Death at the Gates

Author – Katie Gayle.

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

Katie Gayle

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

Tweets by KatieGayleBooks

Publisher – Bookouture

Pages – 248

The Blurb –

Hurlingham House school is a high-achiever’s heaven, full of happy, hard-working pupils. There’s just the small matter of the dead body on the field… Sounds like a case for Epiphany Bloom!

When Epiphany Bloom’s best friend’s sister Claire is accused of trading exam papers for money, Epiphany agrees to see Ms Peters, the headteacher of Claire’s fiercely competitive school, to provide moral support. Claire has always been a model student and is loudly protesting her innocence: surely it’s all just a misunderstanding.

But when Ms Peters hears about Epiphany’s previous sleuthing exploits, she enlists her help to track down the true culprit!

Taking a job as a PE teacher, Epiphany soon realises she has plenty of suspects for the exam scam mastermind. The broke young teacher with a shady past? The father willing to buy his daughter anything – including grades? The school governor desperate to keep Hurlingham House at the top of the ranks?

Then Epiphany finds one of them dead at the school fair, and it becomes clear someone is taking the cut-throat culture of the school too literally – and when mysterious accidents start happening around her too, it seems the killer knows she’s onto them.

Can Epiphany solve the murder as well as clearing Claire’s name, before she becomes the next victim? This is one test she can’t afford to fail…

A charming and totally addictive cozy mystery with a hilarious and warm-hearted heroine. A must-read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Lee Strauss and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

Today is my stop on the Death at the Gates blog tour. Many thanks to Bookouture for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts -This is the third in the series of the Epiphany Bloom series.

Epiphany Bloom is something of a catastrophe when it comes to jobs and finds herself being sacked very quickly. So when another job falls through for her she finds herself at a lose end.

When she becomes aware of an exam scam at a school she gets employed as a PE teacher so she can investigate. Much hilarity ensues as she looks into the case.

I really enjoyed this book and the character of Pip and her quirky ways. The story was gripping and the other characters really added to the overall feel of the book.

This series is a great addition to the cosy crime genre.

Purchase Links – Death at the Gates

Sophomania

Author – Danielle Zinn.

Danielle Zinn is a German author, born and raised in a small village in the Ore Mountains/Germany where not only her debut crime novel Snow Light is set but also her second book, Sophomania.

She holds a BA (Hons) degree in Business and Management from New College Durham/UK and has settled down in Leipzig/Germany where she works as a Financial Controller at an IT Consultancy.

She was introduced to the world of English literature and writing from an early age on through her mother – an English teacher. Over the last years, she circumnavigated the globe and loves visiting her friends scattered all over the world.

Danielle Zinn

Social Media Links –

Twitter: @DanielleZinn4             https://twitter.com/daniellezinn4

Facebook: Danielle.zinn.7           https://www.facebook.com/danielle.zinn.7

Pages – 328

The Blurb –

When Detective Inspector Nathaniel Thomas is presented with an anonymous letter and three unexplained deaths in less than twenty-four hours, he realizes that his idyllic home village Crottendorf masks a turbulent reality. Summoning his trusted colleague, DS Ann Collins, Thomas begins to unravel what quickly becomes an overwhelming mountain of conflicting evidence.

So many secrets. So many lies. So many attempts to cover things up.

All is not as it first appears and it proves a lot harder to pin down the killer who prides himself on being more than one step ahead of the DI.

A deeply rooted family tragedy, greed and vengeance are at the core of this crime novel. The twists and turns of Sophomania leave you wondering to the very end who the real murderer is—or if there may actually be more than one killer on the loose in the anything-but-sleepy village of Crottendorf.

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

My thoughts – I was looking forward to reading this after reading and reviewing Snow Light, her debut novel.

This was a great read. The pressure really is on DI Nathaniel Thomas when he is faced with multiple deaths in a short period of time. He and his team face a ruthless killer who hasn’t them a cryptic clue to solve.

I absolutely loved this book, from the scenery to the characters everything added up to a great read.

I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Purchase Links – https://amzn.to/3vCT7IF

The Interview Chain

Author – Lynn Farley – Rose

It was while she was working on her PhD in developmental psychology that Lynn became fascinated by what people do to cope when things gets tough.

Her first book, 31 Treats And A Marriage, was a personal account of reconnecting with life after years as a wife and mother, when everything was overturned by unforeseen calamities. This led her to wonder about other people’s stories, particularly on the question of where people find strength and inspiration. In writing The Interview Chain she talked to many remarkable people, each of whom had wise words to share about the human world—about things that help to make it a kinder and more connected place.

Lynn Farley-Rose

Social Media Links –

Twitter – Twitter: https://twitter.com/treats_and_more

Publisher – Holland House Books

Pages – 287

The Blurb –

Everyone has something interesting to say if you take the time to listen.

The Interview Chain is a series of conversations—each interviewee was asked to nominate someone they admire as the next link.

Starting from a casual conversation on a boat on the Thames, the chain wended its way for over 23,000 miles, alighting on three continents and gathering up personal perspectives on issues that really matter in the world today.

The interviewees include a theatre director, a rabbi, a philanthropist, a sculptor, a New York Mayoral candidate, a pioneering documentary maker, and a man who rescues giant trees.

Some have worked in challenging places—Kabul in the time of the Taliban, a Romanian orphanage, immigration detention centres, remote Indian villages—while others have found themselves caught up in extraordinary situations such as the Rwandan genocide, the Ferguson uprising, and the UN Climate Change Negotiations.

Today is my stop on The Interview Chain blog tour. Many thanks to Zoe O’Farrell for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – I love reading about people and their individual experiences and therefore it is a given I loved this book.

Each interview is absolutely fascinating and gives you such an insight into different lives and cultures. That person then gives the name of somebody else who should be interviewed, hence how you get a chain.

There are twenty interviews in the book and you get to hear such varied topics from nursing to drama. The one theme that links everyone in this book is how they are trying to make the world a better place, not just for themselves but for those who come after. You really get to see how the world’s big events filter down to the people living through them. A minute segment on the news is forgotten by those it doesn’t directly effect.

That minute is somebodies reality and their stories are shared here.

Highly recommended.

Purchase Links –

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Interview-Chain-Lynn-Farley-Rose-ebook/dp/B08XQFQDG3/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Interview-Chain-Lynn-Farley-Rose-ebook/dp/B08XQFQDG3/

A Case of Royal Blackmail

Author – Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes was a late Victorian and Edwardian consulting detective, known both for
his pioneering work in the scientific aspects of criminology and for his powers of deduction
and observation. From his late 20s his many cases were well recorded by his friend and
flatmate Dr John Watson and some of his exploits have subsequently been made into feature
films and TV series.

Publisher – Unicorn

Pages – 191

The Blurb – In A Case of Royal Blackmail, the 24-year-old Sherlock Holmes recounts how he untangled the web of blackmail and deceit surrounding the ‘complex romantic endeavours’ of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, those of Lillie Langtry and her various suitors and the morass of ‘scandal sheets’ and libel cases surrounding the Prince’s court of the time.

Set in July 1879, 18 months before he met Dr. Watson, the action takes place in the vividly
described London of Queen Victoria. Taken from this own case notes, Holmes also reveals
the full story behind two previously untold cases: Vamberry the Wine Merchan and Ricoletti
of the Club-foot and the Abominable Wife and a new discovery, The Curious Case of Oscar
Wilde’s Amethyst Tie-pin.

Published with the endorsement of the Conan Doyle Estate, and told in Holmes’s own
words, Sherlockians the world over will revel in these new adventures of the world’s favourite
consulting detective.

Today is my stop on the A Case of Royal Blackmail blog tour. Many thanks to Anne Cater for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – I loved this book. I am a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes canon and this stands out as it is written by the great detective himself!

The master of detection takes us through some of his earlier cases before he met Dr John Watson. The cases are really interesting and read just like an original story. I enjoy being immersed in the historical detail of the time and the various characters that Sherlock meets including The Prince of Wales.

A brilliant addition to the huge and long lasting world of Sherlock Holmes.

Purchase Links – A Case of Royal Blackmail

The Bookshop Murder

Author – Merryn Allingham.

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

Merryn Allingham

Social Media Links –

Home

https://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites

Tweets by MerrynWrites

Publisher – Bookouture

Pages – 256

The Blurb –

Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, day dreamer and amateur detective as she tackles her first case!

Sussex, 1955: When Flora Steele opens up her bookshop one morning she’s in for the surprise of her life! Because there, amongst her bookcases, is the body of a young man, with a shock of white-blond hair. But who was he? And how did he come to be there?

Determined to save her beloved bookshop’s reputation and solve the baffling mystery, Flora enlists the help of handsome and brooding Jack Carrington: crime writer, recluse and her most reliable customer.

The unlikely duo set about investigating the extraordinary case, following a lead across the sleepy village of Abbeymead to The Priory Hotel. When the hotel’s gardener dies suddenly, and they find out their victim was staying there, Flora’s suspicions are raised.

Are the two deaths connected? Is someone at the hotel responsible – the nervous cook, the money-obsessed receptionist, or the formidable manageress?

As the trail of clues takes Flora and Jack all over the village itbecomes clear there’s more than one person hiding secrets in Abbeymead…

But does Flora have what it takes to uncover the truth – or will her amateur sleuthing put her in harm’s way?

Love Agatha Christie, Midsomer Murders and T E Kinsey? Then this brand-new cozy crime series featuring bookshop owner Flora Steele is just what you need!

Today is my stop on The Bookshop Murder blog tour. Many thanks to Bookouture for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – How could I resist reading this book? A murder in a bookshop, I was hooked immediately!

This new series is classic cosy mystery as we get to meet Flora Steele who has inherited a bookshop from her Aunt Violet. The shop is situated in a small village called AbbeyMead, so imagine the scandal when a dead body is found in it.

Worried about the lack of customers after the body is found, Flora struggles to get answers. What follows is her attempt to solve the mystery.

This is a great read, that fits right in with other successful cosy mystery series, such as Agatha Raisin and Midsomer.

Purchase Links – The Bookshop Murders

Love Me Tender

Author – Lorraine Mace.

Born and raised in South East London, Lorraine lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. She lives with her partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and enjoys sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. Her knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop her waistline from doing the same, she runs five times a week.

Author of the D.I. Sterling series of novels, Lorraine has been engaged in many writing-related activities. A columnist for Writing Magazine, she has recently stepped down from writing two columns for Writers’ Forum and also her role as head judge of the magazine’s monthly fiction competitions in order to concentrate on her own writing. She is currently writing two standalone psychological thrillers for Headline Accent.

She also runs her own private critique and author mentoring service.

Lorraine Mace

Social Media Links –

Website: www.lorrainemace.com

Blog: http://thewritersabcchecklist.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomace

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

Publisher – Headline Accent

Pages – 236

The Blurb –

IF HE WANTS YOU . . . THERE’S NO ESCAPE.

A brutal murder . . .
Responding to a tip-off, newly promoted Detective Chief Inspector Paolo Sterling arrives at an apartment block to find the dismembered body of a young woman. And with no indication of a break-in, all signs suggest the killer was known to her.

An abduction in plain sight . . .
Then the victim’s friend is snatched with no witnesses and the unanswered questions mount up.

At the same time, Sterling’s team are leading the surveillance of a local club, thought to be involved in a drug operation. But when one of his colleagues ends up in hospital close to death, Paolo begins to lose his grip.

A detective on the edge . . .
With the odds stacked against him, and time running out, can DCI Sterling uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will this case finally tip him over the edge?

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

My thoughts – I was looking forward to reading this after reading and reviewing Rage and Retribution.

I really enjoyed that installment in the Sterling series and this book did not fail to disappoint. Reeling from the events of the last book, the team must go again to look into another case. This is made more difficult by a colleague.

They find themselves looking into the distribution of drugs after a local MP’s daughter is found dead after an unintentional overdose. Unfortunately for Sterling, the case becomes high profile with pressure being applied for the drug dealers to be brought to justice.

Along side the main story Sterling looks into the murder of another young woman, who complained of being stalked.

A brilliant addition to the series, I love the author’s writing and how she weaves her storylines together.

Purchase Links – Love Me Tender

Girls Who Lie

Author – Eva Björg Ægisdóttir.

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in Globalisation
in Norway before returning to Iceland and deciding to write a novel – something
she had wanted to do since she won a short-story competition at the age of
fifteen. After nine months combining her writing with work as a stewardess and
caring for her children, Eva finished The Creak on the Stairs. It was published in
2018, and became a bestseller in Iceland. It also went on to win the Blackbird
Award, a prize set up by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Ragnar Jónasson to encourage
new Icelandic crime writers. It was published in English by Orenda Books in 2020.
Eva lives in Reykjavík with her husband and three children and is currently working
on the third book in the Forbidden Iceland series.

Social Media Links –

Twitter – Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Publisher – Orenda

Pages – 273

The Blurb –

When a depressed, alcoholic single mother disappears, everything suggests suicide, but when her body is found, Icelandic Detective Elma and her team are thrust into a perplexing, chilling investigation.

‘Eerie and chilling. I loved every word!’ Lesley Kara

‘An exciting and harrowing tale’ Ragnar Jónasson

‘Chilling and addictive, with a twist you won’t see coming. I loved it!’ Shari Lapena

When single mother Maríanna disappears from her home, leaving an apologetic note on the kitchen table, everyone assumes that she’s taken her own life … until her body is found on the Grábrók lava fields seven months later, clearly the victim of murder. Her neglected fifteen-year-old daughter Hekla has been placed in foster care, but is her perfect new life hiding something sinister?

Fifteen years earlier, a desperate new mother lies in a maternity ward, unable to look at her own child, the start of an odd and broken relationship that leads to a shocking tragedy.

Police officer Elma and her colleagues take on the case, which becomes increasingly complex, as the number of suspects grows and new light is shed on Maríanna’s past – and the childhood of a girl who never was like the others…

Breathtakingly chilling and tantalisingly twisty, Girls Who Lie is at once a startling, tense psychological thriller and a sophisticated police procedural, marking Eva Björg Ægisdottir as one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.

_______________

Praise for Eva Björg Ægisdottir

‘Fans of Nordic Noir will love this … subtle, nuanced, with a sympathetic central character and the possibilities of great stories to come’ Ann Cleeves

‘Not only a full-fat mystery, but also a chilling demonstration of how monsters are made’ The Times

‘Beautifully written, spine-tingling and disturbing … a thrilling new voice in Icelandic crime fiction’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

‘As chilling and atmospheric as an Icelandic winter’ Lisa Gray

‘Elma is a fantastic heroine’ Sunday Times

‘Eva Björg Aegisdóttir is definitely a born storyteller and she skilfully surprised me with some amazing plot twists’ Hilary Mortz

‘An unsettling and exciting read with a couple of neat red herrings to throw the reader off the scent’ NB Magazine

‘Chilling and troubling … reminiscent of Jorn Lier Horst‘s Norwegian procedurals. This is a book that makes an impact’ Crime Fiction Lover

‘Elma is a memorably complex character’ Financial Times

‘The twist comes out of the blue … enthralling’ Tap The Line Magazine

Today is my stop on the Girls Who Lie blog tour. Many thanks to Anne Cater for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – This is a fantastic read and the author has created a very complex and enjoyable thriller.

The story revolves around the discovery of a woman who disappeared seven months ago. At the time it was thought she had taken her own life. However the body clearly shows sign of being murdered. Elma and her team get drawn into the deceased’s life.

They have to work through her history to find out who would have wanted her dead and why has her body surfaced seven months later?

It really is like being Hansel or Gretel reading it, you pick up all the clues left for you along the way. Trying to solve it before Elma but just when you think you have it solved, something else happens.

I would recommend this everyone. A truly excellent read.

Purchase Links – Girls Who Lie

The 32: An Anthology of Irish Working – Class Voices

Author – Various.

Edited by – Paul McVeigh.

Paul McVeigh’s debut novel, The Good Son (Salt, 2015), won the Polari First
Novel Prize and was named by Kerry Hudson in the Observer as one of the
‘exceptional working-class novels from the last few years’. He has twice won
the McCrea Literary Award and has toured the UK and Ireland with his plays
and comedy. His short stories have appeared in the Irish Times, Faber’s Being
Various and Kit de Waal’s Common People anthologies, on BBC Radio 3, 4 and 5,
and Sky Arts. Paul was fiction editor at the Southword Journal, co-edited the
Belfast Stories anthology and co-founded the London Short Story Festival.

Paul McVeigh

Social Media Links –

Twitter – Paul McVeigh

Publisher – Unbound

Pages – 304

The Blurb –

We read because we want to experience lives and emotions beyond our own, to learn, to see with others’ eyes.

The 32 is a celebration of working-class voices from the island of Ireland. Edited by award-winning novelist Paul McVeigh, this intimate and illuminating collection features memoir and essays from established and emerging Irish voices including Kevin Barry, Dermot Bolger, Roddy Doyle, Lisa McInerney, Lyra McKee and many more.

Too often, working-class writers find that the hurdles they come up against are higher and harder to leap over than those faced by writers from more affluent backgrounds. As in Common People – an anthology of working-class writers edited by Kit de Waal and the inspiration behind this collection – The 32 sees writers who have made that leap reach back to give a helping hand to those coming up behind.

Without these working-class voices, without the vital reflection of real lives or role models for working-class readers and writers, literature will be poorer. We will all be poorer.

Today is my stop on The 32 blog tour. Many thanks to Anne Cater for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – This is a brilliant collection of short stories that give a voice to those who may not always break into the writing industry.

By highlighting writers of all backgrounds we all benefit, to enjoy a rich diverse world of literature everyone should be able to share their work.

This book contains 16 unknown Irish authors along side more established writers. What has been accomplished is a wide array of stories, something that will appeal to everyone.

I loved it and feel it will be a book I constantly dip in and out of.

Highly recommended.

Purchase Links – The 32

The Corfe Castle Murders

Author – Rachel Mclean.

My name’s Rachel McLean and I write thrillers that make you think.

What does that mean?

In short, I want my stories to make your pulse race and your brain tick.

Do you often get through a thriller at breakneck pace but are left with little sense of what the book was really about? Do you sometimes read literary fiction but just wish something would damn well happen?

My books aim to fill that gap.

If you’d like to know more about my books and receive extra bonus content, please join my book club. I’ll send you a weekly (sometimes fortnightly) email with news about my writing research and progress, stories and bonus content for each book. And I’ll let you know when my books are on offer.

Rachel Mclean

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/rachelmcleanwrites

Tweets by rachelmcwrites

https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcwrites/

Pages – 285

The Blurb –

Meet DCI Lesley Clarke. She’s a straight-talking city copper who doesn’t suffer fools gladly… and she’s been transferred to rural Dorset.
After being injured in a bomb attack, Lesley is presented with a choice – early retirement, or a period of respite in a calmer location.
But things don’t stay calm for long.
Before she’s even started her new job, Lesley is dragged into investigating a murder at one of England’s most iconic landmarks, the imposing Corfe Castle.
Lesley must hit the ground running. Can she get along with her new partner DS Dennis Frampton, a traditionalist who doesn’t appreciate her style? How will she navigate the politics of a smaller force where she’s a bigger, and less welcome, fish? And most importantly, can she solve the murder before the killer strikes again?
The Corfe Castle Murders is a compelling, character-driven mystery perfect for fans of Ruth Rendell, Colin Dexter, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis.

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

My thoughts – I really like books written by this author so was pleased to be able to read this start of a new series.

I have also reviewed:

Thicker Than Water

Sea of Lies

One of Us

This new series did not disappoint as I was thrown straight into the world of DCI Lesley Clarke.

She is a no nonsense detective who finds herself moved to Dorset. The pace of country life really doesn’t suit her and she struggles to adapt to a quieter way of life.

However the peace is soon shattered by a murder. Corfe Castle finds itself at the centre of a mystery when a new body is found in a dig site.

Lesley must work quickly with her new team to unearth the killer.

This is a great start to a new series, a strong female lead and a tough case to solve. I can not wait to read Book 2.

Purchase Links –

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0989Y2J2R

US –https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0989Y2J2R

Aiden Shaw’s Penis

Author – Various.

Foreword by Coco Khan – Coco Khan is a London-based journalist for the Guardian, writing on arts media and popular culture through a political lens. She is a contributing writer to two short story anthologies, The Good Immigrant and It’s Not About the Burqa. Daniel Clarke is a freelance illustrator and artist based in London. He has worked for a number of clients including Amnesty International, Dezeen, V&A and New York Times.

Coco Khan

Social Media Links –

Twitter – Coco Khan (@cocobyname) / Twitter

Publisher – Twenty Seven

Pages – 132

The Blurb –

What does it mean to be silenced, to be censored? Or perhaps, more importantly, what does it mean to break free?

This beautifully illustrated anthology celebrates high quality fiction and non-fiction short story writing from authors all over the world. Bringing together 12 exciting and emerging international voices, this collection explores the censoring of the past, present, future, the self, the state, and the effects of censorship on everyday life. As a provocation, this book will provide readers with a diverse, relatable and surprising look at censorship and what it means to be silenced – or, perhaps more importantly, what it means to break free.

Today is my stop on the Aiden Shaw’s Penis blog tour. Many thanks to Anne Cater for the chance to read and review.

My thoughts – This is a brilliant anthology of stories, that explore censorship. This book is so beautiful not only in illustration but in the stories told within. I would recommend everyone should give it a read, I know it made me think about all the things I take for granted.

There are twelve stories here to read and reread, which I have done. The stories will stay with you for a long time and make will make you reflect on how other people live.

It was great to discover new authors and l look forward to reading more by them.

Purchase Links – Aiden Shaw’s Penis