Only in Whispers by Jacqueline Grima #blogtour

I'm back! And delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for this great debut novel. My thanks to the author, Manatee Books Ltd and Tracy Fenton for my review copy. 

The Blurb:

A forgotten past

An uncertain future

A family hiding from the truth

When their mother is hospitalised with depression, Annie and her brother Matthew are fostered by their beloved Aunt Helen. Their family eventually reunited, the siblings begin a new life in Derbyshire with their mother and new stepfather.

Now in her thirties and separated from her husband, Annie is struggling to escape the past and move forward with her son. Haunted by memories of her childhood, she begins to realise that there may have been more to her time in foster care than her mother claims. Why did social services take her and Matthew away? Who can she trust to tell her what really happened?

As Annie finds out more, things take a sinister turn…has the life she’s lived so far been a lie?

Only in Whispers was published by Manatee Books Ltd on 28th June 2018.

My Review:

Every family has secrets. It's just some are bigger than others.

This was a change of pace from my normal reads - crime dramas that rattle along. Only in Whispers is classed as a psychological thriller, but is much more of a slow burner, but certainly no worse for that. 

Annie is facing a time of change in her life. She has separated from her controlling husband David, but her efforts to move on are thwarted to a degree by the huge part he still plays in her life. So I thought the story was headed in one direction (I deliberately hadn't re-read the blurb before I started it) but it took me to a completely different place. 

As well as these changes, Annie's much loved aunt is seriously unwell, her brother and his wife are having a baby, and Annie's cousin Catherine leaves her husband and comes to stay. In the middle of all this, Annie starts remembering things - fragments of moments from her childhood - which upset and confuse her. And she is determined to work out the truth. 

At first I thought it was odd that she was suddenly starting to remember things, but there are a lot of traumatic things happening and I know the mind can do strange things. The story also touches on Annie's mother's depression.

I kept reading late into the night as I was keen to find out what happened. The story has a large cast of relatable characters many of whom are hugely likeable, but one or two who really aren't very nice. The fact that I felt strongly about these characters shows how well they were written. I loved Annie's stepfather with his calmness and fierce loyalty to his wife. And if a man like Adam really exists, someone please introduce me!

This is a story about secrets, family, love and loyalty, and it is beautifully written. A very assured debut and I look forward to more from this author. 

You can buy Only in Whispers on Amazon UK. 

The Author:

Jacqueline Grima has recently completed an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her creative work has appeared in a variety of publications and, in 2014, she was shortlisted for the Luke Bitmead Bursary Award. Only in Whispers is her first novel.

Follow Jacqueline on Twitter @GrimaJgrima and read her blog at www.jacquelinegrima.wordpress.com

The Prodigal by Nicky Black

Nicky Black's second book, The Rave (which is now on my TBR list) and I was given the opportunity to read this one by the TBC Reviewers Request Group on Facebook. I jumped at the chance!

The Blurb:

He's back. But at what cost?

When Detective Sergeant Lee Jamieson returns home after a sixteen year exile, the last thing he expects is to fall for Nicola Kelly, the wife of a hardened criminal who is determined to climb the ladder of one of the city's biggest organised crime syndicates.

When Lee starts his new position in Newcastle's CID team, he begins the task of cleaning up Valley Park Estate of its relentless crime and dealers, but as he becomes more embroiled in the lives of the Kelly family, and the woman he loves is put in danger, he realises he faces a stark choice: does he walk away from Nicola, or does he bring her husband down?

The Prodigal is a crime novel like no other - a story of star-crossed lovers whose worlds collide on a Newcastle estate where organised crime is rife, and violence and fear are the accepted currency.

My Review:

Lee returns to Newcastle after many years away, and is assigned to work on the estate where he grew up - somewhere he had never wanted to return to. The estate is rough and rife with crime.

Early on he spies Nicola, wife of hard man Micky Kelly, and is immediately drawn to her, but his job means he has to sort out crime on the estate, and that might involve her husband...

This is a crime story, packed with action, but it is much more than that. The deprivation of the lives of those on the estate is exquisitely described. It's a social commentary, but never ever preachy. And it's a tale of love - Romeo and Juliet across the social divide.

I really enjoyed this, and am looking forward to reading The Rave - sounds interesting! One wee unimportant side note - after discovering Nicky Black was two people, I was surprised that the acknowledgements were in the singular.

You can buy The Prodigal here.

The Author:

Nicky Black writes gritty, North East crime fiction, full of drama, twists and turns. Geordie criminals divide and rule their territories with a mixture of fear, threats and violence.

Nicky Black is a collaboration between two friends, Nicky and Julie, who have known each other for over 20 years. They both had careers in urban regeneration back in the 90s, working at the heart of disadvantaged communities in the North East of England. During that time they experienced the real grit and struggle of peoples' every-day lives, as well as their humour and determination to lead a happy existence, whatever that meant to them.

Their mutual love of writing has brought together two key ingredients: whilst Nicky loves to write vivid descriptions and narrative, Julie excels in writing dialogue. Together they've created a winning formula, bringing a new voice to Geordie crime fiction.

Nicky was born and brought up in Alnwick in Northumberland, settling in Newcastle upon Tyne for 12 years before moving south for career reasons. She now lives in North Tyneside. Julie is a born and bred Geordie and still lives in the Toon.

You can visit the website here.

I'm Dead Again by Keith Nixon

Having really enjoyed Russian Roulette by by Keith Nixon, I was keen to read I'm Dead Again. Big thanks to Keith and The TBC Reviewers Request Group on Facebook for the opportunity to do just that.

The Blurb:

David Brodie, literally once ace reporter, is on a serious downward slide with ex-wife, ex-job and ex-bank balance hanging around his neck. Until he receives a phone call. From a dead man. Soon it could be ex-life.

When the corpse of her ex-husband turns up in dubious circumstances Emily Hollowman enlists ex-KGB and current tramp Konstantin Boryakov to investigate. With stone cold killer, Mr. Lamb in tow the pair discovers all roads lead to disgraced businessman, Gordon Dredge, the man who cost Brodie everything.

But Dredge is in trouble too, in debt to gangland boss Stevie ‘The Steroid’ Oakhill. But Oakhill has his own problems, a Chechen by the name of Adam is trying to take his business.

The hilarious follow-up to bestselling The Fix – gangsters, murder and a multitude of sarcasm await... who will die first?

My Review:

Although  I had read Russian Roulette, I haven't read The Fix, but didn't feel disadvantaged by that. I'm Dead Again worked well as a standalone. That said, I will be seeking it out because if this one is anything to go by, I'll love it!

The story is quite complex, with a large cast of double crossing gangsters, bent and straight cops, killers and innocent bystanders with down at heel reporter David Brodie finding himself in the middle of it all.

It was great to meet Konstantin again. He's fab. I fell a little bit in love with him in Russian Roulette and nothing has changed here. I'm not sure what it is about him as he spends half his time filthy and unwashed, he's rude and loves fighting. I think it's the broken English - I have a weakness for that. He and Mr Lamb, who I imagine to be be completely immaculate and well mannered, are the oddest couple, but oh so good together. More of  this double act please!

But David Brodie - what a creation! His wretchedness is beautifully  written. A man who has lost everything, fallen from grace, living in a dump and driving one too. He doesn't keep clean or care about himself or others. But he is the most vividly described character with the best lines and turns of phrase - his chapters are written in the first person, present tense (the others are written in third person, past tense) which really made them stand out. And he has my favourite line (possibly ever): 'Somewhere in the corner my depression skulks ignoring me after I throw a  couple of tinnies, drained of the contents, of course, in its direction.' Brilliant. I must try that with mine. Although I suspect empty wine bottles might make more mess!

I can't go without mentioning Lucy, who is brilliant, ballsy and brave. And Brodie's meeting with her mother is comedy genius. I was laughing out loud.

The pace zips along, with loads of action, but for me this one was all about the characters. They are all brilliantly written, and somehow there was something redeemable in even the worst them, except perhaps for Stevie. And the vein of black humour runs all the way through the book.

The chapter headings are again a triumph, including The U-Bend of Life, A Rather Blunt Missive, Lamb Chops, The Damned Unite and my favourite, The Dildo. Talking of which, I was delighted to see it make a return - although probably not the same one!

It was a joy to read another of Keith's books and I look forward to hearing more of Konstantin and Lamb, and maybe Brodie, if we're lucky. In the meantime, I 'm away to get my hands on a copy of The Fix!

You can buy I'm Dead Again here.

Use the links below to read my reviews of some of Keith's other books:

Russian Roulette
The Corpse Role
Dig Two Graves
Burn The Evidence
Beg For Mercy

The Author:

Keith Nixon has been writing since he was a child. In fact his wife and friends say he's never really grown up. He is currently gainfully employed in a senior sales role meaning he gets to use his one skill, talking too much. He also drinks beer and is a coffee snob.

Keith writes crime and historical fiction novels. His crime books are published by indie house Caffeine Nights and historical novels by Gladius Press. Keith also reviews for Crime Fiction Lover and Big Al's Books & Pals.

You can find out more on his website.

A Booky Few Days #authorsaremyrockstars

Hiya peeps

I'm still on my wee break, but wanted to share a few pictures and details for some of my book and author stuff from the last week or so.

Last Thursday I was in Waterstones in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Syreet, where a large audience turned out to see Four Blokes in Search of a Plot. The Four Blokes are crime authors Gordon Brown (no, not that one!), Douglas Skelton, Mark Leggatt and Neil Broadfoot.

For those of you who don't know, the Four Blokes write a comedy crime story live. In an hour. The audience choose the main character and the murder weapon, and the guys take turns (again, who writes which bit is down to the audience) to concoct a tale of murder, madness and mayhem!

The fifth, and arguably most important, member of the team is the Tea Cosy Of Inspiration, which is worn by the nominated writer! Clearly the ideas don't come without it! Or something like that anyway. You can see the Blokes, and the Tea Cosy, in action in the pics below. Those not writing take questions from the audience, which in Glasgow included ones on writing styles, backgrounds, planning (or lack thereof), book festivals and all sorts of other stuff.

On the night, the main character given by the audience was fellow crime writer Val McDermid and the murder weapon a welly boot! Somewhere along the line, a guy called Gerald got involved, the boot was covered in glitter and Luca Veste's bass guitar featured. Complete madness! But so much fun - laughed out loud loads. And the guys are always interesting.

The Four Blokes in Search of a Plot will be appearing at Waterstones in Stirling on September 13th and at Rothesay Museum in October 19th. Check out their Facebook page for more details.

My purchases - I already had Gordon's book. 

On Saturday I headed over to Summerlee Heritage Museum in Coatbridge where North Lanarkshire Libraries were holding their Big Day Out.

First up for me was Mason Cross, who spoke about his most recent Carter Blake book, Presumed Dead, which has been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize at Bloody Scotland. He also talked about life as an author, writing a series and his next book, which will be a standalone set in the UK. And he answered a load of great questions from the audience. You can read my review of Presumed Dead here.

After visiting the sale of ex library books (not at all good for my TBR pile!) and grabbing a coffee and cake, it was time to head back to hear Craig Robertson. Spent a really interesting hour listening to Craig telling us some memorable tales from his career as a journalist, and talking us through his books and plans for the future. In his last three books he has explored some interesting, and sometimes disturbing, topics.

For In Place of Death, Craig researched Urban Exploring, where people go into, up and down abandoned buildings, towers and tunnels. Murderabilia explores the murky world of collecting 'souvenirs' related to crimes and criminals. Apparently it's a booming industry. His most recent book, The Photographer, looks at violence against women, misogyny and the darker side of social media. The Photographer has also been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize.

I will be reading and reviewing one or two of Craig's books soon, so will probably talk a bit more about Saturday afternoon then.

I was at another event on Saturday evening, but it was very different from my usual crime shenanigans, and so I'll talk about that in a separate post.

Yesterday, I managed to squeeze in a lunch and catch up with author and one quarter of Four Blokes, Douglas Skelton, when he was passing through Glasgow on his way to the Four Blokes gig in Edinburgh. (It was fictional character Carmel Crunch and a typewriter, in case you were wondering.) Douglas has a new book, The Janus Run, hitting the shelves in September 20th. A change in direction for him, this is a standalone crime thriller set in the US. It's next on my list to read, and I can't wait! Look out for my review soon.

I take terrible selfies! Don't even know which way to look! 

Finally, I came home yesterday to #bookpost, my favourite kind of post. I'm thrilled to have received a paper copy of Savage Lies by Peter Boland. It's one of my best reads of the year and I can't wait for the follow up to come out. You can see my review of Savage Lies here.

Phew! Such a lucky girl!

Links to purchase the most recent books, or in some cases pre order the new ones, for all the authors mentioned are below:

Deepest Wounds by Gordon Brown - Waterstones, Amazon
The Janus Run by Douglas Skelton - Waterstones, Amazon
The Silk Road by Mark Leggatt - Waterstones, Amazon
No Man's Land by Neil Broadfoot - Waterstones, Amazon
Presumed Dead by Mason Cross - Waterstones, Amazon
The Photographer by Craig Robertson - Waterstones, Amazon 
Savage Lies by Peter Boland - Waterstones, Amazon 

Laters x

Work, and other interruptions

Hello peeps

This is a public service announcement just to let you know that things will probably be quiet on the blog for the next two or three weeks. There's nothing wrong just, you know, life.

I have some adulting to do (BOO!), some editing and proofreading work to get on with (YAY!), some admin to clear (YUK!) and some books to read (HOORAY!)! Basically, just pausing a while to take a breath and catch up with myself! A bit of self care.

Having said all of that, I may well put some posts up. I've got several fabulous book events coming up in the next few days, so I might share details and/or pictures from those, and maybe a review or two.

Normal service will resume shortly. Thanks heaps for all your support. 

See you soon. x

Never Say Goodbye by Richard Parker

I am delighted to be closing the tour for this brilliant, original thriller by Richard Parker. Thanks to Richard, and to Noelle at Bookoutre for inviting me to be on the tour.

The Blurb:

An edge of your seat thriller with gripping suspense (Detective Tom Fabian Book 1).

Somewhere in this city… she’s waiting to be found. When the body of an innocent woman is found stabbed in her otherwise pristine bedroom, Detective Tom Fabian is called in to lead the investigation. It’s the latest in a series of seemingly random murders all over London, which Tom suspects might be linked… but how?

Just when Tom feels all his leads have run dry, he discovers a startling connection between the victims. The killer is tracing a sinister web of murder through the capital – but where does it lead, and who is next?

But then another victim is found, just as Tom’s wife and teenage daughter find themselves in grave danger. Is it a coincidence, or has his job put his family at risk? Has Tom unknowingly sacrificed those he loves most to the darkest case of his career… and can he catch the killer before he strikes again?

A completely gripping, pulse-racing crime thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Mark Edwards and Robert Dugoni.

Published by Bookoutre on 14th August 2018.

My Review:

Gosh, I really don't know where to start! This was my first book by Richard Parker, but it won't be my last. And I was delighted to see that this is the first in a series.

I liked the character of Tom Fabian straight away. A decent man who works too hard, and who has damaged his family life as a result. He doesn't trust people easily, but is loyal to those he does. His small team are well described, Banner particularly, and I liked her immensely.

Fabian unexpectedly finds himself in charge of an enquiry into several seemingly unconnected murders, although all the victims have wounds to their faces. Eventually, Tom is able to link the murders, but he can't stop the body count increasing.

The story goes at a cracking pace - it hits the ground running and just keeps going. The opening chapter is an absolute corker! It really sets the scene and tone for the rest of the book. Every so often there is a chapter from the killer's point of view, which allows us to see his thoughts as he commits the murders, and the last desperate actions of his victims. These chapters are very effective.

I didn't guess who the murderer was, or what his motive was, and I just love it when that happens! The ending actually made me a little sad and slightly conflicted. I can't explain why without spoilers so you'll just need to read it yourselves to find out why!

There is a subplot featuring Fabian's daughter Tilly, her mother and her ex boyfriend. The tension is ramped up regarding this, and it looks like Tilly might feature in the next book. The ending of the book, the last paragraph, is fabulous, and left me longing for the next book.

I enjoyed Never Say Goodbye from beginning to end. It's a strong, original story that just races along. If you like an intelligent, exciting police procedural, you'll love this. Roll on book 2!

Never Say Goodbye is available from Amazon UK and US.

The Author:

Richard Parker was formerly a TV script writer, script editor and producer before turning his hand to penning twisted stand alone thrillers.

You can find Richard's website here and you can follow him on the following social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tower: Unchained by Love (Tales of Freya) by Sarah Dahl

It's time for me to review the most recent in the Tales of Freya series by Sarah Dahl. And I think Tower: Unchained by Love might be my favourite yet.

The Blurb:

In a world of crackling fires and rough landscapes, long winters and bloody raids, the immediacy of life and death ignites undeniable passions. Warriors and monks, healers and housewives - all follow the call of their hearts and bodies to indulge in pleasures that may forever change their lives.

Young Viking Myskia lands on Irish shores to rescue his lover Adisa from the clutches of his family's enemy Raven. After a fierce duel, Myskia finds himself in the confined walls of a strange tower, facing Adisa. Their reunion turns out to be very different than what he imagined. Can the passion they once shared break down the walls that have grown between them after months of slavery? Or has she changed in ways he’s unprepared for?

Set in the Viking era, this is a stand-alone, adult read with a HEA.

My Review:

This is the sixth story in the Tales of Freya series, and the fourth one I've been lucky enough to read. As I mentioned above, I think this is my favourite yet, although it's more of a slow burner than some of the others.

Eight months after an attack on his village when many men were killed, and women kidnapped, warrior Myskia sets out to rescue his woman, Adisa, who was one of those taken. He is mourning the death of his father who was killed in the attack and wants to wreak revenge on his enemies, led by Raven.

His longing for Adisa is so well described I could feel his pain. He is so desperate to see her, but when he first does, she runs, and later attacks him.

It is not the reunion he has dreamt about, at least not initially. Adidas is ashamed of what Raven has done to her, and so wants to keep Myskia away...

As always with Sarah's writing, the sense of place and scene is very strong. I could almost imagine myself watching the action unfold in front of me. The tension and anticipation rise as the story progresses and Myskia searches for his love. And their reunion is heart rending, desperate, loving, sensual and delicious. Read it, and you'll know what I mean. I loved it and, as usual, my only complaint is that it was too short!

You can buy Tower: Unchained by Love here for UK readers and here for US ones.

You can read my review of Healer: The Gift of Dreams here, the one for Monk: Captured by Temptation here and for Bonds: Under the Armour here.

The Author:

Sarah Dahl lives at the edge of the rural German Eifel and writes historical fiction (novels and short stories) primarily set in the Viking age. She also works as an editor, translates, and coaches new writers in German and English. She is interested in everyday life in bygone centuries and the human stories that may have occurred behind the hard, historical facts.

Her author webpage is https://sarah-dahl.com