Two Heads Are Better Than One

Jenny Bayliss

Publication Date: 9th November 2023

Publisher: Pan

SYNOPSIS

A December to Remember follows the three North sisters who rekindle their broken relationship in the wake of their father’s death.

Wildly different half-sisters Maggie, Simone and Star have hardly seen each other since their idyllic summers spent in the charming village of Rowan Thorp, the home of their eccentric father, Augustus. Known for the fruitful ways in which he and his bustling curiosity shop kept the towns tongues wagging and ladies swooning, Augustus was loved by all and known by none, not even his daughters.

Now, years later, the three estranged women are unexpectedly reunited at the reading of Augustus’s will. Maggie, Simone and Star are shocked to find out that Augustus has engineered a series of hoops through which the three women must jump to unlock their inheritance – the last thing any of them want to do. But each sister desperately needs the money, and they are in no position to rebel against their father’s final wishes.

Spending the winter months at Rowan Thorp stirs up feelings with forgotten flames, and makes the sisters confront the lives they’ve left behind. As old wounds resurface and long-buried secrets come to light, the sisters must learn to work together if they hope to succeed. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to go back to where it all began . . .

MY REVIEW

A truly gorgeous read.

It is not a traditional ‘Christmas’ read, but concentrates on celebrating the winter solstice.

After their father dies at a ripe old age, in his beloved camper van, the three sisters are brought together for the reading of his unusual will. Augustus – known locally as The Wizard of Rowan Tree Woods – has been quite a free spirit in his lifetime, and his daughters are all results of his affairs with three different women. He didn’t spend much time with his daughters when they were growing up other than every summer they would stay with him at his shop and huge forest garden and be proper sisters.

The years have separated them and beyond the grave, Augustus has set a plan in motion to bring them back together. If they can meet the unusual tasks in his will they will inherit his full estate. If not, it goes to charities.

This was initially quite a challenging read as there are a lot of characters to get to know very early on, but once I had written them all down and they fell into place I was hooked on the story and couldn’t put it down.

Star was my favourite of the sisters. She was such a lovely character right from the beginning with a warm heart and a selfless nature. I hoped there would be a spark for her with the sexy Sotheby’s valuer who arrives to assess the stock in the curio shop Augustus left behind.

The sisters have all had difficulties in their lives, and sadly not been close enough to support each other when they were needed.

I read a lot of the story through tears! It is rather an emotional one, but in a good way! There is plenty of humour too, so many quick one liners to giggle at. I think my favourite was the devil on the shoulder. I laughed out loud at that! You’ll know what I mean when you read it.

I loved the idea of the village all coming together to rekindle the annual celebration of the winter solstice. What a lovely supportive community.

I absolutely loved this book and thanks again to Chloe at Pan for my gorgeous finished copy of the book (I’d love that cover picture on my Christmas cards!) and my spot on the blog tour.

Julie Hankey

Publication Date: 9/11/23

Publisher: Icon Books

SYNOPSIS

The love story of Zippa and Tony is nothing without the context of the Second World War.

The war introduced them – they met as blackout wardens in London. It gave them darkened streets to wander in, hand in hand, then, by sending Tony away to officer training camps, it sharpened their hunger for each other, casting a glow over his comings and goings. It turned them into schemers and wanglers against fate and army regulations. It pressed them into marriage, and when the war decided to deploy him to North Africa, it whispered the urgent question of a baby. To which Tony, thinking of the war, replied maybe not; and Zippa, thinking of the war, said yes.

In spite of themselves, the war experience was changing them both, and yet both were hanging on, looking back, suspended in memory and time, and living from letter to letter.

Decades later, their daughter Julie discovered their letters, and piecing them together began to create a portrait of her parents and their relationship that was completely unfamiliar to her. Vivid, honest and completely absorbing, Damn This War! is a true insight into a wartime love story.

MY REVIEW

This is just one of I expect many thousands of similar stories of couples being separated by war. The descriptions and candid writing made the war feel very real and brought home how hard life was during the war, and afterwards.

I enjoyed the way the story was told through the snippets from the letters and through their daughter filling in the blanks with her own research and suppositions. It didn’t feel overly intrusive as the complete letters are not included. It was lovely to see photos of the couple and their children dotted through the pages.

In the letters Tony and Zippa write about their day to day lives, and it begins to becomes apparent how they are changing during the years they are apart, and wonder what they want from life and their futures after the war.

I enjoyed this book, with its very real insight into the war years, and after, for an ordinary couple.

Many thanks to Rhiannon at Icon Books for sending me a proof to read and review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Hankey is the author of A Passion for Egypt and Kisses and Ink, books that draw on private letters and wider research to bring the past to life.
FOR ALL PUBLICITY ENQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT RHIANNON MORRIS AT: RHIANNON.

Little Duck Pond Cafe

Rosie Green

Publication Date: 30/9/23

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SYNOPSIS
Autumn is here and the Little Duck Pond Café crew are looking forward to spending a relaxing week in the country. That’s the theory, anyway. Because when they arrive, they quickly become immersed in village life after a power cut, only to find themselves spooked at every turn by mysterious goings-on, all of which seem to be connected to the creepy old house next-door. Is someone playing scary Hallowe’en tricks on them? Or is there something rather more sinister
afoot…?

Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C6B1Y1KW

MY REVIEW

You just can’t beat Rosie’s Little Duck Pond novellas for an uplifting and engrossing read, which can be read in one cosy sitting.

I enjoyed meeting some of the Little Duck Pond characters again, but this time the girls are on a break. They have rented a cottage on the outskirts of a sleepy village, with a cemetery and a reputed haunted house next door! And they are staying over Halloween!

Things begin to get spooky as figures are seen in the garden and strange things happen at the house next door, where they have befriended the occupant who is currently living in the house alone. Or so she thinks 🤔 Is the house haunted or is there another explanation for the strange goings on?

We get to know a little of what is going on in the girls’ lives and we also meet some new characters who live in the village.

As always, a pleasure to read another book in this series and as always, I’m looking forward to the next one which will be all about Christmas.

Thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the blog tour.

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. 

Look out for ‘A Winter Wonderland’ for Christmas 2023.

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

Simon Scarrow

Publication Date: 9/11/23 HB 28/3/24 PB

Publisher: Headline

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SYNOPSIS

An epic military adventure novel pits Roman army heroes Macro and Cato against Boudica: the terrifying Queen of the Britons. From bestselling Simon Scarrow, author of Death to the Emperor and The Honour of Rome

1st-century Britannia is the setting for an epic and action-packed novel of tribal uprisings, battles to the death and unmatched courage in the Roman army ranks.

The 22nd Eagles of the Empire novel.

Two heroes of the Roman army – Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro, now battle-scarred veterans, tough and resilient – lead their best men into the midst of an enemy both fearless and resourceful. Far from Rome in cold, rainy, unwelcoming Britannia, the soldiers need all their training to stand strong and undaunted as constant attacks challenge morale. And a leader like no other sends fear through the ranks: Boudica.

A stunning and unforgettable story of warfare, courage and sacrifice as brave men face an enemy who will fight to the death to free her people from the rule of the Empire!

MY REVIEW

This is book 22 in the series but it’s the first I have read. It is easily read as a stand alone, but I will absolutely be going back and reading the others as this was OUTSTANDING!! What a talented writer. I couldn’t put it down.

I didn’t realise just how much I was going to enjoy this book, but I love to read outside my usual genres and this is why I do! I find something different that I enjoy immensely. I had read one of Simon’s books, so I did know the writing was going to be very good.

Full of non stop action and vicious battles, and it all leads to the final nail biting heart pounding battle with Queen Boudica’s rebel army.

The story revolves around two main characters; Cato who is leader of one of the Roman army cohorts, and Macro his not quite ‘retired’ army friend. There is a list of characters at the beginning of the book and although there are a lot of names I didn’t need to refer back once as I got to know them all quite easily.

The Roman army are made aware of Boudica leading a rebellion, where thousands of rebels are joining her to rid the country of the invading Romans.

But can Boudica win against the Roman army which is much smaller in number but trained like a well oiled machine.

I was fascinated to read the way the Roman army worked and pulled together to form ‘wedges’ and almost impenetrable walls of shields. Some of the fighting, well actually all of it, is quite gruesome but that’s war.

Can’t wait for the next one in the series now!

Huge thanks to Sophie and Poppy at Ransom PR for inviting me onto the tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Scarrow is a Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. After a childhood spent travelling the world, he pursued his great love of history as a teacher, before becoming a full-time writer. His Roman soldier heroes Cato and Macro made their debut in 2000 in UNDER THE EAGLE, and have subsequently appeared in many bestsellers in the Eagles of the Empire series, including CENTURION, INVICTUS and DAY OF THE CAESARS.

Simon Scarrow is also the author of a quartet of novels about the lives of the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon Bonaparte, YOUNG BLOODS, THE GENERALS, FIRE AND SWORD and THE FIELDS OF DEATH; a novel about the 1565 Siege of Malta, SWORD & SCIMITAR; HEARTS OF STONE, set in Greece during the Second World War; and PLAYING WITH DEATH, a contemporary thriller written with Lee Francis. He also wrote the novels ARENA and INVADER with T. J. Andrews.

For exciting news, extracts and exclusive content from Simon visit http://www.simonscarrow.co.uk, follow him on Twitter @SimonScarrow or like his author page on Facebook/OfficialSimonScarrow.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Simon has booked in various events – Waterstones Colchester (16th November), Waterstones St Albans (30th November) and Jarrolds (24th November). The links below will take you to the events to enable you to purchase tickets.

https://www.waterstones.com/events/simon-scarrow-talk-and-book-signing/st-albans

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-simon-scarrow-waterstones-colchester-tickets-735335507297

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-conversation-with-simon-scarrow-tickets-739330125307?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Jenni Keer

Publication Date: 31/10/23

Publisher: Boldwood Books

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

SYNOPSIS

London, 1927: One house. Three lives. A decision that will change everything. A powerful, unique timeslip story, perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Miniaturist, and Lucinda Riley.
On the morning of Friday 5th August, 1927, Miss Agnes Humphries – the landlady of the attractive, if-slightly-shabby, white-fronted townhouse at Number 23 Burlington Square – has a decision to make.
The rooms of the second floor lie empty, since poor Mr Blandford’s unfortunate demise, God rest his soul. And Agnes must make up her mind as to who will be her new lodger… Will it be her spirited, young niece Clara, who drifts through the glamorous world of London’s Bright Young Things?
Or Stephen, the sensible, church-going, respectable banker who seems just be too good to be true?
Or the timid war widow named Mercy, who is clearly running from something – or someone…?
Agnes must choose between them. But what will her decision lead to? One of the choices could result in scandal, one in devastation, and one could even lead to happiness. If only she gets it right…
As all three lodgers enter Number 23, in alternate timelines, relationships are formed and destroyed, feathers are ruffled, and secrets are exposed. Three different choices. Three very different paths. And Agnes is to discover that nobody – including herself – is quite who they seem…

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/burlingtonsqsocial

MY REVIEW

This is definitely going to be one of my top books of the year.

I couldn’t tear myself away from the stories.

I enjoyed all three ‘what if’ storylines, I just love a ‘sliding doors’ story.

‘One simple decision can have so many ripples’

As we follow Agnes as she carefully chooses each of three possible tenants for her spare room, we learn about them but we also learn a little about Agnes in each story. Why she never married. Why she feels she can never leave this house with all of its sentimental clutter. I completely get her! Her few tenants are like a family and it was heartwarming to see them pull together to help each other in times of need.

There are also some secrets and some lies.

And tears.

Definitely one which is going to stay with me and having read an ebook for the blog tour, I’m going to buy the paperback for my forever shelf.

Thank you Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the tour for this gorgeous book.

BLOG TOUR HOSTS

AUTHOR BIO

Jenni Keer is the well-reviewed author of historical romances, often with a mystery at their heart. Most recently published by Headline and shortlisted for the 2023 RNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year, her first book with Boldwood The House on Burlington Square will be released in October 2023.

Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenni.keer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniKeer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennikeer/
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JenniKeerNews
Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jenni-keer

Alex Pine

Publication Date: 26/10/23

Publisher: Avon

SYNOPSIS

This Christmas, the hunters become the hunted…

When four trail hunters go missing in the fells of Cumbria on Christmas Eve, the race is on to find them before nightfall – when the temperature plummets.

After hours of searching, the first body is found… Not frozen in the snow, but brutally murdered and bearing a warning: the real hunt has begun.

As a snowstorm descends, three lives hang in the balance. But can the killer be caught before the trail goes cold?

From the master of Christmas crime comes a thriller that will chill you to the bone this Winter, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Clare Mackintosh and anyone who prefers their mince pies with a side of murder.

MY REVIEW

It’s coming up to Christmas which means another book in the brilliant DCI James Walker series.

This is book four in the series, and this time we see newly promoted DCI Walker and his very able team investigating four men who are missing after they headed off on a hike in heavy snow in the Lake District.

But were they just hiking? They have a history of fox hunting and it appears they take no notice of the legal ban. A very touchy subject the author is not shy at exploring.

The heavy snowfall hampers the search efforts, but eventually one of the dogs is found hiding, cold, and covered in blood.

The search and rescue mission turns into a murder investigation after a photograph of one of the men is emailed to various news outlets. He is dead.

This perfectly paced police procedural is a gripping read, and very atmospheric. I had to read most if it wearing my gilet as all the talk of snow was making me cold! We are immersed into the investigation with all of its problems and setbacks, secrets and lies, and with DCI Walker having to deal with the pressures of the press and social media.

I really like DCI James Walker as a protagonist. A dedicated policeman with a supportive and understanding wife and a young daughter. Will he ever tell his wife about the new job he has been offered?

An enjoyable read with a plot that is easy to follow and just enough characters to keep you guessing but not so many you lose track of who is who.

Thanks to Avon Books for my early copy of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Pine is the pseudonym of a bestselling author who has also written books under the names Jaime Raven, James Raven and JP Carter. He was born and raised on a council estate in South London and left school at sixteen. Before long, he embarked on a career in journalism, which took him all over the world – many of the stories he covered were crime-related. He then became a television producer and for a number of years was director of a major UK news division and co-owned a TV production company. He now splits his time between homes in Hampshire and Spain with his wife.

Dann McDorman

Publication Date: 24/10/23

Publisher: Raven Books

SYNOPSIS

‘Any respectable practitioner must follow the rules in making the truth – however skilfully camouflaged by lies – accessible to all’

It’s the Fourth of July weekend at the prestigious West Heart country club. Gathered for cocktails on the first evening are just some of the guests: the club president, the treasurer, the snooping schoolboy, the bereaved father, the taciturn caretaker, the prospective member…

And there will also be a body.

And a private detective.

And a fiendish mystery to solve.

But everything else is all to play for.

And you are about to find out that you have a role to play in this mystery too…

West Heart Kill is an outrageously original and imaginative murder mystery that is both a love letter to the greats of classic crime fiction and a brilliant puzzle the likes of which you will never have read before.

MY REVIEW

Well I’m not entirely sure what to make of this one. It is unlike anything I have read, which is a good thing. I like to find something different as I read so many books! I have slept on it and will now have a go at a review.

It is a murder mystery, wrapped in a manual for murder mystery writing with the addition of some history of writing murder mysteries! It is rather a complex read, challenging, and it is a marmite read for sure!

The novel is set in and around West Heart country club in the US. The members are a bunch of quite unlikeable characters. A private detective is hired to ‘look out for anything unusual’.

As the story progresses, it continues to be interrupted by the ‘narrator’, breaking the fourth wall, who writes about such points as the rules of writing murder mystery stories, how us as readers are probably feeling about the book, what we think is going on, and he includes various historical facts and case studies.

A very unusual book, and despite my concentration on the actual mystery constantly being interrupted I didn’t find it too much of a problem as the story itself is quite a slow burner.

I did not work out whodunnit so my sleuthing skills are not up to scratch. I feel it bud a book I will get more out of during a second read now I know what it is all about!

I would definitely recommend giving it a read if you want to read something completely different. Just don’t expect a straightforward novel.

Many thanks to Raven Books for sending me a proof.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dann McDorman is an Emmy-nominated TV news producer who has also worked as a newspaper reporter, book reviewer, and cabinetmaker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.

Janice Hallett

Published: 26/10/23

Publisher: Viper

SYNOPSIS

One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?

Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up.

Of course there’s also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?

MY REVIEW

Just brilliant! This needs to be on everyone’s Christmas list!

I love Janice’s books they are so uniquely written in emails, texts, WhatsApp chats, interview notes etc.

In this case, a retired KC has sent paperwork from a case for two new criminal lawyers to see if they can work out ‘whodunnit’.

It revolves around a Christmas amateur dramatics production of Jack and The Beanstalk and we get first hand evidence of all the backstabbing going on behind the ‘conversations. The first ‘round Robin’ Christmas letter from Celia had me in stitches! I absolutely hate those things and Celia took it to another level, with her husband being given an OBE (only because his brother-in-law is on the honours committee) and their daughter who took a break (dropped out) of Oxford (Brooke’s) university! And she even had a dig at the current chair of the dramatics group.

There were so many laugh out loud moments as the play turns into a farce and then a murder mystery.

Poor Sarah-Jane, the chair of the group, keeps a level head throughout some hilarious setbacks such as buying drugs instead of sweets by mistake, and having to rescue her husband from a wheelie bin. Not to mention the possible asbestos in the beanstalk! What a woman! She was my favourite character. I hoped nasty Celia would get her comeuppance.

I didn’t manage to solve the mystery!

Huge thanks to Rachel at Rachel Quin Marketing for sending me an amazing goodie pack with an early copy of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat, a psychological thriller starring Cillian Murphy, Thandiwe Newton and Jamie Bell. The Appeal is her first novel, and The Twyford Code her second.

Brian Price

Published 17/10/23

Publisher Hobeck Books

SYNOPSIS

A shattering revenge attack
Mexton’s Major Crimes team is targeted by an Albanian crime gang as an explosion rips through the unit’s base.

For DC Mel Cotton – the attack is all too personal
DC Tom Ferris is seriously injured in the blast. His fiancée, Mel, maybe physically unharmed but she’s dealing with wounds you can’t see. She’s determined to return to work, but is she ready?

Death on her doorstep
Mel’s latest case is close to home – investigating a body found in her and Tom’s garden, the body of someone last heard of in Australia. Can she catch the murderer? And can anyone stop the Albanian crime gang on their ruthless campaign of revenge?

MY REVIEW

This is the fourth in the DC Mel Cotton series and I have enjoyed them all. Fabulously written police procedural / crime thriller.

This one starts with a bomb exploding outside the police station, killing police officers, civilian staff and a few unfortunate passers by. Despite the shock, and many being wounded, the police officers regroup and stand fast in their determination to bring those responsible to justice.

There are two main threads to this novel. The first is the investigation into the bombers, a particularly nasty group of Albanians who sought revenge from actions taken by the police in a previous book. They are into all sorts of bad things and I thoroughly enjoyed following the investigation which would hopefully catch them and get them off the streets.

As her fiancé received life altering injuries in the blast, Mel is asked to carry on investigating the body found in her back garden. This investigation procedure was very different but again I enjoyed how step by step the case developed.

And what a satisfying ending to the novel.

The mention of Poison perfume took me back a few years! I remember the bottle and I still blame it for my aversion to perfume!

Brian is a very talented thriller writer, catching the attention of the reader from the first page and keeping the action going. The build up to the final scene had me on the edge of my seat as I read faster and faster!

I hope there will be more in this series.

Many thanks to Rebecca at Hobeck Books for inviting me onto the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Price is a chemist and biologist who retired from the Environment Agency in 2016. He is the author of Crime Writing: How to write the science and runs a website offering tips on science for crime writers (www.crimewriterscience.co.uk). He taught science and technology courses for the Open University for 26 years. He has advised number of leading crime writers on scientific aspects of crime.

Brian’s first crime novel, Fatal Trade, was published, as an ebook and paperback, by Hobeck Books on 14th September 2021. A free novella, Fatal Beginnings, is available from Hobeck Books at http://www.hobeck.net. The sequel, Fatal Hate, was published in April 2022 and third novel in the series, Fatal Dose, came out on 31st January 2023. Fatal Blow, the fourth book, is due out on 17th October.

Several of his short stories appear in the anthologies Cuckoo, Lock and Key and Seventy Three, produced by the writing group Writers in Stone, and he has had stories published in the charity anthologies, The Dark Side of Christmas and Cooking the Books (published by Hobeck). His short story The Scent of an Ending appeared in the Crime Writers Association collection Music of the Night.

Find out more about Brian at http://www.brianpriceauthor.co.uk

Murray Bailey

SYNOPSIS

Judge not the man

Charles Balcombe cannot control his alter ego.
BlackJack is killing for fun and DI Munro knows his partnership with Balcombe can’t continue.
While Balcombe seeks help, Munro is asked to work for the Hong Kong governor’s aide-de-camp. He seems to be sidelined as Garrett resumes his hunt for the Squeezed-heart murderer.
But people have secrets and the more Munro investigates, the murkier they seem. When people start dying and with Balcombe’s help, Munro tries to get to the bottom of a conspiracy of silence.
Will he find the truth?
Will Garrett catch his killer?
Will Balcombe learn the truth about himself?
As the psychoanalyst told him: a third of the mind is darkness. If you dig too deep, be prepared. You won’t like what you find there.

This is book three of the series which should be read in order.

MY REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t know how Murray does it, but I only had to pick up this book to be immediately immersed back in the world of Charles Balcombe aka BlackJack.

The descriptions of Hong Kong. The characters. The plot. Everything fits together perfectly.

In this third instalment of the series, and I highly recommend reading the first two before this one, we find BlackJack, the alter ego of Charles Balcombe, getting more out of control in his hunger for killing. He has no memory of his actions as BlackJack. He is having nightmares – and I’ll not forgive Murray for putting the spider one in my head! – and begins visiting a psychoanalyst to try to control BlackJack and his nightmares.

His ‘good’ persona, Balcombe, is helping DI Munro with a private investigation into a missing girl. As an experienced investigator he is an asset, but Munro is getting increasingly wary of BlackJack. In addition, one of Munro’s colleagues is convinced Balcombe is BlackJack, he just needs to catch him. Can Balcombe continue to evade capture?

Balcombe’s rickshaw driver Albert is still providing his transport. She is a great character.

Love love love this series. Murray is such a talented writer.

Thank you, Murray, for inviting me onto the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Murray Bailey Is the author of Amazon bestseller Map of the Dead, the first of the series based on his interest in Egyptology. His main series however is the Ash Carter thrillers, inspired by his father’s experience in the Royal Military Police in Singapore in the early 1950s.

Murray is well traveled, having worked in the US, South America and a number of European countries throughout his career as a management consultant. However he also managed to find the time to edit books, contribute to articles and act as a part-time magazine editor.

Murray lives on the south coast of England with his family and a dog called Teddy.