Category: book review

I’m sharing my review The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot by Elizabeth M Hurst #blogtour #nonfiction #writingadvice

I’m sharing my review The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot by Elizabeth M Hurst #blogtour #nonfiction #writingadvice

The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot

* DO YOU STRUGGLE TO FINISH WRITING A NOVEL?
* DO YOU RUN OUT OF MOMENTUM BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR STORY IS GOING?

The Wordsmith’s Guide to Planning the Perfect Plot is your trusted companion for turning story ideas into structured, compelling narratives. In this fourth instalment of the Wordsmith’s Guides series, Elizabeth M. Hurst takes you through popular plotting methods—including the Snowflake Method, Save the Cat Beat Sheet, and The Inside Outline—helping you choose the right approach for your writing style. You’ll also find practical advice on troubleshooting common pitfalls, crafting satisfying endings, and keeping your plan adaptable as your story evolves.

Inside, you’ll discover:

  • Clear explanations of proven plotting methods
  • Guidance on choosing the right structure for your novel
  • Tips for overcoming plot issues and staying on track
  • Advice on writing satisfying, well-rounded endings
  • A practical appendix full of tools and templates to support your planning process

Whether you’re a planner, a pantser, or somewhere in between, Planning the Perfect Plot will help you shape your novel with clarity and confidence.

Purchase Link

 https://geni.us/PlottingAmazon

My Review

Planning isn’t something I really do as a writer. But I was certainly curious to see how others might go about writing their stories. Elizabeth M Hurst gathers together many different techniques for planning a novel, and it is interesting to discover how I could be writing a novel, if my mind worked in that way. Mine, alas, does not. It thrives on the chaos. But, I do think the book is an excellent resource for those who plan before writing, and perhaps worry too much about sticking to their plan and the plot they thought they’d be writing when it goes awry and things starts to misbehave. I found it intriguing to read how people use ‘beats’ to craft their story as well as arcs and other techniques. I’m in awe of anyone who can think that far ahead:) I’m not a planner because I ‘feel’ my way through a story – but the author certainly nails my writing style in her explanations.

The author readily acknowledges that most people will use a variety of these techniques, and I was pleased to see that through it all, the delightful chaos of characters and plot misbehaving was never far from her thoughts.

The idea behind writing the novel, was, the author says, to encourage writers to finish their drafts using whatever techniques work for them. This is a worthy endeavour. Many people start writing a story and falter when things start to feel ‘off.’ This should provide opportunities to get writers writing again by thinking of their plot in different ways. I suspect it could be used as an effective diagnostic tool to discover where a plot is faltering, and once that’s been done, writers will learn what works and doesn’t work for them and in future, potentially, avoid the traps waiting to choke off the creativity.

A concise and interesting summary of the way writers write, providing suggestions for breaking free from processes that might not be working. I’m sure all writers will find their ‘type’ in the explanations.

Meet the author

Elizabeth was born and bred in the picturesque harbour town of Whitehaven in the northwest of England, where the long, wet winters moulded her into a voracious reader of fiction to escape the dismal weather.

She graduated with a degree in Business Studies and a string of jobs followed, after which she finally settled in the automotive industry, where she spent twelve happy years.

Having already started writing around the age of 40, she had begun to dream of a more creative lifestyle and set about creating her freelance editing and proofreading business, EMH Editorial Services. In 2018, she quit the corporate world and concentrated her energy full-time towards her love of the written word.

Elizabeth now lives with her husband in the warm and sunny south of France, where the wine is cheaper than the water, and the cats spend their days hunting lizards and dreaming of the birds that roost on the roof.

Connect with the author

https://elizabethhurstauthor.com/

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I’m sharing my review for Desolation by Keith Moray, a brand new historical mystery #bookreview #blogtour #newrelease

I’m sharing my review for Desolation by Keith Moray, a brand new historical mystery #bookreview #blogtour #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

A BRAND NEW wickedly dark medieval mystery from Keith Moray. If you like your murder truely gruesome – this series is for you! 🩸☠️🗡️

The Black Rood of Scotland, stolen.

A coroner of York, murdered

An evil worse than plague itself, at large…

1361, York. As the country recovers from the war with France, and whispers that the pestilence has returned to England grow louder, fear is in the heart of every nobleman and commoner alike. Sir Ralph de Mandeville, ex-solider and newly appointed Justice of the Peace is sent to Langbarugh, just outside York, to investigate the murder of Coroner Sir Boderick de Whitby.

More deaths quickly follow, and while these are swiftly dealt with as plague victims, Sir Ralph and his two assistants Merek and Peter soon uncover something altogether more horrifying… A greater evil is at large in the northern wapentakes.

As panic escalates and the lines between plague and murder blur, Sir Ralph is thrust into a desperate race against time. Every shadow hides a potential killer, every cough could be a death knell. Can he unmask a murderer lurking in the terrifying shadow of the Black Death before they’re all consumed by a terror more sinister than any plague?

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/desolationsocial

Here’s my review

Desolation is the first book I’ve read by Keith Moray. I think the cover is fabulous and very evocative.

The story is intriguing, with a wide cast and it takes quite some time until we finally meet Ralph de Manville because there are so many other characters to meet first. I do hope that in later books in the series, Ralph will enter the narrative a little quicker.

It is quite a complex plot, because the narrative switches between characters so much. The reader does have to work to make sense of what’s happening. We are told certain things, but not others – so we know what’s happening but not necessarily who is doing it. The body count is HUGE!

When Ralph finally begins to make sense of what’s happening, the resolution comes quite quickly, and the ending is certainly satisfying.

I read a lot of mysteries. If I don’t work out ‘who did it’ I am always impressed, although with Desolation there are so many people implicated, it does feel as though there are a lot of people to guess. I worked out some elements, but not others, and I did very much enjoy the mystery element of the story.

Meet the author

Keith is a retired GP, medical journalist and novelist, writing in several genres. As Keith Moray he writes historical crime fiction in the medieval era and in ancient Egypt, The Inspector Torquil McKinnon crime novels set on the Outer Hebridean island of West Uist, and as Clay More he writes westerns. Curiously, his medical background finds its way into most of his fiction writing.

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I’m delighted to share my review for Kalahari Passage by Candi Miller #histfic #blogtour #bookreview

I’m delighted to share my review for Kalahari Passage by Candi Miller #histfic #blogtour #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

Koba and Mannie have been in jail. Their crime, loving each other across the Apartheid colour bar in southern Africa. Koba escapes her captors and using her bush skills, finds her way across the semi-desert to her former tribal home. But adapting to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle after a decade away, has challenges. And her mortal enemy is on her trail.

Meanwhile Mannie absconds during his parole and sets off on a sub-continental road trip to find his beloved Koba. But will his new comrades persuade him to join them across the border for training in deadly guerrilla warfare? And what will that mean for his future with Koba?  

Under tragic circumstances the lovers meet, but the danger they are in means they face heart-breaking choices. 

Kalahari Passage is an action-packed story of a search for identity and love. Readers will be spellbound by Koba’s world where an ancient culture dances, trances and lives in harmony with the land.

Key ideas

●     Unique FMC from world’s oldest living culture, largely unknown outside anthropology. The lineage of Koba’s people goes back to the dawn of humankind. 

●     Dispossession – ancestral land, cultural identity, freedom

●     Interracial love – romantic and family  

●     Racial discrimination and defiance

●     Recent black history – Apartheid South Africa 1960s

Purchase Links

Kalahari Passage: https://mybook.to/7qAtkQA

Koba series:  https://mybook.to/T81RWsf

My Review

Kalahari Passage is the second book in the Koba books. I confess, I was a little perplexed to begin with. But, I took myself into another room, and just sat and read, and I’m so pleased I did (perhaps, my friends, start with the first book). It is a beautiful book, telling the story of people caught up in events they have little control over. It describes a time we should still be horrified to read about, yet it accurately reflects the beliefs of people at that time. It is a richly imagined and intricately recreated world that most of us in the Western world would fail to understand and comprehend, but we should.

The story is both complex and straightforward – will our divided lovers ever meet again, or will people, events and politics play their part in keeping them apart, as well as societal constraints? But all that pales into insignificance as we journey into the Kalahari with Koba. You can taste the sand, feel the heat and grow very thirsty reading this story.

While half of the cast are worrying about being overheard saying something they shouldn’t on ‘party telephone lines’, the other half are simply trying to find drinking water and enough food to eat. The contrast is stark, but essentially, concerns surviving in a harsh world where politics or the environment could see you in a great deal of trouble.

I loved this book. It opened my eyes, it made me think, and it taught me about a past I know very little about. Go read it.

Meet the author

Candi Miller was born in southern Africa and has spent more than twenty years researching the first peoples of the region, a group who have now adopted the exonym of San or Bushmen. She taught creative writing at UK universities. She now lives in Cornwall where she is writing the last book of the Koba trilogy. She is republishing her novels to support a school feeding scheme she co-founded for San children in 2017. 

Author Candi Miller

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I’m sharing my review for To Win Her Hand by Melissa Addey #regencyromance #blogtour #bookreview #festiveread

I’m sharing my review for To Win Her Hand by Melissa Addey #regencyromance #blogtour #bookreview #festiveread

Here’s the blurb


They’ve been engaged since they were children, so he sees no need to woo her. She wants a love match and is determined to find an alternative suitor. Perhaps a Christmas trapped together in snowy London will change both their minds. 

Lord Comerford has returned from the navy to claim his title, but ton life appears shallow after active service and the woman he has been promised to since birth seems a frivolous child, only interested in parties and clothes.

Lady Celia is hoping her betrothed will make her heart skip a beat – but dour Lord Comerford hardly fits the bill, so she’s planning to call off the wedding just as soon as she can find a better suitor.

Trapped in snow-covered London, the two patch together Christmas celebrations and in so doing find that actions speak louder than words and that an arranged marriage may turn out to contain a spark of romance. 

A seasonal Regency romance, full of historical detail and festive fun, as a couple find out that a dutiful promise might be joyful after all. The Season has begun, the ton is gathered… will Christmas work its magic for Alexander and Celia?

Purchase Links

https://mybook.to/RegencyOutsiders

My Review

To Win Her Hand adopts the old Regency romance storyline of both main characters being unable to speak their minds to one another. Instead, we hear their thoughts as they both manage to completely misunderstand the other, leading to Lady Celia deciding she can’t possibly marry the man she’s been engaged to since she was a child. This is a nice set-up for what comes next (although, I do find myself gnashing my teeth at these people. Grrr. Why can’t they just speak their minds:))

But, all this is to change when Celia and Lord Comerford find themselves ‘thrown’ together and unable to escape one another over the Christmas season. What follows are a charming collection of scenes where both begin to realise they’ve been too hasty. But, of course, it wouldn’t be a Regency romance without more miscommunication between our pair.

To Win Her Hand is another charming Regency romance from Melissa Addey. In her Regency Outsiders series, she offers readers something a little different, with her main characters constrained by a society that misunderstands them. It is quite refreshing, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in the series (although they are standalone novels – you don’t need to read the previous books as each one has new characters – but you would be missing out).

Check out my review for Lady for A Season, the first book in the Regency Outsiders series, and The Viscount’s Pearl (they are all standalone novels). And, check out my reviews for Melissa Addey’s Roman books, From the Ashes and Beneath the Waves.

Meet the author


Melissa Addey writes richly researched historical fiction inspired by what she calls “the footnotes of history” – forgotten stories and intriguing lives from the past. Her novels span Ancient Rome, medieval Morocco, 18th-century China, and Regency England. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, was Writer in Residence at the British Library, and lives in London with her family. Discover her books (and get a free novella) at www.melissaaddey.com

Connect with the author

Check out my review for From The Ashes, Melissa Addey’s Roman-era historical fiction set around the events of Vesuvius and the building of the Colosseum.

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I’m sharing my review for Murder in the Soho Graveyard, a Victorian mystery #histfic #bookreview (as well as reviews for the 1st two books in the series) #mystery

I’m sharing my review for Murder in the Soho Graveyard, a Victorian mystery #histfic #bookreview (as well as reviews for the 1st two books in the series) #mystery

Here’s the blurb

A churchyard discovery. A shocking secret. A deadly confrontation.

London, 1890. When the body of a wealthy widow is found in the neglected graveyard of St Anne’s Church, Soho, Emma Langley and Penny Green soon discover her respectable façade concealed a web of bitter enemies.

From a disgraced doctor stripped of his livelihood to a governess whose reputation was destroyed by lies, the victim, Mrs Melbourne, left a trail of devastation in her wake.

Then Mrs Melbourne’s Belgravia mansion is consumed by a mysterious fire. Emma and Penny must race to decipher water-damaged papers salvaged from the ruins that could hold the key to the truth.

But as anonymous threatening letters arrive warning them to abandon their investigation, the friends realise they’re hunting someone who will kill again to protect their secret. In the shadow-filled streets of Victorian London, can Emma and Penny expose the murderer before they become the next victims?

An atmospheric Victorian mystery that takes you from the crumbling graveyards of Soho to the grand squares of Belgravia – and will keep you reading late into the night.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/47YWZtt

My Review

Murder in the Soho Graveyard is the third book in the Emma Langley Victorian Mystery series. I have read the previous two books in the series (see the reviews lower down the page).

Our two main characters once more find themselves involved in an unexpected mystery, while our cast of regular extras is expanding once more.  When Emma comes upon the forlorn figure of a woman sitting on a bench she can’t help but ask if she’s well, and from then, Emma and Penny are determined to help her clear her name of any involvement in the murder of a rather nasty individual, masquerading as an unpright, wealthy Victorian lady while at heart, she’s manipulative and really quite horrible.

There are several suspects, all of them with their own particular axe to grind and the reveal, when it comes, wasn’t at all what I thought it would be.

Murder in the Soho Graveyard is another well-paced and well-plotted Victorian mystery featuring our two amateur sleuths.

If you want to start at the beginning of the series… (which you should!)

The Whitechapel Widow

London hunts the Ripper. A widow hunts her husband’s killer.

London, 1888. While Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror grips the city, Emma Langley’s world shatters when her husband is found murdered in Whitechapel. But grief is quickly overshadowed by a startling discovery: William Langley was not the man she thought she knew.

As panic fills London’s streets, Emma delves into her husband’s secret life, uncovering a web of lies that stretches from glittering society drawing rooms to the seedy gambling dens of the East End. Aided by Penny Green, a former reporter with a nose for trouble, Emma follows a trail of blackmail and corruption.

But exposing her husband’s killer could make her the next victim and in the shadows of gaslit streets, a murderer waits, ready to strike again…

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/4gAtFvA

My Review

The Whitechapel Widow is a very well-plotted historical mystery set at the time of the attacks by Jack the Ripper in London. The author does a fabulous job of weaving the narrative through known events, and I really enjoyed the mystery elements. Emma is a great new main character, but I also enjoyed the inclusion of Emily’s heroine, Penny Green.

I will certainly be reading more of the series.

The Poison Puzzle

A secret society. A suspicious death. A trail of deadly clues.

London, 1889. When Emma Langley discovers a mysterious symbol in her late husband’s diary, she uncovers a connection to a secretive treasure-hunting group with powerful members. Her investigation takes an unexpected turn when Lord Charles Harpole, a society member, is found dying in his hotel room.

The authorities rule it suicide, but Emma and her friend Penny Green aren’t convinced. As they follow a trail of cryptic clues leading from St. Paul’s Cathedral to Hampton Court, they find themselves caught in a deadly game.

With suspects ranging from the lord’s grieving fiancée to his ambitious brother, Emma must solve the puzzle before the killer claims another victim. But in the fog-shrouded streets of Victorian London, someone will stop at nothing to keep the society’s secrets buried…

Emma Langley returns in this gripping Victorian mystery that weaves historical detail with page-turning suspense.

Purchase Link

https://amzn.to/46jQArD

My Review

I very much enjoyed The Poison Puzzle, the second book in the Emma Langley Historical Mystery series, but I must admit, I felt the buildup was somewhat better than the eventual resolution, which fell a little flat for me. That said, I will be continuing the series, as I do adore all the period detail for the books, and I certainly appreciated the research that went into making the treasure hunt feel very authentic.

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It’s time for a new Bradecote and Catchpoll historical mystery. I’m reviewing Feast for the Ravens by Sarah Hawkswood #historicalmystery #bookreview

It’s time for a new Bradecote and Catchpoll historical mystery. I’m reviewing Feast for the Ravens by Sarah Hawkswood #historicalmystery #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

Worcestershire, September 1145: A Templar knight is found dead in the Forest of Wyre, clutching a bloodstained document naming a traitor. Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll, and Underserjeant Walkelin must uncover whether the killing was personal, political, or the work of outlaws. They are surprised to find that the locals believe the killer to be the Raven Woman, a mythical shape-shifter said to haunt the woods. Then the knight is identified as Ivo de Mitton – believed to have long ago murdered his own kin – and the mystery deepens.

As the trio dig through legend and lies, they must determine the truth and bring a cunning killer to justice.

Purchase Link

My Review

Sarah Hawkswood’s medieval mysteries are some of my favourite books. I wish I could savour them when they’re released once a year, but I find myself reading far too quickly.

Her main characters, Bradecote, Catchpoll and Wakelin are determined and intrepid in their desire to solve each mystery presented to them, and the same applies for Feast for the Ravens.

When our dead man is found in the woodlands, it seems impossible that any will recognise him, but slowly a devastating tale of treachery, revenge and cunning is revealed as our intrepid investigative trio work hard to determine who is being truthful, and who less so. The tale quickly turns quite dark and is filled with peril, although not, thankfully, for our sleuthing threesome. All the usual characters benefit from a brief mention, and this tale is firmly grounded in the political conspiracy of the reign of King Stephen and Empress Matilda. A great deal is at stake if the truth is not discovered.

I adore this series. I have long grown used to the author’s decision to have her characters speak and think in ‘ye olde worlde’ way, and it enhances the atmosphere of these books.

If you’ve not started the series, then you can start with this book, but I would highly recommend stepping back a few titles, if not to the very beginning of the series (which I think you can enjoy when you know the characters better) to fully immerse yourself in this twisty, dark and perilous medieval mystery.

Check out my reviews for other books in the series (I have read them all)

Too Good To Hang

A Taste For Killing

Wolf At The Door

Litany of Lies

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I’m sharing my review for Death At the School of Translators,  A Rebecca DeToledo Medieval Mystery by Esther Knight #bookreview #historicalmystery #histfic #blogtour

I’m sharing my review for Death At the School of Translators,  A Rebecca DeToledo Medieval Mystery by Esther Knight #bookreview #historicalmystery #histfic #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

Ivanhoe meets Phryne Fisher in this medieval adventure of a woman sleuth.

Toledo, 1193: A city of scholars, secrets, and simmering tensions. When Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Jewish spy is found dead, whispers of treachery reach all the way to England.

Rebecca DeToledo, a gifted healer and wealthy Jewish heiress, arrives under royal orders to investigate at the School of Translators. Her mission quickly turns perilous as she faces threats to her life and a sudden battle over her inheritance.

Assigned to guard her is Sir John of Hampstead, a disillusioned crusader burdened with knowledge that could threaten King Richard’s release from captivity. Forced into this partnership, he must protect Rebecca while grappling with his own prejudices.

As they navigate Toledo’s complex alliances, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims coexist in fragile peace, they uncover a web of secrets reaching deep into the cathedral. Can Rebecca and John unearth the truth before they become the next targets?

For fans of historical sleuths, slow-burn tension, and secret missions cloaked in royal intrigue.

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-School-Translators-DeToledo-Medieval-ebook/dp/B0FBWW9XSR

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBWW9XSR

My Review

Death at the School of Translators is a medieval mystery told from two points of view: Rebecca, our Jewish heiress, and John, our disillusioned knight. They are thrust together in England by Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, in somewhat confusing circumstances, and quickly embark on their journey to Toledo, where the real investigation quickly gets underway.

The author endeavours to bring together the many cultures within Toledo and the many interested parties at play. There is no end to the intrigue, as the appearance of Rebecca and John stirs up problems for those living in Toledo, while others have things they wish to keep hidden.

There are a few moments where the story falters slightly, but as it approaches the conclusion, it really excels, and I think the author finds her footing with these two characters, who will undoubtedly reveal more mysteries in the future. There are also one or two modernisms that detract from the depth of research the author must have undertaken to write the mystery, but they are only slight.

Overall, I found Death at the School of Translators to be a fine first story in this new mystery series, and I look forward to reading more of Rebecca and John’s mysteries.

Meet the author

Esther Knight writes historical mysteries featuring a bold heroine who challenges the norms of her time.

Giveaway to Win a $15 Amazon Gift Card (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

https://gleam.io/rnFDL/win-a-15-amazon-gift-card-open-int

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I’m delighted to share my review for Adam Lofthouse’s Eagle and the Flame #historicalfiction #blogtour #Roman #bookreview

I’m delighted to share my review for Adam Lofthouse’s Eagle and the Flame #historicalfiction #blogtour #Roman #bookreview

I’m reviewing Eagle and the Flame by Adam Lofthouse

Here’s the blurb

Rebellion is in the air at the far reaches of empire.

Wall of Hadrian, Britannia, AD 367. Tribune Sixtus Victorinus is scouting north of the Wall when he first sees the smoke. Riding south he finds a province in chaos, the local populace in flight, the soldiers absent.

Britannia is ablaze, overrun with barbarians and Valentia is the word on everyone’s lips. But no one seems to have the first clue what it means…

Victorinus may have let his life run to ruin and drunk his youth away, but now he must forge himself into the soldier he always wanted to be, the hero his children think he is.

Because his family are among the missing, and traitors lurk much closer than he could ever believe.

To save his family, he must first save an empire.

EAGLE AND THE FLAME will sweep you through the tumultuous years of the late Roman Empire.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/EagleandtheFlame

My Review

The Eagle and the Flame by Adam Lofthouse is a fascinating reimagining of Britannia during the late 360s. This then is Roman Britain, complete with Roman soldiers and senators, Roman weapons and, of course, Hadrian’s Wall. But, this is also a world of Germanic warriors, Saxon invaders, the tribes from beyond the Wall, and even some pirates. 

Historically, the end of Roman Britain might be a few years in the future, but this is a world on the brink, the reach of the Romans starting to fade, and the events in Eagle and the Flame tell of a people as yet unaware of the coming calamities, and, Adam describes it very well. We have abandoned Roman forts, discontented Roman soldiers who aren’t getting paid on time, and the tribes from across Hadrian’s Wall are more aware of what might be happening than the Romans. And the emperor is very far away in Rome.

Our two main characters, Tribune Sixtus Victorinus, and Felicius are opposites of the same coin; one jaded and drunk, the other, still a career Roman soldier. Between them, they must disentangle the unexplained events on the borderlands, and then they must rouse support from all that they can to defeat the coming rebellion.

Eagle and the Flame starts fantastically well, immediately sucking the reader into the world of the 360s. It’s really quite hard to put the book down as the tension ramps up. Tribune Sixtus is a sympathetic character; for all, he is perhaps to blame for many of his problems. The small group of warriors who make up his area of command are well-sketched, and there is tragedy in the offing. Felicius’ life is more regimented, and it is Felicius who gives us a glimpse of what it was to be a Roman in the waning years of the Empire.

I really enjoyed Eagle and the Flame. The book starts with a bang and builds nicely to its conclusion, introducing a great cast of characters along the way. If you’re a fan of stories set in Saxon England, then you’ll love this earlier glimpse of Britannia.

Check out my review for Ravensworn.

Meet the author

Adam has for many years held a passion for the ancient world. As a teenager he picked up Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden, and has been obsessed with all things Rome ever since. After ten years of immersing himself in stories of the Roman world, he decided to have a go at writing one for himself. He lives in Kent, UK.

Author image of Adam Lofthouse

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I’m reviewing A Very Merry Murder by Kate Wells, a fabulous contemporary mystery set in the Malvern Hills #mystery #newrelease #blogtour #bookreview

I’m reviewing A Very Murder Murder by Kate Wells, a fabulous contemporary mystery set in the Malvern Hills #mystery #newrelease #blogtour #bookreview

I’m reviewing a Very Merry Murder by Kate Wells

Here’s the blurb

Mistletoe, mince pies… and murder

When Jude Gray inherited Malvern Farm, she never thought she’d become so used to farm life, let alone be good at it! But now a beloved national TV show is coming to film their Christmas special on her land, celebrating the charm of rural living and all Jude’s achieved so far.

At least, that’s the plan… until one of the crew is found dead in suspicious circumstances.

At first, it looks like a tragic accident, but when alibis start to crack, it seems like anything but. With a growing list of suspects and enough behind-the-scenes drama to rival anything the cameras are capturing, Jude must dig deep to uncover the truth.

Because someone on her farm is hiding a deadly secret – and this year, the season of goodwill may come with a killer twist…

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/VeryMerryMurder

My Review

A Very Merry Murder by Kate Wells is the sixth book in the Malvern Farm Mystery series and I’ve read five of them (see my reviews below). The series is very dependable, and each book is very well written with a good mystery for Jude to unravel. It’s a favourite series of mine.

A Very Merry Murder sees Jude playing host to a film crew on the farm, while also preparing for her sister’s wedding. It’s a busy time for her, and a real strength of these books is that the author rarely forgets Jude is a farmer first and only a sleuth second. We get a good idea of the relentless nature of farming, even though Jude loves it.

The film crew, of course, quickly start causing problems, from the slimy director to the acerbic runner to the two hosts. Are they happily married or not? When the first body is found, Jude immediately senses not all is as it seems, and she works with a recovering Binni to unravel the tangled threads of lies and misdirection from the suspects. And all while preparing for Christmas.

A Very Merry Murder is a festive treat, complete with some snow, and while I’ll be honest and say I did work out the twist in this one, it was still very enjoyable. I highly recommend this series to those who like a contemporary mystery without too much gore.

Check out my reviews for Murder on the Farm, Death in the Hills and Killer at The Country Show, three earlier titles in the fab series.

Meet the author

Kate Wells is the author of a number of well-reviewed books for children, and is now writing a new cosy crime series set in the Malvern hills, inspired by the farm where she grew up. 

Connect with Kate

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I’m sharing my review for The Atlantis Covenant by Rob Jones #actionandadventure #blogtour #bookreview

I’m sharing my review for The Atlantis Covenant by Rob Jones #actionandadventure #blogtour #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

The greatest mystery of all time is about to be revealed.

When world-famous archaeologist and ex-soldier Max Hunter finds a mysterious artifact in a tomb beneath the Gates of Nineveh, his lifelong dream of finding Atlantis comes one step closer.

But he’s not the only one looking for it…

His discovery unleashes a high-speed hunt for the lost civilization between a mysterious Swiss foundation, the FBI, and the world’s most secretive society.

From the dangers of the Iraqi desert to Cuba and the jungles of El Salvador to the enigmatic Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Hunter faces a race against time and murderous enemies who will stop at nothing to claim the greatest prize in history. As he fights for his life, it soon becomes apparent that his enemies are searching for something altogether more sinister than the lost city…

Hunter must use his unique ingenuity and knowledge to decipher the clues and find Atlantis – and its lethal treasures – before they fall into enemy hands.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/AtlantisCovenantbook

My Review

The Atlantis Covenant is a rollercoaster of a ride, through the ruins of many of the worlds ancient civilsations, bringing us, hopefully, to the discovery of the mythical Atlantis, via a lot of guns, helicopters, ‘bad guys and gals,’ and the involvement of a number of government agencies.

While this is one of The Hunter Files, there are many more characters than just Max, and we get to hear from most of them with a little bit of head-hopping (alas, not my favourite literary device), discovering their back stories and working out how they all came to be hunting for mythical items in a modern-day adventure story.

It’s a lot of fun, if a little silly in places, filled with mostly irreverent characters who are very devil-may-care, but with some of those good old National Treasure vibes, which do certainly appeal to me. I love a good old-fashioned treasure hunt, and if it involves the Illuminati and some ancient Egyptian treasures, then all the better.

Meet the Author

Rob Jones has published over forty books in the genres of action-adventure, action-thriller and crime. Many of his chart-topping titles have enjoyed number-one rankings and his Joe Hawke and Jed Mason series have been international bestsellers. Originally from England, today he lives in Australia with his wife and children.

Author Rob Jones

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