📖 Book Review~ Ostler by Susan Grossey

21 August 2023

Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries #1

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

After the horrors of war against the forces of Napoleon and the hardships of guarding convicts in Australia, ex-soldier Gregory Hardiman is enjoying the quiet life of an ostler at a Cambridge coaching inn, with only the occasional nightmare to disturb his sleep, and memory of lost loves to disturb his waking hours. But when the inn’s cook is found drowned in the river in the spring of 1825 and his distraught widow pleads for help, Gregory finds himself caught up in the unexpectedly murky world of college life in the town. As fine wines and precious artworks disappear from St Clement’s College, he navigates uneasily between the public world of the coaching inn and the hidden life behind the high walls of the college. And when a new law requires the university to create a cadre of constables, will Gregory take on the challenge?

📖 My Review..

I’ve just spent an enjoyable few days in nineteenth century Cambridge in company with Gregory Hardiman as he goes about his work as the ostler at the Sun Hotel. This is a responsible position, tending to the horses and ensuring that coaches bound for London, and beyond, leave for their journeys on time. Ex-soldier, Hardiman is a conscientious man, consistent in his work and generous with his time and always with an obligation towards those less fortunate than himself. When the body of George Ryder, the Sun Hotel’s cook, is found in the river, Hardiman senses foul play and is determined to find out more. This investigation takes Hardiman deep into the heart of the Cambridge Colleges and to a complex mystery involving, theft, deception and murder.

Beautifully written by an author whose knowledge of Cambridge, and impeccable research, brings this nineteenth century world alive in such a way that place and people bound into life. The story wraps around you with ease and at each step of the mystery a little bit more is revealed, not just about Hardiman, who I am sure we will discover more about as the series progresses, but also about the intricacies of nineteenth century life in a bustling collegiate town. Mysteries and complexities abound, and throughout, stalwart and steadfast, Hardiman goes quietly about his business, methodical in his manner and naturally trustworthy. His easy affability draws people to him and yet there are complexities within him and secrets we have yet to discover.

Villians, rogues, pugilists and academics vie for attention as we are drawn deeper into a complicated crime mystery and a story which entertained from first page to last. I’m already looking forward to spending more time with Gregory Hardiman in future historical crime mysteries.

About the Author

Susan Grossey is the author of the successful Constable Sam Plank series of historical novels set in the early part of the nineteenth century. Ostler is the first novel in the Cambridge Hardiman Mysteries, set in Cambridge in the 1820s and narrated by a university constable called Gregory Hardiman.

Website

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Unforgiven Dead by Fulton Ross

 

Inkshares
27 July 2023

My thanks to the publishers and to Laura Sherlock for my copy of this book

You could have saved her. Sure as the tide against his Highland shores, the refrain beats into Constable Angus ‘Dubh’ MacNeil’s mind. For years it has haunted him, accompanied by the faces of those he could not save—the Burned Man, the Strangled Woman, the Drowned Boy. All witnesses to a secret he cannot share and a gift he now refuses to embrace. 

You could have saved her. The refrain drives Angus to the seashore at dawn, where a girl lies on the unblemished sand. She wears a green cloak and cradles a corps creadha , a Highland voodoo doll. She has suffered a ritualistic, three-fold death—her head bludgeoned, her throat cut, and symbolically drowned. 

It is Faye Chichester, daughter of an American billionaire whose mission to reintroduce wolves to the Highlands has embroiled the village of Glenruig. But even as media and police swarm the area, that refrain— you could have saved her —echoes in all Angus’s thoughts. For he carries a burden, a blessing, a curse, a secret— dà-shealladh , the second sight of Gaelic lore. Gills MacMurdo, noted folklorist, academic, and Angus’s oldest friend, confirms what the dà-shealladh is warning. Just as Faye’s death was three-fold, so must the murder victims fulfil the ancient pattern. More will die, unless Angus does what he must—close his eyes and see.

📖 My Review

The Scottish Highlands are a place of secrets and shadows and this is captured in this mystery drama which incorporates the myths and legends of folklore and places them firmly into a sophisticated thriller. With its short sharp chapters I was quickly drawn into a murder/mystery which seems to have one foot in superstition, and the other in the drama of local animosity. 

Constable Angus ‘Dubh’ MacNeil carries the burden of having second sight. Plagued by dreams which interrupt his sleep and tear at his soul, and tormented by those victims he couldn't save, Angus is drawn to the beach early one morning where he discovers the body of a young woman. This macabre discovery, plunges Angus right into the heart of the mystery surrounding Faye Chichester's brutal, and ritualistic, death.  What then follows is a tightly packed drama which offers new insight into the popular Scottish Noir genre and combines dark and mysterious with a complex police investigation. However, this is no ordinary police investigation and the small community in the village of Glenruig, a place Angus calls home, is very much part of the developing drama.

The Unforgiven Dead is an atmospheric and brooding crime drama which starts slowly and builds into an imaginative picture of a place riven with secrets, and of a troubled man tormented by his past and of the victims he couldn't save. It is an interesting debut novel by an emerging writer and as it's already been optioned for television I look forward to seeing the story brought to life on screen.

About the Author

Fulton Ross is a writer and journalist from the Scottish Highlands. A graduate in Scottish Literature and History from Glasgow University, he has worked on national newspapers for more than a decade. Inspired by Gaelic folk tales, The Unforgiven Dead is his debut novel. Fulton now lives in Northern Ireland with his wife and three children.

Twitter @FultonLRoss #The UnforgivenDead

@inkshares

@laurasherlock21

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Hiker by M J Ford

 

Avon Books 
10 November 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

In the wilderness, it’s kill or be killed…

MISSING

When Gemma Kline is reported missing after setting off on a solo hike in the remote Pennines, her sister, Sarah, is dumbfounded. How can someone disappear without a trace?

PRESUMED

Travelling to the isolated town where Gemma was last seen, Sarah discovers it’s not the first time a young woman has vanished from the hills in mysterious circumstances. As she digs deeper, it quickly becomes apparent that neither disappearance is what it first seems – especially when unwelcoming locals share chilling tales about what’s really lurking on the moors…

MURDERED

Whatever has happened to her sister, one thing is clear: this town has secrets someone would kill to keep. But even on the fells, nothing stays buried forever…

📖 My Review

When Gemma Kline is reported missing her sister, Sarah is surprised by this and even though she has estranged from her sister following a family argument, Sarah is determined to find out why Gemma has disappeared without trace. However, this is not the first time that a young woman has gone missing in this remote part of the northern hills around County Durham and the forbidding nature of the area is as  much part of the story as the disappearance of Gemma especially as the local people aren't very helpful.

The Hiker is told from the point of view of both sisters which gives a unique insight into both of their lives and there is more than enough detail to keep you turning the pages.  The story has a complex plot which took me a while to get into but as the twists and turns get ever more complicated I found that there was much to consider and even though the ending was unexpected, overall, I enjoyed trying to guess where the story was heading.

The Hiker is an atmospheric and rather creepy story which is perfect for reading on a wintery night, curled up by the fire.

☕Best read with..a comforting cup of hot chocolate and maybe a few marshmallows 

About the Author

M.J. Ford lives with his family on the edge of the Peak District in the north of England. He has worked as an editor and writer of childen’s fiction for many years.

 Twitter

@MJFordBooks # TheHiker

@AvonBooksUK

📖 Pick a shelf, 7th book along... Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker

 

twenty7
2016

Everyone has a secret in Tall Oaks . . .

When three-year-old Harry goes missing, the whole of America turns its attention to one small town. Everyone is eager to help. Everyone is a suspect.

Desperate mother Jess, whose grief is driving her to extreme measures.

Newcomer Jared, with an easy charm and a string of broken hearts in his wake.

Photographer Jerry, who's determined to break away from his controlling mother once and for all.

And, investigating them all, a police chief with a hidden obsession of his own . . .

In Chris Whitaker's brilliant and original debut novel, missing persons, secret identities and dangerous lies abound in a town as idiosyncratic as its inhabitants.

📖 My Review..

Just occasionally when stuck for inspiration for something different read, granted that doesn't come around too often, but when it does I employ the pick a shelf, 7 books along method of choice. When Tall Oaks popped up as the 7th book along on my second book shelf, I must confess it has lingered there since it was first  published back in 2016. 

The story takes us to the small American town of Tall Oaks where three year Harry has gone missing from his home, not only does this tragedy devastate his mother, Jess, but also continues to haunt Jim, the enigmatic police chief, whose hidden obsession with the case is what keeps him focused. Into the mix comes a selection of townsfolk, each have their quirks and differences, but all have something about them which makes them utterly unique and which connects them in so many different ways.

The story moves seamlessly, with moments of humour which made me laugh out loud but there's also a haunting sense of sadness especially as the story of the missing child runs throughout. The beautifully reflective writing brings the angst of small town America so perfectly to life that I felt as if I stood watching the scenes unfold before me with an almost cinematic precision. With a delicious subtlety, which belies its strength, Tall Oaks is one of those stories which lingers long after the last page is turned.

Tall Oaks was a brilliant debut for this talented writer who has since gone on to write a number of bestselling novels.

Just goes to show that on every book shelf lies a hidden gem ...😄

🍺Best read with..a glass of cold beer..

About the Author

Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All the Wicked Girls, We Begin at the End, and The Forevers (YA). His debut Tall Oaks won the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award. An instant New York Times bestseller and the #1 Indie Next Pick, We Begin at the End was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month, a Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick and a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. The novel won the CWA Gold Dagger Award, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, and the Ned Kelly International Award.We Begin At The End has been translated into twenty-five languages, with screen rights going to Disney. He lives in the UK with his wife and three children.

Twitter @WhittyAuthor #TallOaks

📖 Book Review ~ I know What You've Done by Dorothy Koomson

 

Headline
December 2021

My thanks to the publisher and ed pr for my copy of this book

What if all your neighbours’ secrets landed in a diary on your doorstep?

What if the woman who gave it to you was murdered by one of the people in the diary?

What if the police asked if you knew anything?

Would you hand over the book of secrets?

Or … would you try to find out what everyone had done?

📖 My Review...

Oh, what a tangled web we weave springs to mind about the people who call Acacia Villas in Brighton their home and with this talented author in charge of the comings and goings of their lives, well nothing is ever going to be as it seems. What we have in I Know What You've Done is an intricately woven piece of literary tapestry in which all the residents of Acacia Villas have a role to play and no stone is left unturned in the quest to pore over the minutiae of everyone's lives.

Priscilla is the one to watch as she can see the whole of the street from her house and boy, does she observe what everyone is up to, so much so that she writes it all down in her diary, and that's when things start to get interesting especially when someone tries to kill her.  Leaving one of the residents in possession of this infamous diary only serves to put everyone under the spotlight and heightens the tension in this classy mystery. Once I got used to the moving around in time I was absolutely glued to the page and couldn't wait to find out exactly what was going on and who was really out to get Priscilla. There are so many dirty little secrets waiting to be discovered and the excitement of finding out just how many neighbours would be exposed is what makes the story so deliciously readable.

Clever, sophisticated and with all the trademark brilliance which this author brings to her stories I Know What You've Done is my favourite of her stories to date... but then all of Dorothy Koomson's stories are my favourites 😉

Best Read with... a chilled glass of Prosecco and a few crackers..

About the Author

Dorothy Koomson is the award-winning author of fifteen novels including the Sunday Times bestsellers My Best Friend’s Girl, The Ice Cream Girls and Goodnight, Beautiful. Dorothy’s novels have been translated into over 30 languages, and a TV adaptation based on The Ice Cream Girls was shown on ITV1 in 2013. After briefly living in Australia, Dorothy now lives in Brighton.

Twitter @DorothyKoomson  #IKnowWhatYouveDone

Website

@headlinepg

@ed_pr

📖 Blog Tour~The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett

  

Delighted to join this blog tour today

Scribe
9 December 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and the invitation to the blog tour

When her 29-year-old daughter Paulina goes missing on a sleepy pacific island, Judy Novak suspects the worst. Her fears are soon realised as Paulina’s body is discovered, murdered.

Every man on the island is a suspect, yet none are as maligned as Paulina herself, the captivating newcomer known for her hard drinking, disastrous relationships, and a habit for walking alone. But even death won’t stop Judy Novak from fighting for her daughter’s life.

A scintillating new thriller, inspired by real events, that puts the victim at the centre, by the author of The Love of a Bad Man.

📖 My thoughts...

Judy Novak is visiting the remote Fairfolk Island in the Pacific to meet up with her somewhat troubled daughter. Judy's relationship with Paulina hasn't been easy and so when Paulina fails to show up for her mother's arrival, Judy merely puts this down to her daughter's usual erratic behaviour. However, as time goes by it becomes apparent that something serious has happened to Paulina and with the discovery of her body, it would seem that the secrets about Paulina's life are about to be revealed. Despite their many differences Judy is a loving mother and fights to find out what has happened to her daughter and what has led to her death.

The Newcomer is an intriguing murder mystery which takes as its focus the somewhat stifled atmosphere of an isolated place which doesn't take too kindly to strangers. The author writes well and builds up an evocative tension throughout the whole of the story and even though Paulina is a difficult person to like, she's sharp and mercurial, and lacking in any sort of empathy, I couldn't help but be moved by her darkly disturbing story. Add into the narrative the seemingly destructive way that Paulina lived her life, the drinking, the belligerence, and the casual and, at times, quite brutal violence she experienced at the hands of men and you have all the necessary ingredients for a complex and, at times, quite challenging story.

Inspired by real events, The Newcomer is a thought provoking and complex murder mystery.

About the Author

Laura Elizabeth Woollett is the author of a short story collection, The Love of a Bad Man (Scribe, 2016), and two novels, Beautiful Revolutionary (Scribe, 2018) and The Newcomer (forthcoming Scribe, 2021). The Love of a Bad Man was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Fiction and the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction. Beautiful Revolutionary was shortlisted for the 2019 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction, the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, and the Kathleen Mitchell Award. Laura is the City of Melbourne’s 2020 Boyd Garret writer-in-residence and is a 2020-22 Marten Bequest scholar for prose.

Twitter @lewoollett #TheNewcomerBlogTour

@ScribeUKBooks

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Ex-Husband by Karen Hamilton

 

Delighted to host a stop on this Blog Tour

Wildfire Books
19 August 2021

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book
and Rosie's invitation to the blog tour

Charlotte and Sam were partners. In life, and in crime. They never stole from anyone who couldn't afford it. Wealthy clients, luxury cruise ships. It was easy money, and harmless. At least, that's what Charlotte told herself, until the world caved in on her.

But now, years after she tried to put that past life behind her, it comes rushing back when her estranged ex-husband Sam suddenly goes missing - and someone threatens to expose what they did.

Desperate to escape whoever is tormenting her, Charlotte takes a job as events planner for an engagement party onboard a super yacht in the Caribbean. For a while, her plan seems to have worked, nothing but open ocean and clear skies ahead. Until it becomes clear that she's no longer a thousand miles away from harm.

Because whoever is behind it all is onboard too. And now there's nowhere left to run.

📖 My Thoughts..

What a roller coaster of a ride this turned out to be, especially as Charlotte and Sam seem, on the surface, to be the perfect couple. Only problem is, no-one is perfect, and pretty soon we start to see cracks developing in this relationship which definitely don't bode well for their future.

The opening of the novel, with its hint of intrigue, sets the scene, especially the back story of how Charlotte met Sam, their adventurous time working on luxury cruise ships together, and their rather unusual way of making a little extra on their trips from clients who have so much wealth they don't notice when some of it goes missing. However, nothing this good lasts forever, and Charlotte has a rude awakening which threatens her life in more ways than one.

What gradually emerges is a story of lies, deceit and danger which become all the more intriguing as we discover what's happening to Charlotte in the present, more about her relationship with her now ex-husband Sam, and her need to discover some vital truths about their past life together. Keeping the intrigue alive, the story flits between the events of the past and Charlotte's present time on board a luxury yacht in the Caribbean, where it would seem that there is someone on board who knows Charlotte's secrets.

Fast moving and pacy, with more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing this intriguing story grips from the start and doesn't let go of your imagination until the dramatic ending which is every bit as good as I wanted it to be and which had me gasping out loud.

From its colourful cover, its intriguing plot and dangerous conclusion, The Ex-Husband is the perfect summer thriller especially if you find yourself reading it on board a luxury cruiser somewhere in the Caribbean 😊

About the Author

© Emma Moore

Karen Hamilton spent her childhood in Angola, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Italy and worked as a flight attendant for many years. Karen is a recent graduate of the Faber Academy and, having now put down roots in Hampshire to raise her young family with her husband, she satisfies her wanderlust by exploring the world through her writing.

Twitter @KJHAuthor #TheExHusband

@Wildfirebks

📖 Book Review ~ Cold Case in Nuala by Harriet Steel

 

Independently Published
May 2021
Inspector de Silva #10

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

It’s January 1940 and the day of Nuala’s famous motor rally. Excitement is at full throttle, but matters take a dark turn when that same evening, human remains are found buried in a lonely corner of a local tea plantation.

Inspector de Silva has a cold case to solve. Add a playboy racing driver, a missing Bugatti and a family scandal hushed up years ago into the mix and he has plenty to think about. You can be sure that whatever happened in the past, now de Silva’s in the driving seat, you’re in for a gripping ride.

📖 My Thoughts..

It's always such a treat to curl up in my favourite chair and escape to the languid days of 1940s Ceylon in company with Inspector de Silva as he goes about cracking another complex crime case in the beautiful hill town of Nuala. When a set of human bones are found well hidden on a remote tea plantation the intrepid Inspector has a difficult job in trying to discover just who was buried in this remote spot. The Inspector is determined to leave no clue unanswered but in this perplexing cold case mystery he finds that there are an abundance of twists and turns, and quite possibly, more questions than there are answers.

In Cold Case in Nuala there are some interesting, and rather complex characters, who the Inspector investigates with his own brand of steely determination and even though the Inspector always seems to find his culprit, the investigation which takes de Silva to the conclusion of the case is always filled with a strong sense of righteous satisfaction of a case well solved. In setting the books during the last, heady years of colonialism there is so much to enjoy in this series of cosy crime mysteries and each one brings something different to the table whilst keeping the continuity and vibrancy of what has gone before in past stories. I thoroughly enjoy being whisked away to Nuala as not only is there a fascinating sense of stepping back in time but the author does a great job of bringing to life both the unique character of the area, along with the idiosyncrasies of its inhabitants.

Cold Case in Nuala is now the tenth book in the series and whilst it is perfectly possible to read as a standalone mystery, for the sheer pleasure of getting to know Inspector de Silva, his lovely wife, Jane, and all the other long standing characters, I suggest that you start at the very beginning and escape to the colourful world of Nuala which is so vividly recreated in these lovely stories.

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 

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

Twitter @harrietsteel1

Facebook page: Harriet Steel Author

 Website

Blog 

Amazon UK