The Rivals of Dracula Stories from the Golden Age of Gothic Horror

The Rivals of Dracula: Stories from the Golden Age of Gothic Horror by Nick Rennison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - OldCastle Books

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, still the most famous of all vampire stories, was first published in 1897. But the bloodsucking Count was not the only member of the undead to bare his fangs in the literature of the period. Late Victorian and Edwardian fiction is full of vampires and this anthology of scary stories introduces modern readers to 15 of them. A travel writer in Sweden unleashes something awful from an ancient mausoleum. A psychic detective battles a vampire that has taken refuge in an Egyptian mummy. A nightmare becomes reality in the tower room of a gloomy country house. Including works by both well known writers of the supernatural such as M. R. James and E. F. Benson and less familiar authors like the Australian Hume Nisbet and the American F. Marion Crawford, The Rivals of Dracula is a collection of classic tales to chill the blood and tingle the spine.


My Review

Firstly let me say i am not a fan of short stories in general, I always find I am left unsatisfied and left hanging with them. For that reason alone I generally tend to avoid them, unless you are master King of course. This wee book offers up 15 short stories with vampires or some kind of vampiric theme. The very first story reminded me of old school vamp, like the movies I grew up with, I was picturing Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, it just set me off on a high with this book.

Each chapter gives us a brief history on the author and their work as well as the year of birth and death. Some of these guys and gals were the 1800s so not familiar authors for me. I absolutely am taking note of their names and will be tracking down pretty much all of their works because even those I didn't love I still enjoyed and liked. A Medusa type character with a different spin to her, a few dodgy old houses, love love love them and the eerie gothic creepy spin to the stories. Sometimes an old house is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, some of these authors bring that setting right to life, I wanted them all made into movies! There is a tree one that whilst not my fav by far but I loved the different spin and you get a back story, you don't often get that in vampires stories let alone a short story one!

Each author has a very different style yet all manage the eerie creepy vibes and feel you used to get with the black and white movies on a Saturday night. This book is a wee gem and it is a shame it lay on my shelves for so long. I kind of want this to be a keeper but I also want to share it with folk so I think I may put it up as a giveaway on my blog. I will for sure be checking out more of these authors, all of them. If you are a vampire fan, even if you don't like short stories, please check this book out guys it is a great read, 4.5/5 for me this time.

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I Looked Away by Jane Corry Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for "I Looked Away" by Jane Corry, for my stop I have my review, enjoy!


I Looked Away by Jane Corry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 493

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Alternate title "I Looked Away" / "Child of Mine"

THE GRIPPING NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MY HUSBAND'S WIFE AND THE DEAD EX

Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anything else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swore it was over, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got.

Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And for just a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. The accident that happens will change her life forever.

Because Ellie is hiding something in her past.

And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder...


My Review

Present day, Ellie: an argument with her husband, her eye off the child for a minute will change life as she knows it. We flick to a few months after the accident and then go between characters and timelines. Jo is homeless and so opposite of Ellie and it takes a fair few chapters to get a feel for the characters and where the story may be going. In between Jo and Ellie we get snippets of someones life, written in italics, starting as a child in an abusive situation and other flashes as they grow up. Took a fair bit to make any kind of context for me but I can be a bit slow on the uptake putting pieces together.

I loved in between the chapters we got a flower, it's common name, it's proper name and the story or meaning behind it, I love things like that in books especially when not expecting it. The story lines, because there are really three it did take me a wee bit to settle into. Reading them all, they each grab and engage the reader but keeps you on your toes trying to figure out what the context is, if any, to the other characters.

Certainty draws you in quickly and teases out across the pages the secrets and depths of the characters. Emotions, manipulations, darkness, versatility, family, love, betrayal and more than a few scenes spiked strong reactions. I have read this author before and will be reading her again, 3.5/5 for me this time, engaging, page turning, depth and a lot to spill!

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Helen Fitzgerald & Doug Johnstone at Waterstones

Today was such a beautiful day, weather wise and in general. Met with some of my fav humans and we headed to Waterstones for the book event, Orenda authors, Helen Fitzgerald and Doug Johnstone talking about their new books.




If you have never seen either of these authors you should if you get a chance, both are great speakers and fab chat but together they were hillarious and just bounced off each other with ease. Swearing, banter, a bit about how long they have known each other, their previous publishers and who is stalking who, can you stalk each other, double stalking? :D




The lovely Karen, of Orenda, introduced them both and you could listen to that beautiful accent all night. It was lovely of Orenda and Waterstones to highlight one of the crowd, blogger royalty, Mary having a very special birthday. Not only did they do a lovely wee speech they presented her with cake and flowers. I utterly love the book world, Mary is so supportive of authors, bloggers and just a genuine person with a heart of gold! Happy birthday again Mary, we love you!





Helen read from her book, Worst Case Scenario, out now to buy in kindle and tree book format on Amazon or in store.




And Doug then read from his new book, Breakers, also out now to buy in kindle or tree book format, from Amazon or in store.




Waterstones hold events like these all the time guys, if you haven't been to any please check out their website and support your stores/authors. The events are always really good, the authors are so approachable and sometimes hearing the writing process or some chat behind the book is what actually grabs you to buy it.


Helen has had one of her books made into a tv show, The Cry, and Worst Case Scenario has been optioned so fingers and toes crossed. Doug is in the band "Fun lovin crime writers" and they are performing at Glastonbury this year, how awesome is that!





Could have listened to them all night but once they were done I had to rush off and get home, I forgot my antihistamines and my foot had an encounter with something last night when we were out with miss paws, typical! Please check out the books guys and if you buy them or have read them please let me know in the comments or tweet, insta, fb - whichever is your preferred platform, I love a gab!

My Hungry Friend by Daniel Barnett

My Hungry Friend by Daniel Barnett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 200

Publisher - Indie/self

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

When Mike Roberts kicks over a homeless woman's cup of change, she whispers a cryptic warning:

"Mind the cracks . . ."

Now the Boston he knows and loves is unraveling around him. But his life is not the only thing at stake. His mother, a once acclaimed writer lost in the late stages of Alzheimer's, depends on him to have a home. And then there's her caretaker, Cassie, who might want something more from Mike than the friendship they've long shared.

As his city balances on a razor's edge, Mike will have to hunt down the daughter of the woman he wronged and uncover their terrible family secret . . . or be plunged into a world of crawling horrors and unspeakable hunger.

A world from which no one has ever returned.


My Review

Meet Mike Roberts, a dentist and has a carer who comes in during the day to look after his mother who has Alzheimer's and Mike looks after her at night. Stressed, living in Boston Mike passes homeless people everyday, this day Mike make's an impulse choice that impacts life as he knows it. One knee jerk reaction brings consequences that will pull down Mike's whole world and bring terror and horror beyond the imagination.

There are a few parts to this story, excluding the horror & weird creatures we have his relationship with his mothers carer and the actual taking care of his mother. Intimate care of cleaning up her accidents at night, safety issues and the pressure of that from a son having to deal with such a change in dynamics from the child to parental role.

The dark in this book is very dark, we have insect like creatures that most folk have some kind of beastie that creep up out, let alone from another world. There is mystery, evil, spookiness and at least one scene with his mother, in particular one part of her anatomy, that made me feel really uncomfortable and creeped out reading. I personally don't think it would have hurt the book to not be in it but artistic license and we don't always get the scenes in the way an author has written or envisioned it being received.

There is a lot of creepy tension and build up to a darkness threatening and changing Mike's world whilst he desperately scrambles to understand what is happening, why and most importantly what he can do to stop it. I think Mike makes so many bad choices and errors but it works in highlighting the reality of humanity, flawed characteristics and how off character would you be if your world was falling apart with a darkness coming in. 3/5 for me this time, I liked the eeriness and tension and look forward to seeing what else this author has to offer.

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The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Katie Flynn

The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Katie Flynn
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 4 days

Pages - 432

Publisher - Century

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Liverpool 1936

Miranda and her mother, Arabella, live comfortably in a nice area. But when her mother tells her she can no longer afford their present lifestyle, they have a blazing row, and Miranda goes to bed angry and upset. When she wakes the next morning, however, her mother has disappeared.

She raises the alarm but everyone is baffled, and when searches fail to discover Arabella’s whereabouts, Miranda is forced to live with her Aunt Vi and cousin Beth, who resent her presence and treat her badly.

Miranda is miserable, but when she meets a neighbour, Steve, things begin to look up and Steve promises to help his new friend in her search, and does so until war intervenes…


My Review

We open the book with a young Miranda, her mother goes missing and life is her trying to adapt to the new situation she finds herself in, her family and her new friend Steve. The book moves along from the mystery of Miranda's mothers disappearance to Miranda as an adult, never giving up hope of finding her mother. Covering her life into adulthood we follow her personal relationships, work life and getting through the war and all that comes with it.

The first part of the story I liked, Miranda as a kid, the ?haunting of the house they come across and the story and friendships that follow. Then it skips more to adulthood and it just changed the tone of the story for me, it could have been two different stories to be honest. Things that happened in the first part of the story, characters, I would have liked to have stayed relevant in the time change but it focuses on Miranda, her journey at the point and Steve and his part.

Considering how it all starts and how the author decided to bring the ending about it just wasn't for me. The pace was ok, some bits I liked a lot more than others. A lot of the characters had questionable behaviour/characteristics and some you really warmed to. Really mixed and I am sure some folk will love it but overall I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to and I think had I got more depth for some of the characters and depth I would have really like this one. This was my first read of this author, I would read her again, just this one wasn't for me, 2.5/5.

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If You Were Here by Alice Peterson

If You Were Here by Alice Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 400

Publisher - Simon & Schuster UK

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

‘I can toast to my future, but the thundercloud over my head, the threat of a storm, will follow me like a shadow wherever I go. The truth is, I have a potential bomb in my bag, and who knows when or where it will go off’

When her daughter Beth dies suddenly, Peggy Andrews is left to pick up the pieces and take care of her granddaughter Flo. But sorting through Beth’s things reveals a secret never told: Beth was sick, with the same genetic condition that claimed her father’s life, and now Peggy must decide whether to keep the secret or risk destroying her granddaughter’s world.

Five years later, Flo is engaged and ready to pack up her life and move to New York with her high-flying fiancé. Peggy never told Flo what she discovered, but with Flo looking towards her future, Peggy realises it’s time to come clean and reveal that her granddaughter’s life might also be at risk.

As Flo struggles to decide her own path, she is faced with the same life-altering questions her mother asked herself years before: If a test could decide your future, would you take it?


My Review

Told from three points of view, Peggy is the granny, Beth the mother and Flo the granddaughter. Peggy nursed her husband as he battled through Huntington's disease not telling her daughter. Now Beth and her husband are gone Peggy discovers Beth knew and Flo has a 50/50 chance of getting the condition. She never told Beth and now she has to battle with telling Flo and the consequences. The chapters alternate between Peggy and Flo, we hear from Beth in diary entries from a kid to up until she died.

This book is emotive and totally pulls at the heartstrings. In Peggy we see the role of the carer, the struggles she faced in the time with her husband, love, devotion and watching this condition take away a piece of the person in different ways. In Beth we see the kid watching her father become unwell and how it affected her growing up and then her own experiences. Flo is oblivious to everything, living with the man of her dreams and ready to uproute before everything comes crashing down.

I think with this book it is the dimensions to it all, living with the condition, living with someone knowing they have it, growing up with it but not knowing and how that is viewed through a youngsters eyes. The impact it has on relationships, both families and partners. And the personal battle, journey and emotions if you had a bombshell like this dropped on you, you may potentially have a life changing condition and you are helpless to do anything about it. Would you find out or live in ignorance? No matter what you choose you also cannot control how the people in your life will react and that was a huge eye opener, none of us know what is around the corner.

Books like this make me want to read up more on the condition especially when treatments are mentioned and research. There is still so much work that needs done and in the last few years they have made some great progress, it is a fascinating read both this story and the academic articles out there. I do enjoy a book that provokes an emotive response but also makes you want to go and look into the condition the book centres on. My first dance with this author, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time.

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Update and adventures

The previous week I wasn't on much (although if you follow my Insta or Twitter you will have seen the updates. So I went to England to visit family, miss paws wasn't amused although she does enjoy climbing on my case.





The weather here was horrible and when I landed it was almost like when you actually go on holiday, it was such a nice change in the weather.





I was only down for a couple of days and it was more about family time but we did get to do a wee bit of sight seeing.




I got to feed baby parakeets - they were so cheeky and beautiful, love them!




So many beautiful animals and we got to get so close, I loved it.




I got to use his Zelda glass, this is a big deal. I am not a Zelda fan but this is a pretty fab glass.




I stayed in the wee Premier Inn, I kinda prefer them when going on mini trips, you know what you are getting. Bar a wee incident with the kettle and limescale it was fine.

There was a wee garden outside which was perfect to grab a wee read whilst waiting to meet up with family.




It was so nice although I didn't really read much except when I was back at the hotel.




Colchester Castle and the surrounding grounds is stunning, I didn't go into the castle but hope to when I visit next time.




Some of the buildings are stunning, I do love an old building and would have loved a wee walk around inside.




I took my Game of Thrones wee blanket with me, cookies, books and junk tv was a great way to unwind at the end of the day, after a bath of course.




When I got to the airport there was a lot of aggression, a lot of flights had been delayed, my own included so I bought junk food, found a quiet spot in the airport, tuned into my book and caught a wee bit of the live show for "For The Love of Horror" talking about their horror con event in Manchester in October. If you like horror check them out guys, they go live once a we, the guys banter is on point and I thought I was a huge horror movie yet every show I am taking note of movies not only I haven't seen but haven't heard of!





I got home pretty late, the sky was lovely but it was cold, nothing new there!




Pretty safe to say Princess Trixie missed me, I was only away three days but she shadowed and stayed by my side most of the night I got home. So that was my wee adventures, catching up now on my book reviews and looking forward to my next visit!

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 464

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Blurb from Goodreads

For Stella Fortuna, death has always been a part of life. Stella’s childhood is full of strange, life-threatening incidents—moments where ordinary situations like cooking eggplant or feeding the pigs inexplicably take lethal turns. Even Stella’s own mother is convinced that her daughter is cursed or haunted.
In her rugged Italian village, Stella is considered an oddity—beautiful and smart, insolent and cold. Stella uses her peculiar toughness to protect her slower, plainer baby sister Tina from life’s harshest realities. But she also provokes the ire of her father Antonio: a man who demands subservience from women and whose greatest gift to his family is his absence.
When the Fortunas emigrate to America on the cusp of World War II, Stella and Tina must come of age side-by-side in a hostile new world with strict expectations for each of them. Soon Stella learns that her survival is worthless without the one thing her family will deny her at any cost: her independence.
In present-day Connecticut, one family member tells this heartrending story, determined to understand the persisting rift between the now-elderly Stella and Tina. A richly told debut, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is a tale of family transgressions as ancient and twisted as the olive branch that could heal them.



My Review

This is the story of Stella Fortuna, her brushes with death and her family life. Split into Childhood, Youth, Maturity, Old Age & the epilogue we also travel from Italy to America. We kick off in Ievoli, Stella's beginnings, her family, the strong heritage, expectations and of course her "dances" with the grim reaper.

The book has so many layers, told from Stella's descendant giving the book a believable voice with passion and emotion. The book spans over a lifetime, Stella's and we come through strict Italian values and beliefs, war, sexual abuse, family dynamics, relationships, family values. So many topics and issues are covered and many are difficult to read, Stella is such a fierce character and her mother has some moments raw human emotion. The book packs a powerful punch on so many levels and you are sucked into their world, their constrictions, emotions and frustrations.

The journey to America, settling into the lifestyle, the absent father, the rights a husband has over his family in their marriages, finances and the overall rule the man of the house has. The complex family relationships is huge throughout the book in pretty much all of the chapters, an emotive read for sure, impressive writing and I look forward to seeing what is next from this author, 4/5 for me this time!

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A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World by C A Fletcher

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 365

Publisher - Orbit

Source - Competition win & review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

When a beloved family dog is stolen, her owner sets out on a life-changing journey through the ruins of our world to bring her back in this fiercely compelling tale of survival, courage, and hope. Perfect for readers of Station Eleven and The Girl With All the Gifts.

My name's Griz. My childhood wasn't like yours. I've never had friends, and in my whole life I've not met enough people to play a game of football.

My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, but we were never lonely on our remote island. We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

There may be no law left except what you make of it. But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.

Because if we aren't loyal to the things we love, what's the point?


My Review

Griz is our main character and protagonist. In a post apocalyptic world Griz lives pretty isolated with his family and dogs. When a stranger comes to their little strip in the world and takes his dog he must go out into a world he has never ventured into to reclaim his dog. Armed with the stubbornness of the young, his boat, his other dog and some food he chases after the thief. Heading to the unknown, danger is everywhere and the reader follows through Gritz written accounts of all he endures and survives whilst trying to get back what belongs to him.

It starts of relatively slow, builds up and offers the reader a different slant on the apocalypse, it is well after the event and we get snippets through Gritz telling. Whilst we have slow build up we do have a fair amount of action, scenes that push some darkness and reminded me of a few of the apocalypse movies/books I have came to love over the years. That said I felt I had a lot of questions that for me didn't have answered how I would have liked. I am very much in the minority as this book is loved by so many and I would absolutely recommend reading it and seeing how you find it.

There are so many great things that really adds to the solemness and emptiness of our world without being over the top and in your face. The situations Gritz finds himself in, the reactions and actions mirror the age of the character and yet some have you thinking he is far older. We see Gritz go on a journey of personal growth, starting out as a reckless kid and becoming closer to an adult after the exposures and hardships along the way.

Whilst there were things I enjoyed and the writing engages you quickly I was left underwhelmed by the things I would have liked addressed or explored further. As I said I am in the minority as this book is overwhelmingly loved by so many and I can be a picky fussy muppet with some aspects of books and I think this time it was definitely me, I needed more. I would absolutely read this author again and even this it would be awesome for them to revisit this world/characters again, 2.5/5 for me this time.

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The Gift of friends by Emma Hannigan Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Gift of Friends by Emma Hannigan, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content.


About Emma




Emma Hannigan was the No. 1 bestselling author of eleven novels including Letters to Daughters, The Wedding Promise, The Perfect Gift, and The Summer Guest, as well as a memoir, All to Live For, which was about surviving an eleven year battle with cancer - facing cancer 10 separate times over the course of those years - and remaining strong, positive and warm. Very sadly, we have now lost Emma in the fight against cancer - she passed away at the end of February 2018. The Gift of Friends went straight to number one on the bestseller lists in Ireland and has remained there ever since.




Kingfisher Road - a leafy, peaceful street in the town of Vayhill. But there are whispers behind closed doors. Who is moving into Number 10? Engaged to handsome, wealthy Justin Johnston, Danielle appears to her new neighbours to have the perfect, glossy life. But not everything is as it seems... In fact, each of the other four women who live close by has a secret, and each is nursing their own private heartache. But could a gift be waiting on their doorsteps? And, by opening their front doors, and their hearts, to each other, could the women of Kingfisher Road discover all the help they need? This thirteenth and final novel from the beloved and inspiring Emma Hannigan is a life-affirming, uplifting story that celebrates the strength and joys of female friendship.


The Gift of Friends by Emma Hannigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 480

Publisher - Headline

Source - Competition win

Blurb from Goodreads

From the Number One bestselling author Emma Hannigan comes The Gift of Friends, a magical story of love, friendship and hope.

Kingfisher Road - a leafy, peaceful street in the town of Vayhill. But there are whispers behind closed doors. Who is moving into Number 10?

Engaged to handsome, wealthy Justin Johnston, Danielle appears to her new neighbours to have the perfect, glossy life. But not everything is as it seems...

In fact, each of the other four women who live close by has a secret, and each is nursing their own private heartache.

But could a gift be waiting on their doorsteps? And, by opening their front doors, and their hearts, to each other, could the women of Kingfishers Road discover all the help they need?



My Review

Kingfisher Road is a wee well to do area and about to have a new arrival in number 10. Danielle and Justin will be the new neighbours next to four other houses, the neighbours well established and everyone knows everyone, seemingly. Even with a close knit street all the neighbours have secrets and problems the others know nothing about, how long can secrets remain hidden and do you ever really know your neighbours?

So this is my first time reading this author, I won a copy for me and a friend as part of a competition. This was Emma's last book, submitted before she passed away after a long battle with cancer. The book is filled with so much heart, emotion, love, ups and downs of family lives and some characters you will love and some you will hate.

I got drawn into their worlds so quickly and when each chapter flipped to another of the neighbours I wanted to keep going with the one I was reading, every time! You just wanted to know what was coming next, if X person(s) would get their just deserts. As they are families there are a lot of emotive type situations and dramas that you can't help but get drawn into. Either you will have experience X situation yourself or someone close to you has.

Hannigan has a way of bringing the characters to life and making you want to read faster to see where it is going. Some of it readers may find difficult to read as there are passages of abuse, emotional/violence and targetting of vulnerable individuals by those closest to them. A whole host of emotions and had work not got in the way I likely would got through this in one sitting. 4.5/5 for me, this may have been my first by this author, it won't be my last, I will be checking out her back cataologue!

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Stolen by Paul Finch Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blogtour, I have a review for my stop, enjoy!





Stolen by Paul Finch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

How do you find the missing when there’s no trail to follow?

DC Lucy Clayburn is having a tough time of it. Not only is her estranged father one of the North West’s toughest gangsters, but she is in the midst of one of the biggest police operations of her life.

Members of the public have started to disappear, taken from the streets as they’re going about their every day lives. But no bodies are appearing – it’s almost as if the victims never existed.

Lucy must chase a trail of dead ends and false starts as the disappearances mount up. But when her father gets caught in the crossfire, the investigation suddenly becomes a whole lot more bloody…



My Review

Heads up guys, this book contains animal abuse/cruelty and can make for very hard/dark reading at times. It isn't throughout but it does have graphic scenes which some readers may find hard to read. The book starts with a police investigation, about to bust an illegal dog fighting ring and it kicks off from there. Homeless people are disappearing which doesn't cause too much of a stir but when "respectable" people start to go missing the police need to look into it.

Lucy is the main character, police officer and recently found out her father is one of the top men in a huge criminal enterprise. Conflicting between telling her work family, keeping her family at arms length and trying to get on top of the investigation poor Lucy is burning the candle at both ends.

A dark gritty story with lots of characters and veins of stories, the bad guys, the cops, the killer, the victims it gives you so much. This is book three in a series, this is the first book I have read by this author and don't feel I lost out on not having read the previous books. I will be checking them out though and catching up on the back story. Action pretty much non stop, brutal, gruesome, murder, violence galore, not for the faint hearted. Pacey and brutal, it may have been my first dance with Finch, it won't be my last!

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Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour, for my stop I have my review, enjoy.






Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon books

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Amazon

TICK…

In the city of Stoke, a teenage girl is murdered in the middle of the day, her lifeless body abandoned in a field behind her school.

TOCK…

Two days later, a young mother is abducted. She’s discovered strangled and dumped in a local park.

TIME’S UP…

DS Grace Allendale and her team are brought in to investigate, but with a bold killer, no leads and nothing to connect the victims, the case seems hopeless. It’s only when a third woman is targeted that a sinister pattern emerges. A dangerous mind is behind these attacks, and Grace realises that the clock is ticking…

Can they catch the killer before another young woman dies?

The number one bestselling author returns with a breath-taking police procedural thriller series that will have you on the edge of your seat.


My Review

A young girl murdered in a very public and risky place. DS Grace Allendale and team are called in to investigate as another victim is targeted but who is choosing them and why. The clock is ticking and lives are at stake. In between all of that Allendale is trying to work on her relationship, Simon is a journalist which puts them both at odds with each trying to do their job as best they can.

This is book two of a series with kick backs to the first book however you can read this as a standalone to be fair. The investigation side the police have another victim and need to work out if it is related to their earlier killing, do they have a serial killer? We then have the personal aspect with Grace and Simon, their blooming relationship, how it effects their jobs and the personal strains they face. It gives Grace a much more human character, seeing a raw and emotive side gives her a more relatable side the reader can warm to. Trying to connect with Simon's teen daughter who wants nothing to do with her, as dad's new girlfriend and her being a police officer.

There are scenes with teenagers which give a different feel in the book and different strands and stories lines to keep the reader engaged. Lots of pace, action and threads where we don't know what is coming next, the how or why and plenty of times I thought I knew where it was going! Sherratt keeps you on your toes and I can't wait to see where book three is going to take us! 4/5 for me this time.

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It All Comes Back To You by Beth Duke

Today is my turn on the blog tour for "It All Comes Back To You" by Beth Duke published by The Art of Dixie, I am closing the blog tour.





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About the author



Beth Dial Duke is an Amazon #1 Best Selling author and the recipient of short story awards on two continents. She is eyeing the other five. Beth lives in the mountains of her native Alabama with her husband, one real dog, one ornamental dog, and a flock of fluffy pet chickens. She loves reading, writing, and not arithmetic. Baking is a hobby, with semi-pro cupcakes and amateur macarons a specialty. And puns—the worse, the better. Travel is her other favorite thing, along with joining book clubs for discussion. Please invite her to London...England or Kentucky, either is fine. Anywhere!

Please see bethduke.com for more information. Twitter @bethidee

It All Comes Back to You by Beth Duke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Publisher - The Art of Dixie

Pages - 300

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Alabama, 1947.

War's over, cherry-print dresses, parking above the city lights, swing dancing.

Beautiful, seventeen-year-old Violet lives in a perfect world.
Everybody loves her.

In 2012, she's still beautiful, charming, and surrounded by admirers.


Veronica "Ronni" Johnson, licensed practical nurse and aspiring writer, meets the captivating Violet in the assisted living facility where Violet requires no assistance, just lots of male attention. When she dies, she leaves Ronni a very generous bequest―only if Ronni completes a book about her life within one year. As she's drawn into the world of young Violet, Ronni is mesmerized by life in a simpler time. It's an irresistible journey filled with revelations, some of them about men Ronni knew as octogenarians at Fairfield Springs.


Struggling, insecure, flailing at the keyboard, Ronni juggles her patients, a new boyfriend, and a Samsonite factory of emotional baggage as she tries to craft a manuscript before her deadline.

But then the secrets start to emerge, some of them in person. And they don't stop.

Everything changes.


Alternating chapters between Homecoming Queen Violet in 1947 and can't-quite-find-her-crown Ronni in the present, IT ALL COMES BACK TO YOU is book club fiction at its hilarious, warm, sad, outrageous, uplifting, and stunning best. In the tradition of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and Olive Kitteridge, Duke delivers an unforgettable elderly character to treasure and a young heroine to steal your heart.


My Review

A duo timeline, Ronni is a nurse in an assisted living facility and that is where she meets the beautiful Violet. Violet gets Ronni to agree to pursue her dream of writing and pen her life story with stipulations to make sure she gets the job done. We flip from present day, Ronni writing and her life and back to the past to get to know all about Violet and all she endured/survived in her lifetime.

Ronnie technically is the main character and lead in the present day but Violet, oh miss Violet, absolutely the lead in EVERYTHING. The book plucks at a lot of emotive issues, love, family, rejection, loss, abuse, personal growth, abandonment - it is brimming with scenes that I think may hit home with more than a few readers.

I think the latter part of the book really scooped it all together for me, I think when you are reading a book that you can't tell where it is going to take you is always a sign of a great read. That is how I felt, I wasn't sure which way we were going, I thought I knew it would go in one direction then it would take me somewhere totally different. The amount of personal hurt the characters endure ooft I had a bit of rage, you really feel for them.

This was my first dance with this author, I would absolutely read more of their work and will be checking them out. Duo timelines aren't always the easiest to write but I flipped between the too seamlessly, 4/5 for me this time.

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