BOOKSTAGRAM TOUR: Princeweaver - Elian J Morgan

Their marriage is to save a warring kingdom. But in the process, it might destroy them both

Born with forbidden, nature-infused magic in an occupied land, anxious apothecary Meilyr survives by keeping his head down. Until he ends up engaged to invading prince Osian in order to save his brother's life. Now, he is in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to hide his true self.

When nobles in Osian's court are gruesomely murdered by the same magic that flows through his veins, Meilyr realises someone is seeking revenge for his homeland. As suspicion towards him grows, he and the prince work together to uncover the killer or risk losing the crown - or their lives.

Between court politics, unwieldy magic and a murderer on the loose, Meilyr must keep his wits about him. Especially as his feelings for Osian grow deeper with every passing day...

Combines the court intrigue and slow-burn yearning of A Taste of Gold and Iron with the folkloric grounding and lore that readers of Naomi Novik and Stephanie Garber will enjoy.

 

What did I think?

I can't start my review of Princeweaver by Elian J Morgan without mentioning the absolutely stunning cover on the beautiful hardback edition.  It has the feel of a fairy tale for adults and there are certainly some magical elements in the book to back that up.

I adored Meilyr whose story is very intriguing and links to the fox on the front cover.  Meilyr is an apothecary after being trained in the herbal arts by his adopted family.  There's a lot of conflict in the kingdom and Meilyr is just trying to keep his brother out of trouble when he finds himself crossing paths with Prince Osian.  Prince Osian saves Meilyr from prison by coming up with a plan to marry him.  

There's much more to this story than meets the eye and, as the fake marriage progresses, it is clear that Meilyr and Osian have deep feelings for each other.  There's a lot of treachery in the palace too as the siblings all covet the crown and I was on the edge of my seat with Meilyr caught in the crossfire.

I loved the excerpts from letters and documents at the start of each chapter that added authenticity to the story.  Anyone familiar with Welsh folklore (unfortunately, I'm not) will pick up some references to myth and legend.  

Princeweaver is a vivid and imaginative story with a lot of intrigue, a good helping of romance and a sprinkling of magic.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for the sequel, Princebreaker.

I received a gifted hardback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Marshal of Snowdonia Paperback – Simon McCleave

Living and working in Snowdonia was always retired detective Frank Marshal's dream. Until a phone call asking for his help turns it into his worst nightmare.

Retired detective Frank Marshal lives in a remote part of Snowdonia with his wife Rachel who is suffering from dementia. Working as a park ranger, Frank gets a phone call from close friend Annie, a retired judge. Her sister Meg has gone missing from a local caravan park and she needs his help to find her.

As Frank and Annie start to unravel the dark secrets of Meg's life, it seems at first that her disappearance might be linked to her nephew and a drug deal gone wrong. In a shocking twist, their investigation leads them to a series of murders in North Wales from the 1990s and a possible miscarriage of justice.

Can Frank and Annie uncover the sinister truth so they find her sister in time to save her? Or will a brutal serial killer add Meg to his list of victims?

Marshal of Snowdonia is the first book in the Frank Marshal Crime Thriller series from multi-million bestselling author Simon McCleave. If you like dark thrillers, psychologically complex characters and shocking twits, then you'll love Simon McCleave's pulse-pounding new novel.

What did I think?

Marshal of Snowdonia is the first book in a new series from crime thriller author Simon McCleave and what an absolute belter it is - I  raced through it and couldn't put it down.  It's the first book by Simon McCleave that I have read and it has certainly whetted my appetite to read more of his books.

Once a detective, always a detective - that's how I see Frank Marshal.  Frank may have retired but he doesn't hesitate to do a little investigating of his own when his friend's sister goes missing.  Annie is close to her sister Meg but there's a lot about her life that she doesn't know.  Uncovering Meg's secrets leads Frank and Annie into a web of danger and sheds new light on a series of murders that the police thought were solved.

This book is so good and I loved everything about it.  The plotting is exquisite as the story twists and turns to shock, surprise and delight the reader.  The character development is breathtaking as I really felt as if I got to know Frank throughout the course of the book, making me look forward to his next adventure.

Unpredicatable and unputdownable, Marshal of Snowdonia is an outstanding crime thriller novel and an electrifying start to an exciting new series.  Very highly recommended.

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

Follow the tour:

You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead - Tess James-Mackey

The only thing worse than being lost . . . is being found.

Keely planned to keep her head down at her new school - she isn't there to make friends or memories, she just wants to be left alone.

In order to get into college, she is roped into a programme that involves camping in the Welsh wilderness with five over-keen try-hards. Her plan is to keep her head down, keep her mouth shut and get through the next few days.

But Keely is running from something. Something that drove her family out of their home and to this quiet town. And when her fellow explorers start disappearing and the bodies begin to pile up, she has to ask herself: did she run far enough?

The second spine-chilling standalone from the author of Someone is Watching You, Tess James-Mackey.

 

What did I think?

After reading Tess James-Mackey's outstanding debut, Someone Is Watching You, I was very excited to read her next book, You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead, and I was not disappointed.  It is every bit just as creepy, tense and disturbing as I expected and I loved every second of it.

I've never been camping and I certainly wouldn't want to now after reading about a school trip to the Black Mountains in Wales that goes terribly wrong.  Keely is the new girl at school after a tragic event that saw her leave her old life behind and start again where nobody knows her.  She can run but she can't hide

Keely is haunted by her past, that is gradually revealed to the reader through flashbacks, but she has more pressing things on her mind at the moment when the group finds themselves lost in the spooky Welsh wilderness with no phone signal.  The barren location is completely bone-chilling and I could easily visualise the creepy ruins of the abbey.  

Tense, creepy and disturbing, You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead is a chilling YA read that is filled with suspense.  The stories of ghostly monks that entertained the group sent shivers down my spine and I was totally creeped out when things started going bump in the night.  A highly recommend read for teens and adults alike.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Beginning of Everything - Jackie Fraser

 

This is the story of Jess and Gethin, whose paths cross in the most unexpected way. 

Jess is running away, leaving all she knows and everyone she loves behind her, with just a few treasured belongings in her rucksack. She’s escaping from the pain and trauma of a bad relationship with a bad man, gone very badly wrong. 

Gethin’s kindness and care take her breath away. They become friends. But with so much hurt in her past, can Jess learn to love and live again?

What did I think?

I loved Jackie Fraser's debut, The Bookshop of Second Chances, but her new book, The Beginning of Everything is very special indeed.  It's a lovely lovely story (so lovely I had to say 'lovely' twice) and I experienced so many different emotions whilst reading it but I turned the final page with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye as I said goodbye to two wonderful characters.

Jess and Gethin meet in the strangest circumstances when Gethin opens the door to his new home and finds Jess living there.  Jess is 46 years old and homeless so when she finds an empty property it's just too much of a temptation not to spend the night there.  At least with an address she can get a job and start saving for a place of her own.  Until Gethin, the owner of the house, appears...

Gethin's family has been touched with homelessness and tragedy so he wants to help Jess, but she is naturally suspicious.  Surely, he can't be THAT nice?  Just the simple things that Gethin does for Jess were enough to bring a lump to my throat.  It was so lovely to see someone doing something kind without expecting recognition or reward.

Jess has built a solid brick wall around her heart to protect herself from further pain and the wall starts to crumble a little when a firm friendship forms between the pair.  When their feelings start to grow into something more, I don't think Jess can believe something good can be happening to her so she builds that wall back up.  It's very much a will they/won't they and I don't think I have ever rooted for a fictional pair as much as I did for Jess and Gethin.  

Beautifully written and incredibly uplifting, The Beginning of Everything is a book that oozes with kindness; it made me think about my own actions or inactions and how just a little thing can make all the difference.  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

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Bride - John Nicholl

She’s on trial for murder… Now it’s her turn to tell her story…

The truth is that I loved James with my whole heart. We were soulmates: meant to be together forever. On the morning of our wedding, I had just found out I was carrying his child.

But it’s time to tell my side of the story. It’s time everyone knew what happened on that wedding day, on our honeymoon, and on that fateful last drive together. It’s time everyone found out about the secrets and about the threat that loomed over our marriage. It’s time everyone found out who really killed James.

And I need everyone to believe me. To believe I’m not a killer. Because if they don’t, then my baby won’t just have no father… she’ll have no mother.

 

What did I think?

John Nicholl's books always hook me from the start with a wonderfully tense and gripping storyline and The Bride is no exception.  I absolutely loved it and couldn't wait to discover Daisy's story and find out what had happened to her new husband, James.

The tension is palpable throughout as Daisy tells her story about how she so quickly went from being a bride to a widow.  We meet Daisy, widowed and pregnant, when she is remanded in prison and writing her story for her unborn child.  As if that wasn't enough of a hook, the mysterious circumstances surrounding her new husband's disappearance and subsequent death had me doubly hooked.

I loved how the book is written in Daisy's voice and it really felt as if she was speaking out loud to me as I was reading.  You can't help but feel sorry for her when her happy days as a newlywed are cut so devastatingly short.  I couldn't read fast enough to find out what had happened to James and how Daisy has ended up on trial for murder.   I had many theories and I'm delighted to say that all of them were wrong!

Addictive, twisty and tense, The Bride is an incredibly gripping psychological thriller that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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

My rating:

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

About the author:

John Nicholl is the bestselling author of numerous psychological thrillers and detective series, previously published by Bloodhound, and inspired by his real-life experience as an ex-police officer and child protection social worker. Boldwood will be publishing the next title in his Galbraith series and a new psychological thriller in autumn 2022, and will be reissuing his bestselling backlist from May 2022.

Social Media Links –  

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/nicholl06 

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

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/john-nicholl 

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Last Party (DC Morgan Book 1) - Clare Mackintosh

On New Year's Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests.

His lakeside holiday homes are a success, and he's generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbours. This will be the party to end all parties.

But not everyone is there to celebrate. By midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year's Day, DC Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects.

The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbours, friends and family - and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn't who wanted Rhys dead . . . but who finally killed him.

In a village with this many secrets, a murder is just the beginning. 

 

What did I think?

You're always guaranteed a good read with a Clare Mackintosh book and The Last Party is no exception.  It's the first in a new series and I'm already hooked as I love DC Ffion Morgan and the village of Cwm Coed on the Welsh/English border.

The traditional New Year's Day swim in the lake is disrupted when a body is found floating in it.  Not many tears are shed when it's revealed that the body is that of local celebrity Rhys Lloyd.  For starters, Rhys has brought the English to Cwm Coed with his controversial development The Shore on the English side of the lake.  The tension and distrust of strangers in a small village is beautifully portrayed and it makes every single one of the villagers a suspect.  

Ffion has her own demons to deal with and she wears her reputation of being a wild child like a badge of honour, although it has come at a very steep cost.  I love Ffion's personality, her flawed character and the way that she meets and interacts with Leo, her partner in this case, is just brilliant.  Cheshire police are involved as Rhys lived in England, but his body was found in Wales.  

There's just so much to enjoy and devour in this book.  Leo's personal and professional life is riveting with his ex-wife holding something over him and his boss being an absolute disgrace.  Ffion's covering something up and I was completely thrown off course and blindsided when that all got revealed.  As for who killed Rhys...well, you'll just have to read it and find out!

With a plot that would make Agatha Christie envious, Clare Mackintosh delivers once again in her stunning new novel The Last Party.  It's an absolutely stunning start to a new series and I am so excited to find out what's next in store for Ffion.  An easy five stars - very highly recommended.

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:

Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of five Sunday Times bestselling novels, including I Let You Go, which was the fastest selling debut thriller in the year it was released. Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, have been New York Times and international bestsellers and have spent a combined total of 64 weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart.

Clare spent twelve years in the police force, including time on CID, and as a public order commander. She left the police in 2011 to work as a freelance journalist and social media consultant and is the founder of the Chipping Norton Literary Festival. She now writes full time and lives in Wales with her husband and their three children.

www.claremackintosh.com / www.facebook.com/ClareMackWrites / @ClareMackint0sh

Follow the tour:

Her Last Holiday - C.L. Taylor

You come to Soul Shrink to be healed. You don’t expect to die.

Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.

Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna.

Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?

What did I think?

I love C. L. Taylor books so I know that once I pick one up, I won't be able to put it down.  Her new novel, Her Last Holiday is as gripping and highly addictive as I would expect and I absolutely raced through it, however, I found that I became more puzzled than enraptured as the story went on.

I'll start with the puzzling part...

Whilst the story of Jenna's disappearance and Tom Wade's part in it is very intriguing, the sheer number of characters over two timelines made it a little confusing.  Some characters appear in both timelines but they have different names now and some characters in the present are pretending to be someone else so they have two names too.  It felt like every other character has two personas and I don't know whether it was an issue with the proof copy but the names sometimes got mixed up.  For example, an undercover reporter seemed to switch to her real name (Caroline) part way through with other guests suddenly referring to Joy as Caroline.  Also in Jenna's storyline, Tim and Alison stopped breathing yet it was Tim and Bessie who died.  Did Alison make a miraculous recovery, was Alison also known as Bessie or was this a proof copy mistake?  I certainly did a lot of virtual head scratching but hopefully any possible errors will be corrected in the finished copy and it'll be less confusing.

Now I've got that out of the way, the story itself was very good.  Jenna and Fran have the mother from HELL.  Oh my god, no wonder they are both f$%ked up.  In their mother's eyes, Fran can do no right and Jenna can do no wrong, although the quest for perfection clearly takes its toll and Jenna books herself onto a wellness retreat.  When two people die and Jenna goes missing on his retreat in Malta, Tom Wade is sent to prison.  Two years later, he is released and rather insensitively, as if sticking two fingers up to the victims, sets up another retreat in Wales.  The mother from hell, after losing one daughter this way and without a care for Fran's safety, books a place on the new retreat for Fran.  She is hoping that Fran can find out what happened to Jenna, which is more important to her than keeping her remaining daughter safe.

Fran is a really bad actress and a terrible liar, often forgetting that she's supposed to be called Geraldine and I really feared for her safety.  With so many people not being who they seem to be, I was filled with dread that something awful would happen to her.  It's all very tense and suspenseful as the past is revealed and the present unfolds, which kept me rapidly turning the pages as I approached the satisfying conclusion.  

Her Last Holiday is twisty, intriguing, suspenseful and very addictive.  Nobody writes such addictive storylines as C.L. Taylor.

Many thanks to the publisher, Avon, for sending me an ARC; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: Lionheart (Richard the Lionheart Book 1) - Ben Kane

REBEL. LEADER. BROTHER. KING.

1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme.

But there is unrest in Henry's house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion.

Ferdia - an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland - saves the life of Richard, the king's son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior.

Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine. The bloody battles and gruelling sieges which followed would earn Richard the legendary name of Lionheart.

But Richard's older brother, Henry, is infuriated by his sibling's newfound fame. Soon it becomes clear that the biggest threat to Richard's life may not be rebel or French armies, but his own family...

What did I think?

As a fan of historical fiction, I've always wanted to read a Ben Kane book so when I saw that he had changed historical period from Roman to Plantagenet I thought it was a good time to pick one up.  Richard the Lionheart is such a famous historical figure and I am ashamed to say that I knew very little about him, although I know a bit more about him now that I have read Lionheart.

Richard is Duke of Aquitaine when we first encounter him in Lionheart and rather surprisingly he is not the main character in the book.  The story is told from the point of view of Ferdia, an Irish nobleman who is being held captive at Striguil (now known as Chepstow) in Wales.  Ferdia is nicknamed Rufus because of his red hair and quickly acquires an arch-enemy, a knight named Robert FitzAldelm, who Ferdia refers to as Fists and Boots due to the constant physical bullying.  Ferdia and FitzAldelm take an instant dislike to each other but fate sees them crossing paths on many more occasions.

Lionheart tells Richard's story through Ferdia's eyes and it covers quite a lot of ground over a 10 year period from 1179 to 1189.  Richard's father, Henry II, is on the throne and growing weary of his four sons feuding and backstabbing each other.  I really enjoyed reading about the plotting and scheming between the boys: Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John (they sound like a medieval Beatles).  I was aware that Richard and John were brothers, but I didn't realise that there were other siblings so it was really interesting to find out how Richard I became Henry II's successor.

There are not only battles between the brothers, but there are actual battles portrayed in Lionheart.  The level of detail and vivid depiction of battle is clearly Ben Kane's forte.  The sights, sounds and smells of battle jump out of the pages as Richard evolves into the warrior we know he becomes.  I have to say that I found the battle scenes a bit hard going as I'm not terribly interested in strategy and war but I'm sure that most people will find it gripping and thrilling.

I loved reading Ferdia's story as his growing respect for Richard sees him overcoming his hatred of the English.  Ferdia seems very loyal, in both love and war, so I think that Richard has a good man by his side and Ferdia will have many more tales to tell in future instalments.  In this first instalment, Lionheart sets the scene perfectly for what I'm sure will be an epic series.  

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 Family - Louise Jensen

ONCE YOU’RE IN, THEY’LL NEVER LET YOU LEAVE.

Laura is grieving after the sudden death of her husband. Struggling to cope emotionally and financially, Laura is grateful when a local community, Oak Leaf Organics, offer her and her 17-year-old daughter Tilly a home.

But as Laura and Tilly settle into life with their new ‘family’, sinister things begin to happen. When one of the community dies in suspicious circumstances Laura wants to leave but Tilly, enthralled by the charismatic leader, Alex, refuses to go.

Desperately searching for a way to save her daughter, Laura uncovers a horrifying secret but Alex and his family aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Just as Laura has been digging into their past, they’ve been digging into hers and she discovers the terrifying reason they invited her and Tilly in, and why they’ll never let them leave…

What did I think?

I always get excited when I see a new Louise Jensen book coming out; her books are absolutely brilliant and if you haven't read one yet, what are you waiting for?  Pick one, pick them all, you won't be disappointed.  I must warn you though, once you pick up The Family, you simply can't do anything until you finish the book.  Thank goodness for cold and wet October weekends; not that I need an excuse to stay inside to read, of course.  The Family is definitely a one-sitting kind of book, with an intriguing prologue and little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter making you read just one more after just one more.

The Family, as you would expect, is about family: Laura's flesh family (doesn't that sound creepy?) and her chosen family (which really is creepy).  Laura and her daughter, Tilly, find themselves in unimaginable circumstances when Laura's husband, Gavan, dies.  With so much turmoil surrounding Gavan's death, Laura finds herself ostracized from Gavan's family and struggling to pay the rent.  With nowhere left to turn, she is invited to join the community at Gorphwysfa (Welsh for 'resting place') and is unable to resist joining the family led by the alluring and enigmatic Alex.

The story is told from three viewpoints, that of Laura, Tilly and Alex.  The characters have been developed so wonderfully that each voice had its own individuality but what they each have in common is a heartbreaking story at their core.  Laura has never had much luck with her 'flesh' family, Tilly is suffering at school thanks to a group of mean girls and Alex just wants to look after his family...or does he?  

I think Louise Jensen is a bit of a magician; with slight of hand, she has you looking in completely the wrong direction as she plucks the ace out of her sleeve for the big reveal.  I knew there would be at least one secret struggling to remain hidden but Louise Jensen goes one better with some absolutely huge, jaw-dropping surprises in store for the reader.  Just when I thought that I'd heard it all and I could breathe again, Louise Jensen completely took the wind out of my sails and I was actually left breathless.  This is absolutely brilliant writing; Louise Jensen, I salute you!  

The Family is jaw-droppingly brilliant; it's a highly addictive read that completely took my breath away.  Clear your schedule as once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down.

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: A Shadow on the Lens - Sam Hurcom

The Postmaster looked over my shoulder. As I turned to look I saw a flicker of movement from across the street. I felt unseen eyes peer at me. 

He walked away without another word. I watched as he climbed onto his bicycle and sped away down the street. I turned back and looked over my shoulder. 

Someone had been watching us.

1904. Thomas Bexley, one of the first forensic photographers, is called to the sleepy and remote Welsh village of Dinas Powys, several miles down the coast from the thriving port of Cardiff. A young girl by the name of Betsan Tilny has been found murdered in the woodland - her body bound and horribly burnt. But the crime scene appears to have been staged, and worse still: the locals are reluctant to help.

As the strange case unfolds, Thomas senses a growing presence watching him, and try as he may, the villagers seem intent on keeping their secret. Then one night, in the grip of a fever, he develops the photographic plates from the crime scene in a makeshift darkroom in the cellar of his lodgings. There, he finds a face dimly visible in the photographs; a face hovering around the body of the dead girl - the face of Betsan Tilny.

What did I think?

I enjoy reading both historical fiction and crime thrillers so my interest was already piqued when I read the blurb of A Shadow on the Lens.  Then when I read that the book is set in the small Welsh village of Dinas Powys, which is where my maternal great great great grandfather was born in 1827, I just had to read it.  My ancestor had moved to the North East by 1904 (which is when this story is set), maybe leaving brothers and sisters in Dinas Powys, so I was very excited to read a book set in the village he left behind; although no Norris's featured in the story.

It took me a little while to get into the rhythm of the book but the murder of Betsan Tilny is so very intriguing that it keeps the pages turning nicely.  A forensic photographer is summoned to the village to investigate the crime and this was the first oddity to intrigue me - why a photographer and not a police inspector?  It soon becomes clear that the locals want Thomas Bexley to simply take his photos and leave their village without discovering who or what has committed the crime.  Everyone in the village appears to be hiding something so the sooner Thomas is gone the better.  

We take it for granted these days that we take a photo and see it instantly but there's something so very mystical and magical about developing photographs and back in 1904 (only a few years after the Kodak Brownie was introduced) photos were developed on plates in a dark room.  When Thomas develops his photographs he can't believe his eyes as the murder victim appears as a ghostly apparition.  When Thomas is suddenly struck down with a fever and his negatives disappear, he wonders if he imagined it all but he remembers clues from the photographs that he couldn't possibly have known about beforehand.  This puts him in more danger than he could ever have imagined.

I loved the spooky supernatural element to the story which really makes A Shadow on the Lens something different.  Encompassing so many genres means that it will appeal to crime, historical and fantasy readers, which is not something that many books can claim to do.  A Shadow on the Lens is a spooky, goosebumpy, gothic-style historical crime thriller and a fantastic debut from Sam Hurcom.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Sam Hurcom was born in Dinas Powys, South Wales in 1991. He studied Philosophy at Cardiff University, attaining both an undergraduate and master's degree. He has since had several short stories published and has written and illustrated a number of children's books. Sam currently lives in the village he was raised in, close to the woodlands that have always inspired his writing.

A SHADOW ON THE LENS is Sam's debut novel.

Follow the tour:

BLOG BLITZ: The Girl in White - John Nicholl

Harry Gilmore has no idea of the terrible danger he faces when he meets a beautiful girl in a local student bar. Drugged and abducted, Harry wakes up in a secure wooden compound deep in the Welsh countryside, where he is groomed by the leaders of a manipulative cult, run by the self-proclaimed new messiah, known as The Master.

When the true nature of the cult becomes apparent, Harry looks for any opportunity to escape. But as time passes he questions if the master’s extreme behaviour and teachings are the one true religion.

With Harry’s life hanging by a thread, a team of officers, led by Detective Inspector Laura Kesey, investigate his disappearance. But will they find him before it’s too late?

What did I think?

I've read quite a few of John Nicholl's books so I know you're always guaranteed a quality novel from him, which is exactly what you get with The Girl in White.  As with all John Nicholl's novels, The Girl in White is dark and creepy but it's slightly different in that it's not set in a domestic situation.  As always though, John Nicholl manages to make my skin crawl with his chilling storyline and mesmeric writing.

Although the police feature in this book, it's not DI Gravel this time but rather his replacement, Laura Kesey.  As much as I love the DI Gravel books, it's nice to have a change now and again and I'm looking forward to getting to know the new cop in town: DI Kesey.  Laura certainly has some big boots to fill but I really like her; she's determined and smart so I think she'll do very well.

I've always found cults very creepy and wondered how they manage to attract members when you hear so many horror stories.  I wouldn't be surprised to find that this story is very true to life as surely most sane, intelligent people don't become members of cults by their own free will.  University student, Harry, is drugged and abducted when he meets a young woman in a bar and wakes up in the compound of a cult.  Harry's story is also a good reminder about accepting drinks or leaving drinks unattended when you're out in bars as there are some psychotic people out there!  DI Kesey is on the case to find Harry but can she find him before his mind is lost to the cult?

It's quite a short book so its length and the compelling storyline make it easy to read in one sitting, which is what I did.   With the end of the book approaching, I couldn't read it fast enough but it did feel a tiny bit rushed towards the end, however, it was a very satisfying ending nonetheless and leads on nicely to another DI Kesey instalment.  

The Girl in White is another excellent book from John Nicholl; it has all the dark and creepy qualities I've come to expect from him to ensure my stomach clenched and my skin crawled but I couldn't tear my eyes from the page.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

John Nicholl, an ex-police officer, child protection social worker and lecturer, has written seven darkly psychological suspense thrillers, each of which has been an Amazon #1 bestseller.

John’s books are set in the UK and have a strong Welsh flavour. He began writing after leaving his job heading up child protection services for Carmarthenshire.

You can find out more about John and his books at: http://www.johnnicholl.com





Follow the blitz: