Book After Book

Publication: 28th June 2018 by Harvill Secker

When Harriet Westaway receives an unexpected letter telling her she’s inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother, it seems like the answer to her prayers. She owes money to a loan shark and the threats are getting increasingly aggressive: she needs to get her hands on some cash fast. 

There’s just one problem – Hal’s real grandparents died more than twenty years ago. The letter has been sent to the wrong person. But Hal knows that the cold-reading techniques she’s honed as a seaside fortune teller could help her con her way to getting the money. If anyone has the skills to turn up at a stranger’s funeral and claim a bequest they’re not entitled to, it’s her. 

Hal makes a choice that will change her life for ever. But once she embarks on her deception, there is no going back. She must keep going or risk losing everything, even her life…

 

Ruth Ware is back!!! I still remember how completely engrossed I was in In A Dark Dark Wood, surprised that it was a debut novel, and now, three years later, I get excited when she has a new novel coming out. With a very likable main character and a gripping and suspenseful plot, THE DEATH OF MRS WESTAWAY has quickly become my favourite Ruth Ware’s novel.

Harriet “Hal” Westaway is 21 years old and she makes her living reading tarot cards at a pier in Brighton. Her mother died in a hit-and-run three years earlier and she has never met her father. She is also broke and she owns a lot of money to a loan shark. So when she receives a letter from a lawyer to inform her that she is one of the heirs of the estate of a Mrs Westaway, Hal thinks this is her chance to solve her problems and travels to Corwall to claim her inheritance. But she didn’t expect three sons estranged from their mother for years, a house full of secrets, and a past that it is slowly revealed.

I really liked the character of Hal. Even though she pretends to be someone else to inherit Mrs Westaway’s estate, she is a good genuine person. The only family she ever had was her mother and she’s been completely alone since her death. By pretending to be Mrs. Westaway’s lost granddaughter she hopes to get not only a bit of money that will get the loan shark off her back, but also a new family.

The family secrets, the gothic oppressive mansion in decline, and, also, an old servant who can’t cook and seems to know more than she should create a gothic atmosphere worthy of an Agatha Christie’s novel. The house in itself is a character of the novel with its secrets and its strange vibe that I almost expected a ghost to make an appearance.

If you are looking for an entertaining and intelligent novel, this is the one for you. THE DEATH OF MRS WESTAWAY is one of my favorite novels of 2018, an unsettling, gripping, and propulsive read that shows that, once again, Ruth Ware is really good at what she does.

Publication: 14th June 2018 by Muswell Press

It is the seventies and the colleges of Oxford are finally opening their doors to women. Sarah Addleshaw, young, spirited and keen to prove her worth, begins term as the first female academic at her college. She is in fact, her college s only female Fellow . Impulsive love affairs with people, places and the ideas in her head beset Sarah throughout her first exhilarating year as a don, but it is the Reading Party, that has the most dramatic impact. Asked to accompany the first mixed group of students on the annual college trip to Cornwall, Sarah finds herself illicitly drawn to one of them, the suave American Tyler. Torn between professional integrity and personal feelings she faces her biggest challenge to date.

 

I have to admit that I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book. I found the cover very intriguing and the mention of a reading party really drew me in. Then I started reading the book and I fell in love with the story and the main character.

The protagonist of the novel is Sarah Addleshaw. In 1976, she is the first female fellow at one of the colleges at Oxford University, which, at the time, was a novelty and Sarah had to costantly prove herself in front of her male colleagues. She is also chosen to lead, along with a senior male colleague, Dr. Loxton, to lead the annual Reading Party that, for the first time, will host a group of mixed students.

First, we are in Oxford where see Sarah as she struggles to fit in among her male colleagues and she prepares for the Reading Party. Then, we move to Cornwall, in a secluded cottage, where a group of students of different background and culture and two tutors spend the next seven days together, studying, taking long walks, and doing group activities. Sarah is not much older than the students, so, sometimes, you can see her struggle with her position in the group.

I loved that the novel is set in the world of academia and that the author put together a group of interesting characters with different views and different goals, and I was intrigued by the dynamics of the reading group. The one character that mostly left an impression on me was Sarah. She is intelligent and thoughtful and I found very authentic. Even though she is constantly judged and observed by her male colleagues, she is not afraid to speak her own mind. The novel is set in the 1970s, but because of the theme of gender equality, it still feels relevant.

I found THE READING PARTY beautifully written and I would recommend it if you are looking for an engaging, riveting, and readable story. I’d like to thank Anne Cater and Muswell Press for providing me with a copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

 

 

 

Fenella Gentleman studied PPE at Wadham College, Oxford, when it went mixed. She participated in two reading parties in Cornwall. After graduating she worked in publishing, before moving into marketing and communications in the professions. She lives in London and North Norfolk.

 

 

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reading-Party-Fenella-Gentleman/dp/1999811720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523901133&sr=1-1&keywords=fenella+gentleman

 

Publication day: 14th June 2018 by Quercus Books

For many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland – the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany – afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea’s failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?

Despite Colette’s wariness, romantic Belle-Île still fascinates her. She takes on the running of her mother’s flower shop and makes friends with Élodie, from the Old Lighthouse where Thea once worked as a nanny, and with the enigmatic Étienne who shares Colette’s mixed feelings about the island. As Thea opens up to her for the first time, Colette finds herself softening and being drawn back into the landscape of her past. But can Belle-Île also be a part of her future?

The ghosts of that past still linger. What happened all those years ago and how did it cause the rift between mother and daughter? It becomes clear that the beauty of Belle-Île hides a devastating family secret – one that Colette is determined to unravel at any cost.

 

This is such a beautiful story. Very well-written, with an idyllic setting and likable characters, HER MOTHER’S SECRET is an enjoyable, fresh, and moving novel that I couldn’t put down.

One small island full of secrets. Belle-Île-en-Mer is a small island off the coast of Brittany with a beautiful sea and a characteristic landscape. Colette left the island when she was eighteen years old and she hasn’t been back since then. But when she receives a letter informing her that her mother Thea is dying, Colette forgets everything about her resentement towards her mother and her secrets and goes back to the French island. Étienne, a writer of thrillers, hadn’t been on the island in years, but after his mother’s death he is back to take care of his mother’s house. On the other hand, Élodie is the one who has never left Belle-Île-en-Mer as she is too busy with her sculptures and taking care of her mother, Mathilde. Everyone of these characters has a secret, a secret that ruined the relationships with their loved ones.

I found the characters realistic and likable and I loved seeing them develop and confront their past. The character that I liked most of all is Colette. I found her sensible and real and she didn’t think twice about giving up her life, her job, and her boyfriend to be at her mother’s side in the moment of need. The characters’ stories are very intriguing and absorbing and the tension was high as their secrets are slowly revealed.

What I loved most about this book is the setting. The descriptions of Belle-Île-en-Mer are very detailed and atmospheric and the island is the perfect idyllic place for this beautiful story. HER MOTHER’S SECRET is a gripping and heart-warming summer read and I’d like to thank Anne Cater and Quercus Book for providing me with a copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

Rosanna Ley works as a creative tutor and has written many articles and stories for national magazines. Her writing holidays and retreats take place in stunning locations in Spain and Italy. When she is not travelling, Rosanna lives in West Dorset by the sea.

Publication: 14th June 2018 by HQ

Three generations of Stewart women, all with secrets to keep…

Matriarch Nancy knows she hasn’t been the best mother but how can she ever tell her daughters the reason why? Lauren and Jenna are as close as two sisters can be and they made a pact years ago to keep a devastating secret from their mother – but is it time to come clean? Lauren’s teenage daughter Mackenzie masks her own pain by keeping her mother at a distance. Her mother, aunt and grandmother keep trying to reach her but will it take a stranger to show her the true meaning of family?

When life changes in an instant, the Stewart women are thrown together for a summer and suddenly they must relearn how to be a family. And whilst unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, it could also be their finest moment. . .

A couple of years ago I was looking for a fun read and I stumbled upon Sleepless in Manhattan. As a big lover of New York, I am quickly drawn to every book that is set in the Big Apple and, after reading the blurb, I decided to give it a try. Two years and six books later I am now a huge fan of Sarah Morgan and I am always excited when she has a new book coming out.

HOW TO KEEP A SECRET is a bit different from her Manhattan books, but I loved it nonetheless. For starters this one is a stand-alone – which is the only thing I didn’t like about this book because I loved the characters and I’d love to read more about them. Also, the novel is set in Martha’s Vineyard and I really loved this setting with its beautiful beaches and the community vibe.

The protagonists of this novel are four women, independent and strong-willed, but each one of them has a secret. It seems that Nancy always put her career as a painter first, even before her daughters Lauren and Jenna who always found their mother distant and unapproachable. Lauren’s beautiful life in London is shattered after a tragedy and she is forced to leave everything and move back to Martha’s Vineyard with her sixteen-year-old daughter Mack, even if that means facing someone from her past. Jenna’s struggle to get pregnant has taken over her life and she can’t think of anything else. And Mack’s change of moods is not due only to the fact that she is a teenager. And when these four women come together, their secrets risk to come to light. Will the revelations bring them closer or will the truth separate them?

Once again, I found myself completely engrossed in a novel by Sarah Morgan, in her flawless writing, in her characters, in their compulsive stories, and the atmospheric settings. HOW TO KEEP A SECRET is a fascinating, sharp, and entertaining read, the perfect novel to immerse yourself this summer and I’d like to thank HQ and Isabel Smith for providing me with an advanced copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

 

Sarah Morgan lives near London with her husband and two sons. An international bestseller, her books have been translated into more than thirty languages and she has sold over sixteen million books worldwide. For more about Sarah visit her website www.sarahmorgan.com, and sign up to her newsletter. She also loves to connect with readers on Facebook (AuthorSarahMorgan), Twitter (@SarahMorgan_) and Instagram (sarahmorganwrites).

Publication: 20th June by Orenda Books

PI Varg Veum receives a surprise visit in his office from a woman who introduces herself as his half-sister,
and she has a job for him. Her god-daughter, a nineteen-year-old trainee nurse from Haugesund, moved from her bedsit in Bergen two weeks ago. Since then no one has heard anything from her. She didn’t leave an address. She doesn’t answer her phone. And the police refuse to take her case seriously.

Veum’s investigation uncovers a series of carefully covered-up crimes and pent-up hatreds, and the trail
leads to a gang of extreme bikers and to a shadowy group, whose dark actions are hidden by the anonymity of the Internet. And then things get personal…

Chilling, shocking and exceptionally gripping, Big Sister reaffirms Gunnar Staalesen as one of the world’s foremost thriller writers.

I’d like to start by thanking Anne Cater and Orenda Books not only for providing me with a copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour, but also for introducing me to the novels of Norwegian author Gunnar Staalesen. I am still finding my way in the Nordic novels and I am always happy to discover new authors.

The protagonist of the novel is Varg Veum, a private investigator who would have never thought that the first time he met his half-sister Norma would be when she asked him to find her goddaughter Emma, a nineteen-year-old girl who disappeared without leaving any trace. I don’t know if I was more engrossed in Varg Veum’s family drama or the case he was investigating. Sometimes, the two stories are separated, sometimes they merge as Varg tries to discover who is involved in Emma’s disappearance. At the beginning, this seems to be just the case of a young woman who ran off because of the complicated relationship with her estranged father and her drug-addict mother. But as Varg delves deeper into the case, he brings to light a much darker truth than just a complicated family, often at the risk of his life and the people he loves.

The novel is not fast-paced, but the surprises, the revelations (not only about the case, but also about Varg’s family and past) are enough to keep the tension high and keep you glued to the page. The characters are well-developed and I especially liked the character of Varg. I found him realistic, smart, calm, and he knows how to get people to talk even when they don’t want to. The dark, evocative Norwegian setting is suitable for the novel, the perfect frame for the crimes at the center of the story.

The only problem that I had with this novel is that I had some difficulty remembering the names of the characters because I am not familiar with the Norwegian language. But that’s only a small personal glitch, and I will be recommending everyone to read this thrilling, dark, entertaining novel.

 

 

Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway in 1947. He made his debut at
the age of 22 with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book
in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over 20 titles, which have been
published in 24 countries and sold over five million copies. Twelve film
adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring
the popular Norwegian actor Trond Epsen Seim, and a further series is being
filmed now. Staalesen, who has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of
Honour) and the Petrona Award, and been shortlisted for the CWA Dagger, lives
in Bergen with his wife.

Publication: 7th June 2018 by Thomas & Mercer

A deep-state US organization has a top-secret kill list—and a popular senator is on it.

Nathan Stone was killed in action while serving as a covert CIA operative. Or so everyone thought. In reality he’s become a ghost, a black-ops asset with a new identity and controlled by a secret government organization. The Commission has one aim: to hunt down and assassinate anti-establishment enemies of the state.

Its number-one target is Senator Brad Crichton, an ambitious politician with growing support. Stone is ready to take him out, but his plan is soon compromised when the Commission’s kill list is leaked to a journalist—whose own name is on the list too. And when the journalist tries to alert the senator, he is found dead in suspicious circumstances. Stone is closing in on Crichton, but must act swiftly to reach him before the truth does.

He knows that one wrong foot will put him in the firing line. But where national security is at stake, the hunter can quickly become the hunted.

 

One Saturday afternoon, after lunch, I sat down with my kindle with the idea to start reading ROGUE. I didn’t expect to spend the next few hours completely absorbed in this twisty novel without realizing the time passing by.

At the center of the novel there is a secret organization that gets rid of the people considered a risk for the good of the nation. A list of targets that somehow found its way to a journalist. A well-loved senator who doesn’t know he is on the list. A woman worried about her lover. And a secret agent who many believe is dead and who is struggling with memories from his troubled past.

Nathan Stone is a ghost. Everyone believes he is dead, including his sister. He has no ties. He has no feelings and kills without remorse. That’s why he is the perfect agent to kill a senator and make it look like an accident. It should be a clean, easy job, but the list of targets is leaked to a journalist causing a chain of events that quickly spiral out of control. Also, Nathan’s memories resourface making him doubt everything he knows.

This novel is told from different points of views and in short chapters, leaving the readers to catch their breath as everything happens quickly. The characters are very well-crafted, and I really liked the character of Nathan. He is a new Jason Bourne, a man struggling with his past and his identity, with what is right and what is wrong and I am really looking forward to reading more of his adventures.

The novel is fast-paced, everything happens in a few days, and it is set between the world capital of politics, Washington DC, and the beautiful and evocative highlands of Scotland. ROGUE is a gripping, unpredictable and completely engrossing action thriller and I’d like to thank Anne Cater and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a copy of the book and for letting me take part in the blog tour.

 

J.B. Turner is the #1 Amazon international bestselling author of the Jon Reznick® thriller series. His latest book, Hard Fall (Thomas & Mercer), was published on 8 February 2018. His influences and favorite authors include: James Ellroy, Richard Stark, Hunter S. Thompson, James Lee Burke, George Orwell, Jack Kerouac, Henry James, Harlan Coben, Thomas H. Cook, John Grisham, James Patterson, John Buchan, John Grisham, and Michael Connelly.

He also wrote the forthcoming American Ghost® thriller series. The new series features protagonist Nathan Stone, a former CIA covert operative who had been critically wounded, and everyone thought was dead. But behind closed doors, he was rehabilitated by a highly secretive government organization known as the Commission, given a new identity and appearance, and remoulded into a lethal assassin. His brief: to execute kill orders drawn up by the Commission, all in the name of national security. The Commission owns him, but Stone knows one wrong move could turn him from loyal asset to hunted man. The first book in the new American Ghost series, Rogue (Thomas & Mercer), is out 7 June 2018. The follow-up is Reckoning (Thomas & Mercer), is out 2 August 2018. Requiem is out November 2018 (Thomas & Mercer).

He wrote the Jon Reznick novella, Gone Bad (No Way Back Press), and the Deborah Jones crime thrillers, Miami Requiem (No Way Back Press) and Dark Waters (No Way Back Press).

His books have conspiratorial elements and themes throughout them. His work can often be described as thrillers; his books cover sub-genre categories including assassination thriller, suspense thriller, political thriller, crime fiction, military thriller, and, in the case of the Deborah Jones books, mysteries.
He has a keen interest in geo-politics.
He loves music and drinks dangerous levels of coffee (and a fair bit of red wine). He occasionally blogs. He listens to everything from Beethoven to The Beatles, The Cure to Bach. And everything in between. Occasionally writes. Loves films. Well, good ones. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Heat, The Godfather, The Offence, The French Connection, Payback, It’s a Wonderful Life, Manhattan, Annie Hall, Sideways, As Good As It Gets, Wonder Boys, The Deer Hunter, All the President’s Men, Babette’s Feast, and a personal fave, Animal House (what’s not to like?).

He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is married with two children.
He is represented by Mark Gottlieb of Trident Media Group, New York.
Check out his website at:
https://jbturnerauthor.com/

 

 

Publication: 31st May 2018 by Simon & Schuster UK

The heart-warming new novel from the Sunday Timesbestselling author, perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Milly Johnson and Cathy Bramley

Kate is on the run from her almost-divorced husband who is determined to have her back, and she has found the perfect place to hide… a little cottage on Nightingale Square in Norwich, far away from her old life in London. But the residents of Nightingale Square don’t take no for an answer, and Kate soon finds herself pulled into a friendship with Lisa, her bossy but lovely new neighbour.

Within a matter of days Kate is landed with the job of campaigning the council to turn the green into a community garden, meanwhile all the residents of Nightingale Square are horrified to discover that the Victorian mansion house on the other side of the square has been bought by developers. But when all hope is lost, the arrival of a handsome stranger is sure to turn things around!

Heidi Swain is the perfect summer read – you’ll want to find your own green space, stretch out in the sun and dive into life at Nightingale Square.

 

Let me just say that, despite the long length of the book (more than 400 pages), I read this heartwarming and engrossing novel in two days. I found the characters realistic and likable and I was completely immersed in their stories and their lives. I was also fascinated by the history surrounding Nightingale Square and the families who used to live there and, along with Kate, I enjoyed to find out more.

The main protagonist of the novel is Kate. She believes in one true love. She believes that people can give their heart to just one person during their lifetime, so when her marriage to David ends under terrible circumstances but ‘amicably’ (in her own words), she decides to leave her life in London and her job to start a new and lonely life in Norwich. She has found the perfect house in Nightingale Square and she believes she will be happy there on her own. But, she has barely the time to open her first box, that a neighbour is already knocking on her door and barging in. Soon, Kate forgets about her desire to be alone and she finds herself surrounded by her neighbours, who soon turns into friends, and then her family. There is mother-of-three Lisa who, in her bossy way, quickly takes Kate under her wing. Then there is new mom Heather who is struggling with motherhood. Nosy Carole who knows everything that goes on in the neighbourhood, and elderly Harold, who knows the history of the square and the family who used to own Prosperous Place, the large mansion by it. Also, the arrival of mysterious Luke maybe will give Kate the chance to change her mind about having just one love in her life.

The characters and their sense of community really come to life under Heidi Swain’s pen and I really enjoyed getting to know them, page after page. The setting seems idyllic, away from the noise of the city and surrounded by gardens, and it is very evocative and atmospheric.

The engaging characters, the beautiful setting, the entertaining stories, the brilliant and flawless writing create a refreshing and unique story that I couldn’t put down and I’d like to thanks Simon and Schuster UK and Harriet Collins for providing me with a copy of the book.

 

Heidi Swain is the Sunday Times bestselling author of five novels: The Cherry Tree Cafe, Summer at Skylark Farm, Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market, Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage  and most recently, Sleigh Rides and Silver Bells at the Christmas Fair. She lives in Norfolk with her husband and two teenage children. Follow Heidi on twitter @Heidi_Swain or visit her website: http://heidiswain.co.uk/

Publication: 14th June 2018 by Orion

THE SERIAL KILLER ISN’T ON TRIAL.

HE’S ON THE JURY…

‘To your knowledge, is there anything that would preclude you from serving on this jury?’

Murder wasn’t the hard part. It was just the start of the game.

Joshua Kane has been preparing for this moment his whole life. He’s done it before. But this is the big one.

This is the murder trial of the century. And Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house.

But there’s someone on his tail. Someone who suspects that the killer isn’t the man on trial.

Kane knows time is running out – he just needs to get to the conviction without being discovered.

The first thing I did after finishing reading this gripping novel was to go and buy the first three books in the series and ask myself why I never heard of Steve Cavanagh before. I was completely absorbed by the twisty plot and by charismatic defence attorney Eddie Flynn from the first page.

Although this is the fourth book that sees his protagonist Eddie Flynn in action, it can easily be read as a standalone novel. In THIRTEEN, there is a killer on the loose. We know his name, Joshua Kane, but he easily changes appearance and voice to take someone else’s place after he kills them. Now he is trying to get into the trial of the year, the one where Robert Solomon, a famous Hollywood actor, will have to defend himself from the accusation of murdering his wife and his security guard.

Enter Eddie Flynn. He defends only people he is sure they are innocent and after talking to Robert Solomon he knows Robert is innocent, but he also knows that he is hiding something. So he accepts to help Rudy Carp, a high-profile lawyer, in proving Robert’s innocence.

The character of Eddie Flynn is very likable. He is charming, honest, smart, and really good at his job and you also get a glimpse of his personal life as he dreams of a more normal and safer career that will allow him to get his wife and daughter back.

I was hooked from the beginning in this fast-paced novel where everything happens in a few days and the tension and suspense are always high. Thrilling, compulsive, and twisty, THIRTEEN was one of these novels that I didn’t want to end and I can’t wait to read more about Eddie Flynn and his dangerous and twisty cases. I’d like to thank Orion Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof copy of the book.

Publication: 15th May 2018 by Orenda Books

Nail-bitingly modern domestic noir

A tense, Hitchcockian psychological thriller

Louise Voss returns with her darkest, most chilling, novel yet…

Lynn Naismith gave up the job she loved when she married Ed, the love of her life, but it was worth it for the happy years they enjoyed together. Now, ten years on, Ed has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, and things start to happen; things more sinister than missing keys and lost words.

As some memories are forgotten, others, long buried, begin to surface… and Lynn’s perfect world begins to crumble.

But is it Ed’s mind playing tricks, or hers…?

 

I started this novel not quite sure what to expect, but from a few earlier reviews I read I knew I was going to be blown away, and blown away I was. THE OLD YOU is domestic noir with capital letters, full of suspense, well-developed characters, and jaw-dropping moments.

It starts slow, with the protagonist, Lynn Naismith, finding out that her husband Ed suffers from an early form of dementia on the same day she finds a new job. The way the author describes Lynn’s feelings over her husband’s illness, her insecurities and struggles feel realistic, authentic, and well-researched as Lynn comes to term with the disease and she prepares for a future that won’t be as rosy as she imagined. And when things start to take a darker turn, I found myself completely dragged into Lynn’s claustrophobic world and the mysterious things that start to happen around her.

The plot is clever and completely unpredictable because nothing is what it seems. Each character has their own secrets and, like Lynn, I found myself not knowing what was real anymore and which character to trust and believe. There are so many twists that at some point I lost count. Every few pages there is something that surprises you, that completely shocks you because you couldn’t see it coming. There are so many secrets, lies, and truths, and each one is revealed slowly, a bit at the time, so the tension is always high. Reading this novel was a rollercoaster and I got to the end completely out of breath.

THE OLD YOU is my first Louise Voss’s novel and I am sorry I didn’t discover earlier this author and her captivating writing, her dark and vivid characters, and her carefully-plotted  stories. I have been missing out but I plan to catch up. THE OLD YOU is haunting, intense, and riveting, and I’d like to thank Orenda Books and Anne Cater for providing me with a copy of the book and for inviting me to take part in the blog tour.

 

 

Louise Voss has been writing for the past eighteen years, with many twists and turns in her career. She started her publishing life with four novels for Transworld/Black Swan, the first of which, To Be Someone, was published in 2001 with its own CD soundtrack. This was followed by three more contemporary women’s fiction novels, Are You My Mother? Lifesaver, and Games People Play, until she switched to publishing thrillers with Mark Edwards.

She and Mark were the first British indie authors to reach No.1 on the Amazon charts with Catch Your Death, where they stayed for the month of June 2011, with their novel Killing Cupid also at No. 2. This led to a four-book deal with Harper Collins; then two books in the DI Lennon series, From the Cradle and The Blissfully Dead (Thomas & Mercer).

Her first solo thriller was The Venus Trap in 2015 and her second, a twisty tale of domestic noir, is out in May 2018: The Old You, published by @OrendaBooks.

Louise lives in southwest London and can be reached at @LouiseVoss1 on Twitter or on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LouiseVossAuthor.

Publication: 7 June 2018 by Fleet

In 1937, courageous and independent Martha Gellhorn travels to Madrid to report on the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War, and finds herself drawn to the stories of ordinary people caught in devastating conflict. She also finds herself unexpectedly – and uncontrollably – falling in love with Ernest Hemingway, a man already on his way to being a legend. In the shadow of the impending Second World War, and set against the tumultuous backdrops of Madrid, Finland, China, and especially Cuba, where Martha and Hemingway made their home, their relationship and professional careers ignite.

But when Hemingway publishes the biggest literary success of his career, they are no longer equals, and Martha must make a choice: surrender to the suffocating demands of a domestic lifestyle, or risk losing her husband by forging her way as her own woman and writer. It is a dilemma that will force her to break his heart, and her own.

 

I am not a big fan of historical novels, but when I read the names of Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn I couldn’t help myself and I requested LOVE AND RUIN on NetGalley, because I am a huge fan of his novels and her writing.

The novel starts right when Martha first met Hemingway, how they first became friends, then lovers, and then husband and wife. It was fascinating to see the two sides of Martha. When she was with Hemingway she was a woman in love who accepted her man requests, although it was good to see her stand up to him. They were jealous of each other’s success and she was often left in the shadow. But when she was away from him, on the field, trying to get material for her articles she was fiery, strong, and determined. She traveled all around Europe during World War II and she would do anything to get the article she wanted, including hide in a hospital ship bathroom to be the only woman to witness the Normand landings. That’s what I liked most about this character, her bravery, her commitment to show to the people in her country the brutalities of the war and her commitment to her career that, in the end, she chose over her marriage.

Although the novel focuses mostly on her relationship with Hemingway, the author explores also her relationship with her three stepsons whom she loved deeply and her relationship with her family. Her father died before she met Hemingway and they had a difficult relationship because he wasn’t very supportive of her writing, but she was very close to her mother and she often confided in her.

The novel is told mostly from Martha’s point of view and, thanks to the author’s attention to details and accuracy, it read like a memoir. It’s beautifully written, insightful, and memorable and I had a really hard time put it down!