Tuesday 30 April 2019

#BlogTour Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley


First of all there should be some sort of ban on tour banners that make you want to binge on sugar! Just Saying. Aside from that it is my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Bridesmaids by Zara Stoneley. She writes with a fresh voice, stories full of drama and adds a layer of snarky humour to the mix.


About the Author
Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years, and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true.

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say 'ahhh'.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include 'No One Cancels Christmas', 'The Wedding Date', 'The Holiday Swap', 'Summer with the Country Village Vet', 'Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage' and the popular Tippermere series - 'Stable Mates', 'Country Affairs' and 'Country Rivals'.

Follow @ZaraStoneley @HarperImpulse on Twitter, on Pinterest, on YouTube, on Facebook, on Instagram, Visit zarastoneley.comBuy Bridesmaids


About the book
Meet Rachel, the beautiful bride with BIG plans for the perfect day! The venue is a castle and the dress is designer.  It’s just a shame her husband is a rat.
Maddie and Sally have only one thing in common – they both love the same man!

Beth is a newly single mum with a mystery baby daddy.  Surely the father isn’t someone the girls all know?

And then there’s Jane, the glue holding them all together, but being dumped doesn’t make her the happiest bridesmaid…especially with gorgeous flatmate Freddie complicating things.
Will the bride say, ‘I Do!’?  Or will her bridesmaids save the day…and find love along the way?  
The most hilarious, feel-good rom com of the year!

Review
It's quite the dilemma isn't it? When you are privy to the kind of information that can make or break a relationship. Your best friend is marrying a man who likes to play plug the hole with every female in his vicinity. Then you have to make a choice, do you tell your friend or keep your mouth shut and let them discover the truth for themselves?

It's even harder when people think you are bitter and scarred from your own failed relationships, hence more likely to want to see other relationships fail. That's not actually true when it comes to Jane, she just wants her friend Rachel to be with a man she can trust, but nobody is going to believe she doesn't have an ulterior motive. So, mouth zipped, soldier on, and pretend as if everything is hunky-dory.

Jane finds herself in the midst of what appears to be some sort of hidden camera episode of Cluedo for romance, backstabbing, betrayal and love, instead she is a bridesmaid and part of a bridal party for her best friend. Everyone has a secret to hide or a secret to tell, and for some reason everyone keeps revealing them all to Jane. Which is fine, except she can't keep them all straight in her head, so it leads to a romcomesque tragedy of errors and misconceptions.

I think everyone will get Jane, however towards the end I felt as if she needed to take a step back and ask herself why she feels the need to tell Rachel. To save her friend from certain misery? It's not the dark ages, there are other fish in the sea.The truth is, the messenger always gets blamed, shot, drawn and quartered. It's easier to do that than to confront the person doing the actual harm.

I can see why Stoneley is so popular, she writes with a fresh voice, stories full of drama and adds a layer of snarky humour to the mix. She reminds me of Sarah Morgan with the occasional Ruby Wax moment thrown in for good measure. It's a romcom written with the tartness of champagne bubbles and the wit of modern woman.

Buy Bridesmaids at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HarperImpulse: pub date 26 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com. on iTunes, Waterstones.

Read my review of No One Cancels Christmas by Zara Stoneley.

Monday 29 April 2019

#BlogTour The Passing Tribute by Simon Marshall


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Passing Tribute by Simon Marshall. Imagine if historical fiction met war fiction and mystery, and then had a Hemingwayesque lunch with a slice of Clockwork Orange vibe.
About the Author
This is Simon’s second novel. In 2015 he self-published The Long Drawn Aisle, then immediately started work researching and writing The Passing Tribute.

A political historian at heart, Simon read modern history at UCL before gaining an MA distinction in Imperial and Commonwealth History at King's College London. It was during these studies that his profound and ongoing fascination with the pre and post WW1 European settlement was stirred, and it has inspired both of his novels to date.

Simon was born and raised in London, but has lived and worked for most of the past decade in France. With youthful pretensions to screenwriting and poetry, prose has taken over and he has worked variously as a private tutor, English language teacher, assistant bar manager, gig economy dromedary, and Real Tennis professional. As The Long Drawn Aisle took him over ten years to write (and rewrite, and rewrite), he has therefore had plenty of time to immerse himself in all of these glorious postings. And long – says the man in short trousers – may it continue!

Follow @LongDrawnAisle on Twitter,
Visit thelongdrawnaisle.com
Buy The Passing Tribute


About the book
In the tumultuous aftermath of the First World War the Wilson brothers head in opposite directions: Richard, interned in Austria throughout the conflict, returns to England; Edward, a junior officer, is dispatched from Italy to Vienna as part of the British Army s relief mission.

For Edward, it will be a return to the city and to love. But it will not be the same city: Vienna is no longer the administrative heart of an Empire, merely a provincial capital ravaged by starvation, and paralysed by the winter snows. Will it be the same love?

In London, Richard is employed in the ministerial heart of government, and soon dazzled by the Under Secretary s vision for a new, federal Europe. But for the new to exist the old must be replaced; and the Habsburg Emperor, on his estate near the Czech border, revolution all around, refuses to go. One man is sent to make sure that he does.

With the brothers estranged by distance and time, their lives become unknowingly entwined in a shadowy plot and it seems the end of the war is only the beginning of their struggle.

Review
As time goes by and the survivors pass away it's only the history books and historical fiction that remind us of certain events, and I can imagine not many know that not everyone went home just because the war ended. This is the story of two brothers in the aftermath and chaos of World War 1. In countries where everyone is now really becoming aware of the devastation of war. There is more death, pain and sorrow to come.

Here's the thing, Marshall has a very unique way of writing and telling a story. Have you ever had a friend who tells story, but has to tell ten smaller ones to finally get to the point of the first one. The path of this story is paved with a particular brand of dialogue and prose, which makes it all the more elusive and seem a wee bit ostentatious.

In the first chapters the style lends a hand to the authenticity of the situation. It makes the surroundings, the interactions and dialogue seem more vivid. Think of a real time movie taking place and you are thrust in the middle of the fracas, as everyone moves, talks and interacts around you at the same time. If you don't catch the flow it can cause a sense of confusion.

Imagine if historical fiction met war fiction and mystery, and then had a Hemingwayesque lunch with a slice of Clockwork Orange vibe. Readers are going to think this is a marmite kind of read. You will either enjoy it or you won't. I think it is the kind of read you have to digest, envisage and enjoy. It's not a fast beach read, but rather a complex plot of love and loyalty mixed with the prose of a writer channelling the laissez-faire attitude of 1940s/50s artists and writers.

Buy The Passing Tribute at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Unbound Digital; pub date 7 Mar. 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Daring Dreamer by Deborah King


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Daring Dreamer by Deborah King. It's romance, and yet at the same time it's about finding inner peace.

Enter the Giveaway – to Win a Paperback copy of Daring Dreamer (Open US Only)
About the Author
Deborah King is a spirited woman who was inspired to pursue her dreams due to her mother’s death from early onset Alzheimer’s disease. She has the unique ability to read people and tackle life’s hardships.

Deborah is a distinctive new voice in inspirational, romantic women’s fiction. After raising two children, working with a not-for-profit wildlife rescue organization, and reading too many books to count, she retired from her personal training and weight management business to follow her dream of writing.

She is extremely grateful for having the opportunity to work with many different people sharing and teaching what inspires her, which you’ll catch glimpses of in her books.
Deborah’s lived in several diverse areas in her city as well as three years in a rural setting. She lives in Missouri with her supportive husband, two rescue cats, who believe they’re dogs, her mini fitness store, and her eclectic collection of books.

For all the latest information, excerpts from her upcoming books, general fun, or to chat, follow Deborah on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DeborahKingAuthor.

She loves to hear from her fans. To follow Deborah’s social media links, reviews of her women’s fiction books, her blog, and to sign up for her monthly updates, visit her at https://deborahkingbooks.com.

Follow @dkingnovels on Twitter, on Facebook, Inside Scoop/Facebookon Pinterest, on Goodreads,
Buy Daring Dreamer


About the book
Two best friends. Two fresh starts. Will old regrets sabotage their second chance?
Janna’s heart is heavy with grief and broken by betrayal. But as she leaves the big city for a quaint midwestern town, the future feels less frightening with her best friend, Shelby, by her side. After landing a job in the local fresh market and the attentions of a handsome architect, she may yet learn to heal old scars…

Shelby loves the position Janna secured for her and the new sense of community, but wishes small-town life wasn’t so lonely. After packing up all she could salvage from her painful past, she endures more than her fair share of bumps on the winding road to recovery. Afraid her heart may be too damaged for real love, she drowns her sorrows in drunken nights at bars.With new heartaches around every corner, can Janna and Shelby stay true to their friendship and their dream of lasting freedom?

Daring Dreamer is the first book in the Inspiration in Cologne series of women’s fiction novels. If you like brave women, picturesque settings, and second chance romance, then you’ll love Deborah King’s empowering saga.

Review
My bad, I thought it was a completely different Cologne.
Jenna and her best friend Shelby are taking a big chance by uprooting their lives and starting new ones in the hopes of a clean slate. Not that they have anything to be greatly ashamed or worried about, but then sometimes the opinions and perceptions of others have too much influence on our lives.

From the very beginning Janna establishes a difference between herself and Shelby. One gets the feeling that she feels the partying habits of her friends are far beyond the maturity level of her own life. A life she has changed to the better, perhaps in a way to help herself feel better about the things she feels guilty about.

The story follows the women as they attempt to step into the arena of love and relationships, whilst trying to maintain their friendship along the way, despite the differences in the way they approach life.

I wasn't overly keen on the first person narrative by multiple characters, perhaps because it didn't flow as well, and the mid-chapter changes, although clearly identified made it a little confusing as to who the I was at times. As I said, it interrupted the flow of the read for me.

It's romance, and yet at the same time it's about finding inner peace. We often carry so much weighty guilt around with us that it is difficult to reconnect and open up to new relationships. It's very Hallmark meets emotional turmoil. I think King has some good ideas, which given a little more honing of her craft could be executed more smoothly.

Buy Daring Dreamer (Inspiration in Cologne #1) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Enter the Giveaway – to Win a Paperback copy of Daring Dreamer (Open US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –USA entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Sunday 28 April 2019

#BlogTour Hello, My Name is May by Rosalind Stopps


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour for Hello, My Name is May by Rosalind Stopps.  It's psychological suspense, women's fiction and contemporary fiction.

About the Author
Rosalind Stopps has always wanted to tell the stories of the less heard.  For many years she worked with children with disabilities and their families.

She has five grown up children, three grandchildren and an MA in creative writing from Lancaster University. Rosalind’s short stories have been published in five anthologies and read at live literature events in London, Leeds, Hong Kong and New York. She lives in South East London with large numbers of humans and dogs.

When she is not writing fiction she is, mostly, reading it or working as a host at London’s South Bank Arts Centre. Hello, My Name is May is her debut novel.

Buy Hello, My Name is May


About the book
They wrote it on the wall above my bed. Hello, it said, my name is May. Please talk to me.
May has been moved to a care home after her stroke. She can’t communicate, all her words are kept inside. If she tries to point, her arms swing in wild directions, if she tries to talk, strange noises come out of her mouth.

May is sharp, quick, and funny, but only her daughter Jenny sees this, and Jackie, a new friend at the home who cares enough to look and listen closely.

When May discovers that someone very familiar, from long ago, is living in the room opposite hers she is haunted by scenes from her earlier life, when she was a prisoner of her husband’s unpredictable rages. Bill, the man in the opposite room seems so much like her husband, though almost a lifetime has passed, and May’s eyesight isn’t what it was.

As Bill charms his way through the nursing home, he focuses his romantic attention on Jackie, while all May can do is watch. She is determined to protect Jackie and keep herself safe, but what can she do in her vulnerable, silent state?

Q&A
Before we get down to business (i.e. talking about your book) I would like to ask a set of questions I call 'Breaking the Ice.'

The last book you read? (Inquisitive bookworms would like to know)
I’ve been reading Middlemarch for absolutely weeks.  I love it, but I so want to finish and move on - next I can’t wait to read Jill Dawson’s new book, The Language of Birds, which tells the story of the nanny who was killed by Lord Lucan, a famous case from the 70s.
The actual last book I read was Normal People by Sally Rooney, which I thought was wonderful, marvellous and moving.

The last movie you watched, which you felt left a mark (in your heart, soul, wallet...you name it)? Wild Rose.  I saw it last week and I loved it.  The music was gorgeous, the acting was great and the story, which is always my prime concern, was a feelgood tale of triumph over adversity.  A good night out.

Writers or books who have inspired you to put pen to paper?
Stephen King, always.  Elizabeth Strout and Ann Tyler because they tell the stories of ordinary women.

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
This is such a difficult question!  Everyone I think of makes me feel either prim or shallow!  But the true answer is, without a doubt, that I’d like to meet Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe, who was once the lodger of a local friend of mine.  She’s been in prison in Iran for three years after going there on holiday with her little girl to see her parents.  She’s unwell and is being held hostage, and I’d love to meet her because it would mean that she had been released, and that there was a happy ever after ending to her story.

Also I’d like to ask her how she coped with being locked up for three years.  Human bravery in extreme circumstances has always interested me.

A famous declutterer a la Marie Kondo has decided to help you organise your home - you have to get rid of all but three of your books (the ones you have written yourself are exempt) which three would you pick and why? Good idea.  I wish this would happen in real life.  There are books everywhere in my house and I’d love to keep them electronically only.  I’d save a book of Flannery O’Connor short stories, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and maybe a massive book with pictures of every kind of dog, in case I ever haven’t got a dog with me.

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk about Hello, My Name is May.

I really enjoyed the same woman in two different periods of her life and the way you show the readers the invisible scars and damage left by abuse.

Tell us about the inspiration for this story.
My sister had a brain haemorrhage when she was sixty.  She’s not May, she never lost her voice, but she does live in a nursing home now and one day when I was visiting her we chatted about how we could see into the room across the corridor.  ‘Wouldn’t it be weird,’ I said, ‘if someone from your past turned up, but someone you didn’t want to see.’   

It’s the kind of thing I’ve always done, made up stories about what I can see around me. But the idea was there and I couldn’t stop thinking about what might happen.  

I also wanted to write about domestic abuse, because it’s an area of life that’s still often hidden away. Nothing seems to have changed too much since I was a young woman, despite the better training of police and the women’s movement.  In fact, lots of the hostels that were opened have been closed for lack of funding. 

How important was it to show that the abuse people endure leaves invisible damage, the kind of damage that determines other relationships and future reactions to situations and other people? I believe that everything that happens to us stays with us in some form.  We can learn to deal with it but it’s there, and although it doesn’t have to define us it’s a part of us.  I wanted to show that by showing how May’s response to her situation was totally bound up with the things that had happened to her when she was young.  She is fiercely protective of her new friend Jackie, and she wants more than anything to protect her from harm.  She’s spent her life protecting herself from further harm, and she wants to look out for her new friend as well.

Another important aspect of the story is the helplessness May feels because of her medical situation and being unable to communicate. Do you think the feeling of helplessness triggers the memories and paranoia? I think you don’t have to be in such an extreme situation as May to experience the feeling of helplessness and panic she describes.  Most people can relate to a time when they weren’t listened to, or taken seriously, and May has that feeling, justifiably, all the time.  It’s bound to take her back to the other time in her life when she didn’t have a voice that was heard, and when she lived with the constant threat of danger.

I found it quite interesting that nothing is black or white when it comes to May. She is both victim and simultaneously not completely innocent. Was this a contrast you wanted the reader to experience? I’ve always loved unreliable narrators and flawed heroes.  I think they are far more realistic.  Isn’t May like all of us, a mixture of saint and sinner?  I wanted the reader to be slightly unsure, to care for May without knowing quite whether to trust her or not.  

Is May so concerned about Jackie because of her own past and Helen?
Definitely!  May didn’t manage to protect Helen but she’s not going to let another chance of protecting a friend slip away.

The reader can feel the frustration and fear May feels throughout the story, how important was it to be able convey those emotions accurately? I guess that’s the mark of a good storyteller - the one who can make you shiver when it’s warm and see shadows even when it’s bright sunlight.  I wanted to share how May thinks about the world with my readers, let them really hear her voice.  I so hope I’ve done that.

Thank you answering all of my questions, even the odd ones.
Not odd at all, but really interesting.  The hardest one, surprisingly, was which person I’d most like to meet.  My granddaughter is studying like mad for GCSEs at the moment and I felt as though I was taking an exam too - I really enjoyed it!

Review
Imagine yourself bound by the limitations of your own body and consigned to a care home. Being eager to communicate, but unable to do so. May spends a lot of time inside her head with herself, and memories that have been brought to the surface by certain people in the home.

May, or Stopps, takes us back into another time in her life when she thought she had a voice, but in actual fact she didn't. Her voice was being silenced by someone with a cruel streak and lack of compassion.

The physical damage of abuse heals, well at least the non-permanent damage does, but the emotional damage and the inner scarring never disappears. It's always there like a haunting presence in the back of your mind, influencing relationships, emotions and actions.

The juxtaposition of her status as a victim and simultaneously as the perpetrator is quite intriguing. It also makes it difficult to put this read into a specific genre. It's psychological suspense, women's fiction and contemporary fiction. May is the voiceless victim of an overladen system, but somewhere deep inside lives the woman she used to be. The woman who knows the taste, smell and looks of an abuser, because her life was defined and controlled by one.

It's all about wanting to be heard. May spent so many years hiding the truth that she no longer wants to be silent. It's about protecting those who cannot see what is right before their eyes. How do you do that when you can't warn anyone and your body has become your enemy?

I like the way Stopps keeps the reader on uncertain ground, which means she can slip the real intention by on the sly.

Buy Hello, My Name is May at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ: pub date 18 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com, At WHSmith, Waterstones.


#BlogTour Mr Todd's Reckoning by Iain Maitland


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Mr Todd's Reckoning by Iain Maitland. It's dark psychological crime fiction with no ground rules or boundaries.


About the Author
Iain Maitland is the author of the thriller Sweet William (2017) as well as two non-fiction books on mental health: Dear Michael, Love Dad (2016) and Out of  the Madhouse (2018). An ambassador for Stem4, the teenage mental health charity, Iain also speaks on mental health issues in the workplace. A writer since 1987, he is a journalist and has written more than 50 books, mainly on business, which have been published around the world.

Follow @iainmaitland @SarabandBooks on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook,
Visit iainmaitland.net
Buy Mr Mr Todd's Reckoning


About the book
Norman Bates is alive and well… He's living just next door

Behind the normal door of a normal house, in a normal street, two men are slowly driving each other insane. One of them is a psychopath.

The father Mr Todd is at his wits’ end. He’s been robbed of his job as a tax inspector and is now stuck at home... with him. Frustrated. Lonely. Angry. Really angry.

The son Adrian has no job, no friends. He is at home all day, obsessively chopping vegetables and tap-tap-tapping on his computer. And he’s getting worse, disappearing for hours at a time, sneaking off to who-knows-where?

The unholy spirit in the safety of suburbia, one man has developed a taste for killing. And he’ll kill again.

Review
This was a nice little surprise. I do enjoy the kind of creepy disturbing read that stays with you for a while.
Mr Todd lives with his son Adrian in a bungalow. It's an odd, boring and claustrophobic existence. It is for Mr Todd, perhaps not for Adrian, but then he is busy looking for his next thrill.
It's fascinating how Mr Todd paints himself as the saviour, the good man and the person everyone likes to pick on. He likes to overlook his little 'mistakes' that have led to his isolated lifestyle. It is much more important to shed a big spotlight on his son, the one with the real issues.
He is doing his duty as father and as a citizen by keeping track of what his grown son is up to. The man who has a history of complaints and deviancy, and it appears he is working himself up to perpetrating even worse crimes. So Mr Todd waits and watches.

As he does so, the reader is privy to the way Mr Todd is irritated by sounds, noise, people, perhaps just life in general. Maitland describes this slow and steady increase in annoyance very well. It's amazing how powerful single words can be just snip, snip, snipping away at someone's sanity. It's a testament of writing skill when a reader is taken on the same path as the character, then again perhaps some of us have our own closets with secrets and skeletons in them.

It's dark psychological crime fiction with no ground rules or boundaries. Whatever the reader expects to happen, well don't get too comfortable because it probably won't happen the way you expect it to. Kudos to Maitland for not giving us the ending we expect, but rather the one we deserve because of the unquenchable thirst we have for the bizarre, the morbid and always for the unexpected.

Buy Mr Todd's Reckoning at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: *Contraband; pub date 25 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.


*Contraband: Mr Todd's Reckoning is published by Contraband, Saraband's cime fiction imprint, the publishers of man Booker-shortlisted Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project and Falling Fast by Neil Broadfoot and DM for Murder by Matt Bendoris, both shortlisted for Bloody Scotland Crime Book of the Year.

Saturday 27 April 2019

#BlogTour Call me Star Girl by Louise Beech


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech. It's a dark psychological thriller that wants you to question the facts until the very last moment.


About the Author
Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The follow-up, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both of her previous books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers on Kindle. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award in 2019. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. Louise lives with her husband on the outskirts of Hull, and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012.

Follow @LouiseWriter @Orendabooks on Twitter,
Visit louisebeech.co.uk
Buy Call Me Star Girl


About the book
Tonight is the night for secrets…
Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught.

Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers. Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after twelve years. She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father …

What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof. Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything…

With echoes of the chilling Play Misty for Me, Call Me Star Girl is a taut, emotive and all-consuming psychological thriller that plays on our deepest fears, providing a stark reminder that stirring up dark secrets from the past can be deadly…

Review
This is the kind of read that messes with your head, and probably not in a good way either.
The scene is set, or so we are led to believe, with the radio presenter Stella playing cat and mouse games with an alleged witness to a devastating crime. He says he knows who did it, he says he saw everything? What did he see and what is Stella so worried about? Or perhaps this is the killer playing a terrible game with his next victim.

I think one of the most screwed up characters is Tom, and because of it he certainly fits the description of a ruthless killer. The games he wants to play with Stella go way beyond simple fun or being a little bit risqué. They suggest a psychopathology. On the other side of his disturbing ideas is the girlfriend so desperate to please that she is willing to try anything he suggests. Anything to make sure he doesn't leave her.

Her insecurities all lead back to being neglected and abandoned by a mother who loves herself and self-gratification, more than she cares for her own child.

It's a dark psychological thriller that wants you to question the facts until the very last moment. Did she do it, did he do it or is it all just a mind game? Beech plays with boundaries in this noirish piece of crime fiction. She invites the reader to think beyond what may be perceived as comfortable and to consider the factors of guilt, and how childhood trauma can determine personality and choices in adulthood. Is saving a child from a specific torment or possible abuse worth them being scarred by neglect and disinterest?

Buy Call Me Star Girl at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Orenda Books; pub date 18 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Lion Tamer Who Lost and Maria in the Moon by Louise Beech.

Friday 26 April 2019

#BlogTour Karma by S.C. Cunningham


Today it's the BlogTour Karma by S.C. Cunningham. It's paranormal urban fantasy with a flair of Brit attitude.

Enter the Giveaway below to Win a Signed Copy of Karma by S. C. Cunningham (Open Internationally)
About the Author
Author of The Fallen Angels Series, Cunningham creates adrenaline-charged paranormal crime rom thrillers, with a skilled mix of fuelled tension, dark humour and pulsating sex scenes. Having worked in the industries she writes about, her novels offer a fresh level of sincerity and authority, rare in fiction.

Abducted as a child she survived. Every night for months afterward she prayed to the heavens asking for a deal. This personal journey sparked the fuse behind the intriguing and riveting fictional world she portrays in The Fallen Angels Series.  First in series The Deal is free. Standalone Book II, Karma is her latest release. She is currently working on Book III, Calling.

An ex-model, British born of Irish roots, she married a rock musician and has worked in the exciting worlds of music, film, sports, celebrity management and as a Crime Investigator for the British Police (Wanted & Absconder Unit, Major Crime Team, Intelligence Analyst, Investigations Hub).

She supports Veterans, MH and Animal causes, is the proud mother to Contemporary Artist Scarlett Raven, loves coffee, chocolate, Prosecco, shabby chic'ing and beach walks, and is owned by three soul-soothing dogs.

Follow@SCCunningham8 on Twitter, on Amazon, Amazon com, on Facebook, on Instagram, LinkedIn, on Goodreads,
Visit sccunningham.com, about sccunningham, subscribe to sccunninghams page,
Buy Karma


About the book
At the age of four, Amy was taken… She survived.
A week later, another little girl was taken…She didn't.

Angry that a bad man has gotten away with murder, feisty young Amy Fox makes a deal with the heavens.  When she dies, if she’s been a good girl, would they let her sit on a cloud for a while, invisible, and get the bad people who slip through God’s fingers?

Her deal and God long forgotten, career girl Amy mysteriously dies. Her lifeless body is found beneath a London underground commuter train.

She awakens in the afterlife to discover an international network of like-minded souls who’ve all made the same deal. A sophisticated MI5-esque justice machine sits in the skies. The only evidence they leave behind during their earthly visits is a small white feather sashaying to the ground.

Amy hates rules, she may be a new Angel but for how long?  Abusing her powers, lusting after her partner, avenging personal scores, protecting the underdog, dishing out unauthorized karma on terrorists, traffickers, abusers, hunters, bullies, bitches and competing Warlords will have her thrown below ground.

In a chaotic world of vendettas, jealous ex's on her heels and powerful adversaries trying to close her Unit down, Amy has never worked so hard in her entire earthly life. She has to wonder if making the deal was a mistake.

Review
This is the second book in The Fallen Angels series. It can be read as a standalone novel, although to be completely fair the author has included plenty of information about the first book, the characters and the plot at the beginning of Karma, that it's easy to catch up on the story. (Perhaps just a wee bit much info)

The myth or folklore of the feathers or white feathers being a sign of a visit from heaven or from an angel is a widespread one. I am sure plenty of people think there is divine intervention behind every event that looks like a miracle or lucky save.

That's where Amy and her elite group of angelic interventionists (good name for them, eh?) come in. Amy and others of her ilk dispense a sort of justice among the living, but in a way that nobody notices. A whisper here, a suggestion there, a shove or an intervention at the right time. It makes all of the difference to those still in the realm of the living, and it just seems as if karma is happening.

I think every time Amy uses her powers to help someone in trouble she eases the nightmares hidden inside her. The dark dreams that rip her from sleep and keep her awake at night. Her childhood fears and the moments that determined her destiny.

It's paranormal urban fantasy with a flair of Brit attitude. It's a combo of lusty romcom and supernatural adventure written with gusto. A bawdy game of justice with every tier of the hierarchy reaching from the top of the clouds to the bottom of hell along for the ride.

Buy Karma (The Fallen Angels #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Books2read.

FREE at the moment: Buy The Deal (The Fallen Angels #1) at Amazon UK or Amazon com


Enter the Giveaway below to Win a Signed Copy of Karma by S. C. Cunningham (Open Internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*

Thursday 25 April 2019

#BlogTour One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence


Today it's also my turn on the BlogTour One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence. It's sci-fi with elements of speculative fiction, time-travel and fantasy.

About the Author
He is married with four children and lives in Bristol with his family. Before becoming a writer his day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science … oh wait, it actually is'.

He is the author of the Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns and Emperor of Thorns), the Red Queen’s War trilogy (Prince of Fools, The Liar’s Key and The Wheel of Osheim) and the Book of the Ancestor series (Red Sister, Grey Sister and Holy Sister).

Follow @Mark_Lawrence on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram,
Visit marklawrence.buzz or mark---lawrence.blogspot.com
Buy One Word Kill


About the book
In January 1986, fifteen-year-old boy-genius Nick Hayes discovers he’s dying. And it isn’t even the strangest thing to happen to him that week.

Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons-playing friends are used to living in their imaginations. But when a new girl, Mia, joins the group and reality becomes weirder than the fantasy world they visit in their weekly games, none of them are prepared for what comes next. A strange—yet curiously familiar man is following Nick, with abilities that just shouldn’t exist. And this man bears a cryptic message: Mia’s in grave danger, though she doesn’t know it yet. She needs Nick’s help—now.

He finds himself in a race against time to unravel an impossible mystery and save the girl. And all that stands in his way is a probably terminal disease, a knife-wielding maniac and the laws of physics. Challenge accepted.

Review
This is the kind of story that makes me want to go back and read it again just to see what else can be read in between the lines. I think there is a whole unexplored layer of psychological and Freudian aspects of the premise I could go into.

I am thinking about Nick and Demus in a convoluted time-space-continuum plot involving Demus as the Id, specifically Nick's Id, and the reasoning behind all actions. Sounds slightly bizarre? Yeh well I am sure Lawrence wants the grey cells to be engaged and go forth and multiply - at the very least to bounce off of each other.

I enjoyed the intro into the story, the author doesn't mince his words and starts the book on the basis of the character not living long enough to enjoy or take part in the story. Nick, a teenage boy is diagnosed with cancer and so begins a tale of friends who play a game of fantasy that is suddenly mixed with reality.

I do think some exposure to Dungeons and Dragons, which was much more popular in certain countries than in others, so it's not a complete leap in the dark for some readers, will give some readers an advantage. (I have actually never come across anyone who played it) The whole concept of emerging yourself in a game at a level that suggests avoidance, denial and coping mechanisms, aside from the whole enjoyment factor, is an interesting topic.

Reality, fiction, memory and perhaps even overactive imaginations make this a complex story an ambitious read.

It's sci-fi with elements of speculative fiction, time-travel and fantasy. It's innovative and deep, if you look closely enough, and it has a lot of potential. It will be interesting to see where Lawrence takes this series in the future, no pun intended.

Buy One Word Kill (Impossible Times #1) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by 47North (an imprint of Amazon Publishing) / £19.99 HB / £4.99 PB / e-book £3.98 / Audiobook £20.12 / 1 May 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Tainted Love by T.S. Hunter


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Tainted Love by T.S. Hunter. Tainted Love is the first book in the Soho Noir series of cosy crime novellas. Kudos to Hunter for creating a read that caters for the lover of easy, cosy, crime and also the food for thought readers. Don't miss the fantastic Q&A with T.S. Hunter and...

Don't forget to enter the Giveaway below to win - a signed copy of the book, a gorgeous Tote Bag, a #rainbow button badge and some #chocolate.

About the Author
Claiming to be only half-Welsh, T.S. Hunter lived in South Wales for much of his latter teens, moving to London as soon as confidence and finances allowed. He never looked back.

He has variously been a teacher, a cocktail waiter, a podium dancer and a removal man, but his passion for writing has been the only constant.

He's a confident and engaging speaker and guest, who is as passionate about writing and storytelling as he is about promoting mainstream LGBT fiction.

He now lives with his husband in the country, and is active on social media as @TSHunter5.

Follow @TSHunter5 @RedDogTweets on Twitter, on Goodreads,
Buy Tainted Love


About the book
Some relationships are just murder.

It’s 1985, and Joe Stone is excited to be joining his old school friend, and lifelong crush, Chris, for a long weekend in London’s Soho—home to a vibrant, developing gay scene, and a million miles from the small town Joe and Chris grew up in.

But when Chris is brutally murdered, the police just write his death off as another rent boy, fallen foul of a bad hook up. Joe realises that his best friend was killed deliberately, and joins forces with former police detective, Russell Dixon—Chris’s flatmate—to find out why.

Spiralling debt, illicit sex, blackmail, spurned lovers and hard-nosed gangsters all play their part, but who among the celebrities, fashionistas, drag queens, ex-lovers and so-called friends is Chris’s killer?

A noirish whodunit set in 1980s London, with all the big hair, electro-pop, shoulder pads, police discrimination and lethal killers that the era had to offer.


Q&A
Before we get down to business (i.e. talking about your book) I would like to ask a set of questions I call 'Breaking the Ice.'

The last book you read? (Inquisitive bookworms would like to know)
I've been reading Derek Farrell's Death of A… Series. The latest one, Death of an Angel, is great fun, and definitely his strongest yet. I came across the series, and the author, looking for other LGBT Crime series. And these are cracking.

The last movie you watched, which you felt left a mark (in your heart, soul, wallet...you name it)?  Can I go for TV series instead? Because POSE absolutely slayed me. It's such a beautifully written, wonderfully acted piece of drama. It's a wonderful period piece, incredibly evocative of the time, and with so many messages still pertinent today, if not even more important that we are still having those same arguments.

Writers or books who have inspired you to put pen to paper?
Obviously, there are countless, but Armistead Maupin, Russell T Davis, and Maya Angelou are all high on that list, certainly.

Which famous person (dead, alive, barely kicking) would you most like to meet?
Freddie Mercury, please. But if he could bring Bowie along too, that would be nice.

A famous declutterer a la Marie Kondo has decided to help you organise your home - you have to get rid of all but three of your books (the ones you have written yourself are exempt) which three would you pick and why? It's not clutter if it's books! I refuse to part with a single one. I will build a fortress of books and repel all who attempt to topple it. You can keep your 'Spark of Joy' I've got books!

All of the above questions are actually a pretty elaborate pysch evaluation disguised as random questions. Have no fear here come the real ones. Let’s talk about Tainted Love.

This is book 1 in the Soho Noir series, which is the first of six crime novellas set in Soho in the 1980s.

Tell us about the inspiration for this series. That's a tough one. I love crime series. I love Marple, and Poirot, and Midsomer, Endeavour. All of them. I also love all things Noir. But I wanted a gay central character, rather than a sidekick or villain. I realised there weren't that many about, and it got me thinking. That's where this came from.

In the end, I just wanted to write a cracking good crime series, in which the main detective just happened to be gay. We all like to see ourselves in positive character roles, rather than just as mirrors to straight heroes.

Do you think LBGT fiction tends to be stereotyped and pushed into certain genres?
I don't know if it's been pushed there, necessarily, but I've realised there is a lot of romance in the LGBT fiction scene and, while there is clearly an audience for that, the other genres tend to be lacking. While there is some mainstream fiction which does feature gay characters, there isn't nearly enough of it.

Maybe it's too naïve to hope that we can just have good fiction, with gay characters as well, and hopefully avoid all stereotyping of character in the future. I am aware, however, that many readers would be put off because the characters are gay, and others will be put off because there's no sex. Hopefully there will be enough in the middle who want good crime, and good gay characters.

Leading on from that is this a way of levelling the playing field when it comes to diversity in literature and in this case crime fiction? Ooh, I don't know. Every time a book with a diverse character in it happens to find a slot among the mainstream literature, I think that helps. The ideal would be that all characters are created, given gender or sexual preference, skin colour or religion, because that best fits with the story the writer is trying to tell.

Not pigeon-holing those books into categories might help to create a more level playing field, but I think we are a long way from levelling anything, really.

We've come a long way in having credible, excellent female detectives, but we can count on one hand the number of gay ones. Maybe that's why I have a duo in mine. Two for the price of one.

In Tainted Love the crime story flows subtly alongside the discrimination, abuse, fear and oppression the characters experience, which makes the reader more aware of the daily battles the LBGT community endures. Was it important to you as an author for readers to take something away from this read? I think that was definitely a huge part of it. It also helps to create a sense of time, of the inherent and oppressive danger in that world, and of the things that will trouble our characters throughout the series. 

Also, I think we have forgotten how hard it was, especially in the LGBTQ community. These days it is less of an issue to come out, to identify as gay, or trans, or non-binary. Back then, we didn't have the words to explain, and we didn't have the rights in place. Police discrimination against gays was a big deal, but then so was standard discrimination in the street, in bars, and in homes across the country. I guess I would like us all to take a moment to remember how much people had to fight for us to have the freedoms we have now—and within most of our lifetimes, too.

This is set in the 1980s (best decade ever) and infused with the more stringent fashion, music and political groups the 80s produced, as opposed to the free spirit and lackadaisical attitude of the 60s and 70s. The book titles are also all well-known 80s hits. Why the 80s? Because I think it lends itself well, as a decade, to the spirit of Noir. There is an oppressive government in place causing privation and unemployment, there's police discrimination and corruption, there's a background of inequality, but at the same time the dawning of a freedom of expression that we now know well, a sense among the young of injustice, and fight. Also, there is the interminable, constant threat of AIDS, the killer disease which shaped the decade for gay men.

Also, it means I can listen to a fabulous soundtrack while I'm writing. I have a strong nostalgia for the time, even though I was too young, really, to be going through any of the big stuff then.

I really like the quick read kind of vibe, sort of like a Mills & Boons for the crime reader who wants a story in their pocket to read anywhere and at any given time. Is that why it is a series of novellas, as opposed to novel length reads? To appeal to every kind of reader? Absolutely. It's a great discipline, the short novella. They're quick to release, and great fun to write. There's no time to wallow or drift off. Also, I think there is a good market for people who just want a quick read on a cold afternoon. My husband usually only reads on holiday or on cold afternoons, very rarely, after a big lunch in front of the fire. He doesn't like starting a big novel, in the same way he refuses to start watching a TV programme if he's already missed the first few seasons. God forbid you suggest we start watching something that is eight seasons in. Even if it's great, he just won't commit the time. I guess it is with people like this in mind that I created the novella series.

Thank you answering my questions, even the odd ones! By the way I am loving the book covers, they are sublime and cheeky at the same time. Thank you. It's been great.


Review
Let me tell you what I love about the concept of the Soho Noir series, the quick read feel of it. You can just pop it or them (there will be others in the series) in your bag. It is the modern crime equivalent to a Mills & Boon romance novella, but with a more serious premise and incorporating important social and societal topics.

Side note - I also adore the cover art for this book and that the titles are an ode to the 80s.

The story follows Joe who discovers the body of his friend Chris and his attempts to find the killer. Chris wasn't just any old friend though, he was the one who encouraged Joe to finally be himself and to live and love, and not just to adhere to the rules and opinions of others.

In a way this story is about having the courage to identify and love the way you want to, despite the myths, controversy, hatred and discrimination surrounding the lives of gay men. It speaks to the fact that although we, as a society, have moved on from the oppressive laws and opinions of homophobia of previous decades, we haven't moved on far enough.

As someone who enjoyed her formative years during the 80s, I can speak to the fact that even in a rural area of the German/Dutch border area the wave of paranoia and panic due to the AIDS epidemic was felt. Interestingly enough the threat or alleged threat was perceived to be from infected heterosexuals who thought nothing of having sex without protection. In fact we had a few who infected sexual partners on purpose and were taken to court and punished for it. In the majority of countries there was a paranoia about the gay community being the source of the disease.

It made life even more difficult for the LGBT community in a sense that they were treated like pariahs. It defined the way gay men were treated, and it certainly changed the face of interactions and relationships in said community. It killed too many, too early and in a tragic way.

This is a cosy crime novella with quite a few poignant moments that serve as a reminder that the world has to comprehend the hate and obstacles, because it has no place in the 21st century. Kudos to Hunter for creating a read that caters for the lover of easy, cosy, crime and also the food for thought readers.

Buy Tainted Love (Soho Noir #1) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Red Dog Press; pub date 18 April 2019.


Enter the Giveaway to Win - A signed copy of the book, a gorgeous Tote Bag, a #rainbow button badge and some #chocolate!

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Wednesday 24 April 2019

#BlogTour One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan. It's women's fiction with that Sarah Morgan flair. You always get a great read.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She is a 3 time winner of the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated five times. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.

Follow @SarahMorgan_ @HQStories @HarperCollinsUK on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, on Facebook www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahMorgan
Visit sarahmorgan.com
Buy One Summer in Paris


About the book
One charming bookshop, two unlikely friends, and a summer in Paris that will change their lives forever…

Grace can’t believe it when her husband of twenty-five years announces he doesn’t want to join her on their anniversary trip to Paris – instead, he wants a divorce. Reeling from the shock, Grace makes the bold decision to go on this holiday of a lifetime alone.

Audrey leaves behind heartache of her own when she arrives in Paris. A job in a bookshop is her ticket to freedom, but with no knowledge of the French language, her summer adventure seems doomed to fail. Until she meets Grace, and everything changes…

Living in neighbouring apartments above the bookshop, Grace and Audrey form an unlikely friendship. They came to Paris to find themselves, but finding each other might be the best thing that's ever happened to them.

Review
Grace loves everything in its place and organising every single detail for every person in her family and perhaps even in her close vicinity. She is really looking forward to celebrating 25 years of marriage with her loving husband, until he decides to spring a nasty surprise on her. The kind of surprise that you never forget or forgive for that matter.

Side-note: I couldn't believe the absolute gall of David when it came to the trip to Paris. The brass balls on that middle-aged muppet in the middle of a midlife crisis. Are you kidding me?
Grace decides to take her life back and goes on a path of self-discovery. In Paris. By herself. Really spontaneous. Not exactly like the little girl inside her who needs to have structured order in her life. Letting loose isn't as easy as it sounds.

She stumbles upon a young girl who is on her own trip to discover self. Being independent in Paris sounds really exciting, except for the small fact she lied about her ability to speak French, and yet she still manages to get a job in a bookshop in Paris. Then there is the slight matter of the learning disability, and hey the lack of French in France in a shop full of French books. Yeh, no problem whatsoever. Audrey believes in jumping without looking.

Once again Morgan proves why she is so popular and such a bookworm favourite when it comes her stories about relationships, love and romance. She combines the serious with the more amusing aspects of life.

Although I really enjoy her more whimsical and happy reads, I must say I am loving her ventures into women's fiction. She knows exactly how to capture each emotional depth with an admirable accuracy, whether it be a high or a low. From the middle-aged woman who rediscovers herself to the young girl looking for her place in the big wide world.

It's women's fiction with that Sarah Morgan flair. You always get a great read.

Buy One Summer in Paris at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ; pub date 4 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.


Read my reviews of:The Christmas Sisters, How to Keep a SecretHoliday in the Hamptons (From Manhattan with Love #5)New York Actually (From Manhattan with Love #4)Miracle on 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love #3)Sunset in Central Park (From Manhattan with Love #2)Sleepless in Manhattan (From Manhattan with Love #1)Christmas Ever AfterFirst Time in ForeverMaybe This ChristmasSuddenly Last Summer or The Notting Hill Diaries - all by Sarah Morgan.

#BlogTour A Clean Canvas by Elizabeth Mundy


Today it's my turn on the BlogTour A Clean Canvas by Elizabeth Mundy. It's a cosy crime mystery with a main character who has to navigate life as an immigrant.


About the Author
Elizabeth Mundy’s grandmother was a Hungarian immigrant to America who raised five children on a chicken farm in Indiana. An English Literature graduate from Edinburgh University, Elizabeth is a marketing director for an investment firm and lives in London with her messy husband and two young children. A Clean Canvas is the second book in the Lena Szarka mystery series about a Hungarian cleaner who turns detective.

Follow @ElizabethEMundy on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram,
Visit elizabethmundy.com
Buy A Clean Canvas


About the book
Crime always leaves a stain…
Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner, dusts off her detective skills when a masterpiece is stolen from a gallery she cleans with her cousin Sarika. When Sarika goes missing too, accusations start to fly.

Convinced her cousin is innocent, Lena sweeps her way through the secrets of the London art scene. But with the evidence against Sarika mounting and the police on her trail, Lena needs to track down the missing painting if she is to clear her cousin.

Embroiling herself in the sketchy world of thwarted talents, unpaid debts and elegant fraudsters, Lena finds that there’s more to this gallery than meets the eye.

Review
This is the second book in the Lena Szarka series and can be read as a standalone novel. There are a few references made to the first book, but nothing that disturbs the flow of this read.

Lena isn't exactly your standard sleuth, in fact she sort of accidentally falls into the role of detective again to clear the name of Sarika. It is also of utmost importance to ensure the survival of her cleaning company. She doesn't need a bad reputation, especially not the kind of reputation that comes with the disappearance of an expensive piece of art.

It's a cosy crime mystery with a main character who has to navigate life as an immigrant. A stranger in a country where she is judged for her origins and accent. Given the side-eye when employers misplace valuable items and in general is an undervalued individual. At the same time Lena isn't someone to be underestimated. She is nothing less than fierce when she is fighting for someone she cares about.

I thought the theft plot was a little on the weak side and not on par with the attention Mundy pays to the characters. Each one of them is far more developed than the whole painting goes missing scenario, then again that's maybe because I do like a good dead body and was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick story. It's a pleasant uncomplicated read with a feisty main character.

Buy A Clean Canvas (Lena Szarka Mystery #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Constable; pub date 3 Jan. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Little Brown.
Buy the 2-book Lena Szarka Mystery series.

Enter the Giveaway to Win a Winsor & Newton pocket sized Watercolour set and a signed copy of A Clean Canvas. (UK Only)


Enter the Giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box above.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.*