Two Heads Are Better Than One

Lauren Chater

Publication Date: 20/10/22

Publisher: Allison & Busby

SYNOPSIS

Two women separated by centuries but connected by one beautiful silk dress.

Jo Baaker, a textiles historian is drawn back to the Dutch island where she was born to investigate the provenance of a 17th century silk dress. Retrieved by local divers from a sunken shipwreck, the dress offers tantalising clues about the way people lived and died during Holland’s famous Golden Age.

Jo’s research leads her to Anna Tesseltje, a poor Amsterdam laundress turned ladies companion who served the artist Catharina van Shurman for one season at her property outside the Hague. The two women were said to be close, so why did Anna abandon Catharina at the height of her misfortune? And was the dress a gift or did Anna come by it through less honest means? Jo is determined to find out, but as she delves deeper into Anna’s history, troubling details about her own past begin to emerge, disrupting the personal narrative she has trusted for sixteen years. On the small Dutch island of Texel where fortunes are lost and secrets lie buried for centuries, Jo will finally discover the truth about herself and her connection to the woman who wore the Winter Dress.

MY REVIEW

Im delighted to be taking part in the publication day blog blast for this wonderful book.

A beautiful and evocative story, written along a dual timeline, 1651 and the present set in 2019.

The author has based the book on the real life finding of a dress under similar circumstances, then she has weaved a believable and compelling back story to suggest how the dress could have ended up in a shipwreck. Truly fascinating and I would love to go and see the original dress.

I thoroughly enjoyed both timelines.

The 1651 timeline tells the story of Anna, who’s father had been a wealthy shipping merchant but his wealth and belongings were lost after his death. After the death of her sister, when Anna was only 19, she was left to fend for herself as she had no other relatives. Luckily, she was offered the opportunity of working as a companion to a well known artist who was suffering from depression.

In the current timeline Jo, a textiles historian, also lost her parents at a young age and went to live with her Aunt in Sydney. She is tempted back to her childhood home when her old friend sends her a photo of a beautiful dress which he has found in a shipwreck just off the island of Texel which is not far from the Dutch mainland. She is so excited to see the dress in real life and also to help preserve it as quickly as possible. She takes the first flight out if Sydney and heads to Texel to begin her investigation of the possible origin of the dress.

Beautifully written, amazing descriptions putting the reader at the centre of the action, and I was completely gripped from the author’s note at the beginning right to the last page.

If you are a fan of historical fiction and a good dual timeline, or have an interest in the history of clothes and how they are preserved, this is for you.

About the Author

Lauren Chater is the author of the historical novels The Lace Weaver and Gulliver’s Wife. In 2018 she was awarded a grant by the Neilma Sidney Literary Fund to travel to the Netherlands to research her third novel The Winter Dress. She is currently completing her Masters of Cultural Heritage through Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.

By Rosie Green

Publication date 2/8/22

SYNOPSIS

Clara’s Secret Garden, Little Duck Pond Café
When Clara Bowes transforms a wilderness of a garden, she isn’t expecting to reconnect with someone special from her past at the same time. Having Rory Angel in her life again is a dream come true. But life is never straight forward – especially in matters of the heart – and soon, a devastating
revelation looks set to bring Clara’s hopes for the future crashing down around her. Will she find the strength to reach for her dreams?

Purchase Link – https://amzn.to/3cZHJSR

MY REVIEW

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I haven’t read any of the series before this, but I believe characters from previous books appear in this one.

Clara is a warm hearted selfless character and it was a joy to get to know her. I am rooting for her happiness and really can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy!

I liked the supporting characters and felt I got to know them a little even in such a short time. Clara’s gran is a font of wisdom and emotional support, she can immediately see Clara has feelings for Rory, who is actually her childhood crush and helped her with the gardening. Unfortunately her jilted step sister has also noticed him.

I loved Clara’s little stepbrother Bertie too, and his escapades and I hope to read more about him next time. He is a little star!

A lovely cosy read with a ‘will they won’t they’ romance, which I presume will be decided at the end of the trilogy. I’m hoping it’s a yes!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosie’s series of novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. Look out for ‘A Winter Wish’, published in October, the second book in a heart-warming trilogy centred around peacemaker Clara,
who’s having to cope with the demands of her slightly dysfunctional family while searching for her own happy-ever-after . . .
The third book in the trilogy is ‘Clara’s Christmas Magic’, out in November 2022.
Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

Michael Ball

Publication date: 13th October 2022

Publisher: Zaffre

Purchase Links – http://unbouncepages.com/Michael-ball/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-charming-romantic-Cameron-Mackintosh-
ebook/dp/B09X1725SP

https://www.amazon.com/Empire-charming-romantic-Cameron-Mackintosh-
ebook/dp/B09X1725SP

SYNOPSIS

Welcome to The Empire theatre

1922. When Jack Treadwell arrives at The Empire, in the middle of a rehearsal, he is instantly
      mesmerised. But amid the glitz and glamour, he soon learns that the true magic of the theatre lies in
      its cast of characters – both on stage and behind the scenes.
      There’s stunning starlet Stella Stanmore and Hollywood heartthrob Lancelot Drake; and Ruby
      Rowntree, who keeps the music playing, while Lady Lillian Lassiter, theatre owner and former
      showgirl, is determined to take on a bigger role. And then there’s cool, competent Grace Hawkins,
      without whom the show would never go on . . . could she be the leading lady Jack is looking for?
      When long-held rivalries threaten The Empire’s future, tensions rise along with the curtain. There is
      treachery at the heart of the company and a shocking secret waiting in the wings. Can Jack discover
      the truth before it’s too late, and the theatre he loves goes dark?
      Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this, his
      debut novel.
      Enjoy the show

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Ball OBE is a singer, actor, presenter and now author. He’s been a star of
musical theatre for over three decades, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical twice, he’s also won two BRIT awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Michael regularly sells out both his solo tours and his Ball & Boe shows with Alfie Boe and has multiple platinum
albums. The Empire is his first novel.

Social Media Links –

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mrmichaelball/ //
https://twitter.com/ZaffreBooks

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mrmichaelball/?hl=en //
https://www.instagram.com/zaffrebooks/

MY REVIEW

I can’t tell you how excited I was to hear Michael Ball had written a book! I’ve been such a huge fan for so many years. I was hoping for a book full of his trademark warmth and wit, and a bit of glamour and romance, and that is exactly what Michael has delivered.

It seems there is no end to the talent of Mr Ball. Already a hugely successful musical theatre performer, singer, radio presenter, and with a new production of Aspects of Love just announced. And he finds time to write (and narrate!) a most glorious lose-yourself-in-its-pages novel. I have been living in the 1920’s theatre world for the past few days and have adored every minute.

From first receiving the stunning hardback, with gorgeous cover design complete with shiny embossing and gold text, I just knew this was going to be something special, written from the heart of someone who knows everything about the heart of the theatre.

I read the ‘cast list’ at the beginning and what fabulous character names! Barnabas and Lillian Lassiter, Agnes de Montfort, Lancelot Drake to mention just a few.

A cast of strong women, proper gentlemen, a few baddies and a terrier called Ollie who watches the stage door, keeping anyone out he doesn’t like.

The plot takes the reader, and theatregoer in us, behind the curtain to the running of a theatre with its fair share of ups, downs and secrets.

Immediately I fell in love with Jack who, having served in the army and then worked in Paris, decided he wanted to come home to his Yorkshire roots. His parents had both recently died and he learned from a neighbour that his mother’s last wish was that he visits the Empire theatre and speak to Mrs Lillian Lassiter who part owns the Empire, and who worked in a factory with Jack’s mother when she was younger.

Jack decides to visit the Empire because why not? He is immediately drawn in to all that the theatre entails; the atmosphere, the backstage workings, and knows he wants to be a part of it. He begs for the position of doorman where he can begin to learn. I was rooting for him to ask Grace out as it was obvious they were crazy about each other!

But there are threats to the Empire, and to the good name of Lillian Lassiter. And there is a reporter who is digging into the background of the theatre manager, Alexander Mangrave, who appears to have something to hide.

There is another theatre owner in town, Joe Allerdyce, who is desperately wanting to get his hands on the Empire. How far will he go?

We are carried along with all the ‘cast’, getting to know them and enjoying the warm and cozy feeling of belonging. Just when everything appears to be going nicely, a disaster hits The Empire and I galloped to the end of the book with my heart in my mouth!

This is a celebration of all theatres, by a legend of musical theatre, and I loved every word.

Michael will be writing more books, making this into a series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next for everyone!

I can’t recommend this highly enough. Such an uplifting and also an emotional read.

With enormous thanks to Zaffre books for my beautiful copy of the book (I have since bought 2 signed copies for gifts!) and to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for my spot on the blog tour.

Jude O’Reilly

Publication date: HB and ebook 13/10/22 Paperback 13/4/23

Publisher: Head of Zeus

SYNOPSIS

In thirty-six hours, thousands of innocent people will die. There’s not a second to waste. And no time for sleep…

Michael North has a bullet lodged in his brain which could kill him any second. That makes him the perfect MI5 asset: he’s ruthless, loyal, brave. And, best of all, disposable.

Teenage computer expert Fangfang Yu does not feel the same way. She’s determined to keep her friend out of danger – however many cyber laws she has to break to keep him alive.

Now North has been sent undercover into a doomsday cult on a remote Scottish island. He has thirty-six hours to stop their charismatic leader from inciting the murder of thousands. He can only do it with Fangfang’s help – but when they uncover a shocking link between the cult and the dark heart of the US defence establishment, it doesn’t just put North’s life at risk… it threatens Fangfang too.

Perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Lee Child and Mark Dawson, Sleep When You’re Dead is a rollercoaster action thriller packed with twists that will keep you up all night.

MY REVIEW

I have zoomed through this latest instalment of the Michael North series.

In this page turner of a thriller, which can be read as a stand alone, North is sent to a remote Scottish island to stop the leader of a cult from sending a murder / suicide message out to his followers. But he only has 36 hours to stop him. Mia, a girl he knew from his past, is also on the island filming the cult for and upcoming tv series so he should have some support when he arrives.

With the help of FangFang, his 15 year old genius hacker friend, he uncovers a base on the island being used to send satellites into space and the company has links to the US government. But what is housed in the secret building which is not shown on any plans?

North is an extremely likeable human character. He makes a fair few errors of judgement and finds himself in a number of life threatening situations. And that’s not to mention the bullet he has wedged in his brain which could kill him any second. Think Jack Reacher and Jack Bauer and you’ll not be far off.

Action packed, fast paced and a highly recommended read.

Many thanks to Sophie Ransom at Ransom PR for my spot on the tour and for my copy of the book which I know my husband is eager to read now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jude O’Reilly is the author of Wife in the North, a top-three Sunday Times bestseller and BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week,A Year of Doing Good and the Michael North action-adventure thrillers. Jude is a former senior journalist with the Sunday Times and a former political producer with BBC 2’s Newsnight and ITN’s Channel 4 News. Her Michael North series has been praised by bestselling thriller writers around the globe. She currently lives in Durham with her family and a very noisy poodle.

Catherine Cooper

PUBLICATION DATE: 30 October 2022

PUBLISHER: HarperCollins

SYNOPSIS

A glamorous ship. A missing woman. A holiday to DIE for…

A glamorous ship

During a New Year’s Eve party on a large, luxurious cruise ship in the Caribbean, the ship’s dancer, Lola, goes missing.

Everyone on board has something to hide

Two weeks later, the ship is out of service, laid up far from land with no more than a skeleton crew on board. And then more people start disappearing…

No one is safe
Why are the crew being harmed? Who is responsible? And who will be next?

Find out in the twisty new thriller from the queen of glamorous crime, Catherine Cooper.

MY REVIEW

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty thriller which initially appears to be two separate stories which merge very cleverly.

When Lola goes missing from the cruise ship she dances on, it is believed she took her own life by jumping into the sea, as a few passengers in one of the bars saw what looked like someone passing the window from above. The ship is turned around and lifeboats sent out to search for her but they have to give up. Her dance partner, Antonio, is distraught at losing her.

There are some very interesting characters on board. Stuart, the ship’s doctor with a secret past. Alice, chief chef, who was close friends with Lola. Rick, said to be one of Lola’s many partners. She had quite a reputation.

We are taken back a few years from Lola’s apparent suicide to what appears to be a completely different storyline. 15 year old Laura lives a very sheltered life with her very controlling dad in a remote house. She is not allowed out of the house, she is home schooled, not allowed to speak to anyone and is definitely not allowed to start a relationship with the young man who repaired the washing machine.

The story moves around back between a few timelines as we learn about Lola and what brought her to this point. All very easy to follow I didn’t need to make any notes.

Lola is not the only crew member to go missing on the cruise ship, which only has a skeleton crew of staff on board as it is currently out of service.

What secrets are being hidden by the staff?

Why was Laura being so fiercely protected by her dad?

This was such an engrossing read, one which grabbed me from the first page and had me hooked until the very end.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the last two books by this author, I jumped at the chance to request this one via NetGalley and I thank the publisher for granting me early access.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine is a freelance journalist living in the South of France with her husband and two teenage children. They moved from London in 2009 so that the children could grow up bilingual and they could all ski more, and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life.

She learned to ski on a school trip when she was 14 and have loved it ever since.

She is an avid thriller reader and has been since she discovered Agatha Christie as a child.

The Chalet is her first published full-length novel, though She has also written several (unpublished) thrillers for teens and a (what used to be called) chick lit novel set in TV production.

Other than skiing and reading she loves travel, rollercoaster, and spends far too much time on social media. Some of her other favourite things include Alan Partridge, sparkly flip flops and salt and vinegar crisps.

You can follow her on Twitter @catherinecooper, Instagram @catherinecooperjournalist or Facebook @catherinecooperauthor

Rob Gittins

Published 27/9/22

Publisher Hobeck Books

SYNOPSIS

Two sisters abandoned

It was a treat, she said. An adventure. A train journey to the mainland. Six-year-old Lara Arden and her older sister Georgia happily fill in their colouring books as their mum pops to the buffet in search of crisps. She never returns. Two little girls abandoned. Alone.

Present day 

Twenty years later, and Lara is now a detective inspector on her native Isle of Wight, still searching for answers to her mother’s disappearance.

A call comes in. A small child, a boy, has been left abandoned on a train. Like Lara, he has no relatives to look after him. It feels as if history is being repeated – but surely this is a coincidence?

A series of murders

Before Lara can focus on the boy’s plight, she’s faced with a series of murders. They feature different victims in very different circumstances, but they all have one thing in common: they all leave children – alone – behind.

So who is targeting Lara? What do these abandoned souls have in common? And how does this connect to the mystery of Lara’s missing mother?

BLOG TOUR HOSTS

MY REVIEW

The first line of the prologue had me gripped! Just brilliant! The Lady Vanishes is one of my favourite films ever, so I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the lady who vanishes from a train in this book.

The book centres around Lara, who was one of the two young sisters who’s mother disappeared from the train 20 years ago when Lara was 6 years old.

She is now a police officer and is involved in investigating a number of local murders. She also gets involved in investigating another mother who went missing from a train, just like her own mother, leaving a young boy without any family. Just like herself and her sister were left without any family.

Could these disappearances somehow be linked?

With the help of her team, themselves all going through difficulties in their personal life, she edges closer to finding the killer, and perhaps she will finally uncover the truth of what happened that day 20 years ago.

Having finished the book and started planning out my review and author info for my blog, I now completely understand why this is such a brilliant book. This author has some seriously impressive writing credentials! That first line had me hooked and I raced through the rest of the book in a couple of sittings. When I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about what might happen next. That’s the sign of an addictive read!

I can’t wait to read the next in this series and I’ll be reviewing that one on the blog tour next month 🤩

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Gittins is a British screenwriter and novelist. He is EastEnder’s longest serving writer, with 36 years on the show, and over 300 episodes to his credit.

Then there’s his work on an incredible list of other shows: Vera, Casualty, Heartbeat, The Bill, Emmerdale, The Indian Doctor, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Soldier, Soldier and Stella.

In 2015 he was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2015 Soap Awards. He’s also a radio playwright and novelist. and in 2015 he received an Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards.

Gill Paul

SYNOPSIS

NEW YORK CITY, 1921

An impossible dream.
The war is over, the twenties are roaring, but in the depths of the city that never sleeps, Dorothy Parker is struggling to make her mark in a man’s world.
A broken woman.
She’s penniless, she’s unemployed and her marriage is on the rocks when she starts a bridge group with three extraordinary women – but will they be able to save her from herself?
A fight for survival.
When tragedy strikes, and everything Dorothy holds dear is threatened, it’s up to Peggy, Winifred and Jane to help her confront the truth before it’s too late. Because the stakes may be life or death…

A new novel from the internationally bestselling author, Sex and the City meets the 1920s in this sweeping tale of love, loss and the everlasting bonds of friendship. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis, Dinah Jefferies and Chanel Cleeton.

MY REVIEW

Another insightful and enjoyable historical fiction novel by this very talented author.

Having devoured Gill’s previous two books (and I very highly recommend them) I was looking forward to her take on the famous Dorothy Parker, Dottie to her friends.

The novel is set in 1920’s Manhattan, post First World War, during prohibition, at the time female actors were expected to do anything for an acting role and same sex relationships were beginning to be seen as acceptable.

We meet Dottie and her three friends Jane, Winifred and Peggy as they get together to learn to play bridge, each taking turns to host their bridge nights.

The women become close and supportive of each other, this being very obvious after one of Dottie’s suicide attempts as they joined together to visit her in the hospital.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each woman, with their life’s ups and downs, their different personalities and their determination to succeed in life albeit with different life goals.

It would have been a pleasure to have joined in one of those bridge nights!

Gill is one of my auto read authors and I look forward to her next book.

A huge thank you to Avon books for generously sending me a copy of this magnificent book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gill Paul is the bestselling author of eleven historical novels, many of them describing real women she thinks have been marginalized or misjudged by historians. They include THE MANHATTAN GIRLS, about Dorothy Parker and three friends navigating life, love and careers in Prohibition-era New York, like a 1920s version of Sex and the City; THE COLLECTOR’S DAUGHTER, about Lady Evelyn Herbert, the first person to enter Tutankhamun’s tomb in modern times; JACKIE AND MARIA (retitled THE SECOND MARRIAGE in the UK) about Maria Callas and Jackie Kennedy’s rivalry over Aristotle Onassis; two bestselling novels about the Romanovs – THE SECRET WIFE and THE LOST DAUGHTER – as well as WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST, which was shortlisted for the 2013 RNA Epic Novel of the Year award, NO PLACE FOR A LADY, shortlisted for a Love Stories award, and ANOTHER WOMAN’S HUSBAND, about links you might not have suspected between Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana. Her novels have reached the top of the USA Today, Toronto Globe & Mail and kindle charts, and been translated into twenty-one languages. 

Gill also writes historical non-fiction, including A HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN 50 OBJECTS, and she speaks at libraries and literary festivals on subjects ranging from Tutankhamun to the Romanovs. 

Gill lives in London, where she is working on her twelfth novel, and she swims daily in an outdoor pond.

Rijula Das

Publication date: 13/9/22

Publisher: Amazon Crossing

SYNOPSIS

A staggering debut novel of murder, loyalty, love, and survival at all costs, set in the teeming underbelly of Calcutta’s most infamous neighborhood.

In Calcutta’s notorious red-light district, Lalee aspires to a better life. Her unfailingly loyal client Tilu Shau has dreams too. A heady romantic and marginal novelist, Tilu is in love with the indifferent Lalee and wants to liberate her from her street life with marriage. But when a fellow sex worker and young mother is brutally murdered, the solicitous madam of the Blue Lotus invites Lalee to take the woman’s place “upstairs” as a high-end escort. The offer comes with the promise of a more lucrative life but quickly spirals into violence, corruption, and unfathomable secrets that threaten to upset the fragile stability of Lalee’s very existence. As Tilu is drawn deeper into his rescue mission, he and Lalee embark on life-altering journeys to escape a savage fate.

As much a page-turner as it is poignant, Small Deaths is a brilliantly drawn modern noir that exposes the reality of society’s preyed-upon outcasts, their fierce resilience, and the dangerous impediments that stand in the way of their dignity, love, and survival.

MY REVIEW

A very thoughtful portrayal of the sex worker industry in India.

This story is probably in part similar to the lives of numerous prostitutes. A life so far away from what I can ever comprehend.

The story is told from a handful of narrators, mainly Lalee. Lalee was taken in to the Blue Lotus, a brothel, by the madam there when she was young. She has resigned herself to her life and actually her basic room now feels like home. She is proud to earn enough to pay for it.

Tilu is one of her regular clients who has fallen in love with her. He earns a meagre living writing obscure erotic fiction. He scrapes together enough money to visit her regularly until one night the girl in the next room is murdered. Lalee does not know at the time but this murder is going to turn her life upside down.

The lazy and corrupt police are not interested in investigating. They generally leave the madam and her girls to sort out their own problems although they raid the place frequently to ‘save’ some of the girls.

Lalee finds herself in a dangerous situation with what appears to be a religious cult, the leader of which is far from godly but his followers hold him in the highest esteem.

Unbeknownst to Lalee, Tilu has found out she is missing and fearing she has come to harm he sets out on a mission to find her.

How will she escape from the cult? Will Tilu find her?

I enjoyed this book which is very different to anything I have read before. I struggled a bit with understanding some of the terminologies and descriptions of clothes and the like, but I got the overall picture. It is not a crime thriller, as the crime is not properly investigated. To me, it was Lalee’s story of survival, and hope for a better life.

Thank you to FMcM Associates for my beautiful hardback copy of the book and a place on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rijula Das is an author and Bengali-to-English translator. She received her PhD in creative writing and prose-fiction from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where she taught writing. Rijula received a 2019 Michael King Writers Centre Residency in Auckland, New Zealand, and the 2016 Dastaan Award for her short story “Notes from a Passing.” Her short story “The Grave of the Heart Eater” was long-listed for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2019. Rijula’s short fiction and translations have appeared in Papercuts, Newsroom, New Zealand, and the Hindu. Small Deaths, her first novel, was long-listed for the JCB Prize for Literature and won the Tata Literature Live! First Book Award in 2021. It is currently being adapted for television. She lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand. For more information visit http://www.rijuladas.com.

Janice Hallett

PUBLICATION DATE : 19/1/23

PUBLISHER : Viper

SYNOPSIS

Open the safe deposit box. Inside you will find research material for a true crime book. You must read the documents, then make a decision. Will you destroy them? Or will you take them to the police?

Everyone knows the sad story of the Alperton Angels: the cult who brainwashed a teenage girl and convinced her that her newborn baby was the anti-Christ. Believing they had a divine mission to kill the infant, they were only stopped when the girl came to her senses and called the police. The Angels committed suicide rather than stand trial, while mother and baby disappeared into the care system.

Nearly two decades later, true-crime author Amanda Bailey is writing a book on the Angels. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed; if Amanda can find them, it will be the true-crime scoop of the year, and will save her flagging career. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby’s trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger than they’d ever imagined. And the story of the Alperton Angels is far from over..

After all, the devil is in the detail…

MY VERY DIFFERENT BLOG TOUR REVIEW !

Those of us who are joining the blog tour were tasked with writing a review with a difference – in the style of Janice’s writing. I have written mine as as WhatsApp chat with a few of my book club pals (names have been changed but this is how I imagine the chat going!) hope you enjoy it.

WhatsApp messages with my book group 15th January 2023

Jan

Hope you are all having a good weekend. I’m so excited to be on the blog tour tomorrow for Janice Hallett’s new book – The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels. 😊 Have any of you read it?

Alex

Yes having a chill weekend and no I haven’t read it yet but I have read The Appeal and loved it! What’s this one about? Is it worth a read?

Julie

I haven’t read any books by Janice Hallett but have fomo! 🤭 Would you recommend?

Sally

No but I have heard great things on Twitter and Booksta. Now I have fomo too 🤣

Julie – yes! You’ll love it!

Jan

Alex – oh my gosh it is fab! I love the way Janice writes. It is so compelling! It is written in a similar way to her other books, in the form of memos, emails, WhatsApp messages etc. This one is about a cult (and you know I love a cult story!). 18 years ago, the leader convinced his handful of followers he was an archangel sent to rid the world of the Antichrist 😳 Erm who was a baby! Most of the cult members die in an apparent murder / suicide pact but the baby and its teenage parents appear to have survived. Now the baby is about to turn 18 and a reporter is trying to track it down to write a new book about the case.

Alex

Ooohh tell me more!

Jan

Well I don’t want to give away any spoilers! The story follows Amanda, the journalist, who finds someone else chasing the same story. She gets details from various people such as social workers and even the local vicar who were involved in the initial murder / suicide case. Then, people she has contacted start dying 😬

I can’t tell you any more but it’s so good you need to read it!

Alex

Sounds like my sort of book! I’m off to order a copy ….

Jan

Ah that’s brilliant!

Julie

Sounded so good I’ve bought all 3 of the author’s books! So much for my book buying ban!

Sally

I’m adding it to my birthday list for next month 😏

Jan

You’re all going to love it!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend ladies and sorry not sorry to add to your TBR’s 🤣🤣 xx

MY ‘ORDINARY’ REVIEW!

Janice Hallett has produced another clever and twisty thriller.

In a similar style to her previous books, it is written through copies of WhatsApp messages, texts, emails, transcripts of conversations etc. Many of the documents we read are written by the people who had first hand involvement in the Alperton Angels case, which Amanda Bailey is going to be writing a book about. She has previously and successfully written books about true crimes such as the murder of Jill Dando.

She is determined to uncover the truth at last. She is immediately immersed in the story of Gabriel, the cult leader who, 18 years ago, convinced his handful of followers he was an archangel, sent to rid the world of the Antichrist, who was just a baby at the time. Amanda wants to write the story from the point of view of the baby, who is now about to turn 18. She is struggling to find what happened to the baby on the night the ‘angels’ died in what appeared to be a murder/suicide and the people she needs to speak to are beginning to die in ‘accidents’.

She finds another author is also intending to write about the Alperton Angels and is looking for the baby, and they are forced by their bosses to work together on the story. Oliver, through his own research, begins to believe there may be some truth in angels, and perhaps Gabriel was telling the truth.

This is the definition of a page turner which will keep you reading well past your bedtime. I devoured in 2 days. Definitely one to preorder!

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

PRE-ORDER LINKS

https://amzn.to/3VLYAtA
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/132/9781800810402

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janice Hallett studied English at UCL, and spent several years as a magazine editor, winning two awards for journalism. After gaining an MA in Screenwriting at Royal Holloway, she co-wrote the feature film Retreat. The Appeal is inspired by her lifelong interest in amateur dramatics. Her second novel, The Twyford Code, was published by Viper in 2022. When not indulging her passion for global adventure travel, she is based in West London.

Guy Morpuss

Publisher: Viper

Publication dates:

Hardback 8/9/22

Paperback 4/5/23

SYNOPSIS

A locked room. A brutal murder. And a killer who can unwind time…

In the former mining town of Black Lake, there is an old story about a shipwreck with only one survivor. His descendants have a unique ability: once in their lives – and only once – they can unwind the events of the previous six hours.

More than two hundred years later, part-time police constable Ella Manning is attending a party at Black Lake Manor, the cliff-top mansion belonging to the local billionaire. When a raging storm sweeps in from the Pacific, she and several other guests find themselves trapped.

And when their host is discovered brutally murdered in his study the next morning, the door locked from the inside, they turn to her to solve the crime.

Pushing her detective skills to the limit, against the odds Ella is sure she has identified the killer… but then someone undoes time. With no memory of what she discovered before, her investigation begins again, with very different results. Which of her suspects is guilty? And is there something even more sinister she is yet to uncover?

Can she solve the mystery before time runs out… again?

MY REVIEW

Well this mind blowing book gets the full 5 Stars!

We begin with a shipwreck, then there is an underground cave system, the discovery of a 200 year old lifeboat, a gruesome locked room murder, artificial intelligence, cannibalism, tribal secrets and time being rewound a number of times. And an octopus called Scarlett. I love a story involving an octopus.

If someone had told me a story could involve all of the above and make sense I would have been doubtful, but this really works very, very well.

Told along three main timelines, the first set over 200 years ago, the next two set in the future; 2025 and then 2045, where the most amazingly impressive technological ideas you could only imagine are really happening at Black Lake Manor.

The morning after a huge party at her rich ex-fiancé’s home, Black Lake Manor, Ella is summoned and taken to his study to find he has been murdered in a rather gruesome manner. She is a constable but has not had any experience of investigating murders so she tries to gather as much evidence as she can, and interview the other five people in the house, to hand over to the murder detectives when they arrive.

Problem is there was a storm and they are cut off from the outside world without any form of contact.

A bigger problem is as soon as we think we know what is going on, time is wound back and we are back at square one, along with Ella.

I can’t go into more detail as I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

I highly recommend you read this book, and read it over the course of a few days. You won’t want to put it down as it is incredibly addictive! Yes it is mind boggling but I didn’t lose track of what was happening as it is just so well written.

I am looking forward to what the author writes next as he is now on my auto read list after having read just this one book.

Huge thanks to Viper Books for having me along on the tour, and also to Guy Morpuss for writing such a brilliant book and for being incredibly understanding of my admin error meaning I’m about a week late in posting 😔

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Guy worked as a barrister and QC in London for thirty years, on cases featuring drug-taking cyclists, dead Formula 1 champions and aspiring cemetery owners.

His favourite books involve taking a twist on reality, and playing with the consequences, which led to his debut novel, FIVE MINDS, about five people stuck in one body, trying to kill one another.

His second novel, BLACK LAKE MANOR, will be published in 2022.

He is currently working on his third novel.

Guy lives near Farnham, England, with his wife and two sons.

When not writing he can usually be found walking or running in the Surrey Hills.