Book Synopsis:

A second son, not born to rule, becomes a man, and a king…

In grand royal palaces, Prince Harry grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry – and the golden age of kings that awaits his older brother. But Arthur’s untimely death sees Harry crowned King Henry of England.

As his power and influence extends, so commences a lifelong battle between head and heart, love and duty. Henry rules by divine right, yet his prayers for a son go unanswered.

The great future of the Tudor dynasty depends on an heir. And the crown weighs heavy on a king with all but his one true desire.

HENRY VIII. HIS STORY.

Alison Weir’s most ambitious Tudor novel yet reveals the captivating story of a man who was by turns brilliant, romantic, and ruthless: the king who changed England forever.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author and I think I’ve read every book she’s written. Her books are always so informative and have a way of making history fun so it’s easy to learn more about the period she is describing.

Firstly I must admit that the Tudor period is one of my favourite historical periods and I’ve never been a huge fan of Henry VIII as I’ve always felt much more sympathy with his wives with all that happened to them. This book certainly helped me to understand Henry’s side of the story and, although I’m still on the wives side, I did feel a bit of sympathy for him.

The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book so I felt like I was actually there following Henry around his court. I hadn’t realised how hopeful Henry’s reign had started with a handsome king on the throne and lots of money available thanks to his predecessor’s frugality. It was very interesting to follow Henry through his reign and realise what went wrong for him. It’s definitely made me think more about everything he went through and how differently history might have turned out if things had gone differently.

I thought this book had a great pace to it and I soon found myself absorbed in the story. I loved all the historical detail the author includes in the story which helped make the story come to life for me. I’m very excited to read more in this fabulous series.

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

About The Author:

Alison Weir lives and works in Surrey. Her books include Britain’s Royal Families, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Children of England, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry VIII: King and Court, Mary, Queen of Scots and Isabella: She-Wolf of France.

Book Synopsis:

Blackpool, 1938. Miss Margaret Finch – a rather demure young woman – has just begun work in a position that relies on her discretion and powers of observation. Then, her path is crossed by the disgraced Rector of Stiffkey (aka Harold Davidson), who is the subject of a national scandal.

Margaret is determined to discover the truth behind the headlines: is Davidson a maligned hero or an exploiter of the vulnerable? But her own troubles are never far away, and Margaret’s fear that history is about to repeat itself means she needs to uncover that truth urgently.

This deeply evocative novel ripples with the tension of a country not yet able to countenance the devastation of another war. Margaret walks us along the promenade, peeks into the baths and even dares a trip on the love boat in this, her first seaside summer season, on a path more dangerous than she could ever have imagined.

My Review:

The Misadventures Of Margaret Finch is a heartwarming, quirky read that was hugely enjoyable.

Firstly the author has obviously done her research and I loved her fabulous descriptions of Blackpool in its hey day between the wars. I’ve never actually been there so it was great fun experiencing the sights and sounds of Blackpool alongside the characters. It sounds like it was a fun place to visit and I can see why so many people decided to holiday there.

Margaret was a fantastic main character and I loved that she didn’t follow convention to do what women were expected to do at that time. Her job sounded very interesting and one that I think I’d love to do as I’ve always enjoyed people watching. She is very good at her job and dedicated to it which was nice to see though I did wish she had more of a balance in her life.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from the author in the future. The story starts off a little slowly as the author sets the scene but I soon found myself absorbed into the story. I loved the subtle blend of actually historical events with fiction and the inclusion of real life characters which were very interesting to find out more about. I would recommend only googling the events in this book after reading though as there could be a few spoilers. I found myself sad to finish the book and leave Margaret behind.

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

About The Author:

Claire McGlasson is a journalist who works for ITV News and enjoys the variety of life on the road with a TV camera. She lives in Cambridge. The Rapture was her debut novel.

Please do read some of the other reviews available on this blog tour.

Good morning everyone and happy Thursday. I saw this idea on @might_read_until_i_feel_better page and I knew I had to join in. I have loads of books on my tbr, more than I’ll get to read probably, but these ten are the books I’m most excited about.

⭐ Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
⭐In The Land Of Puppets by T.J Klune
⭐One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley
⭐The Last Witch Of Scotland by Philip Paris
⭐ Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
⭐ Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
⭐A Killer In The Family by Cytha Lodge
⭐ In Memory Of Animals by Claire Fuller
⭐In Memoriam by Alice Winn
⭐Out Hideous Progeny by C. E. McGill

Do we have any books in common?

Good evening everyone. I haven’t done a reading update for a while and, as I’ve deviated from my original plan, I thought I’d post one today.

I’ve just finished The Forgotten Garden by Sharon Gosling which I thought was a wonderful, uplifting read. You can find my review on my blog. I’m currently reading A Waiter On Paris which I got tempted by whilst working at the bookshop and I’m really enjoying. It’s a very readable memoir of the author’s time as a waiter in Paris. I’m then hoping to read Our Hideous Progeny as I keep hearing lots about it and I’m very intrigued.

What are you currently reading?

Last: The Forgotten Garden by Sharon Gosling

I really enjoyed this uplifting, enjoyable read. I posted my full review on my blog yesterday if you want to go check it out.

Now: A Waiter In Paris by Edward Chisholm

A waiter’s job is to deceive you. They want you to believe in a luxurious calm because on the other side of that door… is hell.

Edward Chisholm’s spellbinding memoir of his time as a Parisian waiter takes you below the surface of one of the most iconic cities in the world and right into its glorious underbelly.


The waiter inhabits a world of inhuman hours, snatched sleep and dive bars; scraping by on coffee, bread and cigarettes, often under sadistic managers, with a wage so low you’re fighting your colleagues for tips.


It’s physically demanding, frequently humiliating and incredibly competitive. And with a cast of thieves, narcissists, ex-Legionnaires, paperless immigrants and drug dealers, it makes for a compelling and eye-opening read.

Next: Our Hideous Progeny by C. E. McGill

Mary is the great-niece of Victor Frankenstein. She knows her great uncle disappeared in mysterious circumstances in the Arctic but she doesn’t know why or how…

The 1850s is a time of discovery and London is ablaze with the latest scientific theories and debates, especially when a spectacular new exhibition of dinosaur sculptures opens at the Crystal Palace. Mary, with a sharp mind and a sharper tongue, is keen to make her name in this world of science, alongside her geologist husband Henry, but without wealth and connections, their options are limited.

But when Mary discovers some old family papers that allude to the shocking truth behind her great-uncle’s past, she thinks she may have found the key to securing their future… Their quest takes them to the wilds of Scotland, to Henry’s intriguing but reclusive sister Maisie, and to a deadly chase with a rival who is out to steal their secret…

Good morning everyone. My beautiful Locked Library Subscription has arrived and I absolutely love it! Those spredges are beautiful and the story sounds really good. I can’t wait to read it soon. Swipe to see what they look like😍

I have a day off today so I’m meeting a friend this morning, then I’m hoping to read a bit of my new book which I’m really enjoying. I’m hoping to post a reading update later as I’ve been tempted off my original tbr list. Then this afternoon I’m going into my kid’s school to hear some children read.

Book Synopsis:

BLY MANOR meets MEXICAN GOTHIC in this haunting romance about a dark family lineage, the ghosts of grief, and the lines we’ll cross for love.

The Sleeping House was very much awake …

Days after a tragedy leaves Marin Blythe alone in the world, she receives a surprising invitation from Alice Lovelace, an acclaimed horror writer and childhood friend of Marin’s mother. Alice offers her a nanny position at Lovelace House, the family’s coastal Maine estate.

Marin accepts and soon finds herself minding Alice’s pecular girls. Thea buries her dolls one by one, hosting a series of funerals, while Wren does everything in her power to drive Marin away. Then Alice’s eldest daughter returns home unexpectedly. Evie Hallowell is every bit as strange as her younger sisters, and yet Marin is quickly drawn in by Evie’s compelling behaviour and ethereal grace.

But as Marin settles in, she can’t escape the anxiety that shadows her. Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods.

All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.

About The Author:

Kyrie McCauley spent her childhood climbing trees in dresses and reading books during class. Kyrie holds a Master of Science in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania, and has worked in advocacy and development for non-profit organizations. She lives near Philadelphia with her family, three rescue cats, and a dog that eats books and is never sorry. She is the author of If These Wings Could Fly, recipient of the 2021 William C. Morris Award.

Good afternoon everyone. Today on Two For Tuesday I’m featuring 2 finished copies that I’ve recently received.

⭐ The Minuscule Mansion Of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges

⭐ Drowning by T. J Newman

These are both for blog tours, and although very different, I’m looking forward to reading them both soon as they sound fantastic!

Huge thanks to the publishers for sending me these copies.

Are either of these on your radar?.

The Miniscule Mansion Of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges

Audrey Burges’ The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone is a charming and magical debut novel, with a love story at its heart, woven across multiple periods and perspectives, about a mystical dolls’ house.

Once upon a time there was a house . . .

From her attic in the Arizona mountains, thirty-four year-old recluse Myra Malone blogs about a miniature mansion – a dolls’ house – which captivates thousands of readers worldwide. Myra herself is tethered to the Mansion by a strange magic she can’t understand – there are rooms that appear and disappear overnight, music that plays in its corridors.

Across the country, Alex Rakes, the thirty-four year-old heir of a furniture business, encounters two Mansion fans trying to recreate a room from her stories. Alex is shocked to recognize his own bedroom in minute scale.

The Mansion is his family’s home, handed down from the grandmother who disappeared mysteriously when Alex was a child. Searching for answers, Alex begins corresponding with Myra. Together, the two unwind the lonely paths of their twin worlds – big and small – and trace the stories that entwine them, setting the stage for a meeting rooted in loss, but defined by love.

Falling by T. J Newman

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent – Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife – who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them – against impossible odds.

Book Synopsis:

A novel of second chances and blossoming communities from the author of The Lighthouse Bookshop. 

Budding landscape architect Luisa MacGregor is stuck in a rut – she hates her boss, she lives with her sister, and she is still mourning the loss of her husband many years ago. So when she is given the opportunity to take on a parcel of land in a deprived area, she sees the chance to build a garden that can make the area bloom.
 
Arriving in the rundown seaside town of Collaton on the north-west coast of Cumbria, she realises that her work is going to be cut out for her. But, along with Cas, a local PE teacher, and Harper, a teen whose life has taken a wrong turn, she is determined to get the garden up and running.
 
So when the community comes together and the garden starts to grow, she feels her luck might have changed. Can she grow good things on this rocky ground? And might love blossom along the way…?

My Review:

The Forgotten Garden is an uplifting read about community, love and second chances.

Firstly I loved the idea of the community garden and I wish there was something similar near by as I’d happily volunteer there. It was lovely following the process of the garden and see if transform from a derelict piece of land to the beautiful garden it becomes. The author does a great job describing it so I felt I could imagine it perfectly in my mind and sometimes felt that I was actually there, walking in the garden with the volunteers.

The characters are all wonderful creations that I loved following throughout the book. They all touched my heart as I read and I enjoyed getting to know more about them. It was lovely to see how the community garden managed to help them all and bring them together into a close knit group. My favourite character was Harper who I really felt for and admired her trying to keep everything together at home. Her little brother Max was another favourite and I often wished I could reach into the book and give him a huge hug.

I thought this book had a lovely pace to it and I felt quickly absorbed into the wonderful community the garden creates. It was wonderful to see how the garden helped the characters and see the characters develop as the story continues. There’s a bit of surprise drama but overall I felt this was just a lovely, heartwarming read that I’ve continued to think about long after reading.

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

About The Author:

I’ve been writing since I was a teenager, which is now a distressingly long time ago! I started out as an entertainment journalist – actually, my earliest published work was as a reviewer of science fiction and fantasy books. I went on to become a staff writer and then an editor for print magazines, before beginning to write non-fiction making-of books tied in to film and television, such as The Art and Making of Penny Dreadful and Wonder Woman: The Art and Making of the Film.

I now write both children’s and adult fiction – my first novel was called The Diamond Thief, a Victorian-set steampunk adventure book for the middle grade age group. That won the Redbridge Children’s prize in 2014, and I went on to write two more books in the series before moving on to other adventure books including The Golden Butterfly, which was nominated for the Carnegie Award in 2017, The House of Hidden Wonders, and a YA horror called FIR, which was shortlisted for the Lancashire Book of the Year Award in 2018.

My debut adult novel will be published by Simon & Schuster in August 2021. It’s called The House Beneath the Cliffs and it’s a story set in a very small coastal village in Scotland. The idea for it had lodged in my head years before. I have a love for unusual dwelling places and I came across a tiny house that completely captured my imagination. My adult fiction tends to centre on small communities – feel-good tales about how we find where we belong in life and what it means when we do. Although I have also published full-on adult horror stories, which are less about community and more about terror and mayhem…

I was born in Kent but now live in a very small house in an equally small village in northern Cumbria with my husband, who owns a bookshop in the nearby market town of Penrith.

Good morning everyone. I’ve been tempted by a few more books this week as these all came into the bookshop and, as I’d heard lots of good things about them, I knew I had to get them. Scarlett I nabbed from the box as it came in as I’d just read @mylittlebookhome’s review that morning. They all sound amazing and I can’t wait to read them soon.

We’ve had a busy weekend. Our local library had lots of clubs on Saturday so my youngest two went to the reading group and my eldest to the STEM club they had on which he absolutely loved. I was proud of my daughter as she was brave enough to read out loud to a load of strangers which I was very impressed with. We discovered she had another food allergy yesterday so I spent the day looking after her though I did manage a few hours reading in the garden with my eldest which was lovely.

What did you do this weekend?

One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley

On a suburban street filled with secrets, 84 year old Edie Green must look back into the past to discover what happened to her friend Lucy, who went missing years before . . .

I kept your secret Lucy. I’ve kept it for more than sixty years . . .

It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother – who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community – she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.

When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .

Then Lucy goes missing.

2018. Edie is eighty-two and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There’s a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .

Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman

Revolution’s a bloodthirsty business . . . Scarlet is a thrilling reinvention of the tale of The Scarlet Pimpernel with the addition of magic and even more mayhem.

Revolutionary France is no place to be, especially for aristocrat vampires facing the guillotine. But the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel are determined to rescue them. And they have an ace up their sleeve: Eleanor, a lowly maid from an English estate with a striking resemblance to French royalty.

For Eleanor, the League and their legendary deeds are little more than rumour – until she’s drawn into their most dangerous plot yet. The mission? Travel to France in disguise, impersonate Queen Marie Antoinette and rescue the royal family. If they succeed, it’ll be the heist of the century.

But there’s more to fear than ardent Revolutionaries. For Eleanor stumbles across a centuries-old war between vampires and their fiercest enemy. And they’re out for blood . . .

Scarlet is the first book in the Scarlet Revolution trilogy, set during the turbulent French Revolution, and featuring all of Genevieve Cogman’s trademark wit and fast-paced plotting. It’s perfect for fans of The Invisible Library series, Kim Newman and Gail Carriger.

The Last Witch Of Scotland by Philip Paris

Being a woman was her only crime.

Scottish Highlands, 1727.

In the aftermath of a tragic fire that kills her father, Aila and her mother, Janet, move to the remote parish of Loth, north-west of Inverness. Blending in does not come easily to the women: Aila was badly burned in the fire and left with visible injuries, while her mother struggles to maintain her grip on reality. When a temporary minister is appointed in the area, rather than welcome the two women, he develops a strange curiosity for them that sets them even further apart from the community.

Then arrives a motley troupe of travelling entertainers from Edinburgh, led by the charismatic but mysterious Jack. It is just the distraction Janet, and particularly Aila, needs: for the first time in a long while, their lives are filling with joy and friendship, and a kind of hope Aila hasn’t known since her father’s death. But in this small community, faith is more powerful than truth, and whispers more dangerous even than fire.

Haunting and deeply moving, The Last Witch of Scotland is a story of love, loyalty and sacrifice, inspired by the true story of the last person to be executed for witchcraft in Britain.

Book Synopsis:

How can you solve a murder before it’s happened?

‘This is my challenge for you,’ the woman in white said. ‘I want you to solve my murder.’

London, 1930s: Rachel Savernake is attending renowned artist Damaris Gethin’s latest exhibition, featuring live models who pose as famous killers. But that’s just the warm-up act…

Unsure why she was invited, Rachel is soon cornered by the artist who asks her a haunting favour: she wants Rachel to solve her murder. Damaris then takes to the stage set with a guillotine, the lights go out – and Damaris executes herself.

Why would Damaris take her own life? And, if she died by her own hand, what did she mean by ‘solve my murder’?

There are many questions to answer, and the clues are there for those daring enough to solve them…

Rachel Savernake faces her most puzzling murder yet in this glamorous gothic mystery from the winner of the CWA Diamond Dagger. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Richard Osman.

My Review:

Sepulche Street is another fantastic, intriguing detective story from one of my favourite series.

Firstly I loved the premise of this book which seemed unusual and I wasn’t initially sure how it would all work out . What I found very interesting was the book isn’t about finding the murderer as it was a suicide but more about what causes the character to commit suicide which was a fascinating idea. It was great to follow the detectives into Damaris’s past and find out the secrets that lay there.

It really enjoyed being back with Rachel and Jacob solving another mystery with them. They make such a good team, with Rachel as the brains of the team but Jacob is very brave and willing to put himself in risky situations to try to find answers – which Rachel often has to rescue him from.

This book has a great pace to it and I quickly found myself drawn into the story. I thought the book was quite hard to put down as there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. The author drops lots of clues throughout the book so you have to pay attention to everything. There is also a clue finder at the back, popular in crime fiction between the wars, so you can go back and see where all the clues were. I loved this idea and enjoyed going back to see the (many) clues I missed. This book is the fourth book in the series and while I do think it could be read as a standalone, I would urge you to start at the beginning as this is a fantastic series!

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

About The Author:

Martin Edwards has received the CWA Diamond Dagger, the highest honour in British crime writing, given for the sustained excellence of his contribution to the genre. His recent novels include Mortmain Hall and Gallows Court, which was nominated for two awards including the CWA Historical Dagger. British librarians awarded him the CWA Dagger in the Library in 2018 in recognition of his body of work. His eight and latest Lake District Mystery is The Crooked Shore and earlier books in the series include The Coffin Trail, short-listed for the Theakston’s prize for best British crime novel. Seven books in his first series, featuring Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin, starting with the CWA John Creasey Dagger-nominated All the Lonely People, have been reissued by Acorn in new editions with introductions by leading writers including Ann Cleeves and Val McDermid.

Martin is a well-known crime fiction critic, and series consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics. His ground-breaking study of the genre between the wars, The Golden Age of Murder won the Edgar, Agatha, H.R.F. Keating and Macavity awards. The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books won the Macavity and was nominated for four other awards, while Howdunit, a masterclass in crime writing by members of the Detection Club, won the H.R.F. Keating prize and was nominated for five other awards. His long-awaited history of the genre, The Life of Crime, will be published in May 2022.

In addition Martin has written a stand-alone novel of psychological suspense, Take My Breath Away, and a much acclaimed novel featuring Dr Crippen, Dancing for the Hangman. He also completed Bill Knox’s last book, The Lazarus Widow. He has published many short stories, including the ebooks The New Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes and Acknowledgments and other stories. ‘The Bookbinder’s Apprentice’ won the CWA Short Story Dagger, for which he has been nominated for three other stories.

He has edited over 40 anthologies and published diverse non-fiction books, including a study of homicide investigation, Urge to Kill. An expert on crime fiction history, he is archivist of both the Crime Writers’ Association and the Detection Club. He was elected eighth President of the Detection Club in 2015, spent two years as Chair of the CWA, and posts regularly to his blog, ‘Do You Write Under Your Own Name?’

I was a huge fan of this author’s first book so I was very excited to win a giveaway for a special sprayed proof of The Illusions her next book. I love books that include magic so this sounds brilliant and I can’t wait to read it. The book also came with some special playing cards (pictured) and the kids want me to teach them how to play round the clock solitaire!

Thanks so much for my competition prize Manilla Press.

What book release are you most looking forward to?

Book Synopsis:

At a time of extraordinary change, two women must harness their talents to take control of their own destiny

Bristol, 1896. Used to scraping a living as the young assistant to an ageing con artist, Cecily Marsden’s life is turned upside down when her master suddenly dies. Believing herself to blame, could young Cec somehow have powers she little understands?

Meanwhile Eadie Carleton, a pioneering early film-maker, struggles for her talent to be taken seriously in a male-dominated world, and a brilliant young magician, George Perris, begins to see the potential in moving pictures. George believes that if he can harness this new technology, it will revolutionise the world of magic forever – but in order to achieve his dreams, he must first win over Miss Carleton . . .

As a group of illusionists prepare for a grand spectacle, Cec, Eadie and George’s worlds collide. But Cec soon finds herself facing the fight of her life to save the performance from sabotage – and harness the element of real magic held deep within her . . .

THE ILLUSIONS is the captivating new novel from the much-lauded author of THE GIFTS. Inspired by real-life illusionists and early film pioneers, this astonishing story of women and talent, magic and power, sweeps you into a world where anything is possible and nothing is quite as it seems . . .

About The Author:

Liz Hyder has been making up stories for as long she can remember. Bearmouth, her debut young adult novel, won a Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Branford Boase Award, and was chosen as the Children’s Book of the Year by The Times.

The Gifts, her acclaimed debut novel for grown-ups, was published in the UK in 2022 and in April 2023 in the US. The Illusions is out in June 2023 in hardback in the UK. Liz has a degree in drama from the University of Bristol and was, once upon a time, a member of the National Youth Theatre. Originally from London, she has lived in Shropshire for over a decade.