Wednesday 24 April 2019

Two Litte Girls by Frances Vick @bookouture #NetGalley #TwoLittleGirls

Two Little Girls by Frances Vick
Published by Bookouture
Publication Date: 17th April 2019 ebook
Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller
335 pages

Book Description:

An innocent girl is taken. The family's lodger confesses.
But that’s not the whole story. That’s not even the beginning...
It’s 1985 and the disappearance of ten-year-old Lisa Cook shocks the nation. Her best friend, Kirsty, traumatised and fearful, gives evidence that helps to put the Cook family’s lodger behind bars.

…But what if Kirsty made a mistake?

Now, decades later, Kirsty leaves a life she loves to move back to the hometown she hates – tortured by her memories, she’s determined to finally uncover the truth about what happened to Lisa that day. But someone is waiting for her there, someone close to her family. Someone who is hoping to finish off a job that was started years ago…

An absolutely gripping emotional drama for fans of The Couple Next Door, Whisper Me This and Laura Elliot


My Review:

If ever there's a book of two halves it's this one. It starts out in 1985 with the two little girls from the title of the book; best friends Kirsty and Lisa who are in their last year of primary school, caught in that limbo between being children yet having the desire to be teenagers but not quite there yet.
Lisa is the loud one of the pair, the leader who comes up with all sorts of hair brained ideas - and far-fetched stories of swimming with dolphins on her holiday in Spain, of kissing boys much older than herself, and her mum's lodgers being princes from Oman who wanted to marry her and Kirsty and take them abroad to be princesses. Kirsty is pretty sure that Lisa makes all these things up but doesn't want to fall out with her but one afternoon when walking home from school the way her mum has warned her not to go, Kirsty has had enough of being taunted by Lisa for being childish and loses her temper with her, running off and leaving her in the park.  She says nothing to her mum when she gets home, muddy and tearful, as she doesn't want to get in trouble for being in the park.  It's not til the next day that it comes to light that Lisa is missing, and is never seen alive again.
Kirsty carries the guilt of abandoning her friend with her over the years, together with the knowledge that Lisa's mum's lodger has been charged with her abduction and murder partly down to the evidence given by Kirsty, whilst being pressured by the police. The lodger misunderstands why he has been arrested and gives a confession to what he thinks is for visa issues, then realises it is too late to retract or change his statement. The guilt eats away at her and puts restrictions on how she lives her life.
The second part of the story moves on thirty years, and this is where the book changes pace and direction quite abruptly.  Having moved to London to try and escape her past, Kirsty gets a call from her sister back in their home town announcing her pregnancy and begging Kirsty to move back to help her in the early days of motherhood. One of several manipulative people in the book, Vicky wheedles her way to persuading Kirsty to agree despite her boyfriend Lee's resistance to the idea.  Secrets start emerging from the past of several of the characters, including the history surrounding Vicky's friend and psychic cleanser Angela. This was the point in the story where the pace picked up but my interest waned. The coincidences were a step too far - I understand small town mentalities and the whole six degrees of separation thing, but there were too many for my brain to consider feasible.
The threads of the lives of the different characters became really quite tangled and I wasn't sure what was fact and what was fabrication which is what kept me going with this book - I wanted to know what happened to Lisa.  Being as no body had ever been found, was Kirsty going to turn up with one of her tales of where she had been for years? Or was she really the victim of some terrible event that night?  All sorts of scenarios were lurking in my mind, and in this respect I have to praise the author for keeping the reader in suspense right to the end of the book. Whether I can say I actually enjoyed the story I'm not too sure, but I would recommend people read it for themselves with an open mind as there is plenty to think about.

About the Author:



The only child of parents who worked at a top security psychiatric hospital, Frances Vick grew up receiving disquieting notes and presents from the patients. Expelled from school, she spent the next few years on the dole, augmenting her income by providing security and crewing for gigs, and being a medical experiment guinea pig. Later jobs included working in a theatre in Manhattan, teaching English in Japanese Junior High Schools, and being a life model in Italy, before coming back to London and working with young offenders and refugees. Her first novel 'Chinaski' was published in 2014, her second, bestselling novel 'Bad Little Girl' came out in February 2017. Her third, ‘Liars’ also available now.

Sunday 21 April 2019

Amazing Grace by Kim Nash #BlogTour #Review @HeraBooks @rararesources

Amazing Grace by Kim Nash
Published by Hera Books
Publication Date: 10th April 2019
Genre: Romantic Comedy
257 pages

Book Description:

She’s taking her life back , one step at a time…Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted.
Until that fateful day when she walked in on Mark kissing his secretary - and her perfect life fell apart.
Now she's a single mum to Archie, trying to find her way in life and keep things together for his sake. Saturday nights consist of a Chinese takeaway eaten in front of the TV clad in greying pyjamas, and she can’t remember the last time she had a kiss from anyone aside from her dog, Becks
Grace’s life needs a shake up – fast. So when gorgeous gardener Vinnie turns up on her doorstep, his twinkling eyes suggesting that he might be interested in more than just her conifers, she might just have found the answer to her prayers. But as Grace falls deeper for Vinnie, ten-year-old Archie fears that his mum finding love means she’ll never reconcile with the dad he loves.
So when ex-husband Mark begs her for another chance, telling her he’s changed from the man that broke her heart, Grace finds herself with an impossible dilemma. Should she take back Mark and reunite the family that Archie loves? Or risk it all for a new chance of happiness? 

My Review:

First of all I must thank Rachel Gilbey, tour organiser for the opportunity to be part of the blog tour for Kim's debut novel.  Any of you who regularly read my page will know that this year has been dominated by the crime, mystery and thriller genre so to read something lighter has been a breath of fresh air.

My first impression of the book is that maybe it's not as 'polished' in its presentation as the established authors I read on a regular basis, however as a debut book this is perhaps to be expected - and still oceans ahead of anything I could ever dream of achieving myself.  That said, the content of the story and the lovely characters Grace and Archie soon have you wrapped in their charms and rooting for their happiness in just a few chapters and the finished result is a book which will have you laughing and shedding a tear in equal measure. That, to me, is a sign of a successful novel and Kim has achieved that in shed loads here.

Grace is fairly recently divorced from her cheating ex and is looking to find a happy and fulfilling life again now that she has built a new foundation for her and her son Archie.  A roof over their heads and a steady job which she loves are the basics, but Grace has done what many a divorcee has done and retreated into her comfort zone of TV and PJ's most nights once her working day is done.  Her fabulous friend, the gregarious Monica helps get her back 'out there' with a makeover and an on-line dating profile, the results of which had me laughing out loud.  Every girl needs a friend like that - even though Grace might wonder at times just why she listens to her at all. I don't think many of us would mind having a Vinnie around either!!

I loved spending time following Grace as she puts the pieces of her life back together, her primary concern being the light of her life, young son Archie who is himself learning the hard way that life isn't fair sometimes.  They make a fantastic pairing for this lovely story, and with the input of Grace's late mum, who Grace is also coming to terms with being without, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could sincerely relate to the feelings being described. I don't want to go into too much detail regarding the course of the story as I feel it's a journey the reader needs to travel with Grace through the pages to get the most out of the book. I have to admit to having lump in my throat on more than one occasion, and this is where I felt the writing was at its strongest.

I definitely recommend this book, and wish Kim every success in her career as an author - I for one will certainly be supporting her as I feel she has lots more to share with us in the future.


About the Author:

Kim Nash lives in Staffordshire with son Ollie and English Setter Roni, is PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture and is a book blogger at www.kimthebookworm.co.uk

Kim won the Romantic Novelists Association's Media Star of the Year in 2016, which she still can't quite believe. She is now quite delighted to be a member of the RNA. 

When she's not working or writing, Kim can be found walking her dog, reading, standing on the sidelines of a football pitch cheering on Ollie and binge watching box sets on the TV. She's also quite partial to a spa day and a gin and tonic (not at the same time!) Kim also runs a book club in Cannock, Staffs. 

Amazing Grace is her debut novel with Hera Books and will be out on 10th April 2019


Buy your copy here:  






Social Media:

Twitter: @KimTheBookworm) https://twitter.com/KimTheBookworm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimTheBookWorm/
Instagram: @Kim_the_bookworm 


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Thursday 18 April 2019

The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister #NetGalley #TheEvidenceAgainstYou @PenguinUKBooks

The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister
Published by Penguin Books UK (Michael Joseph)
Publication Date: 18th April 2019
Genre: Legal Thriller
437 pages 

First of all I must thank the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title via Netgalley. All opinions and views stated here are my own and unbiased.



Book Description:

It's the day Izzy English's father will be released from jail.
She has every reason to feel conflicted - he's the man who gave her a childhood filled with happy memories.
But he has also just served seventeen years for the murder of her mother.
Now, Izzy's father sends her a letter. He wants to talk, to defend himself against each piece of evidence from his trial.
But should she give him the benefit of the doubt?
Or is her father guilty as charged, and luring her into a trap?

My Review:

I always enjoy Gillian McAllister's writing.  Not necessarily action-packed, but there is always plenty going on to make your grey cells go on overtime and The Evidence Against You is in her signature style.  Every book of hers I have read have had me considering whether the characters acted in the way I would if I found myself with their moral dilemmas.

This time we are presented with Izzy English whose mother was murdered when she was a child and her father tried and convicted for the offence.  Her maternal grandparents took her in and brought her up, meaning that she is influenced by their biased opinions about her father and is encouraged not to pursue the dreams she had as a child and lead a very 'safe' existence.

Gabe English is finally released after serving his sentence for the murder of his wife and immediately makes contact with his daughter, pleading for the opportunity to put his side of the story.  We follow Izzy's dilemma as to whether it is safe for her to meet her father - after all, he could be coming after her as well in order to complete his mission. Or he could, genuinely have been as innocent as he always professed to be from the outset.

We follow the pendulum of thoughts which Izzy goes through, trying to work out if she should risk giving her father his chance to speak: she's worried that the evidence she gave which contributed to his imprisonment all those years ago may mean he wants revenge. Her gut instinct is that she should listen to him, give him a fair hearing - but what if she's wrong? What if she is making a terrible mistake?  Her husband is a very safe character - a police analyst who sees things in black and white, no grey areas. She dare not tell him her dad has been in touch; he wouldn't understand and would have him returned to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence as per the conditions of his licence.  She has nobody to turn to.  Her uncle and cousin are too close to offer a considered opinion and she has no one else close she can bounce ideas off - the product of the 'safe' environment she has been conditioned into: trust no one.

I went through all the emotions with Izzy - and her father as well at times. I didn't know who to trust, who was responsible for the crime so to imagine being Izzy herself took me through some emotional turmoil.  What I didn't see coming was the final outcome, that was a total curveball for me.  Whether I had got myself too deeply into Izzy's character to see the facts as they were presented, I don't know but what I can say is that I was completely invested in the whole story and was emotionally wrung out by the end.  I can imagine that this book might be a bit too slow-moving for some people, but I personally loved it and would recommend it along with all of Gillian's other work.  Clever writing from one of the best in the genre in my opinion.

About the Author:

Gillian McAllister is the Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling author of Everything But The Truth, Anything You Do Say, and No Further Questions. They are all standalone and can be read in any order. She is published in ten countries around the world. The Good Sister is her US debut, coming June 2019 from Penguin USA, and is the American title for No Further Questions. 

You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @gillianmauthor. She also blogs at http://www.gillianmcallister.com

Sunday 14 April 2019

Heartlands by Kerry Watts @bookouture #NetGalley #Review @Denmanisfab

Heartlands by Kerry Watts
Published by Bookouture
Publication Date: 18th March 2019
Genre: Crime
270 pages

Book Description:

Call it mother’s intuition, but I knew she was dead the moment she was late home. As I listened to her phone ring and ring, that’s when I knew for sure. My little girl was gone.

Twenty years ago, Sophie Nicoll never came home from school. Days later her body was found in a shallow grave on a remote farm a few miles from her hometown. Two boys from her school were found guilty. The press called the boys evil. Sophie’s family wanted them dead. The judge promised they’d never walk free.

Two decades later and schoolgirl Shannon Ross has vanished from a small town in the Scottish Highlands.

It’s Detective Jessie Blake’s first big case since she joined Perthshire Police. Having recently arrived from London, Jessie lives in fear of people finding out about her past and her reasons for moving north.

When Shannon’s body is found in the river on the outskirts of Inverlochty, Jessie discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide. As the small community begins to crack under pressure, people begin to point fingers. And soon, the big secrets hidden within the small town are revealed – with devastating consequences.

This shocking crime thriller set in the dramatic Scottish Highlands will have you reading well into the night. If you like LJ Ross, Cara Hunter or Robert Bryndza, you will absolutely love this.

My Review:

My thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this, the first in the Jessie Blake series.  I've not read this author before so wasn't sure what to expect, but the description of the book intrigued me as to what was going on.

There are events in two time periods featuring in this book: the rape and murder of a teenager back in the late 1990's and a missing girl in the present day.  Two youths were arrested and charged with the historic case and how this relates to the missing person case I was interested to know - if at all.
Detective Jessie Blake is the officer in charge of the present day case when it is called in to the police.  She lives some distance away from the rural community where 15 year old Shannon is reported missing from.  We know very little about Jessie which helps to not distract from the main story of what has happened to Shannon.  There are a few possibilities presented along the way, none of which seems particularly probable - until a huge bombshell from the past of one of the characters.  I won't drop any spoilers, but mud sticks and the discovery of long hidden secrets causes shockwaves in the community and forces more than one person to question all they thought they knew. The truth however will shock the reader and I found myself mulling over the facts and implications of events long after I had finished the final pages. 

As regards Jessie, there is clearly lots more to come about her background and the series looks like it could get really interesting on the more personal side of the detective team as well as with the future cases they work on.

A very promising start to a new series, I will certainly be looking out for further work by this author.

About the Author:

Kerry Watts was born and grew up in a small town in the East of Scotland where she still lives today. She is always writing and carries a little notebook and pen with her wherever she goes because at her age ideas need to be captured before they disappear.
Kerry specialises in crime fiction because she enjoys pushing the boundaries of what it is to be human. The nature versus nurture debate fascinates her. She loves to put her characters in impossible situations just to see what happens. Her experience as a psychiatric nurse heavily influences her writing. She also wants to create characters that people can relate to who might be facing the same struggles as anyone else.
Authors who inspire her are anyone capable of creating a character who lives inside her head long after she has closed the book. Her favourite fictional character's are Dexter Morgan, created by Jeff Lindsay as well as Hannibal Lechter created by Thomas Harris. She doesn't have a favourite genre as a reader. Kerry will read anything. Written by anyone. If the blurb has a good feel about it she's hooked.
When she's not writing she loves to spend time following her other passions - dogs, particularly rescue mutts and horse racing. The sight of a thoroughbred race horse at full stretch has been known to move her to tears, not just lump in the throat stuff but full on blubbing. And for that she is unashamed. One day she's going to buy a racehorse filly and call her Into Darkness.
She also had a small role in a film called The Rocket Post but decided acting wasn't for her. She would rather create a character than play one.

Social Media:

Twitter: @Denmanisfab

Wednesday 10 April 2019

Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech @LouiseWriter @OrendaBooks @annecater #BlogTour #Review

Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech
Published by Orenda Books
Publication Date: 18 February 2019 (ebook)
18 April 2019 (paperback)
Genre: Psychological Thriller
272 pages

Book Description:

Stirring up secrets can be deadly … especially if they’re yours…Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught.

Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers.

Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after fourteen years. She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father …

What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof.

Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything…

With echoes of the Play Misty for Me, Call Me Star Girl is a taut, emotive and all-consuming psychological thriller that plays on our deepest fears, providing a stark reminder that stirring up dark secrets from the past can be deadly…

My Review:

My thanks to Anne Cater for the opportunity to review this book and feature as part of the blog tour for Louise Beech and Orenda Books.  It's not the kind of book I would usually choose going by the cover (I am guilty of choosing a book by its cover) but I have to say I enjoyed reading about Stella and the relationships which made her who she is.

Stella McKeever is a radio presenter who hosts a late night phone-in show. The main focus of the book is the murder of a young woman, pregnant with her first child.  The murder happens a mere stone's throw from the studio where Stella works so when a man phones in to Stella's show saying he knows what happened that night, Stella is drawn in to the dilemma of what to do with this information.  Because Stella herself has information about that night which could be of interest to those looking into the case.

Stella's mum Elizabeth is back in her life again after a 14 year absence, and seems to want to make amends for the missing years.  During their meetings it appears that Elizabeth has things she's holding back from telling Stella - including the fact that she has a connection to Stella's boyfriend Tom. Why is Elizabeth still keeping secrets from her daughter now that the biggest question of Stella's life has been answered?

The writing of this book I found to be cleverly atmospheric, the description of Stella's radio voice seemed to add to the tension which built up gradually to her final broadcast where she invites people to ring in with their secrets.  The pace is perfect - reflecting that calmness which seems to accompany a late night phone-in show on the radio however there's always that touch of adrenalin present with regard to what subject the caller will want to discuss.  There are secrets hiding behind each of the characters which will either shock you or explain another aspect of the story, and the author does well to keep that edge which keeps you turning the pages in search of the truth.

I recommend this book - it is a murder mystery, however the way the case is solved barely involves the police at all which makes for an unusual angle on working out "whodunnit" for the reader.

About the Author:


Louise Beech is an exceptional literary talent, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The follow-up, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. Both of her previous books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers on Kindle. The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award in 2019. Her short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. Louise lives with her husband on the outskirts of Hull, and loves her job as a Front of House Usher at Hull Truck Theatre, where her first play was performed in 2012.
 

Social Media:

Website - http://louisebeech.co.uk/
Twitter - @LouiseWriter 

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Sunday 7 April 2019

Turn the Other Way by Stuart James #BlogTour @StuartJames73 @BOTBSPublicity @sarahhardy681

Turn the Other Way by Stuart James
Independently Published
Publication Date: 9 February 2019
Genre: Thriller
419 pages

Book Description:

Sometimes revenge is the deadliest game of all.
A derelict farmhouse in the Essex countryside.
A deranged family.
Innocent victims picked at random.

If you're chosen, Turn The Other Way.

Simon Bairstow is a top London surgeon. He's performed dozens of life-saving operations. But something goes horribly wrong. The machine Eve Johnson is attached to flatlines, and suddenly her parent's world has collapsed.
They're hellbent on revenge, someone to answer for the horrific error that's been made.
Noah and Jess are driving home on a busy dual carriageway and stuck in traffic. They hear thumping coming from the back doors of the transit van in front of them. When Noah steps out onto the road, he hears muffled screams.
He opens the back doors and what he sees shocks him to the core.
The van pulls off, spilling Noah onto the road.
Ignoring his wife's plea to leave it, he hits the accelerator in pursuit of the van.
Chloe's parents are missing. She hasn't seen them since they left the party in Hampstead on Friday night. She needs answers, deciding to take matters into her own hands.
A serial killer is stalking the streets of Islington in North London late at night leaving his victims in a horrific way.
The press have dubbed him the Angel Attacker.
A terrifying tale of revenge with a twist that will hit you like a sledgehammer.

My Review:

First of all I must give my thanks to Sarah Hardy of Book on the Bright Side Publicity for the opportunity to read and review this book here on my page as part of Stuart's promotional blog tour.

The book is split into chapters headed 'Past' and 'Present' so the story is easily tracked time-wise between the time frames. On reading the first chapter I wondered if this was going to be the usual revenge story of parents who tragically lose their child and seek vengeance on those who they feel are responsible for their loss. This is the point that I have to tell you that there is absolutely nothing run-of-the-mill about this book whatsoever.  I stayed up way beyond my regular bedtime to read just one more chapter (or five!), totally absorbed in the story.  I HAD to carry on as each chapter left unanswered questions as to (a) what was going on and (b) what was going to happen next.

A word of warning: there are some pretty graphic scenes throughout the book, moreso than in a lot of books in the thriller genre which may put off some readers but I felt added to the horror of the events which were going on.  The people driving the van gave me chills: they just do not care. Whether they are seen, followed - anything. They just have one thing in mind, and that is whatever twisted plan they have and how they can make sure it is carried out.  Anyone gets in their way, they either make them part of the plan or 'remove' them from proceedings. But what is their connection to that tragic first chapter?  I had no definite theory as to where the two timeframes linked - lots of possibilities presented themselves to me but each of them was quickly dismissed with another twist in the tale.

My heart broke for poor young Chloe, whose parents have mysteriously vanished into the night after leaving her birthday party.  She searches desperately for them with the help of her boyfriend but it quickly becomes clear to her that someone doesn't want her to know what happened that night when they cross paths with the men in the van.  Many people seem to clam up when she starts asking questions yet the help the odd few are offering doesn't seem to be getting her any answers. What is going on??

After a good old cat and mouse chase, the answers to decades old mysteries eventually come spilling out bringing with them explanations for the modern side of the story. I guarantee you will be shocked by the truth of the tale.  The 'how, why and who' all fitted together in devastatingly horrific ways which hadn't even been options in my mind along the way and I stayed awake way, way longer than I had planned in order to finish this book.

A belter of a book which will have you glued to the plot whilst hiding behind your cushion with dread as you read. Once you're involved there is no escape.


About the Author:

I’m 45, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing.
I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.

I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep.
There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.
I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns.
My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.
This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.
I started writing two years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane.
I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement.
To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness.
That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.


My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way.
I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death.
A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party.
A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them.
A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.

I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.

I’m currently working on my new thriller, Apartment Six, which should be released later this year.

Social Media:
Instagram: StuartJamesAuthor
Twitter: @StuartJames73

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