#BlogBlitz Glasshouse by Morwenna Blackwood

 It's my turn on the BlogTour Glasshouse by Morwenna Blackwood.

About the Author

When Morwenna Blackwood was six years old, she got told off for filling a school exercise book with an endless story when she should have been listening to the teacher/eating her tea/colouring with her friends. The story was about a frog. It never did end; and Morwenna never looked back.

Born and raised in Devon, Morwenna suffered from severe OCD and depression, and spent her childhood and teens in libraries. She travelled about for a decade before returning to Devon. She now has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Exeter, and lives with her husband, son and three cats in a cottage that Bilbo Baggins would be proud of. Her debut psychological thriller, The (D)Evolution of Us, is published by #darkstroke, and has become an Amazon best-seller. When she is not writing, Morwenna works for an animal rescue charity, or can be found down by the sea. - She often thinks about that frog. 

Follow @MorwennaBlackw1 on Twitter, on Instagram, on Facebook, Visit morwennablackwoodauthor.com

About the book

‘Now if I carry out this oath, and break it not, may I gain for ever reputation among all men for my life and for my art; but if I break it and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.’

~ from the Hippocratic Oath (translated by WHS Jones)

Psychiatrists, Drs Whittle and Grosvenor, have dedicated their lives to helping their patients, but their approach, and the complications it reveals, lead them into relationships that harm not only themselves. 

As their lives entangle, both men find that doing no harm is not as cut-and-dried as they perceived. Can the patients in their care really trust them? Or are more sinister motives at work?

Delve into the dark world of psychiatric institutions where doctors and residents play a dangerous game where no one is infallible!

Review

Throughout the story you can almost hear the primordial scream Lizzie is emitting at a level that is silent to everyone around her. Only her desperate actions are the kind of indicator everyone can understand and react to. The question is how society reacts to her despair, her mental health issues and if indeed they are doing everything they can and are capable of. Is that enough for her and others in similar situations?

What becomes evident quite quickly is how the mental health facilities become a repetitive merry-go-round for their frequent flyers. Is that a sign of a needs not being met consistently or is that just the nature of mental health issues and addiction - ups and downs. Erazmus is a perfect example of the madmen running the asylum - destruction guaranteed.

I think this is a bit like candid camera and open door policy on mental health and addiction facilities. How the system is failing so many and is indeed inadequate to the needs of many. The author draws attention to biggest loophole in the system, which is the human element. The therapy is only as good as the person administering it to the person in need, and in this case it isn't very good. The title of the book couldn't be a more accurate description of the story.

It's a read that doesn't pull any punches - fiction that veers into the dark truth of the matter.

Buy Glasshouse at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : darkstroke books pub date 26 Mar. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BlogBlitz Second Chance at First Love by Zoe Allison

 It's my turn on the BlogTour Second Chance at First Love by Zoe Allison.

About the Author

Zoe lives in Scotland with her husband and two children. A medic by day, she started writing in her spare time as a means to counter burn out and found that this was a balm for the soul.

She is a fan of the romantic genre and its ‘happy ever after’ ethos. A sharp contrast to what she can, at times, see in her day job. Zoe is keen for the female lead in romantic fiction to disabuse stereotypes and walk on an equal footing with her male counterparts. She prefers male leads who do not display signs of toxic masculinity and believes that positive masculinity is much more attractive to women and healthier for men. 

Follow @zoeallisonauth1 on Twitter, zoe.allison.9279 on Facebook, on Instagram,

About the book

Eva Mathers is a successful woman, except for when it comes to matters of the heart. When she returns home to Yorkshire as a pending divorcee, she realises her childhood friend and first love Damon Evans is also newly single. It’s a pity he’s never noticed her romantically and had no idea that she was in love with him at school. But at least they can support each other as friends again.

Damon is attempting to adjust to life sharing the kids with his ex. His reconnection with Eva is strong, but she was always too good for him and made her indifference clear after they drifted apart during their younger years. In any case, she still seems to be hung up on her charismatic ex-husband. Eva is hiding things from Damon, secrets from her past. He wants to be there for her, so why can’t she let him in?

Eva is dealing with trauma, but she won’t confide in her loved ones. Can Damon help her break down her walls before it’s too late and they miss their second chance at first love?

Review

After a difficult personal time Eva returns home to family, memories and even someone she considers to be an unrequited crush from her past. Damon on the other hand is getting used to being a divorced father of two and is glad to see his friend return. They reconnect where they left off, which is actually a lot harder than it seems.

Eva has her own baggage. The kind of secrets she feels will make people perceive her differently. Guilt and shame make her unwilling to delve into it too deeply, but eventually she will have to confront her past completely.

It's never too late to start over or rediscover yourself and love. I think that's at the core of this story, and meddling well meaning families of course. It's also about the rose tinted throes of passion being important, but not as much as a solid friendship to build a relationship on.

The author gives us a positive male character to work with, which is a pleasant surprise, because stereotypes seem to be the norm when it comes to books about relationships and love. It's a nice change to see the other side of men, which absolutely does exist. Men who are there for their children and have healthy relationships with their exes. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Buy Second Chance at First Love at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour All My Lies by Sophie Flynn

It's my turn on the BlogTour All My Lies by Sophie Flynn. 

About the Author

Sophie Flynn is a Cotswolds based psychological thriller author with an MA in Creative Writing from Oxford Brookes. Alongside writing, Sophie is the Head of Marketing at Jericho Writers. After being awarded a place at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School on the TopWrite scheme for young writers in 2017, Sophie began writing short fiction. She has since had many stories published and placed in competitions with organisations such as Writing Magazine and The Cheltenham Literature Festival.

When not writing, Sophie can mostly be found on muddy walks with her husband and rescue dog or disappearing to Cornwall whenever possible. To find out more, visit her website sophieflynn.com or follow her on Twitter @sophielflynn

About the book

Anna wants to escape. She doesn’t know when her marriage to James began to feel like a trap or when he became so controlling. All she knows is that she needs to leave before it’s too late. And she has a plan.

When Anna reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Sam, she sees it as the answer to her problems. Finally, they’ll have a life together, like they’d always planned – the life she was meant to have. But the lies are catching up with her . . .

On the morning of their escape, Sam goes missing. Anna knows he wouldn’t leave her, that something must have happened to him. Her search for answers will force her to confront her past, something that she has been running from for a very long time . . .

Review

At times, actually quite often, all three of the main characters lose their gloss and are all equally the bad guy. James the controlling and abusive husband, Sam who has trouble with the truth and of course Anna. Anna who seems to live on the cusp between fear, hiding her truth and keeping her many secrets all in a row.

It's that element that gives this dark domestic thriller a bit of a devil may care flair. You're never quite sure whether Anna is petrified, an evil cheating genius or a woman who is a product of the secrets she left behind a long time ago.

Planning the getaway from her abusive husband is a plan a long time in the making. Anna intends to start over again with her lover until he disappears or at least she thinks he has. According to everyone else she is the problem, so between people calling her a bit of a clingy psycho and James at home, she is a little bit desperate.

The author has given this a bit of hectic, disjointed feel, which plays into the way Anna is perceived by others and yet she doesn't see herself that way at all. That in itself is absolutely the key to the gas-lighting going on here and there. It's one with a twist, a twist that brings all the threads together in the end.

Buy All My Lies at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK, Publishing 23rd April 2021 | E-book Original. Buy at Amazon com.  

#BlogTour The Legacy by Alison Knight

 It's my turn on the BlogTour The Legacy: A Blessing and a Curse by Alison Knight.

About the Author

Alison has been a legal executive, a registered child-minder, a professional fund-raiser and a teacher. She has travelled the world – from spending a year as an exchange student in the US in the 1970s and trekking the Great Wall of China to celebrate her fortieth year and lots of other interesting places in between.

In her mid-forties Alison went to university part-time and gained a first-class degree in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and an MA in the same subject from Oxford Brookes University, both while still working full-time. Her first book was published a year after she completed her master’s degree.

The Legacy is a drama set in 1960s London. Like her previous book, Mine, it explores themes of class, ambition and sexual politics, showing how ordinary people can make choices that lead them into extraordinary situations.

Alison teaches creative and life-writing, runs workshops and retreats with Imagine Creative Writing Workshops (www.imaginecreativewriting.co.uk) as well as working as a freelance editor. She is a member of the Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association. - She lives in Somerset, within sight of Glastonbury Tor.

Follow @Alison_Knight59 on Twitter,  on Facebook, on Goodreads, Visit alisonroseknight.com, 

About the book

An unexpected inheritance. A web of deceit. A desperate escape. London, 1969.

James has his dreams of an easy life shattered when his aunt disinherits him, leaving her fortune to her god-daughter, Charlotte. He turns to his friend, Percy, to help him reclaim his inheritance – and to pay off his creditors. But when their plans backfire, James becomes the pawn of Percy and his criminal associates.

Charlotte is stunned when she is told of her windfall. After an attempt at cheating her out of her inheritance fails, James tries to intimidate her. But she is stronger than he thinks, having secrets of her own to guard, and sends him away with a bloody nose and no choice but to retreat for now.

Resigned, James and his spoilt, pampered girlfriend, Fliss, Percy’s sister, travel across France on a mission that promises to free James from the criminals for good. But James isn’t convinced he can trust Fliss, so he makes his own plans to start a new life.

Will James be able to get away, or will his past catch up with him? Will Charlotte’s secrets turn the legacy into a curse?

Review

James and Charlotte, nephew and god-daughter of Jane, who is coming towards the end of her life. She decides to change her last will and testament, which changes everything for James and Charlotte. James was expecting to inherit all her money, actually he needs to inherit it all or he is going to be in a world of trouble. Charlotte isn't expecting anything and that explains the world of difference between them.

Greed, pettiness and privilege sets the tone for this story, especially on one side. James is willing to do anything to get what is rightfully his. Charlotte is willing to help James, but his manipulative and frankly dangerous connections and attitude make her more determined to find a peaceful solution. The question is can that really happen?

It's a short read, a novella length story, which was quite interesting because the story was novel length worthy. It's more of a fast-paced shortened and heightened version of the story. Given a bit a fleshing out, more depth and definitely more of a bridge between the last chapter and the rest this could have been full length - what it is, is a good read. It just seems as if the author was keeping herself in check.

It's a pleasant story, a cosy story with a more serious undertone at times, quick but definitely worth a read.

Buy The Legacy at Amazon Uk . Publisher : darkstroke books pub date 4 May 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Because of You by Dawn French

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Because of You by Dawn French to celebrate the Paperback Publication.

'An instant bestseller, Dawn French’s game changing fourth novel received an overwhelming response from readers and critics who fell in love with this wise and heart-breaking book. This year Because of You, was selected by a standout jury for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021 longlist, and joins the illustrious list of authors recognised by the prize for their outstanding contribution to women’s literature.'

About the Author

As a writer, comedian and actor, Dawn French has appeared in some if this country's most loved and cherished shows, including French and Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley, Jam and Jerusalem, Roger and Val Have Just Got In, and more recently, Delicious and The Trouble with Maggie Cole.

Dawn's first three novels, A Tiny Bit Marvellous, Oh Dear Silvia and According to Yes are all Sunday Times bestsellers. Her number one bestselling memoir, Dear Fatty, was published to critical acclaim in 2008, and Me. You. A Diary, a further number one Sunday Times bestseller in 2018. 

Follow @Dawn_French on Twitter or on Instagram, 

About the book

At the heart of Because of You, are two very different families, whose lives are suddenly entwined when a baby goes missing. Seventeen years later, the truths begin to roll, and the power of mother-love will be tested to its limits. It is a novel about mothers and daughters, live and loss, mistakes and regrets, identity, and the family bonds that make us who we are. Because of You is a contemporary story, whose cleverly drawn characters are challenged by themselves, each other and the surprising twists and turns of fate.

Review

It's probably something most women think of if they intend to give birth in a hospital. The what if element, the irrational fear that comes with the maternal hormones. What if something happens to the baby - it gets switched, stolen or something happens during the birth? Nightmares.

For one of the characters the nightmare becomes a reality when her newborn disappears. The loss, the grief and the guilt make her question herself and her relationship with her husband. The story becomes one about relationships between mothers and daughters, nature vs nurture and identity.

A little bit of a Grey's Anatomy episode vibe going on there - top marks for the drama. It was a little over the top at times, and perhaps veered into certain stereotypes on occasion. Saying that, it does pull on the heartstrings and delve deeply into motherhood, in particular on whether biology and genetics are the most important factors when it comes to being a parent or caring for a child. 

Is it better to be the product of a caring single parent environment or a two parent toxic environment. Does the result justify the means? Is the result an equal opportunity and cast iron predictor of said results? Does Hope empower Minnie by taking away her right to make choices or actually become the accidental oppressor in her grief? 

I think the food for thought element of the read is what makes it a good one. As a reader you question, wonder and perhaps even justify at times. The victim becomes almost irrelevant because the reader is lulled into forgiveness by the nature of her relationship with her other mother.

I have to admit it was a mixed bag for me. It lacked a certain finesse, and I wonder if that was intentional, and the fact the author could have brought it to the table - if she had wanted to do so and yet perhaps chose not to. It is certainly a book I shall be recommending.

Buy Because of You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publication Date 29th April 2021 - Paperback | £8.99 | Penguin Michael Joseph. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Waterstones.

#BlogTour The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

 It's a great pleasure to review another book and take part in the Blogtour The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs.

About the Author

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead was a number one bestseller and won the 1997 Ellis Award for Best First Novel. The Bone Code is Kathy’s twentieth entry in her series featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan. Kathy was also a producer of the hit Fox TV series, Bones, which is based on her work and her novels.

Dr. Reichs is one of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology. She served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, and as a member of the National Police Services Advisory Council in Canada. 

Follow @KathyReichs, Visit kathyreichs.com

About the book

A storm has hit South Carolina, dredging up crimes of the past. En route to Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast,  forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner. During the storm, a medical waste container has washed up on the beach. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Chillingly, Tempe recognises many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she flies to Montreal to gather evidence and convince her boss Pierre LaManch to reopen the cold case. She also seeks the advice—and comfort—of her longtime beau Andrew Ryan.

Meanwhile, a storm of a different type gathers force in South Carolina. The citizens of Charleston are struck by capnocytophaga, a bacterium that, at its worst, can eat human flesh. Thousands panic and test themselves for a rare genetic mutation that may have rendered them vulnerable.

Shockingly, Tempe eventually deduces not only that the victims in both grisly murder cases are related, but that the murders and the disease outbreak also have a common cause . . .

Review

Reading a book in the Temperance Brennan series is a bit like revisiting an old friend,  one who is rather good at solving the mysteries of bones and telling the stories of silent victims.

In the aftermath of a dangerous storm Tempe is called in by the Charleston coroner to give her opinion on the remains of what later appears to be two young girls. What really concerns her is the fact it is the exact copy of an unsolved crime she was involved in over a decade ago. It sets her inner alarm bells off.

Whilst she delves deeper into the past to solve her present case in the hopes of giving names to the previous victims, Tempe is also drawn into a more modern medical issue. In times of the current pandemic the sub-plot, which echoes the current panic, misinformation, fear and realistic threat, is absolutely the perfect storm.

I know I have said this before, but I think it's worth repeating - I do enjoy the way I always leave a story by Reichs with a lot more knowledge. She always adds something worth knowing to her excellent crime stories. It's a learning experience and a great read. 

It's also a testament to her storytelling skills that a series of this longevity, this is book twenty in the series, is still going strong and able to draw in both new readers and readers who have been reading the series since the beginning.

Buy The Bone Code at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Uk - Hardback | Publishing 29th April 2021. Buy at Amazon com. At Waterstones.

#BlogTour The Heretic's Mark by S.W. Perry

It's an absolute pleasure to take part in the BlogTour for the fourth book in the Jackdaw Mystery series - The Heretic's Mark by S.W. Perry.

About the Author

S.W. Perry was a journalist and broadcaster before retraining as an airline pilot. His debut novel, The Angel's Mark was listed for the CWA Historical dagger and was a Walter Scott Prize Academy Recommended Read 201. he lives in Worcestershire with his wife. 

Follow @swperry_history @CorvusBooks on Twitter, on Goodreads, onAmazon, swperry.co.uk, 

About the book

The Elizabethan world is in flux. Radical new ideas are challenging the old. But the quest for knowledge can lead down dangerous paths...

London, 1594. The Queen's physician has been executed for treason, and conspiracy theories flood the streets. When Nicholas Shelby, unorthodox physician and unwilling associate of spymaster Robert Cecil is accused of being part of the plot, he and his new wife Bianca must flee for their lives.

With agents of the Crown on their tail, they make for Padua, following the ancient pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena. But the pursuing, English aren't the only threat Nicholas and Bianca face. Hella, a strange and fervently religious young woman, has joined them on their journey. When the trio finally reach relative safety, they become embroiled in a radical and dangerous scheme to shatter the old world's limits of knowledge. But Hella's dire predictions of an impending apocalypse, and the brutal murder of a friend of Bianca's forces them to wonder: who is this troublingly pious woman? And what does she want?

Review

This story reminds us, the readers, how far Shelby has come over the years. From a devastated man consumed by grief to an incidental chess piece in the contentious political landscape of Elizabethan England.

This time he has become the target of a deadly campaign of vengeance, one that can end with his painful death and his loved ones in the same dangerous position. His reluctant kinda benefactor and spymaster Cecil suggests he leave the city post haste, which is where the story veers in a different direction altogether. 

On the run with his new wife Bianca they are joined by a young woman called Hella who straddles the veil. Her predictions rattle the science based thinking of the medical man and put them in more danger than the situation they left behind in England.

I think if you know your history - not that you have to to enjoy this fantastic historical crime fiction, then you appreciate the way the fiction is woven in with the historical facts. Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, a favourite of Elizabeth I and the stepson of her reported paramour, Robert Dudley. The second Earl of Essex was quick to use his import and influence at court to rid himself of opposition or perhaps in regards to his own violent fate - to weaken the position of the queen.

This plot, with Shelby as the innocent man accused, links into the actual facts of the tragic fate of Dr Roderigo Lopez, the queen's physician. A victim of malice and deceit. One of many who fell foul of the machinations and the political aspirations of a man on his own path towards self-destruction.

Perry is on par with the likes of Sansom, however I have to give him his dues, he has established himself as an equal and has become the author others will be and are compared to. The Jackdaw series is an exceptionally good read and is getting better with each book. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this author and the series.

Buy The Heretic's Mark at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Corvus; pub date 1 April 2021. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Bookshop org.