#Blogtour The Trap by Ava Glass

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Trap by Ava Glass. - The Trap by Ava Glass is published by Penguin in Paperback (£9.99).

About the Author

The Trap follows Ava Glass’ debut spy thriller The Chase and her critically acclaimed 2023 thriller The Traitor, which was a Grazia Book of the Month, Sunday Times Book of the Year, Washington Post Book of the Year, Cosmopolitan Book of the Year, and Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

Film rights to The Chase and The Traitor have been acquired by the producers of The Night Manager, who are currently working on a pilot, now in the final stages. Next step will be casting!

One of very few women shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the UK’s spy fiction prize, and one of the vanishingly few female authors writing about spies, Ava Glass is breaking down the door to the most male dominated genres in the English language – the espionage novel.

Ava Glass’ fiction is based on her first-hand experience working with female spies for the British government, which has seen her dubbed “the new queen of spy fiction” by The Guardian. This alongside a decade working as an investigative journalist and crime reporter in America covering homicides for publications including the New York Times and Reuters makes her writing both fresh and dangerously believable. Follow @AvaGlassBooks on X

About the book

Edinburgh. The 50th annual G7 Summit is being hosted by the UK, and intelligence agent Emma Makepeace, has less than a week to decode, defuse and disable a deadly threat to the leaders of the free world.   

The Russians are in town and Emma and her team know a high-profile assassination is being planned. But who is their target? And who is the assassin? There is only one way to find out. Emma must set a trap using herself as bait.

From the majesty of the Scottish Highlands to Europe’s most lavish hotels, using private jets, phone taps, and her training and instincts honed by three years hunting Russian spies, Emma Makepeace must trick her way into the moneyed, champagne-fuelled playground of the super-rich in order to trap the killer.

But Emma doesn’t count on liking her target, or the fact that he might actually fall for her, and with the clock ticking and her cover wearing increasingly thin, danger looms over her. One false move and they could both be dead.

This summer’s hottest read by “The new Queen of Spy Fiction” (The Guardian) Ava Glass’s storytelling is compulsively readable, combining twisting plotlines, intelligent dialogue and ambiguous characters, all skilfully brought together in an epic climax. Never before has spy fiction been so nail-bitingly real. 

Review

Intel suggests someone is planning something big at the G7 summit in Edinburgh. The presence of certain high value targets in the same place as particular agent who is known for being in the midst of plots to destabilise countries, political spheres and just peace in general - it's a recipe for well-planned disaster. No wonder Emma ends up smack bang in the middle.

It's interesting how the relationship between Emma and Kate evolves - from initial irritation to an acknowledgement of similarities, and what could be deemed as recognition of the need to recruit. I wonder if there is an element of disassociation when it comes to ignoring the negative aspects of her job, because they outweigh the thrill and the positives.

If The Traitor and/or this series in general gets developed I hope they get the casting right. Whoever embodies Emma will have to be the same follow your instinct, tough cookie with the ability to adjust to the need of the moment, and the operative who never hesitates to do whatever necessary to achieve her goal. 

This is the kind of series with the potential to go a long way, and it's refreshing to have a spy thriller series with a female main character. All Emma needs now is to be pulling those strings herself.

Buy The Trap at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Penguin | August 1st 2024 | £8.99| Paperback Original. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox

Absolute pleasure to take part in the Blogtour for Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox.

About the Author

Joseph Knox has lived in Stoke on Trent, Manchester and London. In 2020, he became an Irish citizen. His debut novel Sirens was a bestseller and has been translated into eighteen languages. The Smiling Man and The Sleepwalker are the second and third books in the Waits trilogy. His first standalone novel, True Crime Story, was a Times number one bestseller. Follow @josephknox__ on X

About the book

When you’re living a lie, you find it’s best to avoid close attachments…

Lynch, a burned out con-artist, arrives, broke, in London, trying not to dwell on the mistakes that got him there. When he bumps into Bobbie, a rehab-bound heiress - and when she briefly mistakes him for her missing brother - Lynch senses the opportunity, as well as the danger…

Bobbie’s brother, Heydon, was a troubled young man. Five years ago, he walked out of the family home and never went back. His car was found parked on a bridge overlooking the Thames, in the early hours of the same morning. Unsettled by Bobbie’s story, and suffering from a rare attack of conscience, Lynch tries to back off.

But when Bobbie leaves for rehab the following day, he finds himself drawn to her luxurious family home, and into a meeting with her mother, the formidable Miranda. Seeing the same resemblance that her daughter did, Miranda proposes she hire Lynch to assume her son’s identity, in a last-ditch effort to try and flush out his killer.

As Lynch begins to impersonate him, dark forces are lured out of the shadows, and he realises too late that Heydon wasn’t paranoid at all. Someone was watching his every move, and they’ll kill to keep it a secret. For the first time, Lynch is in a life or death situation he can’t lie his way out of.

Review

Reading this made me realise I have to dust off my copy of True Crime Story and read it again, also that I wish I were in charge of a streaming service so I could buy books to develop into screen material, whilst also being aware that there probably isn't enough money in the world to do fair justice to the amount of cracking books there are. This is one of those reads that would be a spectacular on-screen experience - given the right eye for cast and detail.

Lynch is a pinball in a machine without a task or a purpose, just trailing around until the right moment or opportunity comes around. Bobbie enters his universe of lies, convenience and the world of con. It appears at the time, as if two troubled souls in need of support and driven by trauma, need something from each other. Essentially this is what leads Lynch into his next falsity - he becomes the long lost brother of Bobbie.

The more he gets involved the more Lynch appears determined to find out what happened to Heydon, the man he shares a face with. A simple con turns into something closer to - the deeper the secrets the more destructive they are - with a side dish of criminal intent and a smidgen of gangster style justice.

It's riveting piece of fiction, with the kind of ending that makes me hope we see Lynch again in some capacity. The charming con-man with an unhealthy lack of any sense of danger, who is so quick on his feet that the reader can't help but want him to succeed, perhaps because of the sheer audacity at times. It's a great read and I highly recommend it.

Buy Imposter Syndrome at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Doubleday Uk; pub date 11th July 2024 | Hardback | £18.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Into The Flames by James Delargy

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Into The Flames by James Delargy.

About the Author

James Delargy was born and raised in Ireland, and lived in South Africa, Australia and Scotland before ending up in semi-rural England, where he now lives. He incorporates a diverse knowledge of towns, cities, landscapes and cultures picked up on his travels into his writing. His first novel, 55, was published in 2019 by Simon & Schuster and has been sold to 21 territories to date. It was followed by the standalone thrillers Vanished (2021) and Into the Flames (2024). Follow @JDelargyAuthor on X

About the book

A town under fire. A detective with something to prove. A killer hiding in plain sight. - The small town of Rislake in the picturesque Blue Mountains is about to be engulfed by a major bushfire. The order has been given for the residents to clear out. But a last sweep uncovers one person is missing: Tracey Hilmeyer, wife of one of the firefighters tackling the blaze.

Detective Kennard is in town to help with crowd control, but instead he finds himself driving straight towards the inferno to look for Tracey at the Hilmeyer home. When he gets there, he finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs, and it’s clear she was murdered.

With the evacuation almost complete there is barely enough time to save the living never mind the dead. But Detective Kennard has something to prove and cannot let this one go. Can he solve her murder before the crime scene, and the entire town, turns to ash?

Review

I think what the author does really well in this book, is describing the voice and imagery of the fire. I'm not sure people realise the level of destruction wildfires can cause. It's more than just a fire burning with such fierce intensity that it devours everything and anybody in its path. It's the miniscule details that help give the situation and the reader a 'right there in the moment' feeling. The tension, the fear, the heat - it's all part of the web around the core.

The core being the crime Kennard is trying to solve, and within that is a complex inner emotional product that he carries around with him. Blame and guilt live rent-free in his head, which is why he is unable to let go of a subconscious need to save and succeed. The save part is especially relevant. He couldn't save the boy, so he has to find the killer.

As I mentioned above, I think the strength of the story is the way the reader is drawn into the moment with such a visceral connection that at times you struggle to breathe in a room full of smoke. Interestingly it almost invites you along to disagree with decision making, especially when Kennard places lives before safety, solving the case before putting many others at risk. It is part and parcel of his inner turmoil.

I enjoyed the read a lot and wouldn't hesitate to read more and to recommend to other readers of course.

Buy Into The Flames at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Uk, Paperback Original | pub date 4th July 2024 | £9.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd. 'From the bestselling authors of Reese Witherspoon bookclub pick The Club'

About the Author

Ellery Lloyd is the pseudonym for London based husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos.

Collette is a journalist and editor, former content director of ELLE UK and editorial director at Soho House. She has written for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

Paul is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day Is Like Sunday. He is the programme director for English literature with creative writing at the University of Surrey. Follow @ElleryLloyd on X

About the book

Some women can’t be painted out of history . . . A story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge. Paris, 1938: Runaway heiress Juliette Willoughby perishes, with her married lover, in an accidental studio fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self-Portrait as Sphinx. 

Cambridge, 1991: Two art history students stumble across proof something sinister was at play in Juliette's death, threatening to expose the long-buried secrets of the artist's aristocratic family.

Dubai, now: An art dealer is accused of the brutal murder of his oldest friend – the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty. Three suspicious deaths over the course of a century. Is the key to unlocking them all hidden in Juliette Willoughby’s lost painting?

Review

When Caroline is asked to go through the large collection of a prominent family to look for pieces of the story of a tragic forgotten artist called Juliette Willoughby, she has no idea that will stumble upon a mystery and a cover-up. Perhaps it's also more of push than a stumble. Either way it is a dangerous path to wander, this search for the truth about an elusive painting and talented artist - known only for her tragic and sudden death.

What emerges is a piece of a puzzle that doesn't seem to have a place to fit. Could it be possible that the painting survived the fire. If so, how did it, why and where. Is this a way to show the world the talented art of Juliette Willoughby - a woman with a name and talent that disappeared into obscurity. That in itself is a worthy element of this story, the way hidden figures create a world, but are never given the accolades for their work.

This would make a perfect on-screen extravaganza - a Gosford Park meets Christie with a smidgen of Saltburn. The casting would be a treat. I love the way this author duo brings in a variety of sub-genre styles to create a story within a story, which in itself is carried within a larger frame of a mystery. It's a great read, one that delivers home truths and the complexity of class structures with the element of charm that keeps everyone coming back for more.

As always an incredibly delicate and finely woven plot that keeps the reader riveted until the last page.

Buy The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Macmillan pub date 20 Jun. 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy.

About the Author

Sarah Freethy is first time novelist. She has been writing for television for the past three decades. Freethy has worked as an Executive Producer in factual TV and series as varied as Big Brother and Country House Rescue, to Clive James’ Postcard from Havana and TFI Friday.  In 2020, she was a Script Consultant on two broadcast drama series, Before We Die (Channel 4) and Professor T (ITV) for Eagle Eye Drama. Sarah is a keen artist and photographer, as well as being a collector of vintage ephemera and odds and sods. Follow @freethy on X

About the book

Germany, 1929. - When Max, a Jewish architect, and Bettina, a beautiful and celebrated German avant-garde artist, meet at a party, their attraction is instant. In love with each other and the art they create, their talent transports them to the dazzling lights of Berlin. But Germany is on the brink of terrible change, and their bright beginning is soon dimmed by the rising threat of Nazism. 

When Max is arrested and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, it is only his talent at making the exquisite porcelain figures so beloved by the Nazis that stands between him and certain death. At first, Bettina has no idea where Max has been taken but when she learns of his fate, she is determined to rescue him whatever the cost. 

Now, a lifetime later, Bettina’s daughter, Clara, sets out on a journey to uncover the truth about her identity. As she weaves together the fabric of her past, she discovers the terrible secret her mother wanted hidden forever. Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history. A daughter’s search for the truth… 

Powerfully moving and beautifully written, The Porcelain Maker is a testament to enduring love and courage.

Review

Clara has managed to trace a certain amount of porcelain figures to an auction, the figures are the key to discovering something about her past. A secret that has been kept hidden from her, because the truth is too painful for everyone involved. Her hope is that the owner of said figurines can point her in the right direction - if not, then she may never discover the truth.

Although there are certainly comparisons to be drawn between the stories written by Morris, at least this author is clear on source material, and about the fictional aspects of it. There is no attempt to use a very traumatic historical narrative to enhance, instead fact and fiction run respectfully hand-in-hand to create a good read.

Aside from the tragic and traumatic story of Clara's search for the truth about her origins, I think there is a poignant element highlighted and encapsulated in the pieces of porcelain, and indeed the path they travel. The destructive stance the Nazi regime took towards all variations of the arts is one mirrored often in fascist, authoritarian and regimes led by dictatorships.

The free thinkers, the creative, the solution seekers and those who both influenced and spoke to all senses with their creations and expressions via any medium possible. Of course any restrictive regime would limit freedom and voice, whether that be via the written word, painted picture, sculpture or music. The oppressors weren't opposed to using the value of said art to enhance their pockets and portfolios though.

It's a story steeped in trauma, humanity and the natural desire to uncover the fabric of our heritage and parentage. Unfortunately that doesn't always gel well with the people guarding any secrets. I enjoyed the read and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Buy The Porcelain Maker at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Simon and Schuster Uk; pub date 23 May 2024 - Paperback - £9.99. Buy at Amazon com. 

#Blogtour Hera by Jennifer Saint

It's a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Hera by Jennifer Saint.

'From the No. 1 bestselling author of Ariadne, Elektra and Atalanta - From Jennifer Saint, the queen of the mythological retelling, comes the captivating story of Greek mythology’s most famous wife.'

About the Author

Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote Ariadne, which tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne - the woman who made it happen. Ariadne was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month, as well as being a Sunday Times bestseller. 

Jennifer Saint is now a full-time author, living in Yorkshire, with her husband and two children. Her second novel, Elektra, and third novel, Atalanta, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Follow @jennysaint on X

About the book

When the immortal goddess Hera helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, the ancient Titan Cronos, she dreams of ruling the world at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see another side to Zeus, a side just as ruthless and cruel as Cronos was. She was clearly born to rule, but does that mean perpetuating a cycle of violence and cruelty that has existed since the dawn of time? Will assuming her power mean that Hera loses herself or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.

Review

The author gives the reader the version of Hera which is left unsaid, taking it all a step back to comprehend the reaction to what was done unto her in the first place. We usually hear or read the result, which depicts the vengeful, angered women full of jealous rage and spite. Instead Saint takes us back to the root cause - how Hera was defined by the choices of others. How patriarchy also rules mythology, because it is easier to sell the image of a scorned and angry woman than a character who defends herself and keeps her own self safe by reacting to the threat or perceived threat.

I wonder how many readers, especially women, walk away from this thinking - oh wait, she is more than just the bitter representation the patriarchy wants us to see and remember. In fact isn't her story indicative of the narrative we are told about older women, scorned women and women who are just a little too noisy for society. Let's gaslight them to hide the truth behind the anger, let's dismiss them to distract from the truth, and let's create a narrative that makes them the villain in every story, because we wouldn't want the truth to be discovered when someone scratches the surface.

I really enjoy the way this author captures both the magic, the folklore, the heavy truths and the story from all angles, when it comes to Greek mythology. The journey from end result, expectation and hardwired knowledge, becomes undone when the light is shone into the darkest corners of Hera's story. It makes her many reactionary tales so much more understandable. A fantastic read.

Buy Hera at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Wildfire; Hardback, eBook, Audio | £20.00 - pub date 23 May 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Traitor by Chris Ryan

It's my turn on the Blogtour Traitor by Chris Ryan. 'It's an epic, bullet-fast thriller from no.1 bestselling SAS hero, Chris Ryan.'

About the Author

Chris Ryan was born in Newcastle. In 1984 he joined 22 SAS. After completing the year-long Alpine Guides Course, he was the troop guide for B Squadron Mountain Troop. He completed three tours with the anti-terrorist team, serving as an assaulter, sniper and finally Sniper Team Commander.

Chris was part of the SAS eight-man team chosen for the famous Bravo Two Zero mission during the 1991 Gulf War. He was the only member of the unit to escape from Iraq, where three of his colleagues were killed and four captured, for which he was awarded the Military Medal. Chris wrote about his experiences in his book The One That Got Away, which became an immediate bestseller. Since then he has written over fifty books and presented a number of very successful TV programmes. Follow @ChrisRyanMM on X

About the book

A year after his older brother made the ultimate sacrifice, Sergeant Major Luke Carter, decorated hero of 22 SAS, is sent to Perth on a recruiting job. His orders: select two candidates from the SASR for a highly sensitive mission on foreign soil.

But when a sudden crisis threatens to derail the plan, Carter and his new colleagues find themselves forced into action on a high-stakes operation. One that has the potential to change the course of the war in Ukraine. So begins a deadly game of predator and prey, moving from the streets of Minsk to the cliffs above the Black Sea. And a final showdown with the biggest target of all...

Review

Carter has been tasked with recruiting members for a very small team for an as yet unknown secret assignment that has the potential to change the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Not everyone is a willing pick, and some of them have a dodgy past. 

I liked the fact the author set this in our most recent war skirmish of 2024 scenario. It gives the subject matter a validity that can't be denied or hidden under the veil of historical fiction. Ongoing as we speak, possible scenarios being executed.

One of the things I take away from this read is the feeling that in the end the person on the frontline is always expendable to those pulling the strings and calling the shots. There is a distinct lack of humanity in decision making, and it's important there is a recognition of a core fact - the correlation between war, losses and betrayal of soldier or operative on the ground - is always the upper echelon and the often inexperienced sat in positions of power.

It's a fast-paced brutally honest military story, it hits the core of feet on the ground, the impact of combat and the importance of trust in groups relying on each other to watch their backs. I note that special ops with a militia type task are often somewhere in between enemy and ally, and that fragile position can put an immeasurable strain on even the strongest of warriors.

The author delivers action, frank dialogue, a window into the impact of soldiering on the front, and an excellent read.

Buy Traitor at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Zaffre; pub date 23 May 2024. Buy at Amazon com.