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Today I am on the tour for Private Inquiries by Caitlin Davies, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 320

Synopsis: The female private detective has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady sleuths to ‘busy-body spinsters’ and gun-toting modern PIs. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales?

Dismissed as ‘Mrs Sherlock Holmes’ or amateurish Miss Marples, mocked as private dicks or honey trappers, they have been investigating crime since the mid-nineteenth century – everything from theft and fraud to romance scams and murder.

In Private Inquiries, Caitlin Davies traces the history of the UK’s female investigators, uncovering the truth about their lives and careers from the 1850s to the present day. Women like Victorian private inquiry agent Antonia Moser, the first woman to open her own agency; Annette Kerner, who ran the Mayfair Detective Agency on Baker Street in the 1940s; and Liverpool sleuth Zena Scott-Archer, who became the first woman president of the World Association of Detectives. Caitlin also follows in the footsteps of her subjects, undertaking a professional qualification to become a Private Investigator, and meeting modern PIs to find out the reality behind the fictional image.

Female investigators are on the rise in the UK – and despite the industry’s sleazy reputation, nearly a third of new trainees are women. After a century of undercover work, it’s time to reveal the secrets of their trailblazing forebears.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: we’ll I’ve well and truly had my eyes opened to a world that I never really knew anything about outside of the fictional female PI’s.

It’s a job and a world that most of us assume is dominated by the male population, well now I know otherwise, and the more I think about it the more it makes sense, no one’s going to expect the little old lady, siting drinking her cup of tea minding her own business to be listening in to conversations and possibly hiding a weapon under her clothes.

We learn a lot about the different types of women who were perfect for the jobs, some of them using their femininity to their advantage to get the answers that were needed.

I really enjoy the way Caitlin writes the books, each chapter is informative and intriguing, yet a reasonable length so the information provided never gets overwhelming or boring.

This book is about more than just telling us about some of the female sleuths, Caitlin herself shows us the process of gaining the qualification to become a Private Investigator, so much research has gone into this book & it really shows!

I’ll be looking out for more from Caitlin in the future.

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So today I am on the tour for The Road Home by Nigel Stewart, as you can see from the poster I’m not actually supposed to be on the tour.. but thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours, the publisher and the author for allowing me to be a cheeky add on 🤣

Pages: 332

Synopsis: Joe Thompson is a success. Great job, own house, car, money. He’s got it all – or he thinks he has until one day, his boss suddenly decides he needs some time off and tells him to take a break, with immediate effect, which leads Joe to get in the car and drive somewhere, anywhere. Eventually, he arrives in Ripon, and the cathedral. Imbibing the atmosphere and the history, Joe’s road trip leads him onto several more cathedrals. Is it a pilgrimage? Is he looking for something he can’t find except in the sanctity of a cathedral? Or is what he is looking for much more simple. A chance encounter with Louise gives him what was really missing in his life – love on equal terms, until he learns Louise’s love comes with complexities, something Joe does not know if he can cope with.

What happens to someone when they get lost? When their past and present don’t add up to their future? Is what Joe has got worth giving up for what he really wants and will he only find it on the road home?

Nigel Stewart’s novel takes Joe not only on a physical journey but an emotional one, too, where he is able to discover the complexities of his own personality and why he has become who he is and how he can become who he really wants to be. The book explores the effects of modern day life when you think you have it all and you actually have nothing.

Initial Thoughts: A beautiful story of re-discovery after a rough and shakey start, and coming to term with past loses. A story that shows that sometimes travel is needed to find your way back home. And that your story doesn’t always end with the destination you had in mind.
Travel along with Joe on his journey to find himself again, you really won’t be disappointed!

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here! It is released tomorrow and will be available on KU.

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Hi hi 👋🏼

I was offered an early copy of The Last Line by the author and I imped at the chance to read it.

Pages: 336

Synopsis: May 1940.

With Nazi forces sweeping across France, invasion seems imminent. The English Channel has never felt so narrow.

In rural Sussex, war veteran John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort, should the worst happen.

But even as the foreign threat looms, it’s rumours of a missing child that are troubling Cook. A twelve-year-old girl was evacuated from London and never seen again, and she’s just the tip of the iceberg – countless evacuees haven’t made it to their host families.

As Cook investigates, he uncovers a dark conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of society. He will do whatever it takes to make the culprits pay. There are some lines you just don’t cross.

THE LAST LINE is a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery, played out expertly against the taut backdrop of the British home front.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: John Cook was everything you want in a main character of a book he was resourceful, went after what he wanted and refused to take no for an answer, your typical alpha male but yet had a softer caring side that we saw little glimpses of throughout.

I’m not normally a fan of historical fiction and was a little worried that this would be very war heavy, but it wasn’t, weirdly the war was more of a back story.. what we did get was everything else..

Full of action, violence, murder, conspiracy theories people trafficking and that’s just the tip of the iceberg..

A book that had me on the edge of my seat throughout, Stephen is definitely an author I will be looking out for in the future!

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Today I am on the tour for Mute by Richard Salsbury, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 330

Synopsis: If Wes is such a quiet man – mute from birth, in fact – why does someone try to murder him one Friday night in the office toilet? Shaken, and dismissed by the police for reasons he doesn’t understand, he goes on the run. But Keiran, his would-be killer and member of a survivalist cult, is not giving up, and tries to get to Wes through his wife, Alex. Though kept apart, Wes and Alex must find out what has happened and why. Not an easy task when the real reason is unknown even to Keiran himself …

Mute is a darkly comic thriller in the spirit of Graham Greene and the Coen brothers.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’m going to be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this story l, I have a habit of briefly reading the synopsis and stopping as soon as I see something that appeals to me.

This one was brilliant, the fact that the main character was mute added a new element to the story that not only made it more enjoyable but at certain points made it more frustrating because some situations could have been avoided if he’d just been able to talk 🤣

There was so many layers to this story that you never knew what was coming next and I absolutely loved that, I was kept on my toes throughout!

Lots of fun characters that were strong and all willing to do what you was necessary to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Part comedy, part action and part thriller, this was very different to anything I’d read before, it had me utterly engrossed throughout. I will definitely be looking out for other books by Richard in the future!

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Today I am on the tour for Me Here Without You Now by Edie D. Browning, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 198

Synopsis: Me Here Without You Now is a love story after the love story about a woman who has lost the love of her life trying to move on and getting lost on the way. It’s a feel-good romance book set against the stunning but cold backdrop of Finland’s winter. After building a life abroad with her true love, Louise finds herself dating again. Trying to make sense of late-night eggplant and fire emojis, she grapples with the loss of the love of her life. Between modern text-dating in her forties and navigating the complexities of a budding relationship with a younger man, she becomes entangled in an quirky obsession, and begins to lose touch with those who matter most, including her son.

As the story unfolds through the winter months and culminates just after the New Year, Louise is faced with either going further down the rabbit’s hole and losing everything or confronting her past and shedding her obsessions. But how can someone who has lost so much, love again?

This heartfelt, beautiful and inspiring novel is about love, life, and the resilience of mothers that will make you laugh and cry simultaneously. It underscores that while grief is universal, healing is unique for everyone, reminding us that no matter how challenging life becomes, hope and healing are always within reach.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this was a very original take on love story that was both heartwarming and heart wrenching in equal measure.

Louise is raising her teenage son alone after the unexpected loss of the love of her life, and she finds herself unexpectedly navigating the love scene again, 2 colleagues have both shown an interest, one younger, he makes her laugh and seems like a lot of fun, the other is very serious & always making little jokes about her love for Captain America.. is either of them going to be right for her?

After the loss of my dad last year I feel that the thoughts and feelings of lousie within this book felt very real and genuine, the self doubt and the sadness could be felt through the pages but on the other side that meant a he positive feelings came through too!

This book made me laugh, it made me cry & at points just sat so heavily on my heart.

An incredibly beautiful debut novel that has left me wanting more from Edie in the future.

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Today I am on the tour for Its Your Turn Now by Theo Baxter, 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: 328

Synopsis: Daisy is desperate to escape her husband. But has she made a deal with the devil?

Daisy Costigan is desperate to leave her violent, controlling husband, Bruce. But she knows he’ll never let her go. And if she tries to escape, he’s promised he’ll do whatever it takes to track her down and have his revenge. She’s trapped.

One day Daisy meets a charming stranger in a bookstore. His name is Marco and he overhears Daisy’s terrified phone conversation with controller Bruce.

Marco makes Daisy an offer. He’ll take care of Bruce if she’ll help him with a little problem – his wife.

Daisy doesn’t really think he’s serious, but two days later Bruce is dead. And now Marco wants her to hold up her end of the deal. If she doesn’t, he says he’ll kill someone she loves.

Stalked by the unhinged Marco, Daisy finds herself in an impossible situation. Can she find a way to escape this terrifying man? Or will she be forced to do the unthinkable?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book was fantastic, now given the subject matter I do feel a bit weird saying that, but it is what it is 🤷🏻‍♀️

The story is hard hitting, brutal and shocking, but the scary thing is that is a reality for a lot of people 😔

I’ll be honest, i found physically reading the words difficult and overwhelming, especially the first part, so I ended up downloading it on Kindle Unlimited and got Alexa to read it to me.

I have to be really careful what I say because this is kind of book that you definitely don’t want spoilers for, a book where you can see the bad stuff unfolding but you know that there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.

Let’s just say I’ll never look at bookshop the same way again.

It amazes me now authors can get into the headspace they need to, but I’ll always be grateful that they do.

If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then this one needs to be added to the top of your TBR.

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Today I am on the tour for The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 310

Synopsis: ‘I will find my daughter. No matter the cost…’

Jasmine Yang thought her daughter was dead at birth. But five years after she was taken from her arms, she learns that her controlling husband sent the baby to America to be adopted, a casualty of China’s one-child-policy. Fleeing her rural Chinese village, Jasmine arrives in New York City with nothing except a desperate need to find her daughter. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she’s forced to make increasingly risky decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her child.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardise not only Rebecca’s job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble.

Two women in a divided city, separated by wealth and culture, yet bound together by their love for the same child. And when they finally meet, their lives will never be the same again…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this book was brilliant! – part thriller, part women’s fiction, not a mix of genres I’d put together but wow did it work!

Two women who couldn’t be more different, but ultimately want the same thing, to be a mother & there’s nothing they won’t do to make that happen.

Fast paced, full of twists and turns that leave you not knowing which way is up.

I don’t want to say too much because it’ll ruin the whole addictive atmosphere of the book, there are so many important topics covered & done so well.

This book made me feel so many emotions, anger, sadness, happiness just name a few.

This is my first dive into Jean Kwoks writing and it definitely won’t be my last, this book will stay with me for a long time.

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Today I am on the tour for The Only Son by Brian R O’Rourke and I have a spotlight for you, 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: 391

Synopsis: There are problems, serious problems – and then there’s the dead boy in the garage.

When Sarah’s son, Andrew, calls her at work and begs her to come home immediately, she fears he’s being bullied again. But it’s so much worse than that.

Because when Andrew got back from summer camp, he found thirteen-year-old Hal English in their garage.

Dead. With no plausible explanation as to how he got there.

To make matters worse, Hal was one of the kids bullying Andrew at school and just recently they had a fistfight. And Andrew has a reputation for being impulsive and quick to anger.

As much as she loves him, as much as she wants to believe he is innocent, Sarah has to admit that Andrew looks guilty.

But she knows one thing for sure – no matter what she has to do, what risks she has to take, she will do anything to protect her only son.

About the Author

Brian R. O’Rourke has been writing stories since he was eight years old. A lifelong, avid reader, Brian believes that fiction has the power to change the world. He enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, playing the violin, and golfing.

If you like the sound of this it can be bought here! And is also available on kindle unlimited.

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Today I am on the tour for Black Sun by Cameron Curtis, 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: 244

Synopsis: The bad guys want her dead. But first they have to get past Breed.

Breed is on vacation in Arles, France when he sees a group of men open fire on a car. In the gun battle that ensues, a young girl escapes from the vehicle and runs for her life.

Breed pulls her to safety. Her name is Julia and she was abducted by the gang in the car. They forced her to take heroin, and when she was addicted, used her as a sex slave.

The slavers want to recapture Julia, and it soon becomes clear that the anonymous men who fired on the car want her dead. Breed is determined to keep Julia alive, but to do that, he’ll need to figure out who is after her and why.

On the run, outnumbered and outgunned, he calls for help from his friends: CIA Deputy Director Anya Stein, Delta Force veteran Ken Takigawa, and cowgirl sharpshooter Heth Crockett.

From Arles to Seville in Spain, Breed fights to keep Julia alive. The chase leads to a deadly showdown on the blood-soaked sand of La Maestranza, Seville’s great bullring.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: trouble always seems to just follow Breed even on holiday he can’t seem to stop himself getting involved when he sees something that just doesn’t feel right.. and yet again his instincts are correct!

Black Sun is book 7 in the Breed Thriller series but can be read as a stand alone, this is the 4th one I’ve read and by far the best.

It was gripping, full of tension and suspense and left me not knowing where the story was going and who I could trust which left me second guessing everyone but Breed himself.

He’s ruthless and dark & you never truly know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do next, but he also has a kind, caring, softer side which we got to see more of in this book.

A book I would recommend to fans of the thriller genre.

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Today I am on the tour for The Homemaker by Miranda Rijks, 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: 281

Synopsis: Maria always wanted a family. Now she’s found one.

Imogen has never been so busy – she’s juggling two jobs, has a young family and now she’s pregnant again.

Enter Maria, the perfect housekeeper. Hard working and capable, she seems like the ideal solution to Imogen’s chaotic life. But Maria isn’t at all what she seems – she has a sinister agenda of her own.

Little by little, she installs herself at the heart of Imogen’s family – doing the school run, cooking meals, caring for Imogen’s little girl.

But once she has won the family’s trust, Maria starts to do some digging. And discovers that Imogen has been keeping a terrible secret, a secret which Maria threatens to reveal unless Imogen starts to run this home the way Maria sees fit.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Imogen has no choice but to comply.

A terrible mistake. Because as the full scale of Maria’s horrifying plan becomes apparent, Imogen realises that everything she holds dear – her marriage, her family, her friends – all may fall victim to The Homemaker.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I’ve ready a lot of Miranda’s novels this year and I think this one might be one of best ones yet.

It was full of tension and suspense, and the most unlikeable ‘villain’ I didn’t like Maria at all, she was creepy, weird and just a little too intense which was obviously the point so really she was a really well written, well developed character!

Moments in this book were really dark and shocked me, the story was fantastic the writing really sucked me in, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I think the most disturbing part is that the general premise of this could actually happen in every day life, it would be so easy for someone to infiltrate your life and your home and for you not to know until it was too late.

It really baffles me how authors manage to come up with these story lines but I am definitely here for it.

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