BLOG TOUR: The Lost Girls (Mary Shelley Investigations book 2) - Donna Gowland

Don’t miss this page-turning historical mystery! For fans of Mary Shelley, Daphne Du Maurier, Diane Setterfield and Laura Purcell.

Is someone snatching dead bodies…?

1814, London

After triumphantly solving a murder case in Paris, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and Percy Shelley return to London penniless.

As Percy is still married to his estranged wife, he and Mary are shunned from polite society for living together out of wedlock.

Isolated and trapped in squalid lodgings, Mary finds herself alone while Percy escapes to the tavern. And one evening when she goes looking for him, a dead body is found.

But when Percy and Mary arrive at the scene the dead girl is gone…

When she receives a note from an old friend and discovers another girl is missing, Mary wonders if the crimes are connected.

What happened to the body? Was it taken by the murderer?

Can Mary and Percy come together to solve another tricky case…?

THE MARY SHELLEY INVESTIGATIONS SERIES:

Book One: The Missing Wife

Book Two: The Lost Girls

Book Three: Death at the Altar

What did I think?

I absolutely loved The Missing Wife, the first book in the Mary Shelley Investigations series, so I couldn't wait to read The Lost Girls and I was not disappointed.  You can definitely read it as a standalone if you have just discovered this fascinating series.

Mary and Percy have returned from their elopement to France but the scandal has followed them back to London.  Now Mary is pregnant, ignored by her family and living well below the standard to which she had become accustomed.  Whilst they have little money for food, Percy certainly seems to find money for drink.

I love the way that Donna Gowland brings these historical characters to life and weaves fact with fiction so that the reader learns about Mary and Percy Shelley in a very entertaining way.  I have new respect for Mary as Percy is so exasperating and I couldn't live with him.  Mary's stepsister Claire is a strange one; it's good that she provides support to Mary but she is clearly enamoured with Percy so I worry that Claire's motives are entirely selfish.

The missing girls storyline is incredibly intriguing and atmospheric as the dark underbelly of Georgian London is described.  I felt as if I was there following in their footsteps as Mary, Percy and Claire investigate this puzzling case.

Entertaining, captivating and authentic, The Lost Girls is a thrilling instalment in this completely unmissable series.  I can't wait to read more so look out for my review of book three, Death at the Altar, very soon.

I received a gifted paperback for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Nowhere Girls - Carmel Harrington

On a cold afternoon in December 1995, two young girls are found abandoned on a platform at Pearse Station in Dublin.

Thirty years later, investigative journalist Vega is determined to find out what happened to the so-called 'Nowhere Girls'. Where did their mother go? Why did no one come forward to claim them? And where are they now?

Searching for answers takes her on a journey with twists she never could have imagined. And one that could put everything else she knows at risk; including her new relationship, her career, and her life as she knows it.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, I could not put this gripping and compelling book down!  It's definitely a 'just one more chapter' kind of a book and then 'whoops I've read it all in a day'.

It is such an intriguing storyline with two young girls being left at a railway station.  What made their mother leave them and why didn't she come back?  This is the story that journalist Vega wants to investigate despite being told to leave it alone by her boss.  Vega can't leave it alone though and she won't stop digging until she finds out the truth.

This is such an addictive book with twists and turns that shocked, surprised and delighted me.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and I would recommend setting aside a couple of hours when you pick up this book as you won't be able to put it down.

Unputdownable and completely engrossing, The Nowhere Girls is an unmissable book that kept me riveted from start to finish.  An easy five stars and a very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Missing Wife (Mary Shelley Investigations book 1) - Donna Gowland

A young aspiring writer finds romance and mystery in Paris! For fans of Mary Shelley, Daphne du Maurier, Diane Setterfield and Laura Purcell.

A daring adventure or a foolhardy affair…?

1814, London

It isn’t easy being the daughter of the great Mary Wollstonecraft, harder still to navigate life without her. Sixteen-year-old Mary Godwin is desperate for excitement and trapped in a family she feels stifled in, under the watchful, disapproving glare of her stepmother, she is constantly battling for her father’s attention and approval.

So when the young Romantic poet, Percy Shelley, comes blazing into her life, she falls quickly and deeply in love with him. But Percy has plenty of demons. He is already married with a second child on the way, and he turns up to the Godwin family home with a bottle of laudanum, declaring he will end his life if he cannot be with Mary.

William Godwin forbids contact between them, but Mary’s heart aches for the man she believes to be her soulmate. And so she agrees to elope to Paris.

The excitement of the journey soon wears off and they arrive in the city weary, travel-sick and penniless, though luck finally seems to be on their side when they meet a man who offers them money to find his missing wife.

But with Mary becoming increasingly homesick and concerned for her future, will her love affair with Percy be all she had hoped for? Could the search for the missing wife set her on a new course of self-discovery?

Or will her first daring adventure prove to be her downfall…?

THE MISSING WIFE is the first book in the Mary Shelley Investigation series: thrilling Gothic murder mysteries with a tenacious literary heroine working as a female sleuth.

THE MARY SHELLEY INVESTIGATIONS SERIES:

Book One: The Missing Wife

Book Two: The Lost Girls

Book Three: Death at the Altar

 

What did I think?

WOW!!!  Donna Gowland has completely taken my breath away with her stunning first novel in the Mary Shelley Investigation series, The Missing Wife.  This book is UNMISSABLE!!! 

I didn't know a lot about Mary Shelley, other than that she wrote Frankenstein and was married to Percy Bysshe Shelley so I loved this fabulous reimagining of her life that is based on actual events.  

Mary Godwin is a teenager when she meets and falls in love with poet Percy Shelley.  The pair elope to Paris with Mary's stepsister in tow, leaving a lot of scandal and Percy's pregnant wife and young daughter behind.  Percy is such a dreamer and Mary is besotted with him, so when his money runs out they agree to look for a missing woman.

The mystery of the missing wife Claudine Lamont is completely gripping and it is mesmerising to follow in Percy and Mary's virtual footsteps where you can almost see the inspiration for Frankenstein appearing before your eyes, 

Completely breathtaking and absolutely brilliant, The Missing Wife is an outstanding novel that will appeal to readers of all genres: mystery, history, literary and romance.  I loved the real life characters and can't wait to read more in the series.  A very highly recommended read and a well-deserved five stars.  C'est magnifique!

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Waterstones

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Hope on Hope (Blossoming of Truth book 2) - Susan Gray

Can hope become… a lifeline…a defining attitude…a powerful reality?

In WW2 as her homeland France is occupied by enemy forces, Chantal receives a letter with a missing page – what wartime secret did her beloved Sam want to divulge? She is drawn into the French Resistance network and when the war ends, she embarks on her quest to trace her lost love.

On the cusp of womanhood, Darcy is headstrong, impulsive and outspoken. It’s 1946 and reuniting with her aunt, Chantal, the two strong women form a tight bond. But soon conflicting opinions force a wedge in their relationship.

Can secrets from the past and life altering circumstances refine Darcy’s attitudes?

Sadness has blighted Henri’s young life, but a chance encounter heralds a brighter future. Moving to northeast England he begins a new career and finds romance – only for his hopes to be dashed with an unexpected discovery.

From war-torn France to post war northeast England, engage in this romantic drama as Chantal, Darcy and Henri discover how the presence of hope can transform their lives.

 

What did I think?

I picked up Hope on Hope as it is set in my native north-east England and I really enjoyed it.  It's a cross between a family saga, historical and romance novel so it's a multifaceted story that keeps the reader entertained.

There's a great hook with a missing page from a letter that Sam sends to Chantal before he goes missing during the war.  Chantal has never given up hope of Sam returning to her, despite what her family and her niece Darcy might think.  I loved Darcy though, she certainly doesn't hold back from giving her opinion and she has some challenges to overcome when she dabbles in the world of dating.

I actually didn't realise that Hope on Hope is a sequel to Blossoming of Truth, which is Darcy's parents' story, but it works perfectly well as a standalone.  The secrets kept me riveted and the romance warmed my heart as I turned the pages of this incredibly charming novel.

Uplifting, poignant and enchanting, Hope on Hope is a beautifully written novel with family and love at its heart.  It's well worth a read.

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 UK

Amazon US

About the author:

Susan Gray writes uplifting character driven fiction, set in the twentieth century. She is intrigued by family secrets, mystery and romance so she endeavours to entwine these genres in her writing. Her books are set in northeast England, where she lives with her husband.

She enjoys travelling, reading, puzzling and people watching. Her plots are inspired by life issues and how her characters handle the twists and turns which ensue. Writing a novel was an unfulfilled dream, until celebrating a significant birthday five years ago.

To date she has penned eight books but only three are published. SPANISH HOUSE SECRETS was her debut novel and HOPE ON HOPE is the sequel to BLOSSOMING OF TRUTH.

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The Green Feathers (Mike Kingdom Thrillers book 5) - David Jarvis

When a butterfly flaps its wings in the Caribbean, it causes storms in Europe.

The British King and Prime Minister have arrived in Georgetown, Guyana, along with the leaders of the other fifty-five countries in the Commonwealth, for its biennial meeting. Two shots ring out causing panic on the steps of the Mahaica Convention Centre.

The previous month, Tina Persad, an MI6 agent with Caribbean experience, had been sent to find out whether rumoured threats to the meeting were real or not. Then days before it was due to start, she had disappeared without trace.

Michaela 'Mike' Kingdom, a CIA analyst in London, may have been the last person to see her alive when they had a drink together in The Green Feathers. With Tina missing, Mike makes it her mission to find her friend, despite warnings not to get involved.

The butterfly may have already flapped its wings, but can Mike find Tina before the Heavens open?

 

What did I think?

The Green Feathers is book 5 in the Mike Kingdom Thrillers series but it's the first one that I have read and I am HOOKED!!!  I was a little concerned about jumping into such a well-established series at such a late point but I needn't have worried as I couldn't put it down.

The first thing that surprised me is that Mike is female (it's short for Michaela) and she is such an intriguing and fiery character; she's like a stick of dynamite and you really don't want to light her fuse!  I really want to read more of her back story so I will definitely be adding the earlier books to my TBR tower.

The prologue is an absolutely brilliant hook and the shooting is mentioned in the blurb so it's not a spoiler to say that I couldn't read fast enough to discover who had got shot.  Like a boxer on the ropes, the hooks just keep on coming when Mike's friend Tina goes missing.  What did Tina discover and why don't the security services want Mike to look for her?

I'm surprised I didn't get blisters on my fingers I was turning the pages so fast.  The Green Feathers has all the adjectives that thriller readers devour: it's intriguing, gripping, thrilling, fast-paced, compelling, tense and suspenseful to name but a few.  I'm so pleased that I wasn't put off about starting the series so late and I will definitely be reading the earlier books and looking out for future instalments.

The Green Feathers is an outstanding spy thriller that has a razor-sharp plot, a blisteringly fast pace and is exquisitely written by David Jarvis.  An easy five stars and a very highly recommended read.

I received a gifted paperback from the author that I chose to read; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Hobeck Books

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BLOG TOUR: Never Look Back - Susan Lewis

Book 3 in the Cristy Ward series

A dead husband. A missing wife. Will they find her in time?

Romy Kaplan has vanished from her home.

Or has she?

When Romy begins posting on her social media accounts asking everyone to stop looking for her, the police are certain she is safe. But Romy's nearest and dearest are far from convinced.

Her husband died in the bath under inconclusive circumstances six weeks ago. And Romy would never disappear without telling someone where she is going.

As true crime podcast host, Cristy Ward, picks up Romy's case… she has the whole world asking…

Where is Romy now?

 

What did I think?

Never Look Back is the third Cristy Ward mystery but you can read each one as a standalone.  I jumped into the series at book two so I really enjoyed catching up with Cristy, her family and the podcast team again.   

The standalone story is the mysterious disappearance of Romy Kaplan.  Romy is newly widowed after the sudden death of her husband Romi but to be out of contact with her friends for so long is out of character.  Cristy isn't even sure at first that there's a mystery to solve as Romy is posting on social media but appearances can certainly be deceptive.

Cristy's personal life is an entertaining part of the novel too.  She has a long distance relationship with David but they both carry a lot of baggage and I'm not surprised that Cristy sometimes feels insecure.  David, meanwhile, gets on famously with Matthew (Cristy's ex-husband) but Matthew regrets ever leaving Cristy so he's always looking to shine a less favourable light on David, which is very entertaining.

I loved reading the podcast transcripts that add extra depth and authenticity to an already intriguing story.  It's very cleverly plotted by Susan Lewis to draw the reader's eye in different directions while she weaves her magic words in this unputdownable mystery.

Incredibly compelling and extremely gripping, Never Look Back is a thought-provoking and sobering novel about hidden dangers lurking in the world of today.  It's a fresh and modern mystery that had me riveted from start to finish and I highly recommend it.

I received a gifted hardback to read and review for the Insta Book Tours Instagram Tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Family Traits - Sarah Jones

Two families destroyed by the disappearance of a daughter and the suicide of a son.

Seventeen years ago, the Webster family found themselves in a nightmare when Chris Webster’s protégé, Sam Chappel, disappeared after the school summer ball. Just two weeks later, Chris’s son Jez committed suicide at the family holiday home. 

Now Chris Webster is dead, and vicious rumours are starting to circulate about his involvement in Sam’s disappearance.

Nat Morton, journalist with the local paper, has decided that Sam’s story is just what she needs to revive her ailing career. It just means ignoring any loyalty she may feel towards the Websters, who treated her as part of the family when she was growing up.

After the death of her father, Caro Webster is spending the summer at the ‘Beach Hut’, which has been left empty since the suicide of her brother there. She is distraught at the allegations against her beloved father - but far from laying the past to rest, she is discovering disturbing parts of a puzzle that she doesn’t want to piece together.

When Sam Chappell is finally found, the discovery changes everything they thought they knew. And someone is determined that the secrets of the past should stay buried.

 

What did I think?

WOW!  I could not put this book down.  I usually write notes as I'm reading but my notebook remained resolutely blank as I didn't want to tear my eyes away from the pages of this gripping book for a single second.

It's a lot darker than it looks from the cover and it is filled with secrets (my favourite type of book).  There's the mystery of a missing teenage girl, the suicide of a teenage boy, the parentage of Caro's son and a whole web of secrets and lies to uncover.  I'm going to keep my review brief so as not to inadvertently release any spoilers but suffice to say I was shocked, surprised and horrified.  Bravo, Sarah Jones!

I loved the friendship dynamic between Caro and Nat; Caro is so self-centred and I really didn't like her at all whereas Nat is thoughtful and friendly but she's a journalist so she's always on the lookout for a big scoop.  There's such a lot going on with the various threads of the storyline that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Beautifully written and perfectly plotted, Family Traits is a compelling, intriguing and poignant psychological thriller.  With a book of this calibre, Sarah Jones is an author to watch and I can't wait to see what she writes next.  In the meantime, I'm adding her debut A False Reflection to my TBR.  A very highly recommended read and an easy five stars.

I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Love Books Tours virtual book tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: No Safe Place To Hide (The Philippines Thrillers Book 1) - Murray Bailey

A gripping noir thriller that exposes the dark heart of a nation in turmoil.

Journalist Martin Gillie has vanished, and his wife wants him found. It seems like a straightforward case for newly arrived Ash Carter. But in post-war Philippines, nothing is ever straightforward.

Carter follows a trail that leads from the smoky boxing rings of Manila to the rebel-haunted provinces. And as Carter digs, with each uncovered clue, the stakes rise higher. The police can't be trusted. The military has its own agenda.

Carter begins to wonder: Is Martin Gillie hiding from something—or someone? And if Carter finds him, will either of them live to tell the story?

 

What did I think?

If you haven't read any of Murray Bailey's Ash Carter Singapore series then you've missed out on some cracking thrillers BUT No Safe Place to Hide is a new spin-off series set in the Philippines that is going to result in a new legion of fans discovering Ash Carter.  You definitely don't need to have read any of the previous Ash Carter books to enjoy No Safe Place to Hide as it's absolutely brilliant.

Set in the 1950s it's like a full-colour step back in time as the story unfolds.  Ash Carter can't help getting himself into trouble but he's so quick-witted and clever that there's almost no situation he can't escape from.  He's supposed to have left the country but he ends up investigating a missing journalist and getting tangled up in political corruption.  The danger signs were flashing in front of my eyes and I had no idea who Ash could trust.

There is lots of action and plenty of shocks and surprises in this atmospheric, gripping and fast-paced thriller.  I couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next book in the series.  Very highly recommended.

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

My rating:

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The Vanishing Act - Jo Jakeman

Life as a missing person is absolute murder...

When artist Eloise Ford hears that human remains found in an abandoned mine are believed to be those of long-missing teenager Elizabeth King, the shock sends her reeling.

It can't be true. Eloise knows this for a fact because... she is Elizabeth King.

Now, her carefully curated life in Cornwall is falling apart. Her husband is acting strangely, her children aren't speaking to her and she can't sell a painting for love nor money. But much more worrying are the signs that someone knows exactly who she is... and why she had to vanish thirty years ago.

Eloise needs answers. Is her son's ex-girlfriend just plain annoying... or does she know something? Will the detection skills of the online 'Truth Seekers' group prove more than amateurish? What's the real story behind those village newcomers?

And just how far would she go to keep her family, her friends, and her fraudulent life, safe?

 

What did I think?

I picked up The Vanishing Act solely on the cover (without reading the blurb) so one of the twists that is mentioned in the blurb was a complete shock to me.  I simply couldn't put it down and read it in a couple of hours so be prepared to do nothing but read when you pick up The Vanishing Act.

The story is told from the points of view of Eloise Ford and Holly Bond.  Both women have a keen interest in the human remains that have been found close to where they live but there's more to this story than meets the eye.  I loved the relationship between Eloise and her son's ex-girlfriend Holly.  Eloise really didn't like Holly to start with but she certainly grows on her.

It's pretty creepy and a little scary that Eloise doesn't know who she can trust as she struggles to hold on to the perfect life that she has built over the past 30 years.  I think it must have been quite exhausting to maintain the perfection that she has strived for but I can understand her motives for doing so.

The pacing is blisteringly fast once the book gets its hooks into you, which for me was just a few pages in, and I read it so much quicker than I expected which is always the mark of a good book.  Holly is part of a Facebook group about missing people and I loved reading the posts between them; each character has their own writing style and unique voice and it feels as if they were written by real people.

Completely gripping and incredibly addictive, The Vanishing Act is as unputdownable as it is unpredictable.  I absolutely loved it and can't recommend it highly enough - it's easily one of the best books I've read this year.  The Vanishing Act is my first Jo Jakeman book and I will definitely be looking at her back catalogue on the strength of this novel.

Many thanks to Hannah Hargrave PR for sending me a gifted hardback to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Ghost Girls and Rabbits - Cassondra Windwalker

Flush with the victory of winning the election as Alaska's first Athabaskan Senator, Noni Begay wakes to find herself buried alive. When her coffin lid opens, though, it's not to rescue but to six years of captivity, betrayed by the one person she trusted most. Escape will require not only all her strength but all the strength and stories of the ancestors she had until now imagined were only a useful device, an accessory she wore to win votes and social media followers.

Mary Nelson's only daughter, Ryska, went missing ten years ago, with no one but her mother to search for her. Having used up every favor and chit she has, Mary is willing to risk everything on one last ploy to save her daughter from the monsters-even if she has to become one herself.

A chilling psychological horror novel excoriating the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in North America, Ghost Girls and Rabbits is an unforgettable read perfect for fans of Scandinavian noir and literary horror, told by two fractured minds in the trappings of myths truer than mirrors.

What did I think?

I love reading Cassondra Windwalker's books as you just never know what to expect and Ghost Girls and Rabbits is no exceptions.  It was a bit like falling down the rabbit hole as I didn't know what on earth was going on at first but it all becomes clear as you read on.

Mary Nelson will do anything to keep her missing daughter's face at the front of people's minds and she has a very cunning plan to do just that when Senator Noni Begay goes missing.  It is no surprise that Mary's mental health has taken a beating and I'm surprised she managed to function as well as she did for so long.  

It's a very claustrophobic story that is beautifully written both from the captive and the captor's points of view.  The scenery also plays a part as it's set mainly in an isolated cabin in Alaska and the snow feels very menacing and traitorous as it shows up every footprint.  

Inspired by missing Alaskan native women, Ghost Girls and Rabbits is an incredibly poignant and powerful book.  Cassondra Windwalker's prose is lyrical and poetic as she takes the reader deep into the minds of her main characters.  It's an unforgettable and important book that I highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author 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: Kill Creatures - Rory Power

Last summer, Nan's three best friends disappeared into Saltcedar Canyon.

She's spent the year since grieving their loss and avoiding questions about what happened that night. Now, on the anniversary, she's ready to say goodbye, and so are the girls' families, who have reconvened to hold a memorial. But their vigil is interrupted by the shocking return of one of the missing girls alive. Everybody is overjoyed. Everybody, that is, except Nan, who was pretty sure they were dead.

After all, she's the one who killed them.

• Atmospheric, fast-paced and vividly realised, Kill Creatures is a book about secrets, jealousy, violence and revenge.

• Perfect for fans of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and Gone Girl.

 

What did I think?

I am so pleased that I have added YA to the list of genres that I read as Kill Creatures by Rory Power is a little gem of a thriller.  It's quite a short book at 269 pages but it is packed with thrills, secrets and danger.

I spent the first couple of pages feeling sorry for Nan as the family and friends of three missing girls gather to remember them on the one year anniversary of their disappearance.  Their bodies have never been found and nobody knows what happened to them, except Nan.  Nan knows exactly what happened that day so she is shocked when one of the girls returns alive.  

It's such a good twist to the story that throws Nan into turmoil as she thought she had got away with murder but now someone else knows what happened too.  As the story flicks back and forth between then and now a multicoloured picture starts to take shape as all of the pieces of this fantastic jigsaw gradually slot into place.

Gripping, addictive and twisty, Kill Creatures is a book that is impossible to put down once you pick it up.  YA is shaping up to be a genre not to be missed with cracking thrillers like Kill Creatures just waiting to be discovered and devoured.  A highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Rory Power grew up in New England, where she lives and works as a story consultant for TV adaptation. She received a Masters in Prose Fiction  from the University of East Anglia, and is the New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls, Burn Our Bodies Down, and In a Garden Burning Gold. 

• https://itsrorypower.com/ 

• instagram.com/itsrorypower/ 

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BLOG TOUR: SON (The Kari Voss Mysteries Book 1) - Thomas Enger & Johana Gustawsson

Psychologist and expert on body language and memory, Kari Voss investigates the murder of two teenaged girls in the small Norwegian town of Son, as suspicion is cast on multiple suspects. A mesmerisingly dark, twisty start to a nerve-shattering new series by two of the world's finest crime writers…

Everyone here is lying…

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too…

 

What did I think?

WOW!  What have I just read?  A twisty, gripping masterpiece, that's what!  I know it says on the front that "Everyone here is lying" but I just didn't expect to have the rug pulled from under my feet to that extent.  Absolutely brilliant!  What a blistering start to an exciting new series!

I haven't read any books written by Thomas Enger or Johana Gustawsson but if their books are half as good as SON then I definitely want to read more from these two amazing authors.  The writing is seamless and if it didn't say so on the cover then you really wouldn't be able to tell that there are two authors.

Even the title is clever as Son is both a place in Norway and the mystery that haunts psychologist Kari Voss.  Kari's son Vetle disappeared on his ninth birthday and seven years have gone by without any clues as to what happened to him.  Kari is kept busy with her work as a reknowned psychologist and she is so successful at her job that she is known as 'The human lie detector'.  Her latest case is very disturbing as it involves some of Vetle's childhood friends and the police think they have caught the killer but Kari doesn't agree.

Oh I absolutely loved this amazing book.  I was hooked from the start by Vetle's shocking disappearance and really felt for young widow Kari as her world was shattered once again.  It just shows what a strong character she is that she can get up each day and continue with some semblance of a life.  I can't wait to read more of this series, especially with such a jaw-dropping cliffhanger at the end of the book.

Incredibly gripping and completely unmissable, SON is Nordic Noir at its very best.  I would give it more than 5 stars if I could - very 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:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Marshal of Snowdonia Paperback – Simon McCleave

Living and working in Snowdonia was always retired detective Frank Marshal's dream. Until a phone call asking for his help turns it into his worst nightmare.

Retired detective Frank Marshal lives in a remote part of Snowdonia with his wife Rachel who is suffering from dementia. Working as a park ranger, Frank gets a phone call from close friend Annie, a retired judge. Her sister Meg has gone missing from a local caravan park and she needs his help to find her.

As Frank and Annie start to unravel the dark secrets of Meg's life, it seems at first that her disappearance might be linked to her nephew and a drug deal gone wrong. In a shocking twist, their investigation leads them to a series of murders in North Wales from the 1990s and a possible miscarriage of justice.

Can Frank and Annie uncover the sinister truth so they find her sister in time to save her? Or will a brutal serial killer add Meg to his list of victims?

Marshal of Snowdonia is the first book in the Frank Marshal Crime Thriller series from multi-million bestselling author Simon McCleave. If you like dark thrillers, psychologically complex characters and shocking twits, then you'll love Simon McCleave's pulse-pounding new novel.

What did I think?

Marshal of Snowdonia is the first book in a new series from crime thriller author Simon McCleave and what an absolute belter it is - I  raced through it and couldn't put it down.  It's the first book by Simon McCleave that I have read and it has certainly whetted my appetite to read more of his books.

Once a detective, always a detective - that's how I see Frank Marshal.  Frank may have retired but he doesn't hesitate to do a little investigating of his own when his friend's sister goes missing.  Annie is close to her sister Meg but there's a lot about her life that she doesn't know.  Uncovering Meg's secrets leads Frank and Annie into a web of danger and sheds new light on a series of murders that the police thought were solved.

This book is so good and I loved everything about it.  The plotting is exquisite as the story twists and turns to shock, surprise and delight the reader.  The character development is breathtaking as I really felt as if I got to know Frank throughout the course of the book, making me look forward to his next adventure.

Unpredicatable and unputdownable, Marshal of Snowdonia is an outstanding crime thriller novel and an electrifying start to an exciting new series.  Very highly recommended.

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

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