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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Dark Truths by A.J. Cross, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 352

Synopsis: A fresh case lays bare old bones for DI Watt’s team

When a young woman’s body is discovered on a popular jogging trail in Birmingham, Detective Inspector Bernard Watts and his team are plunged into a disturbing murder investigation. Not only has the woman been violently stabbed – her head is missing.

When a close examination of the crime scene results in a shocking discovery linking the present murder to a past crime, criminologist Will Traynor is brought in to assist the police. Aware of Traynor’s troubled past, Watts is sceptical that he will bring anything useful to the investigation.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: the book is creepy right from the get go, a headless body has been found on a well used jogging trail! DI Watts is put on the case, but when more heads are discovered in quite close proximity to the first he soon realises that is going to be a far from easy case to solve! They’ve found the heads, but where are the bodies?

Inspector Brophy decides it’s time to use the help of a psychologist so enlists Will Traynor to give the police advice, however Di Watts isn’t happy, he sees Will as flaky! (With good reason, but still unreliable).

The story is quite a slow burn, but it’s twisty and full of things that will leave you second guessing the characters and absolutely no idea how the story will wrap up until the big reveal!

I thought it was very cleverly done and I thoroughly enjoyed it! – I can’t wait to see what Will Traynor gets up to next time!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Alter Ego by K.A. Masson, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 456

Synopsis: Pounding on the door. My seven-year-old son shaking me awake. My head fuzzy with sleeping pills. The hallway flashing with blue light. This morning my life will change forever.

Alex Kendrew is juggling single parenthood, work and dating; with a wild, impetuous streak that’s hard to keep in check, she struggles to find a balance and feels perpetually guilty for the choices she makes.

In K.A. Masson’s domestic noir thriller, Alex begins a passionate affair when an old flame gets in touch. But one morning, the police arrest her for his attempted murder. Someone is framing her; can she prove her innocence as the evidence mounts against her?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: this story was incredible, I was a little daunted by the size of it, at over 400 pages it’s a little longer than the thrillers I would normally ready and was worried that it would drag and more be able to hold my attention, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong, this one kept me guessing the whole way through.

We follow Alex Kendrew who is woken in the early hours of the morning by her young son because there is banging at the door, in come the police arresting her for the attempted murder of her boyfriend – but she claims to have been at home all night!

What follows is a story going back 8 years – then forward a little to just 4 years before her being arrested, a story full of characters (all of which you will start to doubt at some point) and little things that seem like nothing on the surface but could they be linked to something much bigger?

If you love a domestic Noir thriller that will keep you on your toes, but never get boring then this is the one for you.

Be warned this book contains possible abuse, sexual and mental, violence and some very graphic sex scenes (not all consensual)

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Today I’m here to reveal the cover for a disappointment of owls by S.E Smith… but before I do let me tell you about the book…

Synopsis: When the mutilated body of Albert Shawcross is found in the East End, the police head straight to Fournier street to the last person who saw him alive – Symington, Earl Byrd
Horrified at the presumption of guilt, Symington vows to track down the real killer. With the help of the pawnbroker’s niece, Emily, he’s drawn into an increasing dangerous world, where not everyone wants him to succeed.
With enemies using violent tactics to persuade him to drop the case, the earl must make a difficult decision. Does the shady solicitor deserve justice, or did he deserve to die?

About the Author: S.E. Smith, known as Sarah to her friends, and ‘Miss’ to her students, was born into a naval family and now lives on a 65-foot broad-beam boat with her husband, Steve, and her two rescue dogs – Ben and Eva.

Crediting her Nana May for instilling in her a love of history, and an encyclopedic knowledge of the East End of London at the turn of the 20th Century, Sarah took on board the adage ‘write about what you know’ and created Symington Byrd: a gentleman detective whose foray into the East End leads him into all kinds of danger.

A great fan of the West Wing, Pokemon Go, and Doctor Who, Sarah’s biggest claim to fame is the day spent with the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, chasing Daleks down The Strand.

So without further ado, here’s the cover….

Isn’t it beautiful?! 😍😍

If you want to but it you can do so here!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Girl at the Back of the bus by Suzette D. Harrison thank you to the team at Bookouture for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 310

Synopsis: I watched in awe as Miz Rosa stopped those men on the bus with her clear, calm “no” and I thought about that word. What if I said no? What if I refused to follow the path these White folks wanted for us? What if I kept this precious baby?

Montgomery, Alabama, 1955
On a cold December evening, Mattie Banks packs a suitcase and leaves her family home. Sixteen years old and pregnant, she has already made the mistake that will ruin her life and disgrace her widowed mother. Boarding the 2857 bus, she sits with her case on her lap, hoping that the driver will take her away from disaster. Instead, Mattie witnesses an act of bravery by a woman named Rosa Parks that changes everything. But as Mattie strives to turn her life around, the dangers that first led her to run are never far away. Forging a new life in a harsh world at constant risk of exposure, Mattie will need to fight to keep her baby safe.

Atlanta, Georgia, present day
Ashlee Turner is going home. Her relationship in ruins, her career held back by prejudice, she is returning to the family who have always been her rock. But Ashlee’s home is not the safe haven she remembers. Her beloved grandmother is dying and is determined to share her story before she leaves…

When Ashlee finds a stack of yellowing letters hidden in her nana’s closet, she can’t help the curiosity that compels her to read, and she uncovers an old secret that could wreak havoc on her already grieving family. As she tries to make sense of what she has learned, Ashlee faces a devastating choice: to protect her loved ones from the revelations, or honor her grandmother’s wishes and follow the path to the truth, no matter where it may lead.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: this book was an absolute delight, it was heartwarming, but also heartbreaking & very powerful, I’m not really sure how to put my thoughts into words as I’m completely speechless.

The story is told in 2 timelines from 2 separate perspectives. – Mattie Banks – 1955 and Ashlee Turner – 2020

The book opens in 1955 with Mattie as a 14 year old, caught in a situation she never expected she’s boarding a bus to take her somewhere where she can sort it, as a young black girl she is sent to the back of the bus, unbeknownst to her she is about to be witness to a big event in black history where Rosa Parks refuses to move from the back of the bus & it changes Matties perspective on things forever.

Ashlee Turner (who we later find out is Matties granddaughter) has just been passed up for promotion AGAIN and needs time to reflect on what she actually wants to do with the rest of her life. – she then gets a devastating phonecall which turns her whole life upside down!

The 2 ladies stories become interwoven in a very clever way & I found myself unable to put it down, this is definitely a story that will stay with me for a long time

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Danger Close by Cameron Curtis, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher and the author for my copy

Synopsis: He wanted peace. But war would always find him.

Ex-Delta Force sniper Breed has spent most of his life at war and now he’s trying to make some time for peace. But when a veteran from his old unit is beheaded in El Paso, Breed feels duty bound to bring the killer to justice. A feeling that only grows stronger when his friend’s widow and son are also murdered.

As he uses all his specialist skills to uncover the truth, Breed finds himself working with some unlikely allies – a devious CIA operative, and a determined Latina reporter who is investigating the trafficking of underage girls. Together, they uncover a conspiracy to launch a massive attack on US soil.

The terrorists are confident – they have powerful friends in the Mexican cartels and US law enforcement. But they have reckoned without one thing—Breed.

Danger Close – the first in the stunning Breed action thriller series. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Jason Kasper, David Archer.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧.5

My Thoughts: this story takes you on one hell of a ride, let me tell you! – action packed from the first chapter, it just totally draws you in and is easy to get lost in!

We follow Breed, who is an ex Military sniper, his friend and colleague had just been found in his ranch, dead and beheaded! – nothing like a serious murder to start a book with 😂.

Breed is determined to find out what happened and after speaking to the law enforcement and the family of the victim he soon realises that although, they’re doing their best they’re looking in the wrong places! – so with the help of 2 more people from their old Military team, he sets off on his own to work it out for himself.

There are so many layers to this story that I thought I’d get confused but it was actually pretty easy to follow, and goes a lot deeper than you expect! – trigger warnings for abuse, drug use, violence and trafficking of young girls.

I was totally invested in Breed and his mates! – they were there for each other no questions asked and ready to lay their lives on the line to see justice done for their dead friend.

The only reason I knocked half a star off was because sometimes the description of the weapons, how to use them and other parts of the Military aspect were slightly confusing and hard to follow but that didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book.

I will be looking out for the next instalment of the series and can’t wait to see what Breed gets up to next time!

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Today is my stop on the tour for Waiting for Aegina by Effie Kammenou, thank you to the ladies at Love Books Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part & thank you to the author for my copy.

Pages: 386

Synopsis: Read as a standalone or as part of the trilogy

In 1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the ‘Honey Hill Girls,’ named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers they shared one another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches. Now, more than thirty years later, they remain devoted and loyal, supporting each other through triumphs and sorrows.

Evanthia’s Gift follows the life of Sophia Giannakos. In Waiting for Aegina the saga continues from the perspectives of Sophia and her friends as the story drifts back and forth in time, filling in the gaps as the women grow to adulthood.Naive teenage ideals are later challenged by harsh realities, as each of their lives takes unexpected turns. Now nearing their fiftieth year, Sophia, Demi, Amy, Mindy and Donna stand together through life-altering obstacles while they try to regain the lighthearted optimism of their youth.

My Rating:🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: if you’ve been following my blog this year, you’ll know that Evanthia’s Gift the first book in the series was one that I really enjoyed, it made my heart so happy. well this one was no different, I absolutely loved it!

We’re still following the same characters, but this one is spread over multiple timelines, present day where something tragic happens right at the start of the book and we’re all just waiting on the edges of our seats and hoping for a good outcome!

And in the past too, which for me really helped me understand the friendship that the 5 girls have and the reasons why, they really have been there for each other through everything! 🥺

Again there are so many emotions packed into this story, the present day parts start off happy and so full of love and hope for the future but quickly then to devastation and heartbreak, whilst the chapters set in the past have all that and more too, mix in the teenage angst the thinking they know a everything and an unplanned pregnancy! – it’s no wonder their journey to adulthood wasn’t plain sailing 😂

I really enjoyed getting to see more of Dino, his chapters building up to the present day were my favourite, seeing it dawn on him that he’s made the wrong decision but feeling like he has to put up with it anyway broke my heart.

This book deals with some really hear hitting topics but does it so sensitively, hats off to Effie for being brave enough to tackle them in the first place.

You’ll definitely need tissues to make it through this book, I personally can’t wait to dive into book 3.

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for An Eye for an Eye by Carol Wyer, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog tours for organising it and inviting me to take part.

Pages: 428

Synopsis: A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.

DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.

But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police. Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.

As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide. But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My thoughts: wow, this book was absolutely incredible, it had me going round in circles, tied up in knots and constantly second guessing myself, so much so that by 70% of the way through I still didn’t know where the story was going and didn’t trust a single one or the characters!

We follow Kate who has been having some time off following a traumatic event, but she’s asked to come back early because they need her expertise on this case, but it’s only given 2 colleagues to help her solve a string of murders that seem to be somehow linked to her boss!

I can’t say too much about the story to be honest because part of the joy of reading it was the never knowing what was going to happen next, I was totally gripped and drawn into the story!

I’ll be honest, I worked out the culprit a couple of pages before it was revealed but all this did was make me more determined to finish the book to make sure justice wasn’t done 😂

Please, please, please pick up this book and let me know your thoughts!

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Today is publication day for The Devils Mark by WD Jackson-Smart so I’m here to tell you all about it & about the author himself!

Synopsis: Bloody remains. Multiple victims. Ritual sacrifice?

When a blood-stained effigy of body parts is found in a central London park, D.I Daniel Graves must set about trying to discover what it could mean and find the person responsible. Symbols at the crime scene suggest the occult. Who would leave a murder victim in such a way, and why?

As Graves and partner DI Charlie Palmer begin to investigate the ritual and the act of human sacrifice, they enlist the help of Charlotte Gooding, a talented professor specialising in the subject. They hope to narrow down on a motive. Could the killer believe in the supernatural? Witchcraft even?

Then the next crime scene is found. More blood, more symbols, and out in the open. It seems the killer wants the world to pay attention, but why? How are they choosing their victims?

The pressure is on for Graves to put an end to the murders before more remains show up in brutal tableaus. One thing is for sure, this killer is out for blood and is not afraid to make it a very public display.

There’s just one problem. Grave’s past is still not behind him. Someone is eager to make sure he doesn’t forget, cannot move on. And they’re not playing games anymore. There may be an occult killer out there, but now there’s another out for blood, Daniel Grave’s blood.

About the Author: WD Jackson-Smart, 35, is a London-based horror and crime fiction author who has been writing crime and horror fiction since 2011. His novel Red Light was self published on Amazon and charted in the top twenty best selling Suspense / Thriller Kindle books on release.

His horror short story, What’s Yours Is Mine, was shortlisted for the Horror For Good anthology.
His first crime thriller Slasher, about a serial killer targeting slasher movie actresses in Hollywood, is out now, and he has launched a brand new crime series set in London and starring D.I. Graves. The Demons Beneath is the first in the series, and the sequel From Inside The House was published on July 1st 2019.

As well as his passion for horror and crime thrillers in all forms, WD Jackson-Smart also loves art and design, having studied Fine Art and Art History in Leeds and Toronto and working as a graphic designer for the majority of his career.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wdejackson
Website: https://www.wdjacksonauthor.co.uk/

If you like the sound of this book you can buy it here!

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Cerebral Palsy: A Story by Ilana Estelle, 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: 288

Synopsis: Living with cerebral palsy is enormously difficult. But what if you never knew you had it?

This is the incredible story of Ilana Estelle.

Born the second of premature twins, an hour apart, from a young age Ilana knew she was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 60s, Ilana experienced first-hand the way that disability was, at the time, so often brushed under the carpet, not spoken about. Her constant physical and mental struggles made her feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood. It took 46 years for her to find out why.

Part memoir, part motivational guide, Cerebral Palsy: My story is Ilana’s open and honest journey from an angry, confused child, knowing something was wrong, not knowing what was wrong, what her disability was, or that there was a diagnosis – to the ‘real’ her – a courageous woman using her experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, resilience and change.

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: firstly let me tell you that I was actually really nervous and apprehensive about going into this book, as much as I couldn’t wait to read it. – for those of you that don’t know I have Cerebral Palsy myself. I know everyone is different but I was really worried that this was going to be a sad negative story.

Needless to say if you hadn’t guessed by my 5 star rating this is not what I found! – this book is brilliant, it gives insight to how Ilana felt growing up, knowing things were different for her, maybe a little harder than those around her especially her twin sister. Knowing that she couldn’t do things in quite the same way and always having to adapt, but only finding out the reason why at the age of 46! – i personally couldn’t imagine it, I grew up knowing I had Cerebral Palsy and was able to explain to people why my body didn’t work in quite the same way as theirs!

Cerebral palsy wasn’t the only diagnosis she had to contend with and done to terms with as an adult either, but I won’t spoil the book for you!!

The book is also filled with advice on how to deal with certain situations thrown at you either as a disabled person or when around a disabled person, which I thought was lovely! – this book would have been a useful tool for me to have growing up to just give to people when they had questions that I wasn’t sure how to answer.

By far my favourite parts of the book were the anecdotes and Ilana telling her story, if you’re looking for a story about an inspiring woman who has overcome a lot in her life and come out of the other side still smiling and stronger than ever then this is the one for you.

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Side note: if anyone is offended by my use of the word disabled, then please know that was not my intention, as a disabled person to me the word is something I use all the time.

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Two Wrongs by Rebecca Reid, thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles Blog Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and publisher for my copy.

Pages: 384

Synopsis: How far would you go to correct your worst mistake?

When Chloe goes to university and meets wild, carefree Zadie, she is utterly seduced by her and her lifestyle. It doesn’t take long for Chloe to ditch her studies in favour of all-night parties at Zadie’s huge house off campus.

But when something goes badly wrong one night and Zadie disappears in the aftermath, Chloe knows she should have done more to help her friend. It’s something she’ll always regret.

Fifteen years later, Chloe finally gets the chance to make it right. But in order to do so, she’ll have to put everything at stake . . .

My Rating: 🐧🐧🐧🐧

My Thoughts: I found this story very gripping to begin with, we follow Chloe through 2 timelines, present day where she is married to Rav and their currently deciding wether they’re happy as they are or wether they want to settle down properly and have children! – Rav is all for children. His parents have promised to buy them a house when they provide them with grandchildren.

We also follow Chloe through her uni days where she meets Zadie, a party girl into drink and drugs (the complete opposite to Chloe.) Zadie very quickly manages to drag Chloe into her world, but is it all it’s cracked up to be?

We soon learn that one night, after one of her famous parties Zadie is attacked and disappears without a word, nobody hears anything from her, no online presence is found of her either! – until one day whilst looking online Chloe stumbles upon something! Is it time to confront someone from her past who she feels has been hiding the truth for 15 years?

I found the story a really easy read but one that kept me gripped enough to finish it in one sitting! – the story flowed nicely without getting boring, although I thought it was slightly predictable I honestly didn’t see the ending coming!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the mystery thriller genre.

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