Book Synopsis:

WELCOME TO ERIS – A TIDAL ISLAND WITH ONLY ONE HOUSE, ONE INHABITANT, ONE WAY OUT. . .

A place that is unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day.

Once the hideaway of Vanessa, a famous artist whose husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace. A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a human bone is uncovered in Vanessa’s artwork, far away in London, Grace receives an unexpected visitor.

AND THE SECRETS OF ERIS THREATEN TO EMERGE. . .

My Review:

The Blue Hour is a twisty, gripping read about love, jealousy and obsession. I’ve read all of this author’s books and I think this is her best yet!  

Firstly, I thought there were some really fascinating and complex characters in this book which I enjoyed getting to know throughout the story.  All of them seem normal and likeable when we first meet them but we discover some of the secrets that they are hiding then we start to see a whole different side to their personalities.  I loved this part of the story and it was fascinating to see the different relationships the characters had with each other as well as finding out more about their past.  My favourite character was Becker who I felt was actually a good guy put in a difficult situation and I found I wanted to keep reading to see how things worked out for him.  

This book has a bit of a locked room element to it as most of the action takes place on an isolated island that is cut off from the coast for several hours due to the tides.  Through events on the island we learn how this isolation both helps and hinders the inhabitants at different times though their lives.  Making them feel free of restraints and distractions sometimes while at others making them feel lonely or ignored. At times the island seemed like another character with its rather tempestuous weather, being stormy at times or misty to trap the character’s further on the island.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to others.  The book had a great pace to it, and I soon found myself glued to the page as I was so intrigued by the character’s lives.  There were lots of twists that kept me guessing and I loved the slow reveal of what had happened on the island that took me completely by surprise which I always love. I do wish the book had ended slightly differently then it did, but I felt it was appropriate for the story and what had transpired.  

Huge thanks to Alison from Doubleday for my copy of this book.  If you are a fan of thrillers or locked room type mysteries or just want to read a great book, then I highly recommend this one! I think it would make a good book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.  

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About The Author:

PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller, The Girl on the Train, has sold more than 23 million copies worldwide. Published in over fifty languages, it has been a Number 1 bestseller around the world and was a box office hit film starring Emily Blunt.

Paula’s thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant Number 1 bestsellers.

Good morning everyone and happy Sunday. Here are some of the fantastic books I’ve been lucky enough to receive this week!

🍁The Ice Retreat by Ruth Kelly
🍂The Baby Dragon Cafe by A T Qureshi
🍁A Training School For Elephants by Sophy Roberts
🍂 Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard
🍁What Will People Think? By Vedashree Khambete-Sharma
🍂 Patriot by Alexei Navalny
🍁The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

I’m so excited to read these and will be including some of them in my November possible stack tomorrow. Huge thanks to all the lovely publishers for sending.

I’m back at work today after a few days off and I’m looking forward to seeing what new books we have had in store. I’m then getting the kids ready for school tomorrow before hopefully finishing my book. I’m currently reading The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins which I’m really enjoying. My reading has taken a bit of a hit with half term and tiredness but hopefully I’ll get back into it next week with the kids back at school.

What are your Sunday plans?

Find out more about the books below ⬇️

The Ice Retreat by Ruth Kelly

From bestselling author Ruth Kelly, The Ice Retreat is a spine-tingling thriller set in the world of controversial wellness treatments. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah Pearse.

HEALER?

Meet Hollie Jenson, presenter of the smash-hit docu-series Bad Medicine, which exposes the perils of extreme therapies. Her next target: a new retreat run by wellness guru Ariel Rose, who claims to have discovered the secret to healing pain through her three-day ice rebirth treatment.

LIAR?

Acting on a mother’s plea to find her son, who vanished soon after his stay, Hollie ventures into the Swiss mountains where the retreat occupies a former observatory. There she will search for the boy, and hopes to expose Ariel as the charlatan she believes her to be.

KILLER?

As the isolation of the valley sets in, Hollie finds herself in an increasingly dangerous situation. There is much more to the retreat than meets the eye, and she must confront explosive secrets from her own past if she is to ever make it out alive . . .

The Baby Dragon Cafe by A. T.Qureshi

When Saphira opens her cafe welcoming pet baby dragons, she isn’t expecting it to be quite so hard to keep the fires burning. But her young dragon patrons keep incinerating her furniture, which means selling coffee isn’t covering all her costs.

Local heart-throb Aiden is a gardener, though his disobedient baby dragon is a major distraction from his beloved plants. However, Saphira’s café gives him an idea – he’ll ask Saphira to train his dragon, and pay her enough to keep the cafe afloat.

They know they’re the answer to each other’s problems, but happy-go-lucky Saphira and gorgeous-but-grumpy Aiden couldn’t be more different. Can they find a way to work together – and maybe even ignite some fire of their own?

The perfect dual POV, grumpy sunshine cozy fantasy, with HEA guaranteed!

Out 16th Jan 2025

A Training School For Elephants by Sophy Roberts

In 1879, King Leopold II of Belgium launched an ambitious plan to plunder Africa’s resources. The key to cracking open the continent, or so he thought, was its elephants ― if only he could train them. And so he commissioned the charismatic Irish adventurer Frederick Carter to ship four tamed Asian elephants from India to the East African coast, where they were marched inland towards Congo. The ultimate aim was to establish a training school for African elephants.

Following in the footsteps of the four elephants, Roberts pieces together the story of this long-forgotten expedition, in travels that take her to Belgium, Iraq, India, Tanzania and Congo. The storytelling brings to life a compelling cast of historic characters and modern voices, from ivory dealers to Catholic nuns, set against rich descriptions of the landscapes travelled. She digs deep into historic records to reckon with our broken relationship with animals, revealing an extraordinary ― and enduring ― story of colonial greed, ineptitude, hypocrisy and folly.

Out 20th Feb 2025.

Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard

The night Jack Smyth ran into flames in a desperate attempt to save his wife from their burning home, he was, tragically, too late – but hailed a hero. Until it emerged that Kate was dead long before the fire began.

Suspicion has stalked him ever since. After all, there’s no smoke without fire.

A year on, he’s signed a book deal. He wants to tell his side of the story, to prove his own innocence in print. He just needs someone to help him write it.

Emily has never ghostwritten anything before, but she knows what it’s like to live with a guilty secret. And she’s about to learn that there are some stories that should never be told . . .

Out 10th April 2025

What Will People Think by Vedashree Khambete-Sharma

It’s 1976 and in the Vile Parle suburb of Mumbai, bastion of the Maharashtrian middle-class, Ila Bendre’s mother is determined to get her four daughters married off as soon as possible.

Ila has no intention of snaring a proposal from some dull specimen of Marathi manhood so she can pretend to care about cricket for the rest of her life. She wants a career and life of her own, and she’ll do whatever it takes to escape married bliss, no matter what the neighbours might say.

But when Ila’s Bollywood-obsessed younger sister, Latika, takes the matter of marriage into her own hands, it looks as if the Bendre family’s reputation in this close-knit community will be ruined once and for all…

As we follow the Bendre sisters from dinners to parties to weddings, from Vile Parle to Pune, will love eventually conquer all in this ingeniously witty and charming tale of pride, prejudice and puran polis?

Out 7th November 2024

Patriot by Alexei Navalny

Patriot is the exhilarating life story of one of the most fearless and inspiring figures of our time, who became a beacon to millions and the sole political threat to Vladimir Putin.

This is Alexei Navalny’s life in his own words: his Soviet childhood, political awakening, his marriage and beloved family, his total commitment to taking on a corrupt regime and his enduring love of Russia and its people. His 2020 poisoning by the Russian security services was a global news event. In 2024 he died in a brutal Siberian prison. He began writing Patriot whilst recovering from his poisoning; it ends with his prison diaries, seen here for the first time.

We witness the growth of his nationwide support. We see his many arrests and harassment and, in stunning detail, the attempt on his life. We understand why he felt he had to return to Russia. In prison, he shows a spirit and a sense of humour that cannot be crushed.

Patriot is as dramatic as its author’s life – passionate that good and freedom will prevail. It is Alexei Navalny’s final letter to the world, a rousing call to continue his work, an unforgettably positive account of a life that will inspire every reader.

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in the small village of Three Pines in Quebec. Someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. When he finally answers the call, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning.

That’s only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin THE GREY WOLF. At first they seem small – a missing coat, a note for Gamache reading “this might interest you”, a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list – but then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching. A threat unlike anything they’ve seen before.

Book Synopsis:

After three years behind a desk, Inspector John Barton wonders if he’s still got what it takes.

An opportunity arises to return to Major Crimes, so he jumps at it, after all he’s been around the block a few times. When he and his team are called in to investigate an attempted murder which seems to be linked to the case of a missing child, Barton is immediately thrust back into the life of a detective – early mornings, late nights and endless pressure to get to the truth.

Then a man dies.

Something deadly is going on behind the high walls and imposing gates of the mansions in the sleepy village of Castor. The locals are keeping each other’s secrets and if Barton doesn’t find out why soon, the bodies will start mounting up.

The Village Killer knows who’s next, and the clock is ticking…

The book all Ross Greenwood fans have been waiting for – Barton is Back! Ross Greenwood returns to his bestselling series, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Ian Rankin.

My Review:

The Village Killer is a gripping, twisty read from one of my favourite crime writers. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

Firstly I loved being back with DC (now DCI) Barton following him doing what he does best. It was great to see him back in the action and I loved the traditional police method that he uses, like trusting his gut in certain situations despite there not being any evidence that it is correct. The closeness between his team members was lovely to read about, particularly as they all work so well as a team supporting each other when needed and distracting their team mates with often hilarious banter. It often made me wish that I was a part of their team as it seemed like a lovely close knit team.

I thought the book was very fast paced and there was always something happening to keep my attention. As with the other books in the series there were multiple suspects which made it impossible to guess and kept me on my toes as I tried to work out who the murderer was. Even in the slower moments I was just enjoying hanging out with DCI Barton and his fabulous team. I liked that the descriptions of the investigation showed the slog of police work and the slower moments of a case as it made it seem more realistic. This is actually the seventh book in the series and whilst it could be read as a standalone as everything you need to know is explained, it is probably best to read the series in order. I’m really hoping that there is more to come in this fantastic series.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book through Netgalley. If you are a fan of crime fiction I highly recommend this fabulous author!

About The Author:

 I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I’m still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

My first book Chancer was written after I decided to do something challenging while my knees permitted. No skydiving for me. I became a prison officer for four years. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.

It’s surprising for me to realise I’ve written sixteen books now. There are three strands, one where the books concern lives affected by prison, and then my detective series starring DI John Barton. The first Barton book, The Snow Killer hit the coveted number one spot on KOBO and AUDIBLE, with the rest of the series not far behind.

I’ve also written four detective books in a Norfolk series now, starting with Death on Cromer Beach. There are two more planned.

My publishers kindly told me I had reached over half a million sales with them in five years in July 2024

I hope you enjoy reading what I’ve written.