📖 Blog Tour ~ Did You See Evie? by Miranda Smith

Bookouture
25 April 2025

My thanks to the publisher for the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

I blink awake to the sound of whispering, and look around. Automatically, I do a count. And then I am upright, my heart racing. I count again. “Girls,” I say, trying to sound calm. “Did you see Evie?” 

It was meant to be a celebration. A team sleepover in the school movies, pizza, hot chocolate. I walk among the girls, checking they’re ok. They collect in groups and giggle, play truth or dare.

Then there’s Evie. Always the outsider, just like I was. She sits apart, fiddling with her long blond hair. It seems like she wants to speak to me, but there’s a never a good time.

And when we wake up the next day, stiff and groggy, Evie is gone.

I know the girls are lying about something. I see it in their averted eyes, their sullen silences. But how can I challenge them, when I’m the worst liar of all?

Because the truth is, I’m desperate to find her. I’d do anything to protect these girls. But it’s also true that the longer she’s missing, the more risk I’m running.

You see, the night she vanished, I did something no one can ever know…

📖 My Review..

An exciting sleepover to celebrate the elementary school’s success as local basketball champions goes horribly wrong when one of the young team players goes missing. With hardly any explanation as to why Evie has disappeared Coach Cass is determined to discover where her star player has gone but with the police also investigating the disappearance Cass is worried that some of her own secrets may get uncovered.

This is a lovely slow burner of a thriller which sets the scene perfectly. We get to know more about the girls in the team, their privileged backgrounds no excuse for bad behaviour and yet there is far more to this clever mystery than team rivalry. I enjoyed piecing together the pieces of the puzzle, especially as we get to know more about Cass, who is an extremely good basketball coach and yet she is held back by shadows from her past which threaten her judgement and fill her with indecision.

Cleverly done, with several twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and an ending which brings all the complicated strands of the plot together, Did You See Evie? captured my imagination and I finished the book in a couple of sittings as I couldn’t put it down until I knew just what had happened on the fateful night that Evie disappeared.

About the Author

 

Miranda Smith writes psychological and domestic suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Before completing her first novel, she worked as a newspaper staff writer and a secondary English teacher. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three young children.

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📖 Book Review ~ Ten Poems for Wellbeing from Candlestick Press

Candlestick Press
March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this pamphlet 

 

There’s an expression: to be comfortable in your own skin. The words contain the idea that it’s possible to be at ease with yourself and your life – and that there’s fulfilment to be found in feeling this way.

These thoughtful poems offer moments of pleasure in uncomplicated things – flowers in a window box or eating toast at midnight – and remind us that we don’t always need to look very far to experience a sense of calm and wellbeing. The world can be a place that we know and trust:

“There’s a dream I have in which I
love the world. I run from end to end like fingers
through her hair. There are no borders, only wind.”

from ‘Meditations in an Emergency’ by Cameron Awkward-Rich

This is a selection to enjoy when we want to be reminded that if we look carefully, we have all we need to experience a sense of serenity and peace.

Edited by Vanessa Lampert who likes to walk on a windy hill and hasn’t grown out of building dams on beaches.

Poems by Laurie Bolger, Em Grey,Paula Jennings,Vanessa Lampert, Alden Nowlan,Cameron Awkward-Rich, Sara Teasdale, Jerrold Yam,Luke Samuel Yates and Dean Young.

Cover illustration by Sara Boccaccini Meadows.

📖My Review..

In our hectic world we all need a little help now and then, and this insightful collection of ten poems certainly helps to bring a sense of perspective. I find that reading poetry is especially therapeutic and is essential to my wellbeing which is why I have found this collection particularly special. Each of the poems are beautifully written, quietly introspective, with a real sense of quiet reflection.

I’m always delighted to see the work of Sara Teasdale and in Wood Song we are reminded of the comfort of nature:

“ I heard a wood-thrush in the dusk
Twirl three notes and make a star -
My heart that walked with bitterness
Came back from very far..”

The other poets. all equally talented, share the gift of their imagination in poems which resonate and capture a particular moment in time as in this lovely poem by Vanessa Lampert:

“ Tonight, it’s as if the rain was told
to wash away all
but the unwrapped gold of evening..’

Ten Poems for Wellness is beautifully designed, to a high quality, with a beautiful cover illustration which highlights the general empathic feel of the collection. It would be a beautiful momento, or a special gift,instead of a card for anyone who needs a bit of TLC.

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Shadows in the Spring by Christina Courtenay

Headline Review
24 April 2025

Thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy of the book
and the invitation to the blog tour

AD 80

Duro of the Iceni tribe escaped life as an enslaved gladiator and is now finally home in Britannia with one thing on his mind: vengeance. For 20 years he has sought the Roman legionary who destroyed his family. What he didn’t expect was Gisel: a fierce Germanic woman with long white-blonde hair, forced into slavery by the Romans. Hypnotised by her spirit and her beauty, Duro frees Gisel and slowly tries to win her trust as they work together to complete his quest.

Present Day

Mackenna Jackson returns to Bath with a broken heart, thanks to rockstar Blue Daniels. Luckily she can still count on Blue’s former bandmate Jonah Miller as a listening ear. But Jonah has secretly been fighting stronger feelings, drawn to Mac’s quiet confidence and gorgeous white-blonde hair. As they explore the area, memories they can’t quite explain flood them both.

Is the spark between Mac and Jonah in fact a sign of something much deeper – a love enduring through millennia – or can it all be an illusion?

📖My Review..

In AD80 and after many years as an enslaved gladiator, Duro has returned to his homeland of Britannia to seek revenge on the Roman who was the cause of his family’s downfall. When he rescues a beautiful young woman from slavery their lives are bound together not just in their current life but also far into the future.  In the present day, Mackenna has recently split with her rockstar boyfriend only to have a deepening attachment to Jonah, another band member who, it seems, shares a connection to the past which can’t easily be explained.

The dual timeline is done really well so that it is perfectly possible to explore Ancient Rome in the footsteps of Duro and Gisel, whilst at the time time feel comfortable in modern day Bath with Mac and Jonah. I loved the intertwining of lives and the parallels between relationships which the author describes with her usual imaginative flair for even the smallest of details. History comes alive as we follow Duro in his quest for revenge but also enjoy the modern day dilemma which Mac faces as the ex-girlfriend of a very famous rockstar.

The shadowy element of past lives is described seamlessly so that I never felt like one timeline intruded on the other and enjoyed spending time with all the characters. There’s a good blend of history and also a light romantic theme which helps to make Shadows in the Spring into a really lovely dual time story.

About the Author

Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association, now a Vice President, and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. SHADOWS IN THE ASHES (dual time/timeslip romance published by Headline Review 18th January 2024) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).

Twitter @PiaCCourtenay #ShadowsInTheSpring

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@headlinepg @rararesources

Purchase link

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Cornish Witch by Elena Collins

Boldwood Books 
20 April 2025

Thanks to the publishers for the copy if the book 
And to Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to the tour

 

When Megan’s father gets a letter containing a secret from the past, he asks her to go to the Cornish village of St Mawgen Cove to get to the bottom of the mystery. Megan is happy to take a holiday after a challenging year but as soon as she checks into The Ship Inn something feels amiss. There are noises in the room above, the locals tell tales of smugglers and shipwrecks and she can’t escape the story of the witch who waits and watches, weeping on the top of the cliff.

1625: Susanna and her daughter Katel live a contented life, but without the protection of a husband and father, Susanna fears for Katel’s future as she blossoms into womanhood. The fishing community of St Mawgen Cove is close knit but when misfortune arrives in the cove, it’s not long before villagers are looking for someone to blame. And when talk turns to witches, Susanna knows she and Katel are no longer safe.

Can Megan bring peace to St Mawgen and to two women who have been broken-hearted for centuries?

📖 My Review…

When Megan takes a holiday in St Mawgen Cove in Cornwall she discovers that her hotel, The Ship Inn, has rather more activity that she bargained for, especially when the ghostly sounds of troubled souls start to make their presence felt. Back in the seventeenth century, Susannah and her teenage daughter, Katel, live in their tiny cottage and eke out a meagre living in the tiny fishing village of St Mawgen. Susannah tends the sick with her herbs and potions, whilst Katel, works at the sea front helping with the fishing. However, superstition and gossip is rife and before too long whispers of witchcraft start to circulate and no-one is above suspicion.

This is a cleverly crafted time slip novel which not only focuses on Megan’s modern day dilemma but also brings the legend of the waiting witch to life. Supernatural elements of the past sit very comfortably alongside modern day St Mawgen, with both time frames equally fascinating, and with strands overlapping, there is always something interesting to discover. I raced through the story in one sitting in order to discover more about Susanna’s and Katel’s troubled time in St Mawgen, whilst at the same time wanting everything to work out well for Megan, and her family, as they discover secrets from the past.

Beautifully written, as always, from this talented author, The Cornish Witch is perfect escapism from start to finish. 

About the Author

Judy Leigh writes dual timeline stories under the name of Elena Collins: the name is a tribute to her grandmother who was a teller of stories and fortunes, and she had healing hands.

These novels combine three of her passions: delving into rich historical tales, exploring stunning locations, and evoking the supernatural. They weave together stories of people's lives both past and present, with some spine-tingling moments along the way. She loves writing these novels and hopes readers enjoy them as much as she does. The characters and settings are particularly close to her heart.

Writing under the name of Judy Leigh, she is also the author of uplifting novels that explore the lives of older women and the possibilities of second chances, change, and happiness. Under this name, she writes the Morwenna Mutton/Seal Bay cozy crime series, set in Cornwall, featuring a sixty-something sleuth who enjoys solving crimes and getting into mischief.

Outside of writing, Leigh enjoys traveling, reading, music, and theatre. She holds an MA in Professional Writing. When she's not at her desk or spending time with her two black cats, she's often researching her next novel in some of the country's most beautiful locations and beyond.

Twitter @JudyLeighWriter #TheCornishWitch

@BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers 

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📖Book Review ~ The Spring Pond by Miriam Darlington (Candlestick Press)

Candlestick Press
March 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this pamphlet 

 

Spring can creep up on us; it’s easy to miss the early signs that a new season is on the way. In her lyrical evocation of a pond on Dartmoor, leading naturalist Miriam Darlington pays close and loving attention to the quiet changes that take place – from the first shoots of flag iris to the “shivery delta” of frogspawn as it starts to wriggle with tadpoles.

There is an abiding sense of the enriching connection between humans and the wild landscape:

“The moor in spring can be an absorbent place. It takes you and your mood and enfolds you beneath its wing. Low sun brushed the grass tips, and in the pearly sky something subtle was happening. It was reflected in the water surface that was all a-glimmer, shining cloud on cloud as if sending it all back skywards…”

This beautiful pamphlet will delight readers at any time of year – a reminder that nature is always there, waiting to beguile us with its wonders.

Poems by Diana Hendry and Edward Thomas

Cover illustration by Sarah Young.

📖My Review…

This lovely pamphlet by Miriam Darlington has been especially written to conjure the beauty of a spring pool which is so beautifully described I could feel the silken tap of water, the cool green of the mire, the plaintive cries of curlews and the tumble of lapwings.  I was reminded of a pool I played near as a child, a place I wasn’t supposed to visit, but together with friends we would go to catch tiny fish to put in an old jam jar and laugh with joy when we found a newt or a tiny green frog to run on our hands, all carefully placed back into the pond at the end of the visit. 

It’s a very restful piece of writing, bringing to life all the glory of the natural world, and an ideal way to escape the stresses of everyday life. At the start is a lovely poem by Edward Thomas who was sadly killed during WW1, I find his poetry very emotional and The Pond certainly gets the pamphlet off to a good start. The end poem What is the Pond Doing? by Diana Hendry made me smile as it reminded me of the questions that children invariably ask when you don’t always have the answers.

The Spring Pool is a timely reminder of the beauty of nature and is perfect ‘instead of card ‘ for anyone who appreciates the natural world or who simply enjoys reading about nature in all its glory.

About the Publisher 

Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Mountains, Clouds, Walking, Birds, Wine and Happiness. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.

Twitter/X @poetrycandle

Blue Sky @candlestickpress.bsky.social

Website

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Cure by Eve Smith

Living forever can be lethal... 

Ruth is a law-abiding elder, working out her national service, but she has secrets.

Her tireless research into the disease that killed her young daughter had an unexpected the discovery of a vaccine against old age. Just one jab a year wards off age-related diseases, guaranteeing long, healthy life.

But Ruth' s cure was hijacked by her colleague, Erik Grundleger, and his elderly billionaire backer, who hunger for immortality, and SuperJuve – a premium upgrade – was created, driving human lifespan to a new high. The wealthy elite who take it are the Supers, and the population begins to rocket.

Then, a perilous side-effect of SuperJuve emerges, with catastrophic consequences, and as the planet is threatened, the population rebels, and laws are passed to restore life ends at 120. Supers are tracked down by Omnicide investigators like Mara, and executed.

Mara has her own reasons for hunting Supers, and she forms an unlikely alliance with Ruth to find Grundleger.

But Grundleger has been working on something even more radical and is one step ahead, with a deadly surprise in store for both of them...

📖 My Review…

There are endless possibilities of living for a long time, free from the troubles of old age and illness, and with enough energy to live the life you always wanted but with a cut off point in which you can take your leave of family and friends in meaningful way. Doctor Ruth Hammond is a research scientist determined to discover a cure for the aging illness which killed her daughter however, in doing so she inadvertently discovers a vaccine which allows people to live forever.  

Longevity isn’t without its problems and when this vaccine lands in the research laboratories of the worst kind of people a frightening scenario becomes a reality when an upgraded vaccine allows the super rich to live forever, with disastrous consequences. The intricacies of the plot, the imagined existence of an over populated environment, the gloomy places where AI generated green spaces are the only view of a once verdant planet, all help to create a dystopian world which pulsates with energy. Moving forwards and backwards over time we learn more about Ruth’s background, and also about a strong female character called Mara who, in her role as an Omnicide investigator, is determined to track down those flawed individuals who flaunt the rules by cheating death.

This fascinating story takes us deep into a terrifying world of greed, corruption and raw ambition and is so scarily realistic that days after finishing the story I can’t stop thinking about it and fervently hope that this fictional reality doesn’t actually ever come true.

About the Author

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her. Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as ‘an exciting new voice in crime fiction’, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was a Book of the Month in the Guardian, who compared her writing to Michael Crichton’s. It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine, and ONE, about survival in a world ravaged by climate change. Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places. She lives in Oxfordshire with her family.

X @evecsmith #TheCure

X @OrendaBooks

X @RandomTTours

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Good Daughter by J A Baker

Boldwood Books 
5 April 2025

My thanks to the publishers 
And Rachel’s Random Resources for the book and invitation to the blog tour

 

As a teenager, Penny Collins always tried to be a good daughter. Until the night she was brutally attacked as she lay in her bed. The assault, from a man she knew all too well, traumatised Penny. Worse still, after her family refused to believe her initial fears about being watched, Penny told nobody, afraid her family would be convinced she was making the whole thing up...

Now, twenty years later, Penny cares for her elderly mother whose memory is fading daily. Still a good daughter, Penny tries not to think about the past, but her mother seems more insistent to talk about what happened that night...to drag up painful memories.

So when Penny comes face to face with her attacker again, she knows it’s time for her to take action and get answers for them all. This time he's in the dock where he belongs, accused of the same terrible crime. And Penny, a good daughter and now a good citizen, sits on the jury - his fate finally in her hands...

If only she can convince the others of his guilt..

📖 My Review..

When we first meet Penny she is a young teenager living in a remote farmhouse, a house which is filled with shadows and discontent. When Penny is brutally assaulted in her home by someone she recognises she is too scared to share this experience and carries it locked deep within her. Twenty years later and Penny has the opportunity to seek her own form of revenge but that in itself will have far reaching consequences. 

Told in two distinct timeframes, we start to build up a picture of who Penny is, the memories she carries, and also the effect that living in this remote and quite austere house has had on her elderly mother who is now widowed and in the early stages of dementia. There’s a definite sense of the past being unpicked and with each revelation we begin to understand the overwhelming power of secrets. The two narratives merge quite seamlessly and I enjoyed the sympathetic depiction of Connie, Penny’s mother, who had her own demons to face.

Well written, with a dramatic and intriguing storyline The Good Daughter made for uncomfortable reading at times however, there was more than enough drama to keep me turning the pages of this intriguing psychological suspense story.

About the Author

Twice longlisted for The Guardian's Not the Booker Prize, J.A. BAKER was born and brought up in North East England and has had a love of language for as long as she can remember.

When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading many genres of books but especially enjoys psychological thrillers.

She has four grown-up children, five grandchildren, and lives in a village near Darlington with her husband and Border Collie, Theo, who is quite possibly the naughtiest dog in the world.

Social Media 

Facebook: @thewriterjude

Twitter: @thewriterjude

Instagram: @jabakerauthor

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Bookbub profile: @JABaker

📖 Book Review ~ The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain

Simon and Schuster
30 January 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for… 

It’s 1780, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance. 

But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty. 

The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free. 

Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…

📖 My Review.. 

The Blackbirds of St Giles led me on a dark and dangerous path, from the terror of a besieged Jamaican sugar plantation, to the dismal squalor of the area of London known as the Rookery. This labyrinthine underworld of thieves and vagabonds is no place for the faint hearted, and Daniel and his sister, Pearl, newly arrived in Georgian London, soon discover that life, on these menacing streets, is far tougher than they could ever have imagined.

Sweeping through sections of London society, from the brooding elegance of a London salon, to the musky interior of a boxer’s training ground, and the opulent interior of the home of a deadly villain, this brilliantly, beautiful story held me spellbound. From the dramatic opener as a plantation burned against a terror laden sky, to the arrival on the murky streets of London I was beguiled by the description of a life where the colour of one’s skin meant that neither hope nor charity existed and no favour was offered, and none accepted. Life for the Rookery inhabitants was a constant struggle against overt racism, poverty, disease and sheer terror however, despite the constant struggle to survive against the hatred of the King of the Rookery, a cruel man who is determined to see them at his mercy, Daniel and Pearl also find friendship, community and a strong sense of honour amongst the Blackbirds of St Giles.

Set against the shameful days of enslavement, back to a time when people were bought and sold and life was cheap, The Blackbirds of St Giles is a remarkable novel of bravery, steadfastness and above all, hope. Days finishing the book, the story stays with me and I hope, given the ending, that we might return to the Rookeries in the not too distant future.

About the Author

Lila Cain is a pseudonym for the writing duo of Kate Griffin and Marcia Hutchinson. Kate Griffin won the Faber/Stylist Magazine competition with Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders and went on to write 3 more books in the series. Her first stand-alone novel, Fyneshade, is now available. Born to Windrush-era Jamaican parents in Bradford, Marcia Hutchinson worked as a lawyer before founding and running the educational publishing company Primary Colours. She was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010.

X @KateAGriffin X @Marciathewriter #TheBlackbirdsofStGiles #LilaCain

X @SimonSchusterUK

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Body on the Shore by Diane M. Dickson

The Book Folks
2020

DI Jordan Carr #1

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book 

 

A nameless victim, an elusive killer, and a puzzling case for a detective in a new role

When a body washes up on Crosby Beach in Liverpool Bay, detectives quickly declare foul play. Yet they will struggle to establish the identity of the victim, let alone the killer.

Leading the inquiry on his first murder case, DI Jordan Carr must marshal a somewhat motley team to build a picture of what happened one grim day on the Mersey. Like footprints in the sand, in time the clues will disappear.

With a victim who has clearly concealed her own identity, it will require a journey into Liverpool’s underworld to shake loose the facts.

But once they have their man, the police still need to know why the woman was killed. And answering that question will be DI Carr’s biggest challenge.

📖 My Review..

A woman’s body washes up on Crosby beach, and with few clues to go on, DI Jordan Carr and his hastily put together team of detectives have a difficult job of tracing the last known whereabouts of this mysterious young woman. However, with perseverance, good detective work, a bit of luck here and there and all the pieces of this complicated murder investigation eventually start to come together and what a tangled web of deception unfolds.

With clever precision we follow the story and see everything through the eyes of those who are involved from the police, to the crime perpetrators, the story unfolds in fine detail so that we are able to follow the clues as they are laid out before us. The author writes well and keeps the momentum going so that the story never slows down and even though we know from the beginning whodunnit, we don’t know all the whys and wherefores, there are several clever twists along the way and an ending I really didn’t see coming.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being in Liverpool with this first book in the DI Jordan Carr series of crime novels which are set in and around Merseyside and up to now there are a further seven books in the series, the first four books are currently available in a box set. 

About the Author 

“After the Secondary Education System in sixties Liverpool spat me out I had a pretty eclectic career. I worked as a veterinary nurse with the RSPCA, and then had a go at nursing (people this time). I had a super job as a Personnel Officer at a military hospital in Riyadh which presented very unusual challenges. After over twenty years in the Middle East I ended up as a PA in Portsmouth. I’m a total Reacher creature, Terry Pratchett addict and lover of JD Robb”

Diane grew up in Bradford but has spent her life working all over the world. She has always been fascinated by the mechanics of the “inexplicable magic that translates small marks on paper (or screen of course) into something that can inform and entertain and educate” and for a period she taught adults who had problems with literacy. She describes opening their eyes to this as being one of the most rewarding things she’s ever done.

She has written books that span many genres often focusing on the underdogs and people on the margins of society. She is the author of the bestselling DI Tanya Miller series set in theMidlands and Oxfordshire. But regardless of the genre, her writing has an immediacy whichis both natural and accessible.

She is a member of the Crime Writers' Association.

THE DI JORDAN CARR CRIME MYSTERIES 1–4 BOX SET

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DTQCGM4R

BODY ON THE SHORE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MQ9JSZV/

Social Media links

Website: thebookfolks.com

Insta: @the_book_folks

Twitter: @thebookfolks

Facebook: facebook.com/thebookfolks

Blog: thebookfolks.com/blog/

Author’s social media links

Website: dianemdickson.wordpress.com/

📖 Book Review ~ The Boyfriend by John Nicholl

Boldwood
4 April 2025

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book 

Not every love story is a fairytale romance… When Anna first meets Mark, she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. Wealthy and charming, he showers her with gifts, compliments, everything she has ever desired.

But Mark is less a prince than a man with a dangerous secret, and as their love life becomes ever darker, Anna flees him.

There is nowhere safe from him, though. Not for Anna. Nor for the girlfriends who follow her.

Because this is a boyfriend who would kill to make sure he can continue to kiss sleeping princesses…

📖 My Review ..

Having not come across this author before I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read something new and boy did this one keep me reading long after I should have stopped to do something else.  From its graphic opening chapter, to the final pages, this gritty crime novel never lets up in terms of suspense and psychological terror.

Mark Shady appears to be the perfect boyfriend but he gets his sadistic pleasure by targeting young women, exploiting them in horrifying detail, only to walk free when repeatedly found not guilty of rape and sexual assault. He laughs at the police, keeping one step ahead of the law, confident in his ability to thwart every attempt to bring him to justice, but then on the side of the good guys there is DS Ray Lewis, an honourable detective, who is equally determined to bring Shady to justice.

Brilliantly written, dark and atmospheric, I flew through the book in the space of one terror filled sitting, heart in mouth as this chilling story progressed, ultimately moved by the fate of the victims, but heartened by the conclusion to the story, and a sense of rough justice having been achieved. The Boyfriend’s overall grittiness is perhaps not for the faint hearted, but it’s definitely a page turner.

About the Author

John Nicholl is a Welsh author renowned for his gripping psychological thrillers and crime novels. Born and raised in West Wales, Nicholl draws upon his experiences as a former police officer, child protection social worker, and lecturer to craft compelling narratives that delve into the darkest corners of human nature. His work often explores themes of justice, psychological manipulation, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Website

Twitter  @nicholl06

📖 Blog Tour ~ Together Again at the Cornish Country Hospital

Boldwood Book
3 April 2025

Thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources
for my copy of the book and the invitation to the tour

A lost love…

A&E Nurse Amy Spencer lives a very ordinary life in Port Kara. She loves her job at the hospital and has a great group of friends, but there is something or someone missing from her life. Amy’s tried dating but no one ever compares with the one boy that got away – Lijah Byrne.

A surprise arrival…

Lijah’s life since he left Port Kara has been what dreams are made of. But lately Lijah has started to feel hollow – the fame and celebrity he once craved now makes him feel trapped. The only place he’s ever felt safe is Port Kara… so maybe it’s time to go back home?

A reunion written in the stars.

When Amy bumps into Lijah again, she only sees the boy she once loved with all her heart. But their lives are so different now. Amy knows a rekindling of their past love will end in heartbreak, but she can’t give up her second chance to be with the man she loves.

📖 My Review..

Amy loves her challenging role as an A&E nurse working at St Piran’s hospital, her natural affinity for people, and her need to care and nurture makes her ideal for this area of nursing. However, Amy always feels like there is someone missing from her life. Lijah Byrne is a global musician who returns to his home town of Port Kara to recharge and find the space to make some difficult decisions. Amy and Lijah, once childhood sweethearts, have some unfinished business together and it is this relationship which forms the basis of another cosy story which takes us back into the heart of this lovely, fictional Cornish town. 

Beautifully written, this little corner of Cornwall comes alive as we follow the fates and fortunes of those characters who call this place home. It’s very much a story of light and shade with characters having their share of worry and some facing difficult choices but through it all a strong sense of both community and friendship comes across.  Being in Port Kara is always such a joy, this little bit of Cornwall now feels so familiar that it is like returning to a much loved home and I thoroughly enjoy catching up with all the characters who make these cosy stories such a joy to read.

Whilst this now the fifth book in the Cornish Country Hospital series it is possible to read as a standalone story, however, it does make sense to read this lovely series from the beginning so that you can get to know and love the characters who make this such a successful series.

About the Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.

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📖 Book Review ~ The Last Mrs Sinclair by T J Emerson

Boldwood Books
26 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book 

Leah Williams knows exactly what she wants from life – comfort, luxury and security. All the things she would have had if her childhood hadn’t been derailed by her father’s bad decisions. And then she meets Miles Sinclair. After the death of his wife last year, Miles is ready to start living his life again, and Leah knows just how to help him… what could be so wrong with that?

When Miles takes Leah to his chateau in the French countryside, she's excited to get a taste of the life she deserves, even if it means enduring the presence of Miles’ cousin Vivienne, who seems determined to insert the memory of his dead wife into every conversation.

But the Chateau Clairvallon has a history, not least as the place where the last Mrs Sinclair died. And as Leah discovers more about the accident that took her predecessor's life, she begins to realise that the family she's set her sights on isn't quite what it seems.

📖My Review..

Oh my word, what a tangled web of lies this turned out to be. Quite delicious in the way it manipulated both the characters and the reader so that you’re left with a wry smile at the end.

Leah Williams is a beautiful young woman, who knows what she wants and once she is approached by Miles Sinclair in swanky London bar, she wants what he has to offer. He’s rich, a grieving widower, and seems to be so beguiled by Leah that their thirty year age gap is no barrier to lust.  Once at Miles’ chateau in France, their relationship strengthens and the only down side of this idyllic setting is the domineering presence of Miles’ cousin, Vivienne, who acts as chatelaine of the chateau, and who is a constant reminder of the past.

All is not what it seems at the chateau, there’s a definite sinister edginess and some deadly secrets about what happened to the last Mrs Sinclair and with some clever twists I didn’t see coming The Last Mrs Sinclair is a definite page turner.

About the Author 

T.J. Emerson’s debut psychological thriller was published by Legend Press and received brilliant reviews. Her short stories and features have been widely published in anthologies and magazines, and she works as a literary consultant and writing tutor. She lives in Scotland.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Lavender Bride by Alexandra Weston

Boldwood Books
28 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book 
And to Rachel’s RandomResources forthe invitation to the blog tour

 

An English rose with American dreams

Audrey Wade longs to escape her domineering father and the bleak streets of post-war Yorkshire. Hollywood glitters with glamour, freedom, and the promise of a life with her best friend Freddie. But when Freddie abandons her, Audrey is left to chase her dreams alone.

A Heartthrob with secrets

Rex Trent is more than Hollywood’s leading man. Charismatic and dangerously handsome, he’s adored by millions and watched by powerful enemies in a paranoid 1950s America. One wrong move could destroy him.

A romance born of ambition and betrayal

When Rex proposes, Audrey is swept into Hollywood’s glamour and high-stakes secrets. But she soon discovers Rex’s dark side and faces a choice: cling to a man who may never love her, or risk everything to forge her own path?

📖 My Review..

Set during the golden age of Hollywood when swoonworthy leading men made hearts flutter all across the globe but some were hiding secret lives which if discovered would inevitably bring their Hollywood dream to a close. Yorkshire born Audrey Wade has escaped her dismal life in post war Sheffield determined to live her best life but the reality of tinsel town is hardly the stuff of her school girls dreams, that is, until she meets Rex Trent at the talent agency where she is a lowly secretary and he a high flying cinema star.

This is a fascinating look at the cinema industry’s grubby hidden side and as we get taken deeper into Audrey’s relationship with Rex so we begin to understand the depth of deception. The Hollywood of the 1950s comes alive, the costumes, the films and the people all succeed in making it feel authentically real. I have enjoyed getting to know Audrey, her initial naivety is refreshing but later she had such strength of character that I couldn’t help but want her to succeed in a world which was tarnished from the start. I was less keen Rex but he was a product of his time, and his story succeeded in laying out a few Hollywood home truths. I wasn’t aware of the meaning of a lavender bride but I had my suspicions from the start which made the outcome of the story all the more compelling.

The Lavender Bride is a beautifully written glimpse into the glitzy world of Hollywood glamour which gradually reveals that all that glitters isn’t always gold.

About the Author

Alexandra Weston writes historical fiction. She has a MA in Creative Writing from York St John University. She has a lifelong passion for history and loves visiting stately homes, museums and old churches. She also writes fantasy as Alys West. She lives with her partner and a ginger cat called Wilf in East Yorkshire. She sings with her local community choir and loves live music, hanging out in bookshops and eating cake.

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