The Flames by Sophie Haydock

 

The Flames by Sophie Haydock.

Published in hardback 17th March 2022 by Doubleday.

From the cover of the book:

Vienna at the dawn of the 20th century. An opulent, extravagant city teeming with art, music and radical ideas. A place where the social elite attend glamorous balls in the city's palaces whilst young intellectuals decry the empire across the tables of crowded cafes. It is a city where anything seems possible - if you are a man.

Edith and Adele are sisters, the daughters of a wealthy bourgeois industrialist. They are expected to follow the rules, to marry well, and produce children. Gertrude is in thrall to her flamboyant older brother. Marked by a traumatic childhood, she envies the freedom he so readily commands. Vally was born into poverty but is making her way in the world as a model for the eminent artist Gustav Klimt.

None of these women is quite what they seem. Fierce, passionate and determined, they want to defy convention and forge their own path. But their lives are set on a collision course when they become entangled with the controversial young artist Egon Schiele whose work - and private life - are sending shockwaves through Vienna's elite. All it will take is a single act of betrayal to change everything for them all. Because just as a flame has the power to mesmerize, it can also destroy everything in its path...

***********

Vienna, the early 20th century. Rising star of the art world. and protégé of Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele is making a name for himself - but not without stirring up controversy. Even in a city full of new ideas and intellectual discussion among the glamorous social elite, Schiele's artwork is often seen as going beyond the bounds of propriety, but he is determined to follow his own path.

However, an artist is nothing without inspiration, and in this book Sophie Haydock gives voice to the women who loved and supported him, and made him famous - The Flames who set Egon Schiele alight. In a delicious blend of fact and fiction, Haydock introduces us to society sisters Edith and Adele, one of whom was destined to become his wife, despite the expectation that they would marry into wealth; to Gertrude, Schiele's unconventional sister; and Vally the young woman from the wrong side of the tracks who also modelled for Klimt. These women are immortalised in his work, but how much do his paintings and drawings tell us about the kind of people they really were?

The novel begins with an accident on the streets of Vienna in 1968, when a troubled young woman called Eva quite literally runs into an elderly and confused Adele. Haydock then gives each of the four women a chance to tell of their relationship with Schiele in compelling, and often heart breaking, successive first person narratives. The little pieces of their multiple perspectives of the artist, and each other, gradually come together to paint a many layered picture of a fascinating era in history - broken up by 'interludes' which follow Eva's short, but intensely moving time with Adele. 

Haydock immerses you the atmosphere of intellectual stimulation at the turn of the beginning of the 20th century, and she cleverly echoes the conflict between new ideas and old in how Schiele's passions, both artistically and romantically, frequently got him into hot water with the establishment. He was determined to challenge the status quo, and this did not make his rise to success an easy one, but this pales into comparison when it comes to what our four women had to endure in a world ruled by men, despite the slow dawning of new thinking when it came to women's rights.

I do not want to go into the lives of Edith, Adele, Gertrude and Vally too much, as they are much better at telling them themselves, through the words Haydock writes for them. Each of their storylines is tragic in its own way, but they thrum with fierce independence and personality. Haydock delves into their desires, and the complexities of their relationships with each other, and their voices drive you on through decades of heartbreak, to the time Eva and Adele meet.

Magic lies in the way Haydock weaves their stories together, and she throws up many thought provoking themes along the way. I have never really considered before how much what we see in the artist's sketchbook, or on canvas, is an interpretation shaped by their own motivations, ideas, and expectations. It comes across so clearly in this book that even though Schiele's models have been preserved for posterity, what we see has very little to do with who they were, but speaks volumes about him instead - even in death they are still overshadowed by the man who drew them. And there is a very interesting discussion to be had here about what constitutes 'art', and where the line between art and pornography lies when it comes to erotic subjects. Lots to talk about!

I adored this book. Haydock brings Edith, Adele, Gertrude and Vally alive and advocates for them in much the same way Hallie Rubenhold does in her stunning non-fiction book The Five, about the women murdered by Jack the Ripper.  I really felt like I came to know them well, shedding many tears while following their tales, and the way Haydock brings the book to an uplifting conclusion amongst all the sadness is superb. This truly is a stunning, beautifully written, and deeply emotional debut, with a glorious feminist core.

The Flames is available to buy now in hard cover, paperback, ebook, and audio formats.

About the author:

Sophie Haydock is an award-winning author living in east London. Her debut novel, The Flames, was published to great acclaim and was longlisted for the H WA debut crown . She is the winner of the Impress Prize for New Writers. Sophie trained as a journalist at City University, London, and has worked at the Sunday Times Magazine, Tatler and BBC Three, as well as freelancing for publications including the Financial Times, Guardian Weekend magazine, and organisations such as the Arts Council, Royal Academy and Sotheby's. Passionate about short stories, Sophie also works for the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award and is associate director of the Word Factory literary organisation.

You Can't See Me (Forbidden Iceland) by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

 

You Can't See Me (Forbidden Iceland) by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir.

Translated by Victoria Cribb.

Published 6th July 2023 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

The wealthy, powerful Snæberg clan has gathered for a family reunion at a futuristic hotel set amongst the dark lava flows of Iceland's remote Snæfellsnes peninsula.

Petra Snæberg, a successful interior designer, is anxious about the event, and her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social-media presence has attracted the wrong kind of followers. Ageing carpenter Tryggvi is an outsider, only tolerated because he's the boyfriend of Petra's aunt, but he's struggling to avoid alcohol because he knows what happens when he drinks … Humble hotel employee, Irma, is excited to meet this rich and famous family and observe them at close quarters … perhaps too close…

As the weather deteriorates and the alcohol flows, one of the guests disappears, and it becomes clear that there is a prowler lurking in the dark.

But is the real danger inside … within the family itself?

Masterfully cranking up the suspense, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir draws us into an isolated, frozen setting, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted, as the dark secrets and painful pasts of the Snæberg family are uncovered … and the shocking truth revealed.

***********

The rich and powerful Snæberg family are gathering for a reunion at a brand new, ultra-modern hotel set amongst the stark beauty of the lava fields on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It has been many years since they were all together, and this event has stirred up a lot of attention in the media, and among their gossip hungry fans on social media.

The weekend promises to be difficult for more than one member of the Snæberg clan, and as the alcohol begins to flow their forced intimacy causes the cracks in the apparently perfect family facade to start to show.

As the weather outside begins to worsen, one of the guests goes missing. Danger lurks in this remote location, but does it come from someone outside who wants what they have, or from within?

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir is rapidly making her name as the Icelandic Agatha Christie, and in this deliciously wrought prequel to her knockout Forbidden Iceland series it is easy to see why. The story is told with a compelling multi-person narrative through the eyes of successful interior designer Petra Snæberg, struggling with career, marriage, and motherhood; her troubled teenage daughter, Lea, whose social media presence feeds the wrong kind of attention; outsider Tryggvi, the boyfriend of Pertra's aunt, who is considered to be from the wrong side of the tracks; and hotel employee Irma, who is rather more interested in the goings on within this family than is healthy. Their separate voices carry you through the tension-filled weekend, moving back and forth between the events of the weekend at the avant-garde hotel, interspersed by a police investigation into the inevitable tragedy that results, led by familiar faces from the Forbidden Iceland series Detectives Sævar and Hörður.

Like Christie, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir keeps her intentions very close to the chest, keeping secret the identity of the victim until well into the story. The threads contort as the characters gradually reveal a complex web of secrets that lie beneath their carefully fashioned glossy lives, providing fertile ground for a veritable feast of red herrings to keep you guessing in style. The suspense builds beautifully, and the reveals drop with perfect timing, carrying the plot forward to the glorious moment when the twist and twist again ending plays out in a cracking bit of storytelling on the blizzard-lashed lava field.

There is theme upon fabulous theme running through this first-class mystery tale, and Eva Björg Ægisdóttir uses her characters to explore them superbly. The darker emotions of jealousy, desire, guilt and revenge are here in abundance, motivating the characters to resort to the kind of desperate acts that drive the best crime stories. But she also touches on so much more around the ideas of image, expectation, and exposure; mental health and the toll of unresolved trauma; the influence of social media; technology and innovation; and notions of 'them' and 'us'. A word here in praise of the translator Victoria Cribb for clearly preserving every gripping moment of action, every nuance of the narrative, and the impact of the overall story in the way the author intended. Sterling work!

And if you are in search of a writer who knows how to use location and weather, and sinister echoes of folklore and ghost stories, to enhance scenes and plot twists then I bring you Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, who does this splendidly throughout this highly entertaining novel.

I devoured this book from cover to cover. If Nordic noir is your bag, then you are in for a treat!

You Can't See Me is available to buy now in multiple formats. You can support the best in indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland to write her first novel. Combining writing with work as a stewardess and caring for her children, 

Eva finished her debut thriller The Creak on the Stairs, which was published in 2018. It became a bestseller in Iceland, going on to win the Blackbird Award. Published in English by Orenda Books in 2020, it became a digital number-one betseller in three countries, was shortlisted for the Capital Crime/Amazon Publishing Awards in two categories and won the CWA John Creasey Dagger in 2021. Girls Who Lie, the second book in the Forbidden Iceland series was shortlisted for the Petrona Award and the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger, and Night Shadows followed suit.

With over 200,000 copies sold in English alone, Eva has become one of Iceland’s – and crime-fiction’s – most highly regarded authors. She lives in Reyjavik with her husband and three children.

A Month In Provence by Gillian Harvey

 

A Month in Provence by Gillian Harvey.

Published 11th July in ebook, and 14th July in paperback by Boldwood Books.

From the cover of the book:

Interior designer Nicky always used to know how to make the best of things. Ever since she lost her husband though, things haven’t been easy. She’s had to raise her two daughters alone and she’s so proud to see them all grown up, and she knows that’s down to her. But she can’t help but feel like she doesn’t know what to do with her life now…

Then her best friend begs her to help out. Jenny is a TV exec and her new renovation show is in peril. Only Nicky can help.

The catch – Nicky needs to fly to Provence… tomorrow. To renovate a tumbledown B&B. Jenny doesn’t mention the fact that the grumpy B&B owner Robert seems to need a makeover too. Or that the budget is next to nothing…

Will Nicky be able to turn the B&B’s fortunes around, save her best friend’s job, and maybe even find some happiness for herself, under the blazing hot French sun this summer…?

***********

Ten years ago, Nicky's world came tumbling down when her husband was killed in a tragic accident. Thrown into life as single mum to two girls, Nicky's own needs were consigned to the back burner, and though times have been hard, she is proud of the young women they have become. This should be the time for Nicky to start thinking about herself, but at forty-nine-years-old she does not really know where to begin. 

Then Nicky's best friend Jenny becomes a TV executive to a renovation show with a twist, and she needs Nicky's help. One of the show's designers has had to pull out at the last minute, so Jenny asks Nicky to call upon her dormant interior designer skills to step in and save the show. The catch is that it means Nicky must drop everything and fly to Provence tomorrow to oversee the renovation of a shabby French B & B...

Unsure if she is really up to the job of TV renovation celebrity, Nicky finds herself with a challenge on her hands. The B & B's grumpy owner, Robert, seems a lost cause; the renovation budget is miniscule; and the TV recording schedule is impossible. Can Nicky regain the confidence she once had, rescue the project, and find a way for her and Robert to move forward?

A Month in Provence is my third romantic French adventure with Gillian Harvey, and it is my favourite one so far. Nicky has spent the last ten years thinking of her girls, and it comes as a bit of a surprise to her that now might just be the right time to pick up the threads of her own life and take on some new challenges. As she gets stuck in to the task of helping the apparently feckless Robert to turn around his business, she also finds herself undergoing somewhat of a makeover herself - which extends in an emotional overhaul in Robert's life as well.

The TV show theme in this book is absolute gold, and Harvey hams it up delightfully to let the humour run free throughout this story from the moment Nicky arrives in France. I promise you will find a lot to giggle at in the way she pokes fun at the celebrity led makeover format, and the comical mishaps that result. She also throws in all the necessary bumps in the road before Nicky and Robert's storylines come together in a heart warming ending, with a bevy of emotional themes woven throughout. 

I love the way she explores second chance relationships for people who have suffered heart breaking loss and have become consumed by living day to day, without moving forward with their lives, through Nicky and Robert's budding friendship. There is something deeply moving in this story in how they connect with each other and are each finally able to move beyond their grief, to realise that they might just have a chance at happiness once more if they are brave enough.

More than that, Harvey uses Nicky's storyline to touch on many relatable themes around motherhood, getting older, and moving into a different phase of your life once your children are grown. I really enjoyed the way Nicky finds her sense of purpose, regains her confidence, and rediscovers her own sense of being over the course of the story - and this will speak to many of Harvey's more mature readers too.

This is such an enchanting story of love and friendship, full of all the things about France that Harvey brings alive so well. I consumed it one tasty bite, and recommend it to you are the perfect escapist summer read to warm the cockles of your heart and bring joyful tears to your eyes.

A Month in Provence is available to buy now in ebook, paperback and audio formats.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Rachel's Random Resources Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

BUY LINK

About the author:

Gillian Harveyis a freelance journalist and the author of two well-reviewed women’s fiction novels published by Orion. 

She has lived in Limousin, France for the past twelve years, from where she derives the inspiration and settings for her books. 

Her first title for Boldwood, A Year at the French Farmhouse, was published in September 2022, followed by One French Summer in February 2023. A Month in Provence is her latest title.

The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson (Paperback Release)

 

The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson.

Translated by David Warriner.

Published in paperback 6th July 2023.

From the cover of the book:

Three women

Three eras

One extraordinary mystery…

1899, Belle Époque Paris. Lucienne’s two daughters are believed dead when her mansion burns to the ground, but she is certain that her girls are still alive and embarks on a journey into the depths of the spiritualist community to find them.

1949, Post-War Québec. Teenager Lina’s father has died in the French Resistance, and as she struggles to fit in at school, her mother introduces her to an elderly woman at the asylum where she works, changing Lina’s life in the darkest way imaginable.

2002, Quebec. A former schoolteacher is accused of brutally stabbing her husband – a famous university professor – to death. Detective Maxine Grant, who has recently lost her own husband and is parenting a teenager and a new baby single-handedly, takes on the investigation.

Under enormous personal pressure, Maxine makes a series of macabre discoveries that link directly to historical cases involving black magic and murder, secret societies and spiritism … and women at breaking point, who will stop at nothing to protect the ones they love…

***********

1899, Paris: Canadian Lucienne, brought to Paris to marry into a society family, is caught up in horrifying situation when her daughters are believed to have perished in a fire that has burned their mansion to the ground. Lucienne is sure that they are still alive, even if no one believes her, and she is consumed by the need to find them through the budding spiritualist community in the city. It is a need that draws her into dark and dangerous deeds.

1949, Quebec: Troubled teenager Lina struggles to fit in in the close knit community of her small Canadian town, where her mother is raising her alone after the death of her husband in World War II. However, her life changes when she strikes up a friendship with an elderly woman who lives in the asylum where her mother works. Lina's eyes are opened to a dark path that might just get her everything she desires.

2002, Quebec: Detective Maxine Grant, reeling from the recent death of her husband and struggling to adjust to life as a solo parent to a teenage girl and a new baby, is called to a shocking crime scene. A former school teacher appears to have brutally stabbed her famous professor husband, but no one can believe that she has committed such a crime... until grisly finds around their rural home begin to paint a very different picture about this apparently respectable couple.

There are secrets here waiting to be uncovered, and it is Maxine's job to delve into the past to establish the how black magic, murder, spiritualism, and women seeking power have resulted in the bloody scene she must decipher.

The Bleeding is the first book in a new series by Queen of French noir, Johana Gustawsson, and it draws you ever so gradually into a world of dark and wicked deeds that chill you to the very core. The story follows three timelines, flipping back and forth between the lives of Lucienne in Belle Époque Paris, where the popularity of spiritualism is really taking hold; of young Lina in 1949, as she tries to navigate the difficulties of growing up in a town where she feels powerless; and 2002, where Maxine Grant is given the unenviable job of trying to solve a crime that becomes ever more bizarre as the threads of the investigation proceed.

At first it is not clear how the stories of these women relate to each other, but as Gustawsson weaves her dark magic, it emerges that there is a complex network of events that have led to the shocking crime scene that Grant is presented with at the beginning of the story. As the plot twists and turns in each timeline, becoming ever darker as threads of witchcraft, satanic rituals, secret societies, and blood magic burgeon, Gustawsson drops her reveals with perfect precision to open your eyes to the shocking truth of how the legacy of Lucienne's history ripples through time... and she saves her most delicious surprises for last! 

This book held me fast from beginning to chilling end, taking the story in directions that completely floored me. Gustawsson's storytelling is superb, blending the horrifying occult elements of this mystery with a cracking crime plot, and contemporary themes of domestic suspense that bring the story very much up to date, at the same time as she immerses you in bloody deeds of the past - and she pulls of this tricky mix with aplomb.

There are some lovely themes running through this book, reflected beautifully in the storylines of the three women. Gustawsson explores motherhood and marriage; the desire for women to be heard and have agency in their lives; and how the role of women has been subverted, especially in religion; throwing up some very thought provoking ideas amongst the more sinister shenanigans, and I have found myself pondering on many of them since reading this book. Lots to talk about here!

This book is stunning in every single way, from concept to cover, and the way in which the little pieces of the puzzle come together is just bewitching. I cannot wait to see how this series develops. 

The Bleeding is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Random Things Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour.

About the author:

Born in Marseille, France, and with a degree in Political Science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French and Spanish press and television. Her critically acclaimed Roy & Castells series, including Block 46, Keeper and Blood Song, has won the Plume d’Argent, Balai de la découverte, Balai d’Or and Prix Marseillais du Polar awards, and is now published in nineteen countries. A TV adaptation is currently underway in a French, Swedish and UK co-production. The Bleeding – a number one bestseller in France and the first in a new series – will be published in 2022. Johana lives in London with her Swedish husband and their three sons.

About the translator:

David Warriner translates from French and nurtures a healthy passion for Franco, Nordic and British crime fiction. Growing up in deepest Yorkshire, he developed incurable Francophilia at an early age. Emerging from Oxford with a Modern Languages degree he narrowly escaped the graduate rat race by hopping on a plane to Canada – and never looked back. More than a decade into a high-powered commercial translation career, he listened to his heart and turned his hand to the delicate art of literary translation. David has lived in France and Quebec, and now calls beautiful British Columbia home.

The Blood Of Others (Spoils Of War) by Graham Hurley

 

The Blood of Others (Spoils of War) by Graham Hurley.

Published 6th July 2023 by Aries, Head of Zeus.

From the cover of the book:

The new blockbuster thriller from Graham Hurley, The Blood of Others is part of the SPOILS OF WAR Collection, a thrilling, beguiling blend of fact and fiction born of some of the most tragic, suspenseful, and action-packed events of World War II.

Dieppe, August 1942. A catastrophe no headline dared admit.

Plans are underway for the boldest raid yet on Nazi-occupied France. Over six thousand men will storm ashore to take the port of Dieppe. Lives will change in an instant - both on the beaches and in distant capitals.

Annie Wrenne, working at Lord Mountbatten's cloak-and-dagger Combined Operations headquarters, is privy to the top secret plans for the daring cross-Channel raid.

Young Canadian journalist George Hogan, protege of influential Lord Beaverbrook, faces a crucial assignment that will test him to breaking point.

And Abwehr intelligence officer Wilhelm Schultz is baiting a trap to lure thousands of Allied troops to their deaths.

Three lives linked by Operation Jubilee: the Dieppe Raid, 19 August 1942. Over six thousand men will storm the heavily defended French beaches.

Less than half of them will make it back alive.

***********

Young Canadian journalist, George Hogan finds himself on shaky ground when he becomes involved with Annie Wrenne, an intriguing older woman working closely with Lord Mountbatten on secretive Combined Operations aimed at provoking German operations in occupied France.

Through Annie's often cryptic hints, Hogan discovers that Mountbatten plans an ambitious mission using Canadian forces to attack Dieppe. It is a plan fraught with risk, and Hogan is conflicted about how much he should write in his articles, especially when he has become close to some of the men who will be tied up in the operation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the English Channel, Abwehr officer Wilhelm Schultz is playing the long game, enticing the Allies into believing that Dieppe is a weak spot in the German defences - a trap that Mountbatten falls for in spectacular style, leadng more than half of his 6000 men to their doom.

The Blood of Others is the eighth spectacular instalment in the Spoils of War series. This time Graham Hurley turns his attention to a tragic episode in the history of World War II, Operation Jubilee, which saw a foolhardy attack on Dieppe in 1942 come to a disastrous end that scarred military relations between Britain and Canada.

This book has a different feel to the other Spoils of War novels I have read, and it has an intense slow-burn atmosphere that makes its direction mysterious for a good portion of the story. Told through the eyes of new character to the series, Canadian journalist George Hogan, and a very familiar face to fans of the books, German intelligence operative Wilhelm Schultz, at first it is difficult to see quite how the threads of their individual stories will come together... but have no fear, Hurley knows what he is about. As the twists and turns of Hogan and Schultz's plotlines play out, Hurley allows a picture to develop of exactly how the circumstances came together on the Allied side to give Mountbatten such freedom to allow Operation Jubilee to happen, and he brilliantly speculates about the way in which German intelligence kept the real situation in Dieppe not only secret, but managed to create a honey trap into which Mountbatten would fall.

As in all of Hurley's books, he shines a light on episodes in World War II that might be unfamiliar to his readers, particularly those which with hindsight are very different to the way in which they were portrayed the time. He is skilled at delving into the nitty gritty to help you understand the chain of events that helped them come about, blending fact and fiction together to create a compelling story that keeps you glued to the page. 

The non-chronological nature of this series is fascinating, as each book takes you into an era of World War II that shows a different side of his recurring characters. Here you get to see another facet of the complexities that make up Wilhelm Schultz, adding a new piece to the puzzle of the man whose future you have already glimpsed in the other books, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There is a pleasing appearance of another person who will be familiar to fans of this series in this book too, with a clever double twist, but I will leave you to discover who that is for yourselves. 

Hurley brings in many of the themes he explores throughout the series around power, deception, the secretive world of the intelligence services, and the effectiveness of propaganda, and he has some really interesting things to say about changing views on Soviet Russia and the motivation of the Allies to undertake a Second Front in Western Europe. I found the recurring references to the Spanish Civil War and its legacy really insightful too. Lots of rabbit holes to go down!

This is a powerful book, and I have found myself pondering many aspects of the story since I finished it, as I have with all of Hurley's books. The Spoils of War is one of my favourite wartime series and as ever, this one will make you think about exactly what 'spoils' means in the context of war. 

The Blood of Others is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Ransom PR for inviting me to take part in this blog tour.

About the author:

Graham Hurley worked for ITV for fifteen years as an award winning documentary director/producer. Networked documentaries included the discovery and filming of the seabed remains of the Titanic; Richard Branson's near-fatal crossing of the North Atlantic in a hot-air balloon; an investigative account of the Brighton bombing; four freezing weeks in the high Canadian Arctic exploring the last of the Eskimo culture; plus revisionist documentaries on the retreat to Dunkirk (Comrades in Arms) and the post D-Day thrust into Europe (The War Within).

Graham is the author of the acclaimed Faraday and Winter crime novels. Two of the critically lauded series have been shortlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Award for Best Crime Novel. The first Wars Within novel, Finisterre, was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.

Dirty Geese (Kanha And Colbey Book One) by Lou Gilmond (Extract)

 

Dirty Geese (Kanha and Colbey Book One) by Lou Gilmond.

Published 6th July 2023 by Armillary Books.

From the cover of the book:

WHAT CAN SEE WATCHES, WHAT CAN HEAR LISTENS - the gripping first instalment of the Kanha and Colbey Thriller series.

When Chief Whip Esme Kanha learns of the sudden death of the Minister for Personal Information, she bitterly regrets missing his desperate calls the previous evening. Unconvinced by the verdict of suicide, and suspicious that corrupt colleagues played some part in the man's death, she decides to investigate - but she must tread carefully in a near-future world dominated by technology, where 'what can see watches, what can hear listens, and what can be followed is tracked'.

Meanwhile, Big Tech executive Henri Lauvaux arrives in London. His mission: to ensure the new minister, Harry Colbey, will not prove as problematic as the last. As the West inexorably slides towards an Orwellian 'Big Brother' future, Harry Colbey and Esme Kanha join forces in a deadly cat-and-mouse game against political corruption - at great cost to themselves.

***********

As part of the blog tour for Dirty Geese it is my pleasure to bring you an extract from the book.

*****

Back in the Houses of Parliament, the long whips’ office was dark and silent, its senior members having taken themselves off to their clubs in St James’s, while their various assistants, researchers and spads had scurried off to engage in the political sport of Whitehall in more down-to-earth establishments: the likes of the Westminster Arms, the Red Lion, the Marquis of Granby.

Only at the far end of the room was there some light, where Esme Kanha sat bathed in the glow of her monitor, her ghostly reflection looking back at her from the glass partition. She was keeping to one corner of her desk to avoid catching the room’s motion detector and being plunged into the harsh reality of the fluorescent lighting.

The box of Dvořáček’s personal effects was gone, and in its place was a message on a Post-it note confirming it had been delivered into the hands of the widow. Beside that was a draft of the bill that Dvořáček had tried to sneak through parliament, which Kanha had pulled out of the recycling bin in their little lobby office.

Carefully, Kanha opened her desk drawer and pulled out a bottle of wine, drained her tea mug of its residue into a nearby plant pot, and after swilling the mug out, poured herself a good measure.

Dvořáček’s bill looked like a copy of the official privacy bill that was due for its first reading in a week or so. So why try to push it through early? Had Dvořáček been afraid his official government bill might get talked out by an opposition member before the House rose and not become legislation this session? But it didn’t make sense. The other side of the House had signalled their support, it was popular with voters, particularly the extremely vocal privacy nutters that were beginning to get momentum behind their campaigns. It wouldn’t do any party any good to be seen to be blocking it. Was he worried the Whigges might gain in number and block it? There were rumours of coming defections, but that couldn’t be the case; with such a majority, the government had no difficulty getting its business through the House at the moment.

But perhaps Dvořáček wasn’t thinking straight, and who would be during a four-day drinking binge that was to end in suicide? Kanha reached for the mug and took a few mouthfuls of wine. She waited for the blur to come and soften the edges of her anxiety, flood those neural pathways and break thoughts loose from their moorings. She let them come at her sideways, backwards, in a weaving random fashion. During the day she knew she could be too rigid; logic assailed her and forced her into straight lines. Only at night when she fell to the wine could she think outside the grooves she had worn down during the day.

She went once more over Dvořáček’s bill, thoroughly this time, but this was not her area of expertise and there were pages and pages of thick incomprehensible passages. Kanha was better at people than bills. She lifted the handset of her phone and tabbed through to the second message saved on its ancient system.

Esme. It’s me again. Percy Dvořáček. Do you know what I think, mmm? I think we’re all just stupid old geese. Greedy. Waddling around pushing our stupid fat chests out, squawking across the House at one another, as if we mattered. As if we were important, but we’re not. None of us are. We’re too far behind. And we’re all dirty, aren’t we, hmm? Even you. Even clever Kanha. So what are we, eh? Just stupid, useless, dirty fucking geese. We don’t know anything, but they’re watching us, listening to us. And they’re inside my head, I tell you. And I don’t want them there...

*****

Dirty Geese is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.

Thank you to Armillary Books for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review - review to follow.

About the author:

Lou Gilmond is a writer of fiction and non-fiction based in Oxford, UK. 

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

 

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay.

Published 6th July 2023 by Headline Review.

From the cover of the book:

UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.

DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.

When Mrs King, housekeeper to the most illustrious home in Mayfair, is suddenly dismissed after years of loyal service, she knows just who to recruit to help her take revenge.

A black-market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs King's predecessor, who has been keeping the dark secrets of Park Lane far too long.

Mrs King has an audacious plan in mind, one that will reunite her women in the depths of the house on the night of a magnificent ball - and play out right under the noses of her former employers...

THEY COME FROM NOTHING. BUT THEY'LL LEAVE WITH EVERYTHING.

***********

The master of the most extravagant house on Park Lane, self-styled diamond magnate Mr de Vries, is dead. His cool and calculating daughter plans to break convention with an lavish ball to launch herself on society in pursuit of an aristocratic husband, but she has just made a grave error by dismissing the housekeeper Mrs King after years of faithful service.

Dinah King will not be quite so easily moved aside, and her murky past gives her just the right contacts to plot her revenge. Gathering a team of resourceful females around her, she plans to ensure that the night of the ball will be about more than extravagant entertainments for the wealthy. Can they pull off the most ambitious con of the year? Success is never guaranteed when emotions are involved...

Imagine, if you will, an Edwardian Ocean's 8, with an injection of Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, and a side order of Peaky Blinders, and you have the glorious set up for Alex Hay's highly original heist adventure, The Housekeepers!

Things are afoot in the Mayfair mansion where a new regime is coming into being at the behest of heiress Miss de Vries, and she is keen to stamp her authority both within the marble clad walls of her gaudy home, and on the cream of society without. In doing so, she makes a powerful enemy of the very person who can, and will, cause her the most harm, Mrs Dinah King whose connection to the Park Lane family is rather more complicated than first appears. 

Alex Hay works magic by providing Mrs King with a team of vivid characters to help her in her cause: meet Mrs Bone, an underworld queen feeling the squeeze from new players on the scene; Alice Parker, a talented seamstress with ambition; aspiring actress, Hephzibah Grandcourt; Winnie Smith, struggling milliner (and also a former housekeeper of the Park Lane pile); and acrobatic 'sisters' The Janes. What a kick-ass team of females they are too! They leap off the page fully formed and carry you along in a highly entertaining caper that threatens to be derailed at every turn by the richly imagined Edwardian hiccups that Hay throws their way.

This book is beautifully plotted, and once the con is underway it is impossible to look away from the shenanigans going on above and below stairs in the Park Lane mansion. Embroidered through the heist storyline there are some lovely surprises around the shrouded origins of the de Vries fortune, with a delicious whisper of mystery about the connection of more than one of our firebrand females to the family, and Hay conjures real menace with dark threads about how vulnerable young women can become prey to the unscrupulous too.

If that was not enough, Hay's love of history shines through in the many subjects he touches upon throughout the story. There is so much here about the rise of the nouveau riche and their uncomfortable relationship with the aristocracy that both despises them and desires their substantial bank balances; of the dawning of an age of new ideas and technology; and of the yearning of women to break free from the strictures placed upon them by patriarchal society and the bounds of convention. Hay also takes us below stairs in a way that is rarely done so well, to shine a light on the rigid hierarchy of domestic staff, and the organisation and workload involved in running a household of this kind.

I adored this book from start to finish, and fell completely in love with Mrs King and her gang. I long for Hay to take up his pen to write a sequel, as I am not ready to say goodbye to them yet. This story begs for a sumptuous adaptation too, so my fingers are well and truly crossed that one will follow in due course!

The Housekeepers is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Headline for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Alex grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff in the United Kingdom. He studied History at the University of York and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector and lives with his husband in London. THE HOUSEKEEPERS is his debut novel and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022.

Those In Peril (Hector Cross Book One) by Wilbur Smith

 

Those in Peril (Hector Cross Book one) by Wilbur Smith.

Published 1st January 2018 by Zaffre.

From the cover of the book:

Some debts can only be paid in blood . . .

When Hazel Bannock, billionaire oil tycoon, discovers her daughter has been kidnapped by Al Qaeda pirates just off the coast of Somalia, she uses all the power at her disposal to rescue her daughter - but politics and diplomacy fail her at every turn.

Her only hope is Hector Cross, an expert in surveillance, infiltration and combat. For all Hazel's connections and wealth, Cross is the one man who is offering to find her daughter. Hazel and Cross must work together to bring Cayla home, but neither of them realises that the kidnappers are not merely interested in ransom - what they have planned is far, far worse . . .

***********

Ex-SAS operative Hector Cross is not a man to mess with. Head of Cross Bow, he is an expert in security and surveillance methods, with a team of highly skilled men and women at his disposal. Contracted to handle security for Bannock Oil, Hector has his hands full protecting their operation in the impoverished emirate of Abu Zara - it is a job that has made him enemies among the Islamist terrorists who would dearly love to target the oilfields.

Oil billionaire Henry Bannock's widow Hazel is now in charge of the company, and she has proved herself to be a smart and capable businesswoman. She may not have much of a liking for men like Hector Cross, but she is happy to continue to employ Cross Bow... for now. But then something happens to make Hazel appreciate quite how skilled Hector and his team really are.

A gang of Somali pirates, operating under the auspices of an Al Qaeda cell, kidnap Hazel's only daughter Cayla and spirit her away to their desert stronghold in the self-proclaimed state of Puntland, where Sheikh Khan of the Flowers of Islam is determined to extract bloody revenge along with the billions of dollars he demands in ransom money.  Hazel's only hope of getting her daughter back alive is to work together with Hector and his team on a daring rescue mission.

Those in Peril is the first book in the gripping Hector Cross series by late best-selling author Wilbur Smith. It begins with a slow burn set up, laying out the relationships between Hector Cross and his staff, and Hazel Bannon and her daughter, before suddenly going full throttle into action adventure territory once Cayla is abducted by brutal Islamist terrorists.

This book is full of old school thrills and spills in keeping with the Wilbur Smith brand, and once the story takes off the pace is pretty much fast and furious throughout, apart from a more sedate interlude which builds on the spark that grows between Hector and Hazel to establish a well-drawn relationship between them. There is a great mix of characters throughout, with loveable rogues to get behind, and real baddies to get your teeth into. I really enjoyed that Smith includes some fabulous female characters too - I would love to see more of Russian firebrand Nastiya, because she was a force to be reckoned with! 

Smith weaves a story full of themes of corruption and betrayal around the unstable political and ideological situation in Somalia, both on land and sea, using terrifying plotlines around extracting money with extreme menace, blood feuds, and revenge tactics that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention. He holds nothing back in the level of violence incorporated in this book, which is very much on the graphic side, particularly when it comes to the physical and sexual assaults aimed at the vulnerable, but this is all integral to the story that plays out. There are some spicy sex scenes too, which I was not expecting.

I will admit that I was not too sure how I was going to get on with this book when I began reading it (particularly as the action gets hot an heavy only a few pages in), but the story really worked its way under my skin. Before long I was racing along, unable to look away from the twists and turns that Smith conjures, and the pages absolutely flew by. There are many gloriously cinematic scenes that spring from the page in technicolour, and Smith brings all the heartrending plotlines together in one almighty explosive climax that is extremely satisfying.  

It is easy to see from this book how Smith managed to hit the best-seller lists time and time again with his story-telling, and I cannot wait to find out what happens in the next Hector Cross adventure, Vicious Circle!

Those in Peril is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Zaffre for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest reviews, and to Compulsive Readers Tours for recruiting me for #TeamWilbur.

About the author:

Wilbur Smith was born in Central Africa in 1933. He was educated at Michaelhouse and Rhodes University. He became a full-time writer in 1964 after the successful publication of When the Lion Feeds, and has since written over thirty novels, all meticulously researched on his numerous expeditions worldwide. His books are now translated into twenty-six languages.

The Cornershop In Cockleberry Bay

 

The Cornershop in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May.

Published 17th June 2018.

From the cover of the book:

Rosa Larkin is down on her luck in London, so when she inherits a near-derelict corner shop in a quaint Devon village, her first thought is to sell it for cash and sort out her life. But nothing is straightforward about this legacy. While the identity of her benefactor remains a mystery, he - or she - has left one important legal proviso: that the shop cannot be sold, only passed on to somebody who really deserves it. 

Rosa makes up her mind to give it a go: to put everything she has into getting the shop up and running again in the small seaside community of Cockleberry Bay. But can she do it all on her own? And if not, who will help her succeed - and who among the following will work secretly to see her fail?

There is a handsome rugby player, a sexy plumber, a charlatan reporter and a selection of meddling locals. Add in a hit and run incident and the disappearance of a valuable engraved necklace – and what you get is a journey of self-discovery and unpredictable events. 

With surprising and heartfelt results, Rosa, accompanied at all times by her little sausage dog Hot, will slowly unravel the shadowy secrets of the inheritance, and also bring her own, long-hidden heritage into the light.

***********

Rosa Larkin is in a rut. Fired from yet another mundane job, and in a weird friends-with-benefits relationship with her flat-mate Josh, it is time for some changes, but her prospects are slim. Then life takes an unexpected twist. She receives an inheritance from a mysterious benefactor - a cornershop in the Devon village of Cockleberry Bay.

At first, Rosa thinks she might be able to sell the shop and benefit from the cash, but the terms of the legacy make this impossible. So she packs up her little sausage dog companion Hot, and leaves London for the sea-side life.

Rosa has no idea where to begin running a business, but having nothing to lose she gets stuck into her new project with enthusiasm. However, it is not the shop that proves to be the most difficult thing to negotiate in this close-knit community, and not everyone here is quite what they seem. Rosa soon begins to question whether coming to Cockleberry Bay was the right decision after all.

The Cornershop in Cockleberry Bay is part charming story of new beginnings, and part mystery tale rich in intriguing darker themes, which make it a little more complex than your average rom-com novel.

Rosa is a feisty character, with a complicated background, and May cleverly combines her search for answers to the questions she has about her own past with the enigma of her Cockleberry Bay inheritance. As the book progresses Rosa uncovers clues that link her poignant family history with the cornershop, and May ties everything together with underlying themes of betrayal and abandonment.

I will admit to struggling to warm to some of the characters in this story, and the romance element did not quite hit that sweet spot for me, but there is something quite lovely about the way May uses the rotters in the tale to bring together to nicer elements of the community. The darkness does gradually dawn into a warm and hopeful, if bitter-sweet, conclusion by the time all the threads wrap-up at the end. This forms a great base from which May to take the rest of the series about this small seaside community, as there are some rather interesting shared experiences to bond them together. 

If you are a fan of rom-coms with a sense of community, that delve into love, friendship, and overcoming heartbreak, then you will find a lot in this story to please, and it has gone on to spawn a much loved series of three further books for you to explore too - Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay, The Gift of Cockleberry Bay, and Christmas in Cockleberry Bay. And I defy you not to fall immediately in love with Rosa's adorable little canine friend Hot, who really made this story for me.

The Cornershop in Cockleberry Bay is available to buy now in ebook, paperback and audio formats.

Purchase links:      AMAZON UK          AMAZON US

Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog blast.

About the author:

Nicola May is a rom-com superstar. 

She is the author of sixteen romantic comedies, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay became the best-selling Kindle book in the UK, across all genres, in January 2019, and was Amazon’s third-bestselling novel in that year.

 It spawned three sequels, followed by the hit Ferry Lane Market trilogy

 June 2023 Reading Round-Up

I cannot believe we are half way through 2023 already!

Sixteen books on the menu in June, some of which were outstanding!

You can find the review for each one by clicking on the pics below...

The House in the Olive Grove by Emma Cowell

Sidle Creek by Jolene McIlwain

Her Missing Husband by A.J. Campbell

The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard

Keep Her Secret by Mark Edwards

The Fascination by Essie Fox

The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healy

Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas

Summer at the Ice Cream Café by Jo Thomas

They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie

A Dangerous Fossil by John J. Delaney

The Wedding Dress Repair Shop by Trisha Ashley

The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope

The Only Truly Dead by Rob Parker

The Birdcage Library by Freya Berry

Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds

More great books on the way in July...

If you have enjoyed my pictures please head over to my Instagram account for more, and maybe give me a follow, at @brownflopsy ❤