BLOG TOUR: The Witch Finder (The Accidental Medium Book 5) - Tracy Whitwell

History is revealing itself, and the lines between past and present are becoming hauntingly blurred . . .

This is the fifth and final installment in the hilarious Accidental Medium series featuring Tanz, who with the help of the dead, has become an unwilling crime-solver.

When Tanz returns to her hometown in Newcastle, she comes face-to-face with dark, ancestral secrets lurking in its shadows. Haunted by chilling visions of the witch-trials, a voice from the past warns her, You’re the one. Burn it, chosen one. As a sinister figure threatens to ruin everything she’s built for herself, Tanz must embrace her connection to the dead to uncover her destiny.

With everything on the line, Tanz finds herself entangled in a web of folklore, mystery and imminent danger. Elements collide as the echoes of history demand intervention and new relationships entwine in her mystical journey. Tanz must wield courage against paranormal forces and listen to old and new allies in order to prevent ominous threats from consuming her world.

Will Tanz unravel the mysteries surrounding the witch pricker and her own lineage in time, or will she fall prey to the darkness that stalks her?

 

What did I think?

I love The Accidental Medium series and although I've missed a couple of the books it really doesn't matter as you can read each one as a standalone.  The Witch Finder is the fifth book in the series and it's an absolute belter.

Gateshead lass Tanz is back home but with both her and her little mam having weird dreams, Tanz decides to move into a hotel in Newcastle.  The dreams and visions that Tanz is having relate to the 15 women and 1 man that were convicted of witchcraft and hanged on the Town Moor in Newcastle (this did actually happen in real life).  It gets a bit scary as Tanz researches this dark period of our history and the past refuses to stay buried.

Tracy Whitwell writes with such warmth and wit (no pun intended) that the characters virtually pop out from the page and the storyline entertains from start to finish.  It's also like a mini virtual tour of Newcastle as Tanz visits the Lit & Phil, St. Andrew's church and the Town Moor, to name but a few.  The descriptions are so vivid that even if you don't know the area you will be able to visualise it.

Blending fact with fiction, The Witch Finder is a compulsive, gripping and surprisingly poignant read.  The 17th century witch trials are a shocking and disturbing part of history that we may wish had never happened but it should never be forgotten.  A very highly recommended read.

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

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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BLOG TOUR: Love's a Witch (The Scottish Charms Series) - Tricia O'Malley

She’s hexed. He’s vexed. And for Scotland’s most magical small-town, their feud might just spell disaster.

Sloane MacGregor swore she’d never return to Briarhaven, but with her twenty-fifth birthday looming – the day witches come into their magic – her grandmother summons her and her sisters back for one tiny task: break the centuries-old curse haunting their bloodline.

Knox Douglas, Briarhaven’s grumpy mayor, has worked tirelessly to make his town a haven for magical folk. The last thing he needs is a cursed MacGregor wreaking havoc. It doesn’t matter he once crushed on her. For the sake of Briarhaven, Sloane has to go.

But magic has other plans – and in Briarhaven, love really is a witch.

What did I think?

Love's a Witch is the first book in an exciting new series and I already can't wait to read more after Sloane, Knox and Blue cast their spell on me.

The prologue is set in 1713 and sets the scene of the curse that has befallen the MacGregor family and caused them to be unwelcome in the quaint little Scottish town of Briarhaven.  Unfortunately for Briarhaven, the MacGregor witches are back in town and mayor Knox Douglas doesn't mince his words when he asks them to leave. 

Sloane MacGregor is no pushover and she also has a history with Knox, who was her teenage crush.  Prepare for some blushing and swooning as the sexual tension reaches fever pitch and I was furiously waving my virtual fan on occasion.  The romance is only part of the story though and there's lots of magic, an abundance of cuteness in the form of the various familiars, and a host of entertainment.

I absolutely loved how Briarhaven hides its magic in plain sight, although some of the mishaps caused by Sloane's new magic were a little harder to explain.  Blue the cheese-loving emberwolf really stole my heart and it's no surprise to learn that Tricia O'Malley based him on the memory of her own pet as his character traits are so amusing and a huge amount of love is woven within the beautiful prose.

Bewitching, magical and a bit steamy, Love's a Witch is an incredibly entertaining novel that's just crying out to be made into a TV show.  Please pick this one up, Netflix!  I can't wait to read more of The Scottish Charms books so please write quickly, Tricia!  An easy five stars - I absolutely loved it.

I received a gifted paperback 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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Witchborne - Rachel Grosvenor

In medieval Locklear, Agnes harbours a dangerous secret—she can touch fire without being burned. As war rages beyond the town and whispers of witchcraft echo through its streets, Agnes navigates arranged marriages, rivals' schemes, and the threat of the hangman's noose.

When a desperate bargain with a local widow goes awry, Agnes's world erupts in flames—she is accused of witchcraft. In a society that fears female power, can Agnes find the strength to forge her own destiny?

 

What did I think?

I absolutely loved Rachel Grosvenor's magnificent debut, The Finery, so I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Witchborne and it is as stunning as I thought it would be.  I love novels about witches/healers and their persecution so Witchborne is going straight on my favourites list.

17 year old Agnes has been born with the gift of fire but it's a gift that she must keep hidden or she will be accused of being a witch.  With her brother away fighting in the war against the crown, it falls to Agnes to bring back respectability to her family by being matched with the tanner's son at the Spring Feast.  Nobody asks Agnes how she feels about this, she is just expected to go along with the arrangement.

Agnes is very feisty and I loved her.  She shouldn't have to keep her gift hidden but the consequences of showing who she really is could be deadly.  It's heartbreaking to think how women were treated in the past and even something as innocent as visiting a local healer to help conceive could see both women branded as witches.  It made me ask myself the question: "What makes a woman a witch?" and the answer "the church" springs to mind.  Heaven forbid people should believe in something other than whichever god is being forced down their throats.

Mesmerising, compelling and immersive, Witchborne is a hugely atmospheric novel that immediately draws the reader in and refuses to let go.  I really couldn't put it down once I picked it up and I read it in two sittings (it would've been one sitting if I'd picked it up earlier in the day).  A very highly recommended read and another magnificent novel from Rachel Grosvenor.

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

My rating:

Buy it from:

Fly on the Wall Press (use code BOOKMAGNET10 for 10% off)

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

Blood Flowers - Jay McGuiness

Seventeen-year-old Bear lives in the walled town of Calleston – a place of stark divide between the rich and poor. Living down in Cobbleside, Bear is painfully conscious of the inequalities between him and residents of Roofside.

When the town's annual Field Day – an event during which those who've recently come of age test their Sinsen growing capacities – shows Bear to have unprecedented abilities, he's hurtled into the upper echelons of society, and everything he's ever wanted is within his grasp. But it soon becomes apparent, that it's not all he expected it to be. He finds himself existing amidst an uncaring, callous people, concerned only with themselves, living in a society in which corruption is rife.

Finding himself unwillingly entangled with the Overlord's beautiful but spiteful daughter, Bear is forced to make decisions which may jeopardise everything he's dreamed of – or risk the lives of the people he once lived amongst.

A story of love, witchcraft, betrayal and murder!

 

What did I think?

Well this book turned out to be a hidden gem.  I don't usually read fantasy but I'm becoming more open to trying different genres and this YA dystopian fantasy is a brilliant debut novel from singer songwriter Jay McGuiness.

The town of Calleston is divided by wealth and poverty and the wealthy rely on the peasants to grow the blood red flower Sinsen to boost their coffers.  Bear has hidden talents and nobody is more surprised than him when he produces a bumper crop of Sinsen.  It brings him to the attention of the Queen and Bear is shocked to see how the other half lives while the rest of the town starves.  Bear is suddenly Calleston's greatest asset but also its biggest threat.

This is a wonderful story that swept me away to a colourful land of blood red flowers and delicious ruby brew.  The writing is vivid and flows beautifully, making the pages turn effortlessly.  It may be a YA novel but it will be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.

Imaginative, entertaining and captivating, Blood Flowers is an impressive debut; Jay McGuiness is certainly one to watch and I will be keeping an eye out for his next novel.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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BLOG TOUR: The Devil's Mark (D.I. Graves Book 3) - WD Jackson-Smart

 

Bloody remains. Multiple victims. Ritual sacrifice?

When a blood-stained effigy of body parts is found in a central London park, D.I Daniel Graves must set about trying to discover what it could mean and find the person responsible. Symbols at the crime scene suggest the occult. Who would leave a murder victim in such a way, and why?

As Graves and partner DI Charlie Palmer begin to investigate the ritual and the act of human sacrifice, they enlist the help of Charlotte Gooding, a talented professor specialising in the subject. They hope to narrow down on a motive. Could the killer believe in the supernatural? Witchcraft even?

Then the next crime scene is found. More blood, more symbols, and out in the open. It seems the killer wants the world to pay attention, but why? How are they choosing their victims?

The pressure is on for Graves to put an end to the murders before more remains show up in brutal tableaus. One thing is for sure, this killer is out for blood and is not afraid to make it a very public display.

There's just one problem. Grave's past is still not behind him. Someone is eager to make sure he doesn't forget, cannot move on. And they're not playing games anymore. There may be an occult killer out there, but now there's another out for blood, Daniel Grave's blood.

What did I think?

I've really been enjoying the Palmer and Graves partnership in WD Jackson-Smart's novels; they're police procedurals but with an element of supernatural so absolutely anything can happen and it frequently does.  Although I've kept up with the series, you can definitely read The Devil's Mark as a standalone as any recurring characters are given a good introduction so that new readers are not disadvantaged.

In quite a grisly instalment, Palmer and Graves are on the trail of a killer who dismembers bodies and surrounds the crime scene with bloody symbols suggesting human sacrifice.  They aren't sure who or what they are hunting but as the body count rises, there is officially a serial killer in London.

I felt like I was part of a secret club as the storyline played out; the reader is able to see a lot more of the picture than Palmer and Graves can see.  They do say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but a fearful woman at the end of her tether can also make rash decisions.  It seems like there's always someone waiting to pounce on vulnerable people and profit from their insecurities.

The Devil's Mark is a fast-paced, gripping and chilling thriller; it's pretty dark and often squeamishly vivid but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  It has made me want to read the earlier books all over again now as it really is a cracking series.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Panther Publishing

Amazon UK

Amazon US

About the author:

WD Jackson-Smart, 35, is a London-based horror and crime fiction author who has been writing crime and horror fiction since 2011. His novel Red Light was self published on Amazon and charted in the top twenty best selling Suspense / Thriller Kindle books on release. 

 

His horror short story, What's Yours Is Mine, was shortlisted for the Horror For Good anthology.

 

His first crime thriller Slasher, about a serial killer targeting slasher movie actresses in Hollywood, is out now, and he has launched a brand new crime series set in London and starring D.I. Graves. The Demons Beneath is the first in the series, and the sequel From Inside The House was published on July 1st 2019.

 

As well as his passion for horror and crime thrillers in all forms, WD Jackson-Smart also loves art and design, having studied Fine Art and Art History in Leeds and Toronto and working as a graphic designer for the majority of his career.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wdejackson

Website: https://www.wdjacksonauthor.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wdjbooks 

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Anatomy of a Crime - Sibel Hodge

Gripping, unpredictable, and chilling, Anatomy of a Crime takes readers on a dark journey that's perfect for fans of Serial.

On the summer solstice in 2017, two girls walk into Blackleaf Forest.

Only one comes out alive.

Dubbed as the Sleeping Beauty Killer, and surrounded by rumours of witchcraft, Caris Kelly is sentenced to life in prison for murdering her best friend during a ritualistic thrill kill.

Although Caris insists she is innocent, no one believes her.

Then three years later, investigative journalist Lauren Taylor looks into the murder for her true crime podcast. She becomes convinced there's more to the flimsy witness testimony, sinister coincidences, and sensational press coverage and probes into the case. As prejudices are revealed, lies are uncovered, and secrets are blown wide open, a single question remains... is there really one truth about what happened that night? Or are there only different versions of the same story? 

What did I think?

Sibel Hodge has written some amazing books but she has completely outdone herself with Anatomy of a Crime.  Written in the form of a podcast, it is fresh, current and totally gripping.  I read it in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down.  Yes, it's THAT good.

I did listen to a few episodes of the Serial podcast many years ago and although I found it intriguing I was never hooked, unlike reading Anatomy of a Crime where I was hooked so much that I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  I love the way it is written as if you're listening to a podcast and there are even comments from listeners that make it feel so realistic.

Lauren Taylor leaves no stone unturned in her true crime podcast as she investigates the death of 18 year old Flora Morgan, believed to have been killed by her best friend Caris Kelly in a ritualistic witchcraft murder.  With unreliable witnesses who saw someone else in the forest that night being disregarded, all of the evidence points towards Caris who maintains her innocence.  Lauren asks the questions that weren't asked at the trial and digs even further into the case to find out the shocking truth.

Anatomy of a Crime is absolutely brilliant; it's gripping, intriguing and completely addictive.  I didn't even have to convince myself to read 'just one more chapter' as nothing could stop me from reading the whole book in one go!  I do hope that Sibel Hodge decides to make this into a series as I love the podcast format; it really seems to add another dimension to the story.  

Anatomy of a Crime is a book I'm going to be raving about for a long time; it's an absolute must read and so very highly recommended. 

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

My rating:

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