Monday 31 August 2020

The Memories We Bury - blog tour


 

BLOG TOUR


The Memories We Bury by H.A. Leuschel

#TheMemoriesWeBury @HALeuschel @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

 

Book Blurb:

An emotionally charged and captivating novel about the complexities of female friendship and motherhood


Lizzie Thomson has landed her first job as a music teacher, and after a whirlwind romance with Markus, the newlywed couple move into a beautiful new home in the outskirts of Edinburgh. Lizzie quickly befriends their neighbour Morag, an elderly, resourceful yet lonely widow, whose own children rarely visit her. Everything seems perfect in Lizzie’s life until she finds out she is pregnant and her relationship with both Morag and Markus change beyond her control.


Can Lizzie really trust Morag and why is Markus keeping secrets from her?


In The Memories We Bury the author explores the dangerous bonds we can create with strangers and how past memories can cast long shadows over the present.


MY REVIEW


Firstly I really like this cover. It caught my eye straightaway. 


The story is told through two points of view - Lizzie and Morag. Lizzie is married to Markus and living next door to Morag who’s in her sixties. As Lizzie struggles as a new mum  her neighbor Morag is keen to help them. I really don’t want to say much more about the story. 


I absolutely loved it. Thought the storyline was brilliant although maybe on the creepy kinda side lol 


Definitely one of those stories that makes you think! I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.


 

 

About H.A. Leuschel:

Helene Andrea Leuschel gained a Master in Journalism & Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. She later acquired a Master in Philosophy, specializing in the study of the mind. Helene has a particular interest in emotional, psychological and social well-being and this led her to write her first novel, Manipulated Lives, a fictional collection of five novellas, each highlighting the dangers of interacting with narcissists. She lives with her husband and two children in Portugal.

 

 

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HALeuschel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HALeuschel/

Website: https://www.heleneleuschel.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haleuschel/

 

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/312QmDI

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/310tsN5

Review: The Memories We Bury

The Memories We Bury The Memories We Bury by H.A. Leuschel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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The Man I Married - blog tour




 BLOG TOUR


Book Description:


You love him. You’ll do anything for him. But do you really know him?This is the story of Lucy and Paul.

They met. They fell deeply in love. They got married.

Lucy thought that she had everything she wanted.

Until she found the photograph from Paul’s past life, read the text messages he’s so desperately trying to hide. Until she uncovered Paul’s darkest secrets.

Now Lucy realises she doesn’t really know her husband. She doesn’t know if she can trust her own mind. She doesn’t know the lengths Paul would go to keep his perfect life.

And worst of all, she doesn’t know that she’s in danger…

A gripping, dark psychological thriller with an absolutely nail-biting ending that will keep you hooked – the perfect read for fans of Behind Closed Doors, Mark Edwards and Lisa Jewell.


MY REVIEW


After reading this blurb I was excited to read this story and I’ve got to say I wasn’t disappointed. I found this to be a well written story. It grabbed my attention from the start and held it tight throughout. 


Lucy and Paul’s romance is a whirlwind and they get married very quickly. Paul certainly changed (or showed his true colours) when he got married. He’s far too controlling and has Lucy doubting herself. 


This was a well written gripping story. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. 


Author Bio:


Elena Wilkes grew up in Walsall in the West Midlands. After eighteen years of working in H.M Prisons, she emigrated to New Zealand. She now lives in Shropshire. ‘The Man I Married’ is the author’s debut novel and will be published by Hera Books in August 2020.

Twitter: @Elenathrillers

Facebook: @elenawilkesthrillers

Sunday 30 August 2020

Review: The Man I Married

The Man I Married The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Within the shadows

Within the shadows Within the shadows by T.L. Mahrt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Within the Shadows - blog tour


 


BLOG TOUR


BLURB


Emma’s world is rocked as the real monster lurking in the shadows is unveiled.


Emma Andrews’ last memory of her mother is seeing her bleeding to death on the bathroom floor. Several years later, Emma is kidnapped and forced to face the same monster that killed her mother. Quickly, Emma—a daydreamer with an inventive personality—must learn to separate her fantasies from reality in order to differentiate friend or foe.


As secrets unfold and the shadows emerge, Emma wonders if she can endure reliving the trauma of her past. One thing she does know for certain—she can’t do it alone.


Will Emma escape from this monster alive? Will Chance still love her after she reveals her past? Or, will someone new teach Emma the true strength hiding within her?


MY REVIEW

Although this is a stand-alone I really wish I had have read book one as I really enjoyed this story. 


Emma has had a tough life trying to move on from her past. The last thing she wants is to relive what happened but that’s what Emma has to do when she gets kidnapped. I really liked Emma. I thought she was a tough cookie- thankfully. 


I’m definitely gonna be going back to read book one. Great read. 

Thursday 27 August 2020

Blue Ticket - blog tour



BLOG TOUR


'The cool intensity and strange beauty of Blue Ticket is a wonder - be sure to read everything Sophie Mackintosh writes' Deborah Levy, author of Hot Milk

'Dreamlike, tense, compelling... Blue Ticket adds something new to the dystopian tradition set by Orwell's 1984 or Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale... Piercing moments of wisdom and insight drive toward a pitch-perfect ending' The New York Times

Calla knows how the lottery works. Everyone does. On the day of your first bleed, you report to the station to learn what kind of woman you will be. A white ticket grants you children. A blue ticket grants you freedom. You are relieved of the terrible burden of choice. And, once you've taken your ticket, there is no going back.

But what if the life you're given is the wrong one?

Blue Ticket is a devastating enquiry into free will and the fraught space of motherhood. Bold and chilling, it pushes beneath the skin of female identity and patriarchal violence, to the point where human longing meets our animal bodies.


MY REVIEW 

Firstly I really like this cover. It totally grabbed my attention when I saw it. This storyline is totally different to what I normally read. 


Calla lives with her dad. When her menstruation starts she’s taken to The Lottery. Given a blue or white ticket determines if they can have children or not. A blue ticket means she can’t have children. However what if she really does want a child?


This is a disturbing and uncomfortable read yet I couldn’t get enough of it. 


BUY LINK



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Ticket-Sophie-Mackintosh/dp/0241404452


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Sophie Mackintosh was born in South Wales in 1988, and is currently based in London. Her fiction, essays and poetry have been published by Granta, The White Review, The New York Times and The Stinging Fly, among others. Her short story ‘Grace’ was the winner of the 2016 White Review Short Story Prize, and her story ‘The Running Ones’ won the Virago/Stylist Short Story competition in 2016.


Sophie’s debut novel The Water Cure was published by Hamish Hamilton in the UK in Spring 2018 and by Doubleday in the US in early 2019 to critical acclaim, and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize.


 

Review: Blue Ticket

Blue Ticket Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Monday 24 August 2020

Review: Damaged Elite

Damaged Elite Damaged Elite by Waverly Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Broken Elite: An Angsty College Romance

Broken Elite: An Angsty College Romance Broken Elite: An Angsty College Romance by Waverly Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Misfit

Misfit Misfit by R. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Wicked Devil - new release

 


NEW RELEASE


Wicked Devil by Daniela Romero is now live! 





Roman Valdez is the Devil.


He sneers at me.

He hates me.

He wants to hurt me.


Let him try.


He thinks he's untouchable. The self-appointed Devil of Sun Valley High. 

But I've already lost everything and everyone I care about.

It's me he should be afraid of. Not the other way around.

Because I have nothing left to lose, and he can't break what's already broken.


At least, that's what I thought.


But when the Devil begins picking up the pieces, I realize while he might not break me. He can absolutely shatter me, heart and soul.


And I just might let him.

MY REVIEW



This was one of those read in one sittings for me. There are trigger warnings so take heed.  


Allie is a lovely, likeable character. She’s has been through so much already that I wanted her to find some happiness. 


It’s a well written bully romance that I couldn’t get enough of. Im so looking forward to reading book two.


Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

US: https://amzn.to/30JCoF9

WW: mybook.to/wickeddevil


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2VziB9F


Daniela Romero is a 🔥 Snarky AF 🃏  Latinx Author 👩🏻‍💻 Mom of 3 👩🏻 👦🏻 👶🏻 and proclaims that she 📚 writes HOT books 📚 She's loud, proud, and a classic ENTJ. She uses the word 'hella' a lot when she talks and blames it on her NorCal roots. Born and raised in the San Francisco bay area she now lives in Spokane, WA with her little fam, an asshole parrot, and her dog who decided (even though she picked him) to prefer her husband's attention. 

 

 

Connect with Daniela


Website | http://www.daniela-romero.com    

Facebook https://bit.ly/2FbXN2T     

Facebook Group  https://bit.ly/33L8t2I     

Instagram |  https://bit.ly/30H7vma     

Twitter  https://bit.ly/2FbXQM7         

Newsletter  https://bit.ly/2XMAz9O

Review: Wicked Devil

Wicked Devil Wicked Devil by Daniela Romero
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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From Daylight to Madness - blog tour



 BLOG TOUR



From Daylight to Madness (The Hotel #1) by Jennifer Anne Gordon is now LIVE and FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

 

From Daylight to Madness is a poetic, and haunting Gothic Horror novel that is both profoundly unsettling and darkly romantic.  

 

Jennifer Anne Gordon is the author of the critically acclaimed novel “Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent”  

 

Check out what Book Review Crew has to say:

“From the plot to its characters this book had me completely consumed from the first page to the last. I can not wait for the next installment in this series so I can rejoin everyone on Dagger Island.“

 


From Daylight To Madness (The Hotel #1) by Jennifer Anne Gordon

Cover Design: Don Noble

Genre: Dark/Gothic horror

Purchase links

Amazon! https://cutt.ly/JdNxYrz
Barnes and Noble - https://tinyurl.com/yxj3mja7
Book Depository - https://tinyurl.com/y3ybrkc6

Support your local indie shop! Bookshop.ORG - https://tinyurl.com/yx93vl88

 

Add to your TBR: https://cutt.ly/1dNxfnn

 

 

 

Blurb

In the late spring of 1873, Isabelle gave birth to her son Oscar, he cried for three startling minutes, and then went silent. During the months that follow, Isabelle is drugged and lulled into an almost hallucinatory grief state, her world begins to feel as though it exists in a terrifying new reality separated from those around her.

 

When her grieving begins to make her husband, Henry, uncomfortable, he and his mother conspire to send Isabelle away to a “Summer Hotel” on Dagger Island where she can rest and heal. While they are adamant that the hotel is not an asylum and that Isabelle will be able to return eventually to her home, Isabelle understands in her heart that it is all a lie.

 

The Hotel is not what it seems, and the foreboding Dagger Island begins to feel more like a prison than a retreat. Isabelle hears relentless sounds coming from the attic above her room, and the ever-present cries of small children scream in her head almost constantly. Are they hallucinations, or are they connected to the small cemetery she found, filled with the graves of children?

 

She meets a fellow guest at the Hotel, a young, enigmatic, and deeply damaged priest, named Francis. Together they teeter on the edges of reality and try desperately to become free from the fates that their pasts have bound them to.

 

 

MY REVIEW


This is my first and most certainly not my last read by this author. Totally different from what I’ve been reading lately yet still a brilliant read. 


I’m finding it really hard to put into words a review to give this book the justice it deserves. I will say this is a really well written haunting story that held my attention all the way through. 


My heart broke for Isabella yet we know that what she went through at that time could easily have been true which makes it even sadder. 


I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author. 



About the author


Jennifer was born a strange, pale, and quiet child, a ghost scared of ghosts....


Originally from New Hampshire, she studied acting at The New Hampshire Institute of Art.

 

She’s a professional ballroom dancer by day, and a curly haired neurotic writer by night. She is an actor, a traveler, a photographer, a lover of horror, and a dog mom. Beautiful, Frightening and Silent was her debut novel.

 

Stay in touch!
Instagram: https://cutt.ly/joTHWkx

Facebook: https://cutt.ly/OoTHDmP

Goodreads: https://cutt.ly/5oTHgnz

Amazon: https://cutt.ly/zoTH7jD

Website: https://www.jenniferannegordon.com/

Review: From Daylight To Madness

From Daylight To Madness From Daylight To Madness by Jennifer Gordon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Sunday 23 August 2020

Dead Woman Scorned - blog tour



 BLOG TOUR


Dead Woman Scorned (The Patience of a Dead Man #2) by Michael Clark

#DeadWomanScorned @MikeClarkBooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

 

Book Blurb:

She's back, and they’ll regret what they’ve done. Mildred Wells had a miserable life that carried over to a lonesome death. In the end, they betrayed her--played her the fool. She was the last to know, but there's still time to catch up. She'll formulate her painful plan as they live their lives in blissful ignorance. With no more family, only vengeance drives her; in fact, it’s all she has anymore. She would rather have rested in peace, but for Mildred, dying isn't so easy.


MY REVIEW


I really enjoyed book one so of course I was looking forward to reading this book. I wasn’t disappointed. 


I’m glad we get the backstory to Mildred Wells. 


Although I’m not keen on supernatural or stories that include history I couldn’t get enough of this story. 


The author hooks you in from the start and I couldn’t put this story down. I’m now waiting rather impatiently for the next book. 

 

About Michael Clark:

Michael Clark was raised in New Hampshire and lived in the house The Patience of a Dead Man trilogy is based on. 

"The Patience of a Dead Man - Book One" is his first novel.
"Dead Woman Scorned - The Patience of a Dead Man - Book Two" and
"Anger is an Acid - The Patience of a Dead Man - Book Three" are also available.

What's next? A story that takes place in a very cold place.

 

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikeclarkbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelclarkbooks/

Website: https://www.michaelclarkbooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelclarkbooks/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/michael-clark-62905d29-5149-46e1-bfa9-ae954e0949d7

 

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3gE7pRG

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3a53rPG

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2CaixH7

Audible: https://adbl.co/3a7RjNE

 

Review: Dead Woman Scorned

Dead Woman Scorned Dead Woman Scorned by Michael Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Thursday 20 August 2020

Review: Revved

Revved Revved by A.M. Mahler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Revolution

Revolution Revolution by Rebecca Sharp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Rival's Protector: The Silent Family Series Book 2

The Rival's Protector: The Silent Family Series Book 2 The Rival's Protector: The Silent Family Series Book 2 by T. Steele
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The Hitman's Desire: A Mafia Romance

The Hitman's Desire: A Mafia Romance The Hitman's Desire: A Mafia Romance by T. Steele
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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You Let Him In - blog tour



 BLOG TOUR


Book Description:


The only thing she was guilty of was trusting him

All Jenny Clifton ever wanted was to be the ideal wife and mother. When she married Michael in a fairytale wedding, followed by the birth of baby Daniel, her life was complete.

Yet just three years later, the shine has faded. Now, money is tight, and the occasional argument has become daily screaming matches between Jenny and Michael.

Something needs to change… and it does, when Michael is killed in a brutal hit and run, breathing his last with a stranger holding

his hand.

Lonely and distraught, Jenny strikes up an unlikely friendship with the witness to the accident, clinging to the connection with the man who watched Michael die.

But as she uncovers the secrets that her husband was keeping, Jenny realises that her perfect life may have been a perfect lie - and worse, that her new friend may be harbouring dangerous secrets of his own…


A gripping, twisty psychological thriller packed with suspense and a jaw-dropping

ending. Fans of T.M. Logan, C.L. Taylor and K.L. Slater won’t be able to put this one down.


MY REVIEW


 I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Well written story. 


Jenny is married to Michael and they have a son called David. She is left devastated when he dies. A friendship starts up between Jenny and Gary who stayed with Michael when he was dying. Michael has left plenty of secrets behind. 


A definite page turner. Can’t wait to read more from this author. 


Author Bio:


JA Andrews is an author of dark psychological thrillers with books published by Hera, having given up gaming journalism to write novels. When he’s not thinking about sinister plot lines, he often enjoys kickboxing, traveling abroad to sunny climates and reality television shows. Can also be found on Twitter @JasonA1980 

Review: You Let Him In

You Let Him In You Let Him In by J.A. Andrews
My rating: 0 of 5 stars



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The Library Murders - blog tour




 BLOG TOUR



Alyssa Clark is about to find out that reading really can be murder.

She thought her new job in Thornhill Library would be safe and uneventful. Boring, even. But on her first day at work, a masked gunman storms into the building and blows away every member of staff on duty. Alyssa barely escapes with her life.

The police are satisfied they’ve got their man, but Davy, Alyssa’s colleague and the only other survivor of the massacre, is convinced the real killer is still at large. Alyssa – trying to move on with her life while dealing with traumatic flashbacks and the unwanted advances of an obsessive ex – is sceptical. However, when she stumbles across damning evidence of a cover-up, she agrees to join forces with Davy to help track down the real culprit.

But in her pursuit of the truth, will she find the closure she desperately craves… or provoke the wrath of a killer with unfinished business on his mind?

If you like twists, turns and compelling, conflicted characters, you’ll love this gripping new mystery from the McIlvanney Prize-nominated author of In the Silence.


MY REVIEW


From start to finish this was a great read. 


As the title says there are murders in a library.Alyssa is caught up in the shootings. Although the police believe they’ve got the killer Alyssas colleague isn’t so sure. With Davy her colleague she tries to track down the killer but she gets more than she bargained for. 


Great read. Really enjoyed it. Am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.


 

Praise for M.R. Mackenzie:

‘Writes with precision and passion’ – Caro Ramsay

‘Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir’ – James Oswald

‘Up there with the best contemporary authors working today’ – David B. Lyons

‘Splendidly written stuff’ – Crime Time

 

Review: The Library Murders

The Library Murders The Library Murders by M.R. Mackenzie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Tuesday 18 August 2020

Review: A Wicked Song

A Wicked Song A Wicked Song by Lisa Renee Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book two in the Brilliance Trilogy. A Reckless Note is a must read before you read this one.

This continues where book one ends. The pace is fast and I couldn’t read this fast enough. After reading this I now have more questions now that need answering.

Brilliant read with lots of suspense. I was glued from start to finish. Can’t wait to read book three.

View all my reviews

Review: A Reckless Note

A Reckless Note A Reckless Note by Lisa Renee Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Cannibal City - blog tour

 


BLOG TOUR


Cannibal City (Detective in a Coma #2) by Jennifer Lee Thomson

#CannibalCity @jenthom72 @NightsBooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

 

Book Blurb:

A killer is stalking his victims on Glasgow's streets.

 

Men are being abducted, kept tied up for weeks and force-fed, then strangled and their livers are being removed.

 

Detective Inspector Duncan Waddell has enough problems not least of all that his best friend and colleague Stevie who's meant to be comatose is talking to him and only him. Now he faces his most bizarre case yet.

 

This time he has help in the shape of FBI profiler Odessa Thorne who arrives as part of a new Police Scotland initiative.

 

When a career criminal comes forward to say he was targeted by the killer but somehow managed to get away, Waddell hopes it's the breakthrough they need. But can they trust this witness who's known to be a habitual liar?

 

As they close in on their ruthless killer Waddell must look into a heart of darkness to get his killer.


MY REVIEW


This is book two in the series and I highly recommend you read book one Vile City first. 


There is a serial killer on the loose and DI Waddell is on the case. This series is different in that Waddell gets help from his colleague Stevie- who’s in a coma. 


I really liked this storyline. The twists and turns had me glued to my kindle. Can’t  wait to read more from this author. 


 

 

About Jennifer Lee Thomson:

Jennifer is an award-winning crime writer (she won the Scottish Association of Writers Award for crime thriller Vile City, the first book in the Detective in a Coma series) and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association. She studied creative writing at Strathclyde University. She’s also a feature writer whose work has appeared in The Guardian, The Times and Scotland On Sunday.

 

She wrote the Detective in a Coma (so called because the detective in the title is in a coma and only the lead character in the series DI Waddell can hear him) and the Die Hard for Girls series of books.

 

A human and animal rights advocate, she wrote Living Cruelty Free - Live a More Compassionate Life which focuses on how we can be kinder to animals and each other.

 

In her spare time, she loves going for walks with my rescue greyhound Harley and plotting the perfect murder.

 

 

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenthom72

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VileCitybyJenniferLeeThomson/

Blog: http://ramblingsofafrustratedcrimewriter.blogspot.com

Website: http://jennifer-thomson.blogspot.com/

 

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2CZ4mVH

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3jQUr5c

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/2CQ7Zxi

Book Depository: https://bit.ly/2Pa0tzu

 

 

Publishing Information:

Published in paperback and digital formats by Caffeine Nights Publishing on 16th April 2020