Author: bookafterbook

Publication: 4th April 2019 – Head of Zeus

Forget about Cool Britannia and Gallic Chic. Scotland is having a fashion moment…

London’s most glamorous glossy magazine is in trouble. Advertising revenues are non existent, and if editor Laura Lake can’t pick them up, she’s out of a job.

According to those in the know, Scotland is having a fashion moment. Haggis tempura is on Michelin-starred menus, smart spas are offering porridge facials, and a chain of eco-hotels is offering celebrity bagpipe lessons. So Laura’s off to a baronial estate in the Scottish Highlands to get a slice of this ultra-high-end market.

It’s supposed to be gorgeous, glitzy and glamorous. But intrigue follows Laura like night follows day. And at Glenravish Castle – a shooting lodge fit for a billionaire – Laura finds herself hunting for a scoop that won’t just save her job, it could save her life…

It’s my pleasure to welcome you on my stop of the blog tour for A VIEW TO A KILT, the engaging brand new novel by Wendy Holden which it is published today. I’d like to thank Vicky and Head of Zeus for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

In the third instalment featuring Laura Lake, we see the dynamic award-winning journalist fighting not only to save her job as editor of the glamorous magazine Society, but also to save the magazine itself that she has come to love and cherish. This means that she has to deal with her crazy new boss who reminded me a little of Miranda Prestley from The Devil Wears Prada, she has to travel to Scotland and spend the night in a castle in Scotland that it appears to be haunted by a ghost, and she finds herself mixed in dangerous situations.

A VIEW TO A KILT is such a fun and entertaining read. It features a cast of colourful and eccentric characters, bizarre situations, and the beautiful and evocative setting of Scotland that made me want to hop on a plane for this beautiful country. I really liked the unusual and weird names of the characters that fit perfectly with their quirky behaviour and that made me laugh page after page. There are twists, mysteries, and revelations and there is romance, friendship and rivalries that keep you glued to the page and make you laugh out loud.

A VIEW TO A KILT is a humorous, refreshing, and captivating novel that you can read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend the first two book of the series because they are completely worth it.

Number-one bestselling author Wendy Holden was a journalist on Tatler, The Sunday Times, and the Mail on Sunday before becoming an author. She has since written ten consecutive Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers. She lives in Derbyshire. Vist her website at http://www.wendyholden.net

Buy links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2tgBmAj

iBooks: https://apple.co/2WiRyxu

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2YgOF1L

GooglePlay: http://bit.ly/2um883v 

Follow Wendy:

Facebook: @WendyHoldenAuthor

Twitter: @Wendy_Holden

Website: www.wendyholden.net

Follow Head of Zeus:

Website: www.headofzeus.com

Twitter: @Hoz_Books

Facebook: @headofzeus

 

 

Publication: 4th April 2019 – Simon & Schuster UK

Two suspects. Two identical stories. Which one is the truth?

Wilbrook in Western Australia is a sleepy, remote town that sits on the edge of miles and miles of unexplored wilderness. It is home to Police Sergeant Chandler Jenkins, who is proud to run the town’s small police station, a place used to dealing with domestic disputes and noise complaints.

All that changes on a scorching day when an injured man stumbles into Chandler’s station. He’s covered in dried blood. His name is Gabriel. He tells Chandler what he remembers – he was drugged and driven to a cabin in the mountains and tied up in iron chains. The man who took him was called Heath. Heath told Gabriel he was going to be number 55. His 55th victim. Heath is a serial killer.

As a manhunt is launched, a man who says he is Heath walks into the same station. He tells Chandler he was taken by a man named Gabriel. Gabriel told Heath he was going to be victim 55. Gabriel is the serial killer.

Police Sergant Chandler Jenkins needs to find out who is telling the truth – and quick. is He is forced to call in Mitch, his former partner and now insufferable superior, a partnership which dissolved in acrimony years earlier. Can Mitch and Chandler uncover the truth, before the 55th victim is taken?

James Delargy has written one of the most exciting debuts of 2019. He masterfully paints the picture of a remote Western Australian town and its people, swallowed whole by the hunt for a serial killer.

 

Today, it’s my absolute pleasure to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of 55, the gripping and suspenseful debut novel by James Delargy, which is published tomorrow. A big thank you to Anne Cater for inviting me to join the blog tour and for providing me with a proof of this brilliant novel.

In the last few months I have been reading quite a few books set in the Australian outback (mostly thanks to Jane Harper) and I have to admit that I find it fascinating, unforgiving, and mysterious. Because of its isolation, its vastness, its hot and dry weather, the outback is very dangerous and so the perfect setting for a twisty thriller like 55.

James Delargy takes us to Wilbrook, a remote town in Western Australia where the protagonist of the novel, Chandler Jenkins was born, raised, and he still lives with his family. He is the chief of police of this town where nothing much ever happens until, one day, Gabriel stumbles in his station. He is covered in blood and he describes how he was kidnapped and tied up by a man called Heath, who told him he was going to be his victim number 55, before he managed to escape. This shocking revelation becomes even more twisty and astonishing when Heath is captured and claims to be himself Gabriel’s victim. Heath and Gabriel relate the same identical story, word for word, so who is telling the truth? Who is the real killer? Who is the real victim? For Chandler is not easy to figure out the truth, especially when he has to asks for the help of his former partner, Mitch.

I found myself completely engrossed in this novel. The characters are very well-crafted and intriguing and I liked the protagonist, Chandler. His dedication to his job make him a really good sergeant, but we also see him struggle with the guilt he feels for neglecting his two young children, his resentment towards his ex-wife, and his conflicted feelings towards his ex-partner and now boss, Mitch. Thanks to flashbacks from the past we see more about Chandler and Mitch’s partnership. Something happened between them that caused a drift between them, but now they are reunited and determined to solve the case, Mitch looking for the glory while Chandler for the truth.

The plot is very well-written, intense, atmospheric, and sinister, with such a jaw-dropping and unpredictable ending that took me completely by surprise and that will stay with me for a while. With a brilliant, compelling, and masterfully-plotted debut, James Delargy is definitely an author to keep on your reading list.

James Delargy was born and raised in Ireland and lived in South Africa, Australia and Scotland, before ending up in semi-rural England where he now lives. He incorporates his diverse knowledge of towns, cities, landscape and culture picked up on his travels into his writing. 55 is his first novel, which has been sold in 19 countries so far and optioned for film by Zucker Productions in partnership with Prodigy Pictures.

Publication: 4th April 2019 – Pan Macmillan

FOR SALE: A lovely family home with good-sized garden and treehouse occupying a plot close to woodland. Perfect for kids, fitness enthusiasts, dog walkers . . .

And, it seems, the perfect hunting ground for a serial killer.

On a hot July day, Garrick and Olivia Lockwood and their two children move into 25 The Avenue looking for a fresh start. They arrive in the midst of a media frenzy: they’d heard about the local murders in the press, but Garrick was certain the killer would be caught and it would all be over in no time. Besides, they’d got the house at a steal and he was convinced he could flip it for a fortune.

The neighbours seemed to be the very picture of community spirit. But everyone has secrets, and the residents in The Avenue are no exception.

After six months on the case with no real leads, the most recent murder has turned DC Wildeve Stanton’s life upside down, and now she has her own motive for hunting down the killer – quickly.

Fiona Cummins is back with her third novel, a dark, gripping, and twisty story that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first to the last page.

In THE NEIGHBOUR, Fiona Cummins takes us to The Avenue, a residential street on “the outskirts of a nondescript Essex town”. The Avenue is the home of an elderly couple, a doll maker, a young couple in love, and a family of four who is looking for a fresh start. People jogging in the nearby woods, children on the street with their bikes, friendly neighbours. This seems like a fantastic idyllic place where to live, except that there is a killer on the loose. The media has renamed him The Doll Maker and he has already killed five people. The murders are gruesome and since there is no connection between the victims, everyone is wondering: who is next?

The police are far from identifying the killer and pressure from the media and office politics make things even more complicated. However, for DC Wildeve Stanton the case has suddenly become very personal and she is ready to do anything to find and stop the killer.

The author uses short chapters and multiple perspectives to keep the tension high and to make it very difficult for me to put the book down. Thanks to the different points of view we know that the residents of The Avenue are all hiding something, but what? Each of them seems a suspect, but, thanks to the author well-crafted plot, I didn’t figure out who the killer is until it is revealed at the end.

The characters are multi-layered, some likable, some sinister, some irritating, all realistic and intriguing. They all seem guilty and they are all watching each other. Add a creepy and dark atmosphere and a slow-building tension and you have the addictive and thrilling new novel by Fiona Cummins!

 

Publication: 26th March 2019 – Allison & Busby

When an American war correspondent’s murder is concealed by British
authorities, Maisie Dobbs agrees to work with an agent of the US
Department of Justice to help an old friend discover the truth.
With German bombs raining down on London, Maisie is torn between
the demands of solving this dangerous case and the need to protect a
young evacuee. And what will happen when she faces losing her dearest
friend and the possibility that she might be falling in love again?

 

 

I am really happy to start the week (and the month) with my stop on the blog tour of THE AMERICAN AGENT, the fifteenth novel in the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. I’d really like to thank Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and for providing me with a proof of this intriguing novel.

London is under the attack and there is no rest for Maisie Dobbs. Daily, the Germans are dropping bombs on the English capital and Maisie and her friend Priscilla spend their nights driving around the city in an ambulance rescuing people and carrying them to the hospital. Also, she is asked to investigate the murder of Catherine Saxon, an American reporter. Maisie is eager to find out who killed Catherine, since she knew her personally, but she is not so happy to collaborate with Mark Scott, an American agent who works in the Department of Justice, someone who she doesn’t completely trust, but who she is attracted to.

The author takes the reader right in the middle of the blitz. Thanks to the detailed and evocative descriptions, you can imagine the destruction caused by the bombs and the fear of the people in the streets. Maisie, like the other characters in the novel, has suffered the loss of beloved ones, but this doesn’t detain her, it makes her stronger. Even when someone close to her gets hurt, Maisie keeps going on her investigation in Catherine’s death. On the family side, she is worried about her family, safe in Kent and away from the bombing, and her adoption process of Anna, a young orphan she has quite become attached to.

Even though this the fifteenth book in the series, it can be easily read as a stand-alone. Jaqueline Winspear is an excellent writer and she creates thrilling historical mysteries that not only are suspenseful and engrossing, but that are also informative and well-researched. After fifteen books, Maisie is still an interesting and engaging character and the stories are original and fascinating. THE AMERICAN AGENT is a compelling story of war, loss, and grief, a story of love, friendship, and family that will take the reader back to one of the darkest time in England history showing the bravery of its people.

Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in Kent and emigrated to the
USA in 1990. She has written extensively for journals, newspapers and
magazines, and has worked in book publishing on both sides of the
Atlantic. The Maisie Dobbs series of crime novels is beloved by readers
worldwide – always going into the New York Times top 10 on publication.
Jacqueline will be available for interviews, events and written features.
More info at: jacquelinewinspear.com

Publication: 26th March 2019

London 1927

Lady Evelyn Carlisle has barely arrived in London when familial duty calls her away again. Her cousin Gemma is desperate for help with her ailing mother before her imminent wedding, which Evelyn knew nothing about! Aunt Agnes in tow, she journeys to Scotland, expecting to find Malmo Manor in turmoil. To her surprise, her Scottish family has been keeping far more secrets than the troubled state of their matriarch. Adding to the tension in the house a neighbour has opened his home, Elderbrooke Park, as a retreat for artistic veterans of the Great War. This development does not sit well with everyone in the community. Is the suspicion towards the residents a catalyst for murder? A tragedy at Elderbrooke Park’s May Day celebration awakens Evelyn’s sleuthing instinct, which is strengthened when the story of another unsolved death emerges, connected to her own family. What she uncovers on her quest to expose the truth will change several lives forever, including her own. 

With the shadow of history looming over her, Evelyn must trust in her instinct and ability to comb through the past to understand the present, before the murderer can stop her and tragedy strikes again.

A big welcome on my stop on the blog tour of THE GOLDEN HOUR, the new novel by Malia Zaidi. I’d like to thank Emma Welton for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this amazing novel.

This is my first novel by Malia Zaidi, but THE GOLDEN HOUR is the fourth novel in the Lady Evelyn Mysteries and I completely fell in love with this character, her family, and her adventures and I already purchased the other books in the series. Who is Lady Evelyn? Living in the London of 1920s, she is a young woman in her twenties, raised by her strict aunt Grace, just graduated from Oxford University, and refusing to get married just because that’s what is expected from her. I really like the character of Evelyn. She is independent and smart, she speaks up her own mind, and she lives with her boyfriend Daniel, not at all concerned that it’s considered a scandal at the time since they are not married. Like me, she loves Agatha Christie novels, but, unlike me, she always finds herself involved in a murder investigation.

This time she literally stumbles on the body of a young girl while visiting her family in Scotland. The victim is one of the maids working at her aunt’s house. She was seventeen years old, innocent, and everyone seemed to like her, so who would want to kill her? Are the veterans living in the nearby retreat involved in the murder? And why Evelyn’s aunt and cousins seem to be hiding something?

I really enjoyed this novel. I liked all the characters, especially Evelyn and Daniel, but also aunt Grace. Even though she seems austere and sometimes cold towards Evelyn and even though she is a bit old-fashioned, she turns out to be open-minded, bright, and entertaining. I loved the beautiful Scottish setting and the small town atmosphere that really kept me captivated. The author perfectly mixes mystery, family dynamics, and the effects of World War I, not only the mental issues that affect veterans after they come home, but also the grief of the families who lost someone in the war.

THE GOLDEN HOUR is a twisty, engaging, and well-written novel and I am already looking forward to read Lady Evelyn next adventure!

Malia Zaidi is the author of the Lady Evelyn Mysteries. She studied at the University of Pittsburgh and at the University of Oxford. Having grown up in Germany, she currently lives in Washington DC, though through her love of reading, she resides vicariously (if temporarily) in countries around the world.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaliaZaidi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/maliazaidiauthor/about/?tab=page_info

Website: https://www.maliazaidi.com/

Blog: https://www.princessandpen.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14197546.Malia_Zaidi

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Golden-Hour-Evelyn-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NQRQH8L/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1552557558&sr=8-1

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Hour-Evelyn-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07NQRQH8L/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=the+golden+hour+malia+zaidi&qid=1552557603&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

Today, I have a fantastic super cover reveal!

It is my absolute pleasure to show you the amazing cover for THE POSTCARD, the highly anticipated sequel to The Note, by ZOE FOLBIGG, published in August 2019 by Aria.

A year after the kiss that brought them together in a snowy train-station doorway, Maya and James are embarking on another journey – this time around the world.

The trip starts promisingly, with an opulent and romantic Indian wedding. But as their travels continue, Maya fears that ‘love at first sight’ might not survive trains, planes and tuk tuks, especially when she realises that what she really wants is a baby. Trouble is, James doesn’t feel the same.

Meanwhile Maya’s best friend Nena is struggling with the reality of being a new parent, little knowing that her friend risks losing the love of her life over her dreams of motherhood.

Can Maya and James navigate their different hopes and dreams to stay together? Or is love at first sight just a myth after all…

Perfect for fans of Josie Silver and Marian Keyes, The Postcard continues the once-in-a-lifetime love story that readers so took to their hearts.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Clc60O

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Cg55hG

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2Ck9KiD

 

Zoë Folbigg is a magazine journalist and digital editor, starting at Cosmopolitan in 2001 and since freelancing for titles including Glamour, Fabulous, Daily Mail, Healthy, LOOK, Top Santé, Mother & Baby, ELLE, Sunday Times Style, and Style.com. In 2008 she had a weekly column in Fabulous magazine documenting her year-long round-the-world trip with ‘Train Man’ – a man she had met on her daily commute. She since married Train Man and lives in Hertfordshire with him and their two young sons.

Follow Zoe:

Twitter: @zolington

Instagram: @zolington

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

Publication: 1st April 2019 (eBook); 30th May 2019 (paperback) – Ebury

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course. 

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife – and parents of two – who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?

 

 

I am really happy to welcome you to my stop on the blog tour of THE PASSENGERS, the gripping new novel by John Marrs, and I’d like to thank Tracy Fenton for inviting me to take part and giving me the chance to read this fantastic novel.

In a not-far future, driverless cars have taken over the roads. The government has assured that they are safe and secure until eight strangers are taken hostage inside their own cars by an hacker. Only one of them will survive and a jury and social media will decide who that person will be. The eight hostages were not chosen randomly and, as the hacker reveals all their dark secrets, we see the opinion of the world change as they try to decide who will survive.

THE PASSENGERS is such a terrific and twisty novel. The author takes us in a future world where technological devices have completely taken over people’s lives. They control what they eat, what they buy, what they like and what they don’t like. They keep track of their heartbeats, their blood pressure, and how dry are their eyes. A world where cars drive themselves and choose the best route to take and whether and when to brake at a road accident. This world is really scary, it felt a bit too realistic and it freaked me out the way people rely not only on their electronics, but also on their social media where people don’t seem to realize that they are playing with other people’s lives. It’s a world where people seem to have become robots and lost empathy and feelings for others, where they deem more important what kind of shoes someone’s wearing and not the fact that eight people may die.

I love John’s Marrs writing and his books always keep me glued to the page. This one in particularly kept me literally on the edge of my seat, with its high tension, the many twists that keep coming until the very last page, with its thought-provoking plot, and its complex characters. THE PASSENGERS is a futuristic thriller that will take you completely by surprise, a must-read for 2019!

 

Publication: 7th March 2019 – Simon & Schuster UK

Behind every successful man is a woman.
Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

Sophie Mayhew looks like she has the perfect life. Wife of rising political star John F Mayhew, a man who is one step away from the top job in the government, her glamour matches his looks, power, breeding and money. But John has made some stupid mistakes along the way, some of which are threatening to emerge. Still, all this can still be swept under the carpet as long as Sophie ‘the trophy’ plays her part in front of the cameras.

But the words that come out of Sophie’s mouth one morning on the doorstep of their country house are not the words the spin doctors put in there.  Bursting out of the restrictive mould she has been in since birth, Sophie flees to a place that was special to her as a child, a small village on the coast where she intends to be alone.

But once there, she finds she becomes part of a community that warms her soul and makes her feel as if she is breathing properly for the first time. Sophie knows she won’t be left in peace for long. Now she must decide: where does her real future lie? 

 

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour of Milly Johnson’s brilliant new novel and I’d like to thank Ed Public Relations for inviting me to take part in it.

Sophie Mayhew was raised to believe that her role was to support always her husband, no matter what he does. And as the wife of beloved politician John F. Mayhew, Sophie’s life is always under scrutiny, from the clothes she wears to the expression on her face. Sophie is happy to play the good wife, standing by her husband’s side and helping him in his rise into the government. Until scandal breaks out and when, once again, Sophie has to put her husband first, she decides she has had enough. She runs away from her cold and selfish family to the only place she had once been happy. There she becomes Pom, a French woman seeking refuge and anonymity and she meets a group of people who are genuinely interested in her and don’t use her to their advantage. Will Sophie go back to real life and her troubled marriage or will she choose a life of animosity?

Milly Johnson created a cast of characters that feel realistic and mostly likable. I loved the character of Sophie, even when she played the cold and submissive wife. She comes from a wealthy and unloving family and she marries into a greedy and unemotional family. I felt for her and cheered her on as she finds her place in the world and she rebels against her family. She finds in Tracey, Elliot, and Luke new friends who help during her time of need and make her realize what she really wants.

I am a big fan of Milly Johnson’s books and THE MAGNIFICENT MRS MAYHEW is, without doubt, my favourite novel by Milly Johnson. I found difficult to put it down. I was completely immersed in the story with its engaging, heart-warming, and inspiring plot. Themes of friendship, love, and family take the stage and kept me entertained from the first to the last page.

You can’t never go wrong with a Milly Johnson’s novel and THE MAGNIFICENT MRS MAYHEW is definitely a novel to add to your TBR pile!

 

Milly Johnson is a Sunday Times Top 5 bestselling author of fifteen novels with millions of copies of her novels sold to date. Known as the ‘Queen of Feel_Good Fiction’, Milly’s novels always feature friendship, family, love, betrayal, good food and that little bit of magic in life that sometimes visits the unsuspecting. Milly is a columnist for her local newspaper and is an experienced broadcaster on radio and TV. She is also a patron of several local charities with community, literacy and animal welfare issues close to her heart.

Published – 28th March 2019

In this second installment of The Anna Romano Mystery Series, Anna gets herself into a mess that lands her in hot water with the prime suspect and her new Bo, Detective John Solace. Their new romance was going great, when all in the sudden, a simple trip to the grocery store turned into wrestling match between two scorned women.

Peeking her interest for a juicy story, Anna’s snooping to find out more about the seemingly ‘innocent’ love triangle, catapulted her into the middle of a murder investigation. The murder weapon of choice? A red stiletto…conspicuously pointing the police in the direction of a female assailant.

No one knows whether the adulterating husband killed his wife to avoid a costly divorce, or if his mistress killed her in a fit of jealous rage. While the detectives are convinced the husband is the ‘killer’, it seems Anna’s faith in his innocence may be in vain, as additional bodies, and mistresses, keep piling up.

Meanwhile, Anna’s publicist, Shirlene, tries to convince Anna to leave the detective work to the police, but, as usual, falls on deaf ears.

In the end, not even a pan of lasagna and a neighborly smile could save Anna!

Find out in A Bloody Stiletto, Cold Lasagna, and a Bestseller if Detective Solace will be able to handle Anna’s crazy antics, or if he will make her vow to stay OUT of the realm of ‘Murder and Mayhem’ once and for all.

 

A few months ago I was invited to take part in the blog tour for Cats, Cannolis, And A Curious Kidnapping, the first absorbing and original novel in the Anna Romano series and I fell in love with this character, so when I was invited to read the second novel of this series I accepted right away, curious to see in what hilarious and suspenseful situation Anna would get involved this time. I’d like to thank Emma for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and providing me with a copy of A BLOODY STILETTO, COLD LASAGNA AND A BESTSELLER.

Anna Romano is an author living in New Jersey with her seven cats. Following the events of the first book, she acquired a certain notoriety and also a boyfriend, for the joy of her friends and family who thought she would die single. John Solace is a detective and he really likes Anna, but he spends most of the time worried about the fact that his girlfriend seems to be have a gift of stumbling over dead bodies. After hearing two women fight over a man while grocery shopping, Anna decides to find out more about it, thinking that it would be a good story for a book, but instead she finds the body of one of the women stabbed with a stiletto. And the more her boyfriend John tries to keep her away from the case, the more Anna finds herself involved in it.

Once again, Anna Romano made me laugh with her adventures. The story is entertaining and suspenseful at the same time, captivating and refreshing, witty and romantic. I was happy to read about Anna and John’s love story and how their relationship develops. I also enjoyed reading about Anna’s tasty Italian dishes: her lasagna, biscuits, and muffins made my mouth water.

My only complaint about A BLOODY STILETTO, COLD LASAGNA AND A BESTSELLER is that it’s too short. I love reading Anna Romano’s adventures and I am already looking forward to book number 3!

GIVEWAY!!!

3 US RESIDENTS have the chance to win a paperback copy of A Bloody Stiletto, Cold Lasagna And A Bestseller: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/995da7e517/?

3 NON-US RESIDENTS have the chance to win a kindle copy of A Bloody Stiletto, Cold Lasagna And A Bestseller: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/995da7e518/?

Terms & Conditions: Both the US paperback giveaway and the Non-US Kindle ebook giveaway will run until midnight (GMT) on Sunday 31^st March 2019. Three winners will be selected at random for each giveaway (US & Non-US).  The winners of the US giveaway will need to provide their name and postal address which will then be passed onto Cheryl Denise Bannerman for her to send the copies.  The winners of the Non-US giveaway will need to provide their Kindle email address (instructions on how to do this can be provided by damppebbles blog tours on request).  There is no cash alternative.  Names, addresses and email address will not be stored.  Good luck!

Writing under pen name, Cheryl Denise Bannerman, Ms. Powell is an author of two self-published books, and an owner of a 22-year-old Training and Development company, specializing in eLearning, called Learn2Engage.

In her personal life and relationships, Ms. Powell has learned how to turn tragedies into triumphs through her strong will, faith, tenacity and most importantly, her quirky sense of humor. She now turns that keen knowledge of relationships and people, along with her various degrees and experience in Training and Development, into fun, engaging online courses for ‘Corporate America’, and, of course, in her works of fiction.

Within each of her works of fiction, a topic of social concern is addressed. From addictions to domestic violence, and suicide to molestation.

Her writings inspire people to live, laugh, love, learn and grow. She believes that when the world laughs at you, laugh harder. In Ms. Powell’s real and fictional world, she has learned how to create her own ‘happy ending’…one day at a time.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbannerman01

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

Website: http://www.bannermanbooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bannermanbooks18/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Denise-Bannerman/e/B003YVCJ74/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1536333632&sr=8-1 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloody-Stiletto-Cold-Lasagna-Bestseller/dp/1794386963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1552508610&sr=8-1&keywords=a+bloody+stiletto%2C+cold+lasagna

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Bloody-Stiletto-Cold-Lasagna-Bestseller/dp/1794386963/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=a+bloody+stiletto%2C+cold+lasagna&qid=1552508665&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmrnull

Publication: 10th January 2019 (eBook); 21st March 2019 (hardback) – Michael Joseph

On a hot July night in 1983, six school friends go camping in the forest. Bright and brilliant, they are destined for great things, and young Aurora Jackson is dazzled to be allowed to tag along.

Thirty years later, a body is discovered. DCI Sheens is called to the scene, but he
already knows what’s waiting for him: Aurora Jackson, found at long last.

But that’s not all. The friends have all maintained their innocence, but the body is found in a hideaway only the six of them knew about.

It seems the killer has always lurked very close to home…

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour of SHE LIES IN WAIT, the dark and absorbing debut novel by Gytha Lodge and I’d like to thank Jenny Platt and Michael Joseph for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this fascinating novel.

Everyone thought that Aurora Jackson was a smart and beautiful young girl with a bright future ahead of her. So why would someone kill her? That’s what DCI Sheens is trying to figure out when, thirty years after her disappearance, the body of Aurora is found in the same woods where she was last seen alive. In 1983, six teenagers, aged between 15 and 18 went camping together. They were the popular cool kids, everyone was either jealous or scared of them. They were a closed group and Aurora was clearly the outsider during this camping trip, but she was also Topaz’s sister so they tried to make her feel included. However, that night, alcohol, drugs, lust, and jealousy are high, memories are blurry, and the six friends claim to not know what really happened to Aurora.

Through the flashbacks we read what really happened the night Aurora disappeared, while in the present time DCI Johan Sheens and his team interrogate once again the group of friend who, thirty years later, are still close and present a unite front. The author created a cast of characters that are multi-layered and complex. The six friends are difficult to figure out, it’s not clear if and what they are hiding and, at some point, they are all suspects.. I found the character of DCI Jonah Sheens fascinating. He was part of the first investigation thirty years earlier, he had some connection to the six friends, and he is also hiding something. The members of his team are interesting and engaging, they are all different from each other, but work really well together. Aurora remains the real protagonist of the story. She feels realistic and innocent and, through her flashbacks, we see a young girl, between childhood and adulthood, trying to fit in with a group of people who are not really her friends.

With a slow pace, flashbacks, and twists, the author manages to keep the tension always high and, page after page, there is a sense of dread, a sense of something bad about to happen. Tana French meets The Secret History in this immersive, riveting, and suspenseful police procedural and, if this is the first book in a series, I am already looking forward to reading book number 2!

Gytha Lodge is a writer and multi-award-winning playwright who lives in Cambridge.
After studying creative writing at UEA, she was shortlisted for the Yeovil Literary
Prize and the Arts’ Council England fiction awards, and developed a huge online
following for her young adult and children’s writing, with over six million reads
accrued on platform Wattpad. She Lies in Wait is her debut novel.