#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 Uk. Buy 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 Courage by James Hardy

It’s my turn on the BlogTour Courage by James Hardy. 

About the Author

James began writing COURAGE 40 years ago. He resurrected and rewrote the draft following a serious illness. His daughter, knowing he had the passion to write, dropped a notepad on his lap as he lay in a hospital bed and said, ‘Now you have the time, write!’

About the book

Joanne Sinclair wants Leroy Martin’s help to find a serial killer dubbed the Dorking Devil. The problem is, he’s a criminal who spent two years in prison and she’s the detective who helped put him there.

The unlikely duo team up to find the man and bring him down and, surprisingly, they make a good pair. But it isn’t long before Leroy’s past catches up with him, putting them both in grave danger.

Review

Leroy doesn’t have to go out of his way to help anyone. The world hasn’t been particularly kind or easy to him, but the truth is despite what certain people believe, he is strong enough to act on his base impulses, which is to help others when needed.

That’s how he ends up in the midst of a crime being committed and the best intentions end up with the finger being pointed at him, so much for being a saviour and trying to make a difference. His encounter with a beast prowling the area for victims leads him straight into the arms of Joanne Sinclair.

Joanne and Leroy are indeed an unlikely pair, one wonders how much of their attraction is driven by guilt and respectively the desire to be acknowledged properly. Either way something deeper connects them.

It’s full of tropes – some slightly unsavoury, and teeters on the edge of romanticising quite a few, even if it’s is merely in the name of plot and character. Without those the gritty urban vibe of the story would be more at the forefront.

Hardy delivers urban crime at the core of which is a man who desires something as simple as depth in a relationship, peace and love. When everything else is stripped away, including mistakes and difficult roads taken, that is what remains for the majority of people.

Buy Courage at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Dark Edge Press pub date 14 Jun. 2021. Buy at Amazon com.

#BlogTour the Murderess by Ivan Jenson

 It’s my turn on the BlogTour The Murderess by Ivan Jenson.

About the Author

Artist/writer/poet Ivan Jenson was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in a family steeped in the arts. A child prodigy, he earned acclaim when, at age nine, he produced his first sculpture that was ultimately featured in the poster for the National Museum of Costa Rica.

Ivan is now also a published novelist and a widely published poet who is enjoying burgeoning critical, commercial, and literary success. His debut novel, Dead Artist, which “delves into the world of New York City and explores issues of art and soul,” is published by Hen House Press New York as an eBook for the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook and as a paperback on Amazon. 

His second novel, Seeing Soriah, “a riveting story of thrills, revenge, obsession, and redemption” is a psychological thriller that is a fast-paced, “thoughtful novel about art, artists, and the world they occupy.” Ivan Jenson’s new book of poems, “Media Child and Other Poems” will be published by Hen House Press, New York in 2014. Ivan Jenson: pop artist icon, published novelist, prolific and widely published poet and screenwriter. Follow @IvanJensonAuthor on Twitter, Visit ivanjenson.com

About the book

30% of murders in the US go unsolved. Becca Garner hopes her lover’s is one of them. Because she found him. He bequeathed her a million dollars. She’s married. And so is he.

Review

Becca has a husband and children. She loves them – she loves them not. She also thinks nothing of seeking gratification elsewhere, behind her husband’s back. Everything is hidden well until one day she wakes up after a session with her elderly and wealthy beau, and finds herself in a bit of a pickle.

For me the story was about perception, stereotypes and preconceived notions of how women should behave. About their role in patriarchal society and what happens when they deviate from that dictated path. And the judgement that comes along with the deviation, depending on the actions and behaviour of said woman. 

Is Becca a narcissist, a woman having a mid-life crisis, someone who is feeling unfulfilled and lonely or is she someone who was never allowed to work through her pain and trauma? That’s at the core of this quick read. Do you judge someone solely on their actions or give them the benefit of the doubt and try to figure out the why?

Jenson takes all that and creates a murder mystery around it. I do think the pivotal moment in the past came and went like a tide without leaving much of an impression. Let me be clear, I do not mean details because the scenes weren’t in any way gratuitous. I am talking about the emotional fallout from all of it, which is what led to her behaviour patterns and lack of self-worth.

I think it gives some food for thought in a sense that we never know what is behind closed doors or what kind of trauma someone might be carrying around with them. It’s a fast-paced domestic crime thriller, short but pithy.

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