BLOG TOUR: Gin Palace - Tracy Whitwell

Ever since Tanz discovered she could speak with the dead, life has become a whole lot more interesting. But after putting herself in grave danger helping to solve a grisly murder, she’s now determined to ignore the voices and put all that nasty business behind her.

So when she’s offered another acting gig in her hometown of Newcastle, it feels like a perfect opportunity to spend some time with family and have a laugh with old friends.

But the dead won’t stay quiet for long. Soon Tanz is being drawn back into their world, and this time, the danger is much closer to home . . .

 

What did I think?

This book is absolutely fantastic!  I loved every second of it and I'm missing Tanz already so I will be reading it again as soon as I can.  Gin Palace is the second book in The Accidental Medium series and whilst it can be read as a standalone, it continues on beautifully from book one so it's best to read the books in order.

Gateshead actress Tanz is delighted to get a new acting job, not only will it solve her money worries but it means she can spend more time at home in her native north-east as filming is taking place in Newcastle.  Tanz has only recently found out that she's psychic so when she goes on a ghost walk around the city she gets more than she bargained for when she encounters some restless spirits.

I loved the Newcastle setting and the true stories, both historical and spiritual, that were sprinkled through the story.  I've heard a few ghost stories about the Newcastle keep so it was nice to be reminded of them and I've always found the Black Gate to be quite spooky, although I've never had any stones thrown at me when I've visited.

Gin Palace is spooky, funny and an absolute delight to read.  Tracy Whitwell perfectly encapsulates the north-east spirit (no pun intended) in this fabulous book.  Very highly recommended and without doubt a five star read.

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:

Tracy Whitwell was born, brought up and educated in the north-east of England. She wrote plays and short stories from an early age, then in the nineties moved to London where she became a busy actress on stage and screen.

After having her son, she wound down the acting to concentrate on writing full time. Many projects followed until she finally found the courage to write her first novel - The Accidental Medium, a work of fiction based on a whole heap of crazy truth and now a trilogy, with more to come.

Today, Tracy lives in north London with her son, surrounded by a never-ending supply or Aperol Spritzes and a coven of friends as spooky as she is.

Tracy is nothing like her lead character Tanz. (This is a lie.)

Follow the tour:

The Accidental Medium - Tracy Whitwell

The Accidental Medium is the first book in a hilarious series from Tracy Whitwell featuring Tanz, the accidental medium who, with the help of the dead, is about to become an unwilling crime-solver.

Tanz is a wine-loving, straight-talking, once-successful TV actress from Gateshead, whose career has shrivelled like an antique walnut. She is still grieving for her friend Frank, who died in a car crash three years ago, and she has to find a normal job in London to fund her cocktail habit. When she starts work in a ‘new age’ shop, Tanz suddenly discovers that the voices she’s hearing in her head are real, not the first signs of madness, and that she can give people ‘messages’ from beyond the grave. Alarmed, she confronts her little mam and discovers she is from a long line of psychic mediums.

Despite an exciting new avenue of life opening up to Tanz, darkness isn’t far away and all too soon there’s murder in the air . . .

 

What did I think?

I was drawn to this book when I discovered that the author originated from my native north-east, and ok the large glass of red wine on the cover helped to pique my interest.  The Accidental Medium completely exceeded my expectations as it has a bit of everything in it - murder, crime, paranormal, friendships, family life and Geordies.

I knew I was going to love this book from the very first page when main character Tanz is on the phone to her best friend Milo and Milo says 'Gateshead needs you!'  Eeeeh, wor Gateshead's mentioned in a book!  Tanz is from Gateshead but she's an aspiring actress living in London...oh and she's also psychic but she doesn't know it yet.

Acting jobs, or lack thereof, don't pay the rent so Tanz gets a job in a new age shop and her life changes, whether it's for the better remains to be seen.  With the help of her new friend Sheila, Tanz finally realises that she's not going mad...she really can hear voices in her head.

I absolutely loved this book; it's funny, entertaining and something so completely different to what I'm used to reading.  Of course I loved it even more because of the Gateshead link but I would have still loved it if Tanz hadn't been a Geordie.  It's just so refreshing to read 'mam' in a book instead of 'mum' and I loved how Tanz heads for the comfort of home when things get too much for her.

I don't know how many times I laughed out loud (but it was a lot) and I loved Tracy Whitwell's humour.  I was delighted to see a reference to Chorlton and the Wheelies, one of my favourite TV shows as a child, and I snorted with laughter when Milo called Tanz Fenella...if you know, you know!

Entertaining, hilarious and spellbinding (witchy pun intended), The Accidental Medium is an absolutely cracking book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend and I can't wait to read more of the series, so it's straight on to book 2 (Gin Palace) for me.

My rating:

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Deadly Partnership - Richard Gardner

On his retirement, widower Paul Jenkins decides to live with his sister by the sea. But having moved in, the idyllic life that he has been hankering after is thrown into turmoil when he comes face to face with a burglar in the middle of the night.

His impulsive reaction to the intrusion has disturbing consequences when he is confronted with some unsavoury characters. However, it is the dead that he has far more to fear from.

What did I think?

With a first chapter that reminded me of a Peter James book, Deadly Partnership grips the reader instantly and refuses to let go.  I was left with my mouth agape at the end of chapter 1 as the scene was set for a thrilling read.

I loved the way the characters were portrayed, although I didn't particularly like any of them.  When I first read about Paul and his son, Gary, I felt as though Gary was taking advantage of his father's generosity by asking for more money to keep his business afloat.  My feelings soon changed as things progressed, as it became clear that Paul remained in control of every situation he was put in.  

Paul plans to move in with his sister, Julie, who currently lives in the family home.  When Julie becomes involved in spiritualist meetings, the resident medium warns her about letting Paul move in.  Julie doesn't pay much attention to this warning and allows Paul and Gary to renovate the house, but Julie gets more than she bargained for when a restless spirit starts appearing.  With some people willing to do anything to keep their secrets buried, will this spirit ever be able to rest in peace?

The paranormal edge gave this thriller a little something extra and just shows that you might be able to fool the living but you can't run away from the dead.  A hugely enjoyable novel that continued to surprise me at every turn.

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

My rating:

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Out of the Darkness - Katy Hogan

Out of the Darkness is a haunting, sometimes heart-breaking, contemporary novel with a supernatural twist. A tale of friendship and redemption, of love and loss, and life after death. Set in the lively coastal town of Brighton, Out of the Darkness tells the moving story of three women, complete strangers, each burdened by their own secrets, fears and emotional baggage. Their lives are changed irrevocably when they are brought together by one remarkable connection: someone who wants to help them.....from beyond the grave.

What did I think?

Oh wow this book is stunning!  I was not just emotional at the end of it, I was emotion-full and absolutely speechless.  It is written so beautifully that I was immediately absorbed and felt that I was floating above watching the events unfold.

Jessica feels so lost and empty after the loss of her mother so she really wasn’t in the mood to go to a New Year’s Eve party.  Fate has a way of weaving its magic spell and she meets Finn, after her hilarious encounter with his friend, Mark.  Finn did seem too good to be true and Jessica’s brief moment of happiness is cut short when she doesn’t hear from him again.

It is on a day when Jessica faints after leaving grief counselling that she meets Alex and Hannah.  Alex lives next door to the grief counsellor and rushed to help Jessica when she fainted, as did Hannah, who was also attending the session.  Each of these women are weighed down with secrets and trying to keep their emotions buried and it is only through finding each other that they will eventually be unburdened.

I loved all three ladies' stories and I was continually surprised and moved as their individual stories were revealed.  It is only through the revealing of their stories that we realise how very closely these women are linked.  Everything is meant to be, just as they were meant to meet in the way that they did and become a part of each other's lives.  I can't say any more about the book or I will spoil it, so you will have to read it for yourself.

Whether you believe in life-after-death or not, this is a beautiful book that will resonate with so many people.  I have always believed that everything happens for a reason, although we may not understand why at the time.  This book left a warm glow around me and I believe I was meant to read it so that I could defrost a little bit of my heart!

This is an absolutely amazing, life-changing book that I will recommend again and again, for many years to come.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you so much, Katy!

My rating:

An absolutely massive 

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