Two Heads Are Better Than One

Nick Bradley

Publication Date: 13/6/24

Publisher: Penguin Random House

SYNOPSIS

A despondent American translator living in Tokyo finds a lost book on the subway and embarks on a year-long journey translating it into English…

Flo is sick of Tokyo. She is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up, and she’s in a relationship that’s run its course. That’s until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a drunken passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life…

It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other. 

As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair’s burgeoning relationship, she quickly realises that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book to track down its elusive author. And, as her two protagonists reveal themselves to have more in common with her life than first meets the eye, the lines between text and translator converge. The journey is just beginning.

 MY REVIEW

I’m sure readers of Nicks first book, The Cat and the City will need no persuading to read this one!

This is a beautiful story within a story. Sad, happy, uplifting, promising, and so much more. Immersing the reader in Japanese culture, with beautiful descriptions of the scenery, food, traditions, the people. It just has to be read to be appreciated. Nick has drawn on his experiences of living in Japan and working as a translator and of his studying the cat in Japanese literature to create an outstanding work.

It is a story of family, of belonging, of dreams and sometimes harsh reality. It utterly draws the reader in to both the story within, and the translator’s story.

Set in Japan (of course!). The ‘inner’ story follows Kyo. Having failed his entrance exam to study medicine his mother sends him off to live with his grandmother for a year to attend a cram school, to prepare to resit it. There is no doubt Kyo will become a doctor just like his mother. Kyo feels like a failure, cutting all ties with his more successful peers, and is not even sure he wants to be a doctor. His first love is drawing and he would secretly love to become a Manga artist. As my daughter has me quite addicted to Manga and Anime I enjoyed the references to his work on a Manga strip.

Life with his strict grandmother is not much fun to begin with. Having lost her son, Kyo’s father, to suicide, she does not know how to treat Kyo. She keeps her emotions hidden but deep down she loves him and is so proud of him.

I enjoyed the relationship between Kyo and his grandmother, how it developed through its ups and downs.

And of course I loved Coltrane the one eyed cat.

The ‘outer’ story of Flo is quite sad. Having moved from the US, she still finds she is awkward around people. As a translator she keeps mostly to herself and is torn between following her girlfriend back to the US or staying in Tokyo. When she finds a novel left behind on a train she becomes obsessed with translating it into English and tracking down its secretive author.

Highly highly recommended and this is going to be one of my top books of the year without a shadow of a doubt.

Many thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for having me along on the blog tour.

BLOG TOUR HOSTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NICK BRADLEY holds a PhD from UEA focussing on the figure of the cat in Japanese literature. He lived in Japan for a decade, but currently teaches on the Creative Writing master’s programme at the University of Cambridge. His debut novel, The Cat and The City, was published in 2020 to widespread 

Robert J. Lloyd

Publication Date: 20/6/24

Publisher: Melville House Press

SYNOPSIS

In late 17th Century London rich young women are being kidnapped, then murdered. Harry Hunt, formerly of the Royal Society but now a rich gentleman, is falsely accused. To clear his name, he must rely on his abandoned scientific expertise and battle the full force of the British aristocracy.

1681. London cooks in summer heat. Bonfires are lit in protest against the King’s brother, James, heir to the throne but openly Catholic. Rumours abound of a ‘Black Box’, said to conceal proof the King’s illegitimate son is really the rightful heir.

When a wealthy merchant’s daughter is kidnapped and murdered―even though a ransom was paid―the King orders Harry Hunt of the Royal Society to help investigate.

A second woman goes missing: Elizabeth Thynne, England’s richest heiress. Her husband has a ransom letter from the same kidnappers.

Pressured by powerful men to find the killers and rescue Elizabeth, Harry uncovers a disturbing link to Bethlehem Hospital, better known as Bedlam. But he is falsely accused of the crimes.

To prove his innocence, he must find the real culprits. Harry’s search takes him from Rotherhithe to Whitehall Palace, and to the house of Sir Peter Lely, the famous portrait-painter, in Covent Garden. And back to Bedlam. He has the Monarchy’s future in his hands.

MY REVIEW

This is the third in the addictive Hunt and Hooke series and I am here for it! Since reading The Bloodless Boy I have eagerly awaited the next book and have never been disappointed. They can all be read as stand alones but I’d highly recommend them all.

This one is set in London in the summer of 1681.

Rich in history with real people, places and events being woven through the fiction.

When the body of a suicide victim is sent from Bethlehem Hospital – or Bedlam as it is better known – to be dissected in the interests of medical progress, someone recognises the girl and it is not the suicide victim it should be. She is a murder victim.

Harry Hunt is commanded by the King to investigate the murder. Not only is there a murder to investigate, it turns out another woman has disappeared and her husband wants her found.

With two cases now to investigate, and with the initial assistance of the no messing about Justice, Sir John, Harry begins his investigations unaware he himself will be brought into question.

He leaves his new, rich and privileged lifestyle and his potential fiancée behind and with no choice goes into hiding in the poor back streets of London with no money or possessions.

He uncovers conspiracies, lies, secrets and meets some very nasty people.

Robert excels at setting the scene and placing the reader right at the centre of the action. Sights, sounds and (bad) smells of London in 1681 are all described in detail.

He summarises the plot so far now and again through Harry’s thoughts, although I raced through it so quickly I didn’t need it. Very helpful to people who take more than a few days to read a book.

The short sharp chapters make for a fast paced read which completely immersed me.

An absolutely fantastic historical crime thriller and I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to Nikki at Melville House Press for having me along on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Lloyd, the son of parents who worked in the British Foreign Office, grew up in South London, Innsbruck, and Kinshasa. He studied for a Fine Art degree, starting as a landscape painter, but it was while studying for his MA degree in the History of Ideas that he first read Robert Hooke’s diary, detailing the life and experiments of this extraordinary man. After a twenty-year career as a secondary
school teacher, he has now returned to painting and writing, and is working on the fourth book in the Hunt & Hooke series. He lives in Crickhowell, Wales.

Also in the Hunt & Hooke series:
The Bloodless Boy – 9781685890049
The Poison Machine – 9781685890407

Gay Marris

Publication Date: 20/6/25

Publisher: Bedford Square Publishers

SYNOPSIS

Set in London in 1968, A CURTAIN TWITCHER’S BOOK OF MURDER follows the lives of the inhabitants of a suburban London street. But this is no ordinary road.

“Ask anyone on Atbara Avenue how well they know their neighbours, and they’ll answer ‘well’. After all, they see each other across the vast distance afforded by close proximity, and that is probably for the best…”.

For the best, because Atbara Avenue is a street where, all too often, murder feels like the solution.

With a delicious cast of characters, dazzling plotting, and an utterly unique voice, Gay Marris’ first book is remarkably accomplished. If you’ve been longing for a fresh and compelling new voice in the world of crime fiction, your wait is over.

MY REVIEW

What an absolutely brilliant, entertaining, darkly humorous book! I think I would sum up as ‘cosy crime with plenty of stings in the tails’

The brilliantly plotted stories are set on Atbara Avenue, a suburban street in London, where across 8 chapters we read about different residents, their dastardly deeds and their secrets. The stories overlap as the neighbours turn up within each story.

I particularly liked Muriel, the ‘sweet little old lady’ who is not quite as sweet as she appears. Also Deirdre, the wife of the reverend, who likes to stick her nose into everyone’s business thinking she is helping but more often than not reads the situation completely wrong.

Pauline plans to murder her nasty mother.

Colin believes his soul has left his body and is talking to him.

And plenty more intriguing twisty stories… I just did not see those endings!

An excellent read I have already started recommending.

Really huge thanks to Bedford Square Publishers for introducing me to this book.

Jess Armstrong

Publication Date: 20/6/24

Publisher: Allison & Busby

SYNOPSIS

1922. Since the Great War, Ruby Vaughn has made a life for herself running a rare bookshop alongside octogenarian Mr Owen. She thought that she had consigned painful memories of Penryth Hall, deep in the Cornish countryside, to the distant past. Returning to the hall, home to a once dear friend, Tamsyn, leads Ruby to cross paths with Tamsyn’s sinister husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. Desperate to leave, Ruby’s plans are thwarted when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward has been brutally killed in the orchard prompting fears that a dormant curse has been awoken.

The Pellar, Ruan Kivell, is summoned. The locals believe that this unsettling man can break the curse. Sceptical Ruby doesn’t believe in curses or Pellars but to protect her friend, she must work alongside him to find out what really happened that night.

MY REVIEW

Set in 1922,this gothic historical crime novel with a hint of the supernatural is a brilliant debut.

Cast out from the high society of New York, Ruby finds herself living in Exeter with an octogenarian bookseller. When he asks her to take a case full of rare books to Cornwall, a place she never wanted to visit again, she is invited to stay at Penryth Hall with her best friend, Tamsyn, from many years ago and her husband. Ruby and Tamsyn clearly share some history. No sooner does Ruby arrive than Tamsyn’s husband is found murdered. Could the curse which is said to have killed her husband’s family have struck again? Could Tamsyn be next? And who is the wraith like figure Ruby saw in the gardens?

With the help of Ruan Kivell, the local Pellar, and self proclaimed witch, she begins investigating the murder, finding herself in fear for her life.

Such a good storyline with a fearless protagonist in Ruby and a maybe love interest in the Pellar, but this takes very much a back seat to the storyline.

I thoroughly enjoyed following Ruby as she dug deeper into the murder, absolutely not believing in curses or witches. She has quite a dry sense of humour I chuckled at a few times.

I am pleased to see it is book 1 of 2 as I need to know what Ruby does next! Does she go to Egypt with Howard Carter as she is desperate to?

Thank you so much to Allison & Busby for my spot on the blog tour and also for my gorgeous hardback copy of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jess Armstrong is the USA Today best selling author of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries. Her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition. She has a masters degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog, and the world’s most pampered school-fair goldfish. And when she’s not working on her next project, she’s probably thinking about cheese, baking, on social media or some combination of the above. You can find her on Instagram or X @JessL_Armstrong at or see what’s new on her website.

Tony Kent

Publication date: 6th June 2024

Publisher: Elliott & Thompson

SYNOPSIS

How do you take down an enemy when no one believes they exist?
When the lawyers of alleged war criminal Hannibal Strauss are caught up in a terror attack in The Hague, barrister Michael Devlin immediately suspects all is not what it seems. Teaming up once more with Agent Joe Dempsey, they must find who’s behind it all before any more innocent lives are lost.
With their key witness on the run and assassins on their tail, their
only lead is a codename: the Monk, a legendary and mysterious
foreign agent with a fearsome reputation. But what is his stake in this dangerous game? And just who is part of his shadowy network of spies? Caught in a complicated web of lies, secrets and double agents, there’s no one Dempsey and Devlin can trust but themselves.
The Shadow Network is a tightly plotted and fast paced political thriller set against the backdrop of Russian espionage, American spy-hunting and the modern day consequences of the games played by both superpowers during the Cold War.

MY REVIEW

Mr Kent. You kept me awake until after 2am as I just had to finish The Shadow Network! The quality of the writing. The characters. The fast pace. The non stop action. Thrillers just do not come any better than this.

The short chapters mean the different threads stay fresh in the mind as we swap between them.

Tony Kent draws from his experience and his knowledge of the criminal world, writing a fast paced, perfectly plotted and authentic storyline and larger than life characters. Literally in the case of one of them. As an ex boxer and current criminal barrister we don’t know what he is drawing from the real criminal world and what is from his imagination, but this reads as something which could actually happen. And perhaps is happening.

The story opens with a terror attack in The Hague, taking the reader straight into the action and not letting them go until the last page has been read. This is a chunky book with 525 pages which just flew past. I could have carried on reading and can’t wait for the next one.

Dempsey and Devlin are at the christening of Devlin’s boys completely unaware of the events unfolding in The Hague. When they are made aware there has been a random terrorist attack and Devlin’s friend is missing they arrange to travel to The Hague immediately to look for him. They have no idea what they are heading into or that the attack was actually targeted. Devlin’s friend being one of the targets.

Joe Dempsey. Ex Army and current agent for the International Security Bureau, the UN’s intelligence service, puts his hand selected alpha team to work. The small team of four is unofficially led by the very able Grace. They are sent to find the wife of a missing man and protect her but she is gone when they reach her home.

We get to see the softer side of Joe as his ex girlfriend appears in this story. He had to finish the relationship to keep her safe as his life does not allow for a family. Unbelievably she has got involved in the day’s atrocities by way of her husband and now her life is in danger.

There is a legendary foreign agent at play known as ‘The Monk’ who appears to be pulling the strings. He leads an organisation which was said to have been set up decades ago and which has its tentacles spread out across the globe. His identity is unknown. Even the people who work for him do not know who he is. It is up to Dempsey and Devlin to put their lives on the line to get to the bottom of today’s attack, find a missing computer expert who escaped from the attack and is now in hiding and who may have the answer, and track down the possibly non existent Monk.

I don’t want to spoil the plot but I gasped out loud at one revelation towards the end I did not see coming. Brilliant.

This is the fifth Dempsey and Devlin book. I have read Power Play (another fantastic read and my review is on my blog) and absolutely intend to read the others in the series. So glad there are even more to come and I’m here for them all.

Many thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for having me along on the blog tour and to Elliott & Thompson for my finished copy of the book.

BLOG TOUR HOSTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S.T.Gibson

Publication Date: 28/5/24

Publisher: Angry Robot

SYNOPSIS

The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov. 

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society. 

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door. 

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…

The first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series from The Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood.

MY REVIEW

This started off as an exciting read as we are thrown into the world of the supernatural and the occult. Summonings. Possession. Demons. Sorcerors. Ghosts. The opening line had me hooked. A haunted house? Oh yes bring it on!

A strong character driven read, this is the first in a series and is centred around David’s story. As well as his thriving sideline occult practice he is also a prosecutor for the City of Boston. His ex boyfriend Rhys and Rhys’ wife Moira are the other main characters and the story is told from the three POV’s. Quite a complicated relationship between the three with lingering feelings coming back to the surface. And plenty of spice. However my favourite character was Leda, David’s sister, a chaos magician. She is a jump off the page larger than life personality. ‘A bit of a hedonist’ as she describes herself.

David and Rhys are competing for the best position at their secret society and I would love to have read more details about what goes on at their weekly meetings.

When David hears a voice at a seance which appears to come from inside of him he is concerned he has accidentally let himself be possessed and reaches out to Rhys and Moira for help. Could it be the devil himself? Could the fabled family curse be real?

It is obvious the author is very interested in the occult, being a tarot reader, and has done a lot of research. I watched a very interesting interview on Instagram with Fairyloot I would recommend you watch if you are thinking of reading this book, or have already read it.

I would have really liked more focus on the plot and more of the supernatural rather than the relationships but that is just my preference. If you like a spicy read, with LGBTQ content, you may enjoy this.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S.T. Gibson is the British Fantasy Award nominated and Goodreads Choice Award nominated author of the Sunday Times bestseller A DOWRY OF BLOOD. 

She holds a Bachelors degree in Creative Writing from UNC Asheville, and a Masters of Theological Studies from Princeton Seminary. 

Connect with her on twitter @s_t_gibson or through her official author website stgibson.com. Sign up for her monthly newsletter at saint.substack.com.

James Comey

Publication Date: 6th June 2024

Publisher: Head of Zeus

SYNOPSIS

She’s the lawyer. But now she’s the one on trial.

A red canoe sits abandoned on Seymour Rock, right where the Saugatuck River meets Long Island Sound.

The elegantly dressed corpse of a woman lies inside…

Nora Carleton left New York to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, where her life has become slower, more predictable. That is until her colleague and friend, Helen, is brutally murdered – and she becomes the prime suspect.

In the months leading up to Helen’s death, she and Nora were investigating someone within the company who was using insider information to undercut Saugatuck’s investments. Nora knows this is somehow linked to Helen’s murder – if only she can see how.

Calling in old colleagues from the US Attorney’s office, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and attorney Carmen Garcia, Nora must find evidence to prove her innocence – or risk being put behind bars herself…

Pre-order link

Amazon: https://geni.us/WestportBlogTour

MY REVIEW

Mr Comey follows up his brilliant debut, Central Park West, with Westport which is another cracking thriller.

With his experience as head of the FBI, and his previous role working in finance, Comey has created another believable story and some fantastic characters which jump off the page. Some of the characters reappear from Central Park West, but Westport can easily be read as a stand alone. I loved tough guy ‘Mr Rough’ Benny, legendary Mafia investigator and who worked with Nora in her previous role at the US Attorney’s office. He drops everything to come to help his friend prove her innocence, despite glaringly obvious clues pointing to Nora as a murderer. He believes her claim that she is being set up. What an asset to have in your corner!

I also really liked Nora as a character. Caught up in a murder investigation and trying to juggle her home life with work and now being the prime suspect. She keeps a level head throughout.

The story is fast paced and gripping, with plenty of threads to keep the reader intrigued. As well as a murder, there is a ‘front runner’ dealing in shares just before the finance company Nora and Helen work for places their share deals, and therefore making a lot of money. There are a handful of shady suspects who may have wanted to harm Helen, as she knew about the skeletons in their closets. But which one hated her enough to murder her? And who is the front runner?

Loved the tongue in cheek reference to Ironside, which Nora calls her close friend and wheelchair bound co-worker Rob, and which I totally understood as I used to watch the show!

James Comey was already on my auto read author list after his debut, and I look forward to his next novel which is book three in this trilogy. The quality and authenticity of his writing shines through the pages.

Huge thanks to Andrew at Head of Zeus for my invitation to join the blog tour.

BLOG TOUR HOSTS

Check out what these other amazing bloggers thought of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Comey was born in New York City and attended the College of William and Mary and Chicago Law School. He worked as an assistant district attorney in New York, prosecuting organised crime figures, and worked on terrorism cases as assistant DA in Virginia. He served as the seventh Director of the FBI from 2013 until May 9, 2017, when he was dismissed by President Donald Trump.

James Comey Social Media Handles

Twitter: @Comey

Facebook: James Comey Author

Instagram: @Comey

Website: https://jamescomeybooks.com/

Rosie Green

Publication date: 6th April 2024

SYNOPSIS

The Sunshine Sisters: Skye’s story
BOOK TWO of a TRILOGY in the popular Little Duck Pond Café series

Skye Sunshine has a theory that workmen, when in your house, should be seen and not heard. But Saul, the annoyingly sexy handyman clearly hasn’t received the memo! He’s far too cheeky and irritating for her liking.
But when Skye’s peace of mind and reputation as an actress is threatened by hacks desperate for a story, can she really afford to turn down Saul’s offer – to whisk her away from the limelight to the privacy of his rustic cabin in the woods?

MY REVIEW

I’m so happy to be sharing my review today on the blog blitz for this fabulous new Duck Pond cafe book from Rosie Thomas.

Rosie has such a talent for writing characters which are full of life and I look forward to every book she releases.

This is book two of the Sunshine Sisters trilogy and having read book one and briefly met Skye the actress I was intrigued to get to know more about this sister.

Initially coming across as a bit stand offish, we soon begin to peel back the layers of what has made Skye into the person she is today. With a series of unfortunate incidents in her past involving men who have badly treated her, she is nervous to put her trust in a man. Rosie highlights the difficulties and worries faced by many women.

Over the course of the book we follow Skye as she changes from Diva actress to someone who can appreciate the simple things in life.

Rori, the handsome handyman from the first book, is on hand to be a friend for Skye. I was so hoping there would be love in the air for them. The chemistry between them was palpable and his cheeky sense of humour helped to melt Skye’s hard shell.

We find more out about Ava, Skye’s mother, and her early life which brought me to tears.

I loved the strong bonds between the three sisters who are always there for each other.

Rosie’s novellas are just the right length to enjoy in a couple of sittings. She manages to develop the characters and the situation making for a completely absorbing read.

Another brilliant addition to The Little Duck Pond series of novellas and I can’t wait to read about Blossom; the third sister.

Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C6B1Y1KW
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C6B1Y1KW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosie has been scribbling stories ever since she was little. Back then, they were rip-roaring adventure tales with a young heroine in perilous danger of falling off a cliff or being tied up by ‘the baddies’. Thankfully, Rosie has moved on somewhat, and now much prefers to write romantic comedies that melt your heart and make you smile, with really not much perilous danger involved at all – unless you count the heroine losing her heart in love.

Rosie’s Little Duck Pond Cafe series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe and each book can be read as a stand-alone story. 

New for 2024: The Sunshine Sisters – an exciting new trilogy, part of the Little Duck Pond Café series. 

The Sunshine Sisters: Aurora – out now.

The Sunshine Sisters: Skye – out now

The Sunshine Sisters: Blossom – out in June

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

Kitty Johnson

Publication Date: 28th May 2024

Publisher: Lake Union

SYNOPSIS

Frances Mathews doesn’t get out much since her husband died, but that doesn’t stop her from jump-starting a campaign to create a hedgehog highway in Hilltop Place—feeding stations, holes at the bottoms of gates and fences, and wild garden areas for hibernation. To Frances’s delight, her neighbours are on board. Mostly.

There are Jess and Michael, whose marriage is cracking under the unanticipated strain of a recent adoption. And Ryan, a wounded war reporter struggling to connect with his son after a divorce and forced to return to an exasperating parental fold. Plus, a very forthright single mum new to the neighbourhood and an exceedingly proper couple not about to upend their picture-perfect garden for prickly nuisances.

As relationships—from the romantic to the nerve-racking—form and secrets are unearthed, Hilltop Place is threatened in ways that affect them all…unaware hedgehogs included. What Frances and her charitable neighbours soon discover about themselves and each other is hardly what any of them expected.

MY REVIEW

What a delightful heartwarming read this was!

Kitty has written such deep, well developed characters I felt like I was living on that street amongst them!

All with their own secrets and troubles ‘you never know what goes on behind closed doors’ as Ryan’s mum would no doubt say.

I loved the way Kitty weaved the plight of the hedgehogs into the lives of the residents of the small sleepy cul de sac of 5 houses. It is almost as though the hedgehogs are telling some of the story from their own sleepy slurpy bug munching perspective in some places!

It is so evident Kitty is involved with hedgehog preservation, and her love of the gorgeous prickly creatures shines through.

A wonderful story of a community pulling together and becoming great friends (mostly!) into the bargain. By the end of the book their lives are changed beyond anything they could have imagined.

You can probably tell I absolutely adored this book and am quite sad I have finished it but I’ll be looking out for more books from Kitty.

Huge thanks to Antara at FMcM Associates for inviting me on to the blog tour and for sending me a copy of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kitty Johnson is the author of Five Winters. She has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia and teaches occasional creative writing classes. A nature lover and artist, Kitty enjoys walking in woodland and on the coast with her dog and makes collages and paintings from the landscape. She loves a challenge and once performed stand-up comedy as research for a book—an experience she found very scary but hugely empowering. Kitty lives in Norwich, Norfolk, in the UK with her partner and teenage son. 

If you’d like to connect then please visit Kitty’s website at http://www.kittyjohnsonbooks.com where you can sign up to her newsletter. Kitty also be found on Facebook, and Instagram as kittyjohnsonbooks and on Twitter as kittyjohnsonbks.

Kitty also writes as Margaret K Johnson.

Mimi Kwa

Publication Date: 9th May 2024

Publisher: Harper360

SYNOPSIS

The dragon circles and swoops … a tiger running alone in the night …

Mimi Kwa ignored the letter for days. When she finally opened it, the news was so shocking her hair turned grey. Why would a father sue his own daughter?

The collision was over the estate of Mimi’s beloved Aunt Theresa, but its seed had been sown long ago. In an attempt to understand how it had come to this, Mimi unspools her rich family history in House of Kwa. 

One of a wealthy silk merchant’s 32 children, Mimi’s father, Francis, was just a little boy when the Kwa family became caught up in the brutal and devastating Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II. Years later, he was sent to study in Australia by his now independent and successful older sister Theresa. There he met and married Mimi’s mother, a nineteen-year-old with an undiagnosed, chronic mental illness. Soon after, ‘tiger’ Mimi arrived, and her struggle with the past – and the dragon – began …

Riveting, colourful and often darkly humorous, House of Kwa is an epic family drama spanning four generations, and an unforgettable story about how one woman finds the courage to stand up for her freedom and independence, squaring off against the ghosts of the past and finally putting them to rest. Throughout, her inspiration is Francis’s late older sister, the jet-setting, free-spirited Aunt Theresa, whose extraordinary life is a beacon of hope in the darkness.

MY REVIEW

🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I knew I just had to read this book when I saw it being compared to Wild Swans, my favourite book.

And following in the footsteps of Jung Chang, Mimi Kwa tells the story of her own family, spanning four generations, in her own insightful way. She manages to insert some dark humour into the pages.

This is a warts and all story of the ups and downs of her family history. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and Mimi has a wonderful way of writing which brings the book vividly to life. Some of it makes rather difficult reading, but is necessary to tell her story, including servants, the family living through the Second World, suicide attempts, mental health issues. It was very difficult to read how some of the men treat their wives and children. Multiple wives at one time was acceptable and Mimi’s grandfather had 32 children to his 3 wives, appearing heartless by leaving ‘wife number one’ behind with some children when he fled the horrors of the Second World War with his other wives and children but he felt it was the only way forward.

I enjoyed getting to know Mimi’s Aunt Theresa. What a wonderful lady she was to raise herself up from nothing to become a very successful and much loved and admired lady. She lived and worked for the benefit of her family.

Mimi’s dad is another family member I enjoyed getting to know. He is both scary and hilarious. His attempt at setting up and running a ‘back packer travel resort’ hotel in Perth reminds me of Fawlty Towers! He has no filter. He thinks he can do anything and frequently tries. Chiropractor? Yes I can do that! He must have been a very interesting character for the hotel visitors.

Mimi has had an incredible life so far. Sadly she has experienced things no child should ever have to experience and received no support at the time. What a strong woman to have come through what she has and be able to tell her story.

A captivating story I could not put down.

ABOUT TRE AUTHOR

Mimi Kwa has been a journalist and television newsreader for twenty years as well as appearing in TV series and commercials.

She and her partner, John, live in Melbourne, with their four children, a cavoodle and a burmese cat. Mimi loves to paint and write.

This is her first book.