Book Synopsis:

How do you find a killer when you’re surrounded by madness?

1935. As Europe prepares itself for a calamitous war, six homicidal lunatics – the so-called ‘Devil’s Six’ – are confined in a remote castle asylum in rural Czechoslovakia. Each patient has their own dark story to tell and Dr Viktor Kosárek, a young psychiatrist using revolutionary techniques, is tasked with unlocking their murderous secrets.

At the same time, a terrifying killer known as ‘Leather Apron’ is butchering victims across Prague. Successfully eluding capture, it would seem his depraved crimes are committed by the Devil himself.
Maybe they are… and what links him with the insane inmates of the Castle of the Eagles?

Only the Devil knows. And it is up to Viktor to find out.

The Devil’s Aspect is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

I read quite a lot of thrillers so it takes a lot for a book to standout as being truly exceptional and unique. The Devil’s Aspect is just that as not only is it a dark, Gothic thriller that is utterly gripping but the author manages to combine a gruesome murder mystery with some Czech mythology and some fantastic historical details which combined makes for a completely enthralling read.

The author has created some brilliant, though rather sinister characters in this book which were great to read about. They all had a fascinating back story that helped to add to the atmosphere in the book. The ‘devil’s’six’ were particularly vividly described and sent a shiver down my spine whilst reading about them. Through them the reader is given the feeling that anything could happen and I felt on edge throughout the book wondering what was going to happen next.

This was a quite a fast paced book as there is lots going on and different themes running through the story to keep things very intriguing. I loved working out how everything was going to come together and learning more about Czech mythology which always fascinates me. There were lots of twists that took me by surprise with the ending being particularly shocking, tying everything up very nicely!

Huge thanks to Clara from Little Brown for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

Award-winning author Craig Russell’s novels have been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Film rights to his forthcoming novel, THE DEVIL ASPECT, have been acquired by Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures and will be published by Doubleday in the US, Little, Brown in the UK. Screen rights to BIBLICAL have been acquired by Imaginarium Studios/Sonar Entertainment. The first television adaptation in Germany, by Tivoli Films, of a Jan Fabel novel attracted an audience of six million viewers. Three further novels have been made into films (in one of which Craig Russell makes a cameo appearance as a detective).

Craig Russell:
• won the 2015 Crime Book of the Year (McIlvanney Prize) for ‘The Ghosts of Altona’, and is currently longlisted for the 2017 McIlvanney Prize for ‘The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid’, the latest in the Lennox series;
• was a finalist for the 2013 Ellis Peters Historical Dagger;
• was a finalist for the 2012 Crime Book of the Year (McIlvanney Prize);
• won the 2008 CWA Dagger in the Library for the Fabel series;
• was a finalist for the 2007 CWA Duncan Lawrie Golden Dagger;
• was a finalist for the 2007 SNCF Prix Polar in France; 
• is the only non-German to be awarded the highly prestigious Polizeistern by the Polizei 
Hamburg.

Official website: http://www.craigrussell.com
Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/craigrussellbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecraigrussell

Book Synopsis:

‘An Indian household can no more be governed peacefully without dignity and prestige, than an Indian Empire’ The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook, Flora Annie Steel & Grace Gardiner

Magda is a former scientist with a bad temper and a sharp tongue, living alone in a huge house by the sea. Confined to a wheelchair, her once spotless home crumbling around her, she gets through carers at a rate of knots.

Until Susheela arrives, bursting through the doors of Magda’s house, carrying life with her: grief for her mother’s recent death; worry for her father; longing for a beautiful and troubled young man.

The two women strike up an unlikely friendship: Magda’s old-fashioned, no-nonsense attitude turns out to be an unexpected source of strength for Susheela; and Susheela’s Bengali heritage brings back memories of Magda’s childhood in colonial India and resurrects the tragic figure of her mother, Evelyn, and her struggle to fit within the suffocating structure of the Raj’s ruling class.

But as Magda digs deeper into her past, she unlocks a shocking legacy of blood that threatens to destroy the careful order she has imposed on her life – and that might just be the key to give the three women, Evelyn, Magda and Susheela, a place they can finally call home.

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

My Review:

Dignity is a beautifully written, emotion book that I know will stay with me for a long time. As the name suggests it explores the concept and meaning of the word dignity in two different times and places. It was very poignant to see how dignity and the loss of it can affect people.

The story centers around three women, elderly Magda, her career Susheela and Susheela’s mother Evelyn who travels to India to get married but ends up very unhappy when it doesn’t fulfill her expectations. Their stories are told in alternate chapters and while I did find all of them interesting I didn’t perhaps enjoy Evelyn’s story as much as it was exceptionally sad. I did enjoy watching Magda and Susheela’s relationship develop throughout the book. It was wonderful to watch them get close and be a comfort to each other.

The descriptions in this book are very vivid and helps the reader to picture the setting as if they are actually there experiencing everything first hand. This is especially true of the descriptions of colonial India, which has always held a lot of intrigue for me anyway. I felt I could see all the colours, feel the sun and even smell the spices in some cases.

This book is very enthralling read and I felt utterly absorbed into the women’s lives as I read. I quickly warmed to all of the woman and felt great sympathy for them. I felt involved in their lives, feeling everything that they were feeling meaning I was often in tears whilst reading. I always think it takes great skill for a writer to make you feel so strongly about a character that you actually cry whilst reading their story.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Gigi from W&N books for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

ALYS CONRAN’s first novel PIGEON won the Wales Book of the Year Award 2017, the Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award, The Wales Arts Review People’s Choice Award, was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and longlisted for the Author’s Choice First Novel Award. Her short fiction has been placed in the Bristol Short Story Prize and the Manchester Fiction Prize. She also publishes poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, creative essays and literary translations.

Originally from north Wales, she spent several years in Edinburgh and Barcelona before returning to the area to live and write. She speaks Welsh and English as first languages, and also speaks Spanish and Catalan. She has worked as a youth worker, teacher, and in community arts and is now Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bangor. Her late father, also a writer, was born in Kharagpur, Bengal.

Book Synopsis:

BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THREE THINGS:

1. The police are looking to charge me with murder.
2. No one knows who I am. Or how I did it.
3. If you think you’ve found me. I’m coming for you next.

After you’ve read this book, you’ll know: the truth is far more twisted…

Twisted is available now in ebook and paperback. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

I was a huge fan of Thirteen so I was very excited to be invited onto the blog tour for his next book Twisted. I must admit that I approached this book with a fair bit of trepidation as I didn’t think any book could be better than Thirteen. I needn’t have worried though as I thought this book was just as good if not better!

The story does start off a little slowly but soon gets going and becomes very intriguing. There are lots of twists and action which makes the book hard to put down. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there would be a huge twist and the story would go in a completely different direction. I’m normally quite good at guessing how things are going to end but I had no idea in this book. The ending was brilliant, shocking and totally surprising which I always enjoy.

It’s hard to review a book like this as you don’t want to give away anything that would spoil a potential readers experience. This is especially true in this book as I think the less you know going in the more you will enjoy it. Rest assured however that you are in for a interesting, rollercoaster ride whilst reading this book!

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you like twisty, gripping and unpredictable thrillers then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Steve Cavanagh is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author of the Eddie Flynn series and lawyer. His third novel, The Liar, won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the year 2018. He is also one half of the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. His latest novel, Thirteen, is out now. 

His first standalone book, Twisted, is released in the UK in April 2019. 

Find out more at http://www.stevecavanagh.com or follow Steve on Twitter @SSCav

Book Synopsis:

Detective Chief Superintendent Frankie Sheehan does not wish to linger on the grisly scene before her eyes. Two mutilated corpses. In a church. In Clontarf. Her profiling background screams one fact: this is just the beginning of a sickening message.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old case is playing out on a TV documentary, the convicted professing his innocence and historical police errors being exposed daily in the media. Frankie’s superior, commissioner Donna Hegarty, makes no bones about who she expects to clean things up – both in terms of past mishandlings and the present murders.

But not everyone working the cases wants the truth to come out. And the corridors of power have their own vested interest. Soon Frankie pinpoints just what is making her so nervous: the fact that anyone could be the next victim when justice is the killer.

The Killer In Me is a fast-paced thriller in which lies are safer than the truth, the past is never far from the present, and the ability to kill could well, it seems, live in everyone.

The Killer In Me is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Killer In Me is another fantastically gripping thriller from a very talented author. I was immediately drawn into the story with the descriptions of a very intriguing and unusual murder scene which hinted at a different serial killer story then normal.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book is the intimate, fly on the wall glimpse of the case. The reader is given access to every bit of evidence that the police uncover which makes you feel that you are there trying to solve the case among the detectives. I found this absolutely fascinating and enjoyed watching them trying to solve the case, whilst trying to work it out myself.

Alongside the already intriguing serial killer story is a reinvestigation into a cold case involving the slaughter of a local family, run by Frankie’s sister in law, which obviously confuses matters. Throughout the book old evidence is re-examined and I found it quite horrifying to see how many mistakes were made. There are some quite sensitive issues of domestic violence and mental health included in this book which might be a difficult read for some people. They are important to the story though as they help you to understand the characters and the case more. The reader is given the sense that the two are related and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out how.

The atmosphere in the book slowly builds as more bodies are found and there were lots of twists that kept me guessing. I found I really enjoyed watching Frankie work everything out and was completely absorbed in the story right up until the rather shocking ending.

Huge thanks to Milly Reid for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus publishers for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Olivia Kiernan is an Irish writer living in the UK and author of crime thriller, TOO CLOSE TO BREATHE. She was born and raised in County Meath, near the famed heritage town of Kells and holds an MA in Creative Writing awarded by the University of Sussex.

Book Synopsis:

What if you had a second chance at first love?

Annika Rose likes being alone. 
She feels lost in social situations, saying the wrong thing or acting the wrong way. She just can’t read people. She prefers the quiet solitude of books or playing chess to being around others. Apart from Jonathan. She liked being around him, but she hasn’t seen him for ten years. Until now that is. And she’s not sure he’ll want to see her again after what happened all those years ago.

Annika Rose likes being alone. 
Except that, actually, she doesn’t like being alone at all. And she just might have a second chance at first love.

The Girl He Used to Know is an uplifting novel full of surprising revelations that keep you turning the page. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Mhairi McFarlane, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Flatshare.

The Girl He Used To Know is available in ebook now and paperback on the 4th August 2019. You can purchase or pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Girl He Used To Know is a beautiful love story that had me completely enthralled from the beginning.

Annika is a wonderful main character that was very easy to warm to. She is a fairly unusual main character, especially in a romantic story, but I think this is what makes the story such a special one. Her social awkwardness and other issues made me feel quite protective of her which made the story hard to put down as I had to keep reading to find out what happens to her.

The story is told from the point of view of both Annika and Jonathan, going back and forth between their time in college and the present time. This might sound confusing but it’s quite easy to follow as each chapter is headed with the year and place that chapter is set in. I thought this added to the story and I really enjoyed reading about events from both characters points of view.

The book does start as purely a romantic one which I was thoroughly enjoying on its own but then something happens that changes things and the story goes off in a bit more of a serious direction. The last quarter of the book was exceptionally gripping and I couldn’t put the book down until I found out how it was all going to play out. I found myself hiding away from the kids or letting them on their tablets while I desperately tried to finish the last pages.

The author has included some sensitive subjects in this book which some readers might find difficult to read about. These are dealt with sensitively as they weren’t over dramatic just for the sake of it. I haven’t any experience, thankfully, of this experience but from the stories I’ve read from people who have it seemed quite real. I thought the author was quite brave for discussing in her books.

Huge thanks for Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you are looking for an unusual love story that is beautifully written, with some wonderful characters then I thoroughly recommend this book!

About The Author:

Tracey Garvis-Graves lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband, two children, and dog Chloe. She blogs at http://www.traceygarvisgraves.com, and can also be found on Twitter @tgarvisgraves and Facebook at facebook.com/tgarvisgraves. This is her first novel.

Book Synopsis:

Dr Jaqueline Silver blows things up to keep people safe. 

Working on avalanche control in Slovenia, she stumbles across a delivery problem with a consignment of explosives. After raising a complaint with the supplier, Zagrovyl, a multinational chemical company and her ex-employer, her evidence disappears. She is warned, threatened, accused of professional incompetence and suspended. Taking her complaint to Zagrovyl head office, she narrowly escapes death only to be framed for murder. Escaping from police custody, she sets out to find the key to the mystery. 

From the snowy slopes of Slovenia, to the wreckage of Chernobyl, Jaq attempts to expose the trade in deadly chemical weapons, while fighting for her life.

The Chemical Detective is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

The Chemical Detective is a fast paced, intelligent thriller that was a fantastic read!

Firstly I loved the main character who was an incredibly brave, clever woman who I warmed to instantly and wanted to keep reading to check she was ok. She goes to great lengths to try and prove her innocence but finds herself in quite a few sticky situations that were quite nail biting to read. I enjoyed reading about her journey as I followed her through all the different countries to solve the mystery and fulfil her quest.

The author’s engineering background is evidence throughout the book as the text is full of interesting scientific information. This is done in quite a subtle way which is easy to understand if you don’t have much scientific knowledge. It’s also never preachy or over done so the reader can easily enjoy the added information which I found fascinating.

The book is incredibly fast paced and very action packed that it’s very hard to put down, as you can’t find much breathing space! I found myself completely caught up in the story, experiencing everything just like I was there alongside Jaq. I found myself holding my breath at some parts as they were so vividly described and atmospheric that I could well imagine them unfolding in my mind.

As some of the other reviewers have said I think this book would be fantastic as a film as it’s so visual and action packed that it would look fantastic on the big screen. As an avid reader I don’t often like film adaptions so this shows how much I liked the book.

Huge thanks to Margot Weale from Point Blank Books for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review. If you like fast paced, gripping and Intelligent thrillers then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Engineer by day, writer by night.

Fiona was born in Edinburgh, and grew up playing guitar, riding motorbikes and jumping into cold water. After studying Chemical Engineering at University she leaned to weld, cast and machine with apprentices in Paisley. She is now based in Teesside and travels internationally as a professional engineer.

Her debut novel The Chemical Detective, the first in a series, will be published in April 2019.

Book Synopsis:

Dr Ruth Hartland rises to difficult tasks. She is the director of a highly respected trauma therapy unit. She is confident, capable and excellent at her job. Today she is preoccupied by her son Tom’s disappearance.

So when a new patient arrives at the unit – a young man who looks shockingly like Tom – she is floored.

As a therapist, Ruth knows exactly what she should do in the best interests of her client, but as a mother she makes a very different choice – a decision that will have profound consequences.

A gripping and deeply intelligent psychological thriller for fans of Apple Tree Yard and Lullaby

A Good Enough Mother is available in ebook now and will be published in paperback on the 4th April 2019. You can purchase or pre-order a copy of both using the link below.

My Review:

A Good Enough Mother is what I’d call an intellectual thriller as it’s more than just a classic mystery. Instead the author includes a lot of thought provoking topics, that makes for a very intriguing read.

Firstly the author’s experience in clinic psychology is obvious from the start and I found it very fascinating to learn more about the process of grief. I’ve unfortunately got some experience with grief so I found this book very relatable and felt a lot of sympathy for the main character Ruth. Her emotions are vividly described making them almost palpable which made me immediately warm to her.

The actual mystery is a very clever one especially as the author manages to pull a lot of different threads together whilst providing the reader with different character point of views. I found it impossible to guess where this story was going and felt gripped throughout as I tried to work everything out.

This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read what she comes up with next. It’s exceptionally well written and plotted making for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Huge thanks to Faber & Faber for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

Bev was a clinical psychologist in the NHS for many years. She currently works as an organisational consultant in mental health and other services.  She lives in London with her family.

Her upcoming novel A Good Enough Mother will be published by Faber & Faber in Spring 2019.

Book Synopsis:

A dead man. A missing woman. A haunted cottage. A secret hidden for thirty years…

In 1988 a famous record producer took his own life and a woman vanished after attending a party at Crow’s Cottage.

When the cottage’s owner passes away decades later, the property falls into the hands of his nephew, who finds a strange box hidden there. It is a replica of an infamous occult device called theMephisto Arcane. In the wake of its discovery come sightings of an apparition. The crew of the paranormal TV show Where the Dead Walk are invited to investigate the haunting.

They are about to find the past guards its secrets jealously, and that unlocking them has consequences.

Crow Cottage is available in ebook and paperback now. The ebook is currently only 99p until the 3rd April 2019. You can purchase your copy of both using the link below.

My Review

Crow Cottage is a brilliantly gripping scary read that is perfect to snuggle up with on the sofa. It is a clever mixture of a classic mystery story with a bit of a ghost story thrown in.

Chloe is a fabulous main character that I grew very fond of throughout the book. We go on a great journey with her as she films her first episode of the TV series. She is a strong and fiesty lady who it was very easy to get behind. I found myself hoping that she would be ok and that everything would work out for her in the end.

The descriptions of the house were deliciously creepy and I found my imagination going into overdrive immediately as I imagined what could have happened there. Some of the descriptions sent a chill down my spine and I felt the hairs standing up on my neck. I was utterly absorbed in the story and found myself jumping a mile when my husband came home, much to his amusement!

This book was very gripping with lots of action to keep the reader very absorbed, and scared! The pace is quite steady and there is never a dull moment as the mystery over what’s happening is slowly revealed. This book stands out from other ghost stories as there is a lot of historical details intertwined with the story which was very interesting to read about. It made the book a much richer and satisfying read.

This is actually the second book in the series which I didn’t realize when I started reading. However it can easily be read as a standalone, like I have, as this is a completely different story from the first one with different main characters and storyline. I’ll definitely be going back to read the first book as soon as possible.

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

About The Author:

John Bowen is a multi genre thriller author who lives in the UK. When not playing video-games, reading, catching up on movies, going to the gym, and enjoying time with his wife and children he occasionally finds time to write…

His debut novel supernatural suspense thriller WHERE THE DEAD WALK is an Amazon Top #100 Bestseller, his most recent novel, murder mystery, DEATH STALKS KETTLE STREET is an Amazon Top #10 Bestseller, his action adventure thriller, VESSEL is a #1 Bestseller in Kindle Thriller and Mystery, and his short story collection COLD SWEATS & VIGNETTES is a #1 Bestseller in Short Fiction. 

CROWS COTTAGE the sequel to WHERE THE DEAD WALK releases on March 29th 2019.

You’re welcome to visit his site and sign up for news, promotional discounts and giveaways – and find out how to pick up a FREE book at:

THRILLERS WITH A DIFFERENCE

or contact him directly at:
johnybwrites@gmail.com

or visit him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JohnBowenWrites