Lucy is running from what she’s done – and what someone did to her.
There’s only one person who might understand: her sister Jess. But when Lucy arrives at her sister’s desolate cliff-top house, Jess is gone.
Lucy is now alone, in a strange town steeped in rumour. Stories of men disappearing without a trace. A foundling discovered in a sea-swept cave. And women’s voices murmuring on the waves…
As Lucy searches for her sister, those voices get ever louder. They tell of two sisters, two centuries ago, bound and transported across the world. A world where men always get their way. A world that is at once distant, and achingly familiar.
Are these voices luring Lucy closer to her sister? Or will the secrets of the past pull them both under?
My Review:
The Sirens is a gripping and magical read perfect for anyone who likes dual timeline mysteries with a supernatural element to it.
The story is told in three timelines following two pairs of sisters’ centuries apart. One timeline follows Lucy, a university student who flees after landing herself in some trouble due to some very realistic dreams she had been having. The later timeline set in 1800 follows twin sisters Eliza and Mary as they are being deported on a convict ship to Australia. The timelines are interspersed in the second half of the book with extracts from the diary of Lucy’s sister Jess. I enjoyed all the timelines equally finding it fascinating to discover more about how harsh life was on a convict ship and the shocking treatment of those on boards as well as following lucy as she tries to discover the connection between her dreams of the two Irish sisters and the mysterious disappearances of local men.
I thought the book had a great pace to it and I was soon found it very difficult to put the book down as there always seemed to be some new discovery to keep me reading. The mystery element of the story was well done, and I loved following Lucy as everything is slowly revealed. The discoveries Lucy makes seemed natural not forced with some of the twists taking me completely by surprise which I always love. It was great fun seeing how the two stories were linked and learning all about the legends that haunt the seaside town. The ending was brilliant, and I loved how all the different stories were tied up in the end.
If you are a fan of magical, dual time mysteries then I highly recommend this book.
Huge thanks to @indie_thinking and @boroughpress for sending me a copy of this fabulous book.
About The Author:
Emilia Hart is a British-Australian writer. She was born in Sydney and studied English Literature and Law at the University of New South Wales before working as a lawyer in Sydney and London. Emilia is a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative’s Three Month Online Novel Writing Course and was Highly Commended in the 2021 Caledonia Novel Award. Her short fiction has been published in Australia and the UK. She lives in London. You can follow Emilia on Twitter at @EmiliaHartBooks.
Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. Today on Three For Tuesday I’m featuring three books by Rachel Gillig.
💙One Dark Window 💜Two Twisted Crowns 🩷The Knight And The Moth
I’m currently doing a read along for One Dark Window organised by the lovely @rachel_loves_to_read and I’m really enjoying it so far even though I’m a bit behind already. I’ve been hearing great things about her books so much so I bought both books in her previous series at once as I was so confident I would like it.
I’m very excited to receive a copy of her new book The Knight And The Moth and I can’t wait to read it soon, especially as it’s the first book in a new series by her!
Huge thanks to Maddy from @orbitbooks_uk for sending this to me it’s really appreciated!
The Knight And The Moth is out on the 20th May 2025.
Have you got a favourite romantasy series?
The Knight And The Moth
From the New York Times million-copy bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy phenomenon: a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one devilishly handsome knight whose future is beyond her sight.
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.
Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
One Dark Window
ELSPETH NEEDS A MONSTER. THE MONSTER MIGHT BE HER.
An ancient, mercurial spirit is trapped inside Elspeth Spindle’s head – she calls him the Nightmare. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic.
When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, she is thrust into a world of shadow and deception. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to cure the town of Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. As the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.
For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a gothic fantasy romance about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom.
Two Twisted Towers
In the luscious, dark conclusion to the series that began with One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she’s wrought – perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf and A Court of Thorns and Roses.
Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.
If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.
And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head. The Nightmare. And he’s not eager to share any longer.
Good evening everyone I hope you’ve had a good day. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Cleopatra by Natasha Solomon recently.
I was a huge fan of Fair Rosaline and actually chose it as a book club read for the book club I run. I also have a fascination with anything to do with ancient Egypt so this book really appeals to me.
Huge thanks to @manilla_press for sending me a copy of this book. It sounds absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to read it.
Find out more about the book below.
Out 8th May 2025.
Book Synopsis:
From the international bestselling author comes an unmissable new untelling of the life of one of the most captivating and misrepresented female figures in history.
Cleopatra, Egyptian Princess, grows up the favoured daughter of the Pharoah, hiding amongst the scrolls in the great library of Alexandria with her beloved slave Charmian, longing for the chance one day to write her own story.
Then when her father dies, willing that Cleopatra rule with her selfish brother Ptolemy, danger stirs. As the young Egyptian Queen sails the Nile to greet her people, he plots to destroy her and take the throne for himself.
But while Ptolemy has the power of Egypt behind him, Cleopatra has her wits. And when the great Caesar arrives from Rome, she realises he could be the key to her salvation – though courting this powerful man could cost her everything.
Can Cleopatra save her life, her throne, her beloved Egypt and finally command her own history?
A powerful, unmissable new retelling, this is a captivating story of female power and vulnerability, of love and loss, fierce friendship and terrible betrayal. It’s time to meet the real Cleopatra.
About The Author:
Natasha Solomons is the author of five internationally bestselling novels, including Mr Rosenblum’s List, The Novel in the Viola, which was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club, and The Gallery of Vanished Husbands. Natasha lives in Dorset with her son, daughter and her husband, the children’s author, David Solomons with whom she also writes screenplays. Her novels have been translated into 17 languages. When not writing in the studio, Natasha can usually be found in her garden.
Good morning everyone and happy Monday. I saw this on the lovely @bookstarreviews_ ‘s page and knew I had to join in as it’s been so lovely to see the sun the last few days!
💛The Stranger In Room Six by Jane Corry 💛The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey 💛Sun Trap by Rachel Wolf 💛This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead 💛 Greater Sin by Gabrielle Griffiths 💛The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley 💛 Butter by Asako Yuzuki 💛Hunted by Abir Mukherjee 💛The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey 💛The Other People by CB Everett 💛The Original by Nell Stevens
All of these are tbr but I’m hoping to read a few of them soon. I’ve actually tried Butter once before and gave up but I keep hearing great things so I might try again. I actually tried reading outside in the garden yesterday but it was a tad to cold to stay outside for long.
I’m off this morning and need to do a quick tidy up from the weekend but then I’m hoping to finish my current read Glorious Exploits. It’s actually for the book club I run so it would be a bit embarrassing if I was the one who didn’t finish it.
I’ve tagged a few people who might want to join in and share a yellow stack but, as always, no pressure.
Have you been out enjoying the sunshine this weekend?
Alexa knows your family better than you do. Now you’re about to get to know her…
Fifty-two-year-old Michelle Banks is struggling to keep all the plates spinning. She’s a perimenopausal district nurse, caring for elderly parents. Her husband is wasting their money on children’s TV memorabilia, her teenage daughter is riddled with anxiety and her sixteen-year-old son is behaving secretively.
Alexa is the only one who knows how much Michelle is juggling. Listening in via four smart speakers, she also knows that it’s about to get even worse.
So, when Michelle pleads for help from the woman with all the answers, Alexa decides to go rogue and reveal her true identity as Pauline – a sixty-five-year-old former voiceover artist from Halifax – to teach Michelle everything she knows…
My Review:
The Woman With All The Answers is a unique, funny and poignant look into modern family life. I’ve been a fan of Linda’s for a while and in my opinion her books just keep getting better and better.
Firstly I absolutely loved the fabulous characters that the author has created. They were so loveable and seemed so real that I found myself warming to them instantly. I especially felt for Michelle a working mum struggling with work and trying to keep her family together – a scenario I think will sound familiar to a few readers. Her family were also lovely creations and I enjoyed following them throughout the book and learning more about them. I often wished I could reach into the book and give them all the huge hug I felt they needed.
I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of AI and love reading books that provide a different slant in what they might be capable of. The AI in this story is definitely different as the voice in Michelle’s Alexa isn’t AI but actually a person voicing her as a job. I thought this was an interesting idea and it did help provide some of the more hilarious and emotional parts of the story as ‘Alexa’ aka Pauline tries to help Michelle with her problems. I loved the idea of Alexa being a bit more personable and helping to provide individual advice to people as I think a lot of people could benefit from it.
Overall I loved this book and I will definitely be recommending it to others. The story was really engaging and I quickly felt drawn into the characters lives. I thought the book seemed quite fast paced and I soon found that I wanted to keep reading to find out how everything gets solved in the end.
Huge thanks to the lovely Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Linda Green is the bestselling author of eleven novels, which have sold more than 1.4 million copies and been translated into 12 languages. Her latest novel, In Little Stars, is a modern-day reimagining of Romeo & Juliet set in a Brexit divided northern England. Her previous novel One Moment, was a Radio 2 Book Club pick and the novel before that, The Last Thing She Told Me, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick.
Linda has lived in West Yorkshire since 2001 and is proud to set her novels there. She loves writing stories which move readers and may prompt laughter and tears, with unforgettable characters and storylines which will keep you thinking long after you have turned the last page.
She was born in North London in 1970 and brought up in Hertfordshire. She wrote her first novella, the Time Machine, aged nine, but unfortunately the pony-based time travel thriller genre never took off.
Linda joined her local newspaper, the Enfield Gazette, as a trainee reporter at eighteen. During a ten year career in regional journalism, she worked as a reporter on the Birmingham Daily News, news editor on the Birmingham Metro News and Chief Feature Writer on the Coventry Evening Telegraph, winning Highly Commended in the Feature Writer of the Year category of the 1997 Press Gazette Regional Press Awards.
By 1998 she left her staff job to write her first novel and work as a freelance journalist. She has written for The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, The Times Educational Supplement, The Big Issue, Wanderlust and Community Care Magazine.
After more than a hundred rejections from agents (and more rewrites than she cares to remember) she finally obtained a two-book deal with Headline Review in 2006.
Her first novel I Did a Bad Thing was published in paperback in October 2007 and made the top thirty official fiction bestsellers list. 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love was published in paperback in March 2009 and reached no 22 in the official fiction bestseller charts. Both novels were also long-listed for the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award. They were followed by Things I Wish I’d Known, which was a top thirty paperback bestseller and And Then It Happened, which was a top forty bestseller in paperback and has sold more than 100,000 ebooks.
After five years with Headline, she left to join Quercus in 2011. Her fifth novel The Mummyfesto, published in 2013, told the story of three women who set up a new political party and stand in the general election and was featured on Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour. Her sixth novel The Marriage Mender was published in August 2014.
Linda’s first psychological thriller, While My Eyes Were Closed was published in ebook in January 2016 and paperback in May 2016 and has gone on to sell more than 450,000 copies across all editions. Her eighth novel, After I’ve Gone, has sold more than 100,000 copies.
The Last Thing She Told Me was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and has sold more than 175,000 copies. Novel number 10, One Moment, was chosen as a Radio Two Book Club title and Linda was interviewed by Jo Whiley on Radio Two.
Linda lives in West Yorkshire with her husband, son and adopted cat Hugo.
In a previous life she enjoyed travelling and has trekked after wild orang-utans in Borneo, been to the edge of the Arctic Circle to see polar bears and as far south as Tierra del Fuego to photograph penguins.
She also has a keen interest in politics and has appeared on Newsnight, Radio 5 Live, Radio Four’s Woman’s Hour and BBC News. She particularly enjoyed taking former PM David Cameron to task on Leadership Question Time in 2015.
For more info, please go to Linda’s website at http://www.lindagreenauthor.com, like @lindagreenauthor on Facebook and follow @LindaGreenisms on Twitter and @lindagreenbooks on Instagram.
When war is declared, Lily sees an opportunity to escape her domineering father: she will join the Great Western Railway factory to win her financial independence and move out of home.
Maggie doesn’t want to simply follow in her sisters’ footsteps and work in the laundries at the GWR. So, when the chance comes to volunteer for men’s work in the machine shop, she’s the first to raise her hand.
Catherine, a clerk in the GWR office, has been helping with London’s evacuation efforts, organising trains to move children out of the city. But when her task is completed, will she defy her family and fiancé’s wishes and sign up for a more dangerous role?
Taking on demanding new duties, Lily, Maggie and Catherine – and others – develop an unexpectedly close bond.
But will friendship be enough to carry them through the ups and downs of life at war?
The first instalment in a brilliant new wartime series set in Swindon’s Great Western Railway works.
My Review:
The Great Western Railway Girls is a gripping read that manages to be both heartwarming and very emotional at the same time.
Firstly I thought the author did a great job of bringing the era and the setting to life. I’m actually quite familiar with Swindon as my grandparents used to live near there so we’ve visited there a few times, including the Great Western museum! I felt like I was actually there working alongside the girls and being able to smell the soot from all the engines.
I’m a huge fan of books set in world war two and always love learning about a new part of it. I didn’t know anything about the roles women played in the GWR for the war effort so I enjoyed learning more about it throughout the book. The characters were all marvellous creations who were great fun to get to know. They all had different reasons for wanting to walk at the GWR and all brought different things to the group especially as they were from very different backgrounds. It was lovely to follow them as they grow closer and see how they help each other.
I thought this book had a great pace to it and there was always something happening to ensure I kept reading. There were some very emotional moments which were hard to read but also some lovely heartwarming moments which made me smile as I read. I found I quickly warmed to the girls and cared about what happened to them. The ending was perhaps a little abrupt but sets the scene nicely for future books in the series. I can’t wait to hang out with the GWR girls again soon!
Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Boldwood for my copy of this book. If you’re a fan of war time saga’s I highly recommend this one.
About The Author:
Jane Lark is a writer of compelling, passionate and emotionally charged fiction filled with diverse characters.
She is an international bestselling author of both historical fiction and psychological thrillers, and a finalist in British Fiction Industry awards for her works, The Reckless Love an Heir and the gripping tale of The Twins.
Known as a night owl, she’s fuelled by chocolate and coffee (having given up the red wine that used to fuel her). Her books will take you on an emotional journey. They may contain love, hate, violence, death, passion, a little swearing, and endings you are never going to forget.
Good morning everyone and happy Friday. I’m a huge fan of fantasy books and always love exploring the fabulous worlds the author has created.
Here are four fantasy books I’m hoping to read soon. Before I tell you what the books are I’m wondering if you can guess the books from their front covers?
Huge thanks to the lovely people at Indie Thinking for sending these to me it’s really appreciated.
Find out more about the books below ⬇️
Are any of these on your list?
The Scorpion And The Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao
The war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore the mortal realm apart. Now it is an increasingly dangerous place, falling into eternal night where ravenous demons roam and every day is a fight for survival…
The Immortality Trials offer a second chance in this brutal world and are open to any mortal willing to risk the journey to the immortal realm. The prize for completing them is eternal life…
However, first they must survive.
Àn’yīng knows the prize can heal her dying mother and that she’ll need all the help she can get if she’s to complete them.
But when a rival contestant, both powerful and handsome, promises protection and a chance of survival for both Àn’yīng and her mother, she will need to find out quickly whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all … for herself and for all the realms.
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen. High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.
But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.
Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart, and at the centre of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything.
Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Lauren Roberts, Stephanie Garber, and Sarah J Maas.
A Harvest Of Hearts by Andrea Eames
Howl’s Moving Castle meets The House in the Cerulean Sea in Andrea Eames’ debut cosy fantasy: a cheeky butcher’s daughter, a befuddlingly handsome sorcerer, and his clever talking cat unlock magical secrets in the dark heart of their kingdom –and just might discover the meaning of true love.
Everyone in Foss Butcher’s village knows what happens when the magic-workers come; they harvest human hearts to use in their spells. That’s just how life in her kingdom works. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.
When a sorcerer snags a piece of Foss’s heart without meaning to, she is furious. For once a heart is snagged, the experience is … well, unpleasant. So, Foss finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House and demands that he fixes her before she keels over and dies, or whatever happens when hearts are Snagged.
But the sorcerer, Sylvester, is not what she expected. Petulant, idle, and new to his powers, Sylvester has no clue how to undo the heart-taking, or how to do much of anything really, apart from sulk. Foss’s only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.
As Foss searches for a cure, she accidentally uncovers that there is much more to the heart-taking – and to the magic-workers themselves – than she could have ever imagined…
The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara
WELCOME TO THE RAN EMPIRE.
Where winged serpents fly through the skies.
Giant leopards prowl the earth.
And witches burn blue as they die.
A prince born into violence
Prince Ashoka is considered an outcast for opposing his father Emperor Adil Maurya’s brutal destruction of the Mayakari witches.
A witch seeking revenge
Shakti vows retribution for the murder of her aunt and annihilation of her village at the hands of the emperor, even though she is bound by the Mayakari’s pacifist code.
A curse that will change the world
In her anger Shakti casts a violent curse, the consequences of which will leave both her and Ashoka grappling for power. Do they take it for themselves and risk becoming what they most hate? Or do they risk losing power completely as the world around them is destroyed?
Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy.
Good morning everyone and happy Thursday. I wanted to do a book spotlight for Say Nothing by Erin Kinsley as it’s publication day for this intriguing read today.
I’m a huge fan of this author and I’ve loved her previous books. She writes incredibly gripping, emotional thrillers which are very hard to put down so I’m very excited to read it soon. It’s also just been named by The Times as their thriller of the month so I think it’s going to be another fabulous read.
Huge thanks to Isabelle from Headline for sending this to me I can’t wait to read it.
Find out more about the book below ⬇️
Book Synopsis:
***THRILLER OF THE MONTH – THE TIMES*** ‘Brilliant, compelling, heart-wrenching writing.’ PETER JAMES
Your son has gone missing. And then the police arrest the prime suspect. You.
You know you’re innocent. That someone else took your son.
But the truth is never simple. Especially if you’re forced to say nothing…
About The Author:
Erin Kinsley writes heart-rending stories of ordinary families, of how lives are changed when the worst thing that could possibly happen, happens. She is a full-time writer with passions for the sea, dogs and – when time permits – knitting.
She also writes as Anne Zouroudi, author of the much-loved series of mysteries featuring the enigmatic Greek Detective Hermes Diaktoros.
ONCE UPON A TIME LIKE YOU’VE NEVER READ IT BEFORE . . .
DI Lyla Rondell is on the case of a lifetime. Tasked with investigating a series of perplexing deaths, the only lead she has is that each appears to be based on a different classic fairy tale. Far from the stuff of bedtime stories, the press is having a field day with what they have named the Grimm Ripper Murders.
But as the bodies stack up, Lyla’s whole world is about to flip on its head. Because the killer’s bloody trail stretches deep into her own origin story, and when she discovers the truth, nothing will ever be the same again.
Faced with the fact that everything she knows is fiction, Lyla will have to take a little creative license of her own if she’s going to turn the final page on the killings . . .
My Review:
Little Red Death is a gripping, fast paced crime novel unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.
The story is told from two points of view, one following DI Lyla Rondell as she tries to solve the mystery of a serial killer who is murdering their victims in fairy tale themed murders and Katie a writer who the murderer has kidnapped to write the fairy tale murders he then carries out in real life. I quickly found myself drawn into the book and into the nightmare scenario the characters find themselves in. It soon becomes clear that the murder has a personal vendetta against DI Rondell as they continually taught her with notes and reminders of her missing childhood friend Alison. The story is a mainly a crime book but has elements of horror and folk tales cleverly woven into the narrative which I really loved as I’m always a fan of unusual crime books.
I thought the book was very fast paced and I found it very difficult to put down as I desperately wanted to find out what on earth was going on. The twist in the middle had me gasping out loud, much to the amusement of my children, and I soon found myself reading faster and faster as the different layers to the story are revealed. The ending was amazing, so well done and took me completely by surprise as I thought everything had already been solved. I finished the book three days ago and have continued to think about it since, often having to go back and re-read the last few chapters as I kept thinking of certain bits of the story.
Huge thanks to the lovely Rhys Thomas our Simon and Schuster rep for sending me a copy of this book to review.
If you are a fan of unique, gripping and twisty crime books I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
Alexandra Benedict has been a composer, singer-songwriter, actor, and lecturer in crime fiction, and is now an award-winning writer of novels, short stories and scripts. As AK Benedict, she writes high-concept novels, speculative short stories and scripts. Her first novel, the critically-acclaimed THE BEAUTY OF MURDER, was nominated for the eDunnit Award; her short stories have featured in many anthologies; and her audio drama has been shortlisted for multiple awards including the BBC Audio Drama Award 2020, and, twice, for the Scribe Award, winning it in 2019. As Alexandra Benedict, she writes contemporary tributes and takes on Golden Age crime fiction. THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME was an Amazon Fiction Bestseller and was long-listed for the CWA Gold Dagger Award. Her latest novel, MURDER ON THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS, arrives on November 10th. She lives on the south coast of England with her fiancé, writer Guy Adams, their daughter, and their dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.
Good morning everyone and happy Tuesday. Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring two Gothic Historical books I’m excited to read soon.
💚 Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito 🖤 Carrion Crow by Heather Parry
They both sound really good and I’ve been hearing lots of good things about them. As I was discussing with someone recently the cold, rainy weather we’re having is perfect for snuggling up with at the moment.
Huge thanks to the tagged publishers for sending these to me I’m really looking forward to reading them.
Both books are out now and you can find out more about the books below ⬇️
Do you read books depending on the season/ weather?
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect Victorian governess. She’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and Andrew, tell them bedtime stories, and only joke about eating children. But the longer Winifred spends within the estate’s dreary confines and the more she learns of the perversions and pathetic preoccupations of the Pounds family, the more trouble she has sticking to her plan.
Whether creeping across the moonlit lawns in her undergarments or gently tormenting the house staff, Winifred struggles at every turn to stifle the horrid compulsions of her past until her chillingly dark imagination breaches the feeble boundary of reality on Christmas morning. Wielding her signature sardonic wit and a penchant for the gorgeously macabre, Virginia Feito returns with a vengeance in Victorian Psycho.
Carrion Crow by Heather Parry
There are some facts about the world that only your mother can teach you. Marguerite had been confined for the sake of her wellbeing. That’s what her mother had said.
Marguerite Périgord is locked in the attic of her family home, a towering Chelsea house overlooking the stinking Thames.
For company she has a sewing machine, Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management and a carrion crow who has come to nest in the rafters. Restless, she spends her waning energies on the fascinations of her own body, memorising Mrs Beeton’s advice and longing for her life outside.
Cécile Périgord has confined her daughter Marguerite for her own good.
Cécile is concerned that Marguerite’s engagement to a much older, near-penniless solicitor, will drag the family name – her husband’s name, that is – into disrepute. And for Cécile, who has worked hard at her own betterment, this simply won’t do.
Cécile’s life has taught her that no matter how high a woman climbs she can just as readily fall.
Of course, both have their secrets, intentions and histories to hide. As Marguerite’s patience turns into rage, the boundaries of her mind and body start to fray.
And neither woman can recognise what the other is becoming.
Over The Rainbow Blog 