Force of Nature by Jane Harper

This is how you do modern crime without the vicious twist. Harper plots like an Agatha, lures you in with the vivid imagery of the location and keeps you dangling on a string for the solution. It's well-plotted, has a steady pace and the solution isn't predictable.

Although Aaron Falk is the lead detective and main character Harper doesn't let him overpower the plot, which is a good thing. Sometimes the personal problems and attitude of a main character can completely consume an intelligent and captivating plot.

Five women go on a hike into the Australian bush, but only four come back out. What seems like an innocent exercise in team-building becomes a battle to survive the elements, and not to knock the living daylights out of each other.

Team-building is neither here nor there when you can't stand the people you are supposed to work together with as a team. So when difficulties arise you are more likely to turn on each other instead of helping each other to achieve a common goal.

Alice isn't really very popular with her colleagues. She looks out for herself in life and her career. She is the grown-up version of a mean girl. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Alice in general, there are plenty of reasons for the other four women to dislike Alice, so when they come back and she doesn't the suspicion falls on all of them equally.

Harper is adept at giving the reader the sense of being right there in the bush with those women. Every tree looks the same, every path looks like the one before, and it is easy to feel as if you're being swallowed alive by nature. This is an excellent example of how dangerous the Australian bush is, despite civilisation only being a spit away in this case.

The author writes a captivating read, and it certainly keeps the reader riveted until the end.

Buy Force of Nature at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @janeharperautho @LittleBrownUK

My Dear Ones: One Family and the Final Solution by Jonathan Wittenberg

Wittenberg presents the fate of his family members and friends through a series of written correspondence throughout the Nazi regime, the war and the years after WW2.

I can imagine it must have been incredibly painful and frustrating to read such loving, but often mundane letters, knowing that they were being prevented from writing the truth. Their letters were censored and towards the end more or less dictated to them by others, to give the impression they were being cared for by their captors.

At times it seems as if the author would rather accept the frivolity and pretence of the content of the letters, despite being aware of and relating the historical facts and truth. I believe this is his attempt to maintain a scholars neutrality. Never presume, and if you can, always back your facts up with evidence, which he has done in every instance. He has narrowed down the possible scenarios to the nearest provable possibility, and does not venture into what might have happened. His conclusions are based on written testimony and eyewitness reports.

The factor of the unknown is what plagued, and still plagues, the majority of the survivors and their descendants. The Nazi regime and their collaborators were meticulous record-keepers and when the time came experts at destroying said records and evidence.

You can't erase years of well-planned mass murder. You can however change the narrative of history, which is why Holocaust deniers are so dangerous.

Wittenberg reads between the lines, as his family members have done before him, so the narrative becomes one between stark reality and wishful thinking. It is obvious that Jonathan Wittenberg has spent a lot of time searching for some wisp of memory, a physical residue or a sense of being in the locations his ancestors once walked, lived and died in.

In trying to find understanding and peace, he has also tried to find an imprint they may have made on their journey through life. Something more than just restricted handwritten letters, and although these are a priceless family heirloom, one can feel he wanted to connect with them on a more spiritual level. I feel you, I feel your pain. We are family, my blood is your blood, and we will never forget you.

Which is of course the essence of any biographical or autobiographical story about the Holocaust. To tell the world, remind the new generations of those who live on only in the memories of their loved ones, so they will be less inclined to repeat the past.

In his own way Jonathan Wittenberg, Rabbi Wittenberg has created a written testimony to keep the memories alive. To keep the truth from being extinguished, much like every inch of their existence and their lives were eradicated in an attempt to act as if they had never even existed at all.

Buy My Dear Ones at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @RabbiWittenberg

Visit jonathanwittenberg.org

Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage by Lucy Daniels

I'm more than a day late and a dollar short with the review for this Christmas book. No matter, seeing as there is a cold spell coming right this way this Christmas book feels just right.

Lucy Daniels is the nom de plume for the author collective that created and wrote the popular bestselling children's book series Animal Ark. Hope Meadows is the new spin-off for adults. Sarah McGurk is the author of Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage, Hope Meadows #2.

In this second venture of Hope Meadows Mandy Hope is being targeted by someone who wants her gone. They are willing to say and do anything to shut Hope Meadows down and to discredit Mandy.

At the same time Mandy is trying to hop back into the dating game. She is cautious and uncertain, which makes her a little paranoid about any potential love candidates.

This is perfect for readers who love animals and adore a cosy romantic read. I know a fair few of those. Who can say no to fluffy pint-sized donkeys and mischievous rescue dogs?

Lucy Daniels aka Sarah McGurk captures the essence of Animal Ark with Hope Meadows, and hikes the story up a notch to make it relatable for adult readers.

Buy Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @HodderBooks

The London Book Fair's Writing Competition 2018!

The London Book Fair’s ever-popular writing competition issues Call for Entries for 2018!

Press release:

London, 20 February 2018:  The London Book Fair (LBF), the UK’s biggest gathering of international publishers and agents, has announced the Call for Entries for its ever-popular writing competition, The Write Stuff, which will take place on Thursday 12 April in LBF’s Author HQ - the area of the Fair dedicated to writers and aspiring writers, which is sponsored by IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing.

The competition takes the form of a “Dragon’s Den” style panel event.  Six authors will pitch their books to a panel of literary agents, and an Author HQ audience, for the chance to win a follow-up meeting with a literary agent and a free year’s membership to LBF’s Author Club. This year’s panel of judges includes representatives from Felicity Bryan Associates, Jo Unwin Literary Agency, Marjacq, MBA and Peters Fraser & Dunlop.

Authors will have three minutes each to pitch – to introduce themselves and present their work. The judging panel will then provide on-the-spot feedback to each pitch, as well as the authors’ writing, having received in advance of the competition sample chapters of each finalist’s work.

The key deadlines for this year’s The Write Stuff are:

With immediate effect: Entries are now open and authors are invited to send in their submissions to lbfauthorhq@midaspr.co.uk in accordance with the published guidelines and application process

Friday 9 March 2018, 5:00pm: Deadline for entries

Wednesday 14 March 2018: Longlist notified and asked to send in the first three chapters of their work

Monday 19 March 2018, 5:00pm: Deadline for longlisted authors to submit their work

Friday 23 March 2018: The Write Stuff finalists will be notified and invited to pitch on the day

Thursday 12 April 2018, 2:00pm-4:00pm: The Write Stuff competition takes place

Rochelle Bugg, winner of The Write Stuff 2017, said:

“Winning The Write Stuff has been a fantastic springboard for me over the past year.  It has helped me sign with an agent, given me valuable extra ‘clout’ when speaking with publishers and, perhaps most importantly, renewed my confidence in my book and my ideas.”                                                  

The winner of the 2018 competition will be announced on the day.  Whilst the judging panel deliberate, last year’s winner, Rochelle Bugg, will take part in a Q&A in Author HQ to update on her year since her competition win.

Susannah Stapleton, a previous finalist in The Write Stuff competition, will see the book she pitched at the event in 2016, The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective, published by Pan Macmillan in 2019.

Author HQ, one of the most popular features of the Fair, will have plenty on offer for both established and aspiring writers, including a three-day seminar programme with industry experts and authors taking to the stage to share their expertise and experience.   Aspiring authors and established authorpreneurs will be also able to meet the book marketing and production experts offering the go-to solutions for self-publishing success in The Writer’s Block – the destination for Author Services at the Fair, located next to Author HQ.

All Author HQ events are free-to-attend with the purchase of a three-day pass which also includes access to LBF’s extensive Insights Seminar programme of 200+ events covering all aspects of the publishing industry.  Seminar places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Information on how to enter the The Write Stuff competition is below and can also be found at: www.londonbookfair.co.uk/authorhq. For further information about The London Book Fair and ticket information, please visit www.londonbookfair.co.uk.

The Write Stuff

The London Book Fairs Insights Seminar Programme

Notes to editors:
The Write Stuff - Entry criteria

·  Authors wishing to enter The Write Stuff competition should email lbfauthorhq@midaspr.co.uk putting The Write Stuff in the subject heading of their email and send a covering note and synopsis about the book they would like to pitch to the agent panel and why they should be chosen.  Entries should be in the main body of the email – please do not send attachments. 250 words total word count for each application, including any covering note

Authors may enter up to two separate books.  The deadline to enter is Friday 9 March 2018, 5:00pm - entries received after this will not be considered

The six finalists will be notified on Friday 23 March 2018

The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to

Applicants must have at least three sample chapters of their work available to be considered for entry

Published deadlines are final and no extensions will be offered                                            

For further information please contact Edwina Boyd-Gibbins at Midas Public Relations on:
Tel: 0207 361 7860 / Email: edwina.boyd-gibbins@midaspr.co.uk
www.londonbookfair.co.uk

Now You See Her by Heidi Perks

The only thing worse than losing someone else's child is losing your own child.

You already have the burden of responsibility of your own child, but having the extra pressure of keeping someone else's child safe is a whole different level of responsibility.

Charlotte is Harriet's only friend, she is isolated and reclusive. She has also never left her daughter Alice alone with anyone before, which makes it even more tragic when Alice vanishes into thin air at a school fete.

Charlotte is faced with the negative opinions of her circle of friends and strangers. She was distracted, she wasn't paying attention and Alice did disappear on her watch. So the blame is being placed firmly on her shoulders. Now her so-called friends don't want to entrust their children to her care in case something happens, again.

Perks takes an awful scenario and turns it into something more insidious. Can one justify doing the worst possible thing to try and protect a loved one? All whilst dragging someone else under the mud and watching them suffocate, as you try and achieve your own goal.

Now You See Her might make you question your sympathy for the main characters, which is the essence of this premise. Perks asks her readers to think about crossing lines and being ruthless. When is it too much and when is an attempt to save your child unforgivable? You might be surprised by this premise and the conclusion you come to. Personally I'm not sure I would have been so forgiving.

Buy/Preorder Now You See Her at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Pub Date 18th July 2018 Kindle
Pub Date 26 July 2018 Hardcover
Publisher Random House Uk, Cornerstone
Follow @HeidiPerksBooks @arrowpublishing @PenguinRHUK

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

This story is perhaps even more relevant after the events in Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida a few days ago. Yet another horrific mass murder in a school.

I have to admit, a few pages in and the tears came. It's his voice, his innocent little voice robbed of his childhood as the sound of unimaginable horror, violence and destruction rolls towards him through the school corridors.

His days of worry-free play ripped from him as he cowers in a school closet knowing his world is changing forever, and yet at the same time not knowing how or why.

The reader follows his grief, guilt and confusion in the wake of his personal loss. It's hard to feel sad when all you remember is the anger. It's even harder when you don't understand the concept of loss and death.

I think what really pulls at the heartstrings isn't the loss per se, but rather the neglect of the child who survives. Mother and father are too engrossed in their own personal problems to pay attention to Zach. Feeding him, noticing his bed-wetting or when he disappears for hours. Zach becomes an invisible victim of the assault.

Barring a few moments when six-year-old Zach sounds and thinks like an adult, Navin does an excellent job of keeping the dialogue and narrative at the level of a six-year-old child throughout the book. The author shows the full range of emotions a family in this situation goes through, especially the anger and the thirst for revenge. A heinous event like this leaves permanent wounds and scarring.

It is an emotional and poignant read. The last few chapters made the tears trickle again, perhaps because the whole idea is painful and makes me feel powerless. On the other hand it's because Navin captures the essence of this child and the emotional turmoil so well. It's an upsetting yet extremely beautiful read.

Buy Only Child at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Follow @rhiannonnavin @panmacmillan @MantleBooks
Visit rhiannonnavin.com

29 Seconds by T.M. Logan

What I enjoyed most about 29 Seconds is the way the author changed the playbook. As a reader you think you know exactly what kind of read you're in for after the introduction to Sarah and the predator at her heels, then suddenly the focus changes entirely.

The topic of sexual harassment is on the tip of everyone's tongue at the moment, due to the revelations about Weinstein and quite a few other Hollywood bigwigs. The #MeToo movement has resulted in a landslide of women and men coming forward to talk about their experiences at the hands of abusers.

Sarah finds herself, like many other women, in a daily struggle to avoid the advances of the man in charge of all of her possible career advancements. Technically it doesn't mean she can't get a promotion or be acknowledged for her academic achievements if she is willing to do what he wants and when he wants it. Imagine being blackmailed for sexual favours every single day and trying to fight the systemic abuse our society ignores on a major scale.

How many times are the victims demeaned, destroyed and ridiculed when they try to expose the abusers. To Invalidate and blame the victim is the name of the game. Not really surprising that victims don't speak out against their abusers.

For me the most intriguing part of the premise was the question. I'll admit I pondered what my response would be, would have been fifteen years ago and which person I would pick. So the answer for me is a yes, and I wouldn't worry about it like Sarah or suffer from a guilty conscience either. By the way don't tell the police I said that.

Logan writes a captivating story, which is driven by the protagonists desperation and fear. It's a premise, which will make readers think and definitely talk about the book. Both the sexual harassment and the possibility of a crime without repercussions are excellent standalone topics for a story, but together they make an exceptional read.

Logan knows how to capture the heartbeat of public opinion and describe exactly what we wish for in the dark recesses of our minds. The only thing I want to know is, where is my Russian?

Buy 29 Seconds at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @TMLoganAuthor @BonnierZaffre

#BlogTour My Mother the Liar by Ann Troup

Today is my stop on the BlogTour for My Mother the Liar by Ann Troup. Unfortunately I'm half a day late and a dollar short, due to a misunderstanding about scheduling. Without further ado here is a psychological thriller with a killer twist. Be prepared to doubt them all!

About the Author
Ann lives in Devon in a small house just a pebble's throw from the beach. She shares her home with her husband and a small white dog, both occasionally allow her to be inattentive to them so that she can write.

Follow @TroupAnn @HQDigitalUK
Visit anntroup.wordpress.com or anntroupauthor on Facebook
Buy My Mother the Liar

About the book
Every family has its secrets…

From the author of The Lost Child, and The Forgotten Room. Perfect for fans of The Secret Mother and Linda Green.

Two dead bodies. A lifetime of secrets.

When Rachel Porter’s estranged mother dies, she returns to her family home filled with dread about having to face her past, and the people who populated it.

Little does she know that there are dead bodies waiting to be discovered, and a lifetime of secrets are about to untangle.

Secrets kept by her mother, the liar.

Review
This family has more secrets to hide than a squirrel hiding nuts for winter. It seems to be a never-ending trail of despair, betrayal and abuse. Talk about dysfunctional family and destructive relationships. There just seems to be no end to it.

The story begins when Frances and Rachel meet at their mother's house to clear it after her death. I'm not sure either of them, or the hired help, are quite prepared to be confronted with mummified corpses hidden in tins and suitcases.  Not exactly what you expect to find whilst rummaging through memories and old ornaments. Then again you just never know what kind of secrets people are hiding under their supposedly perfect exterior.

With that shock begins the unravelling of  what is left of a family. Leaving the surviving members to cope with the memories, nightmares and the lies.

I have to admit Troup spins an intricate tale of desperation and hidden secrets, the kind you would rather not know about. Perhaps some things should remain buried, especially when the discovery of said secrets have the potential to destroy lives. Pathological lying appears to be a wee bit contagious, as the guilty point fingers at the innocent, oh wait there are no innocents in this scenario, and none of those involved are free of blood on their hands.

By the end of the story the reader is faced with the question, what would you do to keep your deepest and darkest secrets buried? Would you lie a little, would you kill?

Troup is a connoisseur of twisted characters and scenarios. Her killer plays the other characters like an expert violinist, whilst managing to appear innocent of any wrongdoing. My Mother the Liar may just make you wonder about your own mother. What kind of secrets is she hiding, eh?

Buy My Mother the Liar at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

#BlogTour Nature of the Witch by Helen T. Norwood

Today is my stop on the BlogTour for Nature of the Witch by Helen T. Norwood. A venture into urban fantasy with a lot of potential for future development. At the end of this post you have the chance to win a signed copy of Nature of the Witch by Helen T Norwood (Open to UK only).

#About the Author
Helen lives in the UK with her husband, two children and one diva-like cat called Tiger. Helen, like many others, was captivated in her childhood by books from the likes of Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton and any books which took her to new worlds and showed her places of magic and mystery. She has enjoyed writing and creating her own magical worlds from a young age. She is currently writing the second book in the 'Nature of the Witch' trilogy which will be out soon.
Follow @ThinkFitFoodFam (Helen Norwood) on Twitter or Helen T. Norwood on Goodreads
Visit thinkfitfoodfamily.com
Buy Nature of the Witch

About the book
Many years ago, magic prevailed in Britain. It was a time when chosen women followed a path forged by Mother Nature herself; a time of witchcraft, of the brotherhood of the Gwithiaz and of the terrifying Creatures.

This has all passed from memory a long time ago. But now, magic has returned. Kiera is the first witch the world has seen in centuries, while Jack must learn the ways of the Gwithiaz. They must not only master their crafts, but also overcome their differences and work together if they are to survive the dark enemy that lurks in the shadows.

In the rugged Cornish landscape where it first began, the two face the dreaded Kasadow: an ancient evil that has awakened and is ready to destroy them, and their magic, once and for all.

Review
The epilogue introduces a fairly complex premise of witches, the brotherhood of the Gwithiaz and bloodthirsty Creatures. The Gwithiaz are sworn to protect the witches, who are selected by Mother Nature as her daughters on earth and given powers to boot. The Creatures are set on destroying, actually more or less eating, every single witch.

Fast forward many centuries and the last Gwithiaz is tasked with waiting for and finding the last witch, and everything is love, peace and harmony. Oh wait, maybe not because it turns out there are still a few Creatures running around looking for some crunchy delicious witches to snack on.

Nature of the Witch is about trust, friendship and learning to control your own power. Mother Nature and the natural ability we all have within us, and the way we can use it.

The premise allows for more books to follow in this story. The reader will want to know where Kiera goes from here. Are there any more of her kind out there? Will she learn to control and use her powers? Are the Gwithiaz completely trustworthy and do they really have a fatal Achilles heel?

Norwood presents an initially intricate epilogue and then eases into a story that is undemanding and yet intriguing, which is an interesting contrast and one that equates to more readers. A small cast of characters puts the focus on dialogue and the storyline. It's a read with a lot of potential.

Buy Nature of the Witch at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Nature of the Witch by Helen T Norwood (Open to UK only). 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#BlogTour Blue Night by Simone Buchholz

I have been looking forward to introducing you to this unusual gem of a book. It puts the darkness in the word Noir with its sharp-tongued dialogues and very confrontational style. There are no candy floss scenarios lurking in these pages. Welcome to the BlogTour for Blue Night by Simone Buchholz. 

About the Author
Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg. In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up for the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the KrimiZEIT Best of Crime List for months. She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her
husband and son.
Follow  @ohneKlippo (Simone Buchholz) @Orendabooks  or @FwdTranslations (Rachel Ward, Translator)
Visit simonebuchholz.com
Buy Blue Night

About the book
After convicting a superior for corruption and shooting off a gangster’s crown jewels, the career of Hamburg’s most hard-bitten state prosecutor, Chastity Riley, has taken a nose dive: she has been transferred to the tedium of witness protection to prevent her making any more trouble. However, when she is assigned to the case of an anonymous man lying under police guard in hospital, Chastity’s instinct for the big, exciting case kicks in. Using all her powers of persuasion, she soon gains her charge’s confidence, and finds herself on the trail to Leipzig, a new ally, and a whole heap of lethal synthetic drugs. When she discovers that a friend and former colleague is trying to bring down Hamburg’s Albanian mafia kingpin single-handedly, it looks like Chas Riley’s dull life on witness protection really has been short-lived…
(Translated by Rachel Ward)

Review
Chastity Riley  is to the 21st century what  Horst Schimanski was to the 80's, the only difference being gender and that Riley doesn't have a sidekick, but she does surround herself with the outsiders and rebels of society. Her own group of friends, colleagues and handy contacts. Not exactly upstanding citizens, but very much people who are interested in justice. Well, let's say their own kind of justice.

Riley finds herself isolated at work, restricted and demoted after making a series of serious mistakes in her role as a high ranking state prosecutor. She is assigned the case of a John Doe, who was beaten viciously and left to die. She has her own way of gaining his confidence and making him talk by building a rapport via food and beer. Meanwhile he seems to be ten steps ahead of her and willing to reveal information, which in turn points her in the direction of a major criminal operation.

This is Noir with an interesting staccato like pace and style added to give it a more brash, realistic and curt feeling. Buchholz doesn't have any words to spare. Her dialogue is abrupt, sharp and to the point. Often giving the appearance of an afterthought or emotional revelation rather than the bittersweet moment of honesty it actually represents.

Interspersed between the dialogues and functioning as a chapter divider of sorts are comments or statements made by the main characters in the book. As if some random reporter were asking them for a running commentary every now and again on the situation at hand or on the particular time-frame and year the characters are in. The comments are given purely from each character's own perspective, which gives the whole story an element of critical audience watching from the peanut gallery. It is an innovative approach and adds to the general Noirish feeling of the book.

I was raised in Germany, and speak the language at native level, so I can say with absolute certainty that certain idioms and common phrases get lost in translation. It is a common element of translation, but is more evident in certain languages and has nothing to do with the translation or expertise of the translator. So, with that being said I can't wait to read this again in the original language.

Buchholz has a refreshingly new provocative voice, and I have no doubt she will stand out amongst a sea of writers. She has a take no prisoners attitude when it comes to the validity and eccentricity of her characters, and her plot. Blue Night is to books what a shot of whiskey of is to the world of liquor. It takes your breath away and then it burns until a warmth settles into the pit of your stomach. That's the kind of mark and statement Buchholz is making.

Buy Blue Night at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

#BlogTour Come a Little Closer by Rachel Abbott

Rachel Abbott is one of the UK's most successful bestselling independent authors and I am delighted to be taking part in this brilliant BlogTour for her newest novel Come a Little Closer featuring DCI Tom Douglas. As part of my post today I am taking part in a Writing Challenge, which includes the first paragraph as a writing prompt and four items that have to be included in the challenge. To top off this blog post my review of this captivating read is at the end.

About the Author
Rachel Abbott was born just outside Manchester, England, and spent most of her working life as the Managing Director of an interactive media company. After her company was sold in 2000, she fulfilled a lifelong ambition of buying and restoring a property in Italy. She now splits her time between homes in Italy and Alderney, where she writes full time. She has published six full length novels and one novella, and her seventh Come a Little Closer was released 13th of February 2018.

Follow @RachelAbbott on Twitter or RachelAbbott1Writer on Facebook
Look out for #ComeALittleCloser
Visit rachel-abbott.com and rachelabbottwriter.com
Buy Come A Little Closer

About the book
They will be coming soon. They come every night.
Snow is falling softly as a young woman takes her last breath.
 
Fifteen miles away, two women sit silently in a dark kitchen. They don’t speak, because there is nothing left to be said.
 
Another woman boards a plane to escape the man who is trying to steal her life. But she will have to return, sooner or later.
 
These strangers have one thing in common. They each made one bad choice - and now they have no choices left. Soon they won’t be strangers, they’ll be family…
 
When DCI Tom Douglas is called to the cold, lonely scene of a suspicious death, he is baffled. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she get there? How many more must die? Who is controlling them, and how can they be stopped?

Writing Challenge
Rachel Abbott has written the opening paragraph to a dark and twisty thriller and challenged bloggers to finish the story. Armed with just the opening paragraph (in bold) and four key objects (a bath, a facebook post, a single lightbulb and a glass of sweet sherry) from Come a Little Closer, we have to finish the story she started.

Prompt
Gemma had been afraid of the dark for as long as she could remember. As a child, she had blamed the cold, ancient house they had lived in – its endless corridors had too many closed doors for people to hide behind, too many secrets concealed in the shadows. But now there was no excuse. Her flat was modern, open, with huge windows.
It made no difference, though. Each night of the long winter months as she stood outside the block, she imagined all the doors she would have to pass before she reached her own, wondering if the lights in the hallway would be working, or whether they would flicker and go out, leaving her blind in the inky black void. Alone with her fear.

Perhaps she had always known that this day would come. She took a deep breath and stepped into the silent entrance, her heels tapping out a warning that she was coming on the polished concrete floor of the long corridor.
--------
To distract herself from the shadows and the imagined dangers lurking in the dark corridor she thought about what she would do when she finally reached the threshold of her door. A steaming hot bath filled with blue bubbles smelling like fresh ocean waves, well at least what she wished the ocean smelt like. Fishy, salt infused air doesn't really inspire the same imagery. The bath water had to be piping hot, so her skin would turn a lobster red, because tepid just wouldn't cut it. Relaxing in the bath also meant spending time with her latest acquisition from the small book shop around the corner. Engaging with fictional characters, preferably hot as hell with a penchant for danger and wild wild women, was her guilty pleasure.

Needless to say Gemma was the wild woman in this fictional scenario. Books made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and replaced her worries with faux fear. It wasn't the same as feeling real fear. Facing her demons, facing her life. As a treat she would have a bowl of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge ice cream. Just a small one, enough to placate the inner chocolate addiction, but not enough to alert the cult for the overweight, also known as Weight Watchers. A bowl of ice cream that would melt into a puddle of liquid chocolate, as she languished in the steaming water. To take the edge off she would usually allow herself the pleasure of a small port glass of Bailey’s liqueur, except she had emptied the bottle during her last bath-time excursion, so the only thing left with any alcohol content was a bottle of sherry her mother had given her last Christmas. Not that Gemma was a sherry drinker, but hey when needs must then a glass of sweet sherry it is.

She breathed in deeply, a fragrance flashback triggered the scent of her bath suds in her nose. Gemma let out a little sigh of anticipation, which came out in more of a stuttered gasp as her nose captured a whiff of something acrid instead. She turned her head towards the smell, increasing her pace in anticipation of a possible danger, although her head was saying ‘maybe a cat has marked their territory’ her gut was whispering ‘maybe the psycho is sat in the shadows waiting for the perfect prey to come along.' Yeh, her inner voice was a bit of killjoy and a scaremongerer.

Why was the corridor so void of any light? It was darker than usual, right? Gemma was sure of it. Instead of a warm yellow glow every five meters or so, the light in the corridor had been reduced to a single source of light. The lightbulb above apartment 13b. Gemma’s apartment. The one place she felt at ease, at home and safe. Was that a sound? Her breath started coming in short gasps.The pacing had become a fast walk, almost a pathetic panicked run. Gemma tore open her handbag and searched franticly for her keys. 'Almost there, Nearly there,' she panted. There is something, someone in the dark, waiting for her. Wanting to hurt her. She can feel it.

The keys jangled in her shaking hands, as she tried to insert the keys in the lock. Not an easy task while you’re looking over your shoulder every few seconds and expecting a blow to the head with a heavy object at any minute. Or a gloved hand covering her mouth, cutting off her air and dragging her backwards towards her violent death.

Okay. Open. She slipped through the doorway and slammed the door shut as fast as she possibly could. Lock, chain, bolt. Inside. Safe and breathe. Exhale.

Gemma tossed her shoes off and threw both bag and coat onto the nearest piece of furniture. Pulled her phone from her pocket to take a quick peek on social media before her bath. 'Just for a few minutes,' she muttered to herself. She was looking forward to the heat, the alcohol. Numbing herself from the inside and outside kept her sane when the fear threatened to overcome all her senses.

Gemma felt the anxiety fall away slightly, as she read snarky memes, political rants, bouncy goats and a facebook post with cute fluffy kittens.
She saw, rather than heard the note being slipped under her door. Out of the corner of her eye, a white sheet of paper with bold black letters. Every instinct screamed at her to ignore it, but another part of her was drawn to it. Her legs buckled as her brain processes the words...I'm waiting outside in the dark for you Gemma. Do you wanna come out and play?
------------

Review
There can be no doubt Abbott is honing her skills with every book, as her plots become more intricate and her characters become like old friends to her readers.

Rachel Abbott likes to skate between the black and white areas of right and wrong, to shed a light on the vulnerable in our society, and the secrets hidden in plain sight. In Come a Little Closer the hidden, the missing and the ones who go unaccounted for are given a voice, albeit a small one.

This is the seventh book to feature DCI Tom Douglas, and it feels as if he is just getting settled in for the long run. He is a straight talker with a penchant for breaking the rules, and yet his worst enemy is his own guilty conscience.

Have you ever asked yourself whether someone would miss you or question your whereabouts if you suddenly disappeared? How long would it take for someone to notice you are gone? There are plenty of men, women and children without a support system, who just vanish from the face of the earth and fall prey to people seeking the invisible of our society.

There is another important aspect of this story the author has slipped in, which is perhaps far more important than the main plot. What can you do when someone you used to love becomes an abusive insidious leech you can't get rid of? When the system can't help you and it ends up protecting them instead of you?

DCI Douglas is flummoxed by his new case and isn't sure where to start. A young woman with no identity, who seems to have gone to her death willingly or rather to her murder. It seems as if she might not be the only one. Where are these women coming from and who are they?

A few decades a ago I went to a seminar led by a leading FBI profiler and expert on paedophiles and serial-killers, and he made two adults, myself being one of them, pretend to be children walking on the pavement. He played the perpetrator in the car. He winds down his imaginary window and says something quietly, I couldn't hear so I stepped towards as he said Come a little Closer and grabs me and throws me in his imaginary car. That is exactly the kind of criminal Abbott is excellent at imbibing and then creating on paper. The type we are surrounded by, but never see coming, because we are taught from a young age to ignore our gut instinct. In a way we are all Judith.

This is just a little taste of the compelling read and the questions you may encounter. Rachel Abott writes a fast paced riveting thriller that pulls the reader in opposite directions. The plot is nefarious and also simple in its complexity. It's realistic, which makes it relatable and there are aspects of it that will ring true for some of the readers.

Be prepared for a read you won't want to put down.

Buy Come a Little Closer at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Read And So It Begins, Read The Back Road, Read Nowhere Child, Read Stranger Child, Read Nowhere Child or Read Kill Me Again by Rachel Abbott.

The London Book Fair 2018 launches inaugural UK Book Blog Awards

It's official! The hunt to find the most influential book bloggers, bookstagrammers and booktubers in the UK is on! click here to find out more

Press release: London, 14 February 2017: The London Book Fair is delighted to announce the launch of the first ever UK Book Blog Awards @ LBF – a new initiative designed to celebrate social media influencers and their important contribution to the book industry.

A new feature for LBF 2018, this will be the first time this community has been officially recognised and rewarded by the British publishing industry.

Bloggers, social media influencers, members of the publishing industry, and the general public are invited to nominate the best book blogs, bookstagrammers and booktubers across three categories:

Book Blogger of the Year
Bookstagrammer of the Year
BookTuber of the Year

Once the shortlist has been revealed, a panel of judges will select one winner in each category, who will be honoured at a special awards ceremony at The London Book Fair. In addition, the Fair will introduce new seminars and networking events aimed at bringing the social media influencer community closer to the publishing world.
Jacks Thomas, Director at The London Book Fair commented:

“Book bloggers are an increasingly important part of the book world. Their passion for authors, genres and books is integral in reaching new audiences. We’re really excited to be launching the inaugural UK Book Blog Awards @ LBF and recognising the crucial role social influencers play in the promotion of books.”

The awards are open to any blogger, YouTuber or Instagrammer that features books published in the UK and/or UK authors. To put forward a nomination, or to nominate your own blog/Instagram account/YouTube channel visit: www.londonbookfair.co.uk/UKBookBlogAwards

For further information please contact Edwina Boyd-Gibbins at Midas Public Relations on 0207 361 7860 edwina.boyd-gibbins@midaspr.co.uk

Go to www.londonbookfair.co.uk Follow @LondonBookFair

So, this is happening and can I just say finally! It's about time the UK book industry took note of the effective marketing machine on social media powered by hungry and happy bookworms. Bookbloggers, Bookstagrammers and Booktubers who create hype, share their recommendations and reviews all over social media are an underrated tool of the publishing world.
Enter your favourite Bookbloggers, Bookstagrammers and Booktubers, and you can even enter your own BookBlog, Bookstagramm or BookTube!

The LONDON BOOK FAIR UK BLOG AWARDS Terms and Conditions-

- THE UK BOOK BLOG AWARDS 2018 are open to any blogger, YouTuber or Instagrammer that features books published in the UK and/or UK authors. The blogger, YouTuber or Instagrammer may be based anywhere in the world.

- Blogs, Instagram profiles, and YouTube channels can be entered by the brand owners, affiliates, or members of the public

- The deadline for entries is 12pm (noon) on Friday 2 March 2018 (the “Closing Date”).

- Judging: entries will be judged by a panel of judges, who will select a Shortlist within each category as well as a final Winner in each category.

- The Judges’ decision is final on all matters and no correspondence will be entered into.

- If the judging panel feels that none of the entries in a category reach the standard outlined to them in guidance notes, The London Book Fair may (under exceptional circumstances) cancel the category.

- The Winners will be announced at The London Book Fair, 10-12 April 2018

ENTER Book Blogger of the Year

ENTER Bookstagrammer of the Year

ENTER BookTuber of the Year

London Book Fair Show Dates
Tue 10th April: 09:00 - 18:30
Wed 11th April: 09:00 - 18:30
Thu 12th April: 09:00 - 17:00

Location
Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London, W14 8UX

Do you have a favourite Bookblogger, Bookstagrammer or BookTuber? Go ahead and nominate them now!

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

This has a distinctive 70s/80s film and tv vibe, which isn't always a given even if it is roughly set in that era. (Stranger Things vibe is a more accurate reference for younger readers) It also has a Stand By Me flair, that essence of nostalgia and friendships formed in childhood, and to top it off Tudor delivers a subtle layer of creepy horror a la Stephen King.

It has the innocence of days gone by, days when children played outside all day and stayed out till dark. Before technology captured the youth of today and started captivating them with visions of the future. A long time before the monsters who come for our children multiplied to an insurmountable number.

It's 1986 and Eddie and his friends use chalk men to communicate secret messages to each other. The kind of game that appeals to the secrecy children covet even if it lacks any kind of complexity.

Eddie's story starts when he witnesses an extremely violent accident, which binds him to the victim and to the man who helps to save her. Mr Halloran becomes a confidante and a saviour to Eddie, whilst Eddie becomes the instrument of his demise.

A few decades later the horror of their childhood is brought back to life when one of the boys decides to rake up The Chalk Man murder, and so begins a journey to the past to discover the truth and the lies.

Tudor brings the whole package with this story. The tension increases as the tale unfolds, and the reader can feel the creepy vibe throughout. The Chalk Man takes on a life of his own, especially in Eddie's dreams and daily life. It's an absorbing read and the ending is the cherry on top of the ice-cream sundae.

Oh and FYI Tom Baker is the best Dr.Who. Just Saying.

Buy The Chalk Man at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @cjtudor @MichaelJBooks

Read my review of The Taking of Annie Thorne by C.J. Tudor

#BlogTour The Story of Our Lives by Helen Warner

Today it is my pleasure to take part in the Blog-Tour for The Story of our Lives by Helen Warner. It's a testimony of love, loyalty and friendship between four friends throughout the good and hard times. Unconditional love and support over twenty years.

About the Author
Helen Warner is Director of Daytime for ITV where she oversees a wide range of programming from ‘This Morning’ to ‘The Chase’. Previously, she was at Channel 4 where she was responsible for shows including ‘Come Dine With Me’, ‘Coach Trip’ and ‘Deal or No Deal’.

She lives in Essex with her husband and their two children and she writes her books on the train to and from work.
Follow @HQStories
Buy The Story of Our Lives

About the book
Four friends. Twenty years. One powerful secret. Everyone remembers where they were on 31st August 1997, the day Princess Diana died.
Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa certainly do -– a beautiful cottage in Southwold, at the start of an annual tradition to have a weekend away together.

Every year since, the four best friends have come back together. But over time the changes in their lives have led them down very different paths. And it’s when those paths collide that the secrets they’ve been keeping come tumbling out.

One Day meets Big Little Lies in this unputdownable read about four friends, one long-buried secret and the histories we all share.

Review 
Sophie, Emily, Amy and Melissa are a close-knit group of friends. The reader follows them through their trials and tribulations over a period of two decades. They meet every year at the same time to celebrate their friendships and all the changes in their lives. Pregnancies, career changes, marriages, affairs, betrayals and life in general.

There is a fair amount of victim blaming when it comes to Amy and her situation. 'If only she was a little tougher. If she stood up for herself it wouldn't happen.' This is a common reaction and misconception when it comes to domestic abuse, the assumption that it is just about the victim not being able to stand up for themselves. Even her friends are quick to place the blame on her.

It's easy to ignore the obvious, when it comes to domestic abuse. The hard part is supporting victims, despite the fact they may go back to their abuser. It takes an incredible amount of courage to leave a situation of complete control, isolation and fear.

I have this rule of thumb when it comes to books or stories I read. If the characters or premise evoke any kind of emotion, even if it is anger or irritation, then the author has done their job. So with that said let me just have a grumble about Sophie and the way she reacts at the end. Can we all just say hypocrite. Her indignation and anger are misplaced, and ironic to say the least. Talk about selective memory and being judgemental. Okay, I feel much better now.

Warner has created a story that will resonate with a lot of readers, especially those who understand the complexities of friendships between women. Friendships that stand the test of time, relationships with people who exhibit loyalty under extreme duress and are willing to stand by you through your hardest times. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

The Story of Our Lives is an ode to the special connections we make in life, about the paths we choose and the mistakes we make. It is also about the people who walk with us instead of away from us when things crumble and fall apart around us.

Buy The Story of Our Lives at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

The Fear by C.L. Taylor

Fear, shame and confusion go hand in hand in this story. Lou is still haunted by her past and the way it follows her like a lingering bad smell.

Unfortunately this tale of grooming and abuse carries the misnomer of love, because that is what paedophiles convince their victims it is.

What is even more tragic is how many people confronted by these scenarios or read about them think that it is about a convoluted love story. It isn't, it's about a child being preyed upon by a sexual deviant.

It isn't a vivacious Lolita seducing an unsuspecting older man, and then crying rape after the event. This is how the majority of society sees situations like this. It is easier to put the blame on a naughty little girl than to accept we have men and women in our midst who want to have sexual relations with children.

Lou has to live with the doubts of others, the recriminations and the guilt of not knowing whether she was to blame, and yet at the same time fearing the person she knows was to blame.

After the death of her father she returns home to sort his belongings and his house, and finds herself drawn to the man who took her childhood away from her. She walks a fine line between complete terror and the need for Mike to admit his guilt. Nothing too outlandish or unachievable until she stumbles upon proof that he is in the middle of stealing another childhood.

The Fear is a crime hidden within a crime with a stark layer of reality throughout. As a reader you feel empathy for the child Lou used to be and the adult still suffering from the fallout of being groomed by a predator. Although Lou feels guilty for getting revenge and trying to save someone, I applaud her temerity and her courage.

I think Taylor has written a well-timed story in the midst of the #MeToo movement and chorus of voices speaking out about abuse against girls and women in our society. Shedding a light on the hypocrisy victims encounter and the fear that sits in the back of their neck for the rest of their lives. It's a captivating read with some hard home-truths. At the same time it is an equally compelling psychological thriller, so kudos to Taylor for bringing the two together.

Buy/Pre-order The Fear at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @callytaylor @AvonBooksUk
Visit cltaylorauthor.com

The Fear - Pub. date 22.March 2018 published by Avon Books Uk

Read The Accident by C.L. Taylor

Read The Lie by C.L. Taylor

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Taking into consideration that this is an eyewitness narrative, which I find preferable when it comes to Holocaust themed books, and an important historical account, I do wonder if Lale Solokov subconsciously or inadvertently romanticized the more uplifting parts of his story.

Memory is a tricky thing at the best of times, recalling memories made under extreme duress and/or trauma can sometimes interfere with the way we interpret memories.

I believe he made life seem simpler and less traumatic than it was. His relationship and encounters with Gita read like a complicated romance novel, and because of that some of the scenarios seem improbable.

When he or rather the author, relates the more brutal and heinous events there seems to be a reluctance to be cruel and honest. There is no such thing as gratuitous when it comes to laying bare the crimes of the Holocaust.

Again I am not sure whether that was Lale or the author changing the narrative just slightly to make the romance pop more or if it was just easier to focus on a more pleasant scenario. To remember the positive of meeting her instead of the negative of fearing she would die.

Like many survivors, Lale sat on his story for many decades. It wasn't until Gita died that he decided the world needed to know his story. I can imagine he felt terrible survivor's guilt and guilt in general for perhaps feeling like he contributed to the demise of many victims. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to see the physical proof of his personal trauma on real people. Being responsible for marking his fellow humans like cattle.To him it would have been irrelevant that he had no choice. Survival is an instinct, and I am glad a lot of survivors lived to tell the world about the heinous crimes of the Holocaust.

As I said before, the stories of survivors need to be told, without them there is more chance we will repeat the past. Morris does that in a sensitive way, and she brings a little lightness to a very dark story.

Buy The Tattooist of Auschwitz at Amazon uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Follow @BonnierZaffre

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden

I adore this series. Arden is an incredible writer and possesses the ability to recreate the feeling of an old Russian master with the flair of a nouveau writer.

The author combines the magic and essence of Russian folktales with the creativity of high fantasy, and lets the reader experience the darkness of old tales told in front of fires, and the power of ancient myths.

At the end of the first part of the trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale, we left Vasya grieving for her father and protected by Morozko. In this second part she decides she wants to travel the world, to discover things beyond her village. Thanks to the new local priest everyone thinks she is a witch, which means she is a pariah and in danger.

So begins her venture into a world of rules, fear and cruelty. One Morozko would rather she didn't experience at all, even if she has been gifted with a magical stallion, who will protect her. He struggles with his emotions towards Vasja and the inevitability of their separation.

In both books the author has made a point of shedding a light on the inequality between men and women, and how it impacts those who are deemed to be less equal than others. Part of Vasja's drive to be free is connected to the limitations she experiences as a woman. The title is very apt in that sense. There is no freedom, but plenty of restrictions, and any deviation from the rules can ruin a reputation.

Once again Arden balances the mystical with exceptional storytelling and leaves the reader with the feeling of reading a Russian classic. It feels timeless and ancient.

I am really looking forward to The Winter of the Witch, the third part of this trilogy. Katherine Arden has proven herself to be a writer and storyteller of great skill, and I wager a few decades from now her Winternight trilogy will receive the recognition it truly deserves.

Follow @arden_katherine
Visit katherinearden.com
Buy The Girl in the Tower at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Read The Bear and the Nightingale Winternight #1
Coming August 2018 the conclusion to the Winternight Trology The Winter of the Witch

#BookBirthdayBlitz Ashael Rising by Shona Kinsella

Join me today to celebrate the Book Birthday Blitz for Ashael Rising by Shona Kinsella. Find out all about this debut fantasy novel and read my review. You can also win a signed copy of Ashael Rising (see giveaway below).

About the Author
Shona Kinsella is the author of Ashael Rising, (Unbound, 2017) the first in her series, The Vessel of KalaDene. She is also one of the editors of the British Fantasy Society’s fiction publication, Horizons. When she is not writing or wrangling her three children, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.

Follow @shona_kinsella on Twitter or ShonaKinsellaAuthor on Facebook

Visit shonakinsella.com

Buy Ashael Rising (The Vessel of KalaDene book 1)

About the book
Ashael is a hunter-gatherer woman, apprenticed to Bhearra, the healer and spiritual leader of their tribe.

The Zanthar are invaders from another world who extend their own lives by stealing the life-force of everything around them. They were last seen on KalaDene 200 years ago. They have returned, looking for The Vessel, a being prophesied to hold the life-force of the land.

Iwan is a slave to the Zanthar, descendant of those taken as slaves the last time the Zanthar visited this world. He is sent out as a spy, while his mother is held hostage to ensure his compliance.

When Ashael meets Iwan in the forest, neither realise that she is the one the Zanthar are looking for. The fate of KalaDene and all of its people rests on her shoulders.

Review
The Zanthar are an ancient race and the enemies of the so-called Cams, which are small communities of people who live from and off the planet they inhabit. They are a peaceful people and believe in the strength and powers of their healers. One of those healers is Bhearra and she is training a young woman called Ashael. The young woman seems to have more than an affinity for healing. In fact recently she has started to do more than she should be capable of.

The Zanthar think she is part of a prophecy, a vessel of some sort that will allow them to regain power they lost many centuries ago. They place a spy in the small community to weed out the so-called vessel, in an attempt to kidnap her and usurp her power.

Ashael has no idea where the power comes from, and she certainly has no idea how to wield it, which could mean the difference between life and death. The Zanthar also don't seem to be completely convinced she is the magical being in question or rather how to get the vessel to work in their favour.

Loyalty and trust play a pivotal role in this story. Would you betray someone you love to save another? How do you choose who to save in that situation? Then there is the question of endless power corrupting, is Ashael in danger of being corrupted by this newly acquired status?

This is quite a strong debut, which is not an easy feat when it comes to fantasy. I think Kinsella has tossed her training wheels aside and is well on her way to navigating the book world with skill and a lot of creativity. It will be interesting to see where she takes The Vessel of Kaladene.

Buy Ashael Rising at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Many thanks to @shona_kinsella & @rararesources #RachelsRandomResources
Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Ashael Rising (Open Internationally) click the link below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway