Book After Book

Publication: 25th February 2020 – Head of Zeus

From a Tang Dynasty legend of a young girl trained as an assassin with the ability to skip between dimensions on a secluded mountain sanctuary to a space colony called Nova Pacifica that reflects on a post-apocalyptic world of the American Empire and ‘Moonwalker’ Neil Armstrong, award-winning author Ken Liu’s writings are laced with  depictions of silkpunk fantasy, Sci-Fi and old Chinese folklore, wrapped up in a mesmerising genre-bending collection of short stories.

Ken Liu is one of the most lauded short story writers of our time. This much anticipated collection includes a selection of his latest science fiction and fantasy stories over the last five years – sixteen of his best – plus a new novelette. In addition to these seventeen selections, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories also features an excerpt from book three in the Dandelion Dynasty series, The Veiled Throne.

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I am delighted to welcome you on my stop for the blog tour of The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, the new book by Ken Liu.

I started reading this collection of short stories completely clueless about what to expect. The reviews online were good so I was looking forward to immersing myself into this book and I wasn’t disappointed. Even though Ken Liu is a well-known and successful writer, this is my first time reading this author. I liked his writing style, simple and to the point. His stories dwell on themes of the destiny of human kind, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, life on another planet, the human effort to be immortal, and global warming.

I liked that most of the protagonists are women, strong and not afraid to speak their own minds. The stories are strong, thought-provoking, and well-written and explore the use of science and technology with a bit of fantasy element. Some of the stories are dark and scary, they gave me the chills and I had to put the book down and take a break. Nevertheless, I went from story to story completely captivated by the characters and the intriguing and engaging plots.

Some of my favourite stories include: Maxwell’s Demon in which an American-born Japanese woman is sent to Japan during World War II as a spy and it has supernatural elements. In Thoughts and Prayers we see the effects of a mass-shooting over the family of one of the victims. Staying Behind in which the author narrates a world where humans upload their consciousness giving up on their physical body in exchange for immortality.

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories is a fantastic collection by an incredible author, perfect for all fans of science fiction.

A huge thank you to Midas PR for inviting me to join the blog tour.

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Ken Liu is an American speculative fiction writer and the winner of the Nebula, Hugo, Locus, World Fantasy, Sidewise, and Science Fiction & Fantasy Translation Awards. The son of a pharmaceutical chemist and a computer engineer, Ken emigrated to the US with his mother and father at the age of 11. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in English Literature and Computer Science and later attended Harvard Law School.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Ken worked as a software engineer, corporate lawyer, and litigation consultant. His debut novel, The Grace of Kings, is the first volume in a silkpunk epic fantasy series, The Dandelion Dynasty, in which engineers play the role of wizards. His debut collection, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, has been published in more than a dozen language and his short story Good Hunting was adapted for an episode for Netflix’s science fiction web series Love, Death and Robots.

www.kenliu.name

Publication: 18th February 2020 – Blackstone Publishing

I am the legion of the night …

He appears in the darkness like a ghost, made of shadows and fear–the Midnight Man. He comes for the parents but leaves the children alive, tiny witnesses to unspeakable horror. The bedroom communities of Los Angeles are gripped with dread, and the attacks are escalating.

Still reeling from her best friend’s close call in a bombing six months ago, FBI behavioral analyst Caitlin Hendrix has come to Los Angeles to assist in the Midnight Man investigation and do what she does best–hunt a serial killer. Her work is what keeps her going, but something about this UNSUB–unknown subject–doesn’t sit right. She soon realizes that this case will test not only her skills but also her dedication, for within the heart of a killer lives a secret that mirrors Caitlin’s own past. Hesitancy is not an option, but will she be able to do what must be done if the time comes?

Tense and impactful, Edgar Award winner Meg Gardiner’s latest UNSUB thriller will leave you on the edge of your seat until its riveting conclusion.

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There is a serial killer on the loose in Los Angeles. He is called The Midnight Man. He breaks into homes in the middle of the night, he kills the parents and leaves the children unharmed, but with a message. He leaves no trace behind. The LAPD has no choice but ask for the help of the BAU and so FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix is back! As the killer strikes over and over again, the FBI needs to figure out why The Midnight Man is killing and how to stop him.

Haunting, scary, gritty, The Dark Corners of the Night gave me goose bumps and made me check that the doors and windows where locked at night. The murder scenes are gruesome and violent and the descriptions are very detailed. I found fascinating how the author digs into the mind of the serial killer and the story becomes a character study as she explores the reason behind their behavior. The profiling process is detailed and insightful and it gives the reader a break from the fast-paced narrative.

The characters are well-developed and realistic and the personal lives of the protagonists mixe with the police procedural creating a gripping and authentic story that I couldn’t put down. The story is told mainly from Caitlin’s point of view, but we get also a glimpse of the killer and his victims’ perspectives.

Would I recommend The Dark Corners of the Night? Absolutely!!! Crime fans out there will love the originality and darkness of the story, the suspense that doesn’t leave the pages, and the strong and human characters that drive the story. A brilliant and thrilling read not to miss!

A huge thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 5th March 2020 – Orbit

THE AGE OF DARKNESS APPROACHES. FIVE LIVES STAND IN ITS WAY. WHO WILL STOP IT . . . OR UNLEASH IT?

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations – until they disappeared, one hundred years ago.

But they left behind one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As a dark new power begins to make war on the magically gifted, five souls are set on a collision course that will determine the fate of their world:

A prince exiled from his kingdom
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up

One of them – or all of them – could break the world. Will they be saviour or destroyer?

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Lately, I have been reading many, way too many, fantasy novels and, so far, I’ve adored what I’ve read and the debut novel by Katy Rose Pool is one of them. She created a world divided by those graced with magic and those who fear them. A world on the edge of a war as a group of people tries to rid the world of those with magic and where the five protagonists try to survive.

The main characters are well-developed and all likable. Each chapter is told from one character point of view which at the beginning I found a bit confusing as each chapter switched perspective and I was still having trouble remembering names. However, as the story progresses and the author ends each chapter with some sort of cliffhanger I found myself completely engrossed in the story eager to find out what would happen next.

The story is character-driven and I found it entertaining how each character managed to impact each other lives. I loved how the author managed to keep the suspense always high and make shocking revelations when you less expect it. The story is well-crafted and the world-building is fantastic. I was surprised that this is a debut because the author’s writing style is quite addictive and impressive.

There Will Come A Darkness is an intriguing, magical, and original story from an author that I definitely plan on keep reading. What I love most about this novel is the characters that kept me glued to the pages and I am really looking forward to seeing what happens next.

A huge thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this magical novel.

Publication: 20th February 2020 – Century

A body is found in the hills – but the truth still lies buried…

In a small town in the Deep South, Flora Dane is part of a task force committed to hunting down every last trace of notorious serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. As his last victim, imprisoned by Ness in a small box for over a year, she knew him better than most. Even after his death, his evil still lingers.

But this is the kind of town that doesn’t take kindly to strangers asking questions.

The kind of town where dark secrets lurk just beneath the surface.

The kind of town she might not leave alive.

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/2u3YPsz

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I adore Lisa Gardner. She is one of my favourite author. Her stories are dark and suspenseful, and her heroines are strong and kick-ass women who don’t let psychopaths hold them down.

In When You See Me, three women come together to form a task force to track down the crimes of notorious predator Jacob Ness. Jacob Ness has been dead for years, but FBI agent Kimberley Quincy, detective D. D. Warren, and Fiona Dane each have their connection to him and when human bones are found on the mountains outside of Atlanta, they all travel to the small town of Niche to figure out if and there are more victims of Jacob Ness.

I loved this story. It’s unique with its mystery, with its secrets, with its claustrophobic atmosphere, and with its human side. The suspense is always high as bodies starts turning up in a small town where everyone seems to be hiding something. If you haven’t read the previous books in the series, not to worry, this can be easily read as a stand-alone. If, like me, you’ve read and enjoyed the previous novels, you’ll find out more about Jacob Ness’s past and, let me tell you, it doesn’t make him look less evil or more human and I bet there is still much more to discover. And while there is darkness in the hills of Georgia, there is also a spark of light and hope as we read about Fiona’s relationship with true-crime geek and computer analyst Keith.

When You See Me is well-researched, fast-paced, and gripping. Some of the scenes are intense and not easy to read. The writing style is clear, captivating, and impressive, while the characters are compelling, likable (the good ones), and entertaining. I love the three women at the center of the story. FBI agent Kimberley Quincy, detective D. D. Warren, and Fiona Dane are completely different and they are unstoppable together. A fantastic team.

When You See Me is another unputdownable must-read by the Queen of Thrillers and I already can’t wait to read her next novel!

A huge thank you to Century and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this fantastic novel which is out today.

 

 

 

Publication: 6th February 2020 – Hodder & Stoughton

When a development in South London catches fire mid-construction, a close-knit team of fire fighters runs in to save a man spotted at the window.

They come out without a body. They quit the service. They plan never to speak to each other again.

Five years later one of them is set alight at his own wedding. Soon after, a second is found, nothing but a smoking corpse. It appears that someone knows what they did that night. What they chose over their duty. And there are still three men left to burn . . .

DI Alex Finn and his new partner DC Mattie Paulsen are an unlikely pairing, but they need to discover who is behind these killings before the next man faces the fire.

This is first in Will Shindler’s Finn and Paulsen series – a British detective series that ranks with Mark Billingham, M.J. Arlidge, Stuart MacBride.

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/31Cm2hy

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I am delighted to welcome you on my stop of The Burning Men, the gripping debut novel by Will Shindler.

That’s exactly what I needed… another police procedural series to get addicted to, but I couldn’t help myself because The Burning Men grabbed my attention and didn’t let it go.

The protagonist of the series is DI Alex Finn. He is back at work right after the death of his wife so he is not 100% on the job as he struggles with his grief and the ghost of his wife. Working with him is DC Mattie Paulsen. She’s just joined Finn’s team, but she doesn’t seem interested in interacting with her colleagues. She has her own demons to fight and it takes a while (almost the entire novel) to warm up to her, but I am already looking forward to read more about this character.

The case they are investigating started five years earlier when firefighters entered a burning building to save a man and came out empty-handed… or so it seemed. Now, someone is targeting them and the police needs to find the killer before he kills all of them.

As you read, the story seems very straightforward but there are so many twists that you won’t see coming and that will take you by surprise. If you are looking for murder, you will find plenty of it. There is also corruption, robbery, and blackmail, all wrapped up together in a story that is fast-paced and intense. The characters are well-portrayed and feel very authentic.

If you are still not convinced, there is an ending that will leave you holding your breath. And I am not talking about the final revelations and surprises that close the story, but I am talking about the very last line that made me gasp in surprise. Simply brilliant!

I’d like to thank Jenny and Hodder & Stoughton for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a copy of this fantastic novel.

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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. The Burning Men is his first novel.

Publication: 20th February 2020 – HarperFiction

On an island off the windswept Irish coast, guests gather for the wedding of the year – the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater.
 
Old friends.
Past grudges.
 
Happy families.
Hidden jealousies.
 
Thirteen guests.
One body.
 
The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped.

All have a secret. All have a motive.
One guest won’t leave this wedding alive…

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/2OBcWfW

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Have you read The Hunting Party? Last year, I devoured it and, since then, I’ve been really looking forward to Lucy’s Foley next mystery. Her new novel, The Guest List, has many similarities to the previous one. The Hunting Party was set in a remote castle in Scotland, The Guest List is set in a remote island off the Irish coast. A storm that makes it nearly impossible for everyone on the outside to reach it. A group of friends who reunite to celebrate, but whose jeaulosies and resentments will have dangerous consequences. Different timelines, different perspectives, and different suspects. And revelations that you never see coming. I do love the way Lucy Foley writes.

The plot is gripping and the characters are not very likable, but they are complex and well-crafted. Jules, the bride, wants her wedding to be perfect, but is she really sure she wants to marry Will? Olivia, the bridesmaid, and Jules’s stepsister, is hiding something from her entire family. Jhonno, the best man, has always had Will’s back and he would do anything for him. Hannah, the plus one, looks at this wedding as a romantic getaway for her and her husband Charlie and a chance to reconnect. Aoife, the wedding planner, needs to make sure that the wedding goes smoothly.

The setting is dark, very atmospheric (and very Agatha Christie). It is isolated and, of course, bad weather, cuts off communications with the mainland. The fact that the locals think that the island is cursed is a really nice touch and gave me a few goosebumps.

Thrilling, slow-paced, and full of unexpected twists, The Guest List is another win for Lucy Foley. What will she do next?

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

 

Publication: 6th February 2020 – Michael Joseph

Aidan Poole logs onto his laptop late at night to Skype his girlfriend, Zoe. But to his horror, he realises she is not alone.

Completely helpless, all he can do is listen to the sounds of a violent struggle.

And then a chilling silence.

He’s desperate to find out if she is OK. But then why is he so hesitant to call the police?

When his messages finally reach them, DCI Jonah Sheens and his team take the case.

And discover the body. . .

Watching from the Dark is an enthralling new thriller that you won’t want to miss.

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/31CLvYd

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As someone who reads many, maybe too many thrillers, I always appreciate a novel that keeps me on edge the entire time and the new novel by Gytha Lodge certainly delivers.

Watching From The Dark starts with a man skyping his girlfriend and watching helplessly as someone kills her. Who killed her? Also, why didn’t he call the police right away? And why, when he finally did call, he didn’t give his name or where the police could find his murdered girlfriend? To answer all these questions the author brings back DCI Jonah Sheens and his team who we already met in She Lies in Wait (if you haven’t read it, do it… it’s brilliant!). The more they investigate, the more the list of suspects grows, from her boyfriend to her closest friends and her landlord, everyone seems to be hiding something.

The suspense and the tension skyrocket in this novel. Each suspect is hiding a secret (or more than one) that the author unravels bit by bit so that when you think you have figure it out, another truth comes out and suddenly someone else becomes the suspect number one. And this happens over and over again, so that I had to wait for the big revelation at the end. The twists just keep coming and the different timelines and multiple perspective add a lot to the suspense.

I was happy to see again the characters that I first met in She Lies In Wait. DCI Jonah Sheens and his team of hardworking detectives, Domnall O’Malley, Ben Lightman and Juliette Hanson are very likable and well-developed characters. Their personal lives combine well with the murder mystery at the center of the story and I am really looking forward to reading more about them.

Watching From The Dark is a story of jealousies, secrets, and obsession and I devoured in two days. It is addictive, dark, and impossible to put down and now I have the certainty that Gytha Lodge is one of those authors whose book I will buy as soon as it comes out, no matter what.

A huge thank you to Michael Joseph and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this brilliant novel.

Publication: 28th January 2020 – Headline

Can guys and girls ever be just friends? According to Audrey Tate and Clarke West, absolutely. After all, they’ve been best friends since childhood without a single romantic entanglement. Clarke is the charming playboy Audrey can always count on and, knowing that the ever-loyal Audrey will never not play along with his strategy for dodging his matchmaking mother, announces he’s already engaged…to Audrey.

But what starts out as a playful game between two best friends turns into something infinitely more complicated, as just-for-show kisses begin to stir up forbidden feelings. As the faux wedding date looms closer, Audrey and Clarke realize that they can never go back to the way things were, but deep down, do they really want to?

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of heart and wit, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page. Look out for the other two titles, Passion on Park Avenue and Love on Lexington Avenue

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/2OAeeb9

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Over the last year, I often saw people rave about the novels in the Central Park Pact series, so, when more recently, I kept seeing the latest novel in the series, Marriage on Madison Avenue, popping up on my Instagram feed, I decided to give it a try, because I love romantic comedies and, as featured in this novel, “fake” relationships. Me being me, I started the series from the latest book, Marriage on Madison Avenue, that it can easily be read as a stand-alone, and I became addicted to it.

The Central Park Pact series revolves around three best friends who met under quite unusual circumstances. Each novel focus on one of them and in Marriage on Madison Avenue the protagonist is Audrey. She and her best friend from childhood, Clarke, fake an engagement to get back to his controlling mother and an annoying internet troll, but how much of it is really fake? We all know how it’s to going to end, but what I loved about this story is the humour, the witty and entertaining characters, and the friendships.

The story is refreshing and hilarious. Misunderstandings, jealousies, and some drama make for a very enjoyable and funny read. I loved the characters (even Clarke’s controlling mother) and the close friendships between them.

The story is set in New York, which for me it’s always a plus, even more so if the characters are organizing a wedding that takes them to the Plaza and the more exclusive places in Manhattan.

If you are looking for a brilliant and captivating romantic comedy that will keep you entertained for a few hours and make you forget everything else then don’t look any further, because this is it.

A huge thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.

Publication: 23rd January 2020 – Orbit

For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can’t quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob – a young lawyer with an utterly normal life – hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other.

But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world, and for once, it isn’t Charley’s doing. There’s someone else out there who shares his powers and it’s up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them – before anyone gets to The End.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/37EvLpr

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Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep, the fantastic new novel by H. G. Parry where the characters of the books come to life.

Imagine if the characters of the book you’re reading could come out? At first, I think I would freak out, but then I would find that having tea with Sherlock Holmes would be an unforgettable experience. Charley Sutherland does that. He has the gift to bring out characters from the books he is reading, often involuntarily and unwillingly. And since Charley spends his days among books, it happens quite often. For his brother Rob, Charley’s gift is more of a curse because he always has to get his younger brother out of trouble and so he finds himself chasing Dickensian characters around the university campus in the middle of the night. Until now, things have been quite under control, but as the characters starts to behave strangely and new worlds appear out of nowhere, Rob and Charley need to stop them before it’s too late.

This is the story of two brothers who are completely different: one is a close-minded lawyer trying to have a normal and undisrupted life, the other lives in a world of books from which he can summon the characters. They couldn’t be more different. And yet, they are both unique and relatable characters. I adored Charley, quiet and always trying to do the right thing. I just wanted to hug him and protect him.

I loved how the author represented the characters that Charlie pulls out of classic novels. Heathcliff, Mr Darcy, Dorian Gray, Sherlock Holmes, Victor Frankenstein, Fagin, Artful Dodger, Charles Dickens, they all make an appearance (and many more) and H. G. Parry made a great job making them as close to the original as possible.

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a fun read with suspense, brilliant characters, and an original and beautiful plot that kept me completely glued to the pages.

A huge thank you to Tracy Fenton and Orbit for providing me with a copy of the novel.

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H. G. Parry lives in a book-infested flat in Wellington, New Zealand, which she shares with her sister and two overactive rabbits. She holds a PhD in English literature from Victoria University of Wellington, and teaches English, film and media studies. Her short fiction has appeared in InterGalactic Medicine Show, Daily Science Fiction and small press anthologies. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is her debut novel.

Publication: 23rd January 2020 – Orion

Welcome to the café that never sleeps.

Day and night, Stella’s Café opens its doors to the lonely and the lost, the morning people and the night owls. It’s a place where everyone is always welcome, where life can wait at the door.

Meet Hannah and Mona: best friends, waitresses, dreamers. They love working at Stella’s – the different people they meet, the small kindnesses exchanged. But is it time to step outside and make their own way in life?

Come inside and spend twenty-four hours at Stella’s Café, where one day might just be enough to change your life…

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/2uNoZ2v

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I am delighted today to take part in the blog tour for The 24-Hour Café, the enjoyable new novel by Libby Page.

Many things can happen in 24 hours, especially in a café in the heart of London where we meet a cast of various characters all going through an important moment in their lives. There is the young man wondering if he will find a place where to sleep; the couple in love who are saying goodbye to each other; the newlyweds about to go on their honeymoon; the new mother who doesn’t want to go home to her family, and many more. And then there are Hannah and Mona. They are waitresses at Stella’s, the café open all day and all night. Hannah and Mona are best friends: they live together and they share the dream to make it as performers.

With each chapter, an hour goes by and we meet new characters and we learn more about Hannah and Mona’s friendship, from meeting to a party five years earlier to the secrets and resentment that causes a strain in their relationship. During those 24 hours, we really get to know these characters. I liked them, I disagreed with them, I cheered them on, and I really wanted to know how their story would end. Some of the stories were heartbreaking, some had a beautiful happy ending, and they were all thought-provoking and captivating.

The author beautiful and clear writing style made the story more real and it felt like I was watching the events unfold on TV rather than reading it on my kindle. I loved how everything was detailed and authentic and the characters are all relatable.

The 24-Hour Café is an heartwarming and refreshing story full of food that will make your mouth water and with characters that will make you both laugh and cry. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Tracy and Orion for inviting me to take part in the blog tour and providing me with a copy of the novel.

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