Release date - 11th January 2018
Book length - 447 pages Publisher - Penguin Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Jenny from Penguin Books UK for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK Best friend, soulmate, confidante . . . backstabber. Amy thought she knew everything there was to know about her best friend Melissa. Then again, Amy also thought she was on the verge of the wedding of her dreams to her long-distance fiancé. Until she pays a surprise trip home to London. Jack is out, but it's clear another woman has been making herself at home in their flat. There's something about her stuff that feels oddly familiar . . . and then it hits Amy. The Other Woman is Melissa. Amy has lost her home, her fiancé and her best friend in one disastrous weekend - but instead of falling apart, she's determined to get her own back. Piecing her life back together won't be half as fun as dismantling theirs, after all. 'Hugely compelling . . . I loved it and just couldn't put it down!' Ruth Jones MY REVIEW Clever, hilarious, compelling, and absolutely superb are just some of the words that I could use to describe FAKING FRIENDS by Jane Fallon which is already one of my favourite reads of 2018. With excellently crafted characters, crazy and often side-splitting escapades, and a deeper side to the story that reflects the importance of true friendship, everyone should read this novel that will have you devouring it in one sitting. Oh and if you have ever been screwed over by that person that you thought was the one or that friend who just always seems to take without giving anything back, then this book is a must! When Amy turns up for a surprise visit with her fiancè, she gets the shock of a lifetime when she realises that he hasn't been spending his nights alone during their long-distance relationship over the last few months. Determined to discover the truth, Amy is horrified and heartbroken when she realises that the betrayal goes even deeper when the other person involved is none other than her best friend. With her career as an actress always floundering on the edge of disaster, Amy has now lost her home, the person she thought she would marry, and her childhood best friend all in one swoop. But will she let this break her? Will she heck! Amy is ready to get her own back in any way she can, even if she'll have to fake it before she can make it happen ... I LOVE THIS STORY!!! Amy is a brilliant character and I loved watching her evolve and realise what friendship should be and what she really wants from her life and all of her relationships. There are so many moments that made me laugh so this is a perfect book to pull you out of the gloominess of January and the post-Christmas blues. The pace of the story is great and there really is never a dull moment. I can safely say there was nothing about this book that I didn't completely enjoy so what are you waiting for? Buy it now!!!! Author Bio: Jane Fallon is an English producer and novelist, most famous for her work on popular series Teachers, 20 Things To Do Before You're 30, Eastenders and This Life. She has also written two successful novels. Fallon has been in a relationship with popular comedian Ricky Gervais since 1982, after they met while studying together at the University College London. The couple has lived together since 1984 and are based in North London. They own a cat called Ollie. For more information: Website - www.janefallon.co.uk Twitter - twitter.com/JaneFallon Facebook - www.facebook.com/janefallonofficial/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!
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#Blogtour #Review: The Cover Up by Marnie Riches @Marnie_Riches @AvonBooksUK @Sabah_K #TheCoverUp14/1/2018 Release date - 11th January 2018
Book length - 400 pages Publisher - Avon Books UK Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sabah from Avon Books UK for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK Watch your back. Everyone else will be. How far would you go to protect your empire? Manchester’s criminal underworld is reeling from the loss of its leader, Paddy O’Brien. In the wake of her husband’s death, Sheila O’Brien takes charge of the city, and for once, she’s doing things her way. But she hasn’t reckoned with the fearsome Nigel Bancroft, a threat from Birmingham who is determined to conquer Manchester next. As a power tussle begins, Sheila is determined to keep control of the empire she has won – even if it means she has to die trying… A heart-stopping read with a gritty edge, perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers. MY REVIEW Gritty, raw, violent, and at times utterly hilarious, THE COVER UP by Marnie Riches is a very enjoyable novel and my first from this author. While technically a follow-up to Born Bad, this story can be read as a standalone with no problems whatsoever. Sheila O'Brien's husband is dead and it is her turn to shine and take control of her underworld interests, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to broaden her horizons in the form of blue collar crime. But there are those who want to see Sheila fall and with outsiders making their wants known, it isn't long before a war for power ensues. With many colourful characters, there really is something for everyone in this rough and ready tale of power, gangs, and the murky underworld of Manchester city. Naturally, in a story like this, there is plenty of violence, secrets, and lies, but I didn't expect the humour which was a pleasant surprise. The story is told from different characters points of view and it is very well-paced, never getting too slow or drawn out. All in all, I very much enjoyed THE COVER UP by Marnie Riches and it will certainly not be the last book I read by this author. Author Bio: Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in Manchester. She learned her way out of the ghetto, all the way to Cambridge University, where she gained a Masters degree in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist, a property developer and professional fundraiser. Previously a children's author, now, she writes crime and contemporary women's fiction. Marnie Riches is the author of The Girl Who Wouldn't Die - the first installment of the George McKenzie crime thriller series, published by Maze and Avon at Harper Collins. In her spare time, Marnie likes to run (more of a long distance shuffle, really) travel, drink and eat all the things (especially if combined with travel) paint portraits, sniff expensive leather shoes (what woman doesn't?) and renovate old houses. She also adores flowers. For more information: Website - marnieriches.com Twitter - twitter.com/Marnie_Riches Facebook - www.facebook.com/Marnie-Riches-author-196117983745658/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/marnie_riches/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 11th January 2018
Book length - 432 pages Publisher - Avon Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sabah from Avon Books UK for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I also want to thank S.D. Robertson for providing an excellent guest post which you can read further on. ABOUT THE BOOK They’ll always have each other…won’t they? Lisa and Elliot have been best friends ever since the day they met as children. Popular, bright and sporty, Lisa was Elliot’s biggest supporter when the school bullies made his life a misery, and for that, he will always be grateful. Twenty years later, life has pulled the pair apart and Lisa is struggling. Her marriage is floundering, her teenage kids are being secretive, and she’s so tired she can’t think straight. So when Elliot knocks on the door, looking much better than she remembers, she can’t help but be delighted to see her old friend again. With Elliot back in their lives, Lisa’s family problems begin to improve – he’s like the fairy godmother she never had. As their bond deepens, she realises how much she’s missed him, and prays that this is one friendship that will last a lifetime. But sometimes, life has other ideas… A heartwarming story perfect for fans of Keith Stewart and Jojo Moyes, that will leave you with a tear in your eye but hope in your heart. MY REVIEW So the award for the first book in 2018 to make me cry goes to STAND BY ME by S.D. Robertson. What a beautifully written, heartwarming and emotional story about the importance of friendship and family. When Lisa moved house as a child all those years ago she never realised that it would bring such a special friendship with it. But it did and as she grew up, Elliot played such a huge part in her life, and her in his. Now twenty years later, Lisa may not have seen much of Elliot since he moved halfway around the world years ago, but she has never forgotten her best friend. Especially now when her life seems to be falling apart at the seams. Her marriage is floundering ever since the incident, and her kids have become more serious and seem to be hiding something. Lisa could do with Elliot's advice. And just like that, he appears on her doorstep for he will always be there for the best friend who saved him so many times during their childhood. With Elliot's arrival comes fresh hope as he slots perfectly into their lives and seems to know exactly what to do and say to make things easier. But Elliot cannot stay forever ... can he? This amazing story completely sucked me in from the very first page and didn't let me up for air until the very end. Be prepared to laugh, smile, and sob, as you fall in love with these characters. The story moves from past to present so that we can see the depth of Lisa and Elliot's friendship which really conveys to the reader just how beautiful and caring their love for each other is. Lisa's life is stressful and as Elliot does his best to bring her fragmented family back together you cannot help but wonder what will happen if Elliot must leave. STAND BY ME by S.D. Robertson is a superb tale of love, loss, and the value of real friends who will do anything for those they love. An outstanding novel that deserves to be read far and wide. I'm a forever fan of S.D. Robertson after finishing this novel. Author Bio: Former journalist S.D. Robertson quit his role as a local newspaper editor to pursue a lifelong ambition of becoming a novelist. An English graduate from the University of Manchester, he’s also worked as a holiday rep, door-to-door salesman, train cleaner, kitchen porter and mobile phone network engineer. Over the years Stuart has spent time in France, Holland and Australia, but home these days is back in the UK. He lives in a village near Manchester with his wife and daughter. There’s also his cat, Bernard, who likes to distract him from writing – usually by breaking things. For more information: Website - www.sdrobertsonauthor.com/p/home_28.html Twitter - twitter.com/SDRauthor Facebook - www.facebook.com/sdrobertsonauthor/] READ ON FOR A FASCINATING GUEST POST ABOUT MAKING CHARACTERS COME ALIVE ... How to Breathe Life into Your Characters by S.D. Robertson A novel’s two most important ingredients, in my opinion, are plot and characters. As a reader, the books that usually get my attention are the ones that give equal weight to both of these things. I always find that a tight, gripping plot is made infinitely better when enacted by a set of strong, believable characters. I need to care about what happens to these people. I need to feel something every time they appear; the stronger that emotion, the better. It could be love, hate, fear or sympathy: whatever it takes to warrant investing time in their story. So that’s me with my reading hat on. As an author, I try to approach my own novels in the same way. What would I think of this if I was the person reading it? That’s what I ask myself over and over again as I’m working on a book, both at writing and editing stages. In terms of my characters, I always try to imagine them as real people. I like to have a mental picture of them in my mind right from when they first appear in the narrative, and I build on this as the plot develops. That way, when they need to make a decision or react to something that’s happened, it’s far easier to imagine what they – rather than I – would do. I find it really helpful to write out character profiles, which I add to as I go along. These include all sorts of little details: appearance, backstory, temperament, manner of speaking, interests etc. The way they talk to one another is also crucial. As in real life, when different people speak in different ways, it helps if your characters can do the same. One person might use very short sentences and get straight to the point, for example; another may be fond of descriptive words or more complex phrases, having a tendency to waffle. There could even be a social chameleon that alters their manner of speech to suit different audiences. Perhaps one character has an accent of some sort. However, I’d advise caution before attempting to reproduce a specific dialect in too much detail on the page. This can be tricky to pull off in a successful and consistent way. It risks being an unnecessary distraction that is annoying or confusing to read. The repeated use of a mannerism, which could be anything from a certain way of speaking to a gesture, may prove a better way of making one character stand out from another. Choosing figures with a varied range of ages, personalities and social backgrounds will also help. Whatever you choose to do in terms of dialogue, be sure to read out loud what you’ve written in order to check that it sounds authentic. And remember that apart from those whose perspectives you write through, the things that your characters say and do are the key windows that we have into their souls. So as a novelist, you really need to make them count. MY THANKS AGAIN TO S.D. ROBERTSON AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 17th August 2017
Book length - 473 pages Publisher - Allen & Unwin Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from www.rachelsrandomresources.com for the opportunity to kick off this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK Helen Cooper has a charmed life. She's beautiful, accomplished, organised - the star parent at the school. Until she disappears. But Helen wasn't abducted or murdered. She's chosen to walk away, abandoning her family, husband Sam, and her home. Where has Helen gone, and why? What has driven her from her seemingly perfect life? What is she looking for? Sam is tormented by these questions, and gradually begins to lose his grip on work and his family life. He sees Helen everywhere in the faces of strangers. He's losing control. But then one day, it really is Helen's face he sees... MY REVIEW WHAT SHE LEFT by Rosie Fiore is a gripping and completely consuming story that raises the question, can you ever truly know somebody? Brimming with drama, this story really focuses on the characters with each character telling the story as they see it, and I really enjoyed getting to know Helen, Sam, Lara, and the children, inside and out. I presumed from the description that this may be some sort of twisted story with some sort of crime angle, but nothing prepared me for this wonderfully in-depth, character-driven plot of life, lies, and finding the strength to do what needs to be done to survive. My opinion of characters constantly changed as the story developed and my heart broke for the children that had already lost so much in their short lives. I had originally planned to read just a few pages before bed but immediately I was ensnared with what was happening and I devoured it in one go. WHAT SHE LEFT by Rosie Fiore is a brilliant story that will really get under your skin and make you realise that looks can be deceptive, and I think it would portray perfectly on our tv screens. An excellent story with excellent characters and perfectly paced, WHAT SHE LEFT by Rosie Fiore is a winner for me. Author Bio: Rosie Fiore was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She studied drama at the University of the Witwatersrand and has worked as a writer for theatre, television, magazines, advertising, comedy and the corporate market. She has lived in London for the past ten years. Her first two novels, This Year's Black and Lame Angel were published by Struik in South Africa. This Year's Black was longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Award. For more information: Website - www.rosiefiore.com Twitter - twitter.com/rosiefiore Facebook - www.facebook.com/rosiefiorewriter/ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 1st January 2018
Book length - 400 pages Publisher - Head of Zeus Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Melanie from Head of Zeus Books for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, for the extract, and for providing me with a copy of this book for review via Netgalley.com. ABOUT THE BOOK You can escape a place. But you can't escape yourself. Hanna flees the scene of a terrible crime in her native Sligo. If she can just vanish, re-invent herself under a new name, perhaps the police won't catch up with her. London seems the perfect place to disappear. Lara has always loved Matthew and imagined happy married life in Dublin. Then comes the bombshell – Matthew says he wants to join the priesthood. Humiliated and broken-hearted, Lara heads to the most godless place she can find, King's Road, Chelsea. Matthew's twin sister, Noreen, could not be more different from her brother. She does love fiance John, but she also craves sex, parties and fun. Swinging London has it all, but without John, Noreen is about to get way out of her depth. All three girls find themselves working for Bobby Chevron – one of London's most feared gangland bosses – and it's not long before their new lives start to unravel. MY REVIEW THAT GIRL by Kate Kerrigan is a very special book that centres around three girls who have all escaped Ireland in the 60's for different reasons (some more horrific than others) and headed for the bright lights and anonymity of London. As they try to discover who they are away from their families, their past, and their religion, Hanna, Lara, and Noreen find themselves together sharing a flat and mixing among the powerful and the criminal. But as things slowly begin to fall into place for the women they will all realise that you cannot simply walk away from who you were before as the past always seems to find a way to catch up to you. The three main characters are superbly detailed in this novel and I really felt as though I knew them. While I loved Lara's passion for fashion and making her own way and Noreen's spunk and lack of fear, it was Hanna's character who really got under my skin as she regained a piece of herself every day, slowly but surely learning more about what she wanted from her future. Hanna is such a strong character in the face of adversity and for that reason, she was my favourite. The swinging sixties and fashionable London scene are wonderfully descriptive in this story and I lost myself easily among the pages. THAT GIRL by Kate Kerrigan made me smile, made me tear up, and made me think about the value of friendship and forging your own path regardless of what anyone else thinks or says. A truly fabulous novel! Author Bio: Kate Kerrigan is an author living and working in Ireland. Her novels are Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, The Miracle of Grace, Ellis Island, City of Hope, Land of Dreams and The Lost Garden. Kate began her career as an editor and journalist, editing many of Britain’s most successful young women’s magazines before returning to her native Ireland in the 1990’s to edit Irish Tatler. She writes a weekly column in the Irish Mail about her life in Killala, County Mayo – and contributes regularly to RTE's radio's Sunday Miscellany. Her novel, The Dress, published by Head of Zeus was shortlisted at the Irish Book Awards in 2015, and her new novel, It Was Only Ever You, was published in hardback edition, October 2016. For more information: Website - www.katekerrigan.org Twitter - twitter.com/katekerrigan Facebook - www.facebook.com/KateKerriganAuthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/katekerriganauthor/ READ ON FOR AN EXTRACT ... Chapter one HANNA Sligo, Ireland, 1961 It was her first visit to Dr Dorian Black’s surgery, and Hanna liked him straight away. She had only been living in Killa for a few weeks at the time. After her father died suddenly, two years before, her mother Margaret decided they needed a new start and rented a small cottage in Killa, a fishing village on the north-west coast of county Sligo. Margaret hoped proximity to the sea would help heal their ongoing grief. Indeed, Margaret’s spirits lifted as she began a new life among people who knew little or nothing about her, fitting easily into the friendly new parish. Hanna, just thirteen, had settled well into the local convent school. Their home was at the end of the pier, and Hanna developed an appetite for the fresh, salty air, spending hours sitting on the front wall reading and watching the sea. However, this time spent in the chilly air had also resulted in a nasty cough. Margaret, overly protective of her only child, had brought her straight up to the local surgery where she had been greeted by this kind, handsome Dr Black. ‘Now, we’re going to have to take a little look in your mouth, Hanna. Can you open wide for me?’ Hanna opened her mouth widely and he peered in. He smelt of soap and she felt strangely pleased to be in the company of a nice man, even if he was only their doctor. Most of the men they knew from home were farmers, rough and ready, smelling of manure or beer. This man was clean and gentle, like her father. She missed him. It had been two years now and Hanna had started to find it hard to call his face to mind. ‘Now, that doesn’t look too bad.’ Dorian leaned back and took his stethoscope from around his neck. Hanna smiled at him. His accent was refined, barely detectable as Irish. She reminded him of a Jane Austen hero, handsome and dapper like Darcy, but friendly and open too, like Bingley. ‘Well, young lady,’ he said, ‘I think you’ll live.’ Hanna laughed. Then he turned his attention to Margaret. ‘But, I am writing you a prescription for some antibiotics to clear this nasty cough.’ ‘Thank you, Doctor,’ Margaret said. ‘Please,’ he said, smiling, ‘call me Dorian.’ ‘Thank you, Dorian.’ Hanna noticed her mother blushing. Margaret was taken with him and, for a moment, Hanna felt pricked with possessive irritation. She reminded herself that her father was dead and it was nice, after all, to see her mother smiling. As they were leaving, Dorian signalled Margaret to stay back for a private word. For a split second she had a dreadful feeling that there was something wrong with Hanna. After losing Liam, she knew she had become unnaturally attached to her daughter. There was just the two of them now. She couldn’t face it if Hanna were sick. ‘I was wondering,’ Dr Black said, his eyes downcast in shyness, ‘if you would do me the honour of allowing me to take you and Hanna out to dinner this evening.’ * Over the coming weeks, Dorian courted Margaret. It was like a dream. This charming, erudite man had come into their lives after all the pain, hurt and shock of the last two years. She could hardly believe her luck in finding love again and, although she was as head over heels as a schoolgirl, it was Dorian’s kindness towards Hanna that truly won Margaret’s heart. Most men would have baulked at taking on another man’s daughter, but every time they went out for a drive, to a nice hotel for dinner or to a movie theatre, he always made sure to invite Hanna. Even when they went to Dublin for a weekend, Dorian insisted she and Hanna shared their own room in the Shelbourne rather than have Hanna enduring the upset of her mother being with another man. That, he said, was the reason for his marriage proposal just two months after their initial meeting. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 8th December 2017
Book length - 180 pages Publisher - Harper Impulse Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Rachel from www.rachelsrandomresources.com for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour. Now here is everything you need to know about the book ... ABOUT THE BOOK Is his reluctant bride a business risk or a personal necessity? Stan Rogers, recluse millionaire, must negotiate a risky deal with Stella Ryan, the exotic beauty from his past, to gain custody of his son. But how can he close the deal with her, the one and only woman who flips his switches and pegs him as the enemy? Martial artist Stella knows she should steer clear of Stan, the man who had shattered her heart and could still destroy her. Four years have passed since their hostile business deal, and now, the American financier is proposing holy matrimony…but is the reluctant bride wondering, what’s he up to? Author Bio: Sun Chara, an Amazon top 100 bestseller, writes sexy, hip ‘n fun contemporary romance for Harper Impulse. JABBIC winner, Manhattan Millionaire’s Cinderella launched her writing career, spinning the ‘global millionaire’s series’. She makes her home in southern California, and has appeared on stage/film to rave reviews in How the Other Half Loves, General Hospital, and McGee and Me. With a Master’s Degree in Education, and membership in SAG/AFTRA and Romance Writers of America, she enjoys sipping designer Frappuccinos topped with whipped cream/sprinkles, and dancing on the beach…making everyday a celebration! For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/sunchara3 Facebook - www.facebook.com/suncharaauthorpage DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! Release date - 11th January 2018
Book length - 440 pages Publisher - Penguin Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sam from Penguin Random House UK for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THE BOOK The new diary from one of literature's most beloved octogenarians. On The Bright Side picks up where The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groenleft off, at the care home of the anarchic Old-But-Not-Dead Club where Hendrik and his friends are determined to enjoy their autumn years full of optimism. Written with his characteristic charm and humour Hendrik proves, yet again, that age is simply a number. MY REVIEW Hendrik Groen and his club are back with a bang in ON THE BRIGHT SIDE and boy did I miss them. Determined to live out their years to the fullest in their care home, Hendrik and his friends will obey the rules if it means grabbing a hold of life one more time because who knows when the bell will toll for anyone? But when rumours begin to surface that the home may be getting demolished it is up to Hendrik and the Old-But-Not-Dead Club to step in and try and fix it because they have no intention of giving up without a fight. Hilarious, poignant, and beautifully written, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE has expertly taken me back into Hendrik's world and made me fall in love with the old coot all over again. Dealing with many real-life issues throughout, Hendrik and his friends are honest but optimistic, and I love the fact that they will suck every last drop of adventure and happiness out of their lives, no matter what. In a modern world where elderly people are so often disregarded and ignored, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE highlights how much the older generation has to offer and how they should never be dismissed. A beautiful and emotional story that I hope will be read far and wide! Author Bio: The indomitable Hendrik Groen has become a cultural phenomenon. Now, he and his anonymous creator, whose identity is a fiercely kept secret, are conquering the globe. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!!! Release date - 28th December 2017
Book length - 384 pages Publisher - Avon Book Depository - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sabah from Avon Books UK for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of this book for review. I also want to thank the author James Nally for the excellent guest post which you can read further down this post. ABOUT THE BOOK Irish runaway. Insomniac. Functioning alcoholic. Life is about to get complicated for DC Donal Lynch. When a young woman is kidnapped, Donal is brought in to deliver the ransom money. But the tightly-planned drop off goes wrong, Julie Draper is discovered dead, and Donal finds his job on the line – a scapegoat for the officers in charge. But when Donal is delivered a cryptic message in the night, he learns that Julie was killed long before the botched rescue mission. As he digs further into the murder in a bid to clear his own name, dark revelations make one thing certain: the police are chasing the wrong man, and the killer has far more blood on his hands than they could even imagine. MY REVIEW GAMES WITH THE DEAD by James Nally is a compelling, engrossing, and completely entertaining crime fiction novel that will keep you gripped from beginning to end. Set back in the early 90's we are thrown into the life of DC Donal Lynch, an Irishman who is struggling both professionally and personally. Stuck in cold cases, Donal jumps at the opportunity to take part in the kidnapping case of Julie Draper, but when things don't go to plan, he becomes the easy scapegoat for his bosses. Privately, things are going downhill fast with his girlfriend Zoe, and he will do anything he can to save his family as he loves her little boy like he was his own. But like everything in life things can always get worse and Donal knows that Julie Draper is dead before anyone else because she comes to him in his dreams, just like the others ... I immediately connected with Donal as a character partly because he is Irish and I completely got all of the references that were aimed that way but mainly because here is a guy who works hard, loves his family, and wants to succeed, but because of his fear of death and the strange visions that plague him, doesn't know how to deal with everything crashing down around him. He is flawed, he makes mistakes, but he is so human and relatable that you cannot help but want him to succeed against all the odds. The drama in this story is gritty and layered, which I loved, and it was really entertaining to watch Donal and his allies try to piece together the very large and intricate puzzle. GAMES WITH THE DEAD by James Nally is the third instalment in this series but can easily be read as a standalone which is what I have done - although I have to say that I cannot wait to go back and read the other books as this series really is very good. A thoroughly engrossing detective story with a character that you will want more from. Author Bio: James Nally was a journalist for 15 years, before leaving to become a producer and director of TV and film. For more information: Twitter - twitter.com/jimnally READ ON FOR AN INTRIGUING GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR ABOUT WHETHER PSYCHIC DETECTIVES EXIST... PSYCHIC DETECTIVES – CAN THEY EVER BE REAL? In my trilogy of books, the main character, Detective Constable Donal Lynch suffers a psychic episode every time he gets close to a recently-murdered body. Pretty useful for a detective, you might think. Except Donal is a devout sceptic and desperate to find any kind of logical, scientific explanation for his ‘waking dreams’. In fact, what he’d really love to do is banish them for good. Most of us, I suspect, would react in a similar fashion. After all, psychics are cranks, right? We’ve all read about those high-profile ‘missing persons’ cases – Maddie McCann, Joanna Yeates - where self-professed prophets provided misguided information that merely derailed police efforts and offered false hope to a desperate family. Then a psychic cropped up who challenged my convictions. His name is Dennis McKenzie and he lives near Cambridge in the English west midlands. And it was close to home where he most famously used his psychic skills for good. Who can forget the August of 2002 when ten-year-old friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing from their small village of Soham in Cambridgeshire? As police and volunteer teams searched frantically for the missing girls, Holly’s family called in Dennis. “I am really sorry, but both girls are dead,’ are the words Dennis will never forget having to utter to those families. Dennis instantly knew something ‘terrible’ had happened to the girls. In the days before their bodies were found, he described to police their killer Ian Huntley, his girlfriend Maxine Carr, the view from Huntley’s house, the red Ford Fiesta he transported the bodies in and the site where the bodies were dumped, including a nearby grain silo. Part of me sought desperately for an explanation for all this; it is an affront to common sense and logic, after all. But Holly’s dad later went public to describe Dennis as ‘the genuine article’. There’s no doubting he’s a genuinely good man. I later discovered that Dennis still charges a modest £40 fee for a reading, and does all his criminal investigation work for free. ‘I’m aware it’s a gift, but it’s not a gift for me,’ he says, revealing that he once turned down £10,000 to conduct a reading. ‘I feel very strongly that if I did exploit this gift for profit, I’d lose it.’ Like my hero Donal, Dennis McKenzie is tormented by spirits, struggles to sleep and sometimes worries that he’s mentally ill. But he now has a track record for discovering dead bodies. Take Blake Hartley, a Sandhurt cadet aged 24 who disappeared in 2004 while training in the French Alps. Dennis travelled to Chamonix and picked up that Blake had fallen into a river after hitting his head on a rock late at night. Soon after, a human thigh bone was found on the bank and DNA revealed it to be Blake’s. He worked on Mary Kelly’s case for free as she desperately tried to discover the fate of her missing 17-year-old son Richard in Limerick, Ireland. Holding Richard’s house key, Dennis kept coming up with two words: ’Bridget’ and ‘dyke’, and predicted that the body had been weighed down. Soon after Dennis’ visit, fishermen found Richard’s remains in Lough Brigid, near Bodyke in County Clare. Two concrete slabs had been tied to his legs. There are numerous other examples of Dennis’ psychic abilities which, frankly, make me feel very close-minded and cynical. As one of my main characters in Games with the Dead observes, why are we so threatened by the inexplicable? Why do so many of us refuse to believe that such abilities may exist? After all, there is so much in the human psyche and the universe we don’t understand. If my flawed-but-lovable hero Donal Lynch won’t convince you, perhaps Dennis McKenzie will. As he so succinctly puts it: ‘If I’m bonkers, why do I keep getting it right?’ DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE OTHER STOPS ALONG THE WAY!! |
WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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