These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields

I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for this historical thriller from Helen Fields. This isn't a genre I go to very often but I knew Helen's writing from her DI Callanach series set in the present and so was keen to read this one. Many thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for inviting me and to the publishers for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Girl. Mother. Assassin.

How dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose?

The year is 1905. London is a playground for the rich and a death trap for the poor. When Sofia Logan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her penniless with two young children, she knows she will do anything to keep them from the workhouse. But can she bring herself to murder? Even if she has done it before…

Emmet Vinsant, wealthy industrialist, offers Sofia a job in one of his gaming houses. He knows more about Sofia’s past than he has revealed. Brought up as part of a travelling fair, she’s an expert at counting cards and spotting cheats, and Vinsant puts her talents to good use. His demands on her grow until she finds herself with blood on her hands.

Set against the backdrop of the Suffragette protests, with industry changing the face of the city but disease still rampant, and poverty the greatest threat of all, every decision you make is life or death. Either yours or someone else’s. Read best-selling crime writer Helen Fields’ first explosive historical thriller.

These Lost & Broken Things was published by Wailing Banshee on 11th May 2020 and is available for purchase from Waterstones and Amazon. Or why not see if your usual independent bookseller offers deliveries? Many of them do, and could really do with our support just now.

My review copy with the previous cover

My Review:

Well, young Sofia Logan fair played with my emotions in this book! They were up and down like a yoyo!

In late 1905 Sofia is in her late twenties and suddenly finds herself widowed and broke with two young children. She's also in debt to late husband Tom's former employer, Emmet Vinsant, as he paid Tom's doctor's fees. Vinsant offers Sofia a job in one of his gentlemen's gaming clubs but she is determined to find work elsewhere - she knows the cards could be dangerous for her. Eventually, though, when she's exhausted all other avenues and exhausted her meagre savings, she takes the job, spotting cheats and sharks, and she's really good at it. Until things go wrong. This time when she's in trouble, VInsant offers her a very different type of job. And saying yes to this new role changes Sofia's life forever.

Sofia is likeable, resilient, proud and determined to keep her wee family out of the workhouse. I really felt for her and the children. The story is told entirely from her viewpoint and we get to know her really well. Alongside the 1905 timeline, we also visit her teenage years and see events that shaped her. And some of them are shocking - there is one incident in particular that I just couldn't get out of my head. This is Sofia's story but it's populated with memorable characters. I loved kindly neighbour Nora, club employee Monsieur Lefevre and childhood  friend Saul, but there were so many others, good and bad. Every one is exquisitely drawn.

The story feels completely authentic. There is a real attention to detail - carriages, gas lights, the way women were expected to behave, the politics, the atmosphere, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the poverty and the wealth. Fields has clearly done a huge amount of research and it shows. I loved exploring the streets of London through Sofia's eyes. 

As Sofia gets to grips with her new role we see her face danger time and again, and each time I held my breath. The denouement is tense, exciting and, for me, unexpected. This wasn't the ending I imagined, but I think I like this one better! 

These Lost and Broken Things is an authentic, detailed and atmospheric tale full of colourful characters, plenty of action and full on emotional tugs. As I said in the opening, I'm not usually a great one for historical crime novels but this was a gripping thriller I just couldn't put down. Loved it!  

The Author:

An international and Amazon #1 best-selling author, Helen is a former criminal and family law barrister. Every book in the Callanach series claimed an Amazon #1 bestseller flag. Her next book, the sixth in the series, 'Perfect Kill' is due out on 6 February 2020. Helen also writes as HS Chandler, and last year released legal thriller 'Degrees of Guilt'. Her previous audio book 'Perfect Crime' knocked Michelle Obama off the #1 spot. Translated into 15 languages, and also selling in the USA, Canada & Australasia, Helen's books have won global recognition. Her first historical thriller 'These Lost & Broken Things' comes out in May 2020. A further standalone thriller published by HarperColllins will come soon. She currently commutes between Hampshire, Scotland and California, where she lives with her husband and three children. Helen can be found on Twitter @Helen_Fields for up to date news and information or at www.helenfields.co.uk.


Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour!

Dead Wrong by Noelle Holten

I'm absolutely thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for the new novel from blogger extradonaire and publicist Noelle Holten. Thank you to the lovely Sarah Hardy at Book on the Bright Side Publicity & Promo for inviting me, and to the publishers for my review copy. I have since bought my own eBook.

The Blurb:

‘Nobody understands the criminal mind better than Noelle Holten’ M. W. Craven, CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning author of The Puppet Show

The serial killer is behind bars. But the murders are just beginning…

DC Maggie Jamieson's past comes back to haunt her in this dark and gripping serial killer thriller.

Three missing women running out of time…

They were abducted years ago. Notorious serial killer Bill Raven admitted to killing them and was sentenced to life.

The case was closed – at least DC Maggie Jamieson thought it was…

But now one of them has been found, dismembered and dumped in a bin bag in town.

Forensics reveal that she died just two days ago, when Raven was behind bars, so Maggie has a second killer to find.

Because even if the other missing women are still alive, one thing’s for certain: they don’t have long left to live…

Dead Wrong was published by One More Chapter as an eBook on 14th March 2020 and in paperback on 14th May 2020. You can purchase it from Hive, Waterstones and Amazon. Or why not see if your usual indie bookshop is accepting orders? Many are, and they could really do with our help just now.  

My Review:

This is the second book featuring DC Maggie Jamieson but the first one where she takes centre stage. Noelle's excellent debut novel, Dead Inside, focused on the story of probation officer Lucy Sherwood - you can read my review here - so it was great to get to know Maggie better in this book. Don't worry though if you haven't read the first one as this works great as a standalone. 

Maggie's secondment at the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit has come to an end and she's back at Staffordshire Police Station. And she's returned to a bit of a mess, a potential crisis. Two years ago, Maggie worked to convict Bill Raven, nicknamed 'The Chopper'. He had admitted to abducting and murdering three women but their bodies were never foumd. Now Raven is appealing his sentence and body parts from one of the victims have been discovered. And she only died a few days earlier, calling into question Raven's conviction and thus the original case, in which Maggie played a huge part.

Maggie is easy to like, but a little frustrating too! She is hard working, tenacious, determined and pig headed. In the original enquiry Raven got under Maggie's skin and there's a chance he might do the same again this time around. She risks putting the current investigation in jeopardy more than once with her determination that her theory about things is correct. She works pretty much constantly - even when she's not in the office she's working at home. There are a couple of bright spots though - her brother Andy who is living with her, and forensic psychologist Kate Maloney with whom Maggie has a warm friendship - even if they do mostly talk about work! But Kate also has things on her mind that she doesn't really want to share.

Bill Raven is very creepy. He's sure he's got the upper hand and he's determined to use that to his benefit. The scenes in the prison when he is being interviewed by Maggie and her colleagues are really quite chilling. Holten had years of experience in the UK criminal justice system backed up by relevant qualifications so she's absolutely the right person to write this stuff  But back to the story - Raven is not the only suspect on the police's radar - there are a few other dodgy characters dotted around.

The characters are all well drawn and the plot feels real. The plot thickens as the police get more frustrated but all the more determined.  Action and tension increase as we race towards the conclusion  And the ending! OMG! No other words!

Dead Wrong is a fab, enjoyable police procedural/serial killer story with a wee peek into the criminal justice system and authenticity running all the way through it. I can't wait for the next book!

The Author:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and was a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the book love via her blog.

Dead Inside was her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson Dead Wrong is the follow up.

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor/

Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/

Instagram: (@crimebookjunkie) https://www.instagram.com/crimebookjunkie/

Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk

Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

The Scribbler by Iain Maitland

I'm delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for The Scribbler.  This is my first book by Iain Maitland but since I saw him give an hilarious and, frankly, show stealing turn in a panel at last year's Bloody Scotland book festival, back in the days when we could all meet together, I've wanted to read his books. Thank you to Ruth Killick for inviting me to join the tour and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

'He's back, Carrie. The Scribbler is back.'

DI Gayther and his rookie colleague DC Carrie have been assigned a new caseload. Or rather, an old one... cold cases of LGBTQ+ murders dating back to the 1980s and beyond. Georgia Carrie wasn't even born when the notorious serial killer began his reign of terror across the East of England. Roger Gayther was on the force that failed to catch him and remembers every chilling detail. Now, after all these years, there's a sudden death featuring The Scribbler's tell-tale modus operandi. Can Gayther and Carrie track the murderer down and bring him to justice before the slaughter starts again?

The Scribbler was published by Contraband on 7th May 2020 and is available to purchase from Amazon, Waterstones and Hive. Or why not see if your usual independent bookseller is offering deliveries. Many are and they could really do with our help just now.


My Review:

DI Gayther and DC Carrie together with two young detectives still completing their training form the team looking at cold cases, particularly LGBTQ+ murders from years gone by, when they weren't investigated very thoroughly.  One particular case has caught his attention, especially as a new death bears some of the hallmarks of the original killings.

The Scribbler, so named because of his unique calling card, murdered closet homosexuals - middle aged men with wives and families at home. The police got a reasonable description of him as some potential victims managed to escape, but he was never caught and seemingly disappeared. And now Gayther wonders if he's back. Gayther, Georgia Carrie and the newbies trawl through old case paperwork whilst investigating this recent death. Meanwhile...we meet the man with the latex gloves...

Both main characters are well described. Roger Gayther is not your average hero. He's older, in poor health, unfit and delightfully unPC. I laughed out loud when, replying to the two young coppers, he struggled to find an answer which didn't include the following: 'snowflakes', 'millennials', 'PC bloody crap', 'balls' or 'bollocks to all that'. His attempt at describing Jimmy Krankie to the much younger Carrie made me chuckle too. Carrie is young, fit, enthusiastic and determined. They are an odd couple, but they like and respect each other, and work well together.

The man with the latex gloves is creepy as hell.  It was easy to picture him in my head from the description given. And as we learn more about him and his history, he also comes through as a rather tragic figure, although this takes nothing away from the terribleness (not sure that's a word!) of his actions. His set up brought to mind a couple of movies but I'm not going to say which ones for fear of spoilers.

I can't tell you too much more without ruining the story for you. What I can tell you is that it's a slow burner. Until it isn't. The early part of the book reads like a pretty routine police procedural before going a whole other place in the latter section. The tension ramps up as does the action. The creepy factor too. Maitland's writing style, in this book anyway, took a wee bit of getting used to. He's very direct, frequently using short staccato sentences, sometimes just a word or two, often reflecting the thinking of his characters. But I soon settled into his rhythm.

The Scribbler is a slow burning, tense and downright creepy thriller. Likeable, engaging protagonists and an unusual villain. The denouement is bloody, violent and shocking, providing more than one OMG moment. Well worth a look.


The Author:

A note from Iain

'Hello and thanks for dropping by.

Well, here we are in lockdown - strange and troubling times for so many people. As a writer of 30+ years sitting in my attic from 9 to 5 most days, it's something I'm used to. I've ... not ... gone ... mad.

These past few years, I've been writing thrillers and it's strange how much of a theme 'lockdown' is through each of them.

In Sweet William, Raymond Orrey, a man who has been locked up in a psychiatric unit for months on end, breaks out and goes searching for his fostered child, William - he wants to re-unite with him and run away to start a new life together in the South of France.

Mr Todd's Reckoning sees unemployed father and son, Malcolm and Adrian Todd, living in a small, cramped bungalow during one of the hottest summers on record - and it's driving one of them insane. (Pleased to say this book has been optioned for a TV series by AbbottVision, makers of Cracker and Shameless.)

My latest thriller, The Scribbler, the first in a series of Gayther & Carrie detective novels, features a serial killer who ... well, I'd best not say too much. What I can say is that The Scribbler killed a series of gay men through the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gayther and Carrie lead the LGBTQ+ Cold Cases Team in Suffolk and there's been a new death featuring The Scribbler's modus operandi.

So I am sitting here in my attic room now, writing 3 Bluebell Lane featuring a middle-aged man, a homeless teenage girl and a cellar. Lockdown again. After that, I'm writing two or three sequels featuring some of the characters in Mr Todd's Reckoning and three Gayther & Carrie sequels too; The Key Man is up next.

If you'd like to get in touch, I'd love to hear from you. My email is imaitland@aol.com and you can follow what I am doing writing-wise at my twitter page, twitter.com/iainmaitland. I've a website too at iainmaitland.net.

Thanks again for dropping by.

Iain x'

Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour! 

The Soul Killer by Ross Greenwood

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Soul Killer, the second book in the DI Barton series, by Ross Greenwood. Thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

‘Repent in this life, rejoice in the next…’

A murder made to look like suicide. Another that appears an accident. DI Barton investigates the tragedies that have shattered a family’s lives, but without obvious leads the case goes nowhere. Then, when the remains of a body are found, everything points to one suspect.

Barton and his team move quickly, and once the killer is behind bars, they can all breathe a sigh of relief. But death still lurks in the shadows, and no one's soul is safe. Not even those of the detectives…

How do you stop a killer that believes life is a rehearsal for eternity, and their future is worth more than your own…?

Ross Greenwood writes gritty, heart-pounding thrillers, with twists aplenty, and unforgettable endings. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride.

The Soul Killer was published by Boldwood Books on 7th May 2020.

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/32oszvj

My Review:

As mentioned above, The Soul Killer is the second book in the DI Barton series from Ross Greenwood and you can read my review of the first, The Snow Killer, here. But The Soul Killer works absolutely fine as a standalone book. Events that took place in the previous book are referenced though.

The story opens with a young boy suffering a difficult childhood as a result of his mother's fervent but confused religious views. He is not shown any love or affection as a result. But, in spite of this and bullying at school, he survives and thrives, making it into university and onwards into a job where he can make a real impact.

Time jumps forward to the present day, where DI John Barton's team has changed a little following events of the previous book. And since his previous DCI retired Barton has a new boss. Christmas is approaching when Barton is asked to check out a crime scene in a neighbouring county as they have no senior officer available. He carries out all the necessary duties at the crime scene and hands the case back to that force to deal with. Back in his own manor one family lose a member in an apparent suicide and another to a tragic accident, or so it seems. Those left behind are shattered. Then a body is found in a previously neglected allotment and the death is definitely suspicious. And things get way, way more complicated from there.

As with the previous book, The Soul Killer is told from two perspectives - we get a first person peek into the mind of the killer and a third person viewpoint for Barton's police investigation. I like this structure and find it an effective device. We're able to see the killer's thinking and his justification for what he does. I like the immediacy and intimacy the first person view gives us here.

Barton is good, solid man who cares deeply for his family, his job and his colleagues. He seems happy and stable, although is clearly affected by events that happened previously. The investigation is very much a team effort with input from everyone which meant some of the more minor characters came to the fore. I enjoyed meeting DC Clavell who is on secondment to the team but he wasn't an easy fellow to warm to!

For the reader the suspect pool is narrowed fairly early on and we learn the identity of the killer about two thirds of the way through. The police, however, do not. But as he gets more ambitious and twisted the net begins to close in. The denouement is bloody and violent - it made me wince!

The Soul Killer tells a story of social exclusion, obsession and murder and is a cautionary tale of the damage that religion can cause. Greenwood has created a complex antagonist - initially I felt sympathy towards him but that changed as time went on - set against an engaging protagonist. The result is a tense, exciting and shocking thriller with a great cast of players.

The Author:

Ross Greenwood is the author of six crime thrillers. Before becoming a full-time writer he was most recently a prison officer and so worked everyday with murderers, rapists and thieves for four years. He lives in Peterborough.

Author Social Media Links:

Newsletter sign up:  http://bit.ly/RossGreenwoodNewsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenwoodross
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossGreenwoodAuthor
Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/authors/ross-greenwood

Be sure  to check out the other stops on the tour!

The Snow Killer by Ross Greenwood

In preparation for my stop tomorrow on the blog tour for The Soul Killer, the second book in the DI Barton series, I decided to start at the beginning with The Snow Killer. I read and reviewed from my own purchased copy.

The Blurb:

‘Fear the north wind. Because no one will hear you scream…’

A family is gunned down in the snow but one of the children survives. Three years on, that child takes revenge and the Snow Killer is born. But then, nothing - no further crimes are committed, and the case goes cold.

Fifty years later, has the urge to kill been reawakened? As murder follows murder, the detective team tasked with solving the crimes struggle with the lack of leads. It’s a race against time and the weather – each time it snows another person dies.

As an exhausted and grizzled DI Barton and his team scrabble to put the pieces of the puzzle together, the killer is hiding in plain sight. Meanwhile, the murders continue…

The first in a new series, Ross Greenwood has written a cracking, crackling crime story with a twist in its tale which will surprise even the most hardened thriller readers. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Stuart MacBride.

The Snow Killer was published by Boldwood Books on 12th November 2019 and is available to purchase here.

My Review:

The book opens fifty years ago with a young family shot dead in rural Lincolnshire on a snowy winter night. But one child miraculously survives and is smuggled out of hospital by an uncle who provides a home for a while. A few years after the family die, more bodies are found in the snow and all have suffered violent deaths. The perpetrator is nicknamed the Snow Killer but never found.

Fast forward 50 years and it's a snowy winter once again. DI Barton and his team are called to investigate the murder of a young man with loose connections to a local drugs operation. Barton struggles to find a motive for the crime and there were no witnesses. But this is just the beginning...

I liked John Barton a lot. He is, or certainly seems to be, refreshingly problem free, He has a happy home life and an understanding wife, no difficult past, no heavy drink problem and no big issues at work. His team is a strong unit with a couple of stand out characters. I loved Zander, who has experienced real heartache but is coming through the other side.

The story is told from the first person point of view of the killer and from Barton's point of view in the third person. It's an effective strategy and keeps things fresh, kept me turning the pages. I made assumptions as I read which led to some twisty, unexpected reveals. Greenwood has created a very unusual antagonist - I certainly can't think of another one similar. And he appears to have undertaken a fair level of research to be able to do so effectively.

The Snow Killer is a story about hatred and revenge, and being aware of those around you. It features an engaging, likeable central character and an unusual antagonist. The ending is shocking, explosive,  sad and alters one small community forever. I very much enjoyed it.

The Author: 

'I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King's School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

'I'd find myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I'm still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

'Fifty Years of Fear book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then after working in sales management all my life, I randomly spent four years as a prison officer. Ironically it was the 4am feed which gave me the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep I completed it in the early morning hours.

'I've now written seven further books. My second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by a publisher, and Lazy Blood is also out. All my books are thought provoking, and told with a sense of humour. Reading the reviews has been great.

'The first three books are stand alone, however, some of the characters cross over, and you can see how at times, their lives overlap.

'Abel's Revenge is something a bit different. It's a modern day love story set against the backdrop of an escalating serial killer. There's a whodunnit element to it, and some smiles along the way.

'Shadows of Regret was inspired by my time on the women's side of the jail in Peterborough, and analyses the close relationship between victim and villain. You won't have read a book like it.

'My best selling detective series started with The Snow Killer in late 2019 and sold 40,000 copies in the first 6 months.

'I hope you enjoy reading them.'

Author Social Media Links:

Newsletter sign up:  http://bit.ly/RossGreenwoodNewsletter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenwoodross
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossGreenwoodAuthor
Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/authors/ross-greenwood

Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald. I was super excited to read this, my first novel by this author (I know, I know, I'm working on it) and I wasn't disappointed. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me. I read and reviewed from my own purchased copy. 

The Blurb:

Fran hates her hometown, and she thought she'd escaped. But her father is ill, and needs care. Her relationship is over, and she hates her dead-end job in the city, anyway.

She returns home to nurse her dying father, her distant teenage daughter in tow for the weekends. There, in the sleepy town of Ash Mountain, childhood memories prick at her fragile self-esteem, she falls in love for the first time, and her demanding dad tests her patience, all in the unbearable heat of an Australian summer.

As past friendships and rivalries are renewed, and new ones forged, Fran's tumultuous home life is the least of her worries, when old crimes rear their heads and a devastating bushfire ravages the town and all of its inhabitants...

Simultaneously a warm, darkly funny portrait of small-town life – and a woman and a land in crisis – and a shocking and truly distressing account of a catastrophic event that changes things forever, Ash Mountain is a heart-breaking slice of domestic noir, and a disturbing disaster thriller that you will never forget...

Ash Mountain was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 14th March 2020 and is available from the publisher and Amazon. It will be released in paperback on 20th August 2020 and is currently available for pre-order from the usual places. Or why not check if your usual independent bookshop can order it for you?

My Review:

Before I open my review can we just share some love for the amazing cover? Ash Mountain is set against a backdrop of the Australian bushfires and the photo on the front of the cover is of a wee girl at her front door looking out at an actual bushfire. This incredible, powerful photo was taken by young Ava's father, Rob Dixon, and you can read his story at the back of the book.

Fran's relationship has ended, she's given up the city job she wasn't enjoying and is reluctantly returning to her small home town of Ash Mountain to look after her ailing father. Her grown up son Dante still lives there and her teenage daughter Vonny will spend weekends with her mother and grandfather. Fran approaches the care of her father with stoicism, humour and inventivene creativity. She rediscovers the town she left, and reconnects with faces from the past, not all of which she is pleased to see.

Opening to the town siren going off, the story then jumps back to ten days earlier as Fran arrives back in Ash Mountain. The story continues to jump between the day of the fire and the days running up to it, but also goes back to events of thirty years earlier which Fran is forced to revisit. Fran is our guide for most of the story, but we see things from the viewpoint of others occasionally.

As a woman in her forties with ageing parents, I could sympathise with Fran. Although I really don't think I could handle things the way she does. She's frustrated, funny, fierce and falling a little bit in love. I liked her very much. Every single character in this book is beautifully described - Dante was a favourite for me - as is Ash Mountain itself. I've never been to Australia but I could easily picture how this particular town looks.

There's an impending sense of doom throughout, rising as the fire approaches. In addition, bad memories and historical crimes rise up to confront Fran. The chapters describing the fire as it reaches the town are simply breathtaking. The descriptions are so real, so raw that I could feel the heat. The tension is palpable, the danger absolute. Not everyone is likely to make it and it's heartbreaking.

In this slim volume, coming in at just over 200 pages, Fitzgerald tells a tale of small town Australia, a woman confronting her demons and finding herself a little bit, teenage infatuation, family, fear, love and loss. Beautifully written, laced through with humour - look out for the horny ostriches and Gramps on a Stick - with a breathtaking, devastating denouement.

The Author:

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is now a major drama for BBC1. Her 2019 dark comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in both The Guardian and Daily Telegraph. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband.

Carrion by Graeme Cumming

Today I'm delighted to be shining a spotlight onto Carrion by Graeme Cumming which is out tomorrow! Once you've read the blurb I'm sure you'll agree it sounds both exciting and intriguing. It's got a really cool cover too! The purchase link is also included below. Thanks to Kelly at Love Books Tours for inviting me to take part in this book blitz.  

The Blurb:

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY. WORDS HAVE POWER.

A sheet of black filled his vision as hundreds of birds dived at the cottage, pointed beaks thrust forward. From this angle, he couldn’t see many of them striking it, but the few he did see held nothing back as they hammered into the shutter. The scale of the attack was beyond anything he’d seen or heard of. And bloodied casualties littered the ground: skulls shattered, wings broken, innards spilling from them. The fact that so many of them continued with the onslaught in spite of this filled him with even more dread.

Salin has always wanted an adventure and, when the opportunity presents itself, he grabs it with both hands, taking his friends along for the ride – whether they want to or not.

With strange lands come strange creatures that stand between them and their goal. And that goal is the same for someone else, a man who believes the prize is worth every sacrifice – especially when the sacrifices are made by others.

The future is about to change. But who for?

The Author:

Graeme Cumming lives in Robin Hood country, and has spent most of his life immersed in fiction – books, TV, movies – turning to writing his own during his early teens. 

With his interests in story-telling sparked by an excessive amount of time sitting in front of a black and white television, his tastes are varied. Influences ranged from the Irwin Allen shows (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, etc.) to ITC series (The Saint, The Champions, Randall and Hopkirk (deceased) and so many more), so the common theme was action and adventure, but crossed into territories including horror, fantasy and science fiction as well as crime and espionage.

This diverse interest in fiction continued with his reading and his discovery of the magical world of cinema. As a result, his stories don’t always fall into a specific genre, but will always maintain the style of a thriller.

When not writing, Graeme is an enthusiastic sailor (and, by default, swimmer), and enjoys off-road cycling and walking. He is currently Education Director at Sheffield Speakers Club. Oh yes, and he reads (a lot) and loves the cinema.

Carrion is published tomorrow and is available to buy here. 

The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir (translated by Victoria Cribb)

It's day two on the Creak on the Stairs blog tour, and today I'm thrilled to have a digital copy of this brilliant new book to give away! So.if you're looking to expand your lock down reading collection read on for more details. Thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour.

The Blurb:

The first in the electrifying new Forbidden Iceland series, The Creak on the Stairs is an exquisitely written, claustrophobic and chillingly atmospheric debut thriller by one of Iceland’s most exciting new talents.

When the body of a woman is discovered at a lighthouse in the Icelandic town of Akranes, it soon becomes clear that she’s no stranger to the area.

Chief Investigating Officer Elma, who has returned to Akranes following a failed relationship, and her colleagues Sævar and Hörður, commence an uneasy investigation, which uncovers a shocking secret in the dead woman’s past that continues to reverberate in the present day…

But as Elma and her team make a series of discoveries, they bring to light a host of long-hidden crimes that shake the entire community. Sifting through the rubble of the townspeople’s shattered memories, they have to dodge increasingly serious threats, and find justice…before it’s too late.

The Creak on the Stairs was published by Orenda Books as an eBook on 14th March 2020. You can purchase it from the publisher and Amazon. It will be released in paperback on 28th May 2020 (available for pre-order now).

The Author:

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study my MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland.

Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel. The book went on to win the Blackbird Award and became an Icelandic bestseller. Eva now lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík, staying at home with her youngest until she begins Kindergarten.


Giveaway:

Doesn't it sound great? So, this giveaway is for one digital copy of The Creak on The Stairs. You can enter by commenting on this post below, or by retweeting the pinned post on my Twitter account @SuzeCM. The giveaway is open worldwide, and will close at 12 noon BST on Wednesday 5th May. The winner will be chosen by random number generator. Good luck!


Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour and see what everyone has to say!