BLOG TOUR: The Reunion - Polly Phillips

A chance to reconnect.

A chance to get revenge . . .

Emily Toller has tried to forget her time at university and the events that led to her suddenly leaving under a cloud. She has done everything she can to forget the shame and the trauma – and the people involved. She has tried to focus on the life she has built with her children and husband, Nick.

But events like that can’t just be forgotten. Not without someone answering for what they’ve done. 

When an invitation arrives to a University reunion, everything clicks into place. Emily has a plan.

Because if you can’t forget – why not get revenge?

 

What did I think?

The idea of a reunion of any kind sounds like a horror story to me but I do love a good revenge story so The Reunion by Polly Phillips appealed to me.  It's the first book by Polly Phillips that I have read and it certainly won't be my last.

It's impossible not to get hooked when you pick up this book as 'something' happened to Emily when she was a student at Cambridge University and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what.  Not only that, Emily is out to get revenge on those who wronged her and the public forum of a reunion is the perfect place.

It's difficult not to feel sorry for Emily; her life could have been so different if her time at Cambridge hadn't set her on a different path.  You could argue that things turned out well for her anyway as she's married to a successful man and she's a mother to twins, but Emily is haunted by the life she could have had.

The cliques and drunken tomfoolery at university set a backdrop for the past timeline in the novel and it's a stark reminder of the dangers of alcohol, particularly for young adults who are not used to drinking and don't know their limits.  The present is all about revenge though and Emily has designed a plan to get her own back...but even the best laid plans often go awry.

Very well written, gripping and totally addictive, The Reunion hooked me from the start and I couldn't put it down until all had been revealed.  A recommended holiday read.

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 Genesis Inquiry - Olly Jarvis

Is there one last undiscovered, great truth?

A moment zero, a place in time that links all cultures and creeds?

A revelation that will unite us all and change the way we see history forever?

Brilliant but burnt-out barrister Ella Blake accepts an apparently simple brief: investigate the mysterious disappearance of an African American polymath from his rooms at Cambridge University. The Inquiry quickly becomes the greatest challenge of her life – solving the mystery of Genesis.

Facing danger at every turn, can Ella find the answers to the riddles and clues left by the missing genius?

Reunited with her estranged daughter, the Inquiry sends them on a quest across the world and through ancient texts.

What is the secret that binds us all?

Who is behind the dark forces that will stop at nothing to prevent the world from knowing the truth?

The Genesis Inquiry is an epic and gripping thriller by the brilliant Olly Jarvis which asks a key question – what can our shared past tell us about humanity’s future?

What did I think?

I can think of any number of words to describe this book: stunning, outstanding, brilliant, breathtaking, exceptional...just think of any positive adjective and it will most certainly apply to The Genesis Inquiry.  It's a legal thriller with a difference; just imagine if John Grisham and Dan Brown collaborated on a book, it might be half as good as this one.

I was gripped from the very first page as we meet our protagonist Ella Blake in her campervan on the island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland.  What a lovely surprise this was as I love reading novels set in the North East of England, albeit briefly set there as Ella then returns to Cambridge to investigate the disappearance of academic Matthew Shepherd.  

Ella is such an intriguing character with a tragic backstory that left her estranged from her daughter Lizzie.  Lizzie is also in Cambridge so not only does Ella have a case to investigate, she also has to work at her mother/daughter relationship if she wants to rebuild bridges with Lizzie.  Although she's clearly a brilliant barrister, seeing Ella as less than perfect in her personal life really endeared her to me.  I can't wait to read more Ella Blake thrillers.

Olly Jarvis' writing is so vivid and immersive that I felt as if I was part of the story and my heart was pounding as the danger levels ramped up.  There's an element of 'who can you trust?' which had me on the edge of my seat and pretty much suspecting everyone apart from Ella as having an ulterior motive.

The plot is breathtaking, it leaves the reader with food for thought and I scampered off to google one of the real places mentioned in the book.  I had never even heard of it and you have to wonder why that is.  It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it and I'm captivated by what I have read online so far, so thank you Olly Jarvis for highlighting this fascinating place.  I'm being purposefully vague about this to ensure that I don't spoil the plot for others.

Take my word for it, The Genesis Inquiry is not to be missed; it's simply stunning!  I have found a new favourite author in Olly Jarvis and I really can't recommend The Genesis Inquiry highly enough.  An easy 5 stars awarded for this outstanding legal thriller.

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: A Public Murder - Antoinette Moses

 

'My mother was a very difficult person, Inspector, and not always a very nice one. I can think of any number of people who would want her dead.’

The shocking murder of the archaeologist, Stephanie Michaels in the new Leotakis Gallery in Cambridge is clearly going to be a troublesome high-profile investigation from the outset. But to track down the killer, DI Pam Gregory has to travel to the Greek island of Crete where she finds herself on a journey she never expected, one which will change her life for ever.

What did I think?

Antoinette Moses takes the reader (and DI Pam Gregory) on a trip to Crete in her fabulous crime fiction debut.  You don't need to pack your Factor 50 for this trip but it sure does heat up and reach fever pitch towards the end; I simply couldn't read it fast enough.

When Jen Nichols' cat and then her mother are brutally slain, it certainly tells you something about the human victim when she is more upset about her cat.  Stephanie Michaels seems to have more enemies than friends so DI Pam Gregory and her team definitely have their work cut out for them.  The manner of Stephanie's murder is hugely inventive (although pretty gory) and it's clear from the staging of the scene that this is more than a mindless murder, which means that Jen could also be in danger.

As the police would usually be present at the funeral of their victim, Pam gets permission to attend Stephanie's funeral in Crete.  It's not exactly a holiday but it's a well deserved break for Pam who has a very intriguing and disturbing back story, although not all of her team see it that way.  I really love Pam!  There's a moment when she overhears a member of her team talking about her and she deals with it so professionally; I was absolutely furious and I'm not sure I would have been so restrained if I had been in her shoes.

Antoinette Moses is on to a winner with DI Pam Gregory; I'm an instant fan and I can't wait to read what happens next.  The storyline is incredibly well plotted and it really makes you think about the snowball effect of miscommunication.  Having seen the brutal effect of one-sided communication in a work environment, I've always held on to the belief that there are two sides to every story.  Assumptions don't just make an ass of you or me, they make murderers in this book!

Incredibly well written, thrilling and surprising, A Public Murder is a fantastic start to a new crime fiction series.  I can't wait for more!

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

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About the author: Antoinette Moses a life

When I was young, your passport included your profession. I put writer. ‘Why writer?’ asked my then boyfriend, ‘You never write anything.’ ‘But I’m going to,’ I said.

I always knew I was going to be a writer. It just took a while to get going. I kept getting distracted by other things.

 

First distraction: Editing. Journalism

I had to earn my living and so I got jobs in journalism, publishing and as a staff writer for a photographic news agency. I also took time off to travel. That’s when I first lived in Greece which was on and off between 1973 and 1978.

Second distraction: Festivals.

I first helped run a festival in 1970. It was the Oxford Animation Festival, and it was a huge success. It ended with Yellow Submarine and the Beatles singing ‘You’re such a lovely audience’… I was hooked. Both on audiences and festivals.

When I came back to England in 1978, I re-founded the Cambridge Animation Festival, and was its director for six years. I also helped set up the Hiroshima Animation Festival, and worked for the Norfolk and Norwich Festival. In 2013 co-founded the Festival for Literature for Young people (FLY) at the University of East Anglia (UEA). I was its producer until I retired in 2018.

Third distraction: Teaching:

I started writing fulltime in 1994 and had several books published. Then I began writing plays which led to my getting an MA in creative writing at UEA, followed by a PhD on verbatim theatre, and ten years teaching as a lecturer in Creative Writing and Literature. 

And so we come to the writing:

My first published book was a guidebook to Athens, then I wrote a cookbook for dieters and then I wrote a number of short fictions for young people learning English. These were published mostly by Cambridge University Press and have won three Extensive Reading Awards; Jojo's Story' was described by one critic as ‘a classic for all time’. Several became bestsellers. I’ve also published essays and stories. 

I wrote my first play when I was 9. It was an adaptation of The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Graham and I performed it with my father at the family Christmas. (Poor family)

I’ve written a number of plays which have been produced in Norwich and Cambridge and Heidelberg, and have received rehearsed readings in Ipswich, London and Paris. A few have won prizes and awards.

And now it’s crime fiction.

And finally I’ve launched the first Pam Gregory novel, A Public Murder.

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