An Honest Man - Simon Michael

Criminal barrister Charles Holborne may have just escaped the hangman by proving he was framed for murder, but his life is now in ruins. His wife is dead, his high-flying career has morphed into criminal notoriety, and bankruptcy threatens. When the biggest brief of Charles's career unexpectedly lands on his desk, it looks as if he has been thrown a lifeline. But far from keeping him afloat, it drags him ever deeper into the shadowy underworld of 1960s London. Now, not only is his practice at stake, but his very life. Can Charles extricate himself from a chess game played from the shadows by corrupt police officers and warring gangs without once again turning to crime himself?

Based on real Old Bailey cases and genuine court documents, An Honest Man is the second in the series of Charles Holborne novels by barrister, Simon Michael, set in the sleazy London of the 1960s.

What did I think?

I was introduced to Simon Michael's books by the fabulous Matthew Smith of Urbane Publications, for which I will be eternally grateful. The Brief and An Honest Man are two books that I will not only recommend to everyone, but I will read again and again.  If it's at all possible, I will probably enjoy them as much as, if not more than, the first time as I read them both so fast due to the inability to put them down.  Many people have said that An Honest Man is better than The Brief.  I couldn't possibly say that it's better, as I thought The Brief was just the most outstanding book I have read in a long time, but it's certainly on par with The Brief thanks to the fast pace, inclusion of genuine court documents and completely riveting storyline.

I love watching legal dramas and I would never have expected to get the same tension and sense of occasion in a novel, but Simon Michael has such a descriptive and dramatic style of writing that the reader gets a completely 3D experience.  I visualised the courtroom with ease and I was so immersed in the story that I could have been a spectator in the public gallery or a member of the jury. I even kept convincing myself to read one more chapter by saying that I couldn't possibly put the book down as I was still in court.

The story, about those accused of being party to a diamond heist, is set in the 1960's and the sense of era is outstanding with mentions of The Krays, The Profumo Affair and even the legendary outside toilet.  As with The Brief, a lot of the story is set in court but there are so many other strands of the story to follow, including picking up with Charles Holborne where The Brief left off.  Charles thought all his drama was over but it's only just beginning! 

There has been a recent Twitter promotion for a book with a #WTFthatending hashtag.  An Honest Man could take a leaf out of that book with a hashtag of #OMGthatending as my jaw dropped, then my heart sank in despair as I realised that there were no more pages left to read.  I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want it to finish and I'm absolutely bursting to read book 3. 

I've read enough books to know when something special has come along, so take my word for it and pick up both of these books.  You could of course read An Honest Man as a standalone novel but to fully appreciate the story and the history behind Charles Holborne, and simply because it's brilliant, you should read The Brief first.  Once you've read Simon Michael's books, you'll never look at legal thrillers in the same light.  The bar has indeed been raised and I don't think anyone will ever come close.  Move aside John Grisham, there's a new lawyer in town.  

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

My rating:

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Jungle Rock - Caroline James

To celebrate the recent release of Jungle Rock by Caroline James, Brook Cottage Books are running a fabulous promotion day filled with reviews, extracts and a giveaway.  I am delighted to take part and if you like what you read, don't forget to head over to Amazon to pick up a copy for yourself.

Genre: Romcom

Release Date: 21^st Nov 2016

Publisher: Ramjam Publishing

Romantic comedy author, Caroline James has written an entertaining novella with a Christmas feel Set in the Australian jungle, the book has been described as ‘entertaining and funny, a real feel-good read’ and fans of, I’m A Celebrity, Get Me out of Here are sure to enjoy it.

Handsome young chef Zach Docherty is feeling the heat. Following an exposé in a national newspaper, his fiancée Poppy Dunlop has broken their engagement. Heartbroken at the thought of life without Poppy, Zach drowns his sorrows and, when his agent suggests that Zach becomes a contestant in a reality TV show, Jungle Survival, he reluctantly agrees. Plunged deep in the jungle, into a bizarre mix of talent and trials, Zach meets glamour model Cleo Petra, and the cameras go crazy. 

Will Zach survive and be crowned Jungle King? Or will his latest exploits push Poppy further away...

What did I think?

I jumped at the chance of reading Jungle Rock as the latest series of I'm a Celebrity was ending and it was just the thing to feed my jungle addiction.  The only problem is that it's only a novella and I could have quite easily read a full novel about Zach's exploits in Jungle Survival.

Zach is a celebrity chef but after being caught in a compromising position with a woman who wasn't his fiancée, his engagement is called off and he heads for the Australian jungle to star in Jungle Rock.  Poppy, his ex-fiancée also jets off to America as part of the publicity team for another celebrity chef, but even in America you can catch episodes of Jungle Survival.  Zach seems like a lovely normal guy and as the real events surrounding the exposé are revealed I had my fingers crossed that it wasn't too late to win back Poppy.

For a short book there are quite a few colourful characters in it and each of them are so much larger than life that they virtually jump out of the pages.  It is testament as to how warmly it is written, that I didn't realise that the characters have appeared in previous books. So Jungle Rock can certainly be read as a standalone as I did just that and enjoyed it immensely.

You don't have to be a fan of I'm a Celebrity to enjoy Jungle Rock but for those of us who love our annual 3 week trip to the Australian outback it's a perfect feel-good read.

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

My rating:

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EXTRACT

“He’s doing what?” Hattie said. She had a mouthful of shortbread and a mug of coffee in her hand and stopped in her tracks as she watched Jo stare at her mobile phone.

“Zach’s going into the jungle. He’s a contestant on Jungle Survival.”

“Oh my.” Hattie smiled and wiped a spray of crumbs off her chest.

“He’s at the airport with Bob; they’re about to board a plane.”

“Well I never.” Hattie put her mug on the desk and stared at her friend. “How do you feel about that?”

“Astonished.”

“It might do him good.”

“Or not.”

“Fancy a bracer?”

“Start pouring.”

Cradling mugs of coffee, laced with a good slug of brandy, Jo and Hattie sat in the conservatory and looked out at the garden beyond.

“It doesn’t seem five minutes since he was a little boy running all over this lawn with his brother,” Jo said as she stared thoughtfully across the neatly manicured grass.

“And now he’s running off to Australia.”

In the distance, a group of guests appeared from the meadow, where a clairvoyance course was being run in an old gypsy caravan. Originally horse-drawn, the caravan had been John’s pride and joy, brightly painted with little wooden steps. It was a perfect setting for an intimate group. Boomerville hosted many courses for residents to enjoy and it was Jo’s hope that a stay at the hotel would inspire middle-aged boomers and set them up with new and inspiring skills to use in their later years.

“Another successful event,” Hattie said as she watched the beatific expressions of the participants as they drifted down the garden, confident that the spirits of their dead granny and Rover, the family pet, were beside them, whispering and woofing encouraging words from beyond.

“I wish I could see into Zach’s future,” Jo replied. “I hope he’s not making a terrible mistake.”

“Well, if he is, he’s picked the right place to make it. That show’s watched by millions. Perhaps we should run something similar here?” Hattie closed her eyes and began to plan out a jungle camp, set in the meadow. “The old ‘uns would love it! Prancing about like Bear Grylls, cooking over an open fire, sleeping under the stars. It has ‘winner’ all over it.”

“It has mass suicide all over it,” Jo replied. “Hyperthermia and food poisoning.”

“Think of the low overheads. We could bring Wonder Boy in to teach them how to skin a rabbit or two, a bit of camp-fire bonhomie and all that stuff.”

“Hattie, will you please be serious. My son is currently on his way to the other side of the world, where he’ll be exposed to any amount of danger; he’s emotionally vulnerable and I’m worried about him.”

Hattie sat up and opened her eyes.

“Oh, get a grip,” she said. “Can you imagine what he’s getting paid for this stint? How can he possibly go wrong? They’ll have him stripped down to his six-pack before the opening credits have run. He won’t even need to open his mouth and the phone lines will be pulsating as fast as every female viewer’s heart. Your Zach has made his finest career move yet.” Hattie reached for Jo’s empty mug. “Get that grumpy expression off yer face and let’s send him good luck wishes for his arrival in Aus.” She stood and glanced at the group in the garden. “Perhaps we can get that lot to send him a mystical sign...”

As Jo watched Hattie walk away, she felt cross. She knew that Hattie was probably right but Jo had a niggling feeling that Zach’s trip wasn’t going to run as smoothly or as successfully as everyone expected. A mother had an instinct about her offspring, but in this case, Jo hoped that her instincts would be proved wrong.

ABOUT CAROLINE JAMES

Caroline’s debut novel, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me shot to #3 on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second novel, So, You Think You're A Celebrity… Chef? has been described as wickedly funny: 'AbFab meets MasterChef in a Soap…' Coffee Tea The Caribbean & Me, an Amazon best-seller, was a Top Ten Finalist at The Write Stuff, London Book Fair 2015 and the judge’s comments included: Caroline is a natural story-teller with a gift for humour in her writing.” Her next novel, Boomerville will be published spring 2017.

Caroline has owned and run many catering related businesses and cookery is a passion alongside her writing, combining the two with her love of the hospitality industry and romantic fiction. As a media agent, Caroline represented many well-known celebrity chefs and her TV script, So, You Think You’re A Celebrity Chef? was runner up at the Winchester Writers Festival 2016.

She has published short stories and is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association. Caroline writes articles on food and celebrity based interviews and is Feature Editor for an online lifestyle magazine. She is a founder member of The Cheshirati and is available for inspiring and entertaining talks on anything related to the hospitality and publishing industry.

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @CarolineJames12

https://www.facebook.com/carolinejamesauthor

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Satan's Beckoning - Michael K Foster

When a fatal road crash turns out to be murder, DCI JACK MASON is sent to investigate. Within the seemingly dark vaults of the police missing persons files, lay untold dangers. Young women are easy pickings for a serial killer who believes God has sent him to rid the world of an overindulgent appetite for greed. When criminal profiler DAVID CARLISLE is drafted into assist, Carlisle is met by the killer’s wrath.

What did I think?

I recently enjoyed The Wharf Butcher that was set in my native Tyneside, so I was excited to read this second book in the series, Satan's Beckoning.  There's always something so very special about fiction when it is based in an area that you know well, as it gives a hint of reality to our world of fiction.  

It was good to meet up again with DCI Jack Mason and profiler, David Carlisle.  It feels like they are doing a regional pub crawl as they arrange to meet at several bars of many of our local establishments.  Mason has been called out to investigate a car crash in Windy Nook, Gateshead - on an incredibly steep bank running up from Felling to the Queen Elizabeth hospital.  What's so unusual about that?, you might say.  Well, the car at fault had no driver and it would appear that the lady passenger was already dead at the time of the accident. 

When similarities become evident between this crime and one 6 years earlier down the coast in Seaham, the police and David Carlisle sift through all the clues looking for a connection.  Both victims married older affluent men, but is there any thing that connects them? The addition of Carlisle is brilliant as he is like a secret weapon for the police - he is able to tap some unsavoury sources for information, sources who wouldn't even consider talking to the police.

Satan's Beckoning is an outstanding sequel to The Wharf Butcher.  I had sweaty palms gripping my kindle as the final Indiana Jones-esque scenes played out.  I think I enjoyed it more as I had got to know the characters so well in The Wharf Butcher so I already knew some of their background and history.  Mason and Carlisle are definitely two characters I want to read more about - I just hope they don't end up investigating in my street!

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

My rating:

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Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough

Don’t Trust This Book

Don’t Trust These People

Don’t Trust Yourself

And whatever you do, DON’T give away that ending…

‘Sarah Pinborough is about to become your new obsession’ Harlan Coben

Louise

Since her husband walked out, Louise has made her son her world, supporting them both with her part-time job. But all that changes when she meets…

David

Young, successful and charming – Louise cannot believe a man like him would look at her twice let alone be attracted to her. But that all comes to a grinding halt when she meets his wife…

Adele

Beautiful, elegant and sweet – Louise's new friend seems perfect in every way. As she becomes obsessed by this flawless couple, entangled in the intricate web of their marriage, they each, in turn, reach out to her.

But only when she gets to know them both does she begin to see the cracks… Is David really is the man she thought she knew and is Adele as vulnerable as she appears?

Just what terrible secrets are they both hiding and how far will they go to keep them?

What did I think?

Wow, what a book!  I completely agree with the fabulous Harlan Coben, as I'd no sooner put the book down than I had ordered another 1 or 4* Sarah Pinborough books.  

*1 if my Dad asks how many books I have bought, 4 if my fellow book addicts ask how many I really bought. 

I started and finished Behind Her Eyes in the same day and wouldn't have put it down if I didn't have to eat and, more importantly, drink.  I may have lost a whole Sunday but I gained a new author to add to my growing 'favourites' list, so it was a good result all round for me.

There is little you can say about this book without giving anything away, but it does completely have your head in knots as you try to work out what games, if any, each character is playing.  It really is a book where almost anything could happen and it's like a slowly boiling pot of malice which threatens to bubble over at any time.

It felt like fate when Louise met David in a bar but fate played a nasty trick when David turned out to be her new married boss - awkward!  Louise and David agree to forget that they ever felt a connection that night, so when Louise literally bumps into David's wife, Adele, the pair hit it off and become friends.  David can't forget about the feelings he has for Louise and it isn't long before they end up having an affair.  Louise finds herself caught between her lover and her friend, so when questions begin to get asked she has to choose which one to believe.  Choose wisely, Louise - not everything is as it appears.

I love anything outside of the norm and Behind Her Eyes certainly fits that bill.  As I got part way through the book, I did guess some of what was going on but I didn't guess the big #WTFthatending so well played, Sarah Pinborough.  Behind Her Eyes is a book to take you away from reality and into the realm of possibility; a splendid piece of imaginative fiction!

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

My rating:

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How Much the Heart Can Hold: Seven Stories on Love - Various authors

'No one has measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.'
Zelda Fitzgerald

Love is not a singular concept.

In this collection, seven award-winning authors explore seven concepts of love: from Philautia, self-love, to Agape, love for humanity; and from Storge, a natural affection for family, to Mania, a frenzied, obsessive love.

Seven authors; seven short stories; seven flashes of love.

The publication of How Much the Heart Can Hold is heralded by a Sceptre short story competition. The winning story, based on a concept of love, will be published in the paperback edition.

What did I think?

I'm not really a big fan of short stories but there is something so very alluring about How Much the Heart Can Hold.  Apart from Carys Bray, I am ashamed to say that I hadn't heard of any of the authors but the quality of the writing from each of them is truly excellent.  

Each form of love is clear to see within each passage and it's so very moving in places.  It would be hard to pick a favourite among them but strangely enough, I rather enjoyed the final story about love for humanity.  I think it was just so very different and it actually gave me goosebumps.  Of course having recently read The Museum of You, I think Carys Bray can do no wrong and her story of familial love was incredibly poignant.  We are a strange race indeed.

How Much the Heart Can Hold: it's love but not as you know it.  Not exactly an ideal valentine's gift but certainly an interesting examination of all forms of love.

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

My rating:

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Blackout - Marc Elsberg

THE GLOBAL MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER 

PUBLISHED IN 15 LANGUAGES WORLDWIDE

A 21ST-CENTURY HIGH-CONCEPT DISASTER THRILLER 

Tomorrow will be too late.

A cold night in Milan, Piero Manzano wants to get home.

Then the traffic lights fail. Manzano is thrown from his Alfa as cars pile up. And not just on this street – every light in the city is dead. 

Across Europe, controllers watch in disbelief as electricity grids collapse. 

Plunged into darkness, people are freezing. Food and water supplies dry up. The death toll soars. 

Former hacker and activist Manzano becomes a prime suspect. But he is also the only man capable of finding the real attackers. 

Can he bring down a major terrorist network before it’s too late?

What did I think?

I was really eager to read this book and I made the fatal mistake of having a sneaky read of the first page when it arrived meaning that I had to start it immediately.  It literally starts with a bang as the traffic lights go out in Milan causing mass chaos on the roads as cars pile into each other.  The main character, Piero Manzano, is one of those affected as he is driving home when the lights go out.  As the plot thickens it would appear that somebody has attacked not just Milan, but Europe itself.

There were so many things I didn't think of if there was no electricity and Blackout certainly gets you thinking about what you would do if there was no electricity.  There would be no fuel at the petrol stations as the pumps use electricity to pump fuel to the forecourt from the underground tanks.  Patients in ITU on life support would die without electricity to power life support machines and monitor vital signs. The main effect that really shocked me was the inability to cool down the nuclear reactors which leads to the main sweaty palm moments in Blackout.

My brain was whirring throughout the story, but more about our reliance on electricity than the events in the book.  After all, it's not that long ago when electricty wasn't available in every home and streets were still lit by gas lamps during World War II.  I think the world would literally grind to a halt if our power supply was removed but I also think it would be quite liberating to go back to more simple manual times.  We may then discover some of that elusive time, of which we never seem to have enough.

Overall I wasn't as gripped and panicked as I thought I would be.  I think that sometimes it was quite technical and a little bit over my head, but I admit that when people start talking in IT-speak my brain tends to go into meltdown.  There were a few too many characters in the book to keep track of who was who and in hindsight I wish I'd written them down and created my own cast list.

Blackout is the most thought-provoking book I have read in a long time and I have continued to think about the devastating effects long after turning the final page.  I was just slightly disappointed that I didn't get the feeling of panic and fear coming through in the writing, but it could perhaps have been a little bit lost in the translation from German to English.  It's well worth a read though, just to realise how lucky we are to have power at the flick of a switch.

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

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Does My Bump Look Big In This? - Amy Lynch

The MOTHER of all comedies is due...

Newlyweds Barry and Becky are just back from their tropical honeymoon. The tans are gorgeous, and it was five star luxury all the way. But there’s a problem. Barry’s desperate for a baby, and Becky’s not quite so keen.

Surrounded by pregnant friends and a mother who’s talking about the ticking of invisible biological clocks, Becky starts to feel the pressure. When a surprise pregnancy rocks the boat, Becky’s friends and family are rooting for her all the way. Will she navigate the choppy waters to motherhood? Will she survive antenatal classes? Can she avoid stretchmarks, indigestion and her dreaded boss? And most importantly of all… does her bump look big in this?

What did I think?

One of my early reviews when I first started blogging was of Amy Lynch's debut Bride Without a Groom, which I found absolutely hilarious.  When Amy asked me if I would like to be part of the blog tour for her second book, Does My Bump Look Big In This?, I didn't even have to think about it for one nano-second.  Another laugh-out-loud episode in the life of Rebecca and Barry - count me in!

Does My Bump Look Big In This? starts with a little flashback of teenage Becky failing miserably at babysitting.  I had tears of laughter rolling down my face as the effects of the poonami were revealed.  I know we Brits do love a bit of toilet humour but anyone with even a smidgen of a sense of humour won't be able to contain their laughter.  I'm laughing again just thinking about it!

Roll forward to Becky returning from her honeymoon and Barry, her husband, is already hinting for a baby.  Becky is quite selfish so babies aren't really on her to do list at the moment.  That is until she realises that she can get some extended time off work.  So when she finds out that she is in fact pregnant, she feels far too ill to go to work but it's nothing that a spot of retail therapy won't cure.  Poor Barry's credit card is about to get a hammering!

Amy Lynch's books remind me of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series as both have huge characters with extreme personalities.  I can't for a minute imagine being friends with Becky, but that doesn't stop me finding her absolutely hilarious.  There are so many laugh out loud moments in this book but there are also times when you want to give Becky a smack in the face, for example when sneakily drinking alcohol while pregnant.  Just remember that it is after all a work of fiction, and good lighthearted, extremely funny fiction at that. I'm sure Becky and Barry's baby will look absolutely fabulous in that must-have tiara she bought...then again baby Costello might have different ideas.

This book is such good fun and, although I'd recommend reading Bride Without a Groom first to really get to know the characters, you could read this as a standalone, but I don't think you'd fully understand the enigma that is Becky Browne Costello.  You will read this and weep!  I haven't laughed so much in a long time - I had so many tears of laughter rolling down my face.  Amy Lynch has once again written a book guaranteed to put a smile on your face - thanks so much for the laughs, Amy!

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

My rating:

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