BLOG TOUR: Disturbing the Bones - Andrew Davis and Jeff Biggers

Chicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother, a well-known journalist, several decades ago.

That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12,000-year-old site at a highway construction project.  With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy.

The detective and archaeologist’s entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance.

Disturbing the Bones is a rip-roaring techno-thriller in the grand tradition of Michael Crichton, Scott Turow and Frederick Forsyth - a perfect Autumn blockbuster for those cosy nights in.

 

What did I think?

I was drawn to Disturbing the Bones because I have a keen interest in archaeology so I loved the setting; it's not Cairo, Egypt but Cairo, Illinois.  Finding bones at such a site is to be expected, but these bones are not ancient...

I loved Molly and her passion for archaeology, along with her protectiveness about the site, even when it places herself and her team in danger.  Veteran Chicago detective has a vested interest in Molly's find as he thinks the bones are those of his mother.  While all this is going on, America has a new president and she has plans to amend the constitution to which lots of people are opposed.

The plot is more political than I expected but it adds some extra spice to a gripping thriller.  I was incensed when certain things happened at the dig and I couldn't read fast enough to see how it would all play out.  The pacing certainly ramps up in the final third of the book and I couldn't put it down.

Fast-paced and action-packed, Disturbing the Bones is an entertaining and thought-provoking thriller.  I wouldn't be surprised to see it on the big screen at some point, especially as Andrew Davis is a renowned film director.  I enjoyed the book and would definitely be interested in seeing it on the big screen.

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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BLOG TOUR: Dark as Night (An Áróra Investigation Book 4) - Lilja Sigurðardóttir

When Áróra receives a call telling her that a child she’s never met is claiming to be her missing sister reincarnated, she is devastated … as ridiculous as the allegations might seem. For three years she has been searching for her sister without finding a single clue, and now this strange child seems to have new information.

On the same day, Icelandic detective Daníel returns home to find a note from his tenant, drag queen Lady Gúgúlú, giving notice on her flat and explaining that she has to leave the country. Daníel is immediately suspicious, and when three threatening men appear, looking for Lady, it’s clear to him that something is very wrong…

And as Iceland’s long dark nights continue into springtime, that is just the very beginning…

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness I couldn't read this brilliant book fast enough!  I was completely hooked from  the start, even though I've jumped straight into this already established series at book four.  I definitely want to read the earlier books now that I have read this one as I loved the characters of Áróra and Daníel.

The Icelandic setting is fantastic and I really felt as if I was there as the writing is so vivid that I could easily visualise the volcanic landscape.  There's a double mystery to solve with Áróra continuing her search for her missing sister and Daníel's tenant suddenly leaving under suspicious circumstances.

I really felt for Áróra when a child claims to be the reincarnation of her sister Ísafold.  To accept the child really is Ísafold is to accept that Ísafold is dead but her body has never been found so Áróra still has a tiny bit of hope left.  Surely Áróra is being conned, but for what purpose?  The reincarnation subject is handled very sensitively and, whether or not you believe in reincarnation, it's certainly very thought-provoking. 

Perfectly plotted and beautifully written, Dark as Night is my first Lilja Sigurðardóttir novel and it definitely won't be my last as I already have my eye on the earlier books in the series.  Lorenza Garcia's translation is so flawless that it feels as if the book was originally written in English.  Very highly recommended, even if you're new to the series.

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

My rating:

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About the author:

Bestselling crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written ten crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, and her standalone thriller Betrayal, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide and been long- and shortlisted for multiple awards. The film rights for the Reykjavík Noir trilogy have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California, and the An Áróra Investigation series is now in production for a major TV series. Cold as Hell was published in the UK in 2021 and reprinted twice, followed by Red as Blood and White as Snow, both number-one digital bestsellers. Lilja lives outside of Reykjavík with her partner and a brood of chickens. 

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BLOG TOUR: The Burning Stones - Antti Tuomainen

Saunas, love and a ladleful of murder… 

A cold-blooded killer strikes at the hottest moment: the new head of a sauna-stove company is murdered … in the sauna. Who has turned up the temperature and burned him to death? 

The evidence points in the direction of Anni Korpinen – top salesperson and the victim’s successor at Steam Devil. 

And as if hitting middle-age, being in a marriage that has lost its purpose, and struggling with work weren’t enough, Anni realizes that she must be quicker than both the police and the murderer to uncover who is behind it all – before it’s too late… 

 

What did I think?

Antti Tuomainen has a very unique sense of humour and it completely shines through in his writing.  Mixing crime with humour in a Scandi setting, it's almost like a genre in its own right as there is nothing else quite like it.

The Burning Stones is set in a sauna-stove company where it would appear that one of the employees will kill to get promoted.  As she is the favourite to get promoted, and the evidence is pointing towards her, Anni is the prime suspect and the police have a grudge against her family so they don't want to listen to her side of the story.  Anni needs to catch the killer before she is arrested for the crime herself.

It's a very race against the clock sort of book as Anni attempts to identify the killer before the police gather enough evidence to arrest her.  Speaking of races...I actually snorted out loud at Anni's husband watching old Formula 1 races and discussing the result with his friends as if the race had just happened.  It's that sort of subtle humour that is sprinkled throughout the book and it made me laugh when I least expected it.

The Burning Stones is a fun crime caper that both gripped and amused me.  You definitely need a good sense of humour to read it and I can totally see this following in the footsteps of Antti Tuomainen's previous novels and being adapted for TV.  If you're looking for something a bit different to read then I would recommend The Burning Stones.

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 author:

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, his third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award  for Best Finnish Crime Novel and shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. Tuomainen was one of  the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime-genre formula, and his poignant, dark and  hilarious The Man Who Died became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards and now a Finnish TV series. Palm Beach, Finland (2018) and Little Siberia (2019) have both been adapted for the screen, airing shortly, and also shortlisted for the  Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Readers Awards, the Last Laugh Award and the CWA International Dagger, and winning the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. The international bestselling Rabbit Factor trilogy is filming now for Amazon Studios, starring Steve  Carell. Antti lives in Helsinki with his wife. 

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BLOG TOUR: Home For Christmas - Heidi Swain

Bella is living her best life in Wynbridge, with her beloved Spaniel, Tink. She’s found a way to keep the house she inherited from her grandparents while expanding her dream business – Away With the Fairies – and she’s ecstatic that Christmas is on the horizon!

 

In fact, everything is perfect until family friend, Catherine Connelly asks Bella if she’d be willing to rent part of the house to freelance author, Jude who is researching the history of the Connelly Clan and Wynthorpe Hall ahead of turning his findings into a book. The plan had been for Jude to stay at the hall, but he can’t cope with the chaos and Bella reluctantly agrees to open her door to him.

 

Initially, the pair clash but then friendlier feelings begin to grow and Bella finds herself wondering if Jude could become more than just another guest before it’s time for him to leave. That is, until he announces he has no time for Christmas!

 

With her favourite time of the year suddenly in jeopardy, will Bella ever feel like she’s home for Christmas?

 

What did I think?

It's not Christmas without a Heidi Swain novel to read and Home For Christmas is fabulously festive and hugely entertaining.  The joy of Heidi Swain novels is that new fans can pick up any of her books and enjoy them but for anyone who has read Heidi's books before you will recognise some characters and welcome them like old friends.

The quaint fictional village of Wynbridge is the setting for this book, as it has been for several other standalone novels, and I've virtually visited so often I feel like I almost know my way around this picturesque little village.  This is Bella's story and it's a bit of an understatement to say that Bella loves Christmas.

Bella's plans for Christmas this year are thwarted when she agrees to take in a temporary lodger, Jude, who is writing a book on Wynthorpe Hall.  Not only does Bella have to move all her stuff to the upstairs flat, but Jude doesn't even seem grateful and then he says he doesn't like Christmas.  You can just imagine Bella's horror!

People can have very valid reasons for disliking the most wonderful time of the year so I think it's always important to be sensitive around such matters and it's good to see that Bella doesn't force the issue with Jude.  I adored Bella's enthusiasm for Christmas and pretty much any festivity where she has the excuse to dress up both herself and her dog Tink.

As time goes on, Jude starts to defrost and Bella realises she has feelings for him but she's so intent on not getting her heart broken that she doesn't grab on to the wonderful chance of love that is right in front of her.  Can Jude change Bella's mind about love and can Bella change Jude's mind about Christmas?  You'll just have to read the book to find out!

Home For Christmas is an absolutely lovely book that is fabulously festive and incredibly romantic.  I simply adored it and I plan to read it again when the lights on my Christmas tree are twinkling.  Heidi Swain puts the 'Happy' in 'Happy Christmas' and can melt even the frostiest heart with this wonderfully heartwarming book.  Very highly recommended - make sure you put this one on your Christmas list!

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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Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty

We’re all so busy, caught up in life's moments, big and small . . .

The flight attendant working on her birthday.

The mother struggling with two young children.

The newlyweds off to their tropical honeymoon .

The overworked father missing his kid’s big show.

The young man returning from his best friend’s funeral.

The ER nurse wondering what retirement will bring.

All strangers. All unsuspecting. All on their own journey – or so they imagine.

Because they are each about to encounter an elderly woman. In just a few words, she will make a prediction, tying herself to them all. And, in being bound to her, these disparate strangers will be drawn together . . .

Who is this woman? Is she a clairvoyant? A charlatan? The answer to prayers, or a harbinger of nightmares?

They are about to find out – here one moment . . .

 

What did I think?

Do you believe in psychics?  What if a fellow passenger on your plane told you your age of death and cause of death?  Would you take it seriously or just continue living your life?  That's what the passengers on an internal Australian flight must decide when 'The Death Lady' moves from passenger to passenger predicting their deaths.  They might think it's all nonsense until the predictions start coming true...

Eeeeeek Liane Moriarty has written an absolute belter in Here One Moment.  It's a book that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat but also makes you question your own life choices.  Always wanted to swim with dolphins?  Go do it!  Always wanted to travel the world? Pack your bag and get on that plane!  Nobody knows how much time we all have left...although maybe 'The Death Lady' does!

It seems almost trivial to say that a fiction book could change your life, but I really think that this book might just do that.  It's an absolutely cracking story but it is so much more than that as it really makes you think about how fragile life is.  A huge reminder to seize the day!

Incredibly thought-provoking and completely gripping from start to finish, Here One Moment is one of Liane Moriarty's best books yet.  Unmissable and unforgettable.  HIghly recommended.

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

My rating:

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When the World Tips Over - Jandy Nelson

Welcome to Paradise Springs, Northern California – a hot, dusty, half-magical, wine-country town where there are so many grapes fermenting at one time, you get drunk from breathing the air; where devil winds blow so hard they whip your sense away. A town where every fairy tale you've ever read could be set...and "home" to the family Falls.

When a strange, enigmatic, rainbow-haired girl shows up in their fantastical hometown, it sends the lives of Fall brothers Wynton and Miles and their sister Dizzy into tumult. With road trips, rivalries, family curses, love stories within love stories within love stories, and sorrows and joys passed from generation to generation, this is the intricate, luminous tale of a family’s complicated past and present. And only in telling their stories can they hope to rewrite their futures.

 

What did I think?

This is my first Jandy Nelson novel but it won't be my last as I absolutely loved it.  I feel like my heart had been put through the wringer as I was constantly expecting the worst but when the world tipped over, there was only joy left in my heart.

This is the story of the Fall family and it is told from various narrators and in such a way that it feels like a fairy tale.  As with all fairy tales there are both good and bad characters and challenges to overcome.  With the various narrators, there are different styles of writing but I loved the different voices that shone through Jandy Nelson's writing.

As with most books like this, each reader will have a favourite strand of the story and, whilst you might wonder why we are exploring the other strands, it all comes together beautifully at the end.  I think this is a book I will read again, now that I know the conclusion, to really appreciate the cleverness of the prose.

Mesmerising, heartwarming and always having the possibility of something magical happening, When the World Tips Over is a highly unusual and completely unique book that has the feel of an instant classic about it.  I can see this being a book that is studied in schools in the future and it deserves every single one of the five stars I have awarded it.

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

My rating:

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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.

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