Book Synopsis:

High priestesses are few and far between, white ones in Africa even more so. When Diane Esguerra hears of a mysterious Austrian woman worshipping the Ifa river goddess Oshun in Nigeria, her curiosity is aroused. It is the start of an extraordinary friendship that sustains Diane through the death of her son and leads to a quest to take part in Oshun rituals. Prevented by Boko Haram from returning to Nigeria, she finds herself at Ifa shrines in Florida amid vultures, snakes, goats’ heads, machetes, a hurricane and a cigar-smoking god. Her quest steps up a gear when Beyonce channels Oshun at the Grammys and the goddess goes global. Mystifying, harrowing and funny, The Oshun Diaries explores the lure of Africa, the life of a remarkable woman and the appeal of the goddess as a symbol of female empowerment.

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

My Review:

I must admit that I’d never heard of the IFA religion before, but this was the main thing that drew me to this book as I always love learning new things.

This book is a fascinating insight into a different culture and religion as viewed by a outsider. Through her we learn all about the beliefs, customs and rituals of the IFA religion which was very interesting. The author actually participates in some which I found particularly interesting as it showed her gut reactions to something that was obviously completely out of her comfort zone. I liked how honest she was about her feelings and that she joins in things despite feeling awkward or a bit embarrassed about doing so.

The two main characters, Adunni and Vassa, that the author follows through her experience were very interesting to read about. They are two white, Western women who are thoroughly involved in an African religion and I enjoyed learning about their experience of this. They are very keen to embrace this new religion but are aware that their presence might taint things for others. I wish the author has told us a bit more about their background as Adunni’s past in nazi Germany seemed especially intriguing.

I thought this book was very well written and thoroughly absorbing read which I raced through in a few days as I wanted to learn more. I felt it was part memoir, part adventure and I loved reading about the author’s adventures in Nigeria, a country that seemed beautiful but slightly dangerous. I would definitely be interested in 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:

Diane Esguerra is a writer, a psychotherapist and a traveller. For a number of years she worked as a performance artist in Britain, Europe and the United States. She has written for both theatre and television and is the recipient of a Time Out Theatre Award and a Geneva-Europe Television Award. She is the author of Junkie Buddha: A Journey of Discovery in Peru and The Oshun Diaries: Encounters with an African Goddess. She lives in Surrey, England.

Book Synopsis:

When ex-undercover agent Jackie Shaw visits northern Japan for a holiday, he is in search of relaxation, an escape from the brutality and tragedy of his past.

But when a local man is butchered as he spies on a young woman in the seedy heart of Sapporo’s entertainment district, Jackie is dragged into the hunt for a terrifying serial killer and begins a long and bloody battle with vicious yakuza gangs.

From the twisted underbelly of one of Japan’s largest cities to the vast, unforgiving wilderness of the northern territories of Hokkaido, DRY RIVER is a uniquely menacing and compulsive thriller which will take you to places you’ve never been before.

If you like Barry Eisler, Mark Dawson, Adrian McKinty or James Clavell, you’ll love John Steele’s books. DRY RIVER is the third book in John’s Jackie Shaw series and the most gripping yet!

Dry River is available in ebook now for the fantastic price of £1.99. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I thought this was an action packed, thrilling book that was a hugely entertaining read. This was a new series and a new author for me which is always exciting. I will definitely be interested in reading more from him in the future.

I have to admit the setting of this book really intrigued me as I have a bit of a fascination with Japan and Japanese culture. I therefore really enjoyed the vivid descriptions in this book, which made me feel like I was really there experiencing everything alongside the characters. It has definitely made me more determined to visit the country, though hopefully I won’t encounter the Mafia!

There is a lot of action and violence in this book which you would expect when the Mafia is involved. There are many fabulous twist that kept bring up new information which kept me firmly on my toes. Just when I thought I had figured everything out something would happen which would throw the story in a completely different direction.

Jackie Shaw is a very interesting main character who I liked from the beginning. He’s an undercover agent and as such is a very tough guy who seems to get into a lot of trouble. As he goes after the Mafia, and tries to save his friend, the tension slowly builds up as the two sides try to find each other. This results in an intense read which is very difficult to put down as I was desperate to find out what would happen next and who would win.

Huge thanks to Sarah Hardy from BOTBS publicity for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

John Steele was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1995, at the age of twenty-two he travelled to the United States and has since lived and worked on three continents, including a thirteen-year spell in Japan which inspired Dry River. Among past jobs he has been a drummer in a rock band, an illustrator, a truck driver and a teacher of English. He now lives in England with his wife and daughter. He began writing short stories, selling them to North American magazines and fiction digests. Dry River is his third novel and the third Jackie Shaw book. The first two, Ravenhill and Seven Skins, are published by Silvertail Books.

Book Synopsis:

The trees are disappearing and the adults don’t care. Toletis, his dog Amenophis and friends Claudia and Tutan are on a mission to turn their little valley town, set deep in the mountains, lusciously green again. The odds are stacked against them. Can they succeed …with some very unusual help? A deep appreciation for nature, art, language, music, friendship, family, the passing of time, old age, loneliness, and the importance of sitting still and reflecting on life, pervade this exquisite story. A must read for 7 to 107 year olds!

Toletis is available in paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Toletis is a beautifully written, magical book that my six year old and me loved reading together.

The book includes 12 tales following Toletis through the different seasons. Toletis is wonderful little boy who is able to see all the magic in the world. The vivid descriptions of the natural world were fantastic and made me smile. It has made both of us appreciate the things we see on walks and has led to some lovely discoveries and discussions between us.

The gorgeous illustrations that accompany the story help bring the story to life and kept my two eldest children busy for ages as they flicked through looking at them. They are big, bright and beautiful with some of the drawings being over two pages. They are all relevant to the story and my six year old could actually tell the story to his sister purely from them.

The book is described as being for children from seven years old, which I agree with though my son found some of the words a little hard at times. Older children would also appreciate the deeper meaning behind the story but my kids still loved the imagery the book provokes. This was a fabulous book to share with my kids at bed time and has quickly become one of our firm favourites. It has obviously stuck in my son’s mind as he often mentions it and talks about it when we are outside. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and look forward to reading more from him in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Neem Tree Press for my copy of this book which has become a permanent fixture on my son’s bookshelf.

About The Author:

Rafa Ruiz is a journalist and author who has a staunch commitment to culture, art and the environment. He spent 25 years at Spanish newspaper El País and is a partner-founder of the Press Association for Environmental Information (APIA). He has written numerous children’s books, and he codirects the Mad is Mad art gallery in Madrid which gives space to up-and-coming artists. He is one of the partner-founders of the Press Association for Environmental Information (APIA).

About The Illustrator:

Elena Hormiga is an illustrator with a sense of humour. She studied and worked as an engineer and later turned to illustration.

About The Translator:

Ben Dawlatly took an MA in Hispanic Studies and Translation Theory at UCL. He translates both technical and literary texts. However, his real calling is in fiction and poetry.

Book Synopsis:

Has the killer in DC Maggie Neville’s cold case returned after a decade of silence?

Katy Pope was seventeen when she was brutally murdered on a family holiday in Majorca. Despite her mother’s high rank in the Met and the joint major investigation between the British and Spanish police, Katy’s killer was never caught.

Ten years later, Katy’s family return to the Spanish island to launch a fresh appeal for information, taking with them the now skeletal team of investigating Met detectives, and newly seconded Maggie as the family liaison officer.

But Maggie’s first international investigation quickly goes from being more than just a press conference when another British girl there on holiday goes missing, and Katy’s killer announces that it’s time for an encore . . .

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

My Review:

Dead Guilty is the fourth book in the DC Maggie Neville series and quite possibly the best yet! I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty and gripping read which kept me guessing until the end.

In this book the author has cleverly breathed new life into the series with Maggie moving to the Met to help them with a cold case. I felt this allowed the reader to learn more about Maggie as she is in a new, unfamiliar situation working with a team who aren’t the same quality as the one she’s used to. This means she has to think between the lines a bit more and shows off parts of her personality we haven’t seen before which made the book very interesting.

The police procedural part of this book was very well done and felt realistic as it was solved without any huge leaps in evidence or strange coincidences. Instead the reader is able to follow the investigation from the start which made me feel more involved in the story as I tried to piece together the clues alongside the characters. There were a lot of red herrings, with the spotlight being put on different characters until the surprising reveal at the end which always makes for a fantastic read!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book. I really hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Maggie!

About The Author:

Michelle Davies was born in Middlesex in 1972, raised in Buckinghamshire and now lives in north London.

Her debut crime novel, Gone Astray, was published in Hardback in March 2016 and features Family Liaison Officer DC Maggie Neville as its central police character. The paperback version is due for publication on 20th October 2016. Gone Astray was part of a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan and the follow-up, Wrong Place, also featuring DC Neville, is due for release on 27th February 2017.

Book Synopsis:

FOR THIS KILLER, IT’S A GAME OF A B C

When the body of a man is found brutally murdered in a wildlife park and tattooed with a letter A, criminal profilers Jan Grall and Rabea Wyler are thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse. 

Later, two more mutilated bodies are found, again with tattoos on their skin – B and C – and it becomes clear that Grall and Wyler are dealing with a brutal serial killer. One who won’t stop until his set is complete. 

When Grall’s hotel room is marked with a Z and his girlfriend kidnapped, the race is on to find out who the killer is. 

Before it’s too late . . . 

A pulsating new crime thriller that will have you gripped from start to finish. 

The Alphabet Murders is available in ebook and paperback on the 22nd August 2019. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

This was a dark, twisty and gripping read which is unbelievably the author’s debut thriller.

The book opens with quite an intense torture scene with a tattoo gun which throws the reader immediately into the story and the mind of the twisted killer. I do read quite a few dark books but I have to admit to finding a few of the descriptions in this book quite stomach churning at times. If you aren’t a fan of gruesome scenes this is probably not the book for you!

Despite its dark storyline there are some fantastic characters in this book, who are very likeable. I liked that the author provides the reader with some background on each of them, allowing the reader to understand them more. They are all having to deal with personal issues in their private lives which makes for very interesting reading, particularly if they spill over into their work lives.

This was quite a fast paced read with lots of twist and turns to keep the reader gripped. The tension in the book slowly builds up as the story goes on and I soon found myself flying through the pages as I desperately wanted to find out what happens. I kept thinking I had figured out where it was going and then something would happen to throw the story in a completely new direction!

This the first book in a planned series and I’m excited to read more from this author. I really hope some of the characters will be featured in the next book as I really enjoyed reading about them.

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

About The Author:

Lars Schütz was born in 1992. He works as a copywriter for a large advertising agency in Düsseldorf. The Alphabet Murders is his debut thriller.

Book Synopsis:

Cliffehaven, 1945

The war in Europe is over, but for Peggy Reilly and the residents of Beach View Boarding House the effects of the conflict are still far-reaching.

Cockney evacuee, Ivy, and her sweetheart, Andy, are saving to get married and fulfil their dream of returning to the East End. But when tragedy strikes, Ivy is faced with a life-changing dilemma that only she can resolve.

Rita also faces an impossible choice when her sweetheart Peter proposes and asks her to live with him in Australia – just as her widowed father returns from the fighting in Europe.

Meanwhile Peggy must say goodbye to several of her evacuee chicks whilst she awaits the return of her family from Somerset and the news that her husband, Jim, can finally come home.

It’s a dream she’s held onto for six long years, but fate has one more twist in store.

With Hope And Love is published on the 22nd August 2019 in ebook and paperback. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Ellie Dean so you can imagine my excitement at being invited onto the blog tour for this, her latest book. This was another fantastic addition to the Cliffhaven series and was, once again, a compelling read.

I loved visiting The Beachview Boarding house and so enjoyed catching up with the residents again. The author has created some hugely likeable characters which are easy to get behind. My favourite was Peggy who is the life and sole of the boarding house. She is always hugely welcoming and always seems to be there for the other residents which was wonderful to read about. She has a lot of worry about in her life, especially regarding her husband Jim and I felt so sorry for her during the VE celebrations when she was trying to put on a brace face despite her anxiety over what has happened to him. I felt like I had to keep reading to find out what happens to her.

The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book so the reader feels like they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. The author has clearly done her research and I really liked learning a bit more about the VE celebrations and life after the war which I hadn’t read much about before.

I though this was an absorbing, compelling book which I loved reading. There is lots of things happening and multiple storylines to keep the reader on their toes. I found I enjoyed following the characters journey throughout the book to see what became of them. I really hope this isn’t the last book in this fantastic series!

Huge thanks to Rachel from Arrow publishing for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author

Ellie Dean lives in a tiny hamlet set deep in the heart of the South Downs in Sussex, which has been her home for many years and where she raised her three children. She is the author of the The Cliffehaven Series. 

To find out more visit http://www.ellie-dean.co.uk

Book Synopsis:

Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.

Amidst the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour. Yet, beneath the sunny exterior, lurks something far more sinister.

Paxton never thought he’d be working Security for the company that ruined his life, much less that he’d be moving into one of their sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, perhaps Cloud isn’t so bad. Better still, through his work he meets Zinnia, who fills him with hope for their shared future.

Except that Zinnia is not what she seems. And Paxton, with his all-access security credentials, might just be her meal ticket.

As Paxton and Zinnia’s agendas place them on a collision course, they’re about to learn just how far the Cloud will go to make the world a better place. 

To beat the system, you have to be inside it.

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

My Review:

This was a thrilling, scary and realistic read which I thought was fascinating.

Firstly this book seems, in a strange way, quite a current one as there have been lots of stories about the work conditions in big factories so this book seemed frightening plausible. The author does a great job of building the world so that the reader feels they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. I could well imagine what life was like working at The Cloud, so some of the events in the book were quite hard hitting. The descriptions were very vivid and this helps make the reader believe that such a world could exist.

The story is told from the point of view of Paxton and Zinnia, who are drawn together because of their shared mission or beliefs. I thought both characters were really well drawn, likeable characters who I enjoyed following throughout the book. I actually grew quite fond of them and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them.

I thought this was quite a fast paced, interesting reading which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. The first few parts of the book helps set the scene for what it’s like living and working within the cloud which I found fascinating. This was very well plotted book which always has something new to discover or happening to keep the reader interested. I couldn’t believe this was a debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from him in the future.

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

About The Author:

Rob Hart has been a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, a commissioner for the city of New York and is currently a publisher. The Warehouse is his first standalone novel and has been optioned for film by Ron Howard, director of Rush and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Rob lives in Staten Island, New York.

Book Synopsis:

Round and round she goes, blonde pigtails flying, her high-pitched giggle catching on the wind. But as the ride slows to a stop, her seat is suddenly empty. Little Lucy is gone…

When seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park, Detective Josie Quinnjoins the frantic search. She’s the one who finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die…

The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter – but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed.

Josie is faced with the most high-stakes case of her career as each new phone call from someone connected to the family ends with the shocking discovery of another body. This twisted killer wants revenge, and he won’t stop until the Ross family are in pieces…

Something is telling Josie that Lucy’s parents aren’t giving her the whole truth, but digging deeper into their lives will force her to confront a life-changing secret of her own. Does Josie have what it takes to crack this case? She has no choice if she’s going to bring Lucy home alive…

An absolutely unputdownable new crime thriller from an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journalbestselling author. Readers who love Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and Rachel Caine will be hooked until the final, jaw-dropping page.

Her Silent Cry is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

Anyone who regularly reads my blog will know that I’m a huge fan of this fabulous series, so I was very excited to read the next installment. This book was another chilling, addictive read that was hard to put down.

As a mother one of my worse nightmares is one of my children going missing and I thought the author perfectly conveyed all the emotions I would feel in such a situation. The anguish the mother feels is almost palpable at times and my heart was in my mouth as I watched everything unfold. I really wanted to keep reading to check everything would be ok in the end.

Jodie was once again my favourite character and I found I enjoyed following her as she tries to find the missing child. She isn’t a normal detective and often does things slightly unusually which makes her an interesting character to read about. Her strength and the way she handles herself in tough situations ensured I was behind her completely.

This was a fast paced, gripping read which had a lovely flow to it, making it impossible to put down. There were lots of actions and twists to keep the reader interested which made the pages just fly by. The ending was superb and took me completely by surprise which is always a sign of a great read. I hope this isn’t the last book in the series as I would love to read more about Josie!

Huge thanks to Noelle from Bookouture for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you are looking for a gripping crime series I highly recommend this one!

About The Author:

Lisa Regan is an Amazon bestselling crime novelist.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University.  She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Find out more at her website:www.lisaregan.com

Book Synopsis:

Chilling thriller set on Gibraltar – at the heart of The Rock are secret tunnels, hard to navigate and even harder to escape. Sebastian is a civil engineering prodigy and his latest project is his most ambitious to date: to build a new city on the sheerest face of The Rock. His fiancee, Eva, a diver, is entranced by the penisula’s hidden depths and concerned that her lover doesn’t push himself beyond human limits in his desire to see his dream realised. Mimi, still in her teens, is desperate to spread her wings and chafing at the limits placed on her movements by her overprotective older brother. When Mimi gets into a relationship with a neighbour intent on fighting the new development, Sebastian’s precarious mental health spirals out of control putting them all in danger. When Mimi is lost amidst their twists and turns the race is on to find her before the water rises.

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

My Review:

This was a fantastic, twisty psychological thriller which helps provide a fascinating look into the human mind and their relationships.

The story follows couple Sebastian and Eva, a couple who live together and Mimi, Eva’s sister who lives in the flat below them. As the book continues we learn more about their relationship and that everything isn’t as happy as they first appear. There are a lot of fault lines in their relationship, particularly the couple, which made me wonder why they were even together. It was very interesting to watch the relationship unravel and see underneath the surface to find out what they are really like.

The descriptions of Gibraltar where very vivid and really helped me picture it in my mind. I’ve never been particularly interested in visiting Gibraltar but I’ve now added it to my wish list as it sounds like a beautiful country. The diving scenes were all wonderfully described and I loved how tranquil it seemed. I do wish the author has included a few more of these scenes as they helped make the book for me.

I thought this was a fast paced, gripping read with the multiple points of view helping to add to the tension in the book. The many twists kept me guessing and I really didn’t know where the story was going to go which I always enjoy. This is the first book by this author that I’ve read and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Emma from Damp Pebbles tours for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Kitty Sewell was born in Sweden but holds British and Canadian citizenships, though she now lives full time in Spain. After a varied career as Notary Public, psychotherapist, syndicated newspaper columnist and sculptor, a difficult personal experience spurred her to turn her story into a novel. 
ICE TRAP became an international bestseller and was shortlisted for CWA New Blood Dagger Award, the Hay Festival Wales Book of the Year, winner of “People’s Choice” BBC Radio Wales and International Book of The Month with Bertelsmann Book Clubs. 
BLOODPRINT followed with equal success. CLOUD FEVER is published with Amazon.
Kitty is also an award-winning sculptor, and runs the foundation Kitty Harri’s Sculpture Garden. See http://www.kittyharri.com