One Last Prayer For The Rays

Author – Wes Markin.  Wes Markin is a hyperactive English teacher, who loves writing crime fiction with a twist of the macabre.
​Having released One Last Prayer for the Rays he is now working on the second instalment of DCI Michael Yorke’s wild ride, The Repenting Serpent. He is also the author of Defined, a prequel to his DCI Yorke novels, which takes the reader back to his blood-soaked university days.​​

​Born in 1978, Wes grew up in Manchester, UK. After graduating from Leeds University, he spent fifteen years as a teacher of English, and has taught in Thailand, Malaysia and China. Now as a teacher, writer, husband and father, he is currently living in Harrogate, UK.​

Wes Markin

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkinWes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WesMarkinAuthor/

Pages – 315

The Blurb –

DCI Michael Yorke faces his most harrowing case yet.

When 12-year-old Paul disappears from school, Yorke’s only clue is a pool of animal blood. Fearing the worst, he turns toward the most obvious suspect, recently released local murderer, Thomas Ray.

But as the snow in Salisbury worsens, Ray’s mutilated body is discovered, and Yorke is left with no choice but to journey into the sinister heart of a demented family that has plagued the community for generations. Can he save the boy? Or will the evil he discovers changes him forever?

One Last Prayer for the Rays introducing DCI Michael Yorke.

Today is my stop on the One Last Prayer for The Rays.  Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – What a great book.  A very interesting idea played out well through the author’s story telling.

The Rays have a dubious history as a family, people like to steer well clear of them, especially as one killed a policeman’s wife.  However Paul Ray has disappeared from school, a good student and very different to the other side of his family.  Then another member of the Ray family is found murdered and it looks as though somebody has a vendetta against the family.

DCI Yorke and his team have to sift through all the blood and pigs to get to the bottom of the disappearance and murders.  The book is gory in places but it isn’t gratuitous, I found it added to the storyline.

I liked Yorke’s team, it felt like I wasn’t coming in new to them.  I think the little bits of history that were dotted in the story helped to create a instant connection with them.

Purchase Links –

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Last-Prayer-Rays-exhilarating-ebook/dp/B07M5H7JYS

US – https://www.amazon.com/One-Last-Prayer-Rays-exhilarating-ebook/dp/B07M5H7JYS

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Choose Your Parents Wisely

Author – Tom Trott.

Born in Brighton, I went to school in here, worked many jobs here, and have never lived anywhere else. I first started writing at school, where I and a group of friends devised and performed comedy plays for assemblies, much to the amusement of our fellow pupils. The young ones would cheer (and the old ones would groan) as we stepped up onto the stage, the buzz was tangible. It has been with me ever since.

As an adult I have written a short comedy play that was performed at the Theatre Royal Brighton in May 2014 as part of the Brighton Festival; Daye’s Work, a television pilot for the local Brighton channel; and won the Empire Award (thriller category) in the 2015 New York Screenplay Contest. I published my first novel, You Can’t Make Old Friends, in 2016; my second, Choose Your Parents Wisely, in 2017, my third, The Benevolent Dictator, in 2018, and now my fourth, It Never Goes Away, in 2019. When I’m not writing books, I’m writing about writing, books, and film on Medium.

My inspirations as a writer come from a diverse range of storytellers, but I have a particular love for the works of Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie, Joel & Ethan Coen, Arthur Conan-Doyle, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Bryan Fuller, Ira Levin, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Towne, JRR Tolkien, and many many more books and films beside. If you can’t find me, or I’m not answering my phone, I’m probably at the cinema.

Tom Trott

Social Media Links –

www.twitter.com/tjtrott,

www.facebook.com/tomtrottbooks,

www.tomtrott.com,

Pages – 352

The Blurb –

One missing girl and the whole city goes crazy.

It’s been three days, and now everyone in Brighton is looking for her. There is an army of police searching, her picture is on every front page, and the public can’t get enough of it. Gangs of good citizens are going door to door, turning their neighbours’ houses upside down, but still no one can find her.

For Brighton’s No.1 Private Detective, Joe Grabarz, it brings back too many memories of his first case, another missing girl, when he learnt too many lessons the hard way. No one was going door to door then. No one cared. But her mum and dad weren’t nearly as photogenic, nor quite so saintly.

It’s a lesson Joe learnt long ago that has come back to haunt him: choose your parents wisely.

Today is my stop on the Choose Your Parents Wisely blog tour.  Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review.

My thoughts – I love this series by Tom Trott. It is well written and Joe is a great character.  This book is the second in the series, but can easily be read as a stand alone.  However I really recommend you enjoy all of the series and start with You Can’t Buy Old Friends.

This story starts with the disappearance of a local girl, and the town has gone crazy trying to find her.  The case brings back bad memories of a case when another girl went missing but then, the town nor the press were interested.

Joe, following his own methods, starts to investigate the missing Joy.  The story flows well as both cases are described.  A great read, highly recommended.

Purchase Links –

https://tomtrott.com/cypw

The Migraine Relief Plan: An 8-Week Transition to Better Eating, Fewer Headaches, and Optimal Health

Author – Stephanie Weaver, MPH, CWHC, is an author, blogger, and certified wellness and health coach. Her recipes have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Parade, and more. She lives in San Diego, CA.

Stephanie Weaver

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/stephanieweavermph

Twitter.com/sweavermph

Instagram.com/sweavermph

Publisher – Agate Surrey

Pages – 336

The Blurb –

In The Migraine Relief Plan, certified health and wellness coach Stephanie Weaver outlines a new, step-by-step lifestyle approach to reducing migraine frequency and severity.

Using the latest research, her own migraine diagnosis, and extensive testing, Weaver has designed an accessible plan to help those living with migraine, headaches, or Meniere’s disease. Over the course of eight weeks, the plan gradually transitions readers into a healthier lifestyle, including key behaviors such as regular sleep, trigger-free eating, gentle exercise, and relaxation techniques. The book also collects resources—shopping lists, meal plans, symptom tracking charts, and kitchen-tested recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner—to provide readers with the tools they need to be successful.

The Migraine Relief Plan encourages readers to eat within the guidelines while still helping them follow personal dietary choices, like vegan or Paleo, and navigate challenges, such as parties, work, and travel. A must-have resource for anyone who lives with head pain, this book will inspire you to rethink your attitude toward health and wellness.

Today is my stop on The Migraine Relief Plan.  Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about migraines.  I used to suffer with them a lot in my twenties and recently had a flair up.

I really like the fact that Stephanie decided to research migraines to find answers for herself.  The result is this book, a source of information and a collection of beautiful recipes.

You can win a copy of this book for yourself, just leave your name in the comment section and a winner will be chosen on the 28th February 2019.

Purchase Links – http://bit.ly/MRPlan

Consuming Fire

Author – Catherine Fearns is from Liverpool, UK. In previous incarnations she was a financial analyst, a cocktail pianist and a breastfeeding counsellor, but nowadays she likes to write. Her first novel, Reprobation, was published by Crooked Cat Books in October 2018 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller in several categories. The follow-up, Consuming Fire, is currently on pre-order and will be available in early 2019.
Catherine writes for music website Pure Grain Audio, and her music journalism has also appeared in Broken Amp and Noisey. Her short fiction and non-fiction pieces have been published in Here Comes Everyone, Toasted Cheese, Offshoots & Metal Music Studies. She holds a degree in History from Oxford University, a Masters from the London School of Economics, and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.
When Catherine is not writing, she plays guitar in a heavy metal band, mainly to annoy her four children.

Catherine Fearns

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @metalmamawrites

Publisher – Crooked Cat Books

Pages – 203

The Blurb –

What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen…

Liverpool is in the grip of an intense heatwave, and strange things are happening.

A woman dies in an apparent case of Spontaneous Human Combustion; a truck explodes on the dock road; the charred corpses of pets litter the city; forest fires ravage the pinewoods…and there are birds everywhere, silent flocks drawing in ominously.

Detective Inspector Darren Swift thinks there are connections, and his investigation delves into the worlds of football, nightclubs and organised crime. But is he imagining things?

Dr. Helen Hope doesn’t think so. And she believes the key lies in a mysterious seventeenth-century occult book which has gone missing from Liverpool Library.

In the blistering sequel to Reprobation, DI Swift is forced to confront some inconvenient ghosts from his past, as a terrifying shadow lies over his city’s reality….

Today is my stop on the Consuming Fear blog tour.  Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – I really enjoyed this book and although it follows on from Reprobation it can easily be read as a standalone.  I hadn’t read the first book and I followed it without a problem.

Darren Swift is given the case when a woman suddenly bursts into flames, however he is presented with more questions than answers.  He is also dealing with with issues in his personal life as his wedding day approaches.

Puzzled by the case he consults his old friend, Helen, and she finds a disturbing element of the case.  Combined can they solve the puzzle?

An excellent read that is extremely well written, with interesting characters and engrossing story.

Enter this giveaway –

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Consuming Fire, Consuming Fire stationery, and a cuddly peacock! (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Click here to enter

Purchase Links –

https://mybook.to/consumingfire

The Ghostly Father

Author – Sue Barnard.

Sue Barnard is a British novelist, editor and award-winning poet.  She was born in North Wales some time during the last millennium, but has spent most of her life in and around Manchester.  After graduating from Durham University she had a variety of office jobs before becoming a full-time parent.  If she had her way, the phrase “Non-Working Mother” would be banned from the English language.

Her mind is so warped that she has appeared on BBC TV’s Only Connect quiz show, and she has also compiled questions for BBC Radio 4’s fiendishly difficult Round Britain Quiz. This once caused one of her sons to describe her as “professionally weird.” The label has stuck.

Sue speaks French like a Belgian, German like a schoolgirl, and Italian and Portuguese like an Englishwoman abroad.  She is also very interested in family history.  Her own background is far stranger than any work of fiction; she would write a book about it if she thought anybody would believe her.

Sue now lives in Cheshire, UK, with her extremely patient husband and a large collection of unfinished scribblings.

Sue Barnard

Social Media Links –

Blog   Facebook   G+   Twitter   Instagram   Amazon  Goodreads  RNA

Publisher – Ocelot Press

Pages – 281

The Blurb –

Was this what really happened to Romeo & Juliet?

Think you know the world’s most famous love story?  Think again.  What if the story of Romeo & Juliet really happened – but not quite in the way we’ve all been told?

This part-prequel, part-sequel to the original tale, told from the point of view of the Friar, tells how an ancient Italian manuscript reveals secrets and lies which have remained hidden for hundreds of years, and casts new doubts on the official story of Shakespeare’s famous star-crossed lovers.

If you love the Romeo & Juliet story but are disappointed with the way it ended, this is the book for you.

Today is my stop on The Ghostly Father blog tour.  Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – What a great read and a clever idea.  The author has taken a classic and reworked in a fresh and unique way.

The story starts long before Romeo and Juliet were born, with a man forced into the monastery by his father, unaware that his son had met the love of his life and she was pregnant.  Unable to be together, they secretly wed, she then flees to Verona.

Bound by duty he throws himself into the monastery and spends many happy years doing the Lord’s work, but never forgets his wife and child.  He is thought well of in the monastery and asked to help setting up a new monastery in Verona.

Once there, he meets his wife and is made aware of his son who is none other than Romeo..

A very interesting and satisfying read, and well done for tackling a classic that most would leave alone and creating a new story around it.

 

Enter this giveaway –

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of The Ghostly Father (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Click here to enter

Purchase Links –

Kindle (universal link): mybook.to/the-ghostly-father

Paperback: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/1999314409

The Four of Us

Author – Àine Toner.  Award winning editor Áine Toner has been at the helm of Ireland’s Woman’s Way magazine since 2008 and is also editorial director of Irish Tatler Man magazine. A Belfast native who lives in Dublin, her previous jobs included working for BBC Northern Ireland and a host of daily and local newspapers and magazines.

She grew up in a house where books were very important and it was no surprise her academic life and career led to be constantly surrounded by words. She loves how the right phrasing can make a story come alive on a page.

Áine has significant TV and radio experience, regularly contributing as a panellist on topics such as health, fashion, beauty, books and the soaps. She can be found on Twitter at @aineltoner where she uploads musings on television, stationery, books and cake.

Outside of journalism, she has been published in short story anthologies. Let’s Talk About Six is her first novel.

Aine Toner

Publisher – Manatee Books

Pages – 344

Social Media Links –

Twitter – Aine Toner

The Blurb –

Four Friends. Four Secrets.

When Lucy tells her friends they need break a from each other, Pippa, Colette and Christine are stunned – after all, Lucy is the quiet one, isn’t she?

As the four girls try to adjust to life without each other, none of them could have foreseen the consequences of mousy Lucy’s announcement that day in a swanky Belfast hotel…and as secrets start to come to light, the girls are all asking the same question: How well do you really know your friends?

Today is my stop on The Four Of Us Blog tour.  Many thanks to Tracy Fenton for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – This is a really interesting read, and makes you think about the friends you have and also the secrets you keep.

Lucy has three friends, Christine, Pippa and Collette.  Only Lucy has had enough, she is the quiet, put upon one in the group.  The one that won’t stick up for herself, so it is with some surprise that she announces during a catch up, that she wants a break from all of them.  Even her best and longest friend Christine.

Some what stunned, they all agree, although not amicably to meet again in six months, all convinced that none of them need the others.  What transpires in that six months, shows that no matter how well you think you know someone you never really do, not even your spouse.

The story works well as it told from all four perspectives during that six months, and shows how friendship and relationships can change through time.

Purchase Links –

Amazon – The Four Of Us

An Impossible Thing Called Love

Author – Belinda Missen is an award-winning and best-selling author, screenwriter, and freelance writer from Geelong, Australia. She lives with her car-obsessed, but wonderful husband, two loopy cats, and more books than she cares to count.

In late 2017, Belinda signed a six-book contract with HQDigitalUK (HarperCollins). A Recipe for Disaster was released in August 2018. An Impossible Thing Called Love appeared by magic in November 2018.

Belinda Missen

Social Media Links –

www.belindamissen.com

facebook.com/BelindaMissen

twitter.com/belinda_missen

Instagram @belinda_missen

Publisher – HQ Digital Uk

The Blurb –

Don’t miss the new delightfully uplifting book from the author of A Recipe for Disaster!

A second chance at love…

When globe-trotting Emmy first fell for first-aider William on a freezing New Year’s Eve, she really believed that their love would go the distance.

But when she returns to Australia, her letters start to go unanswered and her emails bounce back unread, Emmy decides it’s time to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and start afresh in London.

So she’s shocked when William walks in on her very first day at her new job! Even worse, he’s hotter than ever. But why did he disappear for so long? What has he been hiding? And could this really be their second chance at falling in love…?

Perfect for fans of Carole Mathews, Mhairi McFarlane and Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Today is my stop on the An Impossible Thing Called Love blog tour. Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review.

My thoughts – I really enjoyed this book.  The characters are really likeable and I found myself rooting for the relationship to work.

The books starts with Emmy who is Australian spending her gap year travelling with friends.  New Years Eve sees her in Edinburgh celebrating Hogmanay, where she ends up assaulted and being treated for her injuries by William.  Instantly smitten with each other, she spends the rest of her time in Edinburgh with him.  But reality hits when she has to return home, but they promise to keep in touch.

Months pass and like they promise, they keep in touch via letters, until William disappears and just like that Emmy’s dreams fade.

Years pass and she is offered a job back in the UK, now settled with Craig, surely her holiday infatuation with William is a thing of the past…?

The book also contains the first chapter of her next book A Recipe For Disaster.

Enter this giveaway –

Giveaway to Win 2 x PB copies of An Impossible Thing Called Love (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Click here to enter

Purchase Links –

PAPERBACK: http://bit.ly/2wCYmKS

AmazonUK: https://amzn.to/2otrlxi

AmazonUS: https://amzn.to/2MHzAEj

AmazonAU: https://amzn.to/2Pk2jvQ

BookDepository: http://bit.ly/2wCYmKS

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2BXdvv3

iTunes: https://apple.co/2Ptnsnu