BLOG TOUR: Cheddar Luck Next Time - Beth Cato

A cozy cheese-scented mystery with delightful characters, a dash of murder and tons of intrigue, perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and The Maid.

Cheese-obsessed Bird Nichols has just inherited her grandmother’s estate in a quiet, quirky Californian town. But when a body is found on her property, her life begins to get rather loud…

Bird Nichols is ready to make a fresh start in a familiar place. Last year, her parents died together in a car crash and her beloved grandmother is presumed dead from an ocean drowning. Bird is now moving onto her grandmother's California coastal property, and finally living out her dream. Bird loves cheese like nothing else. It's her autistic special interest, and she designs her boards along her sensory needs, and other people love them, too.

But just when everything seems to be going right, the local troublemaker ends up dead on her rural road. Grizz, the closest thing Bird has to family, is the sheriff department's favourite suspect, but she is determined to prove Grizz’s innocence. So now, Bird needs to unpack her possessions, assemble her pretty cheese boards, and find the true murderer before they strike again.

 

What did I think?

Oh wow, I loved this fun and slightly bonkers book!  I mean a cosy mystery with cheese and a cat that makes Garfield look slim, not to mention a lovable and inspirational main character who is autistic - what's not to love?  

Bird loves cheese and, as a cheeselover myself, I was positively salivating at some of the vivid descriptions of the smell and taste of her cheese boards.  Bird has suddenly found herself alone in the world after the devastating death of her parents followed by the disappearance of her grandmother.  Bird inherits her grandmother's estate and moves to Foghorn, which despite its name used to be a quiet town until trouble followed Bird into town.

You really can't help but love Bird and her unusual name.  I think the fact that she is autistic is great for diversity in literature and it really made me think about our own character quirks and how difficult it must be when they are amplified to such a debilitating degree.  Bird shows that she can live and thrive with autism and she turns her fixation with cheese into her livelihood.

Just like her Grandma, Bird can't help investigating crime and she finds herself drawn into a web of danger and deceit when a murderer strikes in Foghorn.  During her investigation, Bird rescues the victim's cat Bowser and just thinking of this big orange furball puts a smile on my face.  What a great character he is - I could almost feel his purrs reverberating through the book!

Whilst the storyine has its own contained plot, there are some tantalising threads of the story left unfinished so I hope that this is the start of a new series.  I really enjoyed my virtual visit to Foghorn and would love to return.  If you love cosy mysteries (and cheese and cats) then please do not miss this book; I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend 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

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BLOG TOUR: Token - Beverley Kendall

Kennedy Mitchell is brilliant, beautiful and tired of being the only Black woman in the room.

Two years ago, she was plucked from reception for a seat at the boardroom table in the name of “representation”. Rather than play along, she and her best friend founded Token, a boutique PR agency that helps diversity-challenged companies and celebrities. With famous people getting into reputation-damaging controversies, Token is in high demand and business is booming, but when her ex shows up needing help repairing his reputation, things get even more complicated and soon Kennedy finds herself drawn into a PR scandal of her own.

 

What did I think?

Token is a book that I have not been able to stop thinking about, long after I read the final page.  It highlights and explores so many different prejudices that I found both shocking and sobering.

Kennedy is the right sex and colour required to secure a new client for the company where she is working as a temporary receptionist.  The ruse works and the company have their important new client but, what is most shocking, is that I can totally see companies doing this.  This devious trickery gives Kennedy the idea for a new business where she can help companies to diversify or at least give the illusion of doing so.

Although I questioned the ethics of her business model, I absolutely loved Kennedy Mitchell; she has really had to work hard to get where she is but whilst she may be a successful businesswoman she is not quite so successful in love.  I think her own prejudices about herself hold her back from revealing her true feelings to the man she loves.

I was hooked from the very first page and I just knew that I was going to love the strong and sassy main character of Kennedy.  There are lots of serious thought-provoking subjects to ponder and reflect on later as well as some steamy sex scenes that had me reaching to turn down the thermostat.  

Token is a fresh, modern and powerful novel that completely captivated me from start to finish.  I am 100% invested in the characters and can't wait for Beverley Kendall's next novel after reading the sneaky peek at the end of the book.  An important and 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

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The Rabbit Factor (Rabbit Factor Trilogy Book 1) - Antti Tuomainen (Author), David Hackston (Translator)

Just one spreadsheet away from chaos…

What makes life perfect? Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen knows the answer because he calculates everything down to the very last decimal.

And then, for the first time, Henri is faced with the incalculable. After suddenly losing his job, Henri inherits an adventure park from his brother – its peculiar employees and troubling financial problems included. The worst of the financial issues appear to originate from big loans taken from criminal quarters … and some dangerous men are very keen to get their money back.

But what Henri really can't compute is love. In the adventure park, Henri crosses paths with Laura, an artist with a chequered past, and a joie de vivre and erratic lifestyle that bewilders him. As the criminals go to extreme lengths to collect their debts and as Henri's relationship with Laura deepens, he finds himself faced with situations and emotions that simply cannot be pinned down on his spreadsheets…

Warmly funny, rich with quirky characters and absurd situations, The Rabbit Factor is a triumph of a dark thriller, its tension matched only by its ability to make us rejoice in the beauty and random nature of life.

 

What did I think?

I've had my eye on The Rabbit Factor for a while and now that it is being made into a movie, I wanted to make sure that I read the book first.  This is going to be one heck of a movie if it's even half as good as the book.

I loved Henri, he's Mr Logic and relies on mathematical calculations to solve all of his problems.  When he inherits a run down adventure park (not an amusement park as he's fond of telling people) he also inherits his brother's debts.  The criminals who want their money back with interest think Henri will be a pushover but they have seriously miscalculated.

The whole setting in the adventure park is fantastic and I could totally picture it in my head, thanks to the big rabbit on the front of the book of course.  There's a strange bunch of people employed there and Henri finds himself drawn to one of them as the find they have a shared interest in art.  Henri's relationship with Laura was so lovely to read as Henri is so naïve when it comes to the opposite sex.

The Rabbit Factor is a delightfully quirky comedy crime caper with the most unlikely and endearing protagonist.  I will definitely be picking up the other books in the series to continue Henri's adventure.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel (A Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery Book 3) - Glenda Young

In the charming Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough, a killer game is being played . . .

Helen Dexter is enjoying the new four-star status of the Seaview Hotel. But she begins to wonder if this accolade is cursed when a series of disasters strike.

It starts when a crazy golf team arrive to play in a Scarborough tournament. Their odd behaviour heightens when the rival team captain turns up. Yet, there's worse to come for Helen when one of the guests is murdered playing crazy golf.

Then the Seaview's prize-winning cook Jean quits, leaving Helen devastated. And so, as Helen's fiftieth birthday approaches, the last thing she's in the mood for is a celebration. However, mysterious invitations arrive to a party that Helen doesn't want.

Can Helen unmask the crazy golf killer, save the reputation of the Seaview, win Jean back and solve the mystery of the party invitations? With her rescue greyhound Suki by her side, Helen Dexter is on the case.

 

What did I think?

Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel is the third book in the Helen Dexter Cosy Crime Mystery series and it's an absolute cracker.  This amazing series is going from strength to strength and I always love my virtual visit to Scarborough, even though it appears to be the murder capital of North Yorkshire (but that's just in Glenda's books, of course).  You can definitely read this book as a standalone but I highly recommend the whole series.

Helen Dexter is all set to welcome a new group of guests to her newly rated Four Star Seaview Hotel.  Her guests are a crazy golf team competing in a local tournament and it's clear that they take the game very seriously indeed.  Helen also finds herself with an unexpected guest: the team captain of a rival team and his arrival causes tension above and below stairs.  The days are numbered for one of the guests and they're about to find themselves checking out...

This is a brilliant 'whodunnit' - I suspected even the most unlikeliest candidate at one point or another.  I love how the story is self-contained so that readers new to the series can pick up  this book and enjoy it, but there's some wonderful character development to delight established series fans.

Although I haven't been to Scarborough for many years, Glenda paints such a vivid picture with her wonderful writing and her love for the seaside town shines through every word in the book.  It was also lovely to see local brewery Wold Top getting a mention in the book as I've tried a few of their beers and loved them.

Hugely entertaining and as drama-filled as your favourite soap opera, Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel is a fantastic cosy mystery.  Very clever misdirection and perfect plotting keep the reader on their toes from start to finish and I loved every second of it, so much so that I will definitely be reading it again.  It’s absolutely brilliant and I really can't recommend it highly enough.

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

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BLOG TOUR: A Beautiful Rival - Gill Paul

The world is at war, but on the gilded streets of Fifth Avenue, New York, a battle of a different kind is brewing…

New York, 1915.

Elizabeth Arden has been New York’s golden girl since her beauty salon opened its famous red door five years prior. Against all odds, she’s built an empire.

Enter Helena Rubinstein: ruthless, revolutionary – and the rival Elizabeth didn’t bargain for.

With both women determined to succeed – no matter the personal cost – a battle of beauty is born. And as the stakes increase, so do the methods: poaching employees, planting spies, copying products, hiring ex-husbands.

But as each woman climbs higher, so too does what she stands to lose.

Because the greater the height, the harder the fall…

 

What did I think?

I would not be surprised to learn that Gill Paul has invented a time machine and an invisibility cloak and she can travel back in time to observe any historical figure she wishes to write about.  There is definitely some magic between the pages of A Beautiful Rival as I felt as if I was in early 20th century New York with Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein 

I knew nothing about Elizabeth Arden or Helena Rubenstein, apart from their brand names, before reading A Beautiful Rival.  Now I feel like I know both of them inside out, not just their physical characters but their whole character including their thoughts and feelings.  It's actually quite impressive to think that these two very different, but also very similar, ladies succeeded in what was very much a man's world.

The rivalry between them is as dramatic and bitchy as a soap opera, as each woman vies to be the premier cosmetic brand in America.  Fifth Avenue is pretty long, I'm sure there would have been room for both of them!  As with any feud, it often gets nasty and Helena Rubenstein is the victim of anti-Semitism, which unfortunately wasn't unusual during that time.  Give her her due though, she's not the one who changed her name.

A Beautiful Rival is historical fiction at its finest and five stars are nowhere near enough for this wonderful book.  Gill Paul continues to amaze me with her writing prowess and her inimitable skill of bringing historical figures to life.  I will be recommending this book for a very long time - make sure you don't miss it.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a bookclub favourite worldwide.

She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects.

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BLOG TOUR: All Good Things - Amanda Prowse

I'm delighted to be taking part in the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for All Good Things by Amanda Prowse.  After reading my review, make sure you scroll to the bottom of my post for details of a fabulous giveaway that Amanda Prowse is running.

In this captivating story from the bestselling author of Picking up the Pieces, Daisy has always envied the perfect family next door. But will a weekend of unexpected drama prove that the grass isn’t always greener?

Daisy Harrop has always felt like she exists in the background, and since her mother stopped getting out of bed, her life has come to a complete standstill. Daisy would give anything to leave the shabbiest house on the street and be more like the golden Kelleways next door, with their perfectly raked driveway and flourishing rose garden…

Winnie Kelleway is proud of the beautiful family she’s built. They’ve had their ups and downs—hasn’t everyone? But this weekend, celebrating her golden wedding anniversary is truly proof of their happiness, a joyful gathering for all the neighbours to see.

But as the festivities get underway, are the cracks in the ‘perfect’ Kelleway life beginning to show? As one bombshell revelation leads to another and events start to spiral out of control, Daisy and Winnie are about to discover that things aren’t always what they seem.

 

What did I think?

I had a small moment of triumph when I finished reading All Good Things as it's the first time an Amanda Prowse book hasn't made me cry, but boy did it make me think.  In this day and age of seeing perfect posts on social media, it's sobering to remember that not everything is as perfect on the other side of the camera lens.

A pair of neighbours are put under the microscope in this captivating novel.  The Harrops on one side of the fence, with their house that has seen better days, and the Kelleways on the other with their perfectly pruned roses and expensive cars in the driveway.  Daisy Harrop dreams of becoming a Kelleway one day but this family isn't as perfect as they appear.

I felt like a nosy neighbour myself when I was reading this very addictive book and because they were fictional characters I got to experience some guilt-free schadenfreude at their expense.  The story is set over a weekend and there is an awful lot going on for each character to keep the reader entertained and invested in the story.

All of the characters and their individual voices are so beautifully written that I would have been able to tell whose point of view I was reading even if their name wasn't at the top of the page.  Amanda Prowse's characterisation is exceptional and her incredibly well-developed characters effortlessly drive this wonderful story.

Completely compelling and extremely thought-provoking, All Good Things is a timely and sobering reminder that, despite appearances, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.  There may be no tissues required for this one but it's another outstanding novel from Amanda Prowse and one 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/All_Good_Things

About the author:

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose twenty-eight novels, two non-fiction titles and seven novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart-topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles; 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Social Media Links – 

Say hello on Twitter:  @MrsAmandaProwse

Friend me on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AmandaProwseAuthor

Tag me on Instagram:  www.instagram.com/MrsAmandaProwse

Visit my Amazon Author Page:  Amanda Prowse Author  

Check out my website: www.amandaprowse.com

Giveaway:

Amanda Prowse would like to give a prize to the best review – any length, any star rating of a Fire Tablet.  Will ship it anywhere worldwide. 

The prize for the best review is a:

Fire HD 10 tablet | 10.1", 1080p Full HD, 32 GB, Black - Without Ads.

• Fast and responsive: powerful octa-core processor and 3 GB RAM. 50% more RAM than previous generation.
• Up to 12-hour battery life and 32 GB of internal storage. Add up to 1 TB with microSD (to be purchased separately).
• Brighter display: vivid 10.1" 1080p full HD display is 10% brighter than previous generation, with more than 2 million pixels.
• Enjoy your favourite apps like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Now, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more through Amazon’s Appstore (Google Play not supported, subscription fees may apply).
• Stay connected: download apps such as Zoom or ask Alexa to make video calls to friends and family.

Please ensure your review is posted by midnight on Sunday 17th September in order to be eligible.  Please tag Amanda Prowse on social media with a link to your review, wherever it is posted.  The winner will be selected and notified by Close of Play on Friday 22nd September.

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Freya's French Farmhouse (The Blossomwood Bay Series Book 2) - Daisy James

 

Welcome to Freya's French Farmhouse, the second book in a brand new series from the author of the Hummingbird Hotel series and the Cornish Confetti Agency series.

Escape to the French Riviera!

After losing her aromatherapy studio in the Blossomwood Bay fire, Freya Farnham finds herself at a loose end, especially when her trusty Renault decides that it’s time to head to the scrapyard in the sky. Now she has no excuse not to agree to her parents’ request to head to the pretty village of Saint-Julien to find out why her late Uncle Toby’s gorgeous French farmhouse isn’t selling, even when the real estate agent, Xavier Deschamps, advertises himself as "the best in the whole of Provence".

As soon as she arrives, Freya realises what the problem is, and so, with the help of handsome local car mechanic Jacques Jordan, she invests her last euro in a kaleidoscope of cleaning products and sets about transforming the drab and dusty dwelling into a chic and shiny château. Little did she know that in the process she would discover more about her family’s history than she bargained for.

Can she come to terms with her past? Or will the demons that have been snapping at her heels since childhood prevent her from seizing the chance to achieve a much-longed-for sense of belonging in the friendly community where she’s treated as one of their own?

Why not join Freya as she explores the lavender-infused Provençal countryside, and enjoy a trip filled with fun, fragrance, and delicious foodie treats with a dash of heart-warming romance thrown in for good measure!

What did I think?

No matter what the weather is like outside, you can always rely on Daisy James to whisk you off to sunny climes.  Freya's French Farmhouse is the second book in the Blossomwood Bay series but it can definitely be read as a standalone as it has its own contained storyline with cameo appearances from some of the characters we met in book 1 (Tilly's Tuscan Teashop). 

Freya inherited her love of fragrance from her late Uncle Toby so when she loses her aromatherapy studio in the Blossomwood Bay fire, she takes the opportunity to make one final visit to Uncle Toby's farmhouse in France before it is (hopefully) sold.  The farmhouse has been on the market for quite some time and although it is a little unloved and shabby, Freya can't understand why it hasn't sold and it's a mystery she's determined to get to the bottom of.

With family secrets to unearth, romance to blossom and skulduggery afoot, this is a hugely entertaining story in a truly gorgeous setting.  Daisy James writes in Full HD with the vivid sights, sounds and smells of Provence all vying for attention in my imagination.  There's always something unforgettable in Daisy's books that makes me smile and in this instance it's the 'procrastination pixies' - they always visit me too!  

I don't often share quotes from books but Daisy's writing is so beautiful that I wanted to share a small excerpt here as only Daisy James could make dust sound pretty:

"...the shafts of golden sunlight that sliced through the gaps in the shutters highlighting the dust particles as they danced a jolly jig to an inaudible tune."

I don't physically travel but I don't need a passport to experience the world through my books, and Daisy James paints such beautiful pictures through her writing that I feel as if I'm actually in the breathtaking location she has chosen to write about. 

I adored Freya's French Farmhouse and I didn't want my virtual visit to Provence to end, although I'm already looking forward to my virtual trip to Hawaii in the next Blossomwood Bay book: Holly's Hawaiian Holiday.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations - the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence - so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink.

When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea - china plates and teacups are a must.

Social media links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/daisyjamesbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009889775019

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BLOG TOUR: Tilly's Tuscan Teashop - Daisy James

Welcome to Tilly's Tuscan Teashop, the first book in a brand new series from the author of the Hummingbird Hotel and the Cornish Confetti Agency series. 

 

When photographer Natalie Nicholson’s beach hut studio – and everything she’s spent the last two years working on – is destroyed in a fire, she doesn’t think things can get any worse. Until she sees her boyfriend Josh Clarke on Instagram frolicking on a palm-fringed Balinese beach with a fellow cabin crew member. 

 

Devastated and heartbroken, she heads to Italy to help out at her sister’s English teashop in the heart of the Tuscan countryside, where she encounters sun-dappled hilltop villages with attractive terracotta bell towers, cobbled piazzas housing world-famous art and architecture, and a national fixation with getting from A to B as quickly as possible whether in a glamourous Ferrari, a scarlet Vespa, or a snail-like ape. 

 

With handsome local filmmaker-cum-waiter Matteo Ferretti on hand to guide her, can Tilly learn to ditch her workaholic ways and embrace the Italian pursuit of la dolce vita? Or will she miss out on her chance at a happy-ever-after? 

 

What did I think?

I adore Daisy James' books so I couldn't wait to grab my virtual passport and head off to the vibrant landscape of Tuscany in Tilly's Tuscan Teashop.  The story inside is as vivid and colourful as the gorgeous cover as the sights, sounds and smells of Italy are described so beautifully.

Italy is more famous for cappuccino and espresso so you might not expect to find a teashop in Tuscany, but that's where Tilly's sister Oliva has set up her business.  Just when Tilly thinks her life in Devon couldn't get much worse, Olivia asks her to look after the teashop and it's just the break that she needs.

It's an absolute delight to read Tilly's Tuscan Teashop as Daisy James takes the reader on a sensory adventure to experience the mouthwatering food and the breathtaking sights of Italy.  I've never been to Italy but I felt as if I was actually there, taking in the sights of Florence and Pisa with Tilly.

It's not all sunshine and merriment though and I love how the story is multi-layered with challenges for the main character; from Tilly's cheating boyfriend and her grief for her parents to a mystery saboteur who is determined to see the teashop close for good.

Filled with fun and entertainment, Tilly's Tuscan Teashop is beautifully written and I think it's one of my favourite Daisy James books to date.  I loved it - it's a sunny hug in a book that warmed my heart and gave me a huge smile on my face.  Highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Purchase Links: 

Amazon US 

Amazon UK 

About the author:

Daisy James loves writing stories with strong heroines and swift-flowing plotlines. She especially likes to create sunshine-filled settings in exotic locations - the Caribbean, Tuscany, Cornwall, Provence - so she can spend her time envisioning her characters enjoying the fabulous scenery and sampling the local food and drink. 

When not scribbling away in her peppermint-and-green summerhouse (garden shed), she spends her time sifting flour and sprinkling sugar and edible glitter. She loves gossiping with friends over a glass of something fizzy or indulging in a spot of afternoon tea - china plates and teacups are a must. 

Daisy would love to hear from readers via her Facebook page or you can follow her on Twitter @daisyjamesbooks, or on Instagram @daisyjamesstories. 

Social Media Links:

Twitter    

Instagram

Facebook

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BLOG TOUR: Homecoming - Isabel Ashdown

Welcome to The Starlings... sun, sea and neighbours to die for.

Security, a sparkling sea view and the best kind of neighbours - The Starlings gated community has it all. Here, doors are left open, children run free, and at the heart of it all is the entrepreneurial Gold Family, who first dreamed up this aspirational vision of 'Dorset's Safest Community'. To the outside world the popular family appears glitteringly blessed... until an idyllic party takes a dark turn and one of their number is found slumped at the foot of the clocktower. Who knows what really happened? And what answers are harboured within the old building, the former Highcap Mother and Baby Home?'

A mesmerising, character-rich thriller with a long-buried secret vibrating at its core: this is Isabel Ashdown at her heart-stopping best, for readers who enjoyed Big Little Lies, Dr Foster or Little Fires Everywhere.

 

What did I think?

Isabel Ashdown is an author whose books I always enjoy and her latest novel, Homecoming, is no exception.  The format of the book creates unbelievable suspense with a short, disturbing present day prologue before the story takes the reader back to one year ago.  

The Gold Family are very well named; they seem to have the Midas touch.  Katrin, her husband Bill and brother-in-law Hugo are property developers who have renovated an old workhouse that later became a mother and baby home.  The Starlings is named after the birds that nest in the clocktower, but its previous incarnation as Highcap House still has secrets held within its walls...and it looks like someone will kill to keep them buried.

I'm not going to mention any more about the story as it could spoil it for other readers.  Needless to say, with so many secrets I was suspicious of all the characters and thought I had guessed all of the secrets but I was completely wrong.  I love being wrong about a book as it means it has been written so skilfully that it misdirects me completely, which is exactly what Isabel Ashdown does so very cleverly in Homecoming.

Hauntingly atmospheric, Homecoming has a simultaneously idyllic and sinister setting as past and present events collide and secrets that span decades are about to be revealed.  I read Homecoming with a constant feeling of unease and I loved every minute of it. 

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Better Brother - Simon Gravatt

 

Michael Merriweather's carefully planned life is blown off course when he receives a call to tell him that his father has cremated himself. Michael then learns from a small-town lawyer that he stands to inherit a small fortune he previously knew nothing about, but only if he sacrifices his accountancy career to take over the family funeral business with his brother, Jack, whom he despises.

Sucked back into the small provincial world and the family funeral firm he has rejected, Michael can no longer avoid his loathsome sibling. Jack Merriweather has no idea what he's done to deserve his brother's hostility, but he's about to suffer the consequences. Then, when his patience finally breaks, he will exact delicious revenge.

The Better Brother is a darkly comic tale of sibling rivalry laced with the power, passion, revenge and everyday friction of family business. It explores what happens when two warring brothers are forced to work together. Will Michael and Jack learn to love and respect each other? Or will their acrimony escalate? If so, who will come out on top? Who is the better brother?

What did I think?

That first line in the blurb about Michael's father cremating himself hooked me before I'd even picked up the book.  What an ingenious storyline!  It's sad but funny and sets off a chain of events that puts the Merriweather brothers in the same room when they haven't spoken to each other for years.  Expect sparks to fly!

The broken relationship between Michael and Jack is absolutely heartbreaking.  The hostility began when their mother died and their father was grieving so he didn't notice his sons growing further and further apart...which is something he plans to rectify from beyond the grave.  When the brothers inherit the Merriweather funeral business they either have to work together or lose their inheritance.  

Whilst Michael and Jack are brilliant main characters, my favourite character ended up being their father's long-standing employee, Royston.  Royston is hilarious, from his tattoos to his swearing he's such a colourful character that he virtually leapt out of the page.  I could read a whole book with him as the main character.

It is clear that Simon Gravatt has a background in business as the pressure of running a business is palpable throughout the book.  It was interesting to see how the brothers reacted to their inheritance; one changes for the better and one changes for the worse.  There are hard decisions to be made and back-stabbing aplenty as each brother vies to come out on top.

Very well-written, engaging and humorous, The Better Brother is a brilliant debut and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookhop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Simon Gravatt is a first-time novelist who lives in South London. He's drawn from personal experience as a brother and business owner to write his tale of sibling rivalry and the combustibility of small business. Simon is married with two adult children.

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Housewife - Karen Crawford

 

Wife. Mother. Drug Lord.

Erica Forsythe is a wealthy New York City housewife who feels undervalued and unappreciated. On a rainy day, she dashes into a diner, where she meets a mysterious man. 

Plagued by boredom and loneliness, Erica decides to go home with the intoxicating stranger. She is seduced by the dangerous and lurid world of a notorious drug cartel and abandons her family.

Becoming a high-ranking member of the cartel, Erica believes she has found the excitement she has been craving, but her world shatters when she spirals into the true darkness and violence of working in the drug trade.

What did I think?

Housewife is something very different from Karen Crawford.  I absolutely love her Taryn Winter series set in Las Vegas but the streets are definitely much darker and more dangerous in New York City, where Housewife is set.

Erica may appear to have it all; a wealthy husband, three healthy children and a New York City penthouse, but as The Beatles said: 'Money can't buy me love'.  Feeling ignored by her family, Erica is finally noticed by someone when she meets an exciting and attractive man in a diner and her world changes forever, although not necessarily for the better.

It does feel as if fate had a hand in Erica meeting Alejandro that day as they seem very much in love.  Normally, I wouldn't be able to understand a mother walking away from her family but it's easy to empathise in Erica's case.  Erica is so selfish and superficial so its no wonder that her children are also self-absorbed - they are the monsters that she created.  Of course, her husband must also shoulder some of the blame but he is a typical patriarch and sees his role as the breadwinner, bringing home the money to keep his family in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed.

Entitled, rich and selfish, there's nothing much to like about Erica or her family but it was heartbreaking to read about her descent into the darkness of drug addiction and the effect of her disappearance on her family.  It's incredibly disturbing to see how quickly drugs can take hold and it was very harrowing to see the devastating effects of addiction.  As she rises to the top of the drug cartel, Erica is in contact with very few people and the warning signs of her addiction go unnoticed.  I've always said that you never notice the decline of someone you love as you see beyond the outer shell; so as mad as I was at Alejandro for not doing something to help Erica, I could also understand that he may not have seen it.

With characters you will love to hate, Housewife is like a cross between The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Billions.  It's harrowing, disturbing and emotive but sobering in its powerful message about addiction and recovery.

Many thanks to Karen Crawford for sending me an ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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