#BlogTour #Review Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts @rararesources

Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts

Book Description:

A gripping psychological thriller with chilling twists, from a unique new voice. 

Keller Baye and Rebecca Brown live on different sides of the Atlantic. Until she falls in love with him, Rebecca knows nothing of Keller. But he’s known about her for a very long time, and now he wants to destroy her.

This is the story of two families. One living under the threat of execution in North Carolina. The other caught up in a dark mystery in the Scottish Highlands. The families’ paths are destined to cross. But why? And can anything save them when that happens?

Purchase from Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hiding-gripping-psychological-thriller-chilling-ebook/dp/B078XK95S1/

Giveaway – Win 3 x e-copies of Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts (Open Internationally) 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c6949464/?

My review:

The beginning of this book is told from two points of view, Rebecca Brown who is an orphan living is Scotland and Keller Baye whose father is on death row for shooting a man during a failed bank raid. The two threads of the story are each very good as separate stories and for the first half of the book I enjoyed reading each of them although despite knowing that they must intersect at some point it was not clear how and why this would happen.  

Rebecca is a bit of a dreamer who was far too young to remember much about how she and her siblings came to be staying with their grandparents in scary Taransay which stood in the wilds of Scotland and had bars on the windows. Brother Austen lives away at boarding school and sister Colette is educated at grammar school, leaving just Rebecca at the local state school. Grandfather Ralph and Rebecca are close and spend a lot of time together in his study while grandmother Primmy is controlling and doesn't allow Rebecca to go anywhere or do anything other than her school work.

Meanwhile Keller's father Othaniel is executed by lethal injection in the USA, witnessed by Keller.  On his father's incarceration Keller is sent to live with his aunt Joya who only puts a roof over his head in return for the payment the local authorities give her for doing so. She barely shows him any care, regularly locking him out of the house overnight and not providing food for him.  Keller goes off the rails in spectacular fashion and this experience sets up the path of his future life.

The two storylines pretty much collide when Keller tracks down Rebecca and travels to Scotland under a fake identity to find her. Becky has no idea who he is and falls for his charms with no idea the danger she is putting herself in.

I was drawn well and truly into the story right from the start and was interested to find out what linked the two characters and why Keller would go to the trouble and expense of travelling to Scotland to find Becky.  The author builds tension steadily along the way and the climax to the story was not what I expected at all. Personally I would have liked more of a back story to the older generation in the tale and I think this would have added a little more depth to the characters but other than that I found this a very enjoyable novel and will look out for further work by this author.

About the author

Jenny is a novelist, screenplay writer and playwright. After a series of 'proper jobs', she realised she was living someone else's life and escaped to Gascony to make gîtes. Knee deep in cement and pregnant, Jenny was happy. Then autism and a distracted spine surgeon wiped out the order. Returned to wonderful England, to write her socks off.

Jenny would like to see the Northern Lights but worries that’s the best bit and should be saved till last. Very happily, and gratefully, settled with family.
She tries not to take herself too seriously.

Social Media Links –

www.jennymortonpotts.com

https://twitter.com/jmortonpotts

www.facebook/jennymortonpotts

COMING SOON: The Perfect Girlfriend #BlogTour

An Unsuitable Match by Joanna Trollope #Book #Review

An Unsuitable Match by Joanna Trollope

Publication date 22nd February 2018

PanMacMillan

304 pages

Book Description:
Rose Woodrowe is getting married to Tyler Masson—a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn’t the first time for either of them. And when you marry later in life there are a lot more people to consider. Like Rose’s daughter, Laura, who remembers her mom’s first marriage and doesn’t want her to get hurt again. Or the twins, Emmy and Nat, who are used to their mom being there for them whenever and for whatever they need. And then there’s Tyler’s children: Mallory, a young actress who craves her father’s attention; and Seth, whose San Francisco bakery is just taking off and needs all the money he can get. Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?

My thoughts:

I am loathe to admit that Joanna Trollope has never been a big hit for me as I know she is a hugely successful author.  I liked the idea of this book, a couple in their later years finding love again and all the problems that such a relationship can create;  Families being forced into close proximity in unnatural surroundings. 
I loved Rose's character, a quietly tough cookie who had been taken for granted for many years in her first marriage. I was her personal cheerleader when her children weren't the most supportive of her decision to try and make a life with Tyler, who I felt was just too good to be true after the pompous horror of her first husband.  I found all her children to be rather spoilt in their own way and wanted to give them all a good shake.  Tyler's family wasn't much better with both of his children being selfish in the extreme.  Rose's spinster sister Prue I thought was a great character.  A stereotypical school teacher in her dress sense and attitude, she was a no nonsense, down to earth straight talker with nothing but her family's well being at heart even if she had a strange way of showing it. 
As much as I really wanted things to work out for Rose and Tyler I felt the author really portrayed well the sense of awkwardness which lurked in the background of every scene. The story could only pan out one way realistically and I was pleased that Rose had the courage to trust her gut instinct in the end.  The author could easily have gone down the happily ever after route for all the characters but I feel she took the right option plot-wise rather than the easy one.
The self-centredness of the majority of the characters spoiled what was otherwise an enjoyable story.

About the author:

Joanna Trollope Potter Curteis (aka Caroline Harvey)

Joanna Trollope was born on 9 December 1943 in her grandfather's rectory in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Rosemary Hodson and Arthur George Cecil Trollope. She is the eldest of three siblings. She is a fifth-generation niece of the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope and is a cousin of the writer and broadcaster James Trollope. She was educated at Reigate County School for Girls followed by St Hugh's College, Oxford. On 14 May 1966, she married the banker David Roger William Potter, they had two daughters, Antonia and Louise, and on 1983 they divorced. In 1985, she remarried to the television dramatist Ian Curteis, and became the stepmother of two stepsons; they divorced in 2001. Today, she is a grandmother and lives on her own in London.

From 1965 to 1967, she worked at the Foreign Office. From 1967 to 1979, she was employed in a number of teaching posts before she became a writer full-time in 1980. Her novel Parson Harding's Daughter won in 1980 the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

The Mother's Secret by Clare Swatman #Book #Review #NetGalley

The Mother's Secret by Clare Swatman

Publication Date 22nd February 2018

Pan MacMillan

352 pages

Book Description:
The Mother's Secret is a powerful story about family, secrets and devastating lies

Love keeps us together

Sisters Kate and Georgie have always shared a close bond. While Kate enjoyed the freedoms of youth, Georgie remained at home. But now Georgie is grown up, it’s time she started exploring.

Love can tear us apart

Their mother Jan loves her daughters with all her heart. So what if she kept them out of sight when they were young? She just cared for them so much. She wanted to protect them.

What if your life was based on a lie?

Maybe there was another reason for Jan’s protective behaviour? If they ventured too far afield, it might destroy the facade of their childhood. This family’s about to discover that while lies can cause pain, the truth could destroy them all.
My thoughts:
Georgie and Kate have led a very sheltered life with their mum Jan.  Georgie moreso than Kate, and when the two girls chat about the fact that Georgie really needs to expand her horizons and overcome her fear of flying the girls decide the first step is to apply for a passport for her.  Which opens up a whole can of worms. Georgie has never seen her birth certificate - has never needed it for anything in her insular life - but mum Jan is suffering from the start of dementia and the subject feels far too delicate to bring up without unleashing an episode of rage from her.  Therefore the girls engineer an opportunity for Georgie to search the house while Kate takes mum out for lunch,  She finds no trace of any documents for herself, despite there being a boxful pertaining to Kate which makes Georgie very suspicious.  She takes herself off to the local archive library the following day but once again draws a blank.  She does however discover disturbing articles in the local newspaper of an upsetting event the day after she was born which, as shocking as they seem, do actually start to form the start of an explanation of why the girls' lives have been as closeted as they were.
Clare Swatman has written an emotionally charged story here which while acknowledging the wrong doing and the seriousness attached to the incident also reflects the state of mind that Jan was in when her life and those around her was changed forever.  I felt the events were very carefully handled, with the emotions of both sides of the story reflected perfectly. It is difficult to go too in depth into a review of the plot without giving too much of the story away but the characters are believable as are the circumstances throughout.
I thought the outcome was perfect as it wasn't a complete happy ever after ending yet offered a glimmer of hope to the family.
A very well written tale which I really enjoyed.
About the Author:

Clare Swatman is a journalist for a number of weekly women's magazines. Clare was Features Editor for Bella and has written for Best, Woman's Own and Real People. She writes for her local magazine as well as the travel pages for Take a Break. Clare lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and two boys.

Everything Is Lies by Helen Callaghan #Review

Everything Is Lies by Helen Callaghan

Publication Date 22nd February 2018
Penguin UK/Michael Joseph

Book Description:

No-one is who you think they are: Sophia's parents lead quiet, unremarkable lives. At least that is what she's always believed.

Everyone has secrets

Until the day she arrives at her childhood home to find a house ringing with silence. Her mother is hanging from a tree. Her father is lying in a pool of his own blood, near to death.

Especially those closest to you

The police are convinced it is an attempted murder-suicide. But Sophia is sure that the woman who brought her up isn't a killer. As her father is too ill to talk it is up to Sophia to clear her mother's name. And to do this she needs to delve deep into her family's past - a past full of dark secrets she never suspected were there . . .

What if your parents had been lying to you since the day you were born?

My Thoughts:

We are introduced to Sophia as she is finding her way in the exciting world of independence in a new job in London after an over protective childhood in rural England.  Her mum Nina rings her regularly, guilt-tripping her into going back to the family home into the clutches of her parents. This night is no different, however this time Sophia gets the feeling that something is a bit "off" with her mum's phone call. Despite this, she stands her ground and stalls her mum saying that she will pay her a visit the following day.  She will forever wish she had gone straight to her parents' home that evening as she finds a scene of horror when she gets there the following morning; her mum hanging from a tree and her father barely clinging to life near her mum's lifeless body.  Sophia has always known her parents to be quiet, private people with few friends; her mum, in particular, a needy person. Her view of them both is constantly changing once the investigation into her mum's death gets under way and the facts of the case gradually get uncovered. 

It would appear her mum had a very different life in her younger years. The discovery that her mum was about to publish a memoir of her youth shocks Sophia - particularly when she reads the first two thirds of the memoir and finds out exactly what she became involved in when she mixed with rock star Aaron Kessler and his cronies during her short university career - Sophia was totally unaware her mum had even been to uni!  The final third of the memoir proves to be elusive and Sophia comes to believe that the missing third notebook holds all the answers to what happened to her parents that night.

The story switches between Sophia's point of view and Nina's narration of events back in her youth, which works really well in drip feeding the information the reader needs to complete the picture and see how that information affects present day events.  The author cleverly demonstrates how people often create respectable personas for themselves in later life which expertly hide what has gone before - but that veneer can easily be destroyed when ghosts from the past rear their heads. The lengths some people will go to in order to keep the skeletons hidden in their closets can be deadly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to pick it up to discover the next revelation the author had in store for me.  I certainly didn't find it predictable in any way, and would definitely recommend it.

 About the Author:

My name is Helen Callaghan and I write fiction whenever I’m left unsupervised. I live in Cambridge amongst teetering piles of books.I’ve always written, it’s my one constant. I was at various points a student nurse, barmaid and drama student. Eventually I settled into bookselling, working as a fiction specialist and buyer for a variety of bookshops, and did that for nearly ten years. In the end I became restless and studied for A-levels at night school. I achieved a place at Cambridge University as a mature student, where I studied Archaeology.

When I’m not writing fiction I write technical documentation for IT companies, which is every bit as thrilling as it sounds.

My debut novel, Dear Amy, is published by Michael Joseph and available now. My forthcoming novel, Everything Is Lies, is being published by them on February 22nd, 2018.

I am represented by Judith Murray at Greene and Heaton Ltd.

#BlogTour coming soon! Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts

FOLLOW THE TOUR!

Read my review of Jenny Morton Potts' novel 'Hiding' here on Tuesday 27th Feb

#Publication Day #Sneak Preview #Excerpt First Period by Andrew Mackay #musical comedy

I'm delighted to share with you something a bit different - a musical comedy, Vicky & Lizzie's First Period, which is out today - St Valentine's Day.  The author Andrew Mackay has also allowed us  to share a sneak preview of a section of the first chapter too. Admittedly, this one won't be for everyone - it's definitely not PC, and if you don't like bad language then it's probably not for you but I think all tastes should be accommodated for on a blog so here's a taster...

Vicky & Lizzie's First Period

Bloody Hell!

All together now…

There were two girls called Vicky & Lizzie
Who kept the Academy busy
Causing trouble and mirth
For all they were worth
Sending teachers right into a tizzy

They kicked-off a false, nasty rumour
That one of the staff was a groomer
For everyone knows
Gossip spreads out and grows
But the school didn’t quite see the humour

Would Vicky & Lizzie regret
All the damage they caused? Nah, not yet
Scheming, conniving
The girls kept on vying
A dangerous precedent was set

Vicky & Lizzie delivered a blitz
On a school at the end of its wits
Did they care? Did they f**k
They were common as muck
Those nasty, vindictive young s#!ts

This might cause upset and uproar
It’s a musical satire, what’s more
For the first time ever
We promise you’ve never
Read anything like this before

So pick up your copy today
Of a story about which you will say
That I wanted to barf
But so hard I did laugh
Vicky & Lizzie have just made my day!

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2E6h5kO

* * * * 

Excerpt from Chapter One:

Weekly Assembly
(The Waddling Gate Theatre)

Mr Foster took to the stage. He stepped behind the podium and adjusted the microphone.

Close to one thousand students sat in rows of chairs in front of the stage.

‘Hello? Is this on?’ Mr Foster’s voice flew around the room at high volume. ‘Can you hear me?

The children squealed and held their fingers in their ears as the feedback wailed back and forth.

‘Ah, good. I thought that might get your attention.’

A teacher stood with the forms at the end of each row of chairs. They surveyed the children in the seats, ensuring they weren’t being disruptive.

‘Shh!’ whispered Mr Holbrook to a row of year eleven students.

Mr Pond, the woodwork teacher, stood at the end of a row of year eleven children. ‘Chloe, be quiet, please!’

‘Sorry, sir!’ She whispered through her chewing gum.

‘Are you chewing, Chloe?’

‘Sorry, sir.’

Vicky and Lizzie giggled to themselves. They watched the feisty multi-coloured hair teenager swallow her chewing gum down.

A morbidly obese girl started sobbing from the second row. She was easy to spot. Her buttocks seemed to try to escape down both sides of the chair.

‘Belinda Hopkins?’

The fat girl looked up and wiped her eyes. ‘Yes, sir?’

‘Are you crying gravy?’ Mr Foster lost his patience. ‘Stop doing that, you super-sized wench. You’re putting me off.’

‘Yes, s-sir.’

Mr Foster rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat. Belinda’s crying died down and he began the assembly.

‘It’s been brought to my attention just now that a few rumours are going around the school about Mr Galigan, from Geography. I’d like to remind you all that rumours are nothing but vindictive attempts to muddy the truth. They will not be tolerated.’

Stevie’s hand went up in the air. ‘But, sir!’

‘What is it now?’

‘We want to know what happened. Where is Layla?’

‘That’s not up for discussion, Stevie,’ Mr Foster said, somewhat annoyed by the interruption. ‘It is none of your concern. Layla Quick has been relocated to another school while the police continue their investigation. That’s all anyone need know at the moment.’

‘Sir!’ Another hand went into the air. It belonged to Freddie al-Burhan, in year eleven.

‘Yes, Freddie?’

‘Why is Mr Galigan not here?’

‘He’s had a family matter to attend to. A temp has been appointed until he’s back.’

‘He’s not been suspended, then?’

Mr Foster raised his eyes in suspicion. Faced with the unenviable task of either lying to save his colleague’s face, or imparting the truth (a value which he and the school upheld most sincerely) he chose the former.

‘No.’

‘Okay. Thanks, sir.’

‘Any other questions before I continue?’ Mr Foster surveyed the ocean of adolescent faces before him.

‘No? Good. So, this week, our key word is motivation. The derivation of which comes from the Latin cognition, meaning the way the brain processes information…’

The teachers at the end of each row, including Mr Parker, folded their arms. The children looked utterly confused as Mr Foster continued his lecture.

Vicky scanned each teacher one-by-one and muttered under her breath. ‘Mr Pond… Mr Parker… Mr Bloom…’

Lizzie caught her friend sizing up each teacher. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Shut up, I’m thinking,’ Vicky whispered and returned to the teachers behind her. ‘Mr Sinclair… Quack-Quack… Mr Langham…’

Mr Bloom snapped his fingers at Vicky. ‘Psst. Vicky!’

She turned to him and offered her innocence. ‘Huh?’

‘Be quiet and listen, Hopper.’

‘Sorry, sir…’ She leaned back in her chair and faced the stage. Her brain worked overtime.

* * * *

About Andrew Mackay​

Some authors are afraid to cross the line.

Me? Oh, I'm glad you asked! I make "the line" my starting point...

My brand is satire.

I hop between genres like madman on crack because my razor-sharp literary knife is hungry for political and social commentary. One genre just can't cut it (if you'll forgive the pun.) I'm obsessed, I tell you!

I write straight-up humor and farce, horror, crime, romance... all under the banner of satire.

My novels often contain a ruthless commentary on society, delving into the darker machinations of modern life. They can be uproarious, funny, outrageous and shocking. Make no mistake, though. They are this way for a reason, and always come equipped with a sense of humanity and wit.

My influences include John Cleese, Tom Sharpe, Kurt Vonnegut, James Patterson, Hunter S Thompson, Douglas Adams, Imogen Edwards-Jones, Michael Frayn, Chris Morris, Jerry Sadowitz, Christopher Hitchins, Bill Maher, George Carlin, Jordan Peterson, Pat Condell, and writer/director Larry Cohen.

My obsessions include (and are essentially limited to) obscene amounts of: smoking, drugs, alcohol, caffeine, sex, debating, daydreaming and writing about himself in the third person.

Website - https://chromevalleybooks.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/chromevalleybooks

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Andrew_CVB

* * * *

Join Andrew Mackay on Facebook for a virtual launch party tonight for a selection of author takeovers and giveaways.

17:00 – 20:00 CST  which is  23:00 – 02:00 GMT (14/15 Feb)

https://www.facebook.com/events/254661718405712/

#GuestPost The Bulletproof Proposal by Rebekah Louise

Today, Valentine's Day, I welcome Rebekah Louise to the blog. I reviewed her book The Bulletproof Proposal in January and am excited to be able to offer YOU the chance to download her book FREE **today only** with the link below.  Here's what she had to say about writing her fun novelette:-

I am very excited to share this post with you. As most of you will be aware, I have published my latest book ‘The Bulletproof Proposal’.

This is my second book and I decided to write a novelette. I love the idea of a short story, the reader can enjoy it in one or two sittings, fitting it in around their hectic lifestyles.

The idea for ‘The Bulletproof Proposal’ came when a close friend of mine was waiting for her partner to propose. I thought about what someone might do in that situation and I think most people would try and gain control, giving rise to the idea for my new book.

This story was an exciting piece for me to write. I took on Lisa’s character with ease as she was fun to write about (I think I could also see some of myself in her). Authors will tell you to write about a topic that you would want to read yourself and this is a book that I would want to snuggle up with. I also love the cover, which I had great fun designing, and I am guilty of choosing a book by its cover, so I hope it will attract you too. My wonderful husband put together the book trailer and I think it is a wonderful teaser of what’s to come.

‘The Bulletproof Proposal’ was published in November 2017, and my hope is that you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. Please leave a review if you liked it, on either Amazon or Goodreads, and tell your friends and family about it, it would be much appreciated.

To Download 'The Bulletproof Proposal' for FREE (14^th February only) click here.

Here is the book blurb & trailer.

After five years of dating Lisa is anticipating that all-important question, will you marry me?

Impatient, Lisa decides to take matters into her own hands and propose to Matt, after all it is the 21st Century.

Only she takes it one step further and with the help of her best friend Mandy, she prepares the ultimate proposal.

What she doesn’t know is whether this will be the beginning of her happily-ever- after or the beginning of the end.

Link to trailer.

#Review A Cold Day In Hell by Lissa Marie Redmond #NetGalley

Publication date 8th February 2018

Publisher : Midnight Ink

390 pages

Book Descripton: 
Lauren Riley is an accomplished detective who has always been on the opposite side of the courtroom from her nemesis, slick defense attorney Frank Violanti. But now he's begging to hire her as a private investigator to help clear his client of murder. At first Lauren refuses, wanting nothing to do with the media circus surrounding that case—until she meets the eighteen-year-old suspect.

To keep an innocent teen from life in prison, Lauren must unravel the conflicting evidence and changing stories to get at the buried facts. But the more she digs, the more she discovers that nothing is what it first appears to be. As Lauren puts her career and life in danger, doubt starts to lurk on every corner . . . and so does her stalker.

My thoughts:
Usually I struggle to read US crime novels as I don't know enough about how the ranks of detectives, attorneys, etc fit together and which holds the most clout in legal terms.  This novel however captured my attention throughout.  I found it reminiscent in mood to the 'Shades of Blue' series starring Jennifer Lopez which recently aired its second series here in the UK.

The scene is set in the cold case department of Buffalo police HQ where Lauren Riley and her partner Reese work together to try and solve some of the old cases which never saw a conclusion to the crime.  A single mom to two college students who live away from the family home I found Lauren's character really well developed and, if slightly stereotyped, very real.
Twice-divorced Lauren works two jobs; her day job is in the cold case department and she supplements this income with a lesser position as a private detective.  It is in this second role that defence attorney Frank Violanti requests her services to try and prove his godson's innocence in a murder case.  Lauren and Frank have clashed across the courtroom on several occasions so Lauren is quite surprised that Frank should ask for her assistance in any capacity.  The two characters have a grudging respect for each other professionally and manage to rub along together to find out the facts of the case not without a few bumps along the way.

The main problem with the case is that the prosecuting officer is one of Lauren's ex partners Joe Wheeler.  He is still bitter about his split with Lauren and would desperately like to have another chance to be back in her personal life.  He sees this as his chance to prove to her what a good catch he would be.  Unfortunately his inability to control his temper puts paid to any remaining respect Lauren had for him and his personal involvement takes over where his professionalism should be his first priority. Wheeler tries to claim that Lauren's involvement in this case is a conflict of interests with her day job in an attempt to get her thrown off the case and therefore make his job of prosecuting the young man so much easier. No spoilers here but there are some strong court scenes which make for great reading.

The author demonstrates an excellent knowledge of how evidence is collected in a criminal case in the US and how both the defence and prosecution can use this evidence to strengthen or destroy the case in question whether that be in a current case or a resurrected cold case.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was pleased to discover (as I had hoped) that there will be a second book in the series released in early 2019. I highly recommend that you give this book a chance, especially if you are a fan of US TV crime series.

About the Author:

Lissa Marie Redmond, a retired cold case homicide detective, lives and writes in Buffalo NY with her husband, two daughters, and one ungrateful cat.

Monthly Round Up January 2018

It has been a very busy month in the book world to kick off the new year.  With blog tours booked in for some great titles in the coming months and lots of great titles and new authors to explore we are being properly spoiled by the publishing companies.  Here's a look at what I have read in January, with reviews either already published or scheduled for each title in due course.

This is How It Ends by Eve Dolan

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC/Raven Books

Publication date 25 January 2018

The Bulletproof Proposal by Rebekah Louise

Published November 2017

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

Headline Publishing

Publication date 8th March 2018

The Devil's Work by Mark Edwards

Thomas & Mercer

Publication date 13th September 2016

The Guilty Wife by Elle Croft

Orion Publishing

Publication date 25th January 2018

A Cold Day in Hell by Lissa Marie Redmond

Midnight Ink

Publication Date 8th February 2018

Our House by Louise Candlish

Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 5th April 2018

The Story of Our Lives by Helen Warner

HQ

Publication Date: 8th February 2018