#PublicationDayBlitz The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou

It's a pleasure to take part in the Publication Day Blitz The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou.

 Author photo: credit - Jon Cartwright

About the Author

Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red, among others. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and her debut novel, She Came To Stay, was published in 2020. Her latest novel, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, is inspired by the true-crime story of the penultimate woman to be executed in Britain. Follow @EleniKWriter on X and elenikwriter.com.

About the book

They have told so many lies about me.

London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can't speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.

Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.

Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide... Is she a victim? Or is she a killer?

A compelling historical crime novel set in the Greek diaspora of 1950s London – that's inspired by a true story – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Sara Collins, and Jessie Burton.

Review

Both sides of the coin of justice play a role in this story. The disparity created by a lack of support for accused who are unable to communicate in the language of their chosen country, the way the press and prejudice create a specific frame of reference that has undue influence over the opinions and thereby also possibly court, judge and jury.

On the other side there is pesky legislation (depending on court and country) that often comes into play about the use of prior information that could also influence one way or the way. In this particular scenario Eva keeps pertinent information from the authorities, which could determine a different outcome for Zina, although I'm certain it is the attempt to save the woman.

She sees parallels between her own experiences and the way her mother was treated as an non-English speaking person from a foreign country. It's at the core of her interactions with Zina, despite I think knowing what the truth is - deep down she knows she is capable, but the lack of fairness and inequality towards this woman override everything else.

I really enjoyed the way the author shed a light on the way recognising systemic bias can influence the most important institutions, regardless of guilt or innocence - all deserve an equal chance in court.

It's a captivating read, a tale with a factual story at the core. The unpicking of Zina and Eva, the scrutiny of life as an immigrant and way we interact with others, especially when others look and sound different. It's a fantastic book I hope to read more by this author.

Buy The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book; pub date 25 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara

It's my turn on the Blogtour The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara, published by Bantam Press - 25th April 2024.

'From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a gripping new thriller that asks how well you really know the people you share a home with... After all, living with strangers can be murder...'

About the Author

Lesley Kara is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour, Who Did You Tell?, The Dare and The Apartment Upstairs. The Rumour was the highest selling crime fiction debut of 2019 in the UK, and a Kindle No.1 bestseller. Lesley is an alumna of the Faber Academy 'Writing a Novel' course. She lives in Kent.

You can follow Lesley on Twitter @LesleyKara or visit her website at lesleykara.com

About the book

The Queen of the killer twist is back in this gripping closed-circle thriller about an unusual home full of strangers, with a murderer in their midst… 

Marlow has always lived in unusual places. But when she accepts a position as a live-in property guardian, she finds herself moving somewhere she swore she’d never return to. Right from the start, she knows it’s a terrible mistake. The elegant Victorian school is due to be turned into luxury apartments, but its eerie, empty corridors are full of Marlow’s worst memories.

And now something sinister is happening on the site. One of the other tenants has disappeared without warning, and Marlow suspects that the nine other guardians know far more than they’re letting on. She’s determined to find out what happened to the missing woman – but which of these strangers can she trust? And can she uncover the truth before her own past catches up with her?

Review

From a plot scenario perspective I was in two minds about the concept of being a property guardian - by the way is this a thing? The idea of living in extraordinary spaces, unusual or perhaps those reserved for the more privileged, it's intriguing. A little bit like treasure hunting, urban exploring and the appreciation of spaces.

The flip-side includes the trauma inducing deserted places, the shabby and spooky ones, but the dealbreaker for me would probably be the having to share living space with complete strangers on the spur of a moment. Frequently changing people and no control over how many or how often it may happen. Unless we are talking desperate measures, the apocalypse or a zombie invasion, I'm not sure I would ever agree to the above.

I think it's the combination of enticing and trust your gut instinct that makes the concept such a great idea, because the reader kind of knows it has the potential to go really wrong for someone - is that someone Marlow?

Marlow finds herself right back at the core of her inner trauma when her role as property guardian takes her right back to her previous life, this time with a bunch of strangers who seem curiously disinterested in the disappearance of the person she is replacing.

It's very much an atmosphere and space/place driven story, the author uses the evoked visuals to create a constant current of danger, fear and suspicion. It's a great read.

Buy The Other Tenant at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bantam Press; pub date 25th April 2024 | Hardback | £14.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear.

About the Author

Caz Frear has a first class degree in History and Politics, and spent twelve years working as a headhunter before she started writing. She hasn’t lost her enthusiasm for networking, and is a popular member of the crime fraternity. She lives in Coventry with her husband. 

Her debut, the number one bestseller Sweet Little Lies, was the winner of the Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition 2017 and went on to sell over 250,000 copies. It was followed by Stone Cold Heart and Shed No Tears, both of which feature her police detective Cat Kinsella. Five Bad Deeds is her first standalone thriller. Follow @CazziF on X

About the book

One Womans Secret, Two sides to every story, Three deadly betrayals, Four potential suspects, Five bad deeds.

Ellen Walsh has done something very, very bad. If only she knew what it was . . .

Teacher, mother, wife, and all-around good citizen Ellen is juggling non-stop commitments, from raising a teen and two toddlers to job-hunting, to finally renovating her dream home, the Meadowhouse. Amidst the chaos, an ominous note arrives in the mail declaring:

Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.

Why would someone send her this note? Ellen has no clue. She's no angel - a white lie here and there, an occasional sharp tongue - but nothing to incur the wrath of an anonymous enemy.

Everyone around Ellen - her husband, her teenage daughter, her sister, her best friend, her neighbours - can guess why, though. They all know from bitter experience that while Ellen’s intentions are always good, this ultimately counts for very little when you’ve (unintentionally?) blown up someone’s life. Could the five bad deeds that come to haunt Ellen explain why things have gone so horribly wrong?

As she races to discover who’s set on destroying her life, Ellen receives more anonymous messages, each one more threatening than the last . . . and each hitting closer and closer to home and everything she cherishes.

Review

I really enjoyed the vibe of this story - deliciously wicked undertone of authenticity and lack of clarity when it comes to black or white - everyone has their own version of somewhere in between. Sharp wit, thoughtless jibes, nasty intentions - no wonder someone has had enough and wants to expose the hypocrisy.

Interestingly Ellen doesn't really evoke sympathy, empathy or much compassion. I think the majority of readers understand why Orla makes Ellen ragey, why hubby frustrates her, why the twins make her feel as if her life is a constant cycle of chaos. Her sister is somewhere between frenemy and jealous friend, her friends a necessity for appearances - actually that seems to be a lot of negativity, perhaps because it is and she is.

That's without even wandering into the murky secrets Ellen keeps locked away, not well enough it seems. Someone is out to expose her one secret at a time - she isn't the only one keeping secrets though. As the threats pile in Ellen becomes a little less cautious and a lot more willing to keep her life intact.

It's a riveting psychological thriller. The sharp-tongued and brutally honest main character resonates, mainly because life really is just a series of choices, secrets, compromises and challenges. Some of us can cope with them without doing anything drastic, other people not so much. Highly recommend.

Buy Five Bad Deeds at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Uk; pub date 11th April 2024 | Hardback £14.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Death in Nonna's Kitchen by Alex Coombs

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Death in Nonna's Kitchen by Alex Coombs. It's the second book in the An Old Forge Café Mystery series.

About the Author

Alex Coombs was born in Lambeth in South London and studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities. Murder on the Menu was his first book in the new series: the Old Forge Café Mysteries. Alex lives in the Chilterns. Follow @AlexCoombsCrime on X

About the book

When famous TV chef Matteo McLeish turns up at the Old Forge Café and offers chef Charlie Hunter a place in his kitchen for the duration of Hampden Green’s local opera festival, she thinks it’s because he rates her cooking skills. In fact it’s because he’s heard she’s good in a crisis. The wholesome star of Nonna’s Kitchen is being blackmailed by one of his team.

Tempted by an improbably large pay cheque and the boost to to her CV, Charlie accepts his offer. Does the threat lie close to home, or back in Italy with Matteo’s culinary roots? And can Charlie find the blackmailer before she’s swept up in an avalanche of death and scandal?

Review

At first Charlie thinks Matteo the celebrity TV chef wants her for her kitchen talents, but it turns out her sleuthing skills are a much higher priority for him. Oh well, as long as everyone thinks Matteo has picked her to be part of his skilled staff, because she is an excellent chef, that's all that matters, right? Charlie doesn't take appearances that seriously, she does however put her restaurant first - always.

Matteo expects Charlie to find a blackmailer, a snake hidden among his own team. Someone intent on destroying his reputation and that of his loved one. At least it seems as if that is all that is at stake, until death comes knocking and that changes everything.

Although the cast of characters from the first book come into play, they do stand in the shadow of Matteo and his team of kitchen experts a wee bit. I'd love to see a little more of some of the characters who had quite comical moments before, although Charlie is definitely the one at the centre of everything. 

I can envision this as screen series, with plenty of food and dessert shots for the foodies of course, but it definitely has a quaint cosy mystery element to it, despite the fact it does wander into more subjects at times. This is the second book in the series, but it can absolutely be read as a standalone book. 

Buy Death in Nonna's Kitchen at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: No Exit Press; pub date 11 April 2024 - £9.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Secret Keepers by Tilly Bagshawe

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Secret Keepers by Tilly Bagshawe.

About the Author

Tilly Bagshawe is the internationally bestselling author of nineteen previous novels and has written for newspapers and magazines including the Sunday Times, Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. She lives in London with her husband and 4 children. She is available for interview and to write features. 

About the book

Sweeping from the French Riviera to the wind-blown Cornish cliffs, this is a spellbinding novel about the fates and fortunes of the Challant family – and the devastating secrets that echo through the years . . 

The beautiful bastide at Beaulieu-sur-Mer has always been an idyllic retreat for the Challant family, a place of glorious memories and sun-drenched summers. But the summer of 1928 changes everything. 

One humid, stormy night, a young local boy suffers a fatal accident in the bastide’s grounds – and the suspicious circumstances around his death sets off a chain of whispers in the town on the Riviera. 

For the Challant children, they have no choice but to move on and leave those terrible events in the past. But through the years of loves and losses, marriages and betrayals, the Challants’ lives will always be tainted by that night. And it’s only by unlocking devastating family secrets that they’ll finally be set free…

Review

The Challant children are wedged between a mother who secretly despises herself and her husband for not being able to live the life she wants. Her soul wants to be the artist, and yet she is as caged as the birds she treasures in her remarkable aviary. Her husband rules the roost with a patriarchal sense of superiority. 

As the reader moves from the adult children in the future back to important periods in their past, it becomes clear that a tragic event has not only triggered a lifetime of fears and insecurities, but perhaps also determined the paths the children have taken. The adults they grow into, the baggage they carry and the secrets they keep - it has the potential to destroy them.

I think Bagshawe deviates from her usual popular recipe with this book - it has more of a family and tortured emotional bond meets the demands of unresolved trauma vibe. Evolving from the physical to the fraught webs of the kind of relationships that weave webs of invisible patterns across both decades and people.

It's contemporary fiction with a steadfast hold in the past. A story driven by past fears, trauma, conflicted feelings of guilt, and at the core of it all is a tragic mystery.

Buy The Secret Keepers at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Harper Collins; pub date 11th April 2024 | PBO | Audio | Ebook | £8.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan

It's a pleasure to take part on the Blogtour Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan .Two detectives - One human, One AI. And the hunt for an undetectable killer... 

'The hotly anticipated follow-up to Sunday Times bestseller In The Blink of an Eye, one of the most talked about and original debuts of 2023'

About the Author

Jo Callaghan works fulltime as a senior strategist, where she has carried out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing In the Blink of an Eye, her debut crime novel, which explores learning to live with loss and what it means to be human. In 

The Blink of an Eye was selected for BBC 2’s ‘Between the Covers’ in Spring 2023, and Jo was a featured debut at Harrogate Crime Festival and Bloody Scotland Festival. She lives with her two children in the Midlands. Leave No Trace is her second novel. Follow @JoCallaghanKat on X

About the book

One detective driven by instinct, the other by logic. It will take both to find a killer who knows the true meaning of fear . . . 

When the body of a man is found crucified at the top of Mount Judd, AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI Detective – and DCS Kat Frank are thrust into the spotlight as they are given their first live case. But with the discovery of another man’s body – also crucified – it appears that their killer is only just getting started...  

The police issue a controversial warning to local men to be vigilant: do not walk home alone at night, do not leave a pub with a stranger… The Future Policing Unit is thrust into a hostile media frenzy as they desperately search for connections between the victims. But time is running out for them to join the dots, so they must combine their human instinct and algorithms to catch the killer before the strike again.  

For if Kat and Lock know anything, it’s that killers rarely stop – until they are made to. 

Review

This is the second book in the Kat and Lock series, where AI Detective Lock and Detective Kat Frank deal with their first live case - a heinous murder with disturbing details. Can their combined talents help them find a vicious killer who has only just started their reign of terror. Logic, pattern recognition and facts vs hands-on experience and the human factor, a win - win combo, right?

Kudos for using this threat to men and the recommendations or safety strategies they are asked to put in place, which in turn highlights the reality of dangers women live with daily and the strategies they have to use all the time.

Not going to lie - I find this futuristic concept of police and detective work quite fascinating. Perhaps more so because the author presents the limitations, the scrutiny, the criticism and equally also the positive aspects of this kind of technological advancement. I'm hoping we also get an similar adversary with less positive intentions, but that might create an irreversible question mark above Lock and the existence of AI technology in a human driven field of work. Can fact or should fact and patterns always supersede the element of humanity and compassion?

After the great success of the first book in the series, it was great to see the second live up to the hype. I think it has so much potential going forward, ergo let's have more please.

Buy Leave No Trace at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Uk, pub date 28 March 2024 | Hardback | £16.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Clickbait by L. C. North

It's a pleasure to take part on the Blogtour Clickbait by L. C. North.

About the Author

L.C. North studied psychology at university before pursuing a career in Public Relations. Her book club thrillers - The Ugly Truth and Clickbait - combine her love of psychology and her fascination with the celebrities in the public eye. When she's not writing, she co-hosts the crime thriller podcast, In Suspense. She lives on the Suffolk borders with her family.

L.C. North is the pen name of Lauren North. Readers can follow @Lauren_C_North on X and Facebook @LaurenNorthAuthor.

About the book

'We're not famous anymore. We're notorious.' - For over a decade, the Lancasters were celebrity royalty, with millions tuning in every week to watch their reality show, Living with the Lancasters.

But then an old video emerges of one of their legendary parties. Suddenly, they're in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons: witnesses swore they'd seen missing teenager Bradley Wilcox leaving the Lancaster family home on the night of the party, but the video tells a different story.

Now true crime investigator and YouTuber Tom Isaac is on the case. He's determined to find out what really happened to Bradley - he just needs to read between the Lancasters' lies . . .

Because when the cameras are always rolling, it won't be long until someone cracks.

Review

The Lancasters are notorious or rather they have created a version of themselves that has become so, which people want to see and buy into. When things go a little quieter a convenient scandal, mystery or controversial topic catapults them back into the limelight. True crime investigator Tom aka a Tubie detective decides he is going to bring the truth to the people, well what functions as the truth nowadays, which is at the core of this story.

With a storytelling style that has a Hallett and Wesolowski vibe to it - modern communication, social media and the new version of fame meets infamy, makes this crime thriller not only a must read, but also a read that is a sign of the times.

Tapping into the melding of black and white into a vast variety of what right or wrong may or may not be. Guilt becomes obsolete when the court of mass opinion matters more. Equally the mass opinion is merely about popularity, clicks, likes and how much money you can earn at the end of the day. 

North definitely hits the right notes and captures the nature of the beast. There is definitely a correlation between creating false narratives and drama to gain traction on social media and in the news, then to rinse and repeat ad infinitum - controversy and scandal sells. News as we know it no longer exists, facts have become secondary to the opinions of everyone, including so-called journalists.

Buy Clickbait at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bantam, pub date 11th April 2024 - Hardback | £14.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Honour Among Spies by Merle Nygate.

About the Author

Merle Nygate is a screenwriter, script editor, screenwriting lecturer and novelist; she's worked on BAFTA winning TV, New York Festival audio drama and written original sitcoms; previously she worked for BBC Comedy Commissioning as well as writing and script editing across multiple genres. Most recently, Merle completed her first espionage novel which won the Little Brown/UEA Crime Fiction Award. It was described by the judge as 'outstanding'. Follow @MerleNygate on X

About the book

Eli Amiram – Mossad's star spy runner – returns in this fast-moving and international spy thriller which sees two complex plots collide with a potentially apocalyptic outcome.

At the heart of London's spy operations, Mossad head of station Eli carries the scars of a past disaster while grappling with the turbulent political landscape back home. His resolve to uphold his duty and keep his job is tested like never before.

Desperate to tip the scales in the espionage game, Eli concocts a risky plan involving tampered drones destined for Russian hands. But to execute this plan, he has to exploit those closest to him. Eli's moral compass clashes with the mission, leading him down a treacherous path of betrayal.

As the stakes escalate, Eli finds himself embroiled in a deadly web, racing to foil an apocalyptic agenda. With the clock ticking, alliances are tested, sacrifices are made, and Eli must confront the consequence of his actions head-on.

Eli and his team must navigate a shadowy underworld to prevent a terrorist plot from unleashing chaos on a global scale. Will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them all?

A must-read for fans of Homeland and NCIS, it will also appeal to readers of Charles Cumming and John le Carré.

Review

I enjoyed the way the two plots or threads came together, and also that one of them has a very distinct question of loyalty and truth attached to it. Ironically not necessarily the one you might expect. The story, which is a non-stop fast-paced story about the murky world of spydom. Not the raincoat meet on a foggy bridge and exchange prisoners kind of cold war world of spies, but the new cold war - an underbelly of politics and profit that really does not have much time for honour.

Although I am sure perpetrators would shout their grievance at that perception, they are of course in their own eyes driven by a code of honour, regardless of whether the core is religion, misogyny, racism or political affiliation. Can there be a honour or code as such between the people tasked with fighting this underbelly of threats, can it exist in this new version of cold war? The keeping countries, who are on the possible brink of starting the unforgiveable from breaking fragile peace - or what is called peace nowadays.

I have to admit I was fascinated by the title, perhaps more so because my brain automatically allocated a No to the title, which then made me wonder why I had that inner instinct. In this often brutally honest story, which is carried by the tactical ruthless characters, there is a glimpse of the humane and compassionate side of them they have to pack into a wee locked box, because the truth has to stay hidden at all times.

This brings me to the ethical compass Eli, and others, have to balance when it comes to their personal relationships. Can you ever live in a relationship of any kind when everything is based on lies and more lies? If you lie about who you are and what you do 24/7, then how can anything you say or do ever be trusted?

Of course that doesn't make Eli any less of a great asset in the world of espionage, but perhaps that world will always take centre stage, whilst everything and everyone else falls to the wayside.

It's a story that never stops moving, gaining impetus as grey areas become more frequent in this riveting spy thriller - in a story where good, bad, right or wrong are merely words and no longer have any meaning.

Buy Honour Among Spies at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎No Exit Press; pub date 11 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky. From Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time and winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, Lords of Uncreation is the final high-octane instalment in The Final Architecture space opera trilogy.

About the Author

Adrian Tchaikovsky lives in Leeds, with his wife and son. Adrian is a keen live role-player and occasional amateur actor. He has also trained in stage-fighting and keeps no exotic or dangerous pets of any kind - possibly excepting his son.

Adrian is the author of the critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series, the Echoes of the Fall series and other novels, novellas and short-stories. the Tiger and the Wolf won the British Fantasy Award for Best Fantasy Novel and Children of Time won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction. Follow @aptshadow on X

About the book

He's found a way to end their war, but will humanity survive to see it?

Idris Telemmier has uncovered a secret that changes everything - the Architects' greatest weakness. A shadowy Cartel scrambles to turn his discovery into a weapon against these alien destroyers of worlds. But be. But between them and victory stands self-interest. The galaxy's great powers would rather pursue their own agendas than stand together against this shared terror.

Human and inhuman interests wrestle to control Idris's discovery, a= as the galaxy erupts into a mutually destructive and self-defeating war. The other great obstacle to striking against their alien threat is Idris himself. He knows that the Architects, despite their power, are merely tools of a higher intelligence.

Deep within unspace, where time moves differently, and reality isn't quite what it seems, their masters are the true threat. Masters who are just becoming aware of humanity's daring - and taking steps to exterminate this annoyance forever.

Review

Coming into this third book in the series I felt as if the worldbuilding was so intricate that the previous books were a must, however 'the story so far' part of the book also gives a non-previous reader a decent structure to engage with the story on a level that allows them to step straight into the story.

It did feel as if at times the character development suffered a wee bit under the weight of the multitude of both human, alien and the in-between species come existential components with strong survival and often almost innate push to control and conquer. This third book also begins with an almost imperceptible nudge nudge wink to the readers 'can I bring it all together or not' and then it's up to the reader to decide whether the author does.

Make no mistake though you have to bring your braincell a-game to the table or this complex sci-fi space opera might just eat you up and spit you back out. I wonder if the author has that at the back of their mind whilst writing - layer upon layer of structured worldbuilding, let's see who makes it to the final round of the Architecture. It will either consume you or you will inevitably learn to comprehend and battle.

Buy Lords of Uncreation at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Tor; pub date 11 April 2024 - PB £9.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Grand Illusion by Syd Moore

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Grand Illusion by Syd Moore, who is back with a thrilling new series set in WW2.

About the Author

Syd Moore is currently Essex Libraries’ first Author in Residence. Twice shortlisted for a CWA Dagger, she is best known for her Essex Witch Museum Mysteries, a series that explores the witch trials in Essex between 1560 to 1680.  The series was shortlisted for the Good Reader Holmes and Watson Award in 2018 and 2019.  Syd founded the Essex Girls' Liberation Front and successfully got the term ‘Essex Girl’ removed from the Oxford dictionary in 2020. Her debut screenplay, Witch West will go into production in 2024.  She lives in Essex. Follow @SydMoore1 on X

About the book

JUNE 1940.  As Hitler prepares to invade Britain, a secret office hidden away in Whitehall is catapulted into a frenzy of activity and expansion.  Aware of the Nazis’ obsession with the occult, the British Secret Service sets out to exploit this potential weakness in the enemy’s high command.

Twenty-two-year-old Daphne Devine is performing on the London stage as assistant to magician Jonty Trevelyan, aka ‘The Grand Mystique’, when the secret service calls.

Daphne and Jonty find themselves far from the glitz and glamour of the theatre, deep inside the lower levels of Wormwood Scrubs prison.  Here they join secret ranks of astrologers, illusionists and other theatre performers co-opted to the war effort.

Soon Daphne realizes she must risk everything if there is any chance of saving her country…

In the opener to a new historical fiction series Syd Moore brings her unique perspective to a different period - the Second World War. The Grand Illusion is inspired by an event alleged to have taken place in the New Forest in the summer of 1940 - a spectacular magical ritual -  “The Cone of Power” - that would be witnessed by German agents in the area and reported back to the Führer.  Its goal: to avert invasion on British shores.

Review

Can you even imagine being recruited to help save your country, to be part of the greater and wider war efforts to deter the enemy. Oh, and your talents are being a magician and his glamourous assistant. Yeh, either the math ain't mathing or this is going in a very interesting direction. How are you supposed to save everyone? Perhaps with the bunny in a hat trick?

I have always been intrigued by the strategic decision making during WW2 by Germany or Hitler and his leadership team. Just leaving aside the horrific obsession the man had with eugenics and his planned genocide of the Jewish population and just looking at his strategy to occupy one country after the other. From a strategic point of view the choice to focus on Russia and come back to Britain at a later date is what cost him the war. He overestimated his resources and their ability to stretch, supply across such a vast area, and underestimated the country.

By taking the what can only be described as one of many unusual approaches to saving Britain from an invasion or becoming one of the many occupied countries during the Nazi regime, the combination of fact and fiction come together to create this remarkable and interesting story. I kind of love the thought that this could have a smidgen of truth at the core. I've read other books that mention a certain obsession with the occult and asking for direction, which would have made a specific person susceptible to being led in decision making.

It has the old-school charm of Foyle's War with the chaotic element of wartime Jonathan Creek with Daphne as the driving force of the story. She is the glue that keeps Jonty upright, on task and from self-destructing. I can't wait to see where this series goes next.

Buy The Grand Illusion at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Magpie, an imprint of Oneworld, pub date 18 April 2024 - Hardback £16.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Romanov Brides by Clare McHugh

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Romanov Brides - A Novel of the Last Tsarina and Her Sisters by Clare McHugh.

About the Author

Clare McHugh is the author of A Most English Princess, a historical novel about the family of Queen Victoria, and The Romanov Brides. A former newspaper reporter and magazine editor, McHugh graduated from Harvard College with a degree in European history. She currently lives in London and in Amagansett, NY. Follow @Claremch on X

About the book

From the author of A Most English Princess comes a rich novel about young Princess Alix of Hesse—the future Alexandra, last Empress of Imperial Russia—and her sister, Princess Ella. Their decision to marry into the Romanov royal family changed history. They were granddaughters of Queen Victoria and two of the most beautiful princesses in Europe.

Princesses Alix and Ella were destined to wed well and wisely. But while their grandmother wants to join them to the English and German royal families, the sisters fall in love with Russia—and the Romanovs.

Defying the Queen’s dire warnings, Ella weds the tsar’s brother, Grand Duke Serge. Cultivated, aloof, and proud, Serge places his young wife on a pedestal for all to admire. Behind palace gates, Ella struggles to secure private happiness.

Alix, whisked away to Russia for Ella’s wedding, meets and captivates Nicky—heir apparent to the Russian throne. While loving him deeply, Alix hears a call of conscience, urging her to walk away. Their fateful decisions to marry will lead to tragic consequences for not only themselves and their families, but for millions in Russia and around the globe.

The Romanov Brides is a moving and fascinating portrait of two bold and spirited royal sisters, and brings to vivid life imperial Russia—a dazzling, decadent world on the brink of disappearing forever.

Review

This is the story of how Princess Alix and Princess Ella shape not only a shift in political landscape of Imperial Russia, but also become tragic symbols of said change. One could argue that sometimes the last drop in the overflowing barrel is the perhaps not the most significant drop, but certainly the trigger that tips the scales.

I wonder how many of the decisions Alix made in relation to her son and his healthcare, which ultimately contributed to putting herself and her family in a dangerous position, were driven by her experiences as a child. The trauma of losing a parent and a close sibling must have left scars and perhaps the haemophilia in her young son triggered a response that was not very rational.

I admit it's hard not to think of the fates Alix, Ella and their family members meet whilst reading about the paths they wandered to get to that point. Ultimately the connection both sisters create with the people and country of their choosing, costs them their lives. The inability to read the room/country and perhaps learn from history.

Kudos to the author for including genealogy and family origins, it creates a better understanding of the bigger picture. The way the monarchies are interlinked, related and the power base was spread across many countries. It's a good read, perhaps more so because the moments the sisters are most known for - their deaths - become secondary to the lives they led before.

Buy The Romanov Brides at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎William Morrow Paperbacks pub date 28 Mar. 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Sanctuary of the Shadow by Aurora Ascher, this is book 1 in the Elemental Emergence series.

About the Author

Paranormal & fantasy romance author Aurora Ascher loves misunderstood mythical monsters, redeemable anti-heroes, and epic happily-ever-afters.

A woman of many creative pursuits, Aurora is also a professional musician and visual artist. She currently resides in Montreal with her trusty espresso machine and her endlessly patient husband, whom she sometimes doesn't see for hours until she emerges from her writing cave like a bear in springtime.

About the book

Enter the circus at your own risk… and discover the greatest show on earth in this explosive and darkly magical fantasy novel.

For humans, the circus is a place filled with wonder and amazement. For Harrow, it's a place to hide from those who slaughtered her entire clan. Disguising her abilities as part of her act has kept her true identity safe for years. Until he arrives.

A strange new attraction with no name, no memory of who – or even what – he is, let alone an explanation for his odd yet deadly powers. But beneath the layers of anger and isolation, one glimpse into his inky eyes reveals a soul that calls out to the loneliness in her own. And so, she chooses him.

Harrow is drawn to the darkness, to her insatiable need to soothe the beast who threatens their very existence. But with every secret she unlocks from his past, another from hers is revealed – luring enemies who will stop at nothing to get their final revenge on Harrow. And she's afraid she's given them the perfect weapon against her because he's not what he seems.

But maybe it's time they finally learn neither is she…

Review

I loved the idea of oddities and on-show being a feared, forbidden and yet similar entity to the human element. You fear the difference, love the sameness, The divide creates an insurmountable wall between the two fractions. The negativity they receive both cements the feeling of being other and widens the divide.

It's a fascinating work of fantasy with main characters often walking both sides of the light and darkness. That is especially evident in the beginning when Harrow senses impending doom, when Salizar appears to be both a strong leader and a man who caters for the thirsty public, and of course Raith who may or may not be darkness personified.

Looking forward to seeing where this one goes. The intricate world-building is built upon a bed of ruthless rivalry and war, which has split into rivets of separation and mistrust. Somewhere behind the ever shifting construction of the circus is a spark of hope, and danger.

I hope that this constant moving variable of past and present remains a part of the story. The way it impacts the characters, their interactions and their stories.

Buy Sanctuary of the Shadow at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publication: pub date28th March 2024 | Hardback | Bantam | £18.99 retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Nowhere Girls by Dana Perry

It's a pleasure to take part in the Bookouture Books on Tour Blogtour for The Nowhere Girls by Dana Perry - also featuring the next two books in the Detective Nikki Cassidy series, The Last One to Die and The Lost Ones.

About the Author

I am a New York City author who writes mystery thrillers under the pen name of Dana Perry - and also as R.G. Belsky. My new thriller for Bookouture is The Nowhere Girls, the first in a series featuring Detective Nikki Cassidy. Book 2, Last One to Die and Book 3, The Lost Ones, will also be published on April 2nd. 

Contact me at DanaPerryAuthor@yahoo.com, via @DanaPerryAuthor on X or @danaperryauthor on Facebook. Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Dana Perry here: https://www.bookouture.com/dana-perry

About - The Nowhere Girls

My kid sister was murdered fifteen years ago. Now the killer has struck again. And this time, I’m going to take my revenge…

On the anniversary of her sister’s death, FBI agent Nikki Cassidy takes a call that has her heart pounding in her chest, the image of her beautiful sister Caitlin etched in her mind.

Another girl has been taken. The killer is back. - Nikki rushes to her small hometown of Groveton, Ohio. She will do anything to stop another young girl dying, but she soon realises that nothing is what it seems—everyone in her hometown is keeping a secret. And when a note is discovered near Natalie’s body addressed to Nikki, it’s clear what the murderer really wants: her…

She’s caught killers before, but this time it’s personal. And Nikki will risk everything—even her own life—to get justice for every victim. It’s time to stop this twisted killer, once and for all…

Review

One could argue that Nikki is driven by a deep-seated feeling of guilt, the need to stop abusers and predators is secondary, and the job she does comes a lonely third. It may seem as if Detective Nikki Cassidy has all her eggs in a basket, a successful career and loving relationship with her husband-to-be, but the truth is her past is only ever one second away from her daily life.

One of the things that ties her so tightly to the tragedy of Caitlin's disappearance and murder, is her repeated attempts to get the murderer to explain it all to her. Why Caitlin, how did he take her, and most importantly the details of each second before he killed her baby sister. Every year on the anniversary Nikki contacts the tight-lipped prisoner, and every year there is nothing but silence.

This time it's different, not only is he willing to talk to Nikki, the past seems to be repeating itself. Another young girl has gone missing and a vital clue connected to the previous murder proves that someone outside the prison walls knows exactly what happened to Caitlin.

It's a fast-paced crime thriller with a main character who is at best slightly unstable, because her core emotions that are reined in tightly, are slowly seeping through into her day-today life. It puts her in a position that is precarious - you often don't see the risk or the betrayal when you aren't paying attention. Let's hope the truth doesn't chip away at that wall she has built around her, chip away until only fragility is left.

Buy The Nowhere Girls at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ Bookouture; pub date 2 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

About - Last One to Die

Ten days ago, straight-A student Jessica Stanley ran away from home. Now her lifeless body lies pale and still in an empty parking lot, her unblinking brown eyes staring up to the night sky…

FBI agent Nikki Cassidy’s heart pounds as she takes in the short, dark hair and delicate features of fourteen-year-old schoolgirl Jessica Stanley. It’s another unsolved murder in Groveton, Ohio, just like her sister, Caitlin, fifteen years before. Her family beg her to keep her distance, but Nikki knows she can’t walk away. - What if her sister’s killer is back?

Talking to Jessica’s heartbroken family, Nikki learns that she wasn’t happy at home. Just days ago, she packed a few belongings into her school backpack and left, never to be seen alive again.

Determined to give Jessica’s family the answers she never found for herself, Nikki works around the clock, trawling hours of CCTV footage from the scene. And just when she thinks she’s close to uncovering the truth, a chilling email arrives that confirms her deepest fear. There are more victims, Nikki. Can you ever stop me?

This killer is playing a dangerous game, and he has Nikki in his sights now—one wrong move and she could be his next victim. She’s determined to unmask the monster who has tortured her hometown for decades. But what if the killer is someone close to her? What if it’s someone she loves?

Review

The main character can be a bit of a mixed bag, perhaps it's the pesky guilty feelings that make her so unlikeable at times. In this sense the character development is on point. Nikki struggles with the way others perceive her part in Caitlin's death, and indeed keeping the emotional turmoil under wraps can be a bit of a task. It probably explains her lack of impulse control when it comes to thoughts and actions sometimes.

Without giving too much away I think tracking patterns of access, vulnerability and groupings of potential victims, is quite important in this book. Perpetrators often look for specific similarities that make a possible victim more susceptible to falling prey to a predator. The patterns that make non-predators want to help, protect and safeguard. Too many victims fall through the cracks.

On a side-note - I just don't get her fascination with Weller. The man was such a red flag, slightly too obsessed with what should have been. I understand the guilt, but perhaps her being in the middle of another tragedy is another way of validating her own negative self-image. Nikki seems to be attracted to men who aren't always fully available - safety valve or self-preservation?

In this second book of the Nikki Cassidy series the past is still the main motivator, and I think there were too many similarities to certain key elements of the first book. Unless there is a plot purpose it just looks a bit repetitive.

Let's hope Nikki can move beyond the depths of betrayal and the depravity of predators, and even find the perfect partner going forward.

Buy Last One to Die at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Bookouture; pub date 2 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

About - The Lost Ones

As dawn breaks over a small gas station on the outskirts of Groveton, Ohio, the body of a teenage girl lies totally still. Long blonde hair covers her face, and a length of frayed rope hangs loosely around her neck. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds her, just like her killer intended…

When FBI agent Nikki Cassidy receives a call from Groveton’s Chief of Police, her heart pounds. A young girl just knocked on the door of Nikki’s old family home, claiming to be Nikki’s kid sister, Caitlin. But Caitlin was murdered fifteen years ago. Who is the girl and what does she want?

Nikki thinks the impersonator could finally lead her to her sister’s twisted killer. But her hope is shattered when the girl’s lifeless body is found strangled at a local service stop. If the girl knew about Caitlin, could she have known the identity of the killer? Was she murdered before she could unmask them?

Going against her boss’s orders to stay away, Nikki traces the girl’s last known steps to her best friend, Shirley. Nikki learns that the girl was last seen meeting with a stranger at the mall. Could it have been her killer?

Closer than ever to uncovering the truth, Nikki can’t give up now. But when Shirley’s body is found at another service station, a length of rope wound around her neck, her heart shatters. Another young life has been lost. Nikki vows that this will be the last.

When an intruder breaks into her old home, Nikki knows it’s the killer sending her a sign. As she walks into the familiar old house in the dead of night, will she finally get justice and catch her sister’s killer, or did she just walk into a deadly trap?

If you enjoy Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot, you will absolutely love these gripping and totally unputdownable crime thrillers.

Review

What fresh hell has Nikki stumbled into this time? Not only is there another killer on the loose, the past is back again, perhaps in the most egregious way yet. As yet another young girl is found murdered the death of Caitlin wanders back into the spotlight.

Caitlin is back or is it someone pretending to be Caitlin, and if so, why? Why bring a new onslaught of pain and guilt by pretending to be a murder victim - the dead risen from their damp bed of earth. Nikki sees this as a way to find the guilty party. Someone somewhere must be pulling the strings, must be pushing this hurtful and manipulative narrative. Someone who thinks everyone is expendable.

This third book in the Nikki Cassidy series gives a much better indication of why the disappearance and murder of her little sister is the main event in all three books, and clearly after the cliffhanger in this one there is more to come. Kind of makes you question everything.

Where is the author going with it though, what kind of path does he want the reader to embark upon? Equally what happens when the foundation of Nikki's character and career begins to crumble? As we wander through the series it becomes more intertwined with what appears to be a more nefarious agenda.

Buy The Lost Ones on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Bookouture pub date 2 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

Buy The Nowhere Girls - Buy Last One to Die - Buy The Lost Ones