#Blogtour Whispers Through the Canvas by K.J. McGillick

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Whispers Through The Canvas: Murder’s Timeless Echo by K J McGillick.

About the Author

From the bustling courtrooms of Atlanta to the vibrant tapestry of 16th-century England, Kathleen McGillick’s life and career have been a captivating blend of legal expertise, artistic passion, and a thirst for adventure.

Fueled by an undergraduate and graduate degree in nursing, Kathleen built a foundation of compassion and care. This dedication to service later led her to pursue a Juris Doctorate, allowing her to navigate the intricacies of the legal system for nearly three decades. Her courtroom experience now breathes life into the intricate details of her legal thrillers, ensuring every courtroom scene crackles with authenticity.

But Kathleen’s story doesn’t end there. A deep fascination with art history led her to delve into the world of renowned artists and captivating eras. Her particular passion for 16th-century British history allows her to transport readers to richly detailed historical settings, immersing them in the culture, politics, and societal nuances of the time.

Driven by an unwavering dedication to her craft, Kathleen has independently published eleven legal thrillers since 2018. Her commitment extends beyond solo creation, as she actively engages with the writing community, honing her skills through workshops and courses led by renowned authors.

And when she’s not crafting captivating narratives, Kathleen embarks on international journeys, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences that further enrich her writing. This global perspective adds another layer of depth and realism to her stories, allowing readers to connect with characters and settings that transcend geographical boundaries.

To delve deeper into Kathleen’s world and explore her captivating legal thrillers, visit her website at kjmcgillick.com or goodreads.com/author/K_J_McGillick

About the book

Murder… Across The Fractured Corridors of Time.

Plunged into a centuries-old conspiracy, unconventional art historian Rowan Southeil must race against time to stop an ancient evil from rewriting history. When a young artist is murdered in a chilling echo of medieval violence, Rowan finds herself drawn to a seemingly unrelated clue – a 16th-century painting drenched in arcane symbols. Aided by the victim’s haunting presence, Rowan delves into the painting’s mysterious past, uncovering a dark conspiracy that stretches back generations.

Teaming up with the pragmatic Detective Lancaster, the intuitive Rowan follows a daring journey through time, from the storied halls of 16th-century Tudor London to the secretive 17th-century Vatican. As she awakens powerful elemental forces within herself, Rowan must decipher the painting’s secrets – and the connection to the medieval-style murder – before Lev Rubilov, a dark centuries-old occultist, can harness its magic to rewrite history and restore a twisted vision of the past.

For fans of genre-blending thrillers like A Discovery of Witches and Outlander, this captivating novel weaves together mystery, the supernatural, and high-stakes time travel in a race against the clock to stop an ancient evil. Whispers Through The Canvas is a crime story, filled with action and adventure, within a historical fantasy milieu. If you love kick-ass heroines who have a bit of life experience and walk on the wild side of magic, this book is for you.

Review

Rowan is an art historian with an unconventional ability, she sees and senses beyond what is visible to the eye. She feels what is often carried within the creation or perhaps even captured and held hostage in the between the colour, vision, material.

That in itself makes her invaluable to those who believe there is more to the world we live in than preconceived norms. A 16th-century painting takes centre stage in this riveting mystery that forces the reader to see beyond the brushstrokes.

It’s a little weighty in a sense that it appears to be on the cusp of wanting to wander into literary fiction, but being contained to a genre or story which may or may not constrain the tendency to walk beyond the structure of said genre/s. Maybe it’s time to let that instinct determine the path.

It’s a story that weaves in and out of magical realism, supernatural, historical fiction, and a good old mystery at the core of it all. The whole concept of art being the patient zero in a web of conspiracy, betrayal, power and murder, which stretches across centuries – well it has the potential to be a series that keeps on giving. I wonder what Rowan would make of the new royal portrait that was recently unveiled?

Buy Whispers Through the Canvas: Murder’s Timeless Echo at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour How to Hear Ghosts by David Griffiths

It’s my turn on the Blogtour How to Hear Ghosts by David Griffiths.

About the Author

For many years David Griffiths has taught a variety of subjects (including English, Psychology, History and Sociology) in Further Education colleges in East Yorkshire – the inspiration for the setting for his book. More recently he has taught English and Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. David completed How to Hear Ghosts as part of a PhD in Creative Writing while attending Manchester Met University as a student. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, he now lives in Formby, Liverpool.

About the book

In the wake of his mother’s death, 16-year old Ollie is thrust into the world of his uncle, Dominic Quinn, a renowned stage medium. Communing with the dead runsi in Ollie’s family – or so he believes. But as he starts to hear voices in his head, he must confront the possibility that they are no more than a spiral into hereditary madness.

Haunted by the mysterious letter that plagued his mum’s final days, Ollie embarks on a quest for answers with the help of one of his uncle’s mysterious books and the support of his classmate, Hannah, Ollie delves into the secrets surrounding his mother’s past.

But as he navigates the blurred line between reality and the paranormal, he must face a daunting question will it make him famous like his uncle or dead like his mother? In this gripping young adult novel Ollie discovers that sometimes, the most terrifying ghosts are the ones we carry inside.

Review

I think the author does an excellent job of creating a mystery within a question to which there is no answer, because the truth is we don’t know everything and don’t have access to all the information to be able to answer the question with absolute certainty. Is there something beyond death, is there a possibility of communicating with what remains of the dead – the spirit, soul or energy even?

Or is all it just a grand ruse? An illusion within hundreds of smaller ones, perpetrated by the intuitive, the clever con-people, the scam artists, and the people under the guise of inherited ability connected to folklore and legend. Those groups being divided again by profit, a deep need to help others soothe their pain and conscience, and actual believers.

In this story Ollie falls into another group, into the mental illness category. When voices are nothing more than a figment of imagination, a symptom that can be medicated, and also be manipulated by others. But the question – the real question in this story – is what is real, what is truth and what is Ollie’s reality?

Will there be more? Is this just the beginning of our relationship with Ollie as he navigates what he has discovered about himself and the world he inhabits or the world he thinks he inhabits? And what will he do with his truth?

It’s a good read, one that keeps the reader on the cusp of something similar to a door, which has been intentionally opened just ever so slightly so we have a quick peep and become just a tad curious about the rest. Okay then, what’s next!

Buy How to Hear Ghosts at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Wrate’s Publishing; pub date 4th April 2024 | Paperback £9.99 – Kindle £3.99. Available via Amazon and to order in all good bookshops. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Mary I: Queen of Sorrows by Alison Weir. – Sunday Times bestselling novelist Alison Weir returns with the spellbinding story of Mary I.

About the Author

Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and the leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than thirty books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide.

Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history’s most iconic family – the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers.

Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces. Follow @AlisonWeirBooks on X, Visit alisonweir.org.uk

About the book

A Destiny Rewritten. A Royal Heart Divided. – Adored only child of Henry VIII and his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father’s court. But the King wants a son and heir.

With her parents’ marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary’s perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition.

The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come – in her allegiances, her marriage and her own fight for the crown. Can she become the queen she was born to be?

Mary I. Her Story. – Alison Weir’s new Tudor novel is the tale, full of drama and tragedy, of how a princess with such promise, loved by all who knew her, became the infamous Bloody Mary.

Review

I think this book, and Weir in her accurate interpretation of Mary, reminds us of the fact that Henry VIII destroyed many lives and had a negative impact on the women around him in particular. Both Mary I and her sister Elizabeth I are direct products of their unstable childhood and a father who was a pure narcissist in his private life and choices. 

It’s ironic, that any other action considered to be one of greatness and a sign of his rich education, intellectual ability and great mind, is outshone by his misogyny and cruel treatment of family, friends and often his own country. Also perhaps that Elizabeth became more of a king than he ever was, and simply denied him the legitimate direct descendancy he sought.

I do enjoy a good author’s note, especially when it sheds such an informative light on inspiration, direction and illuminates a path often tethered in revisionary versions of history, and that most definitely includes the way Mary I is viewed and discussed.

I also lean towards the more factual and brutal version when it comes to Mary. A girl who saw her mother set aside and treated with disdain, a mother who was deeply ingrained in her faith – an element mirrored in her daughter. The breaking of marriage being intrinsically linked to breaking with Rome probably became one and the same for mother and daughter, which explains the vicious approach Bloody Mary had in response to alleged heresy. Her lack of diplomacy when picking a spouse is indicative of where her loyalties lay, and of course the people recognised that.

It’s the ability to fill in the holes, the lack of information in historical record, and create a more accurate version of an historical character – a trademark Weir move. The result is a riveting read and much deeper insight into the years after Henry VIII, more specifically the years of rulership under his legitimate heirs that are often glossed over.

Buy Mary I Queen of Sorrows at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Headline Review; pub date 9 may 2024 – Hardback, eBook, Audiobook | £25. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour Last Testament in Bologna by Tom Benjamin

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour Last Testament in Bologna by Tom Benjamin.

About the Author

Tom Benjamin grew up in the suburbs of north London and began his working life as a journalist before becoming a spokesman for Scotland Yard. He later moved into public health, where he led drugs awareness programme FRANK. He now lives in Bologna. Follow Tom @Tombenjaminsays on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or at tombenjamin.com

About the book

Last Testament in Bologna is the fourth in Tom Benjamin’s critically-acclaimed Bologna-set series featuring British private detective Daniel Leicester. 

When an old man makes a bequest to investigate the mysterious death of his son, English detective Daniel Leicester follows a trail to one of Bologna’s wealthiest families – makers of some of the world’s most coveted supercars – and discovers that beneath the glamour of the Formula One circuit lurk sinister interests that may be prepared to kill to keep their secrets.

Review

The Comandante has a way of asserting his competence without really doing anything other than having a specific presence when he is around people. If that is not enough then a reminder of his career credentials seems to put people in their place. I think Daniel has taken on a wee bit of that reputation.

The above can be enough of an explanation for their new case, a rather unusual way to to hire investigators though, and certainly a way to ensure the potential suspects are already wary of your motives.

As Daniel navigates a powerful, very competitive field of sport, which is a very lucrative business, ergo one that may compel certain individuals to commit crimes, he learns that perhaps a grieving father had good reason to suspect the narrative of his son falling foul of his own incompetence.

In direct comparison to this we have Daniel struggling with his own family complications and similar reckless attitudes, whilst gives the story an element of relatability, both in regards to the case and life in general. It’s what makes the series so appealing.

I think this series is steadily evolving and improving – it has Dibdin vibes – where surroundings, culture and strong, memorable characters create the kind of read you remember. More importantly it is the perfect recipe for a good read.

Buy Last Testament in Bologna at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ Constable; pub date 9 Nov. 2023. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour House of Kwa by Mimi Kwa

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour House of Kwa by Mimi Kwa.

About the Author

Mimi Kwa has been a journalist and television newsreader for twenty years as well as appearing in TV series and commercials. She and her partner, John, live in Melbourne, with their four children, a cavoodle and a burmese cat. Mimi loves to paint and write. This is her first book.

About the book

Wild Swans meets Educated in this riveting true story spanning four generations – The dragon circles and swoops … a tiger running alone in the night  

Mimi Kwa ignored the letter for days. When she finally opened it, the news was so shocking her hair turned grey. Why would a father sue his own daughter?

The collision was over the estate of Mimi’s beloved Aunt Theresa, but its seed had been sown long ago. In an attempt to understand how it had come to this, Mimi unspools her rich family history in House of Kwa.

One of a wealthy silk merchant’s 32 children, Mimi’s father, Francis, was just a little boy when the Kwa family became caught up in the brutal and devastating Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Years later, he was sent to study in Australia by his now independent and successful older sister Theresa. There he met and married Mimi’s mother, a nineteen-year-old with an undiagnosed, chronic mental illness. Soon after, ‘tiger’ Mimi arrived, and her struggle with the past and the dragon – began …

Riveting, colourful and often darkly humorous, House of Kwa is an epic family drama spanning four generations, and an unforgettable story about how one woman finds the courage to stand up for her freedom and independence, squaring off against the ghosts of the past and finally putting them to rest. Throughout, her inspiration is Francis’s late older sister, the jet-setting, free-spirited Aunt Theresa, whose extraordinary life is a beacon of hope in the darkness.

Review

I have to admit the last sentence of the last chapter (not the epilogue) made me smirk. It just encapsulates the history, the heritage, the genealogy, the family web and entirety of this memoir, with such accuracy. The fragile balance between sanity, safety, happiness and peace, which appears to be in a constant state of imbalance because at the core is always this expectation of living up to tradition of prior generations.

It’s a fascinating memoir, there is no question that House of Kwa brings its own building size sense of history, myth and importance with it. That is drawn in direct comparison to the present generations and their attempt to navigate deeply ingrained entitlement.

I think it’s fair to say that it takes an almost out of body observation of self, loved ones and family to be able to not only view and engage her family members in a way that is compassionate, and yet simultaneously stand her ground and fight for what is right.

I really enjoyed the read, Mimi is commendable for being so patient and coming out the other side without falling prey to the traditions and expectations of such an auspicious legacy, and equally finding firm footing in a chaotic modern version of family.

Buy House of Kwa at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HarperCollins pub date 9 May 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher.

*From the literary award winning, bestselling and critically acclaimed novelist Susan Fletcher comes a novel about the richness and adventures of one woman’s life – a joyful, brave, unconventional life, brimming with love and loss in all its forms.* 

About the Author

Susan Fletcher was born in Birmingham and studied English Literature at the University of York. 

Whilst taking the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, she began her first novel, Eve Green, which won the Whitbread First Novel Award (2004) and Betty Trask Prize (2005). Since then, Susan has written seven novels – whilst also supplementing her writing through various roles, including as a barperson, a cheesemonger and a warden for an archaeological excavation site near Hadrian’s Wall. Most recently, she has been a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Worcester. She lives in Warwickshire. Follow @sfletcherauthor on X

About the book

#“Florrie knows that love, the proper, deep, extraordinary kind – is not about you. Real love is about them, always – about the person who you love above all others, whose happiness you long for above all other things.  With love, you want the best for them.  You want their contentment, their safety.  You want them to laugh freely, to dance, to live a long, healthy life of joy and gratitude – even if this happens away from you, even if your beloved never knows your name.  For that person you’d deny yourself a thousand things in your own life if it meant they had just one of them – just one.  

For one has, with love, the curious notion that you can pass on your own allowance of happiness to them, in some fashion, as if bequeathing pennies that you’d rather they spent, not you.”  – Joy? Here. Have all of mine. 

Review

I think this author has a particular strength when it comes to creating characters the reader becomes invested in. Deeper emotional connections, perhaps because the characters resonate with a specific part of our experiences or our frame of references.

This time the characters and story is woven together with a potential mystery at the core. It allows for a greater exploration of love, life, both lived and lost. In a sense the inner core, when you move through the forest of suspicion and questions, is about the beginning and the end – a path well travelled.

I loved the way this story became an multi genre experience with a literary vibe. The descriptive prose evokes poetic imagery, which is then drawn in a direct contrast to the ageing in Florrie. Knowing that her vivacious and colourful journey is slowing down and declining. Her health and changes that come with aging have become a burden that attracts vicious tongues, and yet despite all that she lives in a world that sees the beauty and joy in the fleeting moments.

I enjoyed the read – will we hear more from Florrie? Or is the path to the end exactly what the readers want for her. It’s a story that travels smoothly from present to past and back again, and sometimes part of that past clings tightly to the travelling ever evolving memory.

Buy The Night in Question at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bantam; pub date 18th April 2024 | Hardback | £14.99. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour What Everyone Knows About Britain *(Except the British) by Michael Peel

It’s my turn on the Blogtour What Everyone Knows About Britain *(Except the British) by Michael Peel.

About the Author

Michael Peel first joined the Financial Times in 1997. Since then, he has been a foreign correspondent posted in West Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and Europe. Peel’s work has won awards, including from the UK Foreign Press Association and the US Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. He has also written for many other publications including the London Review of Books and TLS. He has appeared on the BBC, Sky and other broadcast media. Follow @Mikepeeljourno on X

About the book

How do you see Britain? That might depend on your point of view, and as long time British foreign correspondent, Michael Peel has come to understand, it can look very different from outside.

It’s tempting to think of the UK as a fundamentally stable and successful nation. But events of the past few years, from Brexit to exposés of imperial history, have begun to spark fierce public debates about whether that is true. Is Britain, just a marginal northern European island nation, marked by injustices, corruption and with a bloody history of slavery, repression and looting?

And yet UK politics, media, and public opinion live constantly in the shadow of old myths, Second World War era nostalgia, and a belief in supposedly core British values of tolerance, decency and fair play. British politicians regularly exploit a damaging complacency that holds that everything will turn out okay, because, in Britain, it always does.

In What Everyone Knows About Britain, Michael Peel digs into the national consciousness with the perspective of distance to pull apart the ways in which we British have become unmoored from crucial truths about ourselves. He shows us that from many perspectives we are no different from other countries whose own national delusions have seen them succumb to abuses of power, increased poverty and divisive conflict.

The battle over Britain’s narrative is the struggle for its future and its place in the world. So, how do we escape the trick mirror – and see ourselves as we really are?

Review

I have to say that Peel ends this books with a lot more positivity and confidence in certain aspects of the people in Britain than I have. I’m guessing it’s better than assuming the worst. We are already on a steady path of exploitation via extremists for destructive purposes. Not sure the people in power have any grip on a possible a constructive role.

The truth is Brexit has decimated our role and previously steadfast position on the global landscape. Having negotiated ourselves out of the power position and into a minor role, we still expect the assumption of power by others. Equally it is worth noting that everything the concept was sold on has merely meant the people of Britain are having to put their hands in their pockets more often – for money and to keep quiet.

Also – just on a side note – perceiving the country as in a better position in regard to racial prejudice in comparison to other EU countries, it’s a fallacy. Sounds great though, but it is blatantly disregarding the white supremacy bubbling in the guise of national pride. The difference compared to other EU countries is that they have stopped trying to hide the bigotry, racism and xenophobia. Groups and supporters growing bigger in direct correlation to a lack of governance, which brings us back to the extremists exploiting the narrative for destructive purposes. 

I really enjoyed the dissection, especially from someone who has the added bonus of seeing and experiencing from the outside. Britain is very insular, having a lengthy experience off the island is the only way to comprehend our strengths, weaknesses and what kind of impact our self-imposed Brexit rules are actually having. It’s a great read, and one that will start many a conversation.

Buy What Everyone Knows About Britain at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Monoray; pub date 25 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Coming Storm by Greg Mosse

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Blogtour The Coming Storm by Greg Mosse.

‘Greg Mosse’s debut novel The Coming Darkness, was a Sunday Times Thriller of 2022, and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month 2022 and widely reviewed. Mosse’s second novel The Coming Storm, sees the return of his anti-hero the French special agent Alex Lamarque, and is part of the new genre of “Cli-Fi Fiction” or Climate Change Fiction that is looking to predict what a post climate change future might look like.‘

About the Author

A theatre director, playwright and actor Greg Mosse is the founder and director of the Criterion New Writing programme at the Criterion Theatre in London, running workshops in script development to a diverse community of writers, actors and directors. In addition, since 2015, Greg has written, produced and stage 25 plays and musicals.

Greg set up both the Southbank Centre Creative Writing School – an open access program of evening classes delivering MA level workshops – and the University of Sussex MA in Creative Writing at West Dean College which he taught for 4 years. 

The husband of the bestselling novelist Kate Mosse, Kate’s hit novel Labyrinth was inspired by a house that Greg and his mother bought together in the French medieval city of Carcassonne, where the couple and their children spent many happy summers. Following the success of Labyrinth, Greg created the innovative readers-and-writers website mosselabyrinth.co.uk MosseLabyrinth. The first of its kind MosseLabrynth was the world’s first online accessible 3D world, and the inspiration for Pottermore – the popular Harry Potter website. 

A multilinguist, Greg has lived and worked in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Madrid and has worked as both an interpreter at a variety of international institutions and a teacher in the UK.

Greg and Kate live in Chichester, where Kate’s parents founded the Chichester Festival Theatre, they have two grown up children. Visit @GregMosse on X

About the book

In this chilling dystopian thriller climate change is coming for us all.

Greg Mosse’s debut novel The Coming Darkness, was a Sunday Times Thriller of 2022, and a Waterstones Thriller of the Month 2022. Mosse’s second novel The Coming Storm, sees the return of his anti-hero the French special agent Alex Lamarque.

By 2037 the world’s been torn apart by global warming, religious wars and viruses. Against this turbulent setting French special agent Alex Lamarque is hunting eco terrorists attacking energy services and supply lines.

Battling with personal tragedy on one hand, and the intrusion of new-found celebrity on the other, Alex must re-emerge from self-imposed exile to reunite with Mariam – the woman he loves – and Amaury – his truest friend – to face the fight of their lives.

From the streets of Paris, the lithium mines of Southern Mali, and the mighty Aswan Dam, they come up against forces whose intentions are as devious as they are malign. Time is against them, and there’s more at stake than ever. Can they survive The Coming Storm?

A massive new talent in British fiction, Greg Mosse’s storytelling is complex and finely crafted, combining twisting plotlines, intelligent dialogue and ambiguous characters, all skilfully brought together in an epic climax. Never before has dystopian fiction been so chillingly real.  

Review

This is the second book in The Coming Darkness, and where the first book was a preparation of the storm – now it’s here. Was it just me or was this book darker, more morose and calculated? It absolutely leads into the futuristic dystopian aspect of a world and societies hit by the catastrophic changes of climate change. It’s certainly more concerning and frightening because it is written in the impending future and we can already see where the road is headed in our real life scenario.

The author creates a variety of threads – webs of collusion, of connections and of common ground – each thread its own microcosm of the fallout. The characters also seem to take more of a centre stage, as we delve into motivation, family ties and personal accountability.

I found some of the responses to the immediate situations and impending crisis quite interesting. Possibly because the constant threat, the steady flow of threats and danger has made the majority of people desensitised to violence and death. That includes the main characters, despite how much the contrary appears to be true.

It’s a captivating piece of dystopian fiction, which commandeers the stage with a believable concept – some parts we could eventually be living one day – some we are battling at the moment. It’s complex, and yet simultaneously easy to comprehend. 

Buy The Coming Storm by Greg Mosse at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Moonflower Books | pub date 25th April 2024 | £9.99| Paperback Original. Buy at Amazon com.

#PublicationDayBlitz The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou

It’s a pleasure to take part in the Publication Day Blitz The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou.

 Author photo: credit – Jon Cartwright

About the Author

Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red, among others. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and her debut novel, She Came To Stay, was published in 2020. Her latest novel, The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou, is inspired by the true-crime story of the penultimate woman to be executed in Britain. Follow @EleniKWriter on X and elenikwriter.com.

About the book

They have told so many lies about me.

London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can’t speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.

Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.

Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide… Is she a victim? Or is she a killer?

A compelling historical crime novel set in the Greek diaspora of 1950s London – that’s inspired by a true story – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Sara Collins, and Jessie Burton.

Review

Both sides of the coin of justice play a role in this story. The disparity created by a lack of support for accused who are unable to communicate in the language of their chosen country, the way the press and prejudice create a specific frame of reference that has undue influence over the opinions and thereby also possibly court, judge and jury.

On the other side there is pesky legislation (depending on court and country) that often comes into play about the use of prior information that could also influence one way or the way. In this particular scenario Eva keeps pertinent information from the authorities, which could determine a different outcome for Zina, although I’m certain it is the attempt to save the woman.

She sees parallels between her own experiences and the way her mother was treated as an non-English speaking person from a foreign country. It’s at the core of her interactions with Zina, despite I think knowing what the truth is – deep down she knows she is capable, but the lack of fairness and inequality towards this woman override everything else.

I really enjoyed the way the author shed a light on the way recognising systemic bias can influence the most important institutions, regardless of guilt or innocence – all deserve an equal chance in court.

It’s a captivating read, a tale with a factual story at the core. The unpicking of Zina and Eva, the scrutiny of life as an immigrant and way we interact with others, especially when others look and sound different. It’s a fantastic book I hope to read more by this author.

Buy The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Head of Zeus — an Aries Book; pub date 25 April 2024. Buy at Amazon com.

#Blogtour The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara

It’s my turn on the Blogtour The Other Tenant by Lesley Kara, published by Bantam Press – 25th April 2024.

‘From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a gripping new thriller that asks how well you really know the people you share a home with… After all, living with strangers can be murder…‘

About the Author

Lesley Kara is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour, Who Did You Tell?, The Dare and The Apartment Upstairs. The Rumour was the highest selling crime fiction debut of 2019 in the UK, and a Kindle No.1 bestseller. Lesley is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She lives in Kent.

You can follow Lesley on Twitter @LesleyKara or visit her website at lesleykara.com

About the book

The Queen of the killer twist is back in this gripping closed-circle thriller about an unusual home full of strangers, with a murderer in their midst… 

Marlow has always lived in unusual places. But when she accepts a position as a live-in property guardian, she finds herself moving somewhere she swore she’d never return to. Right from the start, she knows it’s a terrible mistake. The elegant Victorian school is due to be turned into luxury apartments, but its eerie, empty corridors are full of Marlow’s worst memories.

And now something sinister is happening on the site. One of the other tenants has disappeared without warning, and Marlow suspects that the nine other guardians know far more than they’re letting on. She’s determined to find out what happened to the missing woman – but which of these strangers can she trust? And can she uncover the truth before her own past catches up with her?

Review

From a plot scenario perspective I was in two minds about the concept of being a property guardian – by the way is this a thing? The idea of living in extraordinary spaces, unusual or perhaps those reserved for the more privileged, it’s intriguing. A little bit like treasure hunting, urban exploring and the appreciation of spaces.

The flip-side includes the trauma inducing deserted places, the shabby and spooky ones, but the dealbreaker for me would probably be the having to share living space with complete strangers on the spur of a moment. Frequently changing people and no control over how many or how often it may happen. Unless we are talking desperate measures, the apocalypse or a zombie invasion, I’m not sure I would ever agree to the above.

I think it’s the combination of enticing and trust your gut instinct that makes the concept such a great idea, because the reader kind of knows it has the potential to go really wrong for someone – is that someone Marlow?

Marlow finds herself right back at the core of her inner trauma when her role as property guardian takes her right back to her previous life, this time with a bunch of strangers who seem curiously disinterested in the disappearance of the person she is replacing.

It’s very much an atmosphere and space/place driven story, the author uses the evoked visuals to create a constant current of danger, fear and suspicion. It’s a great read.

Buy The Other Tenant at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Bantam Press; pub date 25th April 2024 | Hardback | £14.99. Buy at Amazon com.