Month March 2022

Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean @carolmaclean @rararesources #HeraBooks #historicalfiction #familysaga #bookreview

yvonnembee 1 Comment

I am delighted to share my review today for Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean. This is a fabulous historical fiction story that I really enjoyed.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of the book via the publisher Hera Books.

War changed her country, but it couldn’t change her spirit


Glasgow, 1939
Despite being shy and reserved, Jeannie Dougal finds herself newly engaged to handsome soldier, Arthur Dunn, the day war is announced. Jeannie accepts, even if she is unsure if a girl from the tenements will fit in with Arthur’s comfortable, middle-class background. But as WW2 takes its toll on the world, her wedding must wait…


As she sets off to work at a munitions factory she meets Eileen, Janet and Annie. As her new friends bond together in war work, sharing their stories of romance, Jeannie is grateful to be settled with Arthur, even if he is set in his ways.


Until she meets a charming Canadian soldier, Bill, and realises she has found a spark she was always missing. But how can Jeannie tell Arthur? And is she strong enough to fight her own battle, with the country already at war…?


An emotional and romantic family saga set in WW2 Scotland and the start of a captivating new series. Fans of Call the Midwife and Katie Flynn won’t be able to put this down.

Purchase Links – Amazon – Kobo

MY REVIEW

This is a fabulous book and one that I just couldn’t put down. Starting in Glasgow 1939 rumours of war and the memories of the previous one are on everyone’s mind. More so for those living on Kiltie Street where this story is set.

The author has focused her story on one main family, the Dougal’s. Jeannie is a shy girl and has caught the eye of Arthur Dunn. He is also reserved and so it seems like the two will make a good match. When war is declared many men are due to join up and be sent for training. It is a time fraught with worry and so plans are made for the future. Jeannie and Arthur get engaged like many at the time.

The author weaves such a wonderfully compelling story. Kiltie Street is like many areas and war brings people closer and communities support each other. When bombs start to fall this becomes even more apparent. It is something that affects everyone and all try to do their part.

Although the focus is more on Jeannie, it is also about the rest of the family and also friends. The author has created such a heartwarming story but also has got the balance of fear for those who are at home waiting for news of their loved ones. The ever-present danger of the bombing is something that I feel the author has captured well. Mentioning the areas around Glasgow, factories such as Singer, and also how the River Clyde was used on moonlit nights as a marker.

I thought the pacing of the book was great, although it does move through the war years quite quickly it didn’t feel rushed. It mentions so many things that people have to endure during troubled times and how the family work together and support each other. The younger children evacuated, the older ones doing their bit for the war effort, whether it be enlisting or working in factories. Things such as rationing, food, clothing, Anderson shelters and so much more.

There is also the romance side to the story and this one isn’t straightforward and it also involves various couples, after all this is a community and friendships are formed.

A fabulous story that I happily read over one evening. Ideal for readers who like historical fiction, family sagas during WWII and it is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carol MacLean lives in the Glasgow area. She began by writing pocket novels, having 18 published before deciding to write a historical saga. She enjoys weaving social history into fiction and imagining how life must have been for ordinary people living through different times.
When she’s not writing, Carol can be found visiting museums or walking around the city looking for traces of old Glasgow to inspire her next novel.
Carol is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

She has written 18 pocket novels published by DC Thomson and Linford Romance Series (Ulverscroft).


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Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson @PenguinRandom #NetGalley #mystery #contemporaryfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee 7 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson. It is a fabulous literary pairing and a cracking read. I also treated myself to the CD that goes with the book, after all the lyrics are mentioned throughout the book! The CD is a mix of a modern country sound as well as a more classic country, ballads and some nice bluesy numbers.

My thanks to Penguin for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller – a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.

Every song tells a story.

She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.

She’s also on the run. Find a future, lose a past.

Nashville is where she’s come to claim her destiny. It’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her. And destroy her.

Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire – a story that only America’s #1 beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.

MY REVIEW

I had high hopes for this book when I first saw it, I mean Dolly Parton and James Patterson teaming up to write a book sounds amazing. Both are amazing writers in their own fields and they both have had amazing success over the years.

Run Rose Run is a wonderful story about a young singer, AnnieLee Keyes. She hitches her way to a run-down bar and asks if she can sing on their small stage. A random bloke happens to be there and has a slot after AnnieLee. A chance meeting or fate, either way, is the start of something for them both.

So, who is Rose, and why is she running? That is something that you will soon discover for yourself.

The authors have mixed the goings-on of Nashville and Country music with a fabulously tense mystery. I really enjoyed the way that the older legends of country music get a mention and how the industry is explored in this novel. Yeah, there is the glamour, glitz and rhinestones. There is also the damp bars, the hitch-hiking, and being one of the thousands hoping to see their name in lights. The balance between the up and coming singer against an established legend was great.

Around the music is an underlying mystery, this starts in quite a subtle way. If you are like me and don’t tend to read the synopsis for books, then the obvious title kind of hints at things. Quite how we get there though is an addictive and compelling story.

As this is Dolly, there are snippets of songs and these can be found in full at the end of the book. There is also an album that she has recorded with the same songs on, and the title is the same as the book.

This story was all I had hoped it would be. It is a mix of contemporary fiction, a journey of discovery and a mystery. If you are a fan of all things Dolly then I do think you are going to love this. It was a cracking read with some wonderful heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. At times dark and it is one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Bad Penny by Michele Gorman @MicheleGormanUK @rararesources #romance #rom-com #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for Bad Panny by Michele Gorman. This was a wonderful romance, rom-com to disappear into and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

My huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fabulous book.

Penny’s life is one big, fat secret… and everyone is about to find out

Penny isn’t the girl she used to be, or the woman everyone thinks she is now. At 19, she bolted for London and never looked back. Nobody there knows who she was – not her care home colleagues, her boss, her clients or even her best friend and flat-mate. Auntie Mags is her only connection to her past, and she’s keeping schtum.

Oli can’t believe his luck. Not only is he about to fulfil his dream of really making a difference (assuming he wins his seat in the upcoming general election), now he’s met the perfect woman. Within a few dates he’s sure he wants to spend the rest of his life with Penny, and it’s all he can do not to shout it from the rooftops.

But Penny has hidden her secret by not shouting from any rooftops. In fact, the quieter, the better. So when Oli’s campaign swings into gear and the reporters start circling, it’s not only her future that’s about to come crashing down.

How can she find a happy ending with Oli when her past will definitely ruin his future, yet living with the lie will ruin their future together?

Then Penny’s past gets out of prison, and he’s about to turn up like a… bad penny.

Purchase Links Amazon UK or US

MY REVIEW

If you are after a romance with some humour, mismatched characters and secrets then you really should consider picking up Bad Penny. The title is rather intriguing as the impression you get of Penny is far from bad, so what is going on here!

What a great job the author has done with Penny, she is just a lovely character and one that seems to go out of her way to help people, especially those she cares for. Penny lives with her total opposite, Fi. Where Penny is happy in dungarees and flats, Fi wouldn’t be seen dead in them – well unless they had a designer label on them. Even though this pair are very different they are also the best of friends.

It is Fi that pushes Penny out of her comfort zone and into a dress, heels and make-up for a fundraiser that she has been invited to. There is a candidate for election there, Oli, he runs a charity shelter for dogs and isn’t quite sure how or why he was chosen to run for election. The chance to help those in need though should benefit from the additional publicity.

The characters of Penny and Oli are pushed together by well-meaning friends, and while there are sparks, neither thinks they are worthy. Why these two are so down on themselves is gradually told in their back stories. Parents are not the go-to people for either of them, instead, it is friends and other family members that are sought for solace and advice. These also make for some more brilliant characters that you will get to meet.

The author has created such a wonderful story around the two main characters, and also their families. It does make for some heartwarming and also sad moments. These are balanced brilliantly with some great shenanigans, one-liners and mishaps. The author has brought together many different traits to her characters and blended them so well within one another that there is a natural flow and banter between them.

A story where the rich rub shoulders with the working class and with no obvious stereotypes. I really enjoyed this story and if you are a fan of family dynamics, romance, heartwarming and also fun reads then this is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michele writes comedies packed with lots of heart, best friends and girl power. She is both a Sunday Times and a USA Today bestselling author, raised in the US and living in London.
Michele also writes cozy comedies under the pen-name Lilly Bartlett. Lilly’s books are full of warmth, quirky characters and guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

Social Media Links – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Vanished Collection by Pauline Baer de Perignon translated by Natasha Lehrer @jadedgwill @HoZ_Books #nonfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for The Vanished Collection by Pauline Baer de Perignon translated by Natasha Lehrer. This is a fabulous non-fiction book about Pauline’s search for her family’s art collection.

Massive thanks to Jade at Head of Zeus publishers for my hardback copy of this book. I answered a social media call for readers interested in non-fiction books.

It all started with a list of paintings. There, scribbled by a cousin she hadn’t seen for years, were the names of the masters whose works once belonged to her great-grandfather, Jules Strauss: Renoir, Monet, Degas, Tiepolo and more. Pauline Baer de Perignon knew little to nothing about Strauss, or about his vanished, precious art collection. But the list drove her on a frenzied trail of research in the archives of the Louvre and the Dresden museums, through Gestapo records, and to consult with Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano. What happened in 1942? And what became of the collection after Nazis seized her great-grandparents’ elegant Parisian apartment? The quest takes Pauline Baer de Perignon from the Occupation of France to the present day as she breaks the silence around the wrenching experiences her family never fully transmitted, and asks what art itself is capable of conveying over time.

MY REVIEW

This is a wonderful and a captivating book about a lost, or I should say, a Vanished Collection of artwork. The author, Pauline Baer de Perignon has written such an absorbing account of her research into her family and a missing art collection.

The collection belonged to Jules Strauss, a well-known collect0r of famous painters, artists and furniture collections. During her research that was initiated by her cousin, she discovers that there are paintings that were lost and have yet to be returned.

The paintings were taken during World War II. There were a lot of German collectors, Hitler himself was one and there were no qualms at the time as to how certain masterpieces ended up in the wrong hands. Trying to discover the provenance of stolen and looted paintings is the only way of returning them to their rightful owners. This is a difficult and long process, and not guaranteed.

The author of this book has written a story of her family’s history as she tracks down information about lost artefacts. It brings several things to light and also makes you realise how things have changed over the years. Documents are lost, destroyed or still need to be catalogued.

This is such an absorbing book to read, it is a fabulous journey into a family’s history and through to its present. This is one for those who like their history and also mysteries as it does become the author’s challenge to piece together all the information she discovered.

After finishing this book I immediately went to the internet to search for the paintings mentioned and also for Jules Strauss himself. This was great as I was able to see the artwork. A brilliant book and one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

My Week In Books (20th March 2022) #booklove #bookupdates #MeAndMyBooks

yvonnembee 5 Comments

Hello and welcome to another weekly bookish update. Just a quick update this week of what I have read. It has been great to get out in the garden and get cracked on with the weeding.

Thursday and Friday were gorgeous outside, it felt like spring had sprung… I even got a bit of colour from the sun. Saturday though… spring sprung back…brrr least said about that bitterly cold wind the better!

Buster wasn’t sure if he wanted to be in or out…🤦‍♀️

And he didn’t want me shutting the door either! 🥶

While Billy is just Billy with his Elvis grinning chops… he always pulls this side of his lip up when he smiles 😂

Jeannie’s War by Carol MacLean. Historical fiction set in Glasgow that I adored. Review later this week.

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. Crime mystery which was very addictive. Full review next week.

The Haven by Amanda Jennings. Addictive, psychological thriller. Loved this one. Full review next week.

Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie. Brilliant historical fiction that I wish I had read sooner. Full review next week.

A nice reading week again.

Wishing you all a great week ahead

Yvonne xx

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share woul d be amazing 🙂 xx

Life’s A Catastrophe by Kirstie Pelling @EmblaBooks #NetGalley #romcom #contemporaryfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Life’s a Catastrophe by Kirstie Pelling. This was a humorous rom-com that I really enjoyed.

My huge thanks to Embla Books for my e-copy that I read via NetGalley.

What if thinking like your cat could solve your problems?

Aly Meadows is a self-proclaimed ‘catfluencer’ using her two beloved pets to earn thousands of likes on Instagram. But behind the lens, Aly is broke, facing eviction and living a life that’s a million miles away from the glamourous world of social media stardom.

Rick Harvard, the CEO of talent agency Glimmer, has the power to change her life, but only if Aly agrees to dive in at the deep end. Can Aly come out of her shell and channel the confidence of her insta-famous cats? And if so, will she finally find the love and laughter she deserves?

MY REVIEW

Life’s a Catastrophe is an entertaining and fun read, but does have a more serious side to it. Aly Meadows is an influencer, her fans are in awe of her cat Instagram site ‘Alycat’. Aly is a ‘catfluencer’ and uses her spare as a carer to build her influence and her followers. This has led to her being offered a real game-changer as she has been head-hunted.

While this is a fun and really entertaining read, there are also some serious sides to this story. A disjointed and not warm home life growing up and living in a flat full of boxes isn’t a situation anyone wants to be in. But for Aly though, it is all hers – for the time being!

It really loved the humour of this story and Aly is a bit of a clutz, a walking catastrophe really does sum her up. She manages to get herself into some random predicaments, and with not altogether negative effects. It does make for some chuckling moments throughout the story.

I am going to admit to being more of a dog person than a cat person, but the author has done such a wonderful job with the feline characteristics and traits with the cats. Also, some really interesting things that I never knew about the care of a hairless Sphynx cat.

\You don’t have to go far on any of the social media sites to find vids and posts of pets and this is what appealed to me about this book when I first saw it. I really liked the balance of fun and seriousness and there is of course a romantic element to this book.

It is a slow-burner of a romance, but one that has Aly in a bit of a quandary. But it definitely does add a steamy extra to this story.

It is an entertaining read and one that I really enjoyed, ideal for lovers of fun and humorous as well as rom-coms and of course everything cat. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Fair Game by R.D. Nixon @TerriNixon @RandomTTours @HobeckBooks #crime #thriller #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for Fair Game by R.D. Nixon. This is the second book I have read in this Clifford & MacKenzie series. It’s nice to occasionally step away from police procedurals and read a book about an Investigating Agency.

My full review for the first book Crossfire can be found HERE

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this book from the publisher Hobeck Books.

It’s autumn in Abergarry.
The nights lengthen, the weather turns, and the atmosphere darkens as the community is rocked by a brutal roadside murder: a loan shark’s ‘bag man’, Craig Lumsden, is found bludgeoned to death in his car in the early hours of the morning.

The season for murder.
The case seems simple enough. and the fingers quickly point to the most obvious suspect. But things are rarely as simple as they seem…

A murder that’s too close to home.
Too close for comfort, and definitely too close for complacency for private investigators Maddie Clifford and Paul Mackenzie. Delving into the case brings at least one of them face-to-face with danger… Will life in Abergarry ever be the same again?

MY REVIEW

This is the second book in the Maddie Clifford and Paul Mackenzie series, I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous book, Crossfire. While Maddie and Paul are part of an investigation agency, they are also caught up in something closer to home. A 25-year-old prank with fatal consequences starts this story off. It then gets dangerous and lives are on the line as the author turns up the tension.

This is a story that I really enjoyed, but I did need my wits about me for the many characters in this one. I did occasionally forget who was who, and thankfully I could remember the name Paul MacKenzie as he is referred to in both his first name and surname.

The other thing that kept me on my toes with this story was the complexity of the plot, it was one I could follow while I was reading it, but given the larger cast, it would be very confusing trying to summarise it. This is not a bad thing as it meant for me I had to concentrate more and therefore found myself more immersed in the story.

The storyline is mainly present day, it involves close friends, relatives, family and acquaintances. Thinking back on the story I do believe pretty much everyone has a part to play and I there is one or two characters that I really did have a soft spot for. Not main characters as such, but very definitely important to the story.

You will have to forgive my vagueness for this review, I did mention that it was complex but at the same time I don’t want to give anything away.

The author has created a wonderfully tense story, it is full of danger, apprehension, doubt, mistrust and it takes time for the whole truth to come out. The storyline itself is slow to completely reveal itself, but the pacing increases as I got further and further into it.

The ending was interesting, it did answer the questions and also raised eyebrows. I really enjoyed this one, as I write this review I can see this one being very good if it was made into a TV mini-series. I do think that there are many details that would transfer so well. This is an atmospheric crime thriller, tense, dark, devious and one that I would happily recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R.D. (Terri) Nixon is a prolific writer, with thirteen books under her belt now. In
addition to this crime series, she also writes historical fiction, family sagas and
mythical fiction. When she’s not writing, Terri works in the Faculty of Arts,
Humanities, and Business at Plymouth University, where she is constantly
baffled by the number of students who don’t possess pens.

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Many thanks for reading my review, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Finding Love in Positano by Lucy Coleman @LucyColemanauth @emblabooks #netgalley #romance #contemporaryfiction #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Finding Love in Positano by Lucy Coleman. I am a fan of this author’s writing and her latest book (published yesterday) is another fabulous addition.

My thanks to the publisher, Embla for my e-copy of the book via NetGalley.

Marci James is in love with her job. She’s not had a holiday in five years, but now she’s escaping to the Italian coast after agreeing to pack up her godfather, Richard’s antiques shop.

When Marci arrives it’s apparent that the task is far more daunting than she imagined, and it isn’t long before Nico, her gorgeous local guide, offers to step up and lend a hand. As the two enjoy the Positano summer, and all that the Italian Riviera has to offer, Marci finally lets herself relax and the sparks between the pair soon begin to fly.

But Richard hasn’t just left his possessions behind, he left a secret, one that Marci unwittingly stumbles across it. Will it break her heart after the happiest summer of her entire life?

MY REVIEW

If you are looking for a literary escape to warmer climates then look no further than Finding Love in Positano. A gorgeous-sounding coastal town on the Italian coast.

Marci James goes there to help sort through her godfather’s collection of art, antiques and personal belongings while he is on his honeymoon. The marriage was unexpected and seemingly out of character, but as Marci is the closest family member to him, and she is also the only single person, well it seems to be the most obvious solution. She already works in the family antique business with her brother, her mum is a silent partner.

So off she sets, she has been to Italy before for holidays, so she sort of knows what to expect. What she didn’t bank of though was the scale of the task in front of her or Nico!

Once again the author has captured an amazing sounding place and transformed it on the pages of her latest book. The mix of family and how they work together is great, in the UK the family comes across as a bit more stand-offish, more reserved if you like. While the Italian family of Nico is loud, inclusive, extended and welcoming, and there are many of them. No wonder Marci feels a bit shell shocked when she first arrives.

Family is an important theme in this story, a sense of pride and doing what is best for everyone is something that a couple of the characters have to deal with. Should honour and commitment come before love? Discussing problems and working out alternatives is something that Marci seems more willing to do. But she also discovers some things from the past that only a select few people know. How they will react and what they will do is something that is tantalising for the reader. As is the romance side of the story.

The author always gets the romance balance right for me in her novels, not too steamy but gentle, wary and not always straightforward or predictable. This makes for a story that isn’t all about romance and comes across as more believable.

Another excellent read and one for those who like a holiday style romance, family secrets and an all-around gorgeous contemporary fiction story. It is one I would definitely recommend. 

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

Darker Days to Come by Tony Forder @TonyJForder @lilmissmorfett #crime #thriller #policeprocedural #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to be sharing my review for Darker Days to Come by Tony Forder. Tony is one of the authors who I will automatically read without reading a synopsis. His writing is fabulous and his Bliss series is superb.

My huge thanks to Tony and also Donna Morfett of Donna’s Interviews, Reviews and Giveaways for getting in touch for me to read and review his latest book and to join the Blog Tour. To be honest it was a no brainer to say that I would be on the tour. It is always going to be a “Yes”.

Darker Days to Come, by Tony J Forder, is the ninth full-length novel in his widely acclaimed UK crime series, based in Peterborough and featuring DI Jimmy Bliss. It will be published on 14 March 2022.

In this book, Tony veers back towards the more procedural elements of crime investigation, with the team working under enormous pressure – which only increases with every new piece of information they unearth.

DI Bliss and his team absorb two new cases which don’t initially present as major crimes.

But who is the man who stepped in front of an express train? Did he willingly commit suicide or was he coerced? And what, if any, connection is there to an abandoned vehicle whose owner cannot be traced?

As Bliss and his team dig deeper they soon realise there are three people now missing – a journalist, a mother, and her young daughter. But as the investigations continue, the team struggle with too many unanswered questions. What they do know is that lives are at risk, and the chances of finding all three still alive decrease with each passing hour… 

MY REVIEW

Having read and loved each book in this series, this one is dark. It delves into the most horrid of acts. This is the 9th book in the DI Bliss series and I would recommend reading these in order as the characters have changed so much since the first book. Also, they are each excellent books in their own right.

Let’s start with the basics of this latest book. There are two crimes, one an abandoned vehicle, the other a suicide. Neither warrant having Peterbortough’s Major Crime Unit investigating them, but both have thrown up extenuating circumstances that make the Detectives think otherwise. They have a limited time to make a case about the cases becoming part of their remit rather than being passed on to CID.

The team of Bliss, Chandler and the rest of the detectives are about to start two very complex cases. Neither one seems connected. Neither one is straightforward. Neither one is going to be an easy one to solve. And, no one on the team actually realises how the days ahead are going to become darker for them as they struggle and to discover the details of the cases.

This is such an aptly named title, in fact, all the books have very suitable titles and this one does hint at being a lot more serious than some. If you have been reading this series then you may have noticed that the crimes have been getting more severe, and to put it bluntly, more evil in nature. Credit to the author for continuing down this darker route and giving the details in an evidence-based way. By this I mean the basic facts and nothing more, and to be honest nothing more was needed.

This is also one of the more complex cases, and the author does complex in such a great way. The intriguing plots are teased and batted around and it gives a real sense of the investigators going through a more realistic procedural route. This is not a mystery, this is a thriller. The team do have a hierarchy and chain of command, but the main guys are the ones that don’t stand on ceremony, throw suggestions, discuss the merits for ideas and dismiss others. All work as a team as well as individually. This creates a great dynamic and gives a real sense of the team being close.

The answers are still piling up at the halfway point of the story, it isn’t until a little after that things start to slot into place. Now, this doesn’t mean that this is a slow start, in fact even though there doesn’t seem to be much progress there is a great pace to it. This obviously does speed up as more and more things finally start coming together. At no time did it feel rushed or that certain outcomes were expected.

I have, as I may have mentioned, really enjoyed this series. I thought the previous book was amazing, this one is just WOW!!! Hard-hitting, dangerous, time-sensitive, definitely dark and a superb read from start to finish. It is one I would absolutely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. The first seven books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of Shadows, The Death of Justice, Endless Silent Scream, and Slow Slicing, were joined in December 2020 by a prequel novella, Bliss Uncovered. The series continued with The Autumn Tree in May 2021.

Tony’s other early series – two action-adventure novels featuring Mike Lynch – comprises both Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun. These books were republished in April 2021, and will be joined in 2022 by The Dark Division.

In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, Fifteen Coffins.

The Huntsmen, released on 4 October 2022, was the first book in a new crime series, set in Wiltshire. It featured DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May.

Tony is in the process of moving to Sussex with his wife and is a full-time author. He is currently working on DI Bliss #10 and the second DS Chase novel.

Links
All of Tony’s links can be found on Linktree
Darker Days to Come: getbook

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

A Life For a Life by Carol Wyer @CarolEWyer @ZooloosBT @AmazonPub #crime #policeprocedural #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review on the opening day of the Blog Tour for A Life For a Life by Carol Wyer. This is the 3rd book in this series and it is another fabulous story involving Detective Kate Young.

My huge thanks to Zoe at Zooloo’s Book Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this excellent book.

Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.


When a young man is found lying on a station platform with a hole in his head, DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the grisly murder. But the killing is no one-off. As bodies start to pile up, she is faced with what might be an impossible task—to hunt down a ruthless killer on a seemingly random rampage.
Meanwhile, Kate has her own demons to battle as she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s death. And she is hell-bent on exposing corruption within the force and bringing Superintendent John Dickson to justice. But with the trail of deception running deeper—and closer to home—than she could ever have imagined, she no longer knows who she can trust.


With her grip on reality slipping, Kate realises that maybe she and the killer are not so different after all. But time is running out and Kate is low on options. Can she catch the killer before she loses everything?

Purchase Links – Amazon UK – US

MY REVIEW

This is the third book in this series and it is a cracking series. This latest book, A Life For a Life is such an aptly named title for the story.

detective Kate Young is a tough as boots detective, she has to be to have dealt with what has gone on in her past. She is still coming to terms with the death of her husband, and she still misses her father. While she is making progress and in touch with her remaining family, things are still challenging for her.

When a new case lands on her desk, she once again battles with one of her superiors. She is convinced he wants her to fail so appears to limit her and her small team. The case of a body discovered shot through the head isn’t a normal shooting. It is also the start of something that has the team really struggling to piece things together.

While working on this official case, she is also still working on her own personal one. This is a case that has been developing over the course of the series, it has the potential to blow things out into the open and careers could be ended. The problem is that she has very little in the way of evidence. She also finds that her own sounding board for advice has disappeared.

Working one main case is one thing, especially when you have a team working it with you. But when you add another case that you are essentially working yourself and undercover, it makes things difficult. Another problem Kate has is that she really doesn’t know who she can completely trust, her team seem ok but she has her doubts.

Knowing that certain people are waiting for her to fail and fall makes her more determined to do all she can. Working all the hours she can and concentrating all her energy on the shooting case leaves her run down. Her appearance adds fuel to fire that she isn’t able to cope with. All she needs is more pressure, but she does have a superb team to help her.

The author has created a storyline that really does pull on the heartstrings. It is a plot that has a real emotional side to it and it was easy to see how this had developed. Combining this with the unusual weapon of choice is an interesting angle. It is also one that makes sense as things are eventually laid out.

Some surprising twists, an excellently laid out police procedural with an underlying personal story and a one-sitting read for me. This is one where the bodies pile up, the questions keep coming and the pressure is constant. If you have not read any of the previous books in the series I would recommend doing so for the underlying story and also because they are really, really good. This is a book and a series I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer’s crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

February 2021 saw the release of the first in the much-anticipated new series, featuring DI Kate Young. An Eye For An Eye was chosen as a Kindle First Reads and became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia. 

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy. When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to http://www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter: @carolewyer

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