BLOG TOUR: The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge - Rachel Hore

Uncovering secrets that span generations, Rachel Hore delivers intriguing, involving and emotive narrative reading group fiction like few other writers can.

Nancy Foster has harboured a devastating secret that shattered her professional and personal life.  On meeting her, journalist Stef Lansdown realizes that she has the power to restore Nancy’s reputation and to heal the wounds, if only Nancy will trust her. But someone else wants to get to the bottom of the story first, someone who doesn’t want it to be told. 

Set in the beautiful environs of the Norfolk Broads in 2010, and in London in the '40s and ‘50s, when life for career-driven women was so different, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is Sunday Times multi-million copy bestselling author Rachel Hore’s utterly compelling new novel, interweaving the past and the present. 

 

What did I think?

This is the first book by Rachel Hore that I have read and I absolutely loved it so I'm already looking to add more of her books to my TBR.  The writing is exquisite and it completely captivated me from start to finish.

The story revolves around two women: Nancy and Steph.  Steph is writing a book and wants to tell Nancy's story but Nancy and her family are suspicious of Steph's intentions.  There is no hidden agenda to Steph; she simply wants to tell Nancy's story and Nancy soon begins to trust Steph and open up to her.

I loved the Norfolk community spirit that weaves its way through the story; although they aren't quite so welcoming to Steph at first, but then she is a journalist.  There are a lot of intriguing elements to the plot, both past and present, and I couldn't tear my eyes from the page.  

I was halfway through when I felt that it had a distinct ring of truth about it so I wasn't surprised to learn that the author was inspired by a story from her own family.  It's just so infuriating to read how women were treated in the not so distant past.  I mean things just as simple as referring to a woman who has earned the title of 'Doctor' as 'Miss' - it's so patronising and misogynistic.  Nancy definitely needed one of those mugs with "It's Dr, actually" printed on it!

So beautifully written, The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is a powerful, thought-provoking and completely mesmerising novel.  I adored it and would highly recommend it.

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

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BLOG TOUR: Same Time Next Week - Milly Johnson

Welcome to Spring Hill, home to a square of independent shops and cafes, a thriving local community and nearby the newest venture, Ray’s Diner. Here a group of women meet once a week over a cup of something warming.

 

Amanda is primary carer to her elderly mother and one of the only women in a male-dominated company. Used to being second-best all her life, is this her time to finally break ranks and shine?

 

Sky works at the repair shop, patching up old teddy bears, and their owners’ hearts. But her heart beats for the one man who is strictly off-limits.

 

Mel has been a loyal and loving wife to Steve for thirty years. Then when he goes to his old school reunion, life as she knows it will never be the same again.

 

Erin is trying to get over a traumatic loss where her guilt weighs more than her grief. Can she find the first step to healing lies in sharing an hour with strangers once a week? 

 

Astrid is feeling in need of a change and a challenge. But when a fantastic opportunity presents itself, who is around to convince her she is worthy enough to take the risk?

 

Can these women find the answers to their worries, acceptance, courage, support here? Join them at the same time next week to find out…

 

What did I think?

Milly Johnson is one of my favourite authors and her new book, Same Time Next Week, is a fabulous as the author herself.  I could never pick a favourite Milly Johnson book as I love them all but Same Time Next Week would be a definite contender.

There are a lot of characters to get to know and you certainly do get to know them throughout the book.  I loved them all as I laughed, cried and fist-bumped the air with them.  I was totally invested in their lives and I am missing them so much I want to read the book all over again right now.

It's so good to have older protagonists who are coping with changes in their bodies and their lives.  Milly tells it like it is and she is so right about the whatdoyoucallit...the menowhatsit thingy.  I thought it was just me who forgot words and left sentences unfinished.  I really must thank Milly for making me feel not quite so abnormal.

This book has everything: lots of drama, bucketfuls of emotion and a huge heart.  It's like a soap opera in a book and I didn't want it to end.  An easy five stars for another outstanding Milly Johnson book and 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.

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A Season for Scandal (The Agency for Scandal Book 2) - Laura Wood

An all-female detective agency righting wrongs at the end of the nineteenth century; infiltrating a scandalous upper class world straight out of Bridgerton and using their wit and bravery to unmask a villain.

When Marigold Bloom finds her family business in trouble a chance encounter with the devastatingly handsome and extremely bad-tempered Oliver Lockhart leads her to the Aviary - a secret agency of women who specialise in blackmailing troublesome men. 

Soon, Mari is the agency's newest recruit, sent to investigate the mysterious return of Oliver's long lost sister. Forced to masquerade as a newly engaged couple, it is up to Mari and Oliver to determine if there is an imposter in their midst. But what happens when the line between truth and fiction starts to blur? And what do you do when a pretend romance starts to feel all too real?

 

What did I think?

A Season for Scandal is the second book in The Agency for Scandal series but it can be read as a standalone as it has its own contained storyline.  I haven't read the first book but I enjoyed A Season for Scandal so much that I now want to read the first book in the series.

This is the story of Marigold Bloom who runs her family florist.  After being unceremoniously dumped by her odious fiancé, the future looks very bleak for both Mari and her florist.  Luckily, fate intervenes and throws her into the path of Oliver Lockhart, who not only provides the swoony Mr. Darcy style love interest but also introduces Mari to a secret detective agency: the Aviary.

The characters are beautifully drawn and so vibrant (thanks mainly to Mari's colourful taste in clothing) that they virtually pop off the page.  I loved the idea of the Aviary and how they go about their mysterious and secretive business - this is what girl power looks like in Victorian England.  

Entertaining, vibrant and an absolute joy to read, A Season for Scandal may be a YA novel but it is perfectly suitable for adults to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I do hope Laura Wood has plans to make this a long running series as I am well and truly hooked.

My rating:

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Speak of the Devil - Rose Wilding

Seven women stand in shock in a seedy hotel room; a man's severed head sits in the centre of the floor. Each of the women - the wife, the teenager, the ex, the journalist, the colleague, the friend, and the woman who raised him - has a very good reason to have done it, yet each swears she didn't. In order to protect each other, they must figure out who did.

Against the ticking clock of a murder investigation, each woman's secret is brought to light as the connections between them converge to reveal a killer.

An addictive feminist thriller about love, loyalty, and manipulation, Speak of the Devil explores the roles in which women are cast in the lives of terrible men . . . and the fallout when they refuse to stay silent for one moment longer.

 

What did I think?

I didn't realise Speak of the Devil was set in Newcastle until I started reading, so I was delighted with the local setting of Rose Wilding's fabulous debut novel.  I love books set in my native North East and this one is an absolute cracker!

The story begins on New Year's Eve 1999 but there's one man who won't see in the new millennium.  Jamie Spellman's severed head greets seven women when they gather in a hotel room but nobody is shedding any tears over his death.  They all had very good reasons to kill him as I think he is the most vile man ever to have been created in a fictional novel.

The story is told from each woman's perspective, as well as from the point of view of the detective who is investigating his murder.  It's a book that has you constantly questioning 'whodunnit?' whilst getting more and more furious at the way Jamie has treated all of the women in his life.  It really could have been any of them and as each one's story is revealed, I really couldn't blame them either.

I absolutely love the way that Rose Wilding incorporates the Geordie accent into speech within the book; it's done brilliantly and really brings the book and the characters to life.  It really is a fantastic debut novel (I had to double check it actually was a debut as the writing is so accomplished).

Dark, twisty and fury-inducing, Speak of the Devil is a powerful feminist thriller from a magnificent debut author who is heading straight onto my watch list.  A highly recommended read and one that would be brilliant to discuss at book groups.  #WeWillSpeakOfTheDevil

I received a paperback copy to read for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Queens of the Underworld - Caitlin Davies

Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays … All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised, even when they killed. But where are all the female crooks? Where are the street robbers, gang leaders, diamond thieves, bank robbers and gold smugglers?

Queens of the Underworld reveals the incredible story of professional female criminals from the 17th century to today. From Moll Cutpurse who ruled the Jacobean underworld, to Victorian jewel thief Emily Lawrence and 1960s burglar Zoe Progl, these were charismatic women at the top of their game.

But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not ‘real women’ or not ‘real criminals’, and in the process their stories have been lost. Caitlin Davies unravels the myths, confronts the lies, and tracks down modern-day descendants in order to tell the truth about their lives.

 

What did I think?

Queens of the Underworld is a fascinating non-fiction book that's really easy to read as each chapter leads nicely on to the next one.  You may have never heard of any of the women in this book but that's something that Caitlin Davies aims to put right by giving these women their rightful place in history.

As I was reading about all of these women I had never heard of, I wondered how on earth their stories had been lost when we know all about their male counterparts.  It was only as I got to one of the latter chapters that I recognised a story, although her name wasn't familiar to me at first.  

It must have taken quite a lot of research to uncover these long buried stories so I really must applaud Caitlin Davies for shining a spotlight on these remarkable women.  I loved how each woman was brought to life along with some insights into the era in which they were living.  Reading this book has made me want to find out more about these extraordinary women.  

Insightful and fascinating, Queens of the Underworld is a very well-written and captivating account of unforgettable women who had almost been forgotten.  A recommended read for anyone who loves true crime and history.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Caitlin Davies is the author of six novels and eight non-fiction books, many of which have a criminal theme. The Ghost of Lily Painter was based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, while Bad Girls: The Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison was the first comprehensive history of Europe’s most infamous female jail. It was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, 2019.

Caitlin is a trained teacher, who started her writing career as a human rights reporter in Botswana. She currently works as a Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at NHS Kent & Medway.

Queens of the Underworld tells of her journey into the lives of female crooks from the 17th century to today. Her upcoming book, Private Inquiries: the secret history of female sleuths, to be published in October 2023, reveals the true tales of female private eyes from the 1850s to the present. Caitlin trained as a private investigator as part of her research, but wasn’t nearly as observant as she hoped she’d be.

Social Media links:

Twitter: @CaitlinDavies2

Website: www.caitlindavies.co.uk

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Women Like Us: A Memoir - Amanda Prowse

Amanda Prowse has built a bestselling career on the lives of fictional women. Now she turns the pen on her own life.

I guess the first question to ask is, what kind of woman am I? Well, you know those women who saunter into a room, immaculately coiffed and primped from head to toe?

If you look behind her, you’ll see me.

From her childhood, where there was no blueprint for success, to building a career as a bestselling novelist against all odds, Amanda Prowse explores what it means to be a woman in a world where popularity, slimness, beauty and youth are currency—and how she overcame all of that to forge her own path to happiness.

Sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious and always entirely relatable, Prowse details her early struggles with self-esteem and how she coped with the frustrating expectations others had of how she should live. Most poignantly, she delves into her toxic relationship with food, the hardest addiction she has ever known, and how she journeyed out the other side.

One of the most candid memoirs you’re ever likely to read, Women Like Us provides welcome insight into how it is possible—against the odds—to overcome insecurity, body consciousness and the ubiquitous imposter syndrome to find happiness and success, from a woman who’s done it all, and then some.

 

What did I think?

I adore Amanda Prowse novels but they never fail to make me cry and I thought I wouldn't need my tissues for her memoir, Women Like Us, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  Yep, you got me again, Amanda!

Firstly, I really must applaud Amanda Prowse for sharing her intimate and personal story with us.  Now I know how she can write such heartbreaking and true to life stories as she draws from the wealth of feelings and emotions from her own experiences.  I felt incredibly honoured to read this true story and couldn't believe how much resonated with me; it was almost as if Amanda was talking directly to me through her book.

Much like her fictional novels that mirror real life, it's not all heartbreak in this memoir; it's often amusing and there are some tea spurting out of your nose laugh out loud moments - thanks to Amanda's Aunty Kit's advice for that one!  

The book is well named as I think everyone will see something of themselves in Amanda's story; I lost count of the amount of times I thought 'me too' when I was reading.  I can't believe how many trials and tribulations Amanda has gone through in her life and still remained as bubbly and positive as she is.  You just never know what's going on behind a person's smile; I love Amanda's beautiful smile, by the way.

This book also helped me with something I'm going through at the moment: the dreaded 'change'.  It was incredibly enlightening to read about her own experience of the menopause.  I expected hot flushes but I was really puzzled by the snaps of bone chilling coldness that I experience on occasion.  I didn't know the chilly willies was also hormone related, so it's nice to know I'm not going completely bonkers!

Women Like Us really is for all women like us.  It's beautifully written with humour and heartfelt emotion that I found incredibly moving.  Thank you for sharing your wonderful story, Amanda x

I received a gifted paperback for the LoveBooksTours readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: The Gifts - Liz Hyder

In an age defined by men, it will take something extraordinary to show four women who they truly are . . .

October 1840. A young woman staggers alone through a forest in Shropshire as a huge pair of impossible wings rip themselves from her shoulders.

Meanwhile, when rumours of a 'fallen angel' cause a frenzy across London, a surgeon desperate for fame and fortune finds himself in the grips of a dangerous obsession, one that will place the women he seeks in the most terrible danger . . .

THE GIFTS is the astonishing debut adult novel from the lauded author of BEARMOUTH. A gripping and ambitious book told through five different perspectives and set against the luminous backdrop of nineteenth century London, it explores science, nature and religion, enlightenment, the role of women in society and the dark danger of ambition.

 

What did I think?

I think The Gifts is a novel that we will be hearing about a lot this year, and rightly so.  The writing is beautiful, the plot is completely immersive and the finished copies (complete with illustrations) will be stunning.

Through the character of surgeon Edward Meake, Liz Hyder has really captured the Victorian obsession with science and the workings of the human body.  So it's no wonder that Edward's interest is piqued when he hears rumours about the body of an angel being found in the Thames.  Intent on capturing and studying a live angel, Edward begins his quest to acquire the impossible: a live angel.

It's both fascinating and horrifying to see the way that women were treated in the 19th century.  Not just the angels, who were treated as things rather than women, but Edward's wife Annie and budding writer Mary.  Annie is very much kept in the dark about her husband's work and Mary has to adopt a male pseudonym for her writing to be taken seriously.  I absolutely loved the character of Mary; she's bold, courageous and strong, especially when she's following a story.

Although the story is completely immersive, I had difficulty getting into the rhythm of the book as most of the chapters are very short and they swap between the viewpoints of several characters.  I think the finished copy with illustrations will be better as it allows the reader to pause and absorb what they have just read.  I loved the newspaper articles that are scattered throughout the novel - it really brings the book to life.

Haunting, powerful and mesmerising, The Gifts is an astonishing novel that combines historical and feminist fiction with a touch of the ethereal.

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

My rating:

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Great Circle - Maggie Shipstead

 

I WAS BORN TO BE A WANDERER

From the night she is rescued as a baby out of the flames of a sinking ship; to the day she joins a pair of daredevil pilots looping and diving over the rugged forests of her childhood, to the thrill of flying Spitfires during the war, the life of Marian Graves has always been marked by a lust for freedom and danger.

In 1950, she embarks on the great circle flight, circumnavigating the globe. It is Marian's life dream and her final journey, before she disappears without a trace.

Half a century later, Hadley Baxter, a brilliant, troubled Hollywood starlet is irresistibly drawn to play Marian Graves, a role that will lead her to probe the deepest mysteries of the vanished pilot's life.

An enthralling journey over oceans and continents and a drama of exhilarating power, GREAT CIRCLE is perfect for book clubs and fans of William Boyd and Donna Tartt.

What did I think?

I had to stop and gather my thoughts before writing my review of Great Circle as it's quite a chunky book with a lot to take in.  It's quite dry in places, as historical fiction often is, but I think it is well worth persevering with if you find you're struggling.  With a wonderful map in the opening pages, this is the story of female pilot Marian Graves and her mysterious disappearance which later becomes the subject of a Hollywood movie.

Although it did manage to hold my interest throughout, the book has its peaks and troughs.  The beginning is breathtaking as we are introduced to Marian and her twin brother Jamie in incredibly difficult circumstances which sees them cruelly separated from their parents.  I enjoyed watching the twins growing up, or dragging themselves up as their uncle doesn't put himself out for them.  Marian and Jamie are perfect opposites: Marian is an adventurer and risk taker whilst Jamie is artistic and compassionate.

Hadley is the actress who has landed the role of Marian in a film and to be honest I found Hadley to be selfish and shallow, however, I think these characteristics could apply to many in the film industry as it's such a cutthroat business.  I never really warmed to Hadley despite seeing the seedier side of movie making and what she is forced to do to get a starring role.  It all felt rather flat and I didn't look forward to Hadley's chapters at all.  Talking of Hadley's chapters, hers are numbered whereas Marian's are not and I found that having several chapters between numbered chapters really interrupted my reading rhythm.  I am very particular about numbers so this was probably only annoying to me.

Marian's compulsion to fly is beautifully portrayed.  Needing to fly higher, faster and farther is a complete addiction for her; like an alcoholic needing just one more drink, Marian will never be able to slake her thirst for flying.  I don't think she was looking for fame, she really was born to be a wanderer.  Jamie's story is beautifully written too; he is definitely my favourite character and I experienced a wealth of emotions as his story played out.

Whilst Hadley brings authenticity to Marian's story, Marian is a fictional character but there are some real life heroines mentioned in the book.  I didn't realise that there were so many women pilots during WW2 as I raced off to google Jackie Cochran.  I love books that lead me to discover fascinating facts and I can't believe that I hadn't heard of Jacqueline Cochran before.

I could write so much more about the book as there is a lot covered but it's well worth discovering these elements for yourself.  Filled with adventure, Great Circle is an epic historical fiction novel spanning both decades and the globe.  I'm really glad that I read it.  

I received a gifted copy as part of a Tandem Collective Readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Looking for Leo - J.A. Baker

 

One missing boy. Four possible suspects.

When young Leo disappears after leaving school, it sets a chain of events in motion that will change the lives of the residents of a quiet Yorkshire village forever.

Ashton returns home many years after committing a heinous crime as a child, and starts to teach an art class. Lynda, a stern secondary school teacher who unwillingly gave evidence against him, recognises her tutor as the troubled boy from all those years ago, bringing him the unwelcome attention he fears.

When Sarah, a bored housewife, hears about Ashton’s return, she convinces herself he is responsible for Leo’s disappearance and reports him to the police. 

Terrified, the boy remains locked in a soundproof room, growing ever more scared of his unpredictable captor.

But just who took Leo and why?

And will he be found before it’s too late?

What did I think?

Looking for Leo is J.A. Baker's tenth published novel since she burst onto the scene with her amazing debut novel, Undercurrent in 2017.  I just have to applaud such prolific writing and for all her novels to be completely different and still manage to shock and surprise the reader is nothing short of exceptional.  

With a storyline about the abduction of an 8 year old boy, Looking for Leo is filled to the brim with tension and suspense.  The suspects are set out before the reader like a game of Cluedo and I must have pointed my finger at all of them at one point or another but J.A. Baker still managed to surprise me.

The cover states that there are four possible suspects but the way that the story unfolds and the tension in the writing makes suspicion fall on everyone, so I had so many more characters in my sights.  I love the way that J.A. Baker writes; drawing the reader in various directions, making you focus on different characters and hiding so many red herrings.  It's so very gripping and intriguing and although I wouldn't say that this was a fast-paced book, it certainly had me hooked from the start.

With disturbing, jaw-dropping scenes that left me breathless, Looking for Leo is an absolutely outstanding novel from one of the best suspense authors around today.  Highly recommended reading.

I received an ARC from the author to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Children's Fate (The Meonbridge Chronicles Book 4) - Carolyn Hughes

I'm delighted to be one of the bloggers closing the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for Children's Fate by Carolyn Hughes.  After you've read my review, make sure you enter the fabulous international giveaway at the end of my post to win an Amazon gift card.

How can a mother just stand by when her daughter is being cozened into sin?

It’s 1360, eleven years since the Black Death devastated all of England, and six years since Emma Ward fled Meonbridge with her children, to find a more prosperous life in Winchester. Long satisfied that she’d made the right decision, Emma is now terrified that she was wrong. For she’s convinced her daughter Bea is in grave danger, being exploited by her scheming and immoral mistress.

Bea herself is confused: fearful and ashamed of her sudden descent into sin, but also thrilled by her wealthy and attentive client.

When Emma resolves to rescue Bea from ruin and tricks her into returning to Meonbridge, Bea doesn’t at first suspect her mother’s motives. She is happy to renew her former friendships but, yearning for her rich lover, Bea soon absconds back to the city. Yet, only months later, plague is stalking Winchester again and, in terror, Bea flees once more to Meonbridge.

But, this time, she finds herself unwelcome, and fear, hostility and hatred threaten…

Terror, betrayal and deceit, but also love and courage, in a time of continuing change and challenge – Children’s Fate, the fourth MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLE.

What did I think?

Children's Fate is book 4 of The Meonbridge Chronicles and although I've read every one of the wonderful books in the series, you can most definitely read it as a standalone.  Children's Fate is simply superb and I think it is the best book in the series so far.

For readers new to the series or those who need a refresh, there's a wonderful cast of characters at the start of the book.  I love this thoughtful addition as there are a lot of characters in the book, although Carolyn Hughes introduces them gradually so as not to overwhelm the reader.  Children's Fate focuses on the Ward family, particularly widow Emma and her daughter Bea, who left Meonbridge for Winchester in 1354.  The year 1360 sees Emma with a good job as a weaver and Bea with an apprenticeship as an embroiderer, however, the embroidery business is a front for a bawdy house.  To protect her daughter, Emma moves back to Meonbridge but Bea is far from happy about leaving her lucrative new life behind.

Carolyn Hughes is one of the best historical fictions authors I have ever read.  Her books are based on historical facts but are brought to life by such wonderful characters that the reader gets to know throughout the series.  Even if you haven't read the earlier books, there are reminders of particular characters' backstories within Children's Fate so as not to disadvantage new readers.  Just to reiterate the use of real historical facts in the story, I was amazed to read in the author's note that there was such an embroidery business whose mistress sold her apprentices into prostitution.  

If you like historical fiction you will love Children's Fate and all of the Meonbridge Chronicles.  I love that you can read each chronicle as a standalone but they are even better when read as part of a series.  Carolyn Hughes' writing is so vivid that I felt fully immersed in the story and the return of the plague felt even more scary as we tackle our current pandemic.

Children's Fate is such stunningly vibrant historical fiction that I wholeheartedly recommend.  Even if historical fiction isn't your preferred genre, Carolyn Hughes writes with such vivacity that ensures Children's Fate will appeal to all readers.  Absolutely brilliant and completely faultless - without doubt a five star read.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

CAROLYN HUGHES was born in London, but has lived most of her life in Hampshire. After completing a degree in Classics and English, she started her working life as a computer programmer, in those days a very new profession. But it was when she discovered technical authoring that she knew she had found her vocation. She spent the next few decades writing and editing all sorts of material, some fascinating, some dull, for a wide variety of clients, including an international hotel group, medical instrument manufacturers and the government.

She has written creatively for most of her adult life, but it was not until her children grew up and flew the nest several years ago that writing historical fiction took centre stage in her life. She has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.

Children’s Fate is the fourth novel in the MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLES series. A fifth novel is under way.

You can connect with Carolyn through her website www.carolynhughesauthor.com and social media:

Facebook: CarolynHughesAuthor

Twitter: @writingcalliope

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hs2rrX

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Saving Lucia - Anna Vaught

How would it be if four lunatics went on a tremendous adventure, reshaping their pasts and futures as they went, including killing Mussolini? What if one of those people were a fascinating, forgotten aristocratic assassin and the others a fellow life co-patient, James Joyce's daughter Lucia, another the first psychoanalysis patient, known to history simply as 'Anna O,' and finally 19th Century Paris's Queen of the Hysterics, Blanche Wittmann? That would be extraordinary, wouldn't it? How would it all be possible? Because, as the assassin Lady Violet Gibson would tell you, those who are confined have the very best imaginations.

What did I think?

Bluemoose Books have decided to mark 2020 by only publishing novels written by women and Saving Lucia by Anna Vaught is the first of these.  What is so special about Saving Lucia is that the characters are based on real women from history, or rather forgotten from history until Anna Vaught became inspired by them.

I don't think I have ever read a book that has made me google so many things.  I have become fascinated by Lady Violet Gibson, an Irish women who made an assassination attempt on Benito Mussolini in Rome in 1926.  Instead of going to prison in Italy, she was incarcerated in a lunatic asylum in England along with Lucia Joyce, the daughter of Irish writer James Joyce.

Violet tells her story to Lucia and you feel like you're actually inside Violet's mind so it's quite hard to follow at times.  With thoughts jumping from one thing to another, as they often do in our brains, the writing has an almost dreamlike quality.  Anna Vaught's expressive and ethereal writing style gives her novel the feel of a literary classic.  I felt like I should be making notes in the margins and I was surprised when this was actually mentioned towards the end of the book.

Saving Lucia certainly gives the reader a few things to think about, namely how easily problematic women were carted off to lunatic asylums in the past when there was probably nothing wrong with their mental health.  I dread to even consider some of the 'treatments' they underwent and I feel quite angry on their behalf.  

Based on real women and real events, Saving Lucia is an exemplary novel and one that has continued to fascinate me long after I turned the final page.  It has the feel of a modern literary classic and should be carefully absorbed over time rather than devoured in one sitting.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Dead Inside - Noelle Holten

‘Kept me hooked … excellent pace and a very satisfying ending’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

'A brilliant debut – gritty, dark and chilling. Noelle Holten knows her stuff’ Mel Sherratt

A dark and gripping debut crime novel – the first in a stunning new series – from a huge new talent.

The killer is just getting started…

When three wife beaters are themselves found beaten to death, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she is facing her toughest case yet.

The police suspect that Probation Officer Lucy Sherwood – who is connected to all three victims – is hiding a dark secret. Then a fourth domestic abuser is brutally murdered.

And he is Lucy’s husband.

Now the police are running out of time, but can Maggie really believe her friend Lucy is a cold-blooded killer?

What did I think?

This is the kind of book that would make award winning blogger CrimeBookJunkie say 'holy flaming sh*tballs', however, Noelle won't be reviewing Dead Inside because she wrote it!  That's right, top blogger CrimeBookJunkie has turned into bestselling author Noelle Holten.  I can say bestselling with some degree of proof as Dead Inside was THE top selling book at Newcastle Noir 2019.  Luckily, I grabbed a copy on day one of the festival as I saw the pile rapidly depleting.

I've followed Noelle Holten on social media for quite some time and, having read her amazing book reviews, I knew I was in for a gripping and hugely entertaining story but to be honest, every single thing about Dead Inside exceeded my expectations.  The characters themselves are a who's who of the blogiverse, named after some of the best book bloggers out there, and the plot itself is simply stunning.  

I'm not giving away any of this amazing story, other than to talk a little bit about what is already in the blurb.  It is a story about domestic violence so it is sometimes difficult to read; as a former probation officer, and through her own personal experiences, Noelle has a gritty and no holds barred style of writing which adds to the authenticity of the story.  The domestic abuse gets turned on its head as the beaters become the beaten and, even though it's fiction, it's so realistic that I actually felt a little guilty enjoying the wife-beaters getting their comeuppance.

Dead Inside is a phenomenal debut and I was gripped from start to beyond the end as a little thread of intrigue is left dangling to lead us very nicely into book 2.  Dead Inside is definitely the book to read this year and I'm wishing the year away already as I can't wait for Dead Wrong, the next DC Maggie Jamieson instalment to be released in November 2019.

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

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon



About the author:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast. Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of cases including those involving serious domestic abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle's hobbies include reading, author-stalking and sharing the booklove via her blog. 

Dead Inside is her debut novel with Killer Reads/Harper Collins UK and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

Links:

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

Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18489795.Noelle_Holten

Blog: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk

Instagram: @crimebookjunkie  

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