BLOG TOUR: A Billionaire for Christmas - Jo Lyons

When talented chef Molly's best friend and business partner, Ava, passes away, she leaves Molly their beloved restaurant – and a wild, impossible bucket list to complete. But thanks to a legal mix-up, Molly's inheritance is at risk unless she ticks off every outrageous item before the Christmas Eve deadline: just twelve days away.

Determined to honour Ava's wishes and desperate to save her dream, Molly searches for a billionaire willing to share Champagne with her in a hot tub – one of the more extravagant challenges on the bucket list. She's in a luxurious ski resort in the French Alps so it might just be doable. But then she meets Levi. A devastatingly handsome billionaire, yes, but infuriatingly resistant to getting involved!

As the snow falls and sparks fly, Molly is entangled in a series of increasingly embarrassing escapades. With time running out, can she pull off the impossible – and maybe even find love along the way?

Hot enough to melt the Alpine snow, this romantic comedy is perfect for fans of Portia MacIntosh, Olivia Spring and Sophie Kinsella.

 

What did I think?

Well this fabulous book has certainly got me in the festive spirit!  It also got my pulse racing, but more about that in a moment.  Jo Lyons writes the funniest romantic comedy books and A Billionaire for Christmas is an absolute Christmas cracker!  It is almost impossible not to laugh out loud when you're reading it.

I adored the main character of Molly who is going to lose her restaurant if she doesn't complete the bucket list left by her late business partner.  In order to inherit the restaurant, Molly has to tick of the funniest, most daring and completely outrageous set of tasks that Ava has left her.  Even more daunting, Molly only has a few days left to do it in - eek!

Although Ava's untimely death is very sad, the rest of the story is hilarious and I couldn't read fast enough to see which item Molly would attempt next.  The task that most eludes her is the one that got my pulse racing as there is so much chemistry between Molly and billionaire businessman Levi.  With misunderstandings, sizzling passions and the inevitable will they/won't they, this is a fabulous romance story with a lot of laughs.

Funny, flirty and festive, A Billionaire for Christmas is a fabulous romcom from a fantastic author who really knows how to tickle my funny bone.  This is the book you want to find in your Christmas stocking this year - a very highly recommended 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 link: https://mybook.to/BillionaireChristmas

About the author:

Jo Lyons is the bestselling author of six novels and was shortlisted for the prestigious Comedy Women in Print Awards in 2021. She spent years working abroad in sunny destinations like Turkey, Spain and the south of France at a vineyard (trying her best not to drink them out of business). Jo writes uplifting, laugh-out-loud, warm-hearted romantic comedies, including Girls Just Want to Have Sun.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: @JoLyons

Twitter: @J0Lyons

Instagram: @hinnywhowrites

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JoLyonsNews

Bookbub profile: @joannalyons

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BLOG TOUR: What Lies Beneath - Maureen Myant

A family Christmas to remember

An idyllic, snow-covered landscape. A cottage in rural Northumberland. Full of love, laughter, food, wine and mince pies. The recipe for a joyous Noel, or is it?

They seem like the perfect family

With her seemingly perfect family, Lisa Truett is envied by all her friends. Husband David is solid and dependable, salt of the earth, adores his family. Enigmatic adult twins Emilia and Rosamund are on the path to successful careers in journalism and music. Her youngest, Oliver, is blessed with brains and beauty. He can expect a brilliant future. No wonder they’re known as the ‘too good to be Truetts.’

But they never thought it would end like this

Someone is stalking them but who? Whose footprints mingle with theirs in the snow around their cottage? It turns out the family is far from perfect, after all. Will Ros ever stop seeking male approval? Is Em’s eating disorder back again? What is Oliver hiding, or, rather, who is he hiding from? David has been distant and aloof recently. Is he having an affair? But it is Lisa who hides the biggest secret of all and it could tear the family apart.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware, What Lies Beneath is this year's winter must-read - some things, just cannot, remain hidden...

 

What did I think?

I chose to read What Lies Beneath without reading the synopsis, simply because I have loved all of Maureen Myant's books that I have read, so I was surprised and delighted with the snowy Northumberland setting.  

The Truett family have decided to spend Christmas in their holiday cottage in Northumberland but each one of them has something to hide and not even the snow is deep enough to keep these secrets buried.  Ooooh I absolutely love a book filled with secrets as they all have to come bursting out at some point and there are some corkers in this book.   

A Northumberland winter is almost a season of its own and whilst it's very picturesque when you're wrapped up warm in the house, it's very disruptive and dangerous when you need to go out in it.  The snow is almost a character in itself as it sneakily covers rogue footprints and dramatically blocks escape routes.  Maureen Myant's vivid writing paints a wonderful picture of the chilly wintery scene, but it's not just the snow that gives the reader chills. 

The cottage is very isolated but it feels like the Truetts are not alone.  With stalkers, blackmailers, thugs and scary local myths in the frame there are numerous suspects that could have followed the Truett trail to Northumberland.  It's masterfully plotted as any one, or all, of the family could be the target and I simply couldn't put it down.

Gripping, compelling and hugely atmospheric, What Lies Beneath is a fantastic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat with the book clutched tightly in my hands; I wasn't putting it down until every single juicy secret had been revealed.  Put this one on your Christmas list - it's a very 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 Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: A Winter Grave - Peter May

From the twelve-million copy bestselling author of the Lewis trilogy comes a chilling new mystery set in the isolated Scottish Highlands.

A TOMB OF ICE

A young meteorologist checking a mountain top weather station in Kinlochleven discovers the body of a missing man entombed in ice.

A DYING DETECTIVE

Cameron Brodie, a Glasgow detective, sets out on a hazardous journey to the isolated and ice-bound village. He has his own reasons for wanting to investigate a murder case so far from his beat.

AN AGONIZING RECKONING

Brodie must face up to the ghosts of his past and to a killer determined to bury forever the chilling secret that his investigation threatens to expose.

Set against a backdrop of a frighteningly plausible near-future, A WINTER GRAVE is Peter May at his page-turning, passionate and provocative best.

 

What did I think?

Peter May has done it again!  This is an author who is consistently at the top of his game and his new crime thriller, A Winter Grave, is outstanding (and a little mind-blowing).

One of the things that I've remarked on in the past is Peter May's attention to detail and the depth of his research, but this book is set in 2051.  How do you research the future?  If anyone can, the Master of Meticulous Research can.  This is no Back to the Future style fun with hoverboards and flying cars, this is a highly imaginative and scarily realistic future based on fact and environmental warnings that should not be ignored.

With a strong emphasis on climate awareness throughout, this is a gripping crime thriller.  The discovery of the body in the prologue is unforgettable - it's so vivid and unusual that I think it has been seared into my brain.  The story has several facets that intrigue and entertain from start to finish, particularly the fractured relationship between two characters: the daughter who discovers the body and the father who is sent to investigate the murder.

I just loved everything about this book: the stunning, multi-layered plot, the character relationships, the remote and chilling location, the flawless writing and the powerful and incredibly sobering message.  We must act now before it's too late; this is a future that we should all hope doesn't become a reality.

A Winter Grave is a futuristic thriller that chilled me to the bone, so wear your thermals to read this one.  It's an absolute must-read and I can't recommend it highly enough.  It's jaw-dropping, it's mind-blowing, it's exceptional, it's Peter May!  An easy five stars.

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

Don't miss the chance to see Peter May in real life!  He has a number of upcoming events in Scotland.  Click on the location to order tickets:

Monday 23rd January – Glasgow

Tuesday 24th January – Inverness

Wednesday 25th January – Perth

Thursday 26th January – Waterstones Dundee – formal signing at 12 midday – 1pm

                                         Toppings, St Andrews at 7.30pm - event

Friday 27th January – Waterstones Edinburgh – formal signing at 3pm – 4pm

                                    Toppings, Edinburgh at 7pm

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Fifty Words for Snow - Nancy Campbell

To celebrate the paperback release of Fifty Words for Snow by Nancy Campbell today, I am delighted to repost my review of this stunning book.  It really is as beautiful inside as out so make sure to pick up a copy for yourself.

 

The perfect winter gift – each of these linguistic snow crystals offers a whole world of myth and story.

In this lyrical, evocative book, Arctic traveller and award-winning writer Nancy Campbell digs deep into the meanings and etymologies, the histories and the futures of fifty words for snow, using them as clues to the many ways in which we are all connected to one another and to our planet.

From Iceland to Hawaii, every language and culture has its own word for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. Fifty Words… is a journey from the ornate ice houses of country estates to the artificial snow of the movies, from the snow roads across the frozen lakes of Estonia to Kilimanjaro’s snowy peak – a meeting point between the human and the divine. Exploring language in its broadest sense, Campbell includes American Sign Language for ‘snowboard’ and shares how the Inuktitut oral language came to be transcribed. 

What did I think?

Everything single thing about Fifty Words for Snow is stunning: the mesmerising frosty cover, the continuation of the design on to the endpapers, a beautiful snowflake dividing each chapter and, last but not least, the interesting and informative words within.  

Although I read Fifty Words for Snow cover to cover for the purposes of review, it could also be a book to dip in which to dip in and out.  I think it would be a great winter activity to choose a word a day from this book and read the story behind the word.  The only difficult thing would be to close the book after reading just one chapter as I was so charmed and delighted by the stories that I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

As much as this is a book that celebrates climate, it is also a celebration of language.  Seeing words in languages I hadn't even heard of, such as Ojibwemowin and Tamazight, suggests that Nancy Campbell did indeed scour the globe for the fifty best words for snow.  The chapters are perfectly balanced with the stories behind each word appearing to be both detailed and concise.  

There's something for everyone in Fifty Words for Snow, whether you're interested in climate, language or just want to broaden your general knowledge.  I love reading about global myths and legends so I was fascinated by the beautiful Cherokee tale that explains why the pine tree is evergreen and the legend of the snow woman of Japan who disappears as fast as melting snow.  There are some amazing words to discover in this book and although I would find it very hard to name a favourite, I was rather ticked by the final word: suncups.  It's such a simple but perfectly descriptive word and was perfectly placed to end the book.

Fifty Words for Snow is a hugely entertaining and informative book, written in such a warm and engaging style that makes you read 'just one more chapter', which is rare to find in non-fiction.  It's the perfect gift for linguists, booklovers or that hard to buy for person.  I would highly recommend buying a physical copy as even though the words are beautiful whether you're reading on kindle or a physical copy, the hardback is seriously stunning.

Thank you to Elliott and Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback to review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as ‘deft, dangerous and dazzling’ by the former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy and whose writing has been inspired by the polar regions.

Her travels in the Arctic resulted in several projects responding to the environment; The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019; Disko Bay, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016 and How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic received the Birgit Skiöld Award 2015. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for her published work on the polar regions. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Germany.

Website: www.nancycampbell.co.uk

Twitter: @nancycampbelle

Instagram: @nancycampbelle

Away with the Penguins - Hazel Prior

Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . .

Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick.

Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone.

She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!').

Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies.

But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this. 

What did I think?

I discovered Away with the Penguins when it popped up on my Twitter feed one day and as soon as I saw the fabulous cover I didn't need any further encouragement to buy myself a copy.  I was so eager to read it that it jumped straight to the top of my reading queue and it's such compulsive reading that I devoured it within a period of 24 hours.

I absolutely loved the main character of mid-octogenarian Veronica McCreedy.  Veronica isn't exactly cuddly granny material but she's very strong willed, a little bit naughty and sharp as a tack.  From first appearances, some people might think that Veronica has been lucky in life; she lives in a mansion but she's all alone and has a heartbreaking backstory.  I loved reading the flashbacks to Veronica's childhood, living through World War II and the devastating effects of the war which made her into the woman she is today.

The storyline is absolutely perfect and I don't want to say too much in case I release any spoilers as it's such a wonderful story to experience first-hand for yourself.  It's impossible to put down once you start reading and there are some amazing characters, both human and penguin, that you can't help but take into your heart.  

Away with the Penguins is completely wonderful and incredibly heart-warming.  Delightfully quirky, extraordinarily charming and tremendously uplifting, Away with the Penguins is an absolute must read and well deserving of five shiny stars.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.bookshop.org

Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Mist - Ragnar Jónasson

 

1987. An isolated farm house in the east of Iceland.

The snowstorm should have shut everybody out. But it didn't.

The couple should never have let him in. But they did.

An unexpected guest, a liar, a killer. Not all will survive the night. And Detective Hulda will be haunted forever . . .

What did I think?

STOP! Don't read my review - just buy the book!  It's THAT good.  Or more seriously, read my review really fast until you reach the buy links near the bottom, click to buy and wait until one of the BEST books you'll read this year lands on your doormat.

I absolutely love Ragnar Jónasson's Dark Iceland series starring police officer Ari Thór Arason, but I completely missed that he had published this Hidden Iceland series starring Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir.  The Mist is the third book in the series but you can totally read it as a standalone, while you wait for your order of the previous two books to arrive, as you'll want to read them as soon as you've read The Mist.

The prologue is set in February 1988 with Hulda Hermannsdottir returning to work after some time off.  My little antenna of curiosity stood to attention as I desperately wanted to know what had happened to Hulda and I thought I'd made a terrible mistake in jumping in at the third book in the series, but fear not because Ragnar Jónasson rolls back the clock a few months and Hulda's JAW DROPPING story will be revealed within this very book.  So get your reading skates on as there's some speed reading to do!

Oh my word, Ragnar Jónasson's magnificent writing is an absolute pleasure to read.  Impeccably translated from Icelandic to English by Victoria Cribb, you can't tell at all that it's a translated book.  The prose is exquisite, building tension layer upon layer just like the snow falling during the storm.  Snow that you can 'feel' without having to look outside.  How true is that?  It's like we have a sixth sense that makes us draw back the curtains to find that our street has been coated in blanket of snow.

I'm going to say very little about the plot so that I don't spoil it, but I previously mentioned Hulda's very intriguing story and this gives us a dual storyline in between the murders that she is investigating.  Both storylines have little cliffhangers at the end of their chapters so that you are compelled to keep reading, so brew a big pot of coffee as you'll be up all night reading The Mist.  The Mist is so good, it's a read it in one-sitting book; I definitely wasn't going to go to sleep until I'd finished it!

It was through reading Ragnar Jónasson's books that I found out about Jólabókaflóðið, the Icelandic Christmas book flood, and there's another fabulous Icelandic tradition mentioned in The Mist: buying new clothes to ward off 'The Christmas Cat'.  According to Icelandic legend, this is an evil cat that eats children who don't get any new clothes for Christmas.  Although we don't have a similar British equivalent, it perhaps explains why we get horrific knitted jumpers from our grandparents when we're young!

Brilliant from beginning to end, The Mist is one of the best books I've read this year.  Perfectly plotted, fast paced and completely addictive, The Mist is an exceptional thriller that is impossible to put down.  This is such an outstanding book that a five star rating feels woefully inadequate; I really can't recommend it highly enough.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a gifted book to read and review; all opinions are my own. 

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

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BLOG TOUR: Fifty Words for Snow - Nancy Campbell

 

Fifty international words for snow, revealing a whole world of culture, myth and story – explored by an award-winning writer.

Every language and culture has its own word for the magical, mesmerising flakes that fall from the sky. From Iceland to Hawaii, frozen forest to mountain peak, school yard to park, snow may be welcomed, feared, played with or prized. In this lyrical, evocative book, Arctic traveller and award-winning writer, Nancy Campbell, digs deep into the meanings and etymologies, the histories and the futures of fifty words for snow from across the globe, using them as clues to the many ways in which we are all connected to one another and to our planet.

Fifty words… is a journey from the ornate ice houses on country estates to the artificial snow of the movies, the construction of iglu by Inuit, and jäätee, the ice roads across frozen lakes of Estonia. Exploring language in its broadest sense, Campbell includes American Sign Language for snowboard and shares how the Inuktitut oral language came to be transcribed.

At a time of great environmental change, it is a celebration of climate, and a warning of what may be lost. 

What did I think?

Everything single thing about Fifty Words for Snow is stunning: the mesmerising frosty cover, the continuation of the design on to the endpapers, a beautiful snowflake dividing each chapter and, last but not least, the interesting and informative words within.  

Although I read Fifty Words for Snow cover to cover for the purposes of review, it could also be a book to dip in which to dip in and out.  I think it would be a great winter activity to choose a word a day from this book and read the story behind the word.  The only difficult thing would be to close the book after reading just one chapter as I was so charmed and delighted by the stories that I couldn't wait to see what would come next.

As much as this is a book that celebrates climate, it is also a celebration of language.  Seeing words in languages I hadn't even heard of, such as Ojibwemowin and Tamazight, suggests that Nancy Campbell did indeed scour the globe for the fifty best words for snow.  The chapters are perfectly balanced with the stories behind each word appearing to be both detailed and concise.  

There's something for everyone in Fifty Words for Snow, whether you're interested in climate, language or just want to broaden your general knowledge.  I love reading about global myths and legends so I was fascinated by the beautiful Cherokee tale that explains why the pine tree is evergreen and the legend of the snow woman of Japan who disappears as fast as melting snow.  There are some amazing words to discover in this book and although I would find it very hard to name a favourite, I was rather ticked by the final word: suncups.  It's such a simple but perfectly descriptive word and was perfectly placed to end the book.

Fifty Words for Snow is a hugely entertaining and informative book, written in such a warm and engaging style that makes you read 'just one more chapter', which is rare to find in non-fiction.  It's the perfect gift for linguists, booklovers or that hard to buy for person.  I would highly recommend buying a physical copy as even though the words are beautiful whether you're reading on kindle or a physical copy, the hardback is seriously stunning.

Thank you to Elliott and Thompson for sending me a beautiful hardback to review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

About the author:

Nancy Campbell is an award-winning writer, described as ‘deft, dangerous and dazzling’ by the former Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy and whose writing has been inspired by the polar regions.

Her travels in the Arctic resulted in several projects responding to the environment; The Library of Ice: Readings in a Cold Climate was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2019; Disko Bay, shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection 2016 and How to Say ‘I Love You’ in Greenlandic received the Birgit Skiöld Award 2015. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for her published work on the polar regions. She is currently a Literature Fellow at Internationales Künstlerhaus Villa Concordia in Germany.

Website: www.nancycampbell.co.uk

Twitter: @nancycampbelle

Instagram: @nancycampbelle

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Beast (Six Stories #4) - Matt Wesolowski

Continuing the unique, explosive Six Stories series, based around six podcasts comes a compulsive, taut and terrifying thriller, and a bleak and distressing look at modern society’s desperation for attention. Beast will unveil a darkness from which you may never return…

In the wake of the ‘Beast from the East’ cold snap that ravaged the UK in 2018, a grisly discovery was made in a ruin on the Northumbrian coast. Twenty-four-year-old vlogger, Elizabeth Barton, had been barricaded inside what locals refer to as ‘The Vampire Tower’, where she was later found frozen to death.  

Three young men, part of an alleged cult, were convicted of this terrible crime, which they described as a ‘prank gone wrong’. However, in the small town of Ergarth, questions have been raised about the nature of Elizabeth Barton’s death and whether the three convicted youths were even responsible. 

Elusive online journalist Scott King speaks to six witnesses – people who knew both the victim and the three killers – to peer beneath the surface of the case. He uncovers whispers of a shocking online craze that held the young of Ergarth in its thrall and drove them to escalate a series of pranks in the name of internet fame. He hears of an abattoir on the edge of town, which held more than simple slaughter behind its walls, and the tragic and chilling legend of the Ergarth Vampire… 

What did I think?

Oh my word, I LOVED THIS BOOK!  Yes, I'm shouting; I'd shout it from the rooftops if I wasn't afraid of ladders.  I have bought the previous books in the Six Stories series but prior to reading Beast, book 4, I had only read Six Stories, book 1.  You can definitely read Beast as a standalone but I know if this is your first introduction to Six Stories, you will definitely want more!  Unlike Oliver Twist, you can have more as you can pick up the previous books in the series: Six Stories, Hydra and Changeling.

Who will ever forget the 'Beast from the East'?  That horrific cold snap in 2018 that saw much of Britain buried in heavy snow.  Well, the village of Ergarth in Northumberland had already heard of the 'Beast from the East' but in another format: that of legendary vampire Vladlena who was brought from Siberia during the Crimean War and imprisoned in the Tankerville Tower in Ergarth.  The people of Ergarth don't talk about this legend and give the ruined tower a wide berth.

Local social media star, Elizabeth Barton, jumps at the chance to increase her followers by taking part in the Dead in Six Days challenge during the snowy winter of 2018.  Unfortunately for Elizabeth, the challenge culminates in her death in Ergarth's Vampire Tower and three local young men are tried and convicted of her murder.  Scott King chooses Elizabeth's story for his latest podcast when some graffiti in the town causes him to question what exactly happened to Elizabeth.  Six people are interviewed over six podcast episodes as Scott delves into the events leading up to Elizabeth's death.

Social media plays a huge part in Beast.  It just shows how much smoke and mirrors goes on in order to get the most 'likes' and 'follows'.  For some people, being popular is the only aspiration they have but it must be so tiresome to always put on a show.  As the interviews go on we see a completely different side to Elizabeth than the one painted on her social media.  I wondered who the real Elizabeth was and questioned whether she would even know the answer to that herself.  Her family certainly see different versions of her and it shows how often we only see what we want to see.

Beast is a total page-turner; I couldn't read it fast enough.  I'm actually glad I still have books 2 and 3 left to read so I can get another Scott King podcast hit as I really can't get enough of this awesome series.  Told via a series of podcasts, Beast is a mystery with a hint of the supernatural; it's spine-chilling, compelling and completely impossible to put down.  Keep 'em coming, Matt!

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




About the author:

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care. Matt started his writing career in horror, and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous UK- an US-based anthologies such as Midnight Movie Creature, Selfies from the End of the World, Cold Iron and many more. His novella, The Black Land, a horror set on the Northumberland coast, was published in 2013. Matt was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2015. His debut thriller, Six Stories, was an Amazon bestseller in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia, and a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, and film rights were sold to a major Hollywood studio. A prequel, Hydra, was published in 2018 and became an international bestseller.

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Blackout (Dark Iceland 3) - Ragnar Jónasson

On the shores of a tranquil fjord in Northern Iceland, a man is brutally beaten to death on a bright summer’s night. As the 24-hour light of the arctic summer is transformed into darkness by an ash cloud from a recent volcanic eruption, a young reporter leaves Reykajvik to investigate on her own, unaware that an innocent person’s life hangs in the balance. Ari Thór Arason and his colleagues on the tiny police force in Siglufjörður struggle with an increasingly perplexing case, while their own serious personal problems push them to the limit. What secrets does the dead man harbour, and what is the young reporter hiding? As silent, unspoken horrors from the past threaten them all, and the darkness deepens, it’s a race against time to find the killer before someone else dies…

What did I think?

The fantastic cover of Blackout gives some hint of the creeping darkness in this third instalment of the Dark Iceland series - I bought an ebook but I think it would have looked even better 'in the flesh'.

As an ash cloud threatens to turn the country into darkness, a brutal murder is committed in Iceland.  I used to want to visit Iceland, but I'm having second thoughts after all the murders portrayed in Ragnar Jónasson's books; they are so very realistic that you forget they are fiction.  I even think of Ari Thór as an old friend, one who's annoying at times but he is a cool iceman after all.

I felt like there were a lot of characters in Blackout, and being set before book 2, Nightblind, it didn't take much to confuse me.  As much as I didn't know who was who at times, it didn't stop me enjoying the story but I do wish that I had read Blackout before Nightblind.  As I've come to expect with Ragnar's books, the elements are painted as characters in their own right and there was nothing more menacing than an ash cloud from a volcanic eruption.  

I particularly loved the new character of Isrún, a young journalist, who is determined to get her story before the darkness descends.  We dig a little into Isrún's family history which was my favourite part of the story, being almost a dual storyline and the thread which kept me turning page after page.

The whole Dark Iceland series is set to be a classic series for crime fiction lovers.  You don't get much darker than Icelandic Noir and Blackout will have you turning the pages until all its dark and chilling secrets are revealed.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Nightblind (Dark Iceland #2) - Ragnar Jónasson

The peace of a close-knit Icelandic community is shattered by the murder of a policeman - shot at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark Arctic waters closing in, it falls to Ari Thor to piece together a puzzle that involves tangled local politics, a compromised new mayor and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik where someone is being held against their will...

What did I think?

I have to say that I love the Dark Iceland series, the only problem is that each instalment is too darn short.  I really ought to read slower to make the experience last longer but my eyes seem to have other ideas as they scoot across the page greedily devouring every single line.  

We are reminded again that nothing ever happens in the sleepy arctic town of Siglufjörðor, until someone is shot.  We meet back up with our favourite fictional Icelander, Ari Thór, who has finally talked his girlfriend, Kristín, into moving to Siglufjörðor where they live with their young son, Stefnir.  Ari Thór is off work with flu so his new police inspector, Herjólfur, is covering his shift.  Herjólfur is called out to an abandoned house frequented by drug dealers where he is shot at point blank range, leaving Ari Thór to wonder whether he was the intended target.

With Herjólfur clinging on to life, but unlikely to regain consciousness, Ari Thór's old boss, Tómas, returns to help with the investigation.  In between the investigation there are tantalising snippets from a diary that had me completely riveted with questions pouring out of my brain like an avalanche.  Whose diary is it?  Is it past?  Is it present?  Can I read any faster to find out?

Nightblind is another stupendous instalment from Ragnar Jónasson.  As ever, the landscape feels like a main character itself, as the words on the page magically transform into a landscape painting in my head.  I have to applaud the translation of Quentin Bates in addition to the talented writing of Ragnar Jónasson; absolutely nothing is lost in translation, but everything is gained as the ingenious words paint such a vivid picture.

I was slightly confused as to which order I should read the books as the UK series order differs from the original.  When I've read them all, I'll decide if it really matters but at the moment I just want to read them all in whatever order I can.  I can only presume that the order will matter in the development of Ari Thór and Kristín's relationship as in Nightblind, Ari Thór seems completely oblivious to Kristín's feelings.  I think their relationship is as cold as the temperature outside in Siglufjörðor but time will tell whether they can survive the cold, dark winter.

Nightblind is so good I have two copies of it: one a treasured signed first edition, that I handle with kid gloves, and a kindle copy to which I added copious effusive notes.  Bring on book 3, Blackout.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden

The beautiful cover of The Bear and the Nightingale gives a little hint as to the magic that is hiding within the pages.  Based on Russian fairytales and myths, it is an outstanding fairytale for adults and you can read my review here.  As part of the blog tour, I am thrilled to be able to share the first chapter with you.  Happy reading!

Now wrap up warm and enjoy a brief frosty visit to Russia (click on the arrow in the top right corner to read full screen).

You can buy The Bear and the Nightingale from Amazon by clicking here and I recommend that you treat yourself to the beautiful hardback.

Follow the fabulous tour:

Snowblind (Dark Iceland) - Ragnar Jónasson

Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors - accessible only via a small mountain tunnel.

Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik - with a past that he’s unable to leave behind.

When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life. An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness - blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.

Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent, taking Nordic Noir to soaring new heights.

What did I think?

I've been following Orenda Books on Twitter for quite some time and it's always great to see the excitement caused by the release of a new book.  I thought at one point that Snowblind was going to break Twitter as there were so many tweets about it.  So I listened to my learned fellow book bloggers and headed straight over to Amazon to secure a copy for my kindle.  I even have to admit that at the time I purchased Snowblind, I didn't even have a kindle so what a good excuse to buy one!

Ari Thór accepts a job offer which results in him moving North on his own, leaving behind his girlfriend.  His girlfriend doesn't seem that upset, to be honest; she seems colder than the snow up north.  When he arrives in Siglufjörður he's told that it's a quiet village and nothing ever happens there, so there's no need to even lock doors at night.  Then a famous author, now part of the dramatic society at the local theare, falls to his death.  Was it an accident or was he pushed?  It's Siglufjörður, so surely he just fell down the stairs...at least that's what the police think until Ari Thór disturbs an intruder in his house one night and a young woman is found bleeding to death in the snow.  Things have certainly started happening in quiet peaceful Siglufjörður.  Has the snow brought this madness or are there some underlying secrets just bursting to be revealed?

Snowblind is so very atmospheric that I had to put an extra warm layer of clothes on just to read it.  I felt as if Ari Thór was the only normal person in the village and all of the villagers had hidden agendas.  They do all have secrets to some degree, which is no mean feat in a town where everybody knows everybody's business.  I found the snow to be a perfect setting, it almost absorbed all of the background noise giving the story a good pace without it being too busy and over-worked.  Even though it's a bit of a creepy village, I'm really looking forward to visiting Siglufjörður again in Nightblind.

I've also got to mention an excellent idea that Ragnar Jónasson has now introduced to me through reading Snowblind.  Ari Thór has a Christmas tradition of receiving a new book as a gift on Christmas Eve and reading it late into the night.  I'm definitely adopting this tradition and have already marked out the perfect book -  I think it's only right that it's an Orenda book so click here if you want to see what I've chosen.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon