Publication Day - Book Review ~ The Art of Loving you ~ Amelia Henley

TITLE - The Art of Loving you

AUTHOR - Amelia Henley

Buy Link - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 

They were so in love . . .
And then life changed forever . . .
Will they find happiness again?

Libby and Jack are the happiest they've ever been. Thanks to their dear friend, eighty-year-old Sid, they've just bought their first house together, and it's the beginning of the life they've always dreamed of.

But the universe has other plans for Libby and Jack and a devastating twist of fate shatters their world.

All of a sudden life is looking very different, and unlikely though it seems, might Sid be the one person who can help Libby and Jack move forward when what they loved the most has been lost?

I loved Amelia Henley's debut novel, so I couldn't wait to read this. It was every bit as good as I expected. 

It's very rare I shed a tear reading a book, but I did with this one, many times. 

The way the author develops her characters is wonderful. She has the knack of bringing them to life so you feel that you know them. 

My heart broke at the loss suffered, but then I was uplifted again with the building of relationships between generations. 

This book was a roller cost of emotions, and an enthralling read. I didn't want it to end. Bring on the next book Ms Henley. 

Book Review ~ Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas ~ Penguin UK

 

TITLE - Do Not Disturb

AUTHOR - Claire Douglas

PUBLISHER - Penguin UK

BUY LINK - Click here

SYNOPSIS - 

COULD YOUR DREAM HOME BE YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE?

After what happened in London, Kirsty needs a fresh start with her family. And running a guesthouse in the Welsh mountains sounds idyllic.

But then their first guest arrives.

Selena is the last person Kirsty wants to see. It's seventeen years since she tore everything apart.

Why has she chosen now to walk back into Kirsty's life? Is Selena running from something too? Or is there an even darker reason for her visit?

Because Kirsty knows that once you invite trouble into your home, it can be murder getting rid of it . . .

I thought I was going to be reading a crime novel/thriller, but the first 50% of the book was more like a family saga, with many characters introduced , like Cousin Selena and her Daughter Ruby, Kirsty's Brother Nathan and his Wife Julia. Plus there's the guests in the Bed and Breakfast too. I enjoyed all the family dynamics of this mixed up family. There were many strong characters in the book. The only person I really warmed to was Kirsty, who seemed strong and all things to everybody.

I didn't enjoy the way the chapters were written, with some going backwards and forwards by a week or a month or six days. I didn't see the need for this as it didn't add anything to the story. 

The death I was waiting for finally comes at 51% of the book (I was reading it on my kindle), and the book moves from family saga to crime novel. It did blend between the two "genres" quite well though. The "whodunnit" suspect, kept changing as I read on. There must have been at least 7 suspects. The author delivers the culprit right and the end. One you don't see coming. 

The book deals with many sensitive issues such as suicide, mental illness, marital issues and many other subjects, without spoiling it. 

I did enjoy the book but I found it took a while to get going. I would certainly read more by this author again. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher Penguin UK, for allowing me to read and review this novel 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claire Douglas always wanted to write novels and, after many years of trying to get published, her dream came true when she won the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award in 2013 with THE SISTERS.

Her subsequent novels LOCAL GIRL MISSING, LAST SEEN ALIVE and DO NOT DISTURB all reached the Sunday Times top ten bestsellers list and are published in over fifteen countries. LOCAL GIRL MISSING was the bestselling crime debut of 2018 in Germany. Her fifth thriller, THEN SHE VANISHES is due for release in Ebook end of June 2019 and in paperback August 2019.

You can find Claire on Twitter at @DougieClaire, instagram as clairedouglasauthor or visit her Facebook page clairedouglasauthor

Book Review ~ The Tattooist of Auschwitz ~ Author Heather Morris

TITLE - The Tattooist of Auschwitz

AUTHOR - Heather Morris

FORMAT - Kindle

PAGES - 293

Buy Link - click here

SYNOPSIS - 

**4 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE**

For readers of Schindler's List, The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas comes a heart-breaking story of the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.

Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl. For Lale - a dandy, a jack-the-lad, a bit of a chancer - it was love at first sight. And he was determined not only to survive himself, but to ensure this woman, Gita, did, too.

So begins one of the most life-affirming, courageous, unforgettable and human stories of the Holocaust: the love story of the tattooist of Auschwitz.

MY REVIEW 

I have always had an interest in the subject of the Holocaust. I don't know why, but it's something I like to read about and something that I think should be talked about and shared.

I'd heard a lot about this book so had to read it. What is upsetting is that this is not a book of fiction, but based on a true story. It's harrowing but at the same time unputdownable (if that is even a word!)

It's based in 1942 around Auschwitz-Birchenhau concentration camps. The main character, the Tattooist, is Lale. He was determined to do whatever he could to survive. He did not sacrifice others along the way, and did all he could to help them, with the privileges he was given being the Tätowierer. He even fell in love, so made the best of life that he could whilst he was in the camp. 

This book is a sad read, all the more knowing these events happened. It's very rare I ever shed a tear reading a book but I have to admit having done so reading this one.

It's an important read and something that should never be allowed to happen again.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(Courtesy of the authors website)
I was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand, a small rural town in the middle of the North Island. I had an older brother, then three more boys followed. My childhood was spent in the even smaller village of Pirongia with four generations of my family living within proximity of each other. My primary school years were spent at the local school which at that time only had a handful of classrooms. For secondary schooling I went to Te Awamutu College.

Photo by Lori Mayger 2019

An average student, according to my reports, except for commercial subjects, shorthand and typing, and sport. I was an athlete, a swimmer, played netball and tennis. And while I loved reading, devouring the Encyclopaedia Britannica where I could escape to far-away exotic lands, attempts to make me write my own stories, failed. I was told from a very young age, I could tell a good story, and growing up in a time when children where asked to be seen not heard, was enough.

In 1971 I moved to Melbourne, Australia, to escape what I considered the claustrophobic environment of having too many extended family members around me. Soon after arriving in Melbourne I met my husband to be Steve (don’t call me Stephen) Morris and we married in 1973.

In 1975 Steve and I returned to New Zealand, living in Christchurch, South Island, a reasonable distance from my hometown and family in the North Island.

Our first son was born in 1976, another son in 1980 and our daughter in 1985.

Waking up one morning I realised I had missed out on something – the extended education I secretly craved that was not offered when I left school. I commenced a B.A. degree at Canterbury University (NZ) in 1986 before moving back to Melbourne in 1987. After a year settling our family into a much bigger city, I enrolled and completed my B.A. at Monash University in 1991. I majored in Political Science.

In 1995 I began work in the Social Work Department at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne where I stayed until 2017.

During this period, I watched our three children grow into amazing adults. I was involved in their sport and at the age of forty-five became a competitive Veteran athlete, primarily taking part in the various ‘throwing’ competitions. Shot-put, discus, javelin and my favourite, hammer throwing. I never stopped telling stories, or as my husband called them – long-winded tales.

In 1996 I decided to follow my passion for storytelling and enrolled in The Professional Scriptwriting Course through the Australian College of Journalism.

I went on to attend many screenwriting courses, seminars and workshops in both Australia and the U.S. My workplace provided me with a wealth of heroic storylines, several of which I adapted into screenplays that now line the bottom drawer of my desk.

And then I met Lale Sokolov.

http://www.heathermorrisauthor.com/about-heather/

Book Review - The Affair ~ Amanda Brooke - Family Drama

TITLE - The Affair

AUTHOR - Amanda Brooke

PAGES - 432

PUBLISHER - Harper

Buy Link - Amazon UK Amazon US


SYNOPSIS


A shocking story about a fifteen-year-old girl and the man who took advantage of her.
“You might as well know from the start, I’m not going to tell on him and I don’t care how much trouble I get in. It’s not like it could get any worse than it already is.

I can’t. Don’t ask me why, I just can’t.”

When Nina finds out that her fifteen-year-old daughter, Scarlett, is pregnant, her world falls apart.

Because Scarlet won’t tell anyone who the father is. And Nina is scared that the answer will destroy everything.

As the suspects mount – from Scarlett’s teacher to Nina’s new husband of less than a year – Nina searches for the truth: no matter what the cost.

MY REVIEW

This is a book with a subject that I am passionate about, child sexual exploitation or CSE. A young girls head is turned by an older man, who showers her with love and affection; she believes everything he tells her. 

What I enjoyed about this book was although this was the main theme of the book, there were lots of other stories going on in the background; family dramas and heartache; Teenage romance; business exploits and lies. Lots of lies. 

The book is initially told going backwards and forwards in time, which got somewhat confusing and I had to go back and read some bits again. This then seemed to stop. There are chapters narrated by Scarlet the 15 yr old at the centre of the story and then chapters with the other characters in. I enjoyed how the author wrote about the interaction between all the different characters and their relationships. 

I enjoyed how you were kept guessing who the older man was, and the whole situation was delicately handled. It showed how the situation affects not just the immediate family but the whole family circle. Apart from the disjointed start to the book, I enjoyed it and would certainly read more books by this author. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author is a single mum in her forties who lives in Liverpool with her teenage daughter

Jessica. She has a degree in Computer Studies and an established career in local government although up until recent years, her writing skills were mainly concentrated on producing corporate documents. It was only when her young son was diagnosed with cancer that Amanda began to develop her writing, recording her family's journey in a journal and through poetry. When Nathan died in 2006 at just three years old, Amanda was determined that his legacy would be one of inspiration not devastation.

Contact Links - 

Facebook / Website / Fantastic Fiction / Twitter / Pinterest

Book Review - Reading Upside Down ~ Jo Platt

TITLE - Reading Upside Down

AUTHOR - Jo Platt

Pages - 253

Buy Link - Amazon UK // Amazon US

SYNOPSIS
Happiness could be just around the corner…

“…perfect setting, perfect dress, perfect flowers, one hundred and eight guests – and one, total and utter, rat.”

Abandoned at the altar, Rosalind Shaw descends into the kind of depression which involves watching too much daytime TV and not bothering to shower as regularly as her mother would like.

Relocating, she begins a new life at antiquarian bookshop “Chapters”. Here Ros finds herself working alongside the intellectual, and intensely private, Andrew; the kind-hearted, sartorially splendid, Georgina; and Joan, a free-spirited, loose cannon of a pensioner, with a penchant for amateur dramatics and outdoor nudity.

But just when life might be starting to improve, Ros’ rather hairy neighbour, Daniel, knocks on her door with a bunch of flowers, a nervous grin and some rather distressing news…

Reading Upside Down is funny, intelligent and fast-paced – a feel-good novel of mistaken assumptions and misread intentions; of feelings hurt and forgiveness.



MY REVIEW

Rosalind seemed to have it all and is just about to get married when she is dumped at the altar. Her Friends and Family then watch as she spirals into a state of depression. She is a mess; she loses pride in her appearance and lets herself go.

One of her Friends then gets her involved in a business. It's an old bookshop and there's a real mixture of people working there. In fact the whole book has a great mix of characters. Ros makes good friends with all those working in the shop. The author makes it feel like they become a little "Family". I love the way the author is very descriptive with her characters as it brings them alive and I could picture each of their faces and believe all their quirky ways.

Then there's Daniel, who lives at the bottom of the garden. Ros meets him initially through an unfortunate "incident" with her guinea pig, and there the strange but awkward friendship begins, with Ros making a fool of herself on more than one occasion.

It really is a comical read. My favourite quote from the book is - "she thanked him with a smile and a look so intense that I wondered if she was attempting to convey the sat-nav co-ordinates of her bedroom telephathically".

I loved the way the author had intertwined the relationships of all the characters, giving it a small town feel where everyone knows everyone. It made it a comforting read and a book that will make you laugh out loud.

This book will certainly lighten any mood that you are in. I recommend it.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Jo Platt Blog
Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review - The Fire Child by SK Tremayne

Title - The Fire Child

Author - S.K. Tremayne

Publisher - Harper Collins

Purchase link - click here

Synopsis from Goodreads -

When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie.

But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?

As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband. Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words:

‘You will be dead by Christmas.’

My Review

 

I was so keen to read this book as I'd heard so much about the Authors other book "The Ice Twins".

The main characters in the book are Rachel, her new Husband and her young Stepson Jamie. Rachel, who comes from a dysfunctional and fairly poor background, marries rich widower David and moves into this family mansion in Cornwall. It's by the coast and on the edge of the mines, which have been in David's family for years. These mines hold many bad memories.

 

The house is enormous and David's Widowed Mother lives in one wing of the house. The description the author gave of the house was very vivid and I could picture it in my mind as the author took you through it. This was a great strength of the author; the descriptions not just of the house but of the area, the mines and the coastline.

 

There were some very strange "going's on" in the house and the book does have a slight dark side to it. Who is Jamie talking to? Sometimes the threads to the story were left hanging.

 

The relationship between Jamie and Rachel was well written; sometimes trying; sometimes moving. I didn't feel any connection with any of the other characters in the book though and sometimes felt them lacking a little substance.

 

The plot to me, was a little slow going and I found it hard to get into sometimes as it didn't grip me liked I hoped it would. There was a twist at the end of the book as you would expect but I felt a little let down with where the book went after that, right at the end. I was left wanting more and was disappointed. It's just that this book to me, seemed to be missing something but I can't quite put my finger on what. Sadly just not gripping enough a read.

 

It doesn't put me off though, and as several people have recommended it to me, I will still read the Ice Twins.

 

 

 



BOOK REVIEW - Murder Ring by Leigh Russell - Crime Thriller

TITLE - Murder Ring

AUTHOR - Leigh Russell

GENRE - Crime/Mystery

FORMATS - Kindle Version - Click here
                      Pre-Order Paperback version - Click here

SYNOPSIS

The dead body of unassuming David Lester, returning home after a night out, is discovered in a dark side-street and DI Geraldine Steel is plunged into another murder investigation. The clues mount up along with the suspects, but with the death of another man in explicable circumstances, the case becomes increasingly complex. As Geraldine investigates the seemingly unrelated crimes, she makes a shocking discovery about her birth Mother. 

MY REVIEW

Well once again, Leigh Russell did not disappoint.  I have been a fan of her books ever since she released Cut Short. There is nothing like a good police procedural, and this book was just that. 

The story starts with David Lester, on his way home after a works night out. He is murdered and left in a side street near to the pub. DI Geraldine Steel heads up the case as usual and sets about trying to piece together what happened. Just when she thinks she has her suspect, another murder takes place. 

I like how the book shows the developing relationships between the staff at the station, after they suffered a recent loss of one of their own. Although this is a continuing series with Geraldine Steel as the main character, you will be fine reading this book as a standalone. I do recommend though that you try all her other books too, and read them in order if you can. 

There were so many suspects in the book that it kept you changing your mind on who actually committed the crimes. Was there one killer or two. Who knows? You only actually find out within the last 10 pages which is what I like about a book. I don't like discovering who it was early on. 

The other thing I love about Leigh Russell's books are the short chapters in each book. To me, and each reader is different, I love them because I can follow each character easier, without reading long laborious chapters, and then forgetting who the character is and where they fit in, when you finally meet them five chapters later. 

Her research into the police procedures has obviously been done well, and I am always very critical in this area. 

Again, a great story, and well worth a read. Leigh Russell has now become one of my favourite authors in Police Procedurals. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hailed as 'a brilliant talent' by Jeffery Deaver and 'a deeply human voice' by Peter James, Leigh Russell writes the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel series of psychological crime thrillers.

As well as receiving rave reviews on numerous renowned sites like Crime Time, Crimesquad and Eurocrime, her books have attracted glowing reviews in journals as diverse as The Times, The New York Journal of Books and Star Magazine, to name just a few. 

CUT SHORT was shortlisted for a CWA Dagger Award for Best First Crime Novel. The series reached Number 1 on kindle for female sleuths, Top 50 Bestsellers List on kindle, Top 50 Bestsellers Chart for WH Smith's Travel, Top Reads list on Eurocrime, Best Fiction Books of 2012 Chart in the Miami Examiner, and Best Crime Fiction Books in a poll on Crime Time. Geraldine Steel is a Great Crime Sleuth on Lovereading.

As well as continuing the bestselling Geraldine Steel series, Leigh has written a spin off series featuring Geraldine's popular colleague Ian Peterson. The first of these was published in 2013.

Catch up with Leigh on her Website; Geraldine Steel Facebook Page; YouTube page

BOOK REVIEW - Public Relations for Authors - Take Hold of Your Own Promotions by Babs Hightower

·         File Size: 1965 KB

·     Print Length: 29 pages

·     Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

·     Publisher: Babs Hightower (October 22, 2013)

·     Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

·     Language: English

Blurb:

Getting help to promote your book just got easier. Public Relations for Authors Take Hold of Your Own Promotions will help you locate that special publicist who will help you promote your book the right way. As a Publicity Director for two publishers Babs brings knowledge to the book.

Public Relations teaches you why you need a publicist and how to find the right one for you. To understand what you need she covers:

How publicity can help sell books
What you need to know about publicity
Writing Pitches
Media Kits
Press Releases
Where to find a PR agent
What to send to your PR agent

My Review 

Babs Hightower became a publicity director in December 2012 for Entangled Publishing. 

This mini read deals with authors who may have published a book but don't know how to get the word out.

The book is a step by step guide of what a publicist could and should do for you.

There are some great tips in this book too. One relates to bloggers who've hosted you on a blog stop. Stop by and say "Thanks for having me". Believe me, being a blogger, this does not happy very often. 

The book talks you through getting reviews for your book too. It is a really informative guide, going through radio publicity; book stores and much more, with lots of examples for you to follow.  There are examples on how media kits could look and what to include in a media kit; how books are publicized and what questions you should ask of a potential PR person. 

This is a very well written short book, and a must for everyone looking to promote their own book. The guidelines are clearly written and well laid out.  If you are just starting up you can't do without it; it's a must. If you're a seasoned author it may just give you a few more ideas.  

About the author:

Babs Hightower has been helping authors since 2000. She owns a book review blog Babs Book Bistro which got her started in PR and helping authors promote themselves. In 2012 she started working for Entangled Publishing and worked her way up to Publicity Director of the Scandalous Imprint. She is also the publicist for World Castle Publishing. She is also known as Morgan Kincaid writer of Historical Romance.

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BOOK TOUR & REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Grand Cru Heist by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen ~ Cosy Mystery.

E-Release date: Jan 30, 2014 by Le French Book

Number of pages - 150

ISBN-13: 978-1939474087
p-release: June 24, 2014

ISBN: 978-1939474049

SYNOPSIS

After Treachery in Bordeaux, here is another Epicurean whodunit in French wine country. Immerse yourself in French countryside and gourmet attitude with our wine-loving amateur sleuths. This time they gumshoe around the Loire Valley before heading back to Bordeaux.

One winter day in Paris, renowned wine critic Benjamin Cooker’s world gets turned upside down when his car gets highjacked. He loses his treasured tasting notebook and his feeling of safety. To recover, he retreats to the region around Tours, sure that the wine and off-season calm will restore is sense of self. There a flamboyant British dandy, a spectacular blue-eyed blond, a zealous concierge and touchy local police disturb his well-deserved rest. From the Loire Valley to Bordeaux, in between a glass of Vouvray and a bottle of Saint-Émilion, the Winemaker Detective and his assistant Virgile turn PI to solve two murders and very peculiar heist. Who stole those bottles of grand cru classé? Take this Epicurean journey through France to solve the whodunit. [provided by the publisher]

Author’s website | Goodreads

EXCERPT

Paris finally returned to its splendor at dusk. Lights from the cruise boats caressed the buildings on the Left Bank. The bridges cast wavering shadows on the waters of the Seine. At the corner of the Rue Dauphine, a few patches of half-melted snow, curiously saved from the passing footsteps, were shining under the streetlights.

Benjamin Cooker had felt deprived of light all day. He awaited this miraculous hour, when everything could be reborn in the fleeting glow of night. As he got older, he had less tolerance for the unchanging leaden sky that covered Paris in winter. Everything, from the pallid faces of café servers to the hotel concierge’s waxy complexion, the bare trees in the Tuileries Gardens, and the homeless camping out on the subway grates, seemed dull and gray. He had loved this city in his happy-go-lucky days, and now he found it suffocating.

Here, even the snow was hoary, dirty, and reduced to mud in a few hours with the constant comings and goings of the city. He missed peaceful Médoc, and he was impatient to return to his home, Grangebelle, the next day. The vineyards would be superb, all white and wrapped in silence. The cold would be dry and refreshing, and the sky nearly royal blue. He would go for a solitary walk along the Gironde just to hear the snow crunch under his boots. Elisabeth got cold easily and would probably remain in front of the fire in the living room, her hands around a steaming cup of tea.

Benjamin Cooker drove slowly, letting his gloves glide over the steering wheel while he whistled along with a Chopin nocturne on the radio. According to the too-ceremonious radio host, it was Opus 19. He was comfortable, settled into the leather seat of his classic Mercedes 280SL. He turned onto Pont des Arts to get to his hotel, which was near the opera house. The red light was taking forever. He lifted the collar of his Loden and turned up the radio as someone approached the car, flicking his thumb to mimic a lighter. Cooker squinted to get a better look at the man’s face. It was hidden under a hood, but he seemed young, despite his stooped, somewhat misshapen form. Cooker shook his head and waved his hands to indicate that he did not smoke.

The light turned green, but Cooker did not have time to accelerate. His car door opened suddenly, as if it had been ripped off, and cold air rushed in.

“Take that, rich bastard.”
The man pulled out a switchblade. Cooker did not move. Don’t panic. Stay calm. Breathe slowly. Think fast. He felt the tip of the knife on his Adam’s apple and gulped. A second man opened the other door and searched the glove compartment.“Get rid of him,” he said, unbuckling Cooker’s seat belt.
The hooded man hit Cooker twice in the jaw, grabbed him by the tie, and dragged him to the ground. Then the thug kicked him in the stomach, head, and ribs—“Take that, asshole.” The taste of blood and thick grit from the pavement burned his lips
—“Your mother’s a bitch.” A final glance, a few notes of Chopin
—“Eat shit, dirtbag!”—and screeching tires. Then nothing.

Buying Links:
Kindle link: http://amzn.to/1ctJ8Jm

My Review

The synopsis for the book really intrigued me. A mystery novel with an amateur sleuth, set in the beautiful French countryside. I love a cosy mystery.


I've read a few cosy mystery's lately and was looking forward to this one set in France. The book started off with lots of promise for me. Benjamin Cooker, a famous wine critic, was badly beaten and car-jacked in Paris, with his treasured note book taken too. However, sadly for me, as I read more, the book lacked substance, and didn't really grip me. Yes there was a murder mystery but it didn't really feature until about a third of the way through the book, and hardly any focus was made on it.  More focus seemed to be made on the main characters journey and his love of a beautiful car which belonged to a fellow travel and wine connoisseur. Also too much focus was made on different wines and not being a wine drinker they didn't mean anything to me and I found myself skimming sentences.


For a mystery book, it was a light hearted and quick read and did have a plot line, but for me I would have liked more pages on the book and more dialogue in relation to the actual plot with more police involvement, and a lot less discussion of various different wines which to me seemed to go on too long.


There are other books written by the authors and I would give them a try in the hope that they would have a bit more substance.


Just a 3/5 for me on this one.

Paper: pre-order from your local bookstoreABOUT THE AUTHORS

©David Nakache

Jean-Pierre Alaux is a magazine, radio and television journalist
when he is not writing novels in southwestern France.

He is a genuine wine and food lover and recently won the Antonin Carême prize for his cookbook La Truffe sur le Soufflé, which he wrote with the chef Alexis Pélissou.
He is the grandson of a winemaker and exhibits a real passion for wine and winemaking. For him, there is no greater common denominator than wine.
He gets a sparkle in his eye when he talks about the Winemaker Detective series, which he coauthors with Noël Balen.

Noël lives in Paris, where he shares his time between writing, making records, and lecturing on music.
He plays bass, is a music critic and has authored a number of books about musicians in addition to his novel and short-story writing.ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR

The translator, Anne Trager loves France so much she has lived there for over a half a century and just can’t seem to leave. What keeps her there is a uniquely French mix of pleasure seeking and creativity. Well, that and the wine. In 2011, she woke up one morning and said, “I just can’t stand it anymore. There are way too many good books being written in France not reaching a broader audience.” That’s when she founded Le French Book to translate some of those books into English. The company’s motto is “If we love it, we translate it,” and Anne loves crime fiction, mysteries and detective novels.

***

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  Visit other stops on this book tour - http://francebooktours.com/2014/02/05/jean-pierre-alaux-and-noel-balen-on-tour-grand-cru-heist/ 

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BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Where Petals Fall by Melissa Foster

 

Welcoming to my blog once again, the popular Melissa Foster.

This time we are showcasing and reviewing her suspenseful novel, Where Petals Fall

 

Where Petals Fall

 

 

"With vivid prose and a tender heart, Melissa Foster has crafted a psychological and emotional mystery fuelled by love in all its forms."

Jennie Shortridge

Book Blurb



On the surface Junie Olson’s life looks idyllic, from her handsome husband and beautiful daughter to her successful business, the bakery she always dreamt of opening. But in the past few months her world has slowly unravelled.  Her precocious child is withdrawing, showing unexplainable signs of emotional regression, a condition that frays the bonds of Junie’s once impenetrable marriage.  When her father dies suddenly of a heart attack, Junie packs up her daughter and goes home to help her mother.  Her homecoming stirs up memories of the nightmare she thought she had put behind her, the disappearance of her childhood friend, Ellen.  Haunted by recurring memories of what happened on that fateful day, Junie must gather the courage to revisit her past and untangle the secrets surrounding her missing friend, and the trauma that has caused her little girl to climb back into herself. As the pieces come together on the event that shook her small town, and at the risk of losing everyone she loves, Junie will question everything she thought she could rely on and everyone she thought she knew.

 

WHERE PETALS FALL is a gripping and emotional novel with an undercurrent of suspense, featuring a determined mother whose world slowly comes apart around her.  Where Petals Fall will appeal to fans of Lisa Scottoline's Save Me or Jodi Picoult's Salem Falls, who love an emotional and gripping read. They will root for Junie as they follow her transition into an indomitable heroine who must reconcile what she discovers about her husband and family’s tragic past, and find a way to put the pieces of her family back together and carry on. 

 

My review -

 

This is my first book review of 2014, and it didn't disappoint. After reading this book which I found hard to put down, I think I have found another author to add to my favourites. Melissa Foster has shown that she can not only write great Chic-Lit, but is also a great mystery writer too.

 

When Junie, one of the main characters was dwelling on her childhood relationship with her best friend it made me think back to my childhood best friend and what we were doing at the age of seven. Luckily my best friend never disappeared.

 

The journey that she was going through, in trying to piece together what happened to her best friend Ellen, really drew you in. It was very emotional and seemed so real. It made Junie come across as really vulnerable. She was having to deal with her young Daughter who was undergoing tests as she had become withdrawn and had stopped speaking. Her relationship with her Husband was also very testing as he didn't want to speak to Junie about Ellen(who also happened to be his young Sister) and her disappearance.

 

Whilst Junie tried to work out what had happened to Ellen, as a reader I went on the journey with her. I was so drawn into the story and started coming to my own conclusions, only for the Author to flip the story in a different direction and dampen all my theories!

 

This book was so well written; full of different emotions; full of content and full of mystery. I'm certainly putting this Author and all her books on my "must read" list.

 







 

About the Author

 

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, and the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on  Fostering Success. Melissa has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

 
Visit Melissa on The Women's Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

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