Blog Tour ~ The Traitor of Treasure Island by John Drake

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be part of this Treasure Island Blog Tour

Endeavour Quill
19 August 2019

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

Buried for over 300 years and now brought triumphantly to light by Dr Livesey, this is, at last, the true story of what happened on the fateful Treasure Island… 

The truth about Captain Flint and his fabled death. 

The truth about Long John Silver and his coveted wife. 

And the truth about Jim Hawkins, that double-dealing turncoat of the first order: The traitor of Treasure Island.

What did I think about it..

It is of consequence to note that a classic story such as Treasure Island will invariably create such obvious interest that writers are tempted to write their own version of the story, offering enticing morsels of what could have happened on that fateful voyage that we know so well from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of intrigue and adventure.

In The Traitor of Treasure Island we are privy to the recently discovered papers of Doctor David Livesey, who, we recall, is the ship’s doctor, and we are given an intimate account of the events which caused him, along with others to board the Hispaniola, along with Captain Smollett and his nefarious crew, all of them in search for treasure. A dark and dangerous story emerges which is filled with the memories of pirates and buccaneers, of ill-fated treasure and the threat of long smouldering hostilities.

The author brings to life, with vibrant curiosity, the creeping menace and the inherent violence and delivers everything with such a chilling sense of danger that even those who have knowledge of the original will find so much more to enjoy in this clever re-imagining. It’s also really exciting to have the old crew together and I have to say, that the characters leap fully formed from the page and there is such a glorious sensation that we meeting up again with old adversaries. The authentic sense of history captures the imagination from the beginning so that the over-riding mystery at the heart of the novel starts to come alive in the imagination.

I think that the author has done a really good job of bringing everything together in this swashbuckling adventure. I have enjoyed spending time with the crew of the Hispaniola and learning the truth about what happened on Treasure Island.

About the Author

John Drake trained as a biochemist to post-doctorate research level before realizing he was no good at science. His working career was in the television department of ICI until 1999 when he became a full-time writer. John's hobby is muzzle-loading shooting, and his interests are British history and British politics (as a spectator), plus newspapers, TV news, and current affairs. He is married with a son and two grandchildren.

Twitter @JohnDrakeAuthor #TTOTI

@EndeavourQuill 

 The Traitor of Treasure Island is currently available to pre-order at the reduced price of £1:99

Published 19 August 2019

Blog Tour ~ The Blameless Dead by Gary Haynes

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to open The Blameless Dead Blog Tour

Endeavour Quill
18 March 2019

My thanks to the publishers and Hannah for my copy of this book
and the invitation to be part of the blog tour.

In the dying days of World War Two, Pavel Romasko and his Red Army colleagues pick their way through the carnage and detritus of a dying Berlin. Stumbling upon the smoking remains of a Nazi bunker, they find something inside that eclipses the horror of even the worst excesses in the city above them.

As the war ends, retribution begins. But some revenge cannot be taken at once. Some revenge takes years.

And so it is, as post-war Europe tries desperately to drag itself back onto its feet, and soldiers attempt a return to normality, that retribution continues to ferment in the Gulags of the Soviet Union and beneath the surface of apparently ordinary lives.

Which is how, seventy years later, FBI agent Carla Romero and New York lawyer Gabriel Hall are enlisted to investigate a series of blood-chilling crimes that seem to have their roots in the distant past — even though the suffering they cause is all too present. And for one of them, the disappearance of young women is a particularly personal matter.

My thoughts..

Towards the end of WW2 Pavel Romasko and his Red Army colleagues make a dreadful discovery, and, even though they have witnessed many atrocities, the horror of what they discover in a Nazi bunker, in Berlin, shocks them.

In 2015 FBI agent Carla Romero and New York lawyer Gabriel Hall investigate a series of crimes which seem, on further investigation, to have their origins in events which happened over 70 years ago.

Cleverly combining the dark and deadly secrets of the past with something which is happening in the here and now and you have all the ingredients of a really complex thriller. There are instances where the story is quite graphic and the narrative doesn’t shy away from exposing some dreadful atrocities, however, what it also does is cleverly link the terror of the past with a complicated revenge driven modern day mystery.

The author writes well and keeps control of a complicated plot with skill, and a fine eye for detail. However, The Blameless Dead isn’t an easy read, and it took me a while to put all the people and the different places into context. There’s a dark and visceral quality to the narrative which combined with the complexity of the plot, particularly the two different time frames, makes for an interesting and complex thriller.

About the Author

Gary Haynes is a bestselling thriller writer, and member of the International Thriller Writers organisation. He studied law at university and passed his post-graduate legal qualifications before becoming a commercial litigator. He is a Freedom of Speech advocate and is interested in history, philosophy and foreign policy. Gary’s previous novels include the popular Tom Dupree series: State of Honour and State of Attack.

Website

Twitter @GaryHaynesNovel #TheBlamelessDead

@EndeavourQuill

Amazon UK

**Between 25th February and 1st March,there is a Goodreads giveaway running where readers have the opportunity to win one of ten signed copies of the novel before publication. Find the details here

🎄Blog Tour ~ The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau

 ✨ Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be hosting today's stop of The Blue Blog Tour ✨

Endeavour Quill
3 December 2018

Huge thanks to the publishers for my ecopy of this book and for the invitation to be part of the blog tour

In eighteenth century London, porcelain is the most seductive of commodities; fortunes are made and lost upon it. Kings do battle with knights and knaves for possession of the finest pieces and the secrets of their manufacture.

For Genevieve Planché, an English-born descendant of Huguenot refugees, porcelain holds far less allure; she wants to be an artist, a painter of international repute, but nobody takes the idea of a female artist seriously in London. If only she could reach Venice. 

When Genevieve meets the charming Sir Gabriel Courtenay, he offers her an opportunity she can’t refuse; if she learns the secrets of porcelain, he will send her to Venice. But in particular, she must learn the secrets of the colour blue… 

The ensuing events take Genevieve deep into England’s emerging industrial heartlands, where not only does she learn about porcelain, but also about the art of industrial espionage. 

With the heart and spirit of her Huguenot ancestors, Genevieve faces her challenges head on, but how much is she willing to suffer in pursuit and protection of the colour blue?

My thoughts about it..

We have so much colour in our lives that we forget that there was a time when dyes and colours weren't as easily accessible. The Blue explores the details of the search for the perfect shade of blue, that dazzling, transcendent magic which transforms an ordinary piece of porcelain into the most prized possession. However, Genevieve Planché, is not really interested in the finer points of porcelain, what she wants is to become a respected artist, but as a woman in a man's world this is proving to be extremely difficult. And then, unexpectedly, she is offered the opportunity of a lifetime, but first she must learn about porcelain and undertake a task which is the most difficult of all challenges, namely, to seek out the formulation for the perfect colour of blue.

The author writes about the eighteenth century with skill, and a real passion for detail, and in creating Genevieve Planché she has given us a worthy heroine. There is much to enjoy in this exciting historical drama, not just in terms of plot and adventure, but also in the detailed characterisation of those people who flit into and out of the story. From the industrial heartlands of England, to the flamboyant court of a French King and his mistress, The Blue captures the very essence of eighteenth century life.

I've always admired antique porcelain, from the delicate tracery of the designs, to the secrets of its manufacture, and now after reading The Blue I appreciate rather more about the drive and passion which once influenced the manufacture of this delicate commodity.

"..porcelain is the most seductive of commodities; fortunes are made and lost upon it. Kings do battle with knights and knaves for possession of the finest pieces and the secrets of their manufacture.."

About the Author

Nancy Bilyeau has worked on the staffs of InStyle, DuJour, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Good Housekeeping. She is currently the deputy editor of the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at City University of New York and a regular contributor to Town & Country, Purist, and The Vintage News.

A native of the Midwest, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. THE CROWN, her first novel and an Oprah pick, was published in 2012; the sequel, THE CHALICE, followed in 2013. The third in the trilogy, THE TAPESTRY, was published by Touchstone in 2015. Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children. 

Her fourth novel, THE BLUE, is published on 3rd December. 

Twitter @Tudorscribe #TheBlue

@EndeavourQuill

@EndeavourMedia

Amazon UK

Cover Reveal ~ The Blameless Dead by Gary Haynes

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to be able to share the exciting cover of 

The Blameless Dead by Gary Haynes

✨ Coming in March 2019 ✨

Endeavour Quill
March 2019

My thanks to the publishers for the invitation to be part of this Cover Reveal tour

In the dying days of World War Two, Pavel Romasko and his Red Army colleagues pick their way through the carnage and detritus of a dying Berlin. Stumbling upon the smoking remains of a Nazi bunker, they find something inside that eclipses the horror of even the worst excesses in the city above them.

As the war ends, retribution begins. But some revenge cannot be taken at once. Some revenge takes years.

And so it is, as post-war Europe tries desperately to drag itself back onto its feet, and soldiers attempt a return to normality, that retribution continues to ferment in the Gulags of the Soviet Union and beneath the surface of apparently ordinary lives.

Which is how, seventy years later, FBI agent Carla Romero and New York lawyer Gabriel Hall are enlisted to investigate a series of blood-chilling crimes that seem to have their roots in the distant past — even though the suffering they cause is all too present. And for one of them, the disappearance of young women is a particularly personal matter.

The Blameless Dead is an epic, compelling, edge-of-the-seat drama that sweeps the reader from twentieth century Europe to modern-day New York, taking in some of the most important events of modern history and exposing them in honest and unflinching terms. Part murder-mystery, part historical novel and shot through with adrenalin-pumping action, this novel superbly demonstrates that, while the hostilities may cease and the peace be signed, the horror that is war is never really over.

Add the book to your 'to-read' Goodreads Shelf

About the Author

Gary Haynes is a bestselling thriller writer, and member of the International Thriller Writers organisation. He studied law at university and passed his post-graduate legal qualifications before becoming a commercial litigator. He is a Freedom of Speech advocate and is interested in history, philosophy and foreign policy. Gary’s previous novels include the popular Tom Dupree series: State of Honour and State of Attack.

You can connect with Gary online via his website: https://garyhaynes.weebly.com/

Or follow him on Twitter, @GaryHaynesNovel