Book Synopsis:

For Sara Keane, it was supposed to be a second chance. A new country. A new house. A new beginning with her husband Damien.

Then came the knock on the door.

Elderly Mary Jackson can’t understand why Sara and her husband are living in her home. She remembers the fire, and the house burning down. But she also remembers the children. The children who need her, whom she must protect.

‘The children will find you,’ she tells Sara, because Mary knows she needs help too. Sara soon becomes obsessed with what happened in that house nearly sixty years ago – the tragic, bloody night her husband never intended for her to discover. And Mary – silent for six decades – is finally ready to tell her story . . .

The House of Ashes is the stunning new 2022 thriller from the award-winning master of the genre, Stuart Neville – perfect for fans of John Connolly, Alex North and Brian McGilloway.

The House Of Ashes is published in ebook and hardback on the 3rd February 2022. You can pre-order your copy using the links below.

My Review:

The House Of Ashes is a creepy, atmospheric and at times terrifying read which I think is his best yet.

The story is told in two timelines one following Sarah in the present day and her life with her manipulative, controlling husband. The other flashes back to Mary and her childhood experiences at the same house.

I was quickly drawn into the story and the lives of the two main characters. I felt a lot of sympathy for them and the horrendous things they have experienced. However I sometimes found myself feeling frustrated with then too, particularly Sarah as I couldn’t understand her unwillingness to leave her husband.

The story is fast paced and there was always something happening to keep me gripped and unable to stop reading. It’s very emotional at times and quite brutal so I often had to put the book down for a bit and continue on another day. How someone can treat another person like that is beyond me and I found myself tearing up as I read. The ending was very clever and I liked the way the two stories came together.

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

About The Author:

Stuart Neville’s debut novel, The Twelve (published in the US as The Ghosts of Belfast), won the Mystery/Thriller category of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was picked as one of the top crime novels of 2009 by both the New York Times and the LA Times. He has been shortlisted for various awards, including the MWA Edgar, CWA Dagger, Theakstons Old Peculier Novel of the Year, Barry, Macavity, Dilys awards, as well as the Irish Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year.He has since published nine more critically acclaimed books, two of which were under the pen name Haylen Beck, as well as a short story collection, The Traveller and Other Stories.

Book Synopsis:

Inspired by the incredible true story of how the people of Denmark saved their Jewish neighbours during WW2Helsingør, Denmark, 1943In the midst of the German occupation during World War Two, Inger Bredhal joins the underground resistance and risks her life to save members of Denmark’s Jewish community and help them escape to Sweden.Copenhagen, 2018 Inger’s granddaughter, Cecilie Lund, is mourning her death when a mysterious discovery while cleaning out Inger’s flat leads past and present to intersect. As long-held secrets finally see the light of day, Cecilie learns the story of her grandmother’s courage and bravery, and of the power of friendship, love, and standing for what’s right…even when you have everything to lose.An inspiring tale of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community.

My Review:

The Helsingør Sewing Club is a beautifully written, fascinating but heartbreaking piece of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Firstly I hadn’t read many books set in Denmark during the war so I was unaware of what happened there and the incredible bravery of the Danish people to save their Jewish Neighbours. It was absolutely fascinating to read about this and my heart was in my mouth as I read everything they went through to try and help.

The story is told in two timelines, though it’s mainly set in 1943, one follows Inger and her involvement with the resistance in ww2. The other follows her granddaughter Cecile who is clearing out her grandmother’s flat after her death and discovering the big secret her grandmother had kept hidden. While I did prefer the war time timeline the modern story did have some beautiful moments in it too and I liked the way the two stories tied together to reveal the full story.

I thought this was a very absorbing book which I sailed through in a couple of days. I think I felt a range of emotions whilst reading experiencing some very heartwarming moments but also some truly heartbreaking ones. The tension in the book slowly increases as the Gestapo get nearer until I almost couldn’t bear it. The fact that this was based on a true story made the story even more poignant and has ensured the story has stayed with me long after reading.

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

About The Author:

Ella Gyland grew up in Northern Denmark but moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen.She has worked in a variety of jobs, including the Danish civil service, before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist. Ella won the New Talent Award in 2011 from the Festival of Romance and a Commended from the Yeovil Literary Prize.Ella lives in London and also writes as Henriette Gyland.

Book Synopsis:

An ancient adversary in the east seeks to invade Ordefima and claim the treasures it holds.
When his beloved sister is captured, Rupert, the youngest son of the ruling family, is sent to save her. As the power of the enemy increases, can he overcome personal tragedy, emotional entanglements, and lost allegiances to emerge as the hero? Or will subversive forces and increasing austerity inspire the people to rebel against him?

The Dominion – Defiant is the second book in the fantasy trilogy. If you like epic adventure, dark brooding menace, vivid characters, and imaginative settings, then you’ll love this latest instalment by popular author Chris Cloake.

Extract:

Vucusa sensed power on a bigger scale than his petty scheming could deal with. This was more than just a young girl’s tender flesh he was making contact with. Within her dwelt the hand of ancient nature, that had shaped the very fabric of the world since the dawn of time. And there was more, hidden in the depths of the night. A threat that loomed larger still, with the primed potency of a lightning strike. It was Vucusa’s turn to be wracked by fear. With a lurch he stood up and threw her away from him. While Socha struggled to regain her senses he spoke loudly into the ink black firmament above.
“I will not risk the wrath of Gaticus for the temptations of this sorceress of Ordefima. I saw what he did to my dear cousin, Vumlash, the only one I could ever trust. I read what was in the beast’s mind. She must be given to him pure, whole and in full health so he can rise to full strength and bring us untold riches. He watches us now. We must keep to our task.”
He retrieved his spear from the ground and advanced on Socha where she lay. The others returned to look on in puzzlement.
“Wrap yourself up and go to sleep,” he told her, kicking dust over the fire. “Tomorrow, I will deliver you to Gaticus and your fate will be sealed.”

About The Author:

Chris Cloake was born in 1964 and began telling stories a couple of years later. He grew up in Kent, England. He is motivated to write by a deep interest in life, particularly the cruel, deeply flawed nature of people contrasted with their incredible creativity and inspiration. The power of the natural world is a common theme in his work as a writer and professional photographer. He lives happily with his wife, two children and a large collection of music, books and board games.

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