#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 Shadow in the Glass by J.J. A. Harwood

 It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Shadow in the Glass by J.J. A. Harwood. A dark fairy tale set against a Victorian backdrop full of lace and smoke.

About the Author

JJA Harwood is an author, editor and blogger. She grew up in Norfolk, read History at the University of Warwick and eventually found her way to London, which is still something of a shock for somebody used to so many fields. When not writing, she can be found learning languages, cooking with more enthusiasm than skill, wandering off into clearly haunted houses and making friends with stray cats. the Shadow in the Glass is her debut novel.

Follow @JJAHarwood @HarperVoyagerUK on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit jowritesstuff.wordpress.com,  #TheShadowIntheGlass

About the book

Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid. Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.

One night, while among her beloved books, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay…

Melding history and fairy tale, this is a dark and intelligent new take on the story of Cinderella that looks at women, the price of labour and the cost of hope.

Review

Poor Ella should be in a more suitable and respectable position. Her former mistress had such plans for her, but unfortunately life has decided to twist the knife. Instead she has been relegated to the life of a skivvy working in a household with vindictive fellow housemaids and a master who thinks servitude equals his gratification - if he so wishes.

After a particularly bad encounter with a conniving wench, Ella finds herself confronted with a business proposition of sorts. She gets her hearts desire and in turn she owes something priceless - nothing is ever for free, everything has a price. Sometimes the price is very dear indeed.

It's soon apparent that having your wishes granted is literally too good to be true, when each wish takes on a bit of a morbid and sometimes lethal slant. Nothing is ever clear cut when it comes to magic, folklore or those elements in the atmosphere we just can't explain.

In this gothic retelling of a fairytale which has similarities to Cinderella, the author takes the essence of the story back to its roots, which is dark and not the Disneyesque version everyone knows. This version with all of its somber reality and stark consequences is more in line with any original so-called fairytales.

The author gives old morals and troubles a more modern twist, albeit ones set in a time where class structures determined whether you were at the top of the hierarchy pyramid or at the bottom and at the mercy of wealthy predators.

It's a riveting tale of magical realism with a hook into the magic of fairytales, whilst skimming the reality of hidden desires and uncomfortable truths. An excellent debut novel.

Buy The Shadow in the Glass at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Harper Voyager; pub date 18th March 2021 - Hardback, eBook & audio | £14.99. Buy at Amazon com. At Waterstones.

#BlogTour In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish

 

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour In Darkness, Shadows Breathe by Catherine Cavendish.

About the Author

Following a varied career in sales, advertising and career guidance, Cat is now the full-time author of a number of paranormal, ghostly and Gothic horror novels and novellas. She lives with her long-suffering husband and black cat in a 260 year old haunted apartment in North Wales.

Follow @Cat_Cavendish on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit CatherineCavendish.com, Buy In Darkness, Shadows Breathe

About the book

You’re next… Carol and Nessa are strangers but not for much longer. In a luxury apartment and in the walls of a modern hospital, the evil that was done continues to thrive. They are in the hands of an entity that knows no boundaries and crosses dimensions - bending and twisting time itself - and where danger waits in every shadow. 

The battle is on for their bodies and souls and the line between reality and nightmare is hard to define. Through it all, the words of Lydia Warren Carmody haunt them. But who was she? And why have Carol and Nessa been chosen? The answer lies deep in the darkness…

Review

Carol and Nessa are two women who appear to have nothing in common except perhaps their suitability as a vessel. The opportunity to channel evil that is as deep as the ocean and as twisted as a pretzel should be welcomed right? Maybe not so much. It's an insidious ancient presence that is moved throughout the years by loyal acolytes, who find said vessels 

This time they might have been a little overeager on the vessel compatibility side of things though, and evil finds its path may not be as simple as it usually is. Both women experience the same advancement and invasion of evil differently, and ultimately through their own frame of references and memories - with the same result. 

For me this went into the more speculative fiction genre with an emphasis on the occult and spirituality. Very much a story that plays with time and the fact it isn't linear in this read. The horror and creepy vibe the author usually brings to the table was lost a little in the sheer magnitude of situations, emotions and storylines. I think it's best to leave the preconceived ideas about previous bodies of work behind and embrace the concept as is.

Given that this is quite a busy read I do want to mention how much I enjoyed the last few pages. Aside from leaving a door open for a possible sequel for certain characters, it was an almost poetic end for another. In fact I wonder if that venture into prose is something we can look forward to again, perhaps in another genre?

Buy In Darkness, Shadows Breathe at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Flame Tree Press; pub date 19 Jan. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Bookshop org. Waterstones.

#BlogTour The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell

 

Today its an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell.

About the Author

Laura Purcell is a former bookseller and lives in Colchester with her husband and pet guinea pigs. Her first novel for Raven Books, The Silent Companions, was a Radio 2 and Zoe Ball ITV Book Club pick and was the winner of the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award, while her subsequent books – The Corset and Bone China – established Laura as the queen of the sophisticated, and spooky, page-turner.

Follow @spookypurcell on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit laurapurcell.com, Buy The Shape of Darkness

About the book

As the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another... Why is the killer seemingly  targeting her business?

Desperately seeking an answer, Agnes approaches Pearl, a child spirit medium lodging in Bath with her older half-sister and her ailing father, hoping that if Pearl can make contact with those who died, they might reveal who killed them.

But Agnes and Pearl quickly discover that instead they may have opened the door to something that they can never put back...

Review

Agnes keeps herself and her family afloat with her silhouette art. When one of her clients is murdered shortly after visiting her she thinks nothing of it other than the fact her work will go unpaid, but that is just the beginning. Then another client is killed.

Supported by her good friend Simon, who always seems to be there to keep her safe, she tries to take care of her nephew and mother, whilst removing the memories and reminders of her difficult sister. Drawn into the story are two sisters making money from the desperation of those who are grieving. One of those people is Agnes, she is eager to connect to those behind the veil. She wants the chance to speak to her lost love. The medium of choice is a young girl with a gift, however it all comes at a price. 

I really enjoyed the way the author combines an almost gothic ghostly vibe with a murder mystery, and this constant balancing act between reality and a dark world beyond life as we know it. The aspect of communication with the otherworldly throws up some interesting questions - is there something akin to the power to communicate with the dead, is it all just the hallucinatory ramblings of a woman in denial or is Agnes merely the pawn in a chess game.

It's a riveting read that keeps the reader engrossed until the end, which is what I've come to expect from this particular author.

Buy The Shape of Darkness at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Raven Books pub date 21 January 2021 | Hardback £12.99 | eBook £9.09 | Audio £21. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Bookshop org. Waterstones.

#BlogTour Sins of the Father by J.G. Faherty

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Sins of the Father by J.G. Faherty.

About the Author
JG Faherty is the author of 6 novels, 9 novellas, and more than 60 short stories. His latest novel is Hellrider. He has been a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award® and the ITW Thriller Award.

Follow @jgfaherty on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit jgfaherty.com, Buy Sins of a Father

About the book
Henry Gilman has spent years trying to separate himself from his father’s legacy of murder and insanity. Now he has the chance – all he has to do is figure out who’s been killing people in Innsmouth. Then he’ll be a hero and win the heart of the woman he loves, Flora Marsh. But soon he’s caught in a web of danger, with the undead stalking the streets at night, a terrible monster lurking below the city, and a prophecy of destruction about to come true. In the process, his actions cause unwanted consequences and to save Flora he has to do the very thing he’s spent his life trying to avoid: follow his father’s footsteps into madness.

Review
Innsmouth has become a city where the dead are stalking the living. The police are on the hunt for a vicious murderer, but it isn't until Henry stumbles upon a killing in process that he realises there is something more nefarious happening.

Unfortunately it reminds him all too much of the atrocities his father committed, but his inside knowledge also gives him a better idea of what is going on. Simultaneously his love for Flora, and the underlying jealousy he feels because she favours another man, drives him deeper into the evil that lurks in the town.

What he eventually finds or is drawn to makes him question everything he knows about his father and indeed the concept of evil, whether the eyes of the beholder are a true measure and comprehension of what the world understands it to be.

One of the threads of the story I found quite fascinating was the evolution, or is is the devolution of Henry? Is his path a result of nature or nurture, perhaps a combination of both, despite the fact he tries to resist said path. A self-fulfilling prophecy driven by fear of rejection, failure or enhanced by the expectation given his relationship to the man who raised and influenced him. His resistance to the public opinion of himself runs alongside his actions and decisions.

And the question of who judges what is evil, and whether that judgement is more a case of those in charge dictating and choosing the people or groups to be placed under the category of 'evil' depending on the era. Evil now, the norm in the future. Evil in the past and now the norm.

Faherty plays with the perspective and concept of good and what society deems unacceptable. When does science and invention cross boundaries or is it just crossing a boundary because it's not the norm?

It's a horror with a gothic vibe that draws inspiration from Shelley's Frankenstein.

Buy Sins of the Father at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Flame Tree Press; pub date 11 Aug. 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Lingering by S.J.I. Holliday

Today it's my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Lingering by S.J.I. Holliday. It has a gothic vibe, and yet simultaneously it has the feel of pulsing modern crime story, both elements feed on each other to create a captivating read.

About the Author
S.J.I. (Susi) Holliday is a pharmaceutical statistician by day and a crime and horror fan by night. Her short stories have been published in many places and she was shortlisted for the inaugural CWA Margery Allingham prize with her story ‘Home from Home’, which was published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in spring 2017. She is the bestselling author of the creepy and claustrophobic Banktoun trilogy (Black Wood, Willow Walk and The Damselfly) featuring the much-loved Sergeant Davie Gray, and has dabbled in festive crime with the critically acclaimed The Deaths of December.

Her latest psychological thriller is modern gothic with more than a hint of the supernatural, which she loved writing due to her fascination and fear of ghosts. She is proud to be one of The Slice Girls has
been described by David Mark as 'Dark as a smoker's lung.' She divides her time between Edinburgh and London and you will find her at crime-fiction events in the UK and abroad.

Follow @SJIHolliday @OrendaBooks on Twitter,Visit sjiholliday.com, Buy The Lingering

About the book
Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history.

When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution…

At once an unnerving locked-room mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre.

Review
At first it appears as if Ali and Jack are just seeking a place to find some peace. A secluded old hospital with a suspicious reputation, now run by a small cult-like group, sounds like just the right place to do exactly that.

Bit by bit the reader learns that Ali and John have their own secrets to protect, and that a secluded isolated house fits into their plans to keep certain aspects of their lives hidden. Instead of connecting with the others Ali is stand-offish and behaves as if Jack is a ticking time-bomb only she can control.

Angela tries to connect with her, perhaps more so out of morbid curiosity and with her own slightly stalkerish and creepy research in mind. Ali's odd behaviour makes Angela take a closer look at the strange couple, which sets off a tragic sequence of events.

Holliday combines layers of paranoia, fear and suspicion from the past and the present to create an unstable environment, which keeps the reader on their feet. Are we dealing with unhappy souls walking the halls looking for a semblance of revenge or is the cold calculating ruthlessness of a possible killer skewing the aura of the so-called peaceful commune environment?

This is an intriguing mixture of crime and the paranormal. It has a gothic vibe, and yet simultaneously it has the feel of a pulsing modern crime story, both elements feed on each other to create a captivating read.

Buy The Lingering at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Publisher: Orenda Books

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

It is has a gothic spooky feel to it mixed with a wee bit of horror.

The reader follows the story of two women in the same grand house. One in the distant past and the other in the more recent past. Elsie's story starts in an insane asylum charged with quite a few murders. The doctor in charge is trying to get her to communicate, because he is convinced there must be more to the story. Why would a well situated woman suddenly go off the deep end and cause such brutal mayhem?

Before ending up in the asylum Elsie is pregnant, has just recently lost her husband and is returning to his childhood home accompanied by her husband's impoverished cousin. This isn't exactly her choice, as her decisions are being made by her much younger brother. Her brother is more concerned about the way it looks to society and any possible scandals.

Women weren't allowed to own anything per se in that era and any property, inherited or otherwise would always fall to the men. This includes husbands, brothers, fathers and cousins.

It isn't long before the women in the household start experiencing strange events. Footprints and messages in the dust, empty rooms suddenly become fully furnished clean ones, and peculiar wooden statues start appearing throughout the house.

A peaceful retreat turns into a fight for sanity and a fight to survive. Elsie finds herself drawn into the dark abyss of the past and the personal tragedies of the previous inhabitants of the house.

It's a decent premise, however the execution could have been better. The companions are an excellent idea, they give the whole story a creepy vibe, and the ending is wonderfully macabre. Purcell is creative enough to pull off a great story, this one just needs a bit of a polish.

Buy The Silent Companions at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Follow @spookypurcell @BloomsburyRaven

Visit laurapurcell.com

Blog-Tour: House of Spines by Michael J. Malone

Today is my stop on the Blog-Tour for the fabulous House of Spines by Michael J. Malone. Be prepared to be drawn in by this eerie mystery and you may even start to wonder about reality, dreams and hallucinations.What is real and what is taking place in his darkest corners of his mind?

About the Author
Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country, just a stone’s throw from the great man’s cottage in Ayr. Well, a stone thrown by a catapult. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. His career as a poet has also included a (very) brief stint as the Poet-In-Residence for an adult gift shop. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize (judge: Alex Gray) from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie’s Call (a non-fiction work about successful modern-day Scots); A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage and The Bad Samaritan. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number one bestseller. Michael is a regular reviewer for the hugely popular crime fiction website crimesquad.com. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller.
Follow @michaelJmalone1 on Twitter or facebook.com/themichaeljmalonepage
Visit mjmink.wordpress.com
Buy The House of Spines

About the book
Ran McGhie’s world has been turned upside down. A young, lonely and frustrated writer, and suffering from mental-health problems, he discovers that his long-dead mother was related to one of Glasgow’s oldest merchant families. Not only that, but Ran has inherited Newton Hall, a vast mansion that belonged to his great-uncle, who it seems has been watching from afar as his estranged great-nephew has grown up. Entering his new-found home, it seems Great-Uncle Fitzpatrick has turned it into a temple to the written word – the perfect place for poet Ran. But everything is not as it seems. As he explores the Hall’s endless corridors, Ran’s grasp on reality appears to be loosening. And then he comes across an ancient lift; and in that lift a mirror. And in the mirror … the reflection of a woman…
A terrifying psychological thriller with more than a hint of the Gothic, House of Spines is a love letter to the power of books, and an exploration of how lust and betrayal can be deadly…
Buy The House of Spines

Review
Imagine not only inheriting a whole house and the kind of library every bookworm dreams of, imagine inheriting a lifetime of secrets and lies too.

Ran seems to be pleased, and yet at the same time unnerved by Newton Hall. The question is whether his gut instinct is warning him about some danger in the house or are his mental health issues starting to reappear now that he is off his medication. Instead of enjoying being the man of the manor he seems to be looking over his shoulder and jumping at shadows.

I'm just saying I wouldn't be displeased if someone decided to give me a huge house with a massive library filled with books. I wouldn't mind putting up with all the weird spooky stuff, the passive-aggressive relatives and the leftover staff from the Adams Family.

Newton Hall has secrets hidden in the walls and in the mirrors. The kind of secrets that haunt and torture people, especially the guilty. Ran is starting to unravel the mysteries or are they starting to slowly unravel him. He is losing his grip on reality, drifting back and forth from moments of lucidity and nightmare scenarios.

Mental health issues play a pivotal role in the plot, which is done in a subtle and a realistic way. The author manages to portray the illness and the way society, and loved ones react to the illness. The constant suspicion, doubt and lack of trust is a constant factor on both sides.

Malone invites the reader into his little shop of horrors and let's them wrestle with the question of whether the nightmare is real or just the meanderings of a sick man. House of Spines may have a gothic feel to it, but it also has the interesting aura of a Hammer Horror. Some readers might not remember Hammer, however they were renowned for evoking an eerie and haunting sense of horror. The kind of hair on the back of your neck creepy you never quite forget.

The house will drag you in and may not let you go again, well at least not until she gets what she wants.

Buy House of Spines at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.

Visit orendabooks.co.uk  Follow @OrendaBooks

The Quick by Lauren Owen

I think I got about a quarter way into the book when the entire plot seemed to just go pop bang hiss. I actually went back and read the pages leading up to it again just to make sure I hadn’t mistakenly picked up the wrong book.

Up to that point it was a Gothic tale with mysterious grand buildings, tragic children and a sense of impending tragedy. A promising forbidden love story between the main character and his friend. A relationship shunned and scorned by society. A sub-plot which could have carried the entire book. Instead the story took a turn in a completely different direction.

It was  advancing at a slow pace and then hiss, chomp and ravage out popped the vampires. From that point on-wards everything becomes a little unclear and hazy. Reasons why were only sort of hinted at for maximum creepiness.

I think the book suffered from too much trying to be a work of literary Gothic art, however that didn’t gel very well with the vampire plot. Not because of the theme per se but rather because in an attempt to seem prolific the story lacks direction and clarity.

The cliffhanger ending implies a possible second book, in which I hope the author manages to capture the essence of the beginning of this book and display it throughout the next tale.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley