📖 Book Review ~ The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain

Simon and Schuster
30 January 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

 

Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for… 

It’s 1780, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance. 

But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty. 

The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free. 

Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…

📖 My Review.. 

The Blackbirds of St Giles led me on a dark and dangerous path, from the terror of a besieged Jamaican sugar plantation, to the dismal squalor of the area of London known as the Rookery. This labyrinthine underworld of thieves and vagabonds is no place for the faint hearted, and Daniel and his sister, Pearl, newly arrived in Georgian London, soon discover that life, on these menacing streets, is far tougher than they could ever have imagined.

Sweeping through sections of London society, from the brooding elegance of a London salon, to the musky interior of a boxer’s training ground, and the opulent interior of the home of a deadly villain, this brilliantly, beautiful story held me spellbound. From the dramatic opener as a plantation burned against a terror laden sky, to the arrival on the murky streets of London I was beguiled by the description of a life where the colour of one’s skin meant that neither hope nor charity existed and no favour was offered, and none accepted. Life for the Rookery inhabitants was a constant struggle against overt racism, poverty, disease and sheer terror however, despite the constant struggle to survive against the hatred of the King of the Rookery, a cruel man who is determined to see them at his mercy, Daniel and Pearl also find friendship, community and a strong sense of honour amongst the Blackbirds of St Giles.

Set against the shameful days of enslavement, back to a time when people were bought and sold and life was cheap, The Blackbirds of St Giles is a remarkable novel of bravery, steadfastness and above all, hope. Days finishing the book, the story stays with me and I hope, given the ending, that we might return to the Rookeries in the not too distant future.

About the Author

Lila Cain is a pseudonym for the writing duo of Kate Griffin and Marcia Hutchinson. Kate Griffin won the Faber/Stylist Magazine competition with Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders and went on to write 3 more books in the series. Her first stand-alone novel, Fyneshade, is now available. Born to Windrush-era Jamaican parents in Bradford, Marcia Hutchinson worked as a lawyer before founding and running the educational publishing company Primary Colours. She was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010.

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Body on the Shore by Diane M. Dickson

The Book Folks
2020

DI Jordan Carr #1

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book 

 

A nameless victim, an elusive killer, and a puzzling case for a detective in a new role

When a body washes up on Crosby Beach in Liverpool Bay, detectives quickly declare foul play. Yet they will struggle to establish the identity of the victim, let alone the killer.

Leading the inquiry on his first murder case, DI Jordan Carr must marshal a somewhat motley team to build a picture of what happened one grim day on the Mersey. Like footprints in the sand, in time the clues will disappear.

With a victim who has clearly concealed her own identity, it will require a journey into Liverpool’s underworld to shake loose the facts.

But once they have their man, the police still need to know why the woman was killed. And answering that question will be DI Carr’s biggest challenge.

📖 My Review..

A woman’s body washes up on Crosby beach, and with few clues to go on, DI Jordan Carr and his hastily put together team of detectives have a difficult job of tracing the last known whereabouts of this mysterious young woman. However, with perseverance, good detective work, a bit of luck here and there and all the pieces of this complicated murder investigation eventually start to come together and what a tangled web of deception unfolds.

With clever precision we follow the story and see everything through the eyes of those who are involved from the police, to the crime perpetrators, the story unfolds in fine detail so that we are able to follow the clues as they are laid out before us. The author writes well and keeps the momentum going so that the story never slows down and even though we know from the beginning whodunnit, we don’t know all the whys and wherefores, there are several clever twists along the way and an ending I really didn’t see coming.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being in Liverpool with this first book in the DI Jordan Carr series of crime novels which are set in and around Merseyside and up to now there are a further seven books in the series, the first four books are currently available in a box set. 

About the Author 

“After the Secondary Education System in sixties Liverpool spat me out I had a pretty eclectic career. I worked as a veterinary nurse with the RSPCA, and then had a go at nursing (people this time). I had a super job as a Personnel Officer at a military hospital in Riyadh which presented very unusual challenges. After over twenty years in the Middle East I ended up as a PA in Portsmouth. I’m a total Reacher creature, Terry Pratchett addict and lover of JD Robb”

Diane grew up in Bradford but has spent her life working all over the world. She has always been fascinated by the mechanics of the “inexplicable magic that translates small marks on paper (or screen of course) into something that can inform and entertain and educate” and for a period she taught adults who had problems with literacy. She describes opening their eyes to this as being one of the most rewarding things she’s ever done.

She has written books that span many genres often focusing on the underdogs and people on the margins of society. She is the author of the bestselling DI Tanya Miller series set in theMidlands and Oxfordshire. But regardless of the genre, her writing has an immediacy whichis both natural and accessible.

She is a member of the Crime Writers' Association.

THE DI JORDAN CARR CRIME MYSTERIES 1–4 BOX SET

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DTQCGM4R

BODY ON THE SHORE

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MQ9JSZV/

Social Media links

Website: thebookfolks.com

Insta: @the_book_folks

Twitter: @thebookfolks

Facebook: facebook.com/thebookfolks

Blog: thebookfolks.com/blog/

Author’s social media links

Website: dianemdickson.wordpress.com/

📖 Book Review ~ The Boyfriend by John Nicholl

Boldwood
4 April 2025

My thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book 

Not every love story is a fairytale romance… When Anna first meets Mark, she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. Wealthy and charming, he showers her with gifts, compliments, everything she has ever desired.

But Mark is less a prince than a man with a dangerous secret, and as their love life becomes ever darker, Anna flees him.

There is nowhere safe from him, though. Not for Anna. Nor for the girlfriends who follow her.

Because this is a boyfriend who would kill to make sure he can continue to kiss sleeping princesses…

📖 My Review ..

Having not come across this author before I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read something new and boy did this one keep me reading long after I should have stopped to do something else.  From its graphic opening chapter, to the final pages, this gritty crime novel never lets up in terms of suspense and psychological terror.

Mark Shady appears to be the perfect boyfriend but he gets his sadistic pleasure by targeting young women, exploiting them in horrifying detail, only to walk free when repeatedly found not guilty of rape and sexual assault. He laughs at the police, keeping one step ahead of the law, confident in his ability to thwart every attempt to bring him to justice, but then on the side of the good guys there is DS Ray Lewis, an honourable detective, who is equally determined to bring Shady to justice.

Brilliantly written, dark and atmospheric, I flew through the book in the space of one terror filled sitting, heart in mouth as this chilling story progressed, ultimately moved by the fate of the victims, but heartened by the conclusion to the story, and a sense of rough justice having been achieved. The Boyfriend’s overall grittiness is perhaps not for the faint hearted, but it’s definitely a page turner.

About the Author

John Nicholl is a Welsh author renowned for his gripping psychological thrillers and crime novels. Born and raised in West Wales, Nicholl draws upon his experiences as a former police officer, child protection social worker, and lecturer to craft compelling narratives that delve into the darkest corners of human nature. His work often explores themes of justice, psychological manipulation, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Website

Twitter  @nicholl06

📖 Blog Tour ~ Together Again at the Cornish Country Hospital

Boldwood Book
3 April 2025

Thanks to the publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources
for my copy of the book and the invitation to the tour

A lost love…

A&E Nurse Amy Spencer lives a very ordinary life in Port Kara. She loves her job at the hospital and has a great group of friends, but there is something or someone missing from her life. Amy’s tried dating but no one ever compares with the one boy that got away – Lijah Byrne.

A surprise arrival…

Lijah’s life since he left Port Kara has been what dreams are made of. But lately Lijah has started to feel hollow – the fame and celebrity he once craved now makes him feel trapped. The only place he’s ever felt safe is Port Kara… so maybe it’s time to go back home?

A reunion written in the stars.

When Amy bumps into Lijah again, she only sees the boy she once loved with all her heart. But their lives are so different now. Amy knows a rekindling of their past love will end in heartbreak, but she can’t give up her second chance to be with the man she loves.

📖 My Review..

Amy loves her challenging role as an A&E nurse working at St Piran’s hospital, her natural affinity for people, and her need to care and nurture makes her ideal for this area of nursing. However, Amy always feels like there is someone missing from her life. Lijah Byrne is a global musician who returns to his home town of Port Kara to recharge and find the space to make some difficult decisions. Amy and Lijah, once childhood sweethearts, have some unfinished business together and it is this relationship which forms the basis of another cosy story which takes us back into the heart of this lovely, fictional Cornish town. 

Beautifully written, this little corner of Cornwall comes alive as we follow the fates and fortunes of those characters who call this place home. It’s very much a story of light and shade with characters having their share of worry and some facing difficult choices but through it all a strong sense of both community and friendship comes across.  Being in Port Kara is always such a joy, this little bit of Cornwall now feels so familiar that it is like returning to a much loved home and I thoroughly enjoy catching up with all the characters who make these cosy stories such a joy to read.

Whilst this now the fifth book in the Cornish Country Hospital series it is possible to read as a standalone story, however, it does make sense to read this lovely series from the beginning so that you can get to know and love the characters who make this such a successful series.

About the Author

Jo Bartlett is the bestselling author of over nineteen women’s fiction titles. She fits her writing in between her two day jobs as an educational consultant and university lecturer and lives with her family and three dogs on the Kent coast.

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📖 Book Review ~ The Last Mrs Sinclair by T J Emerson

Boldwood Books
26 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book 

Leah Williams knows exactly what she wants from life – comfort, luxury and security. All the things she would have had if her childhood hadn’t been derailed by her father’s bad decisions. And then she meets Miles Sinclair. After the death of his wife last year, Miles is ready to start living his life again, and Leah knows just how to help him… what could be so wrong with that?

When Miles takes Leah to his chateau in the French countryside, she's excited to get a taste of the life she deserves, even if it means enduring the presence of Miles’ cousin Vivienne, who seems determined to insert the memory of his dead wife into every conversation.

But the Chateau Clairvallon has a history, not least as the place where the last Mrs Sinclair died. And as Leah discovers more about the accident that took her predecessor's life, she begins to realise that the family she's set her sights on isn't quite what it seems.

📖My Review..

Oh my word, what a tangled web of lies this turned out to be. Quite delicious in the way it manipulated both the characters and the reader so that you’re left with a wry smile at the end.

Leah Williams is a beautiful young woman, who knows what she wants and once she is approached by Miles Sinclair in swanky London bar, she wants what he has to offer. He’s rich, a grieving widower, and seems to be so beguiled by Leah that their thirty year age gap is no barrier to lust.  Once at Miles’ chateau in France, their relationship strengthens and the only down side of this idyllic setting is the domineering presence of Miles’ cousin, Vivienne, who acts as chatelaine of the chateau, and who is a constant reminder of the past.

All is not what it seems at the chateau, there’s a definite sinister edginess and some deadly secrets about what happened to the last Mrs Sinclair and with some clever twists I didn’t see coming The Last Mrs Sinclair is a definite page turner.

About the Author 

T.J. Emerson’s debut psychological thriller was published by Legend Press and received brilliant reviews. Her short stories and features have been widely published in anthologies and magazines, and she works as a literary consultant and writing tutor. She lives in Scotland.

X @TracyJEmerson #TheLastMrsSinclair

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📖 Blog Tour ~ The Lavender Bride by Alexandra Weston

Boldwood Books
28 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book 
And to Rachel’s RandomResources forthe invitation to the blog tour

 

An English rose with American dreams

Audrey Wade longs to escape her domineering father and the bleak streets of post-war Yorkshire. Hollywood glitters with glamour, freedom, and the promise of a life with her best friend Freddie. But when Freddie abandons her, Audrey is left to chase her dreams alone.

A Heartthrob with secrets

Rex Trent is more than Hollywood’s leading man. Charismatic and dangerously handsome, he’s adored by millions and watched by powerful enemies in a paranoid 1950s America. One wrong move could destroy him.

A romance born of ambition and betrayal

When Rex proposes, Audrey is swept into Hollywood’s glamour and high-stakes secrets. But she soon discovers Rex’s dark side and faces a choice: cling to a man who may never love her, or risk everything to forge her own path?

📖 My Review..

Set during the golden age of Hollywood when swoonworthy leading men made hearts flutter all across the globe but some were hiding secret lives which if discovered would inevitably bring their Hollywood dream to a close. Yorkshire born Audrey Wade has escaped her dismal life in post war Sheffield determined to live her best life but the reality of tinsel town is hardly the stuff of her school girls dreams, that is, until she meets Rex Trent at the talent agency where she is a lowly secretary and he a high flying cinema star.

This is a fascinating look at the cinema industry’s grubby hidden side and as we get taken deeper into Audrey’s relationship with Rex so we begin to understand the depth of deception. The Hollywood of the 1950s comes alive, the costumes, the films and the people all succeed in making it feel authentically real. I have enjoyed getting to know Audrey, her initial naivety is refreshing but later she had such strength of character that I couldn’t help but want her to succeed in a world which was tarnished from the start. I was less keen Rex but he was a product of his time, and his story succeeded in laying out a few Hollywood home truths. I wasn’t aware of the meaning of a lavender bride but I had my suspicions from the start which made the outcome of the story all the more compelling.

The Lavender Bride is a beautifully written glimpse into the glitzy world of Hollywood glamour which gradually reveals that all that glitters isn’t always gold.

About the Author

Alexandra Weston writes historical fiction. She has a MA in Creative Writing from York St John University. She has a lifelong passion for history and loves visiting stately homes, museums and old churches. She also writes fantasy as Alys West. She lives with her partner and a ginger cat called Wilf in East Yorkshire. She sings with her local community choir and loves live music, hanging out in bookshops and eating cake.

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📖 Book of My Month ~ Greater Sins by Gabrielle Griffiths

Random House
Transworld 

27 March 2025

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book

 

Who will cast the first stone?

1915, the Cabrach, Aberdeenshire. An isolated Scottish community is disturbed by a strange discovery : a body in a peat bog, perfectly preserved. Two people haul the body from the ground Lizzie : the wife of a wealthy local landowner, and Johnny, a nomadic singer and farm hand. At hearthside and inn, people whisper : what have we unearthed?

One unveiling brings others. For Lizzie, tenacious but trapped, the discovery reveals unanswered questions about her past while for Johnny, it threatens to uncover a history he’s trying to outrun.

As their stories entwine, a series of unsettling events befalls the isolated ruinous weather, a damaged soldier, strange occurrences that cannot be explained. Against the echoes of distant war, and with the boundaries blurring between right and wrong, everyone is looking for someone to blame…

📖 My Review..

An isolated Scottish community, a place filled with secrets, a bad harvest and the call to war, all combine to make local feelings run high, add into the mix a preserved body found in an ancient peat bog and you have all the right ingredients for a story which is rich in folklore, strong on superstition and thick with jealousy. 

It is 1915 when the bulk of the story takes place and though everything seems to run smoothly, it is a place of secrets. Johnny is a charmer, likes a dram or two of whisky, ekes out a living from the land and takes work wherever he finds it, whilst Lizzie Calder lives in the big house, she is married to William, a wealthy local man who signs up as soon as war is declared. On the surface, Johnny and Lizzie have little in common other than a desire to discover more about the peat woman, despite locals thinking that she was once a witch and is therefore the cause of all the misfortune which has recently befallen the village.

Beautifully written, with a sparseness which mimics the bleakness of its setting, this imaginative novel reveals its secrets ever so slowly. Harsh complexities sit alongside hidden nuances so that it becomes impossible to know where the truth lies. Johnny is an unlikely hero and Lizzie an unlikely heroine but their combined stories work so well that days after finishing the novel I’m still blown away both by the story and the characters, and so for that reason I’m delighted to make it the Book of My Month for April.

About the Author

Gabrielle Griffiths grew up in Aberdeenshire and now lives in Brighton. She was a Madeleine Milburn Agency mentee in 2021 and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.

#GreaterSins

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