Book Synopsis:

From the Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Memory Book, Rowan Coleman, comes a special new series featuring the Brontë sisters, written under the name Bella Ellis

Yorkshire, 1845

A young woman has gone missing from her home, Chester Grange, leaving no trace, save a large pool of blood in her bedroom and a slew of dark rumours about her marriage. A few miles away across the moors, the daughters of a humble parson, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified, yet intrigued.

Desperate to find out more, the sisters visit Chester Grange, where they notice several unsettling details about the crime scene: not least the absence of an investigation. Together, the young women realise that their resourcefulness, energy and boundless imaginations could help solve the mystery – and that if they don’t attempt to find out what happened to Elizabeth Chester, no one else will.

The path to the truth is not an easy one, especially in a society which believes a woman’s place to be in the home, not wandering the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril…

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

My Review:

I always love stories that re-imagine famous stories or involve real people so I was very intrigued by this book and the idea of the Brontë sister’s as detectives!

Firstly the author does a great job of setting the scene so that the reader feels completely transported to the 1800s and into the Brontë’s lives. I loved the little details the author includes from how women were expected to dress and spend their time to how people expected them to behave, which I found very interesting. It made it very easy to picture the Brontë’s in that life and to warm to them as characters.

The story is told from the point of view of each of the sisters which I thought was a nice touch as it gives the reader a chance to get to know them all individually. They are three very different women who each have different skills to bring to the investigation. My favourite was Emily who often made me laugh with her witty outbursts and actions but I enjoyed learning more about each of them. The banter and arguements between them were very amusing and made them feel much more realistic. They started to feel like old friends as the story progressed and I was quite sad to finish the book and leave them behind.

The mystery part of the story was well plotted and I enjoyed watching it all develop. It’s surprisingly gripping and the sense of anticipation of what might happen had me simultaneously wanting to read on to find out what happens but also not wanting to as I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. The author has cleverly included little hints about the stories the sisters would write into the story which I thought was a nice touch and, as a huge Brontë fan, gave me great pleasure. I really hope there are more books to come.

Huge thanks to Steven Cooper from Hodder Books for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour. If you are a fan of historical mysteries then I think you will enjoy this book.

About The Author:

Bella Ellis is the Brontë inspired pen name for the award winning, Sunday Times bestselling author Rowan Coleman. 

A Brontë devotee for most of her life, Rowan is the author of fourteen novels including The Memory Book , The Summer of Impossible Things and The Girl at the Window, as well as the co-author of Mirror, Mirror, the debut novel by actor and model Cara Delevingne. 

Bella Ellis lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and five children.

Twitter @brontemysteries

Book Synopsis:

Her head throbbed as she stumbled up the stairs. Music vibrating and the sound of partygoers fill her head as she walks into one of the dark, empty rooms. As she sits on the bed, she hears the unmistakable sound of the door locking behind her. She is not alone.

The body of college student Chrissie Lowe lies curled into a ball – long red cuts along her arms suggesting how she had met her death. Detective Jenna Alton is called in to investigate.

Purplish bruising on Chrissie’s upper arms and thighs make Jenna believe there is more to Chrissie’s death than others suspected, and she soon finds herself following the trail of the student’s last few moments, leading her to the scene of a party that had ended just hours before Chrissie’s body was found.

When Jenna hears reports that Chrissie was seen going into the bedroom of a college football star, she knows that finding out what went on behind that closed door could be the key to finding out how Chrissie ended up dead. But then another partygoer dies in an apparent accident at the campus gym just hours later, and Jenna is convinced the deaths are connected.

Facing a wall of silence from the student population, Jenna has to act fast to find the killer, but soon another student is found dead on the campus. As Jenna sends in one of her deputies undercover, she prays that she hasn’t just sealed his fate. Can she find the killer before any more lives are taken?

Fans of Lisa Regan, Karin Slaughter and Rachel Abbott will love this totally gripping page-turner from bestselling crime author D.K. Hood. You won’t be able to put it down!

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

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this fantastic series, so I’m always very excited to learn that there is a new book coming out. This is especially true if they feature my two favourite detectives Jane and Alton who I always enjoy following on their investigations. Their strong partnership and, the banter between them helps the reader warm to them, making it more fun to follow them.

This time the story is based on an American University Campus, featuring some interesting members of the football team similar to the stereotypical ones featured in a lot of films. I thought this made the book feel a bit more real, giving it a sinister edge. I’d like to think that such things didn’t happen, but sadly think it does.

The story is told from multiple points of view which was very interesting and meant that the reader often found out information before Jenna does. I loved following the story and trying to work out what was going on, though I ultimately failed as the author was very good at keeping the reader guessing as to who the culprit was.

The middle bit was a bit slower than the start and finish but this helped to show the reader how thankless and difficult police work can be. It also gives a fascinating insight into how the police conduct their investigations and how they look at the evidence to piece everything together.

Overall I thought this was an addictive, fast paced thriller with a very intriguing plot to keep the reader thoroughly gripped. There were lots of twists which I didn’t see coming and I was kept guessing until the end which I always enjoy. The ending was brilliant and took me completely by surprise. It was slightly sadder and more poignant than previous books but I admire the author trying something new.

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:

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author. Active member of International Thriller Writers.

Writing crime thrillers for Bookouture (Hachette) is a dream come true for me. I really love writing the Kane and Alton Series.

My debut crime thriller, Don’t Tell a Soul hit 32 in the Top 100 Bestseller list on Amazon USA, followed by Bring Me Flowers and Follow Me Home enjoying the same success. The Crying Season went into the USA TODAY Bestseller list followed by Where Angels Fear. Whisper in the Night went into the USA TODAY and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Bestsellers lists in the same week and was the #1 Bestseller in Australia on Friday 13th !!!!!

It’s been great to “meet” so many wonderful readers from all over the world through my Facebook pages. Their support and friendship is inspirational.
I’m currently writing more books in the series. Book 7 will be published on 3 November 2019. Kane and Alton book 8 is underway.

I love writing about the rugged beauty of Montana and my interest in the development of forensic science to solve crime goes back many years. It was one subject I enjoyed studying and with the constant advances, it never gets boring.

With many stories, waiting for me to write, I’ll look forward to sharing more exciting crime thrillers with you.

Join me for a chat:
Twitter
@DKHood_Author
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dkhoodauthor
Web:
http://www.dkhood.com

Book Synopsis:

A poignant ode to love and the memories that make a well-lived life, from the author of THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA RETIREMENT VILLAGE

As the wife of retired ship’s doctor Dr Henry Parker, Evelyn is living out her twilight years aboard the Golden Sunset. Every night she dresses for dinner – gown, tiara, runners – and regales her fellow passengers with stories of a glamorous life travelling the world in luxury, as well as showing off her superior knowledge of everything from ships’ customs to biographical details of her heroine, Florence Nightingale. The crew treat her with deference. And forbearance.

But when Henry goes missing, Evelyn sets off to search every part of the grand ocean liner to find him, casino, nightclub and off-limits areas included.

Misadventures are had, new friends are made, scandalous behaviour noted – all news to Evelyn. If only she could remember the events of the night before as clearly as she can recall the first time she met Henry on a passage from England to Australia in 1953 and fell in love, abandoning her dreams to become a midwife to be a wife instead – and the long-ago painful events that left Evelyn all at sea.

Why is it so hard to forget some things and so hard to remember others? And where is Henry?

The Last Voyage Of Mrs Henry Parker is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Last Voyage Of Mrs Henry Parker is a heartwarming though poignant glimpse of sea travel in years gone by and a beautiful love story.

The wonderful descriptions of life on board a ship were really interesting and I enjoyed seeing how they changed over the years. There is a lot more to do then I thought there was, with something suitable for everyone which was nice to see. The visits to the different countries in such a short time must be fascinating. It was great fun to live precariously through the characters and visit the sights through them. I’d definitely like to go on a cruise now at some point as it seem like great fun!

The main character Evelyn was brilliant. I warmed to her instantly and so enjoyed following her on her last voyage. She is the type of person that I wish I knew in real life as she has lots of fascinating stories to tell, whether you want her to or not. Some of her observations and mishaps in her search for Henry had me laughing out loud as they were very funny. There is a slightly poignant side to her story as it’s obvious that her memory isn’t what it used to be and it’s heartbreaking to see how confused she gets at time. I wished I could climb into the book and give her a big hug.

At the heart of this story ist wonderful, heartwarming love story between Henry and Evelyn which was truly beautiful to read about. They have certainly had their ups and down on their journeys across the ocean, seeing many different things that I found very interesting to read about. I enjoyed being a spectator to their relationship and watching it change and develop throughout the years. It was very sad to see how lost Eveyln seems without Henry as they had come to rely on each other so much.

Overall I thought this was a beautiful, absorbing story that I loved curling up with after a hard day. I could happily get lost in Eveyln’s world and all her adventures on the seas. I did guess some parts of the story but I think I was meant to as the story is less about the mystery of Henry but more about Evelyn’s life and their love together. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book as I was so enjoying the story and learning more about Eveyln. I thought this book was similar to The unexpected Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry so if you liked that book I think you will enjoy this one too.

Huge thanks to Hodder Books for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Joanna Nell was born in the Midlands and graduated from Oxford University with a medical degree in 1991.
In 2003 she moved to Australia where she now works as a GP with a passion for women’s health and care of the elderly.
Joanna writes character-driven stories of self-discovery for women of a certain age, creating young-at-heart characters who break the rules and defy society’s expectations.
She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and two children. THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA VILLAGE is her first novel.

Book Synopsis:

It is 1932, and the losses of the First World War are still keenly felt.

Violet Speedwell, mourning for both her fiancé and her brother and regarded by society as a ‘surplus woman’ unlikely to marry, resolves to escape her suffocating mother and strike out alone.

A new life awaits her in Winchester. Yes, it is one of draughty boarding-houses and sidelong glances at her naked ring finger from younger colleagues; but it is also a life gleaming with independence and opportunity. Violet falls in with the broderers, a disparate group of women charged with embroidering kneelers for the Cathedral, and is soon entwined in their lives and their secrets. As the almost unthinkable threat of a second Great War appears on the horizon Violet collects a few secrets of her own that could just change everything…

Warm, vivid and beautifully orchestrated, A Single Thread reveals one of our finest modern writers at the peak of her powers.

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

My Review:

I absolutely love this author! She’s one of my go to author’s for historical fiction as you know you’re going to get a fantastic read. A Single Thread is no exception and I so enjoyed this compelling, absorbing read that I will be recommending to everyone.

Firstly the historical detail in this book is brilliant, especially as it contained information I didn’t know that much about. I was lucky enough to hear this author speak at The Cheltenham Literature Festival and it was fascinating to learn how she did research for her books. The subject of so called ‘excess woman’ was an interesting one which I hadn’t heard of before but which obviously makes sense after the war. Societies attitude toward them and the options available to them, apart from marriage, was quite shocking as it was hardly their fault. The author also includes the Winchester broderers which was a real group! I really enjoyed learning more about them and the wonderful sounding embroidery they did for the cathedral, some of which is still used.

I loved the main character Violet and enjoyed following her story in her quest for independence. She’s one of the excess women I mentioned previously as her fiancé was sadly killed in the war but she is unwilling to settle for the spinster life society expects her to have. Instead of staying home to look after her mother, she moves away and starts a new life. I quickly warmed to Violet in the first few pages of the book when we learn about her overbearing mother so was completely on her side. She is an incredibly brave, strong woman who is unwilling to give up despite society being against her at times. It was lovely to follow her on her journey and to witness her starting her new life and making new friends.

Overall I thought this was a compelling, absorbing read which I found hard to put down as I was so involved in the story. There is always something happening in Violet’s world to keep the reader thoroughly intrigued. The story is beautifully plotted going between funny moments to poignant ones which made me want to keep reading as I had to know what would happen next.

I thought the ending was perfect and a fabulous way to end the book. I had tears in my eyes as I read the last few pages and I felt very sad to have left Violet and her world behind. I can’t wait to read more from this talented author!

Huge thanks to Borough Press for my copy of this book via Netgalley. Though I did great myself to a hardback copy so I could get Tracy to sign it at Cheltenham! 😍

About The Author:

Tracy is the author of 10 novels, including the international bestseller GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, which has sold over 5 million copies and been made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. American by birth, British by geography, she lives in London with her husband and son. Her latest novel, A SINGLE THREAD, is set in and around Winchester Cathedral in the 1930s, and involves embroidery, bellringing, and an adventurous heroine. Her website http://www.tchevalier.com will tell you more about her and her books.

Photo: Jonathan Drori

Book Synopsis:

SHE WANTS HIM BACK. SHE WANTS YOU GONE.

Finally, Georgia has found the one. Luke is kind, handsome, and makes her feel safe – which is what she needs after everything she’s been through.

The only problem is his ex-girlfriend.

Luke says Cadence just can’t accept the breakup, and that explains the texts, the emails, the notes…

But then things start to go very wrong – will Cadence really do whatever it takes to get what she wants?

Fans of Lisa Jewell, Rachel Abbott and Adele Parks will love this gripping and twisty psychological suspense.

The Ex-Girlfriend is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Nicola Moriarty is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, I’ve read all her books and think she just gets better and better. The Ex-Girlfriend is a fantastic, twisty read which deals with some serious themes. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

The reader is told from the start about Luke’s interesting Ex-Girlfriend but things don’t really become interesting until Georgia and Luke move in together and strange things start to happen. The tension in the book slowly increases until the book becomes incredibly gripping. I did guess some of the twists but this didn’t decrease my enjoyment as I was really enjoying the story and getting to know the characters more.

There are some fabulous characters in this book which I thought were developed well. I didn’t initially like Georgia as I thought she came across as a bit desperate and ditzy. However as I got to know her better I realised she was actually quite a strong woman who doesn’t let small things get to her. Her hippy, unconventional parents were some of the best characters in the book and I loved the scenes with them. They brought some humour into the story and had me laughing out loud at times.

The ending was brilliant and took me completely by surprise which I always love. The pace really ramps up and it changes to quite a sinister story which ensured I couldn’t put it down.

Huge thanks to Sriya from Michael St Joseph’s for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book. If you like satisfying thrillers you can relax into then you’ll love this book!

About The Author:

Nicola Moriarty is a Sydney-based novelist, copywriter and mum to two small (but remarkably strong willed) daughters. In between various career changes, becoming a mum and completing her BA, she began to write. Now, she can’t seem to stop. Her published works include the novels Free-Falling, Paper Chains and The Fifth Letter plus the novella Captivation as well as contributions to two UK anthologies. She is also the younger sister of best-selling and award-winning authors, Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty.

Nicola has been awarded the Fred Rush Convocation prize from Macquarie University, along with ‘Best Australian Debut’ from Chicklit Club. She has been published in Australia, The United States and The United Kingdom and her books have been translated into German, Dutch and Hungarian.

The Fifth Letter was a Top Ten Bestseller in Australia with Australian Women’s Weekly calling it ‘a pacey, circle-of-friends thriller, which accelerates in its intensity and sheer originality with every page”; while the UK’s Sun on Sunday said, “With secrets and intrigue, this is a compulsive read.” It was The Librarian’s Choice top pick for March 2017 and was featured in Popsugar’s Best Books for Fireside Reading plus their Favourite Books for the Year (so far)!

Nicola’s next book, THEM AND US is due out in Australia, the US and the UK in 2018.

Visit Nicola at her website or through one of her social media pages below.

http://www.nicolamoriarty.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/NicolaMoriartyAuthor
https://twitter.com/NikkiM3
https://www.instagram.com/nicmoriarty/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347787.Nicola_Moriarty
Email: nicola@nicolamoriarty.com

Book Synopsis:

In the summer of 1915, the violent death of a young girl brings grief and notoriety to Charleston Farmhouse on the Sussex Downs.

Years later, Josephine Tey returns to the same house – now much changed – and remembers the two women with whom she once lodged as a young teacher during the Great War. As past and present collide, with murders decades apart, Josephine is forced to face the possibility that the scandal which threatened to destroy those women’s lives hid a much darker secret.

Sorry for the Dead is the eighth book in the ‘Josephine Tey’ series, at once a compelling murder mystery and a moving exploration of love and grief

Sorry For The Dead is published in ebook and hardback on the 7th November 2019. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this fantastic historical crime series which has a fabulous female detective at its centre. I always think these books have a slightly classic feel to them, similar to those of Agatha Christie.

The historical detail in this book is brilliant with the Author cleverly including past prejudices or attitudes into the story. This time it explored societies view on lesbianism and I found it very sad to see how they were treated in the past. The storyline involving this was very emotional and I found myself getting quite angry on their behalf.

The Bloomsbury group featuring famous writers like the Hitchcocks also makes an appearance and it was fascinating to see the author’s portrayal of them. The author actually went to Cambridge University and I love how she always manages to include some of its history.

Josephine Try has to be one of my favourite female detectives ever as I’ve always admired her confidence and the way she deals with things. In this story we discover more about her past and first, rather turbulent, love. I found this very interesting and enjoyed finding out more about a younger Josephine. It was especially good to see that Josephine has always been the self assured lady we know and love.

The actual crime element to the story was well paced and I enjoyed watching it all unfold. There were plenty of false leads to keep me on my toes and I liked how we sometimes found things out from one timeline before Josephine discovers it for herself. The ending was really surprising but ultimately satisfying and I thought it was a great way to end the book.

Huge thanks to Sophie Portas for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book which I have added to my collection for this series!

About The Author:

Nicola Upson was born in Suffolk and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. She has worked in theatre and as a freelance journalist, and is the author of two non-fiction works and the recipient of an Escalator Award from the Arts Council England. Her debut novel, An Expert in Murder, was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey – one of the leading authors of Britain’s age of crime-writing. The book was dramatised by BBC Scotland for Woman’s Hour, and praised by PD James as marking ‘the arrival of a new and assured talent’.

Nicola lives with her partner in Cambridge and Cornwall, which was the setting for her second novel, Angel With Two Faces. The third book in the series, Two for Sorrow, was followed by Fear in the Sunlight and, most recently, The Death of Lucy Kyte. Taken together, they paint an atmospheric picture of England between the wars, contrasting the stark reality of life in the 1930s and 40s with the glamorous world of theatre and film and featuring a variety of real characters, from the Edwardian murderers, Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, to the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. Her research for the books has included many conversations with people who lived through the period and who knew Josephine Tey well, most notably Sir John Gielgud.

Nicola is currently writing a standalone novel set in the late 1920s, and researching the sixth ‘Josephine Tey’ mystery.