BLOG TOUR: Peter Miles Has To Die - Katie Collom

“What happens when three women decide to avenge the murder of their best friend? In her riveting debut, Katie Collum explores what we owe the ones we love, and how ordinary life can change in an instant. I couldn’t put this thriller down.”—Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters

Peter Miles has to die. And Dylan Darcy, Priya Shah, and Isabel Guerrero—a bartender, a nurse, and a student—have to be the ones to kill him. As they see it, this local cop deserves death for murdering their best friend and getting away with it. All they need to do to pull off the perfect crime is stick to their carefully prepared plan.

So that’s exactly what they do. Murder, it turns out, is surprisingly easy when you’re fueled by revenge. What comes after is the hard part.

As the dry Texas heat gives way to cooler weather, their blazing rage is replaced by a chill fear. Because there’s a fallout that comes from settling the score against someone like Peter, and it could cost them more than they’ve bargained for. When the lead investigator on the case starts sniffing around for a cop killer, the three friends are not feeling as confident as they did on that fateful night. And when they start receiving death threats, it weakens their resolve even further . . . but it’s too little too late.

What they don’t realize is that this detective has her own reasons for wanting to get to the bottom of Peter’s murder. Reasons that don’t involve them at all. The investigation ramps up, and so does the pressure, leaving Dylan, Priya, and Isabel to wonder if ending his life may end up costing them theirs.

As the guilt of what they’ve done settles in their bones, they realize there’s no going back. Someone is going to have to take the fall.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  I raced through this book and read it in two sittings as I simply couldn't put it down.  It's a page-turning thriller without a whodunnit as we know why Peter Miles has to die and we also know who killed him but what we don't know is who is in prison for his murder.

The story is told from various points of views over different timelines but it never gets confusing and it's very easy to follow.  Dylan, Priya and Isabel plan the murder of Peter Miles, who got away with murdering their friend Beck.  Peter Miles got away with it because he's a cop and cops stick together, even when one of them is rotten.

Bree is the detective who is investigating Peter's murder and it's not a straightforward case as there are so many people who would have wanted to kill him.  It obviously looks like Beck's three friends avenged her death but there is no evidence and that's when the intimidation tactics begin as some cops take the law into their own hands.  Bree's case just got a lot more complicated as the spotlight turns on her colleagues.

I couldn't read this book fast enough and although I wanted them all to get away with murder, I knew that one of them went to prison for it.  The abuse of power is infuriating as the cops think they can do what they want to the suspects (who are innocent until proven guilty) and unfortunately, this does sometimes happen in real life.

Blisteringly fast-paced and impossible to put down, Peter Miles Has To Die is an outstanding debut novel (I actually had to double check that this was Katie Collom's debut).  Take note, thriller fans: Katie Collom is definitely one to watch and I am excited to see what she writes next.

 

I received a gifted hardback for The Love Books Tours blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Aspasia - Florence Wetzel

“In an idyllic Cretan village, a darkness lurks. A brilliantly unsettling yet compelling read.” C. Fitton, author of Her Dead Boyfriend

A peaceful mountain village in 1990s Crete. Katerina is an American woman who lives a tranquil life with her husband Dimitris and their daughter Aspasia. But when Dimitris leaves to work on a cargo ship, a terrible secret shatters Katerina’s world. Suddenly, life in the village turns claustrophobic, threatening both Aspasia’s safety and Katerina’s sanity.

Drawing inspiration from Sophocles' timeless play Antigone, Aspasia is a gripping tale of two shocking crimes. The novel delves into the depths of a mother's love and the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to safeguard her child.

 

What did I think?

I almost didn't read Aspasia as I'm not familiar with Sophocles' play Antigone but you don't need to know anything about Antigone to read Aspasia as I think it's brilliant.  

There are some difficult subjects broached in Aspasia and, although difficult to read, they are very sensitively and respectfully portrayed.  These disturbing events lead to a mother plotting revenge to ensure the safety of her daughter. 

My heart went out to Katerina as she is left to deal with things on her own while her husband is working away.  The village is a close-knit community and Katerina will always be an outsider so she has to be very cunning when planning her vengeance.  There are some surprisingly humorous scenes that perfectly balance the serious nature of the story.

The characters are so well developed that I could visualise them in my head and I could even imagine the picturesque village in Crete.  For such a short book (221 pages), it just shows the quality of Florence Wetzel's writing to be able to describe such vivid scenes with her carefully selected and beautifully crafted words. 

Dark and disturbing but so beautifully written, Aspasia is a hidden gem of a thriller and I would highly recommend that you discover it for yourself.

I received a gifted paperback to take part in The Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: No One Keeps a Secret - Denise Brown

In a town full of whispers, silence speaks volumes…

When three teenagers track down a missing chihuahua to an abandoned theme park, they discover a corpse strangled by his own camera strap and find themselves caught up in a murder investigation. The victim was supposed to be 400 miles away in London. He'd promised a lot of people a lot of money. And every single one of them has an alibi. Haigh, Cherry, and Sunrise soon discover that their rural village isn't quite as dull and predictable as they thought it was.

 

What did I think?

Well this was a surprisingly fast-paced read; I read it cover to cover in a couple of hours as I couldn't put it down.

The story is told from alternating points of view of 16 year old Haigh and his friend Cherry.  I loved both main characters: Haigh is neurodivergent, always hungry and a little accident prone and Cherry is biracial, fiercely loyal and missing her late mum every day.  There's a non-human character who almost steals the show: Wolfie the chihuahua who treats people like Marmite - he either loves them or hates them.

When Wolfie goes missing, Haigh and Cherry promise his owner that they will find him.  Wolfie is found terrorising a sheepdog who belongs to Sunrise's gran.  Sunrise (such a great name) is staying with her gran for the summer and she quickly becomes friends with Haigh and Cherry when Wolfie runs off and discovers a dead body at the old theme park.

I loved the friendship that forms between the trio as Haigh and Cherry welcome Sunrise into their select little group.  They have something to keep them occupied over the summer when they decide to investigate the murder themselves.  I couldn't read fast enough as the investigation progresses and I really didn't guess the outcome at all.

Fast-paced, addictive and intriguing, No One Keeps a Secret is a superb YA thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  It's so vividly written that my eyes were on stalks near the end and I can totally see it being made into a film.  It's well worth a read, even if you don't usually read YA books.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Ever After - Amanda Prowse

From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner and Swimming to Lundy, comes a hopeful and inspiring story about the possibilities that await when you dare to start again.

If you’re given another chance at love, shouldn’t you take it?

Enya’s life has become small. Her husband’s death has left her bereft, and though she’s only in her early fifties, she’s happiest looking after her son, Aiden, his childhood sweetheart, Holly, and her beloved cat, Pickle.

So the spark she feels for the stranger who bumps into her car in the airport car park is a complete shock. But Enya can’t stop thinking about him.

Then, when Aiden makes a life-changing decision, Enya suddenly finds her close-knit community thrown into chaos. Her best friend, Jenny, isn’t speaking to her, Aiden’s future hangs in the balance, Holly is devastated, and the stranger from the car park is suddenly in her life.

Torn between family, love and loyalty, Enya faces a dilemma: stay safely where she is, or take a leap into the unknown? Because maybe her happily-ever-after could have one more chapter yet…

 

What did I think?

Amanda Prowse writes with so much heart that her books always move me to tears...every single time!  Ever After is no exception and I have to say I was reaching for the tissues when I read the dedication!  I finished the book with a little tear in my eye...oh ok I'll admit it, it was a veritable torrent of tears but I absolutely loved it.

Family and friendship is at the heart of the book and even though Enya is grieving the loss of her husband she is surrounded my friends and family who love her, until her son Aiden makes a decision that makes everyone pick a side.  My heart went out to Enya when people seemed to be taking out their anger and disappointment on her.  Enya had nothing to do with Aiden's decision, but she is the nearest one available to blame.

With her life in disarray, Enya has a little bit of enjoyment left in the form of an unexpected flirtation with the man who crashed into her car.  Of course, he's not being completely honest with her and there are more complications that may prove insurmountable.

There is so much warmth and heart in the book that made me really start to care about the characters and it was lovely to see them evolve and grow as each page was turned.  I didn't realise how much I cared about them until near the end when my emotions threatened to spill over (and ultimately did end up spilling over).  It's just a lovely yet realistic story and it makes a refreshing change to have a main character in her fifties.

Heartwarming, emotional and uplifting, Ever After is a fabulous book that really pulled at my heartstrings as I lived the ups and downs of life with Enya and her family.  Amanda Prowse is such a wonderful writer and Ever After is a wonderful book.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback to take part in the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp - Krystal Evans

When Krystal Evans was 14, the house that she shared with her mother and little sister burned down. Narrowly escaping by breaking a window and jumping out head-first Krystal suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and the unimaginable tragedy of losing her sister. That Evans has written such a warm and disarmingly funny memoir about what led the family to that fatal night, and how they coped with its aftermath, is nothing less than astonishing.

This is a spellbinding story of growing up poor in America, living with a mentally ill mother, and having a wolf for a pet (really). From the indignities of being rejected from a summer camp for burn victims, to putting up with a succession of her mom's increasingly shady friends and partners, Krystal and Katie's childhoods were marked by adult chaos, inappropriate behaviour, and never knowing what the next day would bring.

But, writing with joy, skill and candour, we witness Krystal growing as a person from the ashes of disaster into the confident, funny, and (reasonably) well-hinged adult, mother and comedian that she is today.

At the same time, funny, tragic and inspiring, it is the story of a family dangerously close to the edge, and of a girl struggling to make her way into adulthood, once the smoke clears.

 

What did I think?

Krystal Evans is a stand-up comedian so it's comforting to know that it all turns out ok in the end for her as her memoir is completely heart wrenching.  I wanted to reach into the book and give young Krystal a big hug as her family suffered such a devastating tragedy.

When I was reading this true story, I really wished it had been fiction as it broke my heart when Krystal lost her little sister Katie in the fire that destroyed their home.  It must have been very cathartic for Krystal to write this book and I was in tears at the end as her story really got to me.  It will be heartening for Krystal to know that Katie's memory will live on in the hearts of every reader who picks up this book.

It's often difficult to read Krystal's story but she makes it as lighthearted as she possibly can with a sprinkling of humour here and there.  It's not a funny story by any means but it is written in such an entertaining way that it is very easy to read.

Heartbreaking and inspirational, The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp is an emotional and powerful true story that will stay with me long after I turned the final page. 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge - Rachel Hore

Uncovering secrets that span generations, Rachel Hore delivers intriguing, involving and emotive narrative reading group fiction like few other writers can.

Nancy Foster has harboured a devastating secret that shattered her professional and personal life.  On meeting her, journalist Stef Lansdown realizes that she has the power to restore Nancy’s reputation and to heal the wounds, if only Nancy will trust her. But someone else wants to get to the bottom of the story first, someone who doesn’t want it to be told. 

Set in the beautiful environs of the Norfolk Broads in 2010, and in London in the '40s and ‘50s, when life for career-driven women was so different, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is Sunday Times multi-million copy bestselling author Rachel Hore’s utterly compelling new novel, interweaving the past and the present. 

 

What did I think?

This is the first book by Rachel Hore that I have read and I absolutely loved it so I'm already looking to add more of her books to my TBR.  The writing is exquisite and it completely captivated me from start to finish.

The story revolves around two women: Nancy and Steph.  Steph is writing a book and wants to tell Nancy's story but Nancy and her family are suspicious of Steph's intentions.  There is no hidden agenda to Steph; she simply wants to tell Nancy's story and Nancy soon begins to trust Steph and open up to her.

I loved the Norfolk community spirit that weaves its way through the story; although they aren't quite so welcoming to Steph at first, but then she is a journalist.  There are a lot of intriguing elements to the plot, both past and present, and I couldn't tear my eyes from the page.  

I was halfway through when I felt that it had a distinct ring of truth about it so I wasn't surprised to learn that the author was inspired by a story from her own family.  It's just so infuriating to read how women were treated in the not so distant past.  I mean things just as simple as referring to a woman who has earned the title of 'Doctor' as 'Miss' - it's so patronising and misogynistic.  Nancy definitely needed one of those mugs with "It's Dr, actually" printed on it!

So beautifully written, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is a powerful, thought-provoking and completely mesmerising novel.  I adored it and would highly recommend it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Voodoo Series - J.L. Hancock

Voodoo, a gifted military technician, struggles with harrowing memories of war and the emptiness that comes with loss. To cope, he’s thrown himself into his work for a secretive military research organization, purposefully leaving little time for anything else. Until one night, a familiar voice from Voodoo’s past interrupts his recurring nightmares with a cryptic prophecy.

At the same time, across the ocean in Japan, two world-renowned scientists go missing along with the secrets behind a powerful form of artificial intelligence called the “God Algorithm.”

To Voodoo’s surprise, he soon finds himself on the front lines of an A.I. arms race with the future of freedom at stake. Will Voodoo find the scientists in time? Or will the “God Algorithm,” a piece of code so terrifying it has the potential to shift global power, fall into the wrong hands. Find out in this mind-bending, relentlessly paced techno thriller sure to please fans of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and Jack Carr’s James Reece.

What did I think?

I really enjoyed The Hawk Enigma.  It's not one of my usual genres so it took me a little while to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down. 

As it's a technothriller with a military slant, there are a lot of acronyms in the book but they are explained straight away so you don't even have to look them up yourself.   I even learned the meaning of some common acronyms that I had heard before but had never really thought about what the letters actually stand for (such as RHIB - rigid-hulled inflatable boat).

There are some very intriguing flashbacks in the book and I loved the way it all came together with a number of shocks and surprises along the way.  The action never stops and the characters are brought to life via J.L. Hancock's wonderfully vivid and descriptive prose.  I really enjoyed the banter between the characters and the humorous way they referred to certain situations and items.

Grisly, evocative and action-packed, if The Hawk Enigma isn't made into a film it will be an absolute travesty.  It's a very well-written and accomplished debut novel and I would highly recommend giving it a read.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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An escaped prisoner. A lab hidden in western China develops an AI weapon. A Russian special operator investigates a heinous crime scene.

In the stunning sequel to The Hawk Enigma, Voodoo and his team of special operators are thrust back into the heart of a global conflict. The stakes have never been higher as China’s Belt and Road Initiative pushes into Central Asia, exposing dark ambitions and a secret lab advancing AI warfare.

Set against the vast steppes of Kazakhstan, this story unfolds in the shadow of the former Soviet Union. Tensions rise as Voodoo’s team embarks on a covert mission. New team members add to the friction as more troubles from Voodoo’s past return to the present.

They soon find themselves on the brink of a perilous future the Western world is unwilling to face: a world where AI reigns supreme, and there's no turning back. Fans of Jack Ryan, Tom Clancy, and Clive Cussler will snatch this thriller and refuse to let go.

Will Voodoo’s team succeed? Or has his luck finally run out?

 

What did I think?

Voodoo is back!  Having read The Hawk Enigma, I raced straight onto the sequel, The Spear and the Sentinel.  Whilst I have read the books in order, you could pick up The Spear and the Sentinel as a standalone as the author includes a quick recap of The Hawk Enigma for anyone who hasn't read it.

The reader is plunged straight into the action and the pacing never lets up as the story progresses at an impressive rate of knots.  There are a lot of close shaves that had me holding my breath in anticipation as I have really come to care about Voodoo and his team.

Some of the technology went way over my head but I still enjoyed the book and I really appreciated the way the author explained the myriad acronyms so quickly after they were mentioned.  

The Spear and the Sentinel is a cracking sequel that is filled with tension, suspense and action.  A highly recommended read that is unmissable if you love a military thriller and/or technothriller.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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