#Blogtour Death the Second Time Around by Jeanine Englert

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Death the Second Time Around by Jeanine Englert. A Clun Mystery book 2. Publication Day Push Tour courtesy of Rachels. Random Resources Tours.

About the Author

Jeanine Englert’s love affair with mysteries and romance began with Nancy Drew, Murder She Wrote, and her Grandmother’s bookshelves full of romance novels. She is a VIVIAN®, Golden Heart®, and Romance Novelists Association Finalist as well as a Silver Falchion, Maggie, and Daphne du Maurier Award Winner in historical romance and mystery. She was also named the 2024 Georgia Author of the Year in romance for A Laird without a Past. 

Her Scottish Highland historical, Regency historical, and historical mystery novels revolve around characters seeking self-acceptance and redemption. When she isn’t wrangling with her characters on the page, she can be found trying to convince her husband to watch her latest Masterpiece or BBC show obsession. She loves to talk about books, writing, her beloved rescue pups, as well as mysteries and romance with other readers. Visit her website at www.jeaninewrites.com. 

Social media links for Jeanine:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/JeanineWrites

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/JeanineWrites

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jeanine-englert?list=about

Instagram: https://www.instragram.com/JeanineWrites

About the book

Burying her husband the first time was hard. . . but the second time might just kill her.

Priscilla Newberry’s move to Obley, England was supposed to be a fresh start for her and her young daughter. But when the body of her late husband she believed long dead is found at her former home in Clun, she is pulled reluctantly back into the past and an inquiry case to find out who murdered him now and why.

Widower Augustus Travers is driven to protect the people of Clun in his new role as Constable, but nothing could prepare him for his first case: finding a man murdered, especially a man who was believed to already be dead and the late husband of a woman he could lose his heart to if he wasn’t careful.

As the clues unfold, Priscilla and Augustus find themselves in a harrowing race against time as they face the past and the consequences of death the second time around.

Review

This is the second book in the Clun Mysteries, it can absolutely be read as a standalone book, however I would suggest reading the first book because it adds insight to the situation Priscilla finds herself in when this book begins.

Imagine your dead and buried husband comes back into your life years later, as a dead man. Confused? Yes, so is everyone else who knew him. If he wasn't dead where has he been? Who did they bury? Is everything Priscilla thought was true and absolute lie?

I'm not sure what's worse for Priscilla, realising that she must mourn again or that she was never worthy of an honest interaction. No matter how you frame it, her husband picked his own greed, ideas, safety and choice of lifestyle, over the welfare of his child and wife. Not one thought was lost on the hardship, heartache and difficulty they might endure at the hands of his decisions.

I enjoyed the way the author has created this Christie-like atmosphere in an environment that combines the harsh life and existence with mystery and human connection. How people adjust and realign needs and realities to survive. Sometimes they also encounter romantic connections that give us the strength to forge forward, despite betrayal and the lack of trust ingrained on their souls.

Buy Death the Second Time Around at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Jeanine Writes LLC. Publication date ‏: ‎31 Oct. 2026. Buy via Amazon com.

Giveaway - Share in the Hallowed Eve Mysteries of Clun, England! (Open to US only)

Enter for the chance to win e-book copies of the Clun Mysteries series: Lovely Digits and Death the Second Time Around! Share in the Hallowed Eve Mysteries of Clun, England! 

https://gleam.io/JIJZV/share-in-the-hallowed-eve-mysteries-of-clun-england-open-to-us-only

*Terms and Conditions –US entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam 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.*

#Blogtour Miss Wolcott's Ghost by Louise Penny

It's a pleausre to take part in the Blogtour Miss Wolcott's Ghost by Louise Penny. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book 21. Published by Hodder & Stoughton, £22 H/B, published 20th October 2026. Tour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Louise Penny is the #1 bestselling, multi-award-winning author of the Chief Inspector Gamache novels, set in her home province of Québec, Canada. Her books, including State of Terror written with Hillary Rodham Clinton, have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide, topped international bestseller lists, including the New York Times, and been translated into 32 languages. 

The recipient of both the Order of Canada and l’Ordre national du Québec, her country’s highest civilian honours, her Three Pines Foundation reaches out to those in crisis and offers financial and emotional support, with a special focus on literacy as well as dementia care. Her husband, Michael, died of dementia in 2016. She lives with her golden retrievers Muggins and Charlie in a village south of Montreal. Find Louise Penny on Facebook at www.facebook.com/louisepennyauthor

About the book

Gamache receives a puzzling phone call at his home in Three Pines, instructing him to go to a remote, forgotten area in Quebec to find a dead body, a puzzling mystery unspools that tangles the past, present, and the future.

‘There's a body in Lost Nation.' But the line goes dead before Chief Inspector Armand Gamache can question the caller. The head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec has no idea where Lost Nation is, or who woke him in the small hours of the morning at his home in Three Pines. What he does know is that the man was terrified.

When he and his team of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste find both place and body, the situation only grows more bizarre. The unidentified dead man appears to be from an era more than a century old. He's lying in a long-abandoned cemetery, on top of a grave with a date, but no name. 

Adding to the mystery, the early morning call appears to have come from Gamache's friend and neighbour, Clara Morrow. While she denies any knowledge of it, it becomes clear there is some connection between her, the Morrow family, and Lost Nation.

Soon, Gamache and his team are faced with tracking down not just the legend of Lost Nation, but a lost ship, lost documents belong to an eccentric Victorian botanist, and a mysterious plant not seen in a century, that might save, or take, countless lives.

As the ghosts begin to gather, Gamache realises that the body on the grave is far from the only death. To solve the crime and avert catastrophe he must look to rancid secrets and old lies no longer dead and buried.

Review

One shall tread carefully as to not reveal too much of the plot or which detail plays the most important role in the latest Inspector Gamache book.

A mysterious phone call in the middle of the night thrusts Armand Gamache into a mystery that has its roots in the past and has bloomed to fruition in the current day. Moments of sinister apprehension are often replaced with confusion and surprise. The smallest detail and the carriers of information become what can only be described as a mind-map of historical and geographical facts and stories handed down from person to person.

I have to admit I was unaware of the historical event at the core of this story. Strange how such a massive tragedy could be buried in the ashes of other events that had an impact on the world. What is apparent however is how people have tried to make sure the individuals aren't forgotten by linking names to faces/photos and to families.

I'd hazard a guess that I am not the only person who was deeply disappointed when the powers that be (and clearly have no clue what good television is) decided to cancel Three Pines after the first season. Molina was perfect, but more importantly they captured the essence of belonging, friendship and the landscape of both Canada and the Canadians perfectly. Here's to manifesting another screen attempt.

Penny always delivers her crime and characters with a element of poignance, history, cultural importance and above all with a keen sense of human connection. It always makes for a great read.

Buy Miss Wolcott's Ghost at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Published by Hodder & Stoughton, £22 H/B, published 20th October 2026. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bookshop org.

#Blogtour The Shareg by A. G. Rivett

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Shareg by A.G. Rivett. This is the third part of The Isle of Fincara Trilogy, published by Pantolwen Press: Publication Day 16 October 2026. Tour courtesy of Zooloo's Book Tours.

About the Author

Ceredigion author A G Rivett claims to have lived several lives in the course of his one life. Born in London, raised in the Home Counties, he has been a doctor, a priest, and a crofter in the Scottish Highlands. 

He has lived in rural Northern Nigeria and knows what a simpler life looks like, less dependent on technology. He now lives in West Wales with his wife, Gillian Paschkes-Bell, who works with him as a writing team. There, he grows fruit and vegetables and has sewn a wildflower meadow. He has three daughters and two grandsons. Connect with the author via agrivett.com

About the book

A world like eleventh-century Britain; an island like the Western Isles. Caerpadraig is the only town with a woman for their priest. And there lives time-traveller, John Finlay, whom the Islanders call Dhion. 

The town’s headman—the shareg—feels his age and must stand down. The contest to replace him is intense and even the foreigner, Dhion, is drawn in. Meanwhile, the Archpriest’s men are on the move, emissaries of a missionary push to replace longstanding Island traditions. As the new shareg is chosen, two of them appear, the first signs of the conflict that will change everything. 

Bookended by a body washed up on a beach and a glass of whisky on the Inverness train, the world of Caerpadraig comes alive with characters who dance to a different drum. 

Review

Without going into the details of the ending, I think it is what one would call a full circle moment. In a sense it puts forward the thought of purpose. Do we have - and I do think we do - a purpose to fulfill in our time. Not always one of great moments in history, because the majority of us come and go without great impact on the world. The prefice rather being that every person creates a set of connections and leaves an impact, regardless of whether negative or positive, and these ripples of connections are important in ways most people never comprehend.

Such is the story of Dhion, which begs the question - in this speculative tale - that perhaps his appearance was always meant to be. Was always his destiny, and he was always supposed to create ripples and share knowledge, and in doing so moving civilisation forward and leaving a mark upon the people around him.

It's a poetic and spritual ending to the trilogy. Taking each book, pathway and crossroads into consideration. From the new beginning, the birth of Dhion and his story culminating in a set of circumstances that protect his new people and family. Saving those who saved him. His purpose.

I think, after reading all three books, that they are the kind of reads that let you reflect on the depth in retrospect. Beyond the details of the surface information.

Buy The Shareg at Amazon Uk. Publisher: Pantolwen Press, publication date 16 Oct. 2026.

#Blogtour The Deadly Inheritance of Everest MacDonald by A.J. West

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Deadly Inheritance of Everest MacDonald by A. J. West. Published by Orenda Books, publication date 8th October 2026. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

A.J. West’s bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long forgotten true story. His second novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, debuted at number two on the Sunday Times bestseller list, and won the CWA Historical Dagger. A.J. was also shortlisted for the Booksellers Association Author the Year.  

An award-winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events. A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.  Follow @AJWestAuthor on X, visit ajwestauthor.com

About the book

1917. As the Great War rages on the continent, Everest Macdonald is summoned to her father's deathbed and entrusted with a final urgent request: she must uncover the truth behind the murder of her uncle, the celebrated Victorian actor William Terriss, a crime that has haunted her family for twenty years. 

In 1897, Terriss was stabbed to death outside London’s Adelphi Theatre, a killing that shocked Victorian society. The murderer was swiftly  arrested and confined to Broadmoor, the case declared closed. 

Yet years later, a sealed package of evidence passed to Everest by her dying father casts doubt on the official verdict and the haste with which it was reached. Drawn back to wartime London, with her husband and children left behind, Everest begins her investigation, following a trail that leads her into the world of late-Victorian theatre, where fame and fortune mask obsession, envy and cruelty. With time running out and her father’s strength failing, Everest must uncover what really happened on the night Terriss died, and shed light on the unsettling legacy he left behind… 

Review

I'm going to start out by remarking upon the fact that West is highly underrated and deserves more recognition for his writing and storytelling. He also has a knack of combining history, fact and fiction to create a great read. Filling in the blanks, but always being being quite honest about the creating the fictional around the known facts, cemented by diligent research.

In 1897, the well-known actor Terriss was stabbed to death outside London's Adelphi Theatre. It was a killing that created newspaper headlines and shocked Victorian society. There was no doubt as to the identity of the murderer who was arrested and confined to Broadmoor. The no doubt becomes a shaky ground to stand on when Everest MacDonald is tasked with discovering the truth on the deathbed of her father.

The flamboyance, eccentricity and theatrical nature of the people and personalities of the theatre world not only adds to the flair of otherness Everest exudes, but also accurately depicts the minutiae of circumstance that may or may not have led to certain events.

It's a wonderful exploration of an historical crime with an ode to Christie here and there. The author has a style that is both memorable and evolving with each book. I look forward to what he comes up with next. 

Buy The Deadly Inheritance of Everest MacDonald at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher Orenda Books; publication date: 8th October 2026. Royal Hardback | £ 20. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Orenda Books.

#Blogtour The Priest's Wife by A. G. Rivett

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Priest's Wife by A.G. Rivett. This is the second part of The Isle of Fincara Trilogy, published by Pantolwen Press: Publication Day 19 October 2023. Tour courtesy of Zooloo's Book Tours.

About the Author

Ceredigion author A G Rivett claims to have lived several lives in the course of his one life. Born in London, raised in the Home Counties, he has been a doctor, a priest, and a crofter in the Scottish Highlands. He has lived in rural Northern Nigeria and knows what a simpler life looks like, less dependent on technology. He now lives in West Wales with his wife, Gillian Paschkes-Bell, who works with him as a writing team. There, he grows fruit and vegetables and has sewn a wildflower meadow. He has three daughters and two grandsons. Connect with the author via agrivett.com

About the book

When her husband the priest dies, Morag loses more than her life partner. With him goes her home and her place in the community. When her identity is also called into question, she sets out on a quest to find herself anew.

Meanwhile, the new priest brings with him a religion that seeks to sweep away the mix of Celtic myth and Christian story that has sustained the islanders for many years.

In the conflict that unfolds, each is challenged to know themselves more deeply, and at last to recognise the new roles that await them.

Review

Bringing it back to the basics of structure, the death of Hugo reveals the instability of Morag's life. Everything is built upon the premise of her position as his companion and partner, and when he no longer exists neither does her position. It's a bit of a blow to her heart and soul. Not only has she lost the man she loved, she is suddenly relegated to a position of non-importance. She loses her role, her standing and her home. In a way she also loses her community. 

For an outsider looking in it looks like the ultimate betrayal, but it is merely one of the many inconviences of being a woman in a world run by men. Or at the very least a world run by lineage and born from societal structures.

The grief, the rejection, the replacement and the displacement, all serve as inner and outer drivers to push Morag on a path to discover her identity. Who is she and where does stem from, what is her maternal lineage? The discoveries she makes eventually lead her on an eye-opener of journey. One whihc may or may not lead her back to the fold of friends and her family.

Whilst the journey to find self is still a core element in the second book in the Isle of Fincara trilogy, this time it is defined by the way women are perceived in roles of influence and authority. We delve further into Celtic myth and the advancement of a patriarchal religious system, which strides without losing pace towards societies who prior to this were determined and ruled by a more earth based set of rules interwoven with folklore and mythology.

Buy The Priest's Wife at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy via Barnes & Noble. Via Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Seaborne by A.G. Rivett

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Seaborne by A.G. Rivett. This is the first part of The Isle of Fincara Trilogy, published by Pantolwen Press: Publication Day 21 October 2025. Tour courtesy of Zooloo's Book Tours.

About the Author

Ceredigion author A G Rivett claims to have lived several lives in the course of his one life. Born in London, raised in the Home Counties, he has been a doctor, a priest, and a crofter in the Scottish Highlands. He has lived in rural Northern Nigeria and knows what a simpler life looks like, less dependent on technology. He now lives in West Wales with his wife, Gillian Paschkes-Bell, who works with him as a writing team. There, he grows fruit and vegetables and has sewn a wildflower meadow. He has three daughters and two grandsons. Connect with the author via agrivett.com

About the book

John Finlay is fleeing from failure. - His engineering business has failed. His relationship has failed. His flight from debts leads him to disaster – and to the Island, where he must learn to live anew. 

Dermot, pulling a boy barely alive from the water, has never seen anyone so strangely dressed. His Celtic island knows nothing of debt, nor engineering. Where has this man come from? John struggles to accept that he has been carried across time and into another world – both like and unlike his own. How he got there is a mystery.  

But John, the foreigner, must turn slowly into Dhion, the Islander. Still, he brings with him unfinished business that must be faced, and ideas that may not always be welcomed.  

Meanwhile Dermot, consumed with a growing jealousy, develops his own deadly agenda. The whole community finds itself caught up in what becomes a matter of survival – or transformation. A tale of loss and change. A spiritual inquiry. And a love story. 

Review

Although the story, which is the first part of The Isle of Fincara Trilogy, is speculative in nature it also brings together a myriad of aspects and perceptions. The spritual awakening for one. Not so much in a religious, pagan or the natural origin of past societies who are perhaps isolated from greater advancements and developments, but rather an awakening of self. 

How John/Dhion adjusts and then comprehends that in this new setting he is no longer John with the burden or lightness of his previous life and identity. In this setting he is in fact Dhion and walks in the shoes of this emerging identity, albeit with the bonus of being able to access the knowledge and ability of John.

I did wonder why Dhion doesn't really delve deeply into the why or how of his new existence. Is it perhaps because he welcomes a new beginning or the concept that something more unusual than being recovered from the sea is at hand.

To some of the people who surround him he will always be the one borne of the sea, and that mirrors the way modern society distinguishes born and bred from the outsider, even if the outsider has a generational standing in said village, town or society. That inkling of other often brings an element of distrust with it, which explains the wariness when Dhion uses modern ideas to enhance the lives of those around him.

I think it's a book - or a start of a journey - that is better served without too much pre-knowledge from others. What I will add is that one of the last sentences captures not only the entirety of John becoming Dhion, but also serves a gentle reminder of something not everyone experiences - 'my feet feel they have found a path' - it encapsulates so much of this story and more.

Buy The Seaborne at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Pantolwen Press, published 21 October 2025. Buy via Barnes and Noble. 

#Blogtour They Can't Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp

From the award-winning author of  A Poisoner's Tale comes a powerful and moving examination of witchcraft in 17th century Iceland. They Can't Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp. Published13th August 2026 by Bantam Books. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Cathryn Kemp is an award-winning, bestselling author and ghostwriter of celebrity, true crime, addiction and nostalgia titles. Her personal memoir Coming Clean won the Big Red Read Prize for Non-Fiction.

Her debut novel, A Poisoner’s Tale won the Historical Writers Association’s Debut Crown Award. Praised for its complexity and power, she has channelled this and more into her second novel, They Can’t Burn Us All. 

Cathryn is based on the south coast and is available for interview, features and events throughout 2026. Follow @cathryn_kemp on Instagram.

About the book

Westfjords, Iceland. 1655 - Þuríður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic.

But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, fuelled by the Protestant Reformation. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, those condemned as witches here are not women, but men of learning. And when Þuríður’s father and brother are accused of witchcraft and condemned to burn at the stake, she is helpless to save them.

As Lutheran Pastor Jón Magnússon's accusing gaze turns to Þuríður herself, the first woman to be called ‘witch’, he will find that she is no ordinary woman. She is prepared to fight back. But at what cost? And in an age of fear and persecution, whose side will the community take? Who will fight for justice?

Review

From the very beginning you are accompanied by the train of thought that although the title suggests they can't burn them all, you know that they can, will and certainly try to over and over again. It's the kind of resignation a woman or a girl sits with when you realise that the boot is always hovering somewhere over your neck in allegedly more progressive countries and just sits at various angles and depths in others. Same story no matter what era in history.

As the weaponry of witchcraft accusations evolves from country to country it's interesting to note how the patriarchal system realises that to put the predominant burden of blame on the men, in this case the men are only ones deemed worthy of learning the skills or reading and writing and of course wielding the power of magic, causes an error in their calculation. That miscalculation being the eradication of men, unless of course it suits the narrative - landgrab, moneygrab, powergrab and often the elimination of rivals - becomes a costly one and one less likely to succeed. Enter the women and girls stage left. 

It's much easier to create a powerbase of oppression, subjucation and control with fear and intimidation if you have a righteous cause and of course someone to blame. It's far easier to blame the people in society most likely to be skilled at using nature, plants, empathy and common sense to heal and help others. Soothing salve? Witchcraft!

Þuríður Jónsdóttir has already experienced the swift change in perception. One day her family is revered sometimes feared, then with a little push they become targets of a witchhunt. It's not a far stretch to realise that she might become the next on the list of targets. In fact her lack of voice since her mother's death might make people view her with more suspicion.

I was intrigued by my reaction to her trauma induced silence. Her inability to say her thoughts out loud, whilst we can read them, was frustrating. Tell them! Shout! Scream your outrage and anger! And then I realised the inability to speak becomes a physical and psychological representation of every single victim who was unfortunate to fall foul of these religious zealots, powerhungry egomaniacs and of course the willing enablers, the bloodthirsty crowds.

I really enjoyed the read. I would happily cast a spell or two after reading this, and despite what the title says it would be better to remember that they will happily try to burn us all if they are given the opportunity.

Buy They Can't Burn Us All at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Transworld Digital; Bantam books pub date 13 August 2026. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Bookshop org.

#Blogtour False Heart by Jane Whiteford

It's a plaeasure to atke part in the Blogtour False Heart by Jane Whiteford. Published by‏ The Book Guild Ltd, pub date‎ 28 July 2026. Blogtour courtesy of Zooloo's Book Tours.

About the Author

Jane Whiteford’s writing is inspired by the history and landscape of the northwest of England where she has lived for more than forty years. Her first novel, Till All the Seas, was shortlisted for The Lakeland Book of the Year 2023. False Heart was realeased on the 28th of July 2026.

About the book

1914. As war looms over Europe, the quiet village of Stainwick prepares for change. Acland’s Black Powder Works must expand to meet the demands of conflict, and young accountant David Ainsworth is sent to oversee the transformation. He meets Sarah Liddell, a widowed schoolteacher and mother, whose life is already shaped by loss. Before he is deployed to serve in the Army, David persuades Sarah to marry him, despite her reservations.

When David returns from the trenches four years later, mentally scarred by war, he and Sarah try to salvage their marriage. But when a lightning strike on the powder works triggers a series of explosions and her husband’s secrets are revealed, Sarah’s life is turned upside down.

False Heart is a story of love, deception, and the courage it takes to rebuild after everything has been torn apart.

Review

Sarah is perhaps more vulnerable as a widow with a child. The most obvious predators often hide the less obvious ones. One could argue that false pretenses are expanded upon and that vulnerability is used against her for others to be able to maintain a status quo and clever deception.

When you remove the surrounding trauma of loss, grief, pre-war, war and post-war, there is core issue of deception at the heart of the story. Is keeping your true self hidden at the expense of everyone around you worth it if you hurt those you allegedly care for in the process. I think the story answers that question, and it doesn't matter that the secret being hidden is one that could destroy the person keeping it in the first place. It suggests that the feelings and emotions of one person are more important than those of another.

It's historical fiction, which incorporates certain interesting elements of the historical setting. It also delivers a relatable scenario of grief, trust, love, deception, vulnerability and very much one of survival. When one door closes another one opens, as they say. However the lesson in life should be that we have the ability to create doors where we think there are none.

Buy False Heart at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: The Book Guild, pub date 28th July 2026. Buy via at mybook.to/falseheart-zbt

#Blogtour Consider The Ravens by Cressida Downing

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Consider the Ravens - A Gripping Medieval Mystery of Murder and Secrets on Lindisfarne,The Scribe of Lindisfarne by Cressida Downing. Published by No Exit Press, pub date 16 July 2026. Blogtour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author

Cressida Downing is a freelance editor, has worked in bookshops and for publishers, and owns a business taking people on reading retreats. She lives near Cambridge and has planned 6 further novels in the series. Follow @DowningCressida on X

About the book

The scribe Linnet is running from her criminal past and seeking sanctuary in the island of her childhood. She’s friendless in the monastery, the monks resentful of a woman scribe, and her only company is Tom the fisherman and a child, Isabelle – watchful, clever and unlikeable – with her partly tamed raven Pol.

The monastery bursar Oswyn threatens to expose Linnet’s past but she isn’t the only one with secrets to hide. Intent upon uncovering the monks’ misdeeds is the fanatic inspector, sent by the new Bishop of Durham to write a report on the monastery.

When Oswyn is found drowned, Linnet suspects the death is not accidental. After another death, Linnet realises there’s a killer amongst the brethren, and her own precarious position makes her vulnerable – unless she can first identify who it could be…

Review

Tones of Sansom and a smidgen of Umberto Eco, but with a light-hearted sense of mystery, mayhem and murder. Secrets are the currency of the power plays inside the monastery. Linnet walks a precarious tightrope of staying hidden in plain sight with her basic needs cared for, whilst managing to be in every corner when trouble shows its face. It's no wonder she has a hard time keeping her secrets from potential enemies.

Then again it's highly unusual for a woman in that era to be able to read and scribe. It creates questions and a spotlight finds her more often than not. Can Linnet keep herself safe, despite being driven by her curious nature and the need to solve dangerous mysteries.

An sudden death brings more unexpected attention to the doors of the monastery. An accident? Or perhaps something more dangerous is at hand. Linnet finds herself in the midst of everything - not really a good idea when you want to keep a low profile.

It's a bit of a slow starter, however I can only suggest sticking with it. It gains traction with each page and culminates in the setting in motion the next book in the series and also a few revelations. I think it has a lot of potential and can't wait to see where the author takes it.

Buy Consider the Ravens at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy via Bookshop org.

#Blogtour The Death of Shame by Ambrose Parry

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Death of Shame by Ambrose Parry.  The fifth instalment in the thrilling Raven and Fisher series. written by Ambrose Parry, the husband and wife duo of Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. Paperback published 4th June 2026 by Canongate books. Tour courtesy of Random Things Tours.

About the Author/s

Chris Brookmyre is an internationaly bestseling and multi-award-winning author and Dr Marisa Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist of twenty years’ experience. The couple teamed up to write a series of historical crime thrillers, featuring the darkest of Victorian Edinburgh’s secrets. 

The Way of All Flesh was a Waterstones Thriller and Scottish Crime Book of the Month, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Award and shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The Art of Dying and A Corruption of Blood were shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year. A Corruption of Blood was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger in 2022. In 2024, Voices of the Dead was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger and their short story A Spendthrift and the Swallow was shortlisted for the CWA Short Dagger Award. Follow @ambroseparry on X or on bsky.app/profile

About the book

When you are a prisoner of your secrets, the death of shame is the only path to liberty. Annabel Banks was promised work as a maid with a prestigious Edinburgh family. But on her first day, she’s nowhere to be found. Concerned relatives contact Sarah Fisher to help. Sarah might know her way around the city – its light sides and dark – but soon she’ll discover the plight of dozens of girls ensnared in its many brothels: lured, abused and left ruined in the eyes of the world.

Meanwhile, a prominent society figure throws himself from the Scott Monument. Will Raven is asked to establish whether the death was suicide or if someone else was involved. Drawing upon real historical events, The Death of Shame takes the Raven and Fisher series into a treacherous labyrinth of shame and the pitfalls of a culture obsessed with moral purity.

Review

It should come as no surprise that the exploitation of women is a highly profitable business in any era or place in history, and this story features said exploitation in the Victorian era. Perhaps not as visible due to a clear separation between money, class and status, never the twain shall meet unless someone wants to profit from the exploitation.

Ambrose Parry (husband and wife writig duo) have created a popular historical crime fiction series that has left its mark. The combination of social constrictions and expectations, with complex ever evolving characters, whilst battling the scandals and crimes in the Victorian era.

Raven is tasked with, or rather tasks himself, with solving the death of someone close to him. The relevations lead him on a dangerous path, one he can't really afford to be on because his marriage is already fragile. Meanwhile Fisher is drawn into a despicable quagmire of exploitation and despair. Eyes wide shut, as they say.

I recommend reading the historical note the author/s added. It really gives the story that added layer of depth and comprehension, even the title they picked. It also gives the reader a certain element of comparison - the beginning and roots of both media and technology in crime and exploitation of the vulnerable and the powerful, then look at the sevenheaded hydra of corruption it has become.

I have to say the ending was unexpected, and yet also the right way to go from a developent perspective. It opens the doors to Fisher and Raven, it might not fall into place, but it brings them out of the tightly knitted corner they were wedged into.

It's always an enjoyable read and experience, may there be many more.

Buy The Death of Shame at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Canongate Books, Publication date: ‎4 Jun. 2026. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Blackened Yonder: Planar Lost by J. Gibson

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Blackened Yonder: Planar Lost Book One by J. Gibson. Tour courtesy of Zooloo's Book Tours. Published by The Lost Press, Publication date ‏ 15 July 2021.

About the Author

J. Gibson is a doctoral candidate in education and published researcher in the field of criminal justice with a concentration on gender differences. Holding degrees related to criminology, sociology, and psychology, his primary interest is academia, but he has always had a passion for creative writing and the genres of horror and fantasy, as well as history. 

Follow J. Gibson - PlanarLost on Facebook, planarlost on Instagram, @planarlost on X, threads.com/@planarlost on Threads and planarlost.bsky.social Visit www.jgibsonwrites.com/

About the book

Magic is restricted. The dead walk. Damnation comes for all. When dark forces empty a village overnight, only the ravenous undead remain. Garron Latimer, the village priest, flees to the capital seeking salvation. 

Far south, Athenne joins the underground Saints of Aetheria to ignite revolution and unleash forbidden magic. But their ambitious agenda demands a terrible price. 

Torn between duty and defiance, Garron uncovers secrets that test his faith. Plagued by doubt, Athenne questions the Saints’ righteousness, knowing betrayal could destroy her.

Review

Who to start with? From the very beginning the plot is driven by two very distinct voices, the priest who encounters living damnation and is consumed by an encounter that has become the worm in his brain eating its way out. Then there is Athenne and the Saints of Aetheria, and whilst one could easily say they are what they present themselves to be, saviours and fighters who walk the path of righteousness, as the story unfolds that becomes a little less clear.

It's an ambitious plot with plenty of avenues for further plot exploration. A complex meld of fantasy, speculative, horror, spiritual and religious threads - a smorgasbord of genres. No clear distinction between, but rather a path woven with the tools and ideas of all to create an experience. It is however a little on the heavy side, a bit like when a cake is too dense. So hard to see the trees, or any tree at all when the forest allows no space for an easy enjoyable stroll and instead you need a machete to forge a path.

Give me the heart, the soul of the characters. Something to make the reader want to follow their story. Even in the depths of despair as the monsters eat your beliefs and there is no clear way to determine right or wrong, good or bad, evil or just evil adjacent. Don't give me a thesis on Planar Lost, give me the magical construct you envision in your mind, tell me the story.

Buy The Blackened Yonder: Planar Lost at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎The Lost Press, Publication date: 15 July 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Bad Moon Rising by Berni Stevens

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Bad Moon Rising by Berni Stevens, it's the third book in the Immortals of London series. Thank you to Rachels Random Tours for organising the tour. Immortals of London: Dance Until Dawn, Revenge is Sweet and Bad Moon Rising.

About the Author

Berni Stevens lives in an ancient cottage in Hertfordshire, which sounds like it's in the depths of the countryside, but really isn't (because the green bits keep getting built on!) 

Berni spent four years at art college in Sussex before starting her first job in publishing as a book cover and promotions designer and then solely as a book cover designer for many of the big London publishers. She's now freelance, and designs for both publishers and many self-published authors. Although she still makes sure to leave time for her writing, and various hobbies. Berni was a finalist for the RNA Cover Designer of the Year Award both in 2021 and 2023.

Berni's first full-length novel was a paranormal romance, called Fledgling, which was first published in the US in 2011, and retitled Dance Until Dawn, made its UK debut three years later, followed by the sequel, Revenge is Sweet and so beginning the Immortals of London series. 

Veering away from the paranormal for a while, Berni's first festive RomCom, One Magical Christmas, took some people by surprise - including herself. So much so, that she wrote three more! 

With the re-appearance of the Romantasy genre ... a new paranormal romance has finally broken free – Bad Moon Rising – the third book in the Immortals of London series.

Berni can be found on Facebook, X @Berni_Stevens1, Linkedin, Instagram @berni.stevens.5/ and Threads @berni.stevens.5 come and say hello!

About the book

Rock and roll relationships are complicated. They’re even worse when one of you is a werewolf.

Stevie Vane, nightclub manager of Dusk, prefers London’s nightlife to life in the pack — fewer claws, fewer challengers, far less bloodshed.

But when tragedy strikes, Stevie is forced back into a world where dominance of the pack is won by strength… and every weakness is punished. Some new members begin a brutal contest for control, and they soon discover his greatest weakness is Kat Matthews.

Kat’s band has just landed the best gig of their career at Dusk. And the instant chemistry between her and the charismatic manager is undeniable — but so are the secrets he’s keeping. Secrets that come with sharp teeth.

As the rival wolves close in and old grudges resurface, Stevie realises it isn’t just his pack at risk. It’s the woman he loves.

Witty, romantic, and gripping, Bad Moon Rising is the third book in The Immortals of London series– where feelings run wild and loyalty can cost you everything.

Review

This series reminds me of the good old days when urban fantasy was what we now know as romantasy. When the magical and mythical added spice and took readers from the bonkbusters and the historical romances to places they had never been before.

This is the third book in the Immortals of London series - it absolutely can be read as a standalone novel, but reading the previous books gives an insight into the other couples and characters in the series.

Kat is a singer in a band who catches the attention of nightclub manager Stevie. It's fair to say that there is an instant spark, a mutual attraction, and almost fated meeting of souls. The attraction and connection is probably the reason Kat is a little blind to the oddities that come hand-in-hand with life at the nightclub Dusk. The occasional vampire or two, rogue werewolves and falling for someone who is more than just a man, sounds like life is about the get exciting and perhaps a little too dangerous.

It's a series that tugs at the heart, keeps the action going steadily in the background and has the potential to deliver a series with longevity. It's cosy with a spoonful of sugar and pinch of spice.

Buy Bad Moon Rising at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Independently published; Publication date : ‎26 Feb. 2026. Buy at Amazom com.

#Blogtour Sister Olive Wouldn't Hurt a Fly by Gill Calvin Thomas

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Sister Olive Wouldn't Hurt a Fly by Gill Calvin Thomas.

About the Author

Gill Calvin Thomas has retired from academic life and lives with her husband in Swanage, Dorset. She finds inspiration while walking in the Isle of Purbeck. Here, she is able to escape into a world of her own making, getting to know her characters, whilst she plans the next twist and turn of the plot. 

As writing has become a major part of Gill’s life, she has withdrawn from taking a leading role in many community volunteer activities, although she has retained her interest in local and national politics. A lifelong feminist, Gill likes nothing better than a spirited debate on the issues of the day with family and friends. As her writing career develops, she hopes to explore those issues in her stories. Visit gillthomas.co.uk

About the book

If this whole saga was a fight between good and evil, then who had won? As far as Miriam could work out, neither good nor evil had triumphed yet. Now she was having to confront the grim consequences of Will’s behaviour, and she was mortally afraid. Maybe he and his darkness would win after all. 

The tragic suicide of a young student starts a shocking chain of events for William Marshall, his wife Miriam and their son, Ollie. As Will descends into madness, a ghostly presence appears in their old house to protect Ollie. However, when two strangers threaten Miriam and an attempt is made to snatch Ollie, mother and son are forced to flee. 

Amidst ever-present danger, they shake off pursuers to seek sanctuary in Rock House in Dorset, where they meet Caitlin and her friends. Twenty years have passed since Charlie Bond helped Caitlin solve the mystery of her mother’s death. Now, it is the turn of Charlie’s sidekick, Sam Haskell, to investigate a mysterious cult and unmask a killer.

Review

I think it's fair to say that Miriam doesn't quite grasp the seriousness of the situation at first. Doesn't really comprehend how severe the differences are between her and Will. The damage his obsession with his new friends has done to their relationship and their family. That he has become a danger to them, especially to his young son.

Ollie feels as if he is being watched over by good forces, perhaps because evil is trying to gain a foothold in his life. He can feel the darkness creeping towards him, and yet simultaneously also the good trying to keep him safe.

What they are both unaware of is the fact Will is in over his head and other people have their own agenda, which may put him in danger and probably not because he is a dangerous pseudo leader of a cult.

The story could do with a once over with an eye on clarity, plot threads and better dialogue. Aside from that it's a story that has potential for more in the series. It would be better if the core aspect becomes more centric to the tale, and also deciding which thread is going to take centre stage. Is it Will, is it Olive or is it evil?

Buy Sister Olive Wouldn't Hurt a Fly at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher:  Blossom Spring Publishing; pub date 18 November 2025. Buy via Amazon com.