#Blogtour #Audiobook Winter Night by Alex Callister

Winter Night written by Alex Callister performed by Ell Potter - Winter Night will be available exclusively on Audible from the 20th April 2023 at Winter Night by Alex Callister 

You can learn more about Alex Callister and the Winter series at www.audible.co.uk/series/The-Winter-Series-Audiobooks and acallister.com

About Alex Callister

Alex’s debut Winter Dark was short listed for Best Opening Chapter and Best Pitch at the York Festival of Writing and was the number one best selling Audible Thriller of the Year 2019. It was nominated for an Audie in 2020 and won the J.M.M. Audiofile Earphones award.

Alex read history at Oxford and the British School at Rome and was set for a career in academia until the beginning of the tech boom woke a life long interest in the internet. She has spent twenty years in the City studying the rise of technology and its transformative effect on industry. She describes the ‘internet of things’ as the internet of increased attack surfaces.

Winter Dark is dominated by Firestorm, eBay for the contract kill market. As an analyst in the telecoms and electronics sector at the height of the dotcom boom, Alex watched the internet sweep away barriers, break down borders, transform every industry. Ever since, she has been fascinated by its potential to facilitate crime – a potential that, to date, has yet to be fully realised. She spends her days visiting London’s high security hosting sites and speculating about what might be. Follow @CallisterAuthor on Twitter (bio via acallister.com )

About the Audiobook

Please note: This audiobook contains graphic adult content.

Winter Night follows a kick-ass unstoppable heroine with one big Achilles’ heel. That would be Winter. She’s been having kind of a bad week...

Firestorm 2, the plot to mine the data from the infamous murder-for-hire website, has been a success. But while Winter’s been held prisoner by Alek after saving his life, GCHQ has been ordering hits to eliminate every contractor on the site – and leaked footage of Alek and Winter together means she’s now public enemy number one.

Michael is driven by a mission: haunted by the memory of Aleksey, he must find Natalya and return Aleksey’s ring, to gain some closure. But his goal is hampered by a gruesome billion-pound hit which is suddenly, very publicly on his head. Still, at least he has Aveline in his corner – unless she’s been lying to him all along.

Brilliantly narrated by the award-winning actress and writer Ell Potter comes the fifth instalment of the Winter series. This electrifying thriller poses the question: when the good guys are still killers and the bad guys are in love with you, who can you trust? Can you ever really know what lies in another person’s heart?

Review

This is the fifth book in the Winter series and although I would recommend listening to all of the audiobooks, they can be read/listened to as standalone novels. For a better gist of the series, the characters, Winter and the world they have fallen into it's definitely worth having a listen.

It's not for the faint of heart - it's a tad gruesome, graphic and has adult content. It does come with a trigger warning. It actually reminded me a little of the harsh reality and brutal frankness of Crossing Lines and the crimes they encounter. I also thought the choice of narrator makes for a nice juxtaposition - you have the horrific truth of the world you're immersed in, which is countered by the soft slowly paced voice that is laden with emotion. I wonder whether that was intentional. Not just picking a good narrator, but picking someone with a voice that can carry both the heavy burden and the moments of possible lightness.

In a way the book seems to come full circle when you think back to the first chapter, realise how the core of the premise is brought tightly into the last chapter and the epilogue - only to implode just a tad in the last few moments. 

Kudos to the author for that ending, there's just no way I can't come back for more. I need to know what happens next. So many possible scenarios, outcomes and the who? Yeh, better get writing the next book.

Buy Winter Night at Audible Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Audible Originals, pub date 20th April 2023. Buy via Amazon com.

Winter Night - The Winter Series, Book 5, By: Alex Callister, Narrated by: Ell Potter, Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins, Original Recording Audiobook, Release date: 20.04.23, Language: English, Publisher: Audible Originals.

#Blogtour #Audiobook Women Like Us: A Memoir by Amanda Prowse

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour for the Audiobook - Women Like Us: A Memoir by Amanda Prowse.

About the Author

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-six novels, non-fiction title and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter, My Husband’s Wife, The Girl in the Corner and The Things I Know have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda is a regular panellist on Channel 5’s ‘The Jeremy Vine Show’ and numerous daytime ITV programmes. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national independent Radio stations including LBC and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, A Mother’s Story won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award while Perfect Daughter was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. Follow @MrsAmandaProwse on Twitter

About the book

Amanda Prowse has built a bestselling career on the lives of fictional women. Now she turns the pen on her own life. From her childhood, where there was no blueprint for success, to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds, Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity, slimness, beauty and youth are currency – and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness.

Sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious and always entirely relatable, Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live. Most poignantly, she delves into her toxic relationship with food, the hardest addiction she has ever known, and how she journeyed out the other side.

One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read, Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible – against the odds – to overcome insecurity, body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success, from a woman who’s done it all, and then some

Review

I thought it was interesting how Amanda simultaneously gives the reader, the audience, this trifecta of reasoning and emotion that pings off itself. Acknowledging the truth of her family, upbringing and all the nuances of the working class background and feeling the societal guilt the world (very much a British thing, sorry) forces into our very psyche at the same time. You're supposed to feel inferior and as if those around you are too. Somehow feel ashamed for who you are.

When you take that invisible burden and it is weighed down by layers of remarks and what people like to refer to as banter, however the way the target receives it can be completely different. In this case it has created a foundation of almost self-loathing and doubt, which leads to seeking comfort in external sources.

It's a frank and open dialogue about herself and her life, one that is a rollercoaster of emotions. As a reader you go on that ride and often find correlation in situations, thoughts and experiences. It's brave to open yourself up in such a way, even if it is a self-examination of sorts. It's definitely an audiobook I would recommend to others.

On a side note - the author narrates the story herself and does so extremely well, but what I wanted to mentioned is what a perfect voice for audio she has - deliciously soothing with a hint of sultry. Combined with her story, which I think most women will be able to relate to in one way or another, it makes it such an easy listening experience.

Buy Women Like Us at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher - Audible UK: pub date: 6th September 2022 | Paperback: £8.99. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Audible Uk.

Listening Length - 12 hours and 16 minutes, Author - Amanda Prowse, Narrator - Amanda Prowse, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 06 September 2022, Publisher - Brilliance Audio, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language -  English.

#BlogTour #Audiobook The Vaccine by Joe Miller

It's a pleasure to take  part in the Blogtour for the Audiobook The Vaccine: Inside the Race to Conquer the COVID-19 Pandemic by Joe Miller narrated by John Sackville. Also credited Ugur Sahin (Author), Özlem Türeci (Author).

'The exclusive story of the greatest scientific breakthrough of the 21st century - the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine.' 

About the Author

Vaccine is the story of this race against time. Written by Joe Miller, the Financial Times’ correspondent who covered the team’s COVID-19 project in real time, and based off more than 150 hours of interviews with Sahin and Türeci, as well with scientists, politicians, and public health officials, it offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes account of this extraordinary breakthrough. Follow @JoeMillerJr on Twitter

About the book

In mid-January 2020, scientists Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci learned of how a new virus that had emerged in Wuhan, China, was spreading. Recognising the threat at once, they dropped everything and committed themselves to developing a vaccine against the disease that would soon be known as COVID-19. 

No one believed it was possible. But by December, the revolutionary BioNTech-Pfizer mRNA inoculation became the first clinically approved COVID-19 vaccine. Soon it was being injected into the arms of millions, turning the tide on the deadliest pandemic in living memory. 

Cutting-edge science that feels like a thriller, this is an historic account of the triumph of human endeavour in a time of adversity. 

Includes exclusive interview with Joe Miller, Ugur Sahin and Özlem Türeci.

Review

What Vaccine does really well is capture the entirety of the picture, especially when we are only able to see parts of it. For someone to openly recognise and be honest about the trajectory and evolvement of the pandemic, then following the battle to find a solution and way to curb the pandemic, and of course the amount of fatalities.

During a time when people are fractured into different sides, especially when it comes to Covid and subsequently the vaccine, it's important to shed light on the science to counter the conspiracies.

Conspiracy theorists see and make connections where others don't. There is a general feeling of mistrust towards science, government and the medical experts in general, which is why books or audiobooks like this are of paramount importance. Countering the stream of misinformation and hopefully allaying some fears along the way.

It's science heavy - obviously - but for the majority it is explained quite well for a reader who is also a layperson. The use of metaphors really helped with equivalency and association. I could do with a written version of it too.

Given the book was written during the time of the pandemic, the author had certain limitations to deal with and yet he still managed to interview scientists, politicians and staff at BioNTech, and of course Uğur Şahin und Özlem Türeci. The result is a fascinating window into the world behind the vaccine, the company, and the people who created it.

I think it's worth pointing out that our media, and often the mouthpieces of governments, focus on the negative to gain traction and viewers. The numbers we hear and read about tend to be the losses, the victims, and whilst they are important it's perhaps impossible to quantify the positive results of the vaccine. Both now and in the future.

It's a compelling audiobook - I highly recommend it.

Buy The Vaccine at Audible UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon Uk.

Listening Length - 11 Hours and 10 Minutes, Author - Joe Miller, Ugur Sahin, Özlem Türeci, Narrator - John Sackville,  Audible.co.uk Release Date - 14 September 2021, Publisher - Audible Originals, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Original recording, Language - English.

#BlogTour #Audiobook Jailbird by Caro Savage

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the Audiobook - Jailbird by Caro Savage, narrated by Genevieve Swallow. 

About the Author

Caro Savage knows all about bestselling thrillers having worked as a Waterstones bookseller for 12 years in a previous life. Now taking up the challenge personally and turning to hard-hitting crime thriller writing. Sign up to Caro's newsletter here

Follow @CaroSavageStory on Twitter, on Instagram, Buy Jailbird 

About the book 

Detective Constable Bailey Morgan has been out of the undercover game since her last job went horribly wrong, leaving her with scars inside and out. When her colleague Alice is found dead whilst working deep cover in a women’s prison, Bailey steps in to replace her.

Working alone, Bailey embarks on a dangerous journey through the murky underbelly of the prison and soon discovers that Alice’s death was part of a spate of brutal murders. Surrounded by prison officers, criminals and lowlifes, the slightest mistake could cost Bailey her life.

Illicit drug trafficking, prison gangs and corruption are just some of the things she’s up against… and behind it all lurks a sinister and terrifying secret that will truly test her survival instincts.

Heart-stopping and gripping. Perfect for the fans of hit TV shows such as Line of Duty, Orange is the New Black and Bad Girls.

Review

Saying that Bailey's last undercover job didn't go exactly as planned is absolutely the biggest understatement of the century. Going back into deep cover again should be the last thing on her mind, and yet when her friend is killed on the job, she decides it's the only way to find out who killed her.

She is sent into prison as an inmate, without any lifeline I might add, to find and take down the network at the centre of the aforementioned murder. Once in there Bailey finds there are more questions than answers and that it is harder to stay alive inside prison than it is outside.

At times you can feel the way Bailey drifts from one side of the fence to the other. When you are used to living a completely fake life during a deep cover assignment it's easy to sink too deep into said cover. There are certainly moments when she waivers between crossing the line to keep her cover and revealing all to keep her sanity.

The author delivers a gritty urban crime story with a damaged main character. A character who is willing to do what it takes to bring the monsters, deviants and criminals of this world to their knees. An honest and perhaps worrying look into the world behind bars and the crime that lurks within prisons.

Although I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Genevieve Swallow, I also read the digital version via KU. Both versions absolutely convinced me and I wouldn't hesitate to read or listen to another one by this author.

Buy Jailbird at Audible Uk or Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Boldwood Books pub date 15 October 2019. Buy at Amazon com. Hive. Waterstones.

Listening Length - 13 hours and 6 minutes, Author - Caro Savage, Narrator - Genevieve Swallow, Whispersync for Voice - Ready,  Audible.co.uk Release Date - 15 October 2019, Publisher - Boldwood Books, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

#BlogTour #Audiobook The Evidence by K.L. Slater

 It's my turn on the BlogTour The Evidence by K.L. Slater, narrated by Clare Corbett, Rachel Atkins, Alexandra Afryea & David Holt

About the Author

Kim is the million-copy bestselling author of twelve psychological crime thrillers. THE APARTMENT, will be published in -April 2020 by Thomas and Mercer and is now available for pre-order.

Kim's titles are also published by Bookouture, Audible and are available in paperback by Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the USA.

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’ Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottinghamshire with her husband.

Follow @KimLSlater on Twitter, Visit klslaterauthor.com

About the book

When a killer’s podcast reveals more than the truth....

Esme is a start-up success who runs her own successful media company and heads up a series of investigative podcasts. She also has a beautiful home, where she lives with her sister, Michelle, and her son, Zachary. Sure, there’s an ex-husband hanging around - Owen likes to pop round a bit too often - but everything is civilised and amicable. She has life all tied up.

But Esme knows that any successful podcaster is only as good as her last story, so she sets out on a new series of interviews to get to the truth behind Simone Fischer’s high-profile murder of her husband. Self-defence, crime of passion or coldly pre-meditated? She emerges after one jail visit to discover that her sister has been viciously attacked and is in a coma. And so begins the unravelling of Esme’s life. Where she thought there was trust and loyalty, she slowly discovers deceit and betrayal. No one is quite who they seem - not even her closest family.

As the podcast interviews plunge deeper into revealing the unnerving psychology of a murderer, Esme must try to keep her own sanity intact. The truth - about Simone and Esme’s own family - is there, if Esme can only find it. But will her investigations reveal more than she ever wanted to know?

Review

Esme has her own media company and her thing is investigative podcasts. It's all the rage to dismantle the details of true crime and if possible to solve complex, cold cases and cases where doubt hovers like a helicopter.

Esme is looking for the buzz. The type of story that gives you media-cred and helps to build your reputation. She juicier the better, but it also means she might dig too deep and uncover something that puts herself and her family in danger.

The high profile murder committed by Simone Fischer seems to be the right story to draw the listeners, but things go pear shaped really quickly when violence comes calling after she starts investigating. It is the beginning of a downhill roll. Esme has no clue what's coming for her.

This reminded me of the brilliant Six Stories series by Wesolowski. The combination of modern media, a zest for true crime and the truth, and of course characters who run so close to the boundary of reality and fiction that it is hard to discern what is real or fiction.

When I listen to a well narrated book I often wonder whether the listening, and the very specific experience of multiple character narrators will give you the same experience if you are reading it. The audiobook gives this extra distinction and feel for the differences between the characters, especially when it comes to one of the female characters.

It's a gripping psychological thriller, which has an incredible cast of narrators who bring life and an air of authenticity to the story.

Buy The Evidence in Audible Uk, at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Audible Original | 11th February. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 9 hours and 1 minute, Author - K L Slater, Narrator - Clare Corbett, Rachel Atkins, Alexandra Afryea, David Holt, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 11 February 2021, Publisher -Audible Studios, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

#BlogTour Audiobook - Dear Lina by Jess Glaisher

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the Audiobook Dear Lina by Jess Glaisher, narrated by Amélie Roch and Dervla Kirwan, 

About the Author

Jess is a queer disabled feminist and activist, whose writing focusses on LGBTQ+ character representation, mental health visibility, and the lives of women. Her first short story ‘Destiny’ appears in the anthology (Re)Sisters: Stories of Rebel Girls, Revolution, Empowerment and Escape. Her work has also been featured in Novelty Magazine, Severine Lit, The Tiny Narrative, and on Dear Damsels, including their print anthology for 2019. 

She writes alongside a creative collective of women who met through the amazing Write Like a Grrrl course. She has written a TinyLetter about her mental health called The Stories I Tell Myself, as well as a blog about her experiences with endometriosis called Eight Years and Counting.

Follow @JGlaisher on Twitter, jessglaisher_writer on Instagram, on Goodreads, Visit jgrenaissancewoman.com, Buy Dear Lina

About the book

 England is recognisable on the surface: the buildings are the same, there is still a government, the tube still runs through London. For Lina, however, the England she knew when she was little, when her mum was still around, has disappeared completely.

Arriving home one day to find her mum gone, Lina finds in her place a leather-bound notebook containing hundreds of pages of her mum’s handwriting: letters of advice and memories; all the things her mother would no longer have the chance to teach her. Through these pages, Lina learns that her mother, Eve, left in the middle of the night to avoid being arrested. The Government crackdown on immigrants meant that Eve either had to flee or risk the same fate as her friends; friends who were taken away from their homes and families, but never made it back to their country of birth.

Taking Eve’s advice, Lina leaves her life behind, and sets off on a journey north to Scotland to find freedom and, she hopes, her mother.

Review

I hope this is released in book format, although there is a particular emotional element to hearing both characters speak to each other. I loved it. There is so much packed into this dystopian read, but in a subtle way, which means the reader may be paying attention to either woman and the oppressive structure of the time Lina lives in flows alongside like a bad dream.

The story is delivered by mother and daughter, as both narrate in turns. The mother speaking about the all the hopes and dreams she had and has for her daughter. The daughter as she tires of the Big Brother society, the inability to live and love as she pleases, and as her thirst for freedom grows stronger.

All that is left of her mother are memories and a notebook with thoughts her mothers wants her to acknowledge and hear. The mother who disappeared without a trace one day. Is she alive or is she a victim of the suffocating rules of the country they live in.

It's a scathing social commentary on our own times and yet takes place in a dystopian setting. A moving and harsh scenario that shines a light on the systemic racism, discrimination of the population, but predominantly of those considered to be inferior and different. Women fit into that category, non-whites fit into that category and any LGBTQ+ fit into that category, as do Lina and her mother.

This author is definitely one to watch out for in the future. The intuitive, intelligent and accurate portrayal of a futuristic society bogged down by the shortfalls of the one we live in today is a sharp tongued warning delivered with finesse. Excellent listening experience.

Buy Dear Lina at Audible Uk, at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 9 hours and 7 minutes,  Author - Jess Glaisher, Narrator - Amélie Roch, Dervla Kirwan, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 03 December 2020, Publisher - Audible Studios, Program Type -Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

#BlogTour Audiobook - No Ceremony for the Dead: Stories from the Margins by Shane Dunphy

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for Book 3 in the Audiobook series Stories From the Margins - No Ceremony for the Dead by Shane Dunphy.

About the Author

Shane Dunphy was born in Brighton in 1973. A child protection worker for 15 years, he is the bestselling author of 16 books. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller Wednesday’s Child. His series of crime novels (written under the name SA Dunphy) feature the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of True Crime books written for Audible, is critically acclaimed as well as being an audio-bestseller.

Follow @shanedunphy1 on Twitter, on Facebook, shanedunphyauthor.com, Buy No Ceremony for the Dead: Stories from the Margins 

About the book

‘I know I has special needs. So does Stanley and Francis and Billy and Josh. People don’t listen to us, ’cause they thinks we’re thick in our heads.’

Charlie works at St Patrick’s residential home, where the walls are so thick no one can hear you cry. He’s asking child protection expert Shane Dunphy for help, before someone gets murdered. Charlie tells him of mistreatment, brutality and random cruelty, and now Maisie, his girlfriend, a resident at the home, has gone missing. When Shane finds out what has happened to Maisie, he knows he’s uncovered a world of trouble.

Shane works his connections and, together with the ingenuity of the care home residents, attempts to subvert and infiltrate the system and bring the guilty to justice.

Review

In this third book of the Stories from the Margins series, which is part memoir and true crime, the author turns his attention on a story about St Patrick’s residential home. A place that purports to protect the vulnerable special needs adults it is supposed to be caring for. Instead it has become the hunting ground for an habitual abuser, a person who enjoys the power, pain and humiliation of his charges. 

After being approached by a vulnerable young man who has come looking for assistance from the man who helps those who are unable to help themselves. Shane believes Charlie's tale is enough to warrant a closer look into the accusations of abuse, what follows is the kind of truth that needs to be made public and the voiceless deserve to be heard loud and clear.

What I really enjoy about the way Dunphy approaches this series is the way he breaks up the listen with music and folklore, both of which give context and flavour to the story. The history on the way imperfect children were treated historically, which explains misconceptions and attitudes towards them. The chapter on the Changelings was especially interesting, albeit it very tragic.

Now this may seem to be an odd angle to work when it comes to true crime, however it turns the listen into a learning experience and an enjoyable one too. It also serves the purpose of being able to listen to the hard stuff by inserting breathers - music, folktales, historic crimes - intermittently throughout the audiobook.

The result is an invigorating encounter for the senses, a talent and style specific to this author, as he guides the listener with his dulcet tones and Irish lilt. Always an exceptionally enjoyable experience.

Buy No Ceremony for the Dead at Audible Uk, Amazon Uk, Published by Audible Studios - pub date 14 Jan 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 8 hours and 19 minutes, Author - Shane Dunphy, Narrator - Shane Dunphy,  Audible.co.uk  Release Date - 14 January 2021, Publisher - Audible Studios, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

Read my review of the Audiobook - The Bad Place: Stories From the Margins by Shane Dunphy.

#Audiobook #BlogTour The Bad Place: Stories from the Margins by Shane Dunphy

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Bad Place: Stories from the Margins by Shane Dunphy - narrated by Shane Dunphy.

About the Author

Shane Dunphy was born in Brighton in 1973. A child protection worker for 15 years, he is the bestselling author of 16 books. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller Wednesday’s Child. His series of crime novels (written under the name SA Dunphy) feature the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of True Crime books written for Audible, is critically acclaimed as well as being an audio-bestseller.

Follow @shanedunphy1 on Twitter, on Facebook, shanedunphyauthor.com, Buy The Bad Place: Stories from the Margins 

About the book

The Bad Place sees Shane Dunphy contacted by an old friend seeking advice about children who went missing in the 1980s. The call forces him to revisit a dark time in his early career as a child protection officer, when a young girl described children in care being taken to a residence known as the Bad Place. As a conspiracy emerges that goes to the top of the Irish police and Government, Dunphy recognises the MO of the alleged killer as The Dark Man, a terrifying figure he encountered over thirty years ago, who nearly ended his career before it had even begun.

Determined to confront his past, Dunphy decides to investigate, uncovering a vast international child trafficking ring involving cases of historical child disappearances, unsolved abductions, collusion with the Catholic church and its culture of secrets, lies and cover up

Review

I love the way the music, the talk of the culture, history and folklore of Ireland are interwoven into the stories. The frightening uncertain balance between fact and fiction, abuse and murder, and the general stereotypical ideas that come to mind when the country and people are mentioned.

Dunphy lifts the lid on the horrors, the reality and the unspoken is a direct contradiction to the image portrayed by anyone outside of the aforementioned. These brutally honest stories of True Crime will often make listeners shake their heads in horror, dismay and disbelief, especially given what appears to be complacency about the systemic abuse and murder committed against children and the vulnerable in Ireland.

Dunphy also delves into the status of the Irish Travellers as an ethnic minority. History builds a picture of why there is such a divide between the travelling community and the rest of Ireland. There is so much in this second book in the Stories from the Margins it would be hard to go into each story individually and would also spoil the listen for other listeners.

I'll be honest some of the stories are tough to listen to, others are riveting because they explain so many unanswered questions, but overall this is a fascinating listening experience. One I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Dunphy's personal experiences result in a commentary, which will of course be uncomfortable for many, but it is important to open the doors on these horrors that the perpetrators want to keep hidden. Too many predators are organised in a way that is shockingly accurate, clever and done in a way that functions just below the surface of the face of normality. Somebody has to be the voice of the lost, the innocent and the forgotten. Shane Dunphy is one of those important voices.

Buy The Bad Place: Stories from the Margins at Amazon Uk 

Listening Length - 7 hours and 43 minutes, Author - Shane Dunphy, Narrator - Shane Dunphy, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 15 October 2020, Publisher - Audible Studios, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

Stories From the Margins #3 – Ceremony For the Dead (to be released March 2021)

Ceremony of the Dead – A group of childhood friends are coming after the man who abused them and put one of their friends in a coma; can Shane Dunphy stop their murderous plans but still bring the predator to justice?

#BlogTour Audiobook: Animal Societies by Ashley Ward

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the Audiobook - Animal Societies: How Co-Operation Conquered the Natural World by Ashley Ward.

Written and narrated by Ashley Ward, Professor of Animal Behaviour at the University of Sydney, Animal Societies takes listeners around the world to give an incredible insight into the intimate worlds of social animals. Perfect for fans of David Attenborough, Animal Societies explores how the study of animals’ social behaviour can reveal much about mankind’s own behaviour, including leadership, empathy and selflessness.

About the Author
Ashley Ward is Professor of Animal Behaviour at the University of Sydney and has travelled extensively for his research all over the world – studying lions and elephants in Kenya, whales in the Azores and Tonga, crows in Iceland and Nevada, and fish in Lincolnshire.

Follow @ashleyjwward  @audibleuk on Twitter, Visit ashleyward.net, Buy Animal Societies

About the book
Animal Societies is a voyage of discovery across desert, forest, tundra and ocean to uncover the many benefits and intricacies of sociality in the animal kingdom.

Taking listeners on a journey from Aysgarth Falls to the Great Barrier Reef, Animal Societies explores the intimate worlds of social animals, demonstrating how studying their social behaviour provides insights to the development of such things as empathy, altruism, leadership and language. It’s clear that animals are not so far removed from us as we might imagine

In a time where humans are struggling to navigate cityscapes, isolation and a loneliness epidemic, Ward shows us that studying the social behaviour of animals offers a window into the evolutionary basis of our own species.

Review
Ward makes animal behavioural science both a learning and a captivating listening experience. The personal thoughts are woven seamlessly into the more serious aspect of the book, which isn't without its merits when it comes to science.

It's quite curious how humans create this invisible barrier between themselves and animals. The hierarchy of living creatures - oh and humans must be perceived as different, because our evolution suggests a superiority. Not many think of comparing us to them. How can studying animal behaviour give us insight into societal roles, communities and behaviour? For some it's hard to fathom the commonalities and comparisons.

I especially enjoyed the last chapter, which suggests that we can't simply explain certain base instincts and behavioural patterns based on the echos of our ancestral dna. The differences in species and their responses to specific stimuli can help us to understand their behaviour and in turn ours.

It's a fascinating read, and I can honestly say I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book or read by Ward for educational purposes and for a read or listen that promises an expansion of knowledge, as opposed to trying to rein it in with mothball covered theories that support antiquated thought processes.

On a final note, which takes me back to the start of this audiobook and indeed Ward's own travels. It might bring him some joy to know that where his journey was one of rejection and endurance at times, in regards to learning and sharing the same space with animals whilst doing so, that for younger generations it has become slightly easier to get access to this kind of learning and physical experience. Case in point when we spent a few weeks driving our daughter to Scarborough Sea Life Centre each day a few years ago so she could clean up smelly penguin poop and cut up baby chicks for the animals. Zoological careers and opportunities are evolving.

Buy Animal Societies at Amazon Uk  Publisher: Audible Uk; pub date 23rd April 2020. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Audible.co.uk

Listening Length - 13 hours and 36 minutes, Author - Ashley Ward, Narrator - Ashley Ward,  Audible.co.uk Release Date - 23 April 2020, Publisher - Audible Studios, Program Type - Audiobook,Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

#BlogTour Audiobook: The Estate by Liza Costello

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the Audiobook The Estate by Liza Costello. Narrated by Denise Gough.

About the Author
Liza Costello was born in County Westmeath, where she lives with her husband and two children. A copy editor and poet, her writing has been broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and published in outlets including The Stinging Fly, The Saturday Independent (Ireland), The Manchester Review and Mslexia. Costello won the Dromineer Literary Festival Poetry Award (2011), came joint second for the Patrick Kavanagh Award for an unpublished collection of poetry (2015), and has been shortlisted for the Sean O’Faolain International Short Story Competition and the Francis McManus Short Story Competition. She is currently completing a PhD on the work of the Irish writer Dermot Healy.

Follow on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit lizacostello.com, Buy The Estate

About the book
In her gripping debut, Liza Costello takes listeners on a journey into the world of ‘ghost estates’, sprawling housing complexes left almost abandoned. The Estate follows Beth Sheehan, a young Irish woman staying in a Buddhist retreat in Sri Lanka, where she writes down everything that happened to her back in Ireland in an attempt to believe what she has been told; that she is not guilty of murder.

The Estate transports listeners between the remote Sri Lankan retreat where Beth recovers from her trauma and recession-era Ireland, exploring how her life began to unravel. Isolated from her friends and family, she falls for the intense and charismatic Jason, who persuades her to go with him to housesit in an upmarket ‘ghost estate’ in the rural Irish midlands. When Jason’s arrival is postponed, Beth finds herself alone, with only the inhabitants of the estate for company, including friendly Clara, the strange Mr and Mrs Doran, and Michael, a squatter with substance issues and a medical problem.

As Beth begins to settle into life in her new home, it becomes clear that something dark is happening on the estate. She hears gossip about the house she’s living in alone – rumours about a suicide. And when a child goes missing, the house takes on deadly connotations. There’s no place like home…and Beth hopes there never will be again.

Narrated by Denise Gough (People, Places and Things; Angels in America), The Estate is a shocking story in which motives are thrown into doubt, ties are tested, and truths are questioned. An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.

Review
The story wanders from Beth in a silent Buddhist retreat in Sri Lanka and Beth in Ireland. Life after and life before. Almost like scales of guilt and justice balanced precariously in her mind and as part of her daily reality.

You know what they say nothing comes for free. It's something that Beth should have considered before accepting a strange offer to move into a elegant high-end rent free house on an isolated housing estate with her boyfriend.

Her friends are fed up with her constant drinking and partying, which is why the roommates all go their separate ways. The relationship with her mother and sister is often strained - they go months without communicating. It puts her in a position of vulnerability, because she is isolated. There is no one to share any fears or concerns with, perhaps to bounce any worries off of.

There is also this element to Beth, a part of her personality that she seems unwilling to acknowledge. She becomes aggressive when she drinks and she drinks a lot. Is she capable of hurting someone? Does she really have herself under control?

It's not long until the peace in the small community or rather the crushing isolation of the area is disturbed by odd events that lead Beth into something she never expected at all. I'm going to leave it at that, because listeners should hear the story develop for themselves, including the insidious plot that creeps into the life of unsuspecting Beth.

It's a psychological thriller, an insidious plot with multiple layers. All the story-lines are pulled together to create a fascinating read.

I have to give a nod to Denise Gough for the excellent narration. She absolutely manages to embody the character of Beth, set the stage and execute the plot with authenticity and precision, which of course is a testament to her talents.

This is a cracking debut novel. Costello infuses the story with elements of a domestic, psychological and urban thriller.

Buy The Estate (Audiobook) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 6 hours 57 minutes, Author - Liza Costello, Narrator - Denise Gough, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 06 February 2020, Publisher - Audible Studios, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Original recording, Language - English, ASIN - B081VSNX8F,

#BlogTour Audiobook: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for Audiobook The Wives by Tarryn Fisher. Narrated by Lauren Fortgang.

About the Author
Tarryn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.  She lives in Seattle with her children and husband.  Her heart is dark but she loves you with it anyway. Tarryn is the founder of Guise of the Villain, a fashion blog, and has written twelve published novels. Tarryn is a Slytherin.

Follow @DarkMarkTarryn on Twitter, on Amazon, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram,Visit tarrynfisher.com,
Buy The Wives - Audiobook

About the book
Imagine that your husband has two other wives.

You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.

But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.

You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretences, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then, Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realise she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.

Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life?

Review
Referring to the women as days is a really interesting way to debase them. It suggests a bizarre type of equality, anonymity and lack of importance at the same time. Thursday is my day and the others are Monday and Tuesday, until we realise Thursday is actually also her name.

The polygamy plays a huge role in the premise. The suggestion that women should somehow be pleased with their lot as one of many, as opposed to being important enough to be viewed as an individual. The man is omnipotent and worthy of being served by many. Polygamists lie to themselves when they tell themselves a woman is happy in a situation like that, as do the women.

It makes Thursday insecure and paranoid. She thinks about the other wives all the time. Do they satisfy him the way she does? Are they prettier than she is? Does he love them more? When Thursday finds a scrap of paper with the name of a woman in his pocket the ever mounting hill of questions gets the better of her, so she begins to look for them.

I do enjoy it when a read doesn't evolve as expected. Fisher leads the readers along on the path paved with red herrings - lets us look out of a few windows and open one or two doors and then lets us watch the carefully constructed building of lies crumble all around us.

The narrator, Lauren Fortgang, adds that necessary level of doubt, suspicion, paranoia and almost manic frenzy that's needed to accurately portray the emotional depth and confusion Fisher creates in her story.

This was my first read by this particular author, but it certainly won't be my last.

Buy The Wives - Audiobook at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Also available in ebook Paperback.

The Wives
Listening Length - 8 hours 59 minutes, Author - Tarryn Fisher, Narrator - Lauren Fortgang, Whispersync for Voice - Ready, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 30 December 2019, Publisher - HQ, Program Type- Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English, ASIN- B0817239L3