Gold Light Shining by Bebe Ashley

Regular visitors to this blog will know I love a bit of poetry so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read and review a new collection. My thanks to Anne Cater for the invitation and to the author and publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

In her debut collection of poetry, Bebe Ashley spins gold from the detritus of the internet. A landscape often depicted as a wasteland is illuminated in poems that explore celebrity, obsession, sexuality, coming of age, and that charismatic enigma, Harry Styles. Inspired by sources as diverse as Styles's track listings, Scandi webseries Skam, and One Direction newsletters, Ashley spins us across continents on a tour of the surreal highs and absurd lows of celebrity culture. These are poems of youth and yearning, yet they're suffused with the hard-won wisdom that the communities we build can be as meaningful as the families we're born into. Perceptive, witty, and exuberant, Gold Light Shining introduces an essential new voice; one that captures how pop culture's Technicolor joy disrupts our greyscale world.

My Review:

I never once imagined I'd be reviewing a collection of poems inspired by Harry Styles, formerly of One Direction, yet here I am! I should start by saying I'm not particularly a fan of his but neither do I dislike him and I admired the change of direction his music took after One Direction broke up. Have they actually broken up, or are they taking a long break? Anyway, I digress. You don't need to be a fan to enjoy this collection because whilst it was loosely inspired by all things Styles, it 's not about him. Not directly anyway. 

Split into four sections - Fandom, Fan girl, Fanfic, and Fan Mail - this collection is full of joy. The author clearly a lover of music, and not just Harry Styles and One Direction! And the whole music culture; the live shows, the clothes, the glamour, the fans, the whole package. But these poems aren't all about music, they're about life and love. 

I really liked 'From the Dining Table' about the simple act of having a coffee and a chat with a loved one, 'Oh No' about puddle soaked undies, tattoos at the Botanic Gardens in 'Ink and Hellebore' and looking back at a life well lived in 'Give Pop Music, Give Peace a Chance.'

Prose poems aren't usually my thing but I loved the Fanfic section, a series of short prose poems telling the story of the tentative beginnings of a romance between two young men. 'Woozy' was my favourite here, I think. The poems in this section were inspired by characters from a Scandinavian webseries called Skam (a Styles song featured in the first series of the German remake, Druck). 

I don't know whether any of this collection was written in the last twelve months but given the uncertain times we are living in just now when everything can feel a bit bleak, I hope Ashley will forgive me for sharing one of the last poems in the book because I think it speaks to now:

                     In a Time When Joy Feels Like an Endangered Resource

                     Things are very simple - 

                                     protect each other.

Gold Light Shining is a fun, joyous and colourful debut collection - just what was needed in a cold, damp January! I look forward to seeing where Bebe Ashley goes next. 

As a wee aside, as someone who works with deafblind adults can I just say how impressed I am that Bebe is learning British Sign Language and Braille. How cool is that! Brilliant. 

The Author:

Bebe Ashley lives in Belfast. She is an AHRC funded PhD candidate at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry. Her work can be found in Poetry Birmingham Literary Journal, Poetry Ireland Review, Banshee, Modern Poetry in Translation, Poetry Jukebox and The Tangerine. When procrastinating from her PhD, she takes British Sign Language and Braille classes and writes pop culture articles for United by Pop, specialising in Harry Styles.

There's Only One Danny Garvey by David F Ross

There's Only One Danny Garvey is not a book I would have normally picked up - it's about football, for heaven's sake! But it came from the Orenda Books stable so I knew there was probably more to it than that... Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me onto this blog tour and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb:

Danny Garvey was a sixteen-year old footballing prodigy. Professional clubs clamoured to sign him, and a glittering future beckoned. And yet, his early promise remained unfulfilled, and Danny is back home in the tiny village of Barshaw to manage the struggling junior team he once played for. What’s more, he’s hiding a secret about a tragic night, thirteen years earlier, that changed the course of several lives. There’s only one Danny Garvey, they once chanted … and that’s the problem.

A story of irrational hopes and fevered dreams – of unstoppable passion and unflinching commitment in the face of defeat – There’s Only One Danny Garvey is, above all, an unforgettable tale about finding hope and redemption in the most unexpected of places. 

My Review:

'There's Only One Danny Garvey' they used to chant. But that was a long time ago and Danny's star no longer shines as brightly. After over a decade away, he is persuaded back home to coach the Barshaw Bridge junior team by Higgy, long time family friend and probably the nearest thing Danny has to a father figure. But Danny is not returning only to the football - he is returning to a mixed reception from the community, a dying mother and a brother in prison. And there was an event many years earlier that still haunts Danny. 

Set in the late 90s against a fab soundtrack, the story is told from Danny's viewpoint throughout. But we also see the thoughts of the other key characters - Higgy, Danny's brother Raymond, Raymond's partner Nancy and their son Damo. They each have a dedicated section where the main narrative is still presented from Danny's point of view with their thoughts interspersed throughout in italics. This is an approach that I don't recall seeing used elsewhere and it threw me initially until I got my head around it. 

Bradshaw is a small down-at-heel Ayrshire town that has been hit hard by unemployment and poverty and is full of toxic masculinity. The football club provides a much needed focus and so the town is invested in the team's results. Told over a make or break season we follow the club's highs and lows. Danny's too. And as the story progresses, it becomes clear that Danny's memories of the past don't tally with those of people around him and that maybe he isn't the most reliable of narrators. 

There is much about this book that is bleak - the town itself and the fortunes of its inhabitants, events of the past, Danny's dysfunctional family, Nancy's relationship with Raymond. But there are uplifting moments - a successful match, Danny's dealings with an elderly woman in the town, an hysterical dinner party (or so they think) that Danny and Nancy attend and Danny's efforts to bond with his nephew, although they are often somewhat clumsy. And the dialogue is written in the Scots colloquial vernacular, which is often entertaining in itself. It might take a bit of getting used to for readers from outside of Scotland, but it's an absolutely perfect fit for this book. 

A love of football shines through this book, but it's about so much more. It's about family and community, love and loss, grief and redemption, hope in the face of adversity. And football, of course. It's a book that you can't help but be moved by, and the ending almost broke me. This was my first book by Ross but it won't be my last. 

The Author:

David F Ross was born in Glasgow in 1964 and has lived in Kilmarnock for over 30 years. He is a graduate of the Mackintosh School of Architecture at Glasgow School of Art, an architect by day, and a hilarious social media commentator, author and enabler by night. His debut novel, The Last Days of Disco, was shortlisted for the Authors Club Best First Novel Award, and received exceptional critical acclaim, as did the other two books in the Disco Days Trilogy: The Rise & Fall of the Miraculous Vespas and The Man Who Loved Islands. David lives in Ayrshire.

The Captive by Deborah O'Connor

As soon as I read the blurb for Deborah O'Connor's latest, The Captive, I knew I wanted to read it. I was delighted to be invited onto the blog tour by Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers. Thanks also to the publisher for my review copy - I raced through it in a couple of days. You can read my thoughts further down the page. 

The Blurb:

The cage is installed in Hannah’s kitchen. Small, the size of a shopping centre parking space. A bed, a basin, a table and chair. A hatch and metal drawer through which to exchange food and other items.

Then there's him. Always there on the edges of her vision, no matter how hard she tries to block him out. 

Every day, the same thoughts run through Hannah's mind:

What if he speaks to me?

What if he hurts me?

What if he gets out?

In a near-future justice system Jem, the murderer of Hannah’s husband, arrives at her home to serve out his twenty-year sentence in a cell. There it’s hoped he will learn the true cost of his terrible crime.

But Jem tells Hannah he’s innocent, and not only that, her husband had been lying to her. Soon Hannah begins to question everything she thought she knew. Was Jem wrongly convicted? Or is he simply a desperate man, willing to say and do anything that might grant his freedom?

Only he can unlock the truth. Only she can set him free.

The Captive was published by Zaffre Books on 22nd December 2020 in e-book and audio formats, and on 7th January 2021 in hardback.

My Review:

In an unspecified time in the near future the penal system has been reformed and restorative justice has been taken to the extreme. Perpetrators of crimes have to serve our their sentence in a cage placed in the busiest part of their victims' homes, in order for them to see the impact that their actions have on the victims. 

 

Jem has been found guilty of murdering Hannah's husband John and is to serve out his twenty year sentence in Hannah's  kitchen. She bakes and decorates cakes for a living so spends much of her time in there. She struggles with the idea of having this man, who she feels ruined her life, in her house, every day, for what seems like forever, and applies for him to be moved (there are certain circumstances when this is allowed) unsure whether her request will be granted. In the meantime, she must make the best of this awful situation. Jem protests his innocence, but he would do anyway, wouldn't he? But what if he's right? Hannah decides she must learn about the events leading up to John's death, and discovers far more than she bargained for. 

This is such an original idea. I loved the notion of the offender seeing first hand the impact of their crime. But for twenty years? This is a huge burden for the victim, or 'host'  and to me it felt like more of a punishment for them. The number of cases taken to court has dropped under this new system for that very reason - most people don't want a criminal in their house, even if he or she is in a cage! The possible toll it can have is evident in the host living close to Hannah. But I loved seeing how Hannah and Jem interact as they navigate this strange new living set up.

Hannah is a lovely character and easy to warm to. She is obviously kind and caring, as demonstrated in her exchanges with her elderly neighbour. I loved the passages when she is preparing and icing her cakes, the care and attention she pays to them, wee calm moments amidst the chaos. She feels quite isolated, not seeing her best friend as much as she would like, and not getting the support she needs from John's former colleagues who are trying to process their own grief. 

Jem is a much more complex character. He comes across as calm, polite, kind even, and seems to do what he can to make it as easy as possible for Hannah to deal with having him in her house. He never causes any trouble in his mandated shower and exercise times, and pretty much seems to be a model prisoner. But although I wanted to trust him, I couldn't quite bring myself to, always wondering what, if any, his agenda was - which I'm sure was the aim of the author. 

The story is told mainly from Hannah's point of view in the third person with parts from Jem's points of view - his chapters are in the first person. I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about Jem's life and how it had reached this point. And Hannah too - we learn plenty about her, as she does about herself. I loved the author's attention to detail, whether it be sugar figurines, the actions of Hannah's confused neighbour, the derelict house near one of Hannah's clients or a tent in a garden. But also her study of feelings and emotions, Hannah's particularly, and the extremes she experiences. 

The Captive has at its heart a crime, but it takes us, and the protagonists, on quite a journey as the author explores that with us, and I couldn't wait to see where we ended up. The denouement was unexpected for me, and there were several moments reading it where I held my breath. Original, imaginative and enjoyable. 

The Author:

Deborah O’Connor is a writer and TV producer responsible for well-loved programmes such as ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’ and ‘A League of Their Own’.  She lives in North Yorkshire with her husband and daughter. Deborah's first novel was the bestseller My Husband's Son, followed by The Dangerous Kind. The Captive is her third novel. You can follow her on Twitter @deboc77 

Editing Your Novel's Structure by Bethany A Tucker

For today's post I'm delighted to welcome back Steven, my occasional guest reviewer, with his thoughts on Editing Your Novel's Structure by Bethany A Tucker. Many thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for invitation onto the blog blitz and to the author for Steven's review copy.

 

The Blurb:

Before it’s time to check for commas and iron out passive voice, fiction writers need to know that their story is strong. Are your beta readers not finishing? Do they have multiple, conflicting complaints? When you ask them questions about how they experience your story, do they give lukewarm responses? Or have you not even asked anyone to read your story, wondering if it’s ready?

If any of the above is true, you may need to refine the structure of your story. What is structure you ask? Structure is what holds a story together. Does the character arc entrance the reader? Is the world building comprehensive and believable? These questions and more have to be answered by all of us as we turn our drafts into books.

In this concise handbook, complete with checklists for each section, let a veteran writer walk you through the process of self-assessing your novel, from characters to pacing with lots of compassion and a dash of humour. In easy to follow directions and using adaptable strategies, she shows you how to check yourself for plot holes, settle timeline confusion, and snap character arcs into place.

Use this handbook for quick help and quick self-editing checklists on:

- Characters and Character Arcs.
- Plot.
- Backstory.
- Point of View.
- A detailed explanation of nearly free self-editing tools and how to apply them to your book to find your own structural problems.
- Beginnings and Ends.
- Editing for sensitive and specialized subject matter.
- Helpful tips on choosing beta readers, when to seek an editor, and a sample questionnaire to give to your first readers.

Grab your copy of Edit Your Novel’s Structure today! Now is the time to finish that draft and get your story out into the world.


Purchase Links:

UK
US

Steven's Review:

This is an excellent resource for writers setting out on the journey to their first novel. Having said that it is also useful in reminding others of the detail that may have slipped from their more experienced scrutiny.  

It is described as a handbook by the author and can be read linearly, or it can be dissected and dipped into and used in pieces or picked up for inspiration. I think it does what it sets out to do successfully and provides the reader with the opportunity to rethink, perhaps rework their structure with guidance. Or it may confirm that what they are doing is fine, instilling the new writer with the confidence to carry on.  

The tone of the book is informal as the writer goes with the reader on what could be a daunting journey. The style makes it a much smoother progression and it is a style that is well chosen for the intended audience. It is an overview stuffed with detail and the section ‘When to Seek Professional Services’ is essential reading for new writers. The whole handbook has a layout that is easily accessible and well referenced enabling the reader to flick back and forth or dip into.  

I finished it quickly and it left me inspired to return once more to a work of my own that has lumbered along. As a result of reading this book one work has become two and both are now steaming ahead. This was an easy to access instructional and inspiring read. One that I will use time and time again.

The Author:

Bethany Tucker is an author and editor located near Seattle, U.S.A. Story has always been a part of her life. With over twenty years of writing and teaching experience, she’s more than ready to take your hand and pull back the curtain on writing craft and mindset. Last year she edited over a million words for aspiring authors. Her YA fantasy series Adelaide is published wide under the pen name Mustang Rabbit and her dark epic fantasy is releasing in 2021 under Ciara Darren. You can find more about her services for authors at TheArtandScienceofWords.com. 

Happy New Year! Looking forward to 2021 & back at 2020

I'm writing this, last minute as usual, on the last day of 2020, a year that we will all be glad to see the back of. All of our lives have been affected, to varying degrees, by the coronavirus pandemic and we owe huge thanks to the people who kept the country going. And I don't mean the government but rather the doctors, nurses, carers, supermarket workers, bin men and all our other key workers. (I'm based in the UK but I'm sure the same applies for most of the world.) Despite the restrictions, I hope all of you that celebrate managed to enjoy Christmas and hopefully a few days rest and relaxation.

I'm looking forward to a better 2021 and am optimistic that we might get back to some sort of normality in the months ahead. Not making any solid predictions though! Nor am I making any proper resolutions. I mean there's the all encompassing one I make every year to 'get my shit together.' The fact I have to make it every year tells you all you need to know about how that's going...😂 And before I started writing this I looked back at the equivalent post for 2019 and saw that I've spectacularly failed at all five of my booky resolutions for 2020 so not making any of those for this coming year either! Just looking forward to seeing my parents again, and booky people, my tribe. And maybe some events. Oh, and hugs. Definitely looking forward to hugs.

But before we get right in about 2021, I'm going to have a quick look back at last year, and pick out some of my favourite books of 2020.

Whilst 2020 was pretty much a disaster of a year, there were some positives for me. Towards the end of March, just as we went into the first lockdown, I was thrilled to go back to work after nine months off with poor mental health. I love my job (I'm a guide/communicator for deafblind adults) and was delighted to get back to it. It's a key worker role so I have worked throughout the lockdowns and restrictions, which is something I'm very grateful for. Partly in an effort to maintain my improved mental health I started exercising at home and managed to lose a bit of weight (although it probably all went back on over the last month or so). I managed to see my parents in August when restrictions were eased and had a fab overnight break in Rothesay on the beautiful Isle of Bute. National Theatre Live showed a play free on YouTube every week of the first lockdown, Patrick Stewart read a Shakespeare sonnet daily in Twitter, Charlie Mackesy read from The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse on Instagram, and I crocheted with my crochet crew every week via Facebook Messenger. I am hugely thankful for all of those things. And I celebrated a big birthday during lockdown - well, proper celebrations are on hold til I can have them - and was delighted that a Facebook fundraiser raised £290 for Deafblind Scotland. Thanks to all who donated.

There were actually some real life book events (remember them?) way back at the beginning of the year. In January, I saw James Oswald being grilled by Neil Broadfoot. February saw the launch of Evil Days by Gordon Waugh, published with the help of Indie Authors World. I've had the pleasure of editing both of Gordon's books. It was also the Orenda Books Roadshow in February which saw 12 (I think) authors from all over the world all at Waterstones in Glasgow at the same time. My last event was the Edinburgh launch of Douglas Skelton's The Blood is Still in early March. 

After that, things went virtual. Huge thanks to Newcastle Noir at the Bar, Edinburgh Noir at the Bar, Bute Noir, Bloody Scotland, Tidelines, Four Blokes in Search of a Plot, Two Crime Writers and a Microphone and various Facebook groups for putting on online events which were hugely enjoyable.

And so to books. I set a reading goal for the year of 100 books and finished a total of 99 for me. Down a wee bit on last year but I'm happy enough. And I've read some crackers - if I listed all the ones I loved we'd be here for hours! But I've picked out 16 of my faves - I couldn't get it any narrower than that! I've included snippets from my reviews but you can read the full versions by clicking through from the book titles. All the full posts contain buy links for the relevant book. 

Up first are two from Orenda Books. Beast by Matt Wesolowski is the fourth book in the fantastic Six Stories series - if you haven't read them, do check them out - I love them! 'This is a sober reflection on our society and our obsession with, and addiction to, social media. The importance we place in the number of followers we have. Once again, Wesolowski has delivered a stunning book - original, gripping, creepy, thought provoking and relevant. He is just going from strength to strength!'

Death Deserved is the first in a new series from Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger featuring police officer Alexander Blix and journalist Emma Ramm. 'The story is clever, taut, thrilling and perfectly paced. Full of twists, turns and dead ends, it builds and builds until I found myself holding my breath at the tense, edge-of-the-seat conclusion. It has much to say about celebrity, both its appeal and its dangers. Part police procedural, part thriller and with two fresh, interesting protagonists, Death Deserved has it all.' 

March saw the release of The Blood is Still, the second Rebecca Connelly book from Douglas Skelton. 'This is an intelligent, gripping story with great attention to detail which builds steadily throughout. There are so many exquisitely drawn characters. a tale steeped in history but right bang in the present. The Blood is Still shows how versatile a writer Skelton is and that he is just going from strength to strength. It's a triumph. I absolutely loved it and everyone should read it!'

April was a bumper month for fab books! I Am Dust was my second Louise Beech book (another Orenda release) and an unusual one for me, but I really enjoyed it. 'I don't consider myself very open to the idea of ghosts, magic, a sixth sense, second sight, that kind of thing, but this book gave me chills. I Am Dust is a beautiful book about love, longing, pain, desire, betrayal, magic and murder. It broke my heart but I adored it.' 

Power Play is the third book from Tony Kent - an exciting thriller that grips from beginning to end. This is an epic, transatlantic tale, taking us from the streets of London to the heart of the White House. 'It's a hefty tome, coming in at 500 odd pages, but it doesn't feel like that thanks to the short, snappy chapters and the action packed storyline.'

Neil Broadfoot's second Connor Fraser tale, No Place To Die was another April highlight - I am loving this series! 'The plot covers corruption, dodgy deals, lies, personal betrayal, revenge and murder. With No Place To Die Broadfoot delivers a fast paced, action packed, adrenaline filled crime thriller, full of rounded, believable characters.' Special mention also for the third in the series, The Point of No Return, which was one of my last reads of the year but my review wasn't written up in time. I will share it in January but I can tell you the book's another cracker. 

Another April release was Savage Gods by Peter Boland, which saw the return of one of my favourite protagonists, John Savage. It's the fourth in a fantastic series that you should all check out. 'Savage Gods is an original, interesting, fast paced and tense thriller, populated by brilliantly drawn characters. The denouement is scary and exciting. And shocking. I actually cried out. This is another strong entry to the John Savage collection.'

These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields was an unusual read for me as I don't usually read historical crime. But I'm so glad I took a chance on this one. 'These Lost and Broken Things is an authentic, detailed and atmospheric tale full of colourful characters, plenty of action and full on emotional tugs. A gripping thriller I just couldn't put down.'

Regular visitors to this blog will know I'm a big fan of Mason Cross. Well, 2020 saw him releasing standalone thriller Hunted under the name of Alex Knight and it's another winner for me. 'Hunted is a cat and mouse chase, a search for truth and justice. It grabs you, pulls you in and doesn't let go. The action doesn't let up at all and neither does the tension. The storyline is full of lies, betrayal and cover ups with twists, shocks and red herrings aplenty. If you're looking for a fast paced, action packed, intelligent and rewarding crime thriller then this is the book for you. I flipping loved it!'

In July I took a wee break from crime fiction to read an illustrated poetry collection. Different from my usual fare The Unwinding by Jackie Morris took me to a beautiful place. 'The Unwinding is a beautiful little book, both to look at and to read. It is different to the poetry I normally read but I found it very appealing. I could feel myself calming as I read and the words took me to another place. This is a book I will return to time and time again as a respite from my busy life. A stunning, bewitching wee book.' 

More Orenda releases in July and August. The Big Chill is the second book in Doug Johnstone's trilogy about the Shelf women. I can't tell you how much I love this series and the first book A Dark Matter, which I read in January, could easily have been on this list but The Big Chill just edged it for me. But do yourselves a favour and read these books! 'The Big Chill is an intimate portrait of life and death told with a very human touch and a splash of humour. It's dark in places, sad in others, beautiful throughout. And I can't think of another crime novel which could feature My Chemical Romance, quantum physics, drumming, the Bangkok Lady Boys and Inuit throat singers!'

Hinton Hollow Death Trip by Will Carver is like nothing I'd read before (I felt like that about his last book too). Evil itself is our narrator here. 'It's unique, violent, challenging, uncomfortable, thought provoking, shocking. And quite brilliant. Carver has yet again delivered something that blew my mind. It will be one of my most memorable reads of this year.'

The Boy Between was published in November and is a personal account by Amanda Prowse and her son Josiah (Josh) Hartley of Josh's struggles with his mental health and the impact on the family. It touched me deeply and moved me to tears many times. 'This book is very open, honest and raw. It is a very personal story which Josh and Amanda been brave enough to share, and I know it will touch many people. Whilst more people are talking openly about depression, it's still not enough, and I really hope this will encourage more people to open up. Particularly young men.' 

Also in November I read Sharon Bairden's debut novel Sins of the Father, and what a triumph it is. Not always an easy read and covering some difficult issues, I loved it. 'Sins of the Father is very dark and touches on some difficult subjects which might mean this isn't for everyone. But I would encourage you to try it as it's also descriptive, vivid, heartbreaking, haunting and beautifully written. A bold, confident and stunning debut.'

I didn't plan on choosing a 'Book of the Year' but nearly ended up with two! I adored Fifteen Coffins by Tony J Forder featuring FBI agent and reluctant PI Sydney Merlot investigating a school shooting in America. I've been telling everyone about this book! Tony currently had no plans to write any more Sydney but maybe if you all buy this one, he'll change his mind! In the meantime, I have his back catalogue to catch up on. 'Fifteen Coffins tackles a difficult topic from a fresh point of view. It's never sensationalist and is respectful of its subject. I was totally absorbed from beginning to end. It's a beautifully written crime mystery with exquisite characterisation, striking descriptions and a detailed, intelligent and original storyline. It's easily one of my books of this year.'

But the one I've raved about more than any other, the one I've lent out, the one I've gifted and is therefore my 'Book of 2020' is We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. With 13 year old self proclaimed outlaw Duchess Day Radley at its centre, We Begin at the End is set in small town America in a community still coming to terms with events of 30 years earlier. 'Yes, there is a crime at the centre of this story, an awful, sad one, but We Begin at the End is so, so much more than a crime story. It's a character driven tale of regular people making awful, difficult choices in the worst of circumstances. It's a hugely emotional read and as truths were revealed at the end, I was knocked back again and again. Wow. Just wow. It's a story about love, loss, sacrifice and hope.'

So, there you have it - the books that made the most impact on me in 2020. It was so hard to choose as I also loved Paper Sparrows by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi, Whirligig by Andrew James Greig, Ash Mountain by Helen Fitzgerald, The Scribbler by Iain Maitland, Thirty-One Bones by Morgan Cry, The Library Murders by MR Mackenzie, A Prayer for the Broken by Mark Tilbury, Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðadóttir, Body Language by AK Turner and more. You get the idea - I read some fabulous books in 2020! I do hope you check some of them out and I 'd love to hear what you think. 

If you're still with me, thank you for hanging in there! Sorry, this post had ended up a bit epic! Moving into 2021 I can't wait to read Deity, the new Six Stories novel from Matt Wesolowski and Smoke Screen, the follow up to Death Deserved, by Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger. Also looking forward to Song of the Psychopath by Mark Tilbury being published in February. I beta read this one and you're in for a dark and twisted time with that one! I'm in the blog tour for The Art of Death by David Fennell and the book looks amazing! And always a treat, there will be a new release from Douglas Skelton later on in the year.

On my Absolutely Must Read pile (my TBR pile is too out of control to think about) are a whole host of books I didn't get around to this year: Jeremiah's Bell by Denzil Meyrick, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby, You Caught the Last Bus Home and Diary of a Somebody by Brian Bilston, Fifty City by Steve Cavanagh, Tall Oaks and All the Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker, The Davie McCall series from Douglas Skelton and a whole pile of books received from authors and publishers over the last couple of years. And so many more.

So, there you have it. Let's be excited about this new year and all its possibilities. Here's to better things and hugs. Dream big, stay well and read loads. Happy New Year!