Apartment 6 by Stuart James

I'm delighted that today is my stop on the blog tour for the new one from Stuart James which I was really excited to read. I was in for an intense ride! Big thanks to Sarah at Book on the Bright Side Publicity and Promo for inviting me, and to Stuart for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Be careful what you wish for…

When Meagan was five years old her mother was viciously attacked and murdered.

Now an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship. Meagan is desperate to escape but doesn’t have the courage to leave.

So, when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection. But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path.

Just how far would you go to protect someone?

Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits…

Apartment 6 was published yesterday by Bloodhound Books and is available from Amazon UK and US.


My Review:

Meagan is being abused by her husband. Oliver is nursing a broken heart after his girlfriend walked out. He notices Meagan at the station on his daily commute and is struck by her beauty and fragility. The two strike up a tentative friendship. Oliver is totally smitten, so Meagan feels she can ask him a huge favour. My first OMG moment.

The story is told in a dual timeline - we follow Meagan and Oliver in the present day, and we flash back to Meagan's younger days around the time of her mother's death. And there are shocks, big shocks, in both.

It is hard not to feel for Meagan. A young girl who saw things she should never have seen, that meant she had to grow up quickly. There was another OMG moment here, a heartrending one which brought tears to my eyes. And in the present day, we read of the awful abuse she receives from Rob. It's graphic, and made me wince more than once. Some people might struggle to read these passages.

Oliver seems sweet and naive. He's eager to please, and help where he can. He falls totally head over heels for Meagan, perhaps too quickly, and as a result he's soon contemplating some very dark deeds. And that's when things start getting really complicated!

I found this an intense and claustrophobic read. Claustrophobic because it is so focused on Meagan, Oliver and Rob - everyone else is a bit player, at least at the beginning. The story is tense, full of action and twists and is cleverly planned. There are plenty of shocks along the way, and I didn't anticipate the ending at all. I sped through it and look forward to reading more from Stuart.

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers on the tour.


The Author:

I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep. There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breath away.

I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns. My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right. This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.

I started writing two years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane. I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement. To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness. That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.

My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way. I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death. A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party. A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them.
A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.

I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.

My new thriller, Apartment Six, is released on 29th January.

I’m 45, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing. I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.


Author Social Media Links:

Website: stuartjamesthrillers.com
Twitter: @StuartJames73
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartjamesauthor/

Tell Me Lies by Ed James

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Tell Me Lies, The first in the Max Carter series, by Ed James and I am delighted to share my review. Huge thanks to Noelle Holten at Bookoutre for inviting me to take part and for my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.

The Blurb:

Fans of Lee Child and David Baldacci will be gripped by this heart-racing FBI thriller from bestselling author Ed James.

Megan Holliday opens her eyes and finds herself slumped on her doorstep. The last thing she remembers is being in the car with her two kids. She sees a handwritten note on her lap – Don’t call the police. It’s then that she realises her car is missing, and her children are gone…

Leading the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team, FBI agent Max Carter will stop at nothing to find children taken from their families. After all, he was once one of those taken children, so he knows exactly what’s at stake. When he hears that a young senator’s two children have been abducted and their mother left for dead, he races to the Holliday family home in Washington State.

Facing a wall of police cruisers and blacked-out SUVs, Carter quickly uncovers the facts. Megan Holliday was ambushed by a man with a gun as she returned home from taking her kids out for ice cream. Bound and drugged, the attacker left her unconscious on the doorstep with the sinister note on her lap.

As Senator Christopher Holliday walks through the halls of the US Federal Building in Seattle, his phone beeps with an alert. Frustrated by the interruption, he takes a cursory glance and is horrified by the image on the screen – his two children, Brandon and Avery, unconscious. The message he gets simply reads Meet me or they die.

When Agent Carter tries to make contact with the busy senator, it seems the politician has gone missing, fleeing from the Federal Building and abandoning his distraught wife. If Carter knows one thing, it’s that Holliday has something to hide. And he just became Carter’s prime suspect.

Tell Me Lies was published by Bookouture on 21st January 2020.

Buy  Links:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07ZJC71FCSocial
Apple: https://buff.ly/2JBFrYz
Kobo: https://buff.ly/2NbeXxL
Google: https://buff.ly/2Pj0Edm


My Review:

I am late to the party with Ed James (I know, I know) because he's written a ton of books. But I've arrived now, and what better place to start than at the beginning of a new series. And what a belter of a book to start with.

Set across the pond in the US, this is the first book featuring FBI agent Max Carter who heads up the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) team. He has his own reasons for choosing this particular line of work, which are explored throughout the book.

The team is called in when the wife of a US senator is drugged and her two young children kidnapped. It starts a cat and mouse chase across the state. Tension, jeopardy, lies, politics, corruption, violence, sadness - this book has it all.

As a parent I can't think of anything worse than my child going missing like that. I would be out of my mind. Just like Megan Holliday is - her desperation is obvious. I wanted to give her a big hug - although she doesn't strike me as someone who would appreciate a hug! Anyway, her husband doesn't seem to share her concerns, ignoring her and the FBI 's request to.come home. Whilst I'm fairly sure I would do pretty much anything to save my kids, I just couldn't get behind Christopher Holliday 's efforts. I didn't warm to him at all.

Max Carter is very likeable. Relatable. A loving family man with a demanding job and his own fair share of troubles. He struck me as someone you could rely on, who would do the right thing. His total commitment to the job shines through the writing, as does his frustration when things don't go to plan. The rest of this team deserve a mention, especially Tyler who repeatedly performs all sorts of techie magic during the search for the children. He brought to mind the computer wizards in such shows as CSI and NCIS.

There is a lot going on here. The action comes thick and fast, told in short sharp chapters from different points of view. Sometimes, we see the same event through two or three different pairs of eyes. This could prove repetitive, but here it doesn't, and I found it to be a really interesting and effective device.

The story behind the kids being taken is told in layers. You peel one back, there's  another one underneath. The same might be said for the corruption that appears in the book. It's all really well written because it keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next.

This is clearly well researched, and told with confidence. I loved the nods to other crime writers, and the use of the term SNAFU made me smile - it's a phrase not often seen in novels, at least not the ones I read.

Everything comes together into an action packed crime thriller, with a promising new character, which punches you in the gut more than once. And there are moments of real heart wrenching, raw emotion which can be hard to find in a story of this kind. I can't wait to see more of Max Carter!

The Author:

Ed James is the author of multiple series of crime novels.

The bestselling DI Simon Fenchurch series is set in East London and published by Thomas & Mercer.

The self-published Scott Cullen series of Scottish police procedurals features a young Edinburgh Detective Constable investigating crimes from the bottom rung of the career ladder he's desperate to climb. The first book, "Ghost in the Machine", has been downloaded over 400,000 times, hitting both the Amazon UK & US top five.

The Craig Hunter books is a sister series to the Cullen novels, with a PTSD-suffering ex-squaddie now working as a cop investigating sexual abuse cases. With lots of slapstick and banter.

Ed lives in East Lothian, Scotland and writes full-time, but used to work in IT project management, where he filled his weekly commute to London by literally writing on planes, trains and automobiles.


Author Social Media Links:

Mailing list -- http://bit.ly/EJMail
Email -- ed@edjames.co.uk
Twitter -- http://www.twitter.com/edjamesauthor
Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/EdJamesAuthor

I Can See The Lights by Russ Litten

After taking part in the Bookstagram (you can find me on Instagram @simplysuze70) tour for I Can See The Lights I was delighted to be invited to take part in this blog tour. Huge thanks to Kelly at Love Books Tours for the invite and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

The prose poems in I Can See The Lights are earthy and raw, but also incredibly sensitive. It’s pretty much guaranteed that more than one of them will bring you to tears. Characters are vividly brought to life, and stark but warm environments evoked in a down to earth, yet almost painterly manner by Russ Litten’s uncompromising voice.

Tales of home, of un-belonging, of strife at sea – of a northern city’s beating heart. Told in a mesmeric, stripped-down tone, this collection is a work of genius.

I Can See The Lights will be published on 10th February 2020 by Wild Pressed Books. You can pre order it from the publisher and the usual retailers.


My Review:

Regular visitors to this blog will know that I love poetry, and it's always good to come across new poets.

I Can See The Lights is a slim volume of 63 pages. My copy had post it notes on at least a third of those pages marking lines I liked, poems I was moved by and ones I wanted to read again.

Russ Litten doesn't pull any punches with his poems. They are gritty, raw.  They talk about the reality for many; poverty, shoplifting, fishing, drinking, drugs, gambling, prison and a lack of hope. But Litten has a clever turn of phrase meaning there is beauty amongst the bleak.

from THE BOOKIE:
'Bring your offerings to my altar
Like ransom notes from the future,'
and
'But hope springs eternal when the day is most bleak,
when starting bells ring and whistles shriek,'

from MAYFAIR:
'Bob the artist's got a sporran on
cos in London nobody cares what you got up your skirt,
nobody's bothered about your love bites or bruises
or your ballads of urban hurt.'

There are more positive poems too. I loved A HEART'S SUPPOSED TO LAST. A simple exchange between a father and his kids is described perfectly. It's just lovely. And MIRROR, my favourite of the collection I think, is a beautiful poem about beauty.

The poem which gives it's name to the book tells of a remembered, or imagined, drunken walk home from the pub for the writer and his father, and contains some great lines, for example,
'...let's walk a staggered tango
quick, quick slow,
three steps sideways
two steps back,'
And there are many other examples in this poem and throughout the book. Simple but very effective phrasing.

Other poems of note for me were MONDAY MORNING 10am, HULL, INDUCTION and because it made me smile DEAN LICKED MY BALLS. I didn't relate to every poem, but that's fine, I didn't necessarily expect to. But there were plenty I liked, and some that touched me. They felt authentic and that's what worked for me. I will look out for more from Litten. For someone who doesn't consider himself a poet, he writes pretty good poetry!


The Author:

Russ Litten is the author of the novels Scream If You Want To Go Faster, Swear Down, Kingdom and the short story collection We Know What We Are.

As one half of the electronic storytelling duo Cobby and Litten, he has released three spoken word/electronica albums My People Come From The Sea, Boothferry and Pound Shop Communism.

He has written for TV, radio and film and has worked as a writer in residence at various prisons and youth offender units. I Can See The Lights is his first poetry collection.

The Home by Sarah Stovell

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Home, the brand new book from Sarah Stovell. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part. I'm delighted to have an excerpt from The Home to share, which you can find after the book information below.

The Blurb:

A dark and emotive thriller which shines a light on the troubling issue of children in care, The Home marks the return of Sarah Stovell, author of the 2017 international bestseller Exquisite.

When the body of pregnant, fifteen-year-old Hope Lacey is discovered in a churchyard on Christmas morning, the community is shocked, but unsurprised. For Hope lived in The Home, the residence of three young girls, whose violent and disturbing pasts have seen them cloistered away.

 As a police investigation gets underway, the lives of Hope, Lara and Annie are examined, and the staff who work at the home are interviewed, leading to shocking and distressing revelations … and clear evidence that someone is seeking revenge.

A dark and devastating psychological thriller, The Home is also a heartbreaking and insightful portrayal of the underbelly of society, where children learn what they live … if they are allowed to live at all.

The Home was published as an eBook on 28th November 2019 by Orenda Books. The paperback version will be released on the 22nd of this month. You can buy or pre order your copy from the publisher (eBook only), Waterstones (paperback only), Amazon and all good booksellers. 

Extract:

This isn’t a proper interview room, not like the ones you see on TV, with hard chairs and no windows and mean-faced coppers. This is a room designed especially for people like me: young suspects they don’t want to frighten. They’ve put sofas in here and plants, and a rug and a small table with mats to rest your drinks. You can see it’s meant to be comfortable, and they’ve even got women officers to interview me so I don’t get too agitated. Non-threatening. That’s the sort of word they’d use to describe it, but it’s actually bollocks. They want to put you at ease and make you talk, but there’s nothing more threatening than a room designed to be non-threatening so you’ll be tricked into saying too much and getting arrested. Sinister, that’s what I’d call it. Sinister as hell.

The whole day has been a blur. All I know is that she’s dead. My girl is dead, and they forced me away from her. Then they brought me here, where they gave me tea made with crappy teabags, as if that would be enough to calm me down and make me talk.

We’ve been at it for hours.

‘Please tell us your name.’

‘It’s none of your business what my name is.’

‘We are the police and we found you beside the body of a young girl. It is every bit our business what your name is.’

‘Blah, blah, blah.’

That annoyed them.

I can tell they’re drawing on every bit of their patience. They’re going to need it.

‘We need to talk to you,’ one says. ‘When you’re ready, we’ll have to ask you what happened and who the girl is, so we can let her family know.’

I stay silent. They’d found no ID on her body. Nothing at all. All they know is that she was young and blonde and she doesn’t match any of the missing persons on file. They don’t even know she’s pregnant. I suppose the whole future of this case relies on me now, but I’m in no fit state to co-operate. Look at me, I want to say to them. I’m insane with grief.

‘Was the girl who died a relative of yours?’

I shake my head.

‘A good friend, then?’

Again, I shake my head.

The officers stop the questions and hand me more tissues. My face must be a mess. They see my tears as suspicious, I can tell. I’m meant to be hollowed-out and silent with shock.

After a while, they try again. ‘We understand your distress,’ one of them says.

I want to shout at her. No, you don’t. You haven’t got a clue. She’s dead and I am here, and I don’t know how I’ll ever bear this.

But I don’t say it, so she carries on. ‘But it’s really important we find out who this girl is. Her family will be worrying and we need to tell them the truth as soon as we can.’

I don’t know what comes over me then. It’s like I’ve left my body and I’m watching myself from somewhere above the spot where I’m sitting. I look straight at the two of them. ‘Fuck off,’ I’m spitting. ‘Just fuck off. She hasn’t got any fucking family.’ Then I hold out my hands as if I’m reading a book and recite, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue. No one gives a shit about the end of you.’

With no warning, her voice suddenly fills the room. What about you? she asks. Do you give a shit? Are you sorry?

I look around at the police officers to see if they’ve heard it, too, as clearly as I just did. They don’t seem to have. They’re sitting there, sympathetic but tough, ready to charge me with bad behaviour.

It wasn’t meant to be this way. It should never have come to this.

Wow, how good does that sound? So intriguing! Really looking forward to getting stuck into this one. 

The Author:

Sarah Stovell was born in 1977 and spent most of her life in the Home Counties before a season working in a remote North Yorkshire youth hostel made her realise she was a northerner at heart. She now lives in Northumberland with her partner and two children and is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Lincoln University. Her debut psychological thriller, Exquisite, was called ‘the book of the summer’ by Sunday Times.

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone

Breakers by Doug Johnstone was one of my books of 2019 so I was really excited to read his brand new one, A Dark Matter. It didn't disappoint. I'm delighted to share my review as part of the blog tour and my thanks go to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me. I read and reviewed from my own purchased copy.

The Blurb:

After an unexpected death, three generations of women takeover the family funeral-home and PI businesses in the first book of a brilliant, page-turning and darkly funny new series

The Skelfs are a well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators. When patriarch Jim dies, it's left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.

Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another women, suggesting that Jim wasn't the husband she thought he was. Hannah's best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined. As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything... It 's a compelling and tense thriller and a darkly funny, warm portrait of a family in turmoil.

A Dark Matter was published as an eBook on 23rd November 2019 by Orenda Books. The paperback version will be released on 23rd of this month. You can buy or pre order your copy from the publisher (eBook only), Waterstones (paperback only), Amazon and all good booksellers.

My Review:

As I mentioned at the top of this post, I loved Johnstone's last book, the McIlvanney Prize shortlisted Breakers, so had high expectations for this one. A Dark Matter focuses on another, very different,  Edinburgh family and I loved it just as much.

Following the death of Jim Skelf, his wife Dorothy, assisted by daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah, takes over both his businesses - the funeral home and the private investigations. The women are assisted in the funeral business by employees Archie and Indy, Hannah's girlfriend. All of them, but particularly the Skelf women, are trying to process their grief at Jim's death whilst finding their feet with these new businesses. And the three women find it very difficult, each reacting in different ways.

There is a lot going on in this book, with three or four different story lines running through it. This provides lots of supporting characters but the book is really about Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah and each chapter focuses on one of the women.

I loved Dorothy right away. Strong and practical, she knows what she needs to do and gets on with it. She keeps her grief in check, only occasionally letting it spill out. And I smiled at her choice of hobby, given the author's involvement in the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers. Jenny is harder to like, at least initially, as I found her quite irritating as she tries to adjust to her new life. I warmed to her as the book progressed although I facepalmed at one or two of her decisions. Hannah brought out the most emotion in me. I loved her passion and desire for truth, and felt her grief. I would defy anyone not to like Indy, and Archie is a stoic, reliable presence, a constant in all their lives. 

There are so many things I love about this book. I was fascinated with the workings of the funeral business. How both businesses were run from the kitchen table. I loved that the three main characters are women, strong ones at that. Four, if you count Indy. I loved that it featured a real, deep platonic friendship between a man and a woman, something that is rarely featured in books (at least the ones I read) and which is often misunderstood in real life. I loved that amongst the fear, lies, crimes and death, this is a book  about trust, family, and how to live.

Johnstone gets people. He writes them well. They are fully formed on the page, enabling us to know them and relate to them. And this is true of the minor characters too, even those who don't feature for long. There were some real emotional, moving moments in the book, often, although not always, around the kitchen table. I wanted to cry for Hannah as she searched for missing Mel whilst grieving for her grandfather, and Indy tugged my heartstrings more than once. There is a moment when Dorothy thinks about all the people they have buried or cremated over the years which just made me stop and reread the passage. I found it sad, hard hitting and powerful.

Of course, this is also a crime story, and the conclusion of the main thread blew me away. I just hadn't seen it coming, and the denouement was something else. And I loved the other mysteries that weaved their way around this one, each with its own little cast. Not a word was wasted and I sped through the book in two days. I adored it, and I'm delighted that it's the first in a series, because I'm not ready to say goodbye to the Skelfs just yet. 

The Author:

Doug Johnstone is the author of ten novels, most recently Breakers (2018), which was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2019 for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his work has been praised by the likes of Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions – including a funeral home – and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh.

When Stars Will Shine compiled by Emma Mitchell

Today I'm delighted to shine a light on this fabulous collection of  stories raising money for Help For Heroes. I have the paperback edition of the book and it is gorgeous. There is such a variety of stories in it I can't wait to dip in. Released in early December, it's full of seasonal tales suitable for these chilly winter months. 

When Stars Will Shine is a collection of short stories from your favourite authors who have come together to deliver you a Christmas read with a twist.

With true war tales that will break your heart, gritty Christmas crimes that will shake you to your core, and heart-warming tales of love lost and found, this anthology has something for everyone. And, with every penny made being sent to support our troops, you can rest assured that you’re helping our heroes, one page at a time.

From authors such as Louise Jensen, Graham Smith, Malcolm Hollingdrake, Lucy Cameron, Val Portelli, and Alex Kane, you are in for one heck of a ride!   When Stars Will Shine is the perfect gift for the bookworms in your life!

A Note from Emma Mitchell:

As the blurb tells us, When Stars Will Shine is a multi-genre collection of Christmas-themed short stories compiled to raise money for our armed forces and every penny made from the sales of both the digital and paperback copies will be donated to the charity.

Working closely with Kate Noble at Noble Owl Proofreading and Amanda Ni Odhrain from Let’s Get Booked, I’ve been able to pick the best of the submissions to bring you a thrilling book which is perfect for dipping into at lunchtime or snuggling up with on a cold winter’s night. I have been completely blown away by the support we’ve received from the writing and blogging community, especially the authors who submitted stories and Shell Baker from Baker’s Not So Secret Blog, who has organised the cover reveal and blog tour.

There isn’t a person in the country who hasn’t benefited from the sacrifices our troops, past and present, have made for us and they all deserve our thanks.

It has been an honour working on these stories, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

Full Contents:

Fredrick Snellgrove, Private 23208 by Rob Ashman
Four Seasons by Robert Scragg
The Close Encounter by Gordon Bickerstaff
Believe by Mark Brownless
What Can Possibly Go Wrong? by Lucy Cameron
Mountain Dew by Paul T. Campbell
The Art of War and Peace by John Carson
A Gift for Christmas by Kris Egleton
Free Time by Stewart Giles
Died of Wounds by Malcolm Hollingdrake
The Christmas Killer by Louise Jensen
The Village Hotel by Alex Kane
A Present of Presence by HR Kemp
The Invitation by Billy McLaughlin
Brothers Forever by Paul Moore
Girl in a Red Shirt by Owen Mullen
Pivotal Moments by Anna Franklin Osborne
Uncle Christmas by Val Portelli
Time for a Barbeque by Carmen Radtke
Christmas Present by Lexi Rees
Inside Out by KA Richardson
Penance by Jane Risdon
New Year’s Resolution by Robert Scragg
Family Time by Graham Smith

When Stars Will Shine is available to in digital and paperback formats and on Kindle Unlimited.

For more information, please contact Emma Mitchell: emmamitchellfpr@gmail.com

My 2019 In Review

Let me start by wishing you all a very happy new year and I hope those of you that celebrate had a great Christmas.

I left writing this review, and picking my top books of 2019, until the very end of the year because I was still reading and didn't want to miss anything! I'm going to talk a bit about my year, the books that made the biggest impression on me and my booky resolutions for the year to come.

2019 was an up and down year for me. I began the year struggling with tiredness, but in January  started a job which I absolutely love, working with people who have a dual impairment in vision and hearing. Unfortunately, my tiredness worsened and I experienced one or two other physical symptoms which led to a short stay in hospital in June. It transpired that all these symptoms were linked to poor mental health. My anxiety has risen, confidence has fallen, and I haven't yet been well enough to return to work. However, recovery is underway and the plan is to return to work in February, which is brilliant.

All of this has affected my reading and reviewing, although books have often been my refuge. I didn't read as much as I'd  have liked to but finished 102 published books, with the 103rd running over into this new year. I also read an as yet unpublished book which is going to do brilliantly. However, not all of them have appeared on the blog and my Goodreads list only shows a fraction of them. So

Booky resolution No 1: Write my review as soon as I finish the book, and copy it straight across to Goodreads and Amazon (if it's after publication day). Also to resolve an ongoing issue with Amazon regarding some reviews. 

During the year, I had the opportunity to take part in the blog tours for some really fantastic books. I am hugely grateful to all the tour organisers who invited me to be involved. I enjoyed every single one, but did find they took a lot of time and I was neglecting my own books. So

Booky resolution No 2: Say yes to fewer blog tours and read some of my own books (and those sent to me by lovely authors as I'm way behind with those too).

I'm not hugely optimistic about keeping this one. I decided not to take on any tours for December and January. Whilst I took a full blogging break in December, I am signed up for 5 tours in January, plus a Bookstagram one! 😂 But we'll see...

Despite my health difficulties, I did get to Bute Noir in August, my first time at the small crime writing festival held on the beautiful Isle of Bute. The sun shone for us, and I had a great time. I wrote a wee piece about it here. At the end of September, as is now tradition, I headed to Stirling for the always fantastic Bloody Scotland. I am very thankful for the friends who supported me at these events.

Booky resolution No 3: Try to get to at least one other new book festival, finances permitting.

Finally in this wee bit, a shout out to all my awesome fellow book bloggers. My wee blog is a tiny fish in a big pond, and the only reason it gets as many views as it does is because other bloggers are kind enough to share my reviews on social media, primarily Twitter, for which I'm hugely grateful. I try to reciprocate, but I'm not terribly organised, so

Booky resolution No 4: Be a better, more organised, more supportive member of the blogging community.



My Top Books of 2019

So that was my 2019 in brief, and my aims for this new year (which also include better planning ahead and a wee overhaul of the blog). But what about the books I read over the last twelve months? I was so lucky to read some outstanding ones during the year. I've picked sixteen that really stood out for me, but could easily have added another ten or so. However, these are the ones that made the cut, listed in the order I reviewed them. You can read my original reviews by clicking on the book titles.

I almost started and ended my year with Matt Wesolowski. His debut, Six Stories, published by Orenda Books, was my third read of the year, whilst Beast, the fourth in the Six Stories series is my 19/20 crossover read. All three of his books that I finished could easily be on this list, but I have picked Six Stories, because I hadn't read anything like it before. For those that don't know, it's written as a podcast - so original. You can also see my reviews for Hydra and Changeling (probably my favourite of the three, but it's a close call).

'I have never before read a book quite like this one. The podcast presentation is genius. I totally felt that I was listening to it rather than reading the words on the page. As a genre debut, this is phenomenal. It's well paced, intelligent, absorbing, beautifully written, atmospheric, dark and creepy as anything.'


If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman, published by Orion, was a February read. A change from my usual diet of crime, this was a beautiful, emotional family drama about five strong women.

'I read this from beginning to end in one sitting, staying up way, way too late! It's an exquisitely written book. The feelings of all the women involved, but particularly Audrey and Jess, are beautifully described.'


A new book from a favourite author was a March treat. Thunder Bay by Douglas Skelton is his first book with new publisher, Polygon, and it's fab. Set on the fictional Scottish island of Stoirm, it focuses on journalist Rebecca Connolly and her investigation into a death on the island fifteen years earlier. When I read it, it had a beautiful purple cover, but it now has a brand new look ready for the publication of the follow up, The Blood is Still, in March.

'This is a story of secrets and lies, and the danger that both can bring. It's about finding the truth, whatever consequences that might bring. It's beautifully written, descriptive and atmospheric. The pacing is perfect, and the conclusion unexpected.'


April was a great month for cracking review reads. First of my picks from the month is The Passengers by John Marrs, published by Del Rey/Penguin Random House. Set in a near future where automatic driverless cars have been introduced, it's genuinely scary.

'It's original and brave and more than a little frightening, set in a plausible future, touching on the advance of technology, the power of social media and mob rule. But it's very human and emotional too and shows how little we need to know about people before we make judgements on them.'


Savage Games by Peter Boland (Adrenalin Books) is the second in the series featuring retired soldier John Savage. What starts out as a simple favour for an old friend's son soon turns into something much darker. You can also read my review of the next in the series, Savage Children, which came out last year as well.

'It's exciting, gripping and dark. Violent and shocking in places. But it's very human, with plenty of emotion. Basically, I loved everything about this book!'

Next up from my picks is No Man's Land by Neil Broadfoot (published by Constable). This is the first in a new series set in Stirling featuring Irish former soldier Connor Fraser.

'Connor Fraser is a new hero, reminiscent of Reacher or Bourne. No Man's Land is fast paced and filled with believable characters who remind us that we don't always know who to trust. It's tense action packed and exciting. And bloody. Very bloody.  I loved it!'


A change of direction for my next choice. Our Life in a Day by Jamie Fewery (Orion) is a love story about Tom and Esme, who are about to celebrate ten years together.

'It's a 'real'  love story, in that it feels very believable, between two flawed individuals. Beautifully written, with all the moments, good and bad, described with delicacy and emotion. In fact, this is a book full of heart. An accomplished debut.'


My last pick from April (told you it was a bumper month!) is the latest from one of my favourite authors, Mason Cross, writing here as MJ Cross. What She Saw Last Night, published by Orion, is his first standalone after five Carter Blake novels, and opens with a murder on the Caledonian Sleeper.

'I raced through it in a day. It's a character driven thriller, with a hugely believable and relatable protagonist and strong supporting players. An unusual and cracking story line. An absolute winner from MJ Cross.'


Breakers is written by Doug Johnstone and was published by Orenda Books in May. It tells the story of Tyler, a young housebreaker from one of the roughest parts of Edinburgh.

'Breakers is violent, bleak, brutal, and sad, but also tender, hopeful, beautiful and full of heart. I went through an emotional rollercoaster reading it. The writing is taut - not a word is wasted. It's pacy with plenty of action But, for me, this is the tale of a young man in an impossibly difficult situation trying to do the right thing for those he loves.'



My Silent Daughter by Emma Robinson was published by Bookoutre in August. I reviewed it as part of the blog tour, when it was called Where I Found You. Three year old Ruby isn't speaking, and mum Sara just doesn't know what to do. Husband Mike is useless and her mother-in-law just interferes, but the two women are forced to bond.

'For me, this book is about recognising that we are all unique. It's about sometimes reshaping our ideas for the future. It's about celebrating the small things. And it's about family, friends and asking for help. It's not soppy, gushy or preachy, but an accessible, relatable tale of love, friendship, acceptance and hope.'


In The Silence is the debut novel from MR Mackenzie (Bloodhound Books) and features criminology lecturer Dr Anna Scavolini. On her first night back in Glasgow after ten years away, Anna comes across an old friend stabbed and dying in a Glasgow park.

'I really liked Mackenzie's style of writing - he has a real way with words. In The Silence is a cracking read and a great debut. It's brilliant to see a strong woman, two actually, taking centre stage. Mackenzie has taken an issue which is often featured in crime novels but covered it in a fresh way and with style.'


I binge read Johanna Gustawsson's three Roy and Castells books (Orenda Books) in September  in preparation for a blog tour. Again, all three could have been included here, but I have gone with the third book, Blood Song translated by David Warriner as it was the one with which I had the biggest emotional connection. Set in present day London and Sweden, and Spain in 1938 during the Civil War, it centres around the murder of a wealthy family. You can also read my reviews of Block 46 and Keeper, the first two books in the series.

'The story is intelligent and complex, the two timelines are eventually wound together, and I read the book almost in one sitting, I was so hooked. Beautifully written, I didn't predict the ending at all, and there was one particular moment that was a complete shock. I felt this was the case that touched Emily and Alexis the most - it certainly affected me the most.'


Action and adventure next. Marah Chase and the Conqueror's Tomb by Jay Stringer, and published by Pegasus Books in July, but I didn't manage to review it until October. Disgraced archaeologist Marah is given a chance to redeem herself by MI6, but to do so she must undertake a dangerous mission.

'It's an adrenaline filled story from beginning to end, with moments of genuine peril, when my heart was in my mouth. And there are some epic, and varied, chase scenes! I loved every minute of this read - it's loads of action packed fun. A great, imaginative story, brilliantly written.'


November was another bumper month for strong books. Nothing Important Happened Today by Will Carver and published by Orenda Books opens with nine strangers simultaneously jumping to their deaths from a London Bridge. They are part of The People of Choice.

'This was unlike any other book I've ever read. It's not an easy read but totally worth it when it all comes together. It makes you uncomfortable, and it's hard to say it was enjoyable as such. But it is absolutely unforgettable. It gets your head in a spin. It challenges you. It challenges your apathy. How you relate to the world around you and how much you miss. It has harsh, but relevant, things to say about social media. It's also really, really clever. And unique.'


Oi! by Snowball (UK Book Publishing) is the only non fiction book on my list. A harrowing, personal story of abuse within the British childcare system in the 60s, 70s and 80s, this was definitely my hardest read of the year, but the most impactful. It's the book I talk about more than any other on the list.

'Oi is a difficult read that took me a while to finish but it's a story that needs to be heard. It has been written with an adult take on childhood memories of hugely traumatic events, but what shines through is Snowball's refusal to bow down or be silenced, and his strong sense of right and wrong. It will stay with me for a long time. It was a privilege to read it.'


And the subject of my last review of the year makes the list, as it's yet another unique book. Stephen Watt's Fairy Rock (published by Red Squirrel Press) is the first crime novel to be written entirely in verse! It tells the stories of four young people growing up in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow which is rule by a vicious, violent crime family.

'These poems are raw and dark. So dark. But there is such a beauty to the writing that they are a joy to read. This is poetry at its most raw, visceral and beautiful. The whole concept of a novel entirely in verse is original and brilliant, and Stephen Watt totally delivers.'


So there you have it. Sixteen books that made an impact on me in 2019. There were lots more that I read which were brilliant, and too many that I didn't get around to reading, but there is always this year! I haven't been organised enough to look too far ahead into this new year, but I'm looking forward to finishing Matt Wesolowski's Beast, which is out in paperback in February. Out this month is A Dark Matter, the start of a new trilogy from Doug Johnstone. As already mentioned, March sees the release of Douglas Skelton's The Blood is Still, and the new one from Mason Cross, Hunted, should be out in April. And I know there will be a ton of other great books for us to choose from through the year.


Finally, I know this is a book post, but just before I go I want to mention My Top Film of 2019. A buddy movie with real warmth and heart, The Peanut Butter Falcon was made on a small budget and had a limited release in the autumn. It's coming out on DVD in the UK in March and I think it might be available on Amazon Prime in due course. I laughed, I cried and I celebrated as I watched the film, and have raved about it ever since to anyone who will listen!

'It's quirky and  heartwarming. Please see this beautiful movie, however you can. You will be a better person for it. It's a film about friendship, love, hope, redemption, challenging disabilities and the family we choose. And wrestling.'

A big thank you to all the publishers, authors, blog tour organisers and bloggers I have worked with for your support, and often patience, over the last twelve months. And the hugest thank you to the people who cared for me, encouraged me and picked me up when I was down - you know who you are - I couldn't have done it without you. Here's to a happier, healthier 2020!