The Electrician by Stewart Giles

 

The Electrician by Stewart Giles- Crime

 There's been a major power cut in the York area which everyone hates and then Jason Smith gets a call. A man has been stapled to the distribution board in the garage of his house after he was killed. This happened whilst his family were away. How did the killer know all the timings? When there are other victims it's clear that this is rather more than a gruesome killing. Who is doing this and why?

This is one of a series but will stand alone (then again why miss out on all of the others? All 5* from me)

Oh wow! This one takes things to a whole new level. It's rather macabre in places and the inside of such a person's head is a scary place to be. My own heart figuratively stopped towards the end, I won’t spoil anything. Stewart, you have a skill, a rare talent for putting the reader at the heart of things, so much so its as if the characters are old friends. Please keep doing what you are doing. It's brilliant. A heart stopping thriller of a read I most certainly won't forget in a hurry.

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The Electrician (A DS Jason Smith Thriller Book 25)

From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith series.

If the lights go out - you're as good as dead. Detective Jason Smith is called out in the middle of the night to the scene of the most bizarre murder he's ever seen. A man has been shot dead and his hands have been stapled to the mains line in the distribution box. The family of the victim were blissfully unaware that anything was happening. All the team have to go on is a witness who claims the lights in the area went out around the time of the murder. After another man meets the same fate Smith is wide awake when he hears the testimony of his 4 year old daughter. She didn't see who killed her father but the four words she heard him speak chills the marrow in Smith's bones. Ol' Sparky is back. The Electrician is in the city, and as long as Smith and the team are kept in the dark, he's going to finish what he started. What readers are saying about THE ELECTRICIAN I thought this an intelligent, interesting read with a great gripping conclusion. I thought this an intelligent, interesting read with a great gripping conclusion. – Carol Stewart, you have a skill, a rare talent for putting the reader at the heart of things, so much so its as if the characters are old friends. Please keep doing what you are doing. It's brilliant. A heart stopping thriller of a read I most certainly won't forget in a hurry. – Misfits Farm Creepy powerful amazing read to be picked up and read another outstanding book from this author with Smiths sense of humour added right to the end that will make you hold your breathe so be prepared and just follow your dreams. family life and work are Jason's priorities in life, i just love all this series from the start, and there's more in store. – Booklover Bev BOOKS BY STEWART GILES DS JASON SMITH SERIES Book 0.5 - Phobia Book 1 - Smith Book 2 - Boomerang Book 3 - Ladybird Book 4 - Occam’s Razor Book 5 - Harlequin Book 6 - Selene Book 7 - Horsemen Book 8 - Unworthy Book 9 – Venom Book 10 – Severed Book 11 – Demons Book 12 - Deadeye Book 13 - Motive Book 14 – Australia Book 16 – Wishbone Book 17 – Ghosts Book 18 – The Scarecrow Book 19 – The Bluesman Book 20 – The Librarian Book 21 – The Viaduct Book 22 – The Twin Book 23 – The Dogwalker Book 24 – The Flytrap Book 25 – The Electrician Book 26 – The Cellar DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES Book 1 - Blood on the Island Book 2 - Lies on the Island Book 3 - Fear on the Island Book 4 - Malice on the Island Book 5 – Revenge on the Island Book 6 – Christmas on the Island Book 7 – Silence on the Island Book 8 – Secrets on the Island Book 9 – Chaos on the Island Book 10 - Sadness on the Island Book 11 – Danger on the Island DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES Book 1-The Beekeeper Book 2-The Perfect Murder Book 3-The Backpacker Trotterdown a box set of DC Harriet Taylor books 1-3 DS JASON SMITH &DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES Book 1 - The Enigma Book 2 – Dropzone Book 3 – The Raven Girl Trilogy: The DS Smith & Harriet Taylor box set THE MIRANDA TRILOGY (psychological thrillers) Miranda Mistress Medusa STANDALONE NOVELS Horror - The Divide Thriller - The Ghostwriter Thriller – The Guests

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 brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor. 

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before. 

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

A Festive Juxtaposition by Paul R. Stanton

 

A Festive Juxtaposition by Paul R. Stanton- holiday fiction

A stunningly beautifully written book that grabbed me from the outset. “The gentle snowflakes flurried, eddied and whirled, dancing in their oddly curious coruscation, before finally descending to earth where their individuality was lost amongst their earlier brethren” Wow- magical!

 This is a book with a winter/seasonal theme that is truly enchanting, set on Christmas eve in the city of London. The main character is the Devil and he doesn’t behave quite as one would expect, I can't give too much away for fear of spoiling it. Each chapter Nick meets new people so is almost a story each time. This blew me away, I'll try and explain. There are subliminal messages in each story, and maybe ones that touch each reader- they certainly did me and then that ending… got it, wow! It's a story of hope and enlightenment, of being kind and how the little things can make a world of difference to someone.  This has to be one of my books of the year. It's breathtakingly beautiful, in a way I can't explain until you’ve read it. A perfect winter read and a wonderful Christmas gift. Stunning doesn't do this justice.

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Book blurb: It was Christmas Eve in the good old city of London. Everything was alive with the joyous sounds of festive exchanges; carols floated on the breeze and gently wafted across the cold waters of the river Thames. Multi-coloured lights appeared to festoon the streets in every quarter, and the fragrant heady smell of pine needles could be detected everywhere. There was nothing quite like it. It could be said that there was, in fact, magic in the air.

At that point the Devil arrived at Charing Cross station. He was dressed immaculately in an Astrakhan coat, leather gloves and patent leather shoes that were so brightly polished you could see your face in them. He sported a small black goatee beard and had features that could easily have been chiselled from stone. Smiling, he stepped out into the night. But what was his purpose for being there? Was it purely philanthropic? Or, did he have an ulterior motive up his sleeve? As the evening wore on, the good old city was about to find out.

The Bag of Secrets by Joy Ellis

 

The Bag of Secrets By Joy Ellis- Crime

When the body of a homeless woman is found, the police can't make it a priority as they have their hands full with the living and assign it to a rather arrogant DC who has much to learn, both in life and the job. Matt and Liz are handed a bag belonging to Molly, the deceased and it appears she may have been hiding something and they get the green light to investigate further. She wasn't who she first appeared to be and another homeless man knows there is another clue if only he can find it. There is also a teenager missing, one who has gone AWOL before but this time there’s something rather more about it. There’s a clue of “ The Bunker” and it's hard to find out exactly what this is as it's a well kept secret and those in the know are under pressure for it to remain so. What on earth is going on in the fens and why?

I love this series (they do stand alone). There’s a wonderful camaraderie between Matt and Liz, and of course Rory the pathologist who is larger than life in his clever wit and exuberance. Joy has the masterful skill of bringing the characters to life and Rory is one I’d love to meet if he was real! It's a very well crafted and carefully thought out plot ( as ever with Joy’s books) and I'm learning things about the area through reading these books, even though I live here- they are meticulously researched and calculated. A stunningly captivating read. I'm in awe of this. Wow, just wow!

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THE BAG OF SECRETS (Matt Ballard #5) by Joy Ellis A GRIPPING NEW CRIME THRILLER FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME & THRILLER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE JOY ELLIS.  From three-million-selling author Joy Ellis comes the book that everyone will be reading this Christmas.  Matt and Liz may have retired from the police, but that doesn’t guarantee a quiet life.  An abandoned carpet bag full of mysterious handwritten notes. A body in a marshy lagoon.  Matt is intrigued when his partner Liz brings home an old carpet bag she found dumped in the local library. It contains a pile of mysterious handwritten notes. Liz is convinced the bag belongs to Old Molly, a local woman who lives on the streets.  The following day, a body is discovered in a marshy lagoon. It’s Old Molly. Suffocated with an expensive men’s handkerchief.  Molly clearly knew something that got her killed. Liz believes she was trying to tell them something important. She calls on her nephew David to help decipher the carpet bag notes.  Meanwhile Matt is hired to find teenage runaway Liam Cooper. Liam has been missing for ten days now, and Matt has a very bad feeling about him.  A few days later, a second body is discovered in an old barn out on the fens.  Matt and Liz must piece together the cryptic clues Molly has left for them before more people die. The answers lead to the remote fenland village of Marshdyke-St-Mary — and a series of shocking secrets stretching back many years.  DISCOVER A TOTALLY ENTHRALLING CRIME THRILLER.  This utterly gripping crime thriller is perfect for fans of L.J. Ross, Peter May, J.D. Kirk, Angela Marsons, J.M. Dalgliesh, Elly Griffiths or Ann Cleeves.  THE SETTING  England’s rural fenland is a strange place, with its never-ending fields, winding tracks, and long straight droves (the old livestock routes) that lead to nowhere. The lonely lanes are flanked either side by deep drainage ditches and are, for a good part of the year, filled with tall, whispering reeds. Closer to the Wash, high seabanks form a barrier between river and marsh, and the richly fertile soil of the drained land. But when the mists come down, as they so often do, perspective is destroyed and all sense of direction lost, and then the fens become a rather frightening place of mystery and danger. Somewhere that you do not want to be at night.  ALSO BY JOY ELLIS  THE BESTSELLING NIKKI GALENA SERIES  Book 1: CRIME ON THE FENS  Book 2: SHADOW OVER THE FENS  Book 3: HUNTED ON THE FENS  Book 4: KILLER ON THE FENS  Book 5: STALKER ON THE FENS  Book 6: CAPTIVE ON THE FENS  Book 7: BURIED ON THE FENS  Book 8: THIEVES ON THE FENS  Book 9: FIRE ON THE FENS  Book 10: DARKNESS ON THE FENS  Book 11: HIDDEN ON THE FENS  Book 12: SECRETS ON THE FENS  Book 13: FEAR ON THE FENS  JACKMAN AND EVANS  Book 1: THE MURDERER’S SON  Book 2: THEIR LOST DAUGHTERS  Book 3: THE FOURTH FRIEND  Book 4: THE GUILTY ONES  Book 5: THE STOLEN BOYS Book 6: THE PATIENT MAN  Book 7: THEY DISAPPEARED  Book 8: THE NIGHT THIEF  DETECTIVE MATT BALLARD  Book 1: BEWARE THE PAST  Book 2: FIVE BLOODY HEARTS  Book 3: THE DYING LIGHT  Book 4: MARSHLIGHT  Book 5: TRICK OF THE NIGHT  Book 6: THE BAG OF SECRETS 

JOY ELLIS UK #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE JACKMAN & EVANS AND DI NIKKI GALENA SERIES; SHORTLISTED FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR FICTION: CRIME & THRILLER AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 OVER 3 MILLION BOOKS SOLD! Joy grew up and lived in Kent, trained in floristry in Mayfair and ran her own highly successful floristry business in Weybridge for many years. In the mid-1990s, she followed her lifelong love of books, first as the manager of an independent bookshop in Leatherhead, Surrey, then as a writer. When she retired, Joy and her partner Jacqueline and their two spaniels settled in a village just outside Boston, captivated by the Lincolnshire Fens. Joy’s happy home life is far removed from her storylines, however, and while she loves living in the misty Fens, the area provides a remote and eerie backdrop to her novels. Joy is also able to add the authenticity vital to any crime thriller by drawing on Jacqueline’s inside knowledge, to confirm procedures and the reality of tackling brutal crime and criminals in a modern police force.

The Ravenswood Murders by Helen Durrant

 

The Ravenswood Murders by Helen Durrant- Crime (Detective Rossi book 2)

(stand alone book)

When a young woman's body is found in a shallow grave, there is little the police have to go on other than she is the fourth girl to be found in a certain way. On the strength of her previous case, Detective Alice Rossi is brought in. This means that there are more hurdles than just a case where others have failed, she has a new team to contend with as well. When there is a faint link to a mill where the father of a recently missing girl visited the day she went missing, are things starting to fall into place? Alice is thinking about moving and retiring as she has served her time, however her love of the job and sympathy for the victims keeps her doing what she does best- finding the bad guys. 

Another brilliant, entertaining read from the master of crime that is Helen Durrant. Alice is a very likeable character and I’m hoping she won’t retire any time soon! It's a very well thought out plot with plenty of suspects that keep the reader between the pages guessing as to whom the perpetrator could be and there is also a subplot in the mix. A thoroughly ingenious read and I can’t wait for the next one.

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THE RAVENSWOOD MURDERS by Helen H. Durrant MEET DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW BRITISH CRIME SERIES FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS. A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish. Day 1. A young woman’s body is found in a shallow grave in the woods, buried in a white shroud. She’s been dead for a week. Her teeth are smashed in, her lips stitched together. Her hands are missing. She’s the fourth young woman found like this. With no witnesses, no clues and no leads to follow, the investigation is going nowhere. That’s when Detective Alice Rossi is called in. Alice knows this case is a poisoned chalice. Not least because she has a new team to contend with — who don’t like being bossed around by a woman. Day 2. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Hewson is reported missing. She never came home from school, and her father is beside himself. Will she be the fifth girl to die? Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths or J.M. Dalgliesh. READERS LOVE THE DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI BOOKS: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Full of suspense with a storyline that kept me guessing right up until the end.’ Annette T. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A really good read . . . the perfect balance of investigation versus personal drama for the lead.’ Linda B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The start of a fabulous new series from Helen H. Durrant . . . Brilliant book — I loved it!’ Charlotte M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.’ Sandra G. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I absolutely love Alice Rossi . . . This is a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you turning page after page all the way to the end. Absolutely brilliant, I can’t wait for book 2.’ Jill B. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The story line flows along nicely, making it an enjoyable read, with a nice twist, leaving you keen for the next instalment which will surely follow. Recommend.’ Iain McC. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another stunningly good police procedural from Helen H. Durrant. Fabulous plot and great characters, with everything I want from a whodunnit.’ Amanda P. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great start to a new series . . . I couldn’t put it down. Amazing storyline.’ Michelle G. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Thoroughly gripping and suspenseful with an astonishing surprise. Not one to be missed.’ Carol S.

THE DETECTIVE DCI Alice Rossi of Greater Manchester’s Serious Crime Squad has served with the police for the past twenty-nine years. Since the death of her husband, Paul, six years ago, she has lived alone in a large, three-storey Edwardian terrace on the outskirts of Manchester. Her grown-up son lives in Edinburgh with his family. Alice is about to retire — but she’s not looking forward to it. Since her husband died, work has been her mainstay, not because she misses Paul — he was a bad man — but because it keeps her dark thoughts at bay.

HELEN H. DURRANT OVER 1.5 MILLION BOOKS SOLD! Helen is one of the ‘baby boomer’ generation and began writing when she retired from her job at a local college. Born in Edinburgh to an English father and Scottish mother the family settled in a Pennine village between the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is an environment which has shaped her stories. Writing is a second career and, despite having a bus pass, keeps her busy, and tuned in. Helen’s children are all grown-up and she has five grandchildren. BOOKS BY HELEN H. DURRANT CALLADINE & BAYLISS SERIES: DEAD WRONG DEAD SILENT DEAD LIST DEAD LOST DEAD & BURIED DEAD NASTY DEAD JEALOUS DEAD BAD DEAD GUILTY DEAD WICKED DEAD SORRY DEAD REAL DI GRECO SERIES: DARK MURDER DARK HOUSES DARK TRADE DARK ANGEL DI MATHEW BRINDLE SERIES: HIS THIRD VICTIM THE OTHER VICTIM DCI RACHEL KING SERIES: NEXT VICTIM TWO VICTIMS WRONG VICTIM FORGOTTEN VICTIM LAST VICTIM DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE SERIES: THE GUILTY MAN THE FACELESS MAN THE WRONG WOMAN DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE BOOKS 1-2 DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI MYSTERY SERIES: THE ASH LAKE MURDERS BOX SETS: DETECTIVES CALLADINE & BAYLISS BOOKS 1-3 THE DETECTIVE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIES BOOKS 1-9 BOX SET DETECTIVE STEPHEN GRECO BOOKS 1-3 THE COMPLETE DETECTIVE STEPHEN GRECO BOX SET THE DETECTIVE RACHEL KING BOOKS 1-3 DETECTIVE MATT BRINDLE DOUBLE-BOOK BOX SET JOFFE BOOKS MURDER MYSTERY & SUSPENSE SHORT STORY COLLECTION FOLLOW HELEN ON FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM GOODREADS

Murder in a Country Village by F.L Everett

 

Murder in a Country Village by F.L. Everett- Crime

Edie, who works on a newspaper, sets off for a walk with her friend Ethel. It's 1941 and they are glad the blitz is over and they have a little freedom. Currently Edie is the obituarist, but is inquisitive by nature and good with people and so would love to be a crime writer.  Being Edie things are never straight forward and they spot a body on their walk and so she wants to find out more.  It’s someone known to Ethel as the woman who is petitioning for peace and her and her friends are unpopular in the village. It also appears that two evacuees have gone walkabout from the same village. The conscripted local bobby appears to be as much use as a chocolate fireguard and so Edie begins to investigate what on earth is going on and why?

This is a cozy type crime and one to get immersed in the WW2 world of Edie York. There are plenty of red herrings and dubious suspects to keep the reader engrossed and guessing right the way through. There’s the relationship between Edie and Lou who is the detective inspector which verges on romance but quickly jolts to professional each time they manage to get any time together which adds to the backstory and provides a little humour. It's a wonderful read, one that is highly entertaining with a lighthearted mystery. A read with a smile and more!

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Murder in a Country Village: An utterly compelling historical cozy mystery (An Edie York Mystery Book 2)

 England, 1941. With World War Two shaking the nation, rookie reporter Edie York wants to write the front-page news. But she ends up as the headlines when she stumbles over a body on the moors…

Eager to follow Churchill’s order to keep calm and carry on, Edie York has left the bombed-out streets of Manchester behind for a stroll in the countryside. But her rationed picnic lunch turns to ashes in her mouth when she discovers Joyce Reid, a well-known anti-war activist, lifeless at the bottom of a cliff.

Despite infuriatingly handsome DCI Louis Brennan’s less-than-amused warnings ringing in her ears, Edie is unable to leave the conscripted local bobby to do his work. Heading off to investigate, she immediately uncovers potential suspects galore. From alleged black-marketeers to the local land girl, a shell-shocked artist to Joyce’s on-off lover, Edie is sure the murderer is right under her nose.

Then Edie makes another gruesome discovery, and realises she needs long-suffering Louis on the scene to officially investigate. Can they uncover the killer hiding in plain sight, before it’s too late? Or will Edie’s own obituary end up featured on the front pages she’s coveted for so long…?

A fantastically gripping historical cozy mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Agatha Christie. This is the second book in the Edie York Mystery series.

 

Buy now: https://geni.us/B0CHMLFJMVcover

About the author

Flic Everett is a Mancunian writer who now lives in a cottage in the beautiful West Highlands with her patient husband and two deranged cocker spaniels. She still misses Manchester, and returns like a homing pigeon every month to see family and friends. She spends a lot of time writing on trains.

Flic has owned an award-winning vintage shop, guest-presented Woman’s Hour and was once a part-time tarot reader. She has a grown up son who makes her laugh more than anyone on earth, and she likes reading, painting, cooking, clothes, animals, Art Deco and rummaging in charity shops for bargains. Her greatest fear is being stranded without a book. She has spent many years as a freelance journalist and editor for national newspapers and magazines and can’t believe she’s finally allowed to make up stories from the comfort of her own home.

 

Author social media

Website

Www.fliceverett.com

Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551319733773

Instagram URL @fliceverett

Twitter URL @fliceverett

Newsletter: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/f-l-everett/

All in Monte Carlo By Anna Shilling

 

All In Monte Carlo by Anna Shilling-contemporary fiction 

A fun read about the jet set of Monte Carlo. How the other half live! Monte Carlo is full of people wanting to impress in every way possible. £30,000 for a bottle of brandy isn't unheard of in this tongue in cheek tale. Think “ the real housewives of Monte Carlo” but not! There is betrayal and subterfuge, and beneath the banner of a book club there is plotting going on as a small group of women have had enough. However planning doesn’t stay on course and the women have to think on their feet- something they aren't quite used to.

A book to be taken lightly and one with a smile but apparently based on true events!. Of the ups and downs of the millionaire lifestyle. This would make a good holiday read, one to bring a laugh. A book that is slightly bonkers, possibly how not to be aspirational and that money doesn't make anyone happy but may provide the ways and means. A different, crazy read.

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All in Monte Carlo

Four women, four ways to revenge…

A Monaco insider reveals what life is like in the world's richest and most secretive enclave, where revenge is best served with a glass of champagne.

Wedged between Southern France and the Mediterranean Sea, the miniature principality of Monaco is a place for aspiration, for comic extremes and for outrageous personalities. Where a businesswoman gets her favourite Chanel suit flown in by private jet. Where Hôtel de Paris serves breakfast to a drunken socialite in a prison cell. Where two Gucci-clad women are behind a string of burglaries.

Against a backdrop of cocktails on superyachts, looking fabulous and feeling empty, this tongue-in-cheek tale revolves around four relatable women who meet by chance in Monte Carlo. After sharing their tales of betrayal, they set up a book club as a cover while they settle each other’s scores. But revenge, like life, doesn’t always go to plan…

The book cover has been designed by one of the UK’s leading illustrators, Patrick Knowles. Knowles is best known for his cover designs for Julian Fellowes and Anthony Horowitz, as well as for Prince William and Kate’s wedding calligraphy.

Purchase Links 

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/all-in-monte-carlo-inspired-by-true-events/anna-shilling/paperback/9781805140368.html 

https://www.waterstones.com/book/all-in-monte-carlo/anna-shilling/9781805140368 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Monte-Carlo-Inspired-Events/dp/1805140361  

https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/contemporary/all-in-monte-carlo/ 

Author Bio – 

Anna Shilling is the collective pen name for four women who lived in Monte Carlo. A magazine editor, an aristocrat, an UHNW businesswoman and a private banker formed a book club and shared funny, shocking tales together about life in the principality. The magazine editor wove a fictional plot from their tales into this novel.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.instagram.com/allinmontecarlo 

The Old Ducks Hen Do by Maddie Please

 

The Old Ducks Hen Do by Maddie Please- women’s fiction

A wonderful tonic of a read with lots of smiles! Denny has been invited to a hen do- a few days away in Spain with her sister and a couple of friends known as the Old Ducks. All are ladies in their prime and have been around the block a few times. Denny has remained single and is now happily retired, or at least she thinks she is. She realises she needs something more in life than just doing as she pleases getting up late. There’s a focus or hobby or activity missing as she wants to make the most of her life and there is no time like the present. On arrival, she hears a voice from the next door villa she recognises from almost forty years ago- a man she went out with. What are the chances? He broke her heart as he didn't stay in touch, despite Denny writing. No, she really can't fancy him now can she? Life is for living, but does that include a man in her life after all these years?

This is one of those reads where you can't help but smile. There’s a wonderful lightheartedness about it and a sense of fun and even mischief. Maybe a book for those of us who have also been around the block a few times and also been through the wringer on the way. It’s a look at life through mature eyes and making the most of life and taking every opportunity. Of life's ups and downs and perhaps putting the past where it belongs- behind us with only a glance to it now and again. We’ve learnt from life and now’s the time to put our best foot forward and enjoy what we have with fun and laughter and putting our big girl pants on perhaps! An uplifting thoroughly entertaining read I so loved. 

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The Old Ducks Hen Do!

Recently retired, Denny Lambert is finding life just a little bit…well, dull. So when her stepsister Juliette announces she’s getting married – again! – and invites Denny on a hen do with the Old Ducks, Denny really can’t say no. Denny knows something about the Old Ducks and their wild exploits, but she’s just glad to be somewhere hot and sunny and away from her grey life back in the UK. She’s definitely not going to be pulled into any Old Duck mayhem…. But when they arrive at their beautiful Mallorcan villa, Denny is in for a shock. Because right next door is the man who once broke her heart – Bruno Browning. Now with the Old Ducks and an old flame to contend with, Denny’s life suddenly feels anything but dull! But if she’s learnt one thing from her time with the Old Ducks it’s that life is for living…and that’s exactly what Denny is finally going to do! Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/oldduckshensocial

Author Bio – Maddie Please is the author of bestselling joyous tales of older women. She had a career as a dentist and now lives in rural Herefordshire where she enjoys box sets, red wine and Christmas. Social Media Links – Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maddieplease Twitter https://twitter.com/MaddiePlease1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maddieplease1/ Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MaddiePleaseNews Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maddie-please

Murder Most Cold by Victoria Dowd

 

MURDER MOST COLD by Victoria Dowd- crime  (book 5 in the Smart women series)

(standalone book)

Ursula has just been proposed to by her boyfriend Spear and her family can't wait to get the celebrations started. Her family, for anyone who knows them will testify to, are rather an unusual lot. They tend to have an attraction for murder. The group travel to Lapland for their festivities on the edge of a lake, now frozen and soon things take a turn away from weddings to survival when one by one people are murdered. Ursula's mother Pandora is quite something- far from the loving mother you might imagine, but still Ursula can't help but have a soft spot for her. When Ursula sees a face under the ice, her future collapses around her. Who is doing this and why?

Although one of the series, this happily stands alone ( I haven’t read all of the others). It's a cozy crime style read with a smile. Some of the characters are larger than life and those of a certain age will understand the references (eg. Margaret Rutherford) and the type of mother in Pandora. This is fun, it's rather quirky (in a good way) and a wonderful easy read. There are brilliant dialogues from the humorous to the snarky and some cracking one liners. A fun take on a locked room type scenario. 

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MURDER MOST COLD by Victoria Dowd DISCOVER THE FIENDISHLY TWISTY, UTTERLY ADDICTIVE CRIME FICTION OF VICTORIA DOWD. **FROM THE WINNER OF THE PEOPLE’S BOOK PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021 AND SHORTLISTEE OF THE CWA DAGGER AWARD 2023** A winter wedding. A mysterious disappearance. A body under the ice. Handsome Spear proposes marriage and Ursula Smart suddenly has a glimpse of the sort of happy life she had never imagined for herself. Beginning with a small winter wedding, on the edge of a secluded, frozen lake, away from it all. But trouble is never far from the Smart women, especially when the atmosphere is already so frosty. Tensions start rising as soon as they arrive and it’s not just Ursula’s mother Pandora getting cabin fever. Poisoning. Stabbing. A mysterious disappearance. Who’s targeting the wedding party? Then on a midnight jaunt, Ursula sees a face trapped under the ice, eyes staring in frozen horror. And her happy future begins to fall apart. Weddings should be joyous occasions. But there’s a murderer at this one. A GOLDEN AGE MURDER MYSTERY BROUGHT BANG UP TO DATE. Funny and shocking in equal turn, Victoria Dowd's brilliant whodunnit is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, Liane Moriarty, Faith Martin, Frances Lloyd and Stuart Turton. READERS LOVE VICTORIA DOWD AND THE SMART WOMEN  ‘A modern take on the classic whodunnit!’ Anja Jager, bestselling author of A Cold Death in Amsterdam  ‘Original, intriguing, great fun. Can you tell I loved it? Hugely recommended.’ CWA Silver Dagger winner, Barbara Nadel  ‘A rip-roaring murder mystery that grabs the reader from the start.’ Louise Mumford, bestselling author of Sleepless  ‘Witty, dark and gripping. I could read the Smart Women every second of every day and still want more.’ Tim Ewins, author of We Are Animals  ‘A pacey, atmospheric and deliciously creepy murder mystery, laced with laugh-out-loud humour and a cast of larger-than-life characters. Loved it!’ Philippa East, author of Little White Lies and Safe and Sound  ‘A little literary delight.’ Liz W., NetGalley

VICTORIA DOWD

After graduating from Cambridge, Victoria was a criminal law barrister on the London circuit for many years, where many of her cases were much stranger than fiction.

Victoria is now an award winning writer, having won the Go Gothic Short Story Award for 2019. She has had short fiction published in places such as Aesthetica: A Review of Contemporary Artists and was chosen as the runner up in The New Writer’s writer of the year award. Her work was Highly Commended by The Writers’ Forum and long-listed for The Willesden Herald International Short Story Competition. She has had short stories published in the BTS Literary and Arts Annual, Dream Catcher arts journal and Gold Dust Literary Magazine.

Victoria lives with her husband and two children. She writes full time, splitting her time between London and Devon, where she can indulge her passion for all things Agatha Christie.

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ALSO BY VICTORIA DOWD SMART WOMAN’S MYSTERY Book 1: THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MURDER Book 2: BODY ON THE ISLAND Book 3: THE SUPPER CLUB MURDERS Book 4: A BOOK OF MURDER Book 5: MURDER MOST COLD