Summer on a Sunny Island

Sue Moorcroft

(Review written on 25^th August 2020)

I know I am VERY late to the party as this is the first book I’ve read by Sue Moorcroft but it certainly won’t be the last!

Rosa is a very likeable character who has recently split up with long term partner, Marcus. Her mother, Dory, convinces her to join her in Malta for the summer to get away from it all and to contemplate her future. It will be part holiday, part working freelance for her mother who is a chef and food writer. She is in Malta to research for a new recipe collection. Rosa helps with the social media side of things and they have some good fun together as well as enjoying some fabulous food along the way. They have a lovely relationship and I enjoyed this aspect of the story.

Dory is determined for Rosa to have some fun too and wastes no time in steering her in Zach’s direction.

Zach is another very likeable character who seems quite self-assured initially, but we soon learn of his insecurities.

The chemistry between Zach and Rosa is quickly evident and it isn’t long before they become involved romantically. However, nothing is ever straight forward (as is often the case in real life). Rosa is faced with financial issues due to Marcus’ gambling. Zach is involved with helping a teenager get out of the potentially dangerous situation he’s got himself into as well as helping to offer support to his sisters and mother who are dealing with their own problems. His father also turns up and throws a spanner in the works. It seems like an impossible situation, but thankfully true love will always find a way!

I absolutely LOVED the setting of this book. Malta sounds amazing. It isn’t somewhere I’ve ever been, but it’s described so beautifully throughout this book I could almost imagine myself there. I could quite happily lounge on a sunny balcony with a book and chilled glass of wine. Especially considering as I write this on an August evening which is dull, wet and blowing a gale here in Staffordshire!

I loved the family relationships in this book. Very real people with real and relatable lives.

I loved Paige and her ‘Shnorkelling’!

I loved the characters’ willingness to take the risk on a happier, more fulfilled, life especially when opportunities are presented to them which are much too good to turn down. Not everyone has that luxury. We have to grab every opportunity for happiness in this life, but it’s often easier to stick with what we know. Change is scary after all!

Above all else I loved the romance! Who doesn’t love a happy ending!??

A lovely, uplifting story with its fair share of drama. I very much recommend!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via Netgalley.

happy reading! 🙂

How to Save a Life

S.D. Robertson

(Review written on 18^th August 2020)

Having read, and loved, If Ever I Fall by S.D. Robertson back in February 2018, I was very much looking forward to reading How to Save a Life. I have not been disappointed. This author certainly knows how to write an emotional story.

In this book we meet Luke, who initially comes across as a grumpy character who doesn’t really have the time of day for anyone. You would think this would make it easy to dislike him, but somehow even from the start I was drawn to him. At 39 years old, living alone with his cat, Alfred (LOVE that name for a cat by-the-way!) and singlehandedly running a traditional barber shop I had a feeling he would have a history that wasn’t entirely a happy one. I wasn’t wrong.

When Luke survives a devastating accident, which claims the life of a stranger, he starts to re-evaluate his life and makes a promise to himself, and the poor young lady who lost her life, to be less negative.

Things go well for a while. He even starts to get along with the elderly ladies who have been his neighbours for years and finds he quite likes their company and being helpful to them where he can. He makes amends with his cousin who he has always been close to before a big falling out.

He takes the plunge and starts a new venture in an effort to give something back to his community but, as often is the case, one person ruins it for all and almost undoes all of his hard work to change his outlook on life. My heart really did go out to him.

I found this a very emotional yet uplifting read with a strong message of hope. It is also quite amusing at times. A captivating tale, beautifully written. I highly recommend!

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via Netgalley.

happy reading!

Hi!

I haven’t yet used my blog to promote my little social media promotion service, Bowen’s Book Publicity but I thought why not!?

I have an exciting Publication Day Promotion coming up at the beginning of September for one of my favourite authors!

Watch this space!

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, why not have a browse through my previous promotions. You will find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram….

Listed Dead

(A Bunch Courtney Investigation, Book 3)

Jan Edwards

Penkhull Press

Having read, and loved, Winter Downs and In Her Defence (books 1 & 2 in the Bunch Courtney Series) I was very much looking forward to reading Listed Dead and I have loved it just as much, if not more than the first two. This series just gets better and better! I always think this is partly due to getting to know the main characters better as a series progresses. Listed Dead is full of interesting characters most of whom I have grown quite attached to.

Bunch Courtney herself is such a brilliant character! I love how nosy she is (in the best possible way) and how eager she is to help with the solving of local crimes especially apparent murders. I love how passionate she is for these people to get the justice they deserve and how direct she can be with people. I also love how she sometimes puts her foot in it. Her relationship with her mother is an interesting one. I feel quite sorry for Theadora in a way, although I can fully appreciate how difficult she must be to live with. Grief is a complicated emotion.

I absolutely LOVE Granny Beatrice! She is just awesome.

I love the relationship between Bunch and Chief Inspector Wright, and I look forward to seeing it develop further (fingers crossed!). They make a great team professionally, despite their occasional disagreements, and I think they would make a great couple. They bounce off each other well, when discussing cases, and often realise many truths together. In Listed Dead they find themselves investigating two deaths within a very short time frame. Both victims are known to each other but there isn’t initially any obvious reason as to why they would have been targeted. Bunch knows them also so can’t resist doing her own digging to find out as much information she can to help. Much to the despair of her family!

This book is full of suspense and intrigue. A twisty, turny murder mystery which ticks all the boxes for me!

The beautifully descriptive language transported me right back to November 1940 (although this was quite a bit before my time, obviously!). I love the setting and I love the language of that time. Words such as ‘ninny’ and ‘nincompoop’ are just fab, and I love that people are often referred at as ‘old chap’ or ‘old thing’ even though they’re not remotely old. I could totally imagine everyone in their 1940s dress with their 1940s hairstyles. Generally, a very classy look, I think. I love it!

Oh, and I especially love that Bunch’s new pooch is called Bella! 😊

Another thoroughly enjoyable book in a thoroughly enjoyable series which I highly recommend!

Many thanks to Jan Edwards for my review copy.

Via AmazonUK

November 1940. The Battle of Britain has only just ended and the horror of the Blitz is reaching its height.
Two deaths in rapid succession on the Sussex Downs brings Bunch Courtney and Chief Inspector Wright together once more. What could possibly link a fatal auto accident with the corpse in a derelict shepherd’s hut? The only clue the pair have is a handwritten list of the members of a supper club that meets at London’s Café de Paris. Two of those on that list are now dead and the race is on to solve the mystery before any more end up on the mortuary slab.

ICYMI

Winter Downs #BlogTour #BookReview @Jancoledwards @penkhullpress @BunchandDodo

In Her Defence (A Bunch Courtney Investigation) by Jan Edwards @Jancoledwards #BlogTour #BookReview

happy reading!

Guardian of Lies

(Detective Inspector Doug Taylor, Book 3)

John Pye

(Review written on 12^th August 2020)

I should have read this book like a million years ago (sorry, John!). Having read, and loved, books 1 and 2, Cathedral of Lies and Field of Lies I pre-ordered Guardian of Lies as soon as it was available. Unfortunately, other commitments have prevented me from reading it until now. When I decided to join in with the #20BooksofSummer20 challenge it was the perfect opportunity to bump this up my list and I am SO glad I did!

Oh, my days! This book is full of action and intrigue from the very first page!

At the beginning of this book we find Doug Taylor comforting, and supporting, Kim Harding following the death of her father. However, things begin to get complicated when her father’s bungalow is broken in to. It doesn’t take them long to realise that whoever broke in seems to be after sensitive information, rather than anything of monetary value, and this is where the story takes off in a whole new direction. What might her Dad have been involved in?

A journalist determined to get his big story has no idea what he’s getting himself into and soon finds himself in serious danger.

I love the attention to detail throughout this book, especially as it’s partially based on true events. Extremely scary true events! I think I held my breath on more than one nail-biting occasion.

I love the relationship Doug and Kim share, both professionally and personally. They make a great team. We also see a more vulnerable side to Kim dealing with the death of her father.

There are many fascinating characters throughout this story and the chain of events made me suspect pretty much all of them of foul play at one point or another. I had a brilliant time following Doug and Harding in their quest to discover the truth.

An absolutely, compelling read! I highly recommend!

Via Amazon UK

A death in the family and an unremarkable house burglary suddenly catapult Taylor and Harding outside their comfort zone and into the murky world of the Security Services. The interest of MI5 and connections to a horrible death thirteen years earlier take the two detectives on a bizarre journey to an unknown destination with a frightful history.
A risk-taking journalist uses criminal methods to try to get to the big story first, but has no idea exactly what he is getting into or of the dreadful consequences of his actions.
Foreign agents, espionage and high powered thrilling action take the narrative forward as an issue of serious national security emerges. The fact that the story is based on many real events is all the more breath taking.

About the author

Hi I’m John Pye, a retired UK Detective born in 1950. Writing has been both my passion and my hobby since retirement and my career as a police officer was without doubt the motivating force behind this. Little did I realise when I joined the force just how much written work was involved and as an eleven plus failure it was a big learning curve.
It wasn’t until I finally came to hang up my handcuffs some 27 years later that I realised that I’d become quite adept at writing and actually enjoyed it. I’ve always had a passion for history and so initially I completed a few articles for a local newspaper supplement – these were published and I realised that I had been bitten by the writing bug!
I started to work on a mostly humorous account of my police service which I eventually published as a kindle book under title ‘The Nick of Time’. I had to go through more of that learning curve in attempting to get my book published via conventional methods. It took a few painful years before the almost insurmountable difficulties of being ‘an unknown’ actually got me to ‘Kindle’. The Nick of Time still surprises me with its regular down loads and great reviews.
I published my first novel (Cathedral of Lies),a crime/thriller, murder mystery on Kindle in 2013 and quickly followed it up with a true, short VAMPIRE story (Vampire of The Villas) later that year.
Field of Lies arrived on Kindle in May 2015 as number 2 in the Detective Inspector Doug Taylor ‘Of Lies’ series. I had not intended writing a series but as the Cathedral of Lies and its characters had been so well received decided to give it a try. It worked and I was soon getting calls for number three in the series.
Guardian of Lies (number 3) was published on kindle in September 2017. All the books thrive on a diet of high powered action, intrigue and peculiar personalities. Much of the inspiration originates from my involvement on several high profile criminal and murder cases and having to rub shoulders with odd characters both inside and outside ‘the job’.
All my stories are inspired by and connected to some real life events and each of the ‘Of Lies’ stories has a code word which gives access to a secret page within my website. The secret page gives the detail along with photos and videos connected to the real story behind the story. Indeed I was stunned to see only a matter of weeks after publishing Guardian of Lies that the Salisbury Novichock attempt on Sergei Skripal’s life became big news – Guardian of Lies is based on a nerve agent threat to the UK and featured Porton Down and Salisbury.
Looking back on my time as a police officer I realise that it was often the black humour and mischievous antics which helped to get us though some tricky and unpleasant events. That rascally mind-set has always stayed with me and often comes to the surface in my writing. An impromptu comedy scene occasionally appears in the midst of a serious setting (this was always so true to life).
During my police service I regularly found myself in all manner of awkward situations engaging with a variety of strange, odd and unpleasant people as well as a plethora of wonderful helpful folk. Consequently I tend to model characters upon former colleagues as well as criminals and casual acquaintances. My choice of names for these individuals stems from a mix of real life names – a jumble of Christian names and surnames. The occasional scan through the phone directory can also provide a great ‘handle’ for a new character. I feel however, that it is important to try to stay close to the real world – it might seem like a good idea at the time to give your main ‘action man or woman’ a flashy name but it can be a turn off for the reader if it’s too improbable.
I am a big fan of Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus and readily identify with the reality he creates. I also love Frederick Forsyth and Joanne Harris as great authors.
Thank you for reading
John

happy reading!

You may remember Justice Gone featured on Chat About Books last year. Well, this book has only gone on to win even more awards since then so I’m sharing an updated spotlight with you to reflect these fabulous achievements!

Congratulations, Nicholas Lombardi! 

WINNER OF FIVE AWARDS

2020 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD

NEW YORK CITY BIG BOOK AWARD 2019

2019 AMERICAN FICTION AWARD

NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCY AWARD – Best Legal Thriller of 2019

SILVER MEDAL WINNER 2019 READERS’ FAVORITES AWARDS

Chosen by Wiki.ezvid.com among their list of 10 Gripping and Intelligent Legal Thrillers

The courtroom scenes are wonderfully written…the characters are well described and the author paints a picture of each in the mind of the reader…Strong plot, strong characters and a strong writing style that I really enjoyed. This one is a definite “thumbs-up.” Strongly recommend! I look forward to reading additional works by N. Lombardi, Jr.

Kim M Aalaie, Author’s Den

One of my favorite suspense novels of the year. It will make you question the legal system.

The Eclectic Review

The courtroom action is excellent, trimmed to the most gripping parts of the trial, with plenty of emotional impact…a fairly realistic portrayal of the way small-town US society works…a fast-moving story with plenty of dramatic moments, and a big twist in the final pages.

Crime Review 

An act of police brutality hurls a small town into a turmoil of rage and fear, igniting a relentless witch hunt and ending in the trial of the decade.

“When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down.

 A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran’s counselor, is caught up in the chase.

Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa’s patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers gets there first, leading to Darfield’s dramatic capture.

Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine. Can they untangle the web tightening around Darfield in time, when the press and the justice system are baying for revenge?”

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK

https://amzn.to/2UxIxja

Amazon US

https://amzn.to/2WCTodE

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40398725-justice-gone?ac=1&from_search=true

Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/justice-gone-n-lombardi-jr/1128875661?ean=9781785358760
https://bit.ly/2SoiKwc

Book Depository
https://www.bookdepository.com/Justice-Gone-N-Lombardi-Jr/9781785358760?ref=grid-view&qid=1544400889897&sr=1-1
https://www.bookdepository.com/Justice-Gone-N-Lombardi-Jr/9781785358760?ref=grid-view&qid=1549051281975&sr=1-1

Waterstones
https://www.waterstones.com/book/justice-gone/n-lombardi-jr/9781785358760
https://bit.ly/2D37Y56

Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/justice-gone
https://bit.ly/2BgY7ID

Amazon India
https://www.amazon.in/Justice-Gone-N-Jr-Lombardi-ebook/dp/B07N175RZJ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1548392856&sr=1-1&keywords=justice+gone

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/nick.lombardi.9400
https://bit.ly/2sY7LeN

Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40398725-justice-gone#
https://bit.ly/2D1Ktt5

N. Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. Nick can speak five languages: Swahili, Thai, Lao, Chinese, and Khmer (Cambodian).

In 1997, while visiting Lao People’s Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.
Nick maintains a website with content that spans most aspects of the novel: The Secret War, Laotian culture, Buddhism etc. http://plainofjars.net

His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.

His latest novel, Justice Gone was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.
Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Visit his Goodreads page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6982373.N_Lombardi_Jr_

happy reading!

Hi, and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature!

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 feel free to join in. I’d love to see your posts!

Here are my reviews from August 2019 + a link to previous FBFs….

#TheArtOfHiding by Amanda Prowse @MrsAmandaProwse #BookReview #Netgalley

#DeadInside by Noelle Holten @nholten40 #BlogTour #BookReview @KillerReads @BOTBSPublicity

Penshaw: A DCI Ryan Mystery (The DCI Ryan Mysteries Book 13) by L J Ross @LJRoss_author #BookReview

#Resthaven by Erik Therme @ErikTherme #Audible #BookReview

#TheMoor by L J Ross @LJRoss_author #DCIRyanMysteries #Book12 #BookReview

#Torment by Mark Tilbury @MTilburyAuthor @Bloodhoundbook #BlogBlitz #BookReview

#FlashbackFriday August 2019 with @StephanieHarte3 @karenclarke123 #BookReviews

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker

Jenni Keer

(Review written on 24^th July 2020)

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker is an absolutely, gorgeous read!

Lucy is instantly likeable. She’s 25 years old and likes the simple things in life like her very much lived in little flat, romance novels, knitting and cake with her friend, Brenda. I’m not sure what a typical 25-year-old is like (I was married with two children aged three and one by 25!) but I’m pretty sure if more were like Lucy the world might be a much nicer place.

I loved her friendship with 79-year-old Brenda. Brenda is the most amazing character! She is much younger than her 79 years in a lot of ways. She can certainly still appreciate a good-looking man! She’s quirky, fun and lovable. Her genuine love for Lucy as a friend and daughter she never had is so heart-warming. I loved their chats and how they both look out for each other.

Brenda is determined to see Lucy happy and settled before anything happens to her and their new neighbour might just be the one to provide that happiness.

Of course, nothing is straight forward and Lucy’s initial attempts to win the affects of their mysterious neighbour are far from successful. Many are hilarious in fact! I did laugh, a lot!

I loved the fact that the male love interest in this book isn’t your stereotypical hunk who moved in next door. He’s not someone you instantly warm to, but he certainly grows on you over time.

I also loved that this isn’t the sole focus of the story. We learn a lot about Lucy, her work colleagues and her career goals, her family relationships with her difficult mother and stressed out sister, her friendship with Jess (who couldn’t be any more different to Lucy which you often find in close friendships) and especially her friendship with Brenda and their struggles following a dementia diagnosis. This was totally relatable to me as my Grandad passed from Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s and the first stages are often the most difficult as they are still very much aware of the changes. I also work in a care home. Dementia is very cruel. My heart went out to Brenda and Lucy.

This beautifully written, feel good story made me smile a lot and laugh out loud often. It also made me cry sad and happy tears. I LOVED it!

I have already bought The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows and very much look forward to reading it!

happy reading!

Bedlam

(The Alexander Gregory Thriller Book 3)

LJ Ross

(Review written on 18^th July 2020)

I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Dr Alexander Gregory again but oh, my word this is a tense read!

In Bedlam we find Gregory working with the FBI. He is to check in to a highly secure psychiatric hospital, as a voluntary patient, as part of an undercover operation to protect the wife of a notorious criminal. What could possibly go wrong!? I knew as soon as he agreed that this was going to be a dangerous mission, but the reality of the situation once he was there was really quite frightening, especially considering he does a really good job of convincing the staff that he truly needs to be there. I could almost feel Gregory’s fear and frustration. I felt penned in myself whilst reading some of the scenes and I was almost panicking at times.

Psychology has always fascinated me so it’s no wonder that Dr Alexander Gregory fascinates me too. His personal experiences as well as his professional ones make him an excellent character. He’s extremely likeable and charismatic without being at all conceited. He has his flaws too which make him very real and believable. He is easily one of my favourite fictional characters.

This book is full of fascinating, and often complex, characters. Some have committed horrible crimes in their past, but you can’t help but like them still. Others are just genuinely nice people who I instantly warmed to. Professor Bill Douglas is one such character.

Bedlam is a cracking addition to this series, in my opinion. It is full of tension and suspense, I loved it!

I can’t wait for book 4!

ICYMI

Imposter by L J Ross @LJRoss_author #BookReview

Hysteria: An Alexander Gregory Thriller (The Alexander Gregory Thrillers Book 2) by L J Ross @LJRoss_author #BookReview

happy reading!

The Shrine

(The DCI Ryan Mysteries, book 16)

LJ Ross

(Review written on 15^th July 2020)

I don’t know how LJ Ross does it, but The Shrine is another exceptional read in the DCI Ryan series. To get to book 16 and still maintain the same level of quality throughout the entire series is proof of an outstanding writer.

Each book has it’s own story to tell, but the personal stories of the main characters develop throughout the series so, although this would read perfectly well as a standalone, I would recommend that you read the series in order. I fell in love with these characters from the very first book, Holy Island, and my love for them has grown over the series. I do talk about them as if I know them personally. I have been doing so this week whilst on holiday in Yorkshire with my husband. He thinks I’m a bit nuts, but he listens all the same 😉 Ryan is an extremely likeable and charismatic character. You would definitely want him on your side in a crisis. I love seeing the softer side to him in his relationship with Anna, and also his friendship with Phillips (who is easily my favourite character of all!).

The investigation the team are faced with in The Shrine is very much personal this time. This book starts with a bang, quite literally, and my heart was in my mouth waiting to find out if all would be well. I have visited Durham cathedral (when we visited friends who live in Sunderland) so I could picture the scene quite vividly. I can only imagine the terror of being involved though.

A colleague is shot dead on her doorstep at almost the same time as the incident at Durham cathedral. Are the two crimes connected? If so, how?

I thoroughly enjoyed following the team through their investigation and the banter they share along the way.

I enjoyed seeing a bit more of Ryan’s parents also. His relationship with his father is an interesting one and I think some readers might find it quite relatable.

As always, the perfect mix of professional and personal.

This book definitely left me wanting more. I can’t wait to read book 17!

happy reading!