#BlogTour Island of Secrets by Diane Demetre

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour Island of Secrets by Diane Demetre. It's a tale of empowerment, about rising above oppression and a family who keeps their secrets buried deep beneath decades of lies.

About the Author
Diane began her career as a school teacher before moving into the entertainment industry as a choreographer, director, event manager, dancer and actress, working in television and live theatre, and managing multi-million dollar productions.

Following her onstage career, she spent many years as a stress & life skills therapist, keynote speaker and presenter, appearing on national radio and television.When she launched into a writing career, Diane’s debut erotic romance series, the Dance of Love was voted Luminosity Publishing Readers’ Choice Best Books and Best Covers for 2015 and 2016.

Her romantic suspense, Retribution won the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Pro Award 2017 for Best Unpublished Manuscript. Diane loves to write genre-busting stories with a twist. Her works are packed with emotional punch and feature empowered heroines who live life to the fullest, much like the author herself.

Follow @DianeDemetre @LuminosityPub onTwitter
or on Facebook
Visit dianedemetre.com dianedemetre.com.blogposts/

About the book
A captivating story of love, mystery and hope. Two love stories separated in time. Two women following their dreams. In a paradise littered with painful secrets, will love turn the tide?

1973. Cecilia “CiCi” Freemont has a restless soul and the voice of an angel. Leaving her privileged upbringing behind, she chases her dreams to the sandy beaches of an unspoiled Hawaiian paradise, Harbor Island. But life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for the island’s young heir-apparent and her newfound adventure becomes too much to bear…

2017. Investigative journalist Tina Templeton has dedicated herself to the pursuit of truth. But when she inherits Harbor Island, her career plans take a confusing twist. Managing the sprawling island estate is tough business even with the help of aging cabaret singer, CiCi Freemont. Especially when a massive ecological disaster threatens to destroy her beautiful beaches—and the responding coast guard captain steals her heart.

As the investigation into the disaster reveals a 40-year-old mystery that could change their lives forever, will Tina find love among the secrets, or will CiCi’s painful past dash her dreams on the rocks?

Island of Secrets is an epic love story. If you like generations-spanning drama, characters with hidden pasts, heart-warming romance and intrigue, then you’ll love Diane Demetre’s powerful romantic mystery in paradise.

Review
The story is about two women decades apart who are both connected to a special place called Harbor Island. In a way it is about them finding their own voices, paths and strength to overcome any obstacle in their lives.

It starts with the story of Cecilia, a young woman who ends up on Harbor Island after finally coming to the realisation that the free-love phase of the 70s is a lot more messy than she thought it would be. She hears about a job on a nearby private island working for a wealthy family, which is the beginning of her discovering what she wants in life.

Over three decades later Tina returns home to the same island that defined the life of her family and Cecilia. Perhaps it's time the secrets were allowed to breath and infiltrate the family life, which has been built on lies, fraud, pain and the need to please one selfish man.

It has the feel of a family dynasty with plenty of secrets and drama. The characters have a flair for the melodramatic and equally for very serene thoughtful moments. In one moment Cecilia will be pondering her insecurities and how she has overcome them, and in the next moment she exits stage left with a flounce and a hair flip.

It's a tale of empowerment, about rising above oppression and a family who keeps their secrets buried deep beneath decades of lies. Demetre gives the story an exotic, tropical feel, and infuses the imagery with her own love of the beautiful surroundings. Her love of Hawaii is evident, despite Harbor Island being a fictional place.

It's perfect for readers who enjoy romance, intrigue, family feuds, plenty of secrets and a colourful cast of characters.

Buy Island of Secrets at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Paperback
Publisher: Luminosity Publishing LLP; pub date Oct. 2018
Buy Island of Secrets on Amazon com at Luminosity Publishing Bookstrand Smashwords Google Play Kobo Barnes &Noble Itunes

#BlogTour Evil Things by Katja Ivar

Today it's my pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for Evil Things by Katja Ivar. It’s a fascinating combo of Cold War political thriller with a hint of Scandi noir and a riveting murder mystery.

About the Author
Katja Ivar grew up in Russia and the U.S. She travelled the world extensively, from Almaty to Ushuaia, from Karelia to Kyushu, before finally settling in Paris where she lives with her husband and three children. She received a B.A. in Linguistics and a master's degree in Contemporary History from Sorbonne University. Evil Things is her debut novel.

Follow @KatjaIvar @bitterlemonpub, Buy Evil Things

About the book
Lapland, Finland, 1952. It’s the height of the Cold War and Finland is a snow-smothered powder keg. Sharing a long border with the Soviet Union the country is engaged in a high-wire act of protecting its independence from its sometimes dangerous neighbour.
Hella Mauzer is the first female Inspector in the Helsinki Homicide Unit. Or was, until she was deemed too ‘emotional’ for the job and reassigned to Lapland. When a man disappears from a remote village on the Soviet border, Hella jumps at the chance to investigate. Her boss is sceptical; after all, people disappear in the snows of Finland all the time. Then a body is found. But the small village of Käärmela is harbouring a second crime. A crime whose evil is of another magnitude.

Review
I can imagine some readers may be inclined to overlook this book because the title suggests something more along the genre of horror. Luckily the blurb allays any such notion, because this is the perfect read for lovers of Scandinavian crime and Cold War fiction to dip into.

I'll admit it took me by surprise. It is well-written and plotted with a fantastically obnoxious and eccentric main character. I think Hella Mauzer might be my grumpy soul spirit living in the type of freezing environment I would never venture into or live in.

One of the most annoying and most poignant points the author makes in the story is the second-class status of females in the police force during more than the first half of the twentieth century. Women were perceived, as is Mauzer, to be too emotional and fragile to work as effective police officers. They certainly weren't allowed anywhere near a crime scene. Good gosh, they might cry or be overwhelmed with emotions. They should be at home making babies and baking cookies, waiting for their partners, who clearly have to be chosen by other people, because hey we all know women weren't capable of making lucid choices for their own future. 'Sigh.'

Those kind of attitudes are enough to drive anyone to become withdrawn or spend a lifetime pretending to be something they aren't. They certainly do nothing for the career Hella wants to expand and enjoy. Instead she is blocked, deterred and insulted at every opportunity by the colleagues who should have er back, which leaves her in dangerous situations at times.

Unlike her male colleagues, Hella has a nose for crime. She has a gut instinct for things that just don't see quite right, but gut instinct just screams women's intuition to her boss, which means he ignores her observations.

She heads up to an isolated area in Lapland to investigate the disappearance of a man, after his young grandson is found cold and hungry in their cabin. Everything Hella finds out suggests she would never leave the boy alone for six days, well not voluntarily. So, where the heck is he?

It's a fascinating combination of Cold War political games with a hint of Scandi Noir, and a riveting murder mystery. The main character and the way she reacts to her environment and other people is what gives this read a flair of eccentric humour. You can almost imagine her stomping off into the cold or interviewing suspects with her brusque and less than charming manner.

I commend Ivar for coming up with a character who has to try and solve crimes within the constraints of misogyny and misguided misconceptions. She is without a doubt a writer to watch out for.

Buy Evil Things on Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press, pub date 11 Jan 2019
Visit bitterlemonpress.com and Buy Evil Things

#BlogTour Red Snow by Will Dean

It's my turn on the BlogTour for Red Snow by Will Dean today. It's witty, eccentric and down-to-earth, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sarcastic quips. Dean is definitely an author to watch. Happy Publication Day!

About the Author
Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying at the LSE and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden with his wife. He built a wooden house in a boggy forest clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.

Follow @willrdean @PtBlankBks on Twitter #RedSnow
Buy Red Snow

About the book
Two Bodies - One suicide. One cold-blooded murder. Are they connected? And who’s really pulling the strings in the small Swedish town of Gavrik?
Two Coins - Black Grimberg liquorice coins cover the murdered man's eyes. The hashtag #Ferryman starts to trend as local people stock up on ammunition.
Two Weeks - Tuva Moodyson, deaf reporter at the local paper, has a fortnight to investigate the deaths before she starts her new job in the south. A blizzard moves in. Residents, already terrified, feel increasingly cut-off. Tuva must go deep inside the Grimberg factory to stop the killer before she leaves town for good. But who’s to say the Ferryman will let her go?

Review
I have been hearing and seeing a lot about Will Dean lately. Bloggers, readers and reviewers were quite impressed by Dark Pines, the first book in the Tuva Moodyson series. This is the second book, and less than halfway through it I went and bought the first book, which says a lot about the strength of his writing and his talent for telling a story.

This time Tuva happens to notice a link between some tragic accidents and deaths with the biggest local employer. At first they just seem to be random events, but when certain events start linking back to her habit of asking too many questions, she starts to wonder whether something more nefarious is afoot.

It's witty, eccentric and down-to-earth, and I thoroughly enjoyed the sarcastic quips. Instead of presenting the surroundings as the romanticised version most people have of Sweden or Scandinavian countries in general, the author presents a more realistic image of the living conditions and the population.

That particular hardened, brusque attitude towards life is what makes this series so charming, and of course let's not forget Tuva herself. She is definitely a memorable character. At times it seems as if she just accidentally falls into trouble then her gut instinct kicks in and she starts to dig like a dog who has caught a scent.

For me the most interesting element of Tuva's character is her deafness. In particular how the author describes the perhaps trivial details of her daily existence in relation to her non-hearing and hearing with hearing aids. Instead of embracing the joy of being able to hear, which is how the deaf are usually described, it's more about enjoying the silence. The small details about wearing the aids, how they fit and feel, the impact of low level noise on her -  it makes all the difference to the story and the character.

It's an unusual combination of comfortable pace, uncooperative characters - including Tuva, a snarky sense of humour with a noirish vibe. I look forward to seeing where Dean takes Tuva next.

Buy Red Snow (A Tuva Moodyson Mystery #2) at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Publisher: Point Blank; pub date 10 Jan. 2019
Buy Dark Pines (A Tuva Moodyson Mystery #1)

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

Let me tell you what the real brilliance of this book is - the authenticity of it all. After a few pages I found myself questioning whether it was fictional. Halfway through the story I was avidly googling The Six, Daisy Jones and both of the Dunne brothers. No result. Double-check. Nope, definitely says it is a fictional story. Kudos to the author for creating not only an authentic story, but also such convincing dialogue and characters.

The reader can feel the passion, the self-destruction and flighty confusion of the era, which in turn is reflected in the characters. The era of free love, lots of drugs and plenty of rock n' roll. Nobody embodies the life quite like the lead singer of The Six, Billy Dunne.

When he reaches breaking point the relationship between Billy and his future wife Camila is what keeps him from running straight off a cliff. He gets his act together and then Daisy Jones steps into his life.

Daisy is a free spirit who wants to make her mark in the world of music, but on her terms and not on those of some man in charge of her. She is very much the feminine version of Billy. They have the same need to control their environment, to create their own music and to be adored by an army of fans.

This is the story of how Daisy Jones and The Six came to be and at the same time how it all ended abruptly in the midst of a successful tour. The story is told via a series of interviews with the responses to each event or question answered in mixed sequence by the band members, Daisy, family and managers.

It's as if the reader is thrust into rooms where the entire cast of characters participate in front of each other, but are often simultaneously unaware of what the other is saying. Which means you get different accounts of the same situation as each individual remembers it. In essence it's a kind of 4D holographic literary experience - of memories, opinions and emotional responses. It is absolutely fascinating.

Buy Daisy Jones and The Six at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Publisher: Random House Uk, Cornerstone Digital (ecopy), Hutchinson (Hardcover) pub date 7 March 2019
Follow @tjenkinsreid @HutchinsonBooks on Twitter
Visit taylorjenkinsreid.com

#BlogTour The Wrong Boy by Cathy Ace

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Wrong Boy by Cathy Ace. There is a focus on the relationships between the female characters and not just on the murder, which is an effective alternative when it comes to #crimefiction.

About the Author
This is the 13th novel from Cathy Ace. Her criminal psychologist, overindulgent-foodie sleuth, Cait Morgan, has stumbled upon Corpses with a Silver Tongue, Golden Nose, Diamond Hand, Garnet Face, an Emerald Thumb, Platinum Hair and Ruby Lips during her globetrotting. Ace’s WISE Enquiries Agency series features four softly-boiled female PIs who solve quintessentially British cases from their stately home-based office in rural Wales, where Cathy was born and raised. Shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award for Best Light Mystery by a Canadian three times in four years, winning in 2015, she was also shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Short Story in 2017.

Follow @AceCathy on Twitter
Visit cathyace.com/
Buy The Wrong Boy

About the book
Perched on a Welsh clifftop, the ancient, picturesque hamlet of Rhosddraig has its peaceful façade ripped apart when human remains are discovered under a pile of stones. The village pub, The Dragon's Head, run by three generations of women, becomes the focal point for those interested in the grisly find, and it’s where layers of deceit are peeled away to expose old secrets, and deep wounds. The police need to establish who died, how, and why, but DI Evan Glover knows he can’t be involved in the investigation, because he's just two days away from retirement. However, as the case develops in unexpected ways, it becomes irrevocably woven into his life, and the lives of local families, leading to disturbing revelations – and deadly consequences . . .

Review
This story has multiple threads, all of which link together eventually. You have the complicated relationships of a multi-generational family, the retired police officer who won't let it go and the secrets hidden in plain sight.

The reader meets DI Evan Glover, a police officer at the end of his long career. He finds it difficult to let go of his daily routine and most importantly the mysteries behind the crimes. After being part of the initial investigation Glover just can't get rid of the gut instinct that his colleagues have got the wrong culprit, and he doesn't want to let it go, despite his wife being infuriated by his obsession with the truth and his old job.

What the author does really well is the realistic description of life in an isolated rural Welsh village and the majority of roles and personality types women embody. Just take Nan, Helen and Sadie for example, three generations of one family and each one of them represents a different era and way of life.

Nan is old school. She is also controlling and opinionated , which she believes also gives her the right to determine and plan the lives of others. Helen is more or less an unpaid skivvy, who is still trying to get over an abusive relationship and earn the respect her mother denies her. Sadie on the other hand, is trying to break free of both mother and grandmother to live her own life.The three of them run a pub, the core of the small village. There isn't anything these women don't find out or pass on, especially Nan.

I am not giving any indication of who did what to whom and/or why. Ace turns and points the reader in multiple directions, so they can pick up clues and slowly realise the implications of those clues. It's a slow burner, but one that allows for insights into each character, as the plot winds in and out of the murder storyline. The strength is in the dialogue and inner dialogues of the women, especially the women in the pub.

Buy The Wrong Boy at Amazon Uk (Paperback)or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Hardcover, Kindle
Publisher: Four Tails Publishing Ltd (January 9th 2019)

Tell Me a Secret by Jane Fallon

This is a story about friendship, trust and allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to let someone in. When Holly, a hard-working single mother, gets a well-deserved promotion at work, she believes her colleagues support her wholeheartedly. She isn't prepared for someone who is determined to try and sabotage her career, her reputation and her life.

It starts with small incidents. Scripts disappear, ideas are stolen and the rumour mill is given a push. Someone is jealous of Holly, despite her earning the right to the promotion. After a while what seems to be a petty disagreement escalates into a vicious battle to destroy Holly.

You know what the sad thing is, what happens in this story is why misogyny and sexism are still rampant in the workplace and why women are still regarded by many as less than a man. Instead of supporting each other the majority of women consider each other rivals and often try to demean each other.

The more positive aspect about this story is the message the author sends about allowing ourselves to look beyond the façade, the protective layers people build around themselves, and most definitely beyond the snide comments and whispered rumours spread without knowing whether they are true or not.

We should always take the time to find out more about our fellow humans. You never know who might be hiding a life full of loneliness, a lifetime of pain or sadness, then again they could just be hiding the fact that they are psychos waiting for their next victim. Sorry, don't want to put anyone off attempting to connect and form new friendships. Nobody wants to miss out on that sense of camaraderie and special bond, do they? Unless of course it's your close friend who wants you gone of course.

I have to say I really enjoyed the ending. I won't give anything away, but it felt like a weird sense of closure after the vindictive vibe of the storyline. The interactions, characters and dialogue are realistic, which is what makes this a relatable, albeit quite a spiteful read.

Buy Tell Me a Secret at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Publisher: Penguin (10 Jan. 2019)
Follow @JaneFallon @MichaelJBooks

#BlogTour The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola

Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola. It's a sort of Jane Eyre meets Christie with a gothic atmosphere. - Out in Paperback on the 10th January 2019.

Photo of Anna Mazzola - copyright Lou Abercrombie

About the Author
Anna is a writer who, due to some fault of her parents, is drawn to peculiar and dark historical subjects. Her novels have been described as literary crime fiction or historical crime. Anna's influences include Sarah Waters, Daphne Du Maurier, Shirley Jackson and Margaret Atwood.

Her debut novel, The Unseeing, is based on the life of a real woman called Sarah Gale who was convicted of aiding a murder in London in 1837. Her second novel, The Story Keeper, follows a folklorist’s assistant as she searches out dark fairytales and stolen girls on the Isle of Skye in 1857.

She studied English at Pembroke College, Oxford, before becoming a human rights and criminal justice solicitor. She now tries to combine law with writing and child wrangling, to varying degrees of success.Anna loves to hear from readers, so do say hello on social media or via her website.

Follow @Anna_Mazz @TinderPress On Instagram On Facebook
Visit Annamazzola.com
Buy The Story Keeper

About the book
Audrey Hart is on the Isle of Skye to collect the word-of-mouth folk tales of the people and communities around her. It is 1857, the Highland Clearances have left devastation and poverty, and the crofters are suspicious and hostile, claiming they no longer know their stories. Then Audrey discovers the body of a young girl washed up on the beach and the crofters tell her that it is only a matter of weeks since another girl has disappeared. They believe the girls are the victims of the spirits of the unforgiven dead. Initially, Audrey is sure the girls are being abducted, but then she is reminded of her own mother, a Skye woman who disappeared in mysterious circumstances. It seems there is a link to be explored, and Audrey may uncover just what her family have been hiding from her all these years.

Review
Folklore is a way of passing on the stories of a people and their culture. It is also a way of passing on mythology and fairy-tales to the next generations. Folklore fuels fear, paranoia and mistrust, but it can also be conducive to bonding, feeling safe and a sense of community, especially on an isolated island.

Audrey has taken a job on the remote island of Skye in order to connect with her past and escape from the present. She has been employed to collect the stories of the islanders, the tales of the fae folk. The stories that can compel people to set fire to young girls or bury babies alive, in order to keep the fae happy.

They aren't the cute tiny magical beings of fairy tales changed to be more kid friendly, they are the creatures of nightmares and shadows of daymares. This is what the islanders believe, and also the reason every single possible crime and odd event is automatically blamed on the fae.

When young girls start going missing and one of them turns up dead the rumours are clear, the fae have reason to be displeased and are taking the girls. Audrey thinks there is a more human element to the situation, but is distracted and blocked at every turn of her attempt to gain clarity. It isn't long before the fae start to show her the error of her ways.

I really enjoyed the way the author hid a crime story in the middle of this tale of folklore, magic and paranoia. Mazzola hits the nail on the head when it comes to the seclusion of the population and the almost hermit-like behaviour of the majority of the population. She doesn't neglect the reasons for the hunger, despair and cruelty, which drives many of them into an early grave or on to supposedly greener pastures.

Mazzola gives the reader a combination of an old school classic vibe with a contemporary feel to it. A sort of Jane Eyre meets Christie, and a wee bit of gothic atmosphere mixed in to boot.

Buy The Story Keeper at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.
Publisher: Tinder Press
Paperback pub date 10 Jan 2019
Kindle Pub. Date 31st May 2018, Hardcover 26 July 2018 (Tinder Press)