BLOG TOUR: The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague - M K Hill

There's something wrong with Haddon Hall...

In 1876, Eleanor Teague lives in a lonely house far from the glamorous London Society she once knew. Confined to Haddon Hall by agoraphobia, bedevilled by nightmares of the death of her daughter, and haunted by the guilt of a terrible crime she committed, Eleanor depends on the household servants and on her husband Ezra, who is kind, patient… and controlling.

But when an apparition appears at her bedside, and mysterious voices urge her to find the 'Shadow House', she’s convinced an uncanny presence dwells within the walls of Haddon Hall, and that the staff are lying to her – they, in turn, fear she’s descending into madness.

As Eleanor’s world starts to fracture, the very foundations of Haddon Hall seem to shake. Why is the attic room locked? What is the Shadow House? Who is the strange woman in the woods?

The shocking truth will shatter everything Eleanor thought she knew about her life.

A haunting, high-concept thriller with a jaw-dropping twist, The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague will enthral readers of John Marrs, Gillian McAllister and Stuart Turton. 

What did I think?

Wow!  What an absolute corker of a book!  It's not a spoiler to mention the jaw-dropping twist as it's stated in the blurb but it is MINDBLOWING!  

The main character of Eleanor Teague is complex and I really felt for her.  Not only is she grieving for her young daughter but she is filled with guilt over her death.  It's no wonder that she's frightened to leave the house.  Luckily for Eleanor, she lives in a large house with servants and her doting husband Ezra so she is well looked after...or so it would appear.

Mental health wasn't even considered in Victorian times so Eleanor is just seen as a weak and hysterical woman.  Haddon Hall is both her sanctuary and her prison and now it looks like it's haunted too.  Eleanor doesn't know what to believe or who to trust and the suspense and tension ramps up with every turn of the page.

Mind-bending, addictive and highly original, The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague is completely unpredictable and incredibly suspenseful.  I was already hooked on the book when M K Hill delivered an ingenious twist that really pulled the rug out from beneath me and I take my hat off to you, sir!  The Strange Lives of Eleanor Teague is unmissable and highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Waterstones

Amazon

About the author:

M.K. Hill was a journalist and an award-winning music radio producer before becoming a full-time writer. He's written the Sasha Dawson series - The Bad Place, The Woman In The Wood - and the Ray Drake series - The Two O'Clock Boy and It Was Her - as well as acclaimed psychological thriller One Bad Thing, and the espionage thriller Zero Kill. He lives in London.

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Flower House (The Valley Park Series) - Nicky Black

THE THIRD STAND-ALONE STORY IN THE GRITTY VALLEY PARK SERIES

When Vivien Young wins the contract to redevelop the Valley Park estate in Newcastle, she is faced with a fierce adversary: a woman who would rather die than leave her crumbling home on the estate. With her company in trouble, Vivien must find a way to persuade the woman to sell up. If she doesn’t, she could not only lose her business, but also the beloved home she shares with her die-hard, hippy father: the Flower House.

The Flower House stands in the shadow of the Valley Park estate. It was passed to Vivien’s father Jeff after his parents’ death in the 1960s, and now he has entrusted it to Vivien.

But within its walls lie painful memories for the father Vivien adores, and a past full of secrets. Secrets that could destroy everything Vivien Young holds dear.

HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS FOR THE MOST GRIPPING STORY IN THE VALLEY PARK SERIES YET

 

What did I think?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!  It's SO good I just had to shout about how much I loved it.  I have loved every book in The Valley Park Series so far but I think The Flower House is the best one yet.

Set in Newcastle upon Tyne, there's a completely gripping dual timeline in The Flower House but there's also a sharp contrast between people's lives on either side of the Valley Park estate's boundary.  Vivien wants to develop the estate and create new homes and amenities but Binty wants to hold on to her home and refuses to sell.

The Flower House is almost a character in its own right as it holds so many secrets within its walls.  Jeff and his sister lost their parents at a young age but they inherited the family home.  Their naivety is exploited and before they know it, there's a bunch of strangers living in the house and flowers are being painted on the walls.  

I was incredibly intrigued by Binty and couldn't read the book fast enough to discover all of her secrets (and there's a lot of them).  I had so many questions as I was reading, and they all get answered absolutely brilliantly.  If it was a play, I'd have given it a round of applause and a standing ovation.  As they say up here in Geordieland, it's pure belter like.

Riveting, compelling and simply brilliant, The Flower House is as impossible to put down as it is to predict.  It's a cracking read and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.  An easy five stars!

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:

Nicky Black writes gritty, North East fiction, full of drama, twists and turns. Geordie criminals divide and rule their territories with a mixture of fear, threats and violence.

The Prodigal and The Rave are the result of a collaboration between two writers, Nicky and Julie. Julie's TV and movie scripts have provided the blueprint for Nicky's creation of these two novels, both set on the fictional Valley Park estate in Newcastle upon Tyne. Both Nicky and Julie have had careers working at the heart of disadvantaged communities in the North East of England, where they experienced the real grit and struggle of peoples' every-day lives, as well as their humour and determination to lead a happy existence, whatever that meant to them.

Nicky was born and brought up in Alnwick in Northumberland and now lives in North Tyneside. Julie is a born and bred Geordie and still lives in the Toon.

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The Shame (Glasgow Southside Crime Series Book 3) - Maureen Myant

Glasgow

The cellar of a suburban bungalow has been hiding a dark secret. During building work, a skeleton is uncovered. DI Alex Scrimgeour and DS Mark Nicholson soon discover the remains have been there for sixty years. The owners of the house from that time, Richard and Doris Cavendish, are dead, but their daughter may still be alive.

Edinburgh

Edith Drummond is pleased to be back at work as a teacher after lockdown. She's a difficult woman with no friends but she's good at her job and the children love her. However, her Head Teacher, Olivia Waring, wants her to retire. Edith is determined to stay put, but their feud soon pales into insignificance when Edith receives a visit from the police.

Mark is sure Edith is hiding something, but he doesn't know what. His suspicion deepens when further remains are found at the bungalow in Glasgow, this time of a newborn baby. Despite dealing with his own personal problems, Mark is determined to get to the bottom of this bizarre case. Is there a link between the two crimes? Is the answer staring him In the face or is there more to the mystery than meets the eye?

 

What did I think?

The Shame is the third book in the Glasgow Southside Crime Series and although you can read it is a standalone and thoroughly enjoy it, it's absolutely brilliant when read as part of the series.  

The character development throughout the series is outstanding and I was as hooked by the continuation of their stories as I was by the actual crime they were investigating.  It's a rather grisly crime when the new owners of a home discover a skeleton in their basement so the police need to trace the previous occupants to identify the body and solve the crime.  

Edith Drummond was so ashamed of her past in Glasgow that she changed her name and moved to Edinburgh.  Edith is a difficult woman to love but she really did grow on me and I completely sympathised with her past family life and her present working life as a teacher.  I was so annoyed that the head teacher can't see what a brilliant teacher Edith is but instead is set on making Edith retire.  I was virtually fist bumping the air when Edith continued to stand up to her.

I am completely hooked by DS Mark Nicholson's story and although I do feel sorry for him, he made his bed so he has to lie in it.  Unfortunately for Mark, that bed is in his boss's flat as his wife threw him out after his affair.  DI Alex Scrimgeour is a bit of a teddy bear now that his own personal mystery has been solved but I really wouldn't be helping myself to his whisky if I was living in his flat!

As impossible to put down as it is to predict, The Shame is a cracking piece of crime fiction that had me on the edge of my seat and reading with my virtual running shoes on.  I already consider this to be one of my favourite crime series and The Shame proves that it is just getting better and better.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

Follow the tour:

Keep It in the Family - John Marrs

In this thrilling novel from bestselling author John Marrs, a young couple’s house hides terrible secrets—and not all of them are confined to the past.

Mia and Finn are busy turning a derelict house into their dream home when Mia unexpectedly falls pregnant. But just when they think the house is ready, Mia discovers a shocking message scored into a skirting board: I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC. Following the clue up into the eaves, the couple make a gruesome discovery: their home was once a real-life murder house, with the evidence still concealed within the four walls.

In the wake of their traumatic discovery, the baby arrives and Mia can’t shake her fixation with the monstrous crimes that happened right above them. Tormented by the terrible things she saw, she is desperate to dig into the past to find answers.

Secrecy shrouds the mystery of the attic, but when shards of a dark truth start to emerge, Mia realises the danger is terrifyingly present. She is prepared to do anything to protect her family—but will the previous tenants stop her from discovering their secret?

 

What did I think?

Keep It in the Family is another cracking novel from the Master of Shocking Twists, John Marrs.  What a dark and twisted mind you have, Mr Marrs! 

The story is told from several points of view and brilliantly interspersed with excerpts from various media such as newspapers, TV documentaries and even an autopsy report.  Mia never really settled into the Hunter family after she married Debbie and Dave's only son, Finn.  Not matching up to Finn's perfect ex-girlfriend and failing to produce a grandchild doesn't help her case with the in-laws.  Mia and Finn's relationship is strong though, isn't it?  

Mia and Finn's relationship is well and truly tested when they buy an old house and Mia finds out that she's pregnant.  Their own home and a much wanted baby should be the stuff that dreams are made of but, as this is a John Marrs book, it turns into a nightmare.  The gruesome discovery in the attic sets off a chain of events that keep the pages turning at a rate of knots until all of the secrets are revealed.

So fast-paced I'm surprised I didn't have blisters on my fingers as I whipped the pages over at full speed, Keep It in the Family is deliciously dark and incredibly twisted.  This is a book that you will be up all night reading once you pick it up, which is just as well as the disturbing plot will give you nightmares.  Very highly recommended.

I received a gifted paperback for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

What Hides in the Cupboards - Cassondra Windwalker

Following a traumatic accident, ceramic artist Hesper Dunn trades life in Chicago for the enchanted deserts of New Mexico. But not all is quaint, and it’s far from what it seems. There’s a mystery buried deep in the heart of her new home.

Love, guilt, and grief demand that Hesper remain within the haunted pueblo. To free herself, she must free the trapped spirits…but the creatures lurking in the shadows are not what they appear. Hesper dares to wade through the murky fog of tragedy to uncover the truth. A truth that will be harder to handle than she ever dared imagine.

 

What did I think?

I've been a fan of Cassondra Windwalker's writing since I read her unforgettable novel, Idle Hands, so I was delighted to get the chance to read an early copy of her latest novel, What Hides in the Cupboards.  

You never know what to expect with a Cassondra Windwalker novel so I am purposefully keeping my review brief to avoid spoilers.  You know from the cover that this is going to be a creepy novel but it's so very clever and also unexpectedly moving.

I loved the main character, Hesper and really felt her pain as she struggles to deal with her own demons as well as the spooky young boy who haunts her new house.  I was completely riveted as I raced through the pages to uncover who or what the boy is and I had an actual gasp out loud and a lump in my throat at the end.

The writing is absolutely exquisite and I often had to stop reading for just a moment to fully appreciate the breathtaking perfection of the words.  It's a book that both creeped me out and broke my heart - I loved it!    

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond - Louise Davidson

After a terrible tragedy, governess Julia Pearlie finds herself with no job, home, or references. When she’s offered a position as companion to Miss Olivia Richmond, her luck appears to be turning. But Mistcoate House is full of secrets.

Olivia has a sinister reputation. The locals call her the Mistcoate Witch, thanks to her tarot readings, and her insistence that she can speak to the dead. Her father, Dr Richmond, believes this to be girlish fantasy and is looking to Julia to put a stop to it. 

Determined to prove herself and shake off her own murky history, Julia sets to work trying to help Olivia become a proper young lady. However, as she becomes a fixture at Mistcoate, it is soon clear that there may be more to Olivia’s stories than Dr Richmond would have Julia believe – not least because somehow, Olivia seems to know something of the darkness that Julia desperately hoped she had left behind.

As the danger grows, and the winter chill wraps around the dark woods surrounding Mistcoate, Julia will have to fight to uncover the truth, escape her past – and save herself.

Original and engrossing, this chilling Victorian Gothic ghost story is an outstanding piece of storytelling, perfect for fans of Sarah Perry, Erin Morgenstern and Jessie Burton.

 

What did I think?

The haunting cover of The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond gives the reader some idea as to how dark it is inside and this spinetingling historical gothic novel is a great book to read over the spooky season.

Julia Pearlie comes from a wealthy family but as a woman she is left penniless when her brother inherits the family's wealth.  Forced to take a job as a governess, Julia now works for people who should have been her peers.  Of course the reader can't help but wonder how good Julia is at her job with a transcript from a drowning inquest at the start of the book and this is a sad story that literally haunts her.

Mistcoate House has its very own witch in the form of Olivia Richmond and Julia has been offered the position as Olivia's companion.  I felt so sorry for Olivia, living with a father who cares naught for her, a grandfather with dementia and a housekeeper who seems far too close to her employer for my liking.  It's like a bubbling cauldron of intrigue and it had me completely riveted.

Set in the late 19th century, it explores the Victorian obsession with the occult and how the body works.  Dr Richmond isn't beyond using his own daughter for experimentation to secure funding, after all she's only a girl.  Olivia is a talented tarot card reader and she seems to know more about Julia's past than she ought to, including the identity of the ghostly boy who lingers around Julia.

Spooky, creepy and mesmerising, The Fortunes of Olivia Richmond is a wonderful piece of historical fiction with a dark, gothic edge.  Perfect reading for Halloween.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Attic at Wilton Place - CE Rose

The perfect life. The perfect home. But at what price?

Introspective Ruth Parker is desperate for love and attention. Overlooked as a child by her cold and critical mother, her pain manifests in loneliness and a crippling lack of self-esteem. When glamorous actress ‘Aunt’ Vanessa, her mother’s childhood friend, shows an interest in her, Ruth basks in the blinding light of her attention.

Once Ruth escapes to university in London, Aunt Vanessa invites her to Wilton Place, her stunning Belgravia residence. As she blossoms under Vanessa’s guidance, Ruth finds herself torn between student life and the hypnotic, luxurious confines of Wilton Place. Belgravia wins out, but when Ruth explores the gloomy attic of her new home and finds a hidden, locked door, she discovers that Vanessa is hiding the darkest of secrets from her childhood, secrets that threaten everything Ruth knew about her own mother.

How far will Ruth go to find the truth - and how much does she really want to know?

 

What did I think?

CE Rose weaves a dark and deceptive tale in gripping new novel, The Attic at Wilton Place and I really enjoyed it.  With a majestic and slightly creepy house at its core, it is hauntingly gothic and the house is bursting with secrets that will be revealed when the level of suspense reaches maximum.

I have mixed feelings about the main character Ruth.  On the whole, I felt sorry for her as she has been groomed and manipulated by her 'Aunt' Vanessa, something that Vanessa found easy to do as Ruth's mother (Joyless Joy, as I named her) shows her no affection whatsoever.  Ruth makes some questionable decisions but I had to remind myself how young she was and that she was being played like the cello she so loves.

This story has so many layers and CE Rose perfectly balances her build up of suspense with gradual revelations to keep the reader hooked.  I thought I had it all worked out but I was wrong on every single count and I was delighted to be wrong as I love to be shocked and surprised by such talented authors.

Filled with suspense and bursting with secrets, The Attic at Wilton Place is a twisty page-turning gothic thriller that thoroughly entertained me.  It's well worth a read if you like your books deliciously dark and creepy.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The House That Made Us - Alice Cavanagh

One Day meets Up: The House That Made Us is a love story – and a life story – told through a series of photographs and based on a true story

 

When Mac and Marie marry and find a home of their own, Mac takes a snap of themselves outside their newbuild bungalow, the garden bare and the paint on the front door still wet. It becomes a tradition, this snap, and slowly the photographs build into an album of a fifty-year partnership.

 

Every year they take a photo and though things change around them – the garden matures, the fashions change, they grow older – the one constant is their love. Every year, come rain, come shine, from the Seventies through the decades, every photo tells the story of their love.

 

Until the last photo, where the couple becomes one, and their story comes to an end…

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I am a total blubbering mess after reading this outstanding book.  Knowing that it was based on a true story, I was reaching for my tissues just reading the dedication at the front, and that wasn't the only tear I shed.  Yes, it's heartbreaking but it is filled with so much love and I enjoyed every beautiful moment.

I simply adored Mac and Marie and how their story played out over a series of photographs in a treasured album.  It's an album that has found its way into new hands where each photo is discovered for the very first time.  It's a dual storyline of sorts, as the photo album is being looked at in the present day and each photo tells a story from the past.   

The characters are larger than life and Mac and Marie instantly found a way into my heart.  It's nostalgic at times as the decades pass and colour choices fade but Mac and Marie's love grows stronger.  Every anniversary they take a photo in front of their house and I couldn't read fast enough to discover their story, whilst simultaneously dreading the final chapter as I was so emotionally invested.

Emotional doesn't even begin to describe The House That Made Us and to say that Alice Cavanagh put me through the emotional wringer is an understatement, however, it's an emotional journey I feel privileged to have been on.

Beautifully written and filled with heart and soul, The House That Made Us is a stunning novel of a full and happy life, with inevitable tears at the end (and the beginning and everywhere in between).  Have your hankies at the ready as you discover Mac and Marie's story for yourself.  An easy five stars and more - completely unmissable and very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: The House of Ashes - Stuart Neville

For Sara Keane, it was supposed to be a second chance. A new country. A new house. A new beginning with her husband Damien.

Then came the knock on the door.

Elderly Mary Jackson can't understand why Sara and her husband are living in her home. She remembers the fire, and the house burning down. But she also remembers the children. The children who need her, whom she must protect.

'The children will find you,' she tells Sara, because Mary knows she needs help too. Sara soon becomes obsessed with what happened in that house nearly sixty years ago - the tragic, bloody night her husband never intended for her to discover. And Mary - silent for six decades - is finally ready to tell her story . . .

The House of Ashes is the stunning new 2022 thriller from the award-winning master of the genre, Stuart Neville - perfect for fans of John Connolly, Alex North and Brian McGilloway.

 

What did I think?

The House of Ashes is the first Stuart Neville book I have read and it certainly won't be my last.  The writing is sublime and the voice of Mary is portrayed magnificently in a unique colloquial manner.  

Sara's new home has a deep, dark secret that only the previous owner Mary can help uncover but Sara's husband is determined to keep the two women apart.  The house refuses to remain silent and it's time for its secret to be revealed.  I don't think I've ever had so many goosebumps when reading a book; it's so dark and creepy.

The storyline is very much a past and present tale with the house in common but there's also a darker undercurrent of domestic violence and controlling relationships.  I really disliked Sara's husband Damien and his father, for very good reason which becomes apparent as the story progresses, but it's the horror of Mary's childhood that remains with me long after I turned the final page.  I'm being purposely vague about Mary's past as each reader needs to experience it for themselves.

Creepy, dark and chilling, you need to wrap up warm when reading The House of Ashes as it's a spine-tingling and goosebumpy 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

Amazon

Follow the tour:

BLOG TOUR: Home - Penny Parkes

 

A gripping and heartfelt story about overcoming the past and finding where you belong.

 

Anna Wilson travels the world as a professional housesitter – stepping into other people’s lives - caring for their homes, pets and sometimes even neighbours. Living vicariously.

 

But all Anna has ever really wanted is a home of her own – a proper one, filled with family and love and happy memories. If only she knew where to start.

 

Growing up in foster care, she always envied her friends their secure and carefree lives, their certainty and confidence. And, while those same friends may have become her family of choice, Anna is still stuck in that nomadic cycle, looking for answers, trying to find the courage to put down roots and find a place to call home.

Compelling, rich and evocative, Home is Anna’s journey to discovering that it isn’t where you settle down that matters, but the people you have around you when you do. 

What did I think?

I can't believe that Home is the first book by Penny Parkes that I have read but oh my word I loved it.  I love how the cover of the book perfectly encapsulates the variety of homes in this wonderful novel about Anna Wilson's search for a home to call her own.

Housesitting for the rich and famous sounds like a wonderful job...at first.  Wouldn't we all love to see how the other half live?  Of course the downside of that is moving from house to house and living out of a suitcase but Anna is used to this as her life in foster care saw her constantly on the move.  Anna's backstory has resulted in her stuck in a cycle of moving from house to house, afraid to push the pause button and settle down in her own home in case happiness is cruelly ripped away from her.

I absolutely adored the wonderful character of Anna, from her unwavering professionalism in the face of adversity to her undying love for her friend Kate.  Page by page her story curled around my heart like creeping vines until they bloomed in a torrent of tears at Anna's graduation.  I was so proud of Anna, she felt like my best friend and I didn't even realise I was crying until tears dripped onto the page.  

There are multiple layers to this fabulous story that kept me completely engrossed and totally immersed in the book, as evidenced by my tears.  Home really does feel like it contains the full spectrum of emotions as it evoked so many emotions in me.  Above all I felt incredible gratitude for my own home life and it made me consider how our childhood has the power to influence our adulthood.  

Warm and uplifting, Home is a compelling and surprisingly emotional novel.  It was an absolute delight to read and I'm definitely going to check out Penny Parkes' earlier novels.

I received a beautiful hardback 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

Follow the tour:

Everything is Beautiful - Eleanor Ray

When Amy Ashton's world fell apart eleven years ago, she started a collection.

Just a few keepsakes of happier times: some honeysuckle to remind herself of the boy she loved, a chipped china bird, an old terracotta pot . . . Things that others might throw away, but to Amy, represent a life that could have been.

Now her house is overflowing with the objects she loves - soon there'll be no room for Amy at all. But when a family move in next door, a chance discovery unearths a mystery, and Amy's carefully curated life begins to unravel. If she can find the courage to face her past, might the future she thought she'd lost still be hers for the taking?

Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant and The Keeper of Lost Things, this exquisitely told, uplifting novel shows us that however hopeless things might feel, beauty can be found in the most unexpected of places 

What did I think?

I see a lot of books claiming a comparison to Eleanor Oliphant, which I absolutely loved and found to be completely unique, however, I think the comparison does apply to Everything is Beautiful as Eleanor Ray's debut novel is similarly quirky with a surprisingly dark undertone.  So yes indeed, Eleanor Oliphant fans, you will love this book!  I planned to read it over 3 days but it barely lasted 24 hours as I couldn't put it down.

Amy Ashton reminded me of Bagpuss, collecting treasures that others have cast away and fixing them with super glue just like the marvellous mice on the mouse organ.  Amy hasn't always been a hoarder, it's just since her boyfriend and best friend went missing...at the same time.  The police believe that all the evidence points to Tim and Chantel running off together but neither of them have been heard from since.  All Amy wants is closure but in the meantime she has empty wine bottles and lighters, among other things, to remind her of happier times.

This book is so beautifully written it left me surrounded with a lovely warm glow.  There are some devastating moments and I could barely hold back the tears at times as Amy's history is revealed.  You just never know how much pain people are carrying around with them and if collecting things makes Amy's life more bearable then I don't see what harm it is doing to anyone.  I think it's lovely how you can find a seemingly innocuous object and suddenly be transported back in time.  We all carry treasured memories around with us but sometimes they need a little nudge to bring them to the fore.

Utterly charming and completely compelling, Everything is Beautiful is an absolute delight to read and an outstanding debut.  This uplifting, hopeful and quirky book reminded me that there really is beauty in everything if you choose to look for it - I loved it.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord - The Secret Landlord

Get ready to learn what really happens behind closed doors.

Landlords have become one of the most hated groups in society. Parasites, they’re often called. And there’s a lot of them. The Treasury estimates there are almost 2.6 million landlords in the UK with around 5.45 million rental properties.

But the real life of a professional landlord is very different to what most people think. From burglaries and break-ins to drug raids, police warrants, crazy tenant antics, bailiffs, squatters, lawsuits, wrecked properties, interfering council officers, game-playing freeholders to moments of heartfelt joy and happiness, the life of a landlord is never dull. Especially when the government keeps moving the goalposts.

This explosive front line exposé blows the lid off what it’s really like to be a landlord and the shocking reality of renting out a property. Hovering close to a nervous breakdown and likely suffering PTSD, The Secret Landlord exposes truths rarely shared. Stories that will grip you, move you and smack you in the face.

This is the truth, the other side of the door.

What did I think?

What a complete eye-opener!  I really enjoyed reading Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord.  It's written in diary format, which I often feel guilty about reading, but the voice of the Secret Landlord really stands out and I felt like I had her approval to read her honest account of some very busy and tiring days.

My heart really went out to the Secret Landlord, being on call 24/7/365 and I could have cried when reading about the wrecked properties.  I felt the frustration with the council housing department and the inability to take even a single day off without hassle.  It's not all doom and gloom though as there are plenty of funny moments; I laughed out loud when the Secret Landlord cleared up after a hoarder and went for a bone crunching Thai massage.  

I did briefly consider renting my property when house prices fell during the 2008 recession but, after seeing how tenants treated the rental property next door with total disregard, I thought it would be more hassle than it was worth.  Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord certainly proves me right and makes me so glad that I'm not a landlord.  

Honest, humourous and horrifying, Parasite? The Secret Diary of a Landlord is a superb read whether you're a landlord, a tenant or a nosy neighbour.  I sometimes forgot it was actually non-fiction as it's a highly addictive book and I couldn't put it down; I'm sure there are many more stories that the Secret Landlord can share with us and I do hope that there are more books to follow.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

The Secret Landlord has been renting, refurbishing and selling properties across the UK for almost two decades. An award winning landlord, as judged by the National Landlords Association, The Secret Landlord has provided accommodation for hundreds of tenants from all walks of life. 

Social Media Links – 

Website: www.thesecretlandlord.com

Twitter: @landlord_secret

Follow Rachel's Random Resources Publication Day Push:

BLOG TOUR: Mortmain Hall - Martin Edwards

WINNER OF THE CWA DIAMOND DAGGER 2020.

ENGLAND, 1930. Grieving widows are a familiar sight on London's Necropolis Railway. So when an elegant young woman in a black veil boards the funeral train, nobody guesses her true purpose.

But Rachel Savernake is not one of the mourners. She hopes to save a life – the life of a man who is supposed to be cold in the grave. But then a suspicious death on the railway track spurs her on to investigate a sequence of baffling mysteries: a death in a blazing car; a killing in a seaside bungalow; a tragic drowning in a frozen lake. Rachel believes that the cases are connected – but what possible link can there be?

Rich, ruthless and obsessed with her own dark notions of justice, she will not rest until she has discovered the truth. To find the answers to her questions she joins a house party on the eerie and remote North Yorkshire coast at Mortmain Hall, an estate. Her inquiries are helped – and sometimes hindered – by the impetuous young journalist Jacob Flint and an eccentric female criminologist with a dangerous fascination with perfect crimes...

Mortmain Hall is at once a gripping thriller and a classic whodunit puzzle: a Golden Age Gothic mystery, the finest novel yet from a modern master of crime writing.

What did I think?

I love a good old-fashioned murder mystery so I was very eager to read Mortmain Hall.  I thought the cover was very alluring and gives the impression of a Golden Age mystery, although the whirls and swirls also resembled the tangle my brain got into whilst reading.

I have to be completely honest and say that I really struggled with this book at first; there are just so many characters that I was completely overwhelmed.  I was so confused that I stopped reading at 60% and started it all over again, but made sure to write down many of the character names the second time around (I didn't write them all down but still had a huge list of over 40 characters).  Of course trying to concentrate on reading during a global pandemic doesn't help, especially when the story is so intricate.  I can say that it was definitely worth persevering with as the last third of the story is brilliant when all of the tangled threads unravel for the big reveal.

Mortmain Hall is the second book in the Rachel Savernake series, of which Gallows Court is the first.  As I had jumped in at book 2, I wondered if reading the books in order might help alleviate some of the confusion over the myriad characters.   So unless your brain can cope with such a huge cast of characters, I would definitely recommend reading Gallows Court first.

I loved the Cluefinder list at the end, listing 30 clues to the plot that were hidden within the narrative of the book.  I'm a really poor detective as I didn't pick up on any of them but I have to applaud Martin Edwards' inventiveness in hiding these clues in the book.  It was very eye-opening to read them at the end to see what I'd missed and it was a fine way to pay homage to detective novels of the Golden Age.

Intricate, clever and inventive, Mortmain Hall really does have the feel of a Golden Age detective novel.  Martin Edwards has really embraced the writing style of the era which results in a very authentic read.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Follow the tour: