Monday 30 December 2019















Demons- Stewart Giles- Crime

Oooh!!! Another read from Stewart that I couldn’t put down! A man is found murdered
with a knife in his chest. It is later discovered that the cause of death was something
rather more sinister. DS Jason Smith is on the case when he should have been having
the weekend off with his wife and daughter but as ever work comes first. He has a nose
for when things are not as they first appear and it takes him a while to convince others
until they can see his point of view and what appears obvious. His wife is a DC and so
gets about his work, what she doesn’t get is when he starts doing things completely
out of character and puts not only his marriage in jeopardy but his career as well.
One murder leads to another with a similar M.O and messages about demons.
Who and why? I love Stewarts books. You know you have hit gold when the pages
magically turn and the real world falls away. Characters you easily take to and a
plot to keep the grey matter active- just as I like it. One stunning, totally gripping read. 
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

DEMONS, Detective Jason Smith book 11 Publication date: 25th December 2019 Publisher: STILL Books Author: Stewart Giles Genre: Thriller, Police Procedural Amazon universal link - http://mybook.to/SGDemons Goodreads link - goodreads.com/book/show/49126179-demons From #1 best-selling author: Stewart Giles comes a new addition to the popular Detective
Jason Smith series. ‘Forgive me father, for I have sinned.’ Someone is killing people in York. All of the victims share a secret that the murderer is
somehow aware of and all of them receive an identical message after they are killed. ‘God has forgiven you your sins, but He could not rid you of your demons. So I have taken
them for you.’ Detective Sergeant Jason Smith heads up the most draining investigation he’s ever come
across. Coming face to face with demons of his own, will this be the case that finally
sends Smith over the edge? THE SETTING At the confluence of the River Ouse and Foss, York is the traditional county town of the
historic county of Yorkshire. York Minster and a variety of cultural and sporting activities
make it a popular tourist destination. THE DETECTIVE DS Jason Smith is an Australian who was sent to York to live with his Grandmother when
his sister disappeared from a beach. He has suffered many losses in his short life and is
now a dedicated detective. He is a bit of a loose cannon he has his own way of doing
things that doesn’t always mean following orders and procedures. However, he does get results.


Stewart Giles – Author Bio After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live. In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later. 3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series - the DC Harriet Taylor Cornwall series. The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well. I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018. After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brings together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor. Miranda is something totally different. A stand-alone psychological thriller, it is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before. Website: www.stewartgiles.com Twitter: @stewartgiles Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33


Monday 23 December 2019

Circle of Lies (Morecambe Bay Trilogy Book 2)


Circle of Lies- Paul Teague-Crime

In the mid nineteen eighties, Charlotte and Will were inadvertently caught up in
something they now hope that they have put well and truly behind them. They now
live in Morecambe and run a guest house. A celebrated author is staying with them
having  given a talk locally. When they find him hanged in his room it is presumed
suicide however the local news reporter Nigel whom they got to know previously
has been sent an old newspaper cutting with a picture of he deceased with a cross
through his face. Also the mans mobile is missing. Is there more ot this than 
straight forward suicide? Everything appears to keep pointing towards the past as
well as the guest house. Charlotte and her family may be in danger but from
whom? The picture sent to Nigel may provide a clue as to how the men are linked
as another one died a couple of years beforehand and again as thought suicide.
Oooh! This series is a wonderful read. A main character you can take to in
Charlotte. She has the unfortunate knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong
time but that admirable tenacity to find out what is going on and to protect her
family at all costs. A clever well thought out plot that not only keeps the pages
turning but also the grey matter alive and kicking A knife edge finish. I very much
look forward to the final of the trilogy.






Sunday 22 December 2019

49196493. sx318

Muriels Bear- Kath Middleton-Crime/thriller short story

I picked this up as I saw a fellew blogger had put pen to paper (so to speak) I hadn;t realised what a talented writer Kath is and how many books she has penned.
Muriel has moved to sheltered accomodation for her own safety, something she has always been aware of as aged eight she was the only survivor of a house fire that killed the rest of her family. At the time the Red Cross have her a bear, Red Ted,  and she has kept him ever since. I won't say more about the plot as this is a novella other than to say I loved it . An old lady with her eye on the ball and Red Ted at her side. A perfect read for over a coffee (45mins or so) and a wonderful tale to make you smile.
(free on kindle unlimited)

Why She Ran Geraldine Hogan-Crime
We are in Ireland and the scene of the crime is a high end recovery centre (think
The Priory) for young women with issues. The victim is Rachel, who has been killed
with a blunt instrument blow to the head and a violent attack. She is one of the
care workers who was on a night shift in one of the bungalows. The only other
person in that bungalow , Eleanor, is now missing and she is the daughter of a
wealthy, influential landowner. Has one killed the other and ran off or is there
more to it?  DS Iris Locke has been put in charge of the case and things really
aren’t adding up. DS Slattery has his own issues. His wife of over 30 years is in
the early stages of dementia and is starting to wander. It was never a solid
marriage and got worse when they lost their daughter. Iris has her own
demons and a murder case tends to bring these to the forefront.
I enjoyed this as it has a different premise from most crime reads. There isn’t
a plethora of suspects or even a lean towards a few, and even the one possible
is looking less and less likely as time goes on.; This is one of a series but will
happily stand alone (I haven’t read the previous one- Her Sisters Bones and
it worked for me). A highly enjoyable  captivating read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog


Rachel. They must have made a mistake. A mother would know?’ She let her words pour into the emptiness of the kitchen. She began to shiver. ‘I can’t feel anything,’ she said softly and rocked back and forth, as if she was a huge child, seeking solace in the simple gesture.

When young, pretty nurse Rachel McDermott is found murdered in the harsh lights of the hospital kitchen where she works, her mother can’t accept the news, and the small Irish town of Corbally reels in disbelief. Rushing to the scene, Detective Iris Locke vows to find the sick killer, whatever it takes.

The last person to see Rachel alive was her close friend, sixteen-year-old Eleanor Marshall, a troubled teenager, estranged from her family. Eleanor was spotted fleeing the kitchen where Rachel’s body was found and becomes the main suspect. Iris has a search party combing the endless woods near the Comeragh mountains where they believe she is hiding. But Iris is consumed with worry for the vulnerable girl and can’t shake a prickly disquiet that Eleanor shouldn’t be a suspect.

Eleanor’s sister agrees but a day later, when she is found dead in the area Eleanor is hiding, things don’t look good for the runaway teen. Iris can’t see Eleanor, who still sleeps with her childhood teddy bear, as someone who would kill her little sister and her best friend, but all the evidence seems to point that way.

Sleep-deprived and desperate to find the truth, Iris takes a closer look into Rachel’s background and discovers that she was keeping strange, shadowy company the night before she died. Convinced that Eleanor is in terrible danger, Iris sets out to find her, in the icy-cold woods, alone. But what if somebody else makes their way through the darkness and reaches Iris and Eleanor first?

This gripping mystery thriller is perfect for fans of Carol Wyer, Robert Dugoni and LJ Ross.  
Author Bio:

Geraldine Hogan was born in Ireland. She gained an Honors Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree in Training and Management from University College, Galway. She is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of four contemporary fiction novels under the pen name Faith Hogan.
HER SISTER'S BONES is her first crime novel, her second WHY SHE RAN is due out in December 2019.
She is currently working on her next novel. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She's a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker and reluctant jogger - except of course when it is raining!

You can find out more about Geraldine here:
www.Facebook/GeraldineHoganAuthor.com
Twitter @gerhogan
https://www.instagram.com/faithhoganauthor/?hl=en 

Buy Links: 

Google Play: https://bit.ly/38wcw2B


Thursday 19 December 2019

The Dilemma: The new thrilling drama from Sunday Times, million copy bestselling author, B A Paris

The Dilemma- B.A Paris- Psychological thriller
It’s the day of Livia’s fortieth birthday- something she has been looking forward to for
many years. She is estranged from her parents who turned her away when she got
pregnant. Twenty two years later she still sends cards but received nothing from them
at all. She and her husband Adam have two grown up children. Marnie is secretly flying
back from Hong Kong to surprise her mother at the party however Livia is quite
pleased that Marnie wo’;t be there as there is something she needs to tell Adam about
Marnie, something she knows will devastate him. Adam has never been close to his
son and is doing his best to make up for lost time. When the children were little Adam
desperately wanted to go to university and felt this had been stolen from him. He is
close to Marnie but Josh needs more work. At the beginning, Adam is on his motorbike
and is stopped by the police for speeding. when he stops he says “Marnie, my
daughter Marnie” and then we are taken back to before the party. Ooh! This is one of
B.A Paris’s classic I - can’t-put-it-down reads. The secrecy and then tension are there
from the get go with that air of mystery. I smiled, I cried, and every emotion in
between. Wow! A book to make you think about the fragility of life and how
sometimes life can turn on the very smallest thing. Treasure your loved ones,
life life to the full. A treasure of a read and one I will remember for a very long
time. Stunning doesn’t do it justice.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

Wednesday 18 December 2019

48764175. sy475

In Plain Sight - Adam Croft-Crime  (Knight & culverhouse book 9- but will stand alone)
A book I didn’t want to let go of until I got to the end. Petrol stations are being robbed
at gun- point by masked men. There are no working cameras and security is rather lax
to say the least. When the local jewelers also takes a hit there are more devastating
consequences. Jack and Wendy and the team have their hands full and a few
suspicions as to what is going on but proving it is quite another matter especially when
the future for Mildenheath CID could be at stake. The new PCC is doing everything she
can to integrate them and Jack has more than a few choice words. Oooh!!! I loved this.
Jack and Wendy are wonderful characters and I found myself laughing at times. They
each have a back -story which I always like as long as its well done (which with Adam
goes without saying… so why am I??) which gives depth and warmth to their
characters without detracting from the plot. This is part of a series but the first
Knight and Culverhouse I have read (I need to go find the others pretty soon!)
but will happily stand alone. I can;t recommend this enough. It’s a brilliant very
well thought out plot, wonderful characters and that je ne sais quois of a
quality writer who knows how to get you into the pages and then stay there.
Brilliant doesn’t cover it. 
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

Tuesday 17 December 2019

Maureen's (Not So Great) British Cake Off

Maureen’s ( Not So Great) British Cake off- Jonathan Hill-Humorous fiction
Maureen wants to hold a garden party as recently she has got herself together and
obtained a gardener and for the first time her garden is looking amazing. Not bad for
a woman where flowers would normally wilt on the way home. She decides a Cake-off
would also be fun as there are some keen bakers around and she is sure she can get the
local Gp to be the judge whilst raising funds for the local Rotary club at the same time.
She blunders her way to persuade Dr Poongodi to be her Paul Hollywood for the day
and her neighbour Tim helps but also wants to ditch his new boyfriend at the same
time. A narrow minded neighbour with her dog, an incident involving an ambulance
and cakes make for an interesting afternoons party. A short read with lots of smiles.
A perfect pick you up tonic of a read. 
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog


Monday 16 December 2019


Kerena Swan

Who’s There- Kerena Swan-Psychological thriller

Arnold Eastwood has just got his first flat. His sister has just lost her job and come
home so perfect timing. Arnold loves his namesake Clint and often dons his prized
stetson and cape. Linda his mother worries about Arnold as his flat is not in the most
salubrious of areas and Arnold has a tendency to trust anyone and everyone as he has
Downs syndrome and the naivety that brings. Meanwhile Chip is being given his own
business… in the drug world and finds a friend in Saskia who has her own dark past
but is doing her best to put things behind her. She has  a tendency to feel worry for
people and so when Chip gets battered she takes him in. Arnold loves everyone and
of course does as he is told and unwittingly gets involved. I loved this so much. I
loved Arnold and his innocence whilst knowing bad people from good and his
loyalty and love for his family and the right friends. This is a very different type of
book for Kerena whose other books are (excellent) psychological thrillers and is so
well written and researched it will steal your heart. A book of learning to trust, of
the good and bad in life and how the truth always outs in the end.
Five big stars from me. 
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
-----------------


Book Description:

Appearances can be deceptive…

Arnold Eastwood is thrilled when social services allocate him a flat all of his own. Independence hasn’t come easily to a young man with Downs Syndrome but now he has the chance to live free from his mum’s nagging, find a girlfriend, watch endless movies and make new friends.
Meanwhile a London drug gang is setting up a supply line in Arnold’s town. They’re looking for someone to deliver drugs for them and somewhere to set up a base of operations.
Soon Arnold and his flat are in the drug gang’s sights. Drawn into the dark underworld of crack cocaine and modern slavery, Arnold soon discovers that friends can in fact be deadly enemies.
The question is: can he break free?  

Author Bio:

Kerena Swan trained as a Social Worker and worked for Social Services for over 25 years. For the past 14 years she has owned and managed an ‘outstanding’ rated agency for children with disabilities.  Following serious illnesses she decided to fulfil her long-held ambition of writing a book and getting it published. ‘Dying to See You’, published by Bloodhound Books, was her debut novel. 
After many years of writing professionally in the course of her work, Kerena has discovered the exhilaration and deep joy of writing fiction and can be found at all hours in front of her computer. Her second novel ‘Scared to Breathe’ is now available and her third book, ‘Who’s There?’ will be released on December 13th 2019.
Kerena lives with her family in a small village in Bedfordshire, UK and her books are set in the surrounding areas.
Drawing on her extensive knowledge and experience of the problematic world of social work and social studies, Kerena adds a unique angle to the domestic noir and crime genre.
If you would like to hear more about new releases, read Kerena’s blogs and download a free short-story – the prequel to Dying to See You – then visit www.kerenaswan.co.uk   and join her mailing list.
Facebook – Facebook.com/kerenaswan
Twitter- @kerenaswan
Instagram – kerenaswan

Friday 13 December 2019


Six Steps To Happiness: a romantic comedy about starting again

Six Steps To Happiness by Suzie Tullett
Ronnie is out for revenge. Her husband of twenty five years ( to the day) walked out on
her to go and live with the next door neighbour Gaye.  Ronnie wants them to move and
has been taking revenge by arranging for various deliveries. Her daughter Willow and
mother -in -law Bea are trying to make her see sense. When they see someone get
over a divorce in six weeks, Ronnie thinks that isn’t realistic and would rather make
herself feel better the way she already is doing so Willow and Bea come up with the
six steps. Ronnie however has other ideas with operation poltergeist.  I took to this
straight away. Ronnie is likeable despite being rather eccentric in her grief and her
antics are wonderful. How you can be feeling really down and then without realising
it found you have magically turned that corner in life and are now looking
straight ahead. A book with a message and also one with lots of smiles.
Loved it. 
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog

Book Description:

When Ronnie’s husband, Nick, leaves her for their next-door neighbour, Gaye, Ronnie’s life starts to fall apart.
Devastated by the break-up of her marriage, Ronnie is desperate for Nick and Gaye to set up home elsewhere. But Nick and Gaye won’t budge.
To add to her problems, Ronnie’s daughter and mother-in-law decide to stage an intervention. With her family keeping a close eye on her, Ronnie is forced to become more devious in her actions to get rid of Nick and Gaye.
But just how far will she go?
And is moving on ever that easy?
Six Steps to Happiness is a hilarious look at just how far one woman will go to recover from a broken heart and find happiness again.


Author Bio:


Suzie Tullett is an author or contemporary humorous fiction and romantic comedy. She has a Masters Degree in Television & Radio Scriptwriting and worked as a scriptwriter before becoming a full-time novelist. Her motto is ‘live, laugh, love’ and when she’s not busy creating her own literary masterpieces, she usually has her head in someone else’s.
Suzie lives in a tiny hamlet in the middle of the French countryside, along with her husband and two Greek rescue dogs.

The Note

The Note- Andrew Barrett- 5* A short story written in the first person by CSI Eddie Collins. Eddie is the sort of bloke who calls a s...