BLOG TOUR: Her Rising Star (The Gloucestershire Crime Series Book 3) - Rachel Sargeant

 

DI Steph Lewis comes under an unforgiving media spotlight in this twisty locked room mystery, where murder is committed live on air.

While attending a police conference at Cheltenham Town Hall, Steph is summoned to a nearby film studio. A chat show panellist has collapsed during a live broadcast.

At the scene, Steph discovers the man sprawled on the floor. The livestream is still running, other panellists are horrified and the studio is in chaos. Is the death accidental, the result of a severe allergy, or is there more to the fatality than meets the eye?

Despite intrusive press interest in the case, Steph must investigate her suspects: the producer, the studio runner, the cameraman and the diverse cast of panellists.

Nothing about this on-screen death adds up.

Is just one of them a murderer? Or do they all have something to hide?

Her Rising Star is the third book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series, featuring DI Steph Lewis, a spirited, no-nonsense detective with secrets of her own.

What did I think?

I enjoyed catching up again with DI Steph Lewis in the third Gloucester Crime series book, Her Rising Star.  I have read the series in order but you can certainly read each book as a standalone as they contain their own murder mystery case for Steph to investigate.

This case is a bit of a puzzler as there are a lot of suspects when a chat show panellist dies live on air.  As Steph starts to dig into the lives of the victims and the suspects she uncovers lots of buried secrets that give each one of them motive for murder.

There are quite a few characters and I did sometimes get a little confused about who was who but I was reading faster than normal so I think it would be better if I'd taken my time.  I was completely riveted by the mystery plot and didn't have a clue 'whodunnit'.  Rachel Sargeant is an author that I often liken to Agatha Christie and Her Rising Star firmly cements that comparison.

Sharply plotted and filled with secrets begging to be uncovered, Her Rising Star is a compelling instalment in this fantastic series.  

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Hobeck Books

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: The Generation Game - Sophie Duffy

Philippa Smith is in her forties and has a beautiful newborn baby girl. She also has no husband, and nowhere to turn. So she turns to the only place she knows: the beginning.

Retracing her life, she confronts the daily obstacles that shaped her very existence. From the tragic events of her childhood abandonment, to the astonishing accomplishments of those close to her, Philippa learns of the sacrifices others chose to make, and the outcome of buried secrets.

Philippa discovers a celebration of life, love, and the Golden era of television. A reflection of everyday people, in not so everyday situations.

What did I think?

I didn't really know what to expect from The Generation Game and I think, because I had no preconceptions, that it turned out to be a wonderful trip down memory lane and a heart-wrenching story to boot.

Philippa Smith reminisces about her life as she welcomes her new baby into the world in 2006.  Philippa is an older mother and refuses to see her husband in the hospital, so I was immediately intrigued.  With no other visitors coming to see her, we look back over Philippa's very colourful life with amazing references to tv game shows, both in the chapter titles and hidden within the prose.

You can't help but feel sorry for young Philippa as she is dragged from pillar to post with her mum, Helena.  Helena isn't very maternal and is happy to leave Philippa with sweet shop owner, Bob, when she has the opportunity to move to Canada with her new man.  As Bob becomes both mother and father to Philippa, he is helped by hilarious neighbour, Wink, who is addicted to game shows in particular The Generation Game.  Bob and Wink become more of a family to Philippa than Helena has ever been.

Funny, sad and unbelievably nostalgic, The Generation Game is a love letter to the 1980's; beautifully written, if I wasn't smiling I was struggling to hold back tears whilst reading it.  It reminded me that appearances can be deceptive and there is often a reason for people behaving the way they do.  Nobody knows what private anguish is going on behind a person's public facade and there are always two sides to every story.  You can read Philippa's full story in The Generation Game whilst reminiscing about some of the key moments from the past 40 years.

The Generation Game is like a little British history lesson in a nutshell, with the bonus of also being a superb examination of how complicated family life can sometimes be.  A beautifully simple but tremendously clever debut from Sophie Duffy.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Sophie currently lives in Teignmouth, Devon with her husband and three children. The Generation Game was inspired by her childhood growing up in a sweet shop in Torquay. 

Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiestenduffy

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