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Release date: September 30, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Blurb: 

Long ago my beloved Nanny Eve chose my name. Then one day she stopped calling me it. I try now to remember why, but I just can’t.’ 

Thirty-one-year-old Catherine Hope has a great memory. But she can’t remember everything. She can’t remember her ninth year. She can’t remember when her insomnia started. And she can’t remember why everyone stopped calling her Catherine-Maria. With a promiscuous past, and licking her wounds after a painful breakup, Catherine wonders why she resists anything approaching real love. But when she loses her home to the deluge of 2007 and volunteers at Flood Crisis, a devastating memory emerges … and changes everything. Dark, poignant and deeply moving, Maria in the Moon is an examination of the nature of memory and truth, and the defences we build to protect ourselves, when we can no longer hide… 

I’m honored and delighted to be hosting one of the stops on the blog tour for Maria in the Moon today!

Review:

Every once in awhile a special type of book comes along and gets well and truly under my skin, it takes ahold of me, consumes me even and Maria in the Moon was that rare beauty of a book. Louise Beech is an astoundingly gifted writer, reading one of her books is a true honor. 

I think the blurb for this book is absolutely perfect, it gets your attention yet it doesn’t give so much away that you totally know what to expect. The mystery of Catherine’s ninth year intrigued me enough to want to read it but I had no idea the true haunting, harrowing beauty this book would reveal. Catherine was such a fascinatingly complex woman, she’s exquisitely well drawn. She’s damaged and broken but she’s achingly raw and wholly relatable, I adored her and really cared about her, I was wholeheartedly invested in her story. Her time volunteering at the flood crisis hotline was my favorite part, it was heartbreaking and provided so much insight into her true character. 

This is such a unique read and one that’s hard to classify into just one standard genre, my friend Chelsea at The Suspense is Thrilling Me said Louise Beech novels are their own genre and I couldn’t agree more. There’s a little bit of everything, a mystery, some love, a hint of magical realism and most importantly, a plot that any human could relate to. Beech is one of the greats, no other author can bring out emotions in me like she can. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 

Louise Beech has always been haunted by the sea. She regularly writes travel pieces for the Hull Daily Mail, where she was a columnist for ten years. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice and being published in a variety of UK magazines. Louise lives with her husband and children on the outskirts of Hull – the UK’s 2017 City of Culture – and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012. She was also part of the Mums’ Army on Lizzie and Carl’s BBC Radio Humberside Breakfast Show for three years.

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Release date: September 12, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Crime Fiction

Blurb:

Jake Boulder’s help is requested by his best friend, Alfonse, when his cousin is crucified and burned alive along with his wife and children. As Boulder tries to track the heinous killer, a young woman is abducted. Soon her body is discovered and Boulder realises both murders have something unusual in common. 

With virtually no leads for Boulder to follow, he strives to find a way to get a clue as to the killer’s identity. But is he hunting for one killer or more? 

After a young couple are snatched in the middle of the night the case takes a brutal turn. When the FBI are invited to help with the case, Boulder finds himself warned off the investigation. When gruesome, and incendiary, footage from a mobile phone is sent to all the major US News outlets and the pressure to find those responsible for the crimes mounts. But with the authorities against him can Boulder catch the killer before it’s too late?

I’m thrilled to be kicking off the North American blog tour for The Kindred Killers today!

Review:

This is the second book in a series featuring Jake Boulder, I read the first, Watching the Bodies a few months ago and was seriously impressed! Jake is a fantastic lead with a unique viewpoint, I may even have a bit of a crush on him and I don’t think I’m alone there. He has that whole bad boy thing going on, he’s kind of grumpy but his sarcasm and quick wit are so appealing to me. With a strong protagonist and an exciting plot combined with a fluid, easy writing style this series is one crime fiction fans don’t want to miss. 

The story follows Jake as he tries to help Alfonse find the people who killed his cousin and his entire family in a horrific manner. The methods the killer uses were sick, twisted and highly disturbing. This is a graphic read, Smith pulls no punches, it’s hard hitting and in your face, but very purposeful. The storyline was so timely as it deals with hate crimes and was especially unsettling in the wake of the current events here in the US. This had a complex plot and plenty of misdirection, I never could predict what would happen next. 

This was incredibly fast paced, an electrifying read with more thrills than my poor heart could handle. Since Boulder is not bound by the law he’s able to chase leads in exciting ways, really get down and dirty and is one of my favorite aspects of this series. Smith is such a unique storyteller with a strong voice, I cannot wait to see what happens in book three!!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author:

A time served joiner Graham has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000 he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland. 

An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer and interviewer for the well-respected website Crimesquad.com since 2009

He is the author of four books featuring DI Harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team and now two books in the crime series featuring Utah doorman, Jake Boulder.

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Release date: September 20, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

She fell in love with a killer, now she’s one too.

The suitcase was badly rusted, and took Erika several attempts, but it yielded and sagged open as she unzipped it. Nothing could prepare her for what she would find inside…

When a battered suitcase containing the dismembered body of a young man washes up on the shore of the river Thames, Detective Erika Foster is shocked. She’s worked on some terrifying cases but never seen anything like this before. 

As Erika and her team set to work, she makes the link with another victim – the body of a young woman dumped in an identical suitcase two weeks ago. 

Erika quickly realises she’s on the trail of a serial killer who’s already made their next move. Yet just as Erika starts to make headway with the investigation, she is the victim of a brutal attack. 

But nothing will stop Erika. As the body count rises, the twin daughters of her colleague Commander Marsh are abducted, and the stakes are higher than ever before. Can Erika save the lives of two innocent children before it’s too late? She’s running out of time and about to make a disturbing discovery…there’s more than one killer. 

Brilliantly gripping, Cold Blood will have you hooked from the first page and holding your breath to the heart-stopping and shocking ending. 

I’m absolutely thrilled to be one of the stops on the blog blitz for Cold Blood today!!

Review:

Erika Foster is back and I couldn’t be more excited! This is one of my favorite series out there and every single time a new book is released, I celebrate. I swear, not only does each book get better but there is a sense of maturity and growth, not only in Bryndza’s writing but also within the characters themselves. If you want to catch up with my reviews from the earlier books, here’s Dark Water and Last Breath. I read the first couple of books before I started blogging so no links I’m afraid! 

Erika undergoes quite a bit of emotional upheaval throughout this book and I loved seeing this side of her. Of course it wasn’t fun to see her struggling, but seeing how she handles various challenges and situations just provides such depth of character and really made me feel like I know her now. Peterson is still recovering and not on the job after the events in the last book, but Marsh is back and the dynamic between him and Erika is interesting to say the least. There’s also a new supervisor, Melanie and her and Erika are trying to find their footing with each other, Erika’s abrupt manner is not conducive to making friends. All of that to say, you go even deeper with Erika and team this time around and the characterization is just superb. 

This stays mostly in the present day as Erika works on a bizarre case where bodies are being found hacked up and stuffed into suitcases. There are flashbacks from a young woman named Nina starting in 2015 and ending up in the present day. At first I had no idea who Nina was, or why she was important but rest assured, things all come together in an impeccable manner that never fails to leave me breathless. 

A few distinct things make this series a standout for me. First, Bryndza always comes up with a fresh angle in regards to the cases Erika works on and this is no exception. You know how sometimes you’ll have a series you’re really into and then things sort of fall flat towards the middle? That doesn’t happen here, I’m just as invested and excited about these books as the day I finished book one. This really has everything a fantastic police procedural needs, it’s dark, gritty and disturbing, always intricately plotted, has a group of characters that you know and love, and pacing that leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author:

Robert Bryndza is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Girl in the Ice. The Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller is the first book in the Detective Erika Foster series. 

The Night Stalker, Dark Water and Last Breath are the second, third, and fourth books in the series, and the fifth book, Cold Blood is now available to pre-order.

Robert’s books have sold over 2 million copies, and have been translated into 27 languages.

In addition to writing crime fiction, Robert has published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels. He is British and lives in Slovakia.

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Release date: September 14, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

One girl found dead. Another girl gone…

Long shadows danced on the tin walls. Inside the trunk lay Carrie Miller, wrapped in plastic, arms folded across her ribcage, lips sealed tight forever…

When a girl’s body is found at a Midlands storage unit, it is too decomposed for Detective Robyn Carter to read the signs left by the killer.

No one knows the woman in blue who rented the unit; her hire van can’t be traced. But as the leads run dry another body is uncovered. This time the killer’s distinctive mark is plain to see, and matching scratches on the first victim’s skeleton make Robyn suspect she’s searching for a serial-killer. 

As Robyn closes in on the killer’s shocking hunting ground, another girl goes missing, and this time it’s someone close to her own heart. 

Robyn can’t lose another loved one. Can she find the sickest individual she has ever faced, before it’s too late?

An utterly gripping and darkly compelling detective thriller that will have fans of Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and James Patterson hooked from the very start. You will not guess the ending!

I’m so excited to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for The Missing Girls today! 

Review: 

This is the third book in Wyer’s Robyn Carter series, I absolutely loved the first two books, Little Girl Lost and Secrets of the Dead and I think it’s safe to say this is my favorite book thus far. It’s clear to me that this is the type of series that gets better with each book, this is right up there with two of my other beloved Bookouture series, Robert Bryndza’s Erika Foster and Angela Marsons Kim Stone. If by chance you’re a fan of those two and haven’t read this I highly recommend doing so! 

Per usual this opens with a gripping prologue that instantly grabs your attention, a young girl wakes up disoriented and terribly scared and is quickly aware she’s in grave danger when she realizes she’s being held captive by a deranged individual. Throughout the book there are several chapters from the young girls who are being captured and killed that were chilling and menacing and brought that sense of darkness and danger to the story. 

It was so great to catch up with Robyn and her team again, she has a new supervisor now, Flint and it’s been a huge adjustment for her. The rest of the team are still intact and they’re all really growing on me, I still have a soft spot for Anna and Matt and Mitz is a really lovely man. Wyer delves even deeper into Robyn’s past, especially her relationship with Davies which is so nice as it shows her softer side and just adds to the solid characterization that’s already been established. There’s also more detailing her relationship with Davies daughter, Amelie and I love their special bond. 

Once again there is the same intricate plotting and meticulous attention to detail here, there were so many various threads that I had no clue how they would all eventually tie together. There was an onslaught of twists and turns as Robyn raced to catch a killer before he could strike again and the pacing is relentless and breathless. This hit on some very current issues with a cyber bullying angle that is every parents worst nightmare, it is insanely important to monitor teenagers social media usage. 

This was already a five star read for me before the last chapter and then Wyer threw a gigantic curveball that knocked everything on it’s head. While everything with the current case was wrapped up nicely things in Robyn’s personal life were sent into a complete tailspin, talk about one hell of a cliffhanger ending!! I am desperate to get my hands on book four now and cannot wait to see what happens next. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author:

As a child Carol Wyer was always moving, and relied on humour to fit in at new schools. A funny short story won her popularity, planting the seed of becoming a writer. Her career spans dry cleaning, running a language teaching company, and boxercise coaching. Now writing full-time, Carol has several books published by Safkhet and journalism in many magazines.  

Carol won The People’s Book Prize Award for non-fiction (2015), and can sometimes be found performing her stand-up comedy routine Laugh While You Still Have Teeth.

 

Little Girl Lost, the first book in the Detective Robyn Carter crime thriller series came out in January 2017.

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Release date: August 29, 2017

Publisher: MIRA

Genre:  Mystery, Romantic Suspense

Blurb: 

A murder in a quiet English village, long-buried secrets and a man’s search for answers about his traumatic past entangle FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan in the latest edge-of-your-seat Sharpe & Donovan novel 

As a young boy, Oliver York witnessed the murder of his wealthy parents in their London apartment. The killers kidnapped him and held him in an isolated Scottish ruin, but he escaped, thwarting their plans for ransom. Now, after thirty years on the run, one of the two men Oliver identified as his tormentors may have surfaced.

Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan are enjoying the final day of their Irish honeymoon when a break-in at the home of Emma’s grandfather, private art detective Wendell Sharpe, points to Oliver. The Sharpes have a complicated relationship with the likable, reclusive Englishman, an expert in Celtic mythology and international art thief who taunted Wendell for years. Emma and Colin postpone meetings in London with their elite FBI team and head straight to Oliver. But when they arrive at York’s country home, a man is dead and Oliver has vanished.

As the danger mounts, new questions arise about Oliver’s account of his boyhood trauma. Do Emma and Colin dare trust him? With the trail leading beyond Oliver’s small village to Ireland, Scotland and their own turf in the US, the stakes are high, and Emma and Colin must unravel the decades-old tangle of secrets and lies before a killer strikes again.

New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers delivers the gripping, suspense-filled tale readers have been waiting for. 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Thief’s Mark! If you want to follow along with the tour check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule.

Review: 

Thief’s Mark is the seventh book in a series featuring FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan but I haven’t read any of the previous books, I just decided to start here after hearing such good things about this series. There did seem to be very extensive back stories relating to not only the two main characters, but also the secondary ones and I have to admit I felt like I was missing out a little. Neggers did provide some background information as to past events, but I feel like if I had actually read the earlier books I would’ve been better prepared and informed about what exactly was going on, I was missing some subtle nuances. I don’t want to dissuade anyone from reading this as a standalone, just for me personally I feel I would’ve benefited and  enjoyed this one more had I been caught up. 

Sharpe and Donovan are wrapping up their honeymoon when they get roped into assisting an investigation surrounding an old cold case involving their sometimes friend Oliver. This was a multifaceted mystery, a good old fashioned whodunnit that was on the lighter side, there’s no gore or overly descriptive violence here. There are many various plot threads running through this book and when things came to a head it was unexpected and unpredictable. This has romantic elements and is very much a romantic suspense so if you like a dash of love in a murder mystery, you’ll like this one. I really liked both Sharpe and Donovan, I was sort of reminded of Catherine Coulter’s FBI series with Sherlock and Savich, just not as heavy, so if you like that series give this one a shot! 

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for my review copy. 

About the Author 

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, including her popular Sharpe and Donovan and Swift River Valley series. Her books have been translated into 24 languages and sold in over 35 countries. A frequent traveler to Ireland, Carla lives with her family in New England. To learn more and to sign up for her newsletter, visit CarlaNeggers.com.

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Release date: September 1, 2017

Publisher: Aria Fiction 

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Blurb: 

By the stroke of midnight, a heart would be broken, a cruel truth revealed, a devastating secret shared, and a love betrayed. Four lives would be changed forever, One Day in December.

One morning in December… 

Caro set off on a quest to find out if her relationship with her father had been based on a lifetime of lies. 

Lila decided today would be the day that she told her lover’s wife of their secret affair. 

Cammy was on the way to pick up the ring for the surprise proposal to the woman he loved. 

And Bernadette vowed that this was the day she would walk away from her controlling husband of 30 years and never look back. 

One day, four lives on a collision course with destiny…

I’m so pleased to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for One Day in December today! 

Review: 

I loved the format of this one, just as the title says it follows one day in the life of four different people. I was slightly overwhelmed initially when the first page was a full list of all the characters but as soon as I started to read more I relaxed into the read and found it was actually really easy to follow. I figured out the characters lives and dynamics rather quickly and no issues keeping it all straight.  Things are broken into segments of two hour chunks and each of the four main characters have a chapter within each time period. I so love a story told from several viewpoints and I was so engrossed by this one as I knew each of them would experience something life changing but not knowing what was intriguing. I was very curious as to how their lives would intertwine or if they even actually would overlap. The structure made this a real page turner as I was always eager to see how the other characters were coming along while I was still wrapped up in the current chapter. 

In typical Low fashion she crafted a cast of wholly memorable, realistic characters, some more likable than others. While I truly came to care about each of them, I was most invested in Bernadette’s life. She was such an authentic, kind person who’s been trapped in an awful marriage for thirty years and I really wanted her to be free and happy! Caro was also so sweet and loving, she definitely tugged on my heartstrings as well. Cammy was a lovely man with loads of charm and then there was Lila. Ugh she made me so angry, she’s definitely a hard one to relate to but I was still captivated by her story. (And her appalling behavior) 

This was full of heart, humor and even some genuinely sad moments, a really emotional read. Low is a really fantastic storyteller and I loved how she wove all of the subplots together in the end. I’ve been a fan of Low for awhile now and this may be my favorite book so far! 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author 

Shari lives in Glasgow and writes a weekly opinion column and Book Club page for a well-known newspaper. She is married to a very laid-back guy and has two athletic teenage sons, who think she’s fairly embarrassing, except when they need a lift.

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Release date: September 1, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: 

Ran McGhie’s world has been turned upside down. A young, lonely and frustrated writer, and suffering from mental-health problems, he discovers that his long-dead mother was related to one of Glasgow’s oldest merchant families. Not only that, but Ran has inherited Newton Hall, a vast mansion that belonged to his great-uncle, who appears to have been watching from afar as his estranged great-nephew has grown up. Entering his new-found home, he finds that Great-Uncle Fitzpatrick has turned it into a temple to the written word – the perfect place for poet Ran. But everything is not as it seems. As he explores the Hall’s endless corridors, Ran’s grasp on reality appears to be loosening. And then he comes across an ancient lift; and in that lift a mirror. And in the mirror … the reflection of a woman … A terrifying psychological thriller with more than a hint of the Gothic, House of Spines is a love letter to the power of books, and an exploration of how lust and betrayal can be deadly… 

I’m so pleased to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for House of Spines today! 

Review: 

You may remember me raving last year about A Suitable Lie so to say I was thrilled to read House of Spines would be an understatement. While the two books couldn’t be more different in terms of the plot, there was the same sense of being utterly consumed by this book that I had while read ASL. Malone has the uncanny ability to get under your skin and his writing style is so eloquent and fluid, it’s a captivating experience to read his work. 

 Almost from the moment that Ran enters Newton Hall he is thrown off balance, the house has a profound and powerful affect on him, some good and some not so good, but he is enchanted nevertheless. He was a sympathetic character though his reliability is highly questionable as he suffers from mental illness making me wonder whether the unexplainable things he’s experiencing are real or part of his delusions as a side effect of being bipolar. The lines between fact and fiction are constantly blurred which gave the whole book an unsettling, creepy vibe. 

The house itself was an additional character as it seemed to have a distinct personality and moodiness that shifted just like it would in a person. The atmosphere was claustrophobic, tense and chilling most of the time but there were also moments where Ran himself would be in a chipper mood and the house would follow suit.

 This was such a bewitching read that was still very much a psychological thriller but with it’s own unique spin, I’ve never read anything quite like House of Spines before. It was dark, twisty and intense with the lyrical prose that I’ve now come to expect from Malone. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a fresh, remarkable read! 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author 

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country, just a stone’s throw from the great man’s cottage in Ayr. Well, a stone thrown by a catapult. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. His career as a poet has also included a (very) brief stint as the Poet-In- Residence for an adult gift shop. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize (judge: Alex Gray) from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie’s Call (a non-fiction work about successful modern-day Scots); A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage and The Bad Samaritan. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number one bestseller. Michael is a regular reviewer for the hugely popular crime fiction website http://www.crimesquad.com. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller.

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Release date: September 5, 2017

Publisher: MIRA Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Domestic Suspense

Blurb: 

They built a life on lies 

Sutton and Ethan Montclair’s idyllic life is not as it appears. The couple seems made for each other, but the truth is ugly. Consumed by professional and personal betrayals and financial woes, the two both love and hate each other. As tensions mount, Sutton disappears, leaving behind a note saying not to look for her.

Ethan finds himself the target of vicious gossip as friends, family and the media speculate on what really happened to Sutton Montclair. As the police investigate, the lies the couple have been spinning for years quickly unravel. Is Ethan a killer? Is he being set up? Did Sutton hate him enough to kill the child she never wanted and then herself? The path to the answers is full of twists that will leave the reader breathless. 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Lie to Me! If you want to follow along with the tour check out TLC Book Tours for the full schedule. 

Review:

Domestic thrillers are one of my go to sub genres, there is something completely fascinating about getting a glimpse into a couples marriage beyond what is seen in public. There’s a reason books featuring couples with secrets and betrayals is so huge right now, for me it’s because I love the idea of being a fly on the wall during the unraveling of a marriage. (Yes, I do realize how terrible that sounds)  I have seen many people comparing this to Gone Girl and while I can definitely see why, Lie To Me stands firmly on it’s own two feet and I personally think it’s better than GG. 

The narration in this book is flawless, the first half is told from Ethan’s point of view, then the second half switches to Sutton’s perspective. While these two both had compelling stories and strong voices the addition of a third unknown narrator added something downright menacing to the story. This person speaks directly to the reader in a bitter, cruel voice that chilled me right to the bone. The chapters were brief, the type that beg you to keep going for just one more chapter and before you know it, it’s the wee hours of the morning. Speaking of chapters they were all so cleverly titled which doesn’t happen much anymore, but the title gave a little hint as to what was to come next, I loved that! The story unfolds mainly in the present but there are times when it flips back to various times in Sutton and Ethan’s relationship that helped to shed light on how they came to be at the awful point they’re at today. 

Sutton and Ethan are both writers and I loved the insight into the industry this provided. Their careers played a large role in the downfall of their relationship as they were both competitive and jealous causing huge rifts in a already fragile marriage. Neither of them were very likable or relatable but they were both utterly fascinating despite their flaws. There was an air of glamour surrounding them even though I knew they weren’t as perfect as they seemed on paper. As for reliability? Forget it, I couldn’t get a true handle on whether either of them were trustworthy right until the bitter end. 

You may have noticed that I haven’t really touched on the plot and that’s because there were so many head spinning revelations throughout that I’m not even gonna go there. Ellison would gently lead me down one path and then just when I would start to feel confident and that I knew what was going on she would shove me in the opposite direction leaving me reeling and back to square one. 

This was an entertaining, dramatic read that had me addicted from its opening pages. It’s sharp and intelligently crafted and delivered twists and turns right up until the final pages. If you’re a fan of books like Behind Closed Doors, The Marriage Lie and The Couple Next Door you’ll love this one! 

Overall rating: 5/5
About the Author: 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.T. Ellison writes standalone domestic noir and psychological thriller series, the latter starring Nashville Homicide Lt. Taylor Jackson and medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens, and pens the international thriller series “A Brit in the FBI” with #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter. Cohost of the Emmy Award-winning show, A Word on Words, Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband.

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Release date: September 1, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

One mistake could change your life forever.

Tara has it all. Married and about to move into her dream home, she can’t explain why she is tempted by one last fling with her ex before she settles down.

David would do anything for Tara. So when he finds her with another man, his world starts to crumble around him.

Ryan isn’t prepared for the punch David throws at him. Stumbling, he slips over the balcony and falls three storeys to the patio below.

In one split second a man will be killed. In one split second David and Tara’s life will change forever.

How far would you go to save everything you have?

A twist-filled thriller for fans of The Couple Next Door, T.M. Logan and Rachel Abbott.

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Accident! 

Review:

I love the premise for this, the idea that one moment in time can have a huge impact on ones life is both intriguing and terrifying! When David gets in a scuffle with Ryan, (the man who has been sleeping with his wife) and dies his and Tara’s lives will be forever changed. He didn’t mean to kill Ryan, but that doesn’t change the fact that he did. The accident itself is just the tip of the iceberg in this tangled story, there were loads of twists and secrets making for a highly entertaining read. 

This was a breathless read, the pacing was solid and I was engaged throughout. I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the characters but that never bothers me, I still like to read about people I don’t have much in common with. Though I did find it to be mostly fast paced, even frenzied at times, there were a few chapters that had a more sedate feeling. This worked for me though, it almost lulled me into a false sense of security so when I was blindsided with another twist it was all the more shocking. The conclusion was surprising and exciting, definitely unpredictable and appreciated. 

About the Author: 

and Rachel Abbott.

 

Author Bio:

 

 

 

 

S. D. Monaghan grew up in Dublin before travelling extensively in Asia, Europe and America. After teaching English in Thailand for two years, he moved back to Ireland and gained an honours

degree in psychology. While living in Canada for four years, he

studied screenwriting in Toronto. S. D. Monaghan completed the

Masters in Creative Writing at Trinity College, Dublin with the

editorial guidance of the Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford and

Orange Prize nominee, Deirdre Madden. On the strength of his

work there, he was chosen to represent both the university and

the Oscar Wilde Writers’Centre to read excerpts at the Dublin

Publishers Festival and on Dublin Culture Night. He lives in Dublin with his wife, where he is currently working on his new novel. He is represented by Zoe Ross at United Agents.

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Release date: October 2, 2017

Publisher: Down & Out Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Former Pittsburgh narcotics detective Trevor Galloway has been hired to look into the year-old homicide of a prominent businessman who was gunned down on his estate in Central Pennsylvania. When Galloway arrives, he determines the murder could have only been committed by someone extremely skilled in two areas: Skiing and shooting. He believes the assailant should not be too difficult to identify given the great amount of skill and athleticism needed to pull off the attack. When he discovers the victim’s property is next door to a biathlon training camp, the situation becomes significantly more complicated. 

Galloway makes plenty of enemies as he sifts through stories about lucrative land deals, possible drug connections, and uncovers evidence suggesting the homicide may have been elaborate suicide. As he attempts to navigate through an unfamiliar rural landscape, he does his best not to succumb to an old drug addiction, or become confused by one of his occasional hallucinations. Oh, and a Pittsburgh drug gang enforcer known as The Lithuanian—if he’s even real—is tracking Galloway and wants to take his eyes. Galloway would rather keep those. 

In Bolt Action Remedy, the typically quiet streets of Washaway Township, Pennsylvania become the epicenter of a mystery involving elite athletes and old grudges. For Galloway, the problems keep piling up and somebody out there believes problems should be dealt with by employing the most permanent of remedies. 

I’m so excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Bolt Action Remedy! 

Review: 

Right from the first page of this one I was hooked, a man is shot amd killed on his property and the tension and setting was so vividly rendered, I felt like I was there, a part of the action myself. Then we flip to a year later and are introduced to Trevor Galloway, a former detective with a harrowing past. His friend Chase has asked him to investigate a cold case, that of the man who was gunned down in the prologue. 

Two things really grabbed me and made me well and truly hooked on this book. First  the assailant had to be a biathlete which is such a unique and interesting premise, I’ve never read a book with anything even remotely close to this setting/idea and nothing makes me happier than reading a crime novel with a fresh perspective. On top of the super intriguing premise, Galloway was the type of lead that makes my heart sing. He’s damaged, flawed and practically broken, but he also has the type of ironic, wry sense of humor that never fails to satisfy me as a reader. He also suffers from occasional hallucinations making his reliability  a constant guessing game that kept me on my toes. 

This was really fast paced with a ton of action and some great scenes that made my heart race. The writing style is sharp and witty and there was enough information about biathlons to keep me engaged but not so much excessive info that I was bored. The mystery itself was taut and I could never quite figure out what would happen next, it really was an entertaining read. If you’re looking for a fresh, remarkable crime novel, give this one a shot. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.