#BlogTour! #Extract – #FallenAngel by Chris Brookmyre (@cbrookmyre) @LittleBrownUK

It’s day two of the ‘Fallen Angel’ blog tour! Chris Brookmyre’s novel will be published on the 25th April – congratulations Chris! For my stop on the blog tour today, I have an extract from the book. Many thanks to Little Brown UK for inviting me to take part! Enjoy!

ONE FAMILY, TWO HOLIDAYS, ONE DEVASTATING SECRET

To new nanny Amanda, the Temple family seem to have it all: the former actress; the famous professor; their three successful grown-up children. But like any family, beneath the smiles and hugs there lurks far darker emotions.

Sixteen years earlier, little Niamh Temple died while they were on holiday in Portugal. Now, as Amanda joins the family for a reunion at their seaside villa, she begins to suspect one of them might be hiding something terrible…

And suspicion is a dangerous thing.

Pre-order now from Amazon! Published 25th April by Little Brown UK

She fears that she’s going to be sick. It’s not pleasant, but none­theless, there’s something reassuring about the familiarity of the sensation, and of the moment: getting rid of a problem. Getting rid of a threat.

Finally, L finds his voice.

‘There’s something wrong with you.’

‘Hardly a scoop. You know, they say that when someone tells you who they really are, you should listen.’

L steps aside momentarily as Peter ambles awkwardly past, clutching his clothes. He’s so spooked he walks right out the front door, presumably intending to get dressed in the lobby.

L waits for the door to close before he speaks again.

‘You wanted me to see this.’

‘Brilliant deduction. I guess all the things I’ve heard about your powers of observation are correct.’

There is an easeful coldness to her delivery. It comes readily enough but on this occasion it feels like an act. It puts her at one remove, saves her from truly feeling anything. This is particularly valuable tonight, because what she is feeling frightens her.

‘Look, this is a mess, but this doesn’t have to be it,’ he says. ‘We can talk. You can talk. I can listen. Believe me, I can listen.’

Ivy swallows.

‘You can fuck off . . .’

She pauses at the end, aware the sentence is incomplete. She stopped herself saying his name, because the only one she’s ever regularly called him by is a term of affection. Right from the off, it was a pet name: an inside joke, his middle initial. L. Lately when she sees it flash up on her phone, she’s become afraid it might stand for something else. That’s why she had to do this.

He doesn’t slam the door. It would be easier if he did. He closes it softly, considerately, like everything else he does.

#BlogTour! #Review – A Clean Canvas by Elizabeth Mundy (@ElizabethEMundy) @RaRaResources

Many thanks to RaRaResources for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for Elizabeth Mundy and ‘A Clean Canvas’. Here is my review for my stop on the tour today:

Crime always leaves a stain…

Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner, dusts off her detective skills when a masterpiece is stolen from a gallery she cleans with her cousin Sarika.  When Sarika goes missing too, accusations start to fly. 

Convinced her cousin is innocent, Lena sweeps her way through the secrets of the London art scene. But with the evidence against Sarika mounting and the police on her trail, Lena needs to track down the missing painting if she is to clear her cousin.  

Embroiling herself in the sketchy world of thwarted talents, unpaid debts and elegant fraudsters, Lena finds that there’s more to this gallery than meets the eye.

What does TWG think?

Apparently ‘A Clean Canvas’ is the second book in the series – it reads perfectly fine on its own though, luckily!

Elizabeth Mundy’s book isn’t your typical ‘crime’ novel. It’s a lot tamer than that. A cozy mystery if you will. I don’t really read many books from this genre as I usually like a bit more oomph in a storyline, however I was pleasantly surprised by what I read as, overall, I did enjoy it.

Lena may just be labelled as the ‘cleaner’ but there is a lot more to her that meets the eye. I weirdly liked the fact that she struggled to make sense of certain English phrases as it enabled me to see a softer side to her personality. I found her to be quite harsh at times, and to be honest, I don’t think that we have seen Lena’s full potential as a character. I know that she played detective in ‘A Clean Canvas’, but I feel as though she has more personality waiting to be discovered.

I enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline as well as the surprising levels of intrigue which kept me guessing more often than not. I did feel as though the overall storyline wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked, with it feeling staggered at times. However, I am very pleased that I decided to pick up this cozy mystery as it was certainly something different to lose myself in. I don’t think I would turn into an art connoisseur anytime soon, but if Lena can hold handfuls of her own tricks, I certainly won’t be ruling it out!!

Buy now from Amazon.

About the author.

Elizabeth Mundy’s grandmother was a Hungarian immigrant to America who raised five children on a chicken farm in Indiana. An English Literature graduate from Edinburgh University, Elizabeth is a marketing director for an investment firm and lives in London with her messy husband and two young children. A Clean Canvas is the second book in the Lena Szarka mystery series about a Hungarian cleaner who turns detective.

   Visit her website.

#BlogTour! #Extract – Trust Me by K.J McGillick (@KJMcgillickAuth) @RaRaResources

Delighted to share an extract from ‘Trust Me’ by K.J.McGillick on my blog today, many thanks to RaRaResources for inviting me to take part. Enjoy!

Sex. Power. Murder.

Dr. Gabriel Blackwell and his wife Sandra Blake have it all. He’s a brilliant thoracic surgeon. She’s a high-powered attorney with family money. Their lives are as loving as they are glamorous.

Or are they?

When a nurse Dr. Blackwell works with is brutally murdered, the questions fly. Who would want to kill this woman and why? When an autopsy reveals the woman was pregnant, all signs point to Dr. Blackwell. Just what was her relationship with him?

Whispers about a scandalous sex club surface. How many other lovers are there? Are any of them safe? How far would he go to protect his reputation?

Tragedy strikes again as Sandra Blake is found dead floating in their pool. Dr. Blackwell now finds himself on trial for two murders. Facing life in prison, Dr. Blackwell will grasp at any straw to preserve his freedom.

Any straw.

Is anyone innocent? Is anyone safe?

Buy from Amazon UK

Buy from Amazon US

Extract.

“All right, does everyone have what they need for their meeting with Dr. Blackwell?” Mary inquired.
“Should we call him Gabriel as he requested?” I asked.
“Poppy, the only people I call by their first name are folks I trust, so you call him what you want,” she said and studied something under the table.
I couldn’t help myself. I mimicked Mary, bent over and looked under.
“Jesus Christ, Mary, is that a gun bolted to the table?” I yelled.

Suddenly everyone was bending over to see what was under there.

“Mary, what the hell are you thinking?” Dalia yelled rolling her chair away to get a better look.

“What am I thinking? I’m thinking the man who is about to walk through our doors has people dropping like flies around him. I, for one, will be your line of defense in case he goes postal on us,” she announced.

“Oh my God. Then why did we take on the estate portion? Why not cut our losses and drop him like a hot potato?” Eloise said with disgust. “And I know all about that gun. Jackson has one exactly like it. That bad boy is basically a Colt 45, and can blow someone apart.”

“Look, everyone, calm down,” Mary said, tapping her hand quickly on the table to get our attention.

“You realize if you shoot from that point, you’ll blow our legs off,” Mr. Martin commented calmly.

“Of course, I realize that, and I’d have to cock the hammer to shoot it. It’s not an automatic firearm, for God’ sake.” Her voice now had a tinge of anger to it.

“I’m with Mary. If it weren’t for her being armed when Mr. Lansing had broken into the car and tried to kidnap us, we’d be dead. Keep that fucker handy, Mary,” Lulu said with an affirmative nod.

Mary gazed at the screen which monitored the exterior door. Dr. Blackwell had just come off the elevator and was making his way to the entrance.

“I’ll greet him, you all stay here. Also, Mary, don’t you dare touch that gun. I am sure you’re breaking a multitude of laws. We need to talk!” Dalia exclaimed.

“It’s not an assault weapon, Dalia, so don’t over-dramatize this,” Mary said.

“It appears to be a Public Defender Revolver, a small shotgun that fits in your pocket,” Mr. Martin added.

“What, are you crazy? Put that thing away in your office,” Dalia ordered.

“Too late, he’s at the desk and walking this way,” Mary said with a Cheshire smile.

#BlogTour! #Review – One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan (@SarahMorgan_) @HQStories

Apologies for the late post, suffering with multiple chronic illness pain. I’m sure you can forgive me though after reading my review for ‘One Summer in Paris’ by Sarah Morgan. It is such a joy to be on the blog tour today! Many thanks to HQ Stories for the blog tour invite and ARC. Here is my review:

One charming bookshop, two unlikely friends, and a summer in Paris that will change their lives forever…

Grace can’t believe it when her husband of twenty-five years announces he doesn’t want to join her on their anniversary trip to Paris – instead, he wants a divorce. Reeling from the shock, Grace makes the bold decision to go on this holiday of a lifetime alone.

Audrey leaves behind heartache of her own when she arrives in Paris. A job in a bookshop is her ticket to freedom, but with no knowledge of the French language, her summer adventure seems doomed to fail. Until she meets Grace, and everything changes…

Living in neighbouring apartments above the bookshop, Grace and Audrey form an unlikely friendship. They came to Paris to find themselves, but finding each other might be the best thing that’s ever happened to them.

What does TWG think?

Omg I loved this book!!!! I have no idea how Sarah Morgan does it, but every book she produces seems to raise the bar even higher. Honestly, I was blown away by the relatable character flaws, the realistic family heartbreak, and the warm dose of hope that filled every chapter.

‘One Summer in Paris’ is written from three different viewpoints; Audrey’s, Mimi’s and Grace’s. Such chalk and cheese personalities, even though two of the ladies are related!

Audrey is a little firecracker. A firecracker who you just want to mother because you can tell that shes pretty broken but refuses to show that to the world. Actually, it’s not that she refuses, it’s probably because shes afraid of lowering her guard and the repercussions if she did. Her humour had me in hysterics! Audrey probably is my most favourite character in the book, and watching her flourish between the pages was such a joy to watch.

Grace, oh Grace. She lives by the book. Living any other way terrifies her. Sarah Morgan, despite putting a poignant and sore topic at the forefront of her novel, she dealt with it all in a sensitive manner. There was no judgement in her words, nor was there anything to be afraid of. I would even go as far to say that, if anyone finds themselves relating to Audrey and Grace’s past, there is a lot of helpful material in this storyline to help you on your way should you need it. I thought Grace was a soul with the biggest heart I think i have ever seen. As weird as this may sound, I became a little emotional at times as I just wanted to hug her and tell her to take a moment for herself.

Just like other Sarah Morgan novels, romance plays a big part in this storyline, and it isn’t always plain sailing or black and white. Personally, I didn’t agree with a certain decision that one particular character made but, having not been in the situation of having my heart that full, I’m probably not the best person to comment. However, I could empathise with one of the characters due to the predicament they unfortunately found themselves in – in fact, a lot of readers will as I’m sure most have been in that position! Yes, I’m being vague, just read the book and it will all make sense!

‘One Summer in Paris’ is full of joy, sorrow, and hope. This is a book which delivers on warmth and comfort even more than a gas fire on a winters day. A beautiful, laugh out loud novel which started off as a little bud, ended up turning into the most amazing iris I have ever seen (if you haven’t made the connection, an iris is the flower for France 😉 ). I truly believe that this is Sarah Morgan’s best book ever, and is easily one of my top reads of 2019. I adored every single word in this book, and I adored the fact that I finished the book full of hope. A feeling I haven’t felt in a little while.

Buy from Amazon

#BlogTour! #Review – Stasi 77 by David Young (@djy_writer) @ZaffreBooks

Final blog tour post of the day, and it’s another book published Zaffre Books, ‘Stasi 77’ by David Young. Many thanks to Zaffree for the blog tour invite and ARC. Here his my review:

A secret State. A dark conspiracy. A terrible crime.

Karin Müller of the German Democratic Republic’s People’s Police is called to a factory in the east of the country. A man has been murdered – bound and trapped as a fire burned nearby, slowly suffocating him. But who is he? Why was he targeted? Could his murderer simply be someone with a grudge against the factory’s nationalisation, as Müller’s Stasi colleagues insist? Why too is her deputy Werner Tilsner behaving so strangely?

As more victims surface, it becomes clear that there is a cold-blooded killer out there taking their revenge. Soon Müller begins to realise that in order to solve these terrible crimes, she will need to delve into the region’s dark past. But are the Stasi really working with her on this case? Or against her?

For those who really run this Republic have secrets they would rather remain uncovered. And they will stop at nothing to keep them that way . . .

What does TWG think?

Don’t make the mistake that I did! ‘Stasi 77’ is best read once you have read the other books in the series, and I’m speaking from experience as I didn’t quite realise until it was too late that it was part of a series. I did learn the hard way and unfortunately it did alter my experience regarding the entire thing.

David Young was a new author for me, one I was looking forward to getting stuck into! Even though an error was made and I wasn’t able to enjoy the book 100 percent, I could not fault the author on his ability to create a suspenseful storyline. I was very impressed by the intensity of the characters actions and their own individual journeys, even though there was a lot more to their personalities that I hadn’t found out yet.

The historical element to ‘Stasi 77’ made for a shocking read, but one which I lapped up like a cat with a saucer of milk. The uniqueness of the history versus crime was a true experience, and I did enjoy the chilling escapades and rollercoaster ride of a read.

I am looking forward to starting from the very beginning with David Young’s novels, as I thought that his writing style is extremely engaging and highly gripping.

Buy now from Amazon.

#BlogTour! #Review – The Daughters of Ironbridge by Mollie Walton (@RebeccaMascull) @ZaffreBooks

Blog tour two of the day is where TWG gets to step back in time with ‘The Daughters of Ironbridge’ by Mollie Walton. Bit ironic for Easter Sunday is it not! Thank you to Zaffre Books for the blog tour invite and ARC. Here is my review:

Anny Woodvine’s family has worked at the ironworks for as long as she can remember. The brightest child in her road and the first in her family to learn to read, Anny has big dreams. So, when she is asked to run messages for the King family, she grabs the opportunity with both hands.

Margaret King is surrounded by privilege and wealth. But behind closed doors, nothing is what it seems. When Anny arrives, Margaret finds her first ally and friend. Together they plan to change their lives.

But as disaster looms over the ironworks, Margaret and Anny find themselves surrounded by secrets and betrayal. Can they hold true to each other and overcome their fate? Or are they destined to repeat the mistakes of the past?

What does TWG think?

Got to love a saga! ‘The Daughters of Ironbridge’ is such a special read. In no time at all, the author allowed me to lose myself in the lives of such three-dimensional, well thought out characters such as Anny and Margaret. Set in the mid 1800’s, Mollie Walton takes her readers on a journey back in time where society and class were completely different to they are now. Not only that, readers are given an insight into the ironworks, and just how much hard work it took for those who worked there.

Mollie Walton makes her characters come alive in such a seamless and flawless manner, at times making me feel as though I was sitting on the characters shoulders like a little parrot, following their every move.

I was moved by the community spirit and the strength of the friendship between Margaret and Anny, two very different people whose lives may have been bound by the strength of their friendship, yet their class couldn’t have been more chalk and cheese if it tried.

There is a lot of storyline to sink your teeth into, just like most saga’s, so if you’re into reading books which give you more than your moneys worth, and then some, ‘The Daughters of Ironbridge’ will no doubt tick several boxes.

I was so pleased to see that this is the first book in a trilogy – roll on more is what I say!

An in-depth, powerful and beautifully crafted novel from an author who puts ‘history’ in the word ‘historical’. Brilliant.

Buy now!

#BlogTour! #Extract from ‘Sleep’ by C.L.Taylor (@CallyTaylor) @AvonBooksUK

It’s TWG’s turn to ‘sleep’…or not! I have an extract of C.L.Taylor’s new novel, Sleep, for you all today! Many thanks to Avon Books for the blog tour invite. I have everything crossed that I can get to this soon!!

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty…

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests have a secret, but one of them is lying – about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up…

Extract.

Maybe I shouldn’t go for the marketing director job. Maybe I should give up work, leave Alex and move to the countryside. I could go freelance, buy a small cottage and a dog, take long walks and fill my lungs with fresh air. There are days at work when I feel I can’t breathe, and not just because of the pollution. The air’s thinner at the top of the ladder and I find myself clinging to it, terrified I might fall. Freddy would love it if I did.
Squeak. Swish. Squeak. Swish.
Get. Home. Get. Home.

The hail is falling heavily now, bouncing off the windscreen and rolling off the bonnet. Someone snorts in their sleep, making me jolt, before they fall silent again. I’ve been driving behind the car in front for a couple of miles now and we’re both keeping to a steady seventy miles an hour. It’s too dangerous to overtake, and besides, there’s something comforting about following their red fog lights at a safe distance.
Squeak. Swish. Squeak. Swish.
Get. Home. Get. Home.

I hear a loud, exaggerated yawn. It’s Freddy, stretching his arms above his head and shifting in his seat. ‘Anna? Can we stop at the services? I need the loo.’ ‘We’re nearly in London.’ ‘Can you turn the heating down?’ he adds as I glance from the rear-view mirror to the road. ‘I’m sweating like a pig.’
‘I can’t. The heater on the windscreen’s not working and it keeps fogging up.’
‘I’m going to open a window then.’
‘Freddy, don’t!’
Anger surges through me as he twists in his seat and reaches for the button.
‘Freddy, LEAVE IT!’

It happens in the blink of an eye. One moment there is a car in front of me, red tail lights a warm, comforting glow, the next the car is gone, there’s a blur of lights and the blare of a horn – frantic and desperate – and then I’m thrown to the left as the car tips to the side and all I can hear is crunching metal, breaking glass, screaming, and then nothing at all.

Buy now from Amazon.

#BlogBlitz! #Review – Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus by Sue Wickstead (@JayJayBus) @RaRaResources

Delighted to be joining in with the one day blog blitz for ‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus’ by Sue Wickstead. Many thanks to RaRaResources for having me involved, and for the ARC. Here is my review:

Jay-Jay the bus is rescued from the dirty scrap yard, where he was sadly gathering dust and cobwebs. Feeling nervous yet excited, he is taken to an airport where he is magically transformed into a ‘Playbus’ full of toys, games and adventure.

A fictional tale based on a real-life bus ‘Supersonic’, which flew in the imaginations of the many young children who visited it.

What does TWG think?

As a fan of buses (looking at not riding on as she gets travel sick), my five year old daughter was so excited to read about Jay-Jay. Shes at the stage where she is able to read certain words, so I am sure you can guess just how proud she was with this book.

I may be an adult but even I enjoyed this lovely little book, and its illustrations are just so fun and colourful! I think that this is an idea book for both adult and children alike. A very magic and enchanting read, guaranteed to keep your child entertained time and time again.

Buy from Amazon UK

Buy from Sue’s website.

About the author.

I am a teacher and an author and have currently written six children’s picture books with a bus theme.

For over 20 years, alongside my teaching career, I worked with a Children’s Charity, The Bewbush Playbus Association, which led me to write a photographic history book about it.

I soon found that many children had never been on a bus before, let alone a ‘Playbus’ and they wanted to know more. I decided to write a fictional tale about the bus, his number plate JJK261 gave him his name.

‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus,’ came out in print in 2014. It is the story behind the original bus and is his journey from a scrap-yard to being changed into a playbus for children to play in. From Fact to fiction the bus journey continued.

This story has now been followed by five more picture books.

I also undertake events and author bookings and love to share the story. There are also a few more stories in the writing process, with links to real events and buses.

The story has been read in many schools in the south-East of England, where I teach as a cover teacher, it is always well received and certainly different.

#BlogTour! #Review – #TheLibrarianOfAuschwitz by Antonio Iturbe (tr: Lilit Zekulin Thwaites) @Tonilturbe @EburyPublishing @PenguinUKBooks @Tr4cyF3nt0n

Third tour of the day is for a book which I am humbled to be hosting on TWG today; ‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’ by Antonio Iturbe, translated by Lilit Zekulin Thwaites. Thank you to Tracy Fenton for the blog tour invite, and thank you to Ebury, Penguin Books for the ARC. Here is my review:

‘It wasn’t an extensive library. In fact, it consisted of eight books and some of them were in poor condition. But they were books. In this incredibly dark place, they were a reminder of less sombre times, when words rang out more loudly than machine guns…’

Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious books the prisoners have managed to smuggle past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the secret librarian of Auschwitz, responsible for the safekeeping of the small collection of titles, as well as the ‘living books’ – prisoners of Auschwitz who know certain books so well, they too can be ‘borrowed’ to educate the children in the camp.

But books are extremely dangerous. They make people think. And nowhere are they more dangerous than in Block 31 of Auschwitz, the children’s block, where the slightest transgression can result in execution, no matter how young the transgressor…

What does TWG think?

I really have no idea how to review this book to be honest. It’s not that I didn’t like it because, as weird as this sounds given the topic of the book, I did really enjoy it. I mean, this book is about the prisoners of Auschwitz and the Nazis. I don’t feel qualified enough to comment on the devastations of that time, does that make sense? Obviously I am going to, but I apologise in advance if I just ramble!

‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’ is based on the true story of one of the prisoners in the camp, Dita Kraus, written in the book as ‘Dita Adler’. There are some parts of the storyline which have been fictionalised – good luck to those trying to work out which bits are which! Of course, if you googled every single thing in the book, I’m sure the fictional pieces will jump out at you! I did end up googling some things whilst I was reading the book, not because I wanted to double-check that it was factually correct, but more so because I wanted to see the faces of the imbeciles who led people towards their deaths. Not just a small handful of people, not that that would make it any easier to swallow, but an estimated 1 million people. ONE MILLION!

At times I struggled to believe what I was reading. The fact that the SS soldiers and the Kapo were so blasé about what they were doing, sent chills up my spine. What possessed them to get caught up in Hitlers dirty work? How could they live with themselves knowing that they had sent innocent people, including young children, to their deaths? At one point in the book, the story described just how one young child was sticking their tongue out at a solider as they were being put into the chamber. Heartbreaking.

I was in awe at Dita’s strength as, for such a young girl, she clearly had to grow up very quickly to be able to get through the things that she did. She saw people die right before her very eyes. She protected her mother from a situation which could have turned out a lot worse if she hadn’t. She made friends with children one day, only to hear that they have been removed from the camp and sent to a chamber. No way of saying goodbye. No way of protecting people who came to be like an extended family. Dita’s hands were tied, and at times that was quite literal.

Just like the title suggests, there was a library in Block 31. Hang on, let me correct that. There was a SECRET library because, if prisoners were found with books on them, it warranted a death sentence. Death. Because they read a book. I’m literally shaking my head here. And, seeing as Dita ended up being the librarian for Block 31, and responsible for the collection of the five books in the block, she had literally put herself in the firing line knowing full well what the outcome would be should she be caught. Yet her love for books, according to her, was worth playing with death for.

Alongside Dita’s journey, we also follow the lives of several other figures such as Fredy Hirsch, leader of Block 31, and Dr Mengele, a man who liked conducting inhumane experiments on the prisoners….just because he could. There are a lot of other historical names noted throughout this book, a lot of which don’t deserve their names in print, but unfortunately it’s an important part of our history.

Before reading ‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’, I had obviously heard about the gas chambers and such, but I had never read a book with Auschwitz at the forefront of its storyline. I am glad that I finally decided to read about the devastation of those years, and finding out little details which helped the prisoners during that time, such as coming together and singing songs on the way to the chamber. Unity at such a dark time.

I don’t think I will ever understand the why’s and wherefores about this particular subject, but, thanks to Antonia Iturbe’s outstanding writing, I am determined to broaden my knowledge. It’s a shame that me doing that won’t change the situation for the thousands and thousands of people who lost their life, but it’s a small way of honouring the memory of the survivors.

‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’ moved me, devastated me, and left me utterly broken. Nothing at all compared to what people endured at the hands of the Nazis I know. It goes without saying that Antonio Iturbe has written a heart wrenching novel, simple because you would need to be made of stone to not be moved by even a little detail in this book. I am blown away by the amount of research it must have taken in order to complete this book. I, like I said at the start, am blown away by Dita Kraus, especially as she retraced her steps many years later.

One of my top books of all time, ‘The Librarian of Auschwitz’ is an emotional, harrowing novel which details some of the heartbreaking events from Auschwitz. A book which I will never, ever forget.

Buy now from Amazon

#BlogTour! #Review – #GardenOfLostAndFound by Harriet Evans (@HarrietEvans) @HeadlinePG @AnneCater

Second blog tour of the day and what a beautiful cover it has; The Garden of Lost and Found’ by Harriet Evans. Many thanks, as always, to Anne for the blog tour invite, and to Headline for the ARC. Here is my review for my stop on the tour today:

Nightingale House, 1919. Liddy Horner discovers her husband, the world-famous artist Sir Edward Horner, burning his best-known painting The Garden of Lost and Found days before his sudden death.

Nightingale House was the Horner family’s beloved home – a gem of design created to inspire happiness – and it was here Ned painted TheGarden of Lost and Found, capturing his children on a perfect day, playing in the rambling Eden he and Liddy made for them.

One magical moment. Before it all came tumbling down…

When Ned and Liddy’s great-granddaughter Juliet is sent the key to Nightingale House, she opens the door onto a forgotten world. The house holds its mysteries close but she is in search of answers. For who would choose to destroy what they love most? Whether Ned’s masterpiece – or, in Juliet’s case, her own children’s happiness.

Something shattered this corner of paradise. But what?

What does TWG think?

After reading Harriet Evan’s previous novel, ‘The Wildflowers’, I was so eager to read more of the authors books. My excitement for ‘The Garden of Lost and Found’ was through the roof!

If you haven’t yet picked up a novel by Harriet Evans, you are missing out on a whole other world. A home away from home if you will. The outline of this novel is similar to the authors others in terms of the dual timeline and split narratives which, if you’re not used to reading books like that, it can be a little bit confusing until you get into the swing of things.

‘The Garden of Lost and Found’, in my opinion, starts off exceptionally slow and requires a bit of patience before the real gem of the storyline became clear. Evans is exceptional at setting the scene in her novels, which is why having patience will be highly rewarded the more of the novel you read.

Juliet’s life isn’t going to plan. She has one more chance (according to her) to sort herself out before she alienates her children for good. Her intentions are there, but the delivery leaves a lot to be desired but, seeing as Juliet’s children are indeed young, they won’t quite understand the logic behind why their mum has decided to do what she has done.

I adored the change in dynamics throughout the storyline, putting family drama’s and multiple generations in the spotlight beautifully. I thought that the story gave off such a magical and enticing vibe – this is such a special, special read and definitely one of a kind.

I was blown away by the authors beautifully descriptive writing and the way she made her characters come alive and steal your heart. Another wonderful, enchanting novel from Harriet Evans.

Buy now from Amazon