Author: Patricegotting

Today I am on the tour for The Outsider by C.R. Howell and I have a spotlight for you, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 295

Synopsis: A passionate affair. A marriage in crisis. A painful family secret.

Megan’s marriage is hanging on a knife-edge. The remote Welsh farm she loved so much when she and Noah were newlyweds has become a millstone around their necks. After thirteen years, Megan still feels like an outsider. People round here look at her strangely. They make it clear she doesn’t belong.

It’s not only lack of money that’s threatening Megan’s relationship. After three failed rounds of IVF, her longing for a child is all-consuming.

It’s then she meets Gethin, an intense, complicated young man almost twenty years her junior.

Against her better judgement, Megan embarks on a passionate affair. But this unhappy farmer’s wife is unleashing forces she cannot control.

Because there are secrets in her husband’s family. Unwittingly, Megan has unearthed long-buried tensions that lurk within this isolated, fiercely proud community. The dark past is about to come to light. And there’s far more than Megan’s marriage at stake . . .

About the Author:

C.R. Howell is a writer of psychological women’s fiction, exploring themes such as motherhood, family, trauma and abuse. Her first novel, The Woman in My Home, was published by Joffe Books in 2024. She is completing an MLitt on women’s lament in the poetic tradition and lives in northwest Wales with her partner, three children and two dogs.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here! and is also available on KU.

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Today I am on the tour for The Rune Stone by Julia Ibbotson, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 376

Synopsis: When Dr Viv DuLac, medievalist and academic, finds a mysterious runic inscription on a Rune Stone in the graveyard of her husband’s village church, she unwittingly sets off a chain of circumstances that disturb their quiet lives in ways she never expected. She, once again, feels the echoes of the past resonate through time and into the present. Can she unlock the secrets of the runes in the life of the 6th century Lady Vivianne and in Viv’s own life? Again, lives of the past and present intertwine alarmingly as Viv desperately tries to save them both, without changing the course of history.

My Thoughts: Now we all know that historical fiction isn’t really a genre I reach for, but Julia has a magical way of weaving the present day with the 6th century and I have loved the previous 2 so just had to finish the trilogy!

Dr Viv DuLac is now a wife and a mother and when on a walk in a graveyard with her daughter she finds herself being pulled back to the 6th century, which instantly tells her there is more to what she saw and there’s yet another mystery to be solved to put everything back to how it should be.

The writing is immersive and really pulls you in, leaving you very quickly invested.

The story is told from 2 perspectives giving you a very rounded look at the story.. unlike the other 2 books I actually found the modern day chapters more compelling this time & I loved that Dr DuLac found a way to involve the local sceptic into the reveal of everything.

A perfect end to what has been a fantastic trilogy.

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Today I am on the tour for I Dreamed of Falling by Julia Dahl, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Reader’s Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 256

Synopsis: Roman Grady is the sole reporter for the local newspaper in a tiny Hudson Valley town – a town so small that every store opening is considered newsworthy. But when Roman’s longtime girlfriend Ashley, the mother of his four-year-old son, is found dead, he realises he had no idea what was really going on in her life.

And when he starts asking questions, he’s not prepared for the answers.

What was Ashley doing at the cliffside home of her troubled ex-girlfriend? How did no one in a house full of people see what happened to her? And why does it seem like everyone in town suddenly has something to hide? As Roman and his mother dig into Ashley’s last few months, the truths they uncover threaten to expose painful secrets. The kind of secrets that can get you killed.

My Thoughts: this was the perfect small town crime thriller, how is it in a town where everyone knows everyone’s business and gossip spreads faster than wildfire that a young woman can be found dead and yet no one knows anything about it? – it’s all speculation and half truths.

Can Roman put his heartbreak and grief to the side and use his skills as the towns only reporter to get to the bottom of how his girlfriend and mother of his 4 year old son ended up at the bottom of the cliff on her own in the middle of the night?

This is a slow burn thriller that had me feeling like a resident of the small town itself, the writing really throws you right into the middle of the whole thing and I felt real emotions, my heart broke for Roman and Harrison especially, it took me back to when I lost my dad (not in such horrific circumstances but it was sudden)

As more and more of Ashley’s past is revealed I was questioning every single person and creating scenarios in my mind trying to come up with the outcome myself 😅

I feel like I’m not really doing this book justice but when I tell you the twist had me shaking my head in absolute disbelief, so cleverly done!

Please please pick this up, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Today I am on the tour for The Witness by Sadie Ryan, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 360

Synopsis: Wife. Mother. Witness. Liar.

Ten years ago, Jane witnessed an unspeakable crime. Her testimony put Curtis Murk in prison for manslaughter. She never told her husband.

Jane’s happily married to Patrick — although she wishes he wasn’t away on tour so often. Her beautiful teenage daughter is about to head off to university. Jane loves her days illustrating books in her lakeside home — even if she sometimes gets a bit lonely.

She’s been lying to her husband for a decade.

That’s not the only secret she’s hiding from him.

Now, Curtis is being released from prison. And he’s not willing to let the past rest. It’s only a matter of time before he finds her.

Her perfect life is built on lies. And it’s about to unravel . . .

My Thoughts: this one really allows you to get into the main characters head and believe me it’s not always a nice place to be, she’s on edge constantly and doubting everything which leaves us as the reader feeling entirely uncomfortable throughout and I loved it!

Jane’s past is about to come back and haunt her a lot sooner than expected which leaves her between a rock and a hard place.. does she admit to her husband that she’s been keeping secrets for 10 years or does she go along with his belief that she’s is an alcoholic who is slowly losing her grip on reality?

This one was gritty, it was tense & it made you question yourself as much as the characters and sometimes even the author 😂

I thoroughly enjoyed it, my only bug bear is that there was no concrete ending and it felt a little unfinished but that’s a personal preference and doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book.

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Today I am on the tour for The Only Child by S. Englefield, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 339

Synopsis: How well do you really know the people you love?

After her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Amelia Simpson retreats from her old life and moves to the sleepy Isle of Wight to be near her grandmother, her last remaining family.

But as the people closest to her start to die and secrets from her parent’s past are uncovered, Amelia is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her childhood and the people that she loved the most.

In order to find the killer, Detective Inspector Jennifer Stone will have to delve into Amelia’s past where she learns that there’s no such thing as a perfect family and that stopping them may end up costing her everything that she holds dear.

My Thoughts: never in a million years would you think this was this authors first book because it had me invested from the beginning!

Poor Amelia had it rough, literally everyone she cared about was in danger and we didn’t even know it so the book was full of shocking moments & just when you think it couldn’t get any worse another spanner was thrown into the works..

As a main character Amelia was a really likeable woman but was riddled with insecurities after losing her parents at a fairly young age and uprooting her life and getting settled in the Isle of Wight to be near her gran, she had a boyfriend Sam who is quite frankly a bit of a knob.

DI Jennifer Stone or Jenny as she is known in the book really is a force to be reckoned with, she’s confident & unafraid to do or say what needs be, the only problem is that her husband and daughter Sophie sometimes get forgotten and she misses important moments.

The story had me so tense that I got cramp in my fingers with how tight I was holding my kindle at times.

The red herrings, the twists, the turns all had me feeling like I didn’t know which way was up & I just loved the whole experience! – I’m hoping there will be a second book & I can’t want to see what Jenny gets up to next!

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Today I am on the tour for The Little Girl In The Wardrobe by C.J. Grayson, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 352

Synopsis: The police receive a call.

‘Please help. He’s coming.’

The small voice is barely a whisper.

‘Who’s coming? Are you in danger?’

‘He has a knife. He killed her.’

The line goes dead.

Nine-year-old Anya crawls into a cupboard in her bedroom and calls the police again. The line connects as the bedroom door creaks open.

‘He’s here . . .’

A blood-curdling scream barrels down the phone, filling the earpiece of the operator.

For the second time, the lines goes dead.

Detectives Tanzy and Byrd are called to Anya’s home, a small, semi-detached property.

They’re hit by the familiar smell of death.

Something terrible happened here — and it’s up to Tanzy and Byrd to pull together the pieces of this terrifying puzzle.

My Thoughts: I’m going to start by surprising you all and telling that this is book 4 in the series and yes I have actually read all of them!

I adore C.J. Graysons ability to pull the reader in from the very start of the book & it’s that initial shock factor so early on that leaves you unable to stop turning the pages until your done, even if this means you’ve devoured a 352 page book in one sitting and lost track of time whilst doing it!

I thoroughly enjoyed being back with Tanzy and Byrd, they are hands down some of the most likeable and relatable fictional cops out there, it honestly feels like they as characters feel the emotions that their actions are evoking in the reader.

I’m trying so hard not to tell you too much about the plot of this one because it’s deep, it’s dark and it’s layered & the enjoyment is in unpicking it all.

I can promise you with 100% confidence that you will be thoroughly entertained and completely engrossed the whole time.

I’ll be honest, this would definitely work as a standalone, but in order to appreciate it properly I would recommend starting the series from the beginning.

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Today I’m on the tour for A Fatal Silence by Rachel Amphlett, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 298

Synopsis:When the body of a young woman is discovered at an outdoor music festival, Detective Kay Hunter’s investigation stalls almost as soon as it starts.

Because the killer has left no trace, and the victim’s identity is unknown.

Amidst a media backlash, and faced with thousands of potential suspects, Kay must piece together the last hours of the woman’s life before her killer can escape.

But when Kay finds out the truth, her discovery will shake her investigation team to its core…

My Thoughts: firstly I feel like I need to tell you that this is book 14 in the series, also the first one I read, which seems to be very typical of me recently, however that being said this worked very well as a stand alone and I wasn’t left feeling like I’d missed much if anything.. I’m sure if I was to go back and start from the beginning I’d feel differently 😂 but this book was fantastic!

I took the audio book option for this tour & I feel like that was the right decision for me, it just helped me feel so much more real emotion, I was tense throughout and I know this is a weird thing to say, but I loved that, you know the story has you gripped when your body is just totally unable to relax!

The whole thing just felt too real to me, although I have never been to a music festival I have family and friends who love them & it made the story really hit home that this could & probably does happen more than we think!

The twist totally threw me for a loop, but was rather satisfying too after I had devoured the book in just one sitting!

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Today I am on the tour for If She’s Found by Alesha Dykema, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 247

Synopsis: Meet Andi.
Devoted wife.
Adoring mom.
Killer?

My daughter’s missing. And the police think I killed her.

Monday, 8 a.m. I go to wake up eight-year-old Bella to get her ready for school.

She’s not there.

My husband Charlie and I put her to bed as usual the night before. We kissed her goodnight. Just like we always do.

Things like this don’t happen to people like us. Not in a quiet little town like Spencer, Michigan.

Detective Anne Briar is leading the case. I know she suspects I’m not telling her everything. I see it in the way her eyes narrow ever so slightly. And she’s right.

No one must ever know what really happened the night Bella disappeared.

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved this, it’s a thriller with a twist, because this time the parents know what’s happened.. right from the start we’re aware of that and it’s a bit of a cat and mouse over who’s going to win.. will the parents get to keep the secret or will the police work out what’s happened.

It’s fast paced and full of heart in mouth moments that actually make you gasp, now I hate it when a tagline says that it makes me roll my eyes, but I genuinely did & I think I said “oh my god” a few times too!

Throughout I wasn’t sure who’s side I was on, because although we know that the parents know what’s happened to Bella we are left in the dark, so at times I didn’t want their secrets to be revealed and at others I was urging Detective Briar to connect the dots because I couldn’t!

Will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future!

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Today I am on the tour for The Family Before Us by Tracy Martin-Summers, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 298

Synopsis: I was only seven when I first met Eva. She stood at the front of the classroom, pale and petrified, clutching her hands as our teacher introduced her. There was something about her—something that pulled me towards her immediately. Maybe it was the sadness that lingered in her eyes, or her oversized, second-hand clothes, or the shoes so tight they pinched with every step. Whatever it was, I knew I had to be her friend.
It’s ironic that her one simple mistake at the age of sixteen contributed to turning our lives upside down. How was it that one single act of kindness exposed a web of inconceivable deceit, so mind-blowing, it was impossible to comprehend
What would you do if you discovered a secret so shocking that you no longer knew who you were? How far would you go to protect the people you loved?

My Thoughts: this book honestly had me hooked throughout, it starts off slow, it’s totally heartbreaking from the off, slowly reeling you in until you find yourself 100% unable to put the book down.

It’s dark and twisty with so many layers & so many characters..or so you’re led to believe. I’m pretty sure that anything I say about this book will absolutely not do it justice.

Tracy has an incredible ability to make you think the story is going one way & completely turning it on its head, from the cover and the synopsis you don’t expect a thriller and the writing sets it up as something that fits the cover & before you know it you’re knee deep in secrets and lies and just not knowing which way is up.

You absolutely need to add this book to your tbr and read it immediately!

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Today I am on the tour for The Baguette Murders by Anne Penketh, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and the n you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 234

Synopsis: Meet Pippa. She’s feisty, forty-something — and living her best life in the charming little town of Louennec, Brittany.

Not so long ago, she was a corporate career girl. Now she runs her own bakery — and goes home every night to her dishy gendarme boyfriend and a welcome glass of Merlot.

But murder is just around the corner . . .

Pippa is out on her rounds, delivering delicious crusty bread to her loyal customers. Her first stop is Derek’s remote gîte. Fitness instructor Derek sees carbs as the enemy. But even he can’t resist Pippa’s signature baguettes.

Pippa cycles to Derek’s door . . . only to discover, someone got there first.

Derek is dead! His body lies slumped across the piano, in a mess of blood and — to Pippa’s horror — breadcrumbs.

He’s been bludgeoned over the head with . . . a lethal stick of bread?

Just like that, Pippa finds the finger of suspicion pointing at her.

Can she follow the trail of crumbs to uncover the true killer — before more of her friends and neighbours die?

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved being back in this series and in this instalment we got to know Pippa a little bit better or Peeper as the locals call her which makes me smile every time!

I’ve never know so much crime and murder to happen in a small town, remind me never to go there 😂

Anne Penketh writes the most perfect cozy crime novel, it’s a little bit twisty but a whole lot of fun. I mean where else would you find a baguette being used as a murder weapon?!

This book leaves you questioning all the people you’ve grown to love in the previous books & I’m not sure I liked it.. I didn’t know who I preferred the culprit to be, I feel like I’m part of the group now and didn’t want to lose any of them!

Another enjoyable read in a fantastic series, I can’t wait to dive into book 4.

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