#EchoesofHome by M.L. Rayner @M_L_Rayner @QuestionPress @zooloo2008 #QuestionMarkPress #ZooloosBookTours

Title: Echoes of Home by M.L Rayner

Date Published: 1st January 2021

Publisher: Question Mark Press

Genre: Ghost story

Description:

After accepting a generous opportunity to start afresh, Leslie Wills, a young man from Stoke-on-Trent, eagerly begins his long-distance journey to the Scottish Highlands of Elphin, a settled village that sits huddled amongst the dominating mountains. Its people are welcoming, and the beauty of the land is great. But deep within its Highland paths, a location rests hidden from the public’s eye. A location which entices you to learn the truth of its troubled past. But once you bear witness to its sights and sounds, its presences will never allow you to forget.

Uncover the truth, Journeying back to a forgotten time. With a plot full of secrets and suspicion that will leave you longing for answers.

Review:

I want to thank Zoe at Zooloos book tour for inviting me on this tour and Question Mark Press for providing me with a copy of Echoes of Home in exchange for an honest review.

I love a ghost story so when I read the blurb for Echoes of Home it piqued my interest.

His long-lost brother gifts Leslie a cottage and he grabs the opportunity for a fresh start, but the cottage has a terrible past that he’s about to discover.

Goodness, I didn’t realise this was going to be quite such an emotional ride, with some really moving and tragic moments. Of course, there were some good spine chilling and spooky instances too.

Leslie is the kind of character you may not exactly like but you feel sorry for. He’s the youngest of five and seemed like a person who’d got a bad lot in life through no fault of his own. 

The story was reinforced with some nice historical research including the potato famine, which started in Ireland and spread over which I honestly had no idea about.

I found this a bit of a slow burn, particularly the first half and some of the dialogue felt a little stilted at times but of course that’s just my opinion.

Echoes of home is a quick read full of sinister and spooky moments. A definite must if you love ghost stories! 

About The Author:

Born and bred in the county of Staffordshire. Matt is a keen reader of classical, horror and fantasy literature and enjoys writing in the style of traditional ghost stories. During his working life, Matt joined the ambulance service in 2009, transporting critically ill patients all over the UK. After writing his first novel, Matt was welcomed into the family of Question Mark Press publishing and now dedicates his time on future releases. His hobbies include genealogy and hiking, and he enjoys spending time with his wife, Emma, his children, and his family.

Follow him at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLRayner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.l.rayner/
Twitter https://twitter.com/M_L_Rayner

Amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/M.-L.-Rayner/e/B08LTXNSH4

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20902655.M_L_Rayner

#TheCrazySeason by Jim Ody @Jim_Ody_Author @QuestionPress @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #BookReview #QuestionMarkPress

Title: The Crazy Season by Jim Ody

Date Published: 4th May 2021

Publisher: Question Mark Press

Genre: Thriller

Description:

Joel Baxter is infamous for solving weird and bizarre cases that others avoid. So, when he receives an email from a teenage boy Tim saying his town is cursed, he cannot turn it down.

“…I will more than likely be dead when you read this. There is nothing I can do about it. It’s the curse, and we’ve hit The Crazy Season.” Every 20 years, there are a handful of unexplained teenage deaths and it’s started again.

With the help of his straight-talking friend Melody, they set out to get to the bottom of the alleged curse. Everybody in Black Rock has secrets and nobody wants to speak.

The closer they get to truth the more Joel and Melody realise that their involvement is far from coincidental.

You can buy your copy here:

Amazon UK : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crazy-Season-Joel-Baxter-Book-ebook/dp/B08YXJG4RF

Amazon USA : https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Season-Joel-Baxter-Book-ebook/dp/B08YXJG4RF

Review:

I want to thank Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for inviting me on this tour and the author for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a couple of Jim Ody’s books now, but I have to say I think The Crazy Season is my favourite so far!

I saw the author posting about this a few weeks ago saying it was like a cross between the X-Files and Jonathan Creek and I can safely say that’s about right, a mix of the paranormal/weird along with an intriguing mystery.

The Crazy Season is the kind of novel that drags you in, and you just sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster ride.

The story follows Joel, complete with sidekick Melody as they investigate a string of teen suicides, twenty years apart in a small coastal town. When they dig a little deeper they find more and more lies, secrets and a whole heap of teen angst.

I loved the characters. Joel with his slightly awkward demeanor but he has a kind heart, who’s still grieving for the loss of his daughter and his wife in a coma. Then we have Melody, fierce and unapologetic, she brings Joel out of his shell. The two of them together were just a joy to read.

There was also a fantastic secondary cast of quirky characters that really added depth and a little dark humour to the story.

I felt the tension waned a little in the middle and I found my attention wandering a little, but the story pulled me back in with a nail biting ending.

The Crazy Season is a fantastic paranormal mystery, with a great cast of characters, that keeps you guessing until the end.

About The Author:

Jim writes dark psychological/thrillers, Horror and YA books that have endings you won’t see coming, and favours stories packed with wit. He has written over a dozen novels and many more short-stories spanning many genres. 

Jim has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd.  When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife, three beautiful children and two indignant cats in Swindon, Wiltshire UK.

Follow him at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JimOdyAuthor

Instagram: @jimodyauthor

Twitter: @Jim_Ody_Author

Amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jim-Ody/e/B019A6AMSY/

#ShadowsofHell by Duncan Thompson @dthompsonauthor @PantherPubs @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Title: Shadows of Hell by Duncan Thompson

Publisher: Panther Publishing

Date Published: 1st April 2021

Genre: Horror

Description:

When a man of heavenly worth sins in Hell, darkness shall reign upon the earth

A message from the other side – an omen of the impending apocalypse. A message intended for one man, the only man who can prevent Armageddon, saving the soul of every man, woman and child on Earth. That man is Joe Costello.

But, not only is Joe trapped in the underworld, he is also the same man who has the power to unleash the shadows of hell upon the world.

Inspired by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, Joe must battle his way through the nine circles of Hell – his escape being the key to salvation. Not only will he face all manner of Hell’s demons, he’ll also face his own.

However, Joe is not alone on his journey, as he is guided through each level of Hell by medium and psychic, Layla Thorne. Shadows of Hell is the epic follow-up to Shadows of the Woods.

‘Shadows of Hell thunders along at a breakneck pace, not giving the reader chance to draw breath.’ – Lee Mountford, author of The Demonic

You can buy your copy here:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/3cz9xtm 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3bTg1DW

Review:

I want to thank Emma at Damppebbles blog tours for my invite and Panther Publishing for providing me with a copy of Shadows of Hell in exchange for an honest review.

Having read Shadows of the woods last year and enjoyed it, I was interested to see how the story would carry on in Shadows of Hell. I would recommend that you read Shadows of the woods first as the storyline intertwines with Shadows of Hell.

Much like the first book, Shadows of Hell is a short, action packed horror with plenty of monsters, magic and mayhem along the way.

This story felt a little different to the first, grounded more in classic legends, with references to The Divine Comedy by Dante. I haven’t read the poem, but I’ve heard little bits about it over the years and enjoyed the author’s spin on the nine circles of Hell.

There was a new cast of characters, along with some guest stars from the previous book. There’s a psychic called Layla who also has a side gig being a fake medium and Chris and Alexis, a pair of paranormal investigators.I feel like there was a lot more to these characters and I hope to see more of them in future novels.

The writing is very visceral and I will warn those who are not that big a fan of gore or ghastly scenes that this might not be the novel for you.

Although I wasn’t entirely sold on the slightly religious undertone of the story, the ending leaves it open for another book which I will definitely be interested to read.

Shadows of Hell is a vivid and well-written horror which will take you on one Hell of a journey!

About the Author:

Duncan has spent most of his life in a small market town in West Yorkshire — the same town in which most of his stories are set under the guise of Ravenfield. Duncan has been writing works of fiction since the age of seven. In those early days, his stories often involved himself and his friends being transported to fantasy worlds. However, as a teenager, Duncan fell in love with horror movies and his writing took a whole new direction.

Duncan still lives in West Yorkshire with his partner and their two young children. He also has slight obsession with Spider-Man and the actor Bruce Campbell, as well as having an addiction to vinyl records, coffee and Lego.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dthompsonauthor 

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

Website: https://www.dthompsonauthor.com/ 

#BookReview The Burning Girls by C.J Tudor @cjtudor @MichaelJBooks @GabyYoung

Title: The Burning Girls by C.J Tudor

Date Published: Michael Joseph

Publisher: 21st January 2021

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

500 years ago: eight martyrs were burnt to death

30 years ago: two teenagers vanished without trace

Two months ago: the vicar committed suicide

Welcome to Chapel Croft.

For Rev Jack Brooks and teenage daughter Flo it’s supposed to be a fresh start. New job, new home. But, as Jack knows, the past isn’t easily forgotten.

And in a close-knit community where the residents seem as proud as they are haunted by Chapel Croft’s history, Jack must tread carefully. Ancient superstitions as well as a mistrust of outsiders will be hard to overcome.

Yet right away Jack has more frightening concerns.

Why is Flo plagued by visions of burning girls?

Who’s sending them sinister, threatening messages?

And why did no one mention that the last vicar killed himself?

Chapel Croft’s secrets lie deep and dark as the tomb. Jack wouldn’t touch them if not for Flo – anything to protect Flo.

But the past is catching up with Chapel Croft – and with Jack. For old ghosts with scores to settle will never rest . . . 

Review:

I want to thank Gaby Young at Michael Joseph for inviting me on this tour and providing me with a copy of The Burning Girls, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I’m struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book!

Reverend Jack Brooks and her daughter Flo move from Nottingham to Chapel Croft after a tragedy in Jack’s former parish. It’s immediately apparent that there’s something off about Chapel Croft. Twig dolls burnt every year to commemorate villagers burned at the stake. Missing girls. Suicide. Ghostly visions. Secrets. Lots of secrets.

I love a good mystery but I also love a good spooky story and The Burning Girls combines these two things into a gripping story.

I absolutely loved the characters. Jack is not your typical vicar. She smokes, has modern views on a lot of subjects which in a small village like Chapel Croft rubbed a few people up the wrong way. Her teenage daughter Flo was realistically done too, she has the naivety of a child but still wants to be seen as an adult. She’s headstrong and does not like to be told she’s wrong, she reminded me a lot of my own teenage son. 

I will say that the ending wasn’t entirely a surprise but I still enjoyed it and it fitted perfectly with the story.

The Burning Girls is a well written supernatural thriller that just sucked me in from that very first chapter.

About The Author:

C. J. Tudor was born in Salisbury and grew up in Nottingham, where she still lives with her partner and young daughter.

She left school at sixteen and has had a variety of jobs over the years, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, shop assistant, ad agency copywriter and voiceover.

In the early nineties, she fell into a job as a television presenter for a show on Channel 4 called Moviewatch. Although a terrible presenter, she got to interview acting legends such as Sigourney Weaver, Michael Douglas, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams. She also annoyed Tim Robbins by asking a question about Susan Sarandon’s breasts and was extremely flattered when Robert Downey Junior showed her his chest. 

While writing the Chalk Man she ran a dog-walking business, walking over twenty dogs a week as well as looking after her little girl. 

She’s been writing since she was a child but only knuckled down to it properly in her thirties. Her English teacher once told her that if she ‘did not become Prime Minister or a best-selling author’ he would be ‘very disappointed.’ 

The Chalk Man was inspired by a tub of chalks a friend bought for her daughter’s second birthday. One afternoon they drew chalk figures all over the driveway. Later that night she opened the back door to be confronted by weird stick men everywhere. In the dark, they looked incredibly sinister. She called to her partner: ‘These chalk men look really creepy in the dark . . .’

She is never knowingly over-dressed. She has never owned a handbag and the last time she wore heels (twelve years ago) she broke a tooth.

She loves The Killers, Foo Fighters and Frank Turner. Her favourite venue is Rock City. 

Her favourite films are Ghostbusters and The Lost Boys. Her favourite authors are Stephen King, Michael Marshall and Harlan Coben. 

She is SO glad she was a teenager in the eighties. 

She firmly believes that there are no finer meals than takeaway pizza and champagne, or chips with curry sauce after a night out.

Everyone calls her Caz.

#BookReview The Liar’s Promise by Mark Tilbury @MTilburyAuthor

Title: The Liar’s Promise by Mark Tilbury

Date Published: 3rd December

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

How does a mother protect her child from the unknown? 

During a visit to a local theatre, four-year-old Chloe Hollis becomes hysterical. But her mother, Mel, doesn’t realise that this is just the beginning of the nightmare. In the coming weeks, Chloe talks of The Tall Man – Of death. 

At her wits end, Mel confides in Charles Honeywell, the headmaster at the school where she works. But what Kim doesn’t know is that Charles is linked to what is happening to her daughter. 

Will Mel learn the terrible truth? And can she overcome her own tragic past and save her daughter before it’s too late?

The Liar’s Promise is a story of past lives and future torment.

Review:

I was gifted a copy of The Liar’s Promise by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read and enjoyed a few of Mark Tilbury’s books now and with the author himself re-releasing a number of books it’s a great opportunity to catch up on a few I’ve missed. The Liar’s Promise appealed to me as I really enjoy books about past lives or have a supernatural element to them.

The Liar’s Promise is a dark and at times disturbing read that gets you into the mind of a devious killer.

The POV’s mostly alternated between the unscrupulous killer and mother on the edge Mel.  Mel was a bit of a tough character to like but due to her troubled past but when you find out the true extent of her trauma you can forgive her for being the way she is.

My favourite part of the book is Mark Tilbury’s writing style. It’s vivid, visceral, a little gruesome at times but that lends to the authenticity of the ruthless killer.

The book really started off strong, with a lot of ‘whys’ and ”what ifs’ but I did feel like I wanted a little more mystery, a little more suspense but of course that’s just my opinion.

The Liar’s Promise is an intense read that gives you a peek at the darker side of humanity.

About The Author:

Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised. 

After being widowed and raising his two daughters, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused. 

He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and having had seven books published by an indie publisher, has decided to return to self publishing. After successfully publishing The Last One To See Her, A Prayer For The Broken is following in October 2020. 

When he’s not writing, Mark can be found playing guitar, reading and walking.

#Blogtour #Review A Wish For Jinnie by Audrey Davis @audbyname @rararesources

Title: A Wish For Jinnie by Audrey Davis

Date Published: 22nd June 2020

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Description:

What if wishes really could come true? 

When Jinnie Cooper is dumped by her fiancé, and exiled to a job in an antiques shop in a sleepy Scottish village, little does she know a battered old lamp is about to shake up her life. 

Genie Dhassim grants wishes. But he also wants a few of his own to come true. Letting him explore the outside world proves nerve-wracking as Dhassim has an uncanny knack of putting his pointy-slippered foot in it. 

As Jinnie grows closer to her employer Sam, Dhassim discovers his time on earth is running out. 

Can both Jinnie and Dhassim find true happiness? Or are those wishes that cannot be granted?

You can buy your copy here:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wish-Jinnie-magical-romantic-difference-ebook/dp/B088HGYN8G/

US – https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Jinnie-magical-romantic-difference-ebook/dp/B088HGYN8G/

Review:

I want to thank Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on this tour and Audrey Davis for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been in a funk recently but when I picked up A Wish For Jinnie it cheered me right up!

As a child I had a bit of a love for all things genie. I used to watch repeats of a show called I Dream Of Jeannie and the Disney movie Aladdin, so when I saw the blurb for this book I thought yes I need to read that.

Jinnie wants a fresh start after her disaster of a relationship so she moves to the small town of Cranley. What she doesn’t bank on is finding her very own genie in a lamp! Will he help her find happiness or make her life into more of a disaster?

Audrey Davis has created such wonderful and lovable characters that when I finished this book I genuinely didn’t want to leave behind, even the genie Dhassim with his tendency to drive poor Jinnie a little nuts. 

This is one of those stories that just has everything you want in a rom com, humour, a heroine you root for and even moments that tug at the old heart strings.

There were a few parts of the story that I thought could be carried into a sequel but maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part!

A Wish For Jinnie is a sweet, funny and uplifting story that is the perfect story to escape from the real world for a while.

About The Author:

Audrey Davis is a Scottish-born former journalist, now resident in Switzerland. Her newspaper career saw her cover events in Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands, as well as working for a London-based movie magazine writing reviews and carrying out interviews.

She self-published her debut romantic comedy novel A Clean Sweep in June 2017, following an online Open University course in Writing Fiction. 

Audrey followed up with a short, darker prequel A Clean Break before beginning work on a rom-com novella trilogy with a ghostly twist – The Haunting of Hattie Hastings. Again, reviews across the board were excellent, and it was combined into a standalone novel in November 2018.

A Wish For Jinnie is her third standalone novel.

Apart from writing, Audrey enjoys travel and spends a lot of time in Edinburgh. She is an avid cook, watcher of scary movies and reluctant gym-goer.

Social Media Links – 

Tweets by audbyname

https://www.facebook.com/audreydavisbooks/

https://www.instagram.com/cowieaudrey/

Home

#BlogTour The Tree Beasts by E.R. Fallon @MysteryCreator @BOTBSPublicity @darkstrokedark #BookReview

Title: The Tree Beasts by E.R. Fallon

Date Published: 11th June 2020

Publisher: Darkstroke Books

Genre: Mystery/Fairytale

Description:

“Bewitching darkness laces every chapter, every word. This is the kind of book we stay up all night to finish. It’s simply remarkable.” ~ Da Chen, New York Times best-selling author

Beautiful Blackthorn Island is a small community, but at its heart lies a big, ugly secret…

The island of Blackthorn is a seemingly normal place that hides an evil secret. Not only does the island have strange trees that appear like exotic, menacing beasts – several of its youngest residents have mysteriously disappeared over the years. Some inhabitants think that the island’s trees even look like the missing children.

Paul Gold, one of identical twin boys, is the latest child to go missing. When his mother and sister believe they are seeing him again on the island years after his disappearance, they are determined to discover the truth behind what happened to him.

But there are those on the island who are just as determined to keep the secret…

Review:

I want to thank Sarah Hardy for inviting me on this blog tour and providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

E.R. Fallon is an author that is new to me and I was intrigued by the synopsis so I thought I’d give the book a go.

We follow the Gold family after Paul, a sickly child who is also an identical twin, goes missing. Strange things start to happen to them, especially around their youngest daughter Katie. There is so much mystery surrounding Paul’s disappearance and nobody wants the family to find out the truth.

The Tree Beast is a mix of folklore and mystery, creating an almost fairytale like story. 

I enjoyed the creepy atmosphere of the island, with all the secrets, weird trees and unexplained happenings.

I can’t say too much more about the storyline in case of spoilers but if you like your mystery mixed with a little fantasy/supernatural, I’d say you’d definitely enjoy this.

It was a fairly quick read but I did wish it had been a little faster paced but of course that’s just my opinion. 

The Tree Beasts is an inventive and intriguing story that will capture your imagination.

About The Author:

Bestselling crime author E.R. Fallon knows well the gritty city streets of which she writes. She studied criminology and was mentored by a leading advocate for the family members of homicide victims. E.R. is currently writing a book about living with autism and also working on her next gangland book, The Trouble Legacy, with her writing partner, KJ. 

Twitter: @MysteryCreator

https://www.instagram.com/erfallonwriter

https://www.facebook.com/ER-Fallon-and-KJ-Fallon-109913467225364

I Am Dust by Louise Beech @LouiseWriter @OrendaBooks @annecater #RandomThingsTours #BookReview #IAmDust #DoYouBelieveInGhosts

Title: I Am Dust by Louise Beech

Date Published: 16th April 2020

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

When iconic musical Dust is revived twenty years after the leading actress was murdered in her dressing room, a series of eerie events haunts the new cast…

The Dean Wilson Theatre is believed to be haunted by a long-dead actress, singing her last song, waiting for her final cue, looking for her killer…

Now Dust, the iconic musical, is returning after twenty years. But who will be brave enough to take on the role of ghostly goddess Esme Black, last played by Morgan Miller, who was murdered in her dressing room?

Theatre usher Chloe Dee is caught up in the spectacle. As the new actors arrive, including an unexpected face from her past, everything changes. Are the eerie sounds and sightings backstage real or just her imagination? Is someone playing games?

Not all the drama takes place onstage. Sometimes murder, magic, obsession and the biggest of betrayals are real life. When you’re in the theatre shadows, you see everything.

And Chloe has been watching…

Review:

I want to thank Anne Cater for inviting me on this tour and Orenda Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read Call Me Star girl by Louise Beech last year and I enjoyed it so I jumped at the chance to read this, especially when I found out there was a ghost involved, I love me a ghost story! 

I’m very much having a hard time writing a review for I Am Dust. I really wish I was a little bit more articulate to express how emotionally captivating this book was.

I wonder if I can just say ‘wow you need to read this book, it’s fan-bloody-tastic!’

Okay fine, I’ll try to write a proper review.

I Am Dust contains two timelines, expertly woven together, the first from 2005 and the second from 2019. In one we follow a teenage Chloe, along with her friends Jess and Ryan who decide to play with a Ouija board. The second is fourteen years later and Chloe is working in the Dean Wilson theatre, when she finds out that they are going to revive the musical Dust after twenty years and the death of the lead actress Morgan Miller. An old face from Chloe’s past pops up, bringing back memories that she’d long forgotten…

I Am Dust is a fantastic spooky tale set to the backdrop of teen angst, unrequited love and magic.

What I loved about Louise Beech’s other book is her ability to create realistic yet troubled characters and really get you to care about them. Chloe was no different. I really felt for her and rooted for her throughout the story.

The atmosphere in the book was amazing, I think it helped that it was set in a theatre, adding to a bit of magic and mysticism to the whole thing. I love the theatre and don’t go often enough (I know I can’t go right now because of the whole global pandemic but you get what I mean). 

After the ending I’m still a little sad now and I think I may have the beginnings of a book hangover.

I Am Dust is an atmospheric and intriguing novel that will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions that you just don’t want to get off of.

About The Author:

Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. Her second book, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both of her previous books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers on Kindle. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award in 2019. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. Louise lives with her husband on the outskirts of Hull, and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012.

#BlogTour #BookReview Daylight’s Deadly Kiss by Jay Raven @JayRavenAuthor @rararesources

Title: Daylight’s Deadly Kiss – Blood Riders Book Two by Jay Raven

Date Published: 3rd April 2020

Genre: Horror

Description:

In 19th century Europe the most deadly vampire-killing weapon ever devised is up for grabs – and both the Undead and the living will stop at nothing to possess it…   

It’s a legend, a fairy story parents tell frightened children to make them sleep. Basium Lucis – Daylight’s Kiss – the fabled compound that recreates sunlight in a bottle, and incinerates bloodsucking monsters on contact.

Vampire hunter Anton Yoska doesn’t believe in its existence or the whispered rumours of its creation by Leonardo Da Vinci 250 years before.        

But when a mysterious Hungarian arts dealer claims to have uncovered the long-lost formula, Anton’s cynicism is shaken to the core as he is tasked to procure the pyrotechnic marvel for the Vatican’s centuries-old battle with the vampire sect known as the Brethren.

In a desperate race to beat nosferatu forces intent on destroying the wonder weapon, and cold-blooded gangsters who desire the Alchemist’s most prized invention for their own aggrandisement and riches, Anton is caught in a maelstrom of double dealing and lies..

Traps loom at every turn, and nothing is what it appears, but acquiring the Basium Lucis is the least of the his problems  – for the ferocious Modjeski vampire family want retribution for his slaughter of their clan chief a year before. And old flame and rival slayer, Nadia, has her own devious plans to thwart Anton’s quest.

As time runs out and predators circle, the beleaguered hunter realises he’s been tricked into a suicide mission. But Anton Yoska won’t go down without a fight – and he doesn’t care who he takes to Hell with him. 

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083V891T9

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B083V891T9

Review:

I want to thank Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources tour for inviting me on this tour and providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I read the first in this series, Crimson Siege, and enjoyed it so I was eager to read the second in the series.

Former lawman Anton Yoska is roaming the countryside, along with his crew of dwarf Quintz, his young helper Toby and of course their bear Samson. They are eking out a living getting rid of vampires until they get an offer from crown prince Leopold to track down the formula for Basium Lucis, Daylight’s Kiss, which has resurfed. It has the ability to create artificial sunlight and destroys vampires on contact.

Anton is cynical, Daylight’s Kiss has always been a myth but it’s an offer he can’t refuse. Things get even tougher when old enemies resurface hellbent on his destruction. 

Daylight’s Deadly Kiss is a fast paced mix of historical and supernatural adventure.

At the moment I’m finding it a little hard to concentrate on reading but I still managed to race through this book!

I really enjoyed that we got to know both Anton and Quintz a little better in this book. I feel like Quintz really can into his own in this novel. I liked him in the first book but now even more in the second and learning some of his history made my heart break a little for him.

Again like the first book, it’s not overly gory or scary but it may contain a few scenes that may be a little upsetting.

The ending dropped a bombshell, leaving me anxious for the next book!

Daylight’s Deadly Kiss is a well written Gothic adventure that will leave you breathless at times.

About The Author: 

Jay Raven is the author of Gothic chillers and historical horror reminding readers that the past is a dangerous place to venture, full of monsters and murderous men. He blames his fascination with vampires, witches and werewolves on the Hammer Horror films he watched as a teenager, but living in a creepy old house on the edge of a 500-acre wood may have something to do with it.

If you would like to be informed of new releases, enjoy free short stories and access exclusive giveaways and competitions, please subscribe to Jay’s monthly newsletter on his website at http://www.jayraven.com

Social Media Links – 

website www.jayraven.com   

twitter: @JayRavenAuthor
facebook: www.facebook.com/fantasywriterjayraven/ 

#BlogTour #BookReview Ghoster by Jason Arnopp @JasonArnopp @OrbitBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #Ghoster

Title: Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

Publisher: Orbit

Date Published: 22nd October 2019

Genre: Thriller

Description:

Kate Collins has been ghosted.

She was supposed to be moving in with her new boyfriend Scott, but all she finds after relocating to Brighton is an empty flat. Scott has vanished. His possessions have all disappeared.

Except for his mobile phone.

Kate knows she shouldn’t hack into Scott’s phone. She shouldn’t look at his Tinder, his texts, his social media. But she can’t quite help herself.

That’s when the trouble starts. Strange, whispering phone calls from numbers she doesn’t recognise. Scratch marks on the door that she can’t explain.

And the growing feeling that she’s being watched . . .

Jason Arnopp – author of The Last Days of Jack Sparks, a Radio 2 Bookclub pick – returns with a razor-sharp thriller for a social-media obsessed world. Prepare to never look at your phone the same way again . . .

Review:

I want to thank Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me on this blog tour and Orbit for providing me with a free copy of Ghoster in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Collins thinks she’s found her perfect man in Scott but a few days before she is supposed to move in with him, he ghosts her, leaving behind only his mobile phone.

She wants to find out what happened to him, so she hacks his phone. Her life starts to spiral of control, can she stop what’s happening before it’s too late? 

Ghoster is one of those novels that you go in expecting one thing only for it to twist around and become something so unexpected and shocking that you find it hard to put down.

It starts out as a little domestic noir but the creepiness is really amped up as you go along, turning the book into more of a horror by the time you reach the end. As a lover of both horror and thrillers I really appreciated this.

I didn’t find Kate all that likeable, a little abrasive, a little obsessive but I think that works well in the story.

Truthfully, the first half of the novel is a little slow burn, it took me a little longer to get through it than usual but the second half had me racing along to find out what happened at the end.

Ghoster is a skillful mix of the supernatural and mystery that makes an intriguing and original thriller. 

About The Author:

Jason Arnopp is the author of the new Orbit Books novel Ghoster, which Barnes & Noble’s SFF blog has said, “just might qualify as the first true horror novel of the 21st Century.” The Three author Sarah Lotz calls it, “a fiendishly smart exploration of obsession and social media addiction”, while Cross Her Heat author Sarah Pinborough reckons it’s, “twisty, creepy and utterly absorbing.”

Arnopp’s previous novel was The Last Days Of Jack Sparks (2016), which has been described as “a magnificent millennial nightmare” (Alan Moore), “scarier than watching The Exorcist in an abandoned asylum” (Sarah Lotz) and “The Omen for the social media age” (Christopher Brookmyre). Director Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code) optioned the film rights shortly after the book’s 2016 release.

Arnopp co-wrote the official behind-the-scenes book Inside Black Mirror with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones.

Arnopp previously wrote and executive-produced the Lionsgate feature film Stormhouse and script-edited the Peter Mullan feature The Man Inside. He has also written for the worlds of Doctor Who (BBC), The Sarah Jane Adventures (BBC) and Friday The 13th (New Line Cinema).

In his past life as a rock journalist, he interviewed the likes of Bon Jovi, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Guns N’ Roses. He was once surrounded by angry guards holding semi-automatic weapons at The Vatican. His Slipknot biography, Slipknot: Inside The Sickness, Behind The Masks, was released in 2001 and is now available as a Kindle Edition. Arnopp has also written a guide to journalistic interviewing, entitled How To Interview Doctor Who, Ozzy Osbourne And Everyone Else, which is also out on Kindle.

Arnopp’s latest non-fiction book is From The Front Lines Of Rock. Available in the Kindle Store now, it gathers 30 of his favourite nterviews he wrote as a rock journalist, with the likes of Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Korn, Kiss, Faith No More, Garbage, Nine Inch Nails and Green Day.

When you sign up for Arnopp’s free newsletter at JasonArnopp.com, you can also download his short story American Hoarder for free. You might also want to check out his YouTube channel by searching for his name there. What a wonderful world.