Book Synopsis:

When the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, a small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. But all is not what it seems.

Sam Shephard, sole-charge police constable in Mataura, soon discovers the death was no suicide and has to face the realisation that there is a killer in town. To complicate the situation, the murdered woman was the wife of her former lover. When Sam finds herself on the list of suspects and suspended from duty, she must cast aside her personal feelings and take matters into her own hands.
To find the murderer … and clear her name.
A taut, atmospheric and page-turning thriller, Overkillmarks the start of an unputdownable and unforgettable series from one of New Zealand’s finest crime writers.

Overkill is available now in ebook and paperback now.  You can purchase a copy of both here.

My Review:

I recently discovered that I love dark crime thrillers so I was very excited to be given the chance to read a book described as New Zealand noir.

The reader is thrown straight into the story, and the action, with possibly one of the most violent openings I have read.  You could almost feel the poor victims fear as she struggles against her intruder. As a mother myself i could imagine her anxiety about wanting to keep her child safe and my heart waswin mouth as I read.  Iwas immediately intrigued wondering who would want to attack this woman and why.

Sam is a fantastic main character that I absolutely loved.  Despite being suspended she just refuses to give in and continues to investigate the case on her own.  Her strength, loyalty and drive to get justice was great to read about and I found myself really admiring her.  I didn’t however like her boss who seemed to jump to conclusions and want to dismiss herhvery quickly.  I’d have loved to have given him a piece of my mind!

This is a very fast paced book that left me feeling quite breathless at times as I found myself reading faster and faster desperately wanting to find out what would happen.  There are lots of twists and false leads that kept me guessing until the end.  The small town setting was brilliantly described and helped add to the tension in the book as people talk, opinions are voiced and sides chosen.  This leads to quite a claustrophobic atmosphere which is almost palpable and helps add to the tension as no one knows what to believe.

This is unbelievably the author’s debut book and I am very excited to read more from her in the future.  If you like clever, atmospheric crime thrillers then you’ll love this book.

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

About The Author:

Vanda Symon (born 1969) is a crime writer, TV presenter and radio host from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the chair of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors. The Sam Shephard series has hit number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for best crime novel. She currently lives in Dunedin, with her husband and two sons.

 

Sunderland, 1942

With the war showing no sign of abating, Helen is thriving in her role as shipyard manager. But at home the return of her father brings a shocking discovery that tears her family apart.

Gloria is shouldering the burden of a terrible secret. If the truth comes out there could be dire consequences, and it will take all her resolve to resist the pressure around her.

Meanwhile Rosie is throwing herself into her work, taking on as many shifts as she can. Anything to keep her mind off the fact that she hasn’t heard from her sweetheart in months…

With life in the shipyards tougher than ever, will the strength of their friendship see them through to victory?

Victory For The ShipYard Girls is available now in kindle and paperback.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of The ShipYard Girls series so I was very excited to read an early copy of Victory For The ShipYard Girls, the fifth book in the series.

This book starts off pretty much where the last one finished, with the reader being thrown straight back into the story.  The style of the book is written as if the reader is actually there watching all the action unfold firsthand.  This made me feel much more involved in the story as if I was one of the girls and I felt like I knew the characters personally so I cared about what happened to them.  I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens.

I loved all of the ShipYard Girls and enjoyed reading their interactions with each other.  The warmth, compassion and support they show each other in these difficult times was heartwarming to read about.  I can only imagine how hard it must have been to have loved ones fighting and not knowing what was happening.  The girls attitude to the hardships they find themselves facing was great to read about too and I was very impressed with the way they just carried on.

There is a lot of action or drama in the book with something always happenning to one or more of the girls which keeps the readers interest and ensures the book is hard to put down.  The fact that the book is set in the second world war adds tension to the story as you get the feeling that anything could happen at any time, and often does.

The story is brilliantly paced and seemed believable with the author never over dramatising events which I really liked.  The additions to the characters story were really well done and I can’t wait for the next story especially as this one ends on a cliffhanger!

Huge thanks to Rachel Kennedy from Arrow Publishing for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like historical sagas filled with strong woman and brilliant friendships then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Nancy Revell is the Sunday Times bestseller author of The Shipyard Girls series, which is set in the north-east of England during World War Two.
Nancy is the pen name of Amanda Revell Walton, a former journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She also wrote amazing and inspirational true life stories for just about every woman’s magazine in the country.
When she first started writing The Shipyard Girls series, Nancy relocated back to her hometown of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, along with her husband, Paul, and their English Bull Mastiff, Rosie. They now live just a short walk away from the beautiful award-winning beaches of Roker and Seaburn, within a mile of where the books are set.
The Shipyard Girls is particularly close to Nancy’s heart as she comes from a long line of shipbuilders, who were well known in the area.

Book Synopsis:

The year is 1968 and the world is changing forever. During the month of May, students are rioting and workers are striking across the globe, civil rights are being fought and died for, nuclear bombs are being tested, there are major conflicts on every continent, and war is raging in Vietnam. Against this volatile background, three women strive to keep everything together.

Rose must keep her dignity and compassion as a West Indian nurse in East London. Amalia must keep hoping that her son can escape their seedy life in Lisbon. And Mrs Johnson in Washington DC must keep writing to her son in Vietnam. She has no-one else to talk to. Three different women, three different countries, but all striving to survive – a courageous attitude that everybody can relate to.

Although Sleeping Through War is a work of fiction, this somewhat hidden history attempts to humanise a few weeks in time that were so stuffed with monumental events that it’s easy to forget the people involved. The author was a child in 1968 and lived in London and Lisbon during the 1960s. She met women like these and didn’t want their voices to go unheard into the future. Readers of both history and literary fiction will enjoy this emotionally-vivid work that weaves fiction into fact.

Sleeping Through War is available now in ebook and paperback.  You can purchase your copy of both here.

My Review:

Sleeping Through War is a very interesting book showing life in 1968 from three different points of view.  The period of time is brilliantly evoked with descriptions of the blatant racism and ill feelings towards the migrants that came to England to help with job shortages following the war.  It also shows the poverty some of the population lived in and the things they did in order to survive.

It is impossible not to feel for all three characters in the book who are all going through a difficult time.  I can’t imagine what they must have been feeling and going through.  It must be so hard to have a child away at war and have not heard from them for a while.  I can imagine your mind must go into overdrive imaging what must have happened and not being able to do anything.  Rose’s experiences in the nursing home were shocking to read about and must have been hard to deal with on a daily basis.  The restraint she has to use not to answer back and carry on was incredible and I admired her for continuing working.  Finally Amalia’s life in Lisbon and her desperation to escape her life there was heartbreaking to read about.  If I was in her situation I’d be doing everything possible to get my kids out of that situation too.

I did find this book a little hard to get into as it’s quite slow starting but as I got to know the characters and more about their lives I became engrossed in the book as I wanted to find out more about their lives and to find out what happens to them.  The historical events in this book and some of the people mentioned in it are real which was very interesting to read about.  I definetly enjoyed learning more about this time and the great changes that took place in it.

This is the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.  If you like great his fiction with some unforgettable characters then you’ll love this book.

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

 

About The Author:

British-born of Portuguese parents, Jackie Carreira is a writer, musician and co-founder of QuirkHouse Theatre. After travelling the world as a professional musician, she hung up her bass and picked up a pen. She’s been writing ever since and twice been a winner of the Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama. Jackie has a first-class degree in Creative Writing and was a part-time bookseller for 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning everyone I’m excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Some Kind Of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher today and to have a great extract to share with you.

Some Kind Of Wonderful is available to buy now, in all formats, here.

Before I share my extract with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

When the love of your life says you’re not The One, what next?

After celebrating a decade together, everyone thinks Lizzy and Ian are about to get engaged.

Instead, a romantic escape to Dubai leaves Lizzy with no ring, no fiancé and no future.

Lizzy is heartbroken – but through the tears, she sees an opportunity. This is her moment to discover what she’s been missing while playing Ian’s ‘better half’.

But how much has Ian changed her, and who is she without him?

Lizzy sets out to rediscover the girl she was before – and, in the meantime, have a little fun . . .

Extract:

My phone bleeps at me via my headphones, interrupting the sound of Ryan Adams as he tries to calm me down with his soulful voice and the skilful bell-like picking of his guitar. I’m sitting on a sun lounger, on the beach of a swanky hotel in Dubai. I should be relaxed and care- free already. I should be dreamily looking over at my wonderful fiancé and cracking into a foolish grin as I think about the way in which he popped ‘the question’, while excitedly thinking through all the things we need to arrange for our wedding day. I should be wondering whether it’s OK to sit Mum and Dad together on the top table or if I should include Mum’s other half too, before deciding to buck the trend completely and sit with our mates. I should be debating with myself whether I have to ask all three of my future sisters-in-law to be bridesmaids, even though, back in 1995 when we were just munchkins, I promised my best mate Connie that she’d be my one and only. I should be thinking about whether I’ll wax or simply shave before the Big Day to prevent me getting a rash, whether heels would make me look too tall next to the groom in our wedding photos and if I have to get myself something ‘old, borrowed, new or blue’ or wait for someone else to think of it. I have absolutely no idea why it’s a tradition, but I’m not one to take chances on superstitions so I obviously wouldn’t wait in hope that someone else has the fore- sight to save my marriage from doom. No, no! I’d get those goodies myself, to be sure. Get myself a nice blue silk garter that’s for Ian’s eyes only.

I should be thinking these things with a lightness in my heart as I gaze lovingly at him across our sun loun- gers, because these are the worries and concerns I’ve been longing to ponder over for as long as I can remember.
That’s what I should be doing, but I can’t look at my fiancé in that way. I literally can’t look at him. Because the man sitting beside me, the man who has been sitting beside me for over ten years, is not my fiancé. He’s just my boyfriend. Just. I can’t bear to look at him any more because every time I do a feeling of disappointment swells through me and I have to fight back big fat tears. Tears that confirm I am not good enough to be Mrs Lizzy Hall, even after all the legwork I’ve put in. Tears that confirm he doesn’t want to commit, even though we’ve bought a flat together and that he seemed delighted when we wrongly thought I was pregnant last year. We were gutted to realize I wasn’t. I thought our reactions let us know we were ready for more, for things to progress.
I don’t understand.

About The Author:

Giovanna grew up in Essex with her Italian dad Mario, mum Kim, big sister Giorgina and little brother Mario, and spent most of her childhood talking to herself (it seems no one wanted to listen) or reading books.

At thirteen she left Essex behind to attend the full-time Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she met her husband Tom Fletcher. Following SYTS she completed an acting BA (hons) at Rose Bruford – since then she’s been acting, chaperoning mini actors and dabbling in a spot of freelance journalism for heat, Bliss and Recognise magazines. She currently writes a weekly blog for Hello! Online and posts weekly vlogs on her YouTube channel.

Giovanna is a firm believer in the power of magpies and positive energy. To see what makes Giovanna smile, view her blog at http://www.giovannasworld.com, or her Twitter page @mrsgifletcher

 

Good morning everyone I’m so excited to be on the blog tour for The Hangman’s Hold by Michael Wood today.  Michael Wood is an author I’ve heard a lot about so you can imagine how thrilled I was to be contacted by the author himself onto this blog tour.

The Hangman’s Hold is available in ebook now for the bargain price of £1.99 and in paperback on the 20th September 2018.  You can purchase or pre-order your copy here.

Before I share my review with you here is a little bit about the book.

Book Synopsis:

Your life is in his hands.

In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields.

There’s a killer in your house.
The Hangman waits in the darkness.

He knows your darkest secrets.
He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget.

And he is closer than you think.
DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?

My Review:

The Hangman’s Hold is an absolutely fantastic crime thriller that I thoughly enjoyed.  It’s very fast paced with new developments happening all the time and almost impossible to put down.  Housework was ignored and children bribed with films so I could read a few more pages.

The book bring his up some very thought provoking subjects that I hadn’t considered before, including how affected police officers are about cases they have dealt with.  The media would love us to think about the police as emotional robots that aren’t affected by such things but I don’t believe that to be the case.  In this book the police officers have feelings and emotions, they cry over past victims and from frustration at not being able to find the perpetrators which was unusual but good to see.

I really liked the main character Matilda.  As with all the characters in the book the reader is let into the characters personal life which made for very interesting reading and meant that you got to know them better.  The thing I liked most about Matilda was how real she seemed.  She had normal problems, she was approachable and able to admit when she was wrong which made me warm to her.  Her relationship with her team was lovely to read about and showed the kind of person she was as she was willing to listen to their point of view, not just trying to pull rank all the time.  I felt very sorry for her at times in the book, especially when the crimes start getting more personal, as I didn’t think she deserved it and it was hard to see the affect they had on her.

As mentioned above this book is very fast paced and really gripping.  The constantly changing point of views and multiple suspects kept me on my toes and ensured I kept reading.  The book has some very unexpected moments which made me jump at times and a few darker moments which changed the feel of the book.  I had no idea where the best was going and although I had a few suspects I was taken by surprise how everything turns out.

Huge thanks Michael Wood for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book.  If you like thrilling, fast paced books that you can’t put down you’ll love this book!

 

About The Author:

Michael Wood is a freelance journalist and proofreader living in Sheffield. As a journalist he has covered many crime stories throughout Sheffield, gaining first-hand knowledge of police procedure. He also reviews books for CrimeSquad, a website dedicated to crime fiction. He is the author of the DCI Matilda Darke series set in Sheffield. The third, A ROOM FULL OF KILLERS, will be released in February 2017. A short story prequel, THE FALLEN, is published as an ebook in December 2016 by Killer Reads at HarperCollins.

Book Synopsis:

1910 – A compelling tale of female empowerment in Bath’s leading department store. Perfect for the fans of the TV series Mr Selfridge and The Paradise.

Elizabeth Pennington should be the rightful heir of Bath’s premier department store through her enterprising schemes and dogged hard work. Her father, Edward Pennington believes his daughter lacks the business acumen to run his empire and is resolute a man will succeed him.

Determined to break from her father’s iron-clad hold and prove she is worthy of inheriting the store, Elizabeth forms an unlikely alliance with ambitious and charismatic master glove-maker Joseph Carter. United they forge forward to bring Pennington’s into a new decade, embracing woman’s equality and progression whilst trying not to mix business and pleasure.

Can this dream team thwart Edward Pennington’s plans for the store? Or will Edward prove himself an unshakeable force who will ultimately ruin both Elizabeth and Joseph?

The Mistress Of Pennington’s is available in paper and ebook now, you can purchase your copy by clicking on the link below.

 

What readers are saying:

‘It was so interesting to read … I hope Rachel Brimble writes another book about these characters. Highly recommend!‘ Sharon Brewer, NetGalley.

‘The story was a pleasure to read as the writing was so very good and easy to get lost in … It’s a captivating read that touched my heart deeply and is currently one of my top 5 favorite books to have read so far this year’ Clare Roden, NetGalley.

‘This story […] brought out the fact that hard work and determination pays and that you can succeed despite the odds‘ Mystica Varathapalan, NetGalley.

About The Author:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Her first novel was published in 2007. Since then, she’s had several books published with small presses and since 2012 has written mainstream romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and Victorian romance for eKensington/Lyrical Press.
In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in beautiful Bath.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England. And in the evening? Well, a well-deserved glass of wine is never, ever refused…

Book Synopsis:

Clara and Nancy both have choices to make. Two sisters, working in a women’s prison in 1913; many of the inmates they are faced with have been arrested for their actions as part of the suffragette movement. For Nancy, there’s one inmate in particular – the enigmatic Duchess – who she finds herself drawn to, following the Duchess’ lead into the fight for the right to vote.

But for Clara, the choice is not so clear-cut. She’s started stepping out with a chap called Ted. But if she were to marry him, she would have to give up the job she loves, and lose her independence forever.

Nevertheless She Persisted is published on the 6th September in hardback and ebook.  You can pre-order your copy here.

My Review:

Nevertheless She Persisted is a fascinating look at the suffragette movement from two very different women with opposing views.  It’s also a very timely book as this year marks the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote.

The story follows two sisters Nancy and Clara who meet suffragettes whilst working at Holloway prison.  Out of the two I much preferred Nancy who quickly becomes involved in the suffragette movement.  It was lovely to see her come out of her shell away from her family and to read about her drive for a very worthwhile cause.  She is truly a warm, caring women that I quickly warmed to and wanted to keep reading to find out more about her. Clara on the other hand came across as being quite cold and confused.  She seemed to want all the benefits of having independence, like being able to continue working whilst married, but do none of the campaigning which grated on me.  She seems to be a bit of a goody two shoes always thinking she knows best, especially when it comes to her sister, which I just wanted to scream at her for.

I always enjoy reading books about the suffragette movement as it’s a very important part of our history.  The historical details the author includes really added to the story and helped me to picture the setting in my mind.  I had read about the force feeding, but not about the suffragettes being released to recover and then being rearrested.  I found the parts describing this and the woman’s treatment in prison very interesting as i love learning new things!

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.  If you like fascinating historical fiction about an important part of our history you’ll love this book.

 

About The Author:

 

 

 

 

Jon Walter is inspired by the power of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. A former photojournalist, he took pictures of the people we rarely get to see, and as a writer he listens out for the quieter voices of those that don’t get heard. Here, inspired by the suffragette movement, he explores how it was the everyday decisions of women over their own lives that made its success inevitable. Jon’s previous books, Close to the Wind and My Name’s Not Friday, were also published by DFB, and have been shortlisted for numerous awards.

Book Synopsis:

A terminal diagnosis. A life-saving sacrifice. A love letter written on the walls of her heart. Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumour. Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart. I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic. An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern’s ‘P.S. I Love You’ and Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’. Buy I Give You My Heart to experience a courageous story of undying love today!

I Give You My Heart is available now and you can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

When I started to read this book I was expecting it to be a complete sob fest, which it is at times but there is lots more to this beautiful book then that.

Alice is a fantastic main character.  Her strength and determination in this difficult time is something I really admired in her.  She is very brave and faces her diagnosis head on deciding to try and help her family and others after her death.  Alice’s present day struggles are intercepted with flashes from her past which include some of the best moments with her husband, parents and her best friend.  These are really heartwarming and help to break up the story.

When she gets her diagnosis Alice decides she wants to become an organ donor and help others after her death.  The questions she asks and the worries voiced by her friends and family were very interesting to read about.  It has definitely opened my eyes to becoming a possible donor too.

Although the story is based on a very poignant subject the overall feel of this book is heartwarming and uplifting.  It’s an amazing story of one woman’s strength and courage that will perhaps help others feel more at ease with their own or others deaths.  I will be recommending this to everyone as I feel it is an important book everyone needs to read.

This is the author’s debut novel and I will definetly be looking out for other books from her.  I think this book would make a great book club book as i think it would create lots of discussions.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.  If you like uplifting books that make you laugh and cry then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

SarahJane is the debut writer of ‘I Give You My Heart’. SarahJane was born in Scotland but grew up in the Cheshire countryside, which is home to her. After a few years living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where she went to secondary school, she has now settled back in Cheshire in a quirky flat surrounded by trees, birds and rolling fields. A marketing professional since finishing her formal education SarahJane is delighted to be following her writing dream. She still works part-time as a Marketing Manager, whilst furiously penning her next novel. SarahJane loves to read (ideally by the sea!). Her favourite writers include author Mitch Albom and poet Beau Taplin. Harbouring an adventurous spirit, she loves to travel and be surrounded by the wilderness, or riding Cornish waves, when she’s not cosied up at home spending time with her family, friends and books.

Book Synopsis:

Summer 1867: four-year-old Daisy Belle is about to make her debut at the Lambeth Baths in London. Her father, swimming professor Jeffery Belle, is introducing his Family of Frogs – and Daisy is the star attraction. By the end of that day, she has only one ambition in life: she will be the greatest female swimmer in the world.

She will race down the Thames, float in a whale tank, and challenge a man to a 70-foot high dive. And then she will set sail for America to swim across New York Harbour.

But Victorian women weren’t supposed to swim, and Daisy Belle will have to fight every stroke of the way if she wants her dreams to come true.

Inspired by the careers of Victorian champions Agnes Beckwith and Annie Luker, Daisy Belle is a story of courage and survival and a tribute to the swimmers of yesteryear.

Daisy Belle is published on the 1st September 2018 in ebook and paperback.  You can pre-order a copy of both here.

My Review:

This is a fantastic book, based on real people which I always love.  The author has a great way of transporting the reader to the Victorian era including lots of little details into the story about life then which helped bring the era to life.  The attitude towards woman and the blatant sexism made my blood boil at times and I felt very indignant for Daisy and everything she had to fight for.  It’s hard to believe that life was like that one day but good to realise how far we have come.

Daisy is a brilliant character and I so admired her drive and determination to get what she wants.  She shows such amazing courage at times in the book not just during the show but with standing up for herself against quite fierce opposition which took guts.  I found myself cheers for her every step of the way, willing her to succeed and being delighted when she did which is always a sign of a great character!

The writting in the book has a lovely flow to it which makes it quite an easy read.  It’s not obviously fast flowing but there is lots of stuff happening that ensures the reader wants to keep reading.  The pace of the book is such that the reader gets the opportunity to really get to know Daisy and fully immersed themselves in the swimming world.  I’d never read of some of the events or practices in this book so I found the historical detail very interesting and have since looked up the real swimmers the book is based on to find out more.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I look forward to reading more from her in the future as she definitely knows how to write great historical fiction which is my favourite genre.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Unbound publishers for my copy of this book.  If you like well written, fascinating historical fiction based on real characters then you’ll love this book.

About The Author:

Caitlin Davies was born in London in 1964. She spent 12 years in Botswana as a teacher and journalist and many of her books are set in the Okavango Delta, including a memoir Place of Reeds, described by Hilary Mantel as ‘candid and unsentimental’.
Her novels include The Ghost of Lily Painter, a fictional account of the arrest and execution of two Edwardian baby farmers, and Family Likeness about the fate of ‘war babies’ born to African American GI fathers in England during World War Two.
Her non-fiction books include Taking the Waters: A Swim Around Hampstead Heath, a celebration of 200 years of outdoor bathing, an illustrated history of the world famous Camden Lock Market, and Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames.
Her latest non-fiction is Bad Girls, and her latest novel is Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars, to be published by Unbound on September 1, 2018.
She is also a teacher and journalist, and was a regular feature writer for The Independent’s education and careers supplement. From 2014-17 she was a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Westminster, Harrow, in the faculty of Media, Arts & Design.

Her website is http://www.caitlindavies.co.uk/
Twitter: @CaitlinDavies2
Daisy Belle Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DaisyBelleSwimmingChampionoftheWorld/

Book Synopsis:

She can’t see the killer
But the killer can see her…

Naomi Hannah has been blind since birth. Struggling with living in a small, claustrophobic town, Naomi contemplates ending her life. But then she stumbles across the body of a young woman who has been brutally murdered. She senses someone else there at the scene – watching her. Naomi may not be able to see the killer’s face, but she is still the only person who can identify him.

As the police begin hunting the person responsible and more victims are discovered, Naomi is forced to answer the question on which her fate hangs: why did the killer let her live?

In a town this small, the murderer must be close, perhaps even before her very eyes…

Before Her Eyes is available in ebook and paperback now, you can purchase your copy here.

My Review:

I’d heard a lot of great things about this author so I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for his latest book, Before Her Eyes.  This is a fast paced, gripping and very gory thriller which I absolutely raced through.  I have a young baby so sleep is precious, but after stupidly deciding to read just one more chapter I eventually looked up from the book to check the time and realised I’d been ready for three hours! It’s a very addictive book.

The story is told from the point of view of Naomi and Marcus a Detective in the local police force who is trying to discover the truth about what is happening.  This makes for a very intriguing read as it soon becomes obvious that there are a lot of secrets that people are desperate to hide.

As mentioned above this is quite a gory book with the author describing the injuries of the victims quite vividly which did turn my stomach at times.  There is also quite a creepy element to the story at times, especially when describing Naomi’s interactions with the killer which actually made me jump at times.  This is definitely not a book to read when you are on your own in the house as every noise makes you start after reading.

This is quite a fast paced book with lots of action and intrigue which ensures that the reader keeps reading faster and faster as the story unfolds.  I didn’t have any idea who the killer was or how this story was going to end which was great for me and really added to the fun of reading the book.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I am so excited to go back and read his previous books.  If you like creepy, gripping and slightly gory thrillers then you’ll love this book!

Huge thanks to Kirsty from Corvus Books for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

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