Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 101

The Burning Girls by C J Tudor

An unconventional vicar moves to a remote corner of the English countryside, only to discover a community haunted by death and disappearances both past and present–and intent on keeping its dark secrets–in this explosive, unsettling thriller from acclaimed author C. J. Tudor.

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake here. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And two months ago, the vicar of the local parish killed himself.

Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a fifteen-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village hoping to make a fresh start and find some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture. “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.”

The more Jack and daughter Flo get acquainted with the town and its strange denizens, the deeper they are drawn into their rifts, mysteries, and suspicions. And when Flo is troubled by strange sightings in the old chapel, it becomes apparent that there are ghosts here that refuse to be laid to rest.

But uncovering the truth can be deadly in a village where everyone has something to protect, everyone has links with the village’s bloody past, and no one trusts an outsider. 

My Review

Oh my God what a brilliant book. To say I couldn’t put it down is no exaggeration. Especially at the end with so many unexpected twists and reveals I’m exhausted. One in particular I NEVER guessed – or maybe I wasn’t concentrating hard enough.

Reverend Jack Brooks has been asked to leave her parish in Nottingham under a cloud and move to a remote village in East Sussex. The chapel she is taking on has a chequered history from the eight martyrs burnt at the stake 500 years ago to the mysterious suicide of the previous vicar. However, these are just some of the mysteries the small village of Chapel Croft has to offer. And Jack has more than her own share of secrets which she is determined to keep hidden.

A strange tradition in Chapel Croft is known as the ‘burning girls’ where twig effigies are thrown on a bonfire every year to ‘celebrate’ – is that the right word – the burning of the Sussex Martyrs. Apparently if you see the burning girls, they are trying to tell you something and trying to protect you.

Now those familiar with the town of Lewes, also in East Sussex, will know about the town’s tradition of holding the largest and most famous bonfire night in the UK. Every year on 5th November, it is held partly to celebrate Guy Fawkes night and partly to commemorate the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs from the town burned at the stake for their faith during the Marian Persecutions.

But back to the story. Jack’s daughter Flo has been forced to leave her friends behind in Nottingham and is not happy. Till she meets Lucas Wrigley – a strange boy with a neurological condition called dystonia which causes sudden twitching and involuntary movements. A perfect target for the village bullies, as is newcomer Flo.

But is Wrigley the innocent boy Flo thinks and hopes he is? Why is everyone so in awe of wealthy, farm-owner Simon Harper and why does youngest daughter Poppy turn up covered in blood? And what happened to two missing girls Joy and Merry who disappeared thirty years ago – supposedly they ran away – and were never seen again?

All this but other threads too including an abusive childhood and a killer released from prison.

There is no let up in this story. No time to relax. The excitement is incessant. I absolutely loved this book. Murder, jealousy, supernatural hauntings – just up my street.

Some of my family live in East Sussex and I didn’t recognise Lewes as a kind of flowery-dresses-and-joss-sticks middle class Glastonbury or Eastbourne as a town with grey seas. I guess it’s a matter of perception.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

C. J. Tudor was born in Salisbury and grew up in Nottingham, where she still lives with her partner and young daughter.

She left school at sixteen and has had a variety of jobs over the years, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, shop assistant, ad agency copywriter and voiceover.

In the early nineties, she fell into a job as a television presenter for a show on Channel 4 called Moviewatch. Although a terrible presenter, she got to interview acting legends such as Sigourney Weaver, Michael Douglas, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams. She also annoyed Tim Robbins by asking a question about Susan Sarandon’s breasts and was extremely flattered when Robert Downey Junior showed her his chest.

While writing The Chalk Man she ran a dog-walking business, walking over twenty dogs a week as well as looking after her little girl.

She’s been writing since she was a child but only knuckled down to it properly in her thirties. Her English teacher once told her that if she ‘did not become Prime Minister or a best-selling author’ he would be ‘very disappointed.’

The Chalk Man was inspired by a tub of chalks a friend bought for her daughter’s second birthday. One afternoon they drew chalk figures all over the driveway. Later that night she opened the back door to be confronted by weird stick men everywhere. In the dark, they looked incredibly sinister. She called to her partner: ‘These chalk men look really creepy in the dark . . .’

Old Hobb’s Christmas Adventure by Cat on a Piano Productions/Theatrephonic

No pantomime this Christmas? No live show to go to? Well never mind. Cat on a Piano Productions have recorded this gem just for you.

Emily is a spoilt, greedy child. Her mother is a right snobby cow. Poor old Styles – their ‘man’ – gets no love or respect, even at Christmas, He just gets to carry the shopping.

Totally overloaded with things that Emily wants wants WANTS! they spot a homeless man selling stories. Having finished telling a story to a plant, he is now telling one to a fly. But Emily wants a story NOW and so she must have one. The fly can wait.

But the storyteller doesn’t want their money. What he wants is their lives. And the story is not exactly what they expected.

Listen now to Hobb’s Christmas Adventure on Spotify (you can also listen on other platforms) to find out just what happens when Satan wants to be Santa. It’s hilarious (though I did shed a tear at the end).

Written by Chris Meekings
Directed by Emmeline Braefield
With Rebecca Daines
Kaitlin Howard
Rob Keeves
and Henry Douthwaite

The music is all performed by Amicantus Choir, led by Maddy Evans

About Cat on a Piano

Cat on a Piano Productions produce and edit feature films, sketches and radio plays.

Their latest project is called @Theatrephonic, a podcast of standalone radio plays and short stories performed by professional actors. You can catch Theatrephonic on Spotify and other platforms.

And if you really enjoyed Hobb’s Christmas Adventure, listen to Theatrephonic’s other plays and short stories and consider becoming a patron by clicking here…

Old Hobb’s Christmas Adventure by Cat on a Piano Productions

No pantomime this Christmas? No live show to go to? Well never mind. Cat on a Piano Productions have recorded this gem just for you.

Emily is a spoilt, greedy child. Her mother is a right snobby cow. Poor old Styles – their ‘man’ – gets no love or respect, even at Christmas, He just gets to carry the shopping.

Totally overloaded with things that Emily wants wants WANTS! they spot a homeless man selling stories. Having finished telling a story to a plant, he is now telling one to a fly. But Emily wants a story NOW and so she must have one. The fly can wait.

But the storyteller doesn’t want their money. What he wants is their lives. And the story is not exactly what they expected.

Listen now to Hobb’s Christmas Adventure on Spotify (you can also listen on other platforms) to find out just what happens when Satan wants to be Santa. It’s hilarious (though I did shed a tear at the end).

Written by Chris Meekings
Directed by Emmeline Braefield
With Rebecca Daines
Kaitlin Howard
Rob Keeves
and Henry Douthwaite

The music is all performed by Amicantus Choir, led by Maddy Evans

About Cat on a Piano

Cat on a Piano Productions produce and edit feature films, sketches and radio plays.

Their latest project is called @Theatrephonic, a podcast of standalone radio plays and short stories performed by professional actors. You can catch Theatrephonic on Spotify and other platforms.

And if you really enjoyed Hobb’s Christmas Adventure, listen to Theatrephonic’s other plays and short stories and consider becoming a patron by clicking here…

The Other Mrs Miller by Allison M Dickson

Two women are watching each other

Phoebe Miller isn’t sure when the rusty car started showing up in the cul-de-sac she calls home, or why its driver would be spying on her. What could be interesting about an unhappy housewife who drowns her sorrows in ice cream and wine and barely leaves her house?

Only one knows why

When a new family moves in across the street–the exuberant Vicki, who just might become the gossipy best friend Phoebe’s always wanted, and her handsome college-bound son, Jake, who offers companionship of a different variety–Phoebe finds her dull routine infused with the excitement she’s been missing. But with her head turned she’s no longer focused on the woman in the car. And she really should be…

The Other Mrs. Miller serves up a delicious brew of dark secrets and stunning plot twists that will keep you captivated until the very last page.

My Review

As one of my fellow Pigeons commented The Other Mrs. Miller is ‘a book of two halves’. The first half is about Phoebe, a bored and almost agoraphobic, wealthy housewife, whose ghastly father Daniel has just died. A highly successful businessman. he was also a sexual abuser and his victims are just beginning to emerge from the woodwork. No wonder Phoebe is virtually in hiding. Her husband Wyatt is a therapist, but struggles with their own marriage and they are on the verge of breaking up.

Then a new family move in across the road. Vicki instantly becomes Phoebe’s new best friend, but not as ‘best’ as her gorgeous 18-year-old son Jake. He pops over to do the gardening and other favours. Think Desperate Housewives here. Vicki is married to Ron, a disgraced neurosurgeon, who has fled California following two negligence law suits. Lovely. Almost forgot – most of them drink themselves into oblivion. Must go with the territory.

But the most interesting plot-line for me is the blue car claiming to belong to a delivery driver for Executive Courier Services that is always always parked across the road and the mysterious woman who sits there. Is she watching Phoebe? And if so why?

The second half of the book focuses on Nadia. This is her story. Personally (probably because I found Phoebe so irritating) I preferred this half of the book. Nadia has secrets – lots of them – and she is clever and devious. Can we trust her? Can we trust Wyatt or anyone for that matter? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

I loved it even though the second half was at times ridiculously far-fetched. But that’s fiction for you.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Allison M. Dickson is the author of several well-reviewed independently published novels and short stories covering everything from horror and sci-fi to suspense.

Patch Work: A Life Amongst Clothes by Claire Wilcox

A linen sheet, smooth with age. A box of buttons, mother-of-pearl and plastic, metal and glass, rattling and untethered. A hundred-year-old pin, forgotten in a hem. Fragile silks and fugitive dyes, fans and crinolines, and the faint mark on leather from a buckle now lost. Claire Wilcox has worked as a curator in Fashion at the Victoria & Albert Museum for most of her working life. Down cool, dark corridors and in quiet store rooms, she and her colleagues care for, catalogue and conserve clothes centuries old, the inscrutable remnants of lives long lost to history; the commonplace or remarkable things that survive the bodies they once encircled or adorned. In Patch Work, Wilcox deftly stitches together her dedicated study of fashion with the story of her own life lived in and through clothes. From her mother’s black wedding suit to the swirling patterns of her own silk kimono, her memoir unfolds in luminous prose the spellbinding power of the things we wear: their stories, their secrets, their power to transform and disguise and acts as portals to our pasts; the ways in which they measure out our lives, our gains and losses, and the ways we use them to write our stories. 

My Review

A beautiful memoir but quite frustrating at times. It is a mixture of the author’s life working at the museum, mainly in Fashion at the V & A, interspersed with short vignettes about her family and life. Some of these were very moving and I must confess I found these more interesting than the museum stories, (though I particularly liked the part about Freda Kahlo which was quite heart-breaking). It’s very strange because I studied Fashion at The London College of Fashion in the 1970s so these extracts should have resonated more with me than they did.

The reason I found the book frustrating is because the family stories are not in chronological order and her friends and family members are not named. Sometimes I wasn’t sure what was happening.

But I think for me the main problem was that I am very busy at work and with Christmas, so I was a bit rushed. If I was reading on a sunny day in the garden, sipping a cocktail and listening to Classic FM, I would have enjoyed it more. However it is a beautifully written book, the language is poetic and descriptive. I think I may read it again one day when I have more time.

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

The Lies of Our Fathers (The Barnabas Trilogy Book 2) by Jonathan Mark

Antioch 1098. A Crusader knight saves the lives of a Muslim family.
A city under siege by the army of the First Crusade. Sickened by the slaughter of Muslims, an English knight rescues a family and helps them escape. In the midst of battle he discovers a holy secret. When the tide is turned and the Crusaders find themselves besieged within the walls of Antioch, the same Muslim family must risk their lives to save the English knight.

#TheLiesOfOurFathers @jonmark1956 @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Facebook @damppebblesblogtours 

Ankara 2000. An ancient bible is discovered.
An original version of the Gospel of Barnabas, supporting the Islamic view of Jesus and suppressed by the Christian church for centuries, is discovered by Turkish police in an anti- smuggling operation.

Iran 2005. A son hunts his terrorist father.
Richard Helford, MI6 agent, is searching for his father, a wanted terrorist. A search for the truth will take him from the Greek islands to the deserts of Iran, via Turkish occupied Cyprus. Embroiled in the bloody rivalries of Iranian politics, could his father be guilty of a murder that hurts Richard to the core of who he is? Richard must find the secret of the Crusader knight and the proof that the Gospel of Barnabas is not a forgery. Or will the assassination squads from the CIA and Mossad get there first?

What are The Lies of Our Fathers? The second novel in the Barnabas trilogy.

My Review

We begin with the story of Robert de Valogne in 11th century Antioch. This was the time of The Crusades. Robert kills a Muslim man who is going to kill him first in front of the man’s family. The wife is called Akila and he decides to rescue her and save her and her children from being slaughtered. Robert is tired of the killing and no longer believes in the Christian Crusade. He converts to Islam and marries Akila.

Now it is 2005 and we are following the story of Richard Helford, an MI6 agent who is trying to uncover the truth about the original Gospel of St Barnabas, which Christians have tried to suppress for centuries as it shows Islam as being as important as Christianity (correct me if I’m wrong). I have to admit that it all started to get a bit complicated at this point.

Richard’s girlfriend Becky is pregnant with his child, but in spite of having no involvement in politics, she has joined a women’s Islamic movement called Words of the Faithful run by Nadia, whose husband was killed for funding terrorism. Richard’s father David is also involved but on whose side? It is all very mysterious.

Everyone wants David dead but Richard manages to meet him in Crete, just before he disappears again. Everyone also seems to be after a couple of religious artefacts taken by Robert de Valogne from a dying priest, but this is no Indiana Jones. In comparison The Last Crusade is like Enid Blyton. (Apologies to Harrison Ford.)

The story then travels to Northern Turkish-occupied Cyprus, back to England and on to Iran where Richard seems to be kidnapped, beaten, blown up and imprisoned numerous times by all sorts of different political or religious factions. I gave up trying to work out who was who.

Each time someone kidnaps him, they tell him a different story but who is lying and who is telling the truth? I had no idea most of the time. Who can we trust? Can we trust Nadia or someone called Amira who is a double agent or any of the Iranian soldiers? I can’t pretend to understand what was going on much of the time but I did learn a lot about Islam, about the differences between Sunni and Shia and about the Crusades. Maybe if I had read the first Barnabas book The Last Messenger it would have been clearer. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the book. I tried to go with the flow and revel in the adventure without getting too involved in the politics. And I have huge admiration for the phenomenal volume of research that the author must have undertaken to write this story.

Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to be part of #damppebblesblogtours

About the Author
Jonathan Mark worked for nearly forty years in the City of London financial district, he retired early to pursue his long held ambition to write novels.  He shares his time between Essex and Cornwall and travels around the world to research material for his books.

To kick start his writing career he completed an MA in Crime and Thriller writing at City University London. At the time, this course was the only creative writing MA in the country which focused on commercial crime fiction. The Last Messenger was the novel submitted to complete the MA.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonmark1956 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathanmarkwriter 

Website: https://jonathanmarkwriter.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanmarkwriter/ 

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jonathan-Mark/e/B072HCBT1F/ 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3kWZwIn 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35Wd8Q3 

Fae Child by Jane-Holly Meissner

When eight-year-old Abbie Brown discovers a quiet pool of water while wandering through the woods behind her Oregon home, she wades out into it and discovers she’s not alone. A wild-haired boy in green stares at her from the other side of the water. Mesmerized, Abbie reaches down to him and is yanked underwater.

#FaeChild @hanejolly #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours

She emerges on the other side as an unwelcome visitor to the Otherworld, the land of the Fae, with only the boy Foster to guide her. Back in Oregon, a changeling lookalike has taken her place, bonding with her mother while her father, hiding a secret of his own, views the “girl” with suspicion.

In the courts of the Fae a truce has long been in place between Winter and Summer. What havoc might a human child wreak in the careful machinations of beings older than time? And to what lengths will Abbie’s father go to get her back?

My Review

Such a lovely book. If you are a fan of C S Lewis or Tolkein, then you will adore this tale of Elves and Fairies, changelings, wolves and other mythical folk. It’s whimsical and mystical and full of just enough excitement for eight year olds upwards without being too scary.

Abbie is a sweet child. At eight years old, she loves the outdoors, taking her shoes off and wandering into the forest with her Jack Russell Sammy. I have a 16 year old Jack Russell so Sammy is now officially my favourite dog in a novel – ever.

On one such occasion she is looking into the water when she is surprised by an Elven Boy and pulled into an another world – the Otherworld. It is here that she discovers that the boy is called Foster with whom she must travel to find her way back. Along the way she encounters another human called Charles, his companion Nadiene who is really a wolf and a Winter Elf called Gwyn. It’s a dangerous journey and not to be undertaken lightly but Abbie has no option if she wants to get home to dad Dan and mum Fiona.

Sometimes the story is told from Dan’s point of view. There is a lot we don’t know about him. In fact Abbie knows nothing at all about who or what he really is. And while Abbie is trying to get home, Dan is organising her return by invading the Otherworld. This is dangerous for him as we the reader, and eventually Abbie will discover. In fact Abbie is not what she seems either.

I love Fae Child and can’t wait to read it to my granddaughters. They are a bit young yet at six and four but it won’t be long. In fact the eldest will be able to read it to her sister in a while.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours.

About the Author

Jane-Holly, an Oregon based writer, has been scribbling stories into notebooks and online for most of her life. She squeezes in time for her four kids, date nights at the movies with her husband, and explaining her first name to everyone she meets. She believes that, if creativity is directly correlated to how messy your house is, she might just be one of the most creative people on the planet.

Publication information

Pub date: December 15, 2020

Format: Fae Child will be in print and ebook:

https://www.amazon.com/Fae-Child-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B08KD5HF83

You can preorder both through the publisher’s website:

https://www.inkshares.com/books/fae-child

Cooking for Cannibals by Rich Leder

Fountain of youth? More like murderous medication!

Carrie Kromer pushes the boundaries of science, not her social life. The brilliant behavioural gerontologist’s idea of a good time is hanging out with her beloved lab rats and taking care of her elderly mother and the other eccentric old folks at the nursing home. So no one is more surprised than Carrie when she steals the lab’s top-secret, experimental medicine for ageing in reverse.

#CookingForCannibals @richleder @LaughRiotPress @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Facebook @damppebblesblogtours 

Two-time ex-con Johnny Fairfax dreams of culinary greatness. But when his corrupt parole officer tries to drag him from the nursing home kitchen, the suddenly young-again residents spring to his defence and murder the guy—and then request Johnny cook them an evidence devouring dinner to satisfy their insatiable side-effect appetite.

As their unexpected mutual attraction gets hot, Carrie and Johnny find themselves caught up with the authorities who arrive to investigate the killing. But even more dangerous than the man-eating not-so-senior citizens could be the arrival of death-dealing pharmaceutical hitmen.

Can Carrie and Johnny find true love in all this bloody madness?

Cooking for Cannibals is a dark comic thriller with a heaping helping of romance. If you like fast-paced plots, unconventional characters, and humour that crosses the line, then you’ll have a feast with Rich Leder’s wild ride.

My Review

Oh my goodness! This is like nothing I have ever read before. Hilarious, shocking, funny, dark and gross – what a ride. Not for the faint-hearted it includes murder, torture, rats, nudity, orgies, drugs, more rats, cannibalism, sex, torture (did I already mention torture?), even more rats – have I left anything out? Don’t think so. And all served – tattoo-boy Johnny Fairfax style – with panache-in-a-burger and a huge helping of dark humour.

I love the rats. I know I probably shouldn’t and most people hate them, but I love their little rat faces and their little rat feet. And the way Carrie adores them and kisses them on their little rat noses. She calls them her Greek Gods. Just the ones with the super powers that is. Bit like the geriatrics at the Copacabana Rest Home (except she doesn’t kiss them on their little wrinkled noses), who have not only turned back time but become lithe and gorgeous, sex mad and with a lust for devouring human flesh. Carrie gave them a pill that did this. She stole it and everyone wants it back including Sikorski the scientist who developed it.

Now everyone is after her – from the drop-dead gorgeous ‘fixer’ Eduardo Wolf to the pyromaniac ‘cleaner’ Constantine ‘Tino’ Antonov, from the Matrix twin cops to Johnny’s larger-than-life parole officer. Looks like there is only one way out. Kill ’em, cook ’em and feed ’em to the residents. I don’t know why I’m laughing. It’s really not funny – well actually it’s hilarious.

Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to be part of #damppebblesblogtours

PS I don’t think Amazon will approve this review – I may have to leave a few things out.

About the Author

Rich Leder has been a working writer for more than three decades. His credits include 19 produced movies—television films for CBS, Lifetime, and Hallmark and feature films for Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, Longridge Productions, and Left Bank Films—and six novels for Laugh Riot Press.

He’s been the lead singer in a Detroit rock band, a restaurateur, a Little League coach, an indie film director, a literacy tutor, a magazine editor, a screenwriting coach, a wedding guru, a PTA board member, a commercial real estate agent, and a visiting artist for the UNCW Film Studies Department, among other things, all of which, it turns out, was grist for the mill.  

He resides on the North Carolina coast with his awesome wife, Lulu, and is sustained by the visits home of their three fabulous children.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/richleder 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRichardLeder/ 

Website: https://richleder.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rich_leder/ 

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3dK15Hy

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3nObXrZ

Publishing Information:Published by Laugh Riot Press on 14th January 2021

Deadline by Geoff Major

Adam Ferranti was drinking away his waking hours, getting by in a regional newspaper in the North of England. An award-winning journalist, he moved to England to escape the media glare that followed his spectacular fall from grace at The Washington Post; only to be thrust back in it when a mysterious serial killer decides to make him his confidante.

#Deadline @GradusPrimus @ghpbooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Facebook @damppebblesblogtours 

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DS Stephanie Walker is a successful member of the West Yorkshire Police force. Whilst she is tough and results-driven at work, with a fearsome reputation on the streets, she hides the domestic abuse she suffers at home.

She finds Ferranti exceptionally difficult to deal with, but he’s her only chance to stay close to what the elusive killer is planning next. Ferranti reluctantly complies with the Police, even though he is fighting his own personal demons, but when his best friend is murdered by the killer, it suddenly gets personal. And suddenly, no-one is quite who they seemed to be.

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My Review

This was a very interesting book with some surprising twists. DS Stephanie Walker is a great main character and journalist Adam Ferranti is fascinating. Some or in fact most of the murders are very gory so be warned, but there are only about five of them! Or is it six? Seven even? I lost count.

At first I thought – this is going to be just another police procedural but it feels very different. It’s not just a serial killer thriller, it’s also a spy novel – there’s politics, MI5 are involved, plus police corruption and revenge.

Ferranti is the most interesting character, but I felt that certain aspects of his nature could have been explored a bit deeper. We know a lot about his background, his family and his time in Afghanistan but there is more to him than we at first realise.

Stephanie is married to Alex – a handsome model whose well-paid work has enabled them to live a lavish lifestyle. Unfortunately he has been losing work because of his temper and unpredictability and this has resulted in the rapid deterioration of their relationship. I did question how they ever got together in the first place – they seem so mismatched. Alex has turned to drink and has become physically abusive towards his wife but she is too ashamed to tell anyone.

I loved Ferranti’s driver Aarav Khatri whose biggest fear is that his parents will find out that he is a chauffeur with an old Nissan Leaf instead of studying to be a doctor. We really feel sorry for him.

But the best thing about this book is that it turns everything you expect on its head. The identity of the killer, who lives and who dies. Usually these outcomes are fairly predictable but not in this book. As a creative writing student I was told I had to ‘murder my darlings’ – metaphorically speaking that is. In other words get rid of unnecessary scenes/paragraphs/characters which do nothing to move the story forward even though you love them. This author takes that adage literally in Deadline. He’s not afraid to murder our darlings for real and often it will be totally shocking and unexpected. Very different and a brilliant read.

Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to be part of #damppebblesblogtours

About the Author

A long time ago, Geoff Major had an idea for a story, whilst walking his girls to primary school. Two years ago, he decided he had the time and patience to try to write the story down. His wife was wholly supportive, so he turned from full-time to part-time for four months and now – 23 years after that idea first popped into his head – it has been published.

As a self-employed business consultant for 18 years and a fundraising adventurer for 10 years (including ski-trekking 50 miles, over 6 days and 6 nights, to the geographic North Pole), he now works for a debt charity whilst plotting his next three books.

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Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GradusPrimus

Blog: https://lets-start-at-the-very-beginning.blogspot.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primusgradus/

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2UAjMok 

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3kALBrp 

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3kAt0Me 

Foul Play Card Game

Welcome to Edwardian England. The Lord of the Manor is dead! The servants are our lead suspects and it’s up to you to unearth the evidence, seek out the suspects and catch the culprit in order to scupper the other sleuths, and win this game of murder

The Murder Mystery Card Game
The Manor House Murder
A game for 2 – 5 players | Age 14 +
£8.95 + p&p
www.foulplaygame.co.uk
info@afterdarkmurder.co.uk

Facebook:@afterdarkmystery | Twitter:@afterdarkmurder | Instagram:@afterdarkmurder 
@damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Facebook @damppebblesblogtours 

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There’s more than one way to catch a killer though. So what’s it gonna be? Good Cop or Bad Cop? These two game versions come with their own set of rules and tactics to crack the case and finger your suspect, but will you use fair play or FOUL PLAY?

The Game is Afoot! Playing as detective, you’ll need to find the three evidence cards that point to a specific suspect in order to catch a killer in this crazy criminal caper. Will you uncover them in the crime scene? Could the other detectives be willing to collaborate and share their findings? Or will you resort to more tricky tactics, and plunder the proof you need to solve this crime?

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History of Foul Play

What’s a Murder Mystery Events Company to do?

With a pandemic sweeping the nation and no sign of being able to perform their confounding criminal cabarets or incredible interactive investigations any time soon, they needed to come up with a plan, another way to provide mystery to the masses (and provide income to keep themselves afloat)!

Well, lockdown does strange things to people, especially actors who can’t go out and perform. So one fateful evening, Ben & Lee Cooper-Muir decided to come up with a whole new way to murder people. Keeping their cards close to their chests they plotted and schemed until Foul Play : The Murder Mystery Card Game was born. So, what to do next? This is where After Dark enters the picture. After all, Ben and Lee were two of the operators of the infamous murder mystery company. Maybe they could collaborate to bring the game to the masses. When Lockdown restrictions were eased a top-secret meeting was held with the other criminal masterminds behind After Dark, Helen Burrows, Sophie Webster & Tom Fisher and a pact was made. The game would be launched and licensed under the After Dark banner.  In true After Dark style, the team burst into action and then began the beta testing, design updates, promotional planning, character changes, proofing, proofing and more proofing until finally all the kinks were ironed out, mysteries solved, and FOUL PLAY came to life!

How to play

The full details of how to play are included with the pack of cards but here is a brief outline. They are also available on the website www.foulplaygame.co.uk.

Once your crime scene is set and cards dealt, the detective who has the highest number of red-backed cards in their hand goes first, if there is a tie then the more experienced (oldest) detective goes first.

On your turn, you can either play a card or discard a card.

PLAY A CARD

Place a card from your hand face up in front of you and state your play. If no one blocks your play with the block card then you can carry out the action on the card. Once the action is complete you must discard the card you played in the discard pile and then pick up a new card from the Evidence Locker. You pick up a card from the Evidence Locker after every card played.

DISCARD A CARD

If you don’t wish to play a card on your turn you can immediately discard a card (without showing anyone else what that card is) and pick up a new card from the Evidence Locker. Once the evidence locker is empty the discard pile is put in its place and a new discard pile is begun.

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If a detective has only one card in their hand, certain cards can’t be played and must be simply discarded. Fair Play and Crime Scene are two such cards.

If a detective has all of their cards stolen then sadly their case has gone cold and they’re out of the game!

A minimum of two detectives in play are required in order for one to solve the crime and win the game.

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Remember there are also two versions of the game – Good Cop and Bad Cop. There are some differences (which I won’t go into in detail) but the rules are basically the same.

The Suspects

Each suspect has varying attributes eg smoker, has keys, has a gun etc. Attributes are either A, B or C. The killer must have three of these attributes – one for each of A, B and C. So eg the killer is a smoker, has keys and wears glasses. I played bad cop and you need the killer card plus all three attributes in your hand to win. It makes more sense when you actually play – honestly.

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My Review

I played with two people (including me), which is a shame because three or four would be far more fun. Unfortunately during second lock down and now being in Tier 2 it has been impossible to get together with my son and daughter-in-law who live 160 miles away and would LOVE this game. In fact they would probably dress up. If we were together we would all dress up. I thought about playing on Zoom but I have all the cards!

We went with the Bad Cop version, which uses the whole deck. It took about 20 mins or so to crack the case and find the killer. I think that is mainly due to there being only two of us. With four it would be harder as the cards would be more spread out.

I’m looking forward to getting together with my family soon so we can all play together. It’s something you can take on holiday and play anywhere (not on the plane though as the trays are too small) as all you need is a table which can accommodate the nine cards plus the Evidence Locker pile and the discard pile. All in all it’s great fun.

Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to be part of #damppebblesblogtours