fiction – Page 4 – MJ Porter

I’m sharing an excerpt from Susan Buchanan’s A Little Christmas Spirit #romance #blogtour #newrelease

Bella and Amy, two of the teachers in the story, are trying to find a soloist for A Carol for Christmas, until now without success.

Bella’s heart lifted. The kids had been practising their little hearts out for A Carol for Christmas, where the children from Heatherwood and the five neighbouring primary schools took part in a sing-off to see which school choir would be crowned the area’s champion. They were singing so well, together, but she still didn’t have anyone to sing the solo. No one voice out of the whole choir, or at least those who had volunteered to do it, seemed able to cope with it.

Perhaps she and Amy should rethink the solo. ‘O Holy Night’ was, after all, widely known as a difficult carol to sing for a soloist, with the breadth of vocal range involved and those high notes to hit.

As she listened to the children’s sweet voices singing ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, she tried to focus in on the sound of each child’s voice individually.

When the carol finished, she beckoned Amy over. ‘Have a drink, everyone. We’re going to need those voices again in a second.’

‘What’s up?’ Amy asked as she approached.

Bella pulled on her bottom lip as she thought. ‘How about we play a little game?’

‘What were you thinking?’

‘Well, we’re no closer to finding a soloist, and we only have two weeks until the finals, so I’m wondering if we can smoke out this soloist by having each child sing a line of a song, or a couple of lines, and see how they get on with it.’

Amy pursed her lips. ‘That might just work.’

‘Good. Can you think of a fun way to make this into a game for them?’

‘Give me five minutes,’ Amy said, walking backwards towards the stage again and holding her hands up in a double thumbs-up sign.

Once she’d got the children’s attention, Amy said, ‘Right, can everyone go and grab a chair and put it in the middle of the room? I need them back to back to form two rows.’

The children dashed to the left side of the room, lifting, dragging and screeching the chairs, which they and the children in the lower years had adorned with covers featuring snowmen, reindeer, snowflakes and Christmas trees as part of the school’s attempt to make it the most Christmassy year ever at Heatherwood.

Once everything was in place, Amy said, ‘Right, we’re going to play a game of musical chairs. If you’re out, I want you to sing the next two lines in the carol. Got it?’

Fifty nodding heads later, Bella was applauding her friend on her genius. As the opening chords of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ rang out, Bella looked on whilst Amy instructed the children to walk round the chairs until the music stopped.

When it did, Eva Morrison was the first ‘unlucky’ child, but she took it with good grace and sang the next two lines in the carol exceptionally well. Amy restarted the process and the children giggled and chatted as time and again they had to find a seat once the music stopped.

Naturally, some jostling ensued and the occasional non-festive shove happened, but mainly the children got in the Christmas spirit and adapted.

After ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, Amy played ‘Silent Night’ and Bella’s heart faltered as Niamh Fallon sang the lines. Her voice was achingly beautiful, and suited that carol perfectly. Having decided they would indeed change the carol to ‘Silent Night’ and have Niamh sing it, Bella tried to signal to Amy that they were good and didn’t need any more musical chairs, but Amy didn’t see her, and started another round, this time with ‘O Holy Night’.

As first Calum then Gregory didn’t manage to hit the notes, Bella’s frustration grew. We should just knock this on the head now and let Niamh sing ‘Silent Night’.

But then Lara didn’t get to a chair before Ed, and as she began to sing, a hush fell over everyone as her pure, strong, yet melodic voice floated through the games hall. Bella gulped, the hairs on her arms stood up, and she felt such a profound ache in her chest she thought she might start crying. In fact, she was crying. Oh my goodness, they’d found their soloist. Lara’s voice was incredible. How had she managed to keep that hidden, and why?

Here’s the blurb

Can a sprinkle of magic heal broken hearts this Christmas?

With Jacob now at the helm at the cosy Sugar and Spice café, it’s the perfect opportunity for Christmas Spirit Lara to weave her magic.

Fraser is floundering in his new role as headteacher as he grapples with guilt over having to place his beloved mother in a care home, leaving him feeling lost and alone during what should be a joyful time.

Meanwhile, school janitor Paul is torn between his desire to feel needed and the pressure from his wife to retire, dimming the season’s sparkle.

Valerie, overwhelmed by the demands of newborn twins, feels she’s not giving her other daughter enough attention. She needs a bit of me time and for her husband to realise the responsibility for the kids falls to both of them.

And Bella, heartbroken after her husband’s shocking request for a separation just a year into their marriage, longs to escape the memories of last year’s perfect Christmas.

Can Lara help them rediscover joy, connection, and the true spirit of the season?

A heartwarming journey filled with friendship, community, and a dash of holiday magic that promises to transform the lives of those in need of hope this Christmas.

Cover image for A Little Christmas Spirit y Susan Buchanan

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/bMBNNv

Meet the author

Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship and community.

Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.

As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.

When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.

Connect with the author

Website

Giveaway to Win a Signed copy of The Christmas Spirit and bookmark (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter 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.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494602/?

I’m sharing a fab post from crime novelist Ian Mcfadyen about his writing routine to celebrate the release of Blood Matters #blogtour

Welcome to the blog. I love hearing about author’s writing routines.

My approach to writing

I’m often asked about the process I follow when writing. It isn’t always the same, but the overall approach does tend to follow a similar route. Hopefully by breaking it down into bite sized chunks you’ll get the general idea of how I work – if it’s of interest to you.

The starting gun!

With my books being Murder Mysteries the catalyst for a new book is always the twist or what I refer to as the kernel of the book. When that idea arrives the whole process starts, with next the creation of new main characters and then the main plot; all manufactured to take the reader along a journey that arrives at the twist/kernel.

Thinking time.

In all, I probably spend 90% of the time I devote to the process when I’m working on a Carmichael book, simply thinking about the plot and working out in my head when I’ll introduce new characters, new clues and red herrings to my reader. As the book nears its conclusion my thoughts start to turn towards how the reader will be told who committed the crime, how they did it (if it’s not obvious) and why. This is a critical phase as it’s the time I decide how I’m going to pull together all the loose ends and the false trails I’ve laid in the previous chapters.

I may go for days or even weeks without writing, after the book has been started, but I’m almost always thinking about it.

When and where I write.

Peace and quiet are essential for me when I’m writing. Also being able to gaze aimlessly out of the window at the world while I write is key, too. For that reason, there are just two places I write from, my home office, or a quiet table overlooking our garden in my Norfolk bolt hole. Both are my creative heavens.

Writing sessions.

People are quite shocked when I tell them that I don’t write every day. They are equally surprised when I tell them that I rarely write more than 1000 words in one session: often as little as just 500.

I’m an early bird so I only write in the mornings. It’s my productive time. I can start as early as 5am when I have the urge to write, but by about 1pm I find I’ve had enough of tapping away on my keyboard – so I stop. I keep thinking about the story, though, and what I’ll be writing in the next writing session.

Time it takes to produce a book.

This varies, but on average it takes about 9 -12 months to write the first draft and about 3-6 months to check, proofread and generally hone the novel into its final shape.

Proof reading and checking.

This is a key stage in the writing process but, if I’m honest, the least interesting part of writing for me. But it’s essential. Apart from the obvious need to look for grammatical and spelling mistakes, this is a time for making subtle changes to the work to accomplish as good a novel as I can. I solicit help at this stage as I find a fresh pair of eyes invaluable. They always spot errors I’ve missed and may well continue to overlook, however many times I re-read the book.

When to stop.

This may seem a strange thing to include, but in my view it’s as important as any other stage. A book is the same as a painting or a piece of music. If you so desire, you can carry on forever rewording parts and finely modifying small details. However, there must come a point where you must tell yourself that you’ve polished and honed the work enough and it’s time to publish and let it out into the wide world. Having my next book starting to take over my thoughts is also an excellent sign for me to accept it’s now time to move on.

I hope you’ve found my mini summary of some interest. If not, it’s probably time for you to call time and move on from my ramblings 😊

Here’s the blurb

When the body of Doug Pritchard, an aging music journalist with a history of sensational scoops, is found face down in a dark roadside ditch, DCI Carmichael and his team embark on an investigation that takes them in several directions.
What did Pritchard uncover?
Did that secret bring about his violent demise?
And do the tragic deaths of two local pop idols, twenty years before, have any relevance to his murder?
As DCI Carmichael delves deeper into the case it becomes clear that, despite the outwardly close connections of the residents of the small hamlet of High Maudsey, neither long term friendships nor family ties should be taken at face value.
This the tenth in his series of well-honed detective novels by Ian McFadyen featuring DCI Carmichael, leads the detective and his team through as many twists and turns as the quiet country lane where Doug Pritchard’s body was discovered
As with all McFadyen’s Carmichael novels, this book is packed with a host of intriguing characters and an expertly crafted plot; and once again the author displays his skill as a writer in the great tradition of English crime novels.

Purchase Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Matters-Ian-McFadyen-ebook/dp/B0DJWGXTSX/

https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Matters-Ian-McFadyen-ebook/dp/B0DJWGXTSX/

Meet the author

Ian McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife but spends a great deal of his time writing in his bolthole retreat on the Norfolk / Suffolk border. Blood Matters is the tenth in a series featuring DCI Carmichael.

I’m delighted to welcome Francesca Capaldi and her new book, Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel to the blog. Francesca is sharing a fabulous post about the historical setting #blogtour #histfic

Historical Setting for the Beach Hotel Series

When I came to the end of my Wartime in the Valleys series, I had to consider whether to carry on with the South Wales setting, where my mum had come from, or pick a different location for a new series. A couple of years before, I’d had an idea for a World War One series set in Littlehampton, at the luxury Beach Hotel, and now seemed like a good time to write it.

Why Littlehampton, a seaside town in West Sussex? Because that’s where I was brought up. I was born just up the coast in Worthing, which gets a couple of guest appearances in the series, including in Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel. We moved to Littlehampton when I was three. My dad had a café on Pier Road, opposite the River Arun, so I was often in that part of town, especially as a teenager when I worked as a waitress there. In the evenings, my friends and I would often go to the Butlin’s funfair, between the café and the beach.

The grass common, beyond Butlins, was huge, and taking pride of place on it was the magnificent Beach Hotel. I never stepped inside it, so when it came to writing the first book, I had no idea how it would have been set out. This is where a vivid imagination comes in handy. Looking at where the windows and doors were situated on the various photographs I found, I made a plan of my own version of the interior, which I still use now.

Downstairs, I’ve placed a smart foyer, a lounge for guests and a glorious ballroom. There’s a large dining room next door to a conservatory, both of which overlook the extensive garden. On the photographs, the left side of the hotel looks functional, so this is where I placed the staff rooms and quarters, including the kitchen, storerooms, scullery, stillroom and staff dining room,

The characters from the series are often by the beach, on the riverside, or in town. A combination of old photographs and my own memories enabled me to build up a distinct picture of what the town would have looked like then. Having visited Littlehampton many times since I left at eighteen, I am convinced that the town of my youth was much more like the town of World War One than the town of today, even though there had been many changes even by then.

Butlin’s funfair, which I mentioned earlier, wasn’t there in the time the series is set, but instead the area consisted of two rows of coastguards’ cottages, a windmill and the Casino Theatre. These were all dispensed with in the early 1930s, when Butlins was built. Next to this, the path used to run alongside the River Arun, but this was built up at the same time, so you could no longer walk to the water’s edge. The buildings have changed again in the last twenty years, and all that remains that my characters would recognise now is the old battery mound (from the Napoleonic Wars) and the pier (the place of many trysts in the novels).

Back then the quay, between Pier Road and River Road, was full of workshops and warehouses. Many of these were for shipbuilding. This is where Victor Perryman’s flying boat workshop, Humphrey Wilmot’s, was situated in Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel, though in real life it was called Hubert Williams. All of these have gone, as has the Britannia Public House. The green swing bridge at the end of River Road, occasionally crossed by my characters, has also gone. These were all still there in my youth, so I can at least picture them.

South Terrace, several long terraces of grand houses on the opposite side of the street to the hotel, is still there, almost in its entirety, I’m glad to say. This is where various day guests who visit the hotel live, including the rather prim and disapproving Lady Blackmore. Surrey Cottage, the home of Victor Perryman and his family, still sits at the eastern end of South Terrace, though it has now been separated into flats.

What of the hotel itself? Sadly, it sustained damage in the storm of 1987 and was pulled down in the early 1990s. In its place was built a much less elegant curve of flats called Beach Crescent. The only thing that still exists is part of the original garden wall. I’m just glad that, in my books, I’m able to bring the hotel back to life once more.

Aerial of Littlehampton around the time of the books. Beach Hotel is on the common towards the left

Here’s the blurb

Can true love win the day?

Hetty Affleck is working as a maid at the prestigious Beach Hotel in Littlehampton. Her beau, Lorcan, is away at war and has recently stopped replying to her letters but she is determined to keep her spirits up. When she meets wealthy shipbuilder’s son Victor Perryman, they pass the time of day and they both feel a connection but she can’t allow herself to think anything more of it – not only does she have Lorcan to think of, but she and Victor are divided by wealth and class.

Yet they meet again and Hetty is charmed and intrigued by Victor and his openness towards her. It becomes harder to ignore the attachment growing between them.

When Lorcan comes back on leave, Hetty is forced to face her true feelings. Who does she really love, and can that love conquer everything in its path?

Cover image forLove and Loss at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi

Purchase Links

Amazon Kobo Apple Waterstones

Meet the author

Francesca has enjoyed writing since she was a child. Born in Worthing and brought up in Littlehampton in Sussex, she was largely influenced by a Welsh mother who loved to tell improvised stories. A history graduate and qualified teacher, she decided to turn her writing hobby into something more in 2006, when she joined a writing class.

Writing as both Francesca Capaldi and Francesca Burgess, she has had many short stories published in magazines in the UK and abroad, along with several pocket novels published by DC Thomson.

Her Welsh World War 1 sagas were inspired by the discovery of the war record of her great grandfather, a miner in South Wales. Heartbreak in the Valleys was a finalist in the Historical Romance category of the Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards (RoNAs) in 2021. Her latest series, The Beach Hotel, is set in her own childhood town, where her Italian father had a café on the riverside. The first in that series, A New Start at the Beach Hotel, won the Romantic Saga Award in the RoNAs in 2024.

Francesca is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. She currently lives on the North Downs in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

Author photo for Francesca Capaldi/Burgess

Website & Blog

Happy publication day to Carla Luna and her festive read, Santa Maybe. #blogtour #romance

Here’s the blurb

Have yourself a merry little fauxmance—with a dashing Santa who just might make it real.

Rosie Gonzalez isn’t having a wonderful Christmas time. Not when she’s at risk of losing her job as assistant manager of the Duchess—Victoria’s oldest boutique hotel. If she and her team can’t bring in more guests by the end of December, she’ll be let go. Adding to her stress is a calendar filled with family gatherings where her mom will inevitably nag her for still being single.

Drew Richardson isn’t faring much better. As if working alongside his ex at Northlife Fitness wasn’t bad enough, now she’s invited him to her December wedding. And since all his coworkers will be there, bailing isn’t an option. To get through it, he’ll need a plus-one for moral support.

So, when Rosie recruits him to play Santa for her hotel’s activities, he also proposes a fake-dating scheme to benefit them both. Just for the holidays—nothing more. But as things between them turn from nice to naughty, they’ll have to decide whether a real relationship could be the best Christmas gift of all.

Cover image for Santa Maybe by Carla Luna

Purchase Link

https://books2read.com/u/bMB0Z8

Meet the author

Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories. Her books have been called “escape reads,” ideal for perusing during a beachside vacation, a long flight, or a relaxing weekend at the lake. When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, baking, and taking long walks while listening to pop culture podcasts. Though she has roots in Los Angeles and Vancouver Island, she currently resides in Wisconsin with her family and her feisty Siberian cat.

Website

BookBub Page

I’m reviewing Afua by Karl Drinkwater and Christoffer Petersen #blogtour #scifi #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Afua is a promising acolyte of the Shanta Order, on the densely forested planet of Nuafri.

She volunteers to educate orphans – her lively ophanti – every ninth day. When one of her wards goes missing in a dangerous area full of sinkholes and deadly fauna, Afua knows the authorities won’t do anything about a single lost child.

Luckily for the orphan, Afua will.

She is armed only with her knowledge of wildlife, and implanted augmentations that can sometimes deter attacks. But she is not alone. The sentient, insect-like Dooga she has bonded with, named Akalie, will follow her anywhere, despite being heavily pregnant.

An unforgettable Amazofuturist adventure about compassion, courage, and finding your way in life.

Cover image for Afua by Karl Drinkwater and Christopher Petersen

Purchase Links

https://books2read.com/b/Afua

https://www.thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk/collections/vendors?q=Organic%20Apocalypse

My Review

Afua is a fabulous sci fi tale set in the Lost Solace universe. The reader is treated to a strange new world in dazzling glory, and to a strong-willed and determined main character in Afua.

While a novella length story, this is deeply engrossing and I was disappointed to reach the end. It certainly made me want to know more about the Lost Solace universe (I’ve read the first book. Check out my review here). Much is hinted at, and some things are made very clear to the reader. It really does feel as though I’ve stepped into a fully-formed and functioning location. It is enthralling, and not a little ‘weird.’

I thoroughly enjoyed Afua and look forward to reading more of the Lost Solace books.

About Karl Drinkwater

Karl Drinkwater writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you’re in the right place.

Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.

Website / Newsletter

About Christoffer Petersen

Christoffer Petersen lives in a small forest in Jutland, in southern Denmark. He hasn’t always been Danish; in fact, he borrowed his pseudonym surname from his Danish wife, Jane. Chris writes all kinds of stories in different genres, but is best known for his crime books and thrillers set in Greenland.

While living in Greenland, Chris studied for a Master of Arts in Professional Writing from Falmouth University. Chris graduated with a distinction in 2015. He has been writing full-time since January 2018.

Website / Newsletter

I’m reviewing the fabulous Arden by GD Harper, an intriguing story of Shakespeare’s earliest years #blogtour #histfic #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Alice Arden, idealistic and wealthy beauty, burnt at the stake for killing her husband, the former mayor of Faversham in Kent. But was she really the one responsible for the most scandalous murder of the sixteenth century?

William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, born thirteen years after Alice’s execution. Why does his first-ever play, written about this murder, not bear his name?

This is a story of two people – one reviled, one revered – whose fates become linked in a tale of corruption, collusion and conspiracy. Based on historical documents and recently published academic research, Arden unveils shocking new evidence about the murder of Thomas Arden and reveals, for the first time, a remarkable new theory about Shakespeare’s early years.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arden-astonishing-untold-story-Shakespeares-ebook/dp/B0DFBV9YSB

https://www.amazon.com/Arden-astonishing-untold-story-Shakespeares-ebook/dp/B0DFBV9YSB

My Review

Arden by GD Harper is a beautifully crafted tale of two individuals, separated by forty years, with the one entirely unaware of the other, that reimagines the hows, whats and ifs of Shakespeare’s earliest efforts to become a playwright and the story that ‘called’ to him to enable him to do so.

Offering us two points of view, that of Alice Arden, and Shakespeare himself, we travel through the years that lead to Alice’s crisis and see how Shakespeare was himself plagued by her story. To begin with, Alice is the most likeable character. Young, bright, and vivacious, she pulls the reader along through the years when Shakespeare is not at all the man we might expect him to be. His life is difficult (perhaps because he makes it so, to be honest), but soon his dreams of being an actor and writing plays becomes his driving force. At the same time, Alice’s life is blighted by her marriage to a man of ambition but no regard for the life of his wife, who is deeply unhappy. Shakespeare’s life improves as events rumble towards their awful conclusion for Alice. But he is still somewhat haunted by the tale of Alice Arden, and I adored how her final narrative is teased from those who have knowledge of it that isn’t known by all. It is horrific.

This was such an engaging narrative. I liked neither character at points, but they both had endearing qualities that made it a joy to read this fictionalised account of what might have been.

It’s a fabulous story.

Check out my review for The Maids of Biddenden.

Meet the author

I have written four novels in the last eight years under the penname GD Harper.

My last novel, The Maids of Biddenden, the imagined biography of real-life conjoined twins born in 12th-century Kent, was featured on BBC TV News and was the winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the historical fiction category, shortlisted for the 2022 Selfie Award at the London Book Fair, and shortlisted or longlisted for five other awards.

It has over a thousand ratings on Amazon UK and Goodreads, with an average score of 4.3. Across the major Amazon markets, it reached number sixteen in overall paid-for e-book sales, number two in historical fiction and number one in medieval historical fiction.

Blog banner for the Arden by GD Harper blog tour

I’m sharing my review for The Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker, the second book in her The Village Detectives series #blogtour #cosycrime #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

We regret to announce the tragic death of Phoebe Fredericks…

When crime novelist Phoebe opens the post and receives an invitation to her own funeral, she’s horrified. Not least because the date of her death is marked as tomorrow.

Deciding it’s nothing more than a prank from an enemy from her past, she determines to put it to the back of her mind.

But the next morning, when her completely infuriating postman (who likes to think himself her no.1 literary critic) rings her doorbell, a parcel of poisoned pen-nibs explodes in his face. Forced to confront the fact her correspondence is more RIP than RSVP, Phoeve realises someone must want her dead.

Together with the newly-formed Village Detectives – Juno, Mil and Felix – Phoebe resolves to find out who is behind the poison pen letters before they strike again and her fate is signed, sealed and delivered!

An totally hilarious, modern cozy crime mystery, from million-copy bestselling author Fiona Walker, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janet Evanovich and Janice Hallett.

Cover image for The Village Detectives and the Poison Pen Letters by Fiona Walker

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/poisonpensocial

My Review

The Poison Pen Letters is the second book in The Village Detective Series (or the VDs, as Juno somewhat unwittingly terms them). I’ve read book one and really enjoyed it. Book two is even stronger, perhaps because I know the characters, but also, I think because the plotting is even more secure. I genuinely had no idea who the real culprit was, which was fabulous.

Book 2 sees our intrepid foursome tackling the problem of who murdered the local postie on Phoebe’s doorstep with the use of a poison pen letter – a crime that, even though you know it’s coming at some point, is still quite shocking. While Pheobe’s husband is determined it’s someone outside the village from their past, Pheobe has other ideas. But of course, she is once more penning one of her crime novels (the little additions of that novel are delicious) and has no real time to focus on what’s happening. Juno is as outrageous as ever, and her mother is such a fun character as she dips in and out of the narrative, as does her creaky car.

The personalities of a small village are lovingly brought to life, and I appreciated all the N gauge model railway comments, as I once spent some time selling off a set. It was also good to see @VeryBritishProblems mentioned as part of the social media universe that makes up a large part of the novel.

The Poison Pen Letters is brimming with fabulous characters and a perplexing crime, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Meet the author

Fiona Walker is the million copy bestselling author of joyously funny romantic comedies. Most recently published by Head of Zeus, she will be turning to cozy crime for Boldwood. The first in her new Village Detectives series, The Art of Murder, will be published in May 2024.

Connect with the author

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/FionaWalkerNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/fiona-walker

Blog banner for The Poison Pen Letters blog tour

I’m spotlighting Wedding Cake & Big Mistakes in Lily Vale Village by Imogen Payne #newrelease #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

Lottie should be on top of the world – her boutique has just opened in the quaint little village of Lily Vale and her designs are already delighting the locals. But just nine months ago, she was fired from her dream job and forced to move in with her dad, all because of one big mistake and a betrayal from someone she thought was her friend.

During a fitting appointment, Lottie meets groom-to-be Kit Brooks. Her first impression? Arrogant, rude, and a downright snob. However, as they work together to create the perfect bridesmaid’s dress for his little sister, Lottie begins to view Kit in a whole new light.

Suddenly, she’s battling to keep her heart under control – after all, Kit is getting married. But nothing could prepare her for the identity of his bride…

Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes in Lily Vale Village is the eighth story in the Lily Vale Village book series, a charming set of novellas revolving around the lives of the ordinary people who reside in the beautiful countryside community. It can be read as a standalone story, or as part of the series.

Cover for Wedding Cake and Big Mistakes in LulyCaleCillage by Imogen Payne

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0D8FF2764

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8FF2764

Meet the author

Imogen Payne lives in the British countryside with three stuck-up cats, one mad dog and a very well-trained husband. There she writes the romantic, dramatic and always uplifting Lily Vale Village and Sunny Shore Bay series.

When she’s not writing, she’s cooking up a storm in the kitchen, taking long walks through the nearby woods or snuggling up on the couch with a good book.

Connet with Imogen

Newsletter: Imogen Payne Books (list-manage.com)

I’m delighted to be sharing an extract from It Never Rains by Tony Bassett #blogtour #newrelease #crime #policeprocedural

Here’s an extract from Chapter 4 of It Never Rains

Detective Sergeant Sunita Roy has just arrived at a footballer’s mansion near Worcester after it was raided by burglars. The player’s stepson and bodyguard are missing.

As she parked her white Peugeot 208 next to the BMW and climbed out, an amiable uniformed constable approached.

‘All right, Sarge?’ asked PC Derek Underhill. ‘You’ve missed a bit of excitement.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘They’ve just taken the housekeeper away in an ambulance.’

‘I saw an ambulance travelling down the lane.’

‘That was her,’ he said. ‘They’re taking her to Queensbridge General.’

‘What happened?’

‘The poor woman was in the house on her own when she spotted three men in ski-masks. One of them threatened her with a gun and tied her up.’

Sunita was concerned. ‘Is she all right?’

‘I think so. They just roughed her up a bit.’

Sunita shook her head. ‘Must have been a hell of an ordeal for her.’

‘Yes, poor soul,’ said Underhill. ’They’ve taken her away for a check-up. Her husband’s here, but he didn’t see anything. He was out at the time, walking the dog.’

Sunita found the chief inspector talking to Dr Ling beside the main doorway to the house. A police photographer was taking pictures of a pool of blood on the block-paved forecourt. Three forensic staff in white coats were examining the entrance area. A fourth was inspecting possible tyremarks left among leaves, still damp following that morning’s light rain. Rubber anti-contamination plates had been placed at certain points along the ground so that detectives and forensic staff could walk around without the risk of damaging potential evidence. The scene was bathed in the white glow of arc lights.

Sunita stepped across carefully to join her boss.

‘Ah, Sergeant,’ said Roscoe sternly, ‘I’m glad you’re here. I don’t know how much you know but around four o’clock a gang of burglars appear to have disabled the alarm, cut the landline and disconnected the CCTV. Then they got in through the first-floor bathroom window on the other side of the house using a ladder and stole valuables and designer goods.’

‘Do we have any idea how many were in the gang?’ asked Sunita.

‘Not at the moment,’ he said. ‘The housekeeper, Mrs Willis, believes there were three, but there may have been more.’

‘What happened to Mrs Willis, sir?’

‘She was tied up and threatened with a gun.’

‘You’ve managed to speak to her, sir?’

‘Yes, I just grabbed a few words. She’s still in a state, of course. Underhill and another constable from Queensbridge were the first here and called an ambulance. She’s not badly hurt – just bruised wrists. It’s more the shock than anything else. Anyway, about ten minutes later she heard a bit of conversation, a car engine and soon after that two gunshots. Bear in mind she was strapped to a chair with her hands and feet tied and her mouth gagged.’

Sunita frowned. ‘Terrible, sir.’

‘After that, she heard what sounded like two cars driving away. Roughly twenty minutes later, our officers from Queensbridge arrived and untied her. The husband came back half an hour later.’

‘Where’s the husband now?’ she asked.

‘In their staff quarters just behind us. Police were alerted by a firm called Top Rank Protection in Wiltshire. One of their operatives, a guy called Danny Jukes, has been hired by the family as a bodyguard. He called the company’s boss, Ken Woodman, at around ten minutes past four. He’d been given charge of the footballer’s sixteen-year-old stepson, Marcel, for the afternoon. Jukes told his boss they’d arrived at the house to find a guy with a balaclava loading gear into a Range Rover.’

‘Have we got the registration?’ Sunita asked.

‘Yes, but you know what these people are like,’ said Roscoe. ‘Chances are they were false plates and may have been replaced by now in any case. Anyway, Danny Jukes’ last words to Ken were, “Can you call the cops and alert the family? I’m going in.” And since then he and the boy have vanished off the face of the earth.’

Sunita shook her head and stared across at the blood stains on the ground and at the hedge beyond.

‘We know two shots were fired by someone,’ her boss continued. ‘As you can see, there are traces of blood on the forecourt here but we don’t know what the outcome of that was – although someone was obviously harmed.’

Sunita cast her eyes towards the hedge and trees on the far side of the forecourt.

‘What about the family, sir?’ she asked.

‘Jean-Jacques and his wife Camille are on their way back from watching the team play in Newcastle and should be here in a few hours,’ he said. ‘We obviously need to speak to them. In the meantime, I suggest you have a chat with the gardener, David Willis, and see if he can add anything to what we know.’

He handed her a scrap of paper with a phone number scribbled on it.

‘Maybe you could also have a word with Woodman. Here’s his number. Whatever you do, don’t go into the house right now. The forensic team are up to their eyes.’

‘Sir, do we have any idea at all what might have happened to Danny Jukes and Marcel?’ she said.

The chief inspector shook his head. ‘No. But it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they’ve both fallen victim to foul play.’

Cover for It Never Rains by Tony Bassett

Here’s the blurb

It never rains but it pours . . .
When a ruthless gang burgles the home of a Premier League football player, DCI Gavin Roscoe and DS Sunita Roy suddenly have a murder and a kidnap on their hands.
The footballer’s stepson, Marcel, is taken from the palatial property whilst it is being ransacked, and his bodyguard is shot, stone cold dead.
To help them with their task, DI Parkes from the National Crime Agency’s Kidnap Unit joins the investigation but he has very different ideas about how the operation should be run.
While rain lashes the surrounding countryside, tempers rise, as do the flood waters.
Can the police track down this dangerous gang, unmask its malevolent ringleader, and reunite the boy with his family before it’s too late?
IT NEVER RAINS is the sixth book in the detectives Roy and Roscoe crime fiction series by Tony Bassett.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DGLRJLVZ/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGLRJLVZ/

Meet the author

Tony Bassett is a former journalist who worked on regional and national newspapers in Britain for more than 40 years. He mainly reported on crime, show business, human interest and consumer topics. Now retired, he writes crime fiction.
Tony is best known for his series of novels set in the West Midlands. They feature Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Roscoe, an experienced detective and family man, and his sergeant, law graduate and resourceful problem-solver Sunita Roy.
The fifth book in the series, Heir To Murder, was judged first in the Mystery and Suspense (Police Procedurals) category in the American Fiction Awards in June 2024.
The novel concerns a peer of the realm’s son found axed to death after a row over loud music. Two years earlier, his older brother mysteriously disappeared while hiking in Spain.
Here is the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CPFNJNQJ
The series is published by The Book Folks, an independent London publisher specialising in crime fiction.
Other books in the series (in order) are: Murder On Oxford Lane, The Crossbow Stalker, Murder Of A Doctor and Out for Revenge.
His stand-alone thriller Seat 97, about a man shot dead at a London concert hall, has also been published by The Book Folks.
Two further works (the crime novel Smile Of The Stowaway and the spy novel The Lazarus Charter) were published by The Conrad Press.
Tony first developed a love of writing at the age of nine when he produced a junior school magazine.
A few years later, his local vicar in Tunbridge Wells staged his play about the Biblical story of Naboth’s Vineyard.
At Hull University, Tony was judged Time-Life Magazine student journalist of the year in 1971.
Tony, who has five grown-up children, is a Life Member of the National Union of Journalists. He lives in South-East London with his partner Lin.

Connect with Tony

Blog tour banner for It Never Rains by Tony Bassett

Check out my review for Angel of Death by Rob Sinclair #blogtour #thriller #newrelease

Here’s the blurb

Ismail Karaman is one of the deadliest terrorists in recent history. So why is he free to float around the Persian Gulf on his luxury yacht?
Ex intelligence agent James Ryker thinks he knows why, and the answer lies at the corrupt heart of the SIS. Ryker isn’t one to let the bad guys get away with murder, but Karaman has many enemies, and one in particular will make all their lives much more complicated…
They call her the Angel of Death – a former agent whose last encounter with Karaman cost her everything, and left her in a Lebanese prison cell. Now she’s free, and with nothing else to lose, she’s determined to get her revenge… whatever it takes.
Ryker and the Angel may have the same target, but that doesn’t mean they’re on the same side. Who will reach Karaman first? And who will still be standing when the bodies pile up?

Cover image for Angel of Death by Rob Sinclair

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/angelofdeathsocial

My Review

Angel of Death is the 12th book in the James Ryker series and a very entertaining read.

I’ve only read one previous book in the series, and I found this one to be a much slicker and more engaging read with our two main characters, Ryker and Angel, alternating points of view. It’s quite a globe-trotter, although much of the action takes place in the UK, but a UK told very much through American eyes (and with US spelling)- including gas stations and quite a few handguns. That said, the narrative is good enough for these things to pass me by with only a slight chuckle as the action ramps up.

Ryker is as violent as in the previous book, but he might just have met his match in Angel of Death.

This is a really solid read, sure to appeal to fans of the genre and those looking for an action-packed thriller.

Check out my reviews for The Green Viper and Rogue Hero.

Meet the author

Rob Sinclair is the million copy bestseller of over twenty thrillers, including the James Ryker series. Rob previously studied Biochemistry at Nottingham University. He also worked for a global accounting firm for 13 years, specialising in global fraud investigations.