Open Grave by A.M. Peacock @ampeacockwriter @Bloodhoundbook #BookReview

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

This has been a bit of a crazy Wednesday, but I made it! Here is my last post of the day! Thrilled to share with you my review for this book that is the start to another fabulous series!🚨

DCI Jack Lambert is no stranger to inner demons, having struggled with his own since the admission about his sexuality.

When two bodies are discovered in an open grave, Lambert must put his personal worries aside and work the case. But when the body of a local thug shows up on the banks of the River Tyne, the DCI’s criminal past comes back to haunt him.

Meanwhile, a local celebrity singer claims that she is being stalked. Could there be a link to the killings?

As the bodies start to pile up, Lambert realises the motive lies in the past and that the killer is taunting them.

The clock is ticking. Can he catch the murderer, or will one of their own end up in an open grave?

My Thoughts

This was a good start to what looks like is going to be a strong police procedural series…. whenever you start a new series it is a double edged sword…. if it’s good now you have another series commitment, and if it’s not… well no need to discuss that because this was good and I am really looking forward to see how the series develops….

DCI Jack Lambert is a bit different than a lot of characters that take the lead in the series… he is not an evil genius, he is more an average Joe…. he is also openly gay…. this has had a negative impact on his relationship with his wife and child, for obvious reasons, and this was somewhat discussed in the book… The diversity was nice and it wasn’t overplayed… his colleagues were a bit crude and sexist but they seemed to accept Jack completely…. it is an interesting opportunity to discuss some timely issues, curious to see where that goes? So Jack and his cohorts bumble their way through this investigation that involves two bodies in an open grave and a actress being stalked….

SO what do these two dead bodies with no known association and a stalker have in common? Or do they? And will Jack and crew figure it out before the body count goes up?The procedural part of this book was well plotted and I loved plane amateur detective along side Jack…. there is a lot of room for character growth in Jack as well as his cronies…. I am really looking forward to see where Jack and this series take us…

Absolutely recommend to fans of crime thrillers and police procedurals🚨

*** A huge thank you to Bloodhound Books for my copy of this book ***

Author Bio:
A.M. Peacock grew up in the North East of England before leaving to study for a degree in music technology at the University of Hull. A subsequent return to his hometown of South Shields saw him spend seven years as a teacher in a local college before changing careers to become a trade union official.

Having always been an avid reader, he took to writing after being encouraged to do so by his PGCE tutor. He has since gone on to produce a number of short stories, winning the Writers’ Forum Magazine competition on two occasions, as well as producing articles for both the local press and a university magazine.

A.M. Peacock is passionate about crime fiction and his debut novel, Open Grave, is the first in what he hopes will become a series of DCI Jack Lambert books.

Away from writing, A.M. Peacock enjoys watching films, playing guitar and can often be found pavement pounding in preparation for the odd half marathon.
Links:

Twitter – @ampeacockwriter

http://www.ampeacock.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/ampeacockwriter/

Berit☀️✨

She Lies Hidden by Christine Stephenson @cmstephenson73 @Bloodhoundbook #BookReview

Hope your Wednesday is going well!

Delighted to be part of the blog tour for this debut! With the changing of the guard I’m not sure who to thank, so I’m going to thanky both Emma and Sarah for my invitation! Much love to you both and I always enjoy working with you!💕

How far would you go to find your missing sister?

When DI Thomasine Albright is informed that the remains of her fifteen-year-old sister have been found, she has the tragic responsibility of breaking the news to her mother. Thomasine promises her mother that she will be the one to find Karen’s killer.

But Karen Albright wasn’t the only girl to go missing during that weekend in 1973… Veronica Lightfoot disappeared too. They’d lived barely four miles apart, yet apparently never met. Suddenly there is a new question, was Veronica involved in Karen’s death? Is that why she vanished?

DI Mel Philips is handed the original case file and begins a new investigation. Unwilling to be side-lined, Thomasine decides to go it alone.

As the case unfolds, Thomasine realises that there may be other victims. Can she find them too?

My Thoughts

This was an engaging, fast paced debut…. this was a straightforward murder mystery with no shocking twist at the end, and I mention that because I kept waiting for it…. this was a busy book with a lot of action packed into these pages… and yet still a bit of a slow burn….

23 years ago, Thomasina’s sister went missing… now her body has been found, is her murder connected to the disappearance of another girl? The story is told from multiple points of view and different time frames…. The author did a very good job of weaving these threads together, I was never confused as to whose story I was reading…. The only little problem I had with this is information was not discovered at the same time, so sometimes things got a bit repetitive…The characters were likable and engaging, however I wish they had been developed a bit more…

This was an admirable debut, an uncomplicated murder mystery… The writing was effortless and flowed well… cannot wait to see what this author has Up Next for us!

*** many thanks to Bloodhound Books for my copy of this book ***

Author Bio:

After growing up in a small Lancashire village, Christine Stephenson left school at fifteen. Four years later she moved to Cornwall.

In her late teens she met people whose lives were complicated, fuelled by drugs, and filled with violence and aggression. There were others too, in her mid-twenties, everyday people, educated, with careers, who had decent parents; people who you wouldn’t look at twice in the street. They were worse; she knew the victims of their crimes too. These experiences continue to influence her writing.

Her career can be described as eclectic. Jobs ranging from office junior to dental nurse, management consultant to executive and corporate coach. She ran her own training consultancy for over twelve years. It was there that her love of writing bloomed. She went on to produce an extensive portfolio of work which included resource packs, case studies, role-plays, games, presentations and academic texts.

In 2008 her husband’s job dictated that they move to South Gloucestershire. This in turn, lead to a brand-new life. They now live just outside a small medieval town, set between Bristol and Bath.

In 2009, she decided it was time to study the craft and undertook the A215 in Creative Writing with Open University, and later followed that with an MA Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, graduating in 2016. She gained representation with Andrew Nurnberg & Associates soon after. She spent the following eighteen months writing and editing what is now her debut novel. In May 2018 Christine was delighted to accept a contract with Bloodhound Books. ‘She Lies Hidden’ is due for release in September 2018.

Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18365691.C_M_Stephenson

https://www.facebook.com/CM-Stephenson-490866894723520
@cmstephenson73

Berit☀️✨

A House Divided by Rachel McLean @rararesources #AuthorChat

Jennifer Sinclair is many things: loyal government minister, loving wife and devoted mother.

But when a terror attack threatens her family, her world is turned upside down. When the government she has served targets her Muslim husband and sons, her loyalties are tested. And when her family is about to be torn apart, she must take drastic action to protect them.

A House Divided is a tense and timely thriller about political extremism and divided loyalties, and their impact on one woman.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/House-Divided-political-thriller-Division-ebook/dp/B07GNPS5ZV/

Amazon.com –  https://www.amazon.com/House-Divided-political-thriller-Division-ebook/dp/B07GNPS5ZV/

Author Bio –

I’m Rachel McLean and I write thrillers and speculative fiction.

I’m told that the world wants upbeat, cheerful stories – well, I’m sorry but I can’t help. My stories have an uncanny habit of predicting future events (and not the good ones). They’re inspired by my work at the Environment Agency and the Labour Party and explore issues like climate change, Islamophobia, the refugee crisis and sexism in high places. All with a focus on how these impact individual people and families.

You can find out more about my writing, get access to deals and exclusive stories or become part of my advance reader team by joining my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub.

Social Media Links –

Twitter – https://twitter.com/rachelmcwrites

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/rachelmcleanwrites/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcwrites/?hl=en

From the Corridors of Power to an Ordinary Suburban Street – the Locations in A House Divided by Rachel McLean

A House Divided is a political thriller with may of the key scenes taking place in Westminster. The protagonist Jennifer Sinclair makes passionate speeches in the House of Commons, has dramatic encounters in the corridors of Westminster and clandestine meetings in pubs and hotels around London.

But it’s also a family drama. The story centres on the tensions between Jennifer’s professional life and the rising tension between her and her husband Yusuf and eldest son Samir. So there are scenes set in Jennifer’s Birmingham home and in locations in her constituency.

I decided to make Jennifer a Birmingham MP partly because that’s my home city and I know it well, and partly because Spaghetti Junction made the perfect location for the terror attack that takes place in the book’s opening. This happens on the same day as a co-ordinated attack at London’s Waterloo Station, one in which Jennifer fears her family have been caught up.

This meant that the I had to research two sets of locations when writing the book: in Westminster and in Birmingham.

I used my knowledge of Birmingham for the scenes in the family home, choosing a road within site of Spaghetti Junction, which is a few miles from where I live. I took the time to walk around the local area and imagine Rita, a character in part 3 of the trilogy, walking the same streets in despair in that book.

For the Westminster scenes, I used my knowledge of the building from the time I spent working in politics before writing the book. I also had the help of an MP who read an early draft and suggested some locations I might not know about.

I discovered that there are spaces and rooms in the House of Commons where only MPs are allowed. There’s a dining room, a tea room and a space behind the Speaker’s chair in the Chamber of the House of Commons (perfect for private conversations during debates). I also learned that only MPs are allowed even in the cloakroom – which means MPs can never ask a member of their team to grab their coat for them if they’re in a hurry. Mind you, that’s not as archaic as the other feature of the MPs’ cloakroom – a pink ribbon on every hook. It’s to hang your sword on. Yes, your sword. To my knowledge, all those ribbons are empty these days.

I also included the corridors and underground passages of the Westminster estate in this book and the other two books in the trilogy. There’s an underground passage running between the House of Commons and Portcullis House on the other side of Westminster Bridge Road, and Jennifer races through it in order to get out of the building and quickly back to her flat on the other side of the Thames.

As well as a Birmingham home, Jennifer also needed a London flat. At first I had this in Dolphin Square, which is along the river from Westminster in Pimlico. But then I decided it would be better to have it near Waterloo, which raised the stakes when her family were staying with her there on the day of the bomb attack.

I decided to take a trip to Waterloo and walk the streets to find her somewhere to live. I found a great street of Victorian houses converted into flats. Amazingly, despite being a five minute walk from Waterloo, it was peaceful, with birds singing and no-one around in the  middle of the day. The perfect place for Jennifer’s son Samir to hide from the police in the book.

I even went on RightMove to check out the flats in that road, and found one that would be perfect. It allowed me to imagine Jennifer inside the flat pictured in the estate agent’s photos, staring out onto the street and wondering where her son was. RightMove is a great tool for writers – not only does it let you see inside homes that your characters could live in, it also lets you check how much they’re selling for and whether a character might be able to afford the mortgage!

Coming up with locations for a novel is part online research, part travel and part imagination. Google Maps, Streetview and RightMove give you a starting point, but nothing beats going to the locations and breathing the air. It helps me capture the essence of a place and make it come to life on the page. It’s one of the perks of being a writer!

A House Divided is out now in paperback and ebook. You can find out more about he books characters and locations on my website rachelmclean.com.

Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping by Cheryl Denise Bannerman #AnnaRomanoMysteries @cbannerman01 @damppebbles #BookReview #Giveaway

Happy Wednesday all! Off to a later start than usual today, I had a killer headache last night that is still lingering, but.,.. life is tough, so get tougher!

Thrilled to be part of the blog tour today for this fun book! Many thanks to Emma for my invitation! 😻

Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping” is the first novel in the Anna Romano Mystery Series. It is a funny, whimsical, murder mystery series that appeals to ‘mystery readers’ of all ages.

Anna Romano is a middle-aged, Italian woman who is also a successful published author, a lover of cats, and an excellent cook with a hankering for Italian cuisine. She lives by herself in her quaint house, in a quiet community, with a white picket fence in Central New Jersey.

When she is not writing her next book or hosting book-signing events with her publicist, she is cleaning litter boxes and baking Cannolis…but never at the same time, of course!

In this first installment, on a typical day in Anna’s somewhat-perfect life, a book-signing event turns her world upside down. Is it a case of mistaken identity or was she just being paranoid?

My Thoughts

Cats! Cannolis! Kidnapping!

This was a short fun packed read…. and just as the title implies it was filled with cats, Italian cuisine, and ultimately a kidnapping…. this is the first book in what looks like is going to be a wonderful new series!

Anna is a middle-aged author living in New Jersey with her seven cats… as a cat person myself I appreciated the part the cats played in this book they all had their own unique names and personalities…. someone is following Anna, and Anna is smart enough to call the police about this ( unlike lots of other Book characters in the same situation)…. and it’s a good thing she did, not only were they ultimately helpful, but there is now the possibility of romance in the next book!

This is a short book that you can read in a single sitting… books of this length have some drawbacks though…. it’s hard to have well developed characters and a well developed mystery in so few pages…. I think Anna was introduced to us well, and seeings though this is a series we will just get to know her better in future books…. The mystery did feel a bit rushed at the end, it was tied up a bit too neatly for me…

All in all a good start to a new series, recommend to cat lovers, food lovers, and people who enjoy quick easy reads!

*** A big thanks to the author for my copy of this book ***

About Cheryl Denise Bannerman:

Writing under pen name, Cheryl Denise Bannerman, Ms. Powell is an author of two self-published books, and an owner of a 22-year-old Training and Development company, specializing in eLearning, called Learn2Engage.

In her personal life and relationships, Ms. Powell has learned how to turn tragedies into triumphs through her strong will, faith, tenacity and most importantly, her quirky sense of humor. She now turns that keen knowledge of relationships and people, along with her various degrees and experience in Training and Development, into fun, engaging online courses for ‘Corporate America’, and, of course, in her works of fiction.

Within each of her works of fiction, a topic of social concern is addressed. From addictions to domestic violence, and suicide to molestation.

Her writings inspire people to live, laugh, love, learn and grow. She believes that when the world laughs at you, laugh harder. In Ms. Powell’s real and fictional world, she has learned how to create her own ‘happy ending’…one day at a time.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbannerman01

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

Website: http://www.bannermanbooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bannermanbooks18/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Denise-Bannerman/e/B003YVCJ74/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1536333632&sr=8-1

US Residents can purchase a signed copy here:  http://eepurl.com/dGgyET

Purchase Links:

US https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=978-1724260857+

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cats-Cannolis-Curious-Kidnapping-Mystery/dp/1724260855/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537700445&sr=8-1&keywords=cats%2C+cannoli+and+a+curious+kidnapping

International Giveaway!

US residents:  There are two prizes up for grabs; entrants can win either a $10 B&N voucher or a signed paperback copy of Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping.  To enter the giveaway to win one of these prizes click here:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/995da7e515/

Terms and conditions: One US winner will receive a signed paperback copy of Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping and one US winner will receive a $10 B&N voucher.  The draw will be random and you cannot choose your prize. There is no cash alternative. The giveaway will close at midnight BST on Saturday 29th September 2018.  The winner of the paperback will need to provide their postal address.  The winner of the B&N voucher will need to provide their email address. These addresses will be passed onto Cheryl Denise Bannerman for her to distribute the prizes.  The addresses will not be kept. Good luck.

Non US residents: For your chance to win a Kindle copy of Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping please click the following link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/995da7e515/?

Terms and conditions: One non-US winner will receive a Kindle copy of Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping.  The winner will need to provide their Kindle email address and add damppebbles@gmail.com as a Safe Sender to their Kindle account (information on how to do this can be provided upon request).  There is no cash alternative and the winner’s name will be selected at random. The giveaway will end at midnight (BST) on Saturday 29th September 2018.  Good luck.

Have a lovely day! Berit☀️✨