Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 2

Bad Girl Pie by Marilyn Horowitz

Bad Girl Pie is a dark comedy set in New York City. Dorothy Sherlock, a prolific ghostwriter, shares her running commentary on the absurdity of the human condition as she navigates her future.

Until now, she’s spent her life crafting other people’s success stories and mourning a failed romance. After a near-fatal encounter with her abusive father and his sudden death, Dorothy resolves to write her own book, blending her expertise in dieting and dessert. 

A whirlwind trip to a tango festival in Mexico reignites her passion for love through a romantic tryst with a tango-dancing firefighter. 

Hopeful and happy, Dorothy returns home, only to discover that her agent has stolen the manuscript and sold it to a new client, and her late father has cut her out of his will. As if this weren’t enough, Dorothy reconnects with her ex-boyfriend, but after a night of bliss, she finds out that he’s living in sin with his cleaning lady. The triple whammy drives her to despair. Can Dorothy’s sense of humor and talent save her and help her find success?

My Review

Don’t get me wrong, Bad Girl Pie is a brilliant book, but I had mixed feelings about it for just one reason. My husband and I used to go ballroom dancing and while I loved the Waltz, Quick Step and Cha Cha, and he liked the Foxtrot, neither of us really took to the Tango. And certainly not the Argentine Tango.

Even watching Strictly, I decided it’s not the dance for me, though Al Pacino performing a blind tango in Scent of a Woman almost changed my mind. And there’s a lot of tango in Bad Girl Pie and for me it was far too much detail. And too much musing on the parallels of tango and life.

However, I did warm to narrator Dorothy, or Dots as she calls herself, but her ‘friend’ and two-timing agent Susanna is a snake in the grass, as they say, while her abusive father is a horrible man. Peter is also vile, but I quite took to George who she meets at the tango festival in Mexico. I’d have given him another shot, as it was obvious he wasn’t devoted to his wife Tara, who seemed more interested in dance partner Carlos.

I loved the food side of it though, even though I am not a foodie, and my favourite dessert is Crème Brûlée, with a plain shortbread biscuit on the side. Not exactly a spectacular, mind-blowing dessert. Dots’ book could have made her a household name, but that was stolen from her, and I really felt for her. I’d have been furious.

When Dots meets tango teacher Tomas, I thought romance might be in the air, but what a pretentious git he turned out to be. Sorry, but he took it all too seriously.

All in all, it was a very entertaining book, but I did end up skimming some of the tango details. That part was too niche for me, and to the potential readers of her book, apparently. But I love Dots’ sense of humour and take on life, and parts of the book are laugh out loud funny.

Many thanks to Collective Ink Books for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Visit www.collectiveinkbooks.com for more information.

About the Author

Marilyn Horowitz is an award-winning author who has taught her trademarked storytelling method at New York University for twenty-five years. Her students have been nominated for Emmy Awards, won a Peabody Award and been produced by the major Hollywood studios.

Now sharing her storytelling secrets with a broader audience, Horowitz has written several books on the art of writing. Her most recent book, Word of the Day: Transform Your Writing in 15 Minutes a Day shares a journaling practice that demonstrates a new, easy way to create and sustain genuine happiness.

Shadows and Echoes, her latest book, co-authored with world-famous clairvoyant Martin Sherlock shares her three-year journey to enlightened self- awareness. Marilyn’s first novel, The Book of Zev was published in 2016. Horowitz is a Reiki master and is certified in Dao Yin Yoga and Authentic Movement. She dances the Argentine Tango as often as possible.

Find her on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Marilyn offers a free bi-weekly webinar. Readers can also sign up for her weekly newsletter filled with tips and tricks, and peruse her website for many additional free resources.

Publisher: Roundfire BooksLanguage: EnglishPrint length: 288 pagesISBN-10: 1803417633ISBN-13: 978-1803417639

Book Link: https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/roundfire-books/our-books/bad-girl-pie-novel 

Blackwater by Sarah Sultoon Cover Reveal

As the clock ticks towards the millennium – and the threat of a potentially new apocalyptic reality – Jonny Murphy is sent to investigate the discovery of a child’s body on a deserted swamp island, fifty miles from London. What he finds is more than just a tragedy, it’s a warning. Something big is coming … Can Jonny stop it? Should he?

London, Christmas 1999.  The world is on edge. With the new millennium just days away, fears of the Millennium Bug are spiralling – warnings of computer failures, market crashes, even global catastrophe. But fifty miles east, on the frozen Blackwater Island, a different kind of mystery unfolds. A child’s body is discovered on the bracken, untouched by footprints, with no sign of how he died. And no one has come forward to claim him.

At the International Tribune, reporter Jonny Murphy senses something is off. Police are appealing for relatives, not suspects. An anonymous call led officers to the scene, but no one knows who made it. While the world fixates on a digital apocalypse, Jonny sees the real disaster unfolding closer to home. With just twenty-hour hours before the century turns, he heads to Blackwater – driven by curiosity, desperation, and the sting of rejection from his colleague Paloma.

But Blackwater has secrets buried deep in the frozen ground. More victims – some dead, others still paying for past sins. And when Paloma catches up to him, they stumble onto something far bigger than either of them imagined. Something that could change everything. The millennium is coming. The clock is ticking. Can Jonny stop it? Should he?

And what if Y2K wasn’t a hoax, but a warning…?

#Blackwater Twitter/X @OrendaBooks #booktwitter #coverreveal Instagram @orendabooks #bookstagram #coverreveal

Here is the fantastic cover:

Pre-order link here

About the Author

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television. When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog while she imagines what might happen if…

About Orenda Books

Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman #1

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

I read this five years ago and while I reviewed it on Goodreads and Amazon, it never made its way onto my blog. I wasn’t reviewing on here yet – that came later.

With the release of the film which I watched on Netflix last night, I thought I would pop my review on here with a few comments about the film.

My Review

Written by TV presenter Richard Osman – and I’m a huge fan – I just had to read it didn’t I. And I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s choc full of of red herrings. Even the red herrings have baby herrings and just when you think you’ve cracked the mystery, something else turns up. Having finished quite late in the evening, I had to concentrate when I woke up to check if I could remember it all. It’s highly entertaining and will keep you guessing right up to the very end. And some of the answers might even be pointless (see what I did there).

There are so many references to the four main protagonists’ previous lives – Elizabeth for instance was a spy – but also to popular culture, some of which made me laugh out loud. As well as a murder mystery, it’s also a sharp observation of life with plenty of humour and often hilarious dialogue. However, I didn’t expect to cry while reading it, but I did. The last part was so touching that I couldn’t help shed a few tears.

I know our gang will be back in a few months time to solve another tale of bludgeoning (it’s a wonderful word), poisoning and derring-do or whatever crime will take place in book two and I have a sneaky feeling that The Thursday Murder Club will become a modern classic and a TV series.

And the moral of the story – never underestimate the combined wisdom of a group of octogenarians when it comes from the pen of one of our cleverest writers. And I almost forgot their partners-in-crime-solving – our two detectives Chris and Donna.

Now for the film. I loved every minute of it and what a cast! Ghandi, James Bond, The Queen (watch out for a moment when Elizabeth is in disguise), Miss Babs from Acorn Antiques, and Dr Who, aka Ben Kingsley, Piers Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie and David Tennant. All brilliant! And not forgetting Jonathan Pryce as Elizabeth’s husband (who steals the show whenever he’s on screen) and Daniels Mays as the police officer in charge of the murder investigation with his sidekick PC Donna De Freitas (played by Naomi Ackie).

The film is very funny, but it also handles dementia sympathetically, and the ending is touching and poignant and had me in tears. I think I might watch it again.

About the Author

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.

Three Years on Fire by Andrey Kurkov Cover Reveal

The third volume of Kurkov’s critically acclaimed, intimate and deeply moving war diaries: a poignant, personal account of life under siege in Ukraine – rich with humanity, dark humour, and unforgettable resilience amidst devastation.

In this third volume of Andrey Kurkov’s war diaries, Ukraine’s greatest living writer chronicles the third year of the full-scale invasion from his home in Kyiv and from journeys all over the country – capturing moments of horror, resilience, absurdity and grace with unmatched clarity.

Children on a contested border wear hooded bulletproof vests to school; soldiers write haiku; professional clowns go to war; and the mother of a young soldier, killed in battle, uses his compensation money to create a rehabilitation centre for veterans. Roses bloom across Ukraine in quiet tribute to a florist and soldier killed in Avdiivka, remembered by those who once bought his flowers.

The Dnipro River seems to slow when the first missiles fall, as though nature itself had paused in shock. In Pokrovsk, 7,500 residents refuse to leave a city that no longer exists – their homes obliterated but their will unbroken. A general’s seventeen-year-old pet toad becomes an iconic symbol of defiance. And buried beneath a cherry tree, a murdered writer’s final diary is recovered, a haunting echo of a silenced voice.

From the home front to the trenches, Kurkov captures the rhythms of survival – the quiet rituals, unlikely joys, unexpected humour and appalling costs – in an intimate and deeply moving record of national endurance. Three Years on Fire is a luminous act of remembrance, rich with unforgettable detail and human spirit, from a writer whose voice stands witness to everything Ukraine has lost – and everything it refuses to give up.

#ThreeYearsonFire Twitter/X @OrendaBooks #booktwitter #coverreveal Instagram @orendabooks #bookstagram #coverreveal

Here is the fantastic cover:

Pre-order link here

About the Author

Andrey Kurkov is a Ukrainian author translated into 45 languages. His novels are full of black humour, elements of surrealism, irony and humanism. Most of the novels deal with post-Soviet Ukraine, but also with Pre-Soviet and Soviet history. He lives in Kyiv, Ukraine with his British wife Elizabeth and their three children. From 2022 he learned how to be an IDP and refugee.

About Orenda Books

Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.

The Empty Cradle by Lisa Rookes

Amy’s so sure that her husband, Joel, is deeply invested in their future together. After all, it’s his dream of a family together that has them trying so hard to have a baby, despite a series of disappointments. It’s this certainty that leaves Amy absolutely floored when she learns of Joel’s affair with her best friend.

Heartbroken and horrified, Amy flees to a dilapidated cottage in a Yorkshire village, a place she’d bought with dreams of making it feel homey and warm. In the new village, she feels like a clear outsider, but a group of local women soon take her under their wing. They gather for a routine book club, they say. Before Amy knows it, these women are in her life, and in her home.

#TheEmptyCradle X/Twitter #LisaRookes @orionbooks  #RandomThingsTours  @annecater 
@RandomTTours #booktwitter 
Instagram #LisaRookes @orionbooks @randomthingstours #bookstagram #blogtour

Amy wakes one night to find herself outside in the fields. Strange offerings seem to be left on her doorstep. And the surveillance camera she installs shows shapes creeping around her house in the night. Strangest of all, she suddenly finds she’s pregnant. A pregnancy that feels like a cruel joke.

The book club is incredibly invested in Amy’s pregnancy. And it might just be in Amy’s mind, but the women’s interest doesn’t always seem safe. What do the women want with her? And what do they want with her baby?

My Review

This was so good. I’m not sure how a story could be scary, creepy, and really funny at the same time. I think that’s because it’s so well written it can be serious, dark and hilarious without ever being in bad taste or offensive (though there is a bit of swearing. Get over it).

Amy and Joel have the perfect life. Or so it seems. They buy houses, do them up and flip them for a nice profit. Except Joel is desperate for a family, and Amy is struggling to get pregnant. Then all at once, Amy has lost the cottage she had put in a sealed bid for, found out her pregnancy test is negative, and discovered that Joel is having an affair with her best friend.

We next see Amy in Yorkshire, having left Joel and moved into the cottage which she now mysteriously owns. It needs a lot of work, but she has enlisted the help of the enigmatic (or maybe just sullen and rude) Ethan, who seems to be a dab hand at everything practical. She met him through his cousin Sam, who Amy met at the craft market.

Now I have to admit that I don’t like Sam. She is everything I dislike – pushy, won’t take no for an answer, and organises wonderful get-togethers that you didn’t ask for, but feel you need to be grateful for. She has friends I wasn’t too sure about either – Ruby, Fran the estate agent, and pregnant Alice whose pregnancy is making her very ill and she throws up frogspawn. Maybe she’ll croak if she doesn’t get help soon. Sorry.

They are all friends, or maybe they are a coven. Ethan is obsessed with ley lines and her neighbour Pete seems to be trying to warn her of something. But he has a lovely elderly dog called Ian, so he is forgiven. I’ll even forgive him for calling the dog Ian.

I can’t pretend the book is perfect. There are a few things that don’t make sense or add up, and the ending is rather far-fetched, but I adored every page and read it in two sittings. One of my favourite books of the year so far.

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

About the Author

Lisa Rookes is an award-winning journalist and lecturer. She spent the start of her career as a crime reporter and news editor before moving to national newspapers and women’s magazines. She is currently head of the undergraduate Journalism programme at the University of Sheffield and has won further multiple awards for her teaching. Her debut Gothic thriller The Village published in 2025. She lives in Holmfirth in South Yorkshire with her husband, two sons, an arthritic Labrador and a disabled pug.

The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

When Julia’s husband is brutally murdered in a random attack, her life unravels in ways she never could have foreseen.

Haunted by his death and spiraling into despair, Julia seeks refuge in a secluded Italian villa she has mysteriously inherited from a stranger. But her sanctuary becomes a prison as she uncovers disturbing connections to her own past – and faces chilling threats that may not be imaginary.

#TheUnravellingofJulia X/Twitter  @LisaScottoline @noexitpress
#RandomThingsTours  @annecater  @RandomTTours #bookX #booktwitter 
Instagram @noexitpress @lisascottoline @randomthingstours #bookstagram #blogtour

Caught between a heritage she doesn’t understand and a darkness she can’t escape, Julia must confront secrets that could cost her what little she has left. The Unraveling of Julia is a gripping, atmospheric tale of grief, memory, and a descent into psychological terror that will keep readers turning pages deep into the night.

My Review

I wasn’t sure about this when I started it, but it grew on me. It’s a real page turner, but some of the supernatural elements were a bit over the top.

And then there’s the astrology, which we all know is b*****x. Apologies to those who believe but here’s one of mine for today:

“Another person might let you know how they see you today. Maybe the grandiose vision of yourself that you carry in your head isn’t what comes across to others. Remind yourself that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. While the connection-craving Moon passes through your 7th House of Relationships, your companion may give you a chance to come down to Earth and enjoy life on a less dramatic scale. Follow what feels comfortable instead of scheming to look as impressive as possible.”

Really? Grandiose vision? 7th house of Relationships? Less dramatic scale? Could mean anything. But Julia believes hers is a warning of her husband’s impending murder. Other supernatural elements I liked, but Italian noblewoman Caterina Sforza and her blue light were a stretch too far.

But back to the story, which continues with Julia’s inheritance. She’s been left a villa in Tuscany and the land around, plus money. The whole lot is worth around 2 million dollars. She has no idea who has left it to her or why. She’s fostered and has no family. Emilia Rossi who owned the villa had no children, but Julia is not convinced she wasn’t lying. Many children of her generation had children out of wedlock, which they gave up and no-one knew. An illegitimate child of Emilia could be Julia’s mother. Or not.

The two stories unfold, as Julia herself unravels, but is there any connection? Is she going mad with her visions, her ‘ghosts’ and her dramatic ideas, or is she being used for some bigger plot of which she has no clue. It was an interesting premise and I really enjoyed it. Unlike some reviewers, I felt the ending was satisfying. We’ve got a bit of romance thrown in as well, for those who like that sort of thing!

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

About the Author

Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of 33 novels. Lisa has been President of Mystery Writers of America and she reviews fiction and non-fiction for the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives with an array of disobedient pets, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Two For Joy by Sarah A Denzil Isabel Fielding #2

Leah Smith has a new name, a new job and a new home. The sleepy seaside town, Clifton-on-Sea, is a refreshing change from the gloomy moors of Yorkshire. She couldn’t be farther away from her serial killer stalker.

Or so she thinks…

A new name isn’t enough to make her forget her past. Leah must come to terms with the events that occurred at Crowmont Hospital, especially when police discover the mutilated body of a young woman. Leah and Tom struggle with the consequences of their actions on the moors, and how they may have led to murder.

While a serial killer is on the loose, Leah throws herself into solving a different puzzle. She meets George, an elderly local man who suffered a heart-breaking childhood. In 1944, when George was just ten years old, his mother perished in a fire at the family home. His sister, Abigail, went missing during the fire, presumed dead. Abigail’s body was never recovered from the ashes. Twenty years later, George received a photograph of a young woman bearing a striking resemblance to his sister Abigail. Perhaps she didn’t die after all.

George is not a well man and time is running out to uncover what happened to little Abigail. Leah is drawn into the mystery, keen for any distraction from her own troubles. With assistance from George’s grandson, Mark, she vows to help.

But even as she immerses herself in George’s tragic past, she can never escape the one name that haunts her nightmares, Isabel Fielding…

My Review

I loved the first book, and the second was just as good. Leah has been moved under the witness protection programme, when it’s realised that Isabel survived being pushed off a cliff after trying to kill Leah and her brother Tom. They have a new life in the South East of England, living by the sea. Tom had to leave his foster family and is back with Leah, who had to leave Seb, with whom she had become good friends.

Isabel is now on the loose, in hiding and living on her wits. Her brother is in prison, her father is dead and her mother is a pill-popping alcoholic. Isabel is still obsessed with Leah, and is determined to find her.

In the meantime, Leah has found a job as a receptionist in an old people’s home, while Tom is working in a chip shop and making friends. Tom is being very difficult, and quite frankly, horrible to Leah.

In the home, Leah befriends an old man called George whose sister Abigail went missing 70 years ago. Believed to have died in a fire with her mum, her body was never found and she seemed to have vanished off the face of the earth. Leah is helping George’s grandson Mark find out what happened to Abigail.

I’m glad there was a side plot, because there wouldn’t have been enough ‘story’ with just Leah, Tom and Isabel. One thing I found very disturbing was the #justiceforAlison hashtag on Twitter, where people blame Leah for letting Isabel escape. They want her real name and location to be released. Why should public money be spent on protecting her when she was in cahoots with Isabel, they maintain. Many also believe she should have killed Isabel when she had the chance. Unless they have had military or police training, most ‘normal’ people would not be capable of killing someone, even in self defence. That’s my view anyway.

I listened to Two For Joy on Borrowbox and it’s also available on Audible. It’s the second in the series. I now need to read Three For A Girl to conclude the story.

About the Author

Sarah A. Denzil is a Wall Street Journal bestselling suspense writer. She is also known as young adult author Sarah Dalton.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.

She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller Silent Child, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.

You can read now read Aiden’s Story, a short story and sequel to Silent Child. It’s completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3

Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/

Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD

Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil

Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/

Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com 

The Witch, The Seed and The Scalpel by Scott O’Neill

Edinburgh 1841.

‘Reaching out like a hungry white worm it twisted and spiralled, tasting the air. Then, evidently attracted by the flow of warm blood, it squirmed its way under the surface of my skin.‘

Every autumn without fail, a strange seed appears on the chestnut tree that marks the spot where the witch Margaret McKay was murdered.

Legend states that anyone who catches this nut before it hits the ground will be blessed with untold riches, but when it falls into the eager hands of botanist Joseph Ware, the seed unleashes a terrible curse. In his quest to find the cure, Joseph discovers a resistance group battling to save the last of Scotland’s witches from a sinister order of surgeons – Gladius Dei* or The Sword of God – who believe the key to all magic lies hidden somewhere within a witch’s anatomy.

The conflict quickly tears apart the bonds of family, friendship and even reality itself, as Joseph fights to save his soul and avoid the anatomists’ dissecting table.

Ideal for readers of The Last Witch in Scotland, The Witches of Vardo, Bram Stoker or for those with an interest in witchcraft lore.

My Review

I can honestly say this was one of the strangest books I have ever read. There were times when I almost gave up, as I found some of Joseph’s visions where he talks about animal suffering (which I can relate to as a vegetarian) very upsetting. But please don’t be put off. It’s only a small part of the story, and everything else was just brilliant.

It’s a masterpiece of storytelling and modern Gothic literature – it’s use of language poetic and lyrical. It flows with the grace of a winding river, and the main characters are beautifully written and sympathetic.

And I admit I cried at the end, though I’m not sure whether it was tears of sadness or happiness for Joseph. But my favourite character was his cousin Molly, still so young, but brave, steadfast and loyal. In fact the whole story is very women-focused, the men being mainly sadistic torturers of witches, while the women understand the powers of nature, herbs and healing.

*Interesting to note that Gladius Dei was a book by Thomas Mann, though there is no parallel with this story. On the other hand the Viscus of Devilry – the seat of evil in a witch – seems to be a total invention by the author.

Many thanks to www.mcnidderandgrace.com for an ARC.

About the Author

Scott O’Neill spends much of his free time exploring the hills and shores of his homeland the Isle of Bute, a landscape full of history and mystery which inspires much of his writing including two published novels: The Buzz Building (2014) and The Hectic Headspace of Abigail Squall (2018).

He has written several screenplays including Underground, a crime thriller which was sold to Celtic Films, The Circle, an indie horror film starring Ross Noble (2017) and Sketches of Bute (2024). The sequel to The Circle called The Circle: Awakening will be released in 2025.

Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb

November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsí has a secret pen pal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name.

Now she is excited to meet him for the first time.

But when the date arrives, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsí and her pen pal had agreed to meet. November, 1977. Stína’s disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsí It’s from her pen pal, and he’s still out there…

#HomeBeforeDark Twitter/X @evaaegisdottir  @OrendaBooks  @victoriacribb #RandomThingsTours  @RandomTTours #booktwitter
Instagram @evabjorg88 @orendabooks @randomthingstours #bookstagram #blogtour #IcelandNoir #NordicNoir

Desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified that he might coming after her next, Marsí returns to her hometown and embarks on an investigation of her own.

But Marsí has always had trouble distinguishing her vivid dreams from reality, and as insomnia threatens her sanity, it seems she can’t even trust her own memories. And her sister’s killer is still on the loose…

My Review

What starts off as a slow burn, picks up pace and becomes creepier and more unsettling with every chapter. It’s told from the point of view of Marsí in November 1977, and then goes back and forth to her older sister Stína up until she went missing in November 1967.

Stína appears to have vanished completely, but how is that possible? Her body has never been found, but some believe she wanted to get away enough to leave the country and never return. That makes Marsí cross as she doesn’t believe Stína would do that to her or her parents.

The parents are a bit odd. Their mother wanted to be an actress, but had to give it up when she got married and became pregnant with Stína. Their father owns an intensive chicken farm, which is horrendous, with hens pecking other hens to death. It makes me glad I don’t eat chicken. In one part, the father is feeding chicken meat to his pet chickens, and Marsí is understandably horrified. She won’t ever eat chicken.

While searching for links to her sister’s disappearance Marsí discovers that the house where her sister studied art was previously a home for unmarried mothers called Reykir. This was during the second world war. Reykir is relevant to the story, as are various other characters in the book. There are a number of twists – including one major one – and eventually it all comes together. It’s very cleverly written and I gave up trying to guess what had happened. What makes it all the more complicated is that Marsí is an unreliable narrator, unable to separate her visions and dreams from reality.

Suffice to say I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from one of my favourite authors in one of my favourite genres – Iceland Noir. I love that Iceland is a character in itself. It’s so different from anywhere I have ever been.

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

About the Author

Born in Akranes, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir studied for an MSc in Globalisation in Norway before returning to Iceland and deciding to write a novel. Her debut, The Creak on the Stairs, was published in 2018, becoming a bestseller in Iceland and going on to win the Blackbird Award and the Storytel Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year. It was published in English by Orenda Books in 2020, and became a number-one bestseller in ebook, shortlisting for Capital Crime’s Amazon Publishing Awards in two categories, and winning the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger. Girls Who Lie, Night Shadows, You Can’t See Me and Boys Who Hurt soon followed suit, shortlisting for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger, the Capital Crime Awards, and the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel. You Can’t See Me won the Storytel Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year in Iceland in 2023. In 2024, Eva won Iceland’s prestigious Crime Fiction Award, the Blood Drop, for Home before Dark and was shortlisted for the coveted Glass Key. The Forbidden Iceland series has established Eva as one of Iceland’s bestselling and most distinguished crime writers, and her books are published in eighteen languages with more than a million copies sold.

Follow her on @evaaegisdottir

About Orenda Books

Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.

New Beginnings at The Buckley Hotel by Marianne Crichton

This is a heartwarming story about a group of friends and their families…with a sprinkle of romance and an adopted Border Terrier for good measure!

Mo, Michael, Martin, Malcolm and Craig all come from very different backgrounds, but find themselves living and working closely together, at The Buckley Hotel in central London.

The Buckley Hotel has been closed for a luxury refurbishment and these five young people – along with ‘The Boss’ John and his devoted PA Avril – have just four months to recruit and train all of the staff and get everything ready for the grand reopening of the hotel.

Along the way…they all become close friends, we meet their families and there’s plenty of tears, laughter and romance.

Hamish the Border Terrier joins them to live at The Buckley…he steals their hearts and makes their ‘family’ complete.

We learn that Mo and Michael knew each other briefly over 10 years earlier and it soon becomes clear to their new friends that they still have chemistry. The question is…will they ever do anything about it, or will they need a helping hand?

My Review

I really enjoyed reading The Buckley Hotel, but ultimately I am used to books with more drama. Traditionally a story requires a ‘dramatic arc’ which ‘refers to three main sections: exposition, climax, and dénouement, which are connected by rising action at the beginning and falling action towards the end.’

Having studied creative writing, it’s hard to ignore these three things. In this book we have a group of people – Mo, Michael, Martin, Malcolm and Craig – who all start work at the hotel at roughly the same time – and they gel immediately. Lovely, but no tension.

They work together (I hope there’s going to be a Slimming World club at the hotel as they’ll certainly need one after all the cake and biscuits), eat together, go to the pub, win the quiz every Sunday night, and generally become besties after about five minutes.

It’s not real life. I once disliked a colleague so much that I am killing her off (metaphorically speaking) in my novel. But the characters are all lovely, the setting is gorgeous, and the story is, well, nice. An easy holiday read.

However, it had SO much potential. A couple of events could have been really dramatic. Malcolm’s family situation was so sad and could have had me in tears, but it resolved itself far too quickly ‘not with a bang but a whimper.’ Then there is Grant. That could have really created an arc of its own.

It was still heartwarming and great fun. I loved the introduction of Border Terrier Hamish, and of course fluffy, white, pooch Melody. PLEASE let them have puppies together in the next book. Or maybe Buster will be Dad Dad.

Many thanks to the author for a review copy and to my ‘buddy’ readers for sharing their views.

About the Author

“I have had the absolute privilege of being the ‘Mum Mum’ of two Border Terrier boys… Hamish who sadly passed away in 2021 and now Archie who he sent to us to mend our hearts

When writing my very first book – New Beginnings at The Buckley Hotel – it was therapeutic and healing to include Hamish as a ‘character’ in the story

It’s a very light hearted, easy read…the kind of book I like to read myself.

I’m currently writing my second book in this series, which is a Christmas book featuring the same characters, with the special addition of ‘wee Archie’!

AUTHOR PIC