BLOG TOUR: How to Get Away with Murder - Tam Barnett

A delightfully twisty and darkly comic crime thriller, for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and How to Kill Your Family

I'm obsessed with true crime. All the podcasts, the documentaries... I can't get enough.

And now there's a murderer on the loose where I live. What a rush!

Of course, some people might wonder if it's me. Am I an innocent soul with an unhealthy fascination, or a deadly psychopath?

It's the killer question. After all, I would love to know how to get away with murder…

Tam Barnett's debut novel is perfect for readers of Katy Brent, CJ Skuse or Bella Mackie.

 

What did I think?

I really enjoyed Tam Barnett's debut, How to Get Away with Murder.  The unreliable narrator makes it virtually impossible to work out what is going on so there are plenty of shocks and surprises in store for the reader.

Journalist Kelli Amari doesn't just have a fascination with true crime, she was involved in identifying and capturing a serial killer.  A killer she regularly visits in prison and as much as she is trying to see inside his mind, he is planting little seeds inside her mind.  When a new killer starts terrorising the area around Kelli's home and clues start pointing in her direction, Kelli wonders if her sleeping pills have subconsciously resulted in her trying to get away with murder.

This is a dark and twisty thriller that kept me entertained throughout.  I didn't particularly like any of the characters so I pointed my virtual finger at pretty much all of them at one point or another, however, I still didn't guess 'whodunnit'.  It's well worth a read and I'm looking forward to reading more from Tam Barnett.

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

My rating:

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/HowToGetAway

About the author:

Tam Barnett is a journalist, living in London. His debut with Boldwood is How To Get Away With Murder, a darkly comic thriller set in the Wirral.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @TamBarnettBooks

Twitter: @TamBarnettBooks

Instagram: @TamBarnettBooks

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/TamBarnettNews

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BLOG TOUR: The Less Unkind - Rosaria Giorgi

At the tender age of twenty-one, Pico’s world is one of linguistic puzzles and academic pursuits. A student at the University of Copenhagen, she is thrilled to get a summer job working for enigmatic antique dealer Antonio Bartram. When Antonio suddenly disappears leaving behind nothing but a series of cryptic messages, Pico decides to use her linguistic prowess to decode the clues – with fateful consequences.

As Pico investigates, she uncovers a labyrinthine plot that stretches back decades to the theft of a priceless Caravaggio from a church in Sicily. Caught in the crosshairs of an obsessive art collector, a police murder investigation and a Mafia-sanctioned vendetta, her quest takes her across Europe: from the shadows behind the veneer of Copenhagen’s Nordic serenity, down the sun-kissed streets of the Italian Riviera, and even along the secretive corridors of the Vatican.

As she fights to uncover the truth and witnesses the lengths one will go to protect the secrets of the past, Pico confronts the moral quandaries that emerge when the pursuit of art eclipses the bounds of right and wrong.

 

What did I think?

I don't have an interest in art so I nearly didn't pick up The Less Unkind and what a travesty that would have been as I thoroughly enjoyed it.   It's like a cross between The Sopranos and The Da Vinci Code with a Mafia boss trying to locate a stolen work of art and a student who may hold the key to its location.

The pacing is quite gentle at first as Rosaria Giorgi paints a vivid scene of Copenhagen with her beautiful words.  Pico is an Italian who is studying at the University of Copenhagen and her friend Leo recommends her for a summer job at A. Bartram Antiques.  Pico doesn't have any experience in art or antique dealing but she speaks several languages so she is a very useful assistant for Antonio Bartram.

When Antonio goes missing, Pico must use both her language and problem-solving skills to uncover Antonio's hidden past, which will give her the clues to discover his current destination.  I was completely drawn into the web of intrigue that the author had cast around me and the pacing rose to a crescendo as I raced towards the breathtaking conclusion.  

Based on a true story, Rosaria Giorgi weaves fact with fiction to create an intelligent, intriguing and multi-layered mystery in her breathtaking debut novel.  A recommended read for crime fiction fans and unmissable for anyone with a love of art.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Surprises on the Scottish Isle (Coorie Castle Crafts Book 1) - Lilac Mills

Will they get a second chance at first love?

When newly divorced Tara McTaigh spots an advert for a studio to let in Coorie Castle’s craft centre, she packs up her Edinburgh life and moves to the Isle of Skye, eager for a fresh start.

Little does she know that the castle’s estate manager, single dad Calan Fraser, is the man who broke her heart back at university. Thoroughly done with romance, Tara decides to ignore Cal and focus on building her business – creating dollhouses to commission. But Duncoorie is a small community, and the two keep bumping into each other… 

Just as she is starting to open her heart once more to Cal, a change in his life puts everything on the line. When a surprise storm threatens Tara's safety, will Cal realise in time that love is worth the risk?

An uplifting and feel-good crafty romance for fans of Holly Martin, Sue Moorcroft and Julie Shackman.

What did I think?

Oh I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual visit to the Isle of Skye in Lilac Mills' new book, Surprises on the Scottish Isle.  This heartwarming romance left a huge smile on my face and I wasn't sad to leave the characters as I had already noticed that this is the first book in a series so I'll be going back to the gorgeous Coorie Castle.

Cal broke Tara's heart when they split up; he was the love of her life so her marriage to Dougie McTaigh didn't really stand a chance.  Little does Tara know that she was also the love of Cal's life and he has never forgotten her, even naming the princess after her in his daughter's bedtime story.  So it's a surprise for both Cal and Tara when fate throws them together again in a place where they least expected to find each other.

I really felt for both characters as they attempted to find their way back to each other despite all of the hurdles that were placed in their way.  Tara doesn't want her heart broken again and Cal has made a promise to his daughter that he will never have a girlfriend but it is clear that they are both meant to be together.

Surprises on the Scottish Isle is a completely charming story with an idyllic setting and I absolutely loved it.  The dollhouses that Tara makes sounded exquisite as Lilac Mills paints such a vivid picture with her wonderful words.  I am delighted that there is another book in the series due out in the summer and I can't wait to visit Coorie Castle and the Isle of Skye again.

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

My rating:

Purchase Link - https://geni.us/SOTSI

About the author:

Lilac Mills lives on a Welsh hillside with her very patient husband and incredibly sweet dog, where she grows veggies (if the slugs don't get them), bakes (badly) and loves making things out of glitter and glue (a mess, usually).

She's been an avid reader ever since she got her hands on a copy of Noddy Goes to Toytown when she was five, and she once tried to read everything in her local library starting with A and working her way through the alphabet.

She loves long hot summer days in the garden, and cold winter ones snuggled in front of the fire, but whatever the weather she's usually writing, or thinking about writing, with heartwarming romance and happy-ever-afters always on her mind.

Social Media Links – 

Website: https://www.lilacmills.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilacMills 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilacmillsauthor 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilacmills 

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BLOG TOUR: Murder on the Menu (The Bad Girls Detective Agency book 3) - Katie Marsh

Since Amber started the Bad Girls’ Detective Agency, she’s been feeling the pressure. So – when she and her best friends win a trip to a new luxury castle retreat on a remote island – she hopes it will be a chance to relax in style.

The girls are all excited to experience world-famous chef Valerie la Fontaine’s tasting menu. 

But none of them expect there to be another dish being served that weekend: revenge. And when Valerie is found dead inside a locked room in a tower, the Bad Girls know this is a case that only they can solve…

Hilarious and gripping mystery – perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, The Traitors, and How to Kill Men and Get Away With It.

 

What did I think?

Murder on the Menu is book 3 in The Bad Girls Detective Agency series and although you can read it as a standalone I think it is better if you have read one or more of the earlier books to fully understand the characters.

It's a fun murder mystery that almost reads like a game of Cluedo based in a castle with a handful of guests and lots of rooms for a killer to hide in.  Luckily for the guests left standing after a killer strikes, Amber and the Bad Girls are on the guest list and they're straight on the case.

I enjoyed catching up with the girls again and there are some interesting developments in Amber's personal life that really warmed my heart.  There are some interesting (and some shady) characters in the story that kept the plot moving along at a good pace and I couldn't wait to discover all of their hidden secrets.

With a remote and slightly sinister setting, Murder on the Menu is a fun murder mystery that is a great book to read on a dark and chilly winter's night.   

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

My rating:

Purchase here: https://mybook.to/OnTheMenu

About the author:

Katie Marsh wrote five bestselling, uplifting women’s fiction novels before turning to cosy crime for Boldwood. Previously published by Hodder, the first in her new crime series  How Not To Murder Your Ex, following the fortunes of the Bad Girls Detective Agency, was published in December 2023.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: @KatieMarshAuthor

Twitter:@marshisms

Instagram: @KatieMarshAuthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/KatieMarshNews

Bookbub profile: ​​@KatieMarsh

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Lies We Sing to the Sea - Sarah Underwood

A fantasy romance, by dazzling new talent Sarah Underwood, inspired by Greek mythology and the tale of Penelope’s twelve hanged maids.

In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a long-forgotten island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that there’s only one way the curse can be broken. Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca . . .

In Lies We Sing to the Sea, debut author Sarah Underwood delivers a thrilling and breathtaking tale that will enthral readers from the very first page as they are transported to the cursed shores of Ithaca.

A reclamation of a story from thousands of years ago, Lies We Sing to the Sea is about love and fate, grief and sacrifice, and, ultimately, the power we must find within.

 

What did I think?

My interest has recently been piqued by Greek mythology and my eye was drawn to the beautiful cover of Lies We Sing to the Sea, which is inspired by Penelope’s 12 maids as told in The Odyssey.  

The story is told from the different perspectives of Leto, Melantho and Mathias.  I absolutely loved Melantho’s story and how she fell in love with Leto, who was one of the twelve maidens sacrificed to Poseidon by Prince Mathias of Ithaca.  The romance is LGBTQ+ but this is a YA novel so it’s not graphic at all.

Human sacrifice is quite a difficult subject to read but this tale is told sensitively and compassionately.  Most of the chapters are quite short so the story frequently changes direction and doesn’t linger on one subject for too long.

Sarah Underwood’s writing is stunning as she weaves a compelling story of love and revenge in a mythological setting.  I really enjoyed Lies We Sing to the Sea and it has inspired me to learn more about Odysseus and his wife Penelope.

My rating:

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Storyland - Amy Jeffs

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN MIST AND MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS AND DISCOVER HEROES AND MONSTERS RIGHT ON YOUR DOORSTEP . . .

You will have heard of Thor, Medusa and Hercules. But what about the myths of the British landscape? The Trojan heroes who wrestled giants. The Syrian sisters who found refuge on our lands. The dragons who slept in hollow hills. And the kings who communed with the dead . . .

In this vivid and beautifully illustrated mythology of Britain, children will discover enchanting tales of magic and adventure, giants and demons, princesses and prophecies.

Travelling across the wildest of landscapes - as far north as Orkney and south as Cornwall - young readers will build Stonehenge with the young Merlin, chase hounds up the mountains of Wales, ride stags into the forests of Scotland and sail with Trojans along the rivers of Britain, discovering a land steeped in myth, monsters and heroes.

Adapted from Amy Jeffs' bestselling Storyland, this is a definitive and dynamic children's introduction to Britain's lost myths and legends, packaged in a beautifully illustrated gift hardback.

What did I think?

Storyland may be aimed at children aged 10 to 12 years old, but I absolutely loved it and I’m in my fifties.

It’s beautifully illustrated throughout and the hardback is stunning with metallic copper accents on the dustjacket and the cover beneath.  There are 19 stories of myth and legend in the book, all in bite sized chapters for less confident readers.

I had heard of some of the characters before (like Gogmagog and Merlin) but I didn’t know the stories about them so I found Storyland to be very informative and engaging.  Amy Jeffs follows each myth or legend with a little bit of history to accompany the story and it’s very well written to inform and delight the reader.

With tales of wizards, fairies, giants, goddesses, dragons and more, there’s something for everyone in Storyland.   Magical, informative and compelling, Storyland is sure to quickly become a favourite book for children (and adults) of all ages.

I chose to order a beautiful hardback via the Amazon Vine programme and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Sluts - Beth Ashley

From award-winning journalist Beth Ashley comes a groundbreaking investigation into the history of slutshaming, how it continues to affect us today and what we can do to fight it.

Whore. Hoe. Jezebel. Harlot. Slut. Five words. One meaning.

But what exactly is a slut? How has the concept changed over time? And why is slutshaming so dangerous?

In this groundbreaking investigation, Beth Ashley reveals the truth about slutshaming, gives us the tools to fight it, and encourages us all to have better conversations about sex.

The fight starts now.

 

What did I think?

I’ve always been annoyed that sexually active people have been treated differently; females are sluts but males are just sowing their wild oats so good on Beth Ashley for changing the narrative with her powerful book.

There are nine reasonably chunky chapters in addition to an introduction and a conclusion, however, it’s so inspiring and thought-provoking when you start to read that it’s difficult to put it down. This doesn’t happen often for me with a non-fiction book but there were so many occasions when I was agreeing with the author and other occasions when I had my eyes opened to things that may have previously passed me by.

It does show the male species in a bad light but it also shows that females are just as bad at slutshaming. I could feel my anger building with each chapter and I was consumed by fury at the end as my eyes were opened to everything that is wrong with society.

I particularly enjoyed reading the history section and it’s quite staggering that the Romans labelled women one of two ways: prostitutes or married. Consider my jaw well and truly dropped. From ancient times to current day and the social media explosion, Beth Ashley has it all covered in this outstanding book.

Empowering, inspirational and enlightening, Sluts is a very important and timely book that everyone should read so we can stop the rot that infests our perceptions of other people.

I chose to order a hardback copy via the Amazon Vine programme and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon