A Gift For Dying by MJ Arlidge

I'm delighted to be taking part in the tour for this great standalone thriller from MJ Arlidge. Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me and to the publishers for my early review copy.

The Blurb:

From The Sunday Times bestselling author of the Helen Grace series comes the gripping new thriller perfect for fans of James Patterson, Angela Marsons and Karin Slaughter.

'Strikingly well-told, and with a compelling central character' Daily Mail

With just one look, she knows how and when you will die . . .

Nothing surprises Adam Brandt anymore. As a forensic psychologist, he's seen and heard everything.

That is, until he meets Kassie.

Because she claims to have a terrible gift - with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die.

Adam doesn't believe her, obviously.

But then a serial killer starts wreaking havoc across the city, and only Kassie seems to know where he'll strike next.

Against all his intuition, Adam starts to believe her.

He just doesn't realise how dangerous this trust might be . . .

A Gift For Dying was published by Penguin Random House on 7th March 2019. You can purchase it from Waterstones, Amazon and other good bookshops.


My Review:

A Gift For Dying is my first MJ Arlidge book, but it won't be my last!  Based on this, I will be seeking out the Helen Grace books.

Adam is an experienced psychologist used to dealing with the worst in society. Kassie is a teenager with a terrible gift, or maybe she's just delusional. Adam needs to find out. But she does seem to have a link to some terrible crimes...

The characterisation in this book is great. Kassie is a hugely relatable, sympathetic character, especially. I connected with her early on, and really cared about her. She tries so hard to do the right thing, but is so often thwarted. I was sad for her from the beginning, with her difficult relationship with her mum, and the huge burden and carried, and that sympathy lasted until the end of the book. She's a fantastic character.

My feelings towards Adam changed depending on where I was in the book. Sometimes I was cheering him on, at other times he made me sad and occasionally I got cross at him! His fortunes change dramatically during the course of the story, along with his capacity to deal with things. But that I was so invested in the characters is testament to the quality of writing. And we see the changing relationship, between Adam and Kassie.

The tension builds perfectly from the beginning to the shattering ending. I loved the police investigation into the murders, and the description of the killings themselves, which are just graphic enough, without being too much. The police personnel are pretty unsympathetic, and for me this increased Kassie's vulnerability.

I really enjoyed this book. It's long, but with short snappy chapters. It completely kept my attention, as I was desperate to find out what happened next. As well as keeping me on the edge of my seat, it also broke my heart. Would heartily recommend.


The Author:

M. J. Arlidge is the international bestselling author of the Detective Helen Grace Thrillers, including Hide and Seek, Little Boy Blue, Liar Liar, The Doll’s House, Pop Goes the Weasel, and his debut, Eeny Meeny, which has been sold in twenty-nine countries. He has worked in television for the past fifteen years.

***COVER REVEAL*** The Nudge Man by Keith Nixon

Ooooh, I do love a good cover reveal! Particularly when it's for the forthcoming standalone novel from one of my fave people. The Nudge Man by Keith Nixon is coming soon, and I can't wait!

But before I show you the cover, here's a bit about the book:

A washed up reporter, an escaped convict, a sociopathic gangster. All are hunting The Nudge Man…

“There’s only one of me. I’m not a hitman. I’m unique, one of a kind. I’m The Nudge Man.”

Wheelchair bound, born again, ex-gangster, Eric Hennessey offers down on his luck reporter, Harrison Vaughan, a job. Find The Nudge Man, a mysterious vigilante who’s stolen most of Hennessey’s money, ill-gotten gains which now Hennessey wants to use to do God’s work. Trouble is, Harry has no desire to work for a sociopathic murderer, even if he is an apparently changed man.

Harry is estranged from his family, he hasn’t seen or heard from them in over five years, since a fabricated scandal destroyed his career. Harry believes his wife walked out on him and took the children. However, Hennessey tells Vaughan it was The Nudge Man who set him up for the fall. Find The Nudge Man and Harry has the chance for redemption and maybe even his family back.

However, Hennessey has another objective in mind. Unknown to Harry his family were taken into witness protection and had to cut ties with everyone after Harry’s son saw a murder – carried out by Eric Hennessey. But the witness protection programme was compromised and the Vaughans had to go off the grid, they couldn’t contact anybody. Hennessey has been looking for them ever since and now may have a way in – Harry himself.

Harry’s search begins in prison, visiting violent criminal Pomfrey Lavender – apparently Lavender has information which will help. But Lavender is suffering various medical problems, including a psychological condition whereby he believes he’s already dead. Harry’s mention of The Nudge Man sends Lavender into a rage and he threatens to kill Harry should he pursue his objective. Harry is relieved Lavender is behind bars. Trouble is, two days later Lavender breaks out.

And others are on the trail of The Nudge Man, including the British government and an American secret service agent. Then there’s the lawyer who offers Harry £1m. All Harry has to do is stay away from The Nudge Man...

With more questions than answers and hapless guard dog, Bonzo at his side who’s bark is definitely worse than his bite, Harry begins his search.

Can Harry find The Nudge Man and save his family? Or will Hennessey exact his revenge?

"Packed with the author’s trademark wit, The Nudge Man is a seriously good, mind-bendingly twisty novel, and cements Nixon’s place among the upper echelon of British crime writers."
M.W. Craven, author of the Washington Poe Novels.

Sounds pretty exciting, doesn't it?

Now, the cover......

Actually, I think I should tell you about the author first! 😀

Keith Nixon is a British born writer of crime and historical fiction novels. Originally, he trained as a chemist, but Keith is now in a senior sales role for a high-tech business. Keith currently lives with his family in the North West of England.

Readers can connect with Keith on various social media platforms:

Web: http://www.keithnixon.co.uk
Twitter: @knntom
Facebook: Keithnixonauthor
Blog: www.keithnixon.co.uk/blog

OK, I think you've waited long enough now,  so drum roll please! 

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Ta da! 

So, what do you think? I reckon it's really cool. And moody. Loving the limited colour palette - think it works really well. 

The Nudge Man will be published on 2nd April 2019. The blog tour kicks off on the same day, and my review will be up on Friday 5th. 

See you back here then! 

The Girl Across the Street by Vikki Patis

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Girl Across the Street by Vikki Patis.

The Blurb:

You’re hiding a secret that only she can see.

Her name is Beth. She came into my life when I needed her the most. We lead very different lives, but she’s the only person who understands me.

She was the only other witness to the terrible accident on the street between our homes. The only person who saw the cracks in my perfect life before I had the chance to cover them up.

It’s been so long since I’ve had a friend. Someone to talk to, to listen to, to laugh and dream with.

Beth would never do anything to hurt me.

She only wants what’s best for me, for my marriage.

Doesn’t she?

An unputdownable psychological suspense thriller that will grip you until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Couple Next Door.

The Girl Across the Street was published by Bookoutre on 8th March 2019 and you can buy it here. 

My Review: 

This was the first book by Vikki Patis that I'd read, and I enjoyed it very much.

Brought together by their involvement in the aftermath of a terrible hit and run, Isla and Beth are unlikely friends. Isla, with her perfect hair, perfect nails, nice clothes, big house and attractive husband. And Beth, with her old clothes, cheap make up, crappy flat in a horrible block and waste of space boyfriend. But become friends they do, and grow fond of each other.

However, they both have secrets. We know Isla's fairly quickly, but Beth's isn't so obvious, and is teased at throughout, until the explosive finale. Both women are sympathetically drawn, particularly Isla, for me anyway, trapped and unhappy in her seemingly perfect life.  But the story also has its unlikeable characters - Jake and his mother Judith are both vile. And I wanted to slap Judith every time she said 'Jakey'! 

The pacing is spot on, as the action and tension both increase as the story moves on, and I found this book an easy, quick read. All the characters are well described and I cared about them, what happened to them. It does include a couple of difficult issues, particularly domestic abuse, so might not be such an easy read for everybody.

This is a book about love and hate, and the strong bond that develops through friendship, sometimes very quickly. It's a tale of two women who find each other at the right time. And it's a story of secrets and lies. It was great to read about two women, defeated by life, find the strength to break free, although I wouldn't suggest following their example in your own life!

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Author:

Vikki Patis is an author and blogger, as well as an avid reader and book reviewer. When she isn’t working as a Regulatory Affairs Manager, she can usually be found drinking tea, baking cakes, or taking walks in the Hertfordshire countryside. She lives with her partner and two cats.

Thunder Bay by Douglas Skelton

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I have read several previous books by Douglas Skelton, and know him to be a very talented writer, often underrated in my opinion. But I knew this was a bit of a change in direction for him so couldn't wait to read it. And I wasn't disappointed - it was well worth the wait. Huge thanks to Polygon for sending me an early review copy.

The Blurb:

When reporter Rebecca Connolly is told of Roddie Drummond’s return to the island of Stoirm she senses a story. Fifteen years before he was charged with the murder of his lover, Mhairi. When he was found Not Proven, Roddie left the island and no one, apart from his sister, knew where he was or what he was doing. Now he has returned for his mother’s funeral – and it will spark an explosion of hatred, bitterness and violence.

Defying her editor's wishes, Rebecca joins forces with local photographer Chaz Wymark to dig into the secrets surrounding Mhairi's death, and her mysterious last words of Thunder Bay, the secluded spot on the west coast of the island where, according to local lore, the souls of the dead set off into the after life. When another murder takes place, and the severe weather that gives the island its name hits, she is ideally placed to uncover the truth about what happened that night fifteen years before.

Thunder Bay is published by Polygon tomorrow, and you can pre order it from Waterstones, Amazon UK and Amazon US.

My Review:

Before I share my thoughts on the  book, can we just talk about the cover? Isn't it fabulous? Anyone who knows me will tell you that I adore anything purple, but that aside, it's so atmospheric. Love it.

Anyway, moving on. Roddie is returning to Stoirm for his mother's funeral. He left fifteen years earlier after being found Not Proven for the murder of his girlfriend Mhairi. For those of you not familiar with Not Proven, it's a uniquely Scottish verdict,  technically a form of acquittal, but often associated with guilt. Consequently, Roddie's return to the island is far from popular, and opens up some old wounds.

Journalist Rebecca wants to cover the story,  but she also has her own reasons for going to the island - a different story that she wants to uncover. And through her eyes, we see island life.

As always, I don't want to say too much because I really don't want to give anything away. This is a delight you will want to uncover for yourself. There are many story strands running through the book, and a whole cast of characters involved. They are so wonderfully described that you will warm to some of them immediately whilst others you really won't like. And some you wonder about. The characterisation is spot on - I could picture these folk in my mind. Rebecca and Chaz were standouts for me, but I also found Roddie to be oddly affecting. But really, every single person is brilliantly described.

Just as important is the setting. The island of Stoirm seems to me to be beautiful but quite brutal. And claustrophobic, but that's as also to do with the small island community where everyone knows everyone else. Thunder Bay itself is breathtaking. Isolated, dangerous and steeped in legend. And the last words that Mhairi spoke before she died. We hear the wind howling, the waves crashing and the gulls crying - it made me shiver.

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. Douglas Skelton has delivered possibly his best work yet, and that really is saying something! It's a triumph. Go read it. Oh, and it's absolutely crying out to be made into a film! 

Edited Thunder Bay has since had a new cover. I don't like it as much as this one but it works well with the other books in the series. 

The Author:

Douglas Skelton has published 12 books on true crime and history. He has been a bank clerk, tax officer, shelf stacker, meat porter, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), reporter, investigator and editor.

His first novel, BLOOD CITY, was published in 2013. The gritty thriller was the first in a quartet set on the tough streets of Glasgow from 1980 onwards. It was followed by CROW BAIT, DEVIL'S KNOCK and finally OPEN WOUNDS, which was longlisted for the first McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year in 2016.

His two Dominic Queste thrillers, THE DEAD DON'T BOOGIE and TAG - YOU'RE DEAD lightened the tone but didn't skimp on thrills.

He followed this with his New York-set chase thriller THE JANUS RUN in 2018.

His new book, THUNDER BAY,  is a dark and atmospheric tale of secrets, lies and murder on a Scottish island.

Douglas is often recruited by documentary makers to contribute to true crime shows on TV and radio and is a regular on the crime writing festival circuit.

He also takes part in comedy shows with other crime writers. To date he has written three Carry on Sleuthing plays in which he also appears along with Caro Ramsay, Michael J. Malone, Theresa Talbot, Pat Young and Lucy Cameron, with occasional guests Alex Gray, Lin Anderson and Neil Broadfoot.

He is also one quarter of Four Blokes in search of a Plot, along with Gordon Brown, Mark Leggatt and Neil Broadfoot. This is a fun show in which they invite the audience to give them a murder weapon and a protagonist. They then take it in turns to create a crime story (usually developing into something wild and wacky) while also answering audience queries about the craft.

You can find Douglas' website here, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Are You The F**king Doctor? by Dr Liam Farrell

So I thought I'd have a complete change from my usual reads with this one! Delighted to be on the blog tour - huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me, and to the publisher for providing my review copy.

The Blurb:

‘General practice is the great unknown. We stand on the cusp of the beyond. Science takes us only so far, then the maps stop in the grey areas of intuition, imagination and feelings: here be dragons. Lurching from heart-breaking tragedy to high farce, we are the Renaissance men and women of medicine; our art is intangible. Anything can walk through our door…’

Family doctor, Irishman, musician, award-winning author, anarchist and recovering morphine addict, Liam became a columnist for the BMJ in 1994. He went on to write for many major publications, winning a series of prestigious awards; in 2005, he was the first doctor to win Columnist of the Year in the Periodical Publishers Association awards.

The book contains a selection of Liam’s best work, from his columns, blogs and short stories. Brilliantly funny, glittering with literary allusion and darkly wicked humour, this book is much more than a collection of stand-alone anecdotes and whimsical reflections, rather a compelling chronicle of the daily struggles – and personal costs – of a doctor at the coalface.

Are You The F**king Doctor? was published by Dalzell Press on 8th November 2018. You can buy it from Waterstones, Amazon UK and Amazon US.

My Review:

This is an unusual book for me to be reading as it is non fiction, based on the author's real life experiences as a GP, although often with a certain degree of embellishment added!

The book is presented as a collection of articles and short stories Dr Farrell has written for various medical journals. I think the earliest one is 1994, whilst the most recent pieces were written last year. The articles are loosely grouped together by subject and these form the chapters. If you don't have time to read this straight through, it's an ideal book to pick up for a wee while and then come back to later, as the articles are short.

The articles tell stories from Dr Farrell's GP consulting room. But with embellishments! He adds humour, a healthy dose of cynicism and often complete surrealism to each encounter. I smiled lots, laughed often and occasionally (possibly more than occasionally but don't tell anyone 😂) had a puzzled look on my face.

Some of the titles of the pieces are genius. My favourite example is a very funny article about a turd, entitled 'Deeply Moving'. The same short piece mentions PG Wodehouse, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, and quotes from Shakespeare. You can maybe see why I said things can get a bit surreal. Another piece, about the blood thinning drug Warfarin, consists of a conversation between the good doctor and Count Dracula.

We meet some of the patients who regularly visit the practice with various ailments. My favourite was Joe, a hypochondriac who thinks he has everything going, is easily led by other people and the media and confused by information on the internet. He is a very frequent visitor to the surgery and his exchanges with the doctor are hilarious. But I suspect Joe is an amalgamation of characters who've crossed the GP's path - especially as he seems to appear in articles after the one which mentions his death!

But the humour and craziness hide serious points. I was really struck about the variety of complaints, and how knowledgeable a practice doctor needs to be - it's in the name, of course, "General" Practictioner.  But each patient comes in expecting the doctor to be an expert in there particular problem, and then feeling let down when he's not. I also noted the ridiculous time constraints GPs work with, having just 7 to 15 minutes per patient.

It would seem that GPs also have to act as friend, counsellor, relationship mediator, shoulder to cry on. And this, along with increased administration, has a cost. For the author , it was a morphine dependency and this is one of the few sections in the book with no humour, but with searing honesty. He also talks plainly about the Troubles and also the abortion laws in Ireland.

This was a really good read. I think GPs are underrated and often complained about, so it was great to read accounts of how it is for them. The humour makes it an easier read, and the majority of medical terms are explained. But it's also serious, touching and affecting in places. It will make you laugh, although I should mention that bodily fluids feature heavily - you have been warned! 😂 Entertaining, interesting, well worth a read, and I hope Dr Farrell writes more in the future.

The Author:

Dr Liam Farrell is from Rostrevor, Co Down, Ireland. He was a family doctor in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, for 20 years, and is an award-winning writer and a seasoned broadcaster. He is married to Brid, and has three children Jack, Katie, and Grace.

He was a columnist for the British Medical Journal for 20 years and currently writes for GP, the leading newspaper for general practitioners in the UK. He has also been a columnist for the Lancet, the Journal of General Practice, the Belfast Telegraph and the Irish News. He wrote the entry on ‘Sex’ for The Oxford Companion to the Body.

On Twitter he curates #Irishmed, a weekly tweetchat on all things medical, which has a global following. He also co-curates #WritersWise, a regular tweetchat for writers, with novelist Sharon Thompson.  He was the medical columnist for the BBC Radio Ulster Evening Extra 1996-98; presented the series Health-Check for Ulster TV in 2002, and was medical consultant for both series of Country Practice in 2000 and 2002 for BBC Northern Ireland.

His awards include Columnist of the Year at Irish Medical Media Awards 2003, Periodical Publishers Association of Great Britain 2006 and Medical Journalist’s Society, London 2011, and Advancing Health through Media at the Zenith Global Healthcare Awards 2018.He was shortlisted for the Michael McLaverty Short Story Competition in 2008.

You can find Liam's website here, or follow him on Twitter using the handle @DrLFarrell.

Sea Babies by Tracey Scott-Townsend

Another emotional story features today on my stop on the blog tour for Sea Babies. Many thanks to the lovely Kelly at Love Books Group Tours for inviting me along and Wild Pressed Books for providing my review copy. 

The Blurb:

Lauren Wilson is travelling by ferry to the Outer Hebrides, about to begin a new job as a social worker. When somebody sits opposite her at the cafeteria table, she refuses to look up, annoyed at having her privacy disturbed. But a hand is pushing a mug of tea towards her, and a livid scar on the back of the hand releases a flood of memories.          

     

Some people believe in the existence of a parallel universe. Does Lauren have a retrospective choice about the outcome of a terrible recent accident, or is it the bearer of that much older scar who has the power to decide what happens to her now? 

Sea Babies was published on 21st February 2019 by Wild Pressed Books. You can purchase it using this link:
https://amzn.to/2S4gydb

My Review: 

Gosh, I've been through the wringer emotionally with with my recent reads! This one had me all over the place. 

I really enjoyed Sea Babies but found it a hard book to review without giving anything away, but I 'll give it a go. 

The story is told over a dual timeline, in Edinburgh in the past, and on the Isle of Lewis (and the ferry over) in the present. The Edinburgh scenes are written in the third person, but the present  day chapters are in the first person, from Lauren's point of view. An interesting idea, it threw me a little at the beginning, but as the story moved on, I appreciated it. 

We learn a lot of Lauren's back story - her large family and growing up in Ireland before moving to Edinburgh to study, and meeting Neil, the love of her life. But when we first meet her properly, on the ferry to the Outer Hebrides, we're three decades on and she's on her own, about to start a new job as a social worker.

The story is teased out little by little throughout the book, which was great as it kept me turning the pages. Lauren carries a lot of sadness and guilt, and I felt she was taking the new job to try to atone for previous perceived wrongdoings. She is easy to warm to and care about, and I felt her joy and pain.

The island scenery plays a big part in the book, almost a character in itself -  beautiful but intimidating too.

 I don't think I've done any kind of justice to the book here, but it's one you really need to read for yourself. It's a beautiful, unusual story about love, loss, grief, hope, endings, new beginnings and second chances. 

The Author:

Tracey is the author of The Last Time We Saw Marion, Of His Bones, The Eliza Doll and Another Rebecca. Sea Babies is her fifth novel. So Fast, her first poetry collection, was published in January 2018.

Tracey is also a visual artist. All her work is inspired by the emotions of her own experiences and perceptions.

Tracey is the mother of four grown-up children and now spends a lot of time travelling in a small camper van with husband Phil and their rescue dogs, Pixie and Luna, gathering her thoughts and writing them down.

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman

A wee change for me today as I take part in the blog tour for this wonderful book. From another author who is new to me, this book had me both cheering and crying.  Many thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me, and to Orion for my review copy which I received through Netgalley.

The Blurb:

Audrey's family has fallen apart. Her two grown-up daughters, Jess and Lily, are estranged, and her two teenage granddaughters have never been allowed to meet. A secret that echoes back thirty years has splintered the family in two, but is also the one thing keeping them connected.

As tensions reach breaking point, the irrevocable choice that one of them made all those years ago is about to surface. After years of secrets and silence, how can one broken family find their way back to each other?

If Only I Could Tell You was published by Orion on 21st February 2019. You can buy it from Waterstones and Amazon.

My Review:

Oh my! I defy anyone not to cry at least once reading this!

I read this from beginning to end in one sitting, staying up way, way too late! It's ages since I've done that!

The story centres around five strong women across three generations of the same family. Audrey's health is failing, and she is desperate to mend the rift between her daughters Jess and Lily. But it's been going on for nearly thirty years and she doesn't know what caused it. Jess just stopped talking to her sister one day when she was ten years old. Audrey's two granddaughters, born just weeks apart, have never been allowed to meet. Audrey is determined to change all of that, she just doesn't know how yet. And she has her own battles to fight too.

Audrey is an immensely likeable character - I cared about her immediately. There were times when I cried for her, times when I cheered for her and one moment when I nearly burst with pride. You'll know the moment I mean if you read it.

Jess and Lily are initially less easy to warm to - Jess particularly. But this has a lot to do with her feelings about her sister, which make her seem hard and closed off. And it takes time for us to get to know her better. The back story is teased out, bit by bit throughout the book, and it's a long time before we learn the full story. But that didn't put me off, quite the contrary - it made me want to keep going to find out more.

This is a very different read from my usual fare of grisly crime thrillers, but I loved it. It's an exquisitely written book. The feelings of all the women involved, but particularly Audrey and Jess, are beautifully described. Similarly, the awkwardness of unplanned meetings is perfectly written. I loved that it features five strong women - there are men in the story, but it's the women who are centre stage here. The ending nearly broke me, but it was the right ending.

Just a note to say that there are some difficult issues realistically described and discussed here which might be hard for some people to read.

The Author:

Hannah Beckerman is an author, journalist and broadcaster. She is a regular contributor to The Observer, The FT Weekend Magazine, and The Sunday Express, and was the book critic on Sara Cox's Radio 2 Show. She chairs literary events around the UK and has been a judge on numerous book prizes including the Costa Book Awards.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Hannah was a TV Executive who spent fifteen years producing and commissioning documentaries about the Arts, History and Science for the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery USA before turning her hand to writing.

Hannah lives in London with her husband and their daughter.