Category: C

Ten Year Stretch – 10 Years of CrimeFest. @CrimeFest @noexitpress

On By Jen LucasIn C, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, T, V2 Comments

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A couple of years ago I saw a tweet from an author I followed about a literary festival devoted solely to the wonder that is crime fiction. Now I had never even considered attending anything of the like in the past, it really wasn’t in my make up to go and plonk myself in a group of strangers and I honestly had no idea what such a festival may be about. But it sounded intriguing, so intriguing that it seemed worth sacrificing a couple of days of my annual leave to find out what was what. Bear in mind this was before I had started blogging, I had little concept of the world of literature outside of the books themselves and this was going to be way outside of my comfort zone, especially as I had only been reading again in earnest for a couple of years. Continue reading “Ten Year Stretch – 10 Years of CrimeFest. @CrimeFest @noexitpress” →

One Way Or Another by Colleen Coleman @CollColemanAuth

On By Jen LucasIn Authors: A-C, Blog Tour, C, O, Romance & Chick Lit1 Comment

I’m delighted to be joining the blog blitz for the latest novel from author Colleen Coleman, One Way Or Another. My thanks to Kim Nash of Bookouture for providing an advance copy of the book for review and for inviting me to join the tour. I’ll be sharing my thoughts in a moment after we’ve seen what it’s all about.

owoaAbout the Book

Twenty-nine-year-old Katie Kelly is at an all-time low. The love of her life, gorgeous Ben Cole, took a job abroad and broke her heart, the restaurant she’d put her all into went bust, and now she works in a retirement home, cooking beige mush for the residents.

Not exactly the life Katie had dreamed of…

So when the opportunity comes up to work for one of the best chefs in the country – Katie’s idol – she is determined to get the job, no matter what. But then she discovers who she’s competing against: Ben.

As the competition heats up, Katie and Ben spend more and more time together, and it’s clear the old spark is still there… But only one person can win their perfect job, and Katie is going to make sure it’s her. She knows she can’t let Ben back in – or can she find a way to have it all?

A hilarious, heart-warming story about romance, good food, and following your dreams, for fans of Lindsey Kelk, Marian Keyes and Cate Woods.

Continue reading “One Way Or Another by Colleen Coleman @CollColemanAuth” →

#BlogTour: The Summer Theatre By The Sea by Tracy Corbett @tracyacorbett @AvonBooksUK

On By Jen LucasIn Authors: A-C, Blog Tour, C, Romance & Chick Lit, T, Women's Literature1 Comment

Today I’m delighted to be joining the blog tour for the new release from Tracy Corbett, The Summer Theatre by the Sea. I have a brilliant extract to share with you, just as soon as we’ve seen what the book is all about.

STBTSAbout the Book

A summer to remember…

Charlotte Saunders has always loved the buzz of city life. So, when she finds herself abruptly fired, dumped and forced to leave London to move in with her sister Lauren in Cornwall, she thinks the world is ending.

To keep herself busy in the quiet coastal town, Charlotte agrees to help the local drama club. Designing sets for their performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, just for the summer, while she figures out her next career move. But could days at the beach, new friends and a dashingly handsome doctor, change Charlotte’s mind? Suddenly Cornwall doesn’t look so boring after all…

The perfect summer romance for fans of Lucy Diamond and Rachel Lucas.

Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Summer Theatre By The Sea by Tracy Corbett @tracyacorbett @AvonBooksUK” →

Review: The Woman In The Woods by John Connolly @jconnollybooks @HodderBooks @1stMondayCrime

On By Jen LucasIn Authors: A-C, C, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, T15 Comments

I make no bones about it – I am a fan of the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly. I came to the series exceptionally late, I believe after seeing a tweet about what was, by then, the 13th book in the series A Song of Shadows. Yes – I know – I was that far behind. Clearly being the conscientious and balanced individual that I am (?) I didn’t buy book 13, but I was suitably intrigued by the sound of the series that I went straight to Amazon and purchased book 1 – Every Dead Thing.

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Now in another of those ‘what were you doing when you first read this book’ moments, the opening to said book left such a mark on me that I can tell you – 100% no question –  that at the time of reading I was sat on an exercise bike in my front room, trying hard to focus on keeping my legs moving while simultaneously becoming more engrossed in what I was reading, to a point where I could probably have fallen off the bike and not noticed. Continue reading “Review: The Woman In The Woods by John Connolly @jconnollybooks @HodderBooks @1stMondayCrime” →

#BlogTour: Baby Lies by Chris Collett @crime_crow @JoffeBooks @books_n_all

On By mgriffiths163In Authors: A-C, B, Blog Tour, C, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery2 Comments

Today I hand over to Mandie who is taking part in the blog tour for the latest in the DI Mariner series by Chris Collett, Baby Lies. Thanks to Jill Burkinshaw and Joffe Books for including us on the tour and providing the advance copy for review. We’ll take a look at Mandie’s thoughts just as soon s we’ve seen what the book is all about.

BLAbout the Book

Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters?

Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.
 
‘Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.’ Yorkshire Post
 
Six-week-old baby Jessica is abducted from a local nursery. And Detective Tom Mariner realises he’s not going to get the time-off he was hoping for.
 
The police get a good description of the woman who took Jessica, but the appeal to the public doesn’t generate a single lead.
 
Then the kidnapper calls demanding money for Jessica’s safe return   . . . and a terrible discovery is made in the woods.
 
Can Mariner get to bottom of a complex case which involves much more than a child abduction?
 
Discover an absorbing crime mystery full of stunning twists and turns.
 
Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the fourth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!
 
THE SETTING
Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation’s manufacturing industry
 
But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales.
 
Birmingham’s population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.
 
 
THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.
 
THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “BLOOD MONEY.”
 
DI MARINER SERIES
Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies
Book 3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies

Continue reading “#BlogTour: Baby Lies by Chris Collett @crime_crow @JoffeBooks @books_n_all” →