to an attic room, far away from the noise of the asylum, and is put in the care of Nurse Emma Everdeen.Two motherless boys banished to boarding school…In 1993, All Hallows is now a boarding school. Following his mother’s death and his father’s hasty remarriage, Lewis Tyler is banished to Dartmoor, stripped of his fashionable clothes, shorn of his long hair, and left feeling more alone than ever. There he meets Isak, another lost soul, and whilst refurbishment of the dormitories is taking place, the boys are marooned up in the attic, in an old wing of the school.Cries and calls from the past that can no longer be ignored…All Hallows is a building full of memories, whispers, cries from the past. As Lewis and Isak learn more about the fate of Harriet, and Nurse Emma’s desperate fight to keep the little girl safe, it soon becomes clear there are ghosts who are still restless.Are they ghosts the boys hear at night in the room above, are they the unquiet souls from the asylum still caught between the walls? And can Lewis and Isak bring peace to All Hallows before the past breaks them first…

The Room In The Attic is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered she had a new book out. As I might have mentioned once or twice I love books that involve spooky houses with a history so this book instantly appealed to me. Even better the house used to be an asylum which has always fascinated me. It was really interesting to learn more about this history and trying to piece together how the two timelines were connected.

The author has clearly done her research and I drank in all the vivid details which really helped me imagine things in my mind. There are a lot of interesting topics discussed in this book not least the attitude towards women in the 19th century which made me very indignant to read about but also very grateful to realise how far we had come.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to everyone. I was griped from the beginning and had to keep reading as I was very intrigued by the characters and wanted to find out what would happen next. The two timelines are told in alternate chapters and I liked the way they complemented each other, gradually revealing all the clues to the reader.

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

About The Author:

Louise Douglas is the bestselling and brilliantly reviewed author of 6 novels including The Love of my Life and Missing You – a RNA award winner. The Secrets Between Us was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in the West Country.

Book Synopsis:

Two houses, hundreds of miles apart . . . yet connected always.

When life throws Molly Butterfield a curveball, she decides to spend some time with her recently widowed granddad, Wally, at Hawthorn Place, his quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast.

But cosseted Molly struggles to look after herself, never mind her grieving granddad, until the accidental discovery of an identical Arts and Crafts house on the Norfolk coast offers her an unexpected purpose, as well as revealing a bewildering mystery.

Discovering that both Hawthorn Place and Acacia House were designed by architect Percy Gladwell, Molly uncovers the secret of a love which linked them, so powerful it defied reason.

What follows is a summer which will change Molly for ever . . .

The Secrets Of Hawthorn Place is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The Secrets Of Hawthorn Place is a wonderful, magical dual timeline book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Firstly I love dual timeline books so this book instantly appealed to me plus there were two amazing sounding houses to explore so I was a very happy reader. I loved learning more about the houses and trying to work out the connection between the two of them. They are the kind of houses I’d love to explore and could probably lose hours in. They reminded me a bit if some of the National Trust houses I’ve been in.

The characters were all wonderful creations that I enjoyed following throughout the book. I liked how the author had written them so that the reader couldn’t help but like them despite their flaws. I had a particular soft spot for Percy, especially his tempestuous relationship with violet. His part of the story helps provide the reader with some fascinating historical details about architecture design which I found very interesting.

Overall i really liked this book which I finished in a couple of days. The two timelines were equally fascinating as each other and I enjoyed the gradual revealing of secrets as the reader slowly learns about the link between the two houses. The twist towards the end was very clever and I’ll definitely look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and to Headline Accent for my copy of this book via netgalley.

About The Author:

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

Visit her website: jennikeer.co.uk and find her on Facebook/jennikeerwriter and Twitter @JenniKeer