Book Synopsis:

On the idyllic Pine Road, three women are looking for a fresh start…

Martha was a force of nature, but since moving to Dublin under mysterious circumstances, she can’t seem to find her footing.

Robin was the ‘it’ girl in school. Now she’s back at her parents’ with her four-year-old, vowing that her ex is out of the picture for good.

Edie has the perfect life, but she longs for a baby, the acceptance of her neighbours, and to find out why her dream husband is avoiding their dream future.

The friendships of these women will change their lives forever, revealing the secrets, rivalries and scandals that hide behind every door…

Three Little Truths is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I adore stories about neighbours as you never quite know where the story will lead you. This one helps quell any urge you may have to gossip or spy on your neighbours as there is lots going on to satisfy you!

The author does a great job in creating the close knit, friendly neighborhood of Pine Close and I really enjoyed learning more about the characters that live there. They are quite a varied bunch with each of them having different secrets and problems which I found very interesting to learn about. I found I grew fond of them quickly and felt sorry for them when things started to go wrong.

Most of the story is told through the conversations the characters have in their WhatsApp group which gave the story a modern and realistic feel to it. I belong to numerous groups like this and I enjoyed the fly on the wall glimpse into their lives. I felt that I got an intimate look into their interactions and felt like I was a member of their group too.

This story had a lovely flow to it with lots going on and secrets being revealed to keep me very intrigued. I loved the slow increase in tension that slowly builds throughout the book and the twists that took me completely by surprise at times. I found myself very sad to leave the characters and Pine Close !

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

About The Author:

Eithne Shortall is the bestselling author of Grace After Henry and Love in Row 27. She studied journalism at Dublin City University and has lived in London, France and America. Now based in Dublin, she is chief arts writer for the Sunday Times Ireland. She enjoys sea swimming, cycling and eating scones.

Book Synopsis:

Two generations and four decades in the lives of Frank, Mary Lou and the rest of the gang

This digital box set contains the complete four-book saga of the Lagotti Family:

The Heist: After leaving Baltimore Penitentiary, Frank’s get rich quick scheme to rob a bank requires his girlfriend, Mary Lou to sleep with an inside guy and for his gang to stay together long enough to take down the vault. Meanwhile Mary Lou falls for the inside man and can’t decide whether to go with him or Frank. If she chooses the wrong fella she’ll be penniless and wind up dead. How would you choose between a fool and a dreamer?

The Getaway: After ex-con Frank and his girlfriend Mary Lou rob a Baltimore Bank, they must flee across country before the Feds find them and the mob ices them for stealing from an organized crime boss. As they dash to California, trust becomes the most important currency as Frank and Mary Lou grapple to decide whether love is enough to keep them together. And by the time they reach their goal, they must fight to the death to survive hired guns and trained police shooters. If they don’t kill everyone in their way then they will die themselves. Would you risk everything for a sack of greenbacks?

Powder: When Mary Lou takes the proceeds from a bank robbery to start up her heroin dealing business, old enemies circle overhead and threaten the lives of her twins. How will she keep them safe in such a dangerous place and what is she prepared to do to secure her new venture?

Mama’s Gone: When Mary Lou makes some bad decisions, her twins and her husband must decide whether she’s losing her mind. If they can get that cleared up then all they have to worry about is their feud with the Russian mob. And then someone goes and ices the old lady. Who would have the cajones to murder the head of the Lagotti family?

The Lagotti Family Series is available now in ebook and paperback. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

Extract: The Heist

Frank was out the can two minutes and already he knew he wanted money. A lot of money. So much money he knew he wasn’t getting it from the recruitment pages of the local paper. He wanted dirty money. Money you can only get if you mix with the kind of guys who’ve got ideas. The kind of guys Frank was stuck in a cell with. The kind of guys who’ve got connections. Real connections with real guys. Frank was hungry for greenbacks.
Like many of us, Frank had dreams, big dreams. Big dreams of a big life. Fast cars, faster girls and a fancy suit or two. The kind of life he’d seen on a million TV shows. Only Frank thought it was real. Thought he really could have one of those TV lives.
There’s nothing wrong with dreams. Unless they catch you full in the chest and knock you for seven. Then there can be something wrong with dreams. But Frank’s problem wasn’t his dreams. It was his wallet and his wallet was empty. So he needed to find a way to fill it. To plug his gap.
People say that being in the joint is like going to a criminal university and Frank had passed his final exam with flying colors. He’d spent his two years of incarceration keeping his head down, so he’d get paroled early. And he listened and learned from the men around him. How to pick a good location, how to find someone on the inside you can leverage. All the little details that turn a half-baked plan into a complete apple pie.
So when Frank walked through the gates of the Baltimore penitentiary, he knew exactly what he was going to do. Knew exactly how to get that pot of money he had spent two long years dreaming about.
Of course, there was something else he’d been dreaming about too. Or rather, trying not to dream about. Because some dreams just leave you weak, not able to concentrate on the matter at hand. And in the joint that kind of concentration can get you killed.
When the last gate clanged shut and Frank was standing on free soil and breathing in free air, there was the other thing of his dreams. Mary Lou’s tight-fitting pants and all that was hidden beneath them.
There she stood, with one hand on her hip and the other holding a bottle of tequila in a brown paper bag, nice and legal like. A denim shirt with the ends tied on one side to show off that flat stomach and the tattoo of a rose three inches below her belly button, just peeping out from her jeans and a thick brown belt.

About The Author:

Leopold Borstinski is an independent author whose past careers have included financial journalism, business management of financial software companies, consulting and product sales and marketing, as well as teaching.

There is nothing he likes better so he does as much nothing as he possibly can. He has travelled extensively in Europe and the US and has visited Asia on several occasions. Leopold holds a Philosophy degree and tries not to drop it too often.

He lives near London and is married with one wife, one child and no pets.

Book Synopsis:

Christmas Day, London 1880
Snow falls … a dying Irish girl clutching her new-born baby drags herself to the sanctuary of an East End orphanage and throws herself on the mercy of the Sisters of Clemency. The nuns raise little Ettie O’Reilly as their own and provide her with the love and education she might never have had. But the lives of the nuns and orphans are soon crushed by a powerful and greedy bishop.

The heart-breaking outcome separates Ettie from her friends and family, luring her into a world of male dominance and the fickle nature of intimate relationships. In her naivety, with her faith in the goodness of human nature severely tested, she doesn’t know who to trust. And when the boy who has promised his undying love and loyalty betrays her, Ettie’s world starts to crumble.

She must finally accept the hard-hitting truth – happiness comes at a cost! Does she have the courage and wisdom to face the demons she long ago learned about from the Sisters of Clemency? Will the resolution of an undiscovered and painful secret be her making – or breaking?

Christmas Child is available in ebook now, you can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Christmas Child is a poignant but captivating read which is perfect for curling up with.

Ettie was a fantastic main character that was easy to get behind and I enjoyed following her on her emotional journey. She experiences some tough times which made my heart ache for her as I felt she really didn’t deserve it. However her determination to get through the hard times and find happiness made me smile. I found I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to her and to see if she gets the happy ending I felt she deserved.

This book is set in the Victorian era and the author has obviously done a lot of research as the historical detail was excellent, making the story seem very realistic. There are many different parts of the era explored in this book which were interesting to learn about, especially her work as a governess as I hadn’t read many books about that profession.

This book manages to be both heart breaking and heartwarming at times which made it hard to put down as there was always something happening. It is a fabulous mix of saga and coming of age story which makes for a wonderful read. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Mum and Dad were both East Enders who were born on the famous or should I say the then infamous Isle of Dogs. Their family were immigrants who travelled to the UK from Ireland and France, while others emigrated to America.
As a child I would listen to the adults spinning their colourful stories, as my cousins and I drank pop under the table.
I know the seeds of all my stories come from those far off times that feel like only yesterday. So I would like to say a big heartfelt thank you to all my family and ancestors wherever you are now … UK, Ireland, France or America, as you’ve handed down to me the magic and love of story telling.

Book Synopsis:

Audrey, recently widowed, is not saying why she left her comfortable home in the south of England to move into an old school boarding house on the edge of a moor. Tina, a young estate agent, is concerned for Audrey’s safety as she believes the folklore about a schoolboy who never went home. Property developers, annoyed at losing a site ripe for demolition, make plans to encourage Audrey to sell. Malcolm, a charming widower, brings a welcome light into Audrey’s life until it shines into a very dark corner…

Bridge Of Eternity is available in ebook and paperback. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

This was an atmospheric and captivating story that I really didn’t want to end. It manages to be a wonderful love story and an unsettling ghost story rolled into one which combines to make a fantastic read!

I always love books set in old houses as you never know what will happen. This house has definitely seen some interesting things and some of the incidents described in the book made my hair stand on end. However the more I learnt about the history of the house the more I came to realise how beautiful and emotional this story is.

I thought this was a cleverly crafted book which was beautifully written. Some of the descriptions where wonderfully vivid and made me feel like I was there watching everything unfold. It’s clever plot took me on a journey of discovery alongside Audrey, while the twists kept me fully absorbed in the story. I found I really enjoyed this book and can’t believe it’s a debut novel for the author.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

“I started my working life in the theatre and was very lucky to find myself on the West End stage in a hit play at the age of 16. My career and life nearly ended there as I was knocked down by a car on the way home one Saturday night. I recovered and went on to be quite a successful photographic model. Later, when that part of my career did die, I turned to writing and made quite a good living writing screenplays, making films, and writing advertising copy for a marketing company. A few years ago I entered a short-story competition and fell in love with prose and knew I had to tell my own story within a fictional framework. At the moment I am hiding behind a nom de plume.”

Book Synopsis:

Outer London, September 2016, and neighbouring eight-year-olds have homework: prepare a traditional story to perform with their families at a school festival. But Nathan’s father thinks his son would be better off doing sums; Sky’s mother’s enthusiasm is as fleeting as her bank balance, and there’s a threatening shadow hanging over poor Alka’s family. Only Mandeep’s fragile grandmother and new girl Xoriyo really understand the magical powers of storytelling. As national events and individual challenges jostle for the adults’ attention, can these two bring everyone together to ensure the show will go on?

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

My Review:

I have to admit I didn’t expect this book to be such an intriguing and thought provoking read as it was. I’m not sure if it was the title or innocent looking front cover that did it but I really wasn’t expecting what I found within its pages- in a good way!

This book follows five very different children as they embark on a school project to understand more about the different cultures that exist in their home town of London. The story is told from each families point of view and details the reaction of both the adults and the children in the family to what they discover. The five families are unknown to each other before the project begins despite living near each other.

Told with great insight and humour the author describes the many different cultures and beliefs that exist in modern day Britain which was fascinating to learn more about. I believe that the author hopes to develop understanding for the differences in these cultures by helping to educate the reader, through the families experience. As such I think this is an important book for everyone to read and I will definitely be recommending it to others. It would also make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

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

About The Author:

Jessica Norrie studied French literature at Sussex University, and trained as a teacher at Sheffield. Then she wandered into parenthood, told her now grown up children stories, and heard theirs. A qualified translator, she worked on an eclectic mix of material, from health reports on racehorses to harrowing refugee tales. She taught adults and children, co-authored a textbook and ran teacher training. In 2008 came the idea for “The Infinity Pool”, which appeared in 2015 (and in German in 2018). Her second novel “The Magic Carpet”, inspired by teaching creatively in multicultural schools, was published in July 2019, and she is working on a third. She divides her time between London and Malvern, blogging, singing soprano, and walking in the forest and hills.

Book Synopsis:

You trust your family. They love you. Don’t they?

When 17-year-old Eva Olsen awakes after a horrific accident that has left her bedbound, her parents are right by her side. Devoted, they watch over her night and day in the attic room of their family home in the forests of Norway.

But the accident has left Eva without her most recent memories, and not everything is as it seems. As secrets from the night of the accident begin to surface, Eva realises – she has to escape her parents’ house and discover the truth. But what if someone doesn’t want her to find it?

An edge-of-your-seat, atmospheric psychological thriller for fans of Lucy Clarke and Erin Kelly.

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

My Review:

This was a heartbreaking, shocking and gripping read from this talented author! This is a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give too much away.

The main character Eva is a very sympathetic one who I couldn’t help but feel sorry for. Her confusion is almost palpable at times and it was heartbreaking to watch her try to piece everything together. Her memory loss makes her an unreliable narrator which made for very interesting reading as I tried to work out what was real and what wasn’t.

The story does start of slow which I thought was cleverly done by the author as it reflected the confusion that Eva feels. It soon picks up though when the different threads of the story start pulling together and the many twists kept me guessing until the end. The ending really shocked me and I felt pulled the story together nicely.

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

About The Author:

Isabel Ashdown was born in London and grew up on the south coast of England. The opening of her debut won the Mail on Sunday Novel Competition, going on to be published as Glasshopper and being named as one of the best books of the year. Today, she writes full-time, walks daily, and volunteers in a local school for the charity Pets as Therapy. Isabel lives in Sussex with her carpenter husband, their two children and dogs Charlie and Leonard. Follow Isabel on Twitter @IsabelAshdown

Book Synopsis:

From the author of THE MAYFLY comes a dark and compulsive thriller, perfect for fans of M. J. Arlidge and Katerina Diamond.

A secret buried for two thousand years.
The rise of an ancient evil.
An invisible killer who will stop at nothing.

When a brutal serial killer defies all known methods, the police call in prolific lawyer and former homicide detective, Charlie Priest, to assist the hunt.

Working together they soon discover a link to a lost scripture that contains a secret so devastating that its custodians are prepared to die to keep it.

Tangled in a dark world of fanaticism, chaos and deadly secrets, Priest comes up against a nemesis more formidable and deranged than any he has previously encountered.

There is no Judgement Day. There is something far worse.

False Prophet is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

False Prophet is another fantastic, entertaining and riveting thriller from this talented author. This is not a book to start just before you go to bed as, it’s very hard to put down and you’ll soon find yourself reading until the early hours.

The main character Charlie is quite an unusual one as he suffers from DPD ( depersonalisation disorder) which I’d never heard of before. It presents itself suddenly and in quite inconvenient times which was interesting to learn about. I felt it really added to the story as it created some unpredictability to the story and led to a few laugh out loud moments.

This story perfectly blends an ancient mystery and a modern day murder to create a very intriguing story line. This was a book that just kept on giving with lots of twists and secrets being revealed which kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed going on the journey alongside the characters and trying to figure everything out. This book got into my mind and I found myself constantly thinking about it when I wasn’t able to read it which is always a sign of a great book!

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

About The Author:

Before turning his hand to writing, James Hazel was a lawyer in private practice specialising in corporate and commercial litigation and employment law.

He was an equity partner in a regional law firm and held a number of different department headships until he quit legal practice to pursue his dream of becoming an author.

He has a keen interest in criminology and a passion for crime thrillers, indie music and all things retro.

James lives on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds with his wife and three children.

For exclusive writing, new releases, news and plus a FREE ebook from James Hazel, sign up to the Reader’s Club: http://bit.ly/JamesHazel

For more info visit http://www.jameshazelbooks.com

Book Synopsis:

When a girl’s body is discovered in a park in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Oakhurst, local detective Jo is shocked to the core. Because the girl is the second innocent victim to turn up dead in three days. And just like the first, a tarot card has been left by the body. The meaning of the card: betrayal.

After uncovering a series of threatening messages targeting the girl, a student at the university, and the first victim, her teacher, Jo thinks she’s locked the killer in her crosshairs. The primary suspect is a volatile ex-military student with an axe to grind for failing grades, and the frightened town is out for his blood. But the next day, a much-loved member of the community is found dead in her home, a tarot card in her mail. There’s no clear motive to link her death to the others, and the message on the card this time is even stranger: domestic bliss.

With a fourth body and card appearing the following day, Jo knows she’s running out of time to crack the code and bring the killer to justice. And the pressure only gets worse with heart-breaking news about Jo’s father forcing her to choose between helping her family heal or the victims’ families get justice. Can Jo find the twisted murderer sending the town into a panic before another life is lost? Or this time, will the dangerous killer find her first?

A completely addictive detective thriller that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. If you love Kendra Elliot, Melinda Leigh and Lisa Regan you’ll love Taken to the Grave.

Taken To The Grave is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this brilliant book which had me gripped from the start.

The story follows Detective Jo Fournier as she tries to solve a difficult case whilst dealing with a number of problems in her personal life too. The author provide a lot of background to her life which had me feeling immediately sympathetic towards her. She has gone through some tough times which would floor a lot of people and I was impressed with her resolve to try and keep going.

The case was a very intriguing one with lots of twists that kept me guessing until the end. Just when I thought I had figured everything out something would happen to send the story in a completely new direction. I found I enjoyed watching everything unfold and trying to solve the case alongside Jo.

This was the second book in the series but I felt could easily be read as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. I am looking forward to reading more from this exciting new author in the future.

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

About The Author:

M.M. Chouinard writes crime fiction (including suspense, procedurals, and cozies), and women’s fiction. M.M. Chouinard’s first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity’s sake, she released them.

Book Synopsis:

What if you couldn’t get away from the one who got away?

This December, unlucky-in-love Jess is following her dream and moving to Notting Hill. On the first night in her new house-share she meets Alex, the guy in the room next door. They don’t kiss under the mistletoe, but there’s still a spark that leaves Jess imagining how they might spend the year together – never mind the house rule against dating…

But when Jess returns from her Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started seeing Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into the man of her dreams – and, apparently, the woman of his.

Jess is determined to move on and spend the year falling in love with London, not Alex – but what if her heart has other ideas?

We Met In December is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was a funny, warm and absorbing read that has made me want to visit London again as soon as possible!

The thing I most liked about this book was the gradual development of the couples relationship. It wasn’t a straight forward romance for the two of them, despite having a spark when they first meet. Instead the pair become friends first and spend a lot of time exploring London together which leads to some lovely scenes.

The wonderful descriptions of London were brilliant and I thought I could clearly envision them in my mind. I enjoyed visiting all the places alongside them, including some that I hadn’t heard about before which I had to look up on the internet.

This book drew me in straight away and I soon found myself losing myself in it’s pages. I enjoyed following Jess and Tom’s story whilst wondering how it was going to end up for them. It was a fun, easy read which would be great to take on holiday or curl up with in front of the fire.

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

About The Author:

Rosie Curtis was born in the Highlands of Scotland, and now lives with her family in a 150 year old house by the sea in the north west of England. She loves travel, happy ever after stories, and daydreaming. Her favourite book character is a toss up between Anne Shirley and Jo March. Rosie also writes adult and teen fiction as Rachael Lucas.

You can say hello to Rosie on Twitter where she is @karamina and follow her on Instagram at @rosiecurtisauthor