BLOG TOUR: The Flower House (The Valley Park Series) - Nicky Black

THE THIRD STAND-ALONE STORY IN THE GRITTY VALLEY PARK SERIES

When Vivien Young wins the contract to redevelop the Valley Park estate in Newcastle, she is faced with a fierce adversary: a woman who would rather die than leave her crumbling home on the estate. With her company in trouble, Vivien must find a way to persuade the woman to sell up. If she doesn’t, she could not only lose her business, but also the beloved home she shares with her die-hard, hippy father: the Flower House.

The Flower House stands in the shadow of the Valley Park estate. It was passed to Vivien’s father Jeff after his parents’ death in the 1960s, and now he has entrusted it to Vivien.

But within its walls lie painful memories for the father Vivien adores, and a past full of secrets. Secrets that could destroy everything Vivien Young holds dear.

HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS FOR THE MOST GRIPPING STORY IN THE VALLEY PARK SERIES YET

 

What did I think?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!  It's SO good I just had to shout about how much I loved it.  I have loved every book in The Valley Park Series so far but I think The Flower House is the best one yet.

Set in Newcastle upon Tyne, there's a completely gripping dual timeline in The Flower House but there's also a sharp contrast between people's lives on either side of the Valley Park estate's boundary.  Vivien wants to develop the estate and create new homes and amenities but Binty wants to hold on to her home and refuses to sell.

The Flower House is almost a character in its own right as it holds so many secrets within its walls.  Jeff and his sister lost their parents at a young age but they inherited the family home.  Their naivety is exploited and before they know it, there's a bunch of strangers living in the house and flowers are being painted on the walls.  

I was incredibly intrigued by Binty and couldn't read the book fast enough to discover all of her secrets (and there's a lot of them).  I had so many questions as I was reading, and they all get answered absolutely brilliantly.  If it was a play, I'd have given it a round of applause and a standing ovation.  As they say up here in Geordieland, it's pure belter like.

Riveting, compelling and simply brilliant, The Flower House is as impossible to put down as it is to predict.  It's a cracking read and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.  An easy five stars!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Nicky Black writes gritty, North East fiction, full of drama, twists and turns. Geordie criminals divide and rule their territories with a mixture of fear, threats and violence.

The Prodigal and The Rave are the result of a collaboration between two writers, Nicky and Julie. Julie's TV and movie scripts have provided the blueprint for Nicky's creation of these two novels, both set on the fictional Valley Park estate in Newcastle upon Tyne. Both Nicky and Julie have had careers working at the heart of disadvantaged communities in the North East of England, where they experienced the real grit and struggle of peoples' every-day lives, as well as their humour and determination to lead a happy existence, whatever that meant to them.

Nicky was born and brought up in Alnwick in Northumberland and now lives in North Tyneside. Julie is a born and bred Geordie and still lives in the Toon.

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Speak of the Devil - Rose Wilding

Seven women stand in shock in a seedy hotel room; a man's severed head sits in the centre of the floor. Each of the women - the wife, the teenager, the ex, the journalist, the colleague, the friend, and the woman who raised him - has a very good reason to have done it, yet each swears she didn't. In order to protect each other, they must figure out who did.

Against the ticking clock of a murder investigation, each woman's secret is brought to light as the connections between them converge to reveal a killer.

An addictive feminist thriller about love, loyalty, and manipulation, Speak of the Devil explores the roles in which women are cast in the lives of terrible men . . . and the fallout when they refuse to stay silent for one moment longer.

 

What did I think?

I didn't realise Speak of the Devil was set in Newcastle until I started reading, so I was delighted with the local setting of Rose Wilding's fabulous debut novel.  I love books set in my native North East and this one is an absolute cracker!

The story begins on New Year's Eve 1999 but there's one man who won't see in the new millennium.  Jamie Spellman's severed head greets seven women when they gather in a hotel room but nobody is shedding any tears over his death.  They all had very good reasons to kill him as I think he is the most vile man ever to have been created in a fictional novel.

The story is told from each woman's perspective, as well as from the point of view of the detective who is investigating his murder.  It's a book that has you constantly questioning 'whodunnit?' whilst getting more and more furious at the way Jamie has treated all of the women in his life.  It really could have been any of them and as each one's story is revealed, I really couldn't blame them either.

I absolutely love the way that Rose Wilding incorporates the Geordie accent into speech within the book; it's done brilliantly and really brings the book and the characters to life.  It really is a fantastic debut novel (I had to double check it actually was a debut as the writing is so accomplished).

Dark, twisty and fury-inducing, Speak of the Devil is a powerful feminist thriller from a magnificent debut author who is heading straight onto my watch list.  A highly recommended read and one that would be brilliant to discuss at book groups.  #WeWillSpeakOfTheDevil

I received a paperback copy to read for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

The Silent Brother - Simon Van Der Velde

 

The Past Never Dies

When his beloved little brother is stolen away, five-year-old Tommy Farrier is left alone with his alcoholic mam, his violent step-dad and his guilt. Too young to understand what has really happened, Tommy is sure of only one thing. He is to blame.

Tommy tries to be good, to live-up to his brother’s increasingly hazy memory, but trapped in a world of shame and degradation he grows up with just two options; poverty or crime. And crime pays.

Or so he thinks.

A teenage drug-dealer for the vicious Burns gang, Tommy’s life is headed for disaster, until, in the place he least expects, Tommy sees a familiar face…

And then things get a whole lot worse.

What did I think?

Wow - what a book!  The Silent Brother left me speechless, breathless and completely stunned.  Simon Van Der Velde has written a gritty, poignant, dark and disturbing masterpiece.  Set in the east end of Newcastle, this is what it would have been like if The Sopranos and Shameless had been set here.

Tommy Farrier has had a tragic life and oh how I felt for him.  His mam cares more about booze than she does her own children, so it's no surprise when Tommy's younger brother is taken into care.  This harrowing event shapes Tommy's whole life and the shadow of it hangs over his every move.  To survive, Tommy joins the Burns gang and this sets him on a dark and dangerous path with seemingly no escape...

Simon Van Der Velde has captured the heart and soul of Newcastle in this breathtaking book and the unique voice of Tommy is portrayed beautifully.  It's heartbreaking to read at times, especially as you start to care for the characters, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  Poverty and crime often go hand in hand, like two sides of the same coin, and the story is very true to life as so many children will have followed in Tommy's footsteps.

Beautifully written, The Silent Brother is a raw and gritty thriller that really has the wow factor.  Do not miss this one!  It's an absolute masterpiece and I don't have to think twice before awarding the full five stars - I'd give it more if I could.  I'll definitely be reading it again and I really can't recommend it highly enough.

I received a digital ARC from the author and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The Tale of The Vampire Rabbit - Michael Quinlyn-Nixon

A totally fictional and completely unhistorical account of the origins of Newcastle’s mysterious grotesque, known as the Vampire Rabbit.  Written as an original poem and fully illustrated by the author, Michael Quinlyn-Nixon, the story of the quirky Vampire Rabbit is brought ‘alive’ in the year of 1899, with the story concluding in the present day.  Set in Victorian Tyne and Wear, the story illustrates the Vampire Rabbit’s unquenchable bloodlust and the consequences of its villainous actions.  

Suitable for older children (with parental guidance), the book can be equally enjoyed by adults who enjoy dark poems with a drop of humour. 

What did I think?

I always like to visit the Vampire Rabbit whenever I'm in Newcastle so I was delighted when my fiancé gave me a copy of Michael Quinlyn-Nixon's book for my birthday.  At under 30 pages it's obviously a very quick read but not as quick as you'd expect as you can't help but pause to admire the fabulous illustrations.

The Tale of the Vampire Rabbit is a poem set in Victorian Newcastle in 1899 and present day 2020.  Many have speculated about the story behind the famous grotesque, which still remains unknown, and Michael Quinlyn-Nixon weaves a humourous, entertaining and imaginative tale of its fictional origin in his brilliant poem.  

Both the poetry and the illustrations are outstanding.  I'm not usually one for poetry but this one is fun and it rhymes.  It just needs a musician to compose a catchy tune and I could see it being sung in future alongside The Blaydon Races.  The illustrations are drawn in kind of a sepia tone with splashes of pink and red which gives it a dark, gothic feel and totally fits the subject.  The drawings are awesome, they are so incredibly detailed and I simply can't stop looking at them. 

It's a little bloodthirsty at times (it's a Vampire Rabbit after all) so it's not a suitable bedtime story for young children, but it could definitely be enjoyed by older children and adults.  I absolutely loved it and I'll certainly be looking at the Vampire Rabbit in a different light next time I'm in Newcastle.

Hugely entertaining and incredibly enjoyable, The Tale of the Vampire Rabbit is a fabulous poem with breathtaking illustrations.  It's THE book to buy the Geordie who has everything!  Every bookcase in the North East should have a copy.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts - Colin Garrow

I always get a thrill when I read books set in my native North East so I jumped at the chance to take part in the damppebbles blog tour for Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts by Colin Garrow.  I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour so scroll down to read what I thought.

Newcastle, 1955. A death in the family brings nightclub singer Rosie Robson home to Newcastle, but her planned return to London hits a snag after she agrees to perform with her old band. Learning the group’s previous singer left after an argument, Rosie begins to wonder if there might be a sinister reason behind the young woman’s disappearance. Uncovering the first in a series of grisly murders, Rosie decides to investigate, but in doing so, finds her own name has been added to the killer’s list…

Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts is book #1 in the Rosie Robson Murder Mystery series.

What did I think?

I love reading books set in the North East of England so I couldn't wait to dive into Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts that is set in Newcastle.  Colin Garrow brings the story to life by choosing to write his characters' speech in a Geordie dialect; although it's not easy to read, it works really well and gives some authenticity to the story.  I have to say that sometimes I struggled with the dialect and I'm fluent in Geordie, so it might be difficult for people outside the region to understand, however, Colin Garrow has preempted this by including a few handy Geordie translations at the end of the book.

Chapter 1 starts with a gripping in-built prologue where a body is found thereby immediately hooking the reader like a hungry fish, but we then roll back 4 days to Rosie's return to Newcastle from London for a family funeral.  I love how not only the scene is set but the time period of 1955 is planted firmly in the reader's mind with Rosie returning home the day that Ruth Ellis, the last woman in the UK to be executed, was hanged.

Rosie's nightmares begin, both literally and figuratively, in Newcastle.  Sleeping in her old bedroom results in a recurring disturbing dream but she keeps waking up before the conclusion.  Something happened in her past that her psyche had buried but being in the same place it happened has brought it to the fore.  Rosie doesn't have time to dwell on it too much as she's talked into helping out her old band when their lead singer goes missing.  Julie isn't the only singer to go missing though and it looks like Rosie's real nightmare is about to begin when she becomes the next target.

Although Rosie is in danger, she can't help but investigate the other disappearances like an amateur sleuth.  With links to the pub and club scene, people will talk to Rosie rather than the police but Inspector Walton is quite happy for Rosie to run a parallel investigation and the pair end up helping each other out.  I loved the dynamic between Rosie and Walton and I do hope that this is not the last we'll see of this pairing.

Blood on the Tyne: Body Parts is a gripping and authentic North East murder mystery.  The scene setting, both time and place, is excellent and I felt as if I was walking in Rosie's footsteps.  I really enjoyed this first book in the Rosie Robson series and can't wait for the next book.  In my native lingo: Aye, it's canny good like. Howay man wi' the next 'un!

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

My rating:

Buy it from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Smashwords





About the author:

True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. Colin has published three stage plays, six adventures for middle grade readers, two books of short stories, the Watson Letters series and the Terry Bell Mysteries. His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including: SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he lives in a humble cottage in North East Scotland where he writes novels, stories. poems and the occasional song.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colingarrow

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

Website (adults): https://colingarrow.org/

Website (childrens): https://colingarrowbooks.com/

Website (The Watson Letters): https://thewatsonletters.com/

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

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/colingarrow

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4

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BLOG TOUR: Chameleon (DCI Jack Mason series Book 4) - Michael K Foster

It was meant to be a harmless adventure…or so he thought.

When a ten-year-old boy playing hooky from school sees a young woman’s body hanging from a tree, a man at the scene gives chase.

Still recovering from near fatal injuries, Jack Mason is sent to investigate. He knows the boy’s life is in danger, but that’s the least of his worries. There’s a much darker side to this investigation, and one that threatens to change many people’s lives.

What really happened in the woods that day? What dark secrets was the dead woman hiding?

And who, or what, is Chameleon?

You will be hooked from the start by this gripping crime thriller. There’s tension, suspense, and a plot full of unexpected twists and turns. Order your copy today.

Don’t miss out on the rest of the series:
The Wharf Butcher (Book 1)
Satan’s Beckoning (Book 2)
The Suitcase Man (Book 3)
Chameleon (Book 4)

What did I think?

I've been really enjoying the DCI Jack Mason series, set in my native North East, so I was very excited when I heard that a new instalment was coming out.  I think this is Jack's toughest case yet as he's on the tail of a cunning Russian assassin who will stop at nothing to complete his assignment.

Recovering from his run in with The Suitcase Man, Jack has been assigned light duties until he is passed fit.  As if that isn't bad enough, ambitious DI Gamble has been called in from Middlesbrough to take over Jack's role.  Keen to make her mark, DI Gamble and Jack lock horns a few times and I admired his ability to keep his cool, although Gamble plays a little dirtier and remembers the incident slightly different to me.  I really liked this aspect of the story where drive and ambition can cause people to lose sight of the big picture.  It's always better to work together but some people will do anything to further their career.

10 year old Martin Kennedy is the target of Russian hit-man, Chameleon.  Martin accidentally stumbled upon Chameleon neutralising his real target, a local barrister investigating a money laundering scheme.  Unable to complete his assignment until all loose ends are tied up, Martin is taken into police protection while the police hunt for Chameleon.  Chameleon is no amateur though, so he always seems to be one step ahead and it was quite scary how he managed to obtain information so easily.  It just shows that there is always someone willing to gossip and inflate their own importance.

Michael K Foster has taken his crime thrillers up a notch with the Russian spy aspect.  I find the DCI Jack Mason books fast paced already but Chameleon left me breathless.  Set in the North East of England, it got closer to home than ever before with a car chase through my neighbouring housing estate.  It never gets old reading about places you know in books and the description of the scene in Marsden was fantastic; I know the geography of the area so it's easy for me to visualise it but the picture was painted so vividly that I really felt as if I was standing on Marsden beach myself.

This fast-paced, edge of your seat international crime thriller set on Tyneside is my favourite DCI Jack Mason book so far; I would have read it in one sitting if I hadn't had to sleep.  Don't worry if you haven't read any of the series yet, you can definitely read this as a standalone but I guarantee that it will make you want to read more DCI Jack Mason, especially with the little teaser at the end.  I can't wait for Mason and Carlisle's next adventure.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Michael K Foster has been writing crime thriller novels since 2006, all of them based in and around the North East of England. His bestselling debut novel, ‘The Wharf Butcher,’ was released in 2015 and offers a unique insight into this rugged landscape. He has now written four full-length novels featuring the hard-hitting DCI Jack Mason and local criminal profiler David Carlisle. His latest book in the series, ‘Chameleon,’ is scheduled for release in June 2019.

Michael was born in Plymouth, England. After ten years’ service in the British Army, he moved to Newcastle where he gained a master’s degree. A former Magistrate, he now writes full time and lives with his family in County Durham.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010775401631
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Website: www.michaelkfoster.com




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BLOG TOUR: Sunwise - Helen Steadman

The sequel to Widdershins, when Jane’s lover, Tom, returns from the navy to find her unhappily married to his betrayer, Jane is caught in an impossible situation. Still reeling from the loss of her mother at the hands of the witchfinder John Sharpe, Jane has no choice but to continue her dangerous work as a healer while keeping her young daughter safe. But, as Tom searches for a way for him and Jane to be together, the witchfinder is still at large. Filled with vengeance, John will stop at nothing in his quest to rid England of the scourge of witchcraft. 

Inspired by true events, Sunwise tells the story of one woman’s struggle for survival in a hostile and superstitious world. 

What did I think?

Never a day goes by when I'm not excited about books, but I have to say that I was super-excited to get my hands on an early copy of Sunwise by Helen Steadman, the sequel to the superb Widdershins.  Although you could read Sunwise as a standalone, I recommend reading Widdershins first, not only because it is firmly fixed as one of my favourite books, but to fully understand the history between healer Jane Chandler and witchfinder John Sharpe.

Jane should be happy with her life now that John Sharpe has left Newcastle and headed to Berwick to terrorise innocent women there.  Jane is married with a beautiful daughter, who is the image of her father, and has another baby on the way but she feels great unease while John Sharpe remains free to roam the country hunting witches.  John isn't the first face from Jane's past to appear though, as her sweetheart Tom, who Jane thought had died at sea after being press-ganged, returns home to find Jane married.  My heart went out to this pair who were clearly meant to be together but devious minds would go to any lengths to keep them apart.

Helen Steadman's writing is exceptional and I adore the authenticity of her books, as I learned about some fascinating customs in this amazing historical fiction novel.  Sunwise describes the harvest tradition of the corn dolly which was made to preserve good fortune for future crops and was also an ancient symbol of fertility.  The way that Helen Steadman weaves the corn dolly custom into the story is breathtaking; it literally stole my breath as I gasped out loud at the brilliance of her imagination.  I will certainly never underestimate the power of the corn dolly.

Based on true events, Sunwise is exceptionally well researched whilst still ensuring that the reader's eyes are firmly glued to the page as the threads of the fictional story begin to unravel.  With the threat of John Sharpe hovering over Jane like a black cloud, it's only a matter of time before they meet again.  Jane is the 'witch' that got away from John Sharpe last time they met, but will the luck of the corn dolly save Jane from his evil clutches once again?

I didn't just read Sunwise; I lived and breathed it.  It's authentic, gripping and extremely compelling reading; if you're looking for something fresh and original in historical fiction, then look no further.  I am still recommending Widdershins to friends, but with the addition of Sunwise Helen Steadman has created a perfect pair.  Read one, and you'll be compelled to read them both; I can't predict the future but I know for sure that I will be recommending Helen Steadman's books for a very long time to come.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Helen Steadman lives in the foothills of the North Pennines, and she particularly enjoys researching and writing about the history of the north east of England.  Following her MA in creative writing at Manchester Met, Helen is now completing a PhD in English at the University of Aberdeen to determine whether a writer can use psycho-physical techniques to create authentic fictional characters (Helensteadman.com)

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The Rave (Valley Park #2) - Nicky Black

It’s 1989, the second Summer of Love, and Tommy Collins is doing what he does best: organising all-night raves on a shoestring, and playing a game of cat and mouse with the police. But Detective Chief Inspector Peach is closing in on him, and his dreams of a better life are beginning to slip through his fingers.

DCI Peach finds it all a nuisance, a waste of his force's time, until he finds his teenage daughter unconscious at one of Tommy's raves. Then the chase becomes personal, and his need to make Tommy pay becomes an obsession.

The Rave is a fast-paced, gritty portrayal of life on the edges of society at the end of a decade that changed Britain forever.

What did I think?

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to read The Rave, the follow up to Nicky Black's debut and one of my favourite books, The Prodigal.  I thought I loved The Prodigal but I think The Rave is even better as Nicky Black perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the North East in the late 80's.  Jobs and money were scarce but we sure knew how to party!  You don't have to read The Prodigal before The Rave as they both read well as standalones but you really don't want to miss either of these Geordie gems.  

Tommy Collins likes to push the boundaries of the law; he organises raves but he draws the line at selling drugs until local thug Paul Smart tries to get in on the scene.  Paul Smart is Tommy's wife's uncle but Smart is the type of guy who would sell his granny, so Tommy can't expect any favours for being part of the family.  When Tommy gets drawn into Paul Smart's web, my heart rate increased as the tension was ramped up to almost unbearable levels.  DCI Peach has more reason than most to want to put an end to Tommy Collins' rave scene but Tommy isn't the real enemy with Paul Smart pulling strings behind the scene.  Will any of them get out of this alive to tell the tale?

As much as this is the type of gritty crime drama we have come to know and love from Nicky Black, what you can't prepare yourself for is the amount of humour that has been woven into this dark and serious storyline.  I went from almost having palpitations as the police closed in to laughing my socks off within a few pages; I won't ever be able to look at a coathanger without laughing ever again. Nicky Black's writing is so colourful and multi-dimensional that you can almost hear each character speaking and you begin to recognise their individual traits...the characters' character, if you will.  It really brings the book to life and I love that feeling of being immersed in the story.

The Rave is an absolutely superb crime thriller that has it all: tension, drama, grit and outstanding Geordie humour.  Without doubt a 5 star read and worthy of every single star.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

The pen name Nicky Black is a combination of two writers - Nicky Doherty and Julie Blackie. Julie was a script writer for many years, and Nicky has created two novels based on Julie's TV and film scripts. Both are stories set on the fictional estate of Valley Park in Newcastle, and the criminal world that inhabits it. 

The Prodigal was a bestseller in 2015 and The Rave was published on 14th August 2018.

Nicky is a proud eighties throwback and cat lady and lives in North Tyneside.

Seven Bridges (The DCI Ryan Mysteries Book 8) - LJ Ross

Ryan's most explosive case yet…

It's been five months since a killer walked free and DCI Ryan is preparing to leave Newcastle to hunt him down - this time, for good. 

But Ryan's plans are scuppered when events take a dramatic turn and he is forced to stay and face his past one last time, or watch a friend suffer the consequences. 

Amid the chaos, another killer is preparing to strike. When the Tyne Bridge explodes, Ryan's team are faced with a frantic race to uncover a deadly foe who won't stop until every bridge is burned, along with everybody on it...

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. 

What did I think?

I have started and abandoned this review more times than I care to remember and the reason for this is that nothing I write will even come close to how absolutely brilliant this book is.  I'm already a fan of the DCI Ryan series but OH MY GOD Seven Bridges took my breath away, almost stopped my heart, made me gasp out loud, brought tears to my eyes, gave me goosebumps and left me completely thunderstruck.  

I'm not going to write too much about the plot, other than what is mentioned in the blurb, but I have to share the moment I read the scene where the Tyne Bridge explodes.  I was reading at my desk on my lunchbreak when I emitted an almighty gasp that made my colleague ask what the matter was.  With tears in my eyes and a shaky voice I said 'the Tyne Bridge has just blown up'.  For a heartstopping second, my colleague thought that I'd read a breaking news alert!  You can't get more realistic than that in fiction!  I can see this becoming the question you ask people at parties instead of (age dependent) where they were when Kennedy was shot or when Princess Diana died.  Do you remember where you were when you were reading LJ Ross' book about the Tyne Bridge blowing up?  

LJ Ross definitely found the golden ticket when she created DCI Ryan and his team; the storylines are outstanding but LJ Ross goes one better than 3D by creating four-dimensional characters that feel as real as you or me.  I mean it goes without saying that everyone loves Ryan, but we also love Ryan's strong and sensible wife Anna, down to earth DS Frank Phillips who is always thinking of his stomach, DI Denise MacKenzie who has been through a lot and has finally found happiness and DC Jack Lowerson who is so lovely and just wants to find love (but he's clueless where ladies are concerned).  I love meeting up with my old friends in Northumbria CID.

LJ Ross takes not just a step but a massive jump out of the 'cozy mysteries' genre into 'crime thriller' with this explosive instalment in the DCI Ryan series.  Seven Bridges is darker, more dangerous and so very realistic that it is a Thriller with a capital T.  I am absolutely certain that this will be the best book I read this year...how do I know this already, you ask...because it is THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!!  There are simply not enough stars in the sky to award this book so I have to make do with giving it five stars.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Widdershins - Helen Steadman

I have a real treat for you today.  A fabulous guest post from Helen Steadman along with my review of Helen's truly exceptional novel Widdershins.

How a 'personable and good-like' woman escaped the hangman's noose in the Newcastle witch trials

While carrying out research for my novel, Widdershins, I became intrigued why one woman was first found guilty of witchcraft at the 17th century Newcastle witch trials, but after the witch-finder was revealed as a fraud she was then set free. The woman was not named, but she was described by John Wheeler as a 'personable and good-like' woman, from which we might infer that her good looks saved her.

In his deposition, John Wheeler states that thirty women were brought into the town- hall. The witch-finder stripped them and then thrust pins into their bodies. Using this technique, he found twenty-seven of the thirty guilty.

In discussion with Lt. Col. Hobson, who was present, the witch-finder claimed that he knew whether women were witches or not based purely on their looks. When he began testing the aforementioned 'personable and good-like woman', Lt. Col. Hobson intervened and said 'surely this woman is none, and need not be tryed'. However, the Scottish witch-finder said she was a witch because the town had said she was a witch and that she must be tried.

According to Wheeler, the witch-finder then, 'in sight of all the people, laid her body naked to the waste, with her cloaths over her head'. He then drove a pin into her thigh, but she did not bleed. According to Wheeler, fright and shame had caused all her blood to contract into one part of her body. Of course, bending double would make the blood rush to her head. The woman was declared to be guilty and a child of the devil.

Wheeler says that Lt. Col. Hobson had 'perceived the alteration of the foresaid woman, by her blood settling in her right parts' and he insisted that the woman be tested again. This time, her clothes were pulled up to her thigh, and he required that the witch-finder push the needle into the same place. This time, under the close supervision of Lt. Col. Hobson, 'it gushed out of blood' and the witch-finder cleared her and said she was not a child of the devil.

Shockingly, despite the fact that the Scottish witch-finder was clearly a fraud, and one prepared to send innocent women to a terrible death, he was still allowed to collect his wages and move on to further, even more lucrative work in Berwick. Even more shocking, fifteen(or sixteen) of the people he'd found guilty were still executed for witchcraft.

Source

John Wheeler's deposition in Ralph Gardiner (1849 [1655]) England’s Grievance Discovered in Relation to the Coal Trade. North Shields: Philipson and Hare. Ch. 53.


So, after that enlightening guest post, shockingly based on actual events, let's see what I thought of Widdershins.

'Did all women have something of the witch about them?' 

Jane Chandler is an apprentice healer. From childhood, she and her mother have used herbs to cure the sick. But Jane will soon learn that her sheltered life in a small village is not safe from the troubles of the wider world. From his father's beatings to his uncle's raging sermons, John Sharpe is beset by bad fortune. Fighting through personal tragedy, he finds his purpose: to become a witch-finder and save innocents from the scourge of witchcraft. Inspired by true events, 'Widdershins' tells the story of the women who were persecuted and the men who condemned them.

What did I think?

Widdershins is an absolutely exceptional book, based on real events that took place in the North East of England, where I live.  The story is told from the perspective of two outstanding main characters: John Sharpe and Jane Chandler.  As we watch these two youngsters grow up several miles apart, we see them evolve into adults whose stories are destined to fatefully intertwine in Newcastle upon Tyne.

John Sharpe who was brought into the world in Scotland by local midwife, Dora, who unfortunately couldn't save his mother.  John was born with a set of teeth which gave his father the perfect excuse to blame John for his mother's death, when he wasn't blaming Dora of course.  Dora took John for safekeeping and brought him up until his father died and John was sent to live with his Uncle James.  Uncle James plants poisonous seeds in John's young mind that grow into deadly vines dripping with hatred against innocent women who use herbs to help people's ailments.

Jane Chandler lives in a small village near Shotley Bridge on the banks of the River Derwent, 15 miles outside of Newcastle upon Tyne. Both Jane's mother, Annie, and local woman Meg, are well-known healers who prepare remedies for the sick.  Some of the children call Meg a witch, but Jane and her friend Tom hold Meg in high regard and it's not only Meg who knows that Jane and Tom are destined to be together.  For Jane, however, the course of true love doesn't run smooth.  Jane's future has her destined to cross paths with John Sharpe and his deadly witch pricker in a breathtaking showdown where only one of them will survive.

Reading Widdershins is like having a time machine into the past as Helen Steadman completely immerses us in the 17th Century.  I could almost smell the herbs in Jane's village and the foul stench of the Tyne as Jane and her mother queued to get through the town wall.  I absolutely adored the authenticity of the regional dialect as words that are part of our Northern heritage are used and I realised that sadly so many of them have been lost over time.  There really isn't a word out of place in this exceptional book.

Widdershins is an immersive and compelling debut, I was completely transfixed from start to finish.  It's a mark of a good book when I am so absorbed that I almost forget to drink my morning cup of tea!  Top marks for an exceptional debut that was written for Helen Steadman's master's degree.  A recommended read and one I will most definitely read again.

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

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