Category Books

The Fall by Louise Jensen @HQstories #crime #thriller #mystery #NetGalley #bookreview

yvonnembee Leave a comment

I am delighted to share my review today for The Fall by Louise Jensen. This is a wonderful crime, mystery and thriller read that I really enjoyed.

My huge thanks to HQ Stories for accepting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

She promised she wouldn’t tell. They made sure she couldn’t…

At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.

Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.

Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.

Because some secrets are worth killing for…

MY REVIEW

The synopsis does a fabulous job of hinting at what this book is about. A young girl falls from a bridge, but this is not the only fall that is going to be brought up as the story of the girl and her family and relations is gradually teased out.

I loved what the author mentioned at the end of this book, she wanted to take a normal family and try to tear them apart and see if they could fit back together again! Did she succeed, well I think she definitely did!

Tegan and Caily are the best of friends and cousins. Their parents are twin sisters Beth and Kate. They live close to each other and the grandparents own a farm. The sense of family and the ties that bond is extremely strong. The twin connection is as well as the closeness of the cousins. Using the cost of living crisis as a way to stretch the family to the limits was a great way of testing how strong her character could become in times of crisis and adversity. Adding into the mix, a fall leaving one in a coma, the stresses of investigations and just that general feeling of one thing after another piling up. I do think the author chose a great idea and how she ran with it, or should I say, allowed her characters to run with it, made for very nerve-wracking reading.

It is good to come across a good-length book, this one is 448 pages so it gave me the chance to get to know the characters in more depth. There is a danger that a longer format can be filled with a bit too much padding, but not so in this case. It felt on point all the way through. There are things that made me sit on the edge as I tried to work out all the kinks and twists, I never got close to sussing things out by the way.

The author has taken this family and just piled onto them one thing after another. It really does show their strength but also the cracks are mounting, tempers fray and words are said. Stress, debt, illness and crime are all excellent nerve-jangling dramas for any family to deal with, having them all for one family makes for great reading.

Seeing this strong family begin to wilt and waver was particularly sad, but there was more to come. The ending of the story was a shocker and slowly all the nitty gritty bits and pieces were finally slotted into place. It made for a very sad but right feeling to finish the book.

If you like a fictional story that tests a family to its limits then this is definitely one for you. It has crime, mystery, family secrets and a threat looming over at all times. It just goes to show that you never know what goes on behind closed doors, even when those doors are close family! A fabulous book and full of tension that I would happily recommend.

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

The Orphanage Girls Come Home by Mary Wood @Authormary @panmacmillan @RandomTTours #historicalfiction #romance #trilogy #bookreview

yvonnembee 36 Comments

I am delighted to sahre my review today for The Orphanage Girls Come Home by Mary Wood. It is the final part of the trilogy so a bittersweet moment. Each of the books has been fabulous and if you are a fan of historical romance, fiction and saga stories then this is an author you should look up.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my paperback from the publisher Pan Macmillan.

London, 1910
When Amy is chosen to be a part of a programme to resettling displaced children in Canada, her life changes overnight. Her great sadness is having to say goodbye to Ruth and Ellen, the friends who became family to her during the dark days at the orphanage. As she steps on board the ship to Montreal, the promise of a new life lies ahead. But during the long crossing, Amy discovers a terrifying secret.

Canada, 1919
As the decades pass, Amy’s Canadian experience is far from the life she imagined. She always kept Ruth’s address to hand – longing to return to London and reunite with her dear friends. With the world at war, it seems an impossible dream . . .

Separated by oceans, will Amy the orphanage girl ever come home?

MY REVIEW

This is the third and final book in The Orphanage Girls series and I have loved reading every one. This final one brings the lives of three girls to a conclusion as the author gives us the chance to see what happened to Amy. She was shipped off to Canada, it is supposed to be a fresh start but finds that life there can be just as dangerous as the one in the orphanage. It is 1910 when she sets out and while she is out there she never forgets her friends or where she came from.

Her life is taken up as a helper for families, she is to work like a servant in the homes of people, not all are trustworthy or treat her as they should. She does get the chance to move families and she begins to realise that there can be a chance of a new life. As things begin to settle the first world war breaks out and things change, lives are lost and hardship follows.

It is 1919 when Amy gets the chance to return and waiting are her two friends, Ellen and Ruth. They have been through some tough times as Amy has, but they have all come through it and want to discover more of their pasts. Over the years the girls have met new people and formed new friendships, but they have never forgotten each other.

Once again the author has woven a story of heartbreak for her girls, she has taken them and given them hardships in their lives that would be similar to what people would have been going through at the time. Poverty, disease, illness and deprivation were rife. Soldiers coming back from war struggled to cope and how the poorest found desperate ways to make a meal or pay the bills.

The story is about Amy, but it is also about bringing the lives of the girls back together again. The author has taken Amy and shown a different aspect of what life could be like, for those who had the promise of a new start and life in a different country. But at the same time, she is able to bring things up to date with the lives of Ellen and Ruth.

Working the storylines of the girls, their families and friends over the course of three books has been such a wonderful journey. The author takes you back in time to an era that is very, very different from what we now live in. Giving each of her characters a personality that shows differing perspectives, hopes, dreams and upbringings is a way of giving the reader a good cross-section of society at the time.

Another wonderful story of family, friendship, love and hope. One for fans of drama and saga stories, historical fiction and romance and one I would definitely recommend.

About the author

London, 1910
When Amy is chosen to be a part of a programme to resettling displaced children in Canada, her life changes overnight. Her great sadness is having to say goodbye to Ruth and Ellen, the friends who became family to her during the dark days at the orphanage. As she steps on board the ship to Montreal, the promise of a new life lies ahead. But during the long crossing, Amy discovers a terrifying secret.

Canada, 1919
As the decades pass, Amy’s Canadian experience is far from the life she imagined. She always kept Ruth’s address to hand – longing to return to London and reunite with her dear friends. With the world at war, it seems an impossible dream . . .

Separated by oceans, will Amy the orphanage girl ever come home?

Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…

If Mary is doing her usual competition on Facebook and you leave a comment,

I will be approving them throughout the day.

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

The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud #fantasy #fiction #youngadult #mystery #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud. This is the 2nd book in the Lockwood and Co series and it is a fabulous follow-up for this Young Adult fantasy series.

When the dead return to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in.

A series of grisly thefts have been taking place across the capital: powerful supernatural artefacts have been stolen, and their warders murdered. In an atmosphere of mounting panic, a mysterious skull in an iron box is unearthed in Kensal Green Cemetery.

Witnesses hear it whispering urgently, but the words cannot be understood. Lockwood & Co. will have to use all their ingenuity and skill to uncover the secret of the whispering skull.

MY REVIEW

Having read the first book not so long ago, I decided it was time to continue with the second book. I have been told that the Netflix series is good but to be honest I am enjoying the books so I won’t probably watch the series.

As this second book gets off to a great start. Things have been slightly easier for Lockwood & Co when it comes to getting cases to solve and therefore being paid. Their latest one is of an old relic or artefact that had been removed from a recently discovered lead coffin. The artefact is extremely dangerous and Lockwood & Co, as well as their rivals Fittes Agency, have been called in to work this case together. If you have read the previous book then you will know that these two agencies do not see eye to eye when it comes down to working together.

I really enjoyed this one as much, if not more so than the first. I think this is because I was already aware of the characters and also the feel of the story. It meant I was able to get straight into the story and plot as I knew who was who. The author has once again created a superb story that has mystery, suspense, and danger and it is a thriller that has some great humour to it as well.

While this is aimed at a younger adult audience, I have to say it also works so well for grown-up readers! It does have an almost gothic feel to it and I wouldn’t be surprised if carriages, police with whistles and truncheons and lamplighters were seen. It is when the author mentions phones, cabs and the more modern items that I realise this is not a Victorian gothic fiction story, but a modern-day one. It has the right vibes and then there is the atmospherics that the author injects into it as well.

As the characters creep around there are orbs of light, glimmers, ghosts, lurkers and various other spectre and creepy things hovering around. It does give it a gentle horror feel but for me, it feels more suspense based.

If you are looking for a fantasy, mystery thriller series and you also enjoy reading YA fiction then this is a series that you should read, if you haven’t already. I have only recently started it and it has been around for quite a few years already. A brilliant book and it is one I would definitely recommend reading.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Anthony Stroud is an author of fantasy books, mainly for children and youths.

Stroud grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories. Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so he spent most of his days in the hospital or in his bed at home. To escape boredom he would occupy himself with books and stories. After he completed his studies of English literature at the University of York, he worked in London as an editor for the Walker Books store. He worked with different types of books there and this soon led to the writing of his own books. During the 1990s, he started publishing his own works and quickly gained success.

In May 1999, Stroud published his first children’s novel, Buried Fire, which was the first of a line of fantasy/mythology children’s books.

Among his most prominent works are the bestselling Bartimaeus Trilogy. A special feature of these novels compared to others of their genre is that Stroud examines the stereotypes and ethics of the magician class and the enslaved demons. This is done by examining the perspective of the sarcastic and slightly egomaniacal djinni Bartimaeus. The books in this series are The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, and Ptolemy’s Gate, his first books to be published in the United States.

Stroud lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with his two children, Isabelle and Arthur, and his wife Gina, an illustrator of children’s books.

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

My Week In Books (w/e 28th May 2023) #booklove #bookupdates #inthegarden #MeAndMyBooks

yvonnembee 4 Comments

Welcome to another weekly round-up of books I have read. Finally, we have noticed a difference in the sharing between WordPress and Twitter, the only change is that we don’t get our own posts automatically shared. After reading what was going to happen and seeing for myself it isn’t as significant as I expected thank goodness. It has meant I have had to learn how to schedule my tweets and also remember to do them. Again not a difficult thing to do, but for someone who had never done it before it was an interesting moment to see what I had shared, it had worked and luckily it did. Catastrophe averted and back to carrying on as normal 🙂

Now I am back to work after being away I have noticed a big decline in my reading again. Instead of the 5 books a week, I am back to 2 a week and of course, spending time in the garden as we now have some glorious weather. Here are a few garden photos of what is growing at the moment 🙂

Lemon Bottle Brush, Emily Bronte rose, gooseberries, octopus bush with pink thrift underneath, Californian poppies and a red tea rose.

Here are the books…

Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce is a fabulous book and the 3rd in the series. I adored Mrs Bird which was the 1st book and the author has kept on track building her characters and the storylines. When a new owner comes enters the Woman’s Friend office there are some uncertainties, but on the whole, the staff feel fine, that is until they start to realise what Mrs Porter wants to do with the magazine. Full review to follow soon.

The Fall by Gilly Macmillan is a fabulously tense thriller that had me hooked. When a lottery win gives Nicole and Tom a chance for a new life neither expected that one of them would end up dead. The investigation twists and weaves and throws many red herrings, a sort of locked room mystery as there are only a small number of players in this cat and mouse mystery thriller. Full review to follow soon.

There we go, two fabulous books 🙂

Have a great week

Happy Reading

Yvonne xx

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

Wish Upon a Cornish Moon by Amanda James @amandajames61 @OneMoreChapter_ #contemporaryfiction #family #romance #bookreview

yvonnembee 3 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Wish Upon a Cornish Moon by Amanda James. I do love this authors books and her latest one is just fabulous. A mix of past and present set in a wonderful Cornish cove.

‘I can see you don’t believe me, girl, but I’m telling you that there’s magic in the moon and that big sea out there.’ 1938
One midnight in June, 15-year-old Lamorna Williams throws a message in a bottle into the Atlantic at Magic Cove, hoping to meet her one true love – and someone writes back. 1997
On the other side of the world, Lamorna tells her story to her 16-year-old great nephew Ethan inspiring him to do the same. But this time, his message isn’t found for over twenty years… Present day
Single mum, Merrin Pascoe, is told of the legend of Magic Cove. In a moment of madness, Merrin wishes on the moon, and next day she finds a bottle in the sea. Will the cove cast its spell once again…

MY REVIEW

Not many people believe in magic or love at first sight, but not many live at Chapel Porth Cove in Cornwall—an area of magic, mystery and wonderous things. Over the years there has been a young woman who wishes for something more and to find her one true love. It has happened over generations and whether you believe in magic or not, if you don’t try, you will never know.

Merrin is a hard-working single mum, who helps out where she can and is not looking forward to her daughter leaving for university. When she meets Morwenna, she tells Merrin of how the cove is also known as magic cove and if a message is placed in a bottle and the words are spoken on a June night when the moon is full your true love will find it and you will meet.

Merrin has not had much luck with true love, she has in fact had her heart broken so is not looking for anything else in life. She is happy with her life, work and family.

The author has laid her story out over several timelines, these are easy to follow as are the different places where she sets her story, although the majority of it is in Cornwall. Mixing the past event with present situations is a great way of telling a tale as it gets pieced together gradually.

The story of Morwenna and her sister Lamorna is a sad one, but one that also makes sense when you realise what was going on in each of their lives at the time. A chance for a new exciting adventure with the man of your dreams is something that most girls want, but not everyone gets that chance, and some, they miss their chance.

Mixing the historical aspect of the story with a present-day one is a great way of drawing similarities between characters of many years of difference. It also makes for a tantalising read, I could see some things coming but not always in the way I expected them. The way the family dramas were worked in was great and it was a way of bringing different perspectives and experiences.

The romance side of the story is one that I adored, it was a mix of drama, adventure, daring and taking the chance when it appears. Set over different generations, it was a great way of showing how the magic of the cove and the message in the bottle could work in many different ways. Some things happen quickly, and some take a little more time, but things happen for a reason.

If you are a fan of romance, historical and contemporary fiction then this is one that you may well be interested in, there is a wonderful sense of warmth and hope throughout and with a message of taking a chance and doing what is right for you. I adored this one a huge amount and I would definitely recommend it, fabulous story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda James has written since she was a child and even asked her parents for a typewriter for Christmas. She never imagined her words would ever be published. In 2010 the dream of becoming a writer came true when she had her first short story published.

Originally from Sheffield, Amanda now lives in Cornwall and is inspired every day by the wild and beautiful coastline. She can usually be found playing on the beach with her family, or walking the cliff paths planning her next book.

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

Revenge by Kerry Kaya @KerryKayaWriter @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #ganglandfiction #crime #thriller #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review today for Revenge by Kerry Kaya. This is another fabulous read that continues in the Tempest series. Ideal for fans who love gangland crime thrillers.

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

Revenge
Damage will be done…
After the brutal gangland murder of her husband Terry, Tracey Tempest just wants to move on. She’ll never get over Terry’s betrayal, but she’s determined his shady past won’t spoil life for her and her beloved boys Ricky and Jamie.


Max Hardcastle just wants a quiet life and to maybe see how things go between him and Tracey. He knows she’s been hurt in the past, but he’s nothing like Terry and he’ll do anything to keep Tracey happy and safe.


But some people have other ideas.


When Max’s car garage is torched, he’s certain someone still has a grudge to settle. And when the Tempest boys discover one last secret Terry’s been keeping, the fallout could tear their family apart.
Will the Tempests survive this storm? Or will revenge be their downfall?


Purchase Link – HERE

MY REVIEW

When Tracy Tempest’s husband was killed in a gangland murder, it took her a while to come to terms with just what her husband did for a living. It seems she was the only one who didn’t know just what a devious man he was. Her two sons, Ricky and Jamies, knew and were up to speed with how things had been over the years. Two years later and Tracy is starting to move on, she is in a new relationship with Max Hardcastle, he is no choir boy himself and it seems that someone is out to destroy him and his businesses as well.

This is a brilliant follow on to the previous book, Travy has had to deal with the death of her husband as well as learn some home truths. She is now more aware of the gangs and the lives her sons and new partner are involved in. While she may be aware she is not fully grasp the seriousness of what is to come. Naive, yes she is but loyal and fiercely protective of her sons.

It is great to see another instalment in this series and the author brings you up to speed with some of what happened in the previous book. This one starts with a bang, quite literally as a car dealership goes up in flames, not a simple accidental one either, this one was planned. But who by is the question. Several other gangs are included in this story and they have been mentioned before, but they all have something in common, they cannot be trusted and they will each look out for their own.

This author is brilliant at injecting tension, drama and danger into her novels and this one is no expectation. There are some spectacular twists and scenes that she has worked into this story and it had me on the edge of my seat. I do like the Tempest family and Max, they seem to be the more moral ones in the story, that does not mean they are not brutal or any less dangerous though.

As the story progresses the author brings in other twists and characters, they all have a place in this story but what part they play is not always clear until it needs to be.

If you have not read the previous book I would definitely suggest you do, although it isn’t strictly necessary, it does give a brilliant intro to this family and the events.

This is open for fans who like a hard-boiled, dangerous and toxic gangland crime setting. It is a fabulous book and storyline and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kerry Kaya is the hugely popular author of Essex-based gritty gangland thrillers with strong family dynamics. She grew up on one of the largest council estates in the UK, where she sets her novels. She also works full-time in a busy maternity department for the NHS.

Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…

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

The Predators by Tony J Forder @TonyJForder #ThePredators #crime #thriller #policeprocedural #bookreview

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I am delighted to share my review today for The Predators by Tony Forder. This is the 2nd book in the DC Roston Chase series and it is another fabulous book. I adore this author’s books and I am loving this new series, a great place to start if you have not read any of his books yet.

The frozen corpse of a female hiker discovered on snow-covered downs presents DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and Trainee DC Alison May with a fresh murder case to investigate.

The more the body thaws the more it reveals, and as the investigation gathers momentum hopes are dashed of an early and successful outcome. It soon becomes clear that the victim and her killer were not the only ones on the hillside when the murder occurred, and the police are desperate to locate everybody who was.

But when the operation is interrupted by a series of related abductions, with all witnesses swiftly falling under suspicion, Chase realises that their case is far more complex than any of them could ever have imagined…

MY REVIEW

Once again the author has done a fantastic job of completely flummoxing me. I had no idea how this story would pan out and when I did start, it was only because the author led me there.

Chase, Laney and May are called to look at a body that has been found, frozen and in the elements for some time. When they start to put the scant clues together they are left with even more of a puzzle than when they started. When five more people who are connected with the case go missing there is something that the team are missing. They are joined by another unit and together they are really grasping to find the connections.

DS Royston Chase is a character I like, he can be a bit tunnel minded at times but with good reason. He does focus his mind to the nth degree, but he has a way of switching off to allow his mind to relax and focus instead on his family. They keep him grounded while at home but at work, well that falls to DC Claire Laney. Outspoken, brash and trying at all times to embarrass her boss. It is a hilarious combo but one that does work rather well. The two of them banter and poor Trainee DC Alison May is never quite sure who is being serious about making fun of her. It’s not just the job she has to learn, but how her two superiors work.

The setting is a semi-rural one and the exposure and expanse of the area add to the overwhelming feeling that I got and the team showed. You expect more questions than answers at the start of an investigation, but the questions are not really getting the answers or the results that would usually help. With the rural setting, it makes the usual security, shop, road cameras and the like a no-go for information, there are blackspots for mobile coverage and the people that may know something can’t be found.

The further this continues the more intriguing it gets, while I am giving the impression that this case may be slow in getting answers, the pacing of the story is anything but. It is brilliant for details and the author keeps the ideas and thoughts of his characters constantly thinking and using everything at their disposal to discover a chink that will allow them to proceed further.

This is a complex case but also it is one that had me hooked. It follows the investigation and brings the reader into a close-knit and tight group of people who are all invested in discovering the right outcome.

The first book was excellent at introducing the key players in this series and with this second book, the author has added a little more detail. Once again bringing the reader a story that delves into some tough themes but done in a way that does not go into detail, there is no need to.

It is one that I adored and it was good to come back to these characters, it didn’t take me long to remember them and their quirks and habits which is for me great as I do read quite a few books.

If you are looking to start a new series then this one is a good one to start with as this is only the second book, so not too much catching up to do. The Predators is a perfect title, snappy, to the point and relevant. A police procedural that definitely falls within the crime thriller genre and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. The first seven novels, 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 and Darker Days to Come, and The Lightning Rod. The next, What Dies Inside Us will be published in autumn 2023.

Tony’s other early series – two action-adventure novels featuring Mike Lynch – comprises both Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun. These books will hopefully be joined in 2024 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 in October 2021, was the first book in a new crime series, set in Wiltshire. It featured DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May. The second book, The Predators, will be released on 15 May 2023.

Tony’s first 8 novels were originally released by a publisher specialising in crime fiction. In 2020, Tony decided to strike out on his own, and subsequently negotiated the return of all publishing rights to himself. Each of those 8 books has subsequently been re-released under his own imprint, Spare Nib Books.

Tony lives with his wife in West Sussex, UK, and is a full-time author. He is currently working on the two more Jimmy bliss books.

Links
All of Tony’s links can be found on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TonyJForder

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

Savage Sisters by Heather Atkinson @HeatherAtkinso1 @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley #crime #thriller #gangland #bookreview

yvonnembee Leave a comment

I am delighted to share my review of Savage Sisters by Heather Atkinson. I adore this author’s gangland crime books and this latest one is an amazing read.

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 from Boldwood Books. book

Jane, Carly and Rose Savage are savage by name, savage by nature.
Having lost their mum too young, and with a bedridden father too ill to work, the sisters learnt early to stand on their own two feet. The family’s flat in the rough streets of Glasgow’s Haghill is their fortress, but when Carly’s ex-boyfriend Cole Alexander is released from prison, trouble soon comes knocking at their door. The Alexanders have beef with the Savages, so the girls call for back up in the shape of their uncle Eddie and his two gorgeous but dangerous sons, Harry and Dean.
As a turf war breaks out, the Savage sisters have choices to make. Stick to the straight and narrow or fight for what they deserve? And when the vicious girl gang Jane used to lead, the Unbeatable Bitches, are thrown into the mix, their minds might be made up for them. Because once a Savage always a Savage, and when the chips are down, there’s no one more deadly than a Savage sister.


Purchase Link – HERE

MY REVIEW

What an amazing start to a gangland thriller. It soon became obvious to me that I was not going to put this one down until I had read it from start to finish in one sitting.

Savage by name and savage by nature!

Three sisters Jane, Carly and Rose Savage spend their days either working or caring for their ill father, while the youngest Rose is still in school. They lost their mum to cancer and their dad has early-onset Parkinson’s. He was once a feared man as were his daughters, but priorities change and they are now happy to keep their heads down and out of trouble. This is what was happening until Carly’s ex, Cole Alexander, was released from prison. His elder brother Ross thought Carly was a bad influence on Cole as she wanted to avoid the family gang business. While Coel was inside things had settled but now he is out she and her family are threatened to keep away from Cole. It’s a shame Cole doesn’t keep away, he is desperate to make amends with Carly. It is Carly’s father Alex who finally makes the decision to call his brother and nephews in.

This is a fabulous, fast-paced and danger edge of your seat crime thriller, if you are a fan of gangland crime then this is one you want to keep your eye out for.

The author has created some characters in the Savage family and some absolute psychopathic creations in the Alexander family. That does not mean that the Savage family are all innocent and sweetness, but when pushed they definitely know how to make a stand and defend themselves. Savage is one word for this family another is brutal, but that could apply to all of the characters involved.

This is one of those books that had me so addicted and the more I read the more I needed to know. The stories of the different families and how they are linked and what they have done in the past give some indications of what is to come, but it was the way the author felt like she had given them free-rein to do what was in their nature that really made this a fabulous read for me. I know they are fictional characters but I was so invested in them that they almost became real. The imagery that the author built up was amazing.

I adore this book a huge amount and it is one that I would definitely recommend if you are after a brutal, gangland crime thriller with some great scenes. I should add that there is a bit of a romance in this and it will be interesting to see if this continues in the next book. I can’t wait to see what the auhtor has in store for the Savage Sisters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heather Atkinson is the author of over fifty books – predominantly in the crime fiction genre. Although Lancashire born and bred she now lives with her family, including twin teenage daughters, on the beautiful west coast of Scotland. Her gangland series for Boldwood, set on the fictional Gallowburn estate in Glasgow begins with the title Blood Brothers.

Check out the other stops on the Blog Tour…

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

My Last Two Weeks in Books (w/e 21st May 2023) #bookupdates #booklove #MeAndMyBooks

yvonnembee 6 Comments

Hello and welcome to my latest update of books I have read. I was away on annual leave last week and also visited Mum. It was a good trip there and back and also while I was there I saw the Lancaster Bomber fly over as part of the Dambuster Memorial flight. Living in Lincolnshire when I was younger meant I saw this and other planes on a regular basis, it has been many years since I got to listen and see it.

While I was there I managed to read a few books and a little bit of gardening. Also managed to get a few plants, some bought and some from Mum’s garden. So here are the books I have read over the past two weeks…

The Savage Sisters by Heather Atkinson – is a fabulous gangland thriller that I adored, full review tomorrow.

Revenge by Kerry Kaya – is another fabulous gangland crime thriller. Full review at the end of this week.

Wish Upon a Cornish Moon by Amanda James – this is a wonderful story that is told from different timelines and is a story that is full of magic, intrigue, warmth and romance. Full review this week.

The Last Passenger by Will Dean – was a fabulous story that had me hooked, a locked room mystery set onboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic. Full review this week.

The Orphanage Girls Come Home by Mary Wood -this is the third and final instalment in this trilogy and it sees the girls being reunited. Bringing them back together and also brings their stories up to date. I have adore this trilogy and each book has been amazing. Ideal for fans of historical fiction and romance. Full review as part of the blog tour at the end of the month.

To Die In June by Alan Parks – this is the 6th book in the series and this gets personal for McCoy and he tests the patience of Watson. A tense historical fiction that is a police procedural set in Glasgow. Full review next month as part of the Blog Tour.

Coming To Find You by Jane Corry – I adored this book, I have read all of this author’s books and this is my favourite one to date. Loved this one and the author managed to inject a load of tension and danger throughout this one. Some good twists and a great storyline. Full review will follow soon.

Relentless Melt by Jeremy P. Bushmill – this is a new author to me and this book was a wonderful introduction to him. A mix of detective clue-solving, a little magic and a huge mystery for amateur sleuths to solve. I really enjoyed this one and I look forward to sharing my review later next month.

The Greenwood Poet by Lancelot Schubert – is a collection of poems that I found really interesting, some of them really made an impact on me and were enjoyable. Full review to follow.

There we have it, definitely a mix of genres and topics.

Have a great week ahead

Happy Reading

Yvonne xx

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The Medici Murders by David Hewson @david_hewson @RandomTTours @canongatebooks #histfic #murder #mystery #bookreview

yvonnembee 8 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today of The Medici Murders by David Hewson. This is the first book in the Venetian Mystery series and I am looking forward to reading more of this one. This was a great intro to this author as it is the first of his books I have read.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy of this murder mystery from the publisher Canongate Books.

When a well-known British TV historian, Marmaduke Godolphin, is found murdered in the canals of Venice during carnival, stabbed by a stiletto blade, the Venetian police are eager to have the case solved and cleared up within a day – murder is bad for tourism!

The police recruit the help of retired archivist, Arnold Clover. Godolphin had hired his services on arriving in Venice to help sort through some historical papers of note. These dusty documents may contain previously unknown information about the assassination of the murderer, Lorenzino de’ Medici, 500 years previously.

How coincidental that Godolphin meets his death in the same place as the Medici murderer, Lorenzino, on a cold, dark, bloody night. Can Arnold use his powers of perception to establish a link and solve the murder of Godolphin?

MY REVIEW

This is a murder mystery that has the feel of a sleuthing-style whodunnit. A mix of a present-day murder that has been mixed with a historical fiction story, some of which is factual.

Duke Marmaduke is a historian who has become a TV celebrity, although his spotlight has waned over the years. Once he was in demand for his TV shows that made history more theatrical than necessarily true. He contacts others for help in discovering some documents that had been lost over time. One of these is Arnold, he has been a diligent archivist and has moved to Italy to retire. Arnold is a person who has always been in the background and the complete opposite of the loud and bullish Duke.

It is when those called, meet up that Duke reveals, well partly reveals his next project. He has been given documents that could shine a new light on an old murder. It is one that could have some interesting outcomes. When Duke is found dead in the canal, it shows similarities to the old murder, so who wants him dead? Arnold is asked to talk with a Captain who leads the investigation, it is this account that tells the story.

I liked this story and it is one that had me intrigued. I did find it a little slow at times but on the whole, it is an interesting story. It is one that had loads of twists and the author has set the stage with some very interesting characters. There are connections and these are told as there is a relevance to when the gathered group were at University. Duke was head of this group known as the Guilded Circle, Arnold was not part of this so it gives him an ideal perspective, an outsider that is looking in. I liked this a lot as it gave Arnold a spectator’s view as such and when he relates the information to the Captain he does so in a more neutral.

This is a mix of historical fact and the author does say at the end of the book that there is also his fictional slant on the mystery. It makes for an interesting and also quite addictive story. As I said I did find it slow, but as I got more used to the characters and their roles I found it gained pace.

This is one that fans of murder mystery genres would enjoy, it has a sleuthing vibe to it and while it does have a police presence it is not a police procedural. I must also mention the food that is consumed by the characters, there is quite a bit, but it does sound very mouthwatering and very Venetian.

A wonderfully twisted story that had me guessing and one I would happily recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Hewson is a former journalist with The Times, Sunday Times and Independent. He is the author of more than twenty-five novels, including his Rome-based Nic Costa series which has been published in fifteen languages, and his Amsterdam-based series featuring detective Pieter Vos. He has also written three acclaimed adaptations of the Danish TV series, The Killing. He lives near Canterbury in Kent. @david_hewson | davidhewson.com

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