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Blog Tours book reviews

The Wish List by Sophia Money-Coutts

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Published: August 6th, 2020
Publisher: HQ
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Coming-of-Age Story

Today I’m sharing my review of The Wish List as part of Blogger Day. Thank you HQ for the invitation to take part and the gifted eBook ARC.

SYNOPSIS:

‘You want me to write a list? Like a shopping list?’
Gwendolyn nodded. ‘Exactly. But for what you want from a man, not ASDA.’

Florence Fairfax isn’t lonely. She loves her job at the little bookshop in Chelsea and her beloved cat Marmalade keeps her company at night. She might have been single for quite a while – well, forever actually, if anyone’s asking – but she’s perfectly happy, thank you. And then Florence meets eccentric love coach Gwendolyn, and everything changes.

When Gwendolyn makes Florence write a wish list describing her perfect man, Florence refuses to take it seriously. Finding someone who likes cats, has the sexual athleticism of James Bond and can overlook her ‘counting’ habit? Impossible! Until, later that week, a handsome blond man asks for help in the bookshop…

Rory seems to fit the list perfectly. But is he ‘the one’, or simply too good to be true? Florence is about to find out that her criteria for Mr Right aren’t as important as she thought – and that perhaps she’s been looking for love in all the wrong places…

MY REVIEW:

“You want me to write a list? Like a shopping list?’

Gwendolyn nodded. ‘Exactly. But for what you want from a man, not ASDA.”

32-year-old Florence Fairfax has never had a boyfriend or been in love. But she’s sure it will happen one day. After all, even Hitler had a girlfriend. When her stepmother books her an appointment with a love coach Florence is mortified. But after the coach instructs her to write a wish list of what she wants in a man, she meets Rory, a handsome man who ticks everything on her list. But is he the right man for Florence? Is there such a thing as the perfect man? Or is love to be found in the place you didn’t expect, with the one who’s differences balance you out?

This was a funny, lighthearted and entertaining read. I loved the author’s last novel, so I couldn’t wait to read this one. Again the author has crafted a book that has that great mix of wit, romance and sauciness, making it an ideal book for summer.

Our protagonist, Florence, is unlucky-in-love but tells herself she’s fine without a man. But deep down she wants nothing more than to be loved and to be in love. I really liked her. She’s sweet, awkward, self-deprecating and a little weird. She keeps her life unvaried and ordered to avoid anything bad happening and doesn’t do well with change. When she meets Rory she must learn to navigate the nuances of a relationship while trying to find confidence in herself. I enjoyed her journey and was rooting for her to find a happy ending.

The author is great at writing entertaining characters and filled the story with a great cast of secondary characters. I particularly liked Ruby, Mia and Zach, but had mixed feelings about Rory. He was well written and the scenes with his snobby family and friends were perfectly cringey.

The thing that I loved most about this book was the humour. This is definitely a book I’d recommend picking up if you need a good laugh; I laughed out loud so many times and will never be able to hear the word cowabunga again without a smile and thinking of this book!

The Wish List is a quirky, fun, feel-good read with heart. It is predictable in places, but for me that was part of its charm. If you’re looking for a book to brighten a summer day, then this is the book for you. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✫

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sophia is a British journalist and author who spends most of her time writing at her kitchen table in West London and making 59 cups of tea a day. She has written two novels – The Plus One and What Happens Now? – and hopes to carry on writing books that make people laugh forever. Because we could all do with more of a laugh, these days, couldn’t we? Sometimes, if she’s not drinking lukewarm cups of tea in her leggings at home, she appears on radio and television talking about important topics such as Prince Harry’s wedding and the etiquette of the threesome.

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Inge’s War by Svenja O’Donnell

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Published: August 6th, 2020
Publisher: Ebury
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Biography, Autobiography

I’m thrilled to be opening the blog tour for this absorbing and powerful novel. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Ebury and NetGalley for the gifted eBook ARC.

SYNOPSIS:

‘A lyrical, engrossing and essential read’ – Sathnam Sanghera

‘A superbly nuanced reclamation of history and family secrets’ – Brian Van Reet, author of Spoils

What does it mean to be on the wrong side of history?

Svenja O’Donnell’s beautiful, aloof grandmother Inge never spoke about the past. All her family knew was that she had grown up in a city that no longer exists on any map: Königsberg in East Prussia, a footnote in history, a place that almost no one has heard of today. But when Svenja impulsively visits this windswept Baltic city, something unlocks in Inge and, finally, she begins to tell her story.

It begins in the secret jazz bars of Hitler’s Berlin. It is a story of passionate first love, betrayal, terror, flight, starvation and violence. As Svenja teases out the threads of her grandmother’s life, retracing her steps all over Europe, she realises that there is suffering here on a scale that she had never dreamt of. And finally, she uncovers a desperately tragic secret that her grandmother has been keeping for sixty years.

Inge’s War listens to the voices that are often missing from our historical narrative – those of women caught up on the wrong side of history. It is a book about memory and heritage that interrogates the legacy passed down by those who survive. It also poses the questions: who do we allow to tell their story? What do we mean by family? And what will we do in order to survive?

MY REVIEW:

“A secret lay at my family’s heart, unspoken, undisturbed, unsuspected, for decades. I never set out purposefully to unearth it; I was in the middle of my journey before I knew it had even begun.”

Past and present are woven together to tell this poignant story of love, loss, endurance, survival, and long-held family secrets.

Svenja’s aloof grandmother Inge has always refused to talk about her experiences living in East Prussia during the war. But when Svenja spontaneously visits the city after a recent heartbreak, the women bond over shared pain and Inge finally begins to tell her story. What follows is a narrative rarely heard when we listen to the voices of those who lived during the war; those everyday people who weren’t a victim, hero or villain, but simply trying to survive a dark and deadly moment in history.

“But with every war comes layers of suffering, and only by acknowledging it all can we stop hatred from tearing people apart.” 

True stories are a favourite genre of mine, and the holocaust is an era I’ve always found interesting, so I knew immediately upon reading the synopsis that I wanted to read this book. Inge’s War is a thought-provoking story of ordinary people and ordinary problems in extraordinary times. It tells of a love story cut short by war, and gives a voice to one of the many rarely heard in the narrative of the holocaust: a German who was neither Nazi or rebel. It is also a reminder that surviving war is a lottery of luck.

“When I first began asking about the past, I had hoped for anecdotes of making do, of triumph over hardship. I had feared I might find proof of actions or beliefs that I would struggle to forgive. I had not bargained for this uglier truth… In my dogged search for answers, I had forgotten to ask myself whether some truths were best left alone. “

Lyrical, absorbing and painstakingly researched, it is wonderfully written. The author’s journalistic experience shines through as she envelopes you in her family’s world, breathing heart and soul into a book that simultaneously educates. She tells the story of Inge’s youth, the revelation of decades-old family secrets, examines how much ordinary German’s really knew about the final solution and how their silence and inaction impacted events.

Immersive, enthralling, harrowing, moving and heart-felt, Inge’s War is a book that needs to be read and experienced. An absolute must-read that will stay with you.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Svenja O Donnell Author Pic

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Svenja O’Donnell is an award-winning political correspondent and commentator whose work regularly features on TV and radio. Before covering Brexit for Bloomberg, she worked as a correspondent in Russia. Half-Irish and half-German, she was born and brought up in Paris, and lives in London. Inge’s War is her first book.

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Monthly Wrap Up

Monthly Wrap Up – July 2020

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Welcome to another wrap up. I read nineteen books this month, which is my best month yet. I read some great books and took part in two great readalongs with Tandem Collective UK and other bookstagrammers. The first was for All My Lies Are True, the sequel to The Ice Cream Girls. This took a different format and I particularly enjoyed having it start with the author reading the beginning of the book. The second was for A Court of Mist and Fury, the second book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. I am now totally hooked on this series and am counting down to August’s readalong of book three. 

So here is what I read in July:

  1. Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza
  2. All Fall Down (DI Helen Grace 9) by M. J. Arlidge
  3. The Bad Mother’s Virus by Suzy K. Quinn
  4. The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English
  5. The Unwinding: and other dreamings by Jackie Morris
  6. Somebody’s Daughter by Carol Wyer (Natalie Ward Book 7)
  7. All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson (Ice Cream Girls 2)
  8. Lost by Leona Deakin (Dr Bloom 2)
  9. Fleishman Is In Trouble
  10. If I Can’t Have You by Charlotte Levin
  11. Spirited by Julie Cohen
  12. The Resident by David Jackson
  13. Playdate by Alex Dahl
  14. Precious You by Helen Monks Takar
  15. The Storm by Amanda Jennings
  16. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass
  17. Eleven Lines To Somewhere by Alyson Rudd
  18. Shed No Tears by Caz Frear (DC Cat Kinsella Book 3)
  19. The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon by Sarah Steele

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I had been trying to decide if my favourite book this month was All My Lies Are True or The Resident when The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon swooped in at the final hour and claimed the title. I highly recommend all three books, particularly Nancy Moon.

Thank you to the tagged publishers for my gifted copies of the books.

What did you read in July? Did we read any of the same books?

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Blog Tours book reviews

The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon by Sarah Steele

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Published: August 6th, 2020
Publisher: Headline
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio
Genre: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this spectacular sunner debut. Thank you to Rosie at Headline for the invitation to take part and the gifted copy of the book.

SYNOPSIS: 

To unravel the story of that long-lost summer, she had to follow the thread…

Florence Connelly is broken-hearted; her beloved grandmother has just died and her marriage has collapsed.

But things change when she opens a box of vintage 1960s dress patterns, discovered inside her grandmother’s wardrobe. Inside each pattern packet is a fabric swatch, a postcard from Europe and a faded photograph of a young woman wearing the hand-made dress. Why did Flo’s grandmother never speak of this mysterious woman – Nancy Moon?

Her life in tatters, Flo decides to remake Nancy’s dresses, and to head across to the Continent to re-create Nancy’s Grand Tour of 1962. As she follows the thread, Flo begins to unravel an untold story of love and loss in her family’s past. And perhaps to stitch the pieces of her own life back together…

MY REVIEW:

“Most journeys begin with a goodbye: to a friend or a loved one, often to a lover, and sometimes a place… Some goodbyes last merely a few hours, but some will have to last a lifetime.”

This riveting and uplifting debut encapsulates the essence of summer. It transported me from Brighton and Hove to Paris, Antibes, Capri, Venice and Tuscany, so vividly that I could feel the summer sun beating down on me and the breeze in my hair.

Florence is mourning the loss of her grandmother and her marriage when she comes across vintage dress patterns from the 1960s, each containing mementos from a European adventure taken by her Great Aunt – Nancy Moon. But Flo has never heard of Nancy before. Why did her family keep her a secret? And why has she never been seen or heard from again since that trip?

Florence decides to solve the mystery of what happened to Nancy, embarking on a pilgrimage retracing Nancy Moon’s Grand Tour; remaking the dresses and following in her footsteps, slowly unravelling the untold story of her family’s past.

There’s been a bit of a buzz about this book and I had heard some great things, but I still wasn’t expecting to fall so completely in love with Nancy, Florence and this beautifully told story of family, love, loss and long-held secrets. The author’s lyrical prose and rich imagery brought the story to life as clearly as if I was watching it play in technicolour on a movie screen.

The author effortlessly moves between the dual timeliness, immersing you in their world and the mystery of what happened to Nancy. The characters are compelling, likeable and memorable, and the narrators – Florence and Nancy – are relatable and easy to connect with. But there is something about Nancy that made her leap from the page; an air of glamour and mystery that radiates from her and reminded me of the aura surrounding Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly; that movie-star lustre, beauty and mystery that makes them feel out of reach.

Heartwarming, uplifting, emotional and immersive, The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is a must-read, encapsulating the essence of summer like the sun is shining from the pages

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

MEET THE AUTHOR :

Sarah Steele (c) Eoin Schmidt-Martin

Sarah Steele trained as a classical pianist and violinist in London, before joining the world of publishing as assistant at Hodder and Stoughton. She was then for many years a freelance editor. She now lives in Stroud and in 2018 was the director of Wordfest at Gloucester Cathedral, which culminated in a suffragette march led by Helen Pankhurst. The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon is her debut novel.

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book reviews

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass

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Published: June 2nd, 2020
Publisher: Bloomsbury UK
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Thank you to Tandem Collective UK for the invitation to take part in the readalong and Bloomsbury UK for the gifted copy of the book.

SYNOPSIS:

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court – but at a steep cost. Though she now possesses the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, the mesmerising High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates his dark web of political games and tantalising promises, a greater evil looms – and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can step into her growing power, heal her fractured soul and have the courage to shape her own future – and the future of a world cloven in two.

Sarah J. Maas is a global #1 bestselling author. Her books have sold more than nine million copies and been translated into 37 languages. Discover the sweeping romantic fantasy for yourself.

MY REVIEW:

“Amarantha was just the beginning…”

This series has been my surprise reading joy of 2020. It was a series I’d had no plans to read in a genre I rarely pick up, but after reading the first book in this series I was hooked. Book two seems to be a fan favourite, with many who’d read the series telling me it’s their favourite installment, so I had high hopes for this readalong. 

ACOMAF feels darker than book one. I has themes of resentment, rage, imprisonment and freedom, examines PTSD, toxic relationships and is full of revenge, murder, lust and sex; alongside faeries, mythical creatures and magic. I find it hard to remember that this is targeted at a Young Adult audience and don’t think I’d be comfortable letting a young teen read it.

“But I was ensconced in a cocoon of darkness and fire and ice and wind, a cocoon that melted the ring off my finger until the golden ore dripped away into the void, the emerald tumbling after it. I wrapped that raging force around myself as if it could keep the walls from crushing me entirely, and maybe, maybe buy me the tiniest sip of air —
I couldn’t get out; I couldn’t get out ; I couldn’t get out —“

This one started slow for me; throughout part one I thought I was going to be the black sheep who didn’t like this book. This centered around the toxic relationship between Feyre and Tamlin, which was hard to read and at odds with their great love story in the first book. I admit, if this hadn’t been for a readalong I might have given up. But to my relief, it picked up in part two when Feyre arrived at the Night Court with Rhysand. This was also where I finally began to understand the love for Rhys that runs through the fandom. In book one it confused me as he’s a manipulative and abusive character, though we had been offered glimpses of his history towards the end of the book that hint at the reasons for his behaviour. But in this book we are given more of his back story and get to meet his inner circle. I am now Team Rhysand and Team Dream Court.

The storyline centers around a threat from King Hybern, who wants to take over the Faerie Realm and destroy the Mortal Realm. Feyre must find a way to save her home, both old and new, while learning to harness her new powers and navigating the politics of both realms. We are introduced to new characters and more of the magical world that Mass has created. I enjoyed this aspect of the book and seeing how differently characters we’d got to know in book one interacted with the new characters and revealed previously hidden sides to their character; some of them so much so they feel unrecognisable. For example, while Feyre remains the strong, fierce and independent warrior we met in book one, characters such as Tamlin and Rhys change drastically this time around. 

“I want them to hear your story. And know that there is a special strength… to enduring such dark trials and hardships… And still remaining warm, and kind. Still willing to trust —and reach out.”

Overall, I can see why this book is so loved and it was certainly a hit for me, though I do feel unable to rate it five stars because of part one. Mass has once again ended the book on a cliffhanger, setting the scene for more action and conflict, and making me wish I could pick up book three straight away. I highly recommend this series, even if it isn’t your usual kind of thing. You just might find that like me it opens you up to a whole new genre.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✫

Sarah J. Maas by Beowulf Sheehan
The fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas (USA), January 22, 2020. Photograph © Beowulf Sheehan

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series, as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

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Blog Tours

Book Feature: Idle Hands by Cassondra Windwalker

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Published: July 23rd, 2020
Publisher: Agora Books
Format: Kindle, Audio
Genre: Romance

TW: Domestic Abuse

Today I’m featuring the beautifully written Idle Hands, as part of the blog tour. Thank you for Peyton at Agora Books for the invitation to take part and the gifted ARC.

SYNOPSIS:

You can call me Ella. You generally assign me a whole host of other preposterous monikers. I think the least imaginative name I’ve heard is “the devil”, but I’ll answer to it if I must.

After making the courageous decision to leave her abusive husband, Perdie and her three young children start over and finally find the safety and love they deserve. But years later, when tragedy strikes, Perdie is left wondering if the choice she made to leave has led them to this moment.

If she were given the opportunity to take it all back and stay, would she?

In a frantic bid to protect her family, Perdie makes a deal with the devil to do just that. But in a world where the devil pulls the strings, can Perdie really change the past?

Brimming with enlightened observations and brilliant voice, Idle Hands is a haunting examination of grief, resilience, and what we’d give to spend another moment with the ones we love.

Cassondra Windwalker Author Photo (B&W)

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Cassondra Windwalker earned a BA of Letters at the University of Oklahoma. She parlayed that highly marketable degree into degrees in bookselling and law enforcement before pursuing her writing career full time. She criss-crossed the country and then settled into happy seclusion on the coast of Alaska with a zombie cat, a useless dog, and a devoted husband. Her poetry, short stories, and essays have been published in numerous literary journals.

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Shed No Tears by Caz Frear (DC Cat Kinsella Book 3)

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Published: July 23rd, 2020
Publisher: Zaffre
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

Today is my stop on the tour for this riveting thriller. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours for the invitation to take part and Zaffre for the gifted copy of the book.

SYNOPSIS:

THE BRILLIANT NEW THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE RICHARD & JUDY SEARCH FOR A BESTSELLER WINER AND NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER, SWEET LITTLE LIES.

Four victims.
Killer caught.
Case closed . . . Or is it?

Christopher Masters, known as ‘The Roommate Killer’, strangled three women over a two-week period in a London house in November 2012. Holly Kemp, his fourth victim, was never found.

Until now.

Her remains have been unearthed in a field in Cambridgeshire and DC Cat Kinsella and the Major Investigation Team are called in. But immediately there are questions surrounding the manner of her death. And with Masters now dead, no one to answer them.

Did someone get it wrong all those years ago? And if so, who killed Holly Kemp?

MY REVIEW:

In 2012 Christopher Dean Masters, also known as The Roommate Killer, was sent to prison for the murder of four women. But the body of his fourth and final victim, Holly Kemp, was never found. 

Six years later her skeletal remains are found in a Cambridgeshire field. As DC Cat Kinsella and the team investigate differences in Holly’s case to that of Masters’ other victims, they begin to wonder if someone got it wrong when first investigating. And if so, who really killed Holly?

Taut, tense and twisty, this gripping page-turner had me hooked from beginning to end. I was an instant fan of Frear’s writing when I read her last book, and with Shed No Tears she has solidified my love of this series. That being said, this could easily be read as a standalone as the author swiftly catches the reader up on ongoing storylines from the previous books. 

Cat Kinsella is a flawed and complex protagonist. She is dedicated to her job but torn between that dedication and loyalty to her family that is at odds with her chosen profession. She is wonderfully written and is very likeable and relatable, her inner conflicts only making her more real. With the way the author ended things in relation to Cat’s private life, I’m impatient for book four so I can see where life takes her next. The vast array of supporting characters are equally as well written and it didn’t take long for me to feel completely immersed in the world that Frear created. 

One of the things I enjoyed about this book is that there is no obvious bad guy. I was all set to learn a lot about Masters but he is a tiny part of this book and I was left completely flummoxed as to the identity of the perpetrator. I liked that the story took turns I didn’t see coming and enjoyed being along for the ride and like I was in the dark as much as the officers investigating the case. 

Once again Frear has crafted an intricately layered, twisty and suspenseful story that I couldn’t put down. Shed No Tears is a riveting and exciting thriller that I highly recommend. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Caz Frear grew up in Coventry and spent her teenage years dreaming of moving to London and writing a novel. After fulfilling her first dream, it wasn’t until she moved back to Coventry thirteen years later that the writing dream finally came true.

She has a first-class degree in History & Politics, which she’s put to enormous use over the years by working as a waitress, shop assistant, retail merchandiser and, for the past twelve years, a headhunter.

When she’s not agonising over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at the TV when Arsenal are playing or holding court in the pub on topics she knows nothing about.

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Blog Tours book reviews

Eleven Lines To Somewhere by Alyson Rudd

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Published: July 23rd, 2020
Publisher: HQ
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Urban Fiction

Thank you to HQ for the invitation to take part and the gifted eBook ARC.

SYNOPSIS:

In a world of what-ifs, a connection has been made …

When Ryan spots a young woman on the tube on his commute, he can’t take his eyes off her. Instantly attracted and intrigued, he’s keen to find out more about his mysterious fellow passenger.

The woman he thinks of as Millie spends all day travelling the Underground, unable to leave for reasons unbeknownst to Ryan. For some inexplicable reason, he just can’t shake the feeling he wants to help her escape her endless commute.

This is a story of love and loss from the author of The First Time Lauren Pailing Died, perfect for fans of Anna Hope’s Expectation, David Nicholls’s Sweet Sorrow and Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life.

MY REVIEW:

“And so the conversation ended as it had begun, with tales of the Underground and the girl who never got off it.”

Ryan has struggled to move on since the death of his girlfriend fifteen years ago. Then one day he notices a young woman on the tube and is instantly smitten. He tries to learn more about her and travels on the same train each day hoping to find the courage to speak to her. He soon discovers that the young woman appears to be trapped on an endless commute, spending her days travelling the underground but going nowhere. 

Sylvie has travelled the underground each day since being fired from work eight months earlier. She’s caught in a meandering and never ending loop, waiting to find that elusive something that will enable her to feel able to stop her endless journey.

Can Ryan and Sylvie help each other break free of the ties that bind them to actions that prevent them from moving on with their lives?

Affecting, heartwarming and tender, Eleven Lines To Somewhere is a story of love, loss and moving on. Beautifully written, this was a slow burner for me, but by about a third of the way into the book I felt like I could really get into the story. 

I liked Ryan and Sylvie. They were quirky characters who we meet at a difficult time in both their lives, but I found them easy to like and relate to. I was soon fully invested in their lives and rooting for a happy ending after all the grief and trauma they suffered. 

In addition to the central characters, the author crafted a supporting cast who enhance and add depth to Ryan and Sylvie’s story that included friends, family and some strangers, who we don’t see how they connect with until late in the book. The London Underground that provides the backdrop for most of the book also feels like a character in itself, one that has entrenched the lives of the characters and become a part of them. It also felt symbolic of the lives of the characters; how they were confusing and chaotic, intersecting with one another in different patterns that change the course of their journey. 

This charming, poignant and uplifting story is like nothing I’ve ever read before and has made me eager to read the author’s previous novel. A beautiful, character-driven story that I would recommend.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✫

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Alyson Rudd is a British journalist with The Times who writes about sport, mainly football, and literature in the book club section. She was born in Liverpool in 1963 and grew up in rural Lancashire. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics but began her career in fashion before becoming a financial journalist. She was an enthusiastic footballer with Leyton Orient Ladies. She is married, has two sons and lives in West London.

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Book Feature: The Minders by John Marrs

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Published: July 23rd, 2020
Publisher: Ebury Press
Format: Kindle, Audio
Genre: Science Fiction, Suspense

Happy eBook Publication Day to the new book by John Marrs! John is one of my favourite authors and his books are always highly anticipated. I can’t wait to read this latest one after reading some fantastic reviews. Head over to my Instagram for exclusive video content where John talks about the book. Thank you to John for my gifted eBook ARC.

SYNOPSIS:

The new high concept thriller from the author of the word-of-mouth sensation THE ONE – soon to be a Netflix original series.
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Five strangers guard our secrets.
Only four can be trusted…

In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into – so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders – the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country’s most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted inside their heads.

Together, the five know every secret – the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. In return, they’re given the chance to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew.

But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own they’ll do anything to protect…

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is the author of #1 Best Sellers The One, The Good Samaritan, When You Disappeared, Welcome to Wherever You Are, Her Last Move, The Passengers and What Lies Between Us. The One has been translated into 30 different languages and is to be turned into an eight-part Netflix series in autumn 2020.
After working as a journalist for 25-years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time  writer.

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Book Feature: The Cleaner by Mark Dawson (John Milton Book 1)

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Published: June 25th, 2020
Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group
Format: Paperback, Hardback, Kindle, Audio
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Series

Today I’m featuring the first book in the John Milton series. Thank you to the Welbeck Publishing Group for the gifted copy of the book.

SYNOPSIS:

John Milton is the man the government call when they want a problem to vanish . . . but what happens when he’s the one that needs to disappear?

After a botched job leaves a bloody trail, government assassin John Milton does the one thing he’s never done before: he hides.

Disappearing into London’s bustling East End and holing up in a vacant flat, Milton becomes involved with single mother Sharon and her troubled son Elijah, who are caught in an increasingly bloody turf war between two rival gangs.

Unable to ignore the threat, Milton sets about protecting mother and son, meeting violence with violence. But his involvement puts him in the sights of the government’s next best killer, and before long Milton is not just fighting to save a family and a home – he’s fighting to stay alive . . .

If you like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, and Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, you won’t be able to put down the compulsively addictive John Milton series.

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mark Dawson was born in Lowestoft, in the UK. He has worked as a DJ, a door-to-door ice cream seller, factory hand and club promoter. He eventually trained as a lawyer and worked for ten years in the City of London and Soho, firstly pursuing money launderers around the world and then acting for celebrities suing newspapers for libel.

He is presently writing three series.

The USA Today and Audible bestselling John Milton books involve a disgruntled British assassin who is trying – without much success – to put his past behind him. In order to atone for the blood on his hands he has decided to help those in need.

The Beatrix Rose series follows the adventures of the most dangerous woman ever to serve at Her Majesty’s pleasure, and the vengeance she wreaks after being betrayed by her former employers. The series is currently in development for TV.

Isabella Rose continues her mother’s adventures in a quest to uncover a global conspiracy that threatens to pitch the world into war.

The Soho Noir books, beginning with The Black Mile and continuing with The Imposter, follow the glitz and glamour of criminal life in London’s West End from the 1940s to the present day.

Mark lives in Wiltshire with his wife and two young children.

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