BLOG TOUR: The Cat Who Cracked a Cold Case (Conrad the Cat Detective Book 3) - L T Shearer

A crime gone unsolved for five years . . .

The life of Lulu Lewis, a retired police detective, took an unforgettable turn when Conrad first introduced himself to her. Unforgettable because:

a) Conrad is a special cat.

b) Special because he told her so.

Yes, that’s right, he can talk.

(For obvious reasons, this ability remains a closely guarded secret while they live together on her canal boat, The Lark.)

Visiting an old friend in Manchester, the pair stumble across a chilling news report about a trail of bodies found across the city that echo a string of cold case murders from Lulu’s past in London.

Joining forces with the local police, the pair must use every ounce of their intuition in order to find a connection between the seemingly random killings – and track down a ruthless murderer . . .

What did I think?

I didn't realise that this was the third book in a series when I picked it up but it can totally be read as a standalone because I loved it.  I am so pleased that I have found this fabulous cosy mystery series and I plan to read the first two books as I'm missing Conrad and Lulu already.

Lulu might have retired from the police force but she still has a copper's nose and Conrad has a cat's nose for sniffing out criminals too.  I absolutely loved the special relationship between Lulu and Conrad and how Conrad travels around on Lulu's shoulders.  Conrad is definitely more of a companion than a cat and it feels completely natural for Lulu to have two-way conversations with him.

I really liked the waterway setting that might suggest a gentle pacing but the cosy mystery plotline is so multi-stranded and compelling that I couldn't put the book down, reading it in half the time I expected.  It is even bringing a smile to my face now, especially thinking about part of the story when Lulu and Conrad are hot on the tail of a thief.

Completely original and incredibly compelling, The Cat Who Cracked a Cold Case is the cosiest of cosy mysteries.  It entertained and delighted me, in addition to warming my heart and leaving a smile on my face.  L T Shearer has gained a new fan; I can't wait to read more about Lulu and Conrad.  A highly recommended read.

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

About the author:

L T Shearer has had a lifelong love of canal boats and calico cats, and both are combined in The Cat Who Caught a Killer, a one-of-a-kind debut crime novel. The story continues with The Cat Who Solved Three Murders and The Cat Who Cracked a Cold Case. 

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The Semi-Detached Women - Alex Quaid

For a young woman in 1960s England, falling in love can be a crime—and could cost her everything . . .

In 1963 Manchester, England, a pregnancy is enough to get eighteen-year-old Janine thrown out by her mother—regardless of whether the baby’s father is Janine’s much older married boss, who’s taken advantage of her. Having spent her lonely childhood immersed in romantic books, Janine gets practical and rents out one-half of a stone cottage to wait for childbirth.

She isn’t alone long though. Laura, a newly divorced with an eight-year-old boy and a difficult past of her own, moves into the other half of the house. The two women become friends, and their relationship grows. But after Janine’s daughter is born, a social worker starts hovering, strongly suggesting that Janine allow the Catholic unwed mother’s home to put her child up for adoption.

To hold on to the happiness she’s found, Janine will have to stay strong against malicious forces—and accept help from some unexpected friends—in this richly emotional novel about finding out who you can truly depend on and who you really are.

 

What did I think?

The rainbow and the two women on the beautiful cover of The Semi-Detached Women tells the reader that this is a romance with a difference.  Not only is this a romance set in the sixties, but it's also the heartwarming relationship between two women.

I loved both the main characters of Janine and Laura.  Janine is a young pregnant unwed woman and what a scandal this is in the 1960s.  Forced out of her home she travels to Manchester where nobody knows her to make a new start with her baby.  Laura finds it hard to trust anyone after divorcing her cheating husband and she sets up home with her son next door to Janine.  

It's delightful to watch Janine and Laura's friendship develop and, although both women are confused by their feelings at first, it's lovely to see their relationship grow into something deeper.  It's quite thought-provoking for me (as a child of the seventies) to explore homosexuality in the sixties.  I thought it was illegal back then, and it was, but what I didn't realise is that it was only illegal for men.  It's quite sad really, considering the sixties had the whole free love ethos.  Clearly, free love wasn't free for all.

Alex Quaid uses words as building blocks to reconstruct the 1960s word by word and I felt as if I had stepped back in time.  I was so mad when the church tried to take Janine's perfectly healthy and much loved baby from her.  I  think perhaps people of the sixties found unwed mothers as shocking as homosexuals.  There's a hippy in a campervan in the story and something Ianto said really stayed with me, so much so that I wanted to share a quote from the book:

"You think in labels, man, but she doesn't.  She's just a woman in love."

Be more Ianto and stop thinking in labels!  The world will be a much better place for it.

So beautifully written, sensitive, thought-provoking and quietly affecting, The Semi-Detached Women is an outstanding and unforgettable novel.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Roses for the Dead (DI Erika Piper Book 3) - Chris McDonald

 

2013

Rockstar Johnny Mayhem sits on his bed, holding a bloody baseball bat. On the floor, clutching a lavender rose in her fist, is his wife, Amanda, who he has just beaten to death. Erika Piper knows this because she is one of the first on the scene. Mayhem is arrested and led away, screaming that they’ve got the wrong man. But the evidence is irrefutable and when Mayhem is sentenced to life in prison, no one is surprised.

Now

Thanks to new evidence, Johnny Mayhem is a now free man. During a television interview, he issues a thinly veiled threat to those involved in the original case before seemingly disappearing off the face of the Earth. When the body of Mayhem’s dealer is found, Erika Piper is pulled from the safety of her desk job and thrown into the hunt for the Rockstar. Can she find Mayhem before he can enact his revenge on everyone involved, including Erika? Or, has he been telling the truth all along? Did the police really get the wrong man?

What did I think?

When I read Whispers for the Dark I feared it was the end of the DI Erika Piper series as it rounded itself off so nicely but fear not, for there is one further instalment.  Roses for the Dead is book 3 (and sadly the final book) in what has been an AMAZING series. The whole DI Erika Piper series is absolutely brilliant and Roses for the Dead is definitely the cherry on top.  I really couldn't put it down, reading way past my bedtime as I raced through this fantastic book.

Everything is going well for Erika in her personal life but her career has taken a nosedive when she agrees to take a step back from the action and finds herself sitting behind a desk and bored out of her mind.  Erika grabs the opportunity to return to her old job when new evidence comes to light that releases a convicted murderer from jail.  Now that Johnny Mayhem (what a brilliant name) is free, he wants revenge for the lost seven years of his life and with Erika being instrumental in his downfall, she needs to find him before she becomes next on his list.

I think Chris McDonald has written the perfect crime novel in Roses for the Dead; everything about it is brilliant from the outstanding plot to the sublime writing, not forgetting the creation of three-dimensional characters who virtually leap out from the page.  I was initially sad to read that this is the final adventure for DI Erika Piper but in the vein of classic British TV shows, it's those with the fewer episodes that become classics.  This is definitely a series I will reread over and over again, which already makes it a classic in my book.

Gripping, so very addictive and completely unputdownable, Roses for the Dead is simply awesome.  Chris McDonald's writing was brilliant to start with but it's getting better and better and Roses for the Dead earns him nothing less than a well-deserved five shiny golden stars from me.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

The Red Dog Shop

Amazon

About the author:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, to be published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

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BLOG TOUR: Mr Right Across the Street - Kathryn Freeman

 

Mia Abbott’s move to Manchester was supposed to give her time and space from all the disastrous romantic choices she’s made in her past. But then the hot guy who lives opposite – the one who works out every day at exactly 10 a.m., not that Mia has noticed thank-you-very-much – starts leaving notes in his window…for her.

Bar owner Luke Doyle has his own issues to deal with but as he shows Mia the sites of her new city he also shows her what real romance looks like for the first time. And when he cooks up a signature cocktail in her honour, she realises that the man behind the bar is even more enticing than any of his creations. And once she’s had a taste she knows it will never be enough!

What did I think?

I was in the mood for a bit of feel-good fiction and as Kathryn Freeman is always guaranteed to put a smile on my face I picked up her new book, Mr Right Across the Street.  What an absolute delight to read!  I devoured this gorgeous novel over a weekend, laughing, growling (at Freya) and even crying along the way.

Mia must be the most honest and true to herself character I have ever come across; she is a self-confessed geek and what you see is what you get.  I absolutely loved her!  She may be running away from a failed relationship but she is so brave to move 200 miles away from her home in Somerset to Manchester, where she doesn't know a single person.

Rather like the Diet Coke break advert, Mia is treated to a free hunky man show every day at 10am when the guy across the street works out in his spare room.  Mia gets a much closer look than she expected when she goes out one evening and finds the same guy behind the bar of her local.  Luke is quite the charmer with his patrons but Mia is very guarded and takes his flirting with a pinch of salt until he starts sticking sheets of paper up in his window with messages for her.  How cute!

With a handful of insecurities and a bucket-load of misunderstandings, I watched Mia and Luke's relationship transform from friendship to love.  As I was reading I felt like I was sitting in The Bar Beneath sipping cocktails and making friends with the regulars.  They are such a lovely, friendly crowd even though a good proportion of them have some kind of history with Luke.  It made me think how a lot of women these days tend to look the same with their tight black dresses, blonde curls and pink pouts so no wonder Mia stood out from the crowd with her geeky t-shirt, Converse and green stripes in her hair.  As least Luke can get a good idea of what she looks like on a morning and she won't leave orange streaks of foundation on his pillow.

Mr Right Across the Street is fabulous feel-good fiction from the Queen of Smiles, Kathryn Freeman.  I can't help but read her books with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.  Humourous, heart-warming and just plain cute, Mr Right Across the Street is perfect escapism and just what we all need right now.  A virtual hug in a book; thank you Kathryn!

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

A former pharmacist, I'm now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it's the reaction to a sexy hero. 

With a husband who asks every Valentine's Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

Social Media Links – 

Website:  http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1

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BLOG TOUR: Whispers in the Dark (DI Erika Piper #2) - Chris McDonald

 

Who will heed the call when Death comes whispering? 

Small time drug dealer, Marcus Stone and DCI Clive Burston had never met until one night in August. By the end of that night, both had been shot dead in a small bedroom in the heart of gang territory. DI Erika Piper is called to the scene but is at a loss to explain what's happened. How did these two even meet, let alone end up dead in what appears to be a strange murder-suicide? 

As Erika leads the investigation, another two bodies are found, killed in a similar fashion. One murder, one suicide. But who is controlling this macabre puppet show? As Erika delves deeper into the lives of the dead, the pieces begin to fit together and a number of nefarious characters crawl out of the woodwork - one of whom is almost certainly pulling the strings. 

A catastrophic event and a personal miracle threaten to derail the investigation. Erika must find the strength to continue, before the whispers catch up with her too...

What did I think?

Whispers in the Dark is the second book in the DI Erika Piper series and what an absolutely cracking follow up to A Wash of Black, Chris McDonald's outstanding debut.  Chris McDonald has such an extraordinary, albeit dark, imagination to be able to create such exceptional plots for his intensely gripping novels.  Be warned: once you pick up Whispers in the Dark, you will not be able to put it down.

You can of course read Whispers in the Dark as a standalone novel and find it completely brilliant, but it's even better when you already know the characters.  I loved reconnecting with Erika and her team as they investigate a series of murder-suicides.  As the body count rises the team face a race against time to find the link between the deaths and to find the person responsible for orchestrating this macabre theatre.  Chris McDonald sent my amateur sleuthing skills on the roundabout with this one: thinking a particular person was responsible, then thinking they weren't, then they were, then they weren't...

Although suicide is a very difficult subject Chris McDonald handles it sensitively, showing how hard it is for people to find the courage to reach out for help yet they can find the courage to end their life.  Tackling such a huge subject shows the confidence that Chris is gaining in his writing, which is going from strength to strength; I didn't think A Wash of Black could be bettered but he only went and did it with Whispers in the Dark.

I felt quite emotional when reading Whispers in the Dark as several things happen to the characters that had me close to tears; tears of both sadness and joy.  It just shows how well developed the characters are to evoke such emotions in the reader.  I gasped with shock at the 'catastrophic event' mentioned in the blurb and it takes a confident author to do what Chris McDonald did.  It's devastating but brilliant.

With a completely gripping, razor sharp plot, Whispers in the Dark is simply outstanding.  It's impossible to put down once you pick it up and is well-deserving of a full five star rating.  Just brilliant, Whispers in the Dark shows that Chris McDonald is one to watch and I'm eagerly awaiting his new series that will be published next year.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Red Dog Press

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, to be published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

Social Media:

Twitter: @cmacwritescrime

Instagram: @cmacwritescrime

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BLOG TOUR: A Wash of Black (DI Erika Piper Book 1) - Chris McDonald

It's a fabulous Red Dog Press blog tour today and not only do you get to read my review of this AWESOME book, but there's an amazing giveaway to win your very own signed copy (along with a tote bag and a bookmark).  Make sure to enter as this is one book you definitely do not want to miss!

IT'S NOT LIFE THAT IMITATES ART. IT'S DEATH.

Anna Symons. Famous. Talented. Dead.

The body of a famous actress is found mutilated on an ice rink in Manchester, recreating a scene from a blockbuster film she starred in years ago.

DI Erika Piper, having only recently returned to work after suffering a near-fatal attack herself, finds she must once again prove her worth as the hunt for the media-dubbed ‘Blood Ice Killer’ intensifies.

But when another body is found and, this time, the killer issues a personal threat, Erika must do more than put aside her demons to crack the case, or suffer the deadly consequences.

If you like Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Cara Hunter, you will love this.

What did I think?

Wow, what a debut!  A Wash of Black is simply outstanding and there's a lot of buzz on social media about Chris McDonald's debut; so take my advice and believe the hype!  Even better, it's the first in an exciting new crime series and I, for one, can't wait for the next DI Erika Piper instalment.

Stronger than the World's Strongest Man, A Wash of Black has an amazing strong female lead in DI Erika Piper.  I love how we meet her on her return to work after a year off following a traumatic incident; a year off that she refers to as 'enforced', which immediately gives us a sense of her character.  Erika's incident has damaged her more deeply than she is willing to admit but she's a tough cookie and plans to get on with her life after cutting out the rot that has infected her.

The storyline itself is sublime and deserves a virtual round of applause; with jaw dropping, unprecedented crime scenes and grisly eye-popping murders, it's a crime reader's dream!  Set in Manchester, it's Northern crime with a hint of Hollywood and with murders literally out of the movies, it would be a travesty if this isn't picked up by Netflix.  I was completely hooked and had my eyes glued permanently to the page, unable to put it down for a second, until I had devoured every single perfectly crafted word.  

I think I was starting to get a little oversaturated and bored with crime writing but Chris McDonald has made me fall back in love with the genre with his perfectly plotted and highly original debut.  This is a cracking piece of crime fiction and I know I'm going to be recommending A Wash of Black for a long time to come.  Seriously, you really don't want to miss this one!

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

My rating:

Buy direct from Red Dog Press
Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure, before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime.

He's a fan of 5-a-side football, has an eclectic taste in music ranging from Damien Rice to Slayer and loves dogs.

Twitter handles:

@RedDogTweets

@cmacwritescrime

Instagram handles:

@red_dog_press

@macreviewsbooks

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/reddogassociates

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

Details: The prize is a signed Hardback edition of A Wash of Black, along with a Go Away I’m Reading Tote Bag and a Luxury Bookmark.

The giveaway runs from 28^th Jan to 11^th Feb, and we (Red Dog Press) will announce the randomly chosen winner on the evening of the 11^th Feb (GMT)

Routes to entry are all on the giveaway link, but basically, sign up to Red Dog Press Reader’s Club (which also gets you discounts in our store, a free eBook, and latest news from us), following us on twitter. Entrants who tweet our promo tweet get two bonus entries.

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BLOG BLITZ: Bloodline - Pamela Murray

When a young boy discovers a man’s body lying in a doorway, DI Burton and DS Fielding are called to the scene.

Believing the man was homeless, the police are shocked to discover the true identity of the victim; a Detective Constable from London who was working undercover.

But when the DNA from the victim is linked to a cold case Burton and Fielding find themselves looking into another unsolved murder.

And as the case unfolds, the detectives are faced with unpicking through a web of lies and deceit. But can they solve the murders before any more blood is spilt?  


What did I think?

I came across Pamela Murray as she is a local North East author and although I haven't yet read her debut, Murderland, I was eager to read the second book in the Burton and Fielding series, Bloodline.  So it is without any doubt that I can say that Bloodline can be read as a standalone as I found it gripping, intriguing and a mighty-fine page turner.  It has definitely made me want to read Murderland as soon as possible to get to know Burton and Fielding a little better; there's definitely a lot more to come from this pair.

The prologue is an amazing double ended hook, set in 1986 with a murder and present day with a man spying on his girlfriend as she meets with another man.  How these stories weave together and become clear later on is simply brilliant, but these threads are left tantalisingly dangling when the body of an undercover cop is discovered.  Then there's a double whammy of tasty storyline as the undercover case is picked up and the victim's DNA brings up a match in the database linking him to a cold case.

I loved the DNA storyline, both the links to the victims and the DNA kits that you see for sale these days.  I must admit, I am slightly sceptical as to what their purpose is as it seems an easy (and sneaky) way to collect and record DNA of unsuspecting people rather than just give them clues as to their ancestry.  I didn't realise that the DNA kits also match your results with others who have taken the test, although they do warn people in advance that they can discover illegitimacy, adoption or donor-conception.  It may seem like a bit of fun buying such a gift for the person who has everything but imagine the repercussions if they found out that their whole life was a lie.  I love books that have thought-provoking discussion points like this, so I have found myself thinking about this long after finishing Bloodline.

With strands of intrigue woven through the storyline like a double helix, Bloodline is a fast-paced gritty and compelling thriller.   You can't fail to be hooked by the amazing prologue and it's impossible to put the book down after that.  A highly recommended read from an outstanding local talent.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Pamela Murray is from the North East of England, and has spent most of her life living in Boldon. She began writing at an early age when she and her school friend used to write stories for one another. The writing continued on and off over the years, but was only recently reignited when the same school friend introduced her to the local writers group she was in.

Pamela had intended to enter Journalism after leaving school but found herself going to work in a Public Library instead, and has always had more than a passing interest in books and literature.

When not writing, Pamela is passionate about Cinema and her three grandchildren. She has also appeared as a Supporting Artiste in two episodes of the hit TV crime series "Vera".

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BLOG TOUR: The Heat is On - Helen Bridgett

Angie Shepherd is back and this time she means business!

Life is perfect for Angie Shepherd. Her dreams of becoming an entrepreneur have come true, business is booming, and her best friend Patty is back in town. So when the opportunity of investing in a luxury hotel comes up, it seems like a no-brainer. It's all going swimmingly until a rival travel agency opens up across the street. Before long, The Mercury Travel Club is undercut, double-crossed and in deep trouble. It's time for Angie to up the stakes. But with costs mounting up, sales going down, and her personal life suddenly in freefall, can Angie and her friends weather the storm?

Witty and charming in equal measure, this feel-good novel shows that when the going gets tough, the tough definitely get going.

What did I think?

In this follow up to The Mercury Travel Club we rejoin Angie and friends at the point where the sky's the limit for their quirky little Manchester based travel agency.  The award winning travel agency is firmly established in the high street and they have plans to invest in a luxury hotel in an exclusive resort.  It seems like everything is going right until the vacant shop across the road is revealed as 'Launch', another travel agency and the high street is only big enough for one of them.  

Launch's owner, Lorenzo, is described brilliantly by Helen Bridgett as a snake in the grass who slithers along the high street wearing his snakeskin belt.  Obviously, I was on Team Mercury but with this brilliant snake theme the reader is under no illusion that Lorenzo is a typical cartoon style bad guy.  I even found myself imagining him as Dick Dastardly.  His underhand dealings threaten to put Mercury out of business but Angie's colleagues and friends rally round to play him at his own game.  With customers and even staff moving over to Launch, is it too late to save Mercury?  Time to bring in the big guns: Patty!

I absolutely love Angie's friend, Patty.  She reminds me so much of Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, but now Patty has a new man in her life she is ready to settle down again.  There are still hints of the hilarious Patty we know and love, especially in the dating advice she gives Angie.  I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the things she comes out with but it was lovely to see another side to Patty as she shows what she's made of when the chips are down.

After working so hard for her business, Angie deserves a bit of happiness in her private life and she's met a lovely man in Michael.  With Lorenzo's plans to destroy Angie's business in full force, Angie's relationship with Michael also comes under threat.  I felt as if Angie's world could fall around her at any moment...but not if her friends have any say in the matter it won't.  I love how close these guys are; they aren't just colleagues and business partners, they're a family and a force to be reckoned with in the fight against snaky Lorenzo.

The Heat is On had me laughing one minute and seething the next.  It felt very much like a fight between good and evil and even typing the name 'Lorenzo' is enough to make my skin crawl and my blood boil.  One thought remained constant whilst I was reading: if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.  It's frightening but true, how quickly we can switch our allegiance when offered a shiny new 'too good to be true' deal but don't forget that you often get what you pay for...and here's one especially for Lorenzo: what goes around comes around.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Mercury Travel Club - Helen Bridgett

Meet Angie Shepherd who, after 24 years and 11 months of marriage, finds herself divorced and driven by friends and family to move on. From hangover to makeover, Angie steps firmly away from the sensible knitwear, and launches into every adventure on offer – from baking classes and book groups, to speed dating, and even 'The Granny-Okes', a 1980s tribute act and YouTube sensation.

But Angie needs more than a bar of galaxy and a night in with Murder She Wrote... what she dreams of is entrepreneurial success. Channelling her inner Richard Branson, the light bulb moment happens: it's time to take the plunge and invest her divorce settlement into The Mercury Travel Club, an exciting new business venture. But as the Travel Club gets going, things never go according to plan, and in this digital age a little chaos brings the fame she's been looking for.

Set in present-day Manchester, this classic mid-life journey features the 1980s soundtrack from Angie's youth, and sees her travel the world whilst coping with life after the Ex.  Angie's journey is the catalyst her friends need to examine their own lives; as they start to find their true callings, will Angie find hers? Witty, entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny, this feel-good debut novel shows it's never too late for a second chance.

What did I think?

Well this little gem of a book was just what I needed when I was feeling a bit low, not unlike Angie Shepherd at the start of The Mercury Travel Club.  I think I read this whole book with a smile on my face and certainly struggled to contain my laughter, indeed many laughs did escape whilst reading this book.

Angie was looking forward to her silver wedding anniversary when her husband, Alan, left her for a younger woman.  Forced to sell their family home and start a new life, Angie may feel like curling up and feeling sorry for herself but her friends and family have other ideas.  Her hilarious friend, Patty, is instrumental in keeping Angie on her feet as she takes a few tentative baby steps on the road to singledom.  Patty gives the impression that she's a bit of a man-eater but she's more words than actions and has an absolutely enormous heart of gold.  I couldn't get enough of Angie's hilarious mother; I really looked forward to her appearances and couldn't wait to see what imperfect pearl of wisdom she would come out with next.

Angie works in a travel agency and has a lovely boss, Charlie.  When Angie decides to make her dreams a reality, Charlie offers her a business partnership where they offer themed holidays and The Mercury Travel Club is born.  Like all best laid plans, things often go wrong but that is the charm of the club.  Angie keeps a cool head and is calm under pressure, making her trips much sought after, despite some attempted bad press.  As the Entrepreneur of the Year awards approach, Angie sets her sights on the award.  Will she win it?  Whatever the outcome, you'll be sure they'll have a good time!

I loved the quirky chapter names, each one giving a little hint as to what was in store next.  I almost clapped with glee (I would have if I could have put the book down) when I saw a chapter with the title 'The Kids Wanna Rock'.  As I involuntarily started singing, "Turned on the radio, sounded like a disco...", I was delighted to see my absolute favourite singer Bryan Adams getting some well deserved column inches.  Maybe not the real man but a tribute band, but still, any book that gives Bryan a mention gets a big thumbs up from me.  "I got my first real six string, bought it at the five and dime..."  (Admit it, it's in your head now 😃)

With such an impressive debut and a fabulously witty writing style, I am overjoyed to see that Helen Bridgett plans more books in The Mercury Travel Club series.  The Mercury Travel Club is hilariously funny and a perfect pick me up.  If I had a passport, I'd certainly sign up!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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About the Author

Helen Bridgett was born in North-East England and now lives in Manchester having stopped off at a few places in between. Having failed miserably with every New Year's resolution that involved giving up food or drink, one year, she set herself a completely different goal - to write a novel and give it as a Christmas present. The Mercury Travel Club was born and the characters took on a life of their own. Outside of writing, Helen loves hiking and wine - not usually at the same time.

Helen is currently developing the next novels in The Mercury Travel Club series.

Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe - Debbie Johnson

The Comfort Food Cafe is perched on a windswept clifftop at what feels like the edge of the world, serving up the most delicious cream teas; beautifully baked breads, and carefully crafted cupcakes. For tourists and locals alike, the ramshackle cafe overlooking the beach is a beacon of laughter, companionship, and security – a place like no other; a place that offers friendship as a daily special, and where a hearty welcome is always on the menu.

For widowed mum-of-two Laura Walker, the decision to uproot her teenaged children and make the trek from Manchester to Dorset for the summer isn’t one she takes lightly, and it’s certainly not winning her any awards from her kids, Nate and Lizzie. Even her own parents think she’s gone mad.

Her new job at the cafe, and the hilarious people she meets there, give Laura the chance she needs to make new friends; to learn to be herself again, and – just possibly – to learn to love again as well.

For her, the Comfort Food Cafe doesn’t just serve food – it serves a second chance to live her life to the full…

What did I think?

Well if there's ever a book to help us escape from this awful British summer, then Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe is certainly up to the task.  I felt as if the sun was shining out of each page and it certainly lit up my face and caused me to crack a smile on more than one occasion, except when I was crying!

It was an absolute stroke of genius to start with Laura pouring out her heart in her extremely emotional and heartfelt letter to Cherie Moon, as she applied for a summer job as cook at the Comfort Food Cafe in Dorset.  Laura is a 35 year old widow, living in Manchester with her two children, Lizzie (14) and Nate (12).  As I read of her love for her husband, David, who died 2 years ago, I knew instantly that Laura was a character that I was going to accept into my heart with open arms...along with the rest of her family, crazy lazy dog and half of Dorset.  Cherie offers Laura the job so the family set off to Dorset for the summer with their flatulent labrador, Jimbo.

I never expected such an abundance of colourful characters, characters as colourful as the mouthwatering cover, I might add.  As Laura has to endure many hilarious calamities, it was lovely to see her smiling and laughing, although never forgetting David.  I could see her evolving from 'widow' to 'woman' (thanks to hunky vet, Matt) in front of my very eyes, and it was a delight to witness such an uplifting change.  She definitely breathes a breath of fresh air into the Comfort Food Cafe and I'm going to have a go at making my own chocolate bar milkshakes as I was positively drooling when she smashed up KitKats to make her marvellous concoctions.

I loved the layout of the book, separating the chapters into weeks which gave a glimpse of what was to come in the subsequent chapters.  It certainly didn't spoil any of the punchlines as I could never have guessed what was about to happen, despite Debbie Johnson giving us these clues.  It did make me read faster though with little titbits like: "Week 1.  In which I...wrap my bra around a strange man's head..."

My favourite part of the book has to be Frank's 80th Birthday party, which turns into something a bit like Cilla's Surprise Surprise. Without fail, I always cried at Surprise Surprise and Long Lost Families so I read this chapter of the book with tears streaming down my face.  It just shows how much all of the characters had come to mean to me and I really felt as if I had shared in their happiness.

Debbie Johnson played my heartstrings like a maestro in Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe.  I laughed out loud, giggled, smiled and cried tears of both joy and sadness; experiencing a whole rainbow of emotions.  A super fun read with some genuinely sad moments and some absolutely hilarious events, all very much true to life.  It's always a measure of a good book if it can make me laugh or cry; Summer at the Comfort Food Cafe did both and I'll certainly be looking our for more books by Debbie Johnson.  

I received this book from the publisher, HarperImpulse, in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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