BLOG TOUR: Nocturne with Gaslamps - Matthew Francis

A historical crime fiction novel set in Victorian London’s gaslit theatre scene, where ghosts lurk in the shadows and murder takes centre stage.

Gaslight. Ghosts. Murder.

Hastings Wimbury has always dreamt of playing Hamlet, but for now he works as a theatre gas-boy. Here, he tends to a gas chandelier so powerful it creates its own weather, and limelight machines that can throw a shadow onto a wall ten miles away.

When Hastings suddenly disappears, his fiancée Flora sets out to find him with the help of Cassie, her rival in love who is more preoccupied with the ghosts terrorising the streets of London. Soon total darkness is imposed upon the city, and they realise that something far more sinister is at hand…

Ladies aren’t supposed to solve mysteries, but this is a matter of life and death.

 

What did I think?

Nocturne with Gaslamps is a very atmospheric mystery set in Victorian London.  It's a step back in time to a dark and dangerous time when ghosts, thieves and murderers roamed the streets of London beneath the shadows of the gaslamps.

I really enjoyed the theatre setting, especially the behind the scenes special effects created by gas.  Being a gas-boy was clearly a very dangerous job but it's a job that aspiring actor Hastings Wimbury finds himself accepting in order to work in the theatre.  It is in the theatre where Hastings meets a mysterious count who promises him the lead in his production of Hamlet...but at what cost?

Cassie is intrigued by the new resident at Halcyon House where she is lodging as there's something Hastings Wimbury is hiding.  I loved Cassie's inquisitive nature and it stands her in good stead when Hastings goes missing and she investigates his disappearance along with his fiancée.

The author paints amazingly atmospheric scenes with his vivid words and the gripping mystery keeps the pages turning with a few shocks and surprises in store for the reader along the way.

Gripping, intriguing and incredibly atmospheric, Nocturne with Gaslamps is an excellent historical crime novel and the perfect read for a dark and chilly night.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Matthew Francis is Professor Emeritus in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. He read English at Magdalene College, Cambridge University. He writes novels, short stories, and poetry collections. He has won the TLS / Blackwell's Prize for Poetry and the Southern Arts Literature Prize, and been shortlisted twice for the Forward Prize, twice for the Welsh Book of the Year Award and once for the Ted Hughes Award. In 2004, he was chosen as one of the Next Generation Poets. He is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy. Matthew lives with this wife in Aberystwyth, Wales where he enjoys playing chess, cooking and playing the ukulele.

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BLOG TOUR: Welcome to Dorley Hall (The Sisters of Dorley Book One) - Alyson Greaves

Mark Vogel is like the older brother Stefan Riley never had, until one day he disappears, and Stefan has to adapt to life without him. But, one year later, when he runs into a girl who looks near-identical to Mark, Stefan becomes obsessed. He discovers that other boys have disappeared, too, dozens over the years, most of them students of the Royal College of Saint Almsworth, many of them troubled or unruly before their disappearance.

What is happening to these boys? Who are the handful of women on campus who bear a striking resemblance to some of those who went missing? And what is the connection to the mysterious Dorley Hall?

Stefan works hard to get into the Royal College for one reason and one reason only: to find out exactly what happened to the women who live at Dorley Hall, and to get it to happen to him, too.

A closeted trans girl attempts to infiltrate a secret underground forced feminisation programme.

Content note: this story engages with some reasonably dark topics, including but not limited to torture, manipulation, dysphoria, nonconsensual surgery, and kidnapping. While it isn't intended to be a dark or dystopian story, the perspective characters are carrying a lot of baggage, and the exploration of the premise might be triggering for trans readers.

 

What did I think?

I just don't know where to begin in my review of the groundbreaking trans novel Welcome to Dorley Hall; I've simply read nothing like it before.  It does have a dystopian feel but it also feels very current and realistic and even though I've turned the final page, the characters are still fluttering around in my head.

I absolutely loved the main character of Stefan; he was devastated when his friend Mark disappeared and his spidey sense went on high alert when he bumped into a girl in the supermarket who reminded him of Mark.  Determined to find out what happened to Mark, Stefan follows in Mark's footsteps to college and uncovers a secret group who are turning men into women.

Stefan finally lets down his guard and looks deep inside himself and sees an opportunity to become the woman he has always wanted to be.  The only problem is, the men in the programme have all wronged women and Stefan is just too nice to do anything like that, so once he gets in, he has to put on an act to stay in.

Well, consider my thoughts well and truly provoked!  I thought it was rather ingenious to punish men by turning them into women but it also made me realise that it's the women who are trapped in men's bodies who are being punished every single day.  I really started to care what happened to Stefan and I was on the edge of my seat every time I thought he was going to be caught out.

Welcome to Dorley Hall is a very intriguing, provocative and powerful novel.  I'm really pleased that I have read it as it gave me a glimpse into the mind of a trans girl and I would be interested to see how Stefan's story progresses.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Alyson lives in a very small flat in a very large city, and writes fiction with trans themes and characters. Her Twitter is twitter.com/badambulist

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False Summit (A Tyler Zahn Novel Book 2) - Cam Torrens

Chaffee County Search & Rescue is known for finding lost people in the Rocky Mountain backcountry. But they've never lost one of their own before.

Cam Torrens, author of Stable, has written another psychological thriller that will have readers racing to answer the question...what happened to Kristee Li?

Veteran pilot Tyler Zahn is finally recovering from the tragedies that cost him his family and drove him from the Air Force, when his best friend, Kristee Li, disappears on a remote search and rescue mission. A massive effort to find her fails. No clues. No body. Kristee is presumed dead.

A fellow team member claims the disappearance is no accident and Zahn begins to question what really happened in the mountains. Who would have wanted Kristee dead? More importantly...why? Plagued with grief, Zahn probes for answers while slowly slipping into the familiar depression he's worked so hard to escape.

False Summit proves when it comes to money, sexuality, and cultural norms, the truth is in short supply. 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved the first Tyler Zahn novel, Stable, so I was very excited to read the follow up, False Summit, and I was not disappointed.

Set in the Rocky Mountains, the mountainous location is almost a character in itself as it holds the answer to the question on everyone's lips: what happened to Tyler Zahn's Search & Rescue colleague Kristee Li.

The disappearance of Kristee is the hook that reeled me in immediately but it's the gradual revealing of the days leading up to her disappearance that kept me riveted.  There are so many different strands to her story and I absolutely loved putting her life under a virtual microscope to piece together her last known movements.  

I love Tyler Zahn's dogged determination to never give up, even when the Sheriff warns him to stop investigating.  Kristee is his friend and if you want anyone in your corner, it's Tyler Zahn.  It's clear that there is more to Kristee's disappearance than anyone first thought and a few of the characters in Kristee's life are hiding something so they don't want the police poking around too much.  They didn't bargain on Tyler Zahn though and he's not going to give up until he finds out the truth.

False Summit is a novel that held me in an icy grip from start to finish.  It's so cleverly written that I simply couldn't read fast enough to get to what actually happened on the mountain and it left me on tenterhooks for book 3.

 

Many thanks to Cam Torrens for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Bone Hacker - Kathy Reichs

EVEN ON AN ISLAND PARADISE, DANGER STILL LURKS.

Called in to examine what is left of a body struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men – tourists – have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos for years. Seven years ago, the first victim was found with both hands cut off; the other visitors vanished without a trace. But recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.

Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common – other than the unusual locations where their bodies are eventually found, and the fact that the young men all seem to be the least likely to be involved in foul play. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands’ seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn’t so sure. And then she turns up disturbing clues that what’s at stake may actually have global significance.

It isn’t long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud, and then Tempe herself becomes a target.

 

What did I think?

The Bone Hacker is book 22 in the outstanding Temperance Brennan series and it's another gripping instalment.  You can totally read it as a standalone as it has its own storyline but it might read a little strangely if you don't know Tempe's character.

It starts with a bang, or rather a flash of lightning, and my heart rate shot up right at the start as a storm hits Quebec with Tempe right in the middle of it.  Of course Kathy Reichs isn't going to kill off her main character right at the start of the book, but it felt pretty scary and intense, even though I knew Tempe wasn't going to become a victim of the storm.

I think because I watched the TV show Bones, I could really pick up Tempe's voice in this book. Anyone new to the books might find her a little strange as she is so logical and a little socially challenged but I absolutely love her.  I also felt as if I was part of the investigation with Tempe going into so much detail about her forensic work.

A lot of the chapters have little cliffhangers at the end that make you want to keep reading so I raced through it.  It went in a completely different direction to what I expected and my heart rate shot up once again near the end.

Brilliantly written as you would expect from Kathy Reichs, The Bone Hacker is a gripping, fast-paced and intricately plotted thriller.  It goes without saying that Tempe Brennan fans will love it and anyone new to the series at this point is sure to become a big fan.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Kathy Reichs’s first novel Déjà Dead, published in 1997, won the Ellis Award for Best First Novel and was an international bestseller. Kathy was also a producer of Fox Television’s longest running scripted drama Bones, which is based on her work and her novels. Kathy uses her own dramatic experiences as a forensic anthropologist to bring her mesmerizing thrillers to life. One of very few forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology, Kathy divides her time between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Montreal, Québec.

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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 

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BLOG TOUR: Local Girl Missing - J. A. Baker

Missing without trace...

When local woman Deborah goes missing, her colleagues Adrian, Yvonne and Merriel are all left in shock. Gossip around the office begins to swirl – what could have happened to Deborah? Is she dead or alive? And who could be responsible for her disappearance?

Everyone is terrified that they could be next…except the one person who has all the answers. The last person people expect.

Because Deborah is being held captive by a monster, a psychopath. But not a stranger… it’s someone she knows all too well…

What did I think?

I love J.A. Baker's books and Local Girl Missing is no exception.  It's so tense it's as taut as a bow string and I couldn't read it fast enough to discover who was behind Deborah's disappearance.

Deborah's colleagues are shocked and distressed when she disappears, but as worried as they are about Deborah, what shocks them just as much is that it could quite easily have been one of them instead.  J.A. Baker puts each of the characters under the microscope as the reader delves beneath their skin to see who they really are. 

Workplace rivalries and gossiping colleagues help to build up the tension as we get to know the characters and discover what each of them is hiding.  If you work full-time, you spend more of your awake time with your colleagues than your family but you never really get to know them.  We all have a work persona and it's only when you inadvertently let your guard down that your colleagues might catch a glimpse of the real you.

I can safely say that I did guess who the kidnapper was in Local Girl Missing but only because I suspected every single character at one time or another, so I would've been right at some point.  Without giving anything away, I really enjoyed discovering the motivation behind Deborah's abduction; even though it's pretty creepy to think that someone you know could be hiding a very dark secret behind their friendly face.

J.A. Baker's writing is exceptional as she builds up suspense and creates so much suspicion about every character.  The tension builds as the reader slowly peels away layer after layer of every character to see what's really underneath.

Tense, suspenseful and compelling, Local Girl Missing is another cracking J.A. Baker novel.  I really enjoyed the workplace setting and think J.A. Baker totally nailed it.  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

About the author:

J. A. Baker is a successful psychological thriller writer of numerous books, previously published by Bloodhound. Born and brought up in Middlesbrough, she still lives in the North East, which inspires the settings for her books. Her first title for Boldwood will be published in December 2022.

Social Media Links –

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewriterjude

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

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-a-baker

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BLOG TOUR: Cousin Ash (The Sandlin PI Series Book 2) - S.E. Shepherd

“Run for it!”

Those words were the highlight of a much-loved childhood game in the woods.

But were they also Ash’s last words?

A chance meeting with a school friend of Lottie’s brings Hannah a new case. She’s confident Sandlin Private Investigations can find out who’s responsible for the recent threats at Eliza’s house. But, as she and Lottie begin to unravel the facts of the present case, they also find themselves involved in a longstanding mystery.

Three cousins, once as close as siblings.

Ash, the black sheep

Grieving Ash loved her dad deeply, but swore no one else understood her. She’s been missing for twelve years, and is now presumed dead.

 

Eliza, the peacemaker

Eliza, rebuilding her life after heartbreak, inherits everything.

 

Scott the ‘baby’

Scott, broken and bitter, inherits nothing.

What made Auntie Miriam so angry that she left nothing in her will to Scott? And why did Scott and Eliza make a pact all those years ago never to admit the truth about the disappearance of their cousin Ash?

Ash may be presumed dead, but somehow, she’s still causing trouble.  Ultimately, the case can’t be solved without answering the question – what really happened the last time the three cousins were all together in Lullaby Woods?

 

What did I think?

Cousin Ash is the second book in the Sandlin PI series but oh my word, you can definitely read it as a standalone as it's absolutely brilliant and I loved every minute of it.  2022 is the year of Hobeck Books as they have published some corkers and Cousin Ash is no exception.

From looking at the cover, I thought this was going to be a fun, cosy mystery but it is a gripping double mystery with a dark and dangerous undertone.  Eliza inherited her Auntie Miriam's house when she passed away as Miriam's daughter Ash disappeared 12 years ago but Eliza is now being threatened, apparently by Ash.  What happened to Ash and who is threatening Eliza?

Eliza knows more about Ash's disappearance than she's letting on, but it's her cousin Scott who Miriam blamed for Ash going missing.  Oooh this was very intriguing and I couldn't read fast enough to find out what really happened that night in the woods.

Hannah Sandlin is a private investigator and, together with her friend Lottie, she intends to solve the mystery of Ash's disappearance and she seizes her chance when Eliza hires her to investigate the threats.  It is clear that the two cases are linked and Hannah is veering off into dangerous territory as someone wants Ash's disappearance to remain a mystery.

I loved Cousin Ash and couldn't put it down.  The writing is stunning, the characters virtually leap out of the page and the plotting is excellent.  It's one of those books that entertains from start to finish and as I turned the final page I actually said out loud: 'I really enjoyed that'.  

Cousin Ash is mysterious, intriguing, entertaining and addictive.  I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Verity Vanishes (The Quirk Files Book 3) - A B Morgan

The Quirks are back, and there is another crime to solve for P.Q. Investigations.

When Verity Hudson goes missing, Peddyr Quirk – with assistance from his effervescent wife Connie – investigates a strange new case which unfolds in an unsavoury part of town. It soon becomes apparent that they are not the only ones looking for Verity.

A freelance researcher is searching for her birth mother.

An influential man of power and money is desperate to find his estranged sister.

A local politician is determined to expose a hidden tragedy.

A TV journalist will stop at nothing to expose the true story … if it can be uncovered.

Where is Verity, who is Verity, and who will find her first?

 

What did I think?

Verity Vanishes is the third book in the Quirk Files series but it is the first one I have read, so you can definitely read it as a standalone as I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Quirk by name and quirk by nature: you can't get more quirky than Peddyr and Connie quirk.  I really like the pairing of these unusual characters and it has definitely made me want to read more in the series.  With dogged determination, a handful of cunning and a sprinkling of humour, they investigate the disappearance of Verity Hudson and if anyone can find her, the Quirks can.

There is more than the Quirks looking for Verity which adds several layers onto an already intriguing storyline.  Reading Verity Vanishes is like peeling an onion, uncovering layer after layer of mystery as you turn each page.  As more of Verity's story is uncovered, it's quite heartbreaking to read as the story touches on mental health, but this is tackled sensitively and respectfully.

Verity Vanishes is a multi-layered mystery that is very cleverly plotted, delivering an abundance of shocks and surprises for the reader.  The addition of quirky humour perfectly balances the dark and mysterious storyline, resulting in an intriguing, addictive and entertaining read.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: WAKE - Shelley Burr

EVERYBODY THINKS THEY KNOW MINA McCREERY.

EVERYONE HAS A THEORY ON WHAT HAPPENED TO HER SISTER.

NOW IT'S TIME TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH...

Mina McCreery's sister Evelyn disappeared nineteen years ago. Her life has been defined by the intense public interest in the case. Now an anxious and reclusive adult, she lives alone on her family's destocked sheep farm.

When Lane, a private investigator, approaches her with an offer to reinvestigate the case, she rejects him. The attention has had nothing but negative consequences for her and her family, and never brought them closer to an answer.

Lane wins her trust when his unconventional methods show promise, but he has his own motivations for wanting to solve the case, and his obsession with the answer will ultimately risk both their lives.

 

What did I think?

WAKE by Shelley Burr is a brilliant debut novel and a worthy winner of the CWA Debut Dagger award 2019.  The writing is so accomplished that it's hard to believe it's a debut, but it definitely is - it's got the award to prove it, after all.

The mysterious disappearance of one of the McCreery twins in Australia remains unsolved, with many people speculating about what really happened to Evie McCreery.  People can be so cruel as all of the McCreery family comes under the public spotlight.  It's no wonder that the remaining twin Mina dislikes people so much!

Evie's case is still fascinating to many and a stranger rolls into town who convinces Mina to let him investigate Evie's disappearance.  Lane thinks he knows what happened to Evie but he needs to gather evidence to prove it.  What does Lane know that Mina doesn't?

WAKE is so cleverly plotted that I couldn't have predicted any of it.  I was completely hooked by Evie's disappearance and intrigued by Lane's obsession to solve the case.  The characters are flawed and complex, making them so multi-dimensional that I felt as if I could have reached into the book and touched them.  I also loved reading the excerpts from the 'MyMurder Forums' and it adds another dimension to the story.

Completely gripping and hugely atmospheric, I will be very surprised if WAKE isn't made into a film or series.  Highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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The Midnight Child - J.A. Baker

 

A long-ago trauma and a family mystery may shed light on her troubled sleep—or pull her into the darkness once and for all . . .

As a child, Grace Cooper suffered from bouts of sleepwalking. Now, after the unexpected death of her husband, she’s moved back to Woodburn cottage, her childhood home—and the sleepwalking returns. It’s all stirring up dark memories—memories that involve the disappearance of her brother Simon, who vanished one night when he was a child, and the death of her father, who fell from an upstairs window.

With her mother in a care home with dementia and her sister living in a nearby village, Grace tries to settle in—but with the passage of time, the sleepwalking only becomes more regular and the blurred memories of the past only become more disturbing. Spurred on by these hazy dreamlike recollections, Grace becomes determined to find out what happened to Simon that fateful night. But digging up the past isn’t always a good idea, because you never know what skeletons you might unearth . . .

What did I think?

I love J.A. Baker's writing; all her novels are outstanding but The Midnight Child is so magnificent that it completely blew me away.  It's a dark and disturbing storyline as sleepwalking and repressed memories are explored and you have to wonder how much you can really rely on your own memory.

The depth of character is stunning, with Grace Cooper being not only the main character but one of the few characters in the book.  Concentrating on one character in this way really allows the reader to get inside her head and follow her every move.  Grace was a sleepwalker as a child and her sleepwalking returns when she moves back into the family home, the home from which Grace's brother Simon mysteriously disappeared.  You can almost feel the secrets buried deep in the walls, just bursting to get out!  I certainly couldn't read fast enough to discover everything about Simon's disappearance.

I also have to mention Grace's mother who is suffering from dementia.  Although heartbreaking to read about this devastating condition, J. A. Baker writes so sensitively and honestly that I really must applaud her skill.  I can't even begin to imagine the effect that dementia has on the sufferer and their loved ones but I got a glimpse of it in this stunning book.

Ominous and tense, The Midnight Child is like a simmering pot, constantly threatening to boil over the minute you take your eyes off it.  I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page as I raced towards the absolutely breathtaking conclusion.  I can always rely on J.A. Baker to shock and surprise me and The Midnight Child did just that.  An outstanding and highly recommended novel.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Genesis Inquiry - Olly Jarvis

Is there one last undiscovered, great truth?

A moment zero, a place in time that links all cultures and creeds?

A revelation that will unite us all and change the way we see history forever?

Brilliant but burnt-out barrister Ella Blake accepts an apparently simple brief: investigate the mysterious disappearance of an African American polymath from his rooms at Cambridge University. The Inquiry quickly becomes the greatest challenge of her life – solving the mystery of Genesis.

Facing danger at every turn, can Ella find the answers to the riddles and clues left by the missing genius?

Reunited with her estranged daughter, the Inquiry sends them on a quest across the world and through ancient texts.

What is the secret that binds us all?

Who is behind the dark forces that will stop at nothing to prevent the world from knowing the truth?

The Genesis Inquiry is an epic and gripping thriller by the brilliant Olly Jarvis which asks a key question – what can our shared past tell us about humanity’s future?

What did I think?

I can think of any number of words to describe this book: stunning, outstanding, brilliant, breathtaking, exceptional...just think of any positive adjective and it will most certainly apply to The Genesis Inquiry.  It's a legal thriller with a difference; just imagine if John Grisham and Dan Brown collaborated on a book, it might be half as good as this one.

I was gripped from the very first page as we meet our protagonist Ella Blake in her campervan on the island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland.  What a lovely surprise this was as I love reading novels set in the North East of England, albeit briefly set there as Ella then returns to Cambridge to investigate the disappearance of academic Matthew Shepherd.  

Ella is such an intriguing character with a tragic backstory that left her estranged from her daughter Lizzie.  Lizzie is also in Cambridge so not only does Ella have a case to investigate, she also has to work at her mother/daughter relationship if she wants to rebuild bridges with Lizzie.  Although she's clearly a brilliant barrister, seeing Ella as less than perfect in her personal life really endeared her to me.  I can't wait to read more Ella Blake thrillers.

Olly Jarvis' writing is so vivid and immersive that I felt as if I was part of the story and my heart was pounding as the danger levels ramped up.  There's an element of 'who can you trust?' which had me on the edge of my seat and pretty much suspecting everyone apart from Ella as having an ulterior motive.

The plot is breathtaking, it leaves the reader with food for thought and I scampered off to google one of the real places mentioned in the book.  I had never even heard of it and you have to wonder why that is.  It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it and I'm captivated by what I have read online so far, so thank you Olly Jarvis for highlighting this fascinating place.  I'm being purposefully vague about this to ensure that I don't spoil the plot for others.

Take my word for it, The Genesis Inquiry is not to be missed; it's simply stunning!  I have found a new favourite author in Olly Jarvis and I really can't recommend The Genesis Inquiry highly enough.  An easy 5 stars awarded for this outstanding legal thriller.

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

My rating:

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