BOOK TOUR: Crone - Keith Rosson

 

A haunting, fearsome story of a father searching for his missing daughter and finding darkness—both human and not—at every turn, from the author of the “exciting, suspenseful, horrifying” (Stephen King) Fever House. 

Eli Lamp is a broken man. An ex-detective, ex-addict, and long-grieving father whose daughter, Hannah, disappeared a decade before, Eli decimated his old life investigating her abduction and is now indebted to the Crooked Wheel, a local drug gang, as an enforcer. 

But when the son of the Crooked Wheel’s boss is viciously murdered, Eli is met with a simple demand: Find out who killed him and your debt to the Wheel is clear forever. You’re free. This pursuit brings him into the orbit of Avery Bryant, Hannah’s best friend and the last person to see her before she went missing. Soon, Eli and Avery are entwined in a hunt for answers that spans decades and brings churning to the surface a conspiracy linking not only these current tragedies, but the buried sorrows of Eli’s past. 

And though none of them dare say the word "witch," at least not out loud, something lurks in the woods, bent-backed and black-eyed, clawed and vengeful, looming ever closer. . . .

What did I think?

Crone is my first Keith Rosson book and it certainly won't be my last; it's absolutely fantastic!  It's a horror but it's also a crime thriller with a missing girl mystery at its heart.

Nobody knows what happened to Hannah Lamp after she got into a van and left her friend Avery out in the rain.  Avery has to live with the guilt and Hannah's ex-detective father Eli is haunted by the one case he couldn't solve.  I can understand why Eli turned to drugs as his life has crumbled to dust around him, first losing his wife in childbirth and then losing his only daughter, closely followed by his job.

With motorbike gangs and creepy creatures it's like a cross between Sons of Anarchy and Supernatural.  It's certainly dark and there's a bit of gore but it's not gorey for the sake of it; I did get a bit stomach clenchy at times but I loved it and there was no way I was tearing my eyes away from the page for a single second.

Crone is a book that is impossible to put down once you pick it up.  I was hooked from the very first page and raced through it in order to find out what happened to Hannah.  It was worse than I imagined though and I was both devastated and furious.

This is one OUTSTANDING book; it's dark, gritty and filled with fury.  I absolutely loved it and really can't recommend it highly enough.  This isn't just horror, this is Black Crow horror and it is simply magnificent.

I received a gifted hardback proof to read and review for the UK Book Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Black Crow Books

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BLOG TOUR: Dead Man's Run (Ash Carter Near East Crime-Thriller Book 5) - Murray Bailey

The war may have ended, but the cover-ups never did.

Israel 1950. SIB Captain Ash Carter is called into the British 'embassy' to report on the death-in-service of a consular officer. Despite assurances that there is nothing suspicious, Carter begins a challenging investigation - one that the authorities disprove of. And the deeper he digs, the more complex it appears.

Meeting an Israeli private detective, investigating a linked crime, Carter forms an uneasy alliance. Together, they uncover something too shocking to be believed without hard proof. With the highest of political stakes, distrust at every turn, deceit, kidnapping and murder, Carter must find a balance between the law, justice and revenge.

Dead Man's Run is the fifth historical crime novel in the Ash Carter Near East series but can be read as a stand-alone

 

What did I think?

Dead Man's Run is book five in the Ash Carter Near East Crime Thriller series and, although I've read a number of books starring Ash Carter, this is the first one I have read in this particular series.  It can be read as a standalone as I enjoyed it but I do think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read the earlier books in the series first.

I think of Ash Carter as kind of a James Bond character but without the cool gadgets.  He's not afraid to get his hands dirty and is always at the heart of the action.  There's certainly a lot of action packed into the book as Ash investigates an apparent suicide that takes him in a very dark and dangerous direction.  I didn't know who he could trust and even those who Ash has trusted in the past appear to have deceived him.

It's very atmospheric as it's set in 1950 and I loved the Israeli setting.  It did take me a while to get into the story but the pacing certainly ramps up in the second half of the book along with the danger levels.  I even learnt something I didn't know about post-war escape routes and I have been fascinated by my further reading about this.

Intriguing, atmospheric and action-packed, Dead Man's Run is another thrilling Ash Carter novel that entertained me from the start to the end.  It's well worth a read.

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

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BLOG TOUR: Murder at the Tower (DCI Viv Lee Mystery Series Book 1) - Stacey Murray

For seven hundred years, Yeoman Warders have guarded the Tower of London, where their homes are inside the walls and where the gates are locked at night.

One of them, Tony Warboys, is on night watch duty, patrolling the ancient grounds. But he won't live to see the sun rise. When his body is found on the cobbles by the peculiar figure of the Tower Ravenmaster, the Met quickly discover that Tony had no shortage of enemies.

As they navigate the intriguing world and hierarchy of the Tower, and public fascination with the case mounts, DCI Viv Lee uncovers shocking secrets which could rock the place to its foundations.

But can she catch the killer before she kills her career?

Murder At The Tower is a classic whodunnit set in the present-day Tower of London.

 

What did I think?

WOW!  Murder at the Tower is an absolutely cracking murder mystery and there is no better location for a locked room mystery than the fortress that is the Tower of London.

You don't need to be familiar with the Tower to enjoy the story as there is a map at the front of the book and I do love a map!  I did visit the Tower about 30 years ago and of course you can see images online but Stacey Murray really brings the location to life with her wonderful descriptions. 

I don't think anyone is that bothered about the victim as Tony Warboys ruffled more than the ravens' feathers.  It literally could have been any one of his colleagues as they all had motive through their dislike of him and means, being ex-military, but who had the opportunity?  

Enter DCI Viv Lee and what a fabulous character she is.  I am so excited that this is just the first book of hopefully many starring this sharp, witty and tenacious female detective.  I simply couldn't read it fast enough and raced through it in two sittings.  I didn't have a clue 'whodunnit' and I think I had every single character under suspicion at one point or another.

Filled with mystery and suspense, Murder at the Tower is a whodunnit that Agatha Christie would have been proud of.  A high bar has been set for book two and I can't wait to see how Stacey Murray follows this magnificent book.  It's an absolutely superb murder mystery and a very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

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Hobeck Books

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream - Elizabeth Heapy

One man. Two lives. No clean escape.

A wry, haunting, mental and physical descent into a fractured heart, soul, and mind.

Presented in an unconventional tête‑bêche (head-to-tail; tail-to-head) format, The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream serves as more than just a novel; it introduces a unique reader experience: you do not simply read this book; you listen to it; you wrestle with it; you embrace it; you navigate it; physically turning the pages and then the entire volume to uncover the mirrored halves of a single, devastating truth.

Part I: The Lost Soldier

Narrated by renowned psychiatrist Dr Elizabeth Heapy, FRCPsych, this dispassionate account tracks Stephen's clinical descent. Born into the shadowed prestige of the British Special Forces, he faces a life that was expected but never arrives. The deaths of his father, mother, and best friend in quick succession anchor him in an unmanageable internal conflict. Burdened by grief, and despite mounting mental and physical challenges, Stephen becomes an unlikely, deeply unsettled vigilante. The Fatman rises.

Part II: Arnie Eats an Ice Cream

Written by Anonymous voice, the narrative pivots 180 degrees. The narrative shifts focus from the reasons behind Stephen's fall to the inevitable 'what', which represents the true purpose his life was always moving towards. Set against the volatile backdrop of 1970s-90s sectarianism, crime, and politics, Stephen's internal history propels him toward a real-world, high-profile, historical event that altered the course of history forever. The Fatman falls.

Why this book is different:

• The unique Tête‑Bêche Structure: A physical metaphor for a fractured heart and soul. The reader must flip the book itself to confront the next side of his life story
• Fractured Consciousness: Inspired by 'show your working out' in maths exams: Stylistic strike-throughs expose alternative thinking and suppressed truths Stephen cannot admit to, even to himself
• A Cinematic Experience: A curated pre-1996 soundtrack underscores mood and tension, borrowing the emotional language of film to deepen every chapter

But who is Claire? But who is Alyson?

Darkly humane and emotionally resonant, with humour and irony woven throughout, The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream examines how an ordinary life veers into extraordinary consequences. It asks not only how to read the book, but also how to judge the man at its centre and determine where his fiction ends, where his reality begins, and where it ends again.

 

What did I think?

I didn't know what a Tête‑Bêche book was before reading The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream and what an amazing experience this was.  I have to say it's a physically challenging book as it is large and heavy but well worth 'picking up', albeit in a metaphorical way rather than literal.

It is very unusual, not just the flip book style but the writing style with some words crossed out, but still visible to read, and other words redacted for security reasons.  This is Stephen Cooper's story and it's both heartbreaking and harrowing.

The Lost Soldier is the story of Stephen's life from childhood to a certain point in time that changed the course of his life.  In this part he meets Claire and it's very much a 'what might have been' had events not conspired against him. 

Arnie Eats an Ice Cream sounds like perhaps a fun story but wow it is dark.  Stephen's story interweaves with some real events that I actually found difficult to read about because it brought it all back into my mind.  Not that it's something I had forgotten, but seeing it written about from Stephen's point of view was quite upsetting, such is the power of the writing.  I don't want to say what the events were as it will spoil it for others but, as disturbing as it was, it really kept me turning the pages rapidly.

The chapters are quite long but once you get into the story, it's difficult to put down.  I felt totally invested in Stephen's life and there are many shocks and surprises along the way as his life isn't exactly smooth sailing.  The book also has a playlist with songs stated to accompany the events that have just taken place and they matched perfectly.

Perhaps one of the most unusual books I have ever read, The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream is certainly one of the most unforgettable too.  A highly recommended read.

I received a gifted hardback for the Love Books Tours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Doghouse Press

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Circle of Shadows - Marisa Linton

It's 1904, and being a detective - let alone an occult detective - is no profession for a woman. But that won't stop Evie Winstanley.

When her father, a collector of occult books, dies in strange circumstances, Evie is determined to investigate. Her only lead: a cryptic mention of the 'Circle of Shadows.' From a chilling séance on the lonely Yorkshire moors to the sinister, hedonistic halls of Oxford's elite, Evie hunts for answers, stalked by whispers of an ancient monster and an ever-shifting, ominous symbol.

But when a young woman's body surfaces in the Cherwell, bearing that same mark, Evie uncovers a truth far more terrifying than a single murder. Now, Evie isn't just seeking justice; she's fighting to save her sister, in a dark and twisted adventure where gilded boys unleash hell and defiant women must pick up the pieces. Nothing will stop her investigation, not outraging Edwardian notions of female propriety, and certainly not offers of romance.

Blending historical fantasy with Golden Age classic crime, Circle of Shadows is a dark and twisty adventure through an occult Edwardian England where wealthy boys toy with powers they don't understand, and a lone woman takes a stand against them. Perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes, The Frozen People and Rivers of London.

 

What did I think?

Circle of Shadows is Marisa Linton's debut adult fiction novel and it is a cracker.  I loved every single page of it and didn't want to end...it does actually end like it's the start of a series and I hope it isn't the last we've seen of Evie Winstanley.

It does have hints of Sherlock Holmes about it but with a very strong and tenacious female main character who I absolutely loved.  It's Edwardian England where women should be seen and not heard but Evie Winstanley is determined to break that mould.

Marisa Linton takes the reader on an atmospheric journey from the rugged landscape of the Yorkshire moors to the historic streets of Oxford.  The séance that Evie attends is one of the most vivid scenes I have ever read and I almost jumped out of my seat when I was reading.  I love how sceptical Evie is though and she is determined to investigate to find out the truth.

It's a fabulous mystery as well as a haunting historical fiction novel and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  I read it in two sittings and would have easily read it in one if I didn't have to sleep!

Circle of Shadows is an evocative and compelling historical mystery that surprised and delighted me.  I really enjoyed it and hope to read more of Evie's adventures in the future.

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

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Shotley Bridge Revenge (Shotley Bridge Thrillers Book 2) - Bobby Cussens

Justice is slow. Revenge won't wait.

Built on ironstone and hemmed in by the swollen Derwent River, Shotley Bridge wears calm like a disguise. When Reya's body is discovered on Front Street, DC Heather Hudson is called to investigate a case that carves up the village and puts her children in the killer's path. She isn't just hunting someone determined to settle every score. She's also the prey. Through brutal retribution beneath the relentless rain, the closer Heather gets to the truth, the harder it becomes to know who deserves justice. Or revenge.

Get ready for a gritty British crime thriller with a complex female detective fighting for respect in a male-dominated force. Set in the atmospheric North East England, this book is perfect for fans of Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves. With multiple twists and a chilling epilogue that changes everything, this is a must-read for those who crave atmospheric detective fiction.

If you enjoyed books like LJ Ross's "Holy Island," you'll love this second instalment in the Shotley Bridge Thriller Series.

SHOTLEY BRIDGE REVENGE is Book 2 in the Shotley Bridge Thriller Series—continuing with a sleuth you'll want to follow through every dark twist.

 

What did I think?

Having absolutely LOVED Shotley Bridge Murders, I couldn't wait for the series to continue and not only was I not disappointed, it has somehow got even better!  I think you could read this second book as a standalone but it is sheer perfection when read as part of the series.

The village of Shotley Bridge is once again left reeling after a murder in their midst.  There's still a killer on the loose from the first book and it certainly looks like he's struck again.  It's another case for DC Heather Hudson to solve, if only that misogynist DS Roberts would leave her alone.

Whilst the murder is the main plotline, the ongoing battle between Hudson and Roberts adds another level to the story.  To say I was furious at Roberts is an understatement, if he would only get on with his job instead of trying to get Heather sacked they might catch the killer a lot quicker.  Roberts would be a great pantomime villain and Bobby Cussens has certainly created a character that all readers will love to hate.

Talk about fast-paced!  I had to check my hands for papercuts as I was turning the pages so quickly.  I would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have to sleep and that ending...now that's what I call a doof doof moment; Eastenders has got nothing on Bobby Cussens!  I hope Bobby is a fast writer as I'm on tenterhooks for book three!

Shotley Bridge Revenge is an outstanding sequel that has really raised the crime writing bar.  I think I'm safe to say that it's lining up to be one of my favourite crime/police procedural series of all time and it's only at book two.  WOW!  Don't miss this one, crime fans!

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Reset - Kevin Charles

Tom and Elena Miller built a beautiful life over nearly three decades of marriage. But as Tom approaches his fiftieth birthday, the crushing weight of his middle-aged responsibilities and a desperate desire for freedom drive a wedge between him and the people he loves most. He doesn't just want a break; he wants a second chance at his twenties.

In a society defined by "The Reset"—a global biological miracle where anyone turning fifty wakes up in their original, twenty-five-year-old body—Tom’s desire becomes a devastating reality. He chooses to undergo his Reset and leaves his forty-eight-year-old wife behind to live in a downtown bachelor pad, assuming he can just return to her when she finally Resets eighteen months later.

But his selfish "intermission" shatters his family. While Elena struggles to rebuild her life and identity without him, his oldest son, Jack, is driven into the arms of a radicalized movement determined to end the "Immortal Class" by any means necessary.

As Tom navigates the lonely, surreal reality of his new youth, he is about to discover that reversing the clock on his body might mean permanently running out of time to save his family.

 

What did I think?

WOW!  Reset by Kevin Charles is absolutely brilliant and I simply couldn't put it down.  It's such a highly original idea and I was completely riveted from beginning to end.

Just imagine if you woke up on your 50th birthday and reverted back to your 25 year old body.  No more aches and pains, grey hairs or tiredness...just the chance to do it all over again.  Would you?  I'm not sure I would actually.  That's the question you keep asking yourself while reading Reset.

Tom is a little older than his wife Elena so he will hit his Reset first and he's made the shocking decision to move into a bachelor pad until Elena catches up with him.  Never mind the family responsibilities he has or the feelings of his children, no Tom is just thinking of himself.  I was absolutely furious with him and my heart went out to Elena who has to try to keep her family together on her own.

When I wasn't reading Reset, I was thinking of Reset and I'm still thinking about it now.  Kevin Charles adds drama and tension to an already absorbing plot by creating a movement that is opposed to the Reset.  I was on the edge of my seat as the movement grows and I was almost afraid to turn the page at certain points but at the same time I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.

With a blisteringly fast-pace and an incredibly provocative plot, Reset is one of the best debut novels I have ever read.  I had to double check that it is a debut as it's THAT GOOD!  It's an easy five stars and a hat-trick of 'un' adjectives from me: unputdownable, unmissable and unforgettable.

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Waterstones

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