Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Murder in Chianti

Murder in Chianti

Murder in broad daylight…

When millionaire magnate, Rex Hunter is found with his head bashed in on the eighth hole of his prestigious golf and country club in beautiful Chianti, it’s a clear case of murder. Hunter was rich and successful and the envy of many, so retired DCI Dan Armstrong thinks the case will be a hole in one to solve….

A despised victim…

But as Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar begin to dig deeper into Hunter’s lifestyle, they discover a man despised by many. A renown womaniser, ruthless boss and heartless family man, it seems no one is particularly sorry to see Hunter dead. And the list of possible suspects is endless…

A murderer covering their tracks.

Dan is determined to catch this clever killer, but it seems every new lead brings another dead end. Will this be one case Dan and his canine companion won’t solve?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3sOnfkv

Author Bio

T A Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and is now turning his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series will introduce us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, will be published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAWilliamsBooks

My Review

I’ve read a few books by this author before and love how easy he makes it to get engrossed in the story. Obviously, the Italian setting helps with the escapism, but it’s more than a travel guide – though who wouldn’t want to escape to Tuscany after reading this, I do not know – the story is packed with truly great characters. From the wily locals who see and hear everything (and love to share over good food and grappa-fuelled coffee) to those who have made their life in the area and come with baggage (usually ex-wives and numerous affairs that would test any Casanova worthy of the title).
Former (but for how long?) DCI Dan Armstrong doesn’t seem able to give up on his old life at the Yard, despite being in a new country, and despite having second thoughts over the breakdown of his marriage and subsequent divorce. Together with his dog, Oscar, Dan has become part of the community, and so when Australian millionaire and owner of the country club, Rex Hunter is murdered, it’s no wonder his good friend and local police inspector calls on him to help with “translations”. And if he wants to ask a few questions of his own, or follow up on some leads when “walking” Oscar, then why not?
The victim is not well-liked and the suspects mount up, but when further murders occur it’s clear this will be no easy case to solve. I loved how the author gives insight as to how Dan is thinking, who he suspects, and what he thinks has happened. However, even Dan has to admit feeling blind-sided by this mystery, and there are red herrings galore that misdirect the reader with great skill until the truth becomes apparent.
Peppered with glimpses of life in Tuscany, amusing antics with Oscar, and an array of fascinating encounters with locals, it’s easy to see why Dan is enamoured of the area. However, in this book, he starts to wonder how he might fill his time in the years to come. Dan can’t live by tennis matches and Chianti alone, so where does his future lie: as an author (his first book has been accepted by a London publisher) or as an investigator? Will he ever be able to put that part of his life behind him? I can’t wait to find out.
PS – I was gutted to find this is the second book in the series, but will be making up for it by grabbing a copy of book one – Murder in Tuscany – before the next in the series is ready.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Not Mushroom for Death

Not Mushroom For Death

TV Chef Luca Mazza Dies After Collapse at Food Show on the King’s Private Estate

Luca Mazza (38), who was taken ill during a food demonstration at the Fenn House Food and Wine Festival two days ago, is now known to have ingested poison. Lady Beatrice (36), the king’s niece, who is working on a refurbishment project at Fenn House with her business partner Perry Juke (34), is believed to be comforting Luca’s boss and close friend Sebastiano Marchetti (38), who she began dating last month.

Is he crazy? Why else would Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam suggest that Sebastiano poisoned Luca without any evidence? So now, with the help of her little dog Daisy and her best friends Perry and Simon, Lady Beatrice will have to prove to Mr Know-it-all Fitzwilliam that Seb is innocent. But with so many people having access to the food preparation area at the show how will she find out who did murder Luca before Fitzwilliam lets his personal dislike get the better of him and arrests Seb?

Purchase Links

Amazon –https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BFBMT9BP (UK)

and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFBMT9BP (US)

Author Bio

Hello. I’m Helen Golden. I write British contemporary cozy whodunnits with a hint of humour. I live in small village in Lincolnshire in the UK with my husband, my step-daughter, her two cats, our two dogs, sometimes my step-son, and our tortoise.

I used to work in senior management, but after my recent job came to a natural end I had the opportunity to follow my dreams and start writing. It’s very early in my life as an author, but so far I’m loving it.

It’s crazy busy at our house, so when I’m writing I retreat to our caravan (an impulsive lockdown purchase) which is mostly parked on our drive. When I really need total peace and quiet, I take it to a lovely site about 15 minutes away and hide there until my family runs out of food or clean clothes

Social Media Links

Insta: www.instragram.com/helengolden_author

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@helengoldenauthor

My Review

Who doesn’t love a punny title? It’s one of the best things about cosy mysteries, and it certainly caught my attention. I hadn’t read any of the others in the series but I am definitely planning to go back and check them out. By the way, the story works perfectly well as a standalone, I just want to know more about the key characters.
I’ll be honest, I did wonder if this would be a historical cosy given the main character is a proper Lady but I loved that it was a contemporary tale with a made-up Royal family of its own.
Lady Beatrice, together with her business partner, the fantastic Perry Juke, is working on a refurbishment project for the King while a cooking event is taking place starring Chef Seb – Lady Bea’s boyfriend – and a host of other chefs. When one of the main participants – Luca – takes ill and later dies, rumours of an unfortunate case of food poisoning run amok. And so begins the mystery. Had Luca been foraging and accidentally picked poisonous mushrooms? Did someone else plant the mushrooms in his dish?

So many questions, so many suspects, and so many secrets.
Let me just say that Lady Bea’s dog, Daisy knows the answer 😉

When it appears that Luca was murdered, Lady Bea’s nemesis in the form of DCI Fitzwilliam is brought in to investigate. Now, these two, I understand, have met before in other cases and he is not keen on her meddling. Which means, that’s the green light for her to “meddle” and solve the case before him. But will she? There’s a frisson of romantic tension bubbling away here which only adds to the fun.
Aided and abetted by the marvellous duo of Perry and Simon, not forgetting the instinctive reaction of her dog, Daisy, what follows is an entertaining mystery, and a tongue-in-cheek view of royal gossip. (Timely, indeed 😉 )

My only issue was the use of so many POVs which seemed to be used to reveal their inner thoughts and in so doing move the story forward. That said, each POV was presented with consistency and clarity. I loved the setting, the royal obligations to behave a certain way, and the inclusion of Lady Bea’s son brought a touch of youthful exuberance to the story (although Perry has his fair share of that too) I loved the characters, their relationship with each other, the behind-the-scenes details of the royal rooms being refurbished… in fact, it was a most amusing and engaging read with the promise of more to come. I’ll be back for more; I just need to catch up on the others in the series first.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – The Golden Oldies Book Club

The Golden Oldies Book Club

Deep in the Somerset countryside, the Combe Pomeroy village library hosts a monthly book club.

Ruth the librarian fears she’s too old to find love, but a discussion about Lady Chatterley’s Lover makes her think again.

Aurora doesn’t feel seventy-two and longs to relive the excitement of her youth, while Verity is getting increasingly tired of her husband Mark’s grumpiness and wonders if their son’s imminent flight from the nest might be just the moment for her to fly too. And Danielle is fed up with her cheating husband. Surely life has more in store for her than to settle for second best?

The glue that holds Combe Pomeroy together is Jeannie. Doyenne of the local cider farm and heartbeat of her family and community, no one has noticed that Jeannie needs some looking after too. Has the moment for her to retire finally arrived, and if so, what does her future hold?

From a book club French exchange trip, to many celebrations at the farm, this is the year that everything changes, that lifelong friendships are tested, and for some of the women, they finally get the love they deserve.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3SEaggJ

Author Bio

Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction.

She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Social Media Links

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005568258864

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JudyLeighWriter

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/judyrleigh/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JudyLeighNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judy-leigh

My Review

I was looking forward to reading this story in which a group of older women shine, supporting each other and living life to its fullest. For some of those women – Ruth and Aurora – this proved to be true as both seem to come to life when they realised what they really wanted out of life. Jeannie, the main character, was more difficult to root for; it was as if she’d already resigned herself to a boring, safe existence, as if giving up running the cider business made her not only redundant in the orchards but in life as well. She had many opportunities come her way, but it felt like she was more reluctant to enjoy herself. For a woman who’d run a business for so long, she didn’t seem to want to choose her own destiny but rather let it simply happen.

What I did enjoy about this story was the seasonal element of the apple trees, from the wassailing in January, to the new growth of spring, the explosion of summer blossom and fruit, and finally the autumn harvest before winter set in once again. I felt this cycle was complimented by the multi-generational cast. The older characters are looking to wind down (some more than others) whilst the younger characters bring new ideas and enthusiasm to the business and the village.

For me, the story is heavy on description, and as beautiful as the subsequent village scenes are, I felt it had the effect of slowing the story down too much. The book club aspect of the plot formed a consistent backdrop to the changing fates of the characters, though I think it was the visit to France that finally made most of the women see the direction in which their lives were heading, and as such decided to control their future for themselves.

Aside from Jeannie, Ruth, Aurora, Verity and Danielle, stand-out characters for me were Violet (Jeannie’s mum) – but, oh, those jokes were soooooo bad, and Barney, whose down-to-earth, matter-of-fact honesty made me laugh out loud. The younger characters, too, were very real and pitched in to help. The French trip was a hoot – the sand-yachting hilarious – and the new arrivals to the village (primarily Anthony & his brother, Mikey) not only spiced up the village gossip but also helped inspire the younger members of the book club – Verity & Danielle – to take control of their lives and invest in themselves and their futures.

Overall, an engaging read about family, friends and community, and the realisation that life is for living, no matter your age.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – A Child for the Reich

A Child for the Reich

From the USA Today bestselling author comes a gripping new emotional WW2 historical novel. Inspired by a true story!

‘A moving story of a mother’s love battling against the determination of the Reich to create a pure Aryan race…A recommended read‘ Glynis Peters

‘An intensely moving, brilliantly researched novel about love, loss, and the lengths a mother will go to for her child…utterly compelling‘ Deborah Carr

Rumours of the Nazis coming for Czech children swept through the villages like a breeze through the trees, and the story was always the same…

They wanted our children to raise as their own

Since her husband, Josef, joined the Czech resistance three years ago, Anna Dankova has done everything possible to keep her daughter, Ema, safe. But when blonde haired, blue-eyed Ema is ripped from her mother’s arms in the local marketplace by the dreaded Brown Sisters, nurses who were dedicated to Hitler’s cause, Anna is forced to go to new extremes to take back what the Nazis have stolen from her.

Going undercover as a devoted German subject eager to prove her worth to the Reich, the former actress takes on a role of a lifetime to find and save her daughter. But getting close to Ema is one thing. Convincing her that the Germans are lying when they claim Anna stole her from her true parents is another…

Purchase Links

HarperCollins US: https://bit.ly/3xJUXdD

HarperCollins UK: https://bit.ly/3dAADVe

UK retailers:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qWMQ9W

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3LCjSpa

Apple: https://apple.co/3S7zPX9

US retailers:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3feRMUQ

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3f4sNUd

Apple: https://apple.co/3faOrX7

Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3eZZoum

GOODREADS: https://bit.ly/3DI0i99

BOOKBUB: https://bit.ly/3C31iDu

Author Bio

Andie Newton is the USA Today bestselling author of The Girls from the Beach, The Girl from Vichy, and The Girl I Left Behind.

She writes gritty and emotional war stories about strong women. Andie holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in teaching. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, her two boys, and one very lazy cat.

You can find book club discussion questions on www.andienewton.com

Social Media Links

Twitter: @AndieNewton

FB: Andie Newton Author Page

Instagram: andienewtonauthor

Publisher Socials:

Twitter: @OneMoreChapter_ @Harper360

Instagram: @onemorechapterhc @harpercollins360

Website: http://andienewton.com/

My Review

Based on the real Lebensborn programme – a Nazi initiative to increase the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of “racially pure” and “healthy” Aryans – A Child for the Reich is an emotional tale that delivers on so many levels. The main protagonist, Anna Dankova, is struggling to make ends meet and is more than a little annoyed at her husband, Josef, who left to join the resistance forces some time ago. Having lived in beautiful Prague, it is something of a shock to move to the country where Josef – before leaving them along with Dasa’s husband – insists they will be safer. Now, with her daughter, Ema, her mother (Matka) and sister, Dasa and her children, they live without the use of their car (taken by the Germans), many of their livestock (also taken) and are left to support themselves on the little income they can earn at the market selling the vegetables they’ve grown.

And, as if life were not hard enough, rumours of the Brown Sisters being in their area leave them all fearful of their children being taken next. Given that their neighbours are not the kindliest of people, willing to sell gossip to the Germans in return for better treatment for themselves, who can they trust?

The greatest fear is for Dasa’s young baby, a child she will not name until the men come home, but who meets the requirements of the Lebensborn programme perfectly. Consequently, they try to keep him hidden.

None of them expected Ema, Anna’s daughter to be the target of the Brown Sisters’ next trip to the market. Devastated, Anna concocts a plan to get her daughter back, and using her acting skills (from her days in Prague) and her ability to speak German, she meets with the resistance group to a) locate her daughter, and b) to acquire papers for her to assume a new identity and infiltrate the orphanage where Ema is being kept prior to adoption with a “good German family.”

At this stage, I was reeling in shock at the extent to which the Lebensborn programme was being carried out, but at the orphanage itself, my shock levels intensified as the details of the programme became clearer. Anna is risking everything to get Ema back, and as the reality of her situation unfolds, the tension ratchets up, emotions are incredibly high, and the danger of being caught infers life-threatening consequences.

I found A Child for the Reich to be truly absorbing, a compelling read that had me racing through the chapters to the conclusion. The story does, however, tell of more than Anna’s courage and determination, it highlights the strength of family and friends (Matka is incredibly supportive and inspiring, witty and thoughtful), and the ability to conquer even the most monumental of challenges when the future of family is at stake. If you enjoy reading about strong female characters, particularly during one of the most difficult eras of modern times, then this is the book for you.

My thanks go to the author, and publisher, (Harper Collins One more Chapter) for my copy of this book which I have reviewed freely.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review of Death on the Crags

Death on the Crags

Everybody loves Thomas Davies. Don’t they?

When policeman Thomas Davies falls from a crag on a visit to the Lake District in full view of his partner, Mia, it looks for all the world like a terrible but unfortunate accident — until a second witness comes forward with a different story.

Alerted to the incident, DCI Jude Satterthwaite is inclined to take it seriously — not least because of Mia’s reluctance to speak to the police about the incident. As Jude and his colleagues, including his on-off partner DS Ashleigh O’Halloran, tackle the case, they’re astonished by how many people seem to have a reason to want all-round good guy Thomas out of the way.

With the arrival of one of Thomas’s colleagues to assist the local force, the investigation intensifies. As the team unpick the complicated lives of those who claim to care for Thomas but have good reasons to want him dead, they find themselves digging deeper and deeper into a web of blackmail and cruelty … and investigating a second death.

A traditional British police procedural mystery set in Cumbria.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BB33T34Y

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BB33T34Y

Author Bio

Jo Allen was born in Wolverhampton and is a graduate of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and the Open University, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in geography and Earth science. She’s been writing for pleasure and publication for as long as she can remember. After a career in economic consultancy she took up writing and was first published under the name Jennifer Young, in genres of short stories, romance and romantic suspense. She wrote online articles on travel and on her favourite academic subject, Earth science. In 2017 she took the plunge and began writing the genre she most likes to read — crime.

Jo lives in the English Lakes, where the DCI Satterthwaite series is set. In common with all her favourite characters, she loves football (she’s a season ticket holder with her beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers) and cats.

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/JoAllenAuthor

https://twitter.com/JoAllenAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/joallenauthor/

My Review

I haven’t read any of the previous books in this series and did worry that starting at book 9 might be a problem. It wasn’t, in fact it was relatively straightforward to follow the backstory of the main character – DCI Jude Satterthwaite – and, for the most part, I didn’t feel disadvantaged by not having read books 1-8. By the way, can I just add that Satterthwaite is the most delightful surname for a police officer, or anyone really, that I’ve encountered this year. It evokes a sense of tradition, of old school common sense and I felt the case of Thomas’s death was in safe hands.

As the opening line of the book description says – Everyone loves Thomas Davies. Don’t they? – Well, I certainly did. In a story with quite a few unlikeable characters, Thomas stood out as a decent man, a good friend and an honest police officer. So, surely his fall from the crags was an accident?
Apparently not, and as the story develops, there are many twists, turns and revelations, as well as some deliciously suspicious red herrings. All of which lead to a motley crew of suspects… but then the mother of all twists turns things on its head again.

The author’s writing style caused me a few issues and had me flicking back to see if I’d missed something when characters were talking about some of the events that occurred, but generally those issues were cleared up within the next few pages.
Overall, this is an interesting story with plenty of intrigue and all set amid the the backdrop of the lesser-explored parts of Cumbria. The police team worked well together, so I can see why there are so many books in this series, and I hope, many more to come.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – The No-Hopers’ Christmas Club and other festive stories

The No-Hopers Christmas Club

As warming as a mince pie and a glass of sherry, these eighteen festive-themed shorts are just waiting to be unwrapped.

• A lonely dog shelter volunteer battles to find new homes for her long-time canine residents while realising her own future is just as uncertain. As the new year approaches, can a fellow animal lover give her the fresh start she so wants for her dogs.
• A widowed grandmother prepares to reunite with her forbidden first love, only to discover the grand country pile from where he’s sent her a Christmas card isn’t quite what it seems.
• A single woman finally meets a man to couple up with over the festive season, but will the eccentric mistress of her late father destroy her plans?
• An ambitious 20-something attends a lavish Christmas party with only one aim – to bag a rich husband. But her plans are derailed when a troubling connection with the aristocrat she’s set her sights on is revealed.

Geraldine Ryan is a prolific short-story writer whose work has appeared in Woman’s Weekly and Take a Break’s Fiction Feast magazines. This yuletide collection follows hot on the heels of her first published anthology Riding Pillion with George Clooney. While Christmas comes but once a year, these moving and humorous tales will stay with you for a lifetime.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Hopers-Christmas-Club-Geraldine-Ryan-ebook/dp/B0BMJST5H8/

US – https://www.amazon.com/No-Hopers-Christmas-Club-Geraldine-Ryan-ebook/dp/B0BMJST5H8/

Author Bio

Geraldine Ryan is a proud Northerner who has spent most of her life in Cambridge – the one with the punts. She holds a degree in Scandinavian Studies, but these days only puts it to use when identifying which language is being spoken among the characters of whatever Scandi drama is currently showing on TV. For many years, she worked as a teacher of English and of English as a second or foreign language, in combination with rearing her four children, all of whom are now grown-up, responsible citizens. Her first published story appeared in My Weekly in 1993. Since then, her stories have appeared in Take a Break, Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly, as well as in women’s magazines abroad. She has also written two young adult novels – Model Behaviour (published by Scholastic) and The Lies and Loves of Finn (Channel 4 Books.) She plans for Riding Pillion with George Clooney to be the first of several short story anthologies.

Keep up to date with Geraldine’s news, be the first to hear about her new releases and read exclusive content by signing up to her monthly newsletter Turning the Page. By adding your details, you’ll also receive a free short story. Use this link to subscribe: https://bit.ly/Turningthepage

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/GeraldineRyan

https://www.facebook.com/geraldineryanwriter

My Review

Festive stories as varied as your favourite box of chocolates!

What a wonderful collection of short stories this is, and each one with its own clear plot and cast of characters. From the very beginning, I knew I’d enjoy these stories – yeah, the dog story got me. Go Lurch & Hopalong! But, from thereon, the stories tackled so many themes that tugged on my heartstrings and had me wishing for a happy ending.
To name a few favourites (aside from the opening story of The No-hopers Christmas Club), I’d go with:
A Rocking Horse Christmas – which tells the story of a vicar and his wife who are trying for a baby. He’s so excited, he buys a rocking horse for the nursery, but sadly the baby never comes as they suffer one miscarriage after another. Yet, this is a tale of hope and perseverance, and of choosing a different path towards a happy ending. Simply lovely.
Being Gerald’s Wife – is the story of a woman whose husband is controlling and coercive, robbing her of a life until the fuss over an unripe avocado turns into a moment of reflection, a chance to be free and to start over.
Gemma’s Night Out – is a modern take on A Christmas Carol that is both fun and thought-provoking. A story about starting afresh, learning lessons from the past and moving forward, stronger and with confidence.
My Stupid Lies – is about the only single woman at the bottle factory, fed up with hearing how wonderful her co-workers’ families are and what amazing plans they have for Christmas, so fed up that she fabricates a family of her own… until the lies take over. However, all is not lost, as a kindred spirit is ready to save her from herself, and also to encourage her to follow her heart – which is not at the bottle factory!
And, finally, (so many favourites 😉 ) Forbidden Feelings – a story that follows a woman from the kitchens of a wealthy family in South Africa to England where a chance reunion confirms that she was never “just a maidservant” in Patrick’s eyes, and that love knows no bounds.

As you can see, it’s an eclectic collection of stories that covers the amusing side of Christmas with the office Secret Santa to the more poignant and heart-wrenching tales of loss, loneliness and desperation, offset with new starts, friendships and a greater understanding of one’s self and others. Highly recommended, and perfect for a tea-break moment or two.

For more news & reviews

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Christmas at the Riviera

Christmas on the Riviera

As a toddler Elodie Jacques was abandoned by her mother and left in the care of her French grandmother, Gabriella in Dartmouth, Devon.

Now 24 years old, Elodie struggles to reconcile the deep anger for the mother she has never since seen.

When Gabriella unexpectedly announces she wants the two of them to spend Christmas and her 70th birthday in her home town of Juan-les-Pins in the South of France Elodie is thrilled.

Gabriella meanwhile has her own ulterior motives for wanting to return after 40 years, a daunting homecoming potentially filled with memories, secrets and recriminations.

With Juan-les-Pins pulsing with lights, decorations and the festive spirit, Christmas promises to be filled with fun. But when Elodie learns there is the possibility that her long absent mother may join them she hides her feelings behind a show of indifference and animosity.

Will there be the reconciliation that Gabriella longs for – or will the spirit of Christmas fail to work its magic?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3xx6PyV

Author Bio

Jennifer Bohnet is the bestselling author of over 12 women’s fiction titles, including Villa of Sun and Secrets and A Riviera Retreat.

She is originally from the West Country but now lives in the wilds of rural Brittany, France.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063527178184

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/jenniewriter

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jenniewriter/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JenniferBohnetnewsletter

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-bohnet

My Review

It’s back to France I go, this time to Antibes (Juan-les-Pins) with grandmother Gabriella (Gabby) and granddaughter, Elodie Jacques.
Gabby has received a letter and now wants to spend Christmas and her 70th birthday in her hometown of Juan-les-Pins, a place she left (under a cloud) over 40 years ago.
Elodie has been raised by Gabby ever since he mother Harriet left the family some 20 years to remarry and settle in Australia. Elodie has long since given up on a relationship with her mother and sees Gabby as more than fulfilling that role. She is also stuck in a rut professionally, not achieving the goals she expected of herself, and as for romance… well, that’s a non-starter too.
Consequently, spending the holidays in sunny France seems like the perfect solution; besides, she has always been curious about her grandmother’s history, why she left France and never returned.

For Gabby, her hometown has changed a lot but there are glimpses of her former life that evoke plenty of memories for her, not all of them good. She also needs to reveal some news to Elodie, news that might drastically change her life and her future imminently and forever.

The setting, as expected, is glorious; the characters are real and their reactions relatable, but it is the secrets that Gabby has to share with Elodie that delight, allowing the reader to wonder how such news might affect them. The author takes us on a fantastic journey delving into Gabby’s past and her reason for leaving France while also offering us a taste of how their lives might change in the weeks that follow. New friendships and loves leave us hoping for a happy ending, although we know there are obstacles yet to be overcome as a family reunion becomes part of the equation.

This is a relatively quick read but one that transports us to another life, Christmas in the sun, with new friends and hopes to inspire and encourage both Gabby and Elodie to take the next steps.
I’d like to think there will be a sequel featuring more about these characters and not forgetting the mystery of Collette’s bicycle and the antiquities shop 😉

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Wicked Whispers at St Brides

Wicked Whispers at St Brides

Gemma Lamb is ready for an uneventful term at St Bride’s, she’s had enough of dastardly deeds and sinister strangers.

However, she’s barely back at school before:

• Unlucky in love Oriana is sneaking around at odd hours
• Handsome Joe is keeping secrets
• Militant Mavis feels a scandal is brewing

It’s all a bit much, but when a stranger appears Gemma thinks she’s had enough. But this stranger isn’t so sinister, instead he looks rather too familiar. If Gemma can’t get him away from the school the whispers and scandal his presence could unleash may just close St Bride’s doors for good.

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3Surw7g

Author Bio

Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries.

She lives in a Cotswold village where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing.

She is bringing both her series to Boldwood in a 13-book contract. They will be publishing several new titles in each series and republishing the backlist, starting in September 2022.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/DebbieYoungBN

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/debbieyoungauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/DebbieYoungNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/debbie-young

My Review

Gemma has settled into life at the school but finds herself alone when the girls and staff all take advantage of the next exeat. Even Joe (with whom she hoped to spend more time) has plans that do not include her. And he seems rather over-friendly with Oriana too, which leaves Gemma wondering about their relationship.
So, when a stranger arrives at the empty school asking what could be very awkward questions for the headmistress (Hairnet), Gemma seizes the opportunity to steer the stranger away from the school and ends up enjoying a delicious afternoon tea at the infamous Doilies in town. She agrees to help him find out about his father rather than let him meet Hairnet and ask her about it (Gemma knows Hairnet’s secret and doesn’t want to put her in a difficult and embarrassing position of being exposed.)
Back in the staffroom, Gemma grows increasing concerned about Joe and Oriana, and also questions why sections of the local newspaper have been cut out. What is it that is being kept from them all? Does the stranger – Oliver – have anything to do with it? Do Joe and Oriana?
Gemma’s curiosity is distracted when one of the girls disappears and can’t be found on school grounds. Life at St Brides is getting more and more mysterious by the day.

This book is certainly packed with intrigue, but it’s also more focused on Gemma’s relationship with Joe. She spends a lot of time second-guessing events, all of which lead her to incessant introspection as she reflects on their relationship. This aspect of the story stunts the flow for me, and while there are mysteries to solve, Gemma is more of an accidental bit-player in their resolution. The story around Hairnet and her daughter seemed a little far-fetched and I couldn’t imagine a parent keeping that secret from their child, especially given the circumstances of living at St Brides. Not as fast-paced as book two, but still completely engaging and addictive.

I hope there is more to come from St Brides.

Thank you to the author, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for my ecopy which I have reviewed of my own volition.

For more news and reviews,

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Dead Winner

Dead Winner by Kevin G Chapman

ABOUT DEAD WINNER

Dead Winner is a treasure-hunt mystery/thriller with a love story. Or is it? It’s the story of a lonely, cautious lawyer, Rory, who has the chance to step out of his riskless life, become the hero he pretends to be in video adventure games, and win the heart of Monica, the only woman he ever loved.

When Monica and her husband, Tom, discover they have a $60 million winning lottery ticket, old friend Rory is roped in to help them set up a trust to manage the money. So far so good – except that the next week, Tom is found dead with a gunshot to his head, apparently a suicide.

Why would such a lucky man take his own life?  And if it’s murder, why would his lovely wife become a suspect?  And more than that…. Where is the winning lottery ticket?

PRAISE FOR DEAD WINNER

“Dead Winner is a fun read with some VERY surprising twists! Fans of Michael Connelly and James Patterson will be impressed with this intriguing mystery thriller.” – Dan Alatorre, USA today bestselling author of The Gamma Sequence and Double Blind

“This story has it all; intriguing characters, a plot that would satisfy Machiavelli himself and my personal favourite, a lovable protagonist. I couldn’t stop reading until the twisted end. Very satisfying!” – Anna Willett, author of Dear Neighbour and the bestselling Lucy Hush series

“This action-packed thrill ride of a neo-noir keeps us guessing and turns up the tension at every turn. You’ll love this wild race and the twisty, dramatic finish.” – Valerie J. Brooks author of 1 Last Betrayal: the Third Book in the Angeline Porter Trilogy

“Mystery readers who look for more than whodunit elements will find Dead Winner compelling. It takes the time to build relationship puzzles into its overlying mystery; creates a strong, likeable, but flawed character in Rory McEntyre; and it develops realistic atmospheres to support its action and inquiries.” – D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“A magnificent story that kept this reader turning the pages. Both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end.” – Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

Book and Author Information

• Purchase link: kindle: https://mybook.to/DeadWinner_Amazon (pre-order; launching November 24)
• Paperback, hardback and audiobook – TBC available soon
• Genre:  Crime Thriller (Romantic)
• Print length: 312 pages (80K words)
• Age range: This is an adult book, but would be suitable for some mature teens age 16+
• Trigger warnings: consensual sexual scenes, non-graphic
• Amazon Rating: Not yet launched; 5* pre-publication ratings

My Review

Dead Winner begins with an interesting title and goes on to deliver a plot that totally lives up to such intrigue.
Rory is a hard-working, honest-as-the-day-is long estate lawyer with a penchant for gaming where his alter ego – a genuine keyboard warrior – is fearless, powerful and decisive. His everyday life is mundane but he’s successful in his field, well-liked, if a little naïve. So when Tom & Monica, old friends from college, – and I use the term friends loosely – seek him out to handle their affairs after a humongous lottery win that they insist on keeping secret for now – he can’t turn them down. In fact, he’s flattered they came to him whilst also trying to hide his long-term crush on Monica. Besides, it’ll mean bringing a lot of business to his firm, something that won’t harm his career in the slightest.
He doesn’t see that they’re taking advantage of him; friends wouldn’t do that, and anyway he can manage their affairs like the competent lawyer he is… until Tom is found dead and the lottery ticket has vanished.

Monica, aka the grieving widow, looks to Rory for support… and he can’t believe his luck when their “relationship” takes an altogether surprising turn. Their new goal is to find that ticket all while Tom’s business partners are happy to see his death recorded as suicide, since that’ll keep the police at bay.
Well, for a while at least, until Rory uncovers details that bring their business into disrepute, tarnish Tom’s reputation and bring him into direct contact with gangsters and killers.

Will they find that ticket? Can it all be worked out without any more “incidents”? To know for sure you’ll need to read the book. Expect drama, high stakes, plenty of tension and an awful lot of empathy for Rory as he does everything he can, plus more, to fulfil his promise to handle his friend’s affairs.

Dead Winner is jam-packed with great twists that had me second guessing everything for a while, although the penny did drop for me long before the end. Even so, the fast paced nature of the story and wanting to see how events panned out held my attention right to a very satisfying conclusion.
Highly recommended, and a new author for me to follow.

AUTHOR’S AWARDS

Book #1 of the Mike Stoneman series, Righteous Assassin: 2019 Kindle Book Award & CLUE Award semi-finalist

Book #2, Deadly Enterprise: 2020 Kindle Book Award Semi-finalist

Book #3 Lethal Voyage: 2021 Kindle Book Award as the best mystery/thriller of the year

Book #4, Fatal Infraction: 2022 CLUE Award as the #1 Police Procedural of the year

Book #4, Fatal Infraction: 2022 semi-finalist for the Kindle Book Award

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law.  His passion (aside from playing tournament poker and rooting for his beloved New York Mets) is writing fiction. He recently completed the first five books in his Mike Stoneman Thriller series.

Kevin writes: “The process of writing crime thrillers involves hours of thinking about and talking about how to kill people. And how to get away with it. It also involves figuring out how my protagonist detectives might solve the case. But mostly it’s about planning out ingenious ways to murder people. My wife is a willing participant in this process (so she must trust me). My current book is more of a mystery, and a little bit of a tragic romance. But all the stories are about the characters. If you don’t care about them, then I’m not doing my job.”

TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR

Kevin G Chapman welcomes communication from his readers – including comments, ideas, disagreements and critiques. He can be contacted via any of the links below:

Author website: https://kevingchapman.com/

The Mike Stoneman Thriller Group on Facebook

Email him at kevin[at]kevingchapman[dot]com

He is also on Twitter (@KGChapman) and Instagram (@kevingchapman)

As always,

Blog Tour ‘n’ Book Review – Sinister Stranger at St Brides

Sinister Stranger at St Brides

When an American stranger turns up claiming to be the rightful owner of the school’s magnificent country estate it could spell trouble for everyone at St Bride’s . . .

No one can believe it when the headmistress, Hairnet, instantly accepts the stranger’s claim, not:

• the put-upon Bursar, ousted from his cosy estate cottage by the stranger
• the enigmatic Max Security, raring to engage in a spot of espionage
• the sensible Judith Gosling, who knows more about Lord Bunting than she’s letting on
• the irrepressible Gemma Lamb, determined to keep the school open

Only fickle maths teacher Oriana Bliss isn’t suspicious of the stranger, after all she can just marry him and secure St Bride’s future forever. That’s if inventive pranks by the girls – and the school cat – don’t drive him away first.

Who will nab the stranger first? Oriana with the parson’s noose? Gemma with sinister secrets? Or could this be the end of St Bride’s?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3dBLZZ1

Author Bio

Debbie Young is the much-loved author of the Sophie Sayers and St Brides cosy crime mysteries.

She lives in a Cotswold village where she runs the local literary festival, and has worked at Westonbirt School, both of which provide inspiration for her writing.

She is bringing both her series to Boldwood in a 13-book contract. They will be publishing several new titles in each series and republishing the backlist, starting in September 2022.

Social Media Links

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/DebbieYoungBN

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/debbieyoungauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/DebbieYoungNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/debbie-young

My Review

Diving straight into book two sees staff and students returning to St Brides after the half-term break. Gemma Lamb feels much more confident in her ability to teach now, and is looking forward to catching up with her Year 7 girls as well as her colleagues – some more than others. So when a stranger with a rather familiar face turns up, no one expects his arrival to cause such a fuss. However, the stranger introduces himself – in an American accent – as Earl Bunting, the only surviving heir of their benefactor Lord Bunting, and he’s come to claim his inheritance.
While his resemblance to Lord Bunting cannot be denied, there’s something about him that neither Gemma nor her co-workers, and particularly the girls do not like. He may seem to be the soul of generosity by insisting the school continue as it is, but bit by bit he usurps the headmistress’s authority until his true intentions can no longer be ignored. The governors seem happy with his credentials yet Earl – which is actually his given name and not a title – may have thrown his weight around a little too much in the village. That he imagines stories of his weird behaviour won’t get back to the teachers is his first mistake: dropping his accent for one thing, taking out books on inheritance law from the bookshop, dying his hair, and building up a large unpaid tab at the pub only give Gemma cause to suspect he’s not all he says he is.

When it looks like the school’s very existence may be at stake, everyone joins forces to invalidate his claim. However, it’s not so straightforward since he possesses a journal that does link him to the Lord. So how can they get dispute his claim on St Brides ?
It’s time to look closer at the man and in particular at his snazzy vehicle. To do this, Gemma relies heavy on Max who looks after the security of the school and its inhabitants. Max has a habit of popping up at the most unexpected times by virtue of the tunnel network created by Lord Bunting, this gives him the perfect opportunity to watch the comings and goings of everyone at St Brides. Put this way, if there’s something dodgy going on, Max will be on the case, and he and Gemma make the perfect double act in uncovering the true identity of the pretender to the estate. But will their evidence be enough?

My only criticism of this story is Earl Bunting’s constant, irritating habit of getting everyone’s name wrong. Calling Miss Lamb everything from Kidd to Lamp (and it wasn’t just her name he got wrong) made me dislike him even more. If he did this to rile people, well… he succeeded!!

Rant over, the mystery in this book is much stronger, the story is fast-paced, and combined with great touches of humour – courtesy of the pranks played on the interloper by the students and the cat! – this is a most enjoyable read.

Thank you to the author, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for my ecopy which I have reviewed of my own volition.

For more news and reviews,

As always,