BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Paper Trails - Amelia Thorne

It’s 1989 in London, the Cold War between East and West is finally coming to an end, and thirteen-year-old Milly has a school project to find out about her family history. But all she knows is that her grandad was a doorman at the Savoy – and that, long ago, he was supposedly a Russian prince, back when Russia still had princes. Could that really be true?

So, when she discovers an old diary written in Russian, she enlists the help of her schoolfriend Ilya, whose family has fled the Soviet Union, to unravel Nicolai’s story.

As they piece together the unbelievable details of his escape from the Red Army, the adventures, the hardships and the love he encountered as he made his way across Europe, Milly sees an opportunity to heal the tragedies of the past – with unexpected consequences.

 

What did I think?

Paper Trails is a YA novel with a 13-year-old protagonist and, even though I'm 'slightly' older than the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It hooked me from the start with Milly's interest in finding out more about her family history after being laughed at in school for claiming her grandad was a Russian prince.  Now this is 1989 so there's no world wide web on which to do her research so Milly does some digging around at home and finds an old diary written in Russian. 

Oh my goodness, the diary entries are heartbreaking but Amelia Thorne writes with sensitivity and respect so that younger readers will not be distressed by the events of the Russian civil war.  I loved that Milly asked a Russian schoolfriend to translate the diary and it was nice to see a platonic friendship, despite being at an age where hormones are starting to rage.

The family history story is very intriguing and it is like a jigsaw with pieces spread around the world.  It wasn't until I finished reading that i realised how clever the cover was with all the little facets of the story depicted in beautiful images.

Atmospheric, nostalgic and poignant, Paper Trails is a wonderful book that completely captivated and charmed me.  I couldn't put it down once I picked it up and read it in one sitting.  It's absolutely brilliant and I loved it!

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Lobbyist - Lionel Zetter

Parliamentary lobbyist Damian Beaufort is a professional manipulator – clever, charming, ruthless – but when Labour wins power his Tory-heavy agency spirals towards bankruptcy. And the rest of his life looks like going the same way.

Salvation comes not from booze or sex – despite his best efforts – but a far less likely quarter: the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service.  It also comes at a cost.

Beaufort finds himself entangled in a lethal web of conflicts: an internecine turf war between MI5 and MI6; underhand Westminster manoeuvrings; Eurocrats bent on reversing Brexit; and, seemingly pulling all the strings, the sinister head of Russia’s FSB.

Soon the lobbyist-turned-spy isn’t just fighting to save his agency, his reputation and his country. He’s fighting for his life, and he’s fighting for revenge. 

First-time author Lionel Zetter brings dazzling insider knowledge to bear in this fast-moving contemporary thriller with a totally unexpected denouement in the Chamber of the House of Commons.

 

What did I think?

Wow!  What a cracking political thriller!  I actually couldn't be less interested in politics so I didn't expect to enjoy a book filled with politicians so much.  I really couldn't put The Lobbyist down.

The strapline says it all really: 'He may be a bastard. But he's our bastard.'  Damian Beaufort doesn't know who his father is so he is literally a bastard.  He's a bastard by name and a bastard by nature which makes him a successful and much sought after lobbyist.  When the Tories lose the election, Beaufort has no intention of going down with the ship but it's not as simple as just switching sides.

The disturbing prologue is set in Russia and, although it wasn't difficult to see how it related to the rest of the story, it's a great hook.  With the Russians involved, there's espionage and assassinations to add an extra layer of entertainment and suspense to the already gripping storyline.

Fast-paced, compelling and intriguing, The Lobbyist is a fantastic debut novel from Lionel Zetter.  With an intoxicating mixture of politics, espionage and danger, The Lobbyist is just crying out to be made into a TV series so I wouldn't be surprised to see it on our screens in the future.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Trap - Ava Glass

How far would you go to catch a killer?

This is the question UK agent Emma Makepeace must ask herself when she is sent to Edinburgh for the upcoming global G7 Summit.

The Russians are in town and Emma and her team know a high-profile assassination is being planned.

But who is their target?

There is only one way to find out. Emma must set a trap using herself as bait.

As the most powerful leaders in the world arrive and the city becomes gridlocked, Emma knows the clock is ticking.

 

What did I think?

I was so excited to read the new Alias Emma novel and I was not disappointed.  I just couldn't read it fast enough and the super-fast pacing left me breathless.  They don't call Ava Glass the Queen of Spy Fiction for no reason.

Although The Trap is book three in the series, you can read it as a standalone but you will definitely want to read the earlier books, if you haven't done so already.  Emma Makepeace has a new undercover assignment.  This time it's based in Edinburgh as intelligence discover an assassination plot planned for the G7 Summit.

It's a race against the clock to discover their identity and stop the assassin so Emma teams up with local law enforcement officer Kate Mackenzie.  I loved the connection Emma and Kate have so I don't think it's the last us readers have heard of Kate Mackenzie (yay!).

Blisteringly fast paced, sharp and addictive, it's impossible to put The Trap down once you pick it up.  Ava Glass is firmly cemented in place as one of my favourite authors and I highly recommend this book.

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:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Traitor - Ava Glass

LONDON. EARLY MORNING.

A body is found in a padlocked suitcase.

Investigator Emma Makepeace knows it's murder. And it's personal.

She quickly establishes that the dead man had been shadowing two oligarchs suspected of procuring illegal weapons in the UK. And it seems likely that an insider working deep within the British government is helping them.

To find out who the traitor is, Emma goes deep undercover on a superyacht owned by one of the oligarchs.

But the glamorous veneer of the rich hides dark secrets. Out at sea, Emma is both hunter and prey, and no one can protect her.

Never has the turquoise sea and golden sands of the Riviera seemed so dangerous.

As the hunt intensifies, Emma knows that she is in mortal danger. And that she needs to find the traitor before they find her . . .

 

What did I think?

Wow!  Ava Glass stole my breath; I'm sure I forgot to breath when I was reading The Traitor.  It is completely awesome!  It's Ava Glass' second book featuring intelligence agency operative Emma Makepeace but you can read it as a standalone as I haven't read The Chase but I definitely want to now.

Emma is a very strong and well-developed main character.  With Russian heritage, she is the perfect spy to place on a Russian yacht but, with no mobile phone coverage, the risks are very high.  It's a risk that Emma is more than willing to take though.  Yikes!  I'm glad I don't bite my nails or I'd have bitten them down to the quick.  

I absolutely loved this book and with a traitor in their midst I suspected almost everyone, even those people that Emma trusts.  I'm really not surprised that film rights have already been acquired as it is an outstanding spy novel.

Incredibly fast-paced and filled with danger, The Traitor is a breathtaking novel that drew me in from the start and continued at break-neck speed until the very end.  I think the book cover must have been coated in superglue as I simply couldn't put it down and my poor eyes were worn out at the speed I was demanding them to read.

Very highly recommended and an absolute must-read.  Just don't forget to breathe when you read it!

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:

The Traitor is the highly anticipated follow up to Ava Glass’ 2022 debut spy thriller The Chase.

The Chase is currently shortlisted for Best Spy Novel at the 2023 Crime Writer Awards alongside established names including Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) and Linwood Barclay. No small feat for a debut novelist.

Film rights to The Chase and The Traitor have been acquired by Ink Factory, producers of The Night Manager, who are currently working on a pilot in conjunction with Sky Atlantic, now in the final stages of editing. Next step will be casting!  

Ava Glass is a former civil servant with the highest security clearance bar one.  She has seen just enough of the inner workings of espionage to ensure that she will always be fascinated by spies.

Prior to working at the home office, Ava Glass worked as a crime reporter, covering multiple homicides, making her writing both fresh and dangerously believable.

Follow the tour:

The Night Lawyer - Alex Churchill

Sophie Angel is the night lawyer. Once a week, she's the one who decides what the papers can and can't say.

During the day, she's a barrister. She struggles for justice in a system that's close to collapse, where she confronts the most dangerous aspects of humanity. Her life changes when a wealthy Russian offers her the biggest case of her career, a rape trial with a seemingly innocent client. But is someone manipulating Sophie from the shadows or is the danger much closer to home?

With her marriage under strain and haunted by nightmares from the past, Sophie must find the answer to these questions before it's too late. 

This is a story about betrayal, trust, guilt and innocence, played out from the courtrooms of London to the darkest corners of Soviet era Moscow.

What did I think?

If you're like me and you love a courtroom drama then The Night Lawyer is most definitely for you.  There's nothing better than being immersed in a good story and feeling like you're viewing the trial from all angles and Alex Churchill does this absolutely brilliantly in her outstanding debut novel.  The Night Lawyer ticks all the boxes for a thrilling courtroom drama and then ticks a few more boxes for luck. 

Alex Churchill is on to a winner here as Sophie Angel is a superb character with more strands to her story than a plate of spaghetti.  The daughter of a Russian father and English mother, Sophie spent her early childhood in Moscow before her family defected to the west.  Sophie has nightmares about her childhood and there's something about her Uncle Kiril that her parents aren't telling her.  A big tick goes in the family secrets box.

Sophie is a barrister in the prestigious Inner Temple and married to popular QC Theo Frazer so her life should be the envy of all of her peers, however, the couple are struggling to make ends meet and there are rumours that Theo is having an affair.  Barrister by day and newspaper libel lawyer by night, Sophie has a lot on her plate without her personal problems.  Let's tick that box for a potentially cheating spouse and put an extra tick in the gossip box as Sophie hears whispers around court.

As the great comedian Frank Carson would say, 'There's more!'.  A case from the past comes back to haunt her when a prisoner escapes from custody and is rumoured to be obsessed with Sophie.  Sophie has to keep looking over her shoulder whilst also taking on a rape case at the request of the new newspaper owner's wife.  The court case that follows is absolutely sublime; I felt like I was judge, jury, defendant, victim, prosecutor and defence as well as viewing it all from the public gallery.  This is one of those books that you can't put down because you're 'in court'.  A huge tick for realistic courtroom scenes that keep the reader entertained.

Aside from the magnificent story, it was great to get an insight into the workings and history of the British justice system.  Although I already knew about the history behind the black robes, I did look up the gateway at the top of Inner Temple Lane and Fleet Street.  I was amazed to read that the gateway is one of only a few surviving medieval buildings in London and that the rooms above it date back to the 17th Century when they were reputed to be used as council chambers of Charles I when he was Prince of Wales.  I love books where I get a little something extra from them; little nuggets of interesting facts that send me off searching the internet for hours.  That's the exceptional box populated with a big fat tick.

The Night Lawyer is a stunning debut that transports the reader from the present day courtroom in London one minute to Sophie's early childhood in Soviet Moscow the next.  It says on the back cover that this is a Sophie Angel novel so I am crossing my fingers and toes that there are many more Sophie Angel novels to come.  The Night Lawyer is absolutely outstanding and is a very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Violet - SJI Holliday

Carrie’s best friend has an accident and can no longer make the round-the-world trip they’d planned together, so Carrie decides to go it alone. 

Violet is also travelling alone, after splitting up with her boyfriend in Thailand. She is desperate for a ticket on the Trans-Siberian Express, but there is nothing available.

When the two women meet in a Beijing Hotel, Carrie makes the impulsive decision to invite Violet to take her best friend’s place.

Thrown together in a strange country, and the cramped cabin of the train, the women soon form a bond. But as the journey continues, through Mongolia and into Russia, things start to unravel – because one of these women is not who she claims to be…

What did I think?

I first heard of Susi Holliday when she appeared on a panel at Newcastle Noir 2019; I immediately added her to my list of authors I wanted to read and Violet is the first SJI Holliday book that I have read.  It's not a creepy ghosty book of the style that made me sit up and take notice of this author, but it's spine-tingly chilling in its own very different way.

What a multi-faceted character Susi Holliday has created in Violet.  Violet is like a spark in a firework factory; you really don't want to encounter one!  There's a definite dark undercurrent and an air of mystery about what her endgame is but it's clear that there's something not quite right about her.  I really feared for Carrie's safety when Violet tagged along on Carrie's spare train ticket and couldn't help but feel that Violet was a bad influence on Carrie.  I had no idea how this would all turn out, but I suspected it would turn out badly for Carrie.

I loved the inclusion of email exchanges between Carrie and her friend Laura, who would have travelled with her if she hadn't broken her leg just before they were due to set off.  It really gives an insight into Carrie's thoughts and feelings and it's also interesting to read how we often put a positive spin on things and choose what we tell people.

What a blindingly good page-turner Violet is!  I was totally hooked by Violet's story and the darkness within her; I think if you cut her she'd be black inside.  Of course, things are never what they seem and SJI Holliday has quite a few surprises in store for the reader.  Is Violet deluded, psychotic, dangerous or all of the above?  You'll just have to read the book to find out.

Violet is a dark and disturbing page-turner that had me on the edge of my seat; it's not just a cracker of a book it's a real firecracker!  It's an unusual and outstanding book and I'm off to shop for more SJI Holliday books right now!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

S.J.I. (Susi) Holliday is a scientist, writing coach and the bestselling author of five crime novels, including the Banktoun Trilogy (Black Wood, Willow Walk and The Damselfly), the festive chiller The Deaths of December and her creepy Gothic psychological thriller The Lingering. Her short story ‘Home From Home’ was published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and shortlisted for the CWA Margery Allingham Prize. Encapsulating her love of travel and claustrophobic settings, her latest novel, Violet, explores toxic friendships and the perils of talking to strangers, as well as drawing on her own journey on the Trans-Siberian Express over 10 years ago. All of her novels have been UK ebook number-one bestsellers. Susi was born and raised in Scotland and now divides her time between Edinburgh, London and as many other exciting places that she can fit in. 

Follow the tour:

The Guardian of Lies - Kate Furnivall

1953, the South of France. The fragile peace between the West and Soviet Russia hangs on a knife edge. And one family has been torn apart by secrets and conflicting allegiances.

Eloïse Caussade is a courageous young Frenchwoman, raised on a bull farm near Arles in the Camargue. She idolises her older brother, André, and when he leaves to become an Intelligence Officer working for the CIA in Paris to help protect France, she soon follows him. Having exchanged the strict confines of her father's farm for a life of freedom in Paris, her world comes alive. 

But everything changes when André is injured - a direct result of Eloise's actions. Unable to work, André returns to his father’s farm, but Eloïse’s sense of guilt and responsibility for his injuries sets her on the trail of the person who attempted to kill him.

Eloïse finds her hometown in a state of unrest and conflict. Those who are angry at the construction of the American airbase nearby, with its lethal nuclear armaments, confront those who support it, and anger flares into violence, stirred up by Soviet agents. Throughout all this unrest, Eloïse is still relentlessly hunting down the man who betrayed her brother and his country, and she is learning to look at those she loves and at herself with different eyes. She no longer knows who she can trust. Who is working for Soviet Intelligence and who is not? And what side do her own family lie on?

What did I think?

I discovered Kate Furnivall through TBC on Facebook so joining that group is the best thing I ever did as I absolutely adore her books.  As a keen reader of historical fiction, I know how difficult it can be to bring an era to life but Kate Furnivall does this impeccably.  What an amazing talent to be able to transport the reader to miscellaneous locations and time periods; whether it's early 20th Century Egypt in Shadows on the Nile, war torn Italy in The Liberation or post-war France in The Guardian of Lies I feel as if I'm travelling the world through Kate Furnivall's wonderful books.

In The Guardian of Lies we launch straight into the action with Eloïse acting as a getaway driver for her brother André.  With a car chase that would rival James Bond, I had my heart in my mouth and was left breathless as the action unfolds.  The pacing doesn't give up there, even when Eloïse and André return to their father's farm in Arles; in fact it felt more dangerous in the idyllic countryside of The Camargue with civil unrest over an American airbase being built on their farmland.  With such a great opportunity to spy on the American airforce, Eloïse can't tell which side her family, friends and neighbours are on.  The question on my lips throughout the whole book was: who can she trust?

Oh my word, this is another outstanding novel by Kate Furnivall.  I almost managed to read it in one sitting, if only I didn't have to eat and sleep!  I really couldn't put it down and it's unusual for this to happen to me when reading historical fiction as sometimes it's quite fact-heavy and dry so I need to take regular breaks.  Kate Furnivall's writing is so multi-faceted that it awakens the senses as you see, hear and smell every sight, sound and action along with the characters.

I was a little concerned that the story might be confusing, as is often the case with Russian espionage, but I needn't have worried as the story is easy to follow and we aren't overrun with characters.  This proves yet again that Kate Furnivall is an exceptional storyteller.  I think of Kate Furnivall is a literary knitter; she spins such a good yarn.

The Guardian of Lies is an exceptional novel by one of the finest historical fiction authors I've ever come across; so grab your passport and pick up a copy to be transported to post-war France from the comfort of your armchair.  A highly recommended read and one I shall definitely be recommending for a long time to come.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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




Follow the tour:

Need to Know - Karen Cleveland

You get to work. Make a coffee. Turn on your computer.

Your task: break into a Russian criminal's laptop and find proof that he's concealing five deep-cover agents - seemingly normal people living in plain sight.

You’re in. Five faces stare back at you.

One of them is your husband.

What did I think?

What a scorching debut!  I read this via The Pigeonhole so read this in 10 staves over 10 days but I definitely think that this would have been a book I would have read in one sitting.  It was torture waiting 24 hours for the next instalment after being left on so many end of chapter cliffhangers and I even set my alarm 30 minutes early so I could read the last instalment before going to work.  It really is THAT good and I don't want to inadvertently reveal any of the plot so I'm going for a brief review.  

Need to Know is a book that constantly has you questioning 'what would I do?' as Viv cracks a Russian spy's computer and sees her husband's picture among his assets.  What would you do?  Call your boss and destroy your family or hit delete and go home to your husband, the spy?  What a moral dilemma for Viv and it's easy to say you'd do one or the other until you're actually presented with the same situation.  I didn't blame Viv at all for her actions although could see her getting deeper and deeper into a hole from which she could never climb out of.

My huge question was 'can Viv trust her husband, Matt?' and I changed my mind over and over again.  I went from yelling 'don't trust him' to thinking that their whole life couldn't be a lie...could it?  The whole book reminded me of a series of 24 with the suspense and tension building with each chapter, so I wasn't surprised to learn that Universal Studios have acquired the movie rights to Need to Know.  If it's half as good as the book, it'll be AMAZING!

Need to Know is an edge of your seat suspense filled thriller that begs a follow up and consider me on my knees begging you for a sequel, Karen Cleveland. A 100% definite 5 star read; do not miss this book!  

This is my honest and unbiased opinion of my first, but definitely not my last, Pigeonhole book.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Spaces in Between - Collin Van Reenan

There is Truth and there are Lies; there is Fiction and there is Fact; there is Life and there is Death.

And then there are the Spaces in Between.

Paris, 1968. Nicholas finds himself broke, without papers and on the verge of being deported back to England. Seeking to stay in France, Nicholas takes a three-month contract as an English tutor to the 17-year-old Imperial Highness Natalya. It is the perfect solution; free room and board, his wages saved, and a place to hide from police raids. All that is asked of Nicholas is too obey the lifestyle of the Victorian household and not to leave the house's grounds. It should have solved all his problems...

The Spaces In Between details the experience of Nicholas as he finds himself an unwitting prisoner within an aristocratic household, apparently frozen in time, surrounded by macabre and eccentric personalities who seem determined to drag him to the point of insanity. Much deeper runs a question every reader is left to ponder - if this tale is fact and not fiction, then what motivation could have driven his tormentors?

What did I think?

Before I even talk about what I thought of the book, I have to say that the cover of The Spaces in Between is absolutely magnificent.  At first glance, I just saw a Venetian style mask but on looking more closely I noticed the skeleton underneath and then my eye was drawn to the amazing detail of the mask itself.  The whole story is told in this mask so it's worth lingering a little longer on the cover before diving into the book.

It is clear from the preface that this is an unusual book.  The preface is written from the point of view of Marie-Claire, a doctor of psychology.  Newly qualified, Nicholas is her first patient and he has given Marie-Claire permission to publish his story.  A story that is so unbelievable, I had to keep reminding myself it was true.  It is the truth as Nicholas remembers it in his bewildered state after his escape from the house.

Even before a chapter was named Danse Macabre I had the memorable piece by Saint-Saëns playing in my head and I think it would be the perfect theme song for this book as Nicholas is manipulated and manoeuvred into place like a puppet.  He is powerless to resist the charms of Natalya, the Russian princess he is employed to teach, and her guardian, Madame Lili.  As his stay in the house lengthens, Nicholas starts to see figures in monochrome including Russian soldiers in the library and a family walking in the garden.  Only one member of the family is in colour, the mysterious Tatiana, but only Nicholas can see her.

I loved the format of the book with Marie-Claire talking about her patient, Nicholas.  It gives a level of credence to the story that could very easily be mistaken as fiction without such endorsement.  I was fascinated and intrigued from start to finish and it felt so very psychedelic at times that I think I will need to read the book again to appreciate every little nuance.

It's an astonishing true story, written so very vividly that you can easily picture each scene, both monochrome and technicolour, in your mind.  Scenes of life in colour, scenes of death in monochrome but what colour are The Spaces in Between?  A very enjoyable read with dark gothic undertones and trippy psychedelic moments that make it impossible to separate fact from fiction, leaving the reader limited only by their imagination.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden

The beautiful cover of The Bear and the Nightingale gives a little hint as to the magic that is hiding within the pages.  Based on Russian fairytales and myths, it is an outstanding fairytale for adults and you can read my review here.  As part of the blog tour, I am thrilled to be able to share the first chapter with you.  Happy reading!

Now wrap up warm and enjoy a brief frosty visit to Russia (click on the arrow in the top right corner to read full screen).

You can buy The Bear and the Nightingale from Amazon by clicking here and I recommend that you treat yourself to the beautiful hardback.

Follow the fabulous tour:

The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden

A young woman's family is threatened by forces both real and fantastical in this debut novel inspired by Russian fairy tales.

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, the father hides the gift away and his daughter, Vasya, grows up a wild, wilful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.

What did I think?

I thought this was such an unusual idea for a book that I just had to read it for myself.  I don't believe that anyone is ever too old for fairytales, in fact I think that many myths and legends are kept alive by being told to children as fairy stories.  The Bear and the Nightingale doesn't read like a traditional fairytale, it is definitely a novel for adults but contains a sprinkling of magic and the eternal battle of good against evil.

It was sometimes hard to get used to the Russian names, especially when the characters are also referred to by their affectionate family names.  For example, the main character, Vasilisa is referred to as Vasya by her family.  Once you got the hang of it though, it does become clear who everyone is.

Pyotr and Marina are expecting another child and Marina knows there's something special about this one.  Unfortunately, Marina dies giving birth to Vasilisa (Vasya) but it's like the time that Obi Wan Kenobe felt a disturbance in the force, as the hidden world feels Vasya's presence and the destiny that awaits her.

I had never heard of protective house spirits called domovoi or rusalka, which are water nymphs.  I'd like to think we all have a domovoi residing in our homes, looking after our wellbeing, and it reminds me of the tradition of leaving a glass of milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.  Perhaps we should leave a little glass of something each night for our very own domovoi.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a difficult book to review without giving away any spoilers but I found myself so completely immersed in the book that I could almost feel snowflakes landing on my nose.  There is a jaw dropping battle at the end, not quite between good and evil, and a few of the characters are quite prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice to save their loved ones.  It's goosebumpy reading and not just from the chilly temperatures; The Bear and the Nightingale is an outstanding fantastical fairytale for adults.

I chose to read an ARC of The Bear and the Nightingale and this is my honest opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon