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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson

Published November 23rd, 2023 by Orenda Books
Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Gothic Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, Hard-boiled Mystery, Horror Fiction, Occult Horror, Translated Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the unsettling Yule Island. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Karen at Orenda for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

An art expert joins a detective to investigate a horrific murder on a Swedish island, leading them to a mystery rooted in Viking rites and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter. The Queen of French Noir returns with a chilling, utterly captivating gothic thriller, based on a true story. FIRST in a new series.
 
‘Gustawsson’s writing is so vivid, it’s electrifying’ Peter James
 
‘Remember her name. Johana Gustawsson has become a leading figure in French crime fiction [and] Yule Island is impossible to put down’ Le Monde
 
***Winner of the Cultura Ligue de l’Imaginaire Award 2023***
 
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Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found.

Emma must work alone, and the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house. Do they have something to hide?

As she goes about her painstaking work and one shocking discovery yields clues that lead to another, Emma becomes determined to uncover the secrets of the house and its occupants.

When the lifeless body of another young woman is found in the icy waters surrounding the island, Detective Karl Rosén arrives to investigate, and memories his failure to solve the first case come rushing back. Could this young woman’s tragic death somehow hold the key?

Battling her own demons, Emma joins forces with Karl to embark upon a chilling investigation, plunging them into horrifying secrets from the past – Viking rites and tainted love – and Scandinavia’s deepest, darkest winter…

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MY REVIEW:

OMG. My mind is completely blown and I’m still trying to pick my jaw up from the floor after reading this mesmerising gothic thriller. Darkly atmospheric, unsettling and original, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. 

Art expert Emma Lindahl has come to the manor house on the island of Storholmen to appraise the artwork belonging to the Gussman family. But that isn’t all this house is famous for. It is also the place where the infamous hanging girl was found nine years ago. A brutal murder that remains unsolved. And when the body of another young woman is found in the icy waters that surround the island, it looks like Detective Karl Rosen might have found a connection between the crimes. What follows is a breathtaking story of murder, dark secrets and Norse mythology that you won’t be able to put down. 

You know when you pick up one of Johana Gustawsson’s books that you should expect the unexpected; a heart-stopping thrill-ride that you can’t put down. Yule Island is all that and more. From the moment I read the author’s note at the start I was in Gustawsson’s thrall, feeling like I’d actually stepped inside the book as I read in breathless anticipation. Expertly written and cleverly plotted, this is a masterclass in storytelling. I was blindsided as she pulled the rug from under me again and again, not giving me time to catch my breath before delivering yet another shocking revelation. As 

tension builds, Gustawsson intricately interweaves meticulously researched Norse mythology and Swedish history to keep you on the edge of your seat. ‘The Queen of French Noir’ is living up to her title and it’s easy to see why this book has already received so much acclaim. 

Gothic fiction is one of my favourite genres and Gustawsson absolutely nailed the dark, gothic vibes of this story from the start: the cold weather, an isolated island shrouded in silence, an old, echoing manor house filled with mysterious residents and the trappings of faded opulence, the screams that can be heard randomly, and the haunting history of the hanging tree. Knowing that Storholmen is a real island and this is all based on a true story adds to the unease that permeates every page. This is one of those books that will have you looking for the monsters that lurk in the shadows and I loved every second. 

Told from multiple points of view, the characters are fascinating, relatable and richly drawn. The two protagonists, Emma and Karl, are very different in terms of age, circumstance and perspective. I enjoyed their distinct voices and seeing the investigation from both a professional and lay perspective. But they have similarities too: both are intelligent, determined and have a sober air that surrounds them. I enjoyed how Gustawsson slowly teased their backstories, allowing us to feel invested in their lives and root for them before making us question everything as we wonder if they are unreliable after all. There was a third narrator, Viktoria, who was a housekeeper at the manor. Her chapters gave us a glimpse of life behind the closed doors of the manor and added to the mystery that surrounds it. The background characters are just as well written and I loved the sense of community that existed on the island and how they welcomed Emma into their midst when a lot of small communities will make outsiders feel like just that. But it did make me wonder about the killer as it surely had to be one of the three hundred residents on Storholmen. Could one of them really commit vicious crimes like these while looking their neighbours in the eye? Or was there another explanation?  

Claustrophobic, eerie, sinister and unnerving, Yule Island is an absolute must-read. An outstanding Gothic thriller that is perfect for this time of year, I have no hesitation in highly recommending it.

Rating: ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series (Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song) has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in twenty-three countries. The third in the series, Blood Song, was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. Johana lives in London with her Swedish husband, and three young sons, and is currently working on the book four in the Roy & Castells series. 

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MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

David Warriner translates from French and nurtures a healthy passion for Franco, Nordic and British crime fiction. Growing up in deepest Yorkshire, he developed incurable Francophilia at an early age. Emerging from Oxford with a Modern Languages degree he narrowly escaped the graduate rat race by hopping on a plane to Canada – and never looked back. More than a decade into a high-powered commercial translation career, he listened to his heart and turned his hand to the delicate art of literary translation. David has lived in France and Quebec, and now calls beautiful British Columbia home.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These links are affiliate links

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Dead Sweet by Katrin Juliusdottir

Published December 7th, 2023 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Hard-boiled Mystery, Noir Fiction, Political Thriller Translated Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the first book in an exciting new series. Thank you to Orenda for the proof copy and Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part in the tour.

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SYNOPSIS:

When a celebrated government official is found dead after his surprise birthday party, a young police officer uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives. Icelandic politician Katrín Júlíusdóttir’s award-winning debut – first in a breathtaking series…
 
**Winner of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Debut**  

‘A breathtaking political thriller from one of Iceland’s most exciting new voices’ Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

‘Katrín Júlíusdóttir skilfully weaves together intense family dynamics, dark pasts and criminal endeavours in this masterful narrative’ Lilja Sigurðardóttir
 
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A murder is just the beginning…
 
When Óttar Karlsson, a wealthy and respected government official and businessman, is found murdered, after failing to turn up at his own surprise birthday party, the police are at a loss. It isn’t until young police officer Sigurdís finds a well-hidden safe in his impersonal luxury apartment that clues start emerging. 
 
As Óttar’s shady business dealings become clear, a second, unexpected line of enquiry emerges, when Sigurdís finds a US phone number in the safe, along with papers showing regular money transfers to an American account. Following the trail to Minnesota, trauma rooted in Sigurdís’s own childhood threatens to resurface and the investigation strikes chillingly close to home…
 
Atmospheric, deeply unsettling and full of breakneck twists and turns, Dead Sweet is a startling debut thriller that uncovers a terrifying world of financial crime, sinister cults and disturbing secret lives, and kicks off an addictive, mind-blowing new series.

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MY REVIEW:

“There’s a lesson to be learned: life’s not a game to be played.”

Unnerving, tense and twisty, Dead Sweet is a strong start to an exhilarating new Scandi Noir crime series. Debut author Katrín Júlíusdóttir takes us on a turbulent ride of buried secrets, double lives, criminal ventures and dark deeds that are finally uncovered. She introduces us to Sigurdis, a young police officer with a traumatic past, who is finally given the chance to sink her teeth into a major investigation when celebrated government official Óttar Karlsson is found murdered on the beach after failing to show up for his surprise 50th birthday party. The police are initially stumped as to who could have wanted to kill this well-liked man until Sigurdis discovers a safe hidden in Óttar’s luxury apartment that reveals he was not the man anyone thought he was. The signs all point to a financially motivated crime but Sigurdis isn’t convinced and her gut is telling her this was more personal. But can she prove it? 

My love for everything Orenda publishes is no secret, and their translated crime fiction are some of my favourite books, so I was very excited about this one. I might not need yet another crime series on my TBR, but I knew it would be a mistake not to read this book. And once again they’ve struck gold. After reading this it’s easy to see why it was the winner of the Blackbird Award for Best Icelandic Crime Debut and Katrín Júlíusdóttir is undoubtedly an author to watch. Cleverly plotted, sharply observed, and skillfully written, she intricately weaves together a plethora of narrators and threads perfectly. She keeps you guessing, sporadically including old diary entries from an unknown narrator that add to the dark undertones already running through the pages. I was on a knife-edge from the first page right up until the surprising conclusion. I don’t mind admitting that I did not get this one right at all!

“Ottar seemed to have the psychopaths knack of adapting himself to the people from whom he wanted something, showing interest and understanding until his prey believed that they had found a soul mate and placed complete trust in him.”

I love the added apprehension multiple narrators can bring to a book and the different voices telling this story put the tension through the roof. Ms. Júlíusdóttir has packed this book with an array of realistic and compelling characters and while it did take me some time to fully connect with some of them, it was never confusing. I liked that it was always clear that Sigurdis is our central character and I thought she was a great protagonist. She’s likeable and easy to root for and has a dark, traumatic and heartbreaking backstory that only strengthened the bond I felt with her.  While Sigurdis is probably our most frequent narrator, Óttar is only ever on the page as a memory or a victim, Júlíusdóttir manages to make him feel vivid and three dimensional. We feel his sinister presence polluting every page as his misdeeds haunt those he left behind and every time I thought I couldn’t like him any less there would be more revelations that made me dislike him even more. Júlíusdóttir writes these fractured and flawed characters with honesty and sensitivity, allowing us to understand some of their actions and comprehend the trauma and pain they are living with, while never allowing it to feel like their wrongdoings are excused. Her exploration of their dynamics also feels authentic and appreciated the accuracy and relatability with which she wrote these characters and storylines. 

Intelligent, suspenseful and totally gripping, Dead Sweet is a must read for any thriller-lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Katrín is a Policy advisor and author. She received the Blackbird Award, an Icelandic crime-writing prize, for her first novel, Sykur (en: Sugar) in 2020. Her debut novel was reviewed well by critics and hit the best-selling lists in the first weeks after publication.

She was the Managing Director of Finance Iceland from 2016-2022. She has a political background and was a member of Parliament from 2003 until 2016. The Minister of industry, energy and tourism from 2009-2012 and Minister of finance and economy from 2012-2013. She served as the Social Democratic Alliance’s vice-chair from 2013-2016.

Before she was elected to Parliament, Katrín was an advisor and project manager at a tech company and a senior buyer and CEO in the retail sector, as well as the Managing Director of a student union during her uni years. She worked from a young age in the fishing industry, as a store clerk and took nighttime shifts at a pizza place. She studied Anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University.

She was raised in Kópavogur, about 15 minutes’ drive from downtown Reykjavík. She now lives in the neighbouring town of Garðabær with her family. She is married to author Bjarni M. Bjarnason, who encouraged her to start writing. They have four boys.

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MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

Quentin Bates escaped English suburbia as a teenager, jumping at the chance of a gap year working in Iceland. For a variety of reasons, the gap year stretched to become a gap decade, during which time he went native in the north of Iceland, acquiring a new language, a new profession as a seaman and a family, before decamping en masse for England. He worked as a truck driver, teacher, netmaker and trawlerman at various times before falling into journalism, largely by accident. He is the author of a series of crime novels set in present-day Iceland (Frozen Out, Cold Steal, Chilled to the Bone, Winterlude, Cold Comfort and Thin Ice) which have been published worldwide. He has translated all of Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliopiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These links are affiliate links


 

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carver

Published November 9th, 2023 by Orenda
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Horror Fiction, Horror Parody, Satire

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this deliciously diabolical thriller. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda for the proof copy.

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SYNOPSIS:

Hotel Beresford: a grand old building, just outside the city, where any soul is welcome, and strange goings-on mask explosive, deadly secrets. A chilling, darkly funny sequel to Will Carver’s bestselling The Beresford…
 
There are worse places than hell…
 
Hotel Beresford is a grand, old building, just outside the city. And any soul is welcome. 
 
Danielle Ortega works nights, singing at whatever dive bar will offer her a gig. She gets by, keeping to herself. Sam Walker gambles and drinks, and can’t keep his hands to himself. Now he’s tied up in a shoe closet with a dent in his head that matches Danielle’s broken ashtray. 
 
The man in 731 has been dead for two days and his dog has not stopped barking. Two doors down, the couple who always smokes on the window ledge will mysteriously fall.
 
Upstairs, in the penthouse, Mr Balliol sees it all. He can peer into every crevice of every floor of the hotel from his screen-filled suite. He witnesses humanity and inhumanity in all its forms: loneliness, passion and desperation in equal measure. All the ingredients he needs to make a deal. 
 
When Danielle returns home one night to find Sam gone, a series of sinister events begins to unfold. But strange things often occur at Hotel Beresford, and many are only a distraction to hide something much, much darker…

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MY REVIEW:

“But this is Hotel Beresford. 
It lives, it breathes, it gets to know the people inside.
It knows what has to be done.”

Hotel Beresford is a strange place. Anyone is welcome at the grand building just outside the city, but not everyone can leave. There are many rumours that surround The Beresford, but the truth is more ominous than anyone would imagine. And it is all  observed by Mr. Balliol, the mysterious resident of the Penthouse suite. And we watch with him, seeing snapshots from the lives of some of the staff and residents of the hotel, witnessing the best and worst of humanity as Balliol searches for the souls that offer him the perfect opportunity to make a deadly deal.

He’s done it again. A standing ovation to Will Carver for crafting another deliciously diabolical tale that is impossible to resist. Carver is a genius and he just gets better with every book. He is a master storyteller and dark dream-weaver, making the fabric of reality shift and crack around you as he merges the everyday with the sinister and unexplained to create a world straight out of our nightmares. And he knows exactly how to pull the reader into that world and make them lose themselves there. His writing is sharp, searing, smooth and seductive, striking a resonant chord as he weaves social commentary and complex social issues into this creative and thought-provoking twist on the well-known good vs evil trope. It made me laugh out loud one moment, seethe the next, and kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. 

“There are still rumours about the place. Bundy hid out here for a few days, once, while evading the cops. There’s a tunnel underneath where Kennedy or The Beatles could sneak in through the back. Urban legends that lend an air of mystique to Hotel Beresford. 
But now reality is superseding the myth.”

The second in Carver’s The Beresford Trilogy, Upstairs at the Beresford is edgy, original, unsettling and addictive; a macabre conundrum you are powerless to resist, much like those who signed away their souls to Balliol. It starts out strong, diving head-first into the action from the first page and never lets up, forcing you to just hold on and enjoy the bumpy ride. The hotel is a cesspit of people who are merely existing rather than living and there’s dark secrets, peculiar happenings, nefarious characters, inhumanity and far more death than is normal for any hotel. The desperation, danger, duplicity and dysfunction oozes from every crevice, the lives of those inside becoming one with the building itself. And this is not a building like any other. Beresford is alive. It seems to breathe and feast on the souls of those that cross its threshold, either keeping them for itself or changing them forever and unexplainable occurrences are par for the course for its staff. I loved how it was so creepy, unpredictable, absurd and yet also totally plausible. 

There is a compelling mix of characters in this book that range from the relatable, recognisable, lovable and quirky to the deplorable, menacing and vile. They all have their moments where they shine, but there were a few who I particularly enjoyed reading. Young Odie first comes to mind with his love of books and sweet nature. He was far too good for The Beresford and it was impossible not to love and root for him. I also liked Carol, the widowed hotel manager, and Mrs. May, who I enjoyed learning more about after enjoying her character in the last book. The biggest villain for me was without a doubt Danny. That man gave me the ick and I was rooting for him to get his dues. 

Outstanding, alluring, inventive and devilish, Upstairs at the Beresford is a must-read. And while you’re at it, go and read Carver’s backlist too. I promise you won’t regret it. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series and the critically acclaimed, mind-blowingly original Detective Pace series that includes Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), all of which were ebook bestsellers and selected as books of the year in the mainstream international press. Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for both the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2020 and the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Hinton Hollow Death Trip was longlisted for Guardian‘s Not the Booker Prize. He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off. He turned down a professional rugby contract to study theatre and television at King Alfred’s, Winchester, where he set up a successful theatre company. He currently runs his own fitness and nutrition company, and lives in Reading with his children.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Man of Her Dreams by Sarra Manning

Published November 9th, 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Humorous Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this funny, sexy, warm and uplifting romcom. Thank you to Alara from Hodder & Stougton for the invitation to take part the copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

‘Romantic, funny, sweet and sexy’ MARIAN KEYES

‘The funny, clever, deeply romantic, sinfully sexy, devastatingly heartbreaking, perfectly uplifting book of your dreams’ CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN

‘A very swoony, sexy, warm read’ CESCA MAJOR

Is he too good to be true?

Meet Theo. Handsome, sexy, funny. kind. And he can cook.

He’s literally the man of Esme’s dreams. But Esme’s sensible enough to know that you can’t just manifest your perfect boyfriend then have him turn up on your doorstep.

Or can you?

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MY REVIEW:

“I’ve already said, you’ve been in my head for years. Like a fantasy boyfriend. A sweet smorgasbord of all the qualities I’d want in an ideal man.”

The Man of Her Dreams is everything you could want in a romcom. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, sexy, warm, romantic, and uplifting. It’s a hug in book form that soothes your soul, makes you believe in love, and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. 

Esme Strange doesn’t believe in forever and has closed herself off to love ever since a messy divorce eight years ago that ripped her heart out. But her friends and family are encouraging her to move on, so during a hen party she creates a vision board of her perfect man to keep them from nagging her all night. Then she suffers a head injury on her way to the second venue and ends up in hospital being treated for the nasty gash to her head. While there she meets Theo and there’s an instant attraction. What’s more, he seems to be her vision board brought to life. Esme’s head-over-heels, but she’s known for her rich imagination and her friends and family all think Theo is yet another fantasy boyfriend, making Esme begin to doubt what’s real and what might be in her imagination. Could Theo be too good to be true? Or is luck finally on Esme’s side?

I absolutely adored this entertaining and refreshing twist on the usual ‘girl meets the man of her dreams’ story. Sarra Manning is an author I can always rely upon to deliver a fantastic romcom, but this was the best I’ve read yet. In a masterclass of storytelling she had me hooked as she expertly spun the threads of this cleverly crafted, swoon-worthy romance to perfection. It’s chaotic, crazy, utterly charming, and completely unputdownable. 

Esme is a fantastic protagonist. She’s snarky, disorganised, and a daydreamer who creates fantasy boyfriends with elaborate backstories that she has filthy fantasy sex with (giving you an idea of how spicy this book can get at times). She’s understandably jaded when it comes to love and relationships but seems to be finding it hard to let go of her failed marriage despite it ending eight years ago. I loved her and found her funny, relatable and very easy to root for. Then there’s Theo, the kind, sweet, thoughtful but incredibly sexy love interest. They do have the kind of relationship that is absolute goals: it’s mutually respectful, filled with open communication, understanding, support, care, they fancy the pants off each other and have red-hot sex. It all sounds too good to be true but good men and good relationships DO exist, and it was great to see Esme finally have her time. But Manning is shrewd, sewing  little seeds of doubt into our minds about whether or not Theo is real. Obviously, you’ll need to read the book to find out the truth, but I loved the mystery and unreliability of not being sure if this was real or all in Esme’s active imagination. 

Dreamy, sensuous, sweet, heartwarming and hilarious, The Man of Her Dreams is a gripping must-read romance.

Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarra Manning has been a voracious reader for over forty years and a prolific author and journalist for twenty five.

Her novels, which have been translated into fifteen different languages include Unsticky, You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, After The Last Dance, The Rise And Fall Of Becky Sharp and her latest, Rescue Me, which publishes in 2021. Sarra has also written over fifteen YA novels, and four light-hearted romantic comedies under a pseudonym.

She started her writing career on Melody Maker and Just Seventeen, has been editor of ElleGirl and What To Wear and has also contributed to The Guardian, ELLE, Grazia, Stylist, Fabulous, Stella, You Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar and is currently the Literary Editor of Red magazine.

Sarra has also been a Costa Book Awards judge and has been nominated for various writing awards herself.

She lives in London surrounded by piles and piles of books.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in this tour.

*These links are affiliate links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Unnatural Death (Kay Scarpetta Book 27) by Patricia Cornwell

Published November 23rd, 2023 by Sphere
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fition, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Women Sleuths, Medical Thriller, Crime Series

Today I’m delighted to be opening the blog tour for the riveting new instalment in the Kay Scarpetta series. Thank you to Midas PR and Sphere for the invitation to take part and gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

THE BREATHTAKING NEW KAY SCARPETTA THRILLER FROM THE 120-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER

Two mauled bodies in the woods. Two top secret autopsies. The most chilling case of Scarpetta’s career . . .

In this thrilling new instalment of the #1 bestselling series, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta finds herself in a Northern Virginia wilderness examining the remains of two campers wanted by federal law enforcement.

The victims have been savaged beyond recognition, and other evidence is terrifying and baffling, including a larger-than-life footprint.

After one of the most frightening body retrievals of her career, Scarpetta must discover who would commit murders this brutal, and why.

‘A chilling, thrilling, macabre masterpiece. Unnatural Death is Patricia Cornwell at her mesmerising finest. The best just got better’
CHRIS WHITAKER, author of WE BEGIN AT THE END

‘Sinister, surprising and utterly unputdownable. Cornwell at her brilliant best’
M. J. ARLIDGE, author of EYE FOR AN EYE

‘Classic Cornwell with an up-to-the-minute twenty-first-century plot. An intoxicating blend that proves Scarpetta is still queen of the autopsy and Cornwell is still queen of crime fiction’
ANDREA MARA, author of NO ONE SAW A THING

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MY REVIEW:

The bodies of two campers are discovered in Buckingham Run, a remote part of the North Virginia wilderness. The victims have savagely mauled so viciously that they are unrecognisable and the rest of the evidence is bizarre, perplexing, and frightening. To make matters even more complicated, the victims were wanted by federal law enforcement, and Dr Kay Scarpetta and her team liaise with them as they investigate this baffling case. 

There’s no question that Patricia Cornwell is one of the queens of crime fiction or that her Kay Scarpetta series is incredible, so needless to say, I had high hopes for Unnatural Death and was excited to read it even though it has shamefully been a number of years since I last read one of her books. I was not disappointed. Timely, tense, mysterious, eerie, this gripping thriller was a brilliant return to this series for me. It was easy to read as a standalone, Ms. Cornwell catching the reader up on important facts about the characters and their histories succinctly so that you feel like you’ve never missed a thing. The plot is intriguing, with hints of mythology and something ‘other’ hovering ominously over the pages alongside the very human threat that is also present. Cornwell pulls no punches, diving headfirst into the action from the first page and not letting up until the last, keeping me guessing the whole time. This was a case where I truly had no idea where it was going and I enjoyed the ride with its many twists and turns. 

Kay Scarpetta is a likeable and charismatic character and makes a great narrator. She was likeable, easy to root for, and I loved her bold, tenacious and outgoing personality. There is a lot of great banter between her and the other characters, but I particularly enjoyed her relationship with her niece, Lucy. Lucy was my favourite character after Kay and they seem like real peas in a pod. I even think Lucy would make a great focus for another series – hint hint.

Unsettling, elusive, mysterious, and compelling, Unnatural Deaths is a riveting must-read for any self-respecting crime fan,

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

In 1990, Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. An auspicious debut, it went on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity Awards as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventure prize—the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. Growing into an international phenomenon, the Scarpetta series won Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.

Today, Cornwell’s novels and iconic characters are known around the world. Beyond the Scarpetta series, Cornwell has written the definitive nonfiction account of Jack the Ripper’s identity, cookbooks, a children’s book, a biography of Ruth Graham, and two other fictional series based on the characters Win Garano and Andy Brazil. While writing Quantum, Cornwell spent two years researching space, technology, and robotics at Captain Calli Chase’s home base, NASA’s Langley Research Center, and studied cutting-edge law enforcement and security techniques with the Secret Service, the US Air Force, NASA Protective Services, Scotland Yard, and Interpol.

Cornwell was born in Miami. She grew up in Montreat, North Carolina, and now lives and works in Boston and Los Angeles.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones*| Bookshop.org*| Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These links are purchase links

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave

Published November 9th, 2023 by Orenda
Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Hardboiled, Police Procedural

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the outstanding His Favourite Graves. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and Orenda Books for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Desperate for reward money – and to rescue his marriage – an embattled sheriff takes incalculable risks to find a missing boy. An edge-of-your-seat, twisted and twisty thriller from New Zealand’s King of Crime.
 
To catch a killer…
Maybe you’ve got to be one…

Acacia Pines, USA. Sheriff Cohen’s life is falling apart – his father accidentally burned down the retirement home, his wife has moved out, and his son is bullying other kids at school.

When high-school student, Lucas Connor, is abducted, Cohen sees a chance to get his life back on track – to win back his wife and scoop the reward money offered for Lucas’s safe return.

But as the body count rises, it becomes clear that Cohen’s going to have to make the kind of decision from which there’s no coming back … a decision with deadly consequences…

A furiously paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller exposing the dark underbelly of small-town life, His Favourite Graves is also a twisted and twisty story of father-and-son relationships, and the one last gamble of a desperate man to save everything…

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MY REVIEW:

OMG. What on earth did I just read?! All the stars for this intense, menacing and mind-blowing thriller. Utterly addictive and unputdownable, His Favourite Graves is a cocktail of pure nerves and adrenaline that I can still feel coursing through my veins. So buckle up and hold on tight, because Paul Cleave is about to take you on one of the bumpiest roller-coasters you’ve ever ridden.

This is one of those books I think is best read without knowing too much about the plot, so I won’t go into too much detail. But I will tell you that there’s kidnapping, murder, desperate people taking desperate measures, and a whole lot of crazy goings on. It starts out with a standard thriller formula: a teenage boy gets abducted by a school janitor who is hiding a dark and deadly secret, and the race is on to find them before it’s too late. But that’s when Cleave puts the cat among the pigeons and deviates from what we’re expecting with a twist that proves to be only the first of many surprises he has in store. Nothing is as it seems in this book. 

Cleverly plotted, deftly spun and wickedly twisty, this is a deceptively layered and nuanced thriller that has teenage angst and family drama woven into the story. Cleave shows us the shades of grey that exist in the shadows by exploring the monsters that lurk inside us, the masks some of us wear, and forcing us to look at the assumptions we make – sometimes unwittingly – about the people around us. The characters are flawed, fractured, tortured, and conflicted, but also vividly real. There is no clear hero or villain; just a murky, blurred line where ordinary people make bad or misguided choices out of desperation, fear, and delusion. They could be any one of us, and that makes them all the more terrifying. 

Paul Cleave just keeps getting better. He is the king of misdirection, lulling me into a false sense of security where I *think* I’ve got things figured out and then: BAM! He drops another shocking twist that hits me like a freight train. Meanwhile, he’s intricately interweaving the many threads in unexpected ways and dropping subtle clues that slip under the radar until much later. He put me off kilter, twisted me up in knots and gave me book whiplash. And it is so freaking good!

Dark, devious, suspenseful and surprising, His Favourite Graves is one of the most outstanding and unsettling thrillers you’ll read this year. Go and read this book!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Paul is an award winning author who often divides his time between his home city of Christchurch, New Zealand, where most of his novels are set, and Europe. He’s won the New Zealand Ngaio Marsh Award three times, the Saint-Maur book festival’s crime novel of the year award in France, and has been shortlisted for the Edgar and the Barry in the US and the Ned Kelly in Australia. HIs books have been translated into over twenty languages. He’s thrown his Frisbee in over forty countries, plays tennis badly, golf even worse, and has two cats – which is often two too many. 

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

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BLOG TOUR: The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani

Published October 26th, 2023 by Zaffre
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Cozy Mystery

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this chilling and suspenseful whodunnit. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours for the invitation to take part and to Zaffre for the proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Find the truth. Solve the murder. Never reveal your secret.

Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: The Murder Masquerade Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, but they were always fictional – until their final Christmas puzzle, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.

Now, the remaining members receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade, to be held in a beautiful and remote country house in Scotland. The game begins, and it feels just like old times.

Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree.

It quickly becomes clear that in this game, the murder will be all too real, and the story is bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface. If they hope to survive the festive season then they will need to face the truth about what happened on that fateful night twelve years ago.

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MY REVIEW:

“You are invited to a murder.” 

Claustrophobic, unnerving,  and mysterious, The Twelve Days of Murder is a gripping whodunnit. There’s secrets, suspicion, suspense, and slaughter as a group of university friends reunite and resurrect their old murder-mystery group. It’s the first time The Murder Masquerade Society have been together since one of their members disappeared without a trace during a game twelve years ago. The games begin in a remote country house in Scotland, but their festive fun soon turns into a terrifying nightmare when the game becomes all-too real…

This twist-filled thriller had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It’s a dynamic ripe for conflict: a group of old friends, full of mistrust, who are trapped together in a remote house during a snowstorm while a killer picks them off one by one. And the conflict is plain to see in every facet of this cunningly crafted thriller. Andreina Cordani drops clues like breadcrumbs for us to follow, making it feel like we’re playing the game alongside the characters as we try to identify the killer in their midst. I loved Cordani’s creative plotting, such as telling the story in five parts that are set out like the acts of a murder-mystery and the various ways she wove the Christams carol ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ into the plot. And the creeping sense of dread, of a predator hunting its prey, that lingers over every page made this one I couldn’t put down.

A dual timeline novel, the story is narrated by Charley in the present, while different Masqueraders take turns narrating the flashbacks to events twelve years earlier. While all the characters are richly drawn, compelling, flawed, and unreliable narrators, it was Charley I felt the sense of camaraderie with. I think this is because she’s the odd girl out of the group – the have-not among a group of those who have – and there’s a clear divide in how she is treated by them in both timelines which made me angry for her. But Charley and the group are sitting ducks. Prime targets for someone out for revenge. And Cordani doesn’t make it easy for us as we try to identify the killer, keeping us guessing with lots of misdirection and some surprising revelations that turn everything upside down and an unmasking of the culprit that left my jaw on the floor.

The Twelve Days of Murder is a chilling, sinister and suspenseful whodunnit perfect for those who like their festive reading with a side of murder.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

From the author’s website:
I wanted to be a writer from the age of seven, but got a little bit distracted by the world of magazines. Over the years I’ve written for titles including Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Good Housekeeping, Prima, that’s life! and Marie Claire. I specialise in real life interviews, talking to seemingly ordinary people about their extraordinary lives, and these chats inspired me to put myself in other people’s shoes and imagine how different life can be. I write young adult thrillers about people in impossible emotional situations, with a little bit of murder thrown in. My dream is to sit and write books all day then sit and read books all night, but I also love procrastinating on social media, being sarcastic and swimming in the sea.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

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BLOG TOUR: Please Take My Baby by Emma Robinson

Published October 17th, 2023 by Bookouture
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Literary Fiction, Saga

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this gut-wrenchingly emotional story. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

As I hand my newborn baby to my mother, I see the softness in her face as she gazes down at the tiny, helpless girl in her arms. And I feel my heart shatter as I say the words that will change all our lives… ‘Please, take my baby.’

I know she will be better off without me.But as I leave her behind that dark night, I wonder, will I ever see my baby again?

Will I have the chance to explain to little Erin why I had to go? Even if I do find the strength to return, what will my mother have told her?

Only one person really knows what happened, and why I had to do what I did.

I know the truth will come out some day. I don’t expect forgiveness. The only thing I hope is that my family can survive the fallout…

A heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting tale about the sacrifices mothers make for their children, this story will make you hold your loved ones tight. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Kate Hewitt.

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MY REVIEW:

“When you’re told a mother makes sacrifices, you think of the sleepless nights and the wrecking of your body and the nights you’ll have to stay home. But they are easy when compared with the biggest sacrifice. The one where you have to let them go. Worse, you have to make them feel as if they can walk away and not look back. Freedom without strings.”

My heart was not ready for this book. A story about identity and the relationship between a mother and her children that explores the sacrifices mothers make and what it means to really put your child first. Gut-wrenchingly emotional and moving, it broke my heart into pieces before putting them back together again. 

A story about four generations of women, a family secret that has been hidden for decades, and life-changing decisions, it centres around Erin, a forty-something divorcee who has recently moved back into her mother Ava’s home to help care for her as she battles dementia. The pair have always had a strained relationship and there is added tension in the home as Erin’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Harriet, is far from happy with the move as it meant leaving her school and friends behind. But it’is when Erin finds a photograph of her mother holding a baby she’s never seen before that things really begin to unravel, leading Erin to a shocking discovery that makes her question everything about herself and her life. 

“Layer upon layer of lies. Her whole childhood covered and hidden and papered over. Now those layers were peeling and tearing apart and what was she going to find underneath?”

Emma Robinson has created a beautifully and sensitively written story filled with compelling and real characters that make you feel everything they do. I felt like I walked in Erin’s shoes at every step and there were times I had to put the book down to compose myself before picking it up again. Themes of maternal sacrifice that run through every facet of the story but it was Erin’s agony over Harriet possibly moving away to live with her father that resonated most with me. Having recently sent my eldest off to university in another city I felt her pain in my soul but loved that she chose to put her daughter’s best interests above her own again and again.  

“Hang on in there. That’s how she felt, like she was hanging on by her fingernails to both her mother’s past and her daughter’s future. What would happen if she let go?”

Dementia is not an easy subject to write about but Robinson deals with it brilliantly, her skill for writing difficult subjects in a candid but sensitive way evident once again. She provides a raw, honest, emotional, and detailed exploration of dementia, the emotions it stirs up, and the repercussions for the patient’s whole family. I felt Ava’s confusion and fear as she moved between lucidity and forgetting simple things like how to make a cup of tea and Erin’s heartache and devastation was palpable, reminding me of how I felt watching my own grandmother descend deeper into dementia. 

Heartfelt, poignant and affirming, Please Take My Baby is a powerful and thought-provoking read that I highly recommend. Just make sure you have a box full of tissues handy.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Emma Robinson is a USA Today Bestseller with a passion for stories which explore the power of family and friendship in the most challenging circumstances. Whilst her early novels are humorous; her recent work focuses on emotional themes and these novels are both heart-breaking and life affirming.

​Emma currently lives in Essex, England with a husband, two children and a small black dog.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

*These links are affiliate links

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BLOG TOUR: The Beaver Theory (The Rabbit Factor Trilogy Book 3) by Antti Tuomainen

Published October 12th, 2023 by Orenda
Thriller, Mystery, Dark Comdey, Noir Fiction, Book Series, Horror Fiction

I’m a little late due to illness, but here’s my review for the laugh-out-loud funny The Beaver Theory, which was also my first Orentober read. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for my invitation to take part and to Orenda for my proof copy of the book.

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SYNOPSIS:

Can everyone’s favourite insurance mathematician, Henri, combine the increasingly dangerous world of adventure parks with the unpredictability of blended-family life? He’s about to find out in the final instalment of the hilarious, nail-biting Rabbit Factor Trilogy.
 
Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…
 
As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…
 
Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.
 
In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher… 
 
Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…

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MY REVIEW:

We’re back with Henri and the others at the YouMeFun Adventure Park for the last book in the Rabbit Factor Trilogy. In his final adventure, the actuary and adventure-park entrepreneur is trying to balance his new family commitments with saving his park, preventing his staff becoming embroiled in an adventure-park war, and solving a murder. And time is running out. But Henri believes that order and mathematics will win the day as they always have, even if he’s forced further out of his comfort zone than ever as he faces his biggest challenges to date.

Laugh-out-loud funny, wacky, touching and unpredictable, The Beaver Theory is a glorious finale for this offbeat trilogy. In this instalment Henri is a real fish out of water as he embraces the chaos of family life, school runs and bake sales alongside the running of his adventure-park, a job that is far more dangerous than you’d imagine. Written with Antti Tuomainen’s signature kooky comic genius, warmth and tension, he kept me guessing as the madness unfolded right up to the spectacular finale. But this witty caper was also bittersweet as I never wanted the trilogy to end and I’m glad I’ve got the TV adaptation to look forward to. 

Henri remains one of my favourite characters ever written. Sensible, ordered, meticulous and very quirky, there is no one else like him. I adore this character and love the way he finds respite in logic, order and mathematics even when he’s a suspected murderer. He’s such a refreshing character to read and you can’t help but root for him every step of the way. I loved seeing him happy and taking on the challenge of family life and all its craziness in this book, especially when he’s pulled into being part of the ‘Dads Gang’. The latter paved the way for many hilarious moments and I enjoyed seeing his softer side in his interactions with Laura and her daughter. 

Kooky, original and entertaining, The Beaver Theory is another must-read from Tuomainen and Orenda. While it could be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the whole series to avoid missing out on some of the best fiction you’ll ever read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for Best Finnish Crime Novel and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. In 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime-genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’, and Little Siberia (2019) was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and won the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The Rabbit Factor, the prequel to The Moose Paradox, will soon be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell for Amazon Studios.

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MEET THE TRANSLATOR:

David Hackston is a British translator of Finnish and Swedish literature and drama. Notable publications include The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy, Maria Peura’s coming-of-age novel At the Edge of Light, Johanna Sinisalo’s eco-thriller Birdbrain, two crime novels by Matti Joensuu and Kati Hiekkapelto’s Anna Fekete series (which currently includes The Hummingbird, The Defenceless and The Exiled, all published by Orenda Books). He also translates Antti Tuomainen’s stories. In 2007 he was awarded the Finnish State Prize for Translation. David is also a professional countertenor and a founding member of the English Vocal Consort of Helsinki.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These puchase links are affiliate links

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BLOG TOUR: The Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe

Published October 9th, 2023 by Bookoture
Psychological Thriller

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this jaw-dropping thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part and the eBook ARC.

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SYNOPSIS:

Bailey stood on the stage, her crown glittering under the high school lights as she blew kisses to those glaring beneath her. Despite the celebrations, something didn’t feel right. She wasn’t supposed to be prom queen, and someone would make her pay for it…

Twenty years ago, my best friend, Bailey, was found dead by the train tracks, half of our friendship locket missing from her pale neck. She never took that off. Officially, it was ruled a tragic accident – but I knew better. She’d been crowned prom queen only hours earlier, and someone’s jealousy had finally gotten to them.

Now I have been forced to return to my childhood home, to the small lakeside town, and the group of friends I grew up with. Back to the scene of the crime that ruined my life, and stole my best friend away from me forever. I need a fresh slate, but I am seeing Bailey everywhere. A quick flash of her locket on a woman in a café surely can’t be a coincidence?

As I walk along the street, I avoid the suspicious stares of my former classmates. Everyone here thinks I had something to do with Bailey’s death. Sure, we did things we shouldn’t have as teenagers, but who didn’t? But when I start to hear noises in my house and receive threatening notes, I realize someone here never wanted me to come back, and they’ll do whatever it takes to keep me away…

Someone in this small town murdered my best friend the night she was crowned prom queen, and now they’re after me. We all have our secrets, but who would kill for them?

A gripping psychological thriller with a twist that will make your jaw drop, perfect for fans of The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and Lisa Jewell.

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MY REVIEW:

It’s been twenty years since Brooke’s best friend Bailey died the same night she was crowned prom queen. Her death was ruled a tragic accident by the police, but Brooke always believed she was murdered. Now she plans to prove it. 

A small town. Long-buried secrets. Suspicion. Murder. Prom Queen has all the ingredients for the kind of suspenseful, twist-filled thriller that I love. And it didn’t disappoint. This was my first time reading a book by Laura Wolfe and I have another brilliant thriller author to add to my ever-growing list. She had me hooked from the chilling prologue to the shocking finale, keeping me guessing as I tried to figure out who the killer was. I was on the edge of my seat as I raced through the pages to find out the answer. And that ending! OMG. How could you do that to me?!

The reader knows from the prologue that Bailey has in fact been murdered but in the story no-one but the killer knows for sure that her death wasn’t a tragic accident. But there are many people who suspect, including podcast host Hannah. The story is narrated by Brooke in dual timelines, the flashbacks to twenty years describing events leading up to the night Bailey died. They tell a very familiar story of teenage angst, friendship and high-school drama while also holding an air of something much darker and there’s a sense of dread as the clock ticks down to Bailey’s murder. The small-town setting adds to this with its claustrophobic, unsettling vibes. Wolfe also creates an overwhelming feeling of distrust, and you have no idea who might be hiding a deadly secret, even making me question if Brooke was a reliable narrator a number of times. It really is a case of everyone being a suspect, and as I searched every page for clues I had some suspicions, but  could never say with certainty who I thought it was. This heightened the tension and made it impossible to stop thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it.

Atmospheric, addictive and surprising, this jaw-dropping thriller is a must read for any thriller lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes twisty, fast-paced psychological thrillers and suspense novels published by Bookouture. Her indie titles have also been shortlisted for multiple book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

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BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon* |

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the tour.

*These links are affiliate links