Tag: Book Review

Posted in Book Review, Crime, Murder Mystery

Deadly Secrets Ann Girdharry 4*#Review @GirdharryAnn @Bloodhoundbook #DeadlySecrets @rararesources #CrimeFiction #Detective #Psychologist #BlogBlitz #BookReview

Posted on by jolliffe01

How long can you get away with murder?

In an idyllic Sussex town, Mr Quinn whispers a secret on his death bed. Hours later the person who cared for Quinn is killed.

Mr Quinn’s secret sets off events unlike anything Detective Grant and Psychologist Ruby Silver have ever seen.

A series of deaths follow as a killer tries to cover their twenty-year trail of murder by drowning.

Grant, Silver and the team must track a killer who has been getting away with murder for years. But when treachery, corruption and secrets from the past are used against Sergeant Tom Delaney, the killer turns their attention to one of Grant’s own…

Detective David Grant and Psychologist Ruby Silver are back in this unmissable new crime thriller. It can be read as the sequel to Deadly Motives or as a brilliant stand-alone. 

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I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

The suspense builds from the beginning of this police procedural. A man shares a deathbed secret, and the person who hears it dies too.

When the story turns inward onto the police team, they behave professionally, which adds to the authenticity. Insight into the mind and motivations of the killer increases the level of menace and brings the antagonist to life in an alarming way.

Fast-paced, with realistic characters, heinous murders and clues in the past and present make this an enjoyable read for crime fiction enthusiasts.

Ann Girdharry is a British, crime thriller author.
She’s a trained psychotherapist and worked as a manager in the not-for-profit sector for many years.
​
Ann is an avid reader and her favourites are crime and suspense. She regularly talks about her favourite reads to her newsletter subscribers. She enjoys travelling and apart from the UK she’s lived in the USA (where her first daughter was born), Norway (where her second daughter was born) and she currently lives in France.

She was an ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD Finalist 2017.

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Posted in Book Review, Family Drama, Friendship, Romance, Romantic Comedy

The Love Square Laura Jane Williams 4*#Review @laurajaneauthor @AvonBooksUK #Dating #Romance #Humour #RomCom #TheLoveSquare #BookReview

Posted on by jolliffe01

She’s single. But that doesn’t mean it’s not complicated…

Penny Bridge has, historically, been very unlucky in love. She’s pledged to focus on other things – her friends, her career – making the most of what busy London life has to offer.

But when difficult circumstances mean that Penny’s uncle must hand over the kitchen of his beloved restaurant in Derbyshire, she finds herself stepping into a new life in a new town.

And as luck would have it, she’s suddenly confronted with one remarkable man who wants to date her, followed by another. And then another…

So begins a hilarious love-square with Penny firmly in the middle…

From the #1 ebook bestseller of Our Stop comes another funny and feel-good exploration of hope, romance and the trust it takes to finally fall in love.

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

This is a lighthearted romantic comedy where the female lead makes all the choices. It’s contemporary and diverse embracing love wherever it falls, which is refreshing. Penny is likeable, and the love square she finds herself in is amusing, frustrating and a little sad. I don’t necessarily understand what motivates some of her actions and choices, but they do make this a good read.

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Review, Espionage - Spy - Thriller, Political Thriller, Thriller

Ride or Die Khurrum Rahman #JayQasim 4*#Review @KhurrumRahman @HQStories #political #thriller #international #Spy #RideorDie #BlogTour #BookReview #pubicationday

Posted on by jolliffe01

JAY QASIM is finally out of the game and trying to lay low. But then he gets news that rocks his world and drags up everything that he thought he’d left behind. Jay must break his vow never to work with MI5 again and turn to the person who sold him out. But this time he’s determined to do it on his terms.

IMRAN SIDDIQUI once tried to kill Jay but now they have a common adversary. The one thing worse than death is watching the people closest to you die. And after the happiest day of Imran’s life becomes the most tragic, he will stop at nothing to take revenge on the people that have taken away his family.

But when everyone has their own agenda, who can you really trust?
Your most deadly enemy is about to become your closest ally.

Ride or Die is an edge-of-your-seat thriller featuring MI5 most reluctant spy Jay Qasim.

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

The third book in the Jay Qasim series, but the first one I’ve read. There’s a quick catch up of events and character details but read the earlier books first if you can. The writing style is informal and urban and draws you into Jay’s world quickly. There are action, hatred and violence but also love, reflection and selflessness in this thriller.

Jay and his nemesis Imy are both conflicted but likeable. They have the arrogance of youth but tempered by what they’ve done lost and seen. This book views the world through their eyes, and it’s a disturbing place to be. The themes are current, but the interpretation is literary. This is an adrenaline-fueled dangerous adventure which keeps the reader invested and on the edge of their seats.

Posted in Book Review, Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, Humour

Queen Bee Jane Fallon 4*#Review @JaneFallon @MichaelJBooks #Revenge #Humour #Women #Relationships #publicationday #QueenBee

Posted on by jolliffe01

When Laura’s marriage falls apart she needs to find a home for her and her daughter. And quickly.

Welcome to The Close, a beautiful street of mansions, where Laura rents a tiny studio above a garage, and gorgeous Stella is the indisputable Queen Bee – who soon suspects Laura of having designs on her fiancé.

But when Laura unearths the ghastly secret he is hiding, it threatens Stella’s perfectly curated world as well as Laura’s career.

Hatching an elaborate plan to beat him at his own game, these former enemies are now best friends.

But has Laura forgotten that revenge always comes with a sting in the tail?

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from Penguin UK -Michael Joseph in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

There’s excellent escapism in this story whose characters are just on the right side of stereotypical. Laura finds herself in an upmarket area of London when she needs a bolt hole at the end of her marriage. Finding a nanny annexe in the exclusive close seems serendipitous until she meets the locals.

Think ‘Gossip Girl’ but older and you’ll appreciate the hierarchy among the female residents. Stella ‘Queen Bee’ sees Laura as a rival and sets out to cold-shoulder her from the group. Al Stella’s fiancé is the cause of the discord. Laura is determined to uncover his secrets. This leads to a strange alliance with Stella, as they plot revenge.

This amusing, often satirical observation of ‘The Close’s’ residents is easy to read. The shallowness and lack of self-worth evident, in some of the women, is poignant and adds another layer to this absorbing story.

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Review, Espionage - Spy - Thriller, International Thriller, Political Thriller, Thriller

The Circle-A-Killings Sean Heary 5*#Review @Sean_Heary @lovebooksgroup #lovebookstours #Thriller #Political #Spy #ConspiracyTheory #International #BlogTour #BookReview

Posted on by jolliffe01

Returning from Moscow, Lorenzo Rossi finds himself forced to quit his job as head of the Vatican police. And to make matters worse, his fiancée, CIA Agent Cathy Doherty, calls off their wedding. Just as Rossi is settling into his new life as a visiting academic at Cambridge University, the CIA persuades him to rejoin Cathy in catching the killer of three American billionaires. Barely on speaking terms, the two devise a plan to befriend the CIA’s main suspect.

As they get closer to the suspect and his coterie of friends, Rossi and Cathy realise that they’re being played for fools. But why? Everything points to an international conspiracy. As friends and foes drop dead around them, they arrive at the truth. But to prove it they need to set a trap. A trap that turns them from hunter to prey. Will they survive to tell their tale?

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

This is a story with fast-paced crime thrills in an ethos of conspiracy, global politics and espionage. Rossi and Cathy first appeared in ‘The Concordat’, but if you accept they have history, this reads well as a standalone.

The plot is multilayered, and it keeps you guessing. It works on many levels, crime investigation, political intrigue and the noir activities of the intelligence services. Discerning the killer is hard to do.

Rossi and Cathy add an emotional side to the story. They have a romantic history, and this shows in their interactions. The dynamic between them is intriguing. The story has an addictive quality with action, camaraderie, conspiracy and violence.

Sean Henry

Sean travelled the world for thirty years as a mining company executive, living for many years only a stone’s throw from the Kremlin. No wonder he likes to write political thrillers. He also worked for several years in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he picked up a taste for Central Asian cuisine and met his wife. Born and raised in Australia, Sean now makes Germany his home.

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Review, Childrens Books, Parenting and Famlies

My Mummy Is A Monster Natalie Reeves-Billing 5*#Review @BillingReeves #Illustrator Lisa Williams @RandomTTours #kidlit #ChildrensBooks #MonstrousMe #BlogTour #BookReview

Posted on by jolliffe01

The Monstrous Me series is a split perspective book looking at situations from another point of view to help children develop a sense of balance, roundedness and wellbeing. Readers can literally and figuratively, turn the story on its head, and look at the very same situations from different angles. In this first book, ‘My Mummy’s a Monster’ an inquisitive little girl is convinced her mum is a monster. But, is she really? When we look through her mummy’s eyes, we see a very different story.

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

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My Thoughts...

This book teaches children to see things from someone else’s perspective. The rhyming text is easy to follow with situations familiar to both children and parents. Bright and comical illustrations complement the text perfectly.

The first book shows how the children think Mummy is a monster. The second shows the same story from Mummy’s side. It helps the children appreciate that everyone sees things differently, and every point of view is valid.

Natalie Reeves Billing

Natalie Reeves Billing is a Liverpool lass with a dark sense of humour, which often spills onto the page. She loves to write spooky, fantastical stories for young audiences, and dabbles in poetry, contemporary fiction.
Natalie spent most of her early career in the music industry as a performer and professional songwriter. This lead, almost inevitably, to storytelling.

Natalie is an Arvon Foundation friend and is a student of the Golden Egg Academy. She is mentored under the Lloyds Bank SSE program, with her Bubs Literacy project. She is published in several anthologies with her poetry and flash fiction, including the Writing on the Wall, Read Now, Write Now, and is involved in several collaborations with fellow writers across poetry, song, and scriptwriting.
Her new book, My Mummy is a Monster (part of the Monstrous Me collection) will be available in March 2020 and Carry Love in June 2020

Connect with Natalie on Twitter

Posted in Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Saga

The Orphan’s Gift Renita D’Silva 5*#Review @RenitaDSilva @bookouture #saga #India #historicalfiction #histfic #LiteraryFiction #BookReview #TheOrphansGift

Posted on by jolliffe01

She allows herself to kiss her perfect child just once. She wraps the baby in her last gift: a hand-knitted cardigan, embroidered with a water lily pattern. ‘You’re better off without me,’ she whispers and although every step breaks her heart, she walks away.

1910, India. Young and curious Alice, with her spun-gold hair, grows up in her family’s sprawling compound with parents as remote as England, the cold country she has never seen. It is Raju, son of a servant, with whom she shares her secrets. Together, their love grows like roses – but leaves deep thorns. Because when they get too close, Alice’s father drags them apart, sending Raju far away and banishing Alice to England…

1944. Intelligent and kind Janaki is raised in an orphanage in India. The nuns love to tell the story: Janaki’s arrival stopped the independence riots outside the gates, as the men on both sides gazed at the starry-eyed little girl left in a beautiful hand-knitted cardigan. Janaki longs for her real mother, the woman who was forced to abandon her, wrapped in a precious gift…

Now old enough to be a grandmother and living alone in India, Alice watches children play under the tamarind trees, haunted by the terrible mistake she made fifty years ago. It’s just an ordinary afternoon, until a young girl with familiar eyes appears with a photograph and Alice must make a choice. Will she spend the rest of her life consumed by dreams of the past, or can she admit her mistakes and choose love and light at last?

A stunning and heartbreaking novel about how a forbidden love can echo through the generations. 

Amazon UK

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

This author always delivers an emotional story. The lyrical writing style is pleasurable to read. The vivid characters and imagery are evocative of the setting. Told from Alice and Janaki’s viewpoints the story set in India and England encompasses a turbulent time in the two country’s histories. Loss, love, manipulation and prejudice form the intricate embroidery of this story. The characters draw you into their worlds the ripple of effect resonates from carelessly made decisions.

If you are looking for a book that is vibrant yet poignant and full of sensory imagery, this is for you.

Posted in Blog Tour, Book Review, Friendship, Holiday Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Travel

A Sunset in Sydney Sandy Barker 5*#Review #HolidayRomance @sandybarker @0neMoreChapter_ #Romance #Travel #Holiday #Sisters #ASunsetinSydney @rararesources #BlogTour #Book Review

Posted on by jolliffe01

How far would you go in the name of love?

Sarah Parsons has a choice ahead of her. After the trip of a lifetime she’s somehow returned home with TWO handsome men wanting to whisk her away into the sunset.

Pulled in two directions across the globe, it’s making life trickier than it sounds. Her gorgeous American, Josh, wants to meet Sarah in Hawaii for a holiday to remember. Meanwhile silver fox, James, plans to wine and dine her in London.

It’s a lot to handle for this Aussie girl, who had totally sworn off men!

Join Sarah after her adventure in One Summer in Santorini, for the heart-warming and uplifting third novel in The Holiday Romance series.

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I received a copy of this book from One More Chapter and the Author in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

The love triangle that left us guessing at the end of One Summer in Santorini is back, and it’s decision time for Sarah. You need to read book one to find out how she meets James and Josh, but there is enough backstory to clue you into her dilemma.

The story takes place in London with James, Hawaii with Josh and then New Zealand and Australia. The travel is descriptive and gives this romantic comedy its edge. Sarah is a little like a child in a sweet shop wanting both, having both and then not sure which she likes best. However, her emotional journey is insightful. She decides, but is it who you thought? I confess to being slightly disappointed with her choice, but it’s the right one for her.

The characters are flawed and relatable there are lots of humorous moments which are easy to visualise and then there’s the romance what more do you need? Lovely.

I’m a writer and traveller with a lengthy bucket list and cheeky sense of humour, and many of my travel adventures have found their way into my books. I’m also an avid reader, a film buff, a wine lover, and a coffee snob, though my writing is mostly fuelled by copious mugs of strong, milky tea (no sugar).

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Posted in Audiobook Review, Blog Tour, Book Review, Humour, Memoir, Motivational, Non-Fiction

Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 2 4*#Review @Nickalbertautho #Audiobook #AudiobookReview #BlogTour #RuralLife #Ireland #Memoir #NonFiction #AudibleUK #FreshEggsandDogBeds2 @rararesources

Posted on by jolliffe01

Nick and Lesley’s desire for a better life in the countryside was a long-held dream. Unforeseen events and a leap of faith forced that dream into reality, but moving to rural Ireland was only the beginning of their story.
Foreigners in a foreign land, they set about making new friends, learning the culture and expanding their collection of chickens and unruly dogs. But their dream home was in desperate need of renovation, a mammoth task they attacked with the aid of a DIY manual, dwindling funds and incompetent enthusiasm. With defunct diggers, collapsing ladders, and shocking electrics, what could possibly go wrong?
Will their new life live up to expectations, or will the Irish weather, dangerous roads, and a cruel twist of fate turn this dream into a nightmare?

KindleAmazon UK Paperback Amazon UK Audible UK

Kindle- Amazon Paperback- Amazon Audible US

I received an audiobook from the author in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts…

Living the country dream in Ireland was how we left Nick and Lesley at the end of book 1. Book 2 details what life is like and the ups and downs of renovation. The honesty and humour are the unique selling point of this series. It’s not just the good bits it’s the bad bits too. There are many poignant events in this memoir that make the listener empathise.

For anyone who’s ever renovated their home, you’ll be agreeing with Nick’s observations and chuckling at the mistakes and the near disasters. Add in the peculiarities of an unfamiliar country and its a recipe for misunderstandings and subsequent laughter.

The animals are still front and centre in Nick’s life, and there are many anecdotes some hilarious, some sad in this story. What shines through is the sharing of a dream, the courage and the innate sense of humour of the storyteller and his wife.

I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment. The narration is first-class brings the characters to life.

Nick Albert was born in England and raised in a Royal Air Force family. After leaving College he worked in retail management for several years before moving into financial services where he quickly progressed through the ranks to become a training consultant. As a very passionate and reasonably talented sportsman, Nick had always wanted to use his training skills towards creating a parallel career, so in the mid 1980’s he qualified and began coaching sport professionally. After a health scare in 2003 and in search of a simpler life, he and his wife Lesley, cashed in their investments, sold their home and bought a rundown farmhouse in the rural west of Ireland – a country they had never before even visited. With little money or experience and armed only with a do-it-yourself manual, they set about renovating their new home, where they now live happily alongside a flock of chickens, two ducks and several unruly, but delightful dogs.
In 2017 Nick was signed to Ant Press to write a series of humorous memoirs about his life in rural Ireland. Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds (book one) was published in September 2017 and soon became an Amazon bestseller. Book two in the series was published on 1st June 2018 and book 3 in August 2019. Book four is due out in 2020.

Nick is also the author of the twisty thriller, Wrecking Crew, the first in a series of books featuring reluctant hero Eric Stone.

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Posted in Book Review, Christmas Read, Festive Read, Sampler

#TheChristmasKiller Alex Pine @JPCarterAuthor @AvonBooksUK #Sampler #Review #ChristmasInJuly

Posted on by jolliffe01

DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey.

But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half-frozen in the snow.

As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….

Can James stop the killer before they strike again?

Pre-order your copy of The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine for only 99p! Out 29th Oct. ☃️ 

The Christmas Killer

#Preorder Amazon UK

I received a sample of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

My Thoughts on #TheChristmasKiller #Sampler

This is a police procedural with a festive setting. James, a detective inspector in the Met moves to Cumbria when the threat of vengeance from a gangland boss looms. The village in Cumbria, the childhood home of his wife Annie has its share of deceit, hate and secrets but is someone willing to kill?

James is a likeable protagonist, straightforward and dedicated. Annie’s past in the village is chequered. Has her moving back started something dreadful?

In this initial sample of the story, there are no murders, only menace and threats. Suspense builds as the possible suspects emerge.

This is going to be a Christmas the villagers’ don’t forget. I look forward to reading what happens next.