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Today I am on the tour for A Third Is Darkness by Murray Bailey, thank you to Murray himself for organising the blog your inviting me to take part and for providing me with a copy of the book.

Pages: 308

Synopsis: Charles Balcombe cannot control his alter ego.
BlackJack is killing for fun and DI Munro knows his partnership with Balcombe can’t continue.
While Balcombe seeks help, Munro is asked to work for the Hong Kong governor’s aide-de-camp. He seems to be sidelined as Garrett resumes his hunt for the Squeezed-heart murderer.
But people have secrets and the more Munro investigates, the murkier they seem. When people start dying and with Balcombe’s help, Munro tries to get to the bottom of a conspiracy of silence.
Will he find the truth?
Will Garrett catch his killer?
Will Balcombe learn the truth about himself?
As the psychoanalyst told him: a third of the mind is darkness. If you dig too deep, be prepared. You won’t like what you find there.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Murray has done it again and provided us with a story that just sinks its teeth into you straight away.. the action is there from the off and just doesn’t let up!

This is the third book in the BlackJack series and although it would work as a stand-alone I would highly recommend reading the other 2 first so you don’t miss the subtle references made throughout.

We see an almost softer side to Balcombe in this one, like we see the man behind all the walls he’s built which I appreciated, it made me feel less guilty about rooting for the ‘bad guy’

This time he is helping DI Munro locate the daughter of a very important person.. under the radar of course and what follows is a heartbreaking story with twists and turns throughout, this one has me on the edge of my seat!

I cannot wait to see what Murray comes up with next!

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Today I am on the tour for Christmas At The Snow Covered Inn by Lucy Coleman, thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Ria’s Christmas wish list: A secluded inn, beautiful decorations, lots of snow and a man who could change her life forever…

After a messy breakup, interior designer Ria Porter has been dedicated to her job. Now one of the best in the business, she’s been hired to work on a beautiful inn nestled in the snow-covered mountains of New Hampshire. A career-making opportunity she couldn’t refuse, Ria’s determined to make it her finest work yet.

Successful businessman Hayden Reynolds has carved his own path in life. But this December he is flying back home on a mission to save his grandfather’s beloved inn.

Between interfering family members and a tight deadline, Ria’s got her hands full. The last thing she needs is Hayden distracting her with his good looks and kind heart. But as they work together to bring the inn back to life, Ria finds her resolve thawing and it harder to keep things professional.

With Christmas Eve approaching, Ria has a decision to make. She can keep her focus on her work or she can allow herself to dream, letting this beautiful place open up a future she never thought possible…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this one was a light fluffy festive read which is exactly what I needed, set in the beautiful snowy mountains of New Hampshire where Hayden has hired interior designer Ria to help revamp his grandfathers inn, which has been passed down to his parents, it’s failing now, so he thinks giving it a new lease of life will fix all the problems.. but are the problems deeper than that?

Both of our main characters have been hurt before so when they start falling for each other they both unbeknownst to the other are either fighting the feelings or finding a way to reveal them without scaring the other off.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, there is some family drama that although a very important part of the story was cleverly interwoven so that it never felt overwhelming or out of place.

A fabulous book that gets you in the mood for the Christmas build up & one I will be recommending to others!

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Today I am on the tour for Countdown To Christmas by Jo Thomas, 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: 359

Synopsis: Chloe can’t wait for Christmas . . . to be over! Her son Ruben is staying with his dad and Chloe is planning to ignore the holidays altogether. Her only festive touch is her son’s advent calendar, to help count down the days till he’s home again.

But a surprise call changes everything. Chloe might be the unexpected owner of some land in Canada! Surely, it’s a scam. Or could it be just the escape she needs right now? Ruben’s latest note in the advent calendar tells her to ‘say yes!’

In a flash, Chloe’s new countdown to Christmas involves a log cabin in the middle of a snowy forest, a community that’s worried for its future, a gruff lumberjack who gives her butterflies and a lot of pancakes with maple syrup . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: hard to believe but I think this might be my first ever read of a Jo Thomas book and I can promise you it won’t be the last!

Look how inviting the cover is, it gives the perfect Christmas vibes and makes you want to wrap up all warm and cosy with a blanket, a hot drink and just lose yourself for a few hours.

We’re following Chloe, who after dropping her son off with his dad at the airport realises she is faced with the first Christmas without him in 12 years… she soon realises though that Ruben has already thought of everything and had given her the perfect gift to get through December without him.

With the help of Ruben she finds herself in a remote part of Canada with only the forest and a few wild animals for company.. oh and the grumpy lumberjack who helped her to the cabin.

Whilst she’s cold, grumpy and questioning her life choices, doing what she needs to do to pass the time and get through each day, the little town and the people within the community start to work their magic and Chloe finds herself falling in love, in more ways than one.

A story about saying yes, realising that change can be a good thing and finally taking what you want in life and putting yourself first!

Packed full of important messages, most of them delivered by a 12 year old boy, a beautiful book that I will be recommending to everyone!

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Today I am on the tour for A Scandal Of Secrets by J.F. Howard, thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 280

Synopsis: Anthony Crawford is young, rich, and lazy. With aspirations to take the film world by storm, he never quite seems to motivate himself enough to do anything about it – until he meets the beautiful Cecile. Wife to Robert Ford, who is Anthony’s stepfather’s business associate and close confident, Cecile is older, wiser, and wants Anthony to be her next little plaything, but will an affair with her be Anthony’s making or his downfall?

The oncoming Christmas season provides a perfect opportunity for Anthony’s mother and stepfather to throw a party, but what happens to turn a glittering, dreamlike celebration, the pinnacle of the social calendar of the rich and famous, into Anthony’s personal nightmare, and more importantly, will he survive?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this one! I have to be honest I felt sorry for Anthony, he just seemed a little lost, not really sure where he fit in in the world, was trying to find his place and got swept up in things that were new and exciting!

The prologue had me straight away, it was gripping and exciting and felt so real that I was almost struggling to breath whilst reading it 🤣

The story that follows slowed down in pace but I feel like that was important in order to introduce everyone properly.

There were secrets being held by all parties which made it so that you never knew who was going to be next.

A slow burn mystery which had a few shocks within!

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

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Today I am on the tour for Something Like Murder by Ashley Brandt, 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: 38

Synopsis: When two of Corinth’s oldest residents turn up murdered, Da Vinci and his sidekick team up to uncover the truth behind the murders.Denali crosses paths with the newest resident in town, the gorgeous Alex Plummer and Da Vinci fears his housemate has fallen for a killer. However, as always, nothing in Corinth is as it seems, and the killer may be much closer to home than they ever suspected!

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: as with the first book this is another hard one to review without giving the story away as although it is longer than the first one it’s still only 38 pages.

The action was still there though and it never lets up, this time we’re introduced to a new face & as we all know no one in a small village likes a newcomer even if they are related to a resident of said village so when 2 more bodies turn up around the same time they instantly point the finger of suspicion at him.

Denali and Da Vinci obviously find a way to get closer to Alex, but when they work out the truth it’s not what either of them are expecting! A

Lots of drama and suspense but also a whole lot of fun too! I’m already looking forward to book 3!

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Today I am on the tour for Someone You Know by Erin Kinsley, 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: 389

Synopsis: Your daughter isn’t answering your calls.
She’s not replying to your messages.

You rush to her house.
She’s slumped in the basement, dying and alone.

You desperately call for help.
She whispers a single word: ‘pushed’.

Someone is keeping secrets.
And it must be someone you know…

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: what a wild ride this one was, full of tension and suspense I spent the whole time not knowing which way was up!

Natalie is found at the bottom of the cellar stairs by her mum, it’s clear she’s been there a long time and she’s all but given up the fight to stay alive, but can Dee get to the bottom of what’s happened and get justice for her daughter?

This was a long book for the thriller genre but I found I appreciated that, the story was told from various different perspectives which gave us a the full picture and made the story feel fully fleshed out.

This is a real whodunnit, there are several people who could have done it, most with motive and the means to do so.

Plenty of twists and turns throughout and a couple of red herrings to keep you on your toes too, I enjoyed this so much that I bought the kindle version so I had it in my library, will definitely be looking out for more by Erin in the future!

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Today I am on the tour for Delivering Christmas by Liz Fenwick, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 132

Synopsis: All she wants for Christmas is peace and quiet, and to be alone…

Theo Pascoe is relieved she finally has her cottage back to herself, after her beloved son, wife, and grandson move out to their new home. Christmas is fast approaching and she’s fully booked doing the work she loves, preparing Christmas decorations for the local hotel, running wreath-making workshops, and dressing clients homes for the holidays.

However her family and friend think they know best – that she is suffering from empty-nest syndrome and what she really needs is some romance back in her life. But that’s the last thing Theo wants right now!

As Christmas Day approaches Theo is looking forward to spending the day quietly at home, with just her cat for company. But she has just one last home to decorate when a sudden cold snap catches everyone by surprise and she finds herself stranded in a remote house with a client. Theo just wanted to spend Christmas alone, but it seems fate has other plans?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: Well this book is like a warm hug, I absolutely loved it!

Theo is preparing for Christmas alone, something she’s looking forward to after having a cramped house for a while, just her and her cat seems like absolute bliss, her family and friends think they know better though.. could they be right?

So much is packed into just over 100 pages, we have wreath making, tree picking, decorations to be sourced and put up & no shortage of family dramas!

Who’d have thought a snow storm and being trapped in the house of your last client of the year would be so life changing?

This book made me laugh out loud and cover my eyes in embarrassment for the characters whilst also rooting for them at the same time!

Some books just capture your heart completely & this one has mine, it was perfect ❤️

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Today I am on the tour for Emergency Drill by Chris Blackwater, 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: 283

Synopsis: Newly qualified offshore medic, Danny Verity, arrives on the Cuillin Alpha oil platform shortly before a storm damages the satellite system, severing the crew’s only mode of communication to the mainland.

Storm or sabotage?

Danny is forced to perform emergency surgery on an injured crewmate, whose accident he suspects was the result of sabotage. The man dies, a member of the crew disappears, and yet another is attacked.

Enter the Pied Piper, whose sinister announcements carry his threats through the entire platform.

While the North Sea rages around them, emotions and suspicions run high.

Danny knows he’s the only one who can stop the saboteur. But will the crew trust him?

With no way of calling in help and unable to risk escaping on the lifeboats, everyone aboard the oil platform is trapped. So is the killer… and Danny is determined to smoke him out.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts; this one had me captivated throughout, it made me feel constantly uneasy and unsure, doubting myself and my thoughts on where the story was going..

The setting didn’t help, stuck in the middle of the sea on an oil rig people are dying, you don’t know who the killer is.. all you know is that it’s someone on the boat and there’s no escape.. no thank you 🤣🤮

That being said, everything I would’ve hated if I’d been in that situation is everything I loved about the book!

There’s a lot of characters, every single one of them could have been the pied piper.. including Danny himself.. I didn’t know which threads to follow and which ones were a red herring.

There was also a lot of humour in this book which helped to lighten the subject matter & made it easier for you to lose yourself in the story without getting overwhelmed.

A brilliant start to a brand new series, I cannot wait to read more!

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Today I am on the tour for Don’t Trust Her by Cathryn Grant, 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: 290

Synopsis: Parker had the perfect marriage. Then Eden came home.

Twenty years have passed since Dylan’s beloved sister, Celeste, was brutally murdered. Now he plans an anniversary memorial for the sister he misses to this day.

When their childhood friend, Eden, comes home to attend the memorial, Dylan invites her to stay with him and his wife, Parker.

But Parker is apprehensive. She remembers a time when Eden had designs on her husband, and she worries she still carries a torch for him. Her fears seem confirmed when Eden openly flirts with Dylan and captivates their pre-teen daughter.

As Parker desperately tries to hasten Eden’s departure, Dylan resists, fondly remembering the time they spent as childhood friends. And when Eden brings up questions about who murdered Celeste, Parker’s fears only escalate. She thinks her husband’s mental health could suffer if Eden keeps digging.

Can Parker get rid of Eden before she destroys her family? And why has Eden really come back to town? As the two old friends circle each other, past secrets are revealed and they find themselves hurtling into a vortex of unimaginable pain and terror.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: another brilliant book from Cathryn! – if you’ve been following my reviews for a while you’ll know that my favourite thrillers and multiple perspectives and multiple timelines, which is exactly what we get!

We’re following, Eden, Parker and Dylan, childhood best friends who lost touch after a one of them moved away, but not before the life of another one was torn apart in the worst way imaginable..

We get to see the friendship dynamic from children, to teenagers and now to adults, an things go back to how they were now that all three of them are in the same place again after so many years? Or is there too much water under the bridge?

I was hooked, so much so that this one turned into a one sitting read, I was so invested!

The characters are well developed, they were all so different despite all having the same upbringing.

Secrets were kept promises were broken and so many lies were told.. the only problem is once you start telling lies you end up buried in them in order to keep up appearances.

I guessed the twist pretty early on but for me that added to the story, almost like I was in on the secret 🤣

I can’t wait to see what Cathryn comes up with next!

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Today I am on the tour for The Patient by Cole 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: 306

Synopsis: James thought he’d be safe in this old house. He was wrong.

Ten years ago, James Owens was convicted of a murder he couldn’t remember committing. Now, finally released from the mental institution where he’s served his time, he is placed under house arrest in the sprawling family home he has inherited from his father.

Living in isolation, visited only by his therapist, parole officer, and supportive but controlling twin Janet, he at least has something resembling peace. But he is still haunted by hallucinations, nightmares, and bizarre memories which may or may not be real.

Strange sounds in the house, and objects which disappear or are mysteriously damaged all add to his fear that he is sliding into uncontrolled insanity again.

But is he? Or is his fragile mental state being manipulated by someone with a sinister agenda of their own?

When tragedy strikes, James must go on a journey that will force him to confront the past – and the haunted depths of his own tortured soul.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I have read and loved some of Cole Baxter’s books in the past but this one really just hit right, the perfect mix of everything!

The tone was set from the start, James has just been released from the mental institution that he’s spent years in serving time for a murder that he has absolutely no memory of.. now is that because it was so horrific that his mind has just forgotten it or is it because he didn’t do it?

Just as he’s starting to adjust and feel like he’s got himself sorted, his sister appears, turns everything on it’s head!

You really feel the emotions that James is feeling, the fear, the self doubt the anxiety.. it even had me doubting wether I’d read things right..

Things start to go missing, money, people, medication, then the house starts making noises, things are moving… is he starting to lose his memory again?!

I can’t say anymore than that, as much as I’d love to, but I genuinely feel like this is Cole’s best one yet!

I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

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