#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 No Place to Run by Mark Edwards

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour for the Audiobook version of No Place to Run by Mark Edwards.

About the Author

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people. Mark has sold over 3.5 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013 and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, Here To Stay and The House Guest. 

He has also published six books co-authored with Louise Voss. His last book, The Hollows, was published in July 2021. Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children and two cats. He Tweets at @mredwards

About the book

Two years ago, on a trip to Seattle to visit her brother Aidan, fifteen-year-old Scarlett vanished into thin air.

After years of false leads and dead ends, Aidan has almost given up hope. But then a woman sees a girl running for her life across a forest clearing in Northern California. She is convinced the girl is the missing Scarlett. But could it really be her?

Heading south, Aidan finds a fire-ravaged town covered in missing-teenager posters. The locals seem afraid, the police won’t answer any questions and it looks like another dead end―until a chance meeting with returned local Lana gives Aidan his first clue. But as they piece together what happened, Lana and Aidan make deadly enemies. Enemies willing to do anything to silence them. Only one thing matters now: finding Scarlett ― even if it kills him. 

Review

This review is based on the audiobook version - I personally often find listening and reading experiences of the same book or material to be completely different, despite the subject matter. Possibly because the narrator replaces a lot of the imaginary character constructs, and situational reactions and tensions, one automatically creates whilst reading. That's a pretty long-winded way of saying that I am also going to be reading the hardcopy or digital version of this story.

When Aidan decides to solve the mystery of his teenage sister, who disappeared into thin air a few years prior, he doesn't realise he will end up having to wade through a quagmire of deception, greed, and ruthless corruption. He finds a companion in Lana, who like himself is looking for a missing loved one - in a town covered in missing posters. Sounds creepy, right? Yeh, it goes to places you just won't expect it to.

Having read prior work by this author I think it's fair to say that although this also carries the trademark slow-building and burning when it comes to storytelling, it is also the most boundary pushing and extensive in terms of scope. There was definitely an aspect of opening new doors and seeing where that leads us, especially in regard to combining genres. It's more speculative, and tugs quite a few ripcords when it comes to controversial topics and indeed 21st century problems.

It's a captivating, has the potential to a more than one-of, mystery come thriller. A slight deviation from the usual books by this author, but I am absolutely here for it. I love it when an author goes beyond the realms they might be boxed into for a variety of reasons - the results are often a great reading or listening experience.

Buy No Place to Run by Mark Edwards at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publication: Thomas & Mercer, pub date 21st June 2022 | Paperback -£8.99. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 10 hours and 11 minutes, Author - Mark Edwards, Narrator - Will M. Watt. Whispersync for Voice - Ready, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 21 June 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.

#BlogBlitz Audiobook - Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor

 It's my turn on the Blog Blitz Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor.

About the Author

Catherine Taylor was born and grew up on the island of Guernsey in the British Channel Islands. She is a former journalist, most recently for Dow Jones News and The Wall Street Journal in London. Beyond The Moon is her first novel. She lives in Ealing, London with her husband and two children.

Narrator Bio - Liz May Brice is an English actress. She is known for roles such as the convicted murderer Pat Kerrigan on ITV1's Bad Girls, and Agent Johnson in Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Follow @CathTaylorNovel on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram,

About the book

A strange twist of fate connects a British soldier fighting in the First World War in 1916 with a young woman living in modern-day England a century later, in this haunting literary time travel novel.

In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless.

A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place.

Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett…

Review

The story has a similar nostalgic feel as Somewhere in Time, but with an added twist due to the trauma and mental health issues of the main characters. What connects the two of them is grief and perhaps having difficulty finding someone who understands what they are going through, whether that is in the modern times with Louisa or with Robert during the Great War.

Robert is suffering from what we now know is shell shock, which at the time was a greatly misunderstood and misdiagnosed medical condition. He is distressed by his physical condition and feels immense guilt due to his inability to help his colleagues.

Given the nature and way the two characters meet each other and subsequently have a relationship I would say this expands beyond the genre of historical fiction and into speculative fiction. Of course speculative means you can move the goal posts, create scenarios that defy prior knowledge, logic and definitely the laws of science.

This is a review for the audiobook, however I have also read the ebook - sometimes I find it helpful to experience the writing and the audio version of a book - and I think the narrator does a great job of presenting this story. She really hits the tone when it comes to the taught emotional atmosphere between the two characters.

Buy Beyond the Moon at Audible Uk, Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Authors Direct. Only in the US - Buy at Chirpbooks (Chirp is running a special $3.99 deal only available in the US and Canada for a limited time)

Listening Length - 13 hours and 18 minutes, Author - Catherine Taylor, Narrator - Liz May Brice, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 18 February 2021, Publisher - Catherine Taylor, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

Giveaway to Win 5 x Beyond the Moon Audiobook (Open Internationally*) *Audiobook to be distributed via Authors-Direct. Please check the Authors Direct website to check whether it operates where you are. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

#AudioBlogTour Growing Season by Seni Glaister

 Today it's my pleasure to take part on the BlogTour for the Audiobook of Growing Season by Seni Glaister, narrated by Kristin Atherton.

About the Author

Seni Glaister worked as a bookseller for much of her career before founding WeFiFo, the social dining platform, in 2016. Her first novel, The Museum of Things Left Behind, was published in 2015. Mr Doubler Begins Again was published in 2019. She lives on a farm in West Sussex with her husband and children.

Follow @SeniGlaister on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon,  Buy Growing Season

About the audiobook

After a life-saving operation leaves Sam unable to have children, could a rural cottage be the fresh start she needs? Or is she running away from her problems? For her husband Danny, this was never part of the plan. He likes predictability. The countryside is just a bit, well – wild. But he wants Sam to be happy, even if he isn’t.

If only Danny could tell Sam what is going on in his head. If only he knew what was really going on in hers. If only they knew that they’re equally afraid of what happens next. Can the couple find a way to face the future together, or have they already grown too far apart?

Review

Sam and Danny relocate to the country, which is a bit like two fish out of water. At the same time the two of them seem to be disconnected from each other. Living the same life together, but on entirely different paths and wavelengths.

The story of two people who live with their own version of the truth, which doesn't always gel with that of the other person. Blame, guilt and responsibility become burdens carried by both, but not in equal measures. Grief for something lost, but perhaps never wanted. Guilt for their part in the deception and loss. It's complex just like life is and certainly the way relationships are.

For me this was a story about reconnecting, not only with yourself, but also with your surroundings. It's also about the people in a relationship redefining what that relationship means to each of them and how they can relate to each other with more understanding going forward. We live in societies that have a 'work comes first and everything else is secondary' kind of attitude. Everything moves fast and there is no room for any fun, taking a breath, and most importantly no time left to enjoy the world around us. It's normal to treat nature like a body part that is always there and always supposed to be there. To ignore the beauty, peace and tranquility of a rural area.

For me it lacked the emotional spark of Mr Doubler Begins Again, which is an excellent book if you haven't had the chance to read it yet. This is a lot more straightforward, earnest and perhaps even more realistic when it comes to the relationships. Perhaps the honesty and the lack of pandering to the masses, and the idea that love always conjures up a fluffy unicorn, is what makes this read.

Buy Growing Season at Amazon Uk , Audible UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ; pub date 20 Aug. 2020. Buy at Amazon com. 

Listening Length - 10 hours and 54 minutes, Author - Seni Glaister, Narrator - Kristin Atherton, Whispersync for Voice - Ready, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 20 August 2020, Publisher - HQ, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

Read my review of Mr Doubler Begins Again by Seni Glaister.

#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 - 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.

#Review #Audiobook The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah

This is the 4th Hercule Poirot story written by Sophie Hannah. It is narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Follow the author @sophiehannahCB1 on Twitter, on Goodreads, Visit sophiehannah.com, Buy The Killings at Kingfisher Hill

About the book

Hercule Poirot is travelling by luxury passenger coach from London to the exclusive Kingfisher Hill estate. Richard Devonport has summoned him to prove that his fiancée, Helen, is innocent of the murder of his brother, Frank. There is one strange condition attached to this request: Poirot must conceal his true reason for being there from the rest of the Devonport family.

On the coach, a distressed woman leaps up, demanding to disembark. She insists that if she stays in her seat, she will be murdered. A seat-swap is arranged, and the rest of the journey passes without incident. But Poirot has a bad feeling about it, and his fears are later confirmed when a body is discovered in the Devonports' home with a note that refers to "the seat that you shouldn’t have sat in."

Could this new murder and the peculiar incident on the coach be clues to solving the mystery of who killed Frank Devonport? And can Poirot find the real murderer in time to save an innocent woman from the gallows?

Review

Poirot is on his way to investigate the death of Frank Devonport at the behest of Richard Devonport. He is travelling with his companion and police detective, who is a really good sidekick by the way. Their attention is drawn by the antics of a young woman who seems particularly distressed and also convinced that someone is intent on killing her.

Her behaviour and insistence on swapping seats sets a series of events in motion that garners Poirot's attention and gets the little grey cells bouncing, however he isn't quite prepared for the surprises awaiting him at the esteemed Kingfisher Hill residence. A mystery on the way to solve a mystery - only Poirot can find himself in such a complex situation.

I have to say the more Hannah writes Poirot the more her voice sounds like Christie. Listening to the audiobook actually gives the listener or reader a better feel for said voice, because the narrator has the characters down to a fine art, especially Poirot. Julian Rhind-Tutt is an excellent choice.

I look forward to reading the next in the series and can only hope that eventually someone will revive the series in film or tv format featuring the stories of Christie's famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot with Hannah at the helm of the ship. I miss Suchet and this gives me Suchet-Poirot vibes.

Buy The Killings at Kingfisher Hill at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Waterstones.

By: Sophie Hannah, Agatha Christie, Narrated by: Julian Rhind-Tutt, Series: New Hercule Poirot Mysteries, Book 4, Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins, Unabridged Audiobook, Release date: 20-08-20, Language: English, Publisher: HarperCollins.

Read The Mystery of Three Quarters (Hercule Poirot #3) by Sophie Hannah.

Read Did You See Melody? by Sophie Hannah

#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?

The Sound of her Voice by Nathan Blackwell - Audiobook

About the Author
Nathan Blackwell was raised on Auckland’s North Shore and attended Westlake Boys’ High School before commencing a ten-year career in the New Zealand Police. Seven of those years were spent as a Detective in the Criminal Investigation Branch, where he was exposed to human nature at its strongest and bravest, but also at its most depraved and horrific. He investigated a wide range of cases including drug manufacture, child abuse, corruption, serious violence, rape and murder. Because some of his work was conducted covertly, Nathan chooses to hide his true identity.

Follow @Nathan_B_Author on Twitter, on Goodreads, Visit nathan-blackwell.com, Buy The Sound of Her Voice

About the book
Some murder cases you can't forget. No matter how hard you try.

The body of a woman has been found on a pristine New Zealand beach – over a decade after she was murdered. Detective Matt Buchanan of the Auckland Police is certain it carries all the hallmarks of an unsolved crime he investigated 12 years ago: when Samantha Coates walked out one day and never came home.

Re-opening the case, Buchanan begins to piece the terrible crimes together, setting into motion a chain of events that will force him to the darkest corners of society – and back into his deepest obsession…

Review of the Audiobook
What's different about this story in comparison to other police procedural crime reads written by authors with real life experience in policing is not only the authenticity, it's also the intent. Blackwell really wants readers to comprehend the reality of working in law enforcement, especially when it comes to officers involved in violent, sexual crimes, perhaps more so when they are crimes against young women and children.

The emotional impact it leaves on their psyche, their lives and their relationships. Eventually it grounds down even the best and the strongest, and by strongest I mean the ability to disassociate and leave work at work. If you watch ex-police talk about especially vile crimes and/or cold cases that they have found hard to leave behind, you realise just how much damage crime does to everyone who comes in touch with it.

I especially enjoyed the frank discourse on the sexual assault. It highlights how the system lets victims fall through the cracks. Instead of protecting them and bringing their predators to justice the system helps to degrade the victims and let the guilty walk free. Free to commit more crimes.

The darkness has to be dealt with somehow, not taking it home and not letting it completely consume your soul is part and parcel of this story. There is a simple quick scene where Buchanan steps in for a more inexperienced police officer so the man will get a short reprieve from a brutal murder. Those moments speak to the ingrained brotherhood that exists within law enforcement agencies.

The narrator, David Thorpe, does an excellent job of giving listeners the atmosphere of the country and the New Zealanders. He absolutely does Blackwell's story justice. I have to say I was particularly amused by the passionate swearing.

Blackwell creates this symbiotic relationship between the fictional narrative, and the reality of horrendous and traumatic crimes, which Thorpe brings to life in this audio version.

Buy The Sound of her Voice at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Orion; pub date 18 April 2019. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 9 hours and 42 minutes, Author - Nathan Blackwell, Narrator - David Thorpe, Whispersync for Voice - Ready, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 18 April 2019, Publisher - Orion Publishing Group Limited, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English.

#BlogBlitz #Audiobook Wombat and Jones - The Great Banana Mystery by Arran Francis

Today it's my turn on the BlogBlitz for the Audiobook Wombat and Jones - The Great Banana Mystery by Arran Francis.

About the Author 

Arran Francis is the creator of multiple series for BBC's CBeebies Radio and has worked as an audiobook producer on behalf of MacMillan Audio, Audible and Harper Collins. He launched Wombat and Jones Audio in 2019 with the aim of writing children’s novels to be released exclusively in audiobook format.

The audiobooks for the Daisy May’s Daydream Parade and Wombat & Jones series were released last summer with further books in the series and standalone titles being scheduled for publication in 2020.

Follow @wombatandjones on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Facebook, on Instagram, Buy Wombat and Jones - The Great Banana Mystery

About the book
Wombat and Jones are excited to attend the famous Boris Beaker's banana bread baking class and like many other friends in town they can't wait to get to work on making scrumptious banana bread. However, there’s just one problem — before class gets underway, Boris discovers that all of the bananas have gone missing!

Boris Beaker and his disappointed students know there is no chance they can make banana bread without this key ingredient, but Wombat isn’t willing to give up that easily. Putting her investigative skills to the test, she gets help from her trusty sidekick — Furlock Jones — and together they attempt to solve The Great Banana Mystery.

Written by author Arran Francis, creator of multiple series for BBC's CBeebies Radio, Wombat & Jones: The Great Banana Mystery is a funny tale about friendship, problem-solving, and teamwork. Simple mistakes and jumping to conclusions can happen after all, but Wombat & Jones try their best to put it right and learn from them. 

Review

The famous sleuth Wombat and his sidekick Furlock are on the case when all the bananas go missing. bananas that are desperately needed for the baking class run by Boris Beaker. No bananas means no banana bread! It's a difficult job looking for elusive yellow fruit, but someone has to do it.

I have said this before and I can't say it enough - audiobooks really are a forgotten art of storytelling. They make me think of the way tales, folklore and legends were passed on throughout history. Audiobooks give listeners the opportunity to experience stories without having to read and it also conjures up a whole new world of imagination.

Experiencing sounds, noises, different voices without the all encompassing visual aids stories usually come with, is something I highly recommend for children. Learning to take a moment and enjoy is something I think society has lost in general.

It's a shame that the children who listen to this audiobook won't really be able to appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humour when it comes to the character names. Wombat and Furlock Jones, Boris Beaker - I love it. Although I have to say Wombat is clearly the one in charge when it comes to the investigations or mystery, despite him being the Watson to the Sherlock - Furlock. And Boris Beaker just happens to be a duck with a German accent. Luckily the narration absolutely matches the humour the author has infused this story with.

Buy Wombat and Jones - The Great Banana Mystery  or go to Goodreads. It can be streamed or borrowed from libraries too.

Read my review of Daisy May's Daydream Parade: Treasure Island Adventure by Arran Francis.

#BlogTour #Audiobook Little Whispers by K.L. Slater

Today it's my turn on the Blogtour Little Whispers by K.L. Slater.

Released in audio on 21st May 2020, Little Whispers will be narrated by prolific audio narrator, Lucy Price-Lewis, who has narrated ten of Slater’s previous novels on Audible, in addition to voicing over 100 audiobooks, including thrillers by Lynda La Plante, Leigh Russell and Malorie Blackman. Little Whispers is published in print on the same date by Bookouture, and the audiobook is available to order on Audible here: Little Whispers at Audible Uk

Little Whispers follows the release of Slater’s audio-first novel, The Apartment, on Audible in 2019.

About the Author
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, on Goodreads,  Visit klslaterauthor.com, Buy Little Whispers

About the book
When Janey Markham moves to the smartest address in a suburban town, full of gossipy local mothers, she’s delighted when she meets Tanya, the kind of woman Janey has always looked up to. As Janey and Tanya grow closer, Janey feels she can finally leave her troubled past behind. But then everything changes…

In a weak moment over a bottle of wine, Janey finds herself telling Tanya her most shocking secret. And when Janey witnesses something that makes her suspect Tanya’s daughter, Angel, of being involved in a murder, Tanya threatens to make sure that her Janey’s dark secret gets out. Janey faces an impossible choice. Stay quiet about what she saw. Or speak up, and destroy the family she has worked so hard to protect…

Review
Janey is two sheets to the wind when she tells Tanya her secret. She doesn't expect to end up in a situation where she uses it as an effective way to silence her. She might have been more careful, but hey the booze and the fact she feels vulnerable and in over her head in her new neighbourhood. She feels like the poor relative in a community full of rich people.

It's a nice little moral dilemma. You tell someone your darkest secret in a vulnerable moment, perhaps in an attempt to bond with that person. Then you see the daughter of your friend potentially take part in a crime, but can't say anything, because your secret has made you a target for blackmail. What do you do? Risk your secret coming out or keep stumm about the potential criminal? What say you?

It's a domestic thriller with an intriguing premise. Questioning the loyalty of people in general and whether you ever really should trust anyone with your most treasured secrets. There will always be a possibility that someone will reveal it. As sad as it is I always tell my kids to only ever tell people things they would be happy to hear about themselves through the grapevine of the gossip mill, because people who keep secrets forever is a bit like finding a unicorn. Someone always tells and deathbed confessions are very popular.

Slater takes a common scenario of anxiety and trying to fit in, and turns it into the kind of read you can both relate to and find yourself shaking your head at whilst reading.

Buy Little Whispers at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bookouture; pub date 21 May 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Listening Length - 9 hours and 18 minutes, Author - K. L. Slater, Narrator - Lucy Price-Lewis, Whispersync for Voice - Ready, Audible.co.uk Release Date - 21 May 2020, Publisher -Audible Studios, Program Type - Audiobook, Version - Unabridged, Language - English,