📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ Breakneck Point by T Orr Munro

 

HQ
14 April 2022

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

CSI Ally Dymond follows the evidence – wherever it leads.

Her commitment to justice has cost Ally her place on the major investigations team. After exposing corruption in the ranks, she’s stuck working petty crimes on the sleepy North Devon coast.

Only when the body of nineteen-year-old Janie Warren turns up in the seaside town of Bidecombe can Ally put her skills to good use. Yet the evidence she discovers contradicts the lead detective’s theory. And no one wants to listen to the CSI who landed their colleagues in prison.

Time is running out to catch a serial killer no one is looking for – no one except Ally. What she doesn’t know is that he’s watching, from her side of the crime scene tape, waiting for the moment to strike. When he does, Ally will be forced to question the true nature of justice like never before..

📖 Book Review ...

When we first meet  CSI Ally Dymond she is giving evidence in a court case which will not go well for some of her police colleagues. With this scandal forever following her, Ally, although a talented and meticulous crime scene investigator, is relegated to mediocre cases which do nothing to test her expertise. However, when a the body of  a young woman is found in the seaside town of Bidecombe, Ally happens to be the first CSI on the scene and therein lies the rest of this fascinating crime thriller.

The story is unusual as we get to know very early on who is responsible for a spate of murders which are taking this sleepy area of Devon by surprise but what the author does so cleverly is to give us a ring side seat as we observe just how cleverly the perpetrator plays cat and mouse, not just with the police, but also with Ally for whom the search for justice gets very personal.

I raced through Breakneck Point, fascinated both at the way the story was unfolding and also eager to discover more about Ally Dymond. She is a fascinating multi-layered character who I am sure we will get to know more about as the series progresses. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.

🐻 Best read with... a packet of Haribo Gold Bears.

About the Author

Tina Orr Munro is a journalist, specialising in writing about policing and security. In another life, she was a police scenes of crime officer. She lives in North Devon.

Twitter @TinaOrrMunro #BreakneckPoint #FollowtheEvidence

@HQStories

📖 Publication Day Book Review ~ Snow Widows by Katherine MacInnes

William Collins
14 April 2022

My thanks to the publishers and Alison Menzies PR for my copy of this book

Katherine MacInnes' lively biography Snow Widows retells the story of Scott's expedition to the South Pole from the point of view of the five women closest to the ill-fated party. Her remarkable feat of historical reconstruction reveals a story of press intrusion, media management and the role of newly developed technology in bringing the story home. From fundraising to controlling the narrative, the women's influence runs right through this familiar story. Snow Widows offers a fresh perspective and a fascinating window onto a lost world

This group biography focusses on Kathleen Scott, who campaigned tirelessly to fund her husband's expedition and Catherine Oates, who sent prodigious funds in support of her son; Oriana Wilson, whose marriage was also a true scientific partnership and Empire Emily Bowers who had travelled the world as a missionary teacher; and set apart by her working class origins, Lois Evans, whose pension was a fraction of the other women’s, who suffered to see her husband (the only rating) scapegoated.

📖 My Review ...

We know so much from history about those intrepid Antarctic explorers who risked life and limb to conquer places which, to most of us, still remain out of reach. And yet we rarely give a thought to the women they left behind to follow these ambitious dreams and of the consequences on the lives of their families. Snow Widows seeks to redress the balance and gives a comprehensive look at the five women behind the heroes, wives and mothers who, it must be said, are heroines in their own indomitable way.

Kathleen Scott - Wife

Oriana Wilson - Wife 

Emily Bowers -Mother

Caroline Oates - Mother

Lois Evans - Wife

Scott's ill fated final expedition to the Antarctic in 1912 is well documented but this unique account is shown through the eyes of each of the women who lived with the staunch ambition of their husbands and sons. Snow Widows brings, not only this vision to life in an authentically and meticulously researched account, but it also allows the Edwardian era to come alive with striking perception. I enjoyed getting to know these five very different women and by juxtaposing their individual accounts with what was happening to the Terra Nova we gain a remarkable insight into how much they all sacrificed in order to allow their menfolk the freedom they took for granted.

This is not a book to be rushed as the detail is considerable but it is definitely a fascinating and very readable biographical account by a writer whose passion for her subject shines through with every well written word. I felt immersed in detail, both large and small, transported back to the time of this fateful expedition and to those women who waited, in vain, for their return.

About the Author

Here's Katherine meeting the figurehead of the Terra Nova

©Kate Stuart Photography

Katherine MacInnes was shortlisted for the Biographer's Prize for an early proposal for Snow Widows over a decade agao. Since then she has continued to research the five women, both in the UK and New Zealand, the gateway to Antarctic exploration. Whilst bringing up her family she has written four children's books, three plays and graduated with a Masters degree from Oxford University. Formerly an arts journalist she has written features and reviewed popular literature and given talks on the invisible women behind polar exploration at the Royal Geographical Society. She is a member of the society of authors and the Biographer's Club.

Twitter @WmCollinsBooks

@alisonmenziespr

📖 Blog Tour ~ Mr Bunting at War by Robert Greenwood

 

IWM
April 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and to Random Things Tours for the invitation to the blog tour

George Bunting, businessman, husband and father, lives a quiet life at home in Laburnam Villa in Essex, reading about the progress of the war in his trusty Siren newspaper and heading to work every day at same the warehouse where he has been employed for his entire adult life. Viewed with an air of slight amusement by his three children, Mr Bunting’s war efforts comprise mainly of digging for victory and reluctantly erecting a dugout in the garden. But as the Second World War continues into the summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain rages in the skies and the bombs begin to reign down on London, this bumbling ‘everyman’ is forced to confront the true realities of the conflict. He does so with a remarkable stoicism, imbuing him with a quiet dignity. 

This reprint of a 1941 classic includes an introduction from IWM putting the work in historical context and shedding a light on the wartime experiences of the quiet ‘everyman’ and his family on the British Home Front: He was not brilliant, nor heroic, but there was one thing he could do – endure. He could stick it out right to the end. It was the one thing he was good at, and it happened to be almost his sole duty.

📖 My Review..

Mr Bunting at War looks at the life of the eponymous George Bunting who lives an ordered life in Laburnum Villas in Essex. He travels to London each day to work at Brockley's, an established ironmongery business, which hasn't, up until now, appreciated George's finer qualities, that is, until the expediency of war causes him to be promoted. We meet the Bunting's family in the early years of the Second World War when George is troubled by his family's seeming indifference to the fact that there is a war going on.

There's a gentleness to the narrative which belies its strength as it takes us directly into the ordered life of the suburban household on the cusp of some of the worst war time devastation. Of course, we can look back with hindsight, to the destruction caused by the bombs which rained down on London, but to those going about their daily lives, they had little sense of what was to come, with many going so far as to think it was simply just an 'empty threat'. 

What Mr Bunting at War brings into sharp focus is the way in which the ordinariness of life was forever changed. People were not just making do and mending, they were enduring hardship which would characterise them for rest of the war. However, with true British fortitude and stoicism, bombs could fall around them but, like Mr Bunting, they would still head off to work, tend to their vegetable patches and sit down for tea at five o'clock. 

Mr Bunting at War is very much of its time and that is what makes this such an absorbing and very readable story. I find that there is something really special in reading a novel which was actually written during the time of the Second World War, bringing us a fascinating glimpse into a world which is now just a distant memory. 

🍴Best read with... Mrs Bunting's sausage rolls , hot from the oven.

About the Author

Robert Greenwood (1897-1981) was a novelist and writer. His first novel depicted the family and working life of the eponymous Mr Bunting (1940) and his next, Mr Bunting at War (1941), continued the story in the first two years of the Second World War. Mr Bunting at War was made into a film the following year entitled Salute John Citizen (1942), which proved popular at the box office. Greenwood wrote eleven novels in total and a number of short stories, including Mr Bunting in the Promised Land (1949) which tells the story of the Bunting family in the aftermath of the war. Robert Greenwood died in 1981.

Twitter @I_W_M #WarTimeClassics

@RandomTTours

📖 Blog Tour ~ Spring Tides at the Starfish Café by Jessica Redland

Boldwood Books

5 April 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of the book
and to Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to take part in the blog tour

Welcome back to the Starfish Café - where you will find stunning views, delicious food and lifelong friendships.

A new season...

As winter turns to spring, Hollie - owner of The Starfish Café - is feeling content as she settles into her new life with her loving boyfriend, Jake, and their adorable dog Pickle.

But when an unwelcome visitor threatens the future of her café, Hollie must stay strong to protect her family's legacy...

A leap of faith...

Emerging from an unhappy relationship, Tori finds herself with nowhere to stay and nobody to talk to. The long-hidden secrets of her past weigh heavily on her until a chance encounter with Finley, struggling to come to terms with his own secrets, provides an opportunity to open up.

Can she find the strength to stop hiding from her past and face up to her family? Especially when that would mean letting her guard down and learning to trust again...

A fresh start...?

Little do Hollie and Tori know that their lives are about to collide at The Starfish Café and they may be able to help each other with a fresh start. After all, with good friends in your life, nothing is impossible...

📖 My Review..

In this second book of this three book series we return to the Starfish Café as Hollie continues to make a success of her wonderful café which sits above the beautiful bay of Starfish Point on the North Yorkshire coast. Hollie's life seems to have settled, her love life with Jake is going well and her wonderful dog, Pickle continues to be a ray of sunshine. However, there are some darker times ahead ...

Running alongside Hollie's story is that of Tori, a troubled young woman, who is facing her own particular worries but when her path crosses with that of Hollie at the Starfish Café, these two strong women find that they can help each other out of their current situations.

There is so much to enjoy in this lovely series as it not only brings the characters to life in such a vibrant and believable way but it also brings into focus the lovely Yorkshire coast and those, particularly in the RNLI, who keep the coast line safe.  I enjoy this author's style of writing so much, every book has a lovely warm feel to it and even though sometimes the story takes a darker turn, and in this one there's a real dastardly villain, yet there is always something brighter on the horizon.

Spring Tides at the Starfish Café has all the ingredients I wanted for a deliciously relaxing read. A glorious coastal setting, vibrant characters who live, laugh and love in a wonderfully creative story which entertains  right from the start. And even though this is the second book in the series it is perfectly possible to read it as a standalone but why miss out on a glorious set of stories, so do start at the beginning and escape to Starfish Point with Hollie, Jake and Pickle.

🍴Best read with...one of Hollie's delicious cheese scones, hot from the oven

About the Author

Jessica Redland is the top 10 bestselling author of over thirteen novels, including The Secret to Happiness. Inspired by her hometown of Scarborough she writes uplifting women’s fiction which has garnered many devoted fans.

Twitter @JessicaRedland #SpringTidesAtTheStarfishCafe

Website 

Purchase 

@BoldwoodBooks #Boldwoodbloggers #bookandtonic

@rararesources

🍴Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo ~ Nikki Dudley

On this quiet Sunday morning why don't you put the kettle on, make your favourite breakfast and settle down for Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

I'm delighted to welcome Nikki Dudley to Sunday Brunch 

Welcome, Nikki. What favourite food are you bringing to Sunday brunch?

Probably something messy like tacos that we all have to make ourselves. Then we’d already feel comfortable with one another.

Would you like a pot of English breakfast tea, a strong Americano, or a glass of Bucks Fizz?

Bucks fizz or the tea!

Where shall we eat brunch – around the kitchen table, in the formal dining room, or outside on the patio?

Around the kitchen table probably – wherever people feel comfortable!

Shall we have music playing in the background, and if so do you have a favourite piece of music?

I love rock music and musical songs! Or maybe some classic 80s because we all know the words (yes, I know we do).

Which of your literary heroes (dead or alive) are joining us for Sunday Brunch today?

I love Charles Yu, Yoko Ogawa, bpNichol and Jose Saramago.

Which favourite book will you bring to Sunday Brunch?

One of my favourite books is Catch-22 because you can read it differently every time and it encapsulates the absurdity of life in so many ways.

When you are writing do you still find time to read for pleasure? And is there a book you would like to read but haven’t had time for …yet!

I try my best but when I’m really into the process, I just have to keep writing! But I always read a bit of poetry or some short stories to keep me going. I love when a book refuses to be put down though and I just have to keep reading.

Where do you find the inspiration for your novels?

Everywhere – in news stories, in weird thoughts, in conversations. I don’t tend to base them on real-life people though. I have been fascinated with sleepwalking for a while now and coincidentally, it’s been in a few things I’ve been watching, so in my latest novel, it’s definitely a feature.

Have you a favourite place to settle down to write and do you find it easier to write in winter or summer?

I just love to have me and my laptop, in a place where I can think and not feel guilty (as a mum for not spending time with my kids)! I don’t mind which season – both have their beautiful aspects.

When writing to a deadline are you easily distracted and if so how do you bring back focus on your writing?

I can get distracted if I’m struggling with the story or something with the plot. I used to self-edit a lot along the way but I try to force myself to push through now and edit later. I leave myself a note if I’m not sure and then return to it much later when the majority is written!

Give us four essential items that a writer needs?

Imagination, openness, something to write with, patience.

What can you tell us about your latest novel or your current work in progress?

I’m working on a new thriller at the moment, which is actually linked to my latest one, Volta, released in 2021. I have always wanted to write a novel about sleepwalking and the implications of a crime being committed while sleepwalking, so that’s the essence of it!

When Briony Campbell confesses to killing her boyfriend, a straightforward crime soon turns into a baffling mystery.

Haunted by demons from his past, lawyer S.J. Robin is assigned to the case. But as confusion – and the body count – rises, he’s forced to question who is guilty and who is innocent.

Can he see justice served and hold on to the woman he loves?

Nikki, where can we follow you on social media?

Twitter 

Facebook 

Instagram: @nikkisdudley

Website 

More about Nikki

Nikki is managing editor of streetcake magazine and also runs the streetcake writing prize and MumWrite. She has a chapbook and collection with KFS. Her pamphlet 'I'd better let you go' and collection 'Fanny B. Mine' are out with Beir Bua Press. She is the winner of the Virginia Prize 2020 and her second novel, Volta was published in May 2021. She has a legitimate snack forthcoming with Broken Sleep Books.

Thank you for taking part in Sunday Brunch with Jaffareadstoo

Follow us on Twitter @jaffareadstoo #SundayBrunchWithJaffareadstoo

📖 Hist Fic Saturday ~ The People's Princess by Flora Harding

 

On Hist Fic Saturday

Lets go back to...1981

One More Chapter
31 March 2022

Thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book

Buckingham Palace, 1981

Her engagement to Prince Charles is a dream come true for Lady Diana Spencer but marrying the heir to the throne is not all that it seems. Alone and bored in the palace, she resents the stuffy courtiers who are intent on instructing her about her new role as Princess of Wales…

But when she discovers a diary written in the 1800s by Princess Charlotte of Wales, a young woman born into a gilded cage so like herself, Diana is drawn into the story of Charlotte’s reckless love affairs and fraught relationship with her father, the Prince Regent.

As she reads the diary, Diana can see many parallels with her own life and future as Princess of Wales.

The story allows a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life in the palace, the tensions in Diana’s relationship with the royal family during the engagement, and the wedding itself.

📖 My Review...

It still takes me by surprise to realise that the era of the Princess of Wales is now being written about in historical fiction but then the fascination we have for Diana will never go away. You only have to look at the popular TV dramas, and movies, which continue to speculate about Diana, Princess of Wales.

The People's Princess brings Diana Spencer to life in 1981, just after her engagement to Prince Charles, when she is a lost and lonely figure rattling around the great empty space of Buckingham Palace. Desperate to alleviate her boredom, Diana is intrigued by a portrait she sees on a corridor in Buckingham Palace and wants to know more about Princess Charlotte of Wales, another tragic princess who died at a young age. Intertwining Diana's story as she awaits her wedding with that of Princess Charlotte adds a nice dual time element to the story.

I enjoyed the story, it's a light and easy read, with well researched historical detail to keep alive the authenticity of the story. The author captures well the mood of both historical periods and brings these two tragic, and charismatic, young women to life.

🍜Best Read with...a bowl of cornflakes..

About the Author

Flora Harding began writing over 30 years ago to fund a PhD on the disposal of waste in Elizabethan York, and has juggled fact and fiction ever since. Under various pseudonyms she has written more than 75 novels, histories and other forms of non-fiction and continues to be fascinated by the relationship between the past and the present, whatever she happens to be writing. Flora still lives in York with the city walls and the Minster at the end of her street, and is a freelance project editor as well as an author. Much as she loves the historic city, she yearns too for open horizons, and is a keen walker, preferably in wild, open spaces.

Twitter @AuthorFlora

@OneMoreChapter_

@HarperCollins

Feature Friday ~ A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin

 

Welcome to Feature Friday

It's a warm space to a highlight a book coming soon which is on my radar

and one I am looking forward to reading

Harper Collins
 12 May 2022

My thanks to the publishers for my invitation to read this book

The debut of the season

The season is about to begin – and there’s not a minute to lose...

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. This is 1818 after all, and only men have the privilege of seeking their own riches.

With only twelve weeks until the bailiffs call, launching herself into London society is the only avenue open to her, and Kitty must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb the ranks.

The only one to see through her plans is the worldly Lord Radcliffe and he is determined to thwart her at any cost, especially when it comes to his own brother falling for her charms.

Can Kitty secure a fortune and save her sisters from poverty? There is not a day to lose and no one – not even a lord – will stand in her way…

~~~

Regency novels have long been my guilty pleasure ever since I read my first Georgette Heyer novel way back in my teens. I also like watching Bridgerton on Netflix so to have a Regency novel by a debut novelist to look forward too is a real delight - one to savour over Easter with a sneaky Easter egg!

So as they say...watch this space..

@jaffareadstoo #FeatureFriday #amreading

A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting is published on the 12 May and is available to pre-order from wherever you buy books.

Twitter @SophieHIrwin #LadysGuide 

@HarperCollins