BLOG TOUR: The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp - Krystal Evans

When Krystal Evans was 14, the house that she shared with her mother and little sister burned down. Narrowly escaping by breaking a window and jumping out head-first Krystal suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and the unimaginable tragedy of losing her sister. That Evans has written such a warm and disarmingly funny memoir about what led the family to that fatal night, and how they coped with its aftermath, is nothing less than astonishing.

This is a spellbinding story of growing up poor in America, living with a mentally ill mother, and having a wolf for a pet (really). From the indignities of being rejected from a summer camp for burn victims, to putting up with a succession of her mom's increasingly shady friends and partners, Krystal and Katie's childhoods were marked by adult chaos, inappropriate behaviour, and never knowing what the next day would bring.

But, writing with joy, skill and candour, we witness Krystal growing as a person from the ashes of disaster into the confident, funny, and (reasonably) well-hinged adult, mother and comedian that she is today.

At the same time, funny, tragic and inspiring, it is the story of a family dangerously close to the edge, and of a girl struggling to make her way into adulthood, once the smoke clears.

 

What did I think?

Krystal Evans is a stand-up comedian so it's comforting to know that it all turns out ok in the end for her as her memoir is completely heart wrenching.  I wanted to reach into the book and give young Krystal a big hug as her family suffered such a devastating tragedy.

When I was reading this true story, I really wished it had been fiction as it broke my heart when Krystal lost her little sister Katie in the fire that destroyed their home.  It must have been very cathartic for Krystal to write this book and I was in tears at the end as her story really got to me.  It will be heartening for Krystal to know that Katie's memory will live on in the hearts of every reader who picks up this book.

It's often difficult to read Krystal's story but she makes it as lighthearted as she possibly can with a sprinkling of humour here and there.  It's not a funny story by any means but it is written in such an entertaining way that it is very easy to read.

Heartbreaking and inspirational, The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp is an emotional and powerful true story that will stay with me long after I turned the final page. 

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

My rating:

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BLOGATHON: Buried (DC Jack Warr book 1) - Lynda La Plante

The gripping first book in a brand new thriller series by the Queen of Crime Drama, Lynda La Plante.

DC Jack Warr and his girlfriend Maggie have just moved to London to start a new life together. Though charming, Jack can't seem to find his place in the world - until he's drawn into an investigation that turns his life upside down.

In the aftermath of a fire at an isolated cottage, a badly charred body is discovered, along with the burnt remains of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes.

Jack's search leads him deep into a murky criminal underworld - a world he finds himself surprisingly good at navigating. But as the line of the law becomes blurred, how far will Jack go to find the answers - and what will it cost him?

In BURIED, it's time to meet DC Jack Warr as he digs up the deadly secrets of the past . . .

What did I think?

I'm a little embarrased to say that Buried is the first Lynda La Plante book that I have read but what an absolute cracker it is.  I couldn't put it down and I can't wait (and won't wait) to read the next one as I am well and truly hooked on the Detective Jack Warr series.  

Jack Warr hasn't quite embraced his new life in London and although his boss thinks he should go for the sergeant's position, Jack just doesn't know what he wants.  I think if you cracked open Jack's head it would look very messy and it doesn't get any tidier thoughout the book as he crosses the line so much he wouldn't be able to see it with a pair of binoculars.

There's a very intriguing case to investigate that links an unsolved train robbery to a fire at a remote cottage.  Jack sees an opportunity to do a bit of digging for himself when he starts to look for his birth father and his personal investigation puts quite a strain on his family relationships.  I could understand Jack wanting to find out where he came from but I did grimace a little as I think his timing could have been better.

Buried is a perfectly plotted police procedural novel and a fantastic start to a new crime thriller series.  Jack Warr is a fabulously flawed character and I was often shaking my head in disappointment at him but I still loved him and I can't wait to read more of the series.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted copy to review for the Compulsive Readers blogathon and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Scorched: Burn Me Once... (A Tyler Zahn Novel Book 3) - Cam Torrens

After his over-zealous efforts to find his missing Search & Rescue partner fail, Air Force veteran Tyler Zahn is on the outs with Chaffee County law enforcement. When valuable oil paintings are stolen during a heist on a high-altitude pass in the Colorado Rockies, Zahn is ordered to steer clear of the investigation.

But when Laura Coker Long--the artist he's trying to date--has her most famous work stolen too, Zahn can't help but get involved. Trapped by a wildfire in a mountain retreat with a group of art patrons, Laura and her family, and an FBI agent, Zahn's search for the thief is hindered by more heinous crimes.

Zahn can't afford to screw up again. But he has no choice. If he doesn't step forward and lead, people may die.

 

What did I think?

I love the Tyler Zahn novels so I was very excited to read book three and Scorched is every bit as brilliant as I expected it to be.  I think it reads pretty well as a standalone if you're new to the series, but there is a little continuation of a storyline from book two that will have a greater impact if you already know the story.

Tyler Zahn gets a lot more than he bargained for when he starts dating local artist Laura Coker.  Not only does he have to be interrogated by the Coker sisters, he finds himself trapped in a mountain retreat when wildfires prevent people leaving Laura's art show.  It's like herding kittens trying to keep everyone safe and during the panic and confusion Laura's artwork is stolen.

The wildfire scenes are so descriptive that I could almost smell the smoke and Cam Torrens' vivid writing had me on the edge of my seat.  I found it really scary to think how quickly fire can spread and potentially trap people in their homes.  It's also shows the bravery of firefighters and other emergency services as they put their own lives at risk to save others.

With such a gripping multi-stranded story, the pace is blistering fast and I absolutely raced through the novel, finding it increasingly difficult to put down.  I was intrigued by the artwork theft, entertained by the bickering Coker sisters, craving more clues about the unresolved mystery from book two and gripped by the flames burning all around.  

Scorched is a fantastic thriller that left me breathless and desperate to read more.  I'm a Tyler Zahn addict and I can't wait for the next book - no pressure, Cam!  If you've not yet discovered this brilliant Tyler Zahn series then I heartily recommend you do so.  

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Key in the Lock - Beth Underdown

 

'I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire...'

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy - one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

From the award-winning author of The Witchfinder's Sister comes a captivating story of burning secrets and buried shame, and of the loyalty and love that rises from the ashes.

What did I think?

I've had my eyes peeled for her next novel since reading Beth Underdown's stunning debut, The Witchfinder's Sister, so I was delighted to be given an advance copy of The Key in the Lock to read and review for the blog tour.

The very first line ('I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire...') sets the dark, haunting scene and blows air on the smouldering ember that Ivy has buried for 30 years.  With a dual timeline the tragic events of 1888 are slowly revealed as Ivy grieves for her son in 1918.  Ivy is haunted by the deaths of two boys taken too soon and it reawakens her need to find out what really happened in 1888.

Part gothic mystery and part tragic love story, The Key in the Lock is a beautifully written slow-burner that smoulders with the tension of long buried secrets.  The writing is so evocative that it draws you into the story and I could almost feel curls of smoke gently caressing my skin as I found myself fully immersed in Ivy's story.  It's a book to be savoured rather than devoured and it's the perfect book to read by the fire on a cold winter's night.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Family Lie - P L Kane

 

A scream cut through the night as they watched flames engulf the woodland. Fire ripped through the trees, leaving only charred branches behind. And then they saw it… on the ashen forest floor… was a body.

Police officer, Mitchel Prescott answered the phone with a shaking hand. It was the one call he had been dreading. It was the hospital at Green Acres… his father Thomas, had died in the night.

Returning to the small town he had been avoiding since he was a child, Mitch must lay his father to rest.

When he arrives, the close-knit residents refuse to speak about Thomas’ death, other than to explain he was found burnt to death in the woods and his dementia was the likely cause.

But when Mitch discovers traces of accelerant on his father’s body, he’s certain it wasn’t an accident. Then his childhood home is broken into, his father’s study ransacked, and a rock thrown through the window warning him to leave.

Mitch is convinced Thomas had discovered something that had got him into trouble… something that would threaten his entire family.

But what secret is worth killing for?

What did I think?

I rather enjoyed that!  The Family Lie is pretty creepy with an underlying hint of menace and the town of Green Acres is definitely somewhere I would not want to visit!  Its oddness reminded me of the setting of Royston Vasey from The League of Gentlemen but the characters in The Family Lie are more threatening in a duplicitous kind of way.

Although it has quite a gruesome and intriguing beginning, it took me a little while to get into the story as it flicks back and forth between Mitch and his sister Bella.  When their father dies, Bella refuses to return to Green Acres so Mitch is the one who goes back home to arrange his father's funeral.  Mitch has just quit his job in the police force but he sniffs out something sinister about his father's death and begins to investigate, but someone seems intent to stop him.

I loved the character of Bella and her psychic ability which added a supernatural air of mystery to the whole proceedings.  There is so much more to Bella's story than meets the eye and I loved discovering everything about her.  It's odd but I didn't really take to Mitch as much as Bella, although I loved Mitch's interactions with the cat, but I think perhaps I just found Bella to be a more interesting character. 

Chilling and intriguing with a hint of the supernatural, anything could happen in The Family Lie which makes it impossible to predict and difficult to put down.  I enjoyed it; it's an entertaining, disturbing and imaginative crime thriller.

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

My rating:

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The Puppet Show (Washington Poe #1) - M. W. Craven

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive...

What did I think?

I had heard so many people raving about The Puppet Show that I bought two copies; one for me and one for a gift.  I was so confident that it was going to be good that it's the first time a recipient has read the book before me.  Actually, 'good' isn't a word I'd use to describe The Puppet Show; it's far too mediocre.  Exceptional, outstanding and magnificent come closer to describing how completely brilliant it is.

I love how it's a DS Washington Poe book but it is his soon-to-be civilian partner, Tilly Bradshaw, we are introduced to first.  I've always been described as very literal so I loved Tilly right from the start; she even loves numbers as much as me!  Tilly takes literal to the extreme, however, but it just makes her more endearing.  It's absolute genius to pair her with Poe, a gruff Northerner who pushes (and oversteps) the boundaries to see justice served.  After stepping so far over the line he couldn't see it with binoculars, Poe finds himself brought back from suspension when a serial killer runs rampage in Cumbria.

Written in a refreshing no-nonsense way, M. W. Craven tells it like it is in this outstanding first instalment of the Washingon Poe series.  With his dogged determination and disregard for authority, you can't help but compare Washington Poe to Harry Bosch.  Poe is definitely someone that Bosch would like and admire, and Bosch could maybe even learn a thing or two from him.

This has to be one of the best starts to a series I have ever read and if the only way is up, then I can't wait to read more of the Washington Poe series.  Luckily, at the time of writing, I already have the next two instalments waiting impatiently on my Kindle.  Absolutely superb, The Puppet Show isn't just my book of the year, it's my book of the decade.  It's well deserving of a full 5 stars and then some.  So very highly recommended, it's a book that you won't be able to put down and a series to which you can't wait to return.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Ash Mountain - Helen Fitzgerald

Fran hates her hometown, and she thought she’d escaped. But her father is ill, and needs care. Her relationship is over, and she hates her dead-end job in the city, anyway.

She returns home to nurse her dying father, her distant teenage daughter in tow for the weekends. There, in the sleepy town of Ash Mountain, childhood memories prick at her fragile self-esteem, she falls in love for the first time, and her demanding dad tests her patience, all in the unbearable heat of an Australian summer. As past friendships and rivalries are renewed, and new ones forged, Fran’s tumultuous home life is the least of her worries, when old crimes rear their heads and a devastating bushfire ravages the town and all of its inhabitants…

Simultaneously a warm, darkly funny portrait of small-town life – and a woman and a land in crisis – and a shocking and truly distressing account of a catastrophic event that changes things forever, Ash Mountain is a heart-breaking slice of domestic noir, and a disturbing disaster thriller that you will never forget…

What did I think?

For such a short book, at only 210 pages long, there's an awful lot going on in Ash Mountain.  It just shows the quality of Helen Fitzgerald's writing that she can cram so much in over so few pages.  It is written so beautifully that it feels like every single word has been carefully chosen and crafted into this deeply disturbing and haunting story.  

The main character of Fran is very damaged, and it's not shown how damaged until much later in the story, but she gets on with her life thanks to her dark humour.  The way that Fran takes her Dad places had me absolutely howling with laughter at times and I have to applaud Helen Fitzgerald's genius for adding some humour to an otherwise sobering subject. 

I wasn't really sure in what direction the story was going to take me as we flick back and forth in time but when past and present collide I actually had to choke back a sob.  The writing is so vivid and filled with emotion that I felt completely drained at the end of the book; I felt as devastated as the scorched earth when past crimes were laid bare.  I feel so sad just thinking of it now; even though the characters are fictional it feels so very real to me.

Ash Mountain is a horrifying, beautiful and mesmeric story of a completely devastating event; I can't stop looking at the hypnotic photo on the cover, which is a real photo from the Australian bushfires of 2019 which brings terrifying authenticity to this already vivid story.  This haunting and evocative story is not one that I will easily forget.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Helen FitzGerald is the bestselling author of ten adult and young adult thrillers, including The Donor (2011) and The Cry (2013), which was longlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and is now a major drama for BBC1. Her 2019 dark comedy thriller Worst Case Scenario was a Book of the Year in both The Guardian and Daily Telegraph. Helen worked as a criminal justice social worker for over fifteen years. She grew up in Victoria, Australia, and now lives in Glasgow with her husband.

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BLOG TOUR: Firewatching - Russ Thomas

ONE FALSE MOVE 

Someone is setting fire to Sheffield. It starts with small things – dustbins and abandoned sheds so people don’t notice at first. But the calling card is there if you look for it. 

WILL IGNITE 

Soon the fires spread to offices, homes, people. The Firewatcher’s followers are growing and they have one particular blaze in mind – one that the police would do well to pay attention to. 

THE CITY 

But DS Adam Tyler is distracted by a case, one that he is unknowingly connected to. And if he can’t discover the link between the fires and himself, he will burn – along with the entire city. 

What did I think?

Oh my word!  Firewatching is an absolute firecracker of a novel; what an astonishing debut from Russ Thomas.  It's so outstanding that I had to triple check that it was in fact his debut and I'm already so excited to find out what Russ Thomas has in store next for DS Adam Tyler.

Russ Thomas completely captures the readers attention with his engrossing story in this impossible to put down thriller set in Sheffield.  I was gripped from start to, not just the finish but, beyond the finish as I'm chomping at the bit to read more.  That's not to say that it ends on a cliffhanger by any means but along with the main story and a couple of sub-stories there is also Adam Tyler's personal story, resulting in multiple layers of intrigue.  With more hooks than a coat rack, this book really is impossible to put down.

With such a blistering pace, I absolutely raced through this scorching novel.  Please excuse the fire related puns but they really do describe the book perfectly.  I loved the character of Adam, even though I didn't take to him right away.  He's so very flawed and guarded that we're not even close to seeing the real him right now.  I'm looking forward to getting to know him so much better over what I hope will be a long running series.

There's so much I could write about this book as there are so many areas for discussion, but I don't want to give away any spoilers of the outstanding plot.  Russ Thomas is a fresh new voice in the crime thriller genre and I have no doubt that he will hold his own against so many brilliant well-established authors.  Established crime writers beware, there's a new voice in town and it's magnifique!

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Russ Thomas was born in Essex, raised in Berkshire and now lives in Sheffield. He grew up in the 80s reading anything he could get from the library, writing stories, watching large amounts of television, playing videogames, and largely avoiding the great outdoors. He spent five years trying to master playing the electronic organ and another five trying to learn Spanish. It didn’t take him too long to realise that he’d be better off sticking to the writing.

After a few ‘proper’ jobs (among them: pot-washer, optician’s receptionist, supermarket warehouse operative, call-centre telephonist and storage salesman) he discovered the joys of bookselling, where he could talk to people about books all day.  

His debut novel Firewatching is the first book in the DS Adam Tyler series. 

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BLOG TOUR: The Shadow Man - Mark Brownless

Idyllic memories. A perfect childhood. A secret buried for thirty years.

None of us could remember why we drifted apart – we were always so close at school but then… you know. That was thirty years ago, and I hadn’t thought of my school friends in all that time – it was like I’d been made to forget.

And then the dreams started. Dreams that I knew I’d had before. Horrific dreams of fear and fire and death. Dreams of the Shadow Man, a ghostly urban legend who seemed to hang over my home village like an evil spirit. I’d begun to remember, my memories of back then becoming two-dimensional – a lie to mask what really happened – and I knew we’d have to go back. Back to Janey, because she never left.

What did happen to us back then, and do we really want to know? And what about the supernatural horror lurking in the shadows – could we face the Shadow Man again?


What did I think?

At just under 250 pages, this is a book that you can easily read in one sitting, which is exactly what I did.  Not just because it's a reasonably short book but also because I simply couldn't put it down.

As a pre-teen in mid-1980's, the dual time-frame in this book was very nostalgic for me; it brought back memories of long hot summers riding around on our bikes until 10pm and sledging in the never-ending winters.  This is a huge thought-provoking element of the book; in my memories, it didn't rain in the summer, yet in reality it's summertime in Britain so it'll have rained nearly every day, for as Mark Brownless says, 'our memories edit out the rain'.  It's always intrigued me how a long forgotten memory can appear from a simple trigger, such as a sight, smell or sound.  The human brain is a wonderful, complex organ that stores information and fires it back out at us when we thought we'd lost it forever.

Philippa (Flip) and her friends were spooked by the Shadow Man in their youth, a dark ghostly presence that burned its victims alive.  After leaving their home village, they had forgotten about the Shadow Man but several years later they all shared a common dream and returned home to visit the one friend who never left, Janey.  Something happened to Janey in the past, although none of the girls can quite remember what happened, but remembering this will prove key to catching the Shadow Man once and for all.

This was pretty spooky at times and although I did guess the plot quite early on, I still had an element of doubt as to who or what the Shadow Man actually is.  I think I'd totally bought into the childhood memories and felt how scared the girls were whilst their village was being terrorised.  There was even talk of the possibility of spontaneous human combustion at one point and I remember being fascinated by this hot topic (no pun intended) back in the day.

I deliberated a little over my rating for this one; although I guessed the shocking twist, I still couldn't put it down.  So because I was so hooked, I think it does deserve the full five stars, although realistically it's a 4.5 from me but I never do things by halves.

Nostalgic, thought-provoking, completely addictive and pretty scary at times, The Shadow Man is a must read for anyone who wants something a bit different in a thriller.  I definitely want to read more from Mark Brownless, past and future, and I'm delighted to discover that he has another tales of the unexpected style thriller in his back catalogue.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Mark Brownless lives and works in Carmarthen, West Wales.

He has been putting ideas on paper for some years now but only when the idea for THE HAND OF AN ANGEL came to him in the autumn of 2015 did he know he might be able to write a book. Mark likes to write about ordinary people being placed in extraordinary circumstances, is fascinated by unexplained phenomena, and enjoys merging thriller, science fiction and horror.

Mark's new novel, The Shadow Man is a terrifying horror thriller imagining what would happen if you found out the memories of your childhood were untrue, and that something sinister was lurking behind the facade of your life. Could you face what had happened back then? Could you face The Shadow Man.

Mark is also fascinated by myths and legends such as those of Robin Hood and King Arthur. This has culminated in the release of his short story series, Locksley, a Robin Hood story.

Website : http://www.markbrownless.com/

Twitter : @MarkBrownless

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