#Blogtour One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks. Published 9th November 2025 by Inkubator Books.

About the Author

Miranda Rijks is a writer of fast-paced, twisty psychological thrillers many of which have been Amazon bestsellers. She has an eclectic background ranging from law to running a garden centre. 

After surviving bone cancer, Miranda turned to writing and is now living the dream, writing suspense novels full time. 

She lives in West Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and two black Labradors and spends as much time as she can in the Swiss Alps. Follow @MirandaRijks on X, @mirandarijksauthor on Instagram, Visit mirandarijks.com

About the book

They were best friends forever. Then Kate made one little mistake…

Kate thought the spreadsheet was harmless—a private ranking of her four best friends detailing their various strengths and weaknesses. But when it leaks online and goes viral, her carefully curated life implodes.

Social invitations vanish, her business crumbles, even her marriage starts to fall apart. It’s as if the silken thread that has been holding everything together has been pulled and now it’s all unravelling.

And it gets worse. Someone on the list seems to be out for revenge, determined to destroy whatever is left of Kate’s perfect life. As anonymous threats multiply and her son falls mysteriously ill, Kate doesn’t know where to turn or who to trust.

Then, as the fallout from the list turns deadly, she finally understands that her one little mistake could cost her everything – including her life.

Review

Just me, am I the only person who found the entire plot swam in the morally grey waters of humanity? I found Kate terribly privileged, conceited, hypocritical and frankly nobody I would care to call friend.

It's a worrying Kodak snapshot of society with an emphasis on female friendship groups. The judgemental nature between both groups and individuals, the invasive and destructive weaponry of social media. Which invisible rule dictates that we must be part of a group of female friends, have best friends or be tied together for a lifetime? Deluding ourselves into thinking that a childhood companion will also be the right fit in adulthood or indeed that the rules of friendship should be applied with a rigor akin to legal instruction embedded in law.

When you pick it apart the story is a fascinating reflection of societal norms and expectations in friendships, but perhaps more importantly the often vicious and toxic relationships between women. In fact, aside from the biggest threat to women in general - we all know the answer to that - the second biggest threat to women are other women. Sad state of affairs.

The attempted destruction of Kate, her reputation and her life, is the beginning of this tense story. An unravelling of her relationships and close scrutiny of her friendship group - ending with unexpected volatility. It's an uncomfortable read at times and a good one. Oh, and if you take anything away from at all, it should be don't make spreadsheets like this - ever. Tut, tut, Kate.

Buy One Little Mistake at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Inkubator Books, pub date 9th November 2025. Buy at Amazon com. 

#Blogtour Vengeful Women by Melanie Blake

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour for the third book in the Falcon Bay series - Vengeful Women by Melanie Blake published 6th November 2025 by Piranha Publishing.

If you're following the tour you will have already seen the Q&A with Melanie Blake that is happening on each stop - question by question and some really intriguing answers to delight fans and readers. Here we go, let's see who Melanie would love to spend some time with:

If you could have dinner with 3 authors, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

1. Shirley Conran because she stands alone. There’s never been another Lace. I’d never run out of questions for her.

2. Jackie Collins because I’d just love her company. I’ve only met her once but I’ve followed her for years. She’d be the best guest – funny, sharp, proper old-school Hollywood. I also want to ask her how much sibling rivalry there was with Joan. I bet that was a saga in itself.

3. And Jacqueline Susann, because I’d want to know how she beat the system that was built to stop her - and how many bottles of Dom she ordered when she finally got her bestseller. Although I think Jacqueline and Jackie might get rivalrous around that table. People said that Jackie copied Jacqueline, and I’d love to see their faces when that came up…

About the Author

Melanie Blake has her own rags-to-riches story, just like her characters. At 15, she was told by her school career advisors that her decision to go work at a record shop proved she wouldn't go far in her career. They were wrong. By 21 she was working at the BBC's iconic Top of the Pops and by 27 she was one of the UK's leading music and entertainment managers. She then built an acting agency specialising in soap stars which become the most successful independent boutique agency in the UK. 

Melanie's first novel The Thunder Girls became a paperback bestseller in 2019 and her most recent novels Ruthless Women and Guilty Women were bot top ten Sunday Times bestsellers in hardback. She has sold over 300,000 copies of her books worldwide. Follow her on X @MelanieBlakeUK and Instagram @MelanieBlakeUK

About the book

From Sunday Times bestselling author Melanie Blake comes a gripping new chapter in the Falcon Bay series ― where showbiz glamour collides with dark secrets, and women who’ve lost everything are ready to fight back.

On a private island off the coast of England, five powerful women sit in jail, awaiting trial for manslaughter: a world-famous soap star, an ambitious talent agent, a ruthless producer, a brilliant screenwriter and a cougar casting director.

The man who put them there, their long-term nemesis Jake Monroe, is cashing in – turning the island they once ruled into a twisted theme park crowned by the world’s tallest skyscraper. While the women plot revenge, old secrets that could change everything begin to surface.

The glossy veneer of their showbiz world was shattered when they were incarcerated and the rot beneath the red carpets and studio lights is beginning to show… and meanwhile, a journalist chasing the truth behind an American serial killer is uncovering stories that could destroy everything – and everyone.

As the body count climbs and the women’s trial date looms, Jake’s empire teeters. Because one thing is certain. Hell has no fury… like vengeful women.

Review

It would be fair to say that Blake is carving out her own uncontested space that was previously ruled by the Grande dames of bonkbusters. Her books have the same flair for negligee swirling divas who like their men robust, their romps fulfilling and their drama hot, just like the tea they serve from page to page.

Farrah, Amanda, Catherine and Helen are behind bars awaiting their trial for manslaughter after the death of their co-worker, Madeline Kane. Do you remember that spectacular incident on live television? No, then you should absolutely read the first two books in the series. What ensues is a captivating game of vengeance and scores that need to be settled.

Be warned though, Jake is still a tosspot who deserves to be fed to hungry sharks, and the main characters - the women of course - are still ten shades of neither here nor there when it comes to morality, but then morality has always been overrated and a smidgen of immorality is always quite fun. Something wicked this way comes and all that jazz.

This is the third book in the Falcon Bay series and can I just say the twist is an homage, a small nod, to Conran - nicely done. At this point, especially after the bold move of bringing the world of Cooper to the small screen, it would be a hoot to see the same happen with this series. The casting would have to be on point though!

Buy Vengeful Women at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Piranha Publishing, pub date 6th November 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Via Waterstones. Via Bookshop.org. 

#Blogtour Storm Flower by Keegan and Tristen Kozinski

 It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Storm Flower by Keegan and Tristen Kozinski. Published by Crazy House Publishing, pub date 5 September 2000. Tour courtesy of Zooloo's Book Blog Tours.

About the Author

Keegan and Tristen Kozinski, and their two sisters, were homeschooled. They were encouraged to try many things, but not television, online gaming, social media, and the other various technology devices. Their mother read aloud to all of them extensively and encouraged them to read, read, read, and then read some more.  They played family boardgames at least one day a week, (playing board games with the family is still one of their favorite things to do) occasionally went to the movies, spent hours at book stores just reading, they hiked, travelled, swam, tried a variety of sports even camping, but nobody really liked it.

Keegan spent hours building k-nex, but never got into legos. He has taken online drawing classes with Glenn Vilppu and CGMA academy.

Tristen is a very hands-off beekeeper. He began playing chess while living in Mexico, and for a number of years played weekly and attended local competitions, but has since switched to other interests. As with all good education, writing is essential. They were given their fair share of opportunities to write.

They decided to become writers after a homeschool writing assignment. That assignment eventually became their first book: THE DARKNESS THAT SLEPT.  We started it at the age of thirteen—it took years to finish. We have since published a few short stories, and two other novels: THE CITY OF LOCKED DOORS, and STORMFLOWER.

They live in northern Alabama and work a real job to pay the bills. When they’re not working or writing or drawing, they enjoy boardgames and online gaming, live theater, listening to soundtracks, walking to discuss ideas, and reading.       They are not particularly fond of social media.

Tristen writes reviews for books he reads/listens to and posts them on Adventuresome Book Reviews. Keegan has done all the cover art for their books. If you would like for them to review a book contact them. Follow @TristenKozinski Visit kozinskibooks.com

About the book

THEY call and some hear.

On the ocean world Charybdis, two orphans were searching. When the corportacracy found them, they said they had no memory of their family —they lied.

Jade and Ilin Dieza were taken, raised to kill the inter-dimensional monstrosities known as revenants. They excelled at it until quiet PLANS and madness tore open a gate between dimensions and unleashed a tide of revenants. Amidst the slaughter, Ilin was dragged through to the other side of existence. Jade followed.

She returned minutes later, years older, bent under the weight of her brother’s body. Now Jade lives as a recluse, haunted by secrets, grief, and guilt. Utterly exhausted, all she wants to do is rest.

Except, a revenant speaks to her, an unnatural plague is spreading, and a friend speaks of an alien compulsion he doesn’t understand. One he must never explore, lest all that lies hidden drags him below. Thus, the second PLAN has begun, and the madness that corrupted the first has worsened.

Review

I'd like to just start off by saying that a Revenant is one thing, but one with humanoid faces and limbs at the end of whatever they use to move around (often in multiples) is just a tad much - a literal nightmare. Something about the imagery makes the thought of them even worse, perhaps not as much as having a unexpected convo with one though. That's just a whole other level.

Jade barely swims above the surface of the grief she carries around with her. The flashbacks, the memories, the fear and the guilt. Now and again a sliver opens up and she is overwhelmed by what haunts her soul. On the flip side is the Jade who answers the call and fights the unpredictable, ruthless and always voracious revenants.

It's a cracking read. A smorgasbord of sci-fi meets speculative fiction brimming with the zesty rebellious vibe of Cyberpunk plus a dab of fantastical world-building. The kind of read that connects the moral fibre of humanity, threads empathy with the fraught emptiness of civilisation built on fear, control and violence.

The question is where does Jade go from here. The choices are limited and confine her ability to live a life less on the edge. The oppression makes her heart weep, but her soul burns with rage.

Buy StormFlower at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Crazy House Publishing, pub date 5 Sept. 2000. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Flames of Justice by Janey Clarke

 It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Flames of Justice: The Devil's Mountain by Janey Clarke. Tour courtesy of Zooloos Book Blog Tours.

About the Author

Janey Clarke writes charming, witty, cosy mysteries. From septuagenarian shenanigans in Cornwall to the intrigue of Regency-era whodunits and now to her newest venture into the rugged drama of the Wild West. 

When not plotting her next twist or researching historical details, she can be found exploring the stunning Jurassic Coast in Dorset with her loyal spaniel by her side. With a passion for tea, old books, and well-timed humour, Janey Clarke creates stories she hopes will whisk readers away to delightful worlds where solving a mystery is always the order of the day. And always solved by a feisty heroine! Visit her at www.janeyclarke.com to learn more about her books. Follow @janeyclarke on X or visit janeyclarke.com

About the book

In the rugged heart of the Devil’s Mountains, danger lies in every shadow, and courage is tested at every turn. Josh and Amy find themselves thrust into a treacherous web of conspiracy and survival when a perilous rescue mission delivers cryptic papers into their hands. These documents expose a confederate plot led by the infamous Jesse James, marking them as targets of mysterious black-clad figures who demand their silence—or their lives.

Shadowhawk, a sinister and vengeful figure, terrorizes local homesteads, leaving cryptic biblical verses promising judgment in his wake. Meanwhile, a relentless stalker hunts Josh, and a devastating grasshopper swarm threatens their land and livelihood.

Amidst the chaos, their feelings for each other grow, but that vulnerability could be their greatest risk! With government intrigue, ruthless bandits, and ancient prophecies closing in, Josh and Amy must summon every ounce of strength and courage to navigate the mounting dangers. As the shadows of the past and present close in, they race against time to uncover the truth, secure the treasure, and carve out a future—before the untamed West claims them all.

Review

This is the third book in the The Devil’s Mountain Dames series. It can be read as a standalone, but for continuity it would be a good idea to read the first two books. The pre-existing storylines are easy to pick up, whilst new ones are evolving. 

In a town called Nowhere there seems to be a lot going on and it appears to attract a variety of people, including infamous gangs, people with secrets and the trail of Jesuit gold. A slow-burning potential relationship adds to the atmosphere of the series - we are all rooting for them!

One of those is the mystery of Josh, who has no clue what his story is, just that he appears to be the target of some interesting people, and when I say interesting I mean dangerous. What kind of secrets is Josh carrying around with him in that deep dark space called brain?

It fits nicely into the cosy Western genre. Keeping the read pleasurable whilst giving an idea of historical context and simultaneously creating a series full of memorable characters the reader is happy to follow.

Buy The Flames of Justice at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blossom Spring Publishing, pub date: ‎16 April 2025. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Wish by Heather Morris

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Wish by Heather Morris. Published by Zaffre Books on 11th of September 2025. Tour run courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Heather Morris is an international no.1 bestseller and has sold over 19 million copies worldwide. This brand-new novel is a fresh direction for Heather but speaks to all the themes that readers know and love her for: hope in the darkest of places, family, love and courage.

Born in New Zealand, Heather Morris is passionate about stories of survival, resilience and hope. In 2003, while working in a large public hospital in Melbourne, Heather was introduced to an elderly gentleman who 'might just have a story worth telling'. The day she met Lale Sokolov changed both their lives. Lale's story formed the basis for The Tattooist of Auschwitz and the follow-up novel, Cilka's Journey. 

In 2021 she published the phenomenal conclusion to the Tattooist trilogy, Three Sisters, after being asked to tell the story of three Holocaust survivors who knew Lale from their time in Auschwitz Birkenau. Together, her novels have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. Sisters Under the Rising Sun, a heart-wrenching novel based upon the experiences of women in Japanese POW camps, was published in 2023 to great acclaim. Heather's first contemporary novel, The Wish, will be published in September 2025. 

About the book

From the international No. 1 bestselling author Heather Morris comes a heartbreaking contemporary novel of a dying teenager's final wish, a lonely young man's journey towards connection, and the unexpected friendship they find together. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult, and John Green. 

Jesse is 15. She loves her friends, her little brother and her parents - even when they're arguing, which feels like constantly these days. But most of all, she loves playing video games. Even from her hospital bed. 

Alex is 29. He doesn't love a lot of things. To be honest, he's not really sure he knows how to. His desk at work, as VR games designer, is empty, much like his life feels sometimes. 

Then Jesse makes a wish. A simple one: a video experience made of her life, something to be there, just in case she isn't. One loving teenager. One lonely adult. Which one will get the happy ending?

Review

In a way the grief of a sudden death differs from one after a prolonged illness. The illness in itself becomes part of a strange grieving process with the possibility of saying goodbye. This story encapsulates the many ripples a tragic death can cause, especially when the dying person is a child or young person. It's perhaps the biggest tragedy, when a short life comes to an end. No time to experience life, to encounter different versions of themselves and the constant reminder of a ticking clock.

The moments experiencing life without the medical constraints and limitations of physical illness are perhaps the most tragic. Conversations with the universe, the sea, the world around her. The sea and waves that speak to Jesse all elements of a freedom and a future she craves.

The essence of the story is more about the way human connections can bring forth a strength, resilience and power that is undeniably an element specific to our race. Sometimes we are powerless in the face of tragedy, how we continue and how we face life afterwards is an individual journey that becomes easier when the path travelled is a shared one.

Morris is quite adept at pulling heartstrings and creating a story that remains with us in more ways than one.

Buy The Wish at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Zaffre in Hardback, eBook, and Audio pub date 11th September 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bookshop org.

#Blogtour The Story of Jenny Greenteeth: By one who knew her by David Renton

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Story of Jenny Greenteeth: By one who knew her by David Renton. Published by Hegemon Press, published 27th August 2025. Tour courtesy of Random Things tours.

About the Author

David Renton is a historian and barrister. He writes for magazines and newspapers in Britain and the US including the London Review of Books,The Guardian, rs21 and Tempest. This is his first novel.

About the book

Niamh is studying in London when the boy she loves dies suddenly. She blames herself for his death and can find little relief from guilt, not with her friends, nor in drunken evenings with her landlady Vron. Her life begins to look up when she encounters a woman who lives alone on a north London canal. When her new friend demands that they go to war against all violent men, Niamh must ask herself whether she is ready for that fight.

Review

Niamh's story walks hand-in-hand with that of Jenny Greenteeth. It's a clever reimagining of a folktale (origins in Lancashire) of a malevolent water hag. It's an interesting way of focusing on the demonisation of women, especially when they don't fit into society or conform and obey to the wishes of those around them.

What are witches, but misunderstood healers or women with a talent for natural medicine to support the people around them. What is folklore on women, but an attempt to justify why they were targeted, isolated and killed, by those who are always on the longer end of the justice stick.

Niamh is struggling with the aftermath of being the target of a vile gossip, a young man she was interested in seems to be the main source. It's a tragedy when something happens to him - courtesy of mysterious bedraggled figure in the water. It takes a bit but eventually the injustice Niamh experiences evolves into said lack of justice creating a path of reoccurring injustices, violence and bad choices.

Troubled girls become troubled women and sometimes they evolve into women who make sure they are listened to and noted. Anger carried like an invisible ball - an ever increasing ball of fury. Some act, others don't. Systemic violence carried from century to century, victims silenced with falsehoods and narratives that create perpetrators out of victims. Blame is a curious game.

It's an intriguing and captivating image of the way society treats women, whilst simultaneously drawing on similarities in the past.

Buy The Story of Jenny Greenteeth at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎ Hegemon Press, publication date 27 Aug. 2025. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Swimmer of Auschwitz by Renaud Leblond

The Swimmer of Auschwitz - The Incredible True Story of the Olympic Hero Who Swam For His Life by Renaud Leblond. Published by Monoray, 14th August 2025. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Alfred Nakache (1915-1983) was a Jewish French swimmer and water polo player. A member of the French team for the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games, he also swam in the first post-war Summer Olympics in London in 1948. He is one of only two Jewish athletes to have competed in the Olympics after surviving the Holocaust.

Editor and writer, Renaud Leblond is the author of several books of history and investigation, including "Main basse sur le génome" (Anne Carrière, 2008), "Le Pouvoir des sectes" (Le Chêne, 2009) and "le Journal de Jules Rimet" (First Éditions, 2014). Passionate about sports, he founded the Jules Rimet Sports Literature Prize in 2012.

About the book

The extraordinary story of Olympian who was imprisoned in Auschwitz and survived to tell his story.

Alfred Nakache, a Jewish child from Constantine, never imagined that he would one day swim for France at the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936, nor than he would achieve a world record, as he did in 1941. As a child he was petrified of the water and yet, somehow, through sheer willpower and determination, he rose to become one of the very best swimmers in the world. That was until 1943, when he was banned from the pool and in the same year, deported and sent to Auschwitz.

Not knowing if he would ever see his wife and daughter again, Alfred battled on, through the humiliation and the pain, even defying the guards by swimming in the water reserves of Auschwitz. Somehow - miraculously - he survived, swimming every day until the end of his life.

The Swimmer of Auschwitz is the unique, true story of a forgotten hero, told with remarkable power and simplicity.

Review

This story highlights the hypocrisy of nations, especially Germany, willing to reward their highly skilled people for sports, science, the arts and perhaps the worst of all the brave who served in previous wars for their countries. None of them were spared, and whilst one life isn't worth more than another, it is particularly concerning how one of us suddenly became one of them, the them becoming a scapegoat and target for everything wrong in the world.

Alfred Nakache was a highly regarded world record achieving Olympian. He swam and won for his country. The same country didn't think twice about carting Alfred, his family and many others off to the most convenient concentration camp. His skill, which ironically was once connected with his greatest fear, becomes the core of his survival. 

He is one of only two Jewish athletes who competed in the Olympics before and after the Holocaust. I think that in itself would have been incredibly difficult, painful and equally satisfying in a 'you will not and have not broken me' kind of way.

I maintain, and always shall, that books like these will always be important. Eye witness accounts, stories of survivors - remembering the often forgotten, nameless, displaced, disappeared, murdered, tortured, annihilated and those who emerged traumatised and alive from the well-planned genocide.

It's a fascinating and often painful read, which flits from past childhood, adulthood, pre and post Holocaust and the duration of Nakache's life in hell. Kudos to the author for adding where they are now or what happened to them notes at the end of the book.

Buy The Swimmer of Auschwitz at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Monoray; pub date 14 August 2025. Buy at Amazon com. 

#Blogtour The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline. Published by No Exit Press, pub date 14th August 2025. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of 33 novels. Lisa has been President of Mystery Writers of America and she reviews fiction and non-fiction for the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives with an array of disobedient pets, and wouldn't have it any other way. Follow @lisascottoline on X

About the book

When Julia’s husband is brutally murdered in a random attack, her life unravels in ways she never could have foreseen. Haunted by his death and spiralling into despair, Julia seeks refuge in a secluded Italian villa she has mysteriously inherited from a stranger. But her sanctuary becomes a prison as she uncovers disturbing connections to her own past – and faces chilling threats that may not be imaginary.

Caught between a heritage she doesn’t understand and a darkness she can’t escape, Julia must confront secrets that could cost her what little she has left. The Unravelling of Julia is a gripping, atmospheric tale of grief, memory, and a descent into psychological terror that will keep readers turning pages deep into the night.

Review

If you take the astrology aspect and the way Julia becomes almost obsessive in her interpretation of horoscopes and messages, it's quite easy to follow how such open and leading statements could be perceived as personal by the reader. In this case Julia makes connections and creates patterns that are a self-fulfilling prophecy. Her natural instincts on the night her husband was murdered become predictive in nature, because the astrology supports her bias and messaging.

It's not a leap to say that someone in the throws of guilt and grief could find themselves in a vulnerable position, perhaps also equally unable to see clearly through a forest of sudden new acquisitions and acquaintances. Wealth, property in Italy and a mysterious benefactor to boot.

At first Julia is drawn in by the mystery, but soon things take a more sinister turn when the property overseas appears to come with built in ghosts and night terrors, and the nearby townspeople have a dislike for anyone associated with Julia's strange benefactor.

It's mystery built on top of a house of grief and a lifetime of questions about identity. The lengths people will go to eradicate any risk to their own agenda.

Buy The Unravelling of Julia at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bedford Square Publisher - No Exit Press, pub date 14 August 2025. Buy at Amazon com. 

#Blogtour A Murder in Paris by Matthew Blake

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour A Murder in Paris by Matthew Blake. Published by HarperCollins, pub date 3rd July 2025. Tour hosted by Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Matthew Blake is the No.1 international bestselling author of Anna O. Before writing fiction, he worked as a researcher and speechwriter in Westminster. He studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford and now lives in London. Follow @Matthew__Blake on X

About the book

Imagine the past returning to you in fragments. A hotel room, a pillow, a lifeless body. Your ordinary, innocent life upended by one flash of memory. You can’t remember what led to the crime.

All you know is that you must return to the scene, to the clues that lie waiting in Room 11. But this is a mystery that goes far beyond that room, that night, that murder. Are you ready to unlock the truth?

Review

Although the historical aspect of this fictional plot is at the core of this read, it is always a important reminder that we only ever know parents and grandparents from personal experience and their past is often a sealed door. Grandparents who have lived through the most traumatic events of the 20th century often kept their memories and experiences before, during and after the war hidden away from family and the world.

Survival can equal becoming the perpetrator or the collaborator, becoming part of the institution, which means betraying the innocent. The question is what happens when you are no longer safe on the side of oppressor? 

Olivia knows her grandmother is becoming more forgetful, but she certainly doesn't expect the famous French reclusive painter to spiral herself into a potential murder suspect. The past and present meld together to become a doubtful jumbo of facts, false memories and perhaps something else entirely. 

Trauma, memories and flashbacks are past companions that have lived dormant, but now they are awake and grasping for connections. Is Olivia's grandmother really capable of killing someone? Is she really who she says she is - is her entire life a lie?

It's a poignant and riveting read, and if this is your first by Blake, then I also highly recommend reading Anna O.

Buy A Murder in Paris at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HarperCollins, pub date 3rd July 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Bookshop org. Buy via HarperCollins.

#Blogtour A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi, published by Flame Tree Press 15th July 2025. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Nadia Afifi is the author of The Sentient and numerous science fiction short stories. Her debut novel was lauded as ‘staggering and un-put-downable’ in a starred Publishers Weekly review and recommended by Booklist for ‘readers who love a thrilling narrative and welcome moral and philosophical questions in their science fiction.’ Analog Magazine describes her as ‘a brand-new voice in our field, and one you should become familiar with.’ The Sentient is the first novel in a near-future series about a controversial cloning project, human consciousness and a high-stakes conflict between religious fundamentalism and science. Her short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (‘The Bahrain Underground Bazaar’) and Abyss & Apex (‘Exhibit K’).

Nadia grew up in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where she read every book she could get her hands on, but currently calls Denver, Colorado home. She is a member of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s organization. Her background as an Arab American who lived overseas has inspired her fiction writing, particularly her passion for exploring complex social, political and cultural issues through a futuristic lens.

When she isn’t writing, she spends her time practicing (and falling off) the lyra (aerial hoops), hiking through Colorado’s many trails, jogging through Denver’s streets and working on the most challenging jigsaw puzzles she can find. She also loves dogs, travel and cooking. Follow her latest musings and adventures on her website nadiaafifi.com, Twitter @nadoodles or Instagram nadiawritesscifi.

About the book

Kezza, an aerialist in the Martian circus, can never return to Earth – but she can assassinate the man she blames for her grim life on the red planet. Her murderous plans take an unexpected turn, however, when she uncovers a sinister secret. 

A thousand years into the future, Azad lives a safe but controlled life on the beautiful desert planet of Nabatea. His world is upended when he joins a crew of space-traveling historians seeking to learn the true reason that their ancestors left Mars. 

Separated by time and space, Kezza and Azad’s stories collide in the Martian desert.

Review

Space-traveling historians, now there's a career I could get behind. History is almost always written by the victors and in non-fictional case the chisel, quill, pen is often swung by those who lived or live in the comfort of our patriarchal systems. The truth becomes a rare commodity, perhaps because truth is never quite objective. What if you were able to follow the path of any beginning or change in the course in history and determine which event, person or sequence of decisions led to a particular crossroads?

Afifi has a particular knack for creating an intricate map of societal complexities, the flaws of humankind and the way the shape and reshape with similar consequences and results over and over again. Would knowing the unfiltered facts of our past that led us to this filtered and confined space in time change us and our choices in any way or would it be the spark of an awakening and rebellion.

I loved the flawless and smooth flow of this story. Sci-fi can sometimes create it's own collisions and jagged bumps in the narrative, mainly because the genre has a beyond fictional aspect to it as it wanders firmly into domains of a futuristic and speculative nature. There are no guidelines, although I would certainly suggest there is an element suggested speculation garnered through our present existence.

The story also weaves the essence of humanity, it whatever construct or evolved shape that may look like, into the fabric. With a pinch of sarcasm and cynical wit which defines the interactions between the memorable characters, the combination of history meets sci-fi as the decay of society caused by control and the assumed piety of sanctimonious leaders regurgitates itself in a different version ad infinitum with similar results, is a jolly good read.

Keep an eye on this author, definitely one to watch. 

Buy A Rebel's History of Mars at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Flame Tree Press, pub date 15th July 2025. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bookshop org. Buy via Flame Tree Press

#Blogtour Counting Down To You by Sarah J. Harris

 
It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Counting Down to You by Sarah J. Harris, published by Lake Union Publishing 15th July 2025. Tour organised courtesy of #RandomThingsTour.

About the Author

Sarah J. Harris is an award-winning author and freelance education journalist who regularly writes for national newspapers. Meet Me on the Bridge, published by Lake Union, was an Amazon ebook bestseller in the UK and US.

Her debut novel, The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder, won the Breakthrough Author award from Books Are My Bag and was a Richard and Judy pick. She also published One Ordinary Day At A Time with HarperCollins.

The author writes YA thrillers as Sarah Wishart, including The Murder Hypothesis and Four Good Liars, which was shortlisted for the North East Book Awards.

Sarah grew up in the West Midlands, and studied English at Nottingham University before gaining a postgraduate diploma in journalism at Cardiff University.

She is a black belt in karate and a green belt in kickboxing. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. Follow @sarahsky23 on X

About the book

From the bestselling author of Meet Me on the Bridge comes a moving, feel-good novel that shows it’s never too late to look for happiness, perfect for fans of Holly Miller, Cesca Major and Rosie Walsh.

Sophie can see how long people have left to live. Her first love Adam is back. And he has just 24 days to go.

Ever since the accident that changed Sophie’s life, she sees numbers everywhere. From the leaves on a tree to the volume of a puddle, everything has its number. And every person she meets? Their number is counting down the number of days they have left.

Despite being lonely, Sophie has decided she’s not dating anyone with a number smaller than 20,000 days: 55 years together should be plenty. Which is fine, until Adam—her first love and most definitely the one that got away—suddenly reappears. And his number? Just 24 days…

Sophie has tried and failed to save lots of people in the past; she thought she couldn’t alter fate, no matter how hard she tried. But the way Adam looks at her makes her feel alive again for the first time in years. She questions everything, and a spark is lit. Could true love be powerful enough to rewrite the future? Maybe some rules are meant to be broken, and perhaps Adam is the one who will show her that not every ending is set in stone…

Review

Sarah spends a lot of her time living in a constant state of what happens next if I do or don't intervene. Her ability to see lifespans has a lot of negative consequences for her, despite her obsession with changing the inevitable. So what happens when love invites itself back inside her life and her obsession is torn between living in the here and now or the reality of death at her door everywhere she looks?

I really enjoyed the concept, it has a mathematical theory meets magical realism in number-space synaesthesia kind of way. I also welcomed the fact the author didn't feel it necessary to change the interesting concept to suit the needs of a romance driven read. Instead the concept evolves with the story, and in a way that allows for magical realism to walk hand-in-hand with reality.

It also plays a little bit with a butterflyesque effect Sophie's gift or affliction brings with it. Does trying to change the inevitable with sheer force or the elimination of possible threats change the outcome, slow the outcome, speed it up or make the event more severe? If that is the case, then why try to change the outcome at all. Does it throw up a question of morality if Sophie just leaves people to their end, regardless of what that end may look like?

It was an intriguing combination of contemporary romance read with a side dish of maths or rather a portion of individual doomsday counters. It does make you wonder whether the knowledge of expected time available would change the way people interact with others and indeed with themselves, it certainly does for Sarah.

Buy Counting Down To You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.  Buy via Bookshop org.

#Blogtour The Planet Spins On Its Axis, Regardless by Kavita A. Jindal

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Planet Spins On Its Own Axis, Regardless by Kavita A. Jindal. Published by Serving House Books 7th April 2025. Tour by Kenyon Author Services.

About the Author

Kavita A. Jindal is an award-winning fiction writer, poet and essayist. Her novel Manual For A Decent Life, published by Linen Press in the U.K., won the Eastern Eye Award for Literature (2020) and was shortlisted for the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize (2022). Her poetry publications include Raincheck Renewed and Patina. Her short stories and poems have appeared in anthologies and literary journals worldwide and been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Zee TV UK and European radio stations. Selected poems have been translated into Arabic, German, Italian, Punjabi, Romanian, Spanish and Ukrainian. 

Reviewers have said of her writing: "witty and wry, with a steely heart" and of the novel "the book's boldness, beauty and courage are utterly seductive." Kavita previously served as Senior Editor at Asia Literary Review and is the co-founder of The Whole Kahani collective for British-Asian writers. She enjoys collaborating with other artists across a range of projects. Visit https://kavitajindal.com/ to learn more about Kavita. Or follow @writerkavita on X

About the book

Meet the inventor of pre-conception contracts. The foodie high roller. The menopausal student shamans. The young window cleaner. The aspiring philosopher. The people taking it one-day-at-a-time.

These astute and prescient stories zigzag from England to India, from Europe to Hong Kong, and from the past to the future. As they traverse youthfulness to late life and everything in between, fault lines trip the characters, revealing rifts and the gift for resolutions.

Review

I've said this before, short stories are a fine art and not every writer has the knack. It's not the same as poetry, which is a subjective expression of the written art or whichever way it is presented to the audience. Being able to capture a whole story within a few pages is a skill, especially when they leave you asking for more, for another page, chapter or brief look in the window.

Jindal has that gift. It's almost as if the mind's eye can see the narrator drawing listeners in as they spin the yarns full of experiences, reflections, moments of emotional turmoil. Soundbites of stories become tongue lashings of awakenings. Shout the warning, scream about the injustice, whisper the concern, think the unthinkable or indeed close the eyes and ears to the truth and reality that surrounds you.

I really enjoyed the variation and the way something so innocent turns into a story of misogyny, oppression, abuse and the futility of lack of control over our existence. Then equally those moments of uprising, of choice, self-exploration and discovery.

This would be the part where I mention one or two of my favourites, but I have to admit I would find it hard to highlight one above the other, because they are all very good. They also leave a lasting impact. I did wonder whether the stories are purposely written in a way that results in a variety of interpretations, depending on the background, gender, and experiences of the reader. I can imagine that Tipping Point would result in an interesting group conversation, as would Where He Lives.

I highly recommend this selection of short stories and indeed the work of the author.

Buy The Planet Spins on its Axis, Regardless at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

The book is published by Serving House Books in the USA - https://servinghousebooks.com/theplanetspins/

Their Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/servinghousebooks/

#Blogtour The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

The 40 Rules of Love has sold over 500,000 copies internationally and is one of Elif's most successful novels, a standout backlist title. Redesigned with a beautiful new package along with the rest of her backlist to tie in with the paperback publication of her latest novel There are Rivers in the Sky.

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak, published 3rd July 2025 by Penguin Uk.

About the Author

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist, whose work has been translated into fifty-six languages. The author of nineteen books, thirteen of which are novels, she is a bestselling author in many countries around the world. Shafak's last novel, The Island of Missing Trees, was a top ten Sunday Times bestseller, and was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the RSL Ondaatje Prize. There Are Rivers in the Sky is her latest novel. Follow @Elif_Safak on X

About the book

Ela Rubinstein has a husband, three teenage children, and a pleasant home. Everything that should make her confident and fulfi led. Yet there is an emptiness at the heart of Ela's life - an emptiness once fi led by love.

So when Ela reads a manuscript about the thirteenth-century Sufi poet Rumi and his mentor Shams of Tabriz, and his forty rules of life and love, she is ready to look at her life anew. Compeled to embrace change, she embarks on a journey to meet the mysterious author. It is a quest infused with Sufi mysticism and verse, taking Ela and us into a faraway world where faith and doubt are heartbreakingly explored. The Forty Rules of Love is a mesmerising tale of discovery, language, truth and, of course, love itself.

Review

I think there was a side note of unfulfilled and unhappy people, especially women, who are susceptible to anything that looks like a solution to their problems It makes them vulnerable to persuasion and concepts that suggest a happier life, a better body, someone who loves and desires them.

It's easy to get swept away by the idea of something more when life has become a series of repetitive actions, emotional necessities and overall nothing more than societal expectations and daily routines.

It's an exploration of faith, spirituality and love - the Sufi concept or path of love. Whilst I admire the prose and the deep meaningful rules, I think it's a fallacy to believe that a life without love is of no account. The assumption that everyone encounters a love or love in general, is a gross overestimation of how everyone experiences life and relationships with the people around them.

It's novel of dual paths, that of Ela and then that of Rumi and Shams. Despite being centuries apart the three collide in thoughts, shared pathways and steering the course of their lives. The story lives a little in a hype bubble of its own creation.

Buy The Forty Rules of Love at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Penguin Uk, pub date 3rd July 2025. Buy at Amazon com.