📖 Blog Tour ~ The Widow’s Choice by Nancy Revell

 

Penguin
4 January 2024

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to publicist, Sarah Harwood for the invitation to the blog tour

1949, County Durham

When Angie marries her sweetheart Quentin and moves into Cuthford Manor to begin their new life together, she feels like the luckiest woman in the world.But Quentin falls victim to a tragic accident and Angie's life is left devastated. Now, along with the prospect of rebuilding her life, she is faced with an impossible choice that will have far-reaching consequences for herself and those she loves most.Angie will need to draw on the help of her family, the community of Cuthford Manor and her old friends from the shipyards if she's to find happiness again.

📖 My Review..

I've been a huge fan of this author's work and thoroughly enjoyed reading the best selling series about the The Shipyard Girls so I was excited to be given the opportunity to dive into a new story also set in the North East of England and which follows the fortunes of the Shipyard Girls after the war is over.

In The Widow's Choice we meet with Angie Foxton-Clarke who, as a recent young widow, finds that life is even more complicated especially with an awkward mother-in-law who feels that Angie isn't up to the challenge of running the family home at Cuthford Manor. Angie needs to draw on all the strength of will that she needed during her time in the shipyards and with the help of old friends she starts to build a new life for herself, her family and her friends. As always the author draws on her knowledge of the North East and brings such a warmth and empathy to her characters that you can't help but invest emotionally both in terms of the way the story unfolds and in also in the depth of characterisation, so that the place and people live in your imagination.

I don't want to give away any spoilers except to say that life is definitely complicated for Angie and the occupants of Cuthford Manor and whilst it has been delightful to meet up again with old friends from the Shipyard series, I did thoroughly enjoy The Widow’s Choice entirely on its own merits. Authentically researched and with a warmth I found completely entertaining, this is a lovely follow on story which can be read as part of the series or as a standalone novel.

About the Author

Nancy Revell is the author of 12 titles in the bestselling Shipyard Girls series, which tells the story of a group of women who work in a Sunderland shipyard during WWII. Her books have sold more than half a million copies across all editions.before that, she was a journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard hitting features, She also wrote inspirational true-life stories for just about every woman;s magazine in the country. Nancy was born and brought up in the North East of England and now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, Paul.

Twitter @arevellwalton #TheWidowsChoice

@centurybooksuk

@pennystreetbooks

@SarahHarwood

📖 Blog Tour ~ Betrayal by Lesley Pearse

 

Penguin Michael Joseph
6 July 2023

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

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. 

2023 marks Lesley’s 30th Anniversary as a published author.

 Betrayal is her 31st novel

Eve should never have married Don Hathaway. Young and lovestruck, he’d given her two precious children - Olly and Tabitha – but he’s a bully. Worse than that, he is abusive. But, after one drunken rage too many, she realises if she doesn’t leave, she will die. With no money, or family to run to, she bravely summons the courage to escape and is helped by a network of women who give her sanctuary.

 The path is not easy but driven by the need to give her children a future, she starts to rebuild her life. Don, however, is bitter. And getting away entirely proves impossible. Until the day Eve tries to teach him a lesson - and it all goes horribly wrong. Now, shouldering a terrible burden that she dares not share, Eve sets up a business in her newly adopted town of Sidmouth, and her fortunes go from strength to strength. 

New business, new home, new love. But how long before the past catches up with her? And how will she reconcile the fact that in relentlessly pursuing a better life, she may have betrayed not only her own, but her children's future happiness.

📖 My Review..

Eve Hathaway has no option but to leave her violent husband but as with all bullies Don Hathaway refuses to admit that he has a problem and can't let Eve and his children have the peaceful life they crave. Setting up a new life for herself and her children isn't easy for Eve but with sheer grit and determination she takes them out of poverty and into a more settled existence except that Eve is burdened by a dreadful secret which overshadows her future happiness. 

Betrayal looks at the worst kind of domestic violence and does so with a sharp eye for detail and a sympathetic way of recounting a story which is all too familiar namely that of women who are scared of the consequences of leaving a violent partner. In Eve Hathaway the author has created a feisty and determined woman, who once away from her violent husband, has the ability to make a new life for herself and her children and yet with the shadow of uncertainty hanging above her the author shows just how fragile this new life can be and learning to trust isn't easy as Eve discovers to her cost and that of her family's safety.

Beautifully written from start to finish and never one to shy away from uneasy topics, Betrayal covers some difficult subjects with this author's trademark skill of empathy, sensitivity and cracking good story telling.

Betrayal
Out in paperback 28 February 2024

About the Author

© Charlotte Murphy 2014

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; this year she celebrates the publication of her highly anticipated 30th novel. 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 storyline, 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. 

Twitter @LesleyPearse #LoveLesley30 #Betrayal

@michaeljbooks @ed_pr

📖Blog Tour ~ You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Viking Books
22 July 2021

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

12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again.

11 SUMMERS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.

10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.

Poppy holds his hand the whole way.

7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.

2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong.

THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.

📖 My thoughts..

Emily Henry captures the essence of the ideal summer read with this story of two best friends, once so close, who seem to have lost their way and in a last ditch attempt to save their friendship Poppy invites Alex to share one last holiday together.

With a friendship that spans years, Poppy and Alex know pretty much everything they need to know about each other but that doesn't stop them from hurting each other and as their combined stories takes us on their shared holidays, from present to past, so we begin to learn more about them as people. I liked them both, Poppy is quirky and fun, whilst Alex is a bit nerdy and serious, and yet is the perfect match for Poppy, the trouble is they need to discover their true feelings and find their emotional connection before it is lost forever.

Emily Henry writes this type of immersive friends, to enemies, to lovers genre really well and as usual brings a quirky sense of fun, interesting drama and a will they, won't they romance to the story. In this difficult time when we are just seeing the light at the end of this long, lockdown tunnel any book which brings a sense of summer fun, hope, and romance is to be welcomed and You and Me on Vacation is right up there with the best of the summer reading genre.

About the Author

Emily Henry studied creative writing at Hope College and the New York Center for Art & Media Studies, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. 

Twitter @VikingBooks #YouandMeOnVacation #EmilyHenry

Instagram @emilyhenrywrites

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ The Whole Truth by Cara Hunter

 

 📖 Happy Publication Day 📖

Penguin 
29 April 2021

DI Adam Fawley #5

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.

Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching.

And they have a plan to put Fawley out of action for good.

📖 My thoughts..

If you've followed this series from the beginning, this is now book five, then you'll know just how good these books are, and if you haven't read any of them then you are missing out on a really good psychological crime series. In this book we meet again with DI Adam Fawley and his investigative team in Oxford, a place it would seem is always a hot bed of crime and none more so than in The Whole Truth which has a very personal feel for Adam Fawley.

When Fawley's team are called in to investigate the allegation of a sexual assault at one of Oxford's colleges, they are surprised when the perpetrator of this serious crime turns out to be female, and her victim a male student. This juxtaposition allows the story to take a fascinating look at how we perceive sexual crime and the investigative team have a difficult task in determining just how much is being revealed by both characters.

Running alongside this complicated mystery is another complex strand to the story which the author cover in a series of well placed podcasts. These help to move the story along and also give the commentary a very modern feeling which heightens the tension for one well known character who has more reasons than most to tune into the podcast.

As always, this talented author brings a fascinating and highly complex crime story to life. The characterisation is excellent, I particularly liked the character summaries at the start of the novel which act as an aide memoir in case you forget who's who. The crimes at the heart of the story are complex and detailed but the author cuts through the story with her skilful knife, revealing little snippets here and there but never revealing the final little piece of the puzzle until the very end when, wham, there it is, the twist in the tale which makes everything fall so beautifully into place.

I've said it before, but it's worth saying again, this series just get better and better and as each well crafted crime story ends so I already start to look forward to meeting up again with Adam Fawley and his team as they attempt to investigate the complicated crimes which seem to occur in the Oxford of this talented author's vivid imagination.

I'll end with the joyful news that this series has been picked up by a television production team. Not before time 😊 

About the Author

Cara Hunter is the author of the Sunday Times Bestselling crime novels featuring DI Adam Crawley and his Oxford based police team.Cara Hunter lives in Oxford, on  a street not unlike those featured in her books.

Twitter @CaraHunterBooks #TheWholeTruth

@VikingBooks

@PenguinBooksUK

Blog Tour ~ Beach Read by Emily Henry ☼

☼ Delighted to host a Blog Tour stop for this summery read ☼

Penguin
Ebook 1 June 2020
Paperback 20 August 2020

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

He doesn't believe in happy endings.

She's lost her faith that they exist.

But could they find one together?

January is a hopeless romantic who likes narrating her life as if she's the heroine in a blockbuster movie.

Augustus is a serious literary type who thinks true love is a fairy-tale.

January and Augustus are not going to get on.

But they actually have more in common than you'd think:

They're both broke.

They've got crippling writer's block.

They need to write bestsellers before the end of the summer.

The result? A bet to see who can get their book published first.

The catch? They have to swap genres.

The risk? In telling each other's stories, their worlds might be changed entirely.

What did I think about it..

Love, life, friendship, and all the little complicated bits and pieces in between, have thrown January Andrews and Augustus Everett together in unusual circumstances. January is finding that her life has just got rather more complicated after a discovery which rocks her world sideways, whilst Augustus is escaping his own particular set of problems. However, what they have in common is that they are both successful writers with an end of summer deadline looming and not a hint of story in sight. In the hope of gaining some sort of inspiration they decide to swap genres, with Augustus tackling the happy ever afters he doesn't believe in, and January searching for a darker story which doesn't have hearts and flowers around the door.

What then follows is a lovely, summery romantic novel, which, although quite light and fluffy in places, also has its share of heartbreak, and the story covers some difficult topics in a thoughtful, but not too heavy way. I warmed to both January, and Gus and right from the start I enjoyed their spats and grumbles, and I liked the interesting way that their respective stories are threaded throughout giving an interesting insight into their very different personalities. The author brings the small town community of North Bear Shores in Michigan alive, it seems such a great place to live, and Pete's book store, which features so prominently, is definitely my kind of book hideaway. 😊

With some lovely moments of light and shade, Beach Read is a lovely summer read and perfect for a lazy afternoon in the garden.

About the Author

Emily Henry studied creative writing at Hope College and the New York Center for Art & Media Studies, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it. Beach Read is her debut adult novel.

Twitter @EmilyHenryWrite #BeachRead

@VikingBooksUK

☼The Beach Read ebook  is currently on offer for just 99p ☼

Amazon UK

Review ~ The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

✨✨ Out now in paperback ✨✨

Penguin
1 August 2019

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

1826, and all of London is in a frenzy. Crowds gather at the gates of the Old Bailey to watch as Frannie Langton, maid to Mr and Mrs Benham, goes on trial for their murder. The testimonies against her are damning - slave, whore, seductress. And they may be the truth. But they are not the whole truth.

For the first time Frannie must tell her story. It begins with a girl learning to read on a plantation in Jamaica, and it ends in a grand house in London, where a beautiful woman waits to be freed.

But through her fevered confessions, one burning question haunts Frannie Langton: could she have murdered the only person she ever loved?

A beautiful and haunting tale about one woman's fight to tell her story, The Confessions of Frannie Langton leads you through laudanum-laced dressing rooms and dark-as-night back alleys, into the enthralling heart of Georgian London.

I was thrilled to be invited onto the blog our for this exciting historical novel and I'm so pleased that its paperback publication now gives me the opportunity to re-post my original review. I thought the hardback cover was impressive but this dark green cover really captures the brooding essence of the story...

In London, in 1826, Frances Langton stands in the Old Bailey, accused of murdering her employers in a dramatic and heinous crime. However, as Frannie’s sad and sorry life story starts to emege we learn so much about this complicated woman who started life on a Jamaican plantation where she once lived as a house slave. 

Never quite sure of her parentage, Frances comes to London with her slave owner, Mr. Langton, where she is given into the employment of George and Marguerite Benham. Once she is settled in the household Frannie's wit and intelligence attracts the attention of the unconventional Marguerite whose moral standards are, it must be said, rather unusual for the time. However, as it turns out, Frannie’s time with the Benham’s in their household, means that she exchanges one kind of servitude for another, with, as it turns out, disastrous consequences. 

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a really fascinating historical narrative which is made all the more interesting for shining a spotlight on a terribly shameful past, and which then,very cleverly, links the way in which Frances, a woman who was conflicted by her gender, race and class, was forever let down by her lowly station in life. 

The Confessions of Frannie Langton is a very clever debut, beautifully written with a distinctly authentic feel,  it is one of those fascinating, but cautionary, stories which stays with you long after the last page is finished.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton was Waterstones book of the month in August 

About the Author

Sara Collins studied law at the London School of Economics and worked as a lawyer for seventeen years. In 2014 she embarked upon the Creative Writing Masters at Cambridge University, where she won the 2015 Michael Holroyd Prize of Re-creative Writing and was shortlisted for the 2016 Lucy Cavendish Prize for a book inspired by her love of gothic fiction. This turned into her first novel, The Confessions of Frannie Langton.

Twitter @mrsjaneymac #FrannieLangton

@PenguinUKBooks

Review ~ The Last by Hanna Jameson

Penguin
1 August 2019

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

The world has ended in Nuclear War.

You and nineteen other survivors hole up in an isolated Swiss hotel.

You wait, you survive.

The you find the body.

One of your number has blood on their hands

The race is on to find the killer...

BEFORE THE KILLER FINDS YOU

What did I think about it...

Nuclear bombs drop on strategic points around the globe and for the remaining guests at the isolated L'Hôtel Sixième in Switzerland life, as they once knew it, is definitely over. For Jon Keller, an American historian, the situation allows him to observe his fellow survivors in close detail and so when the discovery of a body suggests foul play, Jon needs to do all he can, not just to find the perpetrator, but also to survive against all odds.

The Last is a decidedly scary account of what might occur should there ever be a global nuclear atrocity. The post-apocalyptic world is so eerie realistic that I read through the book with a feeling of extreme cold, trapped in the same time-warp, with the same feeling of disbelief and terror. The dystopian world is a frightening place to linger, survival of the fitness is reliant on those who have food, medication and a means of protecting themselves. For the nineteen survivors who are trapped in the hotel having to depend on each other proves to be extremely toxic in a terrifying world where there is complete a news blackout and with no idea of as what is happening in the wider world.

Jon Keller's own very visceral account is recorded as detailed journal entries and gradually, over time, we watch as the mystery at the heart of the novel becomes ever more complex, people start to become more wary of each other and we also witness the overall deterioration of morals, ethics and everything which makes us act with humanity

In a nuclear age, when all the super powers have the facility to launch a nuclear attack, The Last proves to be a scarily realistic tale and one that stays with you long after the last page is finished.

About the Author

Hanna Jameson wrote her first book at the age of seventeen. She wrote The Last, her first book for Penguin, during the fallout from the 2016 Presidential election. She has the skill set of a wild-west gun-slinger and you would want her on your zombie Apocalypse team.

Twitter @Hanna_Jameson #TheLast

@PenguinUkBooks

Blog Tour ~ No Way Out by Cara Hunter

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to be part of the blog tour for No Way Out Blog Tour

Penguin
18 April 2019
DI Adam Fawley #3

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

It's one of the most disturbing cases DI Fawley has ever worked. 

The Christmas holidays, and two children have just been pulled from the wreckage of their burning home in North Oxford. The toddler is dead, and his brother is soon fighting for his life.

Why were they left in the house alone? Where is their mother, and why is their father not answering his phone?

Then new evidence is discovered, and DI Fawley's worst nightmare comes true.

Because this fire wasn't an accident.

It was murder.

My thoughts..

A devastating fire rips through an Oxford house, leaving a trail of destruction, and both the fire and the police services have their work cut out trying to piece together the sparse clues which the fire has left behind. DI Adam Fawley and his investigative team start a complicated investigation to track down the parents of two small children who were pulled from the wreckage of the fire.

The story pulls you in from the dramatic start which it is particularly emotional as it shows this unknown family at their most vulnerable, I especially enjoyed the countdown to the event which explains what's been happening to the family in the months before the fire devastated the family home. The police procedural aspect of the story is as tight and tense as ever and, as we have come to expect in the series, the author really cranks the tension to high as the team race  against time to discover just what went so badly wrong for the family involved in the house fire.

No Way Out sees the welcome return of this team of intrepid crime investigators and it was good to meet up with them in the aftermath of the previous story in which some of the crew suffered more than others. As always, they work well together however this investigation is especially challenging as they have so little evidence to go on, and seem to be thwarted at every turn.

This is now the third DI Adam Fawley thriller and I've followed this series from the start. There's no doubt that each book is as strong as the one before and whilst it's possible to read each as a standalone, it does work best to read from the start, that way you get to know the CID team really well and come to understand all their faults and foibles.

The author has certainly made her mark on this genre as her crimes stories are now really popular, and rightly so, as she is such a talented writer whose stories captivate from the start. The ending of No way Out certainly ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I really can't wait to see what happens next for DI Fawley and his team.

About the Author

Cara Hunter is a writer who lives in Oxford, in a street not unlike those featured in her series of crime books. Her first book, Close to Home, was picked for the Richard and Judy Book Club and this is her second featuring DI Adam Fawley and his team of detectives.

Twitter @CaraHunterBooks #NoWayOut

@PenguinBooksUK

To discover more about Cara's books you can sign up to her newsletter by clicking here

🎄 Review ~ The Snow Girls by Chris Mooney

Penguin
November 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book 

It's been eleven years since Claire Flynn disappeared - abducted without trace from a snowy hillside, leaving her parents heartbroken.

Investigator Darby McCormick remembers the case. She knows there's only ever been one suspect, Father Richard Byrne, linked inconclusively to two similar disappearances.

Finally, terminally ill, Byrne is willing to talk. But he'll only talk to Darby.

She's expecting a confession - but what she hears is far more disturbing.

And it soon becomes clear that someone is willing to kill to keep this cold case on ice.

My thoughts about it..

This is the first time I have read any books by this author, so I come new to the character of Darby McCormick, who as a trained psychologist also works as an investigator, so, it would seem that she is ideally placed to help out with a cold case which involves the disappearance of six year old Claire Flynn, who disappeared one snowy night. It's coming up to the eleventh anniversary of the child's disappearance and when, Father Richard Byrne, the lead suspect in the case requests to speak only to Darby, it allows the investigation, once dormant, to take on a whole new lease of life.

This is the eighth book in the Darby McCormick thriller series and it's perfectly possible to read the story without having read the previous books as the author gives enough insight into Darby's character, so I soon felt as if I knew her and trusted her judgement. The story covers some dark stuff but it's all done with a fine eye for detail and the author's ability to weave a complicated tale made The Snow Girls quite a fascinating study into human nature. Told from Darby's perspective as the investigator and also from Mickey Flynn's viewpoint who, as the father of the missing girl, has his own demons to exorcise.

Like all psychological thrillers, this one is best read without any spoilers, that way the story evolves gradually allowing the clues to creep up on you. I really enjoyed trying to piece together all the clues and yet, there's a interesting twist to the ending which was a great reveal and not one I saw coming.

Like all book series I am sure that these US thrillers are best read from the start at book one, however, The Snow Girls certainly worked for me as a standalone.

About the Author

Chris Mooney is the critically acclaimed author of Deviant Ways, World Without End, and Remembering Sarah, which was nominated for the Barry Award and the Edgar Award for Best Novel. He lives in Boston with his wife and son.

Website

Twitter @cmooneybooks #TheSnowGirls

Blog Tour ~ One Day in December by Josie Silver

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to part of the lovely blog tour for the magical One Day in December 

Penguin
e-book out now
Paperback 8 November 2018

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

What's it all about..

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist. After all, life isn't a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic...and then her bus drives away.

Laurie thinks she'll never see the boy from the bus again. But at their Christmas party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus.

Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. 

But what if fate has other plans?

My thoughts about it..

Sometimes a book comes along that seems to have been sprinkled with a little bit of magic fairy dust and as soon as I opened One Day in December I knew it was going to be pretty special.

On a snowy December day, a girl with tinsel in her hair looks out of the bus window and sees a boy, their eyes meet, their souls connect and they go off happily into the gently falling snow and live happily ever after...well, no, not quite... and this lovely book shows just how devious the fickle hand of fate can be...

In the time it took for me to read One Day in December I was enthralled by the lives of Laurie and her best friend, Sarah. They were quirky and feisty and loved life to the full and when Sarah met someone and fell in love, Laurie was so pleased for her until she discovered just who Sarah had fallen in love with, and that's where the heart of the story lies. The intertwining of lives, the lure of a love that seems impossible and the shattering knowledge that out there is the soul mate who completes you, and yet, they've given their heart to someone else.

Beautiful from start to finish, One Day in December, is unashamedly romantic but it also has a realistic edge to it so that you can well imagine this sort of scenario happening. That fate does, quite often, meddle in dreams is the stuff of everyday life and that's why this book is such a pleasure to read. It made me smile, it made me laugh out loud and it made me cry those big fat ugly tears that make you look like you've a river running down your face, but it also gave me a joyful feeling that comes from reading written magic.

About the Author

Josie Silver is an unashamed romantic who met her husband when she stepped on his foot on his twenty-first birthday. She lives with him, her two young sons, and their cats in a little midlands town in England.

Twitter @JosieSilver_ #OneDayInDecember

@PenguinUKBooks

Currently just 99p on Amazon UK Kindle

Blog Tour ~ The Roald Dahl Collection

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to be part of this Blog Tour to celebrate

 ✨ Roald Dahl Day ✨

which is coming on the 13th September

World famous for his children’s books, Roald Dahl began his career as a writer of short stories and is widely considered as a master of this form. Bizarre and amusing by turns, these dark comedies are justly famous for their surprise endings and their rogue gallery of crooks, cheats and schemers. The stories show Roald Dahl at the height of his powers as a writer of adult fiction, combining black comedy with sly social satire. They are stylishly plotted, vividly characterised and made unforgettable by their breezy cynicism, presenting a hilariously bleak view of human nature.

Re-collected for the first time since Roald himself put the books together, LUST, MADNESS, DECEPTION and CRUELTY bring together some of his most dark and twisty tales under the subjects of human nature he found so fascinating. The stunningly thought-provoking jacket art work compliments this perfectly, and comes courtesy of British artist, Charming Baker.

Charming Baker has had a string of international sell-out shows. His fans include Damien Hirst, British collector Frank Cohen, gallerist Harry Blain and New York dealer Alberto Mugrabi. His juxtaposition of nostalgia with sex and death is grown-up and playful, his work simultaneously beautiful and intentionally bothersome. His work has been described as ‘a kind of romantic melancholy that is very British. And sometimes the melancholy turns out to have sharp claws. The pictures make you sit up and examine your conscience.’ These sensibilities could equally be describing Roald Dahl’s approach to his domestically dark adult short stories, making Charming and Roald Dahl the perfect collaborators for these new collections.

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of these books and the invitation to be part of this blog tour

Lust - Tales of Craving and Desire

To what lengths would you go to achieve your heart’s desire? In these ten tales of maddening lust Roald Dahl explores how our darkest impulses reveal who we really are.

My thoughts:

Deepest secrets, desires and fears are all expertly controlled in this collection of ten short stories which take us deep into the passionate heart of yearning for something which is, quite often, beyond our reach. From the first story, Madame Rosette, which features two hapless military men on the look out for  a lustful diversion in 1940s Cairo, through to the intriguingly titled last story, Nunc Dimittis, there is never a moment when each story doesn't draw you in. Expertly written and beautifully observed, I loved every word of Lust.

Madness - Tales of Fear and Unreason 

Our greatest fear is of losing control – above all, of losing control of ourselves. In these ten unsettling tales of unexpected madness Roald Dahl explores what happens when we let go of our sanity.

My thoughts:

Cool and calculated these ten tales of madness make your blood run just a little bit cooler and with each successive story the creepy feeling starts to get stronger and stronger. I loved this collection of dark tales and whilst the stories span quite a timeline - between the 1950s and 1970s - they still feel quite current, even though it must be acknowledged that to find a room in a Bath guest house for five and six would be nigh on impossible.  However, as it's proved in The Landlady, this is no ordinary guest house !

Deception - Tales of Intrigue and Lies

Why do we lie? Why do we deceive those we love most? What do we fear revealing? In these ten tales of deception Roald Dahl explores our tireless efforts to hide the truth about ourselves.

My thoughts:

The ten tales of deception are so expertly controlled by this skilful story teller that reading each of them is like experiencing a master class in how to misbehave. Beautifully observed and quite stark in places there isn't one of these tales which doesn't leave you with a smile on your face at the incredulity of some of the situations which Dahl conjures like a magician. The Umbrella Man with his fool proof scam, and the wonderfully named Mr Botibol, who looked like an asparagus, are amongst my favourites.

Cruelty - Tales of Malice and Greed 

Even when we mean to be kind we can sometimes be cruel. We each have a streak of nastiness inside us. In these ten tales of cruelty Roald Dahl explores how and why it is we make others suffer .

My thoughts:

The complex side of human nature comes alive in this collection of rather dark little stories which each have a deliciously nasty edge to them. I find it very easy to tune into Roald Dahl's darker side, although his dark side has a real uncomfortable feeling to it. I loved reading revolting rhymes to my children, however, to have this book of ten stories all based around the theme of cruelty, makes reading it rather a more grown up experience. It's difficult to pick out a particular favourite but I loved the twist to Royal Jelly and Poison made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

About the Author

Roald Dahl was a spy, ace fighter-pilot, chocolate historian and medical inventor. He was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and many more brilliant stories. He remains the World’s No.1 storyteller.

More about the author can be found by clicking here

Twitter #RoaldDahlDay

Blog Tour ~ The Dead Ex by Jane Corry

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on The Dead Ex Blog Tour

Penguin
21 June 2018

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

What's it all about..

HE CHEATED. HE LIED. HE DIED.

Vicki's husband David once promised to love her in sickness and in health. But after a brutal attack left her suffering with epilepsy, he ran away with his mistress.

So when Vicki gets a call one day to say that he's missing, her first thought is 'good riddance'. But then the police find evidence suggesting that David is dead. And they think Vicki had something to do with it.

Here's what I thought about it..

In The Dead Ex three protagonists, Vicki, Scarlet and Helen weave their story over a period of several years. In 2018, Vicki, an aromatherapist, is being targeted by the police about the disappearance of her ex-husband, David. In 2007, Scarlet, is struggling with a dysfunctional mother who is beset by her own specific problems. In 2018, Helen uses her considerable skills to get exactly what she wants from life. These interconnected stories, told in separate strands, and with clever psychological insight, form the basis of an emotional and complex story. With considerable skill, this talented author, has pieced together a story which is entirely absorbing and with a distinct air of menace which is so well controlled that you find yourself holding your breath as the complicated plot get underway.

As with all clever psychological suspense stories there is much to take in and lots to concentrate on with characters who are not always very likeable, and yet, I found that my sympathies fluctuated greatly between Vicki, Scarlet and Helen. Some I liked more than others, and one in particular, I actively disliked, but such is the skill of the author that she makes even the unlikable absolutely compelling.

The mystery at the heart of the story is well developed, and whilst I can't say too much about that for fear of spoilers, there are definitely more than enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and several times I thought that I had the measure of the plot, only to have it veer off in a completely unexpected direction. 

Jane Corry is fast becoming one of my absolute go to authors for well written and emotionally deep psychological drama and for sure, The Dead Ex is up there with the best of this genre.

About the Author

Jane Corry is a former magazine journalist who spent three years working as the writer-in-residence of a high security prison for men. She had never been inside a jail before and this often hair-raising experience helped inspire her Sunday Times bestselling psychological thrillers, Blood Sisters and My Husband's Wife.

Jane is a regular life story judge for the Koestler Awards given to prisoners for art and writing. Until recently, Jane was a tutor in creative writing at Oxford University, and she now runs writing workshops in her local area of Devon and speaks at literary festivals all over the world. She has three grown up children and writes the 'Diary of a First-Time Grandmother' column for the Daily Telegraph.

Twitter @JaneCorryAuthor #TheDeadEx

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Review ~ Whatever Happened to Margot? by Margaret Durrell

Penguin
March 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

What's it all about..

In 1947, returning to the UK with two young children to support, Margaret Durrell starts a boarding house in Bournemouth. But any hopes of respectability are dashed as the tenants reveal themselves to be a host of eccentrics: from a painter of nudes to a pair of glamorous young nurses whose late-night shifts combined with an ever-revolving roster of gentleman callers leading to a neighbourhood rumour that Margo is running a brothel. Margo's own two sons, Gerry and Nicholas, prove to be every bit as mischievous as their famous Uncle Gerald - and he himself returns periodically with weird and wonderful animals, from marmosets to monkeys, that are quite unsuitable for life in a Bournemouth garden.

My thoughts about it..

I've always loved My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell and have watched the current TV adaptation of his Corfu trilogy with great delight. Margot Durrell is one of my favourite characters so to have a book written by her has been an absolute joy.

We meet Margot again in Whatever Happened to Margot? in 1947 following her divorce from a British RAF pilot. On her return to England from Corfu and with limited financial resources she is persuaded by her aunt Patience to open a guest house in genteel Bournemouth. This idea is met with slight scepticism but as always, Margot with considerable aplomb embarks on this enterprise with great gusto.

Margot’s guest house is soon filled with an assortment of lodgers, some are genuinely odd and others are so funny that they make you laugh out loud with glee. Their adventures are as varied as their characters and it soon becomes obvious that the new occupants of this large Edwardian house, in a quiet leafy street, will certainly shake up the neighbourhood. And as the guest house gets underway and begins to influence the area so Margot's standing in the community starts to take a knock, especially when people accuse her of running a brothel.

The other Durrells who flit into and out of the story add a real sense of continuity and it was lovely to meet up again with Mrs Durrell, always with her interminable knitting in tow, and of course, I looked forward to a visit from Margot's younger brother, Gerald, who landed at the guest house accompanied by a crate of monkeys and large python.

In Whatever happened to Margot?, Margaret Durrell has recounted her adventures as a landlady with a fine eye for the ridiculous and a real sense of time and place. And anyone who has ever read any of the Durrell novels will recognise that marvellous self-deprecating wit which is always so evident. Margot's self exuberance continues this trend, and she writes with a natural flair for observation and more than a hint of the downright eccentric.

If you are a fan of the TV series, then Whatever happened to Margot? is a great continuation of the story of Margot's fascinating and eventful life.

About the Author

Margaret "Margo" Durrell (4th May 1920 - 16th January 2007) was the younger sister of novelist Lawrence Durrell, and elder sister of naturalist and author Gerald Durrell, whose Corfu Trilogy - My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods feature her as a character. Born in British India, she was brought up in India, England and Corfu. Margo had two children, Gerry and Nicholas, with her husband Jack Breeze, a British Royal Air Force pilot she met when he was stationed in Corfu during the Second World War. After they divorced, she moved back to Bournemouth, and started the boarding house she wrote about in her memoir, Whatever Happened to Margo?

Amazon UK

Penguin

Blog Tour ~ Close To Home by Cara Hunter

Jaffareadstoo is delighted to host today's stop on the 

Close to Home Blog Tour

Penguin Viking
January 11 2018
My thanks to the publishers for my review copy of this book and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

When eight year old Daisy Mason  disappears from a family barbecue no-one notices that she is gone, and even her parents don't remember the last time they saw her. How such a popular child can disappear without trace is the puzzle that DI Adam Fawley and his team of investigative officers have to make sense of, and with very few clues to work with the groundwork proves frustratingly difficult.

Close to Home introduces us to a new crime series and to the lead protagonist, DI Adam Fawley, who is an interesting character, supremely flawed like so many of these clever detectives, and we do get to know the reason why he is so troubled, however, what is paramount is his drive and ambition to get the job done. That he is constantly thwarted by this complex case makes for fascinating reading, and the numerous twists and turns in the plot, not only had the investigative team guessing, but also kept me on the edge of my seat. So many times I thought that I had the case cracked only to have it veer off in an entirely new direction which I didn't see coming.

Complex and convoluted, this intricately plotted psychological drama examines the background to the case and looks at the events leading up to Daisy's disappearance, whilst at the same time keeping the investigation alive in the imagination. There is so much I want to say about this story but to do so would give away too many clues and, believe me, this is one of those roller-coaster crime thrillers which needs to be read, in its entirety, without any spoilers from me. 

The author certainly knows how to manipulate a complicated plot and the mystery at the heart of the novel makes for fascinating reading.  Daisy's family are such an integral part of the novel, and their faults and foibles are laid bare, so that, whilst they are largely an unlikable bunch, particularly Daisy's mother, Sharon, you can't help be drawn into the way they operate. I had an especial fondness for, Leo, Daisy's older sibling, who is fighting his own brand of demons.

Close to Home kept me in its grip from its poignant prologue, through to its dramatic and unexpected conclusion and is, without doubt, an exciting debut from a talented new author.

Do visit the other blog tour stops.

About the Author

Cara Hunter is a writer who lives in Oxford, in a street not unlike those featured in her series of crime books. Close to Home is her debut featuring DI Adam Fawley, and her second, In the Dark, is coming soon.

Twitter @CaraHunterBooks #CloseToHome

Amazon UK