Write Here at Dundonald Castle Writing Group

The Pocket Anthology

by

Friends of Dundonald Castle SCO31541, Paul J Brunton, Bea C. Clark, Jean Dickson, Steven Easton, Lorraine Johnston, Pam J. Kavanagh

Publication Day: 12th November 2021

Buy Links:

Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pocket-Anthology-Friends-Dundonald-Castle/dp/1739908872/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ITUQLCET0SHU&keywords=the+pocket+anthology&qid=1655046000&s=amazon-devices&sprefix=%2Camazon-devices%2C64&sr=1-1

What’s The Book About

This anthology is a divine piece of written work, a compilation of seven writers that chose to put their thoughts into written word. All proceeds from the sale of this book support Friends of Dundonald Castle SCIO (SC031541).

My Thoughts

Seven very different short stories which could easily be divulged into a larger narrative. The diversity of the stories are a joy to read, from the imaginative tribe to the love torn lives of others. Yes, its a fast read but perfect for those moments when a you need to escape but don’t have the energy for a full blown novel. Its a perfect sample of what can be achieved when we have that moment, the idea that we can write, the words, the imagination flows and its the belief that it can be accomplished. Its an example to all the budding writers in us that nothing is impossible, just the conviction to try.

Information

Dundonald Castle is a functional ruin with historical values spread across its 3500 year past, the view from the castle spans across three Ayrshire Counties and the Clyde. Historical attributes converging around Dundonald Castle hill with many fortifications from Bronze Age Roundhouses through to the Stewart Dynasty.

Friends of Dundonald Castle are a heritage-based charity who are committed to the heart of the community through community groups and events throughout the years. All proceeds from the sale of this book, The Pocket Anthology will support Friends of Dundonald Castle.

Website: https://dundonaldcastle.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DundonaldCastle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DundonaldCastle

#BlogTour: THE DARE by CAROL WYER #crime #thriller

THE DARE by CAROL WYER  (Book 3 featuring lead Detective Natalie Ward) @bookouture @carolewyer @KimTheBookworm

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Title: The Dare

Author: Carol Wyer

Publication Day: 25th April 2019

Buy: Amazon https://geni.us/B07N3WYYLDSocial

What’s The Story

Jane’s daughter is a good girl. But what is she hiding?

When thirteen-year-old Savannah Hopkins doesn’t come straight home from school as she always does, her mother Jane immediately raises the alarm. With her blonde ponytail and red school jumper, someone must have spotted Savannah.

Detective Natalie Ward is determined to help the distraught mother – her own daughter is the same age as Savannah. But before Natalie and her team can get started, their worst fears are confirmed when the teenager’s broken body is found in nearby shrubland.

Evidence points towards a local recluse, but just as Natalie closes the net around him, one of Savannah’s friends, Harriet, is reported missing. Harriet might look grown up and sophisticated but she is only fourteen…

As Natalie delves into the lives of both girls, she soon discovers a sinister video on both their phones, daring the girls to disappear from their families for 48 hours. She’s sure this is the key to the case, but before she can act, Harriet’s body is found discarded on a roadside.

Natalie’s superiors don’t have to put any extra pressure on Natalie. Devastated, she and her team work without sleep, watching that video over and over. But just as she thinks they’re getting close, the person Natalie loves more than anything goes missing.

Natalie is no stranger to loss. She is terrified and the clock is ticking. Can she push through her fear to catch this depraved killer, before her loved one becomes the next victim?

This gripping rollercoaster of a read will have you up in the small hours turning the pages. Fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Caine and Robert Dugoni will love The Dare.

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I remember as a kid playing the game Truth or Dare, would you go for Truth or take my Dare and read The Dare by Carol Wyer.

You know what……….I Dare You! Are you brave enough.

It’s unbelievable that we are reading book 3 in the series of DI Natalie Ward and it certainly hasn’t disappointed. To me its an ultimate close to home, crime thriller which will have you holding your children closer tonight. Now we all know that not all children especially teenagers follow ground rules set out by parents, I know mine certainly are no exception and the ones that Ward encounters are no different.

Ward and the team have the arduous task of investigating the disappearance of a teenage girl Savannah, her mother Jane raised the alarm when she didn’t return from school, before long a body is discovered and another girl goes missing. Will Natalie solve the investigation, an will they be able to stop the onslaught of deaths before another teenager goes missing. Is there a reason behind the missing or is it just a random opportunistic perpetrator who is just taking a chance, being bold, brazen with a callousness to use the children to convey a message.

Every character seems to be well bulked out, all with flaws and with a real sense of identity that you could in some way understand. I particularly like how Carol has allowed me to feel the rocky road that Natalie is travelling down within her marriage, the feeling of detachment from her children and the intense pressure within her work and family life.

The Dare was laid before me, the crisp white pages intoxicating, the words absorbing and the adrenaline rushing through my imagination. With every part of my brain screaming faster, faster, the hunger to keep within the pages and the book to never end slowed my fingers until I could stand the intensity of the investigation no more and I had to finish with DI Ward by my side.

Carol has left the door open for more to be added to the DI Ward series and I look forward to them with baited breath.

My thanks to Bookouture, Carol Wyer and Kim for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an arc of The Dare. Been a long time coming an undeniably fantastic read to ease me back into blogging.

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Author Bio

Carol Wyer is an award-winning author and stand up comedian who writes feel-good comedies and gripping thrillers.

Her book, GRUMPY OLD MENOPAUSE won The People’s Book Prize Award for non-fiction 2015.

Carol moved to the ‘dark side’ in 2017 with as series of thrillers. LITTLE GIRL LOST became the #2 best-selling book on Amazon, #9 best-selling audiobook on Audible and a Top 150 USA Today best-seller.

The DI Robyn Carter and DI Natalie Ward series have sold over half a million copies, earning her acclaim as a crime writer.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’ featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.

To learn more about Carol, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk or follow Carol on Twitter: @carolewyer
Carol also blogs at www.carolwyer.com

 

 

#BlogTour: THE CRYING SEASON by D.K. HOOD #crime #thriller

THE CRYING SEASON by D.K. HOOD @bookouture @DKHood_Author @nholten40 #kaneandalton

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Title: The Crying Season

Author: D.K. Hood

Publication Day: 18th October 2018

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://geni.us/TCSSocial
iBookstore: https://tinyurl.com/y8f8wuht
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/ya9atqda
Googleplay: https://tinyurl.com/y8uetbtz

What The Book Says

The light fades as she runs for her life, the forest now becoming quieter around her. The only noise she hears is the sound of footsteps following her…

It’s hiking season in Black Rock Falls and the small town in Montana is flooded with visitors. But when a hiker finds a human skull on a deserted trail in the woods that surround the town, Detective Jenna Alton is called in to investigate.

With no missing persons reported, Jenna has no leads. Then her team makes a shocking discovery – the body of another hiker, a young man, tied to a tree and riddled with bullets. Could the two murders be linked?

As more bodies are found, Jenna and her deputy David Kane know that they must venture deep into the forest to find and face the killer. But nothing can prepare them for what awaits them there…

If you love Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter and Rachel Abbott you’ll love this nail-biting thriller from D.K. Hood.

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Can’t believe we are sitting at Book 4 in the Detective Kane & Alton series, The Crying Season, and I’m loving it, loving it.

Where did D.K Hood take the newest instalment, OMG she plunged me into the deepest, darkest depths and back again, how could I possibly deny my shock and awe, from such a depraved killer who hunts, stalks and murders with an unsurmountable desire.

Hood catapulted us straight into the gruesome with the discovery of a skull, a human skull, by a couple walking the trails. Black Rock Falls is developing a name, seemingly a magnet for serial killers, Sheriff Alton and Detective Kane have to use all their experience to outwit the killer before more people die.

I really love the dynamics surrounding Alton and Kane, they have a wealth of experience and knowledge which each utilise effectively when on the trail of a predator, they certainly are a “got your back” stereotypical pairing, but the tooing and froing of them will they, won’t they, is driving me nuts, they need too. Okay so I just want to see a thriller where the two characters like each other actually do something about it, hahahaha.

Okay so match making not my forte, but raving about a damn good crime thriller, with characters well suited to the scenarios unfolding before my eyes absolutely, definitely, just see if you can stop me.

I can’t possibly shout out enough about D.K. Hood’s phenomenal book series but I can, I will, but my ultimate test is the waiting for Book 5.

Thanks to Bookouture, D.K. Hood and Noelle Holten for my advanced readers copy of The Crying Season. It has been a pleasure to read and review the book and to be part of the Blog Tour, giving my own unbiased opinion.

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Author Bio

I’ve always had a wicked sense of humour and was the kid who told the ghost stories around the campfire. I am lucky to have family all over the world and have spent many vacations in places from Paris France to Montana USA and Australia. I use the wonderful memories from these visits to enhance my stories.
My interest in the development of forensic science to solve crime goes back many years. I enjoy writing crime, mystery and thrillers. With many stories, waiting for me to write I’ll look forward to sharing many spine-tingling stories with you.
D.K. Hood is an active member of International Thriller Writers.

Author Social Media Links:
Website: www.dkhood.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dkhoodauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DKHood_Author

 

#BlogBlitz: THE WIFE’S SECRET by KERRY WILKINSON #psychological #thriller

THE WIFE’S SECRET by KERRY WILKINSON #psychological #thriller @bookouture @kerrywk @nholten40

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Title: The Wife’s Secret

Author: Kerry Wilkinson

Publication Day: 10th October 2018

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://geni.us/TWSSocial
iBookstore: https://tinyurl.com/yde8esyd
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/yd5wmclz
Googleplay: https://tinyurl.com/ybf3pdow

What The Book Says

Charley Willis was thirteen years old when her parents were killed in their family home and she was found hiding in a cupboard upstairs.

Fifteen years later, Charley is marrying Seth Chambers. It should be the happiest day of their lives, a chance for Charley to put her past behind her, but just hours after the ceremony, she is missing.

No one saw her leave. No one knows where she is.

One thing is for certain…Seth is about to discover he doesn’t really know the woman he just married. And his nightmare is only just beginning.

A totally gripping psychological thriller that will keep you reading until the very last jaw-dropping twist.

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Holy Hell Kerry Wilkinson where do you find the imaginative prose to snare your readers with the psychological thrillers which consume every part of our minds.

Well The Wife’s Secret is no exception, Kerry you have managed to create another thriller which drags you to Hell and back, so buckle up, hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

Lets see what Kerry had in store for me as I began to leaf through the pages of The Wife’s Secret. Its a Wedding, a Hidden Past, a Secret………..the Past, the Present, the Future all collide, Charley has vanished just hours after her marriage to Seth. There are no witnesses, no evidence of anything untoward, Charley is just gone. As the hours pass it becomes apparent that Seth doesn’t really know his wife, what secrets are hidden in her past and can Seth live with them, only time will tell.

As each page turns the secrets and lies unfold, slowly escalating, building a picture, tying together the threads, eventually as the ending draws near and the final pages turn, I held my breath and gasped………….Now Its Your Turn! 

I’m not one for spoilers as I believe a well written book needs no interpretation or over indulging introductions, but the basis of well rounded character are a must and Kerry fulfilled this with Charley in my opinion. Kerry has painted almost a parallel picture of Charley, a shy introvert with a skill for the dramatics, it’s almost like Charley is no amateur, having a flare for deception while her past stays buried, but living the present as an impoverished soul.

Seth on the other hand is quite gullible, he for all intensive purposes has blinkers on, he perceives Charley as being perfect when in fact she is fallible, Seth is ultimately a soft hearted, gentle notion of a man who lacks bite but is a constant in peoples lives.

Overall Kerry has produced an amazing new psychological thriller, The Wife’s Secret, which will have you picking your jaw up from the floor will all the intricate twists and turns. Bravo Kerry, Bravo!

My thanks to Bookouture, Kerry Wilkinson and Noelle Holten for the opportunity to read and review an advanced readers copy of The Wife’s Secret in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. It has been a privilege to be part of the Blog Blitz for another phenomenal standalone book by Kerry.

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Author Bio

Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 bestsellers in the UK, Canada, South Africa and Singapore, as well as top-five books in Australia. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults – a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’.

When he’s short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he’s not, he writes it all down.
Author Social Media Links:
http://kerrywilkinson.com
http://facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks

#BlogBlitz: TELL NOBODY by PATRICIA GIBNEY #LottieParker #thriller

#BlogBlitz: TELL NOBODY by PATRICIA GIBNEY #secrets #thriller @bookouture @trisha460 @KimTheBookworm

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Title: Tell Nobody

Author: Patricia Gibney

Publication Day: Today 3rd October 2018

Available to Buy:

Amazon: http://geni.us/B07FDFNL32Social
iBooks: http://ow.ly/pZD330m31vr
Kobo: http://ow.ly/Lcte30m31xE
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/eKvQ30m31Da

What’s the Story

The boy’s body was so white it was almost transparent. But that’s not what caused the nausea to rise up her throat. He was so young. His body was unmarked, surrounded by a halo of plucked wildflowers.

One hot summer evening, eleven-year-old Mikey Driscoll is on the way home from playing with friends. Two days later, his body is discovered on a bed of wildflowers by some local teenagers.

The case is assigned to Detective Lottie Parker and this time it’s personal. The victim was a close friend of her son, Sean, from the run-down Munbally estate on the other side of town. Sean tells his mother Mikey was behaving normally before he died, but Lottie can’t help but feel that her son is keeping something from her…

Then days later, another boy is found dead, surrounded by wild flowers next to beautiful Ladystown Lake.

On the hunt for a twisted individual with a terrifying calling card, Lottie must uncover the web of secrets within Mikey’s circle of friends. Someone is hiding something but who are they protecting and can Lottie find out before it’s too late? Lottie is desperate to catch the killer before he strikes again because this time her own child could be in terrible danger…

If you love Karin Slaughter, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love the latest heart-stopping thriller from Patricia Gibney. Tell Nobody will keep you guessing until the very last page.

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Well who would have thought it, Book Five with DI Lottie Parker. It seems an age since I tread the pages with Parker as she delves into the murky, dark depths of the criminal world. What I have noticed lately is that every ballsy women author I have read of late is on a crusade to capture the much desired Orange Best Seller Tag on Amazon. I have no doubt that Tell Nobody is going to be up there with the rest as Patricia Gibney has nailed it once again.

Book Five, Tell Nobody, no holds barred Patricia. The opening just snatches your breath away before you have a chance to absorb the true realism of what has transpired, leaving you floundering, clinging to the small hope it was all a terrible mistake, that it never happened, only for Patricia to drag you further into the depths of a depraved serial killer’s mind. Just the way I like it.

I just love catching up with Lottie, even though her family dynamics are dysfunctional, her private life away to pot, the hostility she presses upon her superiors and the general antagonistic attitude which exudes from Lottie, each part becomes the Lottie Parker we know and love.

In Tell Nobody we have an assortment of characters old and new, each with their own secrets and lies, hiding from their own lives, but the predator, the serial killer is hiding in plain sight. Can Lottie and her team apprehend the serial killer before another is killed.

Tell Nobody is well paced, the trips and triggers well spaced out, the plot was amazing but tough to read especially if quite an emotionally centred person, like I am at present. For all I did become quite emotionally embroiled in some of the situations, I dare you to be a hard heart and not become emotionally charged by the heart achingly, gut wrenching scenarios.

My thanks go out to Bookouture, Patricia Gibney and Kim Nash for the advanced readers copy of Tell Nobody. It has been my pleasure to be part of the Blog Blitz on publication day, thanks for letting me have a spot Kim.

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Author Bio

Patricia lives in the midlands of Ireland. She is an avid crime reader so naturally she found herself writing in the crime genre. To date, (July 2018) Patricia has sold over ONE MILLION COPIES in the LOTTIE PARKER series.

A life changing experience in 2009, with the death of her 49 year old husband, meant she had to give up her career, and over the following few years, she rekindled her love of art and writing.

Initially Patricia wrote and illustrated a children’s book, but her real ambition was to write a novel. And she did!

In January 2016, she joined with Ger Nichol of The Book Bureau Literary Agency. In July 2016, Patricia signed with Bookouture for four DI Lottie Parker crime novels.
The Missing Ones (Book 1) published in March 2017 and to date has reached a high of number 2 in Amazon UK Kindle charts and number 6 in the US. It also achieved number 1 in all its categories. It is a bestseller in UK, US, Canada and Australia.

Book 2 in the series, The Stolen Girls, published on July 6th, 2017.
Book 3, The Lost Child, is on pre-order and is published on October 27th, 2017.
Book 4, NO SAFE PLACE was published in March 2018
Book 5, TELL NOBODY is published on 3rd October 2018

Twitter: https://twitter.com/trisha460

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trisha460/

 

#BlogBlitz: THE BIRTHDAY by CAROL WYER #DetectiveNatalieWard #Thriller

THE BIRTHDAY by CAROL WYER #DetectiveNatalieWard #Thriller @bookouture @carolewyer @KimTheBookworm

Ha Ha Ha I remember the day that Kim announced that The Birthday was out there for the Blog Tour, us Bloggers were practically falling over each other to get to the top of the queue. So today is the day I join the other Bloggers in reviewing and celebrating what will hopefully become another Best Seller.

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The Birthday by Carol Wyer

Buy Links: Amazon UK / Amazon US

What the Book Says

One hot summer’s afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home…

When five-year-old Ava Sawyer goes missing from a birthday party at a local garden centre, the police are bewildered by the lack of leads. That is until two years later, when Ava’s body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party …

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone, and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that still keeps her awake at night…

Natalie soon discovers that Ava’s mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi and as she digs deeper, she’s sure Ava’s father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden centre Elsa see that day? Something that she’s not telling Natalie …

Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn’t come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?

Gripping, fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense, this book will keep you flying through the pages long into the night. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.

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Oooow I’m full of the giggles, Carol’s Books always send a bolt of excitement and stomach flutters through my body when a new edition comes to fruition, The Birthday is no exception, in fact the OMG sensation climaxes with the fact that another Detective Series has unfolded and has become part of the literary world.

All there is to say is Go Carol……………….okay, okay I’m only joking you know there is a load more to say!! So come on lets get a wriggle on, snuggle down and see where The Birthday takes us.

The first thing that I definitely can’t help but comment on is the Cover design. The yellow shoes, the torn effect through the title, all project a sense of foreboding and an indeterminable passage of time, each part culminating in the seasoned characteristics of Carol’s narrative, the essence of a fantastic crime thriller.

Carol opens the new series with a bang, the unexplained abduction of a little girl, Ava, from a birthday party. No leads, no witnesses, no real evidence, fast forward 2 years and  Ava is found dead, then another child goes missing……

A web of deceit, a tangle of lies, forbidden secrets, a test of time……Now that time is running out!

What happened the day of Ava’s fateful abduction and what bearing has it on what is happening to the children from that party now. Turning the pages, I absorbed the narrative, played my part, became one with The Birthday, above all I used the confines of my mind to scrutinise what Carol had purposely hidden to uncover the truth.

Its been lovely to meet the newest edition to Carol’s literary prowess, Detective Natalie Ward, she isn’t perfect, their are flaws, dark parts of her past, but she is resilient, strong and forthright, boy am I going to love reading more about Detective Ward.

It’s been a privilege to join the other Bloggers and Readers at the beginning of this journey, turning the pages together, walking through the narrative of Carol’s mind, getting to know Detective Natalie Ward. I’m so looking forward to the next instalment, roll on Book #2.

The Birthday is an emotionally sacrificial read, a terror inducing thriller, which will test the depths of your mind and send it into over-drive.

My thanks go to Bookouture, Carol Wyer and Kim Nash for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Birthday, it been an honour. This is my unbiased opinion and the review is all my own, I hope you enjoy The Birthday as much as I did.

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Author Bio

Carol Wyer garnered a loyal following as an author of romantic comedies, and won The People’s Book Prize Award for non-fiction (2015). In 2017 she stepped from comedy to the “dark side” and embarked on a series of thrillers, featuring the popular DI Robyn Carter, which earned her recognition as a crime writer.
The Staffordshire-based writer now has more crime novels in the pipeline, although she can still sometimes be found performing her stand-up comedy routine Laugh While You Still Have Teeth.

Want to know some more about the Author:

Website: www.carolewyer.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolEWyer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer

#BlogBlitz: THE GOODNIGHT SONG by NICK HOLLIN #thriller

THE GOODNIGHT SONG by NICK HOLLIN #thriller #crime,  Rhodes and Radley crime thriller @bookouture @vonmaraus @nholten40

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Title: The Goodnight Song

Author: Nick Hollin

Publication Day: 17th September

Links To Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

What The Book Says

What would you do if someone used your deepest secrets to commit the darkest crimes?

When the cold, lifeless body of a policeman is pulled from the Thames in the early hours of the morning, it appears at first glance to be a terrible accident.

But when old diary pages predicting the exact details of the crime start appearing online, ex-criminal psychologist and owner of the diary, Nathan Radley, becomes the number one suspect in the most terrifying murder investigation the London police has ever seen.

Nathan’s partner, Detective Katie Rhodes knows that he is innocent, because she was with him the night of the attack. But as more extracts are posted, and more bodies begin to surface, how much longer can she ignore the connection?

The trail leads Katie from one dead end to another, until a tiny clue buried deep within the pages leads them to a new suspect; someone dangerous, someone close, someone they trusted…

A nail-biting and unputdownable thriller that fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Peter James will adore.

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The Goodnight Song by Nick Hollin is the second instalment in the Rhodes and Radley crime thriller series and WOW was I taken in. Stumbling through the pages with snatched breath, sensing the fear, the unrelenting darkness of the narrative as it chimed out a solemnness of The Goodnight Song.

Detective Rhodes and Criminal Profiler Radley find themselves embroiled in another case surrounding Radley’s diary, leaked pages are surfacing, vile and violent deaths are occurring, fingers are being pointed at Radley. Radley has an alibi, but someone knows, the link lies within the hidden darkness of the past. Can Rhodes determine who will be next and prevent more heinous crimes.

Every time I read about Radley I have a fluttering in my stomach, with an intense sense of foreboding and impending doom. Every plot twist seems to bring this unimaginable characteristic to the front of my mind, painting a scene of what darkness grips the soul of Radley and what he fights so hard to supress. However looking to the character of Rhodes, she seems to bring stability, a calm demeanour and furnishes the strength needed to prevent catastrophic events occurring within her partnership with Radley. All in all both characters placate each other, cancelling out the negativity which could tip either one over the edge into the abyss.

Nick has produced a phenomenal crime thriller which literally sloughed off every shred of evidence I unravelled from each directional twist, leaving me unequivocally swamped with questions I couldn’t answer, but dealing the perfect finale with the slight of an authors hand.

Well thanks go to Bookouture, Nick Hollin and Noelle Holten for an advanced readers copy of The Goodnight Song, It has been a pleasure to read Nick’s newest book, my review for the Blog Blitz is all undertaken by myself and is my own unbiased opinion.

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Author Bio

From bookbinder to gardener to forensic analyst, Nick has enjoyed an extremely varied working life. At home his interests are equally diverse, but nothing beats books. Collecting, reading, writing, they have always been a passion in one form or another. A graduate of Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing Masters, he’s fulfilling a long-held dream of being published and hopes to be at this for a good while yet. He lives in Cambridgeshire with his partner, young son and cat.

Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vonmaraus

#BlogBlitz: SUSPENDED RETRIBUTION by ROB ASHMAN (DI Rosalind Kray #3) #serialkiller #thriller

SUSPENDED RETRIBUTION by ROB ASHMAN (DI Rosalind Kray #3) @Bloodhoundbook @RobAshmanAuthor

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Title: Suspended Retribution

Author: Rob Ashman

Available to Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

What The Book Says

Alex Jarrod is a war veteran. When a flesh-eating parasite destroys his face, he returns from Afghanistan with a head full of nightmares. His world crumbles around him until he realises there is work to be done. Another war to fight.

DI Rosalind Kray has her hopes pinned on becoming the new DCI after tracking down another serial killer, but those in charge have other ideas.

After a small-time crook is killed in a hit and run and a serial burglar is brutally murdered, Kray suspects a vigilante is at work. But her bosses disregard her theory – until they discover a third victim.

Once again Kray finds herself on the trail of a serial killer but this one is different. This one lives in his own private war zone.

With her bosses on her heels Kray has her work cut out and the body count is rising.

But he’s not going to stop until the mission is complete … and Kray’s not going to stop until she finds him.

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Suspended Retribution the third instalment in the DI Rosalind Kray series and Boy what a Stoater of a read. I have read the previous books in the series and Rob Ashman has gone from strength to strength with every book, Suspended Retribution is no exception…………its Banging!!

The first thing that Rob did to entice and enthral with his newest serial killer thriller, was the use of an insatiable title and the haunting picture of a man crucified by an uncontrolled darkness, the beginnings of Suspended Retribution. A hunger developed that couldn’t be controlled or extinguished, my desire to consume the narrative in one sitting was overwhelming……..and so the reading began.

After getting over The Title and The Cover, I turned my attention to the all consuming narrative which dragged me into the depths of desperation and darkness of an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD. Jarrod experiences triggers, snapshots of irrefutable damage conveyed from a war zone still playing over and over in his mind. Time served, his war is over but another fight has only just begun…..

Well DI Kray has her work cut out for her this time, a serial killer on the loose, a chance of promotion, maybe a new love right on her doorstep, tight trousers and waistcoats, will she, won’t she, that’s the question?? Can Kray capture the serial killer before more deaths occur.

The whole book has left me stunned as the scenario and plot is construed in such a way that portrays the darkness, the instability and the truth behind PTSD. The hard facts of what is behind PTSD, any traumatic event can be a trigger, any individual can be affected.

You are not alone, I am not alone…

Rob has managed to paint a scenario with thousands of words all of which are ever changing, seeing through the eyes of a serial killer, detecting flaws, cracks and endless possibilities through the eyes of Kray and expanding the horizons of a reader. All complementary to the phenomenal thriller, Suspended Retribution.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books, Rob Ashman and Sarah Hardy for the advanced readers copy of Suspended Retribution. It has been an honour and a privilege to read such a profound book and being part of the Blog Blitz. The opinions in my review are all my own.

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Author Bio

Rob is married to Karen with two grown up daughters. He is originally from South Wales and after moving around with work settled in North Lincolnshire where he’s spent the last twenty-two years.

Like all good welsh valley boys Rob worked for the National Coal Board after leaving school at sixteen and went to University at the tender age of twenty-three when the pit closures began to bite. Since then he’s worked in a variety of manufacturing and consulting roles both in the UK and abroad.

It took Rob twenty-four years to write his first book. He only became serious about writing it when his dad got cancer. It was an aggressive illness and Rob gave up work for three months to look after him and his mum. Writing Those That Remain became his coping mechanism. After he wrote the book his family encouraged him to continue, so not being one for half measures, Rob got himself made redundant, went self-employed so he could devote more time to writing and four years later the Mechanic Trilogy is the result.

When he is not writing, Rob is a frustrated chef with a liking for beer and prosecco, and is known for occasional outbreaks of dancing.

Rob published the Mechanic Trilogy with Bloodhound Books in 2017 and will be releasing three new books during 2018. These are titled: Faceless, This Little Piggy and Suspended Retribution.

LINKS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rob-Ashman-Author-1428800800468097/

Website: http://robashman.com/

Twitter: @RobAshmanAuthor

#BlogTour: THE THIRD BREATH by MALCOLM HOLLLINGDRAKE

 

THE THIRD BREATH by MALCOLM HOLLLINGDRAKE #DCIBennett @Bloodhoundbook @MHollingdrake @sarahhardy681

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Title: The Third Breath

Author: Malcolm Hollingdrake

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Available to Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US

What the Book Says

DCI Bennett is away on compassionate leave. After much soul-searching, he has decided to attend his father’s funeral.

DS Owen is left at the helm when the discovery of a body in a car in the multi-storey car park is reported. Initially, the Coroner rules out suspicious circumstances but when a second body is found with similar symptoms, Bennett is back in the fold. He suspects that the coincidences must be of some significance.

Soon Bennett’s team are hunting for a callous and devious killer who has covered his tracks effectively.

Will Bennett’s perseverance and attention to detail eventually crack this perplexing case?

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OMG how I managed to patiently wait for the 7th book in the DCI Bennett series I will never know, I’m glad The Third Breath by Malcolm Hollingdrake has arrived, as I turn the first pages, the reunion of friends begin.

DCI Bennett is on compassionate leave, owing to the passing of his father, DC Owen has taken over the reins while Bennett is indisposed, but criminal activity doesn’t let up no matter who is in charge. Owen digresses that the investigation into the body found in the multi-storey is flawed, although death ruled as no suspicious circumstances, Owen’s isn’t convinced. Another body is discovered with the same evidential markers, or rather the lack of evidence, has DC Owen’s gut instinct proven a link. The return of DCI Bennett cements Owen’s insight, the hunt is on but the lack of evidence is proving difficult to capture the person responsible. Can Bennett and his team solve the case before this ruthless killer strikes again.

Each and every time I read about Bennett I fall foul to his characteristics, his intellect, strength and pragmatic approach to investigations. Bennetts external persona permeates a sense of trust, throw in a hint of humour, his imperfection, a tried and tested fallible character, which Malcolm has perfected.

Malcolm has produced a clever thriller with a rapture of indelible narrative, that with every piece of my imagination it contorted and writhed with the intensity of the criminal paradox laid before my eyes.

I am absolutely over the moon to have been given the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Third Breath by Malcolm Hollingdrake. Thank you to Bloodhound Books, Malcolm Hollingdrake and Sarah Hardy it has been a pleasure to write an unbiased review for The Third Breath and to be part of the Blog Tour.

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Author Bio

You could say that the writing was clearly on the wall for anyone born in a library, that they might aspire to be an author but to get to that point Malcolm Hollingdrake has travelled a circuitous route.

Malcolm worked in education for many years, even teaching for a period in Cairo before he started writing, a challenge he had longed to tackle for more years than he cares to remember.

Malcolm has written a number of successful short stories and has ten books now available. Completing ‘The Third Breath’ fulfils the seven book publishing contract with Bloodhound Books but there are exciting plans for the future, not only with DCI Bennett and his team but also with another series. More information will follow soon.

Born in Bradford and spending three years in Ripon, Malcolm has never lost his love for his home county, a passion that is reflected in the settings for all his novels.

This year, Malcolm self-published a beautiful and poignant short story titled ‘The Penultimate Man’ to commemorate the centenary of the conclusion of WW1. It has also been released as an audiobook.

Malcolm has enjoyed many hobbies including collecting works by Northern artists; the art auctions offer a degree of excitement when both buying and certainly when selling. It’s a hobby he has bestowed on DCI Cyril Bennett, the main character in his latest novel, ‘The Third Breath’.

Links:

Amazon Page: http://bit.ly/AmtoMHdrake

Publisher page: http://bit.ly/BhBtoMH

Facebook: @AuthorMalcolmHollingdrake

Twitter: @MHollingdrake

#BlogBlitz: THE WIFE BEFORE ME by LAURA ELLIOT #psychological #thriller

THE WIFE BEFORE ME by LAURA ELLIOT #psychological #thriller @bookouture @Elliot_Laura @KimTheBookworm

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Title: The Wife Before Me

Author: Laura Elliot

Publishers: Bookouture

Available to Buy: 

Amazon: mybook.to/TWBMSocial
iBookstore: http://ow.ly/EVlv30luFMw
Kobo: http://ow.ly/ujGa30luFPp
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/f2F030luFI5

What the Book Says

One evening as the sun is setting, Amelia Madison’s car slides into the sea off Mason’s Pier. Her body is never found.

Two years later, Elena Langdon meets Nicholas Madison. She is grieving the loss of her mother, he is grieving for his wife. Together they can help each other.

Now Elena is living with Nicholas. But Elena doesn’t really know him. She doesn’t know what he is capable of.

And she doesn’t know what really happened to Amelia.

Until the day she discovers the torn page of a letter and the words she reads chill her to the bone.

Elena must find the person who wrote these letters if she is to save herself.

A totally breath-taking page-turner about the darker side of love and what really goes on behind closed doors. This book will have you gripped from the very first page until the dramatic final twist.

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I have only read one other of Laura Elliot’s previous books, Guilty, now that I have read The Wife Before Me, I certainly will be rectifying my ways and I look forward to delving into the rest of Laura’s books.

Lets get on with what I know and what I found out, mind you I won’t give anything away, so lets get the show on the road…

The Wife Before Me is Laura Elliot’s newest psychological thriller, which delves into the life of Nicholas a monster, an abuser who to the average individual on the outside of his relationships comes across as being the perfect gentleman. As I progress through the book I watched, waited for the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place, can Elena solve the past to help her future. So many questions to be answered, a whirlwind of emotions flow through my mind the further I read into The Wife Before Me, will I be able to contain my frustration at the blindness of others, only the turning of the pages to the finale would I find out my answers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the portrayal of each character, the different dynamics, the personalities was plausible, palpable that it was so easy to be involved in each and every situation they found themselves in. Nicholas was painted as a Jekyll and Hyde type of character, where his charisma, faultlessly healthy nature, clean cut persona played over and over, but behind closed doors, a different beast was unleased. Nicholas’s mother is blind beyond belief that they couldn’t see their son for what he was, but its an unconditional love, a painted scenario, a blindness to the monster that has been created, she effectively put Nicholas on a pedestal and worshipped him.

I loved the intense pull that Laura painted upon each page, driving me to turn the pages, virtually inhaling the narrative to the point I was literally swimming in the scenarios and living Laura’s imagination.

Thanks go to Bookouture, Laura Elliot and Kim Nash for an advanced readers copy of The Wife Before Me, to read in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thanks Kim for my spot on the Blog Blitz today.

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Author Bio

Laura Elliot is an Irish novelist who writes psychological thrillers and lives in Dublin, Ireland. Her novels are: The Wife Before Me, Guilty, Sleep Sister, The Betrayal, Fragile Lies, Stolen Child and The Prodigal Sister. She has worked as a journalist and magazine editor.

For more details check:

Website: http://lauraelliotauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elliot_Laura
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauraelliotauthor/