Rachel’s Random Resources – Page 17

I’m excited to be taking part in the cover reveal for The Matchmaker’s Mare by Hywela Lyn #coverreveal #blogtour #romance

Here’s the blurb

When Megan Johnson inherits an old cottage in the Welsh countryside, she seizes the opportunity to cut ties with her past life, after a broken romance. Her nearest neighbour, a horse trainer, is also something of an enigma. Single dad Glyn Phillips does his best to balance his love of horses and hard work, with his devotion to his son. When he meets his new neighbour, he knows he should resist any attraction. A feisty pony mare which mysteriously appears on his land adds to his problems, but another, larger problem lies ahead. Two matchmaking spirits find their carefully laid plans may not go as smoothly as they hope.

Book cover image for The Matchmaker's Mare by Hywela Lyn showing a chestnut horse galloping towards the reader with a small cottage in the background and shimmering yellow lights.

Pre-order Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Matchmakers-Mare-Hywela-Lyn-ebook/dp/B0DYF6L15C

https://www.amazon.com/Matchmakers-Mare-Hywela-Lyn-ebook/dp/B0DYF6L15C

Publication Date: 5^th May

Meet the author

Award-winning author, Hywela Lyn spent most of her life in Wales, whose beautiful landscapes and wealth. of myths and legends inspired her to write. A horse and dog lover, she weaves romantic Science Fiction adventures and fantasy romances set in Wales, past and present. She loves dreaming up characters who overcome the odds, and go on to find deep and enduring love. However difficult the journey, in the end love will always win. She hopes her stories will truly take you ‘out of this world’.

Her penname, Hywela Lyn is a combination of her first two names. (She has always been known by her second name ‘Lyn’ and thought it was time her Welsh first name was used as well!) She is a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association, and her local writing group, Chiltern Writers. Beloved Enemy, the third book in her Destiny Trilogy, was shortlisted in the Paranormal category of the prestigious Romantic Novelists Association RoNA awards and was a Runner up in the RONE Awards in 2017. When not writing or reading, she can usually be found outdoors with horses or her little dog – or just eating chocolate!

I’m delighted to be reviewing You Know the Drill by Dr Bill – The Private Musings of a Dentist #blogtour #non-fiction

Here’s the blurb

Welcome to my life. The life of a reluctant dentist. This book charts the course of a nervous student dealing with people from all walks of life, from exploding angry abscesses to exploding angry people, both in and out of the chair.

When I was a wet-behind-the-ears school sixth former, it seemed like a really good idea to go to university and study the teeth, gums and mouth. I’m still trying to work out why I thought that was a good idea.

The definition of a dentist mentions competencies in biomedical knowledge, surgical dexterity, and critical thinking. What it fails to include is being an unpaid therapist, getting splattered in pus, coaxing nutters out from under the dental chair, having the police storm your surgery, and dealing with patients who think a crown is something you put on your head, then try and sue you when you say otherwise.

Written as a form of therapy – to offload on paper – this book gives a frank account of life both in and out of the surgery. So, take a seat in the waiting room and I’ll see you shortly in Chapter One…

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

My Review

So, I hate the dentist (not the person – the idea of it). I’ve had a few nasty experiences with dentists who should perhaps have paid a little more attention to patient care than they did. However, I’ve found a new dentist and he’s lovely and very, very thoughtful. I decided to read this book as a means of understanding what it’s like for the actual person who is the dentist as opposed to the patient, gripping the armrests and leaving imprints in the dentist’s chair. I’m so glad I did. I can’t say it’s going to make my next trip any easier, but I will certainly be a little calmer about the whole thing – probably until the bloody drill comes out:)

This is a delightful collection of stories, from training to working as a dentist. Some of them are funny. Some of them are sad. Some of them are bloody outrageous. All of them paint the picture of a professional working under some very trying circumstances (including during Covid), and sometimes not. I also appreciated the explanations about how the system works in the UK and what dentists are actually doing when they look in your mouth. I was very glad I wasn’t the one in the dentist’s chair for some of the procedures described.

Fans of the dentist and those who aren’t (i.e. me) will enjoy this collection of tales and musings. And, I promise, there are no LAs involved in reading it.

Meet the author

Dr Bill is a reluctant dentist who lives with his kind partner and a neurotic cat. This is his first book. There may be another. This depends on whether Dr Bill’s patients are gracious sweethearts who give him nothing to write about, or cantankerous bastards who provide the fodder for written revenge!

Author image for Dr Bill showing their cat.

Posts

I’m reviewing Murder At Merivale Manor by Ella Strike #blogtour #historicalmystery #bookreview

Here’s the blurb

A cozy dinner party, a playful game… and a very real murder.

London, 1923

Kitty Goring seems to have it all—lavish nights at London’s finest clubs, elegant soirées, and a parade of charming bachelors vying for her hand. But despite the glamour, Kitty longs for something a little more… thrilling.

In a bid for excitement (and to avoid her mother’s constant reminders that she really ought to be searching for a husband), Kitty dreams up the perfect diversion. A playful mock robbery at her family’s grand estate, Merivale Manor. It’s all meant to be fun—until one of the guests turns up very much dead.

With a real killer on the loose in quaint little Hampstead Village, Kitty’s keen instincts kick in. Forget matchmaking—Kitty’s determined to unmask the culprit before anyone else falls victim. With a sharp wit and a flair for mischief, she dives headfirst into the investigation. But getting to the truth won’t be easy, especially with the brooding Detective Inspector Henry Burton underestimating her at every turn.

Murder, mystery, and a dash of romance—Kitty’s got her hands full in this charming whodunit!

Murder at Merivale Manor is the delightful first book in the Kitty Goring Investigates historical cozy mystery series.

Author’s note

London in the 1920s is a glamorous and exciting city, but danger and death are never too far behind. Join Kitty Goring and her group of Bright Young Things in the adventure of a lifetime, as they race to catch a killer who lurks amongst them.
Each book in this series is a cozy period mystery that features our plucky heroine, aided in her investigations by a gang of eccentric and lovable characters.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/ZRrM

My Review

MMurder at Merivale Manor is the first book in the Kitty Goring Investigations series of historical mysteries set in the 1920s.

This first book introduces us to Kitty, a headstrong woman with a varied collection of friends and associates and a somewhat overbearing mother. The family is somewhat down on its luck but still working to keep up appearances. One of those is the need for Kitty’s brother to marry well to recover the family fortunes.

But, as ever, all is not as it appears when a woman keen on Kitty’s brother is unexpectedly murdered at the local fete. Feeling guilty about a silly game Kitty initiated that seems to have led to Jane’s death, Kitty is determined to investigate and find the culprit.

This is a fun, quick read, and readers of the genre will enjoy discovering who the true culprit was.

Meet the author

Ella Strike, cat lover and author of historical cozy mysteries, lives in London with her husband and twins. When she’s not penning murder mysteries or drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or listening to true crime podcasts as she cooks.

Her stories are a mix of history, a dash of intrigue, and a whole lot of cozy, old-world charm.

Image shows the list of blog hosts for the Murder at Merivale Manor blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources

Posts

I’m reviewing Woden’s Spear by Donovan Cook #blogtour #newrelease #historicalfiction

Here’s the blurb

Banished by those he loved; how far would he go for redemption?

449AD Old Saxony

Octa, the son of a mighty Saxon warlord, stands in the shield wall for the first time, eager to make a name for himself. But instead of the promised battle glory, fear overpowers him and he flees the battle, causing the death of his cousin and bringing shame to his family.

Disowned by his father, and hunted by his own people, Octa is spurred on by his mother’s vision for his future, a promise of greatness to come.

A chance encounter with a wiry traveller offers Octa a chance of redemption with a quest to retrieve a sacred weapon. To do this, Octa must travel to Britannia, a nation abandoned by the Roman Empire and unable to defend itself from its many enemies who smell weakness and riches.

Joining the famous warlords, Hengist and Horsa, Octa travels west to forge his future and redeem his past. He must succeed where others have failed. He must find the lost spear of Woden.

An epic adventure of turmoil, coming of age and survival set against a time when Britannia was on its knees and fighting for its very existence.
Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwell and Matthew Harffy.

image shows the cover for Woden's Spear by Donovan Cook. This shows a warrior holding a spear aloft on a wintry background, with a fire in the foreground, and a horse behind him. A raven is flying above his head.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/WodensSpear

My Review

Woden’s Spear is the first part of a new series by Donovan Cook. Starting in Saxony, our young would-be warrior embarks on a journey to rehabilitate his reputation alongside some well-known figures from the dawn of Saxon England.

Octa, our main character, is a young man far from being the warrior he wishes he were (and perhaps thinks he is). Indeed, he’s weak and ineffectual and very much enjoys life in the shadow of his more warrior-like father until he’s abruptly confronted with the truth about himself. Not that he immediately rises up to counter those truths; instead, he slinks away from all he’s ever known, feeling very sorry for himself, haunted by his failures.

But this changes when he meets first an old man who speaks to him of a quest, and then Hengist and Horsa, those very famous names associated with the beginning of Saxon England. He joins them in journeying to Brittania, encountering Vortigern along the way. But Octa has a very different motive behind his actions to that of Hengist and Horsa.

Octa is very much swept up in events outside his control as he pursues his quest with the aid of a native Briton and some Jutes who don’t much like him and, indeed, have a very different idea of his destiny.

This is a vivid portrayal of Britannia in the middle of the fifth century and is sure to delight readers of the genre as we follow Octa on his quest to rehabilitate himself with the aid of a god or two along the way.

Check out my reviews for Odin’s Betrayal, Loki’s Deceit, Thor’s Revenge and Valhalla’s Fury.

Meet the author

Donovan Cook is the author of the well-received Ormstunga Saga series and the Charlemagne’s Cross series, both of which combine fast-paced narrative with meticulously researched history of the Viking world and are inspired by his interest in Norse Mythology. Donovan was born in South Africa but raised in England.

Connect with Donovan

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Image shows the blog hosts taking part in the Woden's Spear blog tour organised by Rachel's Random Resources for Boldwood Books.

Posts

I’m delighted to share my review for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter #historicalmystery #cosycrime #highlyrecommended

Image shows the cover for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter on a pale purple background

Here’s the blurb

When murder hits close to home, Iris must fight to clear her name…

Spring, 1924. Reporter Iris Woodmore plans to move to London to avoid a shocking hometown scandal. Longtime enemy Archie Powell has been threatening to reveal her darkest secret – and she’s desperate to flee before he does.

But when he’s found murdered after a violent argument with her, there’s no escape. Iris must stay and clear her name even though the truth could ruin her reputation.

With the police closing in, Iris has to find the real killer if she’s to keep her secret. Can she prove her innocence without revealing the identity of the one man who can provide her with an alibi?

A gripping new mystery for fans of Verity Bright, Clara McKenna, and Helena Dixon.

Image shows for cover for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter. It is a stylised 1920s image, showing a young woman wearing orange in a hat in front of a country style house, with a pond behind her, and a man in the background.

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/MillPondsHouse

My Review

Murder at Mill Ponds House is the sixth title in the Iris Woodmore mystery series. I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed every title, and Murder at Mill Ponds House is just as fabulous.

To wax a little lyrical, I want to say how much I love these books. I thoroughly appreciate the tight plotting and the continuity between all the books in the series. They’re a joy to read because the author never drops the ball and misses out someone important, or forgets an event from an earlier book. They’re also delightful to read, well-paced, and have interesting and intriguing difficulties for our main character to resolve.

I read Murder at Mill Ponds House in just two sittings, and that’s only because I couldn’t stay up any longer to finish the story.

A fabulous mystery, well put together, well plotted, well resolved and thoroughly enjoyable. They are a true delight, and I always know I’m in safe hands with a Michelle Salter mystery.

Huzzah.

Check out my reviews for Death at Crookham Hall, Murder at Waldenmere Lake, The Body at Carnival Bridge, A Killing At Smugglers Cove and A Corpse in Christmas Close.

Image shows the cover for Murder at Mill Ponds House by Michelle Salter with a magnifying glass over the book cover with a handwritten note in the background

Meet the author

Thanks for taking the time to stop by my author page. You’ll see all my books are classic murder mysteries – because golden age whodunnits are the stories I enjoy reading most.

I love to create memorable characters and devise intriguing plots with a focus on mystery rather than violence.

I live in Hampshire, England, and it’s the setting for many of my books. My standalone novel, Murder at Merewood Hospital, features Sister Helen Hopgood, the last nurse left in a military hospital in Hampshire at the end of the First World War.

I also have family connections to Devon, and the fourth Iris Woodmore Mystery, A Killing at Smugglers Cove, is set on the south coast of Devon in 1923. Iris is back in her native Hampshire for A Corpse in Christmas Close, set in Winchester over Christmas 1923, and Murder at Mill Ponds House, which begins on 1st May 1924.

You can read all of my books as standalone novels, even the Iris Woodmore Mysteries, as each is a separate story, although the characters develop as the series progresses.

I hope you enjoy reading or listening to my books.