The Country Village Winter Wedding by Cathy Lake @LakeAuthor @Tr4cyF3nt0n @ZaffreBooks #BookReview #BlogTour

Title: The Country Village Winter Wedding by Cathy Lake

Publisher: Zaffre

Publication Date: 28th October 2021

Genre: Romance

Description:

Clare Greene and Sam Wilson are getting married and everyone in Little Bramble is excited for the event of the year. But Clare and Sam are busy people and have left organising their wedding to the last minute.

Luckily, wedding planner Hazel Campbell has recently moved to the village. She had what she thought was a wonderful life in Edinburgh with a successful business, a loving fiance and her own wedding coming up. But when she caught her groom-to-be in bed with her best friend she fled, leaving everyone and everything behind.

Little Bramble seems like the ideal place for Hazel to start over. As she throws herself into planning the perfect country village winter wedding, she starts to find herself again. And soon she realises that a second chance at happiness might just be on the cards . . .

Escape to Little Bramble with the rest of The Country Village Series – The Country Village Christmas Show and The Country Village Summer Fete, available now, and The Country Village Allotment, coming in Spring 2022.

Review:

I want to thank Tracy Fenton for inviting me on this blog tour and Zaffre for providing me with a copy of The Country Village Winter Wedding in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not usually one for Christmas stories, I’m a bit bah humbug about the whole thing, but I loved The Country Village Summer Fete earlier this year, so I thought I’d give this book a go. I must be mellowing in my old age!

This is the third in the series, but it can be read as a standalone, but there are cameos from characters from the previous books to get the most out of this series.

I absolutely loved the pairing of Hazel and Jack. Both are carrying hurt from their past, Hazel from a cheat of a fiance and Jack from the death of his wife. It was sweet to watch their romance grow.  

I have to say I have a bit of a soft spot for Jack. He cooks, cleans and is good with children, not to mention the fact he gave up his dreams to support his wife. He seems like the ideal man!

What I liked about this story, compared to the previous book, is there were a few more funny moments and there were a few scenes that made me snort with laughter. 

The Country Village Winter Wedding is a sweet, Christmassy read that is the perfect blend of romance and feel good festive fun.

About The Author:

Cathy Lake is a women’s fiction writer who lives with her family and three dogs in beautiful South Wales. She writes uplifting stories about strong women, family, friendship, love, community and overcoming obstacles.

Beyond the Veil Anthology (Edited by Mark Morris) @flametreepress @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours #BookReview #Horror #FlameTreePress #BlogTour

Title: Beyond the Veil Anthology (Edited by Mark Morris).

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

Date Published: 19th October 2021

Genre: Horror/Short Story

Description:

Beyond the Veil is the second volume in an annual, non-themed horror series of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer, and edited by Mark Morris. This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window.

Review:

I want to thank Anne Cater for inviting me on this tour and Flame Tree Press for providing me with a copy of Beyond The Veil in exchange for an honest review.

Last year I read and enjoyed the previous short story collection from Flame Tree Press, After Sundown, last year, so I was eager to see what was on offer this year.

Beyond The Veil is a collection of short horror stories with something for every type of horror fan, from classic monster tales to mind bending sci-fi to gruesome body horror. 

I will just put a trigger warning here before I go any further. This novel contains themes of grief, suicide, child abuse, and the death of an animal. 

In all honesty, most of the authors were unknown to me, so it was nice to find some new authors to add to my must read list.

Like most types of collections, I found it a good mix of styles. Of course, there were some stories I enjoyed more than others.

My standouts were:

God Bag. The story that followed a man and his dying mum who was in the last grips of dementia. She carried around a strange little God bag containing prayers that started off innocently enough until he started digging. It was both heartbreaking and creepy at the same time.

For All The Dead. A historical story about a young woman who lived in a small fishing village, where life and death were controlled by the sea. There was almost a fairytale-like quality to this one that I found magical. 

The Girl In The Pool. A thief breaks into a house planning to rob the place, instead finds a young girl dead in the pool. This was a gripping tale of monsters and morality.

A Mystery for Julie Chu. A young woman has a knack for finding strange artifacts, but when she picks up an old radio from a car boot sale, she gets more than she bargained for. I loved the mix of mystery and spookiness of this one.

The care and feeding of household gods. This is a story about a stay at home dad who makes household gods to help him get everything done. This one took me by surprise, starting off innocent enough, then got more and more sinister. I still can’t stop thinking about this one!

I would highly recommend Beyond The Veil if you’re looking for a variety of short, sharp and shocking stories.

About The Editor:

Mark Morris has written and edited almost forty novels, novellas, short story collections and anthologies. His recent work includes the official movie tie-in novelizations of The Great Wall and (co-written with Christopher Golden) The Predator, the Obsidian Heart trilogy (The Wolves of London, The Society of Blood and The Wraiths of War), the anthologies New Fears (winner of the British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology) and New Fears 2 and many more.

Black Reed Bay (Detective Casey Wray 1) by Rod Reynolds @Rod_WR @OrendaBooks #BookReview

Title: Black Reed Bay (Detective Casey Wray 1) by Rod Reynolds

Date Published: 28th May 2021

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Police Procedural

Description:

When a young woman vanishes from an exclusive oceanfront community in the middle of the night, Detective Casey Wray’s takes on a case that leads her in chilling, unexpected directions … A twisty, breath-taking police procedural. First in a heart-pounding new series.

Don’t trust ANYONE…

When a young woman makes a distressing middle-of-the-night call to 911, apparently running for her life in a quiet, exclusive beachside neighbourhood, miles from her home, everything suggests a domestic incident.

Except no one has seen her since, and something doesn’t sit right with the officers at Hampstead County PD. With multiple suspects and witnesses throwing up startling inconsistencies, and interference from the top threatening the integrity of the investigation, lead detective Casey Wray is thrust into an increasingly puzzling case that looks like it’s going to have only one ending…

And then the first body appears…

For fans of Susie Steiner, Peter Swanson, M J Arlidge, James Lee Burke and Tana French.

Review:

I want to thank the TBC reviewer group and Orenda books for providing me with a copy of Black Reed Bay in exchange for an honest review.

Rod Reynolds has been on my radar for a while now, but this is actually the first book I’ve read by him, but it certainly won’t be the last!

A young woman makes a 911 call and seems to vanish. The people of the wealthy neighbourhood that she went missing from claim to have no clue where she went or why she was so distressed. Casey Wray is put on the case and is the only person intent on finding her. Then a body turns up and Casey realises there’s something more sinister going on than she first thought.

Black Reed Bay was one of those books that really kept me on my toes throughout, with plenty of twists and shocks along the way. 

I loved Rod Reynolds’ writing style. Descriptive and evocative without bogging you down with too much detail. Added to that, a cleverly concocted mystery and realistic characters, making it a really entertaining read.

Casey Wray is a fantastic character that I really rooted for. An older officer, she’s worked hard to become a detective and still at times struggles with it all. It’s her sheer determination and need for justice that seems to drive her on. 

Black Reed Bay is a tense and atmospheric police procedural that kept me gripped throughout. I will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

About The Author:

Rod Reynolds is the author of five novels, including the Charlie Yates series, the standalone Blood Red City and the forthcoming Black Reed Bay.

His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir.’ A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books published his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City, which was a Summer 2020 pick in the FT. In 2021, he again turns to the US, this time to present-day Long Island, with Black Reed Bay.

Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in Novel Writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and children and spends most of his time trying to keep up with them.

Contact him:

http://www.rodreynolds.com

twitter: @Rod_WR

facebook: @RodReynoldsBooks

#HalfPastTomorrow by Chris McGeorge @crmcgeorge @orionbooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #BookReview

Title: Half Past Tomorrow by Chris McGeorge

Date Published: 5th August 2021

Publisher: Orion Publishing

Genre: Thriller

Description:

Shirley Steadman, a 70 year old living in a small town in the North East of England, loves her volunteer work at the local hospital radio. She likes giving back to the community, and even more so, she likes getting out of the house. Haunted by the presence of her son, a reluctant Royal Navy officer who was lost at sea, and still in the shadow of her long dead abusive husband, she doesn’t like being alone much.

One day, at the radio station, she is playing around with the equipment and finds a frequency that was never there before. It is a pirate radio station, and as she listens as the presenter starts reading the news. But there is one problem – the news being reported is tomorrows. Shirley first thinks it is a mere misunderstanding – a wrong date. But she watches as everything reported comes true. At first, Shirley is in awe of the station, and happily tunes in to hear the news.

But then the presenter starts reporting murders – murders that happen just the way they were reported.

And Shirley is the only one who can stop them. 

Review:

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

I’ve not read any books by this author before but when I saw it was about a radio station that reports about murders before they happen I was like, yes, I need to read that! 

The story centres around Shirley who, while volunteering at the local hospital radio station, comes across Mallet AM, a pirate radio station that reports tomorrow’s news. At first, the incidents that are reported were simple accidents, but it slowly becomes more sinister and reports a murder. Shirley can’t leave it alone and sets out to stop the murder from happening.

I love an older main character, especially in a mystery, and I thought Shirley was wonderfully done. She’s headstrong, determined, and won’t let even her frail health stop her from getting to the bottom of the mystery. She also carries pain and guilt around from her past, making her you root for her even more.

I also loved the hospital radio setting, as it gave me a bit of nostalgia for the days when I used to listen to the radio myself.  

There were some good shocks and surprises along the way, but for me, the story was a little slow burn. That’s not a bad thing, but I was just expecting some more chills and thrills.

Half Past Tomorrow is a solid thriller with memorable characters and an original and intriguing storyline.

About The Author:

Chris McGeorge studied MA Creative Writing (Crime/Thriller) at City University London where he wrote his first novel as his thesis. His interests are broad – spanning film, books, theatre and video games. He is a member of the Northern Crime Syndicate, a supergroup of writers from Northern England. He lives in County Durham with his partner and many, many animals.

Murder At Elm House (Kitty Underhay 6) by Helena Dixon @bookouture @NellDixon #BookReview #Booksontour

Title: Murder At Elm House (Kitty Underhay 6) by Helena Dixon

Publisher: Bookouture

Date Published: 7th June 2021

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Description: 

Kitty Underhay feels the touch… of death.

1934. Accidental amateur sleuth Kitty Underhay is being escorted by ex-army captain Matthew Bryant on an errand of mercy, as she takes a basket of grapes to her nemesis Mrs Craven, who is recuperating from a recent operation. But their arrival at Elm House Nursing Home coincides with the mysterious death of Lady Wellings, a long-term resident.

The woman was known to be ill, so when the police turn a disinterested ear to Mrs Craven’s suspicion that Lady Wellings was poisoned, Kitty decides to look into the case herself. And when another invalid, the gentle Mrs Pearson, collapses fatally in the breakfast room, it seems her suspicions are well-founded. For an institution promising health and rejuvenation, there seems to be a very low survival rate amongst the guests!

When the nurse Eloise Hibbert hints at sinister goings on among the staff, Kitty arranges to meet her away from the home to uncover how deep the treachery lies. However, before she can make the rendezvous, Eloise meets an unfortunate end falling from the top of the building. Was she pushed by the hand of fate, or a cold-blooded killer?

Meanwhile, Matt has been following an entirely different trail of evidence, and what he finds out chills him to the bone. When Kitty fails to return from her unsuccessful meeting, it is clear she has stumbled onto a plot far more devious than they could have imagined, and into a trap laid by an unscrupulous killer…

An utterly sensational and addictive Golden Age murder mystery. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.

You can buy your copy here: https://geni.us/B08V1VY7TBsocial

Review:

I want to thank Bookouture for my copy of Murder at Elm House in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at Elm House is the sixth book in the Kitty Underhay mystery series, it can be read as a standalone but I would highly recommend reading at least the previous book Murder In The Bell Tower, as some of the storyline carries over.

Mrs Craven, a friend of Kitty’s grandmother, is recovering after a minor operation at Elm House. She calls in both Matthew and Kitty after she suspects that there’s something odd going on, resulting in the deaths of some of the patients. As they investigate, they become aware that there could be something bigger going on than just the death of patients.

If you don’t know this series, they’re set around the golden age of crime fiction in the 1930s and always give me classic crime vibes while remaining fresh and interesting to read.

I love sleuths Matthew and Kitty, they’re such a cute couple and compliment each other nicely. There was plenty of peril for both throughout the novel, with break-ins and attempts on their lives. Not to mention Kitty taking the leap to become a lady motorist, something that probably would have been frowned upon back in those days.

I usually have an inkling when it comes to cozy mysteries about the whodunnit quite early on but not with this novel, I can say I didn’t guess how it was going to end at all!

Murder at Elm House is a great addition to this series and I can’t wait to read more!

About The Author:

Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.nelldixon.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/nell.dixon

Twitter:      https://twitter.com/NellDixon

#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/

#BlogTour #BookReview Trust Me by T.M. Logan @TMLoganAuthor @ZaffreBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n

Title: Trust Me by T.M. Logan

Date Published: 18th March 2021

Publisher: Zaffre Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Description:

Two strangers, a child, and a split second choice that will change everything . . .

Ellen was just trying to help a stranger. That was how it started: giving a few minutes respite to a flustered young mother sitting opposite her on the train. A few minutes holding her baby while the mother makes an urgent call. The weight of the child in her arms making Ellen’s heart ache for what she can never have.

Five minutes pass.

Ten.

The train pulls into a station and Ellen is stunned to see the mother hurrying away down the platform, without looking back. Leaving her baby behind. Ellen is about to raise the alarm when she discovers a note in the baby’s bag, three desperate lines scrawled hastily on a piece of paper:

Please protect Mia

Don’t trust the police

Don’t trust anyone

Why would a mother abandon her child to a stranger? Ellen is about to discover that the baby in her arms might hold the key to an unspeakable crime. And doing the right thing might just cost her everything . . . 

Review:

I want to thank Tracy Fenton for inviting me on this tour and Zaffre books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third T.M.Logan book and having enjoyed those novels I was very excited to see what this one had to offer.

Trust Me may be just over four hundred pages long, but with its quick pace and short chapters it didn’t feel that long at all. 

The story follows Ellen, a woman in her forties who’s just received the diagnosis that she won’t be able to have children. On the train home she’s asked to look after baby Mia while her mum makes an urgent call. Time passes, but her mum doesn’t come back. Looking for clues to the woman’s disappearance it leads Ellen down a dangerous path but she knows one thing, she must protect Mia at all costs.

Ellen was an excellent character with hidden depths. At first you think she’s just an average person who I felt more than a bit sorry for, but it turns out she’s a bit of a badass. Her determination and stubbornness to let things go really drew me on through the novel.  

There’s a good deal of intrigue and tension running through the story, and you’re really not sure who to trust. Unfortunately, the author tried so hard to deceive that I felt it made the real bad guy a bit obvious.

Trust Me is a quick and addictive read, perfect to lose yourself in for a few hours. 

About The Author:

Tim’s thrillers have sold more than one million copies in the UK and are published in 19 countries around the world including the USA, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Greece, Romania and the Netherlands.

His brand new novel TRUST ME has been described as ‘Everything you want from a thriller, and more…’ TRUST ME is out now in hardback, e-book and audiobook.

His debut thriller LIES was one of Amazon’s biggest selling e-books of 2017 and was followed by 29 SECONDS in 2018. THE HOLIDAY was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick for summer 2019 and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten.

THE CATCH is about a father who becomes convinced his daughter is about to marry a man with terrible secrets.

Tim was born in Berkshire and studied in London and Cardiff before becoming a national newspaper journalist. He lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For exclusive writing and new releases from TM Logan, sign up to the Readers’ Club: www.bit.ly/TMLogan.

Miniskirts Are Murder (Porter & The Gliss 2) by Des Burkinshaw @rararesources @DesBurkinshaw #BookReview #BlogTour

I took a bit of time off due to a death in my family but now I’m back today with a review Miniskirts Are Murder by Des Burkinshaw but first a little about the book:

Title: Miniskirts Are Murder by Des Burkinshaw

Date Published: 7th March 2021

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Paranormal

Description:

Porter Norton, his friends and his sarcastic spirit guide, The Gliss, are on the trail of a young actress who went missing in Soho, London, in the Swinging Sixties. Still recovering from their last adventure in the battlefields of WW1, the gang are confronted by a transatlantic conspiracy.

You can buy your copy here:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miniskirts-are-Murder-investigation-Investigations-ebook/dp/B08THXTBGB   

US – https://www.amazon.com/Miniskirts-are-Murder-investigation-Investigations-ebook/dp/B08THXTBGB 

Review:

I want to thank Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on this tour and the author for providing me with a copy of Miniskirts Are Murder in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the Porter and The Gliss series, I read and enjoyed the first back in 2019 and I was very much looking forward to the sequel! I will say you should read the first Dead and Talking as some of the story carries over into this one.

Miniskirts are murder is the same mix of historical, paranormal and mystery as the first but this time instead of being set in the trenches of WW1 we’re taken to the Swinging Sixties, travelling to both LA and Germany to investigate the disappearance of a young actress named Rose.

There’s so much packed into this novel. Ghostly visions, gangsters, racism, women’s rights, spies, the Cold War and of course murder.

I was so glad that the gang of Porter, Feng, Namita, Karin and of course the Gliss were back together for this story, albeit with a lot more scars than the first book. We got to know each character a little better, each getting their own minor storyline weaved into the main story.

The sixties are a bit of a fascination to me. It seemed like such an interesting time, especially in Britain, and I feel it’s much romanticised by film and TV shows. This book really shines a light on the seedier side of the time, especially when it came to filmmaking. 

At the forefront of this novel is women’s rights and racism, which at times made it a little intense to read, I had to put the book down for a bit to get my emotions under control! 

Miniskirts are murder is an original and thought provoking read with plenty of mystery and mayhem along the way. I’m looking forward to the next adventure featuring Porter and The Gliss.

About The Author:  

Des, 52, is a former Times journalist/BBC TV producer. Miniskirts are Murder is the second in the Porter and The Gliss Investigations series, following Dead & Talking in 2019.
Des likes to live out as much of the stories as possible and spent 3 months in the US researching this novel. He runs a film school in London and has just been commissioned to write a limited season TV series intended for Netflix. He is also a keen musician and through work has jammed with people like Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson and Jeff Lynne. He is married with 1 daughter.

Social Media Links – 

www.desburkinshaw.com   twitter.com/DesBurkinshaw, facebook as Des Burkinshaw  

A Brush With Death (Nosey Parker 2) by Fiona Leitch @rararesources @fkleitch #CozyMystery #BookReview

Title: A Brush With Death (Nosey Parker 2) by Fiona Leitch 

Date Published: 12th February 2021

Publisher: One More Chapter

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Description:

Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is back!

When a body turned up at her last catering gig it certainly put people off the hor d’oeuvres. So with a reputation to salvage, Jodie’s determined that her next job for the village’s festival will go without a hitch.

But when chaos breaks out, Jodie Parker somehow always finds herself in the picture.

The body of a writer from the festival is discovered at the bottom of a cliff, and the prime suspect is the guest of honour, the esteemed painter Duncan Stovall. With her background in the Met police, Jodie has got solving cases down to a fine art and she knows things are rarely as they seem.

Can she find the killer before the village faces another brush with death?

The second book in the Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker cosy mystery series. Can be read as a standalone. A humorous cosy mystery with a British female sleuth in a small village. Includes one of Jodie’s Tried and Tested Recipes! Written in British English. Mild profanity and peril.

You can buy your copy here:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brush-Death-Nosey-Parker-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08CTX44K5

US – https://www.amazon.com/Brush-Death-Nosey-Parker-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08CTX44K5 

Review:

I want to thank Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources 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’m so glad to be back with the second in the Nosey Parker cozy mystery series! Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first, it can easily read as a standalone.

While she’s catering the opening party of Pentowan gala, Jodie comes to the attention of artist Duncan Stovall. Unfortunately, there are a few problems standing in their way, a) he’s married and b) he gets accused of the murder of author Robert Holmes. Using her nosey ways she digs into the murder, much to the annoyance of the handsome DCI Withers, to find the culprit.

Like with the first book, Murder on the menu, A brush with death is a fantastic mystery with a great cast of characters, picturesque setting and plenty of fun along the way.

The second book features some great characters from the first, like DCI Nathan Withers and of course my favourite Germaine the dog. I really enjoy the banter between Jodie and Nathan, it made me laugh out loud throughout the novel. I love seeing their relationship grow and I wonder if there’s going to be a bit of romance on the cards for these two in future novels!

I would say I didn’t feel the mystery wasn’t quite as strong as the first, but still very enjoyable to read.

A Brush With Death is a charming and fun packed mystery that I couldn’t get enough of. I’m very much looking forward to the next book!

About The Author:

Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called ‘Sod Off’. Her debut novel ‘Dead in Venice’ was published by Audible in 2018 as one of their Crime Grant finalists. After living in London, Hastings and Cornwall she’s finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters. 

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/fiona.leitch.1/

Tweets by fkleitch

https://www.instagram.com/leitchfiona/

Murder On The Menu by Fiona Leitch @rararesources @fkleitch #BlogTour #BookReview #CozyMystery

Title: Murder On The Menu by Fiona Leitch 

Date Published: 15th January 2021

Publisher: One More Chapter

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Description:

The first book in a NEW cosy mystery series!

Still spinning from the hustle and bustle of city life, Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker is glad to be back in the Cornish village she calls home. Having quit the Met Police in search of something less dangerous, the change of pace means she can finally start her dream catering company and raise her daughter, Daisy, somewhere safer.

But there’s nothing like having your first job back at home to be catering an ex-boyfriend’s wedding to remind you of just how small your village is. And when the bride, Cheryl, vanishes Jodie is drawn into the investigation, realising that life in the countryside might not be as quaint as she remembers…

With a missing bride on their hands, there is murder and mayhem around every corner but surely saving the day will be a piece of cake for this not-so-amateur sleuth?

The first book in the Murder on the Menu cosy mystery series. Can be read as a standalone. A humorous cosy mystery with a British female sleuth in a small village. Includes one of Jodie’s Tried and Tested Recipes! Written in British English. Mild profanity and peril.

You can buy your copy here: 

amzn.to/389aWWW  

http://mybook.to/murderonthemenureveal

Review:

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

I read and enjoyed Murder Ahoy! by Fiona Leitch last year, so I was intrigued to see what this new series had to offer.

Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker just moved back to her hometown of Penstowan in Cornwall with her twelve-year-old daughter Daisy after her disaster of a marriage broke down. She set up a new catering business and is quickly pulled into catering old friend Tony Penhaligon’s wedding. Tragedy strikes as his ex wife Mel turns up dead and his wife to be goes missing. She ends up butting heads with the handsome DCI Withers after Tony becomes the prime suspect. Jodie must use her nosey ways to crack the case.

Murder on the Menu is a cozy mystery packed with plenty of red herrings, memorable characters, and of course a good dose of humour.

I absolutely loved Jodie ‘Nosey’ Parker. She’s a single mum, a former police officer, and has plenty of sarcastic wit to boot. There were some great secondary characters too, like Jodie’s mum and her daughter Daisy, but a special shout out goes to Germaine, the cute dog that Jodie ends up inheriting.

I also enjoyed the small town gossipy atmosphere that came across through the novel. Everybody seemed to have a nickname too, which was so much fun! 

There’s plenty of little twists and turns through the story that really kept me on my toes, and I really didn’t guess the entire mystery until the very end.

After reading Murder on the menu I can’t to read next in this series!

About The Author:

Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called ‘Sod Off’. Her debut novel ‘Dead in Venice’ was published by Audible in 2018 as one of their Crime Grant finalists. After living in London, Hastings and Cornwall she’s finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters. 

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