Tag: #bookreview #blogtour

Blog Tour: Follow You by Richard Parker @BookWalter @Bookouture #BeMyKiller

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: May 26, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

You set the trap. Now you can’t escape.


When an online prank goes viral and triggers a spate of gruesome murders, documentary maker Hazel Salter watches in horror. But then Hazel’s childhood friend, Meredith Hickman, is the next victim and Hazel knows she has to find out what happened to her.


Is it one killer or more? Random acts of violence, or part of a bigger, twisted plan?


The police have no leads, but Hazel has a theory – one she’ll stop at nothing to prove – and she also has a film crew. She’ll make a documentary, catch the killer, and give Meredith justice.


Her stage is the abandoned amusement park where Meredith was found. 


Her cast are the family and friends the killer left behind. 


And her crew? They keep disappearing, one by one…


A shocking, ‘just-one-more-page’ thriller with the most twisted killer you’ll ever meet. This book will hook you from the first page and keep you guessing long into the night. PERFECT for fans of James Patterson, Mo Hayder, and Chris Carter.

I’m so excited to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Follow You today! I’m sharing the day with one of my favorite bloggers, Joanne at My Chestnut Reading Tree so make sure you stop over there and see what she thought as well. 


The premise for this one instantly hooked me, even before I read the chilling opening chapter. Speaking of the first chapter, last week Richard and the lovely Kim Nash hosted a really interesting Facebook Live where he read the first chapter, so if you missed it and want to get a feel for the book, it’s a great place to start! Social media as the hunting grounds for a serial killer was a really clever basis for this book, @BeMyKiller is a Twitter account that went viral when people that used the hashtag or tweeted the account were murdered based on the taunts they used. Tweet saying the killer is gutless and you may find yourself literally gutted. Many people were scared to use the hashtag for this tour, but I’m being brave! 😜

This has the vibe of an old slasher movie, think 80’s movies like The Nightmare on Elm Street and Child’s Play mixed with the campy feel of 90s horror movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. There was the same large cast of characters in a perfect atmospheric setting, this used an old, abandoned amusement park. In fact, this book is begging to be turned into a movie, it would be great! 

This is not for the faint of heart, it’s gory, graphic and has some highly original murder scenes. Some of them are seriously twisted, if you’ve read this you’ll know why I’ll never be able to look at a mobility scooter the same way again, yikes! I was constantly on the edge of my seat as I wondered who the next victim would be, the tension was fantastic and there were some parts that were real nail biters. 

This was very fast paced and creepy with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I had heard before I read it that it was one of Bookouture’s darkest books to date and I would have to agree, it’s pretty depraved! It was also a whole lot of fun, highly entertaining and left me guessing up until the end. 

Overall rating: 4/5

About the Author: 


Parker is an ex TV script writer, script editor and producer who now writes dark, stand alone thrillers. His first novel, Stop Me, was nominated for a Dagger Award. The movie rights to his second, Scare Me, have been bought by Hollywood studio Relativity Media with screenplay completed by Wentworth ‘PRISON BREAK’ Miller and his third, Stalk Me, rode high in the US and UK Amazon charts.

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Blog Tour: Body Breaker by Mike Craven @MWCravenUK @caffeinenights

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: May 25, 2017

Publisher: Caffeine Nights

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

From Debut Dagger Shortlisted Novelist Mike Craven

“Among the many fictional police detectives beset by grave personal and professional stresses, Fluke and his team standout.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY


Investigating a severed hand found on the 3rd green of a Cumbrian golf course was not how Detective Inspector Avison Fluke had planned to spend his Saturday. So when a secretive unit from London swoop in quoting national security, he’s secretly pleased.


But trouble is never far away. A young woman arrives at his lakeside cabin with a cryptic message: a code known to only a handful of people and it forces Fluke back into the investigation he’s just been barred from.


In a case that will change his life forever, Fluke immerses himself in a world of new age travellers, corrupt cops and domestic extremists. Before long he’s alienated his entire team, made a pact with the devil and been arrested under the terrorism act.


But Fluke is only getting started. A voice has called out to him from beyond the grave and he has no intention of ignoring it.


“Everything you want in a British procedural: a dark world, a tangled case, a clear and logical solution, and a deeply flawed hero who’s still well worth rooting for.” KIRKUS REVIEWS 


“A forceful new voice in British crime fiction.” CARO RAMSAY (author of the Anderson and Costello novels) 


“Fluke is my favourite fictional detective.” MICHAEL J. MALONE (author of the Ray McBain novels)


I’m thrilled to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Body Breaker today!


Review: 

I have a thing for flawed fictional detectives, I think it’s the rawness and vulnerability that’s usually hiding underneath a tough exterior, but by the time I had finished the first chapter of Body Breaker I knew that I had another favorite to add to my list after being introduced to Avison Fluke. This was so much more than an average police procedural, it had multilayered depth that made it truly memorable. 

It opens with a bang, Fluke gets called out to a golf course when a hand is discovered, so yes this is grisly at times. There was nothing added just for shock value though, there was a meaning behind every gory crime scene. As he starts to dig into the case, he’s shocked when there is a very personal connection between his own past and he’s even more bound and determined to find the killer.

Fluke and his partner and longtime friend, Towler have such a fantastic and well crafted relationship, it really feels genuine and their bond is wholly believable. In fact, the whole book is brilliant in the same type of way as it rings true throughout. The characterization is so deep and rich, I had such an honest sense of truly knowing who Fluke is and got a very insightful and in depth look at a man who is deeply and woefully endearing.

This book really kept me on my toes, there were red herrings galore and turns that knocked the breath out of me. I never could’ve pieced things together the way Fluke and his team did, it was very cleverly plotted and the ending was tidy, yet left wide open for a follow up book. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Noelle at CrimeBookJunkie and the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


Although he was born in Cumbria, Mike Craven grew up in the North East before running away to join the army as soon as he was sixteen. After training as an armourer for two and a half years (that’s an army gunsmith to you and I), he spent the next ten travelling the world having fun. In 1995 he left the army, and after a brief flirtation with close protection and bodyguarding, decided on a degree in social work with specialisms in criminology and substance misuse. In 1999 he joined Cumbria Probation Service as a probation officer, working his way up to chief officer grade. Sixteen years later, he took the plunge and accepted redundancy to concentrate on writing full-time, and now has entirely different motivations for trying to get inside the minds of criminals.

 

Mike’s first DI Avison Fluke novel, Born in a Burial Gown, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award and was published on 11th June 2015 by Caffeine Nights. Also available is his award winning collection of short stories featuring Fluke and his colleagues from the Cumbrian Force Major Incident Team, Assume Nothing, Believe Nobody, Challenge Everything. Body Breaker, the hotly anticipated follow up to Born in a Burial Gown, is out on May 25th.

 

In March 2017, Mike signed a two book contract with the Little, Brown imprint, Constable, for his new series starring the National Crime Agency’s Washington Poe, an expert in serial killers and seemingly motiveless crimes. The first Poe book – as yet untitled – will be published in hardback in spring 2018.

 

Between leaving the army and securing his first publishing deal, Mike found time to keep a pet crocodile, breed snakes, get married, and buy a springer spaniel named Bracken. He lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne, where he tries to leave the house as little as possible. Mike is also one third of Crime Ink-Corporated, a trio of northern writers who take writing out for the community and host events such as England’s first Noir at the Bar.

 

Mike’s first DI Avison Fluke novel, Born in a Burial Gown, was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. He is a member of both the Crime Writers’ Association and the International Thriller Writers’ Association.

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Blog Tour: The Revelation Room by Mark Tilbury @MTilburyAuthor @Bloodhoundbook

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Release date: May 25, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

Ben Whittle’s father, a private investigator, has been taken captive by a cult whilst investigating the case of a missing girl. When Ben receives a desperate call from his father asking for help he is drawn into a dark underground world.


As Ben retraces the last known steps of the missing girl he discovers his only option left is to join the cult and rescue his father from the inside.


The leader of the cult, Edward Ebb, is a psychopathic egocentric who uses his position to control his small group of followers in The Sons and Daughters of Salvation. When he initiates Ben into the group it soon becomes apparent how sick and twisted Ebb is.


Ben must find his father and the missing girl, but the odds are stacked against him and time is running out.


Can Ben rescue his father and the girl and escape with his life?

And what is the gruesome secret concealed in the Revelation Room?


The Revelation Room is the first in a new series of psychological mystery thrillers.

I’m thrilled to be helping to kick off the blog tour for The Revelation Room today. I want to wish Mark Tilbury a very happy relaunch day as well. 


Review: 

I have a somewhat sick fascination with the idea of cults, they just intrigue me so when I read the blurb for this one, I just knew I had to read it. Having previously loved Tilbury’s The Abbatoir of Dreams I was eager to read some more of his work and this book had some of the great qualities that I enjoyed the first time around. 

Ben is a reluctant PI, his father Geoff is the one who does the real investigating and he normally just helps him around the office. When Geoff gets captured by a cult, the only way to save him is to join himself, but thankfully for Ben, his friend Maddie insists on joining with him. These two are pretty opposite as far as personalities are concerned, but somehow they work well together. He lacks self confidence and is terrified at the prospect of infiltrating the cult, while Maddie is more outgoing and confident, she’s ready for anything. Poor Ben really tugged at my heart strings, he has a stutter and was just the sweetest kid, I wanted to hug him and keep him safe. 

The leader of the cult, Ebb was the personification of evil, Tilbury sure knows how to craft some sadistic characters. How he managed to manipulate the members of The Sons and Daughters of Salvation is beyond me, but the things he says and does are both delusional and horrifying. There are definitely some gruesome and gory scenes, but there’s also plenty of witty black humor to lighten the mood. This was a quick read with steady pacing and a good flow along with great characterization and an interesting storyline. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.


After serving in the Royal Navy and raising his two daughters after being widowed, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.


He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have his third novel, The Abattoir of Dreams, published, and The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused re-launched, by Bloodhound Books.


When he’s not writing, Mark can be found trying and failing to master blues guitar,and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.

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Blog Tour: Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea by Liz Eeles @lizeelesauthor @bookouture

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Release date: May 18, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb: 

Prepare to be whisked away to the Cornish seaside, where clear blue skies, crashing waves, and a welcoming choir await you. 


Annie Trebarwith has no family to tie her down, and she likes it that way. But when a letter arrives, unexpectedly inviting her to visit her great aunt Alice in her family’s ancestral home, curiosity gets the better of her and she travels to deepest Cornwall to meet the family she’s never known. 


Salt Bay is beautiful and Tregavara House imposing – but there’s no phone signal and some of the locals, like the gorgeous but brooding Josh, are incredibly grumpy. But Alice’s poor health compels Annie to stay, so to keep herself busy she relaunches the Salt Bay Choral Society. 


Annie is surprised to see how much the choir means to the community, and she even starts to break through Josh’s surly exterior. As she begins to put down roots in Salt Bay, Annie soon realises that there’s a lot to be said for finding the place where you belong after all… 


Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea is a heartwarming story about family, belonging and the healing power of music, perfect for fans of Alex Brown, Rachael Lucas and Carole Matthews. 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Annie’s Lovely Choir by the Sea. 


Review: 

Have you ever picked up a book at just exactly the right time, it’s like the stars align and everything just fits into place perfectly? That’s what happened when I picked up this splendid book, it was the breathe of fresh I needed at exactly the right moment and I absolutely fell in love. 

Annie was the type of character that I formed a bond with right away, she’s so well formed that it was very easy for me to imagine her leaping from the pages and entering my real life. Oh how I wish she would, I just adored her. She’s very closed off and likes to keep to herself as she doesn’t really believe in the idea of family. It was always just her and her mom and now that her mom has passed away, she’s perfectly content on her own and knows that forming deep bonds and meaningful relationships only leads to headaches and trouble. When she decides to go meet her aunt for the first time she really goes out of curiosity and expects that it’ll be a quick trip and then she’ll get back to her life in London. But she didn’t anticipate meeting an irresistible cast of colorful characters in Salt Bay.

The characters were all absolutely engaging and lovable (with the exception of one) and I couldn’t possibly pick my favorite, I equally enjoyed all of them. Kayla is an Aussie barmaid with a wicked sense of humor and loads of charm. Josh is a moody hunk who tends to rub Annie the wrong way and she refers to him as a Cornish pirate which while hilarious, conjures up quite an alluring image. Alice is her aunt and was a dear, sweet woman and the residents of Salt Bay were all highly eccentric and wholly entertaining. 

There were some surprises as far as the plot line is concerned as there was a secret family history that comes to light as well as enough warm moments to leave me feeling cozy and content. Despite the title the choir isn’t the sole focus, rather it’s more about Annie and how her ideas about family and life in general shift and of course there is a cute romance. It was a totally outstanding debut that made me giggle and maybe even tear up a few times, I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a super fun, light read. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 


Liz began her writing career as a journalist for newspapers and magazines before moving into the health sector as a communications manager and press officer. The low point of her career was abandoning an interview with Cliff Richard after two questions because she was about to faint – her excuse is that she was newly pregnant at the time.


Liz is from Gloucestershire but now lives by the sea in West Sussex with her husband and grown-up daughter. She spends a lot of time meaning to meditate, avoiding exercise, and missing her son who lives in London.

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Blog Tour: The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea @CharlieDonlea @KensingtonBooks

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Release date: April 25, 2017

Publisher: Kensington 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

Charlie Donlea, one of the most original new voices in suspense, returns with a haunting novel, laden with twists and high tension, about two abducted girls one who returns, one who doesn’t and the forensics expert searching for answers. 


Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search. No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods. 


A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity. It s a triumphant, inspiring story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole’s older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found, and it will be up to someone like Livia to analyze the evidence and finally determine her sister’s fate. Instead, the first clue to Nicole’s disappearance comes from another body that shows up in Livia’s morgue that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the two were taken. Other girls have gone missing too, and Livia is increasingly certain the cases are connected. 


But Megan knows more than she revealed in her blockbuster book. Flashes of memory are coming together, pointing to something darker and more monstrous than her chilling memoir describes. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for. 

Review: 

Do you like to read books that may take a short time to warm up, but then when they do, things take off at a breathtaking pace? Or how about books that are intricately plotted with a cast of well drawn, realistic characters? What about books that skim the boundaries of genre labels and just do their own thing? If you found yourself nodding along while reading that, then I have the book for you! 

Stories that focus on the aftermath following an abduction are always quick to draw my attention and though this started off a tiny bit slow, I was still hooked rather quickly. The beginning focuses on Livia as she’s completing her residency in pathology and there is quite a bit of medical jargon used, but that type of thing interests me and Livia’s POV was a new one for me. It uses an alternating timeline from the weeks leading up to the abduction and then over a year after Megan escapes and Nicole is still missing. The chapters are short and extremely fast paced and as things flip back and forth, you slowly but surely find out what happened. Nicole’s flashbacks have crossover appeal as they had a YA feel to them, adding to the realistic writing throughout. 

There were a lot of hints dropped that mislead me and in no way did I have it all figured out, Donlea didn’t take the easy way out by going with the obvious answers, he executed some killer twists that left me gasping. I think this is one that will fool even the craftiest of readers, multiple times. At times it was dark as it explored some sick, odd obsessions but that made it all the more of a compulsive read for me. I also really liked the chapters where Megan was doing hypnotherapy sessions as it’s a subject that intrigues me. This was a fantastic, solid mystery that delivered on all levels. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Blog Tour: Ella’s Ice Cream Summer by Sue Watson @suewatsonwriter @bookouture

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Release date: May 11, 2017

Publisher: Bookouture 

Genre: Romantic Comedy 

Blurb: 

Ella’s life just hit rock-bottom, but can a summer by the sea mend her broken heart? When life gives you lemons… make ice-cream!


Life hasn’t always been easy for single mum Ella, but she has just hit an all-time low; she’s jobless, loveless, very nearly homeless and, to make matters worse, now the owner of a pocket-sized pooch with a better wardrobe than her.


Packing her bags (and a bigger one for the dog), Ella sets off for the seaside town of Appledore in Devon to re-live the magical summers of her youth and claim her portion of the family ice-cream business: a clapped-out ice-cream van and a complicated mess of secrets.


There she meets gorgeous and free-spirited solicitor, Ben, who sees things differently: with a little bit of TLC he has a plan to get the van – and Ella – back up and running in no time.


Ella’s Ice-Cream Summer is a heart-warming and hilarious romance that will scoop you off your feet and prove it’s never too late for a fresh start. The ideal holiday read for fans of Lucy Diamond, Abby Clements and Debbie Johnson.

I’m so excited to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Ella’s Ice Cream Summer today! I’m sharing the day with my buddy Sam at Clues and Reviews so make sure you check in with her too. 


Review: 

Oh my gosh you guys this book had me literally laughing out loud during the first chapter! Before long I had tears streaming down my face, it was THAT funny. Let me give you just a few examples of what had me giggling uncontrollably. Ella’s mom, Roberta is inappropriately hilarious, she thinks sexting is regular old texting and there was something about a sexting a vicar, then there’s her best friend Sue who mixes up words all the time, she said erotic in place of erratic, and  THEN she gets saddled with her son’s girlfriends dog, Delilah, who is the definition of high maintenance and has more outfits than Kim Kardashian. Even the chapter titles were hilarious, one of my favorites was entitled, Strawberry Shakes and Sex on the Stairs. Are you convinced yet?!

Besides being wickedly funny, there was warmth and sweetness as well. Ella meets Ben when she heads to Appledore and I loved how their relationship was relatively easy and drama free yet far from perfect, it was realistic. Ben was a lovable goof, very clumsy but that made him so endearing to me. Things for Ella weren’t quite so drama free in terms of her working life, but I also appreciated that a fabulous opportunity at a new life wasn’t just handed to her, she had to struggle to get where she wanted to be. 

I just have a feeling that Sue is the type of person who would be fun to have a drink with, anyone who writes such warm, funny and charming books must be a blast to hang out with! She even included a scrumptious looking recipe for ice cream in the end that I’m absolutely dying to try. If you’re looking for a sweet escape this summer, look no further. This book was heartwarming, hip, colorful, sassy and sweet and even had a bit of family drama and secrets, what more could you want?!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy. 

About the Author: 



Sue Watson was a journalist on women’s magazines and national newspapers before leaving it all behind for a career in TV. As a producer with the BBC she worked on garden makeovers, kitchen takeovers and daytime sofas – all the time making copious notes so that one day she might escape to the country and turn it all into a book.
After much deliberation and copious consumption of cake, Sue eventually left her life in TV to write. After a very successful debut novel, Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes Sue signed with Bookouture.

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Blog Tour: Watching the Bodies by Graham Smith @GrahamSmith1972 @Bloodhoundbook

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Release date: April 18, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

When Jake Boulder is asked by his PI friend to help investigate the vicious murder of Kira Niemeyer, he soon finds himself tracking a serial killer who selects his next victim in a most unusual manner.


As the body count rises, Boulder has to work with the police to identify the heinous killer before more lives are taken. What ensues is a twisted game of cat and mouse, that only Boulder or the Watcher can survive. But who will it be? 

I’m so pleased to be closing down the North American leg of the Watching the Bodies tour! 


Review: 

I’ve seen Smith’s work highly praised by my U.K. blogger buddies many times in the past, so when I heard he was releasing the first book in a new series set in the US, I knew I had to get involved! Jake Boulder is one hell of a lead character and he has such a strong, distinct voice along with a unique viewpoint that really intrigues me. 

Jake isn’t a detective or a PI nor does he have any real connection to law enforcement, he’s a bouncer with a temper that he tries to control, try being the key word. His best friend is a PI and asks for his help when he’s hired by the father of a young woman who was murdered as he has little faith in the local police, which is totally justified. I always like a fresh POV in any crime novel and this provided that totally. It kind of reminded me of Owen Mullen’s Charlie Cameron series in a way. They both have an easy writing style that absorbs me, yet they still manage to create tension and pulse pounding moments. 

The case itself was so interesting, a serial killer is escalating and the bodies are piling up way faster than the incompetent detectives in town can handle. His methods and motivations are so complex, I wish I could say more, but half the fun of this book was discovering all the plot intricacies. Smith inserts chapters from the killers perspective and those never fail to chill me to the bone. I’m very impressed by the direction this series seems to be heading and I can’t wait for book two!

Overall rating: 4/5

About the Author: 


Graham Smith is married with a young son. A time served joiner he 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 one book, WATCHING THE BODIES in a new series featuring Utah doorman, Jake Boulder.

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Blog Tour: The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest @ElaineEverest

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Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: May 4, 2017

Publisher: Pan

Genre: Historical fiction 

Blurb: 

They escaped their pasts, for the adventure of a lifetime . . .


‘Molly Missons gazed around in awe. So this was Butlin’s. Whitewashed buildings, bordered by rhododendrons, gave a cheerful feeling to a world still recovering from six years of war. The Skegness holiday camp covered a vast area, much larger than Molly expected to see.’


Molly Missons hasn’t had the best of times recently. Having lost her parents, now some dubious long-lost family have darkened her door – attempting to steal her home and livelihood…


After a horrendous ordeal, Molly applies for a job as a Butlin’s Aunty. When she receives news that she has got the job, she immediately leaves her small home town – in search of a new life in Skegness.


Molly finds true friendship in Freda, Bunty and Plum. But the biggest shock is discovering that star of the silver screen, Johnny Johnson, is working at Butlin’s as head of the entertainment team. Johnny takes an instant liking to Molly and she begins to shed the shackles of her recent traumas. Will Johnny be just the distraction Molly needs – or is he too good be to be true?


I’m so pleased to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for The Butlins Girls. 


Review: 

I had no prior knowledge of holiday camps before reading this book so I had no idea exactly what to expect, but I’m so glad that I read this, it was such a delightful read. You know those books that just leave you feeling happy and warm when you’re done? This is that type of book, it was adorable. 

After discovering that Butlins holiday camps are  indeed real, (excuse me, my American is showing)  I spent some time doing good old Google research as I was reading because I was so taken with the concept. The first camp opened in 1936 and though they closed during the war, they are still running today! I had a blast looking through their website and am now trying to figure out how to convince my husband we need to take a vacation there. The book is set when Butlins opens after the war is over and Molly Missons gets a job there. 

The characterization is fantastic, Molly is such a dear, sweet, innocent girl, I took to her right away. Her parents passed away in a car accident and she has no family left. She does, however have some wonderful friends and that’s who she turns too when times are hard. When her friend, Freda encourages her to apply for a job at Butlins she takes a chance and meets some lifelong friends in her roommates Bunty and Plum, both of whom are also well drawn, though all three are vastly different. She also meets Johnny, a movie star who is in the entertainment part of the camp. 

This had a little something for everyone, it has a deep history, some light romance, and even some mystery, a cozy one at that. It was about friendship and family and had a saga feel to it with some drama added. Freda is apparently from Everest’s first novel, The Woolworths Girls and now I’m eager to go back and read more about her. I’m also holding out hope that maybe there will be a sequel to this book, it was such a truly lovely, warm read. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

Blog Tour: Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson @JoGustawsson @OrendaBooks

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Goodreads|Amazon US|Amazon UK
Release date: May 1, 2017

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

In Falkenberg, Sweden, the mutilated body of talented young jewelry designer Linnea Blix is found in a snow-swept marina. In Hampstead Heath, London, the body of a young boy is discovered with similar wounds to Linnea’s. Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 1944. In the midst of the hell of the Holocaust, Erich Ebner will do anything to see himself as a human again. Are the two murders the work of a serial killer, and how are they connected to shocking events at Buchenwald? Emily Roy, a profiler on loan to Scotland Yard from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, joins up with Linnea’s friend, French true-crime writer Alexis Castells, to investigate the puzzling case. They travel between Sweden and London, and then deep into the past, as a startling and terrifying connection comes to light. 

I’m so delighted to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour for Block 46 today. 


Review: 

It’s only the first week of May but I’m already betting that Block 46 is going to be my favorite read this month, I’m that confident. I’ll even go so far as to say that it will have a firm spot on my list of top reads for the entire year. While I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect before I read this, I certainly wasn’t expecting to be so blown away. 

There are two timelines here, the first is in 2014 where Emily Roy and Alexis Castells are trying to catch a serial killer who has hunting grounds in both London and Sweden, then there is a historical element that follows Erich, a prisoner in a concentration camp in 1944. I equally loved both timelines and wondered how they would eventually merge together, I congratulated myself (prematurely) on figuring out how everything would fit together only to be completely wrong, Gustawsson flipped the script and blindsided me totally with a killer twist. 

Emily is a profiler while Alexis is a true crime writer and telling the story from their points of view brought a fresh insight that I didn’t even realize was missing from this genre until now. Erich’s chapters were heartbreakingly harrowing and invoked so many emotions in me. The author is unflinchingly honest in her portrayal of the horrors of Nazi camps and while parts were extremely difficult to stomach, they were beautifully and sensitively depicted at the same time, a rare combination that she pulls off absolutely flawlessly. 
The writing is crisp, taut and intelligent, the plotting is tight, bold and skilled, and had a profound effect on me as a reader. It’s one of those books that linger well after you finish and challenged me to think in a deep way. Gustawsson is not afraid to take the reader to dark places but it’s not just for shock value, it’s purposeful, meaningful even. This is a stunning beginning to a new series from a formidable author that I couldn’t be more excited about. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Orenda Books for my review copy. 

Blog Tour: The Note by Andrew Barrett @AndrewBarrettUK

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Goodreads|

Release date: May 5, 2017

Publisher: The Ink Foundry

Genre: Crime Fiction 

Blurb: 

I’m Eddie Collins, a CSI.

Ever had that feeling of being watched but when you turn around no one’s there?

I have. 

It was raining, and I was working a murder scene around midnight when that prickle ran up my spine. If I’d listened to that feeling, if I’d thought back to my past, maybe I could have prevented the terror that was to come.

Back at the office, I found a death threat on my desk.

I had no idea who sent it or why they wanted to kill me.

But I was about to find out.

I’m so pleased to be a stop on the blog tour for The Note today! 


Review: 

This is the second book I’ve read by Andrew Barrett, I read Ledston Luck a few months ago and was really impressed. That was the fourth in a series featuring CSI Eddie Collins and I loved his character and the fact that the story was told from a fresh perspective. Andrew Barrett is a CAI himself so the authenticity is outstanding and you know you’re getting a true look at the life of a CSI. The Note is a short story featuring Eddie and it was fun to check in on him again, albeit briefly. 

Barrett sure knows how to set a creepy stage, it opens late one evening when Eddie is processing a crime scene and gets that uneasy feeling of being watched, unawares. Then, he finds a note that says he’ll be dead tonight. The atmosphere was really fantastic, late at night, alone in an office then at home, I was paranoid for Eddie’s safety just as much as he was! The chilling cover certainly matched what was inside and had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. 

As it’s such a short story I don’t want to say anything more about what happens, but Barrett manages to include a few shocking plot twists in a short amount of time. Even though Eddie is scared for most of the story his sarcasm and wit is still there, maybe even more so than usual. Defensive mechanism perhaps? I don’t know, but it always works for me! This is a perfect introduction to a great character, so if you haven’t read any of the books in this series, why not start here? 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.