Book Synopsis:

A serial killer is on the loose in Hamburg, targeting dancers from The Acapulco, a club in the city’s red-light district, taking their scalps as gruesome trophies and replacing them with plastic wigs.

Chastity Riley is the state prosecutor responsible for crimes in the district, and she’s working alongside the police as they investigate. Can she get inside the mind of the killer?

Her strength is thinking like a criminal; her weaknesses are pubs, bars and destructive relationships, but as Chastity searches for love and a flamboyant killer – battling her demons and the dark, foggy Hamburg weather – she hits dead end after dead end.

As panic sets in and the death toll rises, it becomes increasingly clear that it may already be too late. For everyone…

My Review:

The Acapulco is a gritty, compelling thriller that I really enjoyed.

Firstly I have been a huge fan of this series from the first book so I found it fascinating to go back to the beginning and see how everything started for Chastity. I’ve always liked how realistic a character she is and how affected she gets by what she sees as it shows that she cares. Her way of coping though was quite heartbreaking to see sometimes and I found myself hoping that someone would help her or give her the love I feel she desperately needs.

It was interesting to learn more about Hamburg and to visit the seedier side of the city, where I would never dare visit in real life. The investigation, with the aspect of ritual killing, was very intriguing to follow as I’ve always found it fascinating to learn more about the reasons behind them. I liked how Chastity tries to get into the characters head so that we can see how they might think or act. Fair warning though some of the detail used is quite gruesome and definitely not for the faint hearted. I was quite glad that I wasn’t Chastity and having to see it all first hand as the descriptions on their own were enough to turn my stomach.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and hope there are more books to come in this fabulous series. The book starts off slow but soon picks up to become very hard to put down. There were some amazing twists that took me by surprise and I liked how everything came together at the end. The only downside to this book was that the title had me singing the song by the same name continuously as I read which drove my family mad.

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

About The Author:

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up in the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. The critically acclaimed Beton Rouge, Mexico Street, Hotel Cartagena and River Clyde all followed in the Chastity Riley series, with The Acapulco out in 2023. She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Book Synopsis:

Even the greatest love stories end. But what if this one didn’t have to?

_________________________________________________________________

Emma is having the worst day of her life. Frustrating. Chaotic. And the only person who could make it better is gone by the
end of the day.

Yet even worse than all of that: Emma keeps waking up to the same day, over and over again.

But what if this is a sign things could be different? Can Emma change the heartbreaking end to this love story?

My Review:

Maybe Next Time is a beautiful, emotional and thought provoking timeslip book that will stay with me.

Firstly I absolutely loved Emma who I felt was a very realistic character that I had a lot of sympathy for. I find it hard enough to juggle kids and a part time job so I can well imagine how hard things were for Emma with all the extra responsibilities she has. The story is told from Emma’s point of view but interspersed with letters that Dan has written to Emma on their anniversary each year. I really liked this as it gave me a better insight into the couple and their history while also seeing how things had changed for the couple in the present.

I found this book incredibly thought provoking as it made me think about my own life and all the people or things that I take for granted. It was very emotional to watch Emma have to relive the worst day of her life and realise the mistakes she’s made in her own life. I really felt for her as she tried desperately to change the outcome and as she realised what was actually important in her life.

This book starts off a bit slowly as we learn more about Emma and her busy life but soon becomes very gripping. I soon found myself very invested in the story and had to keep reading to find out if Emma manages to change things. The ending was very emotional and I found myself fully sobbing by the end. This was actually the first book I’ve read by this author but I’ll definitely be reading more from her in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Netgalley, though as you can see, I did purchase my own copy too.

About The Author:

Cesca Major is a novelist and screenwriter. She has written thirteen novels under different names and her books have been published in more than 10 countries. She has been nominated for both the RNA’s Romantic Comedy Award and the CWA Gold Dagger Award. She has an original TV series in development with the BBC. You can find more info about all her books, and lots of writing tips and videos, at http://www.cescamajor.com.

Good morning everyone. It’s my birthday today and, as my husband is at work, I’m hoping for a quiet day with the kids. We’re having a quiet morning where I hoping to fit in some reading and then off to our local National Trust to do their Easter Egg hunt.

This month I’m hoping to catch up with a few books I’ve missed over the last few months. I haven’t got many blog tours this month so I’m really hoping I get to read these fabulous sounding books!

⭐ Preloved by Lauren Bravo

⭐ The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse

⭐ Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jess Sutanto

⭐ Little Wing by Freya North

⭐ Mother’s Boy by Patrick Gale

⭐ The Vintage Shop Of Second Chances by Libby Page

⭐ End Of Story by Louise Swanson

⭐ The Institution by Helen Fields

I’m a huge fan of Kate Mosse but I haven’t had the chance to read her latest series so I’m hoping to read the first two books before the next book in the series comes out. Libby Page and Helen Fields are favourite authors of mine and I’ve loved Louise Swanson’s other books so I’m excited to see what this one’s like. The rest are all recommendations from my lovely fellow book bloggers and book friends.

Any of these on your April tbr?

Good morning everyone and Happy Sunday!

I’ve been lucky enough to receive some great bookpost this week.

⭐ Assassin Eighteen by John Brownlow

⭐ The Bookbinder Of Jericho by Pip Williams

⭐ Queens Of The Underworld by Caitlin Davies

⭐ Hotel 21 by Senta Rich

⭐ Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

⭐ The Misadventures Of Margaret Finch by Claire McGlasson

⭐ Wartime For The Chocolate Girls by Annie Murray

⭐ No Place To Hide by JS Monroe

⭐ Thirty Days In Paris by Veronica Henry

Most of these are for blog tours apart from Assassin Eighteen and The Bookbinder Of Jericho which were surprise bookpost. They all sound great and I am looking forward to reading them soon. I’m especially interested in Queens Of The Underworld as it sounds fascinating and Wartime For The Chocolate Girls as Birmingham isn’t that far from me so I’m intrigued to learn a bit more local history.

Huge thanks to all the publishers for sending this book post it is really appreciated.

Have you read any of these or are any on you radar?

Good evening everyone it’s Day 3 of the Tandem Collective read-along for The Wilderness Cure by Mo Wilde.

One of the challenges today was to go out and try to find three things. Wild Sorell, Bittercress and Wild Garlic. We found wild garlic and I thought I’d found Sorell but it turned out to be Centella Asiatic when I googled it at home. Annoyingly I left my phone at home so couldn’t look things up and I think there was actually wild Sorell in the woods.

The kids had a great time trying to find things though and I’d love to go back, armed with a little bit more knowledge. We might attempt to make a Bittercress, sorrel and Garlic soup this week so stay tuned for the results!

Have you ever been foraging?

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! If you have children, happy first day of the Easter Holidays.

Today I’m taking part in the Heavy Metal Book Challenge. The idea is to look on your book shelf and find book titles that would make a great name for a heavy metal band. I must admit I didn’t think I’d find anything and then I found too many and had to whittle it down a bit.

🎸 Queens Of The Underworld by Caitlin Davies

🎸The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse

🎸 Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F. Ross

🎸The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

🎸My Life As A Chameleon by Diana Anyakwo

🎸The Forcing by Paul E Hardisty

🎸Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

🎸Age Of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

🎸 Truly Darkly Deeply by Victoria Selman

I’ve tagged a few book bloggers on Instagram but if you see this and want to give it a go then consider yourself tagged!

Look for to seeing the names you find ☺️

Good morning everyone I pleased to be joining the Tandem Collective read-along for this intriguing book. I’ve been thinking for a while how I wished I knew more about the foraging and what you can gather to eat from nature so this book instantly appealed.

I look forward to reading what promises to be a fascinating memoir and to see if it’s possible to love off foraged food for a year. I’m also excited to learn more about the history of foraging and to take part in the fun challenges included in the read-along.

Book Synopsis:

A captivating and lyrical journey into our ancestral past, through what and how we eat.

Mo Wilde made a quiet but radical pledge: to live only off free, foraged food for an entire year. In a world disconnected from its roots, eating wild food is both culinary and healing, social and political. Ultimately, it is an act of love and community. Using her expert knowledge of botany and mycology, Mo follows the seasons to find nutritious food from hundreds of species of plants, fungi and seaweeds, and in the process learns not just how to survive, but how to thrive. Nourishing her body and mind deepens her connection with the earth – a connection that we have become estranged from but which we all, deep down, hunger for.

This hunger is about much more than food. It is about accepting and understanding our place in a natural network that is both staggeringly complex and beautifully simple. THE WILDERNESS CURE is a diary of a wild experiment; a timely and inspiring memoir which explores a deeper relationship between humans and nature, and reminds us of the important lost lessons from our past.

About The Author:

Monica ‘Mo’ Wilde is the author of The Wilderness Cure: Ancient Wisdom in a Modern World. Winner of The John Avery Award for “original and adventurous writing” in the 2022 André Simon Food and Drink Book Awards. Mo is a forager, research herbalist, author and ethnobotanist. She has been teaching foraging since 2005 but has had a lifelong passion for plants.

Mo has a Masters degree in herbal medicine, is a Fellow of the Linnean Society, a member of the Association of Foragers, a member of the British Mycological Society and a member of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). Monica Wilde lives in Scotland in a self-built eco house, encouraging medicinal and foraging species to thrive in a wild, teaching garden. She also teaches and lectures on wild foods, plants, fungi and algae.

Book Synopsis:

MY CHILD HAS BEEN TAKEN.
AND I’VE BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE . . .
KILL A PATIENT ON THE OPERATING TABLE
OR LOSE MY SON FOREVER.

The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.
WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

Do No Harm is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.

My Review:

I’ve been a huge fan of this author’s first two books so I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book and have had the beautiful special edition on pre-order for months.

Do No Harm is another exceptional thriller from this author which gripped me from the first page. I found the book so hard to put down as the fast pace and tension never lets up. Kids were bribed to be quiet, housework ignored as I desperately tried to read just one more chapter.

The story is told from three different points of view. Anna the surgeon, Margot the operating assistant and Rachel the police detective. It was interesting to learn more about the women and their lives as the story develops. I liked Anna who I really felt for as it’s a truly terrible situation she finds herself in. Her panic and doubt is almost palpable at times and I often felt like I was her at times as I thought I could feel what she was thinking. I found myself wondering what I’d do in this situation. As a mother I think I’d do anything to save my children but would I think differently if I was a surgeon under oath? I don’t think so but I found the arguments Anna has with herself over it very thought provoking. Rachel was another great character and I enjoyed following her investigations alongside Anna’s story. I wasn’t so keen on Margot though as I felt she had got into a silly situation and could have done more to help herself. I was however very intrigued to see how she fitted into the story and the role she would play.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fantastically plotted, thoroughly gripping read with lots of fabulous twists that kept me guessing. Some of the surgical descriptions are quite gruesome but I thought they helped make the story seem more realistic and the situation Anna finds herself in more sinister. The ending was absolutely breathtaking and I found myself reading faster and faster as everything was revealed.

About The Author:

Jack Jordan is the global bestselling author of Anything for Her, My Girl, A Woman Scorned, Before Her Eyes, and Night by Night and an Amazon No.1 bestseller in the UK, Canada, and Australia. After selling at auction in the UK and numerous foreign territories, Do No Harm is set to be the thriller of the summer in 2022. The idea for Do No Harm came to Jack after undergoing a minor medical procedure where he had to be sedated and trust strangers with his welfare. After the anaesthesia wore off, Jack began scribbling his notes, wondering to himself just how iron-clad a surgeon’s oath is, and what it would take to break it… To find out more, follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram T:@JackJordanBooks I: @jackjordan_author

Book Synopsis:

From the international bestselling M. R. Carey comes a thrilling novel set in the multiverse – the tale of humanity’s expansion across millions of dimensions, and the AI technology that might see it all come to an end . . .

INFINITY IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

The Pandominion: a political and trading alliance of a million worlds – except that they’re really just the one world, Earth, in many different realities. And when an AI threat arises that could destroy everything the Pandominion has built, they’ll eradicate it by whatever means necessary, no matter the cost to human life.

Scientist Hadiz Tambuwal is looking for a solution to her own Earth’s environmental collapse when she stumbles across the secret of inter-dimensional travel. It could save everyone on her dying planet, but now she’s walked into the middle of a war on a scale she never dreamed of.

And she needs to choose a side before it kills her.

My Review:

Infinity Gate is a fascinating start to a brand new series from one of my favourite science fiction writers.

Firstly the author has created a very interesting world which I enjoyed exploring alongside the characters. The book is set in a world that felt like the near future, where there is life on different planets and the ability to travel easily between them. Some of the new technology mentioned was a little complicated to understand at times but it sounded very intriguing.

The story is told from the point of view of three characters in turn which I thought was a very clever concept as it meant I got to know each of them intimately. I quickly grew fond of them and enjoyed following them throughout the book. I found the inclusion of an artificial character very interesting too and liked watching how they fit into the story.

Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this promising series. The story does start off a little slowly as the author sets the scene and we find out more about the characters but picks up in the final part of the book. There are lots of twists to keep me very interested and I absolutely loved the way everything wraps up with the promise of lots more in the future.

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

About The Author:

M. R. Carey has been making up stories for most of his life. His novel The Girl With All the Gifts was a word-of-mouth bestseller and is now a major motion picture based on his own screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on Lucifer, Hellblazer and X-Men. His creator-owned series The Unwritten appeared regularly in the New York Times graphic fiction bestseller list. He also has several previous novels, games, radio plays, and TV and movie screenplays to his credit.

Book Synopsis:

From the Number 1 bestselling author of Our Little Cruelties and Skin Deep

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died.

Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember. As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don’t always mean what they say.

But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged . . .

My Review:

Strange Sally Diamond is a dark, absorbing and very emotional read. It’s a book that’s going to be hard to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

Sally is a very interesting main character and one I felt a lot of sympathy for. Her unique way of thinking gets her into trouble at times with her actions at the beginning chilling me to the bone. As the book goes on we discover more about her and slowly unpick her childhood to discover more about why she is like she is. Despite everything my overwhelming feeling whilst reading was one of sympathy and I actually wished I could give her a huge hug as she deals with the aftermath of her actions.

I thought this book was very well plotted and I loved the slow reveal of Sally’s past along with the identity of the male narrator from New Zealand that we hear about periodically. There are some dark and harrowing moments but these weren’t expressly described. Instead the author hints at what is happening and leaves the reader to fill in the blanks.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely be recommending it to others to read. There were lots of twist to keep me guessing and some hard hitting moments that made me gasp. As with most of the authors books it’s one that I’ve continued to think about and unpick long after reading.

Huge thanks to Ellie from Viking for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Liz was born in Dublin in 1967, where she now lives. She has written successfully for soap opera, radio drama, television plays, short stories and animation for children.

Liz’s first novel Unravelling Oliver was published to critical and popular acclaim in March 2014. It quickly became a firm favourite with book clubs and reader’s groups. In November of that year, it went on to win the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year at the Bord Gais Energy Book Awards and was long listed for the International Dublin Literature Prize 2016. She was also the winner of the inaugural Jack Harte Bursary provided by the Irish Writers Centre and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Dec 2014. Her second novel, Lying in Wait, was published in July 2016 and went straight to number 1 where it remained for seven weeks. Liz won the Monaco Bursary from the Ireland Funds and was Writer in Residence at the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco in Sept/Oct 2016. In Nov 2016, Lying in Wait won the prestigious RTE Ryan Tubridy Listener’s Choice prize at the Irish Book Awards.

Aside from writing, Liz has led workshops in writing drama for broadcast, she has produced and managed literary salons and curated literary strands of Arts Festivals. She regularly does public interviews and panel discussions on all aspects of her writing.