#BookReview Insidious Intent by Val McDermid @valmcdermid @PGCBooks

#BookReview Insidious Intent by Val McDermid @valmcdermid @PGCBooks Title: Insidious Intent

Author: Val McDermid

Series: Tony Hill & Carol Jordan #10

Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press on Dec. 5, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 424

Format: Hardcover, ARC

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Widely recognized as one of our finest crime writers, with numerous accolades and legions of devoted readers worldwide, internationally bestselling author Val McDermid is back with the latest installment in her series featuring psychologist Tony Hill and former police detective Carol Jordan. In Insidious Intent, Tony and Carol are on the hunt for a serial killer who victimizes women at weddings without a date–and forces the duo to confront their most haunting moral dilemma so far.

In the north of England, single women are beginning to disappear from weddings. A pattern soon becomes clear: Someone is crashing the festivities and luring the women away–only to leave the victims’ bodies in their own burned-out cars in remote locations. Tony and Carol are called upon to investigate–but this may be the toughest case they’ve ever had to face. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Paula McIntyre and her partner Elinor must deal with a cruel cyber-blackmailer targeting their teenage ward, Torin.


Review:

Dark, meticulous, and menacing!

Insidious Intent is a riveting tale that immerses you into the evidence collection and investigation into the kidnapping and violent homicide of several lonely, vulnerable women and the hunt for a serial killer with a penchant for fire.

The prose is sophisticated and crisp. The characterization is spot on with all the usual gang back including the resilient, determined Carol Jordan whose greatest struggles involve her own guilt, secrets, demons, and addictions. And the plot is a skillfully crafted mix of twists, turns, murder, police corruption, manipulation, obsession, and deception.

Overall, Insidious Intent is nicely paced and has exceptional depth in both the storyline and character development. And even though this is the tenth book in the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan series, McDermid has written such an intriguing, entertaining tale that new fans will be quickly adding the previous novels in the series to their TBR and long-standing fans will be satisfied, surprised, and eager for book #11.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                          

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Val McDermid

Val McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.

She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.

She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.

#BookReview Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake @AuthorRDrake @StMartinsPress #JustBetweenUs

#BookReview Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake @AuthorRDrake @StMartinsPress  #JustBetweenUs Title: Just Between Us

Author: Rebecca Drake

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jan. 9, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 374

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their houses. But each of them has a dirty little secret, and hidden behind the veneer of their perfect lives is a crime and a mystery that will consume them all. 

Everything starts to unravel when Alison spots a nasty bruise on Heather’s wrist. She shares her suspicions with Julie and Sarah, compelling all three to investigate what looks like an increasingly violent marriage. As mysterious injuries and erratic behavior mount, Heather can no longer deny the abuse, but she refuses to leave her husband. Desperate to save her, Alison and the others dread the phone call telling them that she’s been killed. But when that call finally comes, it’s not Heather who’s dead. In a moment they’ll come to regret, the women must decide what lengths they’ll go to in order to help a friend.

Just Between Us is a thrilling glimpse into the underbelly of suburbia, where not all neighbors can be trusted, and even the closest friends keep dangerous secrets. You never really know what goes on in another person’s mind, or in their marriage.


Review:

Riveting, sophisticated, and well crafted!

Just Between Us is a character-driven, domestic thriller that delves into the intricate and dynamic bonds between friends and reminds us that everything is not always as it seems and you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.

The writing is precise and taut. The characters are complex, secretive, troubled, and believable. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, is bursting with suspense and tension as it quickly twists, turns, and unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.

Just Between Us at its core is a novel about friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, abuse, and murder. It’s deliciously dark, intriguing, and a real page-turner you won’t want to miss.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                          

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Rebecca Drake

REBECCA DRAKE is the author of the novels Don’t Be Afraid, The Next Killing, The Dead Place, which was an IMBA bestseller, and Only Ever You, as well as the short story “Loaded,” which was featured in Pittsburgh Noir. A graduate of Penn State University and former journalist, she is currently an instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction M.F.A. program. Rebecca lives in Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband and two children.

#BookReview #BlogTour Exile by James Swallow @jmswallow @BonnierZaffre

#BookReview #BlogTour Exile by James Swallow @jmswallow @BonnierZaffre Title: Exile

Author: James Swallow

Series: Marc Dane #2

Published by: Zaffre on Jun. 1, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 496

Format: Hardcover

Source: Bonnier Zaffre

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A vicious Serbian gang whose profits come from fake nuclear weapons

A disgraced Russian general, with access to the real thing.

A vengeful Somali warlord, with a cause for which he’d let the world burn.

A jaded government agency, without the information to stop him.

Only one man sees what’s coming. And even he might not be able to prevent it . . .

Racing breathlessly from uncharted CIA prisons to the skyscrapers of Dubai, from stormbeaten oil rigs off the African coast to the ancient caverns beneath the city of Naples, Marc Dane returns in the explosive new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of NOMAD


Review:

Intelligent, gripping, and chillingly plausible!

Exile is an adrenaline-pumping thrill ride that immerses you in the dark, gritty underworld of arms dealing and terrorism and reminds us that corruption, greed, and revenge often has no limits.

The writing is intense and well paced. The characters are strong-willed, tenacious, and resilient. And the plot is a riveting tale full of twists, turns, action, intrigue, power, violence, duplicity, manipulation, terror, and murder.

Overall Exile is a timely, suspenseful, action-packed thriller that showcases Swallow’s exceptional knowledge of cyber warfare, military weapons, and covert operations.

Exile is the second book in the “Marc Dane” series, and even though there are some references to events from the previous novel, Nomad, it can certainly be read as a standalone.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About James Swallow

James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon bestselling author and scriptwriter, a BAFTA nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over forty-five books, along with numerous scripts for videogames, radio and television.

His writing includes the Marc Dane action thriller series, the Sundowners steampunk Westerns and fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Warhammer 40,000, Doctor Who, 24, Deus Ex, Stargate, Tannhauser and 2000AD.

 

#BookReview A Proposal To Die For by Vivian Conroy @VivWrites @HQDigitalUK

#BookReview A Proposal To Die For by Vivian Conroy @VivWrites @HQDigitalUK Title: A Proposal to Die For

Author: Vivian Conroy

Series: Lady Alkmene #1

Published by: HQ Digital on Sep. 19, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 162

Format: eBook

Source: HQ Digital, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

The first book in the new Lady Alkmene Callender Mystery series

A murderous beginning

With her father away in India, Lady Alkmene Callender finds being left to her own devices in London intolerably dull, until the glamorous Broadway star Evelyn Steinbeck arrives in town! Gossip abounds about the New York socialite, but when Ms Steinbeck’s wealthy uncle, Silas Norwhich, is found dead Lady Alkmene finds her interest is piqued. Because this death sounds a lot to her like murder…

Desperate to uncover the truth, Lady Alkmene begins to look into Ms Steinbeck’s past – only to be hampered by the arrival of journalist, Jake Dubois – who believes she is merely an amateur lady-detective meddling in matters she knows nothing about!

But Lady Alkmene refuses to be deterred from the case and together they dig deeper, only to discover that some secrets should never come to light…


Review:

Whimsical, suspenseful, and amusing!

A Proposal To Die For is a lighthearted, cozy mystery that transports you back to 1920s London where Miss Lady Alkmene Callender has an abundance of freedom and imagination and where a timely introduction to the devilishly handsome, mysterious ex-con Jake Dubois has them teaming up to solve the suspicious death of the wealthy Silas Norwhich.

The writing style is fluid and smooth. The characters are engaging, endearing, and authentic. And the plot develops nicely and has the right mix of misdirection, deduction, suspects, clues, mishaps, and murder.

If you enjoy straightforward, entertaining mysteries that take you back in time to when forensics was almost nonexistent, social class was everything, and crimes could easily be solved by everyday snooping, shrewd reasoning, and stubborn determination this is a book for you.

If you haven’t already had a chance to read my review of Fatal Masquerade,  Lady Alkmene #4, be sure to check it out here:

 

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

For more information on Vivian Conroy follow her on Twitter at: @VivWrites

 

Thank you to Vivian Conroy and HQ Digital for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

#BookReview The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper @MinotaurBooks

#BookReview The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper @MinotaurBooks Title: The Vanishing Season

Author: Joanna Schaffhausen

Series: Ellery Hathaway #1

Published by: Minotaur Books on Dec. 5, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 274

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Minotaur Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.


Review:

Clever, disturbing, and highly suspenseful!

In this debut novel by Schaffhausen, The Vanishing Season, we are introduced to the tenacious, scarred Officer Hathaway and the once heroic now spiritless Agent Reed as they hunt for a serial killer with an all-consuming obsession and a penchant for violence.

The writing is taut and precise. The characters are flawed, complex and intriguing. And the plot is an intense, intricate police procedural full of twists, turns, surprises, cunning brutality, manipulation, and murder.

The Vanishing Season is truly a gripping, sinister page-turner that had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page and left me hoping this isn’t the last but only the first case for Hathaway and Reed.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                        

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Joanna Schaffhausen

JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN wields a mean scalpel, skills developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain—how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter. She is also the author of The Vanishing Season and No Mercy.

#BookReview Gilding The Lily by Justine John @JustineCJohn

#BookReview Gilding The Lily by Justine John @JustineCJohn Title: Gilding the Lily

Author: Justine John

Published by: Justine John on Nov. 25, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 244

Format: Paperback

Source: Justine John

Book Rating: 8/10

A gripping mystery of jealousy, murder and lies.

An invitation to her estranged, wealthy father’s surprise 75th birthday party in New York sees London-based Amelia and her husband, Jack, set off across the pond to meet a whole new world of family politics.

Amelia, now a successful businesswoman, has guiltily never liked her father’s women, but does her upmost to give his new socialite partner, Evelyn, the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just all get along? But there’s something very dark, determined and dangerous about her…

When Amelia’s father, Roger, becomes ill, Jack grows suspicious that there is more to it. Amelia understands why, but no one else will believe them. They travel back to America to piece together the puzzle, but when Roger goes missing, the couple are driven to their wit’s end. It takes a DEA officer and a secret assassin to bring them any answers. The ruthless truth is something no one expected…


Review:

Compelling, dark, and menacing!

Gilding The Lily is a character-driven novel that delves into the complicated, entangled relationship between family members and reminds us just how deceiving appearances can often be.

The writing is taut and twisty. The characters are determined, troubled, and secretive. And the plot, told predominately from two perspectives, subtly unfolds all the personalities, motivations, and actions within it to create a tense, suspenseful, cautious tale.

Gilding The Lily, at its core, is a novel about family, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, and murder. It’s an intriguing debut for John, and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy now from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to Justine John for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Justine John

Justine John became a full-time writer in her late forties, after a successfully running various businesses in London. Her first novel, Gilding The Lily, is a domestic noir suspense story. Animal lover Justine lives in the beautiful Surrey Hills with her husband, rides her two horses and walks her Dalmatians daily.

 

#BookReview Wrong Place by Michelle Davies @M_Davieswrites @PGCBooks

#BookReview Wrong Place by Michelle Davies @M_Davieswrites @PGCBooks Title: Wrong Place

Author: Michelle Davies

Series: DC Maggie Neville #2

on Nov. 17 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 449

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Wrong Place is the second gripping crime novel in the DC Maggie Neville series from Michelle Davies, following her critically acclaimed debut Gone Astray.

Two women lie hospital beds, both subjects of police investigations.

One, a vulnerable old lady, has been assaulted in her own home. Suspected to be the fifth victim of a young couple targeting pensioners, her injuries indicate an escalation in violence from the perpetrators.
The second, a wife, has been attacked by her own husband, who subsequently fails in his own attempt to kill himself.

Whilst there are no obvious parallels between the victims, DC Maggie Neville, the Family Liaison Officer involved in both cases, begins to question what happened.

Is it simply a case of both being in the wrong place at the wrong time or is something far more sinister at play?


Review:

Captivating, intelligent, and well crafted!

Wrong Place is an elaborately plotted police procedural that highlights how manipulative and devious people can truly be and reminds us that even the darkest, most buried secrets often have a way of coming to light.

The writing is seamless and smooth. The characterization is spot on with all the usual gang back including the hardworking, relentless DC Neville whose greatest struggles involve her guilty conscience and her tumultuous relationship with DCI Umpire. And the plot consists of a multitude of twists, turns, familial strife, murder, violence, and surprises that will keep you engaged from the very first page.

Overall, Wrong Place is an intricately woven, highly entertaining mystery with a nice amount of suspense, good character development, and great pace.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my review for Gone Astray, the first novel in the DC Maggie Neville Series, be sure to check it out below and keep your eye out for the third book in the series, False Witness, due out in Spring 2018.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                         

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Michelle Davies

Michelle Davies has been writing for magazines for twenty years, including on the production desk at Elle, and as Features Editor of Heat. Her last staff position before going freelance was Editor-at-Large at Grazia magazine and she currently writes for a number of women's magazines and newspaper supplements. Michelle has previously reviewed crime fiction for the Sunday Express's Books section.

Michelle lives in London with her partner and daughter and juggles writing crime fiction with her freelance journalism and motherhood. The Maggie Neville Series consists of Gone Astray, Wrong Place, False Witness and Dead Guilty.

 

 

#GuestPost A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle by Kiltie Jackson @KiltieJackson @rararesources

 

Synopsis:

So who exactly is Sukie McClaren?

A Christmas-loving Cat lover? A Sound of Music Fanatic? A Fiercely Independent Woman?

She is all of the above. And when she is sent to Salzburg for a business trip a few weeks before Christmas, she thinks all her dreams have come true. As she packs her suitcase, the only things on her mind are Christmas markets, lots of snow and finally seeing the Doh-Ray-Me steps. Becoming the new best friend of the world’s hottest rock-star doesn’t even get a look in.

Pete Wallace is a reclusive, reluctant, rock-star and the world’s Number One, best-selling, male solo artist. It’s been three years since his last tour and he’s now preparing to go back on the road again. A week in Salzburg, schmoozing with the music press, is one of his worst nightmares. 

He can’t wait for it to be over.

When Pete and Sukie meet, it is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Lonely for too long, he begins to remember how it feels to be happy and, for the first time in six years, Christmas feels special again. 

Eduardo di Santo however, whose kid sister suffered life-changing injuries at a Pete Wallace concert, is all set on getting revenge. When Pete’s new tour is announced, he begins to make his plans. Plans that will culminate in Pete’s demise.

Will Pete and Sukie’s new friendship die before it has a chance to flourish?

A Christmas tale full of love, laughter, friendship and revenge.


And Now Kiltie Jackson with:

I’m Feline Good!

In my novel, ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle’, one of the main characters – Sukie McClaren – has two black rescue cats called Tony and Adam. They are not really central to the overall storyline but, being a huge cat lover myself, I didn’t feel I could write a book without some cats being in there somewhere.

How I came to be a cat lover, and a cat slave, is quite interesting. I didn’t grow up with cats. My mum had been badly scratched by one when she was a child and so held a deep fear of them. When on holiday once, a cat from a neighbouring cottage jumped in through the open window near to where my mum was standing ironing. That was the first time I actually saw someone freeze in total fear. It was also the first time I saw my mother display her amazing ventriloquist skills as she managed to scream at me to get it out without moving her lips, head or any other part of her body!

When I left home and moved into my first flat, I had absolutely no intentions of getting myself a pet – be that a cat, dog or even a hamster! The Masters of the Feline World however, had other ideas on that one as I soon found out.

I was dating a young chap and had been invited to his parents for dinner. Upon our arrival, we discovered that his dad had rescued some kittens from a farmer who was planning to dispose of them. I quickly dumped my handbag and scooped up about three kittens for cuddles. One in particular seemed to take a shine to me and promptly fell asleep in my arms. She stayed there until dinner was ready. When I placed her on the floor, she curled up on my feet and didn’t move until I had finished eating and picked her back up again.

When the time came for me to go home, this little lady was left locked in the lounge to ensure she didn’t escape out of the house. My boyfriend’s kid sister didn’t realise this however and, upon hearing scratching at the lounge door, opened it and released a certain tiny ball of tabby fur to come haring down the hallway at full pelt before skidding to a halt at my feet. She looked up at me with expectation, almost as though she was saying “I go where you go. I’m keeping you.”

My boyfriend’s mother laughed and said “I think you’ve just gotten yourself a kitten!” Ten minutes later I was walking to the bus-stop with kitten in a box, a bag of cat food and litter and absolutely no idea on how one took care of a cat!

Well, I must have done something right because she lived to the ripe old age of seventeen. And her name? She was called Sukie.

Since then, I have had a number of cats. Sadly, they don’t live as long as we do and it is always heart-breaking when they leave and move on. I try to be pragmatic and think that their departure allows me to give a home to a new cat that may not, otherwise, be so fortunate to be loved and cared for. The majority of my cats have been directly from rescues or via someone who has contacted a rescue due to having strays in their gardens.

At this time, Moggy Towers is owned by five cats. Four came from rescues, and one was re-homed. I will confess that keeping only five is very difficult as I have a good friend who runs a home rescue. She has so many poor, unfortunate, creatures come in to her almost daily and I want to give them all a home. Mr Mogs has had to be the voice of reason on more than one occasion.

Our eldest is Princess Moo Moo and she is eleven. She was re-homed with us approximately five years ago and she came with the name! Sadly, she doesn’t get on very well with other cats and so she has taken over the upstairs area of Moggy Towers. She is very beautiful, very regal and very feisty! Truly deserving of her HRH title. Moo Moo is also my little helper when I am writing. My study is upstairs and she will come in with me when I’m working. Her idea of ‘helping’, I should add, is walking across my desk, standing on the keyboard and swiping her big fluffy tail in my face!

Next in line is Abby and McGee. These are my two black rescue babies. They’re not in any way related although, they are so identical to look at, you would be forgiven for thinking they were. They are both seven years old. We had Abby first and decided to get her a chum to play with. We went back to the rescue we’d gotten her from and said “We’ll have the youngest cat you have that has been here the longest.” We were not surprised to find ourselves with another black cat as sadly, they are always overlooked when people take in rescue animals. I really don’t understand why as they are the most loving and affectionate creatures. Both of ours crave cuddles and affection and really are adorable.

           

The two Moggy babies are Donald, three years old, and Tony, two years old. Both of these came from my friend Sally who runs the home rescue. Donald was recused from a school playground when he was five weeks old. Tony’s mummy arrived at the rescue heavily pregnant and gave birth a few days later.

                        
        

While they all have their own personalities, the boys seem to have cornered the market for being little characters. McGee gives high-fives and fist bumps, Donald will sit and hold a conversation with you while Tony likes to lie across my shoulders as I walk around the house.

For me, my home would feel very empty without my little feline companions. They’re loving, affectionate, funny and entertaining. I cannot ever see a day when I don’t have a cat in my life. They are truly awesome creatures and, for that reason, there will always be at least one cat in all of my books.

                  

About the Author:

Kiltie grew up in Scotland, Glasgow to be precise. A very unique city with a very unique way of looking at life. When she was old enough to do so, she moved to London and then, after several years of obtaining interesting experiences – which are finding their way into her writing – she moved up to the Midlands.

She currently lives in Staffordshire with five cats and one husband. The cats kindly allow her and her husband to share their house on the condition they keeps paying the mortgage!

Her little home is known as Moggy Towers, even though despite having plenty of moggies, there are no towers!

She loves reading, watching movies, and visiting old castles. She really dislikes going to the gym!

Her biggest desire is that one day she can give up the day job and write her stories for a living.

Kiltie first began writing ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle’ over ten years ago. The project was shelved on Chapter Seventeen as she felt the story wasn’t flowing as she would like it to.

In her own words “The images in my head would not come out of my fingers!” Fast forward to November 2016 when, having finished reading Lizzie’s Christmas Escape by Christie Barlow, she read more about the author and was inspired with how Christie herself came to be a best-selling author.

In that thunderbolt moment, Kiltie knew – with a deep certainty – that she needed to reacquaint herself with ‘A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle’ and begin writing again. She did this in January 2017 and found the words flowed faster than she could type them. Finally, the time was right for her to write her novel.

Her determination to finish what she had started all those years ago was absolute and the first draft was completed on Sunday 16th April 2017.

Since beginning to write again, the ideas have not stopped flowing. She has begun typing up her second book, ‘Of All the Unlikely Places’, and book three (not yet titled) has been worked out and is waiting in the wings for its turn in the spotlight.

She currently has a further ten plots and ideas stored in her file (it’s costing a fortune in USB drives as each story has its own memory stick!) and the ideas still keep on coming.

She now lives her life around the following three quotes:

“I love having weird dreams, they’re great fodder for book plots!”
“Why wait for your ship to come in when you can swim out to meet it?”
“Old enough to know better, young enough not to care!”

 

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Thank you to Kiltie Jackson for being a guest on my blog today! It was truly an honour!

Preorder a copy of this novel from your favourite retailer or from the following link!

For more information on Kiltie Jackson visit her website at: kiltiejackson.com

or follow her on Twitter at:@KiltieJackson

 

#GuestPost Ours is the Winter by Laurie Ellingham @LaurieEllingham @rararesources

 

Synopsis:

Journeying across the Arctic, their pasts are about to catch up with them.

Erica, Molly and Noah are embarking on the challenge of a lifetime, driving Siberian huskies across the frozen wilderness of the Arctic. Cut off from the world and their loved ones and thrown together under gruelling conditions, it isn’t long before the cracks start to show.

Erica has it all. A loving husband, a successful career and the most adorable baby daughter. But Erica has been living a double life, and as she nears her fortieth birthday her lies threaten to come crashing down.

Molly was on her way to stardom. But when her brother died, so did her dreams of becoming an Olympic champion.  Consumed by rage and grief, she has shut out everyone around her, but now she’s about to learn that comfort can come from the most unexpected places.

Noah has a darkness inside him and is hounded by nightmares from his past. Tortured, trapped and struggling to save his fractured relationship, he knows this journey is not going to help, but try telling his girlfriend that.

As their lives and lies become ever more entwined, it becomes clear that in the frozen wilds there is nowhere to hide.

 

Check out the Trailer for Ours is Winter Here:

 

 

About the Author:

Laurie Ellingham lives on the Suffolk/Essex border with her two children, husband, and cockerpoo Rodney. She has a First Class honours degree in Psychology and a background in Public relations, but her main love is writing and disappearing into the fictional world of her characters, preferably with a large coffee and a Twix (or two) to hand.

 

Thank you to Laurie Ellingham for being a guest on my blog today! It was truly an honour!

Preorder a copy of this novel from your favourite retailer or from the following link!

For more information on Laurie Ellingham visit her on Facebook at: LaurieEllinghamAuthor

or follow her on Twitter at@LaurieEllingham

#BookReview The French Girl by Lexie Elliott @BerkleyPub

#BookReview The French Girl by Lexie Elliott @BerkleyPub Title: The French Girl

Author: Lexie Elliott

Published by: Berkley Books on Feb. 20, 2018

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 7/10

They were six university students from Oxford–friends and sometimes more than friends–spending an idyllic week together in a French farmhouse. It was supposed to be the perfect summer getaway–until they met Severine, the girl next door.

For Kate Channing, Severine was an unwelcome presence, her inscrutable beauty undermining the close-knit group’s loyalties amid the already simmering tensions. And after a huge altercation on the last night of the holiday, Kate knew nothing would ever be the same. There are some things you can’t forgive, and there are some people you can’t forget, like Severine, who was never seen again.

Now, a decade later, the case is reopened when Severine’s body is found in the well behind the farmhouse. Questioned along with her friends, Kate stands to lose everything she’s worked so hard to achieve as suspicion mounts around her. Desperate to resolve her own shifting memories and fearful she will be forever bound to the woman whose presence still haunts her, Kate finds herself buried under layers of deception with no one to set her free.


Review:

Dark, gripping, and complex!

The French Girl is an intriguing character-driven novel that delves into the dynamic relationship between six friends and their possible involvement in the murder of a young girl ten years prior while vacationing in France.

The writing is clear and precise. The characters are self-involved, secretive, and troubled. And the plot uses a past/present, back-and-forth style to create suspense and tension as it subtly unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.

The French Girl at its core is a novel about friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, obsession, and murder with a little paranormal twist. It’s a compelling debut for Elliott and I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next.

 

This novel is due to be published on February 20, 2018.

Preorder a copy now from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                                            

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lexie Elliott

Lexie Elliott has been writing for as long as she can remember, but she began to focus on it more seriously after she lost her banking job in 2009 due to the Global Financial Crisis. After some success in short story competitions, she began planning a novel. With two kids and a (new) job, it took some time for that novel to move from her head to the page, but the result was “The French Girl”, which will be published by Berkley in February 2018 – available to pre-order now!

When she’s not writing, Lexie can be found running, swimming or cycling whilst thinking about writing. In 2007 she swam the English Channel solo. She won’t be doing that again. In 2015 she ran 100km, raising money for Alzheimer Scotland. She won’t be doing that again either. But the odd triathlon or marathon isn’t out of the question.