Cover Reveal & Trailer for upcoming book "What I Hid from you" by Heleen Kist

Isn't she a beaut!

Blurb
A DEATH
AN ACCIDENT
A STUPID MISTAKE
Traumatised by the death of a patient in her chair, Glaswegian dentist Radha Bakshi succumbs to an addiction to Valium she can’t acknowledge – even to herself.
The pills take the edge off trying to be a consummate professional, a perfect daughter, a devoted wife and a not-too-embarrassing mother to her teenage son.
When increased scrutiny of her work forces her to find a new source of supply, she stumbles into the menacing clutches of blackmailing drug dealers.
A mistake that could cost her everything.
Here is the book trailer

About the author

Heleen Kist is a Dutch, formerly globetrotting career woman who fell in love with a Scotsman and his country, and now writes about its (sometimes scary) people from her garden office in Glasgow. What I Hid From You is her third novel.
She was chosen as an up-and-coming new author at the international crime festival Bloody Scotland 2018. Her debut, ‘In Servitude’ won the silver medal for Best European Fiction at the Independent Publishers Book Awards in the USA and was shortlisted for The Selfies awarded at London Book Fair. Her feminist thriller ‘Stay Mad, Sweetheart’ was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and won third place in the inaugural Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year award 2020
You can Pre order the book, coming out 23 of June 2022, from Waterstones or Book Depository

Cover Reveal arranged by Kelly Lacey of LOVE BOOK TOURS and the blog tour for the book will be coming soon too!

Frankie Best Hates Quests by Chris Smith

Frankie Best Hates Quests by Chris Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Vine

Blurb from Goodreads

Frankie Best is not happy.

She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.

Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.

Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .



My Review

So I hadn't heard of this author before but a few of the books I have read recently have been quite dark plus just life in general so this was perfect book coming along at the perfect time. It is YA (young adult) but don't let anyone tell you these books can only be enjoyed by or purely for youngsters.

Frankie & her wee brother Joel are supposed to be going to their fun aunts whilst their parents go off on a research trip. Instead they end up at Grandad's house and Granda is a bit unique, they have been kept away for a while and can't really remember why. When their Granda is kidnapped by gnoblins they have to enter a magical realm to get him back embarking on a magical, dangerous and unbelievable tale like the games their parents created.

Frankie is twelve and all teen angst, glued to her phone, her brother is a geek and this cannot be happening. Think Lord of the rings meets bedknobs and broomsticks with a bit of harry potter, echoes of Labyrinth, adventure, creatures and a quest despite Frankie raging it is most assuredly NOT A QUEST.

It is light hearted, adventure, some humour, some things you need to take into account & remember the book is aimed at younger audiences so some things are juvenile(ish). The chapters are short, there are diary entries, view points change, overall it is a light hearted adventure read and if you need to drop out of our world for a little while this is a fab one to enter. 4/5 for me, I think this is a standalone, not sure if the author would revisit the world he created, I hope so. I will check out their other books and recommend this!

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The Invisible Girl by Torey Hayden

The Invisible Girl: The True Story of an Unheard Voice by Torey L. Hayden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 205

Publisher - Bluebird

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

From Torey Hayden, the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of One Child comes The Invisible Girl, a deeply moving true account of a young teen with a troubling obsession and an extraordinary educational psychologist's sympathy and determination to help.

Eloise is a vibrant and charming young teen with a deeply caring nature, but she also struggles with a worrying delusion. She’s been moved from home to home, and her social workers have difficulty dealing with her habit of running away. After experiencing violence, neglect and sexual abuse from people she should have been able to trust, Eloise has developed complex behavioural needs. She struggles to separate fact from fiction, leading to confusion for the social workers trying to help her.

After Torey learns of Eloise's background she hopes that some gentle care and attention can help Eloise gain some sense of security in her life. Can Torey and the other social workers provide the loving attention that has so far been missing in Eloise's life, or will she run away from them too?



My Review

I have read a fair few on Hayden's books, if you haven't they are not for the faint hearted. They are true stories about some of the children she has helped over the course of her career. We usually meet the child through her telling of how they came to her. This is the story of Eloise who shows up uninvited into Torey's life. Torey finds out Eloise has some deep issues and gets the green light to help/work with her.

These books are quite often traumatic, we find out the abuse and trauma of the kid or kids Torey is to help. Eloise story is pretty tragic and shows how abuse and neglect has such a lasting impact even after they get the child out or away from what happened.

The techniques and approaches I think are so interesting, Hayden is clearly a remarkable human being and how she interacts with and has encounters with them are something that stays with you long after you put the book down.

The kids often have some horrific behaviours because of what they sustained/endured, it is not easy reading but not overly graphic compared to some of the books. Poor Eloise, you feel heart sorry for these kids who are so failed by those suppose to love and protect them. 4/5 for me this time, I have read a few of Hayden's books and will read the others as we come across them.

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Red Snow by Will Dean

Red Snow by Will Dean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Point Blank

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

TWO BODIES

One suicide. One cold-blooded murder. Are they connected? And who’s really pulling the strings in the small Swedish town of Gavrik?

TWO COINS

Black Grimberg liquorice coins cover the murdered man's eyes. The hashtag #Ferryman starts to trend as local people stock up on ammunition.

TWO WEEKS

Tuva Moodyson, deaf reporter at the local paper, has a fortnight to investigate the deaths before she starts her new job in the south. A blizzard moves in. Residents, already terrified, feel increasingly cut-off. Tuva must go deep inside the Grimberg factory to stop the killer before she leaves town for good. But who’s to say the Ferryman will let her go?



My Review

This is book two in the series, you could start here but I would go back as it is part of a series and you go into this with more knowledge/backstory of both the people and the place. Tuva is our main character, a deaf reporter, an outsider in this small town who made herself even more unpopular by covering the murders (in the last book). She is leaving for a new job but before she goes she has some loose ends to tie up and news to cover as someone dies in the towns local factory, the towns life blood but not everyone is as thankful to it.

Strange characters, strange happenings, the body count is rising and Tuva needs to know who "the ferryman is" and why are people dying. So I actually liked this book more than the last one, I did like book one but I really liked this. Tuva is a fascinating character, we get to see what it is like to be deaf, what things like weather changes can mean/impact on her aids. How people see her, treat her (beside having issues with her as an outsider). Some of the people are strange, I LOVED the character of the granny and would love love love to read more about her.

There are some many themes within the book, murder, death, suicide, family issues, sexuality, small town mentality, Tuva dealing with some personal issues. The town weirdo, weird links with the family who run the factory and their employees, the town is very remote and there is a blizzard so they are even more shut off. Accidents, people being harmed, a killer on the loose and Tuva is trying to report on it all and do some side research for the shunned author.

There is some weird eating in the book, I totally boke at some foods touching so this is an issue , even the salty licorice had me twitching lol. The book is very atmospheric, you don't (well I didn't) know where it is going to take you, what is coming next, I didn't even really have any good suspects on who the dodgy is or what the motive could be. I have all the books in the series so won't be long before I get to the next one and see what is in store next, 4/5 for me.

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Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah

Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1.5 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - HQ Stories

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

ON AN ORDINARY WORKING DAY…

Leila Syed receives a call that cleaves her life in two. Her brother-in-law’s voice is filled with panic. He’s at his son’s nursery to pick up Max. But he isn’t there.

YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE…

Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot.

Racing to the carpark, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year.

IS ABOUT TO COME TRUE…

But she’s too late.

What follows is an explosive, high-profile trial, that will tear the family apart. But as the case progresses it becomes clear there’s more to this incident than meets the eye…

A gripping, brave and tense courtroom drama, Next of Kin will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping page.



My Review

Leila is the big sister, responsible, organised, does everything for Yasmin since they were kids and it was just them. Yasmin has a little boy Max that Leila dotes on but Leila has always sacrificed everything so Yasmin doesn't have to. When the morning of her big deal comes and she is asked to drop Max off at daycare of course she agrees despite it being an inconvenience. None of them could have forseen what would happen that morning or how their lives will change forever.

It kicks off really quickly so you are pulled in from pretty much the first few chapters. There is a lot of history with Leila and Yasmin and why Leila is always the rescuer and now this incident will completely change their relationship. We see a fair chunk of the book surrounding a court case and the emotions and feelings mostly with Leila drawing you in.

The book has some very hard hitting subjects, death, child endangerment, loss, suicide, relationships, family and so much more. Leila's husband is an absolute tool and I gasped at one point like what the actual, why why why would you do that ugh.

This is my second read with this author and it won't be my last. Some of the happenings in the book are pretty shocking and hard hitting, emotive and either you can identify or empathise with what happens. Pretty emotive and rage inducing at some point, I am struggling to get a proper run at reading however I sank into this over 2 days. 4/5 for me this time, not an easy read due to the subjects covered but absorbing and engaging, she doesn't pull her punches!

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The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes by Eva Leigh Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for The Good Girl's Guide To Rakes by Eva Leigh published by Mills and Boon, for my stop I have my review, enjoy.


The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes by Eva Leigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 384

Publisher - Avon Books

Source - Review

Blurb from Goodreads

In USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh's new novel a notorious rake and an innocent debutante strike a scandalous bargain...

When Kieran Ransome’s latest antics result in a massive scandal, his father issues an ultimatum: find a respectable wife or inherit nothing. But as one of London’s most inveterate scoundrels, Kieran doesn’t know any ladies who fit the bill. Or does he?

Celeste Kilburn is a society darling, beloved by influential members of the ton. But keeping a spotless reputation leaves little room for adventure and she longs to escape her gilded cage, especially with her impending engagement to a stuffy earl. When Kieran—her older brother’s best friend and an irresistibly attractive rogue—begs for her help, Celeste makes a deal: she’ll introduce him to the right social circles if he’ll show her the scandalous side of London.

In between proper teas and garden parties, Kieran escorts Celeste—disguised as “Salome”—to rowdy gaming hells, wild fêtes, and sensual art salons. As they spend more time together, their initial attraction builds to a desperate desire that neither can ignore. But when someone discovers their midnight exploits, Celeste’s freedom and reputation are endangered, and Kieran must save the woman he loves… respectable or not.


My Review

Kieran Ransome’s is an absolute rogue, comes from money, does his own thing, wines and dines as he sees fit and sleeps around. Celeste is a debutante, the glimmering hope for her families solid stamp into the higher ranks of society. Living in a time where women are chaperoned, must act accordingly, smile, courtesy, preen and conform to all the societal expectations. When Kieran does something that forces his parent's hands they have had enough of his Casanova ways & he needs his friends sister, respectable Celeste to help him.

Oooooh all the fun and games he is a rogue, attractive, able to go and be wild without consequence. Celeste is the glowing respectable perfect societal lady and bored out of her head. Unlike the other females of her time Celeste wants fun, more than just a beautiful cage, so her and Kieran come to an understanding. She will get to see the unacceptable parts of society, have some fun whilst keeping her identity and most importantly her reputation safe!

It was really interesting to see how she got about enjoying what she wanted and the old actions and consequences for pretty much all of the characters. Normally when you read books set in the past the female characters are a bit shrinking violets but Celeste is pretty brilliant in that she has drive, a brain, thinks wants to enjoy what she can before fulfilling her families (and societies) expectations.

There is romance, sex and some graphic scenes with sex talk so if you are easily offended this is your heads up. The story has a whole mix, relationships, families (toxic in some parts), emotive, friendship, loyalty, boundaries - it has a good pull, starts well and keeps you intrigued to what is coming next. This was my first time reading this author, I would absolutely read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

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One For Sorrow By Helen Fields

One for Sorrow by Helen Sarah Fields
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Pages - 400

Publisher - Avon

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

One for sorrow, two for joy
Edinburgh is gripped by the greatest terror it has ever known. A lone bomber is targeting victims across the city and no one is safe.

Three for a girl, four for a boy
DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach face death every day – and not just the deaths of the people being taken hostage by the killer.

Five for silver, six for gold
When it becomes clear that with every tip-off they are walking into a trap designed to kill them too, Ava and Luc know that finding the truth could mean paying the ultimate price.

Seven for a secret never to be told…
But with the threat – and body count – rising daily, and no clue as to who’s behind it, neither Ava nor Luc know whether they will live long enough to tell the tale…



Mt Review

Dear Lord. We are traumatised. Burst. Emotive. We need to go eat our feelings but it is also 04:32 and we need 😴 sleep. Those were the words I typed after I finished the book and I did indeed go and eat my feelings despite the time! This is book seven in the series, if you haven't read the previous, do yourself a favour and go read them. There is so much you have missed and the intensity of the relationships/friendships you just need the back story.

We have a bomber in Edinburgh and not just planting a bomb and causing chaos, the nature of the bombs are horrific and some add in some kidnappings just to make things worse. The killings are brutal, we have seen some sadistic killers before but this is another level.

I was horrified but couldn't put it down I had to know why dear lord why and what was coming next because you knew this was just the beginning. I have rooting for Luc and Ava every single book, they are work colleagues, they are friends, the are room mates looking after their bestie, they are attracted but one thing or another always gets in the way. This case is going to push them and the team to their limits. The killer isn't going to stop until someone stops them but how do you stop someone who is so random and deadly.

We also have the before and meet Quinn, such a nice girl, family orientated who we follow through a relationship of control, manipulation and a different kind of horror. It is a busy book, the investigation, Ava dealing with a personal loss and trying to pull through one of the toughest cases ever and the before with the young woman and a different thread of horror, the worst side of humanity and whilst the book is fiction we know the issues very much exist! 4.5/5 for me. This book will knock you sideways - it covers a lot of the worst sides of humanity, it is dark, gruesome, gory, horrific, soul destroying, page turning and brilliant, say goodbye to your day. Hope Fields hurries up and pens the next, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS COMING NEXT!

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Grown Ups by Marian Keyes

Grown Ups by Marian Keyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 4 days

Pages - 656

Publisher - Michael Joseph

Source - bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids spend a lot of time together - birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, weekends away. And they're a happy family. Johnny's wife, Jessie - who has the most money - insists on it.

Under the surface, though, conditions are murkier. While some people clash, other people like each other far too much . . .

Everything stays under control until Ed's wife Cara, gets concussion and can't keep her thoughts to herself. One careless remark at Johnny's birthday party, with the entire family present, starts Cara spilling out all their secrets.

In the subsequent unravelling, every one of the adults finds themselves wondering if it's time - finally - to grow up?


My Review

I do love Keyes books you get to leave your own life and woes behind and jump into someone elses and Keyes does give us some class characters/dramas. Ed, Liam and Johnny are brothers and couldn't be more different. We follow their relationships, family gatherings and everything in between.

The book opens with a family gathering and Cara, Ed's wife, tells some home truths after a knock to the head and some shocks to the family. We then flip to six months before the event and get to know the characters.

Some we love, some misunderstood and we get more depth as we go on. Dysfunctional relationships at it's best. I am struggling to read with a lot going on at home, lack of sleep etc however despite this being a chunky monkey over 600 pages I got through it in 4 days.

There are a lot of issues these folk are experiencing, some will be very hard hitting with some people. Second marriages and the fall out, mental health issues, relationship issues, families, wealth, popularity, money issues - it has a whole bag. Some characters you will love, some not so much and all you want to know what is coming next. This isn't my first Keyes, it won't be my last, 4/5 for me this time.

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Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story by Neil Samworth

Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story by Neil Samworth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 1.5 days

Pages - 304

Publisher - Pan

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

Neil ‘Sam’ Samworth spent eleven years working as a prison officer in HMP Manchester, aka Strangeways. A tough Yorkshireman with a soft heart, Sam had to deal with it all – gangsters and gangbangers, terrorists and psychopaths, addicts and the mentally ill. Men who should not be locked up and men who should never be let out.

Strangeways is a shocking and at times darkly funny account of life in a high security prison. Sam tackles cell fires and self-harmers, and goes head to head with some of the most dangerous men in the country. He averts a Christmas Day riot after turkey is taken off the menu and replaced by fish curry, and stands up to officers who abuse their position. He describes being attacked by prisoners, and reveals the problems caused by radicalization and the drugs flooding our prisons.

As staffing cuts saw Britain’s prison system descend into crisis, the stress of the job – the suicides, the inhumanity of the system, and one assault too many - left Sam suffering from PTSD. This raw, searingly honest memoir is a testament to the men and women of the prison service and the incredibly difficult job we ask them to do.


My Review

I have been finding myself drawn more and more to these type of real life stories books, learning more about some of the jobs some folk just couldn't/wouldn't do. Working in the jail has to be the top of a lot of lists. Neil Samworth takes us through his years briefly before becoming an officer, his early days on the job then throughout his years to what finally lead him to leaving and life after being an officer.

Now I have read a few books on healthcare in prisons, inmates in prison so it was a different take this time. The inmates behaviours are often shocking especially if you haven't read these types of books before - I think one of the things that stood out in this one was also the behaviour of some of his colleagues, shocking to say the least.

The prison system is shocking and this gives an eye opener to just how bad some of it is, what the officers have to endure, cuts, stress, violence, lack of support so so much that is just horrendous. Samworth is very honest about the struggles, personal, professional, the good and the bad, it is a very honest, brutal and at times shocking. Some dark humour (when you work in places like this and your person and health, physical/mental are constantly pushed/beaten upon you develop it), depressing and challenging passages aswell as giving ideas of what he thinks would improve the system. 3.5/5 for me this time, some of it was hard going, some of it is almost diary like and I imagine this book helped the author's mental health and dealing with issues long after he has left this job behind. Not for the easily offended or squeamish, a stark look at life behind the bars as a prison officer in the UK.

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Mollie Mack Private Detective by Linda Dobinson Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for Mollie Mack Private Detective by author Linda Dobinson, please check out the other stops as we all offer different content. This is a Rachel's Random Resource tour.

About the author

Linda Dobinson was born in Croydon but grew up in Barbados – endless sunshine and never to far from the beach. She has worked in fashion, the motor industry, and been a PA. In the 90s she picked up her pen and started writing poetry. Her work has appeared in poetry magazines, and for two successive years she had poems selected for the anthologies Southern England and South-West England. Her second collection Encounter reached the top of Amazon’s poetry charts. Since then she has started writing middle grade novels and has discovered that immersing herself in a plot is a great distraction from a pandemic.

Social Media Links where you can find the author

https://goodreads.com/author/show/6077640.Linda_Dobinson

Linda's Twitter

https://www.instagram.com/baspoet/

www.amazon.co.uk/Linda-Dobinson/e/B00J0ZVZ14/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Purchase Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Molly-Private-Detective-Linda-Dobinson-ebook/dp/B09NL5Y8Y1/

US - https://www.amazon.com/Molly-Private-Detective-Linda-Dobinson-ebook/dp/B09NL5Y8Y1/

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/mollie-mack-private-detective?utm_campaign=detailpage&utm_medium=web&utm_source=FNAPortugal

For my stop I have my review and a giveaway for x1 ebook which is open INTERNATIONALLY please use the entry form below the review, good luck.

Mollie Mack, Private Detective by Linda Dobinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - < 1 day

Pages - 218

Publisher - Indie

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Mollie is excited!
She has been a private detective for six months, and FINALLY a BIG case has landed on her desk. If she solves it, it will make the papers and make her agency famous. She needs to give it her full attention; BUT, she already has three cases she is working on. And when she gets an unexpected lead for her oldest case, she HAS to run with it.
Could her new BIG case be linked to her oldest case?



My Review

Mollie is almost twelve years old, a regular kid except she has her own detective business along side school and the usual stuff. With two cases on the go and just having picked up another, school and chores she is a busy little bee. The new case is a big one and could be what finally puts her on the map and get the word. Juggling three cases and a little help from her friend we follow Mollie as she investigates.

I picked this up after reading a really horrific crime book so I was delighted to step into a book that was a bit more innocent. A sweet young girl and two cat characters (they don't play huge parts but are involved in at least one case and mentioned throughout) so you always get a thumbs up for a kitty or two. I know not everyone loves or appreciates cat characters or ones that have any thinking/internal talking but for me and at this point in time it was grand.

We follow the three wee cases, very simplistic but good thinking for a bairn. Some of her behaviours you are like aw hell no for an eleven year old and some young readers may try and copy - I mean she was working a case so needs must lol. A great wee book for an escapism, very innocent but enough happenings to keep you entertained. It is a really innocent feel good type book, intrigue, mystery, investigation by a pre teen and co.

I read it in less than a day - pretty much one sitting, a perfect read to just tap out of your everyday and slip into a more simplistic time/adventure/characters. This was my first time reading this author I would absolutely read her again, 4/5 for me this time.

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