#BlogTour Legacy of Guilt by L.J. Morris

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Legacy of Guilt by L.J. Morris.

About the Author

L. J. Morris was born in Cold War, West Germany, but grew up in the North of England. During his childhood, books were always an important part of his life. He read everything he could get his hands on but always found himself drawn towards the thriller genre. At 16, eager to see the world he had read about, he left school and spent most of the 80s and 90s serving in the Royal Navy.

After his military service, he continued to live and work across Europe, The USA, and Southeast Asia for several more years. It was during this time that his love of storytelling resurfaced. He jotted down ideas, using the locations he found himself in as a backdrop, and added in details from his own experiences to make the stories feel authentic.

He now lives back in the North of England, with his wife and two sons, where he still works in the defence industry. His short stories have appeared in several anthologies and the first of his Ali Sinclair thriller novels, Desperate Ground, was published in 2018 by Bloodhound Books. The sequel, Hunting Ground, followed a year later. Follow @LesJMorris, Visit ljmorrisauthor.com

About the book

The latest espionage thriller from L. J. Morris, the best-selling author of the Ali Sinclair series.

When photographs of a missing Russian missile scientist show he is still alive, and a Soviet era nuclear warhead goes missing in Iraq, ex-marine Logan Palmer must track them both down before the Plutonium can be turned into a devastating, terrorist weapon. But, with thousands of lives at risk, Palmer doesn’t realise that the only person in the world he cares about is the one that’s in the most danger. Neither does he know whether he’ll survive long enough to save anyone. 

Review

Logan Palmer is old school when it comes to his job and his family or what’s left of his family. The full force of the premise is focused on the action thriller element with Palmer’s family playing a pivotal yet secondary role. They are the driving force behind his choices and his motivation, especially when he is roped back into a mission for the clandestine government groups – the ones who pull the strings in the background.

He takes the job for the money, money he needs for said family, but has no idea just how deep of a quagmire of destruction and ruthless plots he is getting himself into. It just seems like another job, albeit one that could mean the difference between many lives destroyed and lots of innocent people being able to exist further without any knowledge of the danger they are in.

It’s an explosive, fast-paced action read with elements of espionage and military genres. It starts off like a large marble ball at the top of a hill which slowly picks up speed and then becomes a runaway train without a brake – a collision waiting to happen. The question is whether Palmer can stop the train and the inevitable from happening.

I think it is definitely a read that will appeal to readers who like their reads action heavy and with less emphasis on the relationships between characters – the core is action and it certainly delivers it tenfold.

Buy Legacy of Guilt at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎Dark Edge Press pub date 2 Aug. 2022. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Emergency Drill by Chris Blackwater

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Emergency Drill by Chris Blackwater. ‘Shortlisted for the 2020 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger award.’

About the Author

Chris Blackwater is a chartered engineer from Leeds. He began writing to entertain himself while working away on offshore oil platforms, power stations and shipyards. His career has taken him all over the world to many unusual locations and introduced him to some remarkable characters. His short stories have appeared in a variety of publications and anthologies.

In recent years Chris has gradually drifted down to the south coast of England where he now spends his spare time kayaking and sailing on the Solent.

About the book

Newly qualified offshore medic, Danny Verity, arrives on the Cuillin Alpha oil platform shortly before a storm damages the satellite system, severing the crew’s only mode of communication to the mainland.
It isn’t long before he is forced to carry out emergency surgery on an injured crewmate, whose accident he suspects was a result of sabotage, when another member of the crew disappears and yet another is attacked.

Then his casualty dies, and a sinister voice claiming to be that of the Pied Piper makes a threatening announcement on the PA system before Danny finds it damaged.

While the North Atlantic sea rages around them, Danny must find and stop the saboteur before anyone else gets hurt. But with no way of calling for help and unable to risk escaping on the lifeboats, it seems the crew are trapped aboard the platform with a killer.

Review

If you have any intention on visiting or working on an offshore oil platform, then you might want to reconsider after reading this. It’s not exactly an advert for a safe workplace environment. Now, the fact it is actually a rather deadly and dangerous one makes this an invigorating read, but that’s another matter entirely.

I not sure Danny thought being an offshore medic would be so brutal or become complicated quite so fast as it does. Barely on board and the casualties start piling up, and it’s more than just an bad day on the platform – there appears to be someone with an axe to grind on the isolated platform, and they have only just gotten started.

The action packed plot and accurate description of the surroundings reminded me of a book written by the late Wilbur Smith. Hungry as the Sea has the same vivid and visceral connection to the sea. Blackwater draws from the isolation, the danger, the hunger of the waves, the weakness of man in comparison to nature. Then he draws a parallel between the power, the destructive power of technology, the platform itself and the people on the platform. Sea – man – platform. Nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

It’s a great read full of action, although as I mentioned before, it might not be the best recruitment for working on offshore oil platforms.

Buy Emergency Drill at Amazon UkBuy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Fix by M.A. Russo

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Fix by M.A. Russo.

About the Author/s

Authors M. A. Russo are a sister collective, but you’d be forgiven for thinking they were one and the same. they both strate dtheir careers as nurses, with Marina gaining a Masters  in Health Psychology and a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy, and Anita as a University Nurse Lecturer with a PhD in Cancer Studies. These backgrounds fuel their writing.

Both are now commercial photographers by day and writers by night. They even have similar hobbies. they both love to run, hike, walk their dogs, grow their own veg and crate spectacular vegan meals. Neither can sing well, a regret they both share, as do others around them. Individually, Marina is passionate about lifelong learning, yoga, photographing nature and art. Anita loves shoemaking, screenwriting and composing songs on her guitar. Sisters Marina and Anita  are coauthors of The Fix. Follow @MARussoAuthor on Twitter.

About the book

When Covenston is hit by a series of rapes, Ally and Jinny Canessa find themselves amateur detectives. Ally is a counsellor, at odds with the very attractive DI Nick Daniels, whereas Jinny joins a local coven and believes spells may be the key to uncovering the perpetrator.

Evidence suggests the victims are being selected from one particular community, but the question is why? Ally and Jinny must confront harassment, homophobia – and themselves to find out. Because until they do, no woman is safe.

Review

Jinny is convinced her connection to magic and a local coven is playing kismet with her. She casts and presto something akin to what she conjured up happens. Not in the way she expects it to though.

Jinny and Ally are drawn into a violent crime spree. Someone is picking specific targets to punish them with the most vile form of intimidation and humiliation, to teach them a lesson and to show them true power.

Written by an author duo who are also sisters, this crime read has an underlying dark psychological undertone. It’s punchy, brutal and crosses plenty of boundaries. Not for the sensitive, faint of heart or readers who find certain fictional scenarios sail too closely to reality. It’s crude, veers into the obsessive, abusive and is at times violent. 

Some disturbing chapters are very detailed, perhaps to the point of gratuitous. I wonder if there was a conscious or even subconscious leaning towards what the plot should look like or is it a case of an intention to shed a light of just how targeted and vulnerable certain minority groups are. It felt contrived at times, forcing stereotypes for the greater good of enlightenment and understanding. Are they targeted – yes. Do women in general live a more dangerous and risky existence compared to men – yes.

What is done well is a lack of fracturing, which often occurs when authors write books in teams. I also really like the parallels drawn between the need to fix, self-image and understanding, and the topic of homophobia.

Buy The Fix at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ Dark Edge Press, pub date 1 Nov. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Love You Bad by Louise Mullins

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Love You Bad by Louise Mullins.

About the Author

Louise Mullins writes full-time using the experience she gained in a prior life working in the field of forensic mental health, working with offenders and survivors of serious crimes.

 To keep up to date with her latest releases, visit her website: www.louisemullinsauthor.com. You can also find her on Facebook@MullinsAuthor on Twitter and Instagram as: @mullinsauthor

About the book

Kerensa lives a life of privilege few could imagine. Loving husband. Luxury home. Financial security. But in the attic of their sea view mansion is a secret waiting to be discovered, threatening to destroy their perfect marriage. When their daughter’s au pair uncovers Dominic’s carefully constructed illusion, one lie at a time, it ends in murder. But whose?

Review

It seems to Kerensa and everyone around her that she lives a life of luxury, but appearances can be deceptive. The glue that binds the exterior of perfection is slowly disintegrating. Life as she knows it, which is quite confusing to say the least, is about to become more threatening.

I wasn’t a fan of the misogynistic and crude way the character of Dominic used to describe the sexual interactions he had with the older woman with the no longer nubile body. The tropes just cement the image and perception of that age group and gender. It is part and parcel of why Dominic picks certain types and is able to manipulate the wealthy woman into marrying him.

Moving forward the reader experiences the story from Dominic and Kerensa’s point of view. Dominic doesn’t even to hide his true nature, which is abusive, controlling and he is a bit of a bully. Kerensa knows something is up, but can’t really put her finger on the pulse of why her life is so limited and difficult at times, and why Dominic doesn’t appear to really like her.

Mullins creates a crime within a crime in this dark domestic thriller. It’s an interesting example of how easy it is for someone to get drawn into a toxic relationship and find it difficult to leave, especially when the world around you refuses to acknowledge the toxicity.

Buy Love You Bad at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Dark Edge Press pub date 18 July 2021. Buy at Amazon com.