I'm 47, married to Steve (50), Mum to two (24 & 23) and a Shih Tzu called Bella (13). I'm our Church Treasurer (on a voluntary basis) since July 2014. I started my Book Blog in October 2015. I created Bowen's Book Publicity in June 2020. I love to #sharethebooklove 💕
The Girl in the Ice: Detective Erika Foster Crime Thriller, Book 1 (Audible edition)
Robert Bryndza
(review written on 13th November 2020)
I know I am VERY late to the Robert Bryndza party (sorry for taking so long, Steph Lawrence!), but I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to book one of the Detective Erika Foster series on Audible. It is really well narrated, which is essential when listening to an audio book. I can be really put off a story narrated by a voice that doesn’t seem to suit the story.
Erika is a likeable, and interesting character. I really felt for her having lost her husband so young. It must be hard returning to the job after such heart break, but I can understand her need to have something to focus on. She is certainly thrown back in at the deep end!
When a beautiful young socialite, with her whole life ahead of her, is discovered beneath ice in a London park an investigation begins. Little did they know how complicated and dangerous things would become as the investigation moves forward. There are so many twists and turns throughout this story. It’s so full of suspense. The short chapters add to the pace and increase the tension as the story progresses. Each leads us to a jaw dropping conclusion! I loved it!
This book is right up my street and I can’t wait to catch up with Erika, and the team, in book two!
If you haven’t listened to this book on Audible already, I highly recommend….
Bowen’s Book Publicity is proud to promote…. The Drop of Death (DCI Chris Timothy Book 8) By Alison Lingwood A new estate; a block of flats; a fourth-floor balcony, and a tragic fall. Or was it? How could someone fall over a metre-high railing? In the midst of the appointment of a new police Superintendent […]
The Awesome Adventures of Poppy and Amelia by Maddy Harrisis & Misha Herwin Poppy and Amelia didn’t set out to be witches. That happened quite by accident, and it’s a secret they must keep from their family and friends. Then there is Mia, the new girl in class. Pale, strange and deadly serious, she’s in need of a […]
Following on from the double cover reveal I am thrilled to be joining in with Mark Tilbury’s You Belong To Me re-launch, along with these awesome book bloggers….
I read You Belong To Me back in July 2019 and I am delighted to be re-sharing my review as part of the re-launch celebrations!
Can two wrongs ever make a right?
The police never found fifteen-year-old Ellie Hutton. She vanished ten years ago after walking home from school along a disused railway track. But Danny Sheppard knows exactly what happened to her. She is dead and buried in a field near Lassiter’s Brook.
Now Cassie Rafferty has gone missing. Same age. Similar circumstances. And Danny also knows what has happened to her.
Can Danny fight his demons and tell the truth this time?
Or will history repeat itself and leave another innocent girl dead?
Here are my thoughts on this amazing book….
WOW! You Belong To Me is another awesome read from the amazing Mark Tilbury! I have loved everything he has written, and this was no exception. The only thing I regret is not having had the chance to read it until now.
I finished You Belong To Me very late last night. There was no way I was going to sleep until I knew how things were going to pan out. I don’t know how Mark Tilbury does it, but he still manages to shock me in one way or another, although I do naturally expect his stories to be dark (putting it mildly!). If you love a psychological crime thriller which has an excellent mix of likeable and not so likeable, but equally fascinating characters with a compelling story to tell then you will love this book (and all others written by Mark Tilbury).
In You Belong To Me we meet Danny, Josh, Kieran and Rob who were witness to a horrendous crime, almost ten years previously, involving the disappearance of fifteen year old Ellie Hutton. This crime was committed by Danny’s older brother, Calum. Calum is a nasty piece of work who truly made my skin crawl. It’s frightening to know that there are actual real people out there, just like him. His cruelty towards animals is particularly sickening. I felt so sorry for Danny being related to him and I really felt for the all the boys when their plan to get one over on Calum backfires spectacularly. What they find themselves in the middle of is nothing short of horrific. Being young, naïve and completely believing Calum’s threats they feel they have no choice but to keep his secret. They were never going to have much of a chance to go on to lead ‘normal’ lives after such an ordeal and they each have their own ways of attempting to fight their demons having sworn they would never breathe a word of what happened.
When another girl goes missing, in the present day, Danny decides to get the gang back together and try to put Calum in his place once and for all. The four of them, now adults, come back together and agree with the plan and hope they can achieve their goal before anyone else gets hurt. Will their plan work or will it just backfire on them once again? I was absolutely gob-smacked by the end of the book! This author is a genius!
Absolutely outstanding writing, once again! Unique and perfectly executed. Highly disturbing, but completely captivating. LOVED it!
I have the pleasure of welcoming Simon Maltman back to Chat About Books today!
Simon Maltman
For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?
I’m a crime writer from Northern Ireland. This is my fifth full length thriller. This book is about post-Troubles Belfast and the shadow it still casts over the city today. It’s about a pastor who tries to escape the pull of the past. He really wants to do the right thing, but makes one bad decision after another.
Where did/do you get your ideas from?
Literally it could be from anything, or just a random idea during a shower.
Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?
Yes but I won’t say who haha! You can definitely take little parts from here and there though. I have had the reverse issue when people think a character is based on someone and it’s not!
How do you pick your characters’ names?
It’s usually just pretty random or it can be something obscure just for my own amusement.
Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?
I try and write every day and usually do. I’m quite a planner and like to have a rough idea of how the story will go, but not too much. It’s got to still be fun.
Who are your top 5 favourite authors?
That’s very hard. Today I’ll go for: Richard Stark, Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, Iain Banks and Colin Bateman.
If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Ooooh another hard one. I’d ask Raymond Chandler who killed the chauffer.
Were you a big reader as a child?
I wasn’t a massive one actually, but I am now. I probably got properly into books and crime in particular in my twenties.
When did you start to write?
I started properly about seven years ago.
If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?
Oh, goodness. I might well change some of mine! I can’t even read at events without editing the text in my head and trying to change it as I read!
Is there a book you wish you had written?
Loads of them!
If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?
Haha. ‘How I wrote ten bestsellers!’ (I wish)
If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?
It would be nice to have a chat with Mick Ballou from the Scudder books. It would have to be somewhere pretty rough.
Tell us a random fact about yourself
I once was on ‘Police Camera Action’- cycling up a carriageway the wrong way (I was a teenager!).
What are you working on right now?
I’m just finishing off the first draft of an 80’s and New York set thriller.
What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?
Probably a cup of coffee and a bun!
How can readers keep in touch with you?
I’m on FB and Twitter and Instagram.
Is there anything else you would like us to know?
No, I don’t think so. But thanks very much for having me, take care.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Simon! 🙂
God created the world in one week. In six days Pastor Tom destroyed his own. On the seventh day he rested. Post-Troubles Belfast. One flawed pastor believes he can still make a difference. Hardened, ageing paramilitaries make a last grab for power. Murder, kidnapping, corruption. Pastor Tom strives to make a positive difference in his community, but secrets from his past still haunt him. One bad decision follows another as he tries to do “the right thing.” Will he soon be shackled to a path leading him far from redemption?
On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at the books I was reading during the same month in previous years, since starting my blog 🙂
Please do join in, I’d love to see your posts!
Here is my one (yes, one!) review from November 2019 (it was a really long book and November is always a busy Birthday month for me) plus a link to previous November FBFs….
I have the pleasure of welcoming Serena Fairfax to Chat About Books today. Serena has very kindly written a guest post about Diwali to share with you all.
DIWALI…lights, fireworks, action
a guest post by Serena Fairfax
The heavy monsoon rains that pounded the earth have dwindled to a trickle, fields have been harvested, and the year slides into autumn. That’s when the thoughts and minds of Hindus in India and the diaspora turn to celebrating Diwali which symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
It’s a five-day long festival associated with a variety of traditions, attributes and motifs none more so than with Lakshmi, the glamorous, goddess of wealth, fortune and prosperity, —typically shown as mounted on a lotus flower— the goddess who leads one to one’s goal, and the woman who chose Vishnu, a principal deity, as her husband. The belief is that she was born from the furious churning, by both gods and demons, of the cosmic ocean of milk.
Another tradition links Diwali with the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic. Here, Rama, of royal blood and descended from the sun, and his beloved wife Sita with their loyal followers return to India after 14 years enforced exile abroad when Rama’s heroic army of monkeys —commanded by Hanuman, the monkey god— finally defeats the evil genius of Ravana (he of ten heads and twenty arms) who’d abducted Sita.
As with Christmas, when Diwali approaches, householders go into a frenzy of activity. Homes are cleaned to an inch of their life and repainted. Diyas (small clay oil lamps with cotton wicks) are bought and lit and temples, rooftops, balconies, verandahs, doorways and drives twinkle and sparkle in the unfathomable night sky. Rangoli — a variety of designs made from coloured sand, rice or flower petals and usually done by girls and women — decorate floors. And Diwali wouldn’t be Diwali without the invariably fabulous firework displays.
People don their smartest clothes, offer puja (prayers) to Lakshmi, invite guests home, share mithai (delicious confectionery and dessert) and sumptuous meals while exchanging gifts with family and friends.
Farmers calculate the yield of the harvest and give thanks to Lakshmi; traders, businessmen and shopkeepers balance their books at Diwali time and calculate how much they have profited, or lost, during the year and everyone prevails on Lakshmi for her blessing and for better luck in the coming year.
Diwali — the word is derived from the Sanskrit and means a row of lights — is traditionally big-spending time. People splurge on buying jewellery, gold, new furniture, new cars and equipment; in the countryside, rural villages hold melas (fairs) where craftsmen and artisans exhibit and sell their wares. It’s a truly exciting, colourful festival so doesn’t hesitate if you’re invited to celebrate it with friends and neighbours of Indian descent.
Thank you, Serena!
Serena Fairfax
I spent my childhood in India, qualified as a Lawyer in England and joined a London law firm. Some of my novels have a strong romantic arc although I burst the romance bubble with one quirky departure. Other novels pull the reader into the dark corners of family life and relationships. I enjoy the challenge of experimenting and writing something different. My short stories and a medley of articles feature on my blog, and I review crime fiction and thrillers for Promoting Crime Fiction. Fast forward to a sabbatical from the day job when I traded in bricks and mortar for a houseboat which, for a hardened land lubber like me, turned out to be a big adventure. A few of my favourite things are collecting old masks, singing and exploring off the beaten track. My golden retriever, Inspector Morse, who can’t wait to unleash his own Facebook page, and I live in London.
Jazz clubs, yacht clubs, aunty bars and a Bollywood beauty shadowed by her pet panther. This is glamorous Bombay in the late 1950s.
Love has blossomed in London between vivacious Scottish Presbyterian, Audrey, and clever Indian lawyer, Nat Zachariah.
When the happy newlyweds move to Nat’s exotic homeland and the striking family villa, Audrey must deftly navigate the rituals, secrets, intrigues and desires of his Bene Israel Jewish community, and adjust to perplexing new relatives.
In time, the past unlocks, old family ties unravel, lies are exposed and passions run high as different generations fall out. Then something shocking happens that undoes everything. Will this marriage that has crossed boundaries survive?
For those who don’t know already, could you tell us about yourself and your book(s) please?
I’ve had careers in physics, electrical engineering and software, and dabbled as a CGI animator, classical organist, and voice talent. I’m also the “Voice of OTAKON!”
I describe my first novel “Pindlebryth of Lenland,” as equal parts Narnia, DaVinci Code and Jason Bourne. I quite literally pushed the publish button the day before cancer surgery. My second book arose from tales I told at the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild. If the audience laughed or cringed, it went into the collection as a short story. My third book, “My Friend Jackson,” was inspired by Rosalind Wiseman’s study of girl bullying, “Queen Bees and Wannabees,” with a heaping helping of the Twilight Zone thrown in.
Where did/do you get your ideas from?
Mostly from long walks and long nightmares.
Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?
As the editor for my writers’ group’s second anthology, I had to deal with an author who thought her first draft was perfect, that rules didn’t apply to her, and loved to couch her responses in thinly veiled insults. In our third anthology, my story’s villain was based on her. The character’s name was even a homonym of the author’s name. It was a wonderful catharsis to kill off her avatar! What’s that phrase? “Be nice to me, or you’ll be in my next book.”
How do you pick your characters’ names?
That depends on the work. In “Pindlebryth of Lenland,” a few were borrowed from my old Dungeons & Dragons characters. In “My Friend Jackson,” I researched the most popular African American baby names of 2004-6. In my upcoming sci-fi novel, “Sentry of Eternity,” the names are all based on an ancient numbering system.
Can you share your writing process with us, in a nutshell?
My goal is to write 1000 words a day. Some days I make it, most days I don’t. But I try. And try. And try. I find I write best at 5AM or 11PM, when my subconscious is less bridled.
Who are your top 5 favourite authors?
Kurt Vonnegut Jr., H.P.Lovecraft, Arthur C. Clarke, Richard Matheson, Stephen Donaldson. Although the last one is more of a love/hate relationship.
If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Kurt Vonnegut – Why does each appearance of a Tralfamadorian differ from all previous instances?
Were you a big reader as a child?
Yes, I read every Hardy Boys book I could lay hands on. Can’t remember a single one of them.
When did you start to write?
I wrote my first short story in 1988, mostly to vent frustrations caused by a particularly vindictive supervisor.
If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?
The Bible. Although I wouldn’t re-write it. I’d rather ask the Prophet John to be less phantasmagorical with his imagery and allegory, and write more plainly. Or at least hire an editor.
Is there a book you wish you had written?
Not yet. But I would like to get around to writing the 2nd instalment of the Pindlebryth saga. The trouble is, my six other book projects keep getting in the way!
If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?
Jack of Not-Enough-Trades
If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?
Kilgore Trout, True Blue Mediterranean in Emmaus, PA. Come for the coffee, don’t leave without trying the baklava.
Tell us a random fact about yourself
My favourite organ piece to play is “Now Thank We All Our God” by Seigfried Karg-Elert,
What are you working on right now?
Not counting the 3 short stories headed toward anthologies by the Bethlehem Writers Group, Firebringer Press, and the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, there’s two drafts I’m crafting:
Short Story – “Man of His Word”, a strange tale of a sheriff and FBI on the trail of a serial killer;
Novel – “The Sentry of Eternity”, aliens encounter a murderous supernatural force, told from the alien’s point of view.
Tell us about your last release?
“My Friend Jackson” is a gritty YA Urban Fantasy/Horror. Jasmine Price is the target of emotional, physical and cyber-bullies. When rivalries and jealousies reach a fevered pitch, a spectral guardian intervenes, with death in its wake. And that’s just the beginning of Jasmine’s problems! The book’s inspiration began with Rosalind Wiseman’s study of girl bullying, “Queen Bees and Wannabes.”
Please, please, puh-leeeze! File a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or wherever you buy books. Do this for EVERY independent press and self-published books you read. This is a “moral imperative!”
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Christopher!
An ancient guardian chose her. Neither the guilty, nor the innocent, nor she are safe. Fresh out of the Projects, Jasmine Price’s days are filled with emotional, physical, and cyber abuse at the hands of her new school’s queen bees. With her parents mostly absent, Jasmine latches onto Bibi, a grandmotherly figure from Tanzania, and her beloved pet chameleon, Jackson. Rivalries, jealousies and hatred escalate the violence toward Jasmine to a murderous level, until a monstrous force intervenes on Jasmine’s behalf with deadly consequences. When she discovers the secret behind her unholy avenger, Jasmine takes the offensive, becoming a merciless force more terrifying than her worst tormentors. But choices have consequences. Some more horrific than others. Can Jasmine untangle her life and reclaim her identity, her life—her soul—from her inscrutable guardian, while eluding the police and those who seek revenge? “Taut and compelling…” ★★★★★ — Readers’ Favorite “Unique and riveting…” ★★★★★ — A Slice of Orange
Poppy and Amelia didn’t set out to be witches. That happened quite by accident, and it’s a secret they must keep from their family and friends.
Then there is Mia, the new girl in class. Pale, strange and deadly serious, she’s in need of a couple of equally weird friends.
Poppy and Amelia are happy to oblige.
Together, the three of them must thwart the plans of the sinister Miss Mortimer and her evil companions.
This is the start of the awesome adventures of Poppy and Amelia!
Maddy Harrisis, author
Misha Herwin, author
All profits from sales of “The Awesome Adventures of Poppy and Amelia” will go to Leukaemia Research and here is why…. Posy Miller, Misha’s daughter and Maddy’s aunt, died of the disease aged 31. Treatment has come a long…
‘Hugely confident … harrowing, visceral … recommended’ Ian Rankin
‘Kept me hooked’ Angela Marsons
‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole
‘Gritty, dark and chilling’ Mel Sherratt
A murdered woman…
When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she’s dealing with no ordinary killer. The murder victim has been disfigured; her outfit changed to resemble someone else. Someone Maggie knows all too well…her close friend Dr Kate Moloney.
A determined detective…
Maggie is determined to keep her friend safe, but with Kate already struggling with a threatening stalker, Maggie now fears Kate’s life is in real danger. Who else would want to harm Kate and why else would the killer be turning his victims into exact replicas – his living dolls?
Can Maggie find the depraved killer? Or will Kate become his next living doll?
My review
Dead Perfect
(Maggie Jamieson, Book 3)
Noelle Holten
(Review written on 26th October 2020)
WOW!
I am SO glad I was able to read Dead Perfect as soon as I’d finished book 2, Dead Wrong, as it ended on such a cliff-hanger!
What a way to start a new book!!
I have absolutely loved the third instalment in this excellent series. The story is tense and fast moving from the very first page. It certainly starts as it means to go on. I love how Noelle Holten’s writing draws me in. Each chapter is written in a way that makes it nigh on impossible to put down without reading just one more, or two, or three, or ten!
In Dead Perfect Maggie, and the team, are faced with a frantic race against time to ensure the safety of a close friend and colleague. There is a killer on the loose who has an extremely unhealthy obsession with her. However, there are no obvious suspects and time is running out.
I love how unique and mysterious the perpetrator is in this book. I have to admit that I did figure out quite early on who it was, but I had absolutely no idea what his motives would turn out to be. Very clever writing! Creepy would be an understatement. It’s quite scary how some people’s minds work.
I thoroughly enjoyed being swept along for the ride as Maggie and the team battled on tirelessly in the hope of solving this case before it was too late. I was holding my breath on more than one occasion I can tell you!
Chat About Books 