📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Hiding Season by A C Glass

Penguin
Paperback Publication
13 August 2026

My thanks to Amanda at Moonflower for my copy of this book

Exploring the damage that spies can do to those who get tangled up in their lives, The Hiding Season follows an ordinary woman running for her life after she witnesses the murder of one of America’s most powerful senators. 

Escaping from a broken marriage, Maya Landry moves to Bozeman, Montana, the gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Working at an exclusive private ski-resort in the off season, Maya’s new life of quiet reflection in the mountains is going exactly as she’d hoped . . . until she stumbles across a dead body.

With no phone signal, she races down the mountain to get help. But when she returns with the police, the body is gone and no-one believes her. Later that night Maya is told by FBI agent Riley Maguire that if she doesn’t leave the state tonight, she’ll be dead by morning. 

Forced to change her identity, leave everything behind and move across the country, Maya trusts Riley to keep her safe. But, when her hiding place is compromised, should she trust him? And are the feelings she’s having towards him too good to be true? 

From a ski lodge in the Rocky Mountains to the Dirty Sixth in Austin, and from an anonymous safehouse in Texas to the headquarters of the FBI in Chicago, this is a page-turning, pulse-pounding thriller that explores the collateral damage of an FBI operation gone wrong.

📖My Review…

Hoping for a fresh start after the disastrous end to her marriage Maya Landry finds what she hopes is a new beginning working as a caretaker in an exclusive ski-resort on the edge of the Rocky Mountains in Montana. Looking after exclusive properties in this remote location should have offered her a safe haven but instead Maya gets drawn into a murder mystery which will see her running for her life.

Teeming with atmosphere and brimful of intrigue, we go on the run with Maya and Riley Maguire, the enigmatic FBI agent who sets out to keep Maya alive. Hurtling from one set of bizarre circumstances to another we follow Maya as she attempts to bring some semblance of order to her new life which is quickly spiralling out of control. I must admit to being on the edge of my seat as Maya struggles to determine just who the bad guys are, never trusting anyone but Riley, Maya must negotiate a world where no-one ever seems to tells the truth.

Fast and furious and with never a moment when the narrative slows down, this is a thrilling rollercoaster of a ride through the undercurrents of a criminal investigation at the highest level. Tense and emotionally exciting and with an unexpected plot twist at the end this is definitely one of those addictive stories which kept me turning the pages long into the night. Another fabulous read from this talented psychological thriller writer. 

About the Author

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by The Guardian, ‘The real thing’ by the Washington Post and ‘A worthy heir to the James Bond mantle’ by James Patterson and shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger, Ava Glass is the UK’s leading female spy fiction writer and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. 

The Hiding Season follows Ava Glass’ successful Emma Makepeace series, which included The Chase, The Trap, and her critically acclaimed 2023 thriller The Traitor, which was a Grazia Book of the Month, a Washington Post Book of the Year, a Cosmopolitan Book of the Year and a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. Film rights to The Chase and The Traitor series have been acquired.

Ava Glass’ spy novels are based on first-hand experience working with spies for the British government alongside several years working as an investigative journalist and crime reporter in America. One of vanishingly few female authors writing spy fiction, Ava Glass is breaking down the door to the most male-dominated genre in fiction. 

Ava Glass is an experienced broadcaster and a go-to talking head when something’s going on in the world of spies, and frequently appears on Sky News, BBC News and BBC Radio 4. She has also co-presented a true crime documentary TV series for Channel 4 and is a regular guest expert on current affairs podcasts.

Website

Blue Sky @avaglassbooks #TheHidingSeason

Instagram @avaglassauthor

X @PenguinBooksUK

🎄 Festive Review ~ A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson

 

Constable

November 2024

Three Dahlias Mystery #4

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

First comes love... and then comes murder.

A high society Christmas Eve wedding at a secluded Scottish castle sounds like the perfect winter getaway for the three Dahlias - until a dead body wearing a wedding dress and a stolen diamond necklace turns up in the snow outside the family chapel, and the bride and groom are suddenly the prime suspects in a murder case...

🎄 My Review…

I have to own up and say that haven’t read the previous three books in this Three Dahlia’s cosy crime series so it took me a little while to get to know who was who and where they all connected, however, once I got the dynamics of the characters settled in my head, I began to gel more with the story and who doesn’t love a good fictional murder at Christmas. 

Rosalind King, Caro Hooper and Posy Starling are the trio of amateur sleuths who make up the Three Dahlias and who are attending the wedding of their friend Libby who is marrying into the family who own the magnificent Dunwick Castle in Scotland. With this high society wedding taking place at the castle and with guests arriving to enjoy the celebrations the last thing anyone needs is a dead body but never daunted by a crime scene the three Dahlias soon get cracking on trying to solve the murder/ mystery.

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining read with enough twists, turns and red herrings in the plot to keep me guessing and with interesting characters who each add a sense of mystery to the proceedings. The setting is wonderfully festive, I mean who can resist a Scottish castle at Christmas, and with more than a nod towards the golden age of crime writing, the author brings the whole thing together in a satisfying way.

A Lively Midwinter Murder is a cosy Christmas read which, I’m sure, fans of this series will love as much as the previous three books.

About the Author

Katy Watson grew up in North Wales, as part of a family of folk singers, storytellers and murder mystery addicts. An avid reader and notebook collector, her dream was to combine the two hobbies by becoming an author and, after spending her teenage years reading paperback Christies on rainy Welsh caravan holidays, it seemed inevitable that one day she'd try writing her own crime novel. It took her eight years of writing professionally - and over forty-five non-murderous books for children, teens and adults - to write her first murder mystery, The Three Dahlias, and now she's started she never wants to stop! A Lively Midwinter Murder is also publishing this Christmas in hardback.

Social Media

X @KWatsonAuthor #AVeryLivelyMurder

X @LittleBrownUK

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ One Bad Apple by Jo Jakeman

Constable
19 September 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Aberfal Boys High School is the southwest’s jewel of academic and sporting excellence, until one gorgeous summer’s day the headmaster is found murdered in his study. Who would do such a thing? Or perhaps a better question would be, who wouldn’t…

Things are not as perfect as they appear at Aberfal, and the list of suspects seems to cover the whole school. From Charles the Chair of Governors, Cass the bullied scholarship student, Mandy the secretary to Miss Lane the ambitious Deputy Head there are a lot of people whose lives are better off with Headmaster Jerry Newhall gone. (And the mums’ WhatsApp group have their own theories too.)

As more and more secrets are revealed and rumours fly at the school gates, it’s clear that appearances mean nothing at Aberfal and everyone is hiding something. It’s not just one bad apple apple Aberfal Boys High School is rotten to its core..

📖 My review..

Aberfal Boys School offers a unique opportunity to those talented pupils whose parents can afford the exorbitant school fees however, privilege has its price and Aberfal is about to have to look very carefully at what it offers and the price it attaches to reputation. When Jerry Newall, the popular headmaster, is found dead in his office it opens up far more questions than it does answers and as his death is considered, by the police, to be suspicious there are those amongst the staff, and parents, who definitely have something to hide.

One Bad Apple is a great read, it’s both immersive and entertaining, and I was able to whizz through the story in one sitting. I especially enjoyed the WhatsApp messages in the mums’ group, they made me smile and are so typical of parent group discussions. Whilst this is definitely a murder mystery it is not particularly a police procedural and even though there are several witness statements, it’s more about the intricate dynamics of all those who could have easily played a part in the murder and boy, what a devious lot they all are! 

Thanks to the skill of this talented writer it’s very easy to be drawn into the mystery surrounding Jerry Newall’s death and with so many hidden secrets it soon becomes obvious that there is definitely One Bad Apple to be discovered in Aberfal Boys School. 

About the Author

Jo Jakeman was the winner of the prestigious Friday Night Live competition at York Festival of Writing. Her debut psychological thriller Sticks and Stones was shortlisted for the Best Revenge Thriller at the Dead Good Reader Awards 2019. Since then Jo has had two more books published, Safe House and What His Wife Knew which have been translated into several languages. Jo lives in Cornwall with her family and is an avid wild swimmer, making the most of her home county.

 X @JoJakemanWrites #OneBadApple

X @ TheCrimeVault

 

📖 Book Review ~ The Drowning Isle by Simon McCleave

 

Avon
January 2024

Anglesey #4

On a remote island, there’s nowhere to run… Callum and his three best friends are celebrating their eighteenth birthdays with an epic camping trip to the mysterious Llanddwyn Island, off the coast of Anglesey. Then Callum disappears, and the others return to the mainland in a state of shock. When his body is discovered, DI Laura Hart is brought in to investigate. Is the murder the work of the Fair Men, a pagan group with a dark history who still hold their ceremonies on the island? Or were the boys less tight-knit than they would have Laura believe? Amongst all the mysteries and lies, Laura is sure about one thing: the island will not give up its secrets easily…

📖 My review..

Whilst on a recent holiday to Beaumaris on the beautiful island of Anglesey, it was particularly exciting to have as my holiday read this intriguing murder mystery.

When a teenage boy goes missing after a night spent with friends on the remote Llanddwyn Island, DI Laura Hart and the investigative team, based in Beaumaris, have a difficult job on their hands especially as the search soon becomes a murder investigation. The search for the killer is wide open and with few clues to go on, and with a mysterious pagan cult being centre stage, it soon becomes apparent that there is far more to this investigation than could ever have been imagined.

This is now the fourth book in the Anglesey series of crime novels featuring DI Laura Hart and DCI Gareth Williams and with each successive story we get to know more about these complex characters, the way their personal lives impact on the job, and the way in which they seek out the perpetrators of crime. The pace runs really well and with several twists and turns the police procedural aspects feel authentic. The various the locations around the island are so well described that the place and the people come alive and having now spent time in Beaumaris, I can well imagine the tiny streets and feel the atmosphere which the author recreates so thoughtfully.

This complex mystery ends on a whopping big cliffhanger so I am delighted to have on my tbr the next book in the series, Dead in the Water which was just published by Avon on the 20th June 2024. Watch this space! 😉

About the Author

Simon McCleave is a million-selling crime novelist who lives in North Wales with his wife and two children.

Website

X @simon_mccleave

@AvonBooksUK

📖 Book Review ~ The Gathering by C J Tudor

 

Michael Joseph

11 April 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

WELCOME TO DEADHART. ALASKA. POPULATION 673. LIVING.

In a small Alaskan town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and the blood drained from his body.

The brutality of the murder of chillingly echoes a killing from twenty-five years ago.

Out-of-state detective Barbara Atkins is brought in to assist the sheriff, Jensen Tucker, who investigated the original case.

However, the inhabitants of Deadhart believe they know who is responsible: one of the nearby vampyr colony who live in an old mining settlement deep in the mountains.

Barbara is under pressure to authorize a cull of the entire colony.

But the evidence doesn’t stack up, people are lying, and the more Barbara and Tucker delve into Deadhart’s history, the darker the secrets they uncover.

As the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, another teenager goes missing and body parts are found.

Time is running out for Barbara and Tucker to find the truth.

Are they hunting a cold-blooded murderer, or a bloodthirsty monster?

And which is more dangerous?

📖 My Review..

Out-of-State Detective Barbara Atkins isn't given the warmest of welcomes when she arrives at the remote Alaskan town of Deadhart but then she has been sent to investigate the horrific death of a teenager who the townsfolk believe to have been murdered by one of the vampyrs who live in the out of town colony. However, there is little evidence to support this and with tempers running high Barbara is fighting not just the townsfolk whose hatred of the vampyr community is legendary but also the vampyrs themselves whose ancient malevolence is as palpable as it is threatening.

Thanks to this author's atmospheric description of life in small town Alaska I felt as if I had stepped out into the cold and snow with Barbara as she sets about challenging misconceptions and untruths, whilst at the same time she hunts a violent killer who will stop at nothing. In linking the bigotry and hatred of the townsfolk with a similar loathing of humans by the vampyr community you have a combustible situation which threatens to spiral out of control. With its creepy atmosphere and challenging characters, Deadhart, with its community of bigoted townsfolk, and violent vampyrs is very much a central character in this chilling story, and even though the town and its people really scared me, I can't wait to go there again. The cleverly controlled ending of The Gathering certainly hints that there might well be a return visit. Bring it on !! 😱😱

About the Author

C. J. Tudor is a British author whose books include The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place. She was born in Salisbury, England but grew up in Nottingham, where she still lives.

X @CJTudor

@michaeljoseph

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini

 

Century Books UK
4th January 2024

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

A woman falls to her death from a London bank’s twenty-fifth-floor roof terrace.

You’re arrested for her murder.

You tell the police that you had only met the victim the previous night at your office party. She was threatening to jump from the roof, but you had talked her down.

You’ve got nothing to do with this tragedy. You’re clearly being framed.

So why do the police keep picking holes in your story? Even your lawyer doesn’t seem to believe you.

It soon becomes obvious that you’re keeping secrets.

But who are you trying to protect? And why?

📖My Review..

There’s always a bit of a lull between Christmas and New Year when it’s the perfect time to sit with a good book and a cup of tea, and there’s no story more perfect for curling up with than this convoluted thriller which hits the ground running when our main protagonist is arrested for the murder of a woman she has only just met. 

With more holes in her story than facts the police and even her solicitor feel that there is more to this story than is at first anticipated. What then follows is a cleverly constructed murder mystery that veers off in so many different directions that you are never quite sure what exactly happened on that fateful night when a woman fell to her death from the twenty-fifth floor of an office block in central London.

There is so much to enjoy in this convoluted thriller that to tell you more would be to spoil it and believe me this is one clever story which you need to absorb with no idea of the direction in which the story is heading. Even when I was fully immersed in the story, which didn’t take long as it really is compelling reading, I couldn’t begin to see how the story would end. With twists and turns aplenty and with clever red herrings which, several times, took me off track, this is such an enjoyable and suspenseful read that I have no hesitation in making The Woman on the Ledge my Featured Book of the Month in January.

*The Woman in the Ledge will be published on the 4th January by Century Books UK

About the Author

Ruth Mancini was born in south-west London and started her career as a marketing executive for a publisher before undertaking a post-graduate diploma in law and retraining as a solicitor. Ruth has spent the past twenty-five years in and out of courts and police stations, representing those accused of crimes. She still practises as a lawyer for a large criminal law firm with offices in London, conducting advocacy in the courts and defending people arrested at the police station. She also reviews trial files across the firm and juggles her legal work with writing crime and psychological fiction. 

Ruth lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children.

Twitter/X@RuthMancini1 #TheWomanOnTheLedge

@centurybooksuk

@randomhouseUK

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Man Who Didn't Burn by Ian Moore

 

Duckworth
12 October 2023

Juge Lomard Mystery #1

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

A KILLER. A SAINT. A TOWN FULL OF WHISPERS

When an English expat is brutally murdered, his charred corpse left on a Loire Valley hillside, the police turn to juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard to find the perpetrator.

Instead, Lombard discovers a wealth of secrets, grudges and feuds in the idyllic town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire. He begins to suspect that the remaining members of the Comité des Fêtes know more about the death than they are letting on.

But rather than towards an arrest, each clue he uncovers seems to point in one, unexpected Joan of Arc. Is the answer to the murder hiding in the barroom gossip of the Lion d’Or? Or in another century altogether?

The thrilling new crime series from The Times -bestselling author of Death and Croissants.

📖 My Review..

Having a crime story set abroad has been interesting as the criminal investigation system is quite different to the UK so although it took me a little while to understand the investigative hierarchy it did give me the opportunity to witness how things are done in France. The story starts with a distressing opening first chapter which sets the scene for an investigation which is about to test those involved to their absolute limits.

Juge Matthieu Lombard is on compassionate leave when he is asked to return to work in order to take the lead in a perplexing murder investigation which sees him back working with Commissaire Guy Aubrey who, as head of the Brigade Anti-Criminalité (BAC), is the first officer at the scene of this brutal murder. That these two men have a shared, and rather complicated, history is obvious which adds an extra layer to the story dynamic. Lombard is an interesting protagonist, definitely a flawed character, with secrets and shadows in his past, he is looked upon with some suspicion by his superiors and known as someone who does things his own way. However, Lombard, with his French/English nationality, is the best choice to investigate why an English ex-pat has been so brutally murdered in the sleepy French town of Saint-Genèse-sur-Loire.

I have enjoyed the slower pace of this investigation and the way the author brings everything to life in a detailed way without ever over-complicating the police procedural parts of the story. The sleepy quiet of the little French town, and the way everyone seems to know each other’s business, is done really well and there’s a distinct French feel to the story, which I enjoyed observing. The intricacies of the investigation seem to be centred around the Joan of Arc legend and this brings an interesting twist to what is, after all, a complex murder mystery.

The Man Who Didn’t Burn is the first in a proposed new crime series and this first book certainly sets the standard high and gets the series off to a good start. I look forward to meeting with Juge Matthieu Lombard again soon.

About the Author

Ian Moore is a leading stand-up comedian and writer, He lives in rural France and commutes back tot he UK every week. In his spare time he makes mean chutneys and jams. He is the author of the best selling Follet Valley series of mysteries,  as well as two memoirs on life in France contrasting with life on the road in the UK, À la Mod:My so called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France and C'est Modifique: Adventures of an English Grump in Rural France.

Twitter @IanMooreAuthor

@DuckBooks

@LauraSherlock21

📖 Book Review ~ A Meadow Murder by Helen Hollick

Taw River Press
 26 July 2023

A Jan Christopher Mystery  #4

My thanks to the author for my copy of the book

Make hay while the sun shines? But what happens when a murder is discovered, and country life is disrupted?

Summer 1972. Young library assistant Jan Christopher and her fiancé, DS Lawrence Walker, are on holiday in North Devon. There are country walks and a day at the races to enjoy, along with Sunday lunch at the village pub, and the hay to help bring in for the neighbouring farmer.

But when a body is found the holiday plans are to change into an investigation of murder, hampered by a resting actor, a woman convinced she’s met a leprechaun and a scarecrow on walkabout...

📖 My review..

The summer of 1972 is recreated in this cosy crime novel which, once again, sees Jan Christopher and her fiancé, DS Lawrence Walker plunged right into the centre of a mystery. Jan and Laurie were hoping for a peaceful summer holiday visiting Laurie's parents at Valley View Farm when they suddenly become involved in a murder mystery which places the fictional Devon village of Chappletawton right in the centre of a police investigation. 

The story moves along at its own pace, there's no rush needed, we'll get there and in the meantime we can enjoy reading of life in this gentle Devon village whilst at the same time enjoy Jan and Laurie's uncanny ability to step right into a complex murder/mystery. I especially enjoy reading the story from both Jan and Laurie's perspective as this gives a different view of what's going on in the plot. There's no doubt at all when you are reading a Jan Christopher Mystery that you are very firmly placed in a bygone era as the author does a brilliant job of recreating time and place, and not just because the police investigation takes place without the use of the modern forensics we now associate with a crime investigation but also because there clever references to a slower pace of life in the seventies, be it music, fashion or the TV programmes of the time. I am left with a feeling of nostalgia and almost wish for a return to those innocent days when a five pound note in your purse seemed like untold wealth.

Whilst this is the fourth book in this cosy crime series it is perfectly possible to read A Meadow Mystery as a standalone cosy crime story although as with any series it is best to start at the beginning and get to know Jan and Laurie for yourself.

About the Author

Helen and her family moved from north-east London in January 2013 after finding an eighteenth-century North Devon farmhouse through BBC TV’s popular Escape To The Country show.

First accepted for publication by William Heinemann in 1993 – a week after her fortieth birthday – Helen then became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she also writes a pirate-based nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages.

Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She also runs Discovering Diamonds, a review blog for historical fiction. 

Website: www.helenhollick.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HelenHollickAuthor

Twitter: @HelenHollick

Discovering Diamonds Historical Fiction Review Blog :

https://discoveringdiamonds.blogspot.co.uk/

 

📖 Book Review ~ Exiles by Jane Harper

 

Macmillan
2 February 2023

Aaron Falk #3

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

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.

Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.

📖 My Review..

I hadn't read any of the previous books in the Aaron Falk series but this hasn't spoiled my enjoyment of this third and final book. Federal Investigator Falk arrives in the small town of Marralee to attend the christening of his friend's son. His arrival coincides with the one year anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Kim Gillespie who went missing on the night of the local festival leaving behind her baby daughter. This gap of a year has caused local feelings to run high and Falk, together with his friend Raco, and other friends of Kim and in particular Kim's teenage daughter, Zoe, all  continue to search for clues to find out just what has happened to this young mother.

The story works well, there is a nice amount of detail to keep the mystery at the forefront of the novel and yet this character driven story focuses more on the after effects of Kim's disappearance and the consequences which may have led up to her going missing. I have enjoyed getting to know Falk, he's an interesting character, and he obviously takes his role as an investigator seriously and yet, I think, in this final novel we see a somewhat quieter side to him, especially as he has a difficult decision to make which will affect his future going forward.

I enjoyed the several twists and  turns and the involvement of other characters who add to the overall dynamic of the story and I felt that everything was wrapped up nicely at the end.  Overall, Exiles is a well written mystery and although part of a series can easily be read as a stand alone story. 

About the Author

Jane Harper is the international bestselling author of The Dry, Force of Nature and The Lost Man. Jane is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year. Her books are published in more than 36 territories worldwide, with The Dry in production as a major motion picture starring Eric Bana. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne.

Twitter @janeharperautho

@panmacmillan @LauraSherlock21

📖 Book Review ~ Break from Nuala by Harriet Steel

10 March 2022

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

It is autumn 1940, and Inspector de Silva and his wife Jane are looking forward to a well-earned holiday. But their hopes of a relaxing break in the picturesque city of Galle beside the Indian Ocean are dashed when death, mysterious illnesses, and a missing guest cast a gloomy shadow.

As they’re drawn into the investigation, the mystery deepens. Is there a villain amongst their fellow guests or further afield? The search for answers will lead them into great danger that has repercussions far beyond the island of Ceylon.

The paperback edition of Break from Nuala contains a copy of Christmas in Nuala, previously only published as a Kindle Short Read.

📖 My Review...

Inspector Shanti de Silva, and his lovely wife Jane, are enjoying a short holiday away from Nuala when they are inadvertently drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a guest from the hotel in which they are staying. With the inspector's fine eye for getting into the very heart of a mystery it's not long before he is piecing together the minuscule clues which the local police inspector seems determined to ignore.

As most of the previous books in the series have taken place in Nuala, the hill town which the inspector and his wife call home, it was good to explore another place in 1940s Ceylon, this time we discover something of Galle, a pretty coastal town, with an interesting history. With the intrepid inspector determined to enjoy his holiday at the beautifully named Cinnamon Lodge there is a more relaxed feel to the story however, as the mystery starts to deepen we are treated once again to all the elements we have come to enjoy from this well established series. There is the usual well developed sense of intrigue, more than a hint of danger and a cast of quirky characters who, it would seem, all have something to hide. Spending time in the company of the intrepid Inspector de Silva is always such a joy as this wonderful cosy crime series just goes from strength to strength.

Break from Nuala is the eleventh book in the series and whilst it is perfectly possible to read it as a standalone story, it does make sense to start at the beginning of the series in order to enjoy getting to know more about the time, place and people which this talented author brings so creatively to life.

🍜Best read with... a restorative bowl of mulligatawny soup

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

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Club by Ellery LLoyd

 

Mantle
Pan Macmillan
31 March 2022

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

There’s no place like Home . . .

The Home Group is a collection of ultra-exclusive private members' clubs and a global phenomenon, and the opening of its most ambitious project yet – Island Home, a forgotten island transformed into the height of luxury – is billed as the celebrity event of the decade.

But as the first guests arrive, the weekend soon proves deadly – because it turns out that even the most beautiful people can keep the ugliest secrets and, in a world where reputation is everything, they'll do anything to keep it.

📖 My Review.. 

The Home Group is a series of exclusive getaways for the rich and famous, all of which have been the vision of CEO Ned Groom, the leading light in the company for the last thirty years. The Home establishments are situated in some of the world's most prestigious locations and entry is strictly by invitation only, so that no matter how famous you think you are you won't gain access to any of the Home's sumptuous venues without being on the 'in list'.

Island Home is the latest venture which threatens to surpass all other venues. An isolated island, just 90 minutes from London, which is accessible only at low tide, seems like the perfect hideaway. However, as we soon find out, all is not going well on this island paradise and even before the first of the celebrity guests start to arrive for the opening weekend, cracks have begun to appear behind the luxurious facade.

The story starts slowly with vibrant description of the island and a detailed introduction to each of the main narrators of the story. All of the major players have their secrets, which could easily bring ruin to this latest luxurious venture. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, and, it must be said, there are a fair few to get to know, some I liked more than others and some I frankly disliked however, that creative dynamic is what makes their story so readable. There are twists and turns aplenty and enough mystery surrounding the unexplained death of one of the characters to keep you turning the pages.

The Club is a cleverly put together murder mystery by a husband and wife writing duo who have succeeded in making this classic whodunit into a fun and entertaining read.

📖 Best read with..  a gin and tonic, heavy on the gin , light on the tonic.

About the author

Ellery Lloyd is the pseudonym for London-based husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos.

Collette is a journalist and editor, the former content director of Elle (UK) and editorial director at Soho House. She has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.

Paul is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day is Like Sunday. He is the program director for English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Surrey.

Twitter @ElleryLloyd #TheClub

Website

@MantleBooks

📖 Book Review ~ The Winter Guest by W C Ryan

 

Bonnier
6 January 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

January 1921. 

Though the Great War is over, in Ireland a new, civil war is raging. The once-grand Kilcolgan House, a crumbling bastion shrouded in sea-mist, lies half empty and filled with ghosts - both real and imagined - the Prendevilles, the noble family within, co-existing only as the balance of their secrets is kept.

Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, eldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column insist they left her alive, that someone else must have been responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate, becoming an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.

Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets - and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, each family member's allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find out the truth about Maud's death before the past - and his strange, unnerving surroundings - overwhelm him?

📖 My Review..

Set in Ireland in 1921, the story gets off to a dramatic start when an IRA ambush goes horribly wrong. Maud Prenderville, eldest daughter of Lord Kilcolgan is killed and the hunt is on to find her killer since the IRA insist that they left her alive at the scene. Drafted in to investigate is Captain Tom Harkin, once Maud's fiancé, and now working undercover as an IRA intelligence officer. However, his arrival at the gloomy Kilcolgan House is met with suspicion and mistrust. The once beautiful, but now gloomy, ancestral home is a place of secrets as the family guard their privacy well but it's not just the Prendervilles who are reticent, Harkin too has his own share of secrets, which, at times, threaten to engulf him.

Intelligently written with a fine eye for historical detail, the story is one of mystery and conjecture, bringing both time and place alive. There are vivid and thought provoking flashback details of Harkin's time during the First World War which are eloquently and compassionately described. His struggles to maintain his equilibrium in this post-war world is only heighten by the escalation of the troubles in Ireland and the sense of injustice which prevails.

The brooding nature of Kilcolgan House with its shadowy and haunting atmosphere make The Winter Guest a perfect read for a winter afternoon, preferably snuggled by a warm fire.

Best read with.. a cup of tea and a shortbread biscuit.

About the author

W. C. Ryan is also known as William Ryan, who has won acclaim for his historical crime novels in the Captain Korolev series.

Twitter @WiliamRyan_  #TheWinter Guest

@bonnierbook_uk

📖 Featured Book of the Month ~ The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

  

Viper 
13 January 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

It's time to solve the murder of the century...

Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children's book, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle. That a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford's novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven's memory won't allow him to remember what happened. Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Isles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today? Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Isles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn't just a writer of forgotten children's stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn't the only one trying to solve it.

📖My review ...

This time last year I was blown away by the strength of this author's debut novel, The Appeal, which went on to win praise all around the book world. It was with some trepidation that I started The Twyford Code, I so didn't want to be disappointed by a second book which didn't quite match the delight of the first. I needn't have worried, for as soon as I began this clever murder/mystery, I realised that this author could, quite literally, hold my attention from the opening sentence. The clever way the book is constructed is what makes this story so special.

The plot centres around the mysterious disappearance, some forty years ago, of a much loved school teacher who went missing on a school trip with a group of her students. That this disappearance is bound up with a mysterious code, which, may, or may not be, connected with the novels of a very famous children's author, is what makes the story all the more fascinating. Steven Smith, now an adult, is determined to visit the places of his childhood, and in doing so the pieces of this complicated puzzle starts to pull together.

This is such a sophisticated novel, not one to read quickly, but more to savour slowly in order to appreciate the skill in which the author manipulates the challenges of the plot, the clever dialogue and the strength of the mystery which continues right until the end. I didn't see anything coming and that's why I am delighted to have this fascinating novel as my Featured Book of the Month in February. 

Best read with...a pint of beer and one eye on the door.

About the Author

Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is inspired by her lifelong interest in amateur dramatics. Her second novel, The Twyford Code, is published by Viper in 2022. When not indulging her passion for global adventure travel, she is based in West London.

Twitter @JaniceHallett @TheTwyfordCode

@ViperBooks

📖 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