Good morning everyone I’m sharing my November Orenda subscription from Bert’s books today. I was very excited to get a copy of The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave as I’m a huge fan of this author and have heard great things about this book.

If you would like an Orenda subscription check out Bert Books website.

Book Synopsis:

How do you catch a killer…
When the only evidence is a dream?

James Garrett was critically injured when he was shot following his parents’ execution, and no one expected him to waken from a deep, traumatic coma. When he does, nine years later, Detective Inspector Rebecca Kent is tasked with closing the case that her now retired colleague, Theodore Tate, failed to solve all those years ago.

But between that, and hunting for Copy Joe – a murderer on a spree, who’s imitating Christchurch’s most notorious serial killer – she’s going to need Tate’s help. Especially when they learn that James has lived out another life in his nine-year coma, and there are things he couldn’t possibly know, including the fact that Copy Joe isn’t the only serial killer in town…

About The Author:

Paul Cleave is currently dividing his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where all of his novels are set, and Europe, where none of his novels are set. His novels have been translated into over twenty languages. He has won the Saint-Maur book festival’s crime novel of the year in France, has been shortlisted for the Ned Kelly award, the Edgar Award, the Barry Award, and has won the Ngaio Marsh award for NZ crime fiction three times.

The New Zealand Listener said that Cleave writes with ‘an energy that conventional crime novels lack’, and he has been called ‘the next Stephen King’, ‘a rising star of the genre’ and ‘a writer to watch’. Publishers Weekly have said ‘a pulse-pounding serial killer thriller. The city of Christchurch becomes a modern equivalent of James Ellroy’s Los Angeles of the 1950s, a discordant symphony of violence and human weakness… the book’s real power lies in the complexity of its characters,’, and

Cleave numbers among his fans top crime and thriller writers such as Mark Billingham, who wrote: ‘Most people come back from New Zealand talking about the breathtaking scenery and the amazing experiences. I came back raving about Paul Cleave.’ John Connolly called Blood Men ‘dark, bloody, and gripping . . . classic noir fiction’, and said that in Paul Cleave ‘Jim Thompson has another worthy heir to his throne’. The Lab’s John Heath calls Cleave’s writing ‘uncompromising, unpredictable, and enthralling’, adding, ‘Made me vomit — seriously, it’s that good.’ Simon Kernick said ‘Cleave writes the kind of dark, intense thrillers that I never like to finish. Do yourself a favour and check him out,’ and S.J Watson said ‘An intense adrenalin rush from start to finish. It’ll have you up all night. Fantastic!’ Lee Child lists him as an ‘automatic must-read’.

Book Synopsis:

He doesn’t just want your identity. He wants your life…

No one sees him coming.
A stock-market trader is pushed from a high-rise balcony and falls to his death on the street below. The only clue the police can find is a box of matches.

No one survives for long.
The decomposing body of a member of the Saudi Royal Family is discovered in a car. Evidence suggests the killer took the man’s life, then stole his identity, wore his clothes and lived in his hotel room – before vanishing into thin air like smoke.

Nothing but matchsticks are left behind.
Dr Bloom realizes the only thing linking these murders is a trail of burnt matches and broken lives. Time is running out – and if she isn’t careful, she might be the next to burn …

My Review:

I’ve been a huge fan of this series from the start so couldn’t wait to start reading this book. This author’s writing is just so addictive that I was quickly drawn into the story, unable to put the book down as I was enjoying it so much.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that the author takes the reader into the mind of the serial killer which I found utterly fascinating. It was very interesting to learn more about their mental health and discover how that would affect their personal life. It helped me to understand the killer’s motives and what would make them commit murder.

I thought this book was perfectly paced and really enjoying following the characters throughout the book. There were lots of twists that kept me guess and red herrings which I always enjoy. I actually thought I had figured it all out but a huge twist towards the end took the story in a completely different direction which I always love. The author cleverly weaves the two timelines together to make a really satisfying ending.

This is the fourth book in the series but I think it could easily be read as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained but I’d recommend starting from the beginning as this series is fabulous! I’m hoping this isn’t the last Dr Bloom book as I’m not ready for this series to end yet.

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

About The Author:

Leona Deakin started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police. She is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. This is her debut thriller.

Book Synopsis:

A glamorous ship

During a New Year’s Eve party on a large, luxurious cruise ship in the Caribbean, the ship’s dancer, Lola, goes missing.

Everyone on board has something to hide

Two weeks later, the ship is out of service, laid up far from land with no more than a skeleton crew on board. And then more people start disappearing…

No one is safe
Why are the crew being harmed? Who is responsible? And who will be next?

Find out in the twisty new thriller from the queen of glamorous crime, Catherine Cooper.

My Review:

I’m a big fan of this author’s books so when I was offered the opportunity to review her latest book I absolutely jumped at the chance. The Cruise is another gripping and intriguing read which kept me reading far too late at night. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I really don’t want to give anything away.

The story is told in the present day from multiple crew members and in flashbacks from 8 years ago following the story of a girl called Laura. I found this very intriguing as it quickly becomes apparent that each oth the crew members featured have secrets that they are trying to hide from the others. Each have seen Lola on the night she disappeared and I enjoyed the slow reveal of what actually happened. Laura’s story was more complex and while I guessed fairly early on her relevance to the story I did enjoy learning more about her. Hers was definitely an emotional story and my heart went out to her as I read more about her life and what she had experienced.

I found this book very hard to put down as there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. The chapters are fairly short and snappy so I kept promising myself I’d read just one more chapter and then look up to see it was an hour later. I loved watching the two strands of the story coming together and figuring out who the murderer was – especially what their motives had been.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper for my copy of this book. I read it digitally for the blog tour but bought myself a copy so I could lend it out to friends – anyone else do that?

About The Author:

I am a freelance journalist living in the South of France with my husband and two teenage children. We moved from London in 2009 so that the children could grow up bilingual and we could all ski more, and to enjoy a more relaxed pace of life.

I learned to ski on a school trip when I was 14 and have loved it ever since.

I’m an avid thriller reader and have been since I discovered Agatha Christie as a child.

The Chalet is my first published full-length novel, though I have also written several (unpublished) thrillers for teens and a (what used to be called) chick lit novel set in TV production.

Other than skiing and reading I love travel, rollercoaster, and I spend far too much time on social media. Some of my other favourite things include Alan Partridge, sparkly flip flops and salt and vinegar crisps.

You can follow me on Twitter @catherinecooper, Instagram @catherinecooperjournalist or Facebook @catherinecooperauthor

Book Synopsis:

What if your dream house became your worst nightmare?

Jess and her husband need a new start. So when the chance to buy a rambling old house in the Suffolk countryside comes up, they leap at it.

But not everyone in Suffolk is welcoming. The locals know a secret about the Maple House, and soon, Jess realises they’ve made a huge mistake.

Something bad happened in that house. Something nobody wants to talk about.

Something to do with the people before…

My Review:

The People Before is a creepy, atmospheric read that I really enjoyed.

Firstly I really felt for the characters and the scary situation they find themselves in which seemed more chilling as it seemed so real. I’ve often thought how nice it would be to move to the country but this book has rather put me off. I especially felt for Jess when the dream move turns into a nightmare with the house needing more work than anticipated and the creepy feeling Jess gets that someone is watching them.

The story is told from the point of view of Jess and then Eve, Jess’s new friend who runs the local art gallery. I liked following both points of views and seeing the situation from the different angles. It helped shed some light on the two women and made me wonder who I could trust. This helped increase the tension in the book for me as I tried to work out who was telling the truth and what was happening.

Overall I loved this book which I sailed through in a couple of days. I was gripped from the beginning and the slow build up of tension made the book hard to put down. The slow reveal of secrets was very intriguing and the big twist near the end was really surprising which I always love.

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

About The Author:

Charlotte Northedge is joint Head of Books for the Guardian. She has previously written for a range of newspapers and magazines, including the Guardian, Psychologies and Cosmopolitan.

She has an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature from Birkbeck and is an alumna of the Curtis Brown Creative writing course.

The House Guest is her first novel. You can find her on Twitter: @charnorth, on Instagram: charlotte_north and on her Facebook author page: @charlottenorthedgeauthor

Book Synopsis:

A thrilling debut that has been likened to John Le Carré and Raymond Chandler . . .

Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.

In search of the truth, Alex must follow the trail through an ominous spiral of events, from a string of brutal child murders to a chaotic coup in North Africa. He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction. He could be the world’s only hope of preventing THE COMING DARKNESS . . .

My Review:

Coming Darkness is a fantastic, fast paced thriller which is hard to believe is a debut novel.

The reader is immediately thrown into the story and into the action. I loved the main character Alex who was an intelligent, loyal man who I loved following throughout the book. His grit and determination was brilliant to witness. I was immediately on his side and wanted him to succeed.

The world that the author has created was a fantastic one that I loved exploring alongside the characters. It’s a world set in the near future, one that is eerily similar to our current world but with enough difference to send a shiver down my spine as I read. It’s a world that is very plausible and I could sadly see becoming reality.

This is a fast paced thriller with lots of twists and plenty of suspense to keep the reading glued to the page. It did take me a little while to get my head around all the characters but I soon had them straight and enjoyed learning more about them. I loved the way the different threads come together in the end in a way I hadn’t guessed. I’m really hoping there will be a sequel as I’d love to visit Alex again.

Huge thanks to Sophia from Midas for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publishers for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

A theatre director, playwright and actor Greg Mosse is the founder and director of the Criterion New Writing programme at the Criterion Theatre in London, running workshops in script development to a diverse community of writers, actors and directors. In addition, since 2015, Greg has written, produced and stage 25 plays and musicals.

Greg set up both the Southbank Centre Creative Writing School – an open access program of evening classes delivering MA level workshops – and the University of Sussex MA in Creative Writing at West Dean College which he taught for 4 years. 

The husband of the bestselling novelist Kate Mosse, Kate’s hit novel Labyrinth was inspired by a house that Greg and his mother bought together in the French medieval city of Carcassonne, where the couple and their children spent many happy summers. Following the success of Labyrinth, Greg created the innovative readers-and-writers website mosselabyrinth.co.uk MosseLabyrinth. The first of its kind MosseLabrynth was the world’s first online accessible 3D world, and the inspiration for Pottermore – the popular Harry Potter website. 

A multilinguist, Greg has lived and worked in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Madrid and has worked as both an interpreter at a variety of international institutions and a teacher in the UK.

Greg and Kate live in Chichester, where Kate’s parents founded the Chichester Festival Theatre, they have two grown up children.

The Coming Darkness was written during lockdown and is Greg’s debut novel. 

Book Synopsis:

When Cherry lost Terry one day,
Where was he? Could anyone say?
Asleep in a tree?
Or down by the sea?
He couldn’t be too far away.

The animals searched high and low,
Unsure what to do, where to go.
Would Terry appear?
The story is here…
Just read it – and then you will know!

When Cherry Lost Terry is a heart-warming and funny tale of friendship and adventure told in twenty-six limericks. There’s one for every letter of the alphabet, each featuring a different animal — from Ann the Antelope to Zack the Zebra. With wonderfully detailed and characterful illustrations by Clare Mallison, it’s perfect bedtime reading for the 3-to-6-year-old animal lover starting out on a lifetime of reading delight.

My Review:

When Cherry Lost Terry is a beautiful, gently rhyming children’s book that is perfect for sharing with your little ones. My kids absolutely loved this book and it’s quickly become a bed time favourite.

In the book we follow Cherry as she tries to find her friend Terry along with some fantastic friends she makes along the way. The story is told in a gentle rhyming pattern that was easy to get used to and made the story easy to read out loud. My kids loved following the animals adventures and due to the rhyming could often guess where the story was going – shouting out the word to finish the sentence. I also loved the fact the author uses different animals to those I’d have expected for each letter as it made the book more interesting and the kids loved learning about new animals.

The story is accompanied by some truly beautiful illustrations which my kids absolutely loved. They poured over the pictures for ages trying to spot hidden clues and see little details they hadn’t seen before. Their particular favourite was the full page illustration of the tiger hiding in the bush and the picture of all the animals riding the whale.

This book is aimed at 3-6 year olds and I’d say that was accurate as my 4 & 7 year olds both really enjoyed it. I was sceptical that it would be too long to hold my 4 year olds attention but he loved the book and keeps asking for it as his bedtime story. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who has young kids and will be buying a few copies to give as Christmas gifts.

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

About The Author:

Penny Phillips began making up poems when she was four, which was far too long ago. Having worked as an editor in publishing for over 30 years, she finally got round to writing a book herself. When Cherry Lost Terry has been extensively tested on children but not on animals. Penny is now the Sub-editor of The Oldie and lives in London with her husband.

About The Illustrator:

Clare Mallison has only one photograph of herself in which she is not eating or drinking. She has worked as a freelance illustrator for various publications, including The Times, Financial Times, New Statesman and New York Times. When Cherry Lost Terry is her first book.

*Disclaimer: some of the animals featured in my picture aren’t in the book. The white tiger was the nearest I could get to a white cat so I thought would work as the cat and the tiger. Yes we have a white tiger toy but not a cat toy….. I’ll let that sink in for a minute 😂

Book Synopsis:

Icel is a lone wolf no more…

Oath sworn to Wiglaf, King of Mercia and acknowledged as a member of Ealdorman Ælfstan’s warrior band, Icel continues to forge his own destiny on the path to becoming the Warrior of Mercia.
With King Ecgberht of Wessex defeated and Londonium back under Mercian control, the Wessex invasion of Mercia is over.
But the Wessex king was never Mercia’s only enemy. An unknown danger lurks in the form of merciless Viking raiders, who set their sights on infiltrating the waterways of the traitorous breakaway kingdom of the East Angles, within touching distance of Mercia’s eastern borders.
Icel must journey to the kingdom of the East Angles and unite against a common enemy to ensure Mercia’s hard-won freedom prevails.

My Review:

Warriors Of Mercia is another fantastically, gripping read from one of my favourite historical authors.

Firstly it was great to be back with Icel who we’ve followed throughout the series. He’s started to feel like a friend to me so I enjoyed reading about his exploits in this book. Some of the scenes had me holding my breath and deeply worried for him as I really wanted him to be ok and survive.

The author has an amazing way of making history come to life so that the reader feels like they are actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters. This is particularly true of the battle scenes in this book which were vividly described and made me feel like I could almost smell the blood and sweat of the battlefield.

Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to read more in this series. The story is incredibly absorbing and there always seemed to be something happening to keep my interest. The author has clearly done his research and I loved learning more about the time period. I really hope there are more books to come as I’m not ready to say goodbye to Icel yet!

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.

About The Author:

MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, and in Viking Age Denmark. They were raised in the shadow of a building that they believed housed the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia – so their writing destiny was set. The first novel in their new Anglo-Saxon series for Boldwood Son of Mercia was published in February 2022.

Social Media Links

Twitter https://twitter.com/coloursofunison

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/m_j_porter/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MJPorterNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mj-porter

Book Synopsis:

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon – and simultaneously his novel – be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak? 

My Review:

November 9 is another absorbing, addictive read from one of my favourite authors. This book was just the distraction I needed from a stressful weekend and helped get me out of a reading slump.

I was quickly absorbed into the story and into the lives of the two main characters Fallon and Ben. The story is told from both of their points of view and I liked how the author managed to make each of them obviously different to each other so it was easy to tell the two of them apart. Of the two I much preferred Ben, Fallon just annoyed me a little bit as she seemed rather whiney and self centred. I just couldn’t understand her reasoning for keeping their special relationship as it was and not want to change it.

This book discusses a range of important subjects that I enjoyed exploring with the characters. I especially liked the way Fallon’s burns and her lack of confidence surrounding them was dealt with and how Ben helps her feel better about them. This was a very touching moment which has stayed with me long after reading.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I loved this book and I’m excited to read more from her in the future. The book has a great pace to it and there was always something happening to keep my interest. Even when there wasn’t I was so invested in the story that I kept reading. The big twist towards the end really shocked me and I loved how the author was able to surprise me by taking the story in a completely different direction.

About The Author:

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

For more information and for a schedule of events, please visit colleenhoover.com.

To contact Colleen and her team (Her team’s name is Stephanie), please email hooverink@outlook.com

Book Synopsis:

The new historical novel from Philippa Gregory, the Number One bestselling author of Tidelands and Dark Tides. 

In a divided country, power and loyalty conquer all…

It is 1685 and England is on the brink of a renewed civil war against the Stuart kings with many families bitterly divided. Alinor, now a successful businesswoman, has been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save Queen Mary from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant.

Inspired by news of a rebellion against the Stuart kings, Ned Ferryman returns from America with his Pokanoket servant to join the uprising against roman catholic King James. As Ned swears loyalty to the charismatic Duke of Monmouth, he discovers a new and unexpected love

Meanwhile, Queen Mary summons her friend Livia to a terrified court. Her survival, and that of the Stuart kings, is in the balance, and only a clever and dangerous gamble can save them…

A compelling and powerful story of political intrigue and personal ambition, set between the palaces of London, the tidelands of Fowlmire and the shores of Barbados.

My Review:

Philippa Gregory is an automatic pre-order for me as I absolutely love her books. She has this amazing ability to bring history to life and shine the spotlight on some fascinating historical figures.

It’s been great to follow the family throughout the generations and watching what women had to do to survive. This time we follow the lovely Alinor as she becomes a grandmother and meet the detestable, selfish Livia who’s trying to involve the family in a plot to install an imposter Prince Of Wales. I loved to hate Livia who was a seemingly glamorous lady but was truly heartless in her actions and uncaring about how they might impact others.

The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book and I always love learning more about how people lived in the 17th Century. I enjoyed learning more about the social and political scene there as that side of history always intrigued me. There are battles of course but they are mentioned in passing rather than in a lot of description.

Overall I loved this book and I’m sad that this series has come to an end. I found the book hard to put down as in typical Philippa Gregory style there always seemed to be something happening to keep me thoroughly absorbed in the story. This is the last book in the trilogy but I think you could easily read it as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. If you’re a fan of historical fiction I highly recommend this book.

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

About The Author:

PHILIPPA GREGORY is one of the world’s foremost historical novelists. She wrote her first ever novel, Wideacre, when she was completing her PhD in eighteenth-century literature and it sold worldwide, heralding a new era for historical fiction.

Her flair for blending history and imagination developed into a signature style and Philippa went on to write many bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen.

Now a recognised authority on women’s history, Philippa graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck University of London.

Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Nielsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output.

She welcomes visitors to her site http://www.PhilippaGregory.com.

Book Synopsis:

Don’t miss the gripping new historical novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Secret of the Chateau and The Forgotten Secret.

A country rebelling
It’s 1916 and, as war rages in Europe, Gráinne leaves her job in a department store to join Countess Markiewicz’s revolutionary efforts. It is a decision which will change her life forever. A rebellion is brewing, and as Dublin’s streets become a battleground, Gráinne soon discovers the personal cost of fighting for what you believe in…

A forgotten sacrifice
Decades on, student Nicky is recovering from a break-up when a research project leads her to her great-grandmother’s experiences in revolutionary Ireland. When Nicky finds a long-forgotten handkerchief amongst her great-grandmother’s things, it leads to the revelation of a heartbreaking story of tragedy and courage, and those who sacrificed everything for their country.

Inspired by a heartbreaking true story, this emotional historical novel will sweep you away to the Emerald Isle. Perfect for fans of Jean Grainger, Sandy Taylor and Fiona Valpy.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of this author so I always look forward to a new book from her. Her books are always beautifully written and I quickly found myself absorbed into the story.

The story is told from the point of view of Gráinne in the past and Nicky in the present day. I absolutely loved Gráinne and really enjoyed following her throughout the book. The author cleverly writes the story so the reader is able to experience everything through Gráinne’s eyes which made me feel more involved in the story and felt every emotion they do. It took me a lot longer to warm to Nicky though who seemed a bit of an entitled brat at the beginning but I slowly grew to like her.

I knew a little bit about the Easter Rising but I always love finding out more about historical events. It was interesting to follow Gráinne on the lead up to the rising and to learn a little bit about things from the other side as I’ve only learnt about things from the British point of view before. The author has clearly done her research and I loved all the little details that helped make the story come to life.

Overall I loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. The two stories complement each other perfectly and I loved the slow way they came together at the end. The ending was incredibly emotional and I was sobbing as I read the last few pages. If you’re a fan of dual timeline historical fiction I highly recommend this book.

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

About The Author:

Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth, UK, with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women’s magazines, and written three How To books for writers. After a long career in the IT industry she became a full time writer in 2019. When she’s not writing, she’s often out running, slowly.

Website: kathleenmcgurl.com

Twitter: @KathMcGurl