Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 12

Don’t Make Me Laugh by Julia Raeside spotlight post

Don’t Make Me Laugh balances anger and humour with the deftest of touches.

It is a story about power and control and manipulation, about gendered roles in both the workplace and our personal lives, and about how women are set up in competition with each other.

And ultimately – satisfyingly – it’s a story about fighting back.

Praise and Reviews

‘This is fantastic – a sharp, funny, sometimes painful story about terrible egos and narcissism in the world of stand-up. I devoured it furiously. It’s fiction, if that’s not clear… #notallcomedians’ *Jenny Landreth *

‘Set in the stand up comedy world, it is a powerful portrayal of how the projection of who you might be on stage can lead to manipulating those who might fall for who you seem to, how this potency can be used to manipulate and, through self interest and ego, destroy others. Having spent much of my working life in the stand up world, it was often an uncomfortable read. It is also a good
education in the techniques and tricks that surround our worlds and so often poison them. This is a disconcerting and wise book.’ Robin Ince

‘This book is by turns gut-wrenching and heart breaking, but at its heart it’s a timely, furious call for change. I loved it.’ Will Maclean (author of The Apparition Phase)

‘A great book, an important book that will start a discussion that needs to be had…my heart was in my mouth’ Marian Keyes

‘Exhilarating, viscerally thrilling and SO timely – an ambitious dark comedy that really delivers. Hugely smart, with so much emotional depth and resonance’ Daisy Buchanan

‘Sharp, dark and outrageously funny’ Marianne Levy

‘This is an honest, funny, devastating and timely book’ Jenny Colgan

About the Author

Julia Raeside is a journalist and broadcaster who has written for the Guardian, Times, Observer and The Big Issue among others. She makes regular contributions to BBC Radio, including review spots on Radio 4’s Front Row and Lauren Laverne’s 6 Music show. She lives in London with her husband, kid and cat.

Handles/Tags
X (Twitter)
@bedsqpublishers
@Tr4cyF3nt0n

Instagram
@juliaraesidewriter
@bedfordsq.publishers
@thebookdealer

Hollow Ground by Freya Wallace

In the rugged wilderness of Dartmoor, school teacher Sophie Parsons vanishes without a trace during a weekend trek.

For Detective Inspector Jacob Knox, Sophie’s disappearance stirs unsettling echoes of a previous case involving another woman who vanished in the same desolate moorland six months earlier.

As Knox delves deeper, he uncovers the complexities of Sophie’s personal life, including a secret affair with a charismatic colleague and a tense relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Peter.

#HollowGround X(Twitter) #freyawallace @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #booktwitter
Instagram @freyawallaceauthor @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram #blogtour 

But Sophie’s tangled love life is just the beginning of Knox’s troubles. A local legend about a beast stalking the moors resurfaces, fueling public fear and media speculation.

Is it just a myth, or could something more sinister be at play?

With time running out and the possibility that two women have been claimed by the moor, Knox faces his toughest case yet—one that will test him professionally and personally.

As the case unfolds, Knox realizes the dark truths buried beneath the surface of Sophie’s life may be the key to unlocking the mystery.

Introducing DI Jacob Knox, Hollow Ground is a gripping crime thriller set in the eerie beauty of Devon’s Dartmoor, blending elements of mystery, suspense, and psychological depth to explore the blurred lines between human vulnerability and the unknown.

My Review

So where’s The Beast of Dartmoor or The Hound Of The Baskervilles I hear you ask? That was all a bit of a red herring, as it’s only the media that love to print that sort of thing. Sophie Parsons and Rachel Simmons may be missing, but it’s definitely down to a human connection and not a giant dog or panther.

I absolutely loved this book. It was so enjoyable, I started reading the last few chapters as soon as I woke up – I have a small puppy and having taken her out to ‘potty’ at 6 am, I intended to go back to sleep when she did, but ended up reading until the alarm went off. I needed to get to the end.

It’s not so much a whodunnit – it’s more of a why, and that’s what makes it so interesting. I’m not saying we know all along who is responsible because we don’t, but the reasons are very unusual to say the least.

Our intrepid hero detective DI Jacob Knox is going to be a great ‘leading man’, I can tell already. He’s a complex character and a dog lover (enough said), who gets really involved in the crimes he’s investigating, while trying to reconcile his career with his personal life. It already cost him his marriage. He’s tall, dark and handsome, hair flecked with silver… (no that’s not how the author describes him, I’m simply using my imagination…) and has a German Shepherd called Dylan.

I found the whole concept really engaging and believable, and couldn’t wait to find out the connections between the missing women, and what relationships they might have had in common. Knox has a great team to help him with all the research, sidekick and partner Ava, and the usual IT wizards and forensic experts. Then there’s Lucy, his dog minder, and his alcoholic brother Caleb.

I’m really looking forward to Knox’s next case.

Many thanks to @ZooloosBT  for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Freya Wallace is a crime writer based in Devon. Her debut novel, Hollow Ground, introduces DI Knox in the first book of an atmospheric new series set against the backdrop of her local area. A lifelong reader, she always wanted to see a gripping crime series unfold in the place she knows best.

When she’s not writing or reading, Freya can be found walking her two German Shepherds along the local beaches.

Freya’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571745819033
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freyawallaceauthor/

Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/221437258-hollow-ground
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/hollowground-zbt

Killing Lily by Jillian Gardner Publication Day

Demons of the past aren’t easily left behind…

At Sunnyside, women serve in silence. Mae—an outspoken, rebellious outcast—has a penchant for getting in trouble. Her only ally is Lily, the perfect follower. When their husband dies and the cult’s new leader claims Lily as his bride, the facade of peace crumbles. Mysterious deaths haunt the commune, and Mae’s attempts to protect Lily only get her banished to the woods, leaving Lily vulnerable without her protection.

Faced with a heartbreaking choice, Mae makes a desperate decision the night before Lily’s wedding and escapes the cult. But the past clings to her like a shadow. Heartbroken and alone, Mae meets Charlotte, a true-crime podcaster obsessed with uncovering the dark secrets of Sunnyside. Charlotte offers Mae a chance to start over, but only if she’s willing to talk.

As Mae begins to reveal the cult’s sinister secrets, she comes dangerously close to admitting the truth about what happened the night she fled—something far more twisted than anyone can possibly imagine. And it’s only a matter of time before the past catches up to her and she’s forced to confront the nightmare she thought she’d left behind…

My review will be posted on 9th March as part of the #KillingLily #blogtour.

Buy Links
www.amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.com

Goodreads
www.goodreads.com

About the Author

Author of the psychological thriller Killing Lily to be published by Bloodhound Books on 20 February 2025

Handles/Tags
X (Twitter)
@jilligardner
@bloodhoundbook
@KellyALacey
@lovebookstours 
#Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #LBTThriller

Instagram 
@authorjilliangardner
@bloodhound.books 
@lovebookstours
#Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram  #LBTThriller

Threads
@lovebookstours   

Facebook
@lovebookstours 

TikTok
@lovebookstours

The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories #3

The Gibson sisters weren’t expecting to speak to each other ever again after Isabel ran off to New York and left Sophie alone.

But here they are, years later, running the family bookstore together on Brinkley’s Island, Maine. Isabel also thought she’d left Johnny Lenox behind, but whether or not she knew it, Johnny was always going to be there for her.

Five years into their happily ever after, Isabel and Johnny are making the most of their second chance at love. Then one night, Johnny awakens from an extraordinary dream…and their world is irrevocably altered. Isabel does her best to give Johnny space as he struggles to accept the new chapter life has opened for them. But Johnny can’t do it alone—no one can. As the whole family is soon to discover, seasons change, but love never does.

My Review

A mixture of sad and happy in the third book in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories. Sisters Isabel and Sophie are still running the family bookstore, which is now so successful that book lovers come for miles to visit. They are both married and living contentedly nearby.

But one day Isabel’s husband Johnny faces a sad event and Isabel must let him work through his grief. In the meantime Sophie’s daughter Violet is coming home having graduated from university and has something to tell her mother. She can’t face it and confides in Isabel instead.

It’s another beautiful short story from one of my favourite authors, that examines love, grief and family. I read it in one sitting with my puppy on my lap (yes I finally gave in after three dog-free years) and enjoyed every minute.

About the Author

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The World That We Knew, The Rules of Magic, The Marriage of Opposites, Practical Magic, The Red Garden, the Oprah’s Book Club selection Here on Earth, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, and The Dovekeepers and Magic Lessons. She lives near Boston.

The Only Child by S Englefield

How well do you really know the people you love?

After her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Amelia Simpson retreats from her old life and moves to the sleepy Isle of Wight to be near her grandmother, her last remaining family.

#TheOnlyChild X(Twitter) #SEnglefield @ZooloosBT 
#ZooloosBookTours #BookX #booktwitter
Instagram  @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram #blogtour 

But as the people closest to her start to die and secrets from her parent’s past are uncovered, Amelia is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her childhood and the people that she loved the most.

In order to find the killer, Detective Inspector Jennifer Stone will have to delve into Amelia’s past where she learns that there’s no such thing as a perfect family and that stopping them may end up costing her everything that she holds dear.

My Review

Three years ago we went as a family to the Isle of Wight to celebrate my granddaughter’s sixth birthday (she’s about to turn nine). We stayed in Ryde and spent her birthday on the seafront. I hadn’t been there since Bob Dylan played the Isle of Wight Festival in 1969 and I was still at school.

So I was very excited to read a book that takes place on the island as it’s pretty rare. It’s not exactly the crime centre of the universe, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Something a bit Midsomer Murders probably.

Amelia Simpson’s parents both died in a car accident when she was young, and a number of years later she decides to move to the island to be near her grandmother, her only living relative. She owns a flower shop, has a lazy boyfriend of six years called Sam, a cat named James (who Sam is jealous of – yes really), and a ghastly best friend Megan, who has anger issues – sorry but I thought she was dreadful.

Initially, the most exciting thing to happen is when the owner of a rival flower shop puts a brick through Amelia’s shop window. But when people close to her start to die, Amelia realises something far more sinister is going on, but she has no idea who would want to target her. Quite a few people have a minor motive it would appear, but not enough to carry out a revenge vendetta on this scale.

The Only Child is an interesting concept and for much of the book I was convinced I knew who the killer would turn out to be. How wrong I was, but then it wouldn’t be half as much fun if it was that easy to work out.

This is the first in a series featuring Detective Inspector Jennifer Stone and her team, so we are also setting the scene for more to come.

Many thanks to @ZooloosBT  for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Scott Englefield grew up on the Isle of Wight. Despite being surrounded by idyllic beaches and woodland walks, he was often to be found with his head buried in a book. His love of reading endured into adulthood and now he spends his free time writing crime and psychological thrillers, often having to stop to fend off his cat James who believes his keyboard is the perfect place to sleep.

He is in his mid-forties (and feels it) and lives with his wife, son and cat in the East of England. He grew a beard once – his wife hated it.

Scott’s Social Media
Website: https://senglefield.com/

Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222108619-the-only-child
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/onlychild-zbt

Late Venetian by GN Lawson

A disgraced former MP, Teddy Chesterton, is dying.

He wants to put things right with his ex-wife, Laura, the only woman he has ever loved, but who left him after believing he deceived her.

Teddy finds out that Laura has recently been widowed and invites her to come with him to Venice.

To his surprise, she accepts.

#LateVenetian X(Twitter) #GNLawson @BlossomSpring3 @ZooloosBT #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour #booktwitter
Instagram @blossom.spring.publishing @zooloosbooktours #bookstagram

They first meet at a gallery where Teddy’s university friend, Paul Merrick works, and Laura is offered the chance to work in London to help stage an exhibition of paintings by Tiepolo.

Paul asks Laura to do him a favour and authenticate a sketch by the younger Tiepolo. She is told subsequently that what she believed to be a genuine Tiepolo was a fake, and her reputation in the art world is ruined.

She blames Teddy for his part in getting her involved with Paul. They divorce, and Teddy goes to prison for money laundering.

Upon his release, he visits Paul, who explains that he had nothing to do with the sketch being a fake and that it was copied by a forger to whom he had unwittingly sold the original.

In Venice, Teddy gives Laura a pile of papers that prove Paul did not set out to deceive her about the sketch he asked her to authenticate.

Teddy knows that he has done what he set out to do, even if everything is just too late.

My Review

If you are looking for a fast paced thriller, Late Venetian is not for you. But it’s already one of my favourite books of 2025 so far. I’m not sure why – maybe because the two main characters are in their late seventies looking back (no I’m not that old!), but there are still so many things I can identify with. First of all, I live in Gloucestershire where they move with the children, but while I am an art fan and paint a bit, I have never ventured into politics.

The book is written from the points of view of Laura (who is Jewish as was my mother), and Teddy, whose turn of phrase made me laugh. I once worked with someone who always referred to her parents as the ‘Aged Ps’, so it made me laugh when Teddy uses that phrase (though he more usually refers to them as Ma and Pa). For those who like me had to look it up, it’s from Dickens’ Great Expectations. There are so many other words and phrases he uses that made me chuckle and even laugh out loud. Not very PC though, so don’t be shocked or offended. I’ve met a few ‘Teddys’ and that’s just how they speak.

I am still not quite sure why Laura married him though. He’s a bit of a cad and a bounder (I think he’d approve of the description), while Laura is just so nice. He’s not even handsome, quite short, and a bit chubby, with pink cheeks. He refers to his old school Harrow as ‘The Dump’, and talks about fagging as being not that bad, unless you looked like a choir boy, which he didn’t.

There’s a warmth about Laura’s side of the story with her family in New York, and I loved her relationship with art teacher James after she divorces Teddy. Poor Teddy. I think in reality, he’s a bit of an anachronism.

I almost forgot to mention the part where Laura’s second husband James takes her to see the Severn bore. She had no idea what it was, but of course living so close, we have seen it many times. It’s quite the spectacle and would have been a real treat. Oh and I’ve just signed up for a free art taster class – haven’t really done much since Covid – must be inspired by James.

Many thanks to @ZooloosBT  for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

“Apart from three years studying History of Art and Philosophy at University College London, I have lived my entire life in the North West – born in Warrington, lived and worked in Manchester, and fourteen years ago moved to north Cumbria.

“After several years of freelance arts journalism, I ran a NW-based public relations agency called Lawson Leah in the 1990s, then worked for various organisations in the construction industry, as CEO of Construction for Merseyside Ltd and then Director of the Civil Engineering Contractors’ Association. I have been a guest lecturer on urban regeneration and chaired a housing association for three years, and now work part-time as a consultant.

“I have had articles on a range of topics, including the arts, construction, engineering, housing and economic development published in numerous magazines, as well as poetry and a guidebook to waterway walks in the NW.

“My approach to writing tends to involve identifying a problematic situation and then finding a means of resolving it. I derive particular pleasure from finding the right words to achieve that. I was first inspired to write, as a teenager, after reading The Catcher in the Rye, and latterly find inspiration in the daunting novels of Bellow, Nabokov and Pynchon.”

Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223607899-late-venetian
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/latevenetian-zbt

I Dreamed of Falling by Julia Dahl spotlight post

‘A blistering mystery. With I Dreamed of Falling, Julia Dahl proves she’s simply one of the best thriller writers working today’ Gillian Flynn

‘A riveting crime novel… Vivid and haunting and not to be missed’ Megan Abbott

Roman Grady is the sole reporter for the local newspaper in a tiny Hudson Valley town – a town so small that every store opening is considered newsworthy.

But when Roman’s longtime girlfriend Ashley, the mother of his four-year-old son, is found dead, he realises he had no idea what was really going on in her life.

And when he starts asking questions, he’s not prepared for the answers. What was Ashley doing at the cliffside home of her troubled ex-girlfriend? How did no one in a house full of people see what happened to her? And why does it seem like everyone in town suddenly has something to hide? As Roman and his mother dig into Ashley’s last few months, the truths they uncover threaten to expose painful secrets. The kind of secrets that can get you killed.

About the Author

Julia Dahl is the author of four previous novels, including Invisible City, which was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and has been translated into eight languages. A former reporter for CBS News and the New York Post, she now teaches journalism at New York University.

Praise and reviews

Spectacular reviews for this break-out novel by Edgar Award-winner Julia
Dahl. It’s a Multi-layered crime novel: devastating portrait of a working-class
community; tragic family story; suspenseful who- and whydunnitFor people who loved Mare of Easttown, Chris Whittaker’s We Begin at the
End, or Jane Harper’s character- and location-driven novels

‘With this suspenseful, poignant book, Julia Dahl delivers not only an intricately crafted thriller, but also a profound portrayal of generations of life in the Hudson Valley, and of the making and unmaking of family. Its characters will stay with you for long after you’re done reading’ – Clemence Michallon
‘
All the characters here are memorable, but four-year-old Mason and his bottomless, bewildered grief are particularly well drawn. A family and a story to remember’ – First Clue

‘Devastating crime novel’ – Library Journal

‘The definition of gut-wrenching… I Dreamed of Falling is a perfectly crafted thriller that goes beyond a classic whodunit. Layered with complicated character arcs, unforeseen twists, and well-thought-out details, this novel―and the circumstances surrounding Ashley’s death―will be on the minds of readers well after they’ve finished’ – Booklist

Handles/Tags
X (Twitter)
@juliadahl
@bedsqpublishers
@Tr4cyF3nt0n

Instagram
@msjuliadahl
@bedfordsq.publishers
@thebookdealer

The Hoarder by Jess Kidd

Maud Drennan – underpaid carer and unintentional psychic – is the latest in a long line of dogsbodies for the ancient, belligerent Cathal Flood.

Yet despite her best efforts, Maud is drawn into the mysteries concealed in his filthy, once-grand home. She realises that something is changing: Cathal, and the junk-filled rooms, are opening up to her.

With only her agoraphobic landlady and a troop of sarcastic ghostly saints to help, Maud must uncover what lies beneath Cathal’s decades-old hostility, and the strange activities of the house itself. And if someone has hidden a secret there, how far will they go to ensure it remains buried?

My Review

So this was my second audiobook book by Jess Kidd, with the same Irish narrator. This time I listened on Borrowbox. There is something about the strangeness of her work that draws me in. Her books and her writing are totally unique. There is once again more than a hint of the supernatural, but this time Maud sees the ghosts of dead saints. They are not quite what you would expect saints to be though – advising, warning and spewing sarcasm.

Irish comedian Dave Allen was my father’s favourite, but because of his irreverent pope jokes and sketches, he received death threats from offended Catholics in Ireland. I’m wondering if Jess has ever been criticised for being disrespectful towards the Church.

Maud Drennan is really quite a simple soul, working as a carer of sorts for Cathal Flood, though what she is really doing is clearing the old house, Bridlemere. There are other characters who are more eccentric and/or flamboyant. Cathal himself is ancient, about 6ft 8ins tall, and has hoarded junk and curiosities over many years. He has numerous semi-feral cats and there is a fox who Maud calls Larkin, who lives in the grounds and sees too much. Cathal’s wife Mary died when she fell down the stairs, but was it an accident? Then there is Renata, Maud’s colourful, agoraphobic, transgender landlady, who Jess describes better than I can. Renata is sure there has been foul play at Bridlemere.

Every now and again, we visit Maud’s childhood, at the time when her own sister went missing and was never found.

The Hoarder is probably no weirder than Things in Jars, maybe slightly less so, and next I am going back to Audible to delve into Jess’s first novel Himself. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. I just hope someone sees ghosts.

There is something about Jess’s books that makes the journey more important than the destination, if that makes sense.

About the Author

Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has been praised for her unique fictional voice. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder, published as Mr. Flood’s Last Resort in the U.S. and Canada was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her latest book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, has been released to critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.’

Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story by Douglas Vigliotti

For over 2000 years, dramatic writers have relied on Aristotelian principles to write their stories for the screen and stage.

But now for the first time ever, these same timeless principles from Aristotle’s esteemed Poetics have been adapted for novelists.

With succinct clarity, novelist Douglas Vigliotti shows you exactly how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories. These timeless principles are the foundation on which any story can be written. Whether you are writing your first or tenth novel, Aristotle for Novelists has something to offer any serious writer of fiction. It is both a challenge to writers to simplify their craft and a no-frills, impassioned outcry for novelists everywhere.

My Review

Reading this book, I felt like I was revising for my Open University Humanities degree again, part of which was a Diploma in Literature with Creative Writing. I needed this! I graduated in 2009 and had forgotten so much about the principles. ‘Less is more’, ‘murder your darlings’, relevance. How it all came back! Basically, stop waffling to reach your word count. Note the use of italics. I use it for titles of things – for me it’s just my editorial style.

But that’s only one of the principles. It all came from Aristotle apparently, who never actually wrote a novel. But the principles remain true today. In general a novel should have a beginning, a middle and an end. And be a certain length depending on the genre (a lot of historical fiction can be VERY long). Break the rules if you want, but do so at your peril. You need a good reason, do it well, but be prepared to take the flak.

Vigliotti tells us that films pack everything into a couple of hours or less, but that the rules still apply. Novels (and films) can be tragedy or comedy. The main difference is that a tragedy will end in…well…tragedy, while a comedy should have a happy ending. Hamlet is my favourite Shakespeare play even though everyone dies at the end (tragedy), while in A Midsummer Night’s Dream everyone ends up happy (comedy).

My husband is always coming up with ideas for a novel. I rarely do – I wish I did – because I admit I am more ‘style over substance’. On that basis, he says we could write one together. My answer is always the same. Go away and read as many books as you can that were written later than the 1970s. Your ideas are great, but they’ve been done a million times already. You would know this if you tried reading more – it’s fine, we’ve been married 42 years.

Stephen King said famously, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

So where are we? Having a good idea is only the beginning. You have an amazing protagonist. He/she will be the stuff of dreams (after they have overcome the usual problems and journeys and found themselves – think Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy). Spoiler alert – you know they will get together in the end. The villain can be handsome and charming like Christopher Lee’s Dracula, or look obviously evil with one eye, a limp and a scar across his face. The reader will be awaiting his downfall with baited breath. Or maybe they won’t, but it depends on the reader.

As usual, I’m in danger of waffling. Just read the book – it’s only short – and take from it what you need. It’s well worth it.

Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #AristotleForNovelists readalong and review tour.

About the Author

Douglas Vigliotti is the author of three books, including his first work of fiction, Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel, which is available to listen to (gratis) on the podcast, Slightly Crooked: Good Stories, Told Well. He is also the host of Books for Men, a podcast to inspire (more) men to read and bring together men who do. He currently lives in New Haven, Connecticut.

Buy links
www.amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.com

Goodreads
www.goodreads.com

Handles/Tags
X (Twitter)
@KellyALacey
@lovebookstours 
#Ad #LBTCrew #BookTwitter #FreeReview #FreeBookReview #ReadAlong #LBTReadAlong

Instagram 
@douglasvigliotti
@lovebookstours
#Ad #LBTCrew #Bookstagram  #FreeReview #FreeBookReview #ReadAlong #LBTReadAlong

Threads
@lovebookstours   

Facebook
@lovebookstours 

TikTok
@lovebookstours

The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain

Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for…

It’s 1782, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance.

But the city is not a place for men like Daniel and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.

#TheBlackbirdsofStGiles X/Twitter @KateAGriffin @Marciathewriter @simonschuster
#RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #bookX #booktwitter 
Instagram @lilacainbooks @randomthingstours #bookstagram #blogtour

The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free.

Can Daniel use his strength, wit and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for…?

My Review

I know very little about this period of history. I did a bit of research and discovered it was when William Wilberforce was involved in ending the slave trade in the UK. However, it was still rife across the pond, and our main protagonist Daniel has escaped a sugar plantation in Jamaica with his little sister Pearl. He has had to abandon his true love, Adanna, who was employed at the big house.

Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence, becoming a Lieutenant, and receiving his freedom and an inheritance. But when he and Pearl arrive in London, they are double crossed and there is no-one who can vouch for the authenticity of the will.

Having nothing but the clothes they stand up in, they find themselves in ‘the rookeries of St Giles – a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.‘ What are they to do?

They soon find they are not alone, and are befriended by an apothecary called Jerome, and a woman named Jen. They discover that it’s not just poverty that is their enemy, but a character called Elias, who calls himself the ‘King of the Rookery’ and whose cruelty is unimaginable, even to his fellow Black men and women. An underground movement known as The Blackbirds of St Giles is ready to overthrow him and set their people free. But Elias has spies everywhere, and crossing him could result in torture and death if caught.

Wow! This book was epic! It would make a great film or Netflix series. I’m not sure who could play Daniel – Idris Elba is a bit too old (sorry Idris), but my personal first choice would be Regé-Jean Page from the original series of Bridgerton.

The Blackbirds of St Giles is a real page-turner, with a host of memorable characters, Daniel of course, Pearl, Adanna, Sparrow and Octavian, to name but a few. There’s only one thing I didn’t want to happen, but I can’t say because it would be a spoiler.

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

About the Authors

Lila Cain is the pseudonym for two authors writing together.

Kate Griffin won the Faber/ Stylist Magazine competition with Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders and went onto to write three more novels in the series before writing her first standalone novel, Fyneshade.

Born to Windrush-era Jamaican parents, Marcia Hutchinson worked as a lawyer before founding educational publishing company Primary Colours and was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010. Her solo debut novel Mercy is due for publication in summer 2025.