#CoverReveal #BLOWBACK by Monica James @monicajames81 ( Model @AndrewEngland88 )

Check this out!!!

Cover Reveal

BLOWBACK

Book Two

This was supposed to be simple. Vengeance was mine. But I should know by now that nothing in life is easy.
My endgame has changed all because I met someone who wishes I was dead. Yet her hatred is the only thing saving her from The Big Bad. My lies protect her, so the harder she hates, the safer she is.
The thing about love and hate—it skates a very thin line. I need to stay away. It’s better for everyone if I do. But fighting this is like fighting nature.
Our paths crossed for a reason, and my Tiger isn’t fooled. Once the smoke clears, she will see every player, including me. I don’t deserve a second chance. But I want one…because I want her. The question is, what happens when the truth is finally revealed?
With the end in sight, I can promise you there will be nothing but violence and mayhem.
Oh yes, blood will be shed.

Blowback_FrontCover_LoRes

 

BLOWBACK: The Monsters Within Duet: Book Two
Genre: Dark Romance
Cover Model: Andrew England @andrewengland88
Photographer: James Rupapara @jamesrupapara
Cover Designer: Sommer Stein—Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Blowback_FullCover_LoRes

Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/tfb7dkf
Release date: May 7th

Pre-order your copy NOW!

Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/talqjd8
Nook: https://tinyurl.com/qlcnjyo
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/rl3a45o
Apple: https://tinyurl.com/t265jje
Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/svxekcl
BookBub: https://tinyurl.com/rorujq5

UK
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/vcle6ll
Australia
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/vbycgsr
Canada
Kindle: https://tinyurl.com/w99b8k5

Bio

Monica James

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.
When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.
She is a bestselling author in the U.S.A., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.
Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

Stalk Me

Facebook: facebook.com/authormonicajames
Twitter: twitter.com/monicajames81
Goodreads: goodreads.com/MonicaJames
Instagram: instagram.com/authormonicajames
Website: authormonicajames.com
Pinterest: .pinterest.com/monicajames81
BookBub: http://bit.ly/2E3eCIw
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EWZSyS
Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2nUaRyi

Blowback cover reveal

Cover Reveal

happy reading 🙂

 

Ravens Gathering by Graeme Cumming @GraemeCumming63 #BookReview

Ravens Gathering

I thoroughly enjoyed Ravens Gathering (although some scenes make for very uncomfortable reading).

Despite being at work this morning I did stay up quite late last night to finish this book as my curiosity wouldn’t allow me to leave the last few chapters until this afternoon.

OH, MY DAYS!! I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this. Having said that, I did find it to be on a par with Stephen King’s and Dean Koontz’s writing.

This is a unique, supernatural thriller which is very intelligently written. I didn’t really know what to expect when I started it. The blurb is quite vague which I think is perfect. I think I enjoyed it more for going in blind, so to speak. I was instantly intrigued by the gathering of the birds, at the beginning of the story, and felt physically unsettled by their presence myself.

Martin intrigued me massively. Does his return to the village have anything to do with a recent tragic accident and why do his family seem to want nothing to do with him? I found his story totally compelling and I really warmed to him in the end.

I was totally unprepared for the direction this story took. Strange (to put it mildly) things start to occur, and all manner of dark secrets are revealed. I can’t really say much else without giving anything away, but this is a completely captivating read, packed full of unnerving suspense. As I said above there are some quite disturbing scenes which truly add to the horror the residents of this village are facing and have had to face in the past.

Intrigued? Course you are! Give it read for yourself and all will become clear. A dark, but highly entertaining supernatural fantasy thriller. I highly recommend!

Via AmazonUK

As she let her gaze drift around her, she saw that there were more birds. Perhaps a dozen or so, perched among the trees that stood on the edge of the clearing. And yet more were arriving, swooping down through the gap overhead and landing on branches that overlooked them. The birds weren’t threatening, yet the sight of them all coming together in this dark and isolated spot was unnerving. Tanya reached a hand out towards Martin, and was relieved to feel him take it. She felt him move in behind her. After the uncertainty she’d experienced with him in a similar position only a few moments ago, she recognised the irony of her reaction. His closeness offered security.
“You know what they are, don’t you?”

A stranger’s arrival in a small village coincides with a tragic accident. For the Gates family in particular it’s more than a coincidence, but unease increases following a brutal attack. As tensions rise, a dark past returns to haunt them and others, while newcomers to the village are drawn into a mystery with terrifying consequences.

And only a select few know why the ravens are gathering.

Buy now!

About the author

Graeme Cumming Amazon

Graeme Cumming lives in Robin Hood country. He has wide and varied tastes when it comes to fiction so he’s conscious that his thrillers can cross into territories including horror, fantasy and science fiction as well as more traditional arenas.
When not writing, Graeme is an enthusiastic sailor (and, by default, swimmer), and enjoys off-road cycling and walking. He is currently Education Director at Sheffield Speakers Club. Oh yes, and he reads (a lot) and loves the cinema.

happy reading 🙂

 

Buried Tears by Vivien Jones @bvjonesfam #BookReview

Buried Tears

Wow, what an emotional read!

Buried Tears is based on the true story of a family from Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent. Vivien Jones’ own family. This is her Father’s story and it is certainly one that I won’t forget for a long time to come.

Vivien tells us of time when the lives of her family changed forever following a devastating turn of events one day in 1941. It is such a beautifully written story, full of raw emotion. My heart went out to her Father, Wilf, who carried such a heavy burden of guilt for most of his life. He was only 11 years old in 1941.

As was typical in working class families at the time, Wilf was responsible for keeping an eye on his younger siblings as he was the oldest child. I know there will be some children with similar responsibilities today, but I don’t think it’s as commonplace now. Children are grown up before their time for very different reasons these days.

Vivien’s Grandparents, Nell and Bill, reminded me so much of my Nana and Grandad Bowen. My Grandad was also called Bill (William, or Willy as Nan often called him) and was a broad shouldered, 6ft tall, man. My Nan was 4ft 9 (and a fag end as she would say!) but very much the matriarch. She could be very hard and seemingly unemotional although the opposite was probably true. She lost two sons in her lifetime, one only 21 years old (my Uncle Alan) before I was born.

I love how Vivien writes the dialogue of these ‘characters’ in proper potteries dialect. This really brought them to life for me. Readers not familiar with potteries dialect might find it a bit odd, but as a local I could hear them clear as anything in my mind and this often brought a smile to my face. Don’t let this put you off if you aren’t familiar with our local dialect. I’m sure you will be as thoroughly fascinated by this story as I was. There is many an amusing moment throughout this book, despite it being such a difficult time for families to have to live through. No-one had much to speak of. Times were hard and money was extremely tight but, if nothing else, families always had each other, and communities stuck together when it mattered the most. I think this is true of a lot of people in Stoke-on-Trent still to this day.

My heart broke for Vivien as we learn of the time her father reveals the truth of his very difficult childhood and how his devastating loss impacted the whole of his life. I’m not surprised he was fiercely protective and thankful for his family and cherished every day he had with them.

There is a strong message to us all in this story. We never know how long we have people for in this life, so we must always cherish the time we have with each other. We also must always allow ourselves to grieve for those we lose and understand that guilt is a debilitating emotion which very few of us deserve to suffer. It is also a natural human reaction to such circumstances and I totally understood Wilf’s perspective.

I am glad he found peace in the end.

This story is so beautifully written. I found it completely captivating.

I am so thankful I met Vivien at the Newcastle-under-Lyme Literary Day otherwise I may never have had the pleasure of reading this heartfelt story.

I urge you all to buy a copy of this unforgettable book…..

About the author

Vivien Jones

Vivien grew up in a small terraced house in the village of Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England with her three brothers and two sisters. She married in 1971 and has one daughter, a son-in-law and a grandson.

After leaving Summerbank Secondary Modern Girls’ School at fifteen years of age Vivien continued to study part-time and finally graduated as a mature student from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BA (Hons) degree in Professional Studies in Education. She worked for many years as a Lecturer in Medical Administration at Stoke-on-Trent College.

happy reading 🙂

 

#BookBlogger #Author #MeetUp #StokeOnTrent March 2020 :-) #Networking @StefLozBookBlog

Yesterday we enjoyed another lovely get together between writers and readers at The North Stafford Hotel in Stoke-on-Trent 🙂

Welcome to the North Stafford

Thank you so much to those who attended and made it such a fab event. I can’t believe this was our sixth meet up! A special thanks to my partner in crime, Steph.

Anyway, for those who don’t know me on Facebook, I thought I’d share some photos with you of those in attendance. Check them out, stalk them on social media and maybe buy their books (those who write them!).

It’s all about sharing the book love 🙂

Me & Steph

BloggerAuthorMeetUpMarch2020

https://steflozbookblog.wordpress.com/

 

Caroline England & Steph

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Vivien Jones & Margaret Moxom

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Hayley Bibbey & Claire Birkin

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https://www.facebook.com/Bibliophile-Book-Haven-549626585446981/

 

Me & Graeme Cumming

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Misha HerwinJ.F. Burgess (Jon) & John Pye

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John Pye & Mick Williams

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Graeme & Jill Doyle

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Kiltie Jackson, Barry Lillie, Nic Hale & Malcolm Havard

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Jan Edwards & Jon

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Roz Watkins, Caroline & Mel Sherratt

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Misha

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Anna Maria Shenton

BloggerAuthorMeetUpMarch2020 14

 

James SumnerSteve Dyster

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Alison Lingwood & Sue Eaton

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James & Sharon Sant (AKA Tilly Tennant)

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Simon Michael

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Jon & Esther Chilton

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Claire Huston & Sharon

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Kiltie, Roz, Jon & John

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James, John, Sharon, Mel & Esther

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John, Me and Misha

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I was very lucky to be gifted these beautiful paperbacks from Roz and Claire! 🙂 Thank you! I look forward to reading them both. xx

BloggerAuthorMeetUpMarch2020 27BloggerAuthorMeetUpMarch2020 28

 

A BIG thank you also to Caroline England for these beautiful flowers.

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I almost didn’t notice that we were on the events board at the hotel. I’m not sure if we have been every time, but I will make sure to check the board for our future get togethers!

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We hope you can join us for our next get together. Here’s the link to the Facebook event page…..

https://www.facebook.com/events/2701746073386880/

 

ICYMI

Our first #Stoke-on-Trent #bookblogger / #author #meetup – 12th May 2018 😊

#bookblogger / #author #meetup #stokeontrent

#author #bookblogger #meetup #StokeonTrent

#BookBlogger #Author #MeetUp 01/06/19 @StefLozBookBlog

#BookBlogger #Author #MeetUp 05/10/19 #NorthStaffordHotel #StokeOnTrent @StefLozBookBlog

happy reading 🙂

 

 

#FlashbackFriday March 2020 with @helenefermont @HaylenBeck @Julia_Barrett_ & @Caroline_writes #BookReviews

Flashback Friday

Hi and welcome to my Flashback Friday feature! 🙂

On the first Friday of each month I like to have a little look back at what I was reading during the same month in previous years, since starting my blog.

Feel free to join in! 

Here are my reviews from March 2019 (including a link to previous FBFs)…..

Who's Sorry Now

Who’s Sorry Now by Helene Fermont @helenefermont #ShortStories #Review @BOTBSPublicity

 

Here And Gone

Here And Gone by Haylen Beck @HaylenBeck #BookReview

 

My Sister Is Missing cover

My Sister Is Missing by Julia Barrett @Julia_Barrett_ #BlogTour #BookReview @RedDoorBooks

 

The Secret Child cover

The Secret Child (A DI Amy Winter Thriller Book 2) by Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_writes #BlogTour #BookReview #ThomasAndMercer

ICYMI

#FlashbackFriday March 2019 with @Caroline_writes & @RachelAmphlett #BookReviews

What were you reading this time last year?

A Cake For The Gestapo by Jacqueline King @zuntold #PublicationDay #BookReview

A Cake for the Gestapo cover

I couldn’t resist reading an advanced copy of A Cake for the Gestapo when I was contacted about reviewing and I found it completely captivating!

Set in Jersey during 1940 this story certainly opened my eyes to just how difficult a time it was for those living there during the second world war. I knew very little about this before. I can’t imagine being so isolated and cut off from the rest of the world without hearing from loved ones for weeks and months at a time and not really knowing exactly what was happening in the world around me. It must have been terrifying.

This story focuses mostly on the impact the war had on the children of the island. There are some amazingly resilient children in this book, all getting on the best way they know how. Reading about the war from the innocent perspectives of these characters makes this a difficult read at times. I couldn’t see the words I was reading at one point for the tears in my eyes. The loss of someone due to a lack of basic healthcare and medicine is just heart-breaking.

Naturally there is some humour in this story, as the main characters are children, but more than anything there is such a massive sense of community reflected in these pages. This was an island of residents who stuck together, through thick and thin. None of them had much for themselves, but whatever they did have they shared wherever needed. Truly inspirational!

A beautifully written, compelling read which I will be more than happy to recommend to all.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Emily Walton for my ARC.

Buy your copy here…..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cake-Gestapo-Jacqueline-King/dp/1916204201/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LN889ZFO0IWU&keywords=a+cake+for+the+gestapo&qid=1580297106&sprefix=a+cake+for+%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-1

About the Author

Jacqueline King is a Channel Islander living in Somerset, who has written about everything and everyone ever since she could first grasp a pencil. She cut her teaching teeth alongside Robert Westall in her first post in a Cheshire school and has spent half a lifetime telling stories to primary pupils in remote village schools across the UK. These days, Jacqueline leads creative writing in Forest Schools, sculpts in bronze and stone and continues to be bewitched by islands and the sea. Jacqueline has published articles in the TES & the Countryman, comic verses in MacMillan anthologies and won many prizes and commendations for her writing.

 

Liar Liar (DS Grace Allendale, Book 3) by Mel Sherratt @writermels @AvonBooksUK #BlogTour #BookReview

Welcome to my stop on Mel Sherratt’s Liar Liar blog tour! I am absolutely OVER THE MOON to be sharing my thoughts about this awesome book with you all today! 🙂

Liar Liar cover

WOW! I know I’m in for a treat when there is a new Mel Sherratt book to read and this one blew me away, once again! I honestly don’t know how Mel Sherratt does it.

Liar Liar is the third book in the DS Grace Allendale series and, I think, could be easily enjoyed as a standalone, but I would highly recommend you read books one and two also, if you haven’t already, if for no other reason than you are really missing out if you don’t.

This story is quite terrifying and heart-wrenching. Grace and her team are faced with a new investigation when two-year-old Tyler is injured having fallen from the balcony outside the flat where he lives with his parents, Ruby and Luke, and older sister, Lily. I can’t even begin to imagine the trauma Ruby and Luke endure after such a horrific accident. Was it an accident though? It soon becomes clear that there is more to this ‘accident’ than meets the eye and Grace suspects that the parents know more than they are letting on, but why would they lie about such a thing? Without evidence or witnesses willing to talk there isn’t much to go on and Grace faces a frustrating battle to get to the truth before anyone else gets hurt.

This is a police procedural crime thriller but, as always with Mel Sherratt, the characters are the heart of the story. I am always fascinated by them and captivated by their stories. Ruby particularly broke my heart, bless her. How someone so young, who has been through so much, still manages to attempt a ‘normal’ life with her partner and two young children is beyond me. Keeping her secrets close to her chest in the hope of keeping them all safe from her past but knowing it will catch up with them eventually must be absolutely terrifying. Stories like these make me so thankful for our relatively simple, quiet life. I know this is fiction, but I know people live like this in the real world and I can’t think of anything worse than living every day is such debilitating fear.

There are some seriously evil characters in this story, who really made me feel sick to my stomach. Why some people relish in another person’s misery and fear is truly horrifying, but still these people are very real and believable. There is real evil in this world.

Liar Liar is undoubtedly a five-star read, in my opinion. The suspense and intrigue kept me gripped to the very last page and although my heart broke for Ruby, I was glad there is some closure in the end. This is a case I am unlikely to forget for a long time to come and I’m sure DS Grace Allendale would say the same.

This series keeps going from strength to strength and I can’t wait for book four. Grace is easily one of my favourite detectives.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC via Netgalley. I had pre-ordered the kindle version also and will be purchasing a paperback copy for my bookshelf, which I hope Mel Sherratt might sign for me, sometime soon! 😊

Out now!

‘An absolute masterpiece’ ANGELA MARSONS

The gripping new novel from million-copy bestseller, Mel Sherratt.

‘I love all Mel Sherratt’s books’ IAN RANKIN

‘Twists and turns and delivers a satisfying shot of tension’ RACHEL ABBOTT

The truth can be a dangerous thing…

When a young boy falls from a balcony in a block of flats, DS Grace Allendale witnesses the shocking aftermath of the tragic event. But strangely, no one will admit to seeing anything – and the parents will only tell the police that it was an accident.

Determined to sort the truth from the lies, Grace is thrown into a case that takes her to the darkest corners of the criminal world – and strikes closer to home than she could have ever imagined…

A gripping and pacey thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the moment you turn the first page. The perfect read for fans of Martina Cole.

About the author

Mel Sherratt

My novels take you to the heart of the crime. I write police procedurals, psychological suspense and crime dramas – fiction with a punch. Shortlisted for the prestigious CWA (Crime Writer’s Association) Dagger in Library Award, my inspiration comes from authors such as Martina Cole, Lynda la Plante, Mandasue Heller and Elizabeth Haynes.

Since 2012, I’ve sold 1.5 million books. All eleven of my crime novels have been bestsellers, each one climbing into the Kindle UK top 10 and I’ve had several number ones. I’ve also had numerous Kindle All-star awards, for best read author and best titles.

My latest series features DS Grace Allendale, HUSH HUSH being the first one and TICK TOCK the second.

SHE DID IT is a standalone psychological thriller, and my first novel set in London. I wanted to write about a character who was nice to everyone using one persona but out for revenge with another side to her that she tries to keep hidden away. The reader knows exactly what she is up to – but not the reason why.

TAUNTING THE DEAD is my best selling book to date. It’s part police procedural/part psychological thriller. It was standalone for two years but I have now written two more books with Detective Sergeant Allie Shenton as the main character to create a trilogy. FOLLOW THE LEADER is book two and ONLY THE BRAVE is book three.

THE ESTATE SERIES is a mix of psychological suspense and family life with a sprinkling of grit and a dash of menace – where drama meets crime. There are four books, available individually or the first three as a box set.

DETECTIVE EDEN BERRISFORD works in a community intelligence team and helps to gather information and intel for investigations. THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR is the first book, followed by DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU.

WATCHING OVER YOU is another standalone psychological thriller. It’s dark in places, light in places, disturbing in places too – where obsession and friendship turn into murder.

I live in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with my husband and terrier, Dexter (named after the TV serial killer) and make liberal use of my hometown as a backdrop for some of my books. You can find out more at my website http://www.melsherratt.co.uk or I’m on Twitter at @writermels

***Not tried The Estate Series yet? For a limited time, you can grab a copy of the ‘behind the scenes look’ at the series, Secrets on The Estate. Just copy and paste this link into your browser for your free book: http://bit.ly/1fFPgmD ***

ICYMI

#HushHush by Mel Sherratt @writermels @AvonBooksUK #BlogTour #BookReview

#TickTock (DS Grace Allendale Series Book 2) by Mel Sherratt @writermels @AvonBooksUK #BlogTour #BookReview

#Interview with #author Mel Sherratt @writermels #LiarLiar #DSGraceAllendale @AvonBooksUK

Follow, like and share the book love with these awesome book bloggers…..

Liar-Liar-blog-tour-banner---Part-Two

happy reading 🙂

Belvedere Crescent by Misha Herwin @MishaHerwin #BookReview

Happy Publication Day, Misha! 🙂

Belvedere Crescent front

Belvedere Crescent is quite different to anything I have ever read before. I was intrigued from the very beginning and found myself completely captivated until the very end. This is a chilling, but heart-wrenching tale full of suspense.

Misha M Herwin is such a talented writer. I have loved everything I’ve read of hers so far and Belvedere Crescent was no exception.

When we meet twins Thea and Sadie, they have returned to their childhood home to be with their Great-Aunt Jane during her final earthly hours. Great-Aunt Jane brought them up from babies and gave them a home in Belvedere Crescent, but she wasn’t the most loving of guardians and was never very open about how she came to adopt them. Thea and Sadie always had each other though. Their bond is unbreakable, and they may look alike but they are as different as chalk and cheese.

When they inherit the house, their plan is to sell it and move on with their adult lives. Thea is engaged to be married and Sadie is pursuing her acting career. However, there is much more heartache to come.

What follows is a story full of sadness, grief and seemingly unexplained occurrences. My heart went out to Thea and I really feared for her on many occasions. What she experiences must be terrifying and so confusing. I was praying she would find the answers she is looking for and ultimately be able to live a peaceful life.

Belvedere Crescent is a unique, beautifully and intelligently written supernatural story about love, loss and family secrets.

I will happily recommend to all.

Many thanks to Misha Herwin for my ARC.

Belvedere Crescent back

Out now!

happy reading 🙂

 

Death Stalks Kettle Street by John Bowen #BookReview

Death Stalks Kettle Street

My paperback copy of Death Stalks Kettle Street has been, unread, on my bookshelf for far too long. I finished it this afternoon and it has been well worth the wait!

Greg lives on Kettle Street. He lives alone battling with OCD. He is a fascinating and likeable character, misunderstood by his family. As well as having his OCD to deal with he is still grieving the sudden and devastating death of his mother. Worryingly, I related to him in some ways, particularly his obsession with his front door not being closed correctly. I check mine more than once, especially if I have to leave my dog in the house. Sometimes I will convince myself I have left it wide open and envisage my Bella wandering off and being pinched (she’s a very cute Shih Tzu) or run over. I have had my Mum running up the street to check before now even though I know I’m unlikely to have left the door open. It’s totally irrational, but that feeling of panic is difficult to ignore. It’s awful really.

Anyway, Greg starts to get weird phone calls and random packages, hand delivered, through his letterbox which he doesn’t think much of until his neighbours start dying in seemingly random, tragic accidents. It seems the killer is leaving him clues, but why? To give him the chance to save his neighbours’ lives or to frame him for the murders?

I thought this was a very cleverly written murder mystery which grabbed my attention immediately and kept it until the very last page. It made me pretty much suspect everyone along the way. I only twigged who it might be right before the book revealed the identity of the killer. I had no clue where it might be heading until then. I was shocked and saddened by the truth.

I love that within this story we have the start of a blossoming romance and I also enjoyed the inclusion of the fiction writing workshop at the library, led by a previously best-selling author who wrote his first best seller in the flat Greg now lives in on Kettle Street. Small world!

I felt sad for Greg’s brother who seems to want to help Greg, without really understanding him, and keep the peace between him and their stepfather. Their strained relationship is very believable.

Greg’s therapist is an interesting character also.

Overall, I loved the suspense of this story and I think the characters really bring it to life. The ending put a smile on my face.

I thoroughly enjoyed Death Stalks Kettle Street and I’m more than happy to recommend to you all.

About the author

John Bowen is a multi genre thriller author who lives in the UK. When not playing video-games, reading, catching up on movies, going to the gym, and enjoying time with his wife and children he occasionally finds time to write…

His debut novel supernatural suspense thriller WHERE THE DEAD WALK is an Amazon Top #100 Bestseller, his action adventure thriller VESSEL is an Amazon Top #30 Bestseller, his murder mystery, DEATH STALKS KETTLE STREET is an Amazon Top #5 Bestseller, and his free short story collection COLD SWEATS & VIGNETTES is a Top #100 Kindle Store Free Chart Bestseller.

His most recent novel, CROWS COTTAGE, the sequel to WHERE THE DEAD WALK was released March 29th 2019.

You’re welcome to visit his site and sign up for news, promotional discounts and giveaways – and find out how to pick up a FREE book at:

https://johnbowenauthor.wordpress.com

or contact him directly at:
johnybwrites@gmail.com

or visit him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JohnBowenWrites


happy reading 🙂


The House in the Woods (Atticus Priest Book 1) by Mark Dawson @pbackwriter #BookReview

The House in the Woods

The House in the Woods is book one in the new Atticus Priest series. Atticus is an ex-police officer turned private detective who seems to have quite the reputation and evidently knows how to get things done. He is very likeable character. I think I might have a little bit of a crush on him, but don’t tell my husband! 😉

LOVE his dog also. He might just be my second favourite character.

I have absolutely loved this book. It is the first I’ve read by Mark Dawson, but it most certainly will not be my last!

This story begins with the shooting of a husband, wife, son and daughter in their large, remote home, on Christmas Eve. DCI Mackenzie Jones (Mack) and her team are called away from their families to the devastating crime scene. The evidence points to the dead son, at first, as he seems to have shot his family before turning the gun on himself, but before long suspicion falls on the surviving son who reported the crime. In his 999 call he claims to be able to see his father on the floor but is unable to access the house. With his whole family gone though, he would become a very wealthy man. Did he stage the murder/suicide in the hope of inheriting it all?

Mack thinks so and needs to prove it. Atticus is hired by the defendant’s wife to prove otherwise as she is convinced of his innocence.

We soon learn that there is history between Mack and Atticus. This adds even more tension to the investigation, especially as Mack is supposed to be staying away from Atticus for the sake of her marriage (and the fact that Atticus is being paid to prove her case is flawed). I enjoyed this aspect of the story and the insight into the personal lives of these professionals. I always think this makes the characters more real and believable. I found them both, and their relationship, quite fascinating.

This book is a murder mystery/police procedural/court drama which ticks all the boxes for me. An excellent plot, full of suspense and intriguing characters. And OH MY, that ending!! I hope I don’t have to wait too long for book two!

My gratitude to Mark Dawson for the pleasure of being able to enjoy an advance copy of this brilliant read. I highly recommend it to you all and I’ll look forward to catching up with Atticus Priest, hopefully, soon.

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About the author

Mark Dawson has worked as a lawyer and in the London film industry. His first books, The Art of Falling Apart and Subpoena Colada, have been published in multiple languages. He is currently writing three series. The John Milton series features a disgruntled assassin who aims to help people make amends for the things that he has done. The Beatrix Rose series features the headlong fight for justice of a wronged mother–who happens to be an assassin–against the six names on her Kill List. Soho Noir is set in the West End of London between 1940 and 1970. The first book in the series, The Black Mile, deals with the (real-life but little-known) serial killer who operated in the area during the Blitz. The Imposter traces the journey of a criminal family through the period; it has been compared to The Sopranos in austerity London. Mark lives in Wiltshire with his family.

Mark Dawson’s Amazon Author Page

happy reading 🙂