#TheLost (Jonah Colley 1) by Simon Beckett @BeckettSimon @OrionBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n

Title: The Lost (Jonah Colley 1) by Simon Beckett

Date Published: 25th November 2021

Publisher: Orion 

Genre: Thriller

Description:

A MISSING CHILD

Ten years ago, the disappearance of firearms police officer Jonah Colley’s young son almost destroyed him.

A GRUESOME DISCOVERY

A plea for help from an old friend leads Jonah to Slaughter Quay, and the discovery of four bodies. Brutally attacked and left for dead, he is the only survivor.

A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

Under suspicion himself, he uncovers a network of secrets and lies about the people he thought he knew – forcing him to question what really happened all those years ago…

Review:

I want to thank Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me on this blog tour and Orion for my copy of The Lost.

So I’m going to admit this is the first Simon Beckett book I’ve read, but after finishing The Lost, it certainly won’t be my last!

Out of the blue, Jonah Colley gets a call from his old friend Gavin, who needs his help and wants to meet right away. When he gets to the warehouse, he’s attacked and left for dead. When several bodies turn up, he becomes the number one suspect. Unable to leave it alone, he digs into the case. Could Gavin have discovered what happened to Jonah’s son, Theo, who disappeared ten years earlier?  

The Lost is one of those books that pulls you into the action from the very beginning, hitting with all sorts of twists and turns along the way.

My heart really went out to Jonah. He’s still tortured by the loss of his four-year-old son Theo, followed by his marriage breaking down. It makes him a little reckless and driven by his emotions, but it makes you root for him even more.

I can’t say too much more in case of spoilers, but I didn’t see the ending coming at all and it was both satisfying and shocking.  

If you’re looking for a thrilling, tension packed novel I’d highly recommend you pick up The Lost!

About The Author:

After an MA in English, Simon Beckett spent several years as a property repairer before a stint teaching in Spain. Back in the UK, he played percussion in several bands. He has been a freelance journalist since 1992, writing for The Times, The Independent on Sunday Review, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer and other major British publications. In 2002, as part of an article on the National Forensic Academy, he visited the Body Farm in Tennessee. This last commission was the inspiration behind the internationally bestselling The Chemistry of Death, which was shortlisted for the CWA’s Duncan Lawrie Dagger and has been translated into 21 languages. Simon Beckett is married and lives in Sheffield. The author of six novels, his second David Hunter thriller, Written in Bone, is published as a Bantam paperback in April 2008.

#HappyPublicationDay The Woman Who Felt Invisible by Lizzie Chantree @Lizzie_Chantree #Promo #Romance

I want to wish Lizzie Chantree a happy publication day for her latest book The Woman Who Felt Invisible! Read on for more about the book and an exclusive excerpt:

Title: The Woman Who Felt Invisible by Lizzie Chantree

Date Published: 23rd November 2021

Genre: Romance

Description:

A gorgeous romantic story of love and new beginnings. Learning to love herself and be content on her own is the first step. But will Olivia be able to leave her past behind, follow her heart and find lasting happiness? A read full of humour, romance and tear-jerking reality, from international bestselling author, Lizzie Chantree.

Have you ever felt invisible? 

Working as a stationery supervisor and a sitter to a pair of internet famous, delinquent dogs, wasn’t how former cyber-specialist, Olivia, imagined her life turning out. 

Working in a tiny cubicle with a decrepit computer and being overlooked had suited her for a while, but now she’s fed up, lonely and determined to make the world ‘see’ her again. 

Old school friend, Darius, wants to fill Olivia’s days with romance, but their love of technology has taken them on very different paths. 

Gorgeous undercover policeman Gabe, is steadfast in finding out if Olivia was part of an online scam, but something doesn’t feel right and he suspects someone else was manipulating her life. 

Can love blossom from the most deceptive of starts? And can someone who feels lost, find a way to flourish against all odds?

You can buy your copy here (ebook is on offer for the next few days for 99p/99c): https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09J98F32J

Excerpt:

This was it. This was Olivia Tenby’s life, now. This was how low she had come. At the age of forty-one, she was sweating her guts out in a house that felt like a furnace, babysitting two delinquent Labradoodle dogs called Bertie and Belle, while their owners swanned around getting even richer somewhere else. Wiping her palms across her face, feeling glad she’d discarded her top so that she couldn’t drip on it, she pressed a button. Music blared out of speakers set into the ceiling. This house had everything – lights that came on when you spoke to them, a vacuum cleaner that tripped you over while it scurried along the floor of its own accord, and a fridge that dispensed perfectly shaped ice cubes into crystal glasses.

Olivia looked around furtively for a moment, and then laughed and decided to go for it. Her job as dog sitter extraordinaire had begun two weeks ago. She’d been told to entertain the excitable animals in any way she could think of, as they were naughty and destroyed everything while the owners were out – which they always were. Olivia hadn’t even met them, which was baffling. They left her notes with instructions on how to stop the dogs eating the walls and making a mess of the thick pile carpets. She actually quite liked the job, it was as easy as walking in a straight line. Then she thought about how wobbly she always was after three vodka and cokes, and quickly pushed that picture aside. The dogs were bored and, although her job included giving the house a cursory swipe with a duster, it was always immaculate when she arrived. Something was a bit weird, though, as the place was incredibly hot. The dogs liked to slobber all over her, making her even hotter. So she’d taken to stripping off as soon as she sat down with the pooches, otherwise she’d probably pass out and be found weeks later, mummified in dog hair.

If you like the sound of The Woman Who Felt Invisible, why not check out some of Lizzie Chantree other books:

The little ice cream shop: viewbook.at/IceCreamShopByTheSea

Networking for writers: viewbook.at/NetworkingForWriters

If you love me, I’m yours: viewbook.at/IfYouLoveMe-ImYours

Ninja School Mum: viewbook.at/NinjaSchoolMumRomance

Babe Driven: viewbook.at/BabeDriven

Love’s Child: viewBook.at/Amazon-LovesChild

Finding Gina: viewbook.at/FindingGina

Shh… It’s Our Secret: https://www.bhcpress.com/Books_Chantree_Shh_Its_Our_Secret.html

About The Author:

International bestselling author and award-winning inventor, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now works as a business mentor and runs a popular networking hour on social media, where creatives can support to each other. She writes books full of friendship and laughter, that are about women with unusual and adventurous businesses, who are far stronger than they realise. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex. Visit her website at http://www.lizziechantree.com or follow her on Twitter @Lizzie_Chantree 

Social Media:

Website: www.lizziechantree.com

Author page: https://www.viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7391757.Lizzie_Chantree

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/

FB Groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/647115202160536/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lizzie-chantree

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lizziechantreeauthor

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnCop-RlAcGqggZG3JfE-Mw

#ForgottenHeroesOfComedy by Robert Ross @RobertWRossEsq @Unbounders @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours

Title: Forgotten Heroes of Comedy: An encyclopaedia of the comedy underdog by Robert Ross

Date Published: 28th October 2021

Publisher: Unbound

Genre: Non-fiction

Description:

Do you remember growing up in the 1970s? Dick Emery was the most famous comedian on British television. His shows would attract millions of viewers. Now, those shows are never repeated. What about Larry Semon? How about little Jimmy Clitheroe?

In this long overdue and affectionate salute, celebrated comedy historian Robert Ross pays tribute to some of the finest, funniest and most fascinating names in comedy – from both sides of the Atlantic. 

With an introductory piece by Monty Python pioneer Terry Jones, this book will enthral and enlighten the most die-hard of comedy admirers.

Delving into the careers of the beguiling Avril Angers, the forgotten Stooge Shemp Howard,

Hollywood golden girl Thelma Todd, Italian film-maker Mario Zampi and many more between — Ross honours these legends of humour who, for a variety of reasons, didn’t quite reach the heady heights of stardom – or, once they did, they couldn’t cope with the pressures.

Whether it is a favourite from the distant smoke-and ale-stained world of the Music Hall like the great George Robey, or the downbeat poetry of Hovis Presley, who dropped disenchanted bombs on the late 1990s the Forgotten Heroes of Comedy will finally elevate them to the Hall of Fame where they belong. Forgotten, no longer.

Review:

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

I’m a big comedy lover, so when I read the description for Forgotten Heroes of comedy, it really appealed to me. 

At over six hundred pages, Forgotten Heroes of comedy is packed with interesting and well-researched facts on comedians of the past, looking over the highs and lows of their careers. 

As a mid-eighties baby, a lot of the names in this book were a bit before my time, but I was surprised to find I actually recognised a few faces even if I didn’t know their names before I read this book.

I loved that in the centre were replicas of old pictures and posters which were an absolute delight to look at.

I felt that this is not the kind of book you can just sit down and read from cover to cover. There is such a lot of information you might, like me, get a bit overloaded. It is perfect, however, to dip in and out whenever you fancy.

Forgotten Heroes of Comedy is a fun frolic through the past, which was both entertaining and informative. 

I also think, with Christmas coming up soon, Forgotten Heroes of Comedy is the perfect stocking filler for any comedy lovers out there.

About the Author:

Robert Ross is the leading authority on the history of British comedy.

His sixteen books include The Monty Python Encyclopedia, The Carry On Story, Sid James – Cockney Rebel, The Complete Terry-Thomas and official BBC celebrations of Fawlty Towers, Last of the Summer Wine and Steptoe and Son. 

His latest book is a critically-acclaimed biography of Marty Feldman. He is a frequent guest on radio and his many television credits include interviews for What’s A Carry On?, Top Ten: Comedy Records, Will the Real Basil Fawlty Please Stand Up?, What the Pythons Did Next, Richard & Judy and BBC News. He lives in Buckinghamshire. http://www.robertross.co.uk

#PublicationDay The Love Heart Lane series box set (Books 1-3) by Christie Barlow @ChristieJBarlow @rararesources #BookPromo #romcom

Hello lovelies and happy Halloween! Today I’m here to celebrate the release of the eBook boxset of the first three novels in Christie Barlow’s bestselling Love Heart Lane series – also including a bonus Christmas short story!

Love Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter what

Love Heart Lane

When Flick Simons returns to the cosy village of Heartcross she only expected to stay for a few days. The white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane might be her home, but the place holds too many painful memories, and of one man in particular – Fergus Campbell.

Foxglove Farm

Isla and Drew Allaway appear to have the perfect life – a strong marriage, two beautiful children and their picture-perfect home, Foxglove Farm.
But, new mum Isla is struggling. When she discovers that Drew has been keeping secrets from her, Isla has to face losing the home they all love.

Clover Cottage

When Vet Rory Scott inherits ramshackle Clover Cottage in the quaint village of Heartcross, Allie MacDonald just knows this is their happy ever after. A place to call home with the man she loves – it’s her dream come true!
Until Rory drops a bombshell. He loves Allie but he has dreams of his own to follow – to live and work in Africa. Clover Cottage will have to wait just a little longer…

Plus the exclusive short story –  Christmas at Heartcross Castle.

Celebrate Christmas with all your favourite residents from Love Heart Lane – a short Christmas story not to be missed! Merry Christmas! X

You can buy your copy here: 

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09B4R97YL/

US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09B4R97YL/ 

About The Author:

Christie Barlow is the number one international bestselling author of fifteen romantic comedies including the iconic Love Heart Lane Series, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm and Kitty’s Countryside Dream. She lives in a ramshackle cottage in a quaint village in the heart of Staffordshire with her four children and two dogs.

Her writing career has come as a lovely surprise when Christie decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. Christie’s dream was to become a writer and the book she wrote to prove a point went on to become a #1 international bestseller in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.

When Christie isn’t writing she co-presents The Book Show on Radio Northwich, enjoys playing the piano, is a keen gardener and loves to paint and upcycle furniture.

Christie is an ambassador for the @ZuriProject alongside Patron of the charity, Emmerdale’s Bhasker Patel. They raise money and awareness for communities in Uganda.

Christie loves to hear from her readers and you can get in touch via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christie_barlow/?hl=en

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow 

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

The Restoration by J.H.Moncrieff @JH_Moncrieff @flametreepress @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours #BookReview #Horror

Title: The Restoration by J.H.Moncrieff

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

Date Published: 19th October 2021

Genre: Horror

Description:

Inspired by the author’s overnight stay in a historical haunted house, The Restoration is a thrilling tale of intrigue, murder, and family secrets that refuse to stay buried.

It was the perfect opportunity…or so she thought. When Terri Foxworth is hired to spend a year restoring a crumbling manor house, she believes she’s hit the jackpot. She moves in with her young daughter and high hopes for the project’s success. As the restoration begins to go terribly wrong, she realizes dark forces won’t let her leave the house until its horrible secrets are revealed.

This job could very well be the death of her.

Review:

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

I’m a sucker for a haunted house story, so when I read the synopsis for The Restoration, I knew I had to give it a read.

The Restoration is a mix of mystery and ghostly goings on which created an additive read. I devoured this book in two sittings which I haven’t done in ages!

Terri is desperate for money, so she takes on the restoration of the old Miss Vandermere’s childhood home, Glenvale. She moves in with her daughter Dallas, but things don’t seem right and the hauntings begin. The ghost refuses to leave them alone and, along with another unwanted guest, Terri finds herself pulled into the mystery surrounding Glenvale.

I felt for Terri. Trying her best to provide for her daughter in the tough business of restoring houses, also while keeping her ex from getting full custody of her daughter.

I enjoyed the fact it showed a realistic parent/child relationship, the ups and downs. One minute they hate you, the next you’re firm friends and all the other nuanced stuff that goes on in between.

The tension builds nicely, culminating in an explosive ending, which while it didn’t entirely surprise me, was extremely satisfying. 

I wished there had been more of a buildup at the beginning of the story. I felt the ghost showed itself a little too soon for my liking.

The Restoration is a quick spooky read that I’d recommend to any mystery lover out there who likes a ghostly twist to their stories.

This may be my first J.H. Moncrieff book, but I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her books in the future.

About The Author:

J.H .Moncrieff’s City of Ghosts won the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense.

Reviewers have described her work as early Gillian Flynn with a little Ray Bradbury and Stephen King thrown in for good measure. She won Harlequin’s search for “the next Gillian Flynn” in 2016. Her first published novella, The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave, was featured in Samhain’s Childhood Fears collection and stayed on its horror bestsellers list for over a year.

When not writing, she loves exploring the world’s most haunted places, advocating for animal rights, and summoning her inner ninja in muay thai class. To get free ebooks and a new spooky story every week, go to http://bit.ly/MoncrieffLibrary.

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.

#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.

#UltimateBlogTour #WickedLittleDeeds by Kat Ellis @The_WriteReads @WriteReadsTours @el_kat #TheWriteReads

Title: Wicked Little Deeds by Kat Ellis

Date Published: 5th August 2021

Publisher: Penguin

Genre: YA Mystery/Horror

Description:

From its creepy town mascot to the story of its cursed waterfall, Burden Falls is a small town dripping with superstition. Ava Thorn knows this well – since the horrific accident she witnessed a year ago, she’s been plagued by nightmares.

But when her school nemesis is brutally murdered and Ava is the primary suspect, she starts to wonder if the legends surrounding the town are more fact than fiction.

Whatever secrets Burden Falls is hiding, there’s a killer on the loose, and they have a vendetta against the Thorns…

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Little-Deeds-Kat-Ellis-ebook/dp/B08L75VKPD

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55600867-wicked-little-deeds

Review:

I want to thank the lovely people at The Write Reads Tours for inviting me on this tour and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Kat Ellis novel, but the blurb intrigued me, so I thought I’d give it a go and I wasn’t disappointed.

Wicked Little Deeds is a brilliant mix of young adult mystery and horror, with a bit of romance in there, too.

The story follows Ava, who’s being forced to move from her childhood home after the death of her parents and the collapse of their business. If that wasn’t bad enough, she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her high school nemesis, which is soon connected to the legend of Dead Eyed Sadie, a ghost associated with her family. Unable to leave it alone, she sets out to find the actual killer.

Ava and Dominic are intriguing and flawed characters. I have to say I usually get a little annoyed with teen characters for being a little self-involved, but I really enjoyed both of them and the way their chemistry really shines through the story.

Another thing I loved about the story was the urban legend of Dead Eyed Sadie that was woven throughout the mystery. It was creepy and captivating at the same time. There were some fantastic spooky scenes featuring Dead Eyed Sadie throughout that gave me goosebumps!

The mystery was also well done. It really kept me guessing even though I did eventually manage to figure it out.

I know this story is billed as a young adult story but honestly anyone of any age who loves both mysteries and urban legends would enjoy this story (says the woman who is probably too old to be reading young adult novels). 

Wicked Little Deeds is an atmospheric and creepy read that I honestly couldn’t put down. I’m looking forward to reading more from Kat Ellis!

About the Author  (from https://katelliswrites.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html)

Kat Ellis is a young adult author whose novels include Wicked Little Deeds/Burden Falls (August 2021), Harrow Lake (July 2020), Purge (September 2016), Breaker (May 2016), and Blackfin Sky (May 2014). She is a fan of all things horror and sci-fi, and a keen explorer of ruins, castles and cemeteries – all of which are plentiful in North Wales, where Kat lives with her husband.

You can find out more about Kat at http://www.katelliswrites.com or connect with her on social media. 

Email: katelliswrites@gmail.com

Website: katelliswrites.com

Facebook: facebook.com/katelliswrites

Instagram: @katelliswrites

Twitter: @el_kat

Little Girl Taken (Detective Madison Harper 3) by Wendy Dranfield @WendyDranfield @bookouture #BookReview #BooksOnTour

Title: Little Girl Taken (Detective Madison Harper 3) by Wendy Dranfield 

Date Published: 29th July 2021

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Crime Thriller

Description:

Rain rattles through the trees as she leans into the car, careful not to touch anything. Two pretty blue eyes stare back through the dark, wide with relief, or maybe fear. A baby girl, wrapped up in a pink snowsuit, reaches out a tiny hand. Her mother is nowhere to be found…

An abandoned baby is the last thing Detective Madison Harper expects to find as she drives to her first day back at work since the case that ripped her life apart. But as she cradles the shivering child close, all her instincts tell her there’s something more sinister at play. Then she finds a lone sneaker down a muddy trail nearby, the laces spattered with blood…

In a town as small as Lost Creek, Colorado, the baby and the shoe are quickly identified as belonging to Kacie Larson, a waitress at the local diner who quietly stashed away her tips to make a better life for her daughter. A mother herself, Madison can’t believe that Kacie would just abandon her child, but she also can’t convince her new team. Not for the first time, Madison feels she must go it alone to get the job done.

But when a body is pulled from a nearby lake, and it’s not Kacie, the case takes an agonizing turn. Is this missing mother really who she says she is? Is there a chance she’s still alive? Madison barely has time to think before the sweet little girl she rescued is snatched on a crowded street. Gone, in the blink of an eye.

To break this case and earn her place back on the force, Madison must learn to trust her team, and herself again—and fast. If she doesn’t find this twisted individual in time, a little girl could die…

A pulse-pounding, absolutely gripping and totally addictive page-turner that will have you racing through the pages and reeling at the twists. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot, you’ll be sleeping with the lights on!

You can buy your copy here: https://geni.us/B093C9HN79cover 

Review:

I want to thank Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I swear this series is getting better and better! It’s the third in the Detective Madison Harper series, while it can be read as a standalone I would suggest reading at least the previous book Cry For Help just to get more on the background on the characters.

Madison has got her job back as a detective but it will not be easy for her, after so many years away and suspicions about her still swirling. It doesn’t help that on her first day back she finds a crashed car with a baby in the back. Where is the baby’s mother and will Madison be able to find her alive? She enlists the help of her friend and PI Nate to help her crack the case.

As always with Wendy’s books, she puts her characters through it! It’s Nate’s turn in this book when his friend Rex turns up dead, bringing with him some revelations about his Father Connor, the man he’s been trying to track down for years.

This novel really hit me hard in the emotions and after I put it down, I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about the ending.

Little Girl Taken is a well written and fast-paced thriller full of plenty of shocks and surprises along the way to keep you guessing. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in this series!

About The Author:

Wendy is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer who lives in the UK with her husband and 3 cats.

Her first novel (The Girl Who Died) was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition. Since then she has written two crime series – one follows Officer Dean Matheson on his quest to make detective, and the other is her current series which follows Detective Madison Harper as she tries to reclaim her life after spending six years in prison for a murder she didn’t commit.

As well as crime novels Wendy also has short stories published in various anthologies in the UK and the US, and she has been shortlisted and longlisted for various writing competitions.

Wendy’s social media:

Website: https://wendydranfield.co.uk/

Twitter: @WendyDranfield

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