#BloggerDay One Moment by Becky Hunter

Life or death. Love or loss. It can all happen in One Moment.

About the Author

Becky Hunter worked for many years in London in the publishing industry, before taking a career break in Mozambique, where she volunteered with horses and decided to give writing a go. She now works as a freelance book publicist. One Moment is her debut novel. Follow @Bookish_Becky on X (formerly known as the artist called Twitter).

About the book

One moment in time can change everything... The day Scarlett dies should have been one of the most important of her life. It doesn't feel fair that she'll never have the chance to fulfil her dreams - all because she stopped to help a stranger. And now, she's still... here - wherever here is - watching the ripple effect of her death on those she loved the most.

Evie cannot contemplate her life without Scarlett, and she certainly cannot forgive Nate, the man she blames for her best friend's death. But Nate keeps popping up when she least expects him to, catapulting Evie's life in directions she'd never let herself imagine possible.

If you could go back, knowing everything that happens after, everything that happens because of one choice you made, would you change the course of history or would you do it all again?

Review

I was pleasantly surprised by this book - it wasn't at all what I was expecting. A serious note on death, sisterhood and friendship. The realisation that our lives can change in the blink of an eye. One choice, one path taken - just one moment in time. In this case Evie makes a choice that leads to her death, and peculiarly she or her soul is left to see the aftermath of her tragic end.

See the reaction of people to her death, which is a bit of an eye-opener at times. In a way she is narrating her own death throughout the book. An unexpected event that opens up Evie, and her way of perceiving the world around her,  and gives her a new perspective. On the life she no longer gets to life, to finish with her goals achieved and all her dreams fulfilled. 

It's emotional and simultaneously beautiful - it captures the relationship between the two of them perfectly. Evie and Scarlett, best friends and roommates, but even best friends fight. Evie wonders whether she wants to be able to change the status quo if it changes things for the worse for her friend.    

It's a wonderful read about embracing what we are unable to control, and realising that sometimes some things are meant to be and should be left to evolve or not.  I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. She has a knack for spinning the kind of yarn readers really want to experience.

Buy One Moment at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Corvus pub date 31 August 2023. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davison.

About the Author

Anita Davison is the author of the successful Flora Maguire historical mystery series. Previously published by Aria, she is writing a new cosy mystery series for Boldwood, the first title of which, Murder in the Bookshop, will be published in August 2023. Follow @anitasdavison on Twitter, @Anitadavison3740 on Instagram.

About the book

Someone’s been read their last rites…

1915, London: Working in the dusty bookshop that her Aunt Violet mysteriously inherited, Hannah Merrill is accustomed to finding twists in every tale. But discovering her beloved best friend Lily-Anne – with a paperknife through her heart – in the middle of the bookshop, is not a plotline she saw coming.

The case is anything but textbook. With the discovery of a coded German message, and Hannah’s instinct that Lily-Anne’s husband is keeping secrets, she determines to get to the bottom of it.

She can’t do it alone though. To crack this case, Hannah will need the enlist the help of her outrageous, opinionated, only-occasionally-objectionable Aunt Violet.

They think they’re making progress until one of their chief suspects is found dead. And Hannah realises that she is herself now in the murderer’s sights. Will the final chapter be the ending of a killer… or just a killer ending?

A totally addictive, WW1-set cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey, and Agatha Christie.

Review

Running a bookshop in the middle of London, as the bombing of the city by the Germans begins in earnest, isn't a simple task. It's also slightly more difficult to run a business when someone decides to commit a murder in said bookshop. Everyone starts to look like a suspect even Hannah and her Aunt Violet.

It reminded me of Christie's Tommy and Tuppence, the Miss Scarlet series with the slightly rebellious Aunt Violet giving a bit of Miss Fisher vibes. Set in 1915 with Britain finally coming to the realisation that there is no end in sight when it comes to the war, in fact the real devastation is only just beginning.

There are plenty of personal tragedies and perhaps what is the most tragic is the way the remaining men, regardless of age, are treated with such disdain for not volunteering. This is before they have no choice and the thoughtless cruelty of their own friends, neighbours and fellow countrymen and women poisons their country. 

I enjoyed the way the author combines historical fact with the comfortable feel of characters inviting you in for a look into their lives and keeps the story on a never quite even keel by introducing death, betrayal and suspicion into the mix.

Buy Murder in the Bookshop at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: Boldwood Books; pub date 22 Aug. 2023. Buy at Amazon com. Buy here.

#Blogtour Deach Comes to Santa Fe by Amanda Allen

It's my turn on the Blogtour Death Comes to Santa Fe by Amanda Allen.

About the Author

Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen--a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject...)

She's never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion.  She lives in Santa Fe with two rescue dogs, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections. 

When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network--even though she doesn't cook. Follow @amandamccabeauthor on Tiktok, @amandamccabeauthor on Instagram, Visit ammandamccabe

About the book 

Former New York darling turned amateur sleuth Madeline Vaughn-Alwin is once again thrown into a colourful yet deadly web of secrets, lies and soirees to die for!

It's the week of Fiesta in Santa Fe and Maddie is looking forward to enjoying the celebrations. But as 'Old Man Gloom' Zozobra goes up in flames, so too do Maddie's hopes for a carefree life . . . Human remains are found in the dying embers of Zozobra, and then Maddie and her dashing beau Dr David Cole find a body washed up in the arroyo at the edge of town.

Soon identified as Ricardo Montoya, a wealthy businessman and head of one of the most affluent families in Santa Fe . . . the plot starts to thicken. While his beautiful wife Catalina and her complicated children seem less than heartbroken at his untimely demise, and with many disgruntled locals crawling out of the woodwork, Maddie is surrounded by suspects.

With the celebrations of Fiesta continuing around them, Maddie and her 'Detection Posse' get busy infiltrating the best parties and hobnobbing with old and new faces - but can they bring the murderer to justice before they strike again?

Review

This can be read as a standalone book, but I would recommend reading the previous books in the series. It gives a better sense of the character development, as Maddie grows with each encounter after a tragic loss defines who she is and how she wants to engage with life. Unfortunately for her, but all the more interesting for us, death and mystery seems to follow her around.

This mystery crime series is set in the 1920s in Santa Fe - an area that brings a vast amount of rich history, culture, traditions and folklore. It's seen through a certain lens, but I'd be mindful of the fact this is a cosy mystery series and much like other characters and duos in specific eras and settings, it depends on how the individual reader experiences the read.

The author has also captured the flair and essence of a hive of artists and their community, where creativity becomes a visible thing as the artists become a bounce off each other experience for each other. In the case of the effigy it is also a cathartic experience, but also one that sets the footprints of a crime and the solution in motion.

It's a cosy mystery with a sparky undercurrent - the vibe is one of a journey, following Maddie as she not only masters the world of crime also as she grows as a person, through the pain and trauma she also finds some happiness.

Buy Death Comes to Santa Fe at Amazon Uk or go Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Severn House - pub date 1 Aug. 2023. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Misper by Kate London

It's my turn on the Blogtour The Misper by Kate London.

About the Author

Kate London graduated from Cambridge University and worked in theatre until 2006 when she joined the Metropolitan Police Service. She finished her career working as part of a Major Investigation Team on the Metropolitan Police Service's Homicide Command. She has since written four novels in The Tower series, which is now a major ITV drama, starring Gemma Whelan. She is on Twitter @K8London. 

About the book

There's more than one way to go missing... When Ryan Kennedy is imprisoned after killing a police officer, he knows what he has to do. Keep his mouth shut about who he was working for, keep his head down, and rely on his youth to keep his sentence short. When he gets out, he'll be looked after.

Following the death in the line of duty of a fellow detective, DI Sarah Collins has left the capital for a quieter life in the countryside. But when a missing teenager turns up on her patch, she finds herself drawn into a much bigger investigation - one that leads her right back to London, back to the Met, and back to Ryan Kennedy, the kid who killed a cop.

This powerful novel from a former Met detective explores the devastation that organized drug-running gangs can wreak on young lives. It asks who deserves to be saved - and whether saving them is even possible...

Review

At first the story is a little bit like being in a glass funhouse and the reader has difficulty finding the right path. It's a bit choppy, but intentionally so, and what's really interesting is the way the main plot travels full circle and brings us back to where we think everything started.

The story begins with Ryan who kills and is convinced to stay quiet about certain details - a bit of prison time is worth it in exchange for being safe, right? His story leads us in a convoluted way to the disappearance of another young person, but what could the two things have to do with each other?

I like the fact the author has chosen a criminal element and scheme that is targeting the most vulnerable and youngest in our society. Easy pickings when it comes to influencing children and teens, reeling them in with things they might want and then moving the friendly relationship into a coercive one.

When you take the vulnerability of the victims into consideration, it's harder to define the lines between perpetrator and victim when they themselves commit a crime. It's a sophisticated scheme that keeps the big fish safe while the little fish in the pond do the crime and punishment. A never-ending wheel of criminal productivity churns consistently with a constant supply of young people.

It's an intriguing dive into modern organised crime, county lines is a crime everyone should be aware of, and this read gives a great glimpse at how complex it really is.

Buy The Misper at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Corvus; pub date 3 Aug. 2023. Hardback · £14.99, e-book also available. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Polite Act of Drowning by Charleen Hurtubise

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Polite Act of Drowning by Charleen Hurtubise.

About the Author

Charleen Hurtubise has lived in Dublin, Ireland for over 25 years, having moved from Michigan, USA. She is a teacher and artist as well as a writer, and her short fiction, essays and poetry have appeared in various publications. She holds an MFA Creative Writing from University College Dublin (UCD) where she has also facilitated creative writing modules. Follow @CharliSolo on Twitter, Visit charleenhurtubise.com

About the book

Michigan, 1985. The drowning of a teenage girl causes ripples in the small town of Kettle Lake, though for most the waters settle quickly. For sixteen-year-old Joanne Kennedy, however, the tragedy dredges up untold secrets and causes her mother to drift farther from reality and her family.

When troubled newcomer Lucinda arrives in town, she offers Joanne a chance of real friendship, and together the teenagers push against the boundaries of family, self-image, and their sexuality during the tension of a long, stifling summer. But the undercurrents of past harms continuously threaten to drag Joanne and those around her under...

Review

Joanne, a young woman on the cusp of adulthood and in the midst of discovery of self. Her coming-of-age journey isn't just identifying her sexuality, to whom she may or may not be attracted - it's also about redefining the nature of all her relationships. 

When sibling rivalry takes on a secondary role as the loyalty towards her parents is questioned, as generational family disputes and trauma threaten to sever loosely threaded ties. The way Joanne moves from child to more mature thinking and engagement becomes more evident as the story evolves, whether that is via the painful teenage moments of humiliation or those moments of clarity when the adults in her life are seen as more than the position they retain in the family dynamic.

Simple mistruths and facts are re-evaluated as buried secrets give better insight into the people she calls parents. Mother is suddenly seen as traumatised child, the guilt-laden sister, the scarred young woman and then the fragile adult who is barely holding on to life. Father is seen as the young man torn between warring families, and the man who is helpless when it comes to comprehending his wife and her struggles.

It's a siren's song of sisterhood in the form of a mother and daughter, sister and sister, girl and female friendship, and it even reflects the more damaging aspects of women's relationships with each other. Nothing is quite so sharp as the knife wielded by the person who should be able to understand you the most.

I absolutely loved it. It's an intricately woven web of emotional despair and yet it simultaneously echoes how small a drop of water we are in the ocean, and how often it's also just that tiny drop that weighs us down and pulls us under.

In the right hands with enough vision this has the potential to be award-winning screen material. It's a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story that takes place in the midst of family dysfunction and generational trauma. Hopefully this will be recognised for the gem it is.

Buy A Polite Act of Drowning at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Eriu, pub date 6th April 2023 - Hardback, eBook and Audio, £14.99. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BlogTour Dig Two Graves by Heather Peck

It's my turn on the BlogTour Dig Two Graves by Heather Peck.

About the author

Award-winning author Heather Peck has had a varied life. As featured in the ‘Norfolk’ magazine and the Eastern Daily Press, “Norfolk farm disaster expert turns to crime writing” she has been both farmer and agricultural policy adviser. 

She bred sheep and alpacas, reared calves, broke ploughs, represented the UK in international negotiations, specialised in emergency response from Chernobyl to bird flu, managed controls over pesticides and GM crops, saw legislation through Parliament and got paid to eat Kit Kats while on secondment to Rowntree. She has also chaired an NHS Trust, worked on animal welfare, sailed a boat on the Broads, volunteered in Citizens Advice and the Witness Service and vaccinated humans against Covid. 

Two golden threads have run through everything; her fascination with words and her Gran’s wise advice: ‘You can do anything if you try hard enough’. Follow @HeatherLydia1 on Twitter

About the book

Greg stumbles upon the gruesome murder of a police informant and realizes his colleague has gone missing, presumed kidnapped. 

As he seeks Sarah in a desperate race against time, he uncovers a sinister County Lines operation, entangled with money laundering and a labyrinthine network of organised crime. The pursuit is intensifying when the man at the centre of the web directs his malevolence towards Greg, targeting not only his home and his cat, but also his beloved partner, Chris.

Review

Time is of the essence when a fellow police officer is a caught up in a vicious murder and taken hostage, the problem is the culprit doesn't know who they are and sees them as an opportunity. The clock is ticking to get Sarah back before it's too late.

With a clever reference to the appalling behaviour of the Met police, the author also includes the kind of crossing of boundaries that put the police in the camp of the criminals. When misogyny rules and the systemic abuse and harassment of women is no different than that of the street criminal, deviant or abuser, then the police loses all authority and respect.

Instead of a police force people can trust, colleagues have to worry about the people they work with and deal with the same level of abuse and harassment at work and in their lives. Trust can't be created when men always treat women like potential prey. With that in mind there is a scene - a fleeting moment really - where Greg wanders on the border of this problem. His instinctive reaction to Sarah is torn between victim and victim blaming. It's an interesting point to make. Subtle and very poignant.

It's a fast-paced crime read that doesn't stop, even at the end.

Buy Dig Two Graves at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Ormesby Publishing; pub date 12 July 2023. Buy at Amazon com.