Author: bookafterbook

Publication: 4th January 2024 – Simon & Schuster UK

Discover the beautiful, escapist new novel from beloved author, Holly Hepburn…

When Daisy’s mother falls ill she is forced to return home. With her twin sons in tow, she moves back to Half Moon Farm, her family’s ancient hop farm.  

But a new life in the Kent countryside isn’t necessarily as idyllic as it might seem. Daisy’s relationship with her mother is complicated and the tumbledown farm isn’t the only thing that needs rebuilding. Daisy and her sons must adjust to life with estranged family, a leaking roof, and no WiFi.

Luckily for Daisy, she might yet find some distraction in silver fox farmer, Drew, or in the haughty heir to the nearby estate, Kit, who she can’t seem to avoid.

Daisy must learn to juggle her new life, the boys, and the daunting task of updating the farm. But there are secrets lurking in her family’s past that might throw everything into further disarray…

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Today it’s my turn on the blog tour for Return to Half Moon Farm, the amazing new novel by Holly Hepburn.

Daisy is a divorced mother of 10-year-old twin boys. For years she’s been estranged from her mother, but now she is returning home to take care of her following a surgery. Home is Half Moon Farm, her grandparents’ house where she spent many happy summers when she was a child, but now it’s in a state of neglect and in great need of repairs. As she tries to reconnect with her mother, Daisy is busy adapting to new friends and a new school, restoring the farm, and working on a big project as an illustrator (with references to one of my favourite books ever). She may find time for romance, while also uncovering family secrets after finding love letters addressed to her grandmother during World War II.

I have read quite a few novels by Holly Hepburn and I enjoyed them all, but I think that Return to Half Moon Farm is my favourite so far. I really liked the countryside setting and the relatable, authentic, and loyal protagonist and her two lively sons, one with a love for sports while the other prefers books and history.  In the Kent countryside she finds a cast of great and engaging characters, including two possible love interests, one a beloved farmer with a reputation for flirting, the other a charming, sometimes grumpy, heir. 

Beautifully-written, intriguing, and heart-warming, Return to Half Moon Farm is a wonderful novel about love, family, and friends. There are also a castle and a manor with beautiful gardens, a terrifying cat (but my favourite character) named Atticus, and a decades-long family feud. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Sara Jade Virtue and Simon & Schuster UK for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this uplifting novel.

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Holly Hepburn has wanted to write books for as long she can remember but she was too scared to try. One day she decided to be brave and dipped a toe into the bubble bath of romantic fiction with her first novella, Cupidity, and she’s never looked back. She often tries to be funny to be funny, except for when faced with traffic wardens and border control staff. Her favourite things are making people smile and Aidan Turner.

She’s tried many jobs over the years, from barmaid to market researcher and she even had a brief flirtation with modelling. These days she is mostly found writing.

She lives near London with her grey tabby cat, Portia. They both have an unhealthy obsession with Marmite.

Publication: 25th January 2024 – Michael Joseph

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that every good mystery is in need of a brilliant sleuth . . .

Welcome to Hampshire, 1795, where a young Jane Austen has her sights set on securing a marriage proposal from the dashing Tom Lefroy at a local ball.

But when a shocking discovery is made – a milliner’s lifeless body tucked away in a linen closet – Jane finds herself embroiled in an unexpected murder mystery.

As she races against the clock to clear her beloved brother Georgy’s name, Jane uses her sharp wits to navigate the treacherous waters of society, unmasking secrets and unearthing hidden motives along the way. With every twist and turn, Jane’s determination to solve the case deepens. And if she fails, her brother will face the ultimate punishment – the hangman’s noose . . .

Join Jane on her quest for justice as she faces down danger, deceit, and scandal amidst her own friends and neighbours. Will she uncover the truth in time, or will the real killer go free? One thing’s for certain – in Hampshire, nothing is as it seems . . .

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As a huge Jane Austen fan, I have been excited about this book since it was first announced. My favourite author solving a murder? Count me in! I waited until the Christmas holidays to read it, so that I could enjoy it relaxed on my couch and without interruptions and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s even more intriguing and immersive than I expected and I couldn’t put it down.

It’s December 1795. A young Jane Austen is attending a ball with her older brothers, James and Henry, and she sneaks out to enjoy a rendezvous with the dashing Tom Lefroy, hoping for a marriage proposal. But they are interrupted when a young woman is found murdered in one of the closets. The local magistrate is convinced that the killer is one of the beggars around the estate, but when the woman’s necklace is found on her developmentally disabled brother Georgy, Jane is determined to prove his innocence before he is sentenced to death or sent to Australia. With the help of her charming cousin Eliza, her brother Henry, and even Tom, Jane sets out to investigate: who really was the victim and who wanted her dead?

Miss Austen Investigates is not my first novel in which Jane Austen turns investigator, but they usually feature a mature Jane, with already a couple of published books. It’s refreshing to read of a younger Jane, impulsive and sometime naive, witty and smart, in the middle of an impossible romance and in love, drafting her first novel, Lady Susan, always writing and always plotting, taking inspirations from events around her.

History and fiction perfectly blend together and the mystery is full of twists and turns. We also get a close look into the Austen family, their devotion to each other, Henry’s feelings for their widowed cousin Eliza, how George’s mental illness affects the family, and the letters between Jane and Cassandra prove the close bond between the two sisters.

 Miss Austen Investigates is fun, engaging, and engrossing and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Publication: 7th December 2023 – Usborne Publishing

Trapped in a mansion with a murderer and a family of liars – how would you survive? A mind-blowing thriller from the author of THIS BOOK KILLS, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus.

When three girls are stranded at the grand Bramble Estate in the middle of a snowstorm, they stumble into a murder plot. Someone has poisoned wealthy Emily Vanforte in the middle of a family dinner – which means Devi, Lizzie and Jayne are trapped in the house with a killer and a mystery to solve. With knives under floorboards, vanishing guns and secret passages in the walls, no one is safe and everyone is a suspect. But in a house of liars and corruption, will the girls save themselves…or learn to fit in?

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A remote mansion during a violent snow with no cell signals. What could go wrong? Of course, there is a murder, but who is the killer? And who is going to die next?

I really had fun reading this novel, told through the perspective of three teenagers, who find themselves guests of the famous Vanforte family during a snowstorm. Devi was on her way to her grandmother’s house when her car broke down right in front of the Vanforte mansion. Lizzie is there to deliver a necklace that the intimidating Emily Vanforte had to have. And Jayne works there as a maid’s help. As the storm prevents them from leaving the house, they have no choice but to spend the night there, as long as they remain in their assigned wing of the house and don’t interfere in the family dinner. The relationship between the Vanforte family is strained: wife and husband don’t get along; Emily doesn’t approve of her daughter inviting over her boyfriend for Christmas; and Tate is the quiet cousin who no one seems to notice. When Emily suddenly dies during dinner, apparently from poison, Devi, Lizzie, and Jayne set off to find out the truth and, among secret passages, eavesdropped conversations, and well-hidden weapons and documents, they discover that the Vanforte family is much more dysfunctional than they thought. But nothing is what it seems and everyone is hiding something.

Full of twists and surprises, I was completely engrossed in Catch Your Death. It turned me into an amateur detective as I tried to figure out the truth (I didn’t, by the way) and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.

A huge thank you to Usborne and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

A born and bred Londoner, Ravena writes MG and YA, usually featuring antiheroines or snarky narrators. Growing up she always read the last page of books first, but discovering Agatha Christie in her early teens stopped that habit, igniting a love of twisty murder-mysteries with jaw-dropping endings the reader never saw coming. Ravena is a lawyer with a degree in biochemistry, and hopes to use the knowledge gained from her experiences to plot the perfect murder (for a book, of course!).

In her spare time, Ravena enjoys hiking in the great outdoors (though nothing too mountainous because she’s very clumsy), baking cakes (that never rise) and falling asleep to her thousandth re-watch of Friends.

Publication: 12th October 2023 – Simon & Schuster UK

Holly has the place to herself this Christmas. It’s not her place, though – she is house-sitting for friends who live on Nightingale Square – just there to keep the place warm and cosy and only for long enough for her to sort her life out. Newly single and finding herself unsure about next steps for her career, she plans to hunker down and make some life decisions.

To clear her mind, she sets off on early morning walks around a nearby lake and bumps into May, an older lady who is also new to the area, and her dapper Dachshund Monty. Quickly, a firm friendship blossoms. Then when Holly meets Bear, a rather large and rather attractive man, at the local pub, and his rescue dog Queenie, her stay at Nightingale Square suddenly feels even more appealing.

As the community comes together for the season’s festivities, Holly must start thinking about where her life will take her next. Some big decisions need to be made, but distractions close to home make thinking about the future more tricky than ever…

Will she get that festive feeling this Christmas…?

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Holly thought she had her life all planned out, but then her now ex-husband changed his mind about their future and she is now preparing to move back to her family home as she tries to figure out what to do next. Her relationship with her parents is not warm or close and she is not very looking forward to living with them, so when her friends ask her to housesit their house in Nightingale Square, Holly is happy to accept. All Holly wants is to be left alone as she decides about her future, but it’s not very easy when her new neighbours are determined to involve her in the community activities. And, as she finds new friends, including the lovely May and her adorable stylishly-dressed Dachshund Monty, and the handsome new gardener Bear with its unique horse box home, Holly realizes that maybe she doesn’t need to be alone at Christmas.

This is the perfect novel to read in front of a fire with a blanket and a mug of chocolate in your hands. I spent hours happily immersed in the stories, secrets, and matchmaking of the residents at Nightingale Square. Having read some of the author’s previous novels, I was happy to see some of the characters again and read what they are up to, and being introduced to new ones.

I liked the character of Holly. Newly divorced and without a home, she needs to decide about her career and her life and meeting new friends help her make choices and develop.

That Festive Feeling is a fantastic, heartwarming, and delightful Christmas novel that you will enjoy from start to finish. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Heidi lives in beautiful south Norfolk with her family and a mischievous cat called Storm. She is passionate about gardening, the countryside, collecting vintage paraphernalia and reading. Her TBR pile is always out of control! To find out more, follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her website: heidiswain.co.uk.

Publication: 18th December 2023 – Storm Publishing

A mystery novelist with writer’s block, a lavish party to ring in the new year, and a film star with three bullets through his head…

December 1927. Mystery-writer Marius Quin has one previous bestseller, endless looming mortgage payments, and no idea how to write his next book. When his childhood friend Lady Isabella Montague invites him to an intimate New Year’s Eve party hosted by a narcissistic actor, Marius seizes upon the distraction. With his perpetually glum Basset hound along for the ride, he navigates the snowy lanes to the opulent estate of Everham Hall. As the celebrations begin, fireworks light up the sky, champagne corks pop, and then the host is murdered…

Snowed-in and with the police unable to reach them, Marius is the closest thing the panicked party has to a detective and he is swiftly nominated to find the killer. But when two more guests are attacked, Marius soon realises that solving mysteries is even harder than writing them. With Bella at his side, and a clutch of conniving suspects to choose from, can Marius find the culprit before the killer targets him?

A completely charming and witty golden-age cozy mystery, perfect for the Christmas season. Fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss won’t be able to put down the Marius Quin Mysteries!

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I am always looking for a nice cozy mystery novel and Murder at Everham Hall was a nice discovery. It’s an entertaining and gripping story with a charming and witty protagonist.

Marius Quin’s first novel has been a huge success, but now it seems to be suffering from writer’s block, so when his former love, Lady Isabella Montague, invites him to spend New Year’s Eve at a party at a friend’s house, an actor mostly famous for his drug problems, he looks forward to the distraction. Accompanied by his basset hound, he arrives at Everham Hall, but the atmosphere is tense among the guests, especially after the host is found dead, shot three times. A snowstorm prevents anyone from arriving or leaving the house, which means that the killer is one of the guests. And with the police unable to reach the house, it falls on Marius to investigate the murder. Helped by Bella, the two need to figure out the truth before the killer hits again.

The story is set in 1927 and it’s a fantastic whodunit mystery full of twists, secrets to be revealed, and feelings to uncover. I loved the character of Marius. He is likable, intriguing, smart, with an interesting past story which I am hoping it will be more explored in the next books, as well as his relationship with Lady Isabella which makes for a gripping side story and adds some romance to the plot. 

Well-written, suspenseful, and immersive, Murder at Everham Hall is my first novel by Benedict Brown, but it certainly won’t be my last. I have already got my hands on a couple of his other books (the Lord Edgington Investigates series), but I am really looking forward to the next book in the Marius Quin Mystery series… I can’t wait to see what he and Bella are up to next!

A huge thank to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

I’m a Welsh-Irish-Englishman originally from South London but now living in Burgos, a beautiful medieval city in the north of Spain, with my French-Spanish wife and two our ridiculously international children. Writing has always been my passion. It was my favourite half-an-hour a week at primary school, and I started on my first, truly abysmal book as a teenager. So it wasn’t a difficult decision to study literature at university which led to an MA in Creative Writing.I grew up in a crime-fiction-mad family and had made a few clumsy attempts at writing one over the years before coming up with the idea for my contemporary whodunits “The Izzy Palmer Mysteries”. My second series, the 1920s-set “Lord Edgington Investigates…”, has been a great success, with each of the books making a mark on the mystery charts, and I’m about to launch a second historical series.If you’d like to tell me what you think about my detectives, my writing or the world at large, feel free to get in touch at http://www.benedictbrown.net where you can also download my free mystery novellas.

Publication: 12th December 2023 – Berkley

Murder is on the menu and Phaedra Brighton is called on to serve up justice in the latest Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery.

While Phaedra Brighton might not have a Mr. Darcy (yet), she’s quite content with her loving family and loyal cat. Phaedra’s sister Hannah is the Jane to her Elizabeth, and Phaedra is ecstatic that Hannah has decided to move home for her next adventure—opening a business. 

All of Laurel Springs is out in full force to celebrate the grand unveiling of Hannah’s new patisserie, Tout de Sweet, including local celebrity Rachel Brandon. Hannah is a master of her craft, with confections so divine, one bite will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven.

Of course, you never want that to happen literally. 

When one of Hannah’s famous dark chocolate cupcakes sends Rachel’s assistant to the hospital with poisoning, Hannah begs for Phaedra’s help to save her reputation and budding business. But Phaedra has more questions than answers: Who was the cupcake actually meant for? And how far is the culprit willing to go to take their target off the menu—permanently?

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English Professor and Jane Austen scholar Phaedra Brighton is back to solve yet another murder, but this time it hits closer to home than ever before.

It’s almost Christmas time and, between giving lectures and grading essays, Professor Brighton is helping her sister Hannah prepare for the opening of her French bakery (or patisserie), Tout de Sweet. Everyone in the small Virginia town of Laurel Spring is attending, including the famous journalist Rachel Brandon and her entourage. However, things don’t go as planned. First, the fire alarm goes off, and then Rachel’s assistant is killed after eating one of Hannah’s delicious dark chocolate cupcakes. The cupcake was poisoned with cyanide, but was Rachel’s assistant the intended victim? With Hannah’s reputation and future on the line, Phaedra is determined to find out the truth.

Cyanide and Sensibility is yet another entertaining and intriguing novel in the Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series. Its unique protagonist, Phaedra Brighton, who dresses in Regency dresses during her classes, can quote all Jane Austen’s novels, and can “communicate” with her cat Wickham, involves herself, once again, in a murder investigation, despite the warnings of detective Morelli, and she’s helped by her loyal friends and members of the Jane Austen Tea Society whose book of the month is none other than Sense and Sensibility. And like the two sisters of Austen’s novel, Elinor and Marianne, Phaedra and Hannah are now living together while dealing with some romance trouble as Phaedra tries to figure out her relationship with Shakespeare Professor Mark Selden.

The mystery is gripping and full of twists, but also cozy. The story is very well-developed and I enjoyed that the chosen murder weapon is a chocolate cupcake. I loved the Christmas atmosphere, and while everyone is busy buying Christmas presents, Phaedra needs to figure out if one of them is the killer and, as more poisoned chocolate appears, the list of suspects just keeps growing.

Cyanide and Sensibility is a mix of fun, mystery, and romance. Fans of Jane Austen will love the many references not only to Sense and Sensibility, but her other novels as well, and the fans of mystery will love the suspense, the twists, and thanks to Phaedra’s family’s mystery bookshop, quite a few recommendations of crime novels. Engaging, witty, and immersive, Cyanide and Sensibility is another win and I am already looking forward to the next one!

A huge thank you to Austenprose and Berkley for providing me with a proof of this brilliant novel.

Katie Oliver is known internationally as a writer of Jane Austen rom-coms with a hint of mystery. In the US and the UK, she is the bestselling author of the Dating Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy series.

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PRAISE FOR CYANIDE AND SENSIBILITY

“This is the first book I have read in the Jane Austen Tea Society series, but it won’t be my last…If you enjoy cozy mysteries, then this is a book you will enjoy.”— Book Looks by Lisa

“The book is filled with great characters and a fun, twisty plot. Highly recommend.”— Cara Putnam, author of Come What May

5 STARS— Gwendalyn’s Books

Publication: 7th December 2023 – Hodder & Stoughton

Years ago someone got away with murder… But time’s up.

2009
During a summer heatwave, teenagers are going missing. Junior officer Alex Finn takes the case and fears that the disappearances are linked. In a race against the clock to find and rescue the children alive, Finn and his team are only partially successful. Two of the children are saved, but they were too late for Oliver.
And the killer got away.

2023
DI Alex Finn is still tormented by the cases of his youth – none more than so than the 2009 kidnappings. And it seems someone else has not forgotten either. They want answers after all this time, and with a gun in their pocket and their sights set on Alex, they’ll do anything to get what they’re after…

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The DI Alex Finn series is one of my favourites and Will Shindler is an amazing author. His novels are brilliantly-written, intense, and full of twists and, as expected, his latest one, The Cold Case, is a thrilling read that I couldn’t put down. 

Told in two timelines, in 2009 and in the present day, the story sees DI Alex Finn facing one of his old cases, involving the kidnapping of three teenagers, that affected him so personally that he is still in touch with the victims and his families. And, when one of the victims is found dead, he starts to wonder if mistakes were made and the real culprit may still be out there. Did they arrest the right person? And what really happened to these three teenagers on that hot summer of 2009?

DI Alex Finn and his team at Cedar House race against time to find out the truth before it’s too late, but they are still recovering from the murder of one of their own and the betrayal of another, while welcoming a very enthusiastic new member. And while the old case brings back to Alex memories of his past and of meeting his wife, the capable and unflappable newly promoted DS Mattie Paulsen finds herself plunged into her new role while facing her own family problems.

I really enjoyed The Cold Case. It’s dark and gripping, some of the scenes are not easy to read and others are quite emotional. It kept me on edge from the first to the last page and it left me already looking forward to the next book.

A huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Will Shindler has been a broadcast journalist for the BBC for over twenty-five years, spending a decade working in television drama as a scriptwriter on Born and Bred, The Bill and Doctors. His time on these leading prime time dramas has given him a rich grounding in authentic police procedure, powerful character development and gripping narratives. He currently combines reading the news on BBC Radio London with writing crime novels and has previously worked as a television presenter for HTV, a sports reporter for BBC Radio Five Live, and one of the stadium presenters at the London Olympics.

Publication: 30th November 2023 – Gollancz

Calladia Cunnington knows she’s rough around the edges and her hot temper can get the best of her. So when she stops a demon attack one night, she’s horrified to realize the man she saved is none other than the cold-hearted Astaroth.

Astaroth is a legendary member of the demon high council – or at least he was. Suffering from amnesia after being stripped of his immortality and banished to the mortal plane, Astaroth doesn’t know why a demon named Moloch is after him, nor why the angry, hot-in-a-terrifying-way witch hates him so much.

Calladia grudgingly agrees to help Astaroth find the witch who might be able to restore his memory, vowing that once Astaroth is cured, she’ll kick his ass. But the more time she spends with the snarky yet utterly charming demon, the more she realizes she likes this new, improved Astaroth… and maybe she doesn’t want him to recover his memories after all.

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If you enjoyed A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, you are going to love A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch (and if you haven’t read them, what are you waiting for?). There is a quest, magic, some tense moments and quite a few steamy ones, many wonderful magical creatures, laugh-out-loud scenes, and an adorable enemies-to-lovers romance.

The protagonists are a formerly powerful demon, Astaroth, now powerless, suffering from amnesia, kicked out from the demon’s council, and banished to Earth. Helping him, initially unwillingly, a lively witch, Calladia. After a first disastrous meeting in which they had almost killed each other, Calladia had never thought that she and that arrogant Astaroth would ally, but as they hike through the forest in search of the witch who could help them, she finds it hard to resist his charm, even as they are followed by their overbearing mothers, a group of wolves who haven’t yet decided if they want to kill them, her worried friends, and a group of demons who definitely wants to kill them. 

A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch is such a fun read. There is lots of action and adventure, romance and family drama. We meet again some of the characters from the first book, including Astaroth who now turns from villain to quite an adorable and swoony hero. I loved the chemistry between the two protagonists, how they turned from enemies to lovers, and their sexy banters. This is a charming and heartwarming novel that will make you laugh and swoon. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Gollancz and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Sarah Hawley lives in the Pacific Northwest, where her hobbies include rambling through the woods and appreciating fictional villains. She has an MA in archaeology and has excavated at an Inca site in Chile, a Bronze Age palace in Turkey, and a medieval abbey in England. When not dreaming up whimsical love stories, she can be found reading, dancing, or cuddling her two cats.

Publication: 3rd January 2023 – Berkley

Phaedra Brighton is on the case when an innocent murder-mystery weekend turns into the real deal, in the newest Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery.

Phaedra Brighton has her life all figured out—she has a profession she enjoys, a wonderful (if exasperating) cat, and a cozy carriage house on the grounds of her aunt’s inn. She needs no Captain Wentworth to sweep her off her feet (though, she would not mind a Mr. Darcy).
 
But when Aunt Wendy decides she is selling Laurel Springs Inn, Phaedra faces losing her beloved home. In a last-ditch attempt to drum up more business, Phaedra convinces Wendy to host an immersive Persuasion-themed murder-mystery weekend. It is a fool proof plan to draw attention to the establishment in the hopes of saving it. 
 
Until make-believe becomes reality and one of the participants winds up dead. 
 
With more suspects than she knows what to do with, Phaedra finds herself on the hunt for a killer once again. But with time running out, Phaedra quickly realizes that with this investigation, there will be no second chances.

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She’s back! Professor Phaedra Brighton is once again involved in a murder investigation, but, this time, during a Jane Austen Murder party. After Pride, Prejudice, and Peril, Phaedra and her Jane Austen Tea Society are reading Persuasion, so it seems just appropriate to organise a Jane Austen Murder Party based on it at her aunt’s hotel to help and save it from closure. Among the guests, a historical romance author and her husband, a journalist, a failed writer, a custom designer, a real estate agent and his assistant, and a certain striking Shakespeare professor from Oxford, who makes Phaedra’s heart skip a bit despite their very different opinion on literature. Things are right off to a wrong start when the historical romance author is not happy about the character she is going to play and things take a turn for the worse when she is found murdered outside the hotel. Since no one seemed to like her, the cast of suspects is quite long and, despite Detective Morelli’s warnings, Phaedra sets out to investigate on her own.

After Pride, Prejudice, and Peril, A Murderous Persuasion is another entertaining read. Most of the characters from the first book return, including Phaedra’s possible love interest, Oxford professor and Shakespeare scholar, Professor Mark Seldon. I love the chemistry between her and Mark. I guess if you can fight over English literature it could be true love, right?

There is an intriguing mystery, suspense, romance, family drama, and lots of Jane Austen references, besides a cast of engaging characters, two unusual cats, and a list of suspects full of secrets to uncover. I adore the character of Jane Austen scholar and English professor Phaedra Brighton, with all her quirks and unique characteristics, and I truly enjoyed this second book in the Jane Austen Tea Society Mystery series and I am already looking to the next one!

A huge thank you to Austenprose and Berkley for providing me with a proof of this brilliant novel.

Katie Oliver is known internationally as a writer of Jane Austen rom-coms with a hint of mystery. In the U.S. and the U.K., she’s the bestselling author of the Dating Mr. Darcy and Marrying Mr. Darcy series.

Publication: 16th November 2023 – Hodder & Stoughton

May 1940.

With Nazi forces sweeping across France, invasion seems imminent. The English Channel has never felt so narrow.

In rural Sussex, war veteran John Cook has been tasked with preparing the resistance effort, should the worst happen.

But even as the foreign threat looms, it’s rumours of a missing child that are troubling Cook. A twelve-year-old girl was evacuated from London and never seen again, and she’s just the tip of the iceberg – countless evacuees haven’t made it to their host families.

As Cook investigates, he uncovers a dark conspiracy that reaches to the highest ranks of society. He will do whatever it takes to make the culprits pay. There are some lines you just don’t cross.

THE LAST LINE is a blistering action thriller combined with a smart noir mystery, played out expertly against the taut backdrop of the British home front.

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It’s 1940 and, while the war is raging in Europe and England is preparing for a possible Nazi invasion, something darker and unexpected is going on in a village in Sussex. John Cook is a war veteran who has already gone through the first war and he wants to fight again, but his country has other plans for him: he must lay low in his farm and, should the Nazi invade, lead the resistance and kill as many of them as he can. 

While he waits, John becomes involved in a murder investigation. A young girl is found brutally murdered in his land and when it becomes clear that the police is not doing enough, John decides to investigate on his own. What he initially thinks is an argument between lovers which ended badly turns out to be a more disturbing case linked to missing children. A few months earlier, when the threat of bombing on London seemed certain, thousands of children had been evacuated to the countryside, but it seems that one of them, twelve-year-old girl Elizabeth, never made it to destination. And she may not be the only one…

This is a fantastic read. In the background, a war is almost on England’s doorstep as tales of the invasion of France arrive and war veterans are still suffering the consequences from the first war while the young ones are eager to fight. At the centre of the story, a violent murder and the only one who seems to care about it is John. Trained to kill, he is determined to find out the truth, even if it means using the force. Helped by a fantastic supporting cast of friends, he sets out to uncover a truth of conspiracies, smuggling, spies, and violence.

Very well-written and well-researched, The Last Line is a fast-paced, gripping, and compelling thriller and I am grateful to the author for reaching out. I was completely immersed in the story and I am already looking forward to his next one.

Stephen Ronson grew up in Sussex, and spent a large part of his childhood exploring the woods and fields around Uckfield, many of which were still dotted with reminders of WW2 – pill boxes, tank traps, nissen huts, and graffiti left by soldiers awaiting D-Day. He is a passionate student of local history, and when he learnt about Auxiliary Units – groups of men who were instructed to lay low during the predicted nazi invasion and lead the fight back, he knew he had to write about a Sussex farmer, one with a love of the land, and a natural desire and ability to get the job done. Many of the locations and characters in the John Cook series are inspired by real places and real people. In particular, Stephen was inspired by his grandparents, Eric, Bessie, Peter and Vera, each of whom did their bit on the home front.

Nowadays, Stephen divides his time between Vermont, USA, and Uckfield, East Sussex. When he’s not writing, he can be found renovating his house, or walking the woods and the fields.