BLOG TOUR: Scandalous Women - Gill Paul

1966:In London, Jackie Collins's racy The World is Full of Married Men hits bookshops and launches her career. In New York, Jacqueline Susann's debut novel Valley of the Dolls is published, and she's desperate for it to be a bestseller. But both are about to discover the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.

Meanwhile, college graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house. But Nancy could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she is about to encounter.

When Nancy introduces the two Jackies, she fears they will become rivals in their race to top the charts. As she strives to achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, can all three women succeed despite the men determined to hold them back?

 

What did I think?

Gill Paul has done it again!  Gill Paul's beautiful writing creates a vivid multidimensional picture of Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, bringing them to life on the page.  I was completely blown away by Scandalous Women and I loved every single perfectly written word.  

The story is told from three different points of view; that of Jacqueline Susann, Jackie Collins and Nancy White.  Nancy could be a talented editor in a publishing house if she was a man but this is the 1960s so she is passed over for promotion, despite being the best person for the job.  Author Jacqueline Susann is known for being difficult and demanding, so Nancy is given the job of looking after her and the pair become friends.

I love the way that Nancy is the link that connects the two Jackies as they are all women who are struggling to make their name in a man's world.  I am completely in awe of Gill Paul's ability to create character voices that are so individual and unique that I felt as if they were actually talking to me and telling me their story.

Of course I am aware of Jackie Collins but I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard of Jacqueline Susann before reading Scandalous Women, but she deserves full credit for paving the way for female authors to take the publishing world by storm.  I really want to read Valley of the Dolls and some Jackie Collins novels now.

This magnificent novel is absolutely breathtaking and completely unmissable.  Scandalous Women is an imaginative and entertaining glimpse into the lives of three talented women in the 1960s whose lights refuse to be hidden under a bushel.  A very highly recommended read and I can't wait to see whose life Gill Paul decides to recreate next.

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: The Reunion - M. J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb

A skull looks up at Jennie from the trench, but it's not the chalk-white bone and grimacing teeth that send her reeling. It's the heart-shaped gold pendant, its delicate chain snapped in two. The necklace Hannah never took off. It can't be Hannah. But it is.

When Jennie Whitmore arrives at her school reunion, she immediately regrets her decision. Why would she choose to surround herself with people who were never nice to her? Who still aren't, even now she's a police officer? The only person who truly looked out for her all those years ago was charming, beautiful Hannah. Until the day she disappeared.

Jennie is ready to finally put White Cross Academy behind her, the old school building demolished the morning after the party. But with the demolition comes a call: a teenage girl's remains have been found on the grounds.

The instant drop in Jennie's gut tells her that the remains might be Hannah's, but when she's called in to examine them, the truth becomes undeniable. Hannah didn't run away and abandon Jennie thirty years ago; in fact, she never left White Cross at all.

Suddenly, Jennie has a murder to solve. The murder of her best friend. But can she do so before her colleagues discover just how closely connected she is to the victim? Before a mystery stalker makes good on his threats to silence her for good?

The Reunion is a gripping mystery perfect for fans of THE SANATORIUM, Lucy Foley, and Ruth Kelly.

 

What did I think?

I love both M.J. Arlidge's and Steph Broadribb's books so it's a booklover's dream to see these two authors collaborate to create a bone-chilling thriller.  As if the thought of a school reunion isn't horrifying enough, the partygoers are about to sober up pretty quickly when a body is found buried within the school.

Jennie is hoping her old friend Hannah will turn up to the school reunion so she can finally understand why Hannah didn't turn up the night they planned to run away to London.  The explanation is hiding beneath her feet and it's the worst one that Jennie could have imagined: Hannah was murdered on that fateful night.  

This murder is personal so Jennie is determined to lead the case despite her conflict of interest, which she hides from her boss.  As she plays down her relationship with Hannah and starts investigating Hannah's last known movements, she starts to wonder whether they were even friends at all.

The writing is seamless and if there weren't two names on the cover, you would never guess that it had two authors.  The plot twists and turns like a slithering snake and just when you think you have it all worked out, the truth slithers out of your grasp again.  

Gripping, chilling and twisty, The Reunion is a brilliant thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.  I would definitely recommend it but be prepared to be unable to put it down once you pick it up.

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

My rating:

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About the authors:

M.J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last twenty years, specialising in high-end drama production, including prime-time crime serials Silent Witness, Torn, The Little House and, most recently, the hit ITV show Innocent. In 2015 his audiobook exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a number-one bestseller. His debut thriller, Eeny Meeny, was the UK's bestselling crime debut of 2014 and has been followed by ten more DI Helen Grace thrillers - all Sunday Times bestsellers.

Steph Broadribb was born in Birmingham and grew up in Buckinghamshire. Most of her working life has been spent between the UK and USA. As her alter ego - Crime Thriller Girl - she indulges her love of all things crime fiction by blogging at www.crimethrillergirl.com

Steph is an alumnus of the MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at City University London, and she trained as a bounty hunter in California. 

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Scorched: Burn Me Once... (A Tyler Zahn Novel Book 3) - Cam Torrens

After his over-zealous efforts to find his missing Search & Rescue partner fail, Air Force veteran Tyler Zahn is on the outs with Chaffee County law enforcement. When valuable oil paintings are stolen during a heist on a high-altitude pass in the Colorado Rockies, Zahn is ordered to steer clear of the investigation.

But when Laura Coker Long--the artist he's trying to date--has her most famous work stolen too, Zahn can't help but get involved. Trapped by a wildfire in a mountain retreat with a group of art patrons, Laura and her family, and an FBI agent, Zahn's search for the thief is hindered by more heinous crimes.

Zahn can't afford to screw up again. But he has no choice. If he doesn't step forward and lead, people may die.

 

What did I think?

I love the Tyler Zahn novels so I was very excited to read book three and Scorched is every bit as brilliant as I expected it to be.  I think it reads pretty well as a standalone if you're new to the series, but there is a little continuation of a storyline from book two that will have a greater impact if you already know the story.

Tyler Zahn gets a lot more than he bargained for when he starts dating local artist Laura Coker.  Not only does he have to be interrogated by the Coker sisters, he finds himself trapped in a mountain retreat when wildfires prevent people leaving Laura's art show.  It's like herding kittens trying to keep everyone safe and during the panic and confusion Laura's artwork is stolen.

The wildfire scenes are so descriptive that I could almost smell the smoke and Cam Torrens' vivid writing had me on the edge of my seat.  I found it really scary to think how quickly fire can spread and potentially trap people in their homes.  It's also shows the bravery of firefighters and other emergency services as they put their own lives at risk to save others.

With such a gripping multi-stranded story, the pace is blistering fast and I absolutely raced through the novel, finding it increasingly difficult to put down.  I was intrigued by the artwork theft, entertained by the bickering Coker sisters, craving more clues about the unresolved mystery from book two and gripped by the flames burning all around.  

Scorched is a fantastic thriller that left me breathless and desperate to read more.  I'm a Tyler Zahn addict and I can't wait for the next book - no pressure, Cam!  If you've not yet discovered this brilliant Tyler Zahn series then I heartily recommend you do so.  

I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: The Grass Widow - Vanessa Edwards

Ditched by her married lover Hugh on the day she was made redundant, Leonie plans to make life difficult for Hugh while she searches for a new job. She inveigles her way into his house as a cleaner, intending to plant fake clues to his new liaison for his wife Amanda to find. But instead she discovers real clues to Amanda’s secrets.

Meanwhile, fellow cleaners Brenda and Tina also have hidden agendas as they work: Brenda is counting on a spot of blackmail and Tina is looking for financial information to sell to her dodgy brother-in-law.

At the centre of this web is Amanda’s gardener Simon: handsome, ruthless and plausible, with a shady past and lofty ambitions.

A death in an apparent accident arouses Leonie’s suspicions. Can she put aside her animosity towards Amanda and use her impressive – if sometimes unorthodox – investigative skills to find the truth before someone else dies?

 

What did I think?

The Grass Widow is a book that is filled with secrets, blackmail and plans for revenge.  Nobody is who they seem and it it feels like everyone is being played; even the players are being played and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see who would be left standing at the end.

Leonie's life fell apart when her affair with a co-worker ended and she found herself single and out of work.  Leonie is not going to go down without a fight and plans to take Hugh down with her so she poses as a cleaner to get into his house and plant evidence of his infidelity for his wife Amanda to find.  Leonie's conscience gets the better of her when she starts to uncover Amanda's secrets and an unlikely alliance is formed.

Oh this book just keeps on revealing secrets with every turn of the page and the intricately woven plot keeps the reader on their toes.  There is so much going on with every character hiding something and the fast-paced storyline twisted and turned right up to the outstanding conclusion.

Gripping and suspenseful from start to finish, The Grass Widow is an intelligent and unpredictable novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

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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About the author:

Vanessa is a solicitor specialising in EU law who has worked in private practice in London and Brussels and for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

After taking early retirement from the legal profession she turned her hand to fiction.

She lives in Hampstead and likes wine, walking and music of many sorts. And of course reading and writing.

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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.

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The Wreckage of Us - Dan Malakin

It's always the husband... Isn't it?

Astrid Webb is missing. The police have found her car crashed near the woods, the driver's door open, the seat spotted with blood. But there's no sign of Astrid herself, a sick woman who rarely left her house, who surely couldn't have left the scene of the accident without help.

Her husband Bryan is sure that she's alive - after all, this isn't the first time she's vanished, only to reappear without explanation. But as the days pass, Bryan starts to look like a suspect in his wife's disappearance, perhaps in her murder. Because Bryan isn't telling the police the whole truth. Not about Astrid's stalker, their broken-in back door, or the threatening messages she received. And it seems as if both Astrid and Bryan have something to hide.

Then a woman's body is found in the woods, her face terribly disfigured. By staying silent, is Bryan protecting Astrid, or protecting himself?

From the bestselling author of The Regret and The Box, this heart-pounding thriller is perfect for readers of Harlan Coben, Mark Billingham and Alex North.

 

What did I think?

Dan Malakin stole my weekend, in the very best way!  I picked up The Wreckage of Us on a Saturday afternoon, thinking it would take me a few days to read it, and I absolutely devoured it.  I would definitely have read it in one sitting if I'd picked it up earlier in the day - believe me, it really is THAT good.

The prologue is a massive hook that had me reaching for my virtual running shoes straight away as I knew I was going to race through the novel from the very first page.   Astrid Webb has gone missing and there's something not quite right about her ex-copper husband Bryan.  As the cover of the book says, "It's always the husband...isn't it?"

The razor-sharp plot completely blindsided me as the story twists and turns, with chapters told from five different points of view: Astrid, Bryan, a young girl called Celine, Detective Inspector Ronson who is leading the case and Zack, Astrid's friend.  I simply couldn't read fast enough to discover all of the secrets hidden within the pages of this outstanding book.

Dark, addictive and incredibly gripping, prepare to do nothing but read for the rest of the day when you pick up The Wreckage of Us.  It's an easy five stars from me and it's definitely one of my top books of the year.  Very highly recommended.

Many thanks to the author for sending me an ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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BLOG TOUR: Anticipation - Neil Taylor

You are being played.

Your every move is being watched by businesses hoping to manipulate your behaviour. Every picture, every post, every like, every follow, every purchase, every search.

When 17-year-old Riya Sudame inherits her father’s secret AI algorithm, she and a handful of carefully selected Keyholders hold the power to predict people’s futures using their online data. But with great power comes great responsibility, and they must safeguard it from falling into the wrong hands.

Enter Jim Booker, a powerful social media tycoon, who will stop at nothing to steal the technology for himself. Soon Riya faces a critical choice. Fighting ruthless tech giants seems like an impossible task—wouldn’t it be easier to relinquish her father’s creation in exchange for a normal teenage life?

But if she does, she will have to live with the knowledge that she is the reason that, like everyone, you are being played.

Neil Taylor marks his debut in this dark, twisty AI thriller.

 

What did I think?

WOW!  What a cracking debut novel.  Anticipation by Neil Taylor is easily one of the best debut novels I have read this year.  It hooked me from the start and I read way past my bedtime which, as every reader knows, is a sign of a good book.  "Good" doesn't really cover it in Anticipation's case; it's outstanding, exceptional and magnificent all rolled into one.

With a teenage protagonist, Anticipation fits in the YA genre but it is a hugely enjoyable novel for adults too.  It has quite a shocking start which sees the reader introduced to 17-year-old Riya who has become a target for the people who are desperate to get their hands on an algorithm that can predict the future.

The future prediction is a fascinating element of the plot and you can just imagine how valuable (and dangerous) something like this would be.  It also poses a huge moral dilemma as it could be completely devastating if it fell into the wrong hands.  

Social media advertising is also put under the microscope and it really made me think about how we are manipulated by adverts that just happen to be about something we have looked at or even discussed lately.  If people are vulnerable, they could quite easily be gently pushed in a particular direction that may not be beneficial to their health but would certainly be lucrative to the advertisers.

With a razor-sharp plot and blisteringly fast pacing, Anticipation is an edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster of a book that I simply couldn't put down.  I am delighted to see that it is the first book in the Anticipation series and I can't wait to read more.

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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About the author:

Neil Taylor is a software industry professional whose career has spanned Europe, Japan, and the USA. Now based in Durham, England, Neil works remotely for a leading cloud-based software and services company. With more than two decades of software experience, Neil possesses a deep understanding of how company motivations influence customers and users. Fascinated by the convergence of big data and behavioural science in the tech industry, Neil's debut YA book, "Anticipation," delves into the perilous implications of unchecked social media and AI development.

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