I’m welcoming The Falconer’s Lost Baron by Susanne Dunlap to the blog #blogtour #RegencyRomance #bookreview
Here’s the blurb
A sweeping Regency tale of identity, devotion, and unexpected romance.
Lady Antonella thought she knew who she was—until a shattering family secret strips her of her name, her place in society, and her future. Cast adrift in Cornwall, she finds an injured goshawk in a poacher’s net and begins to nurse it back to health. But the hawk belongs to the war-scarred Lord Atherleigh—a man haunted by loss, determined to dismantle his mews, and certainly not expecting a spirited young woman to upend his solitude.
In London, her twin sister Belinda—radiant, poised, and newly on the marriage market—has only one goal: to find a worthy match… for Antonella. But when Hector Gainesworth, a charming rogue with laughter in his eyes and secrets of his own, turns his attention to Belinda instead, her heart begins to spin in an altogether unexpected direction.
As the sisters navigate betrayal, desire, and the demands of their hearts, two men must decide whether to risk everything for love. And Antonella’s goshawk may be the wild, winged thread that binds their fates.
The Falconer’s Lost Baron is the third of Susanna Dunlap’s Regency romances I’ve read, and I’ve enjoyed all of them (see my reviews below for the previous two books). Every book offers something a little different, while still delivering on what we all expect from a Regency romance.
This new title will delight fans of the genre (there is no need to have read the previous two titles, although you will be missing a treat.)
Susanne Dunlap is the award-winning author of over a dozen historical novels, as well as an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach in fiction, nonfiction, and memoir. Her love of history began in academia with a PhD in music history from Yale. Her novel THE PORTRAITIST won first prize in its category in the 2022 Eric Hoffer Book Awards, and was a finalist in the CIBA Goethe Awards and the Foreword Indies Awards. THE ADORED ONE: A NOVEL OF LILLIAN LORRAINE AND FLORENZ ZIEGFELD, won first place in its category in the 2023 CIBA Goethe Awards for Late Historical Fiction. Today, she lives, coaches, and writes in beautiful Biddeford, Maine.
I’m sharing my review for Death of a Billionaire by Tucker May #mystery #blogtour #bookreview @tuckermaymysteries @rararesources @rachelsrandomresources
Here’s the blurb
Ever dream of killing your boss? Alan Benning knows how you feel.
The problem: his billionaire boss actually winds up murdered. And the whole world thinks he did it.
When globetrotting tech billionaire Barron Fisk is found dead on the floor of his swanky Silicon Valley office, all evidence points to Alan.
Alan must venture into the glitzy, treacherous world of tech billionaires to clear his name by sorting through a long list of suspects with motive aplenty. If he can’t find the real culprit, Alan’s going down. The clock is ticking.
Who killed Barron Fisk? The truth will shock— and change— the entire world.
Fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series, Carl Hiaasen’s tales of high-stakes hijinx, or Ruth Ware’s page-turning mysteries will love Death of a Billionaire.
Death of a Billionaire is indeed a fun mystery, with a varied cast of characters, some of them not very nice, as they live their uber-rich lifestyles. It is a story told with irreverence and an eye to what’s currently happening in the world of tech. It is a very enjoyable, fast-paced mystery that you will power your way through.
I was drawn to the title by the mention of Carl Hiaasen, and while it’s been far too long since I read a Carl Hiaasen book that I can’t definitely make comparisons, the humour certainly reminded me of one of Carl’s books.
For a debut novel, Death of a Billionaire is very accomplished, and I do recommend it to fellow readers who love a good contemporary mystery (well, actually, it’s slightly futuristic) and like to have a little giggle along the way.
Meet the author
Tucker May was raised in southern Missouri. He attended Northwestern University where he was trained in acting and playwriting. He now lives in Pasadena, California with his wife Barbara and their cat Principal Spittle. He is an avid reader and longtime fan of the Los Angeles Rams and Geelong Cats. Death of a Billionaire is his debut novel.
I’m sharing a fab post from Robert Whanslaw to celebrate the release of his new novel today, Dark Orchid Affair (there’s a competition too) #blogtour #thriller #newrelease #blogpost
Elizabeth Chadwick, historical fiction author, helped me craft my first sex scene…
There is nothing more satisfying than writing the final words of a book. Whatever the genre—crime, historical fiction, romance, or epic fantasy—anyone who reaches that moment has my full admiration. My advice to anyone planning to write a book is simple: begin, keep going, and finish. Ideas are wonderful, but persistence is what fills the pages.
It was fifteen years ago that I first conceived Dark Orchid Affair. Back then it had a different working title, and the concept was little more than a skeletal outline. During those intervening years, I completed creative writing courses, experimented with countless short stories, and wrote one-and-a-half novels that never saw the light of day. Those abandoned projects were not failures—they were apprenticeships. That, I think, is a truth shared by writers of every genre and every era. Even the chroniclers of medieval courts, whose works survive to this day, were honing their craft long before any parchment bore their name.
If I could offer any advice about improving your writing, it would be this: write, and write often. It sounds obvious, almost simplistic, but developing a voice takes time—just as a medieval scribe took years to perfect a steady hand and a beautifully flowing script. The second essential is to read widely. And I mean widely. I have a deep appreciation for historical fiction and tremendous respect for those brave enough to venture into its demanding terrain. It is a genre where the past must be honoured, and where readers often know their Plantagenets from their Picts. Get the century wrong, or describe a weapon not yet invented, and your reader will spot it instantly.
As a crime writer, I sometimes envy the historian’s burden of accuracy—while simultaneously being relieved that my stories are not tethered to real timelines. Noir and suspense allow more invention, more shadows in which to hide. But all writers, regardless of genre, learn from one another. The joy lies in borrowing the best techniques from across the literary spectrum and melding them into your own voice. Art, after all, has always been a dialogue with the past. Medieval poets borrowed from the troubadours; the noir writers of the 1930s borrowed from the classics; and contemporary authors continue the tradition of artistic inheritance.
I used to dread writing sex scenes. Not because they weren’t relevant to my stories, but because I knew most of my readers were women, and I was anxious about striking the right tone from a male perspective. Strangely enough, it was historical fiction that helped me overcome that fear. Elizabeth Chadwick—whose novels vividly bring the twelfth century to life—offered lessons in writing intimacy with subtlety, restraint, and emotional depth. Drawing inspiration from her approach, I crafted my first sex scene in a short story. To my astonishment (and relief), it went on to win a competition.
To Elizabeth Chadwick, should you ever read this: thank you for the early guidance. I promise I now have my own polished method, but you gave me the confidence to enter a terrain that once felt daunting.
Dark Orchid Affair will be published on 1 December 2025. Whether you are a writer yourself or a devoted reader of historical fiction, perhaps you might consider giving it a place on your reading list—if only to step momentarily from the medieval courts and battlefields into a contemporary world tinged with noir.
And who knows? One day I may gather the courage to test the waters of historical fiction myself. If that ever happens, I will be standing on the shoulders of the writers who have already illuminated the past with such skill.
Here’s the blurb
Ben Walker’s life shatters after one reckless night. Seduced by Maxine—a ruthless femme fatale—he wakes to a nightmare: compromising photos, blackmail, and the threat of losing everything—his marriage, career, and freedom.
Faced with impossible choices, Ben pays the price. But one payment is never enough.
Dragged deeper into a deadly web of lies and manipulation, the stakes escalate, and the noose tightens. What began as a desperate bid to protect his secrets becomes a desperate fight for survival.
With his world crumbling and prison on the horizon, Ben must confront a brutal truth—how far will he go to break free? And can anyone truly escape the sins of their past?
A gripping neo-noir thriller of betrayal, seduction, and deadly consequences.
Robert Whanslaw writes noir, dark crime fiction, and psychological thrillers, grounded in grit, flaws, and the messy business of being human.
He doesn’t write about perfect people. If he did, they’d be the kind you’d want to throw off a fast-moving train.
Raised on the likes of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, and the raw voices of mid-century noir, Whanslaw brings a classic noir fatalism into the modern world. His stories walk the fine line between justice and survival, where everyone has a secret and most people lie.
*Terms and Conditions –UK & US 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.
I’m delighted to welcome a returning Helen Golden to the blog with her new book, A Husband is Hushed Up #bookreview #historicalmystery #blogtour #avidreader @rararesources @rachelsrandomresources @helengoldenauthor
Here’s the blurb
A fatal fall. A duchess determined to uncover the truth. And barely any time for tea.
Fenshire, 1891. It was meant to be a birthday celebration weekend in the country—cucumber sandwiches, polite conversation, and maybe a waltz or two. But when the Duke of Stortford is found dead in a crumpled heap at the foot of the stairs everything goes dreadfully sideways. The police declare it a tragic accident. His wife, Alice, has her doubts. After all, only hours before, the Duke had promised to give up his mistress and make a go of their marriage. Now he’s inconveniently deceased.
Driven by a need for answers, and helped by her fiercely loyal maid Maud, her observant footman George, and her childhood friend Lord Rushton, Alice sets about uncovering the truth. But as she navigates a house full of secrets, simmering tensions, and more than one guest with murderously bad manners, her suspect pool grows to include those closest to her. Can she piece together the truth? Or will her husband’s murderer get away with it after all?
The guests are leaving. The killer may be among them. Time is running out…
A Husband is Hushed Up is the first full-length novel in Helen Golden’s new historical mystery series (I have read the prequel).
The first book takes readers to a very familiar location, and alas, also quite a familiar tragedy as a body is discovered on the staircase early one morning. Alice determines to find the truth of what happened, even though everyone else is sure it’s simply a tragic accident. While she’s driven by the need to discover the truth, it is quite possible that she might regret her actions as the story unfolds.
This is another well-plotted mystery from Helen. I do love her mysteries. They’re always a sure-fire hit for me, and a treat because a bit of a curse of also writing mysteries is that I often realise the threads and clues along the way. For this one, my suspicions were leaning in the right direction, but I’m not going to say why. That’s a writer trick:)
Another excellent mystery, and I look forward to the series continuing.
Check out my reviews for the books in Helen Golden’s Right Royal Mystery series, featuring one of Lady Alice’s descendants.
Helen Golden spins mysteries that are charmingly British, delightfully deadly, and served with a twist of humour.
With quirky characters, clever red herrings, and plots that keep the pages turning, she’s the author of the much-loved A Right Royal Cozy Investigation series, following Lady Beatrice and her friends—including one clever little dog—as they uncover secrets hidden in country houses and royal palaces. Her new historical mystery series, The Duchess of Stortford Mysteries, is set in Victorian England and introduces an equally curious sleuth from Lady Beatrice’s own family tree—where murders are solved over cups of tea, whispered gossip, and overheard conversations in drawing rooms and grand estates.
Helen lives in a quintessential English village in Lincolnshire with her husband, stepdaughter, and a menagerie of pets—including a dog, several cats, a tortoise, and far too many fish.
If you love clever puzzles, charming settings, and sleuths with spark, her books are waiting for you.
I’m sharing a fab post from crime novelist Ian McFadyen about writing ‘The Twist’ to celebrate the release of The Corpse Bell #blogtour #newrelease #mystery
The Twist
Having a clever and enticing plot and introducing a range of vivid, life-like and interesting characters are paramount for any successful murder story. However, in my view, the kernel of all the best and most memorable whodunits has to be the twist.
I read once that ‘plot twists can be a thrill for the reader, but they’re overwhelming for the writer’. I’d agree with that.
If the novel is constructed in such a way that the reader has absolutely no inkling it’s coming, and when it’s revealed to the audience it is as plausible to them as it is surprising, then the twist will elevate the story to a new level.
And why just have one twist, if the book has sub-plots or a series of red herrings, why not introduce a little twist with those, to add even more intrigue and, dare I say, confusion in the reader’s mind – particularly if your twist reveals that a character high on the reader’s list of suspects is, in fact, innocent of the main crime and there’s a credible reason why they have been behaving in a way you ( the reader) thought was suspicious.
If you don’t agree with me, I’d ask you to just think of your favourite murder mystery books. I’m sure they all will have many, many truly wonderful elements – the setting, the use of language, the plot, the characters for example. However, I’d wager it’s the twist that you remember.
When thinking about a new Carmichael book it’s the twist that almost always comes first. Whether it’s a character who isn’t all they seem to be, a misunderstanding which only comes to light late on in the story, or a lie that’s not unearthed at first, the twist is my starting point.
For my books, it’s only once the twist is fleshed out in my head that I feel I can then create a storyline. A plot that builds up to that twist being revealed to the reader. Then using my team of ever-present detectives and introducing new characters, I attempt to take the reader on a journey that leads to the twist.
One of my favourite twists is in ‘The Death of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie. I’ll not share the details here, for obvious reasons, but if you’ve not read that particular book, I’d recommend you give it a whirl.
However, if pushed, I’d say my favourite twist was in the TV programme, Tales of the Unexpected in 1979. In an episode written by Roald DahI, called ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’; the twist is delicious! If you haven’t seen it, look it up on YouTube.
I’ll obviously not be sharing the twist in my latest book, ‘The Corpse Bell’, but I hope you enjoy it when it arrives.
Here’s the blurb
The last thing Penny Carmichael expected when she joined the local bellringing group was for her debut to be thwarted by the discovery of a body just yards from the belfry door. As her husband and his loyal team painstakingly sift through the evidence and delve deep into the dead man’s past, it’s clear that solving Peter Mackenzie’s murder may prove a challenge, even for someone with DCI Carmichael’s renowned detective prowess.
What was a man who’d lived for decades in North London doing in Moulton Bank? Was his chequered past a factor?
And what about the other members of Penny’s bellringing group. Did any of them have a reason to do Peter harm?
As the case unfolds, DCI Carmicheal and his trusty team seek answers to a complex puzzle which leads them along various paths and, at times, way outside the comfort zone of their rural Lancashire surroundings.
This fast-paced, cleverly crafted whodunit is the eleventh murder mystery in the gripping Carmichael series from the pen of Ian McFadyen.
IIan McFadyen was born in Liverpool and enjoyed a successful career in marketing before becoming a writer. Ian’s titles are available in Italian and Czech and, although the author isn’t totally convinced it’s true, he’s been favourably compared with Wilkie Collins and Colin Dexter. 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. The Corpse Bell is the eleventh in his series featuring DCI Carmichael.
I’m delighted to welcome The Bookseller of Kathmandu by Ann Bennett to the blog for a publication day blog post and competition #blogtour #historicalfiction #newrelease #blogpost
Inspirations for The Bookseller of Kathmandu
The Bookseller of Kathmandu is set in two different locations and two time-zones and the inspirations behind the story came from many different sources.
I’ve wanted to write about Kathmandu since I first travelled to Nepal in 1987 when I was on a long trip round India and Southeast Asia. I was enchanted by Kathmandu, especially the narrow old streets of Thamel and the ancient heart of the city, Durbar Square. Thamel was a maze of pedestrianised streets and alleys, lined with medieval buildings, thronging with people. It was crammed full of shops, temples, cafes and street vendors.
Durbar Square, 1987
The atmosphere, especially during the smoke-filled evenings was magical. My friend and I arrived by bus from Pokhara after a long trek through the Annapurna Range and spent several lazy days there. We stayed at the Kathmandu Guest House, in those days a backpacker hostel, eating in the many cafes and visiting all the sites of the Kathmandu Valley.
Since then, Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake in 2015, destroying many of the ancient temples and streets in Thamel. Some of these have been rebuilt, but for a long time, Thamel and Durbar square were badly damaged, and even now, ten years on, the effects are still apparent.
I first wrote about Nepal in The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu, published in 2023, which tells the story of Chloe, a thirtysomething British woman, who travels to India and Nepal to retrace the footsteps of her grandmother, Lena. Lena worked for a Gurkha recruiting officer during World War II, travelling to the forbidden kingdom of Nepal with him to recruit men for the front in Burma.
The Bookseller of Kathmandu, although a standalone story, is in part a follow-up to that book. Chloe is married to Kiran, a Nepalese tour guide, and has bought a quirky old bookshop in Thamel. The inspiration for Paradise Books, was Pilgrim’s Book House in Thamel. A narrow old shophouse, with three stories packed full of books of every kind.
In the story, Chloe is approached by Rajesh Desai, a distant cousin of Kiran’s. His father, Anil, has just died and Rajesh asks Chloe if she will take his father’s old books from him.
Pilgrim’s Book House, Kathmandu
Chloe is surprised to discover that Anil’s home is a crumbling Rana palace. When she starts looking through the books, she finds a cache of fading letters. They are from a British woman, Alice Lacey, living on a mining estate in Malaya, to Anil, who was serving with the Gurkhas during the Malayan Emergency of the 1940s and 50s. The inspiration for Anil’s home is the hotel I stayed in while researching both books. It is called the Shankar Hotel, itself a restored Rana palace. Full of panelled rooms, chandeliers and sweeping wooden staircases, it seems to belong to a former era.
Hotel Shankar, Kathmandu. A former Rana palace.
The book is partly set in British Malaya of the late 1940s, where Alice Lacey is living with a volatile husband through a time of danger. Her developing friendship with Anil provides some light during those dark days.
I have also travelled to Malaysia several times, the first time in 1985 on an overland trip between Bangkok and Bali, staying in Penang and Malacca en route for Singapore. I was first inspired to visit because my father served in the British Indian Army in the Malaya Campaign during WWII. He was taken prisoner by the Japanese at the Fall of Singapore and transported to work on the Thai-Burma railway. I have travelled there since, to research his story, on several occasions.
I set my first book, Bamboo Heart, partly in British Malaya in the lead up to the Japanese invasion, mainly in Penang, and my second book, Bamboo Island, on a rubber plantation near Kuala Lipis and in Singapore. I’ve written several books subsequently about WWII in Southeast Asia and during my research I began to read about the Malayan Emergency. Chinese communists, trained by the British as guerillas to wage war against the Japanese, turned against their former allies in an attempt to oust British rule and impose communism on Malaya. The resulting conflict lasted twelve years and has often been compared to the Vietnam war.
British Army patrol during the Malayan Emergency. Photo – British Army Museum.
When I did start to read about the decline of British rule in Malaya and the Emergency, I began to wonder how it had affected the lives of ordinary people. So, I created the character of Alice, a naïve British woman, living on an isolated tin mine, caught up in those turbulent events, who is thrown together with a Gurkha officer assigned to protect her home.
I hope you enjoy The Bookseller of Kathmandu and that it transports you to the backstreets of Kathmandu and to the jungles of 1940s Malaya.
If you are interested in finding out more about my books, please visit my website.
Here’s the blurb
A sweeping tale of secrets and survival set against the mystical backdrop of Nepal, and the tropical heat of 1940s Malaya.
In the heart of bustling Kathmandu, Chloe Rai’s quaint bookshop is a sanctuary for those seeking solace within the pages of timeworn stories. But when she discovers a collection of letters hidden within the crumbling walls of a forgotten Rana palace, her world begins to intertwine with a narrative from a different time and place.
Penned in the 1940s by a woman named Alice Lacey, the letters tell the story of the Malayan Emergency, a time of turmoil and conflict. As Alice’s life becomes intertwined with that of Anil, a Gurkha officer, their bond is tested by the chaos and violence surrounding them. Chloe’s discoveries not only reveal family secrets, but also mirror her own struggles in the present. As she delves deeper into Alice’s story, she begins to understand the power of the past in shaping the present.
With a rich cultural backdrop and a poignant exploration of friendship, resilience, and truth, ‘The Bookseller of Kathmandu’ is a beautifully woven tale that showcases the enduring power of storytelling. Join Chloe on a journey through time as she uncovers the truth and learns to navigate the complexities of her own life.
If you enjoy captivating storytelling, then you won’t want to miss ‘The Bookseller of Kathmandu.’ And if you loved ‘The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu,’ then you will be enthralled by Chloe and Alice’s intertwined stories…
Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter’s Quest, was inspired by researching her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own journey to uncover his story. It won the Asian Books Blog prize for fiction published in Asia in 2015, and was shortlisted for the best fiction title in the Singapore Book Awards 2016.
That initial inspiration led her to write more books about WWII in Southeast Asia – Bamboo Island: The Planter’s Wife, A Daughter’s Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter’s Club, The Amulet, and The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu. Along with The Lotus House, published in October 2024, they make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.
Ann is also the author of The Oriental Lake Collection – The Lake Pavilion and The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, set in French Indochina.
The Runaway Sisters, USA Today bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture. Her latest book, The Stolen Sisters, published on 29th November 2024 is the follow-up to The Orphan List (published by Bookouture in August this year) and is set in Poland and Germany during WWII.
A former lawyer, Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details, please visit her website http://www.annbennettauthor
*Terms and Conditions –UK and Europe 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.
I’m sharing my review for Pilgrim’s War by Michael Jecks #newrelease #histfic #blogtour #bookreview
Here’s the blurb
The tale of a journey that will shape the world for centuries to come…
France, 1096. Crowds gather in Sens, Northern France, to hear the Hermit speak. He talks of a great pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a quest filled with promise for those Christian soldiers who march with him.
Sybill knows the perils of the road ahead, but follow it she must. Her husband is a reckless gambler, easily swayed by the Hermit’s words. For Odo, the pilgrimage provides the chance to demonstrate his unshakeable piety, while his brother Fulk craves adventure and excitement.
Jeanne and Guillemette have been mistreated by the men in their lives and are desperate for this chance of redemption and a brighter future – but for the two women alone on the journey, life on the road will be full of perils…
As the lines between love and hate, virtue and sin, good and evil become blurred, each must survive as best they can. Who will live to reach the holy city, and will the sacrifices they make to get there be worth the price they all must pay?
Pilgrim’s War is a multiple-character story of the First Crusade, told through the eyes of those seeking something on their journey to the Holy Land. Some are swept away with the promise of better things to come, some by the promise of redemption, others are simply leaves in the wind, taken on the way by events outside their control. Not many of them, admittedly, are actually ‘in it’ to serve their God. As a result of this, few of the characters are actually very ‘nice’. Indeed, quite a few of them are quite awful as the journey begins – but of course, if they’re to suffer any sort of epiphany, they need to be bad eggs from the beginning. The narrative doesn’t shy away from depicting the hatred between Christians and any other faith encountered on the journey to the Holy Land, and the hypocrisy of these seemingly ‘holy’ knights as they venture towards their destination.
Two main journeys are undertaken: one heading towards Rome, featuring a collection of knights, and another towards Byzantium, which follows Sybill, Odo, Jeanne, and Guillemette. That way lies peril. But so too is the route through Rome, where politics are once more at play. The cast is vast and from all reaches of society. It will not end well for them all.
The Crusades are far from an easy topic to cover, and the author is at pains to reveal the motivations behind the actions of those the story follows. It’s not always an easy read, or a particularly fast-flowing one with so many characters, but it shouldn’t be an easy read. I do appreciate the determination to show the event for what it was – a war perpetrated in the name of religion, but really, at the heart of it, something else altogether.
Meet the author
Michael Jecks is the author of over 50 novels inspired by history and legend. He is the founder of Medieval Murderers, and has served on the committees of the Historical Writers’ Association, the CWA and he Detection Club. He was International Guest of Honour at the Bloody Words festival in Toronto, and Grand Master of the first parade in the New Orleans Mardi Gras.
I’m reviewing Saving Starlight Hall by Debbie Viggiano #blogtour #romance #bookreview #funny
Here’s the blurb
Nestled deep in the countryside lies Starlight Croft – population small, gossip levels high, and secrets harder to hide than a cow in a phone box.
Jen Armstrong thought she had life more or less under control – marriage ticking along, teenagers on the right side of the law – until hubby Peter unexpectedly demises leaving Jen suddenly single, hugging a secret, and trying very hard not to fall apart in front of the entire village.
Just when things couldn’t get messier a For Sale sign appears. The community centre – the only place big enough to host Pilates and the local psychic’s séance nights – goes up for sale.
Cue The Starlight Society: a mismatched crew of locals with hearts of gold, questionable strategies and Jen reluctantly roped in to assist. Their mission? Raise the cash to save the hall before a charming-but-infuriating property developer named Liam Lancaster possibly turns it into a boutique hotel with mood lighting and tufty towels.
Can they pull it off? Will the hall survive? Might a secret be unwittingly revealed? And can Jen resist throttling an enemy who has the most annoyingly twinkly eyes?
A feel-good romantic comedy where love, lies, and livestock collide.
Saving Starlight Hall is a humourous romance, very much in the mould of Debbie’s previous books. They’re always a delight to read, (even for someone who doesn’t normally read romance). They sparkle with the quirky characteristics we all have and make our main character, Jen, feel extremely human and relatable.
It’s always a delight to read one of Debbie’s books, and I thoroughly enjoyed this new release, and any one who likes the promise of a bit of romance, with some drama and a lot of humour along the way, will love this story. This is the first time I’ve read one of Debbie’s books connected to another book, and it was lovely to meet the characters again, although I want to assure readers you can read this as a standalone, although you will be missing out on Starting Over at Starlight Cottage:) Enjoy.
Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy… apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!
I’m reviewing Woden’s Storm by Donovan Cook #blogtour #newrelease #historicalfiction the second book in the First Kingdom series
Here’s the blurb
A storm is coming. A storm that will banish the old and deliver the new.
450AD Britain
Octa has the spear of Woden, but the redemption he sought is out of his grasp. With his banishment and the death of his father, he can no longer return to his Saxon homelands. His only salvation is to join forces with Hengist and Horsa, and their Jutish army that beaches itself on Brittania’s shores. But can he trust their motivation or are there greater plans afoot?
The Gods have their own plans, though, and Octa’s fate is not his own to control as Friga, the mother of the Saxon gods, battles to avoid a war with the gods of the Britons and Saxons using Octa as her weapon.
Prince Vortimer, the son of High King Vortigern, is angered by his father’s agreement with Hengist and Horsa as they remain unchecked and their numbers swell. He suspects treachery and encouraged by some well-placed words of a stranger, he rebels against his father and gathers his army to attack the unwelcome visitors.
War is coming to Britannia and as Octa struggles to understand his role and fate, he knows he has one question to answer. Will he run or will he stand and fight?
Woden’s Storm is the second book in The First Kingdom series by Donovan Cook. We’re once more in a recreated Britain of the middle fifth century, where everyone’s actions are guided by their Gods. And there are a lot of Gods who want to have a say in what’s happening, and not all of them, on the ‘same side’ as it were, hope to achieve the same ends. Octa, Vortimor, and the rest of the characters are constantly being tested by their deities, told half the story and left to work the rest out for themselves. Will they interpret their meetings with the Gods correctly, or will they make everything more chaotic by muddying these messages with their own intentions?
I do enjoy the element of the Gods walking amongst the characters and interfering in what’s happening. I mean, I doubt it would be peaceful without them, but with them, it certainly isn’t:) It adds a new dimension to this period and perhaps helps to account for some of the more eccentric decisions the characters make as they all endeavour to accomplish their goals. There is still much to play for and the series will continue.
An entertaining and intriguing series with a whole host of ‘named’ characters, people who love the era will recognise.
Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series which combines fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world, and is inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. He was born in South Africa and currently lives in Lancashire, UK.
I’m delighted to share my review for Adam Lofthouse’s War Lord: Scourge of Rome #historicalfiction #blogtour #Roman
Here’s the blurb
And so we have reached the end of my tale. But what are endings if not new beginnings?
Alaric has been home for a year. He went north and saved the Cimbri, just as he said he would. But the cost has been higher than he ever thought. A shadow of the War Lord he once was, he now trades in amber and dotes on his children.
A simple life. And with it, contentment. But he knew this couldn’t last forever; peace isn’t for someone like him, and sure enough trouble finds him once again. A routine journey south turns into a new and unknown wave of danger as red-cloaked legionaries attack, causing confusion and carnage.
Warriors dressed as Romans have been scouring the country, slaughtering innocent people, and leaving Roman footprints wherever they march. But things are not what they seem, and it falls to Alaric to don his armour once more, and march his Ravensworn in pursuit of a mysterious enemy that could destabilise his world beyond repair.
War Lord, as the blurb states, is the end of Alaric, or is it a beginning for him?
Once more, we’re thrust straight back into the action, and Alaric, while accepting he’s an old man these days, does indeed not seem to have ‘grown up’ at all, as he’s so fond of reminding himself. From one hairbrained scheme to another, Alaric realises that perhaps, after all, there is a great deal at stake, and he is, of course, the man to solve everyone else’s problems, for all he likes to pretend he doesn’t care about anyone but himself, his children and his wife.
Adam writes fabulous books. I do love Alaric. He’s a bad egg, and yet, we all can’t help liking him, as indeed, does everyone who comes into contact with him. There’s no end of action and adventure, no end of peril, and through it all, Alaric sails with his usual charm and determination. But, is this one quest too much for our epic second-century hero, living on the outskirts of the Roman empire, but admiring them all the same? Has he finally found an enemy he can’t hope to beat, even if he unites the tribes? Or will he have to prove as quick-thinking as ever?
While all this is happening, there is also an intriguing backstory, reliving a moment in Alaric’s life when everything changed for him. It adds a certain poignancy to our character, making his wild ways more understandable.
This is a cracking finale for Alaric’s story. Enjoy it. I know I did.
Adam Lofthouse is the author of action-packed historical thrillers. His brand new series for Boldwood, ‘Enemies of Rome’, will focus on the boundaries at the edge of the Roman Empire. The first book Raven, will be published in February 2025.
MJ Porter 