📖 Book Review ~ To Catch A Lord by Emma Orchard

Boldwood
21 June 2025

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

As a daughter of the notorious Wyverne family, Lady Amelia is used to being the subject of gossip. But while she has accepted her marred reputation – however unfair it is – she hates the horrible men it attracts.

Amelia decides she needs a suitor of impeccable repute to save her from the attentions of ungentlemanly gentlemen, and who better than the handsome and famously moral Lord Thornfalcon? Since coming into his title, ‘Thorn’ has been besieged by women who want to marry him, or have an affair with him, or both – so perhaps a pretend relationship might suit him too?

There’s just one small catch. Thorn’s childhood sweetheart Lavinia has also set her sights on him again, and rallied half the ton behind her. But what does that matter to Amelia – it’s only a fake engagement, isn’t it? Except, as Lavinia and her friends try to tear Amelia and Thorn apart, she starts to realise that her feelings may not be quite so fake after all.

Because the trouble with brave and handsome Lords is… they might just steal your heart.

📖My Review..

With her reputation sullied, and through no fault of her own, Lady Amelia Wyverne seems to attract the worst sort of gentlemen. Deciding upon a course of action, Lady Amelia is determined to set aside the chattering gossips by pretending to become betrothed to a man who is beyond reproach. The only problem, of course, is seeking out such a paragon but with a plan hatched to catch herself a lord, Amelia’s eye settles upon the charmingly handsome Lord Thornfalcon. Marcus Thornfalcon, hero, of the Peninsular campaign, has his own reasons for agreeing to Amelia’s subterfuge, some of which are set to cause all sorts of consternation amongst the ladies of the Ton and is a disaster for one lady in particular who is hell bet on revenge.

These regency romances are so beautifully written that they never fail to make me smile and I flutter through the pages with great enjoyment as I am whisked away to balls and soirées, keeping company with the beau monde of Regency England. Both Amelia and Marcus are delightfully imagined and I quite fell in love with both of them and as their tentative feelings are stirred you can’t help but want everything to work out well in a good way.

To Catch A Lord is a spicy, steamy romance from this talented writer who has captured the Regency Romance market with her passionate stories which, with a hint of Georgette Heyer, bring this world to life. There is a bit of a theme with this set of books as some characters overlap but having said that it is perfectly possible to read each book as a standalone story.

About the Author

Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

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📖 Book Review ~ The Girl with the Suitcase by Lesley Pearse

 

Michael Joseph
3 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher and ed public relations for my copy of the book to review

London, 1941

When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn’t be more different. 

Elizabeth is beautiful and charming, about to set off on a dazzling adventure to Ireland where she’s inherited a grand house. 

Mary, shy and meek, has nothing to look forward to but the dreary life of a maid in Hampstead.

But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary’s life is suddenly changed forever. 

After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth’s money and tickets to Ireland inside.

This is Mary’s chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.

Will she take it and what could go wrong?

📖My Review..

A chance meeting with a total stranger alters the course of Mary’s life forever and with the unexpected chance of a completely fresh start, Mary grabs the opportunity to move away from her life of drudgery and hardship. Set against the backdrop of WW2 we travel between war torn London, rural Ireland and affluent Bristol in a story which tugs away at the heartstrings with a remarkable young woman who takes whatever life throws at her and does so with that innate steadfastness of all those who’s survived wartime.

Beautifully written as only this author can, it is very easy to be drawn into the world which she recreates so sensitively. I loved Mary’s character, she’s such a strong person and yet it’s also the other characters who bring the story to life, especially Kathleen in Ireland and Rose in Bristol. A story of strong women  who support Mary in everything she does. At its heart are a couple of empathic love interests, good and kind men who take away Mary’s doubts about the shadows of her past with an indifferent mother and an abusive stepfather.

The Girl with the Suitcase is the author’s 33rd novel and is another lovely story from this sensitive and considerate writer. 

About the Author

Lesley Pearse is a global No.1 bestseller with fans across the world and sales of over 10 million copies of her books to date. One of the nation’s best-loved storytellers – a Lesley Pearse book is sold every 4 minutes in the UK – Lesley is a master of the gripping story line, always introducing her readers to characters that are impossible to forget. Although there is no set formula or easily defined genre for a Lesley Pearse novel, strong heroines and jeopardy are pervasive, and she always engages the reader completely. 

Told with Lesley's trademark warmth, wit and poignancy The Long and Winding Road is the extraordinary story of a remarkable woman fighting against the odds to achieve her dreams and finally winning.

Lesley lives in Torquay where she enjoys walking on the beach with her grandchildren. A fantastic speaker and committed and passionate fundraiser for the NSPCC, Lesley is a much sought after guest at literary lunches, library events and festivals up and down the country.

Twitter @LesleyPearse #LoveLesley #TheGirlWithTheSuitcase

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📖 Book Review ~ One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

Simon & Schuster
3 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book

A party at sunset. A body at sunrise.

What happened that night in the woods?

ELLIE

When the body of a young woman is discovered in the woods the morning after Halloween, arranged with ritualistic precision, teenager Ellie has more reason than most to be afraid …

RACHEL

As both Ellie’s mum and the local school counsellor, Rachel, must grapple with the terror gripping the community, a tough job that’s made even harder when she realises her daughter is keeping secrets …

BEN

Police detective Ben Chase is desperate to solve the murder, but with his daughter Ellie struggling and the noose circling ever tighter, can he catch the killer before they strike again?

📖 My Review..

A group of private school pupils sneak out into the woods on Halloween for an impromptu party which soon becomes something far more sinister especially when they begin to frighten each other with scary tales. The creepy woodland all contributes to the dark atmosphere and with a sense that someone is watching just heightens the tension. The following morning the body of a young teenager is found in suspicious circumstances and a whole police investigation is launched to determine just what happened at the fateful Halloween party.

This is a really creepy story which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I found myself jumping at shadows, imagining a dark, dark wood with hidden figures, and the hint of something dangerous lurking in the undergrowth. The characters are well drawn and the fractured relationship between the main characters is done with a fine eye for captivating the nuances of teenagers who all have secrets to hide. The police procedural part of the story doesn’t intrude too much as it’s more about the dynamics between the lead detective whose daughter Ellie has been caught up in the events of Halloween night and his ex-wife who is a member of staff at the school.

One Dark Night is a real page turner of a read and one I couldn’t put down until final clever twist in this dark and creepy tale had been revealed.

About the Author

Hannah Richell was born in Kent and spent her childhood years in Buckinghamshire and Canada. After graduating from the University of Nottingham, she worked in the book publishing and film industries in both London and Sydney. She is a dual citizen of Great Britain and Australia, and currently lives in the South West of England with her family.

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📖 Book Review ~ Every Mother’s Nightmare by S E Lynes

Bookouture 
9 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book to review

It’s the call every mother dreads. 

You knew it was coming… 

You are at work, on a hot summer afternoon, when the phone vibrates in your handbag. Your heart beats faster as you scrabble to find it because somehow, even before you answer it, you know. It’s the call every mother fears. It’s the call you’ve been waiting for.

Your daughter is in hospital. She was found this morning, confused and alone. She doesn’t remember anything. You wish you had never let her go away for the weekend. You can’t understand why her brother wasn’t watching over her like he promised, why he didn’t protect her.

You race to be with them, before it’s too late. But then the police find a body, deep in the woods, right next to where your children were staying.

You’ll do anything to keep them safe. But knowing what you know… do you need to protect your son, your daughter, or yourself?

📖My Review ..

Melissa’s two teenage children are at a summer camp for school leavers but when she receives a phone call at work to say that her daughter has been found naked, confused and disorientated on the camp site and has been rushed to hospital, Melissa leaves home to travel to her daughter’s bed side and is shocked and saddened when she finds out what happened. Melissa is also concerned about her son and wonders how he could have allowed his sister to be vulnerable to such a violent attack especially when he was supposed to be looking out for her.

The story gathers pace quickly and with some clever explaining we get the story, both before and after the event, from the point of view of Melissa, her daughter, Casey and her son, Dan. All have a vital role to play in this emotionally charged story which continues the debate about toxic masculinity, coercive control and dangerous grooming whilst at the same time reiterating the strength of the bond between mothers and their children. With so much going on I was reluctant to leave the story alone and pretty much read the book in one sitting. What I love about this author’s writing is her ability to surprise me every single time as just when I think I have the plot all sewn up, she strikes with a totally different scenario which leaves me gasping out loud.

Every Mother’s Nightmare is exactly what you expect from this talented writer, it’s a taut and dark psychological thriller which grips from the very first page and doesn’t let go of your imagination until the whole of this complicated story is told. 

About the Author

Formerly a BBC producer, S.E. Lynes turned to writing following the birth of her third child. After completing an MA in Creative Writing, she became a tutor at Richmond Adult Community College, where she taught creative writing for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.

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📖 Book Review ~ A Most Unlikely Lady by Darcy McGuire

Boldwood Books 
6 June 2025

The Queen’s Deadly Damsels #4

Thanks to Boldwood for my copy of this book to review

 

When seemingly fragile Miss Ivy Cavendale takes the headmistress position in an orphanage, it is her chance to stay anonymous in society. But not all is what it seems with Miss Ivy. When an intruder breaks in one night, she’s quick to draw her weapon, and while fear - her constant companion - has mysteriously disappeared, one thing is very she and her charges are the next target of The Devil’s Sons.

Commissioner Edward Worthington owes the head of The Queen’s Deadly Damsels a debt. So, he must keep an eye on the Duchess’s new protégé. How much trouble can the shy Miss Cavendale be? Rather a lot, actually. The diminutive wallflower has been overlooked and forgotten by society's elite, but Edward sees a woman full of fascinating contradictions he’s compelled to unravel.

Burdened by secrets and childhood trauma, Ivy is stunned as Edward ignites a breathless curiosity within her. And when he asks her to join forces to identify the dangerous intruder at The Widow’s Ball, she cannot refuse. She may not trust many, but something tells her she should trust Edward… with more than just this mission.

📖 My Review

 

A Most Unlikely Lady is the fourth book in The Queen’s Deadly Damsels series and like the stories which have gone before this is another cross between steamy romance and thrilling suspense. Lady Ivy Cavendale takes on the lowly position of headmistress at a London orphanage but with the worry that the Devil’s Sons are targeting vulnerable children, Ivy enlists the help of the other deadly damsels to catch the men behind this group of monstrous individuals. However, it is Ivy’s burgeoning relationship with Police Commissioner, Edward Worthington where the passion of the story lies as they both learn to share the secrets of their troubled past.

Hugely entertaining, the passion sizzles on the page whilst at the same time the mystery surrounding the Devil’s Sons continues to be a real challenge for the Damsels who are determined to bring these terrible individuals to justice. With plenty twists and turns and a spicy romance at its core, this latest story kept my interest from start to finish. And whilst it is possible to read this as a standalone story it does make sense to read the series from the beginning as that way you get to know the other damsels and the role they each play in fighting for justice. 

A Most Unlikely Lady is a worthy continuation of this successful series and I look forward to reading the fifth, and probably the final book in the series, when it is published later in 2025.

About the Author

Darcy McGuire is an award-winning New Zealand-born writer now living in the Pacific Northwest. She will write a five-part Victorian romance series for Boldwood, focused on a group of ‘Deadly Damsels’.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Secret Between Us by Kate Hewitt

Bookouture
24 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book to review
Also for the invitation to be part of the blog tour

My husband and I share a secret. How far will I go to keep it?

In the middle of our school’s bustling summer picnic, I watch Harriet walk purposefully toward my husband, Michael. She places her hand on his arm, introducing herself and laughing at something he says. A knot forms in my stomach as I watch them. We’ve been here before. But I can’t just walk away…

Over the next few weeks, I try to keep Harriet from my family. But no matter what I do, she finds a way in. Her daughter and my twin boys become friends, and one night I find Harriet in my kitchen, smiling at my husband as she sips a cocktail. I feel like a stranger in my own home.

That night, when I see her name light up my husband’s phone, I can barely breathe. Because I know this is more than just an affair. She’s in our lives for a different reason. For years, I’ve kept a secret buried deep because I thought I could hold my family together. But now, I’m terrified Harriet is going to reveal it and I will lose everything…

Whatever happens, I can’t let her expose the secrets between me and my husband. But what will I have to do to stop her?

📖 My Review ..

When Elise Dunnett sees her husband, Michael, talking to Harriet Tierney at the annual school picnic she is immediately on high alert and is even more dismayed when Harriet’s daughter Kyra is newly enrolled at the same private school as her twin boys. From this innocent first meeting Elise is wary of Harriet and does her best to keep her away from her family with devastating consequences.

The plot is so gripping that I read the book quickly as I couldn’t wait to see what would unfold next as it really is a story which gets under your skin especially as the secrets which are being revealed are so cleverly placed that you can’t help but be left wondering whatever is going to happen next in this twisted tale of jealousy and revenge. All credit must go to this talented writer who weaves such a complex plot in which most of the main characters are largely unlikeable, this takes an inordinate amount of skill and it really pays off in an intricate story of secrets, lies and pure malice.

Fascinating and complex, The Secret Between Us is an emotional domestic drama which had plenty of twists and turns, compelling characters, and a real page turner of a plot.

About the Author

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

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📖 Book Review ~ She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena

Random House
Transworld
17 July 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the copy of this book to review

Bryden and Sam have it all - thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condo, supportive friends and a cherished daughter.

The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden – working from home that day - has failed to collect their daughter from daycare.

Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?

With every minute that passes – and as questions swirl around their community – Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their luxury condo less safe, their friends, neighbours and relatives no longer quite so reliable.

📖 My Review..

Sam receives a phone call to inform him that his wife has failed to pick up their little girl from day-care. This is completely out of character as normally Bryden is a conscientious mother and dotes on her daughter. The mystery deepens when Sam arrives home and finds their luxury condo empty, and even more worrying is that all of Bryden’s belongings are still lying around, seemingly untouched. With no choice, Sam alerts the police and a detailed investigation is launched into Bryden’s mysterious disappearance.

This is a cleverly written domestic drama which has twists and turns aplenty and with a cast of charmless characters who could, in their own unique way, all know something about Bryden’s uncharacteristic disappearance. With few clues to go on the local police have to delve deeply into Bryden and Sam’s lives in order to try and fit together all the missing pieces of this complex puzzle. The other main characters, particularly Bryden’s sister, and her best friend, have a difficult time as they too can’t work out why Bryden would willingly go off and leave her husband and young daughter.

She Didn’t See It Coming is a cleverly constructed psychological thriller which not only keeps you turning the pages but also keeps you guessing towards a clever ending that I really didn’t see coming.

About the Author

Shari Lapena is the internationally multimillion copy bestselling author. Her books have been sold in fifty territories around the world. She lives in Toronto.

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📖 Book Review ~ Not His Wife by L G Davis

Bookouture
15 July 2025

My thanks to the publisher for the copy of the book to review

I wake up in a dark bedroom, gazing into a stranger’s amber eyes. He runs a hand down my cheek and whispers something that makes my heart stop: “Welcome home darling. I’m your husband.”

My whole life until this moment is gone. I have amnesia after a terrible accident, and now I just have to trust what my husband, Evan, says. But everything feels wrong, from the name he gives me, ‘Cora,’ to the home he says I loved.

As I explore our sprawling old farmhouse, I find another woman’s belongings, and Evan says they belong to the woman who lived here before us. I begin to get to know her, piecing together her life although I can’t remember mine. Why would she leave precious items behind, like her photos and her locket?

Then I hear something in the basement that sends a shiver down my spine. Evan’s elderly aunt, who lives with us, hears it too. She hisses to me, her eyes darting fearfully, ‘Get out. You’re not his wife.’

But I’m not going anywhere. Because the answers to who I am, and what happened to the woman who lived here before, are in this house.

I think Evan is lying and my life is in danger. I’m going to get the key to that basement to find out the truth.

But when my memories come flooding back, I’ll realize Evan isn’t the only one with secrets he’ll kill to protect…

📖 My Review..

After a devastating accident, Cora has no recollection of her past life but her husband is so caring and fills in the gaps in her memory that she can’t help but trust him. With her husband’s elderly aunt Mary also living with them at their remote farmhouse, Cora feels that she must try her best to regain her memory so she can help with Mary’s care but then she starts to hear mysterious noises coming from the basement and pretty soon the tension really starts to creep up so that you are never really certain what is truth and what are cleverly constructed lies.

This is the type of book that you want to read in one sitting as the shocks, once they start, really do come thick and fast until you are almost afraid to turn the page for fear of what’s going to happen next. I thought all the characters in this complex plot were really well described, Cora comes across as a person who is so lost and alone and yet even though she suspects that there something going on, it’s just out of reach, and she can’t discover what is happening in this house of horrors ,until it’s too late.

Not His Wife is a suspenseful locked room thriller in which all the participants blur the boundaries in a compelling story which is clearly written by a writer who knows how to keep up the momentum of a complicated plot whilst revealing just enough clues to keep you turning the pages faster and faster.

About the Author

Liz’s story began in a refugee camp in Angola, where she spent the first eight years of her life. After that, she spent some years in Namibia (her home country), South Africa, and Germany. She now lives in Vienna, Austria, with her husband and two children. Liz wrote her first full-length novel at eighteen and hid it in a box under her bed. Several others soon followed it. Her passion lies in writing edge-of-the-seat psychological thrillers that give readers the same rush they would get on a rollercoaster.

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📖 Book Review ~ Changing Times in Nuala by Harriet Steel

2025

Inspector De Silva #15

My thanks to the author for my copy of the book to review

With the big day when Ceylon becomes independent of the British fast approaching, Inspector Shanti de Silva is busy with plans for policing excited crowds and elephant processions.

Everything is going smoothly until a new mystery raises the stakes. A wealthy and popular plantation owner is suddenly taken dangerously ill, and his glamorous young wife vanishes in suspicious circumstances. If they are to uncover the truth behind the family’s accusations and satisfy his boss Archie’s demand to wrap up the case before the big day, Shanti and his wife Jane will need to work fast.

📖 My review..

It’s always a real pleasure to return to Ceylon especially as I’ve followed this charming series from the beginning and to have the lead up to the country’s independence from British Colonial rule highlighted is a real treat as the author brings this world to life in such an authentic way, from the history, to the people, everything feels beautifully recreated and to be back with Inspector Shanti de Silva and his wife Jane is a real delight.

In this fifteenth book of the series there is a sense of change as Ceylon gets ready to embrace independence but with any momentous change there is also a sense of uncertainty and this is expressed as Shanti is having to face the mysterious illness of a wealthy plantation owner, combined with the worrying disappearance of the plantation owner’s wife. With the possibility of foul play, the inspector soon discovers that there is more to this case than at first appears however, even with his usual flair for leaving no stone unturned, de Silva starts to feel the pressure of trying to solve this complicated case before Independence Day arrives.

There are the usual cast of characters who we have come to appreciate and the interaction between de Silva and his wife Jane is a real delight especially as Jane is usually the sounding board for Shanti’s dilemmas and continues to be a real support to him in all aspects of his life.

Beautifully written, with fine attention to detail, Changing Times in Nuala is a lovely continuation of the series. I hope there are still more stories to come as Inspector Shanti de Silva navigates the ever changing world around him.

About the Author

Harriet Steel wrote four historical novels before turning to crime with the Inspector de Silva mysteries, inspired by time spent in Sri Lanka (the former Ceylon)). Her work has also appeared in national newspapers and magazines. Visit her blog to sign up to her monthly newsletter for news of new releases and great offers, Blog 

Harriet is married with two daughters and lives in Surrey. When Harriet is not writing, she likes reading, long walks and visiting art galleries and museums.

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🌞 Summer Read ~ The Writer by Valerie Keogh

Boldwood Books
15 July 2025

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book to review

Cara Jenkins is a successful author about to embark on her thirtieth novel. But as she sits at her desk to write, she realizes that she has no ideas left. And as the pressure mounts for her to deliver, she begins to fear that her career is over.

Then the letters start.

At first, they seem harmless. But as the messages grow darker, Cara becomes convinced that someone is watching her, waiting for their moment to strike.

Her husband, Artie, dismisses the notes as stupid pranks, but Cara feels them pulling her back to a past she can't escape. With no easy answers, Cara does what she does best and begins to write. But the more words that come, the more fantasy and reality begin to blur and soon her imagination, and her accusations, begin to run wild.

With reality blurring into fiction, Cara struggles to see the truth. Is someone really watching her, or is her unravelling mind feeding her paranoia? And how will this story - her story – end?

This time her deadline has never felt more deadly…

🌞 My Review

Best selling author, Cara Jenkins is facing that nightmare that all writers must have experienced, the dreaded writer’s block, and as this next novel is her thirtieth so much depends on her pulling another successful novel out of the hat but with no ideas to speak of Cara is feeling more and more anxious. With her anxiety increasing and with strange anonymous letters arriving at her house Cara is worried that someone is watching her but with her head buried in her writing is Cara blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction?

This is a quick fire read that keeps the tension ramped up to high and with a sinister character known only as him telling his part of the story, there is more than enough mystery to keep the pages turning, in my case faster and faster until the whole complicated plot was laid out before me and even then I didn’t see the twists coming. What I love about this author’s writing is her ability to surprise me - so that even though I think I have the conclusion to the story nicely sorted out along she comes and hits me with another surprise ending that I didn’t see coming.

Immersive and page turningly good, The Writer is the perfect summer escapism for a lazy afternoon in the garden or poolside with a long cold drink to hand.

About the Author

Valerie Keogh is the internationally bestselling author of several psychological thrillers and crime series, most recently published by Bloodhound. She originally comes from Dublin but now lives in Wiltshire and worked as a nurse for many years. Her first thriller for Boldwood was published in August 2022.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ Divinity Games by Lou Gilmond

 

When opposition MP HARRY COLBEY uncovers a corrupt plot between senior government ministers and a big tech organisation intent on enriching its owners, he finds himself the target of a strange form of harassment. His train pass and credit cards won't work, his phone won't get signal and every traffic light he comes to is red. Only his colleague, ESME KANHA, believes him. She's investigating the suspicious death of another anti-corruption MP.

But when Colbey's daughter gets engaged to the son of one of the tech company's owners, he is forced to venture straight into the heart of the sinister elite. Colbey intends to expose them – but in a world dominated by AI, where every movement is tracked and every conversation listened to, the stakes are dangerously high.

The ‘terrifying’ conclusion to the Kanha and Colbey thriller series.

📖 My Review..

Having read books one and two in quick succession, this last book in the trilogy starts where book two finishes, and so for that reason I’m suggesting that this is definitely a series that needs to be read from the beginning as that way this terrifying conclusion to the story is all the more powerful.

MPs Harry Colbey and Esme Kanha are still in pursuit of those corrupt individuals who are beguiled by the promise of power and the possibility of untold wealth however, with the ever growing dependency on artificial intelligence the country is on an inevitable path to disaster. The scary nature of AI is controlled in such an utterly believable way that you can sense the rumble of the watchful drones as they circle overhead and no-one is safe from their scrutiny or the deadly interference of AI controlled smart devices.

With time running out both Colbey and Kanha have a difficult task ahead of them especially as more MPs are drawn into the web of deceit created by the powerful elite group who control the way artificial intelligence is integrated into every part of people’s lives. Tensions run high especially when Colbey gets inextricably drawn into the very centre of this elite group and their deadly secrets become more exposed. I particularly enjoyed how all the multiple threads of the plot started to come together and with an increasing sense of doom there was really only one way I wanted the story to end. Totally believable, and utterly terrifying in its complexity, I only wish we had MPs like Harry Colbey and Esme Kanha who could rescue us from the bad guys.

Exciting, and imaginative, this clever political thriller kept me entertained from start to finish. It is definitely a worthy conclusion to a crime thriller trilogy which really packs a punch. 

About the Author

Lou Gilmond is the author of three political thrillers - Dirty Geese, published 6th July 2023, Palisade published 21st November 2024 and Divinity Games to be published 17th July 2025. Under her given name of Louise Boland, Lou is also the founder of small but well respected publishing house, Fairlight Books,which focusing on nurturing and promoting new and emerging literary talent. She is also the author Bookshop Tours of Britain, a slow travel guide journeying across Britain, bookshop by bookshop - Lou is a keen champion of bookshops.

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🎧BlogTour ~ Salt & Honey by Candi Miller

 

September 2025
#1 Koba Trilogy 

Estimated run time 7 hours

Read by John Maytham

Thanks to the author and Rachel’s Random Resources 

Hide!’ shouts her father. Then he breaks cover to draw the hunting party away across the blackened plain. The child sees them shoot him. And murder her mother. 

It’s the 1950s but Koba is a hunter-gatherer from an ancient living culture. She’s a survivor. Alone in a cave, she fends for herself, talks to her ancestors, breaks taboos. She gains healing power and tries to ignore the warnings she feels. She trades with the teenage son of the family who orphaned her – bushcraft for jive dancing, salt for honey. 

But now she’s in the greatest danger she’s ever faced: she’s falling for a white boy in Apartheid South Africa, where love across racial divides is brutally punished. She hears the axe shatter the bedroom’s wooden shutters but Koba won’t run. Book 1 of this fast-paced saga introduces a striking character into romance-writing, offering readers a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten way of life and into recent black history.

* Occasional, deliberate use of racist language by the villain.

🎧 My Review..

This is an interesting coming of age story during a difficult time in South Africa’s history. It tells of the forbidden relationship between Koba, an indigenous girl who lives alone and Mannie, an Afrikaner teenage boy, whose family were responsible for the loss of Koba’s family. This is a fascinating book to listen to as the beautiful narration by John Matthew really enhances the story in a special way however, it is in the troubled landscape, and the friendship between Kobe and Mannie where the true power of the story lies. 

The story flows well, the pacing of the narrative kept my attention and with a clear and expressive narrator the story came to life. I could feel the tension in the atmosphere and was fascinated by Kobe’s deep attachment to the land and the ancient culture of her people. This was a very different time and the writing reflects that and doesn’t shy away from explaining the brutality of apartheid and the harsh consequences of living during this difficult time in South African history.

Coming in at around 7 hours the audio book is managed in easily listening chunks and with a good narrator this was an interesting and informative book which brought Koba and Mannie’s story to life in a meaningful way.

About the Author

Candi Miller was born in southern Africa and has spent decades researching the first people of the region, a group who feature in the novel. She loves to tell the many unique and exciting experiences she’s had in the bush and around campfires. She taught creative writing in the UK where she now lives. She is republishing her novels to support a school feeding scheme for marginalised children which she co-founded in 2017.

Website:  https://www.candimiller.co.uk/my-novels.html

 

Substack: https://candimiller.substack.com/publish/post/141372314?back=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fdetail%2F141372314

https://substack.com/home/post/p-137297879

Link to the first chapter of the sequel, free to read.

https://candimiller.substack.com/p/dear-paid-subscriber

Facebook author page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092417402759

 

Insta: @candimillerauthor

https://www.instagram.com/candimillerauthor/