#Blogtour Total Control by Alex Shaw

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Total Control by Alex Shaw.

About the Author

Alex Shaw spent the second half of the 1990s in Kyiv, Ukraine running his own business consultancy before being head-hunted for a division of Siemens. The next few years saw him doing business for the company across the former USSR, the Middle East, and Africa. Most recently he has spent several years in Doha, Qatar.

Alex is an active member of the ITW (The International Thriller Writers organisation) and the CWA (the Crime Writers Association). He is the author of three international bestselling thriller series featuring Aidan Snow, Jack Tate and Sophie Racine, and the standalone ‘Delta Force Vampire’. His writing has also been published in several thriller anthologies.

Total Blackout was Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur  Smith Adventure Writing Prize – Best Published Novel.

Alex, his wife and their two sons divide their time between homes in Kyiv – Ukraine, Sussex – England and Doha – Qatar. Follow Alex on twitter: @alexshawhetman

About the book

The target doesn’t exist. – When cyber terrorist Fang Bao abruptly reappears after years in hiding, MI6 agent and former SAS trooper Jack Tate is sent to bring him in – but when Fang is assassinated by an unknown assailant, Tate realises he was only a pawn in a plot that threatens to put the whole world in danger.

The mission is impossible. – Now Tate has to uncover a lethal conspiracy that stretches all the way from Germany through the United States and into the dark heart of the jungle in Myanmar. As the enemy hunt down the owners of military secrets that would make them indestructible, Tate must race to identify not only their next target, but the enemy themselves.

The war is about to begin… Soon he learns the dark truth at the heart of the global conspiracy. The enemy doesn’t want to just assassinate a world leader; they want to make war – and Tate is the only one who can stop them.

Review

This is the third book in the Jack Tate series, which can all be read as standalone novels. This plot is a timely one I think. The necessity of the US and Uk having to work together to combat a common enemy. An insidious game of blame can and will decide the fate of many. A treacherous game of propaganda in the cyber arena. What better way to cause havoc than to present one scenario to fool the world, and in doing so create an explosive situation.

Influencing the outcomes, whilst creating the right kind of weaknesses to exploit. It’s the kind of plot that isn’t beyond the realms of reality, which is probably what makes it a good read.

It was interesting to see a Tate willing to take a risk and he was certainly teetering quite close to the edge when it comes to controlling his anger. I wonder if it is intentional – a way to show the burden of stress, the result of living a life on a lethal tightrope.

When I recommend books I have quite a few readers (often men) who look for a particular genre, which can be a bit niche. I’m glad I can add another author to the list of recommendations when it comes to this action thriller, with a military vibe. The author knows exactly how to pace the story and keep it rolling until the very end.

Buy Total Control at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎HQ Digital, pub date 21 July 2022. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Harper Collins.

#BlogTour The Safe House by Louise Mumford

It’s my turn on the Blogtour The Safe Place by Louise Mumford.

About the Author

Louise was born and lives in South Wales. From a young age she loved books and dancing, but hated having to go to sleep, convinced that she might miss out on something interesting happening in the world whilst she dozed – much to her mother’s frustration! Insomnia has been a part of her life ever since.

She studied English Literature at university and graduated with first class honours. As a teacher she tried to pass on her love of reading to her students (and discovered that the secret to successful teaching is… stickers! She is aware that that is, essentially, bribery.) 

In the summer of 2019 Louise experienced a once-in-a-lifetime moment: she was discovered as a new writer by her publisher at the Primadonna Festival. Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind since then. 

Louise lives in Cardiff with her husband and spends her time trying to get down on paper all the marvellous and frightening things that happen in her head. Follow @louise_mumford on Twitter

About the book

She told you the house would keep you safe. She lied. – Esther is safe in the house. For sixteen years, she and her mother have lived off the grid, protected from the dangers of the outside world. For sixteen years, Esther has never seen another single soul.

Until today. – Today there’s a man outside the house. A man who knows Esther’s name, and who proves that her mother’s claims about the outside world are false. A man who is telling Esther that she’s been living a lie. Is her mother keeping Esther safe – or keeping her prisoner?

Review

Esther can barely remember a time before the isolation, the bubble and the extreme fear. A fear of the world around her and especially of the outside – the air that can and will kill her given half the chance. Luckily she has a mother who fights ferociously for her daughter’s safety, health and life.

The innate trust she has in her mother, the woman who puts her safety above all else, slowly starts to crumble. Living in a bubble in isolation for the majority of her living years, well it means she can only judge and make decisions based on the information she has at this moment in time. It’s the difference between life and death for Esther, right?

It is until Esther starts to question the world around her, and her eyes are opened to some inconsistencies. Perhaps it’s time to face up to her fears and take small steps in the right direction or straight in the direction of death.

It’s an interesting doomsday scenario, which isn’t that farfetched in our day and age. There are plenty of people living off-grid and keeping loved ones isolation in the hopes of keeping them safe. The question is whether they are right to do so or in this case have the right to make those decisions for the more vulnerable.

Buy The Safe House at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: HQ Digital pub date 12 May 2022. Buy at Amazon com. 

#BlogTour Playing with Fire by Mary Burton

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Playing with Fire by Mary Burton.

About the Author

Mary Burton loves writing suspense, researching law enforcement and forensic procedures, morning walks, baking, books, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels of suspense and romance. 

A Richmond native, Mary has lived there for most of her life. She is a graduate of Virginia’s Hollins University and worked in marketing before she began writing full time. Her first book was published in 2000 and she’s now the author of thirty-four published novels, five novellas and four works of contemporary women’s fiction written as Mary Ellen Taylor.

A member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America, Mary is known for creating multiple suspense stories connected by characters, such as her The Forgotten Files novels. 

When not traveling for research or visiting with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their empty nest and spoiling their four-legged babies Buddy, Bella and Tiki.  Visit maryburton.com

About the book

A year after the infamous arsonist Nero was found dead in one of his latest fires, journalist Darcy Sampson receives a tip that the body found at the scene wasn’t Nero at all. Determined to solve the case, Darcy heads to her small hometown in Virginia to track Michael Gannon, an arsonist investigator who refuses to believe that Nero is dead.

But when a new series of fires in the area have a remarkable resemblance to the arsonist’s previous work, Darcy and Gannon are in a race against time to put a stop to Nero once and for all.

But Nero is ready and waiting for them, and he intends on teaching both Gannon and Darcy one last, fatal lesson. (previously published as The Arsonist)

Review

If you have read books by Mary Burton before, then you might have read this when it was first published under the title The Arsonist. This is a reissue with a spiffy cover, and you might want to catch some of the other ones too.

It’s what I would call a fast-paced romance thriller. The relationship between the ex-arson investigator Gannon and the reporter Darcy is a slow burner – pun totally intended – and in a way the attraction builds in intensity. Like a ember emerging into an all consuming flame. The emotional parallels of desire and destruction move alongside each other, which is actually quite accurate for the portrayal of one intent on igniting the world around him.

The arsonist plays a game of chess and is willing to do anything to get Gannon off his heels after a long twisted game of fire, destruction and even death. His death is a convenient closure, is it not? But the pull of the flame is powerful and soon it becomes evident that Nero is back from the dead.

You get crime, thriller and a bit of mutual attraction – all for the price of one with this read.

Buy Playing with Fire at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: ‎HQ Digital pub date 6 May 2022. Buy at Harper Collins.

#BlogTour Find You by Mary Burton

It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Find You by Mary Burton.

About the Author

Mary Burton has lived in Central Virginia for most of her life. She’s a graduate of Virginia’s Hollins University and and she worked in marketing before her first book was published in 2000. Today she’s the author of thirty-seven published novels and five novellas as Mary Burton and nine works of contemporary fiction as Mary Ellen Taylor, including Winter Cottage, Spring House, Honeysuckle Season, and the upcoming The Brighter the Light.

She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Novelists, Inc., and Romance Writers of America. When not on the road for research or visits with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying their empty nest and spoiling their four-legged babies Buddy, Bella and Tiki. Visit maryburton.com

About the book

The chase is on in this utterly suspenseful and unputdownable mystery from New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

After being on the run for the last nine months, Kristen Rodale has finally settled in a small town in Virginia, where she hopes her dangerous and deadly brother Benito can never find her.

But former FBI agent, Dane Cambia, has other ideas: after his sister died at the hands of Kristen’s brother, he wants to hunt Kristen down and use her as bait to get his final revenge on Benito. Cambia manages to locate Kristen, setting his plan in motion. But playing into the killer’s hands is just the beginning of Kristen and Cambia’s new nightmare…

Review

Kristen has a price on her head. Her brother intends to make sure she never speaks about the crimes e as committed – the crimes she witnessed. He is willing to take anyone out to get to her, which means she has to disappear.

Dane Cambia is also on the hunt for Kristen. She is the perfect way to trap the man who murdered is sister, but he doesn’t factor in actually getting to know and like the woman he is hunting down.

It’s a crime read that veers into the romance genre. The connection between the two main characters crosses from target to protective behaviour. Vengeance is no longer a victimless option, which means some people have to reevaluate their choices.

It’s a fast paced read with a gangland vibe, which also filters in topics of abuse, loyalty, betrayal and of course the never quite black or white issue of revenge. It’s what I would call a comfortable crime with a bit of action and bite.

Buy Find You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: HQ Digital pub date 8 April 2022. 

#Blogtour A Wartime Secret by Helen Yendall

 Happy Publication Day to A Wartime Secret by Helen Yendall and it’s also a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour.

About the Author

Helen Yendall: ‘I’m a writer and creative writing tutor, based in the Cotswolds . I was Warwick Poet Laureate from 2006-7. I’ve had dozens of short stories published in a variety of magazines, including Best, Take A Break, The People’s Friend and Woman’s Weekly. I won The People’s Friend serial writing competition in 2015. I am a member of the RNA and I now write female-focussed WW2 novels.’ Follow @HelenYendall on Twitter

About the book

‘Look after Violet!’ her mother called, as she was bundled into the back of the car. Then she was gone.

When Maggie’s new job takes her from bombed-out London to grand Snowden Hall in the Cotswolds she’s apprehensive but determined to do her bit for the war effort. She’s also keeping a secret, one she knows would turn opinion against her. Her mother is German: Maggie is related to the enemy.

Then her evacuee sister sends her a worrying letter, missing the code they agreed Violet would use to confirm everything was well, and Maggie’s heart sinks. Violet is miles away; how can she get to her in the middle of a war? Worse, her mother, arrested for her nationality, is now missing, and Maggie has no idea where she is.

As a secret project at Snowden Hall risks revealing Maggie’s German side, she becomes even more determined to protect her family. Can she find a way to get to her sister? And will she ever find out where her mother has been taken?

Review

Still coming to terms with life without her mother, Maggie is finding it increasingly difficult to deal with her father. He thinks only of himself and not about how his actions and decisions may impact his family. It makes living and surviving in war-torn London so much more difficult than it already is.

When an opportunity presents itself, one her father disapproves of, but gives her the opportunity to find herself and discover friendship, love and conviction – her path becomes one she determines herself from this point forward. Maggie learns valuable lessons about judging a book by its cover, that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and that small acts of kindness leave large ripples in time.

There’s nothing like a war to divide people and make them suspicious of anyone who has even a hint of the enemy about them. Maggie has to hide one side of her parentage, being half-German isn’t something you just throw out there into the conversation, when they are perceived as the essence of evil and the reason so many men have lost their lives, both in the Great War and during the ongoing one.

Yendall captures the essence of the time and her characters within said period of time. It’s historical fiction with a wink of humour, whilst laying bare the trauma of the war and the indestructible will to survive that was a paramount ingredient of the people in that situation.

It’s the kind of read that pulls at the heartstrings, and yet sees the light and joy in the small interactions and gestures. A riveting and enjoyable read.

Buy A Wartime Secret at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : ‎HQ Digital pub date 14 Jan. 2022. Buy at Amazon com. At Harper Collins.

#BlogTour Without a Trace by Jane Bettany

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour Without a Trace by Jane Bettany.

About the Author

Jane Bettany is the author of In Cold Blood, a crime novel featuring DI Isabel Blood and set in the fictional Derbyshire town of Bainbridge. The book won the 2019 Gransnet and HQ writing competition, which was for women writers over the age of 40 who had written a novel with a protagonist in the same age range.

In Cold Blood is Jane’s first novel, but she has been writing short stories and non-fiction articles for over twenty years, many of which have appeared in women’s magazines, literary magazines, newspapers and online. Jane lives in Derby. Follow @janebettany on Twitter

About the book

You can cover up the truth, but every murder leaves a trail… The rain was relentless. It stung Ruth Prendergast’s face as she dashed towards her house, desperate to escape the cold and settle down for an early night. But upon entering her bedroom, she finds a man, lying on her bed – a knife buried in his chest.

When Detective Isabel Blood and her sergeant arrive on the scene, Ruth claims she’s never laid eyes on the victim before. But with no sign of a break-in, how did the killer gain access to the house?

Then Ruth disappears, leaving Isabel and her team to fear the worst. Has their lead suspect escaped, or is Ruth in danger herself?

Forensic evidence at the crime scene is sparse, and it’s proving impossible for Isabel to make a breakthrough. With Ruth still missing, time is running out. But how can you catch a killer that doesn’t leave a trace?

Review

In this second book in the DI Blood series Isabel is torn in two directions for the majority of the read. Family – career – family – job. Isabel is also balancing or trying to balance her own slightly fractured image of family, whilst solving this mysterious crime. Reconnecting with a father she hasn’t seen for many decades and meeting a brother, who clearly isn’t interested in gaining a sister. It all takes a toll on her and her own family.

There are perhaps parallels to be drawn between Isabel and the case, which becomes clearer further into the read. The question is whether it will help her to relate and solve the mystery of a dead stranger in a now missing woman’s bed

It’s a crime series that delivers a main character who doesn’t just live to police. It’s also a breath of fresh air to have a female lead way over fifty. It will be interesting to see where Bettany goes with that particular aspect of Isabel’s character. Perhaps delve into the lack of equality, the preconceptions and bias in regards to gender in powerful positions. Then on a more personal level has she really dealt with the betrayal and the secrets, which were part of her childhood and helped to form her into the woman she is now.

It’s a premise with plenty of potential. It perhaps needs a little more bite and a little less kumbaya, either way it’s one to follow.

Buy Without a Trace at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ Digital; pub date 29 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger.

About the Author

Lisa Unger is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author. With books published in thirty languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is widely regarded as a master of suspense. Her latest novel is Last Girl Ghosted.

Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Hammett Prize, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. 

In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few authors, including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family. Follow @lisaunger on Twitter, Visit lisaunger.com

About the book

Think twice before you swipe. – She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love? But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.

Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn’t that always what women think—that they’re the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she’s looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she’s not sure whether she’s the predator—or the prey. 

Review

Wren knows she is lucky to have found someone and have such a strong connection with them. Navigating the dating world is a an empty endeavour when it comes to finding true relationships with depth. Everything seems to be on track until one day her love disappears mysteriously without a trace.

Unger creates a dark psychological thriller that shines a light on the new era of engaging, meeting and dating people. Gone are the days where face-to-face was the basis from which the rest grew – or not. Nowadays instant gratification, shallow unrealistic online data and photos are the baseline by which people judge and choose.

It’s a world that allows for the complete annihilation of confidence and self-worth, it’s also the dubious world of the unknown variable. The possible threat that could be lurking in plain sight. The question is how do you identify it? It’s also the world that has eradicated any kind of polite conversation, gesture or honesty. Instead of a quick you’re not my type, there is just nada. Ghosting is the new tactic to signal lack of interest.

The plot is drawn around the this new world and quickly devolves into something darker and more twisted.

Buy Last Girl Ghosted at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ Digital; pub date 5 Oct. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour Secrets to the Grave by Steve Frech

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Secrets to the Grave by Steve Frech.

About the Author

Steve Frech lives in Los Angeles. His novels, Dark Hollows, Nightingale House, and Deadly Games were Amazon best sellers. His next novel, Secrets to the Grave (Book #1 in the Detective Meredith Somerset series), will be published by HQ & Harper Collins in September of 2021. 

In addition to writing, his award-nominated podcast, ‘Random Awesomeness’, has been developed for television by the Emmy-winning team at ‘Thank You, Brain! Productions’. He is also the co-creator of ‘Sports? with Jessiemae Peluso’ for Comedy Central. He is a frustrated fan of the Chicago Bears, finds cooking to be very cathartic, and is amazing at pub trivia. Follow @stevefrech on Twitter

About the book

The woman recoiled as she rolled the body onto its back. Deep bruises encircled the neck, but the most unsettling feature was the eyes, which stared lifelessly upwards. That was the moment the woman began screaming.

When a teenage girl is found dead on a quiet suburban street, Detective Meredith Somerset is haunted by flashbacks to the day her little sister vanished—the day Meredith should have been watching her. But with a murder to solve, she doesn’t have time for painful memories to cloud her judgement.

The victim is shoeless, the only clue to her identity a small silver medallion hidden in her grass-stained sock. Did she run from her killer across the smooth lawns of Willow Lane? And if so, how did no one in the surrounding houses see or hear a thing?

Meredith needs answers, or she’ll never shake the image of her sister’s face begging her for help. But Willow Lane has more than one mystery behind its doors—and to find the killer, Meredith must venture into a community that’s determined to keep its secrets hidden at any cost…

Review

The body of a young girl is found in the middle of a street and nobody saw a thing – allegedly. Detective Somerset goes door to door on Willow Lane, but the result is a big zero, although there are plenty of suspicions raised by odd behaviour, and perhaps because the chances of no person seeing anything is pretty slim.

Meredith is still haunted by the disappearance of her sister. Is it possible that this young girl stumbled onto something she shouldn’t have?  Meredith’s finds her own past is the best motivator when it comes to injustice and solving this mystery. Almost like survivor’s guilt pushing her to solve this crime, because she is unable to find the solution to her own personal mystery.

I think it’s fair to say that Willow Lane is a street with many secrets behind closed doors and a lot of people willing to go to extreme lengths to keep them hidden. This fast-paced crime read is a constant merry-go-round of secrets, half-truths and downright lies. 

Buy Secrets to the Grave at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: HQ Digital pub date 22 Sept. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour The Secret Keeper’s Daughter by Samantha King

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Secret Keeper’s Daughter by Samantha King.

About the Author

Samantha King writes psychological suspense novels and lives in west London with her husband and two young children. Follow @SamKingBooks on Twitter

About the book

Holly Mayhew has the perfect family set-up. But when her seven-year-old daughter, Marley, begins to act strangely, refusing to speak and rushing off to hide in her room, she knows something isn’t right.

Desperate to understand why Marley has become so withdrawn, Holly creates a worry box, where Marley posts her thoughts each day.

At first, the messages seem innocent. But when Holly finds a note saying secrets make me sad, she begins to question everyone entrusted with her care… Including her family. Once the truth is out… there’s no going back.

Review

Holly is increasingly concerned about her young daughter Marley. She seems fearful, worried and has secrets. Secrets she is being asked to keep by the people who are supposed to keep her safe.

The stigma of mental health is firmly embedded in the read. Once you admit to having any kind of ill health or MH issue it will always be the go-to thing people think of when it comes handing out blame or used as an excuse for any kind of behaviour deemed unusual. Holly finds herself being gas-lit by both her husband and her sister.

Is she paranoid or is there something nefarious going on? It’s not as if she hasn’t already lived through being the scapegoat and called a liar by her family – it’s not a stretch to imagine being boxed into a similar situation again. Is her husband a threat to her child or herself? Is her sister part of some grand conspiracy?

It’s certainly an ambitious dark domestic thriller, a story of family secrets and about being stereotyped by the world and the people around you. It’s not paranoia if they are really out to get you, right? perception is absolutely everything in this story.

Buy The Secret Keeper’s Daughter at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎ HQ Digital pub date 10 Sept. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour A Mother Never Lies by Sarah Clarke

 It’s a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour A Mother Never Lies by Sarah Clarke.

About the Author

Sarah Clarke is a copywriter and lives in London, UK. In 2018 she enrolled on a course with Faber Academy and fell in love with fiction, particularly the dark and twisty kind. A Mother Never Lies – out in August 2021 – is Sarah’s debut novel. Her second psychological thriller will publish in February 2022.

Follow @scwwriter on Twitter, Visit sarahclarkeauthor.com and linktr.ee/sarahclarkewriter

About the book

Some Truths Can’t Be Told. I had the perfect life – a nice house, a loving husband, a beautiful little boy. But in one devastating night, they were all ripped from me.

It’s been fourteen years, and I’m finally ready to face the past. I’m taking my son back. He just can’t know who I am…or why we were torn apart.

Review

Phoebe is searching, albeit in secret, for the person who means the most to her – her son. He was taken from her, there is no way she would willingly give up her greatest treasure. Even years later her family, the state and everyone else are convinced the two of them should be kept apart.

Phoebe is an interesting character, one who will probably divide opinions. Is she someone who refuses to acknowledge the past and her accountability, especially when it comes to her son. At the same time there is also the Phoebe who has experienced trauma, anxiety and is a victim of her own dysfunctional and neglectful childhood.

The two sides often collide, which then leads to the division. Nature vs nurture plays a major role in this premise. Born evil – inclined to certain behaviour or raised to respond to certain stimuli with specific behaviour? And more importantly if it has a genetic component is that why Ben lacks impulse control and has anger issues.

This is a really compelling domestic thriller with a psychological component. Clarke balances the story well by straddling the grey areas of this premise – some things are neither white nor black. Life is unpredictable and messy, and the victims of an inadequate system will often fall through the cracks. Everyone believes they are making the right choice for their loved ones or are they?

Buy A Mother Never Lies at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎HQ Digital pub 27 Aug. 2021. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Waterstones.