Fairy Rock by Stephen Watt - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum I'm pleased to share my review of Fairy Rock by Stephen Watt. The concept sounded so different and exciting, I jumped to be a part of the blog tour, so thank you to Kelly at Love Books Tours and Red Squirrel Press.

Fairy Rock: A Crime Novel In Verse

In 2017 Andrew Smith, then Director, now Chair of the Scottish Writers’ Centre, came up with a dynamic idea to run a Twitter campaign inviting poets to pitch an idea and the winner would have a poetry pamphlet published by the SWC’s publisher partner, Red Squirrel Press. Poet, critic, essayist, editor, designer and typesetter Gerry Cambridge, poet Sheila Templeton, writer, musician and Editor of both Postbox Press (the literary fiction imprint of Red Squirrel Press) and Postbox International Short Story Magazine, Colin Will, and myself took part in a panel at the SWC, ‘How to get published’ in October 2017. Andrew received many entries, a shortlist was drawn up, Stephen Watt subsequently won and persuaded me to publish a full-length collection.

— Sheila Wakefield, Founding Editor, Red Squirrel Press

Glasgow is correctly lauded for its wonderful characters and hospitality but at the turn of the Millennium it was dubbed the ‘Murder Capital of Europe’ with sectarian divisions and organised crime rife in the city. Four of its natives have been raised around the city’s Bridgeton area, cultivated by its ill-omened beliefs, and now have to separately find a way to subsist. But one crime family firmly believes in the tradition of torture and a novel way of disposing of its detractors. Who will emerge smelling of roses—or end up pushing the roses up from the earth below?

My Review

Though I absolutely love the idea of a crime novel in verse, I really wasn't sure what to expect or whether I would be able to follow what was happening. Well, safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed Fairy Rock and ended up reading it in one session as I just could not put it down!

The story was fast paced, the characters clearly defined and the prose used was both beautiful and intense. I raced through each verse to find out what happened next.

There was so much more darkness than I expected and I lapped it up! Though it covered the more typical crimes of drugs and murder, both rape and incest were brought into the story, though hard to read about, it fit into the kind of atmosphere and world a crime family belong in. The mix of gore and violence with the beauty of poetry fit together so well.

I don't know Glasgow very well, but I felt that I could easily picture Bridgeton and the kind of places the book takes place in, so good was the description. It was dark and grimy and not the kind of place you want to wander into by mistake.

I honestly am struggling to express how much I enjoyed the reading experience. It was so different and exciting, I want to recommend it to everyone! I love discovering new experiences and sharing them with people and Fairy Rock is definitely one of those things I will be sharing with other people.

I gave the book 5 stars.

About The Author

Stephen Watt was born in the Vale of Leven in 1979. His awards include first prize in the Poetry Rivals Slam, the StAnza International Digital Poetry Slam, and the Tartan Treasures award. Notable collections which he has curated include the Joe Strummer Foundation collection Ashes To Activists (2018) and the James Watt bicentenary booklet Horsepower (2019). He is Dumbarton Football Club’s Poet-in-Residence and was appointed the Makar for the Federation of Writers (Scotland) in 2019. He lives in Dumbarton with his wife Keriann and pug Beanz.

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North by Lucas Ehrenhaus - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum I am sharing my review of North: A Tale Of Yore Per The Burden Of Dwarves by Lucas Ehrenhaus. Something a little different, so big thanks to Faye at Authoright for having me along.

North

After one of the most decisive warring campaigns in European history between Barbarians and Romance, the sheer possibility of a full-scale Roman invasion into Barbarian lands launches a lifelong recruitment process, which drives to the re-discovery of old mighty forces in the long forgotten North. The most apolocalyptic pan-tribal conflict amongst central and northern European natives will ensue.

My Review

North is really well researched and presented. I like the use of story to tell the history and facts while mixing them with conjecture as to what really happened.

I enjoyed the illustrations and family trees, which I felt really added depth to the book and the maps, well everyone loves a book with a map.

It was a really nice change to read about Norse mythology, as a lot of the books I've read have been based on Greek mythology. I'll be passing this onto my step daughter too as I'm sure she'll find it fascinating.

The writing throughout was vivid and brought both the story and the characters to life.

There is a nice interactive feature as part of the book. I won't spoil it, but it really added a certain something to the reading experience.

I gave the book 4 stars.


About The Author

Lucas Ehrenhaus was born in Belgium. Raised in Argentina, lived in Spain for fifteen years, travelled western Africa, Scandinavia, and the north- west of South-America.

Growing up his primary education took place at a Scottish school in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Struggling with secondary studies he started working in a vending company as a driver. Illustration was a constant throughout this period. In Spain there were a series of odd jobs in ten years whilst experimenting with photography and graphic design; two years after the economic crisis hit Madrid, he became an In-Company English Teacher in several big companies for five years during which his passion for northern European history took over. An urge to help other people drove Lucas to travel to Scandinavia in order to go through a programme for volunteering. This took him to western Africa, north western South-America and back to Scandinavia, living mainly in Norway and in Denmark on & off. This added to a broader insight to Northern Scandinavian culture where the finishing of the book North took place. 

He currently lives in the U.K.

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50 Dinosaur Tales by Sabrina Ricci - Blog Tour Review

Today on Life Of A Nerdish Mum, I am sharing my review of 50 Dinosaur Tales by Sabrina Ricci, with thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for having me along on the tour.

50 Dinosaur Tales: And 108 More Discoveries From The Golden Age Of Dinos

"Gualicho takes a bite out of the ornithopod’s back as it runs away from her, causing it to stumble and fall. She jumps on top of the body and rips open its neck with her teeth. The ornithopod becomes still and limp.

Satisfied, Gualicho begins to feast. But, after only two bites, she senses something is wrong. She lifts her head and sees a Mapusaurus making its way toward her."

Blending fiction with fact, 50 Dinosaur Tales imagines the way 50 newly described dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous lived in their natural habitats.

Also included is a list of fun facts for each dinosaur story, and facts about 108 additional dinosaurs.

If you want to hear more about new dinosaurs as soon as they are discovered, listen to the weekly podcast I Know Dino.

My Review

What an interesting book. We're a fan of dinosaurs in this house, so this book was right up my street. I though that it was really well thought out and organised, the book was sectioned into continents and then the dinosaurs that lived on each continent etc. It felt smooth to look at and made sense.

I liked how the language used wasn't "dumbed down" and that proper terminology and names were used, though it did give me a challenge at times trying to pronounce some of them!

Each story gives a brief intro into possibly what the lives of the dinosaurs discussed would be like and the other animals/dinosaurs they would have met along the way. These lead into facts about the dinosaurs which I found fascinating. I'm a big fan of fact lists.

I was originally going to get Mini Nerdling to read this along side me, but I think it's just a tad too old for him just yet. He's going to absolutely love it when he reads it though!

Overall a well written, interesting and fact filled book that I'm going to be recommending to others. I gave this book 4 stars.

About The Author

Sabrina is a writer and podcaster. She loves nerdy things, like technical specs and dinosaurs, especially sauropods. When she’s not writing, she’s podcasting with her husband at I Know Dino (iknowdino.com), a weekly show about dinosaurs.

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Don't Get Involved by F J Curlew - Blog Tour Review

I was incredibly honoured when F J Curlew contacted me to see if I'd be interested in reading her new book. I have previously read and loved Dan Knew, so I immediately said yes. Thank you so much for having me as part of the blog tour.

Don't Get Involved

A missing shipment of cocaine.
Three street-kids fighting for their lives.
A mafia hit-man intent on killing them.
A naive expat who gets in their way.
Who would you bet on?

My Review

Don't Get Involved is a huge step away from Dan Knew and F J Curlew proves that she's just as talented in this genre. The writing is really well done and the world building is brilliant. You can really tell that the author lived in the Ukraine as it all felt so authentic.

The story is told from more than one perspective over a period of time and the story unfolds slowly before coming to a fast paced ending. I enjoyed following the street children and "watching" as they survived in ways that wouldn't cross your mind if you'd never been in that situation.

I would normally say that books containing, mafia or gangs wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I'd say Don't Get Involved is more based on the people than the gangs etc and so I really enjoyed it.

Overall a really well written book and one I enjoyed. I gave this book 4 stars.

About The Author

Fiona spent fifteen years working as an international school teacher, predominantly in Eastern Europe. Much of her inspiration comes from her travels. Her writing has been described as, “Human experience impacted upon by political situation, interwoven with a love of nature.”

She now lives on the East Coast of Scotland with Brockie the Springer, and Fingal the rescued Portuguese street-cat. Her days are divided between dog-walking in beautiful places and working on her stories. Not a bad life!

Don't Get Involved is her third book.

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#Sonnets by Lucien Young - Blog Tour Review

Life Of A Nerdish Mum is closing out the blog tour for #Sonnets by Lucien Young with a review of this hilarious collection.

#Sonnets

'I thought I could, with verse iambic, pry

Some sense from nonsense, and our modern scene 

Depict and mock, while using "thee" and "thy" 

In pages fit to rest by thy latrine.'

Lucien Young

Shakespeare's sonnets are among the great achievements in world literature. Alas, the immortal Bard never used his command of iambic pentameter to explore such themes as porn, Snapchat and Austin Powers.

#Sonnets is a collection of hilarious and inappropriate poems complete with illustrations of Elizabethan RoboCop and Snoop Dogg in tights. Musing on everything from Donald Trump to Tinder, comedy writer Lucien Young offers a Shakespearean take on the absurdity of modern life.

My Review

When I first heard about #Sonnets, I absolutely knew I had to check it out as it sounded so absurdly brilliant! I was right.

There are 167 sonnets in #Sonnets and there is absolutely something for everyone. The topics are incredibly wide ranging and random, jumping from auto-correct to Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I haven't read in iambic pentameter since I think secondary school, which was *mumble mumble* years ago, so it took me a couple of sonnets to fall back into the reading rhythm, but once I was there it flowed really well.

I chose to read #Sonnets by jumping in and out and reading one or two at a time, taking my time to enjoy each one as the small masterpiece it was. I had to google a couple of things as I had no idea what they were and I haven't watched Breaking Bad or The Sopranos, so though those sonnets probably had slightly less impact on me, I could still appreciate the quality of the writing and the humour within.

I liked the fact there were some sonnets dedicated to the man himself, Shakespeare, it was a nice touch at the end of the book. I have three absolute favourite sonnets though, Darth Vader, Liam Neeson, and Batman. Both Vader and Batman are from my top fandoms and so they really made me laugh.

I've picked up #Sonnets a few times since finishing it and re reading some of my favourites. I really feel it's a book that can be enjoyed over a long period of time and more than once. It's also just a really pretty book with some really brilliant illustrations throughout.

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

"Thy poet was in Northern England born,

Upon the Geordie Shore in '88.

He spent his adolescent years forlorn,

Bereft of hope that he might find a mate.

But reading Shakespeare's verse, it did occur

To him that he should master sonnetry

And write some stanzas to a fancied her,

Escaping thus his cruel virginity!

Of course, that did not happen: they were shit

And, filled with shame, the lad set down his quill,

Then left his teens with naught to show for it,

Beyond a new and truly pointless skill.

So now he doth, in quasi-comic guise,

Attempt his wasted youth to monetise."

(Lucien Young is a comedy writer who has worked on various TV programmes, including BBC Three's Siblings and Murder in Successville, as well as authoring three humour books, Alice in Brexitland, Trump's Christmas Carol and The Secret Diary of Jeremy Corbyn. He was born in Newcastle and read English at the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of the world-famous Footlights Club).

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Whee To The Moon by Arron Charman - Blog Tour Review

Today Life Of A Nerdish Mum is taking part in the blog tour for Whee To The Moon by Arron Charman. I'm happy to be sharing my review of this children's book today. Thanks to Faye at Authoright as usual for having me on board.

Whee To The Moon

Neil is a young boy who likes to scream “whee!” with excitement when he’s at the playground. Neil develops a love of flying. As he gets older, he learns how to fly aircraft that will take him on many different adventures. Even though he is now a grown up, Neil still excitedly screams “whee!” as he gets to fly all the way to the Moon!

My Review

Whee To The Moon is a children's book aimed at giving an introduction to Neil Armstrong and his life up till walking on the moon. It's a very quick and easy read and can either be read by an adult to a child or by the child themselves.

The illustrations are really lovely and reflect well what is happening in the text. I liked the simple use of colour throughout.

The author has chosen pivotal parts of Neil Armstrong's life to highlight in the book. I found it really interesting, seeing the path that he took towards being an astronaut and space travel. Mini Nerdling is currently choosing to read all about space and how to become an astronaut so this book was perfectly timed for us.

The only bit I was unsure of, was the mentioning of the bombing. I understand that it's real life and what happened, I just felt it's a little too soon to be introducing children to that if unneccessary and I would have preferred a couple more pages at the end to finish off the return to earth instead. That's just my opinion though.

I enjoyed reading Whee To The Moon and even I as an adult learnt things about Neil Armstrong that I didn't know which is always a bonus.

I gave this book 4 stars.

About The Author

Arron Charman is a chemistry graduate and father of four who lives in Hemel Hempstead in the UK. He has always been interested in the natural sciences and space exploration.  He embarked on writing a book to try and share the amazing adventure of space flight and the process of becoming an astronaut with children.

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The Legend Of Sidri by Rauf Khalilov - Blog Tour Review

Today Life Of A Nerdish Mum is part of the blog tour for The Legend Of Sidri by Rauf Khalilov a wonderful children's fantasy and I am sharing my review. With big thanks to Faye of Authoright for having me along. 

The Legend Of Sidri 

In the mythical realm of Badalonium, a young boy named Sidri lived happily with his beloved parents. But the family is shattered by an evil figure from the afar, triggering a series of events that lead Sidri on a journey of self-development, friendship, family reunions and retribution.

My Review

The Legend Of Sidri really took me back to my childhood reading! The coloured pages and the absolutely stunning illustrations, even the font used gave the feel of a classic children's fantasy and I felt at "home" straight away before I'd even read a word. The story itself continued along that same and there were morals and talking animals (both things were in all children's fantasy books when I was younger). 

Sidri was a very strong character and one that you wouldn't mind your children wanting to be like as he is smart and brave and kind. 

The world building is done exceptionally well and I could picture myself there, surrounded by the magic. Part of what makes this possible, is the fact that though words are used that are "made up", they sound natural to read and are easy even for a younger reader to sound out. This means that you don't lose immersion in the story trying to figure out how to pronounce something. I really enjoyed the adventures Sidri has and the trials and travels he has to go through as he gets older. 

The Legend Of Sidri is only 40 and a bit pages long and passed far too quickly for me, I would have happily read a sweeping, epic fantasy set in this world. However I'm not the target audience and I think it's a perfect book to introduce a kind of fantasy to children.

Oh and there's a map! You can't help nut loving a book with a map. 

Overall a really enjoyable book and one I will be passing on to mini Nerdling to read in the future. 

I gave this book 5 stars. 

About The Author

Rauf Khalilov is a lawyer by profession. He lives and works in London. He is married and has two kids. Rauf enjoys spending time away from work with his family, but when he has spare time left, he plays chess, writes poetry and music, sings, exercises and cooks. Rauf has a dream to own a farm with a lake where he would have a restaurant that would serve food produced on his own farm. He would also like to create a centre within the farm for children with special needs where they would receive education through play therapy with animals and nature.   

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The New Achilles by Christian Cameron - Blog Tour Review

Today Life Of A Nerdish Mum is happy to take part in the blog tour celebrating the release of The New Achilles by seasoned historical fiction author, Christian Cameron.

The New Achilles

Alexanor is a man who has seen too much blood. He has left the sword behind him to become a healer in the greatest sanctuary in Greece: he has turned his back on war.
But war has followed him to his refuge at Epidauros, and now a battle to end the freedom of Greece is all around him. The Mediterranean superpowers of Rome, Egypt and Macedon are waging their proxy wars on Hellenic soil, turning Greek farmers into slaves and mercenaries.

Greece needs a champion.

When a wounded soldier is carried into his temple, Alexanor believes the man's wounds are mortal. But he is not destined to die. But Alexanor must face his own daemons before he can help the hero face his.
Because this is the new Achilles. His name is Philopoemen.
This is Greece's champion. The last hero. He is the new Achilles.

My Review

I only discovered my love of historical fiction a couple of years ago, but I sadly don't find time to read the genre very often. When the opportunity to read The New Achilles came up though, I jumped at it as I absolutely love Greek history in part due to my Greek heritage. Also the story sounded fascinating.

The action is right there from chapter one and continues right the way through the story. There are many extremely well written battles, both exciting and detailed. I'm not always the biggest fan of battle scenes in books (in War and Peace, I far preferred the "peace" sections to the war scenes), but in The New Achilles, I was kept engaged and wanted to know the outcome, instead of zoning out or skim reading.

Alexanor is an interesting character as he is someone who has moved from a life of fighting to a life of peace, before becoming embroiled again in the world of war. He is a far more stable character than you'd imagine and I really enjoyed his presence and his character development.

You can tell the author is a historian, this is not a detrimental thing, as the language and terminology used is obviously correct of the time period. I enjoy learning when I read, so having to use the glossary (and good old Google) on occasion was really helpful. The author's knowledge also helps with the feeling of authenticity of the places and people of the time period. This all really helped immerse me fully into the story. 

Overall a really excellent and intense read, not one to be sped through, but one to be savoured.

I gave this book 4 stars.

About The Author

Aka Miles Cameron. Also publishes as Gordon Kent with his father Kenneth M. Cameron.

Christian Cameron was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1962. He grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts, Iowa City, Iowa,Christian Cameron and Rochester, New York, where he attended McQuaid Jesuit High School and later graduated from the University of Rochester with a degree in history.

After the longest undergraduate degree on record (1980-87), he joined the United States Navy, where he served as an intelligence officer and as a backseater in S-3 Vikings in the First Gulf War, in Somalia, and elsewhere. After a dozen years of service, he became a full time writer in 2000. He lives in Toronto (that’s Ontario, in Canada) with his wife Sarah and their daughter Beatrice, currently age four. And a half.

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The Secret Life Of Moles by Liz Burgess - Blog Tour Review

Thank you to Clink Street Publishing for having Life Of A Nerdish Mum on the blog tour for The Secret Life Of Moles (And Their Friends) by Liz Burgess.

The Secret Life Of Moles (And Their Friends) 

Liz Burgess has always held a keen interest in nature, especially small furry mammals!

Long fascinated by their secret activities at home in her own back garden, and the fields surrounding it, she decided to explore this special underground world, and find out more about moles and their other little friends. Liz Burgess lives in South Yorkshire and The Secret Life of Moles is her first book for children.

My Review

The Secret Life Of Moles follows Ragwort Teasel, a young mole, as he wants to spread his wings and move out of the family tunnels into more space. There's a road being built and there's a farm and tractor near by so he has to go into uncharted territory. Along the way, there are trials and tribulations until finally he is settled nicely in his new home.

As the story progresses, it shows how working together and helping your friends can assist in achieving your goals. There is also give a small insight into how moles live.

The Secret Life Of Moles is aimed at children, I would say it would be better for age seven and up as there is a lot of text and though there are pictures, they are simple (but beautiful) sketches with no colour and they are not very often. As a grown up reading the book, I found the names of things difficult, wingthings, climbing fox etc. But I'd imagine for children this would be a fun way of describing each animal and them guessing as what they were.

Overall an engaging story and I will be interested to see what Liz Burgess produces after The Secret Life Of Moles.

I gave this book 3 stars.

About The Author

Liz Burgess lives in South Yorkshire has enjoyed a varied career, including working for a UK Environmental Charity, the latter 10 years as a Director. She had always had a keen interest in nature especially small mammals, activities in her own back garden and the surrounding fields inspired her to write the Secret Life of Moles. Any reference to a moles natural behaviour in The Secret Life of Moles is correct according to Liz’s small amount of research. All the drawings were been done by Liz in pencil and ink.

At the age of 68, Liz enjoys hiking, bird-watching anything to do with wildlife. She has done quite a bit of foreign travel, including rain forests, jungles and was fortunate to see a 'tiger' in the wild. Liz retired at 60, previous to this she worked for an environmental charity for 28 years. Mainly involved with operational developments but she does have a background in Human Resources and Employment Law.

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12 Days Of Clink Street - The Cubit Quest by Trevor Leck

Today I'm part of a wonderfully exciting blog tour celebrating books published by Clink Street Publishing. My choice was a YA fantasy, The Cubit Quest by Trevor Leck.

The Cubit Quest 

Twelve-year-old Charlie Watkins could have inherited his dad’s massive intellect.

He got his massive feet instead.

Perhaps if Charlie had that intellect he might have been able to figure out why so many men in suits were suddenly following him or where his dad hid the Cubit - a mythical object that men have sworn to protect and even more have died trying to possess - before his so-called accident.

If starting yet another new school wasn’t bad enough, Charlie meets Mr Leopold, a disfigured, mind-reading lunatic and discovers that he alone must find the Cubit if he is to save his dad. The Brotherhood, however, have other ideas. Led by the ruthless Draganovic, they will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. With the help of Mr Leopold and fellow new boy Elvis, Charlie sets out on The Cubit Quest.

Hunting for the Cubit, playing football, lessons with the dreaded Funeral Face and unsuccessfully avoiding school bully Grimshaw by day, Charlie finds his nights no less complicated. Stalked in his dreams, he’s soon immersed in a world of power struggles, battling dragons and duels to the death. With the Brotherhood hot on his heels and as the bullets begin to fly, there are no guarantees that Charlie, or anyone else, will make it to the end in one piece.

My Review

This had me at dragons! I love a book with a dragon in it. I also love how the mythical sits alongside normal every day things. I think the world building it very clever and I enjoyed it thoroughly. With how North Shields is described, I felt like I had visited in person and not just in book form. I'm incredibly happy this is the first book in a series rather than a stand alone as I want more of both the world and the characters.

The Cubit Quest is fast paced and a whole heap of fun, it reminds me very much of an 80's style coming of age movie (except in book form obviously) and it also gave me similar feelings to my favourite book of all time (The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub). With how the book starts and getting to know Charlie and then Elvis, you can't help but just fall in love with them and Charlie is easily a new favourite character of mine.

The story is really interesting and it kept me both engaged and guessing as to what would happen next. I was invested in finding out what had happened to Charlie's dad and what exactly was going on.

I may be a bit (ok more than a bit) older than the targeted audience, but that really didn't take away any of my enjoyment, so don't let the fact that it's YA put you off, you definitely need to try it out.

I gave this book 5 stars.

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Secrets Between Us by Valerie Keogh - Blog Tour Review

Today I'm proud to be part of the blog tour celebrating the release of Secrets Between Us by Valerie Keogh.

Secrets Between Us

One letter a week for fifteen years. 780 identical white envelopes brimming with my sister’s darkest secrets. All the intimate details of a life as different to mine as could possibly be.

I read each letter slowly to make sure I understand it perfectly, one day very soon it will be a matter of life and death…

At the end of each letter, after signing her name, there is always one final sentence:

Don’t forget to burn this letter.

I’ll let you decide if I do…

A jaw-dropping psychological thriller that you will read in one sitting. If you loved dark, twisty thrillers like The Girl on The Train, The Couple Next Door and Friend Request, this unputdownable novel will have your heart racing long after you’ve finished reading.

My Review

When I first read the blurb for Secrets Between Us, I was instantly drawn to it as I love anything that has letters in, being a big snail mail fan myself. I also find they add intrigue and mystery to thrillers when done properly.

Secrets Between Us is definitely a slow burn, in the fact that it builds up in both pace and tension until a super fast paced ending. I really enjoyed this as it kept me engaged and I wanted to keep reading "just one more chapter". Honestly this book is one you just need to find a cosy spot, get a blanket and a brew and sit there until you're finished.

The characters were both fascinating and I was never really sure who to fully trust, or whether both Ellie and Tia were unreliable. The relationship between twins is always interesting and I think this story added a different dimension to that with the fact the sisters are living such different lives.

I really loved this book and I am already looking forward to Valerie Keogh's next masterpiece.

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

Valerie Keogh grew up reading Agatha Christie so when she started writing it seemed natural to write crime novels. She writes two different series, one based in Ireland featuring Garda Sergeant Mike West and a grittier one based in the UK featuring Nicola Connolly, a serial killer.

The Garda West series: THAT ONE MAY SMILE, CLOSE RANKS, MURDER ON CLARE ISLAND and DEATH IN FOXROCK. 

The Hudson and Connolly series: DEADLY SLEEP, TWISTED POWER, BITTER BUSINESS, and WICKED SECRET.

Valerie has also written a stand-alone psychological thriller, Exit Five from Charing Cross

In March 2018, Valerie signed a two-book contract with the publisher, Bookouture. The first of these, Secrets Between Us, is out now.

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The Haunted Broch by Wendy H Jones - Blog Tour Review

Today I'm excited to be taking part in the blog tour for The Haunted Broch by Wendy H Jones (If you missed my review of her children's book Bertie The Buffalo, check that out here). Thank you to Kelly from LoveBooksGroupTours for having me aboard. 

The Haunted Broch

A Scottish Broch.

An archaeologist scorned.

A ghost disturbed.

The Detective Duo, Fergus and Flora, are spending their summer on an archaeological dig, searching for the Lost Broch. 

But someone—or something—seems set on sabotaging the project. An infestation of spiders—a swarm of mice—the campsite trashed—who knew archaeology could be so dangerous? 

And is the Lost Broch really under a curse?

My Review

Though this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read on it's own though after reading The Haunted Broch, I'm personally going to go back and read the first too because of how much I enjoyed this. 

This kind of adventure is exactly the kind of adventure that I always imagined I would have when I was younger during my summer holidays. Heck even as an adult I imagine the adventures I could have which is why I was carried away by the excitement of doing something as cool as archaeology! I felt there was enough explanation was gone into without overloading and it doesn't talk down to the reader. 

The characters were really well developed and we learnt quite a lot about them as the story progressed. Both Fergus and Flora were really likeable and their banter and relationship is really enjoyable to read. 

Some of the themes are very grown up and very relevant in the current climate. I think it's important that these are covered in a way that can get the younger generation involved in the conversation - people not getting the recognition they deserve because of their race, religion, gender, etc - and can help their learning and understanding going forward. 

I could have done without the spiders! I am not a fan of spiders, but that is definitely a personal thing! 

Overall a great book and I gave this four stars.

About The Author

Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie, is set in the beautiful city of Dundee, Scotland. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. This took her all over the world including Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Much of her spare time is now spent travelling around the UK, and lands much further afield. As well as nursing Wendy also worked for many years in Academia. This led to publication in academic textbooks and journals. Killer's Countdown is her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mystery series. Killer's Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2107. There are now six books in this series with Killer's Crypt being released in August, 2017. The Dagger's Curse is the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries for Young Adults. This book is currently shortlisted for the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. She is also a highly successful marketer and she shares her methods in the book, Power Packed Book Marketing.

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Bertie The Buffalo by Wendy H Jones - Blog Tour Review

Today I'm really excited to be taking part in the blog tour for Bertie The Buffalo by Wendy H. Jones, a fabulous children's picture book. 

Bertie The Buffalo 

Bertie the Buffalo is based on a true story of when a Water Buffalo escaped from a Buffalo Park in Fife, near Dundee, Scotland. A rhyming book about the adventures Bertie got up to and how he safely returned home, demonstrating how important each of us is no matter how insignificant we feel. Bertie felt that no one noticed him. But he didn't need to think that as we are all special. We are all a part of one big family.  

My Review

I really, really enjoyed this lovely story. Bertie is adorable both in words and in the illustrations. It was nice to see an animal not usually given a spotlight in children's stories, as buffaloes are not your typical "cutesie" animal. 

I thought the pace and tempo of the story was perfect and it felt really natural and easy while reading. My five year old managed to read it fluently and pointed out how the words rhymed. 

The story was clever and covered some big ideas like dealing with different and new situations and the importance of family and friends. Each issue was covered in a manner that would be understandable to a child without overwhelming them with information or any fear. 

The illustrations were beautiful and memorable. I thought all of the animals were incredibly cute and the pictures told the story just as clearly as the words. 

Overall a really wonderful book and one I will enjoy reading again and again with my both my little ones. 

About The Author

Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie, is set in the beautiful city of Dundee, Scotland. Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. This took her all over the world including Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. Much of her spare time is now spent travelling around the UK, and lands much further afield. As well as nursing Wendy also worked for many years in Academia. This led to publication in academic textbooks and journals. Killer's Countdown is her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mystery series. Killer's Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2107. There are now six books in this series with Killer's Crypt being released in August, 2017. The Dagger's Curse is the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries for Young Adults. This book is currently shortlisted for the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. She is also a highly successful marketer and she shares her methods in the book, Power Packed Book Marketing.

Don't Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Tour

Unspoken Truths by Liz Mistry - Blog Blitz Review

I am incredibly excited to be one of the fabulous people kicking off the blog blitz celebrating the release of Unspoken Truths by Liz Mistry, the fifth novel in the DI Gus McGuire series.

Unspoken Truths

In Unspoken Truths, DI Gus McGuire and his team navigate a complex web of intrigue, espionage and murder. Set in Bradford, Manchester and on Saddleworth Moor, Gus is pushed to his physical and psychological limits. 

First a rural train between Manchester and Bradford is deliberately derailed by a vehicle with a boot filled with drugs, then a woman’s tortured body is discovered in Keighley. When Gus’ brother-in-law goes missing, the investigation becomes personal. As he battles against the storms of the Beast from the East, Gus must uncover the links between the dead woman, a pharmaceutical company in Manchester and a research facility in Northern Cyprus, as well as the disappearance of his brother in law. With the body count increasing, Gus sets Compo loose on the Dark Web - how will Gus react when he discovers that things are not as they seem?

Meanwhile, DS Alice Cooper faces extreme danger in prison and, as the evidence piles up against her, Gus and his team’s loyalties are pushed to the limit.

Can Gus stop the blueprint for a deadly bio weapon from falling into the wrong hands? Can he solve a series of murders and track down a psychotic killer? Never before has Gus faced such a demanding test.

My Review

Wow! Wow! Wow! Unspoken Truths is 100% the best book in this series so far. I have loved each and every one of the DI Gus McGuire cases, but this is definitely my favourite. It's an awful lot darker than the previous books and I really like where Liz Mistry went with it.

Being the fifth book, I already knew some of the characters and their backgrounds quite well, but I learnt a lot more about them throughout this story, which is really good as sometimes in a series as you get further in, the characters can become stale. That is not the case here! In particular the strength and resilience that DS Alice Cooper shows is extremely well written and it was really quite difficult reading about what she has to endure. Also the strength of character that DI Gus McGuire shows trying to get to the truth no matter what he's dealt.

I love the fact that this series is set in places that I know really well as it adds to my immersion in the story. With the inclusion of Beast From The East and it being a real weather phenomenon we all dealt with earlier in the year, it gave an added dimension of realism.

If I had the chance, I would have happily read this all in one sitting, as when I had to put it down I spent my time wondering what would happen next.

If you haven't already read the rest of the books, I would really recommend you get on that and then you can catch up on this absolutely amazing crime series.

I gave this book 5 stars.

About The Author

Liz writes crime fiction books set in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The DI Gus McGuire series is gritty Northern noir with a bit of Scottish thrown in.  She is currently researching for a Ph. D in creative writing at Leeds Trinity University. As part of her Ph.D she is researching how the teen killer’s voice is portrayed in the adult crime fiction novel with specific reference to the influence of teen social media usage, with a view to writing a crime fiction novel around these issues.

Liz also teaches creative writing, specialising in crime fiction and is a regular panellist at literary festivals throughout the UK.  She enjoys reading her work at Open Mic and Noir at the Bar events. She was chosen to be one of the spotlighted authors at the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival in 2016.  She is the lead blogger for the well renowned crime fiction blog The Crime warp which reviews contemporary, mainly UK based, crime fiction, comments on current issues around the genre and creative writing in general and interviews authors on a regular basis. 

She is available to comment on current issues around creative writing in general and crime fiction in particular and to speak at local and national festivals and conferences.

She is contactable on:

Facebook: @LizMistrybooks

Email: LizMistryAuthor@yahoo.com

Twitter: @LizCrimeWarp

Blog: https://thecrimewarp.blogspot.co.uk/

Website: https://lizmistrycrimewriter.wordpress.com/

Don't Forget To Check Out The Rest Of The Blitz