Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 40
January 19, 2024
Age of Rust: Retribution by Thaddeus Yeiser & Conrad Bair Cover Reveal
Thaddeus Yeiser and Conrad Bair are releasing the sequel to their war-novel, Age of Rust! This novel is a continuation of the war-saga that follows young men through battle, loss, victories, and the need for peace.
Having survived a battle with the Western warlord, Kayzitt, Seneca and Tavin lead the survivors South out of the thawing northern wilds. They must seek out the Chancellor of the East, who has been directing their campaigns from a distance till now, and determine the direction of the war and thus, their lives.
Age of Rust: Retribution is coming 2024!
Genre: Sci-fi – Speculative
Publisher: Ink Smith Publishing
Meanwhile, Kayzitt and Oil’ib play cat and mouse in the desolate wilds, their survival unbeknownst to their friends. Oil’ib longs for revenge at any cost, but Kayzitt will not allow himself to be beaten so easily.
Chiara tries to maintain the hospital that Seneca was forced to leave for the service. All while patients pile in and physicians continue to be drafted away. When the situation reaches a harrowing breaking point, she will put her life on the line to save her home.
As the Agents of the Chancellor finally meet their leader. They learn that there may be a way out of the war, a long lost tool or the Golden Age of man, which may give them the advantage needed to dispel the invaders from their land. But the mission will require a high risk journey to the New England territories, where the influence of the Eastern Republic is weak and their enemies closer than they could have dreamed.
Buy Links
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The Teacher by Tim Sullivan The DS Cross Mysteries #6
An eighty-year-old man is found murdered in his home.
His age and standing in the community makes finding his killer difficult – why would anyone harm an elderly man? What threat could he possibly be to anyone?
With no apparent motive, DS George Cross canvases the community for potential suspects but the man was known as generous, charitable, community-minded. Each interview about who the man is muddies the picture further. So Cross decides to look for who he was – revealing a past that is far less honourable than his present . . .
My Review
This is my third George Cross mystery and I love him. So just a quick recap again ‘He’s on the neurodivergent spectrum (he refers to it as autism spectrum disorder) and takes everything literally. He doesn’t get jokes or irony which can be very confusing for his colleagues and intimidating for the criminals. They think he is taking the p*ss.’
His colleague DS Josie Ottey gets him though and recognises that he is the best officer on the Avon and Somerset Major Crime Unit (MCU). His detection record is off the scale. But socially, he is, shall we say somewhat awkward.
When 80 year-old headteacher Alistair Moreton is murdered in his cottage in the small village of Crowkerne, there appears to be no motive and finding the killer could be harder than usual. Josie is unfortunately on leave, so DI Bobby Warner is brought in from the Kent force to help. The first thing he does is move his desk into George’s office, which upsets George as he has always been allowed to have his own personal space. Warner doesn’t understand any of this – why should Cross get special treatment?
It’s not long, however, before George discovers that Moreton was not a nice old man who just happened to keep himself to himself. He was a tyrant when he was the headmaster of All Saints School, relentlessly dishing out punishments that would see him prosecuted nowadays. He had also had a run in with his neighbours that ended up in court. Suddenly there are suspects left, right and centre, but Warner believes he has his man, and George can go to hell in a handcart.
With ‘dogged’ (you’ll understand that reference when you read the book) determination George won’t give up investigating – for him and hopefully the rest of us – a case isn’t closed until it’s gone to court and the ‘defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt’. Warner, however, has closed the case and George must carry on without alerting the rest of the force.
Warner is a nasty piece of work and we are reminded of the misogyny in the Met in recent years. But how far does it go and how far will his superiors go to brush it all under the carpet in order to protect the reputation of the force.
The Teacher moves us forward because it’s not just about George, Josie, Alice and Swift in the police, or George’s parents Raymond and Christine. We now have a subject that is both dark and topical and even George’s boss DCI Ben Carson has redeemed himself by being on the right side.
It’s all very intricately plotted with a lot of potential suspects who are eliminated one by one. The threads slowly come together until we are left with just one possibility. My only criticism of the book? I wanted George to keep Ricky. He needs a good furry friend.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.
About the Author
Tim Sullivan is a crime writer, screenwriter and director whose film credits include A Handful of Dust, Jack and Sarah and Cold Feet. Early in his career he directed Jeremy Brett’s iconic portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in ITV’s The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes¸ cementing his lifelong passion for crime fiction.
Tim’s crime series, featuring the socially awkward but brilliantly persistent DS George Cross, has been widely acclaimed and topped the book charts. The Monk is the fifth in the series.
He lives in North London with his wife Rachel, the Emmy Award-winning producer of The Barefoot Contessa and Pioneer Woman. To find out more about the author please visit TimSullivan.co.uk
Follow him at:
Twitter: @TimJRSullivan
Facebook: Tim Sullivan novels
Instagram: @timsullivannovelist
TikTok: @timsullivanauthor
January 18, 2024
Boys Who Hurt by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb Cover Reveal
Fresh from maternity leave, Detective Elma finds herself confronted with a complex case, when a man is found murdered in a holiday cottage in the depths of the Icelandic countryside – the victim of a frenzied knife attack, with a shocking message scrawled on the wall above him.
At home with their baby daughter, Sævar is finding it hard to let go of work, until the chance discovery in a discarded box provides him with a distraction. Could the diary of a young boy, detailing the events of a long-ago summer have a bearing on Elma’s case?
Published by Orenda Books #OrendaTakeover
Once again, the team at West Iceland CID have to contend with local secrets in the small town of Akranes, where someone has a vested interest in preventing the truth from coming to light. And Sævar has secrets of his own that threaten to destroy his and Elma’s newfound happiness.
Tense, twisty and shocking, Boys Who Hurt is the next, addictive instalment in the award-winning Forbidden Iceland series, as dark events from the past endanger everything…
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 Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn
In a tiny bookshop in Dubrovnik’s historic Old Town, a book club begins…
Newly arrived on the sun-drenched shores of Croatia, Claire Thomson’s life is about to change forever when she starts working at a local bookshop. With her cousin Vedran, employee Luna and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club.
But when their first book club pick – an engrossing cosy crime – inspires them to embark upon an investigation that is close to the group’s heart, they quickly learn the value of keeping their new-found friends close as lives and stories begin to entwine…
My Review
I only have three experiences of book clubs – one being an online book club called The Pigeonhole, of which I have been a member for six or seven years. In that time I have made ‘friends’ all over the world, shared our love of playing detective, and discussed as we read along – usually over a period of 10 days – a few chapters each day.
Number two was supposed to be Cheltenham’s ‘best book club’. We met in a pub and there were over 20 of us. We didn’t read the same book – we each brought our BYOB and talked about it to encourage others to read it. At least two-thirds were non-fiction which I don’t read. I was bored and never went back, though Covid arrived before the next meeting so I didn’t need to make any excuses.
The third is an online version of The Dubrovnik Book Club – we all read the same book and discuss at the next meeting, then vote for the next book out of a few as suggested by the members. Once we even had the author with us (Janice Hallett no less). And that’s what attracted me to this book. And the fact that I have always fancied visiting Croatia. It sounds beautiful.
But while Dubrovnik is a fabulous setting for the book, it’s the characters that make it special. Having just arrived in Dubrovnik where she will stay with her grandmother Fran, and her second husband Tetak, 23-year-old Claire Thomson starts working in The Welcoming Bookshop. It’s a challenge for her as she was very unwell with Long Covid for fifteen months and is still wary of mixing with people. But together with her cousin Vedran, employee Luna, and Karmela, a professor, they form an unlikely book club. Their first pick is a cosy mystery by a now famous author. But the next picks are more interesting and for some, very emotional.
Claire is always trying to fix everyone else’s problems. Vedran’s girlfriend Didi disappeared a year ago and everyone thinks he killed her. Luna is gay but terrified of ‘coming out’ as her parents are very religious and would never understand. Karmela is a refugee, whose father escaped with his family from Sarajevo during the war in the 1990s, while others stayed to fight, and she still feels guilty. I loved Karmela – I think I would go so far as saying she is my favourite character (apart from Mis the cat of course).
The book was very enjoyable and I could sense the atmosphere and the beauty of Dubrovnik, as well as the emotions of the characters. I felt as though I was there with them much of the time. The writing is beautiful and descriptive (in a good way), and everyone is brought to life with real depth. Even the more minor characters like Fran, Tetak, and especially poor Rafael feel rounded with their back stories. Thank goodness Claire’s fear following Covid is only mentioned a few times as I really don’t want to revisit that awful time, but if a book is set in the last few years, there will always be references. I hope to read more from this author in the future.
About the Author in her own words
“I love to write emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the stories they hide. My passion is to travel (when possible, of course), but luckily I find inspiration can strike just as well at home or abroad.
“My last holiday before lockdown was a trip to Croatia, and the country’s haunting histories and gorgeous scenery have proved fertile ground, driven by my friendship with a tour guide I met there. His wartime story provided the inspiration for The Olive Grove and his help in creating a realistic portrayal of Croatian life has proved invaluable. My second and third novels set in the country, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter are dual timelines looking back to World War 2. My books are published by One More Chapter, a division of Harper Collins.
“I am also inspired by the work of my own favourite authors, who include Victoria Hislop, Rosanna Ley, Angela Petch, Jenny Ashcroft and Elizabeth Buchan.
“Although I am Welsh I am now happily settled in Cornwall, and I’m lucky enough to have been married to the love of my life for more than twenty-five years. I also write as Jane Cable.”
A Most Malicious Messenger by Katherine Black Publication Day
Menacing texts lead to murder in an English village, in this unmissable, witty mystery by the Dagger Award–nominated author of A Most Unusual Demise.
May Morrigan is in her bookshop one morning when she—and everyone else in the shop—receives an anonymous text. It contains a reference to a Shakespeare quotation—and seems to be aimed at the vicar and his partner, Juan. The next morning, one of them is dead..
Meanwhile, May’s elderly mother, Minty, is staying with her, her old friend Fletcher, and her two dogs. To her dismay, Minty is quite preoccupied with death herself lately. She also keeps reminiscing about her past in ways that make May wonder what secrets she’s hiding.
As disturbing texts continue to arrive, the Blackheath residents are threatened with further revelations and titillations. Then Fletcher becomes the focus of the tormenting texter . . . and barely escapes an attempt on his life. It’s time for May to send a strong message—and block this killer permanently . .
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One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz, translated by Rachel Ward Cover Reveal
Sixteen-year-old Frieder’s plans for the summer are shattered when he fails two subjects. To be able to move up to the next year in the Autumn, he needs to resit his exams.
So instead of going on holiday with his family, he now faces the daunting and boring prospect of staying at his grandparents’ house, studying with his strict and formal step-grandfather.
Published by Orenda Books #OrendaTakeover
On the bright side, he’ll spend time with his grandmother Nana, his sister Alma and his best friend Johann. And he meets Beate, the girl in the beautiful green swimsuit…
The next few weeks will bring friendship, fear and first love – one grand summer that will change and shape his entire life.
A number-one bestseller in Germany and winner of the German Booksellers Prize, One Grand Summer is a moving, beautiful and profound novel about relationships and respect that captures those exquisite and painful moments that make us who we are…
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.
January 17, 2024
Gallows Wood by Louisa Scarr Cover Reveal
The signs are unmistakable. The dog halts, his nose up – nostrils quivering. Every inch of him is poised. Moss has a scent.
Publishing: 11th July
Genre: Crime
Publisher: Canelo Crime
When a hand is found in Gallows Wood, PC Lucy Halliday and her specialist search dog Moss must find the rest of the body. What they uncover is a killer’s dumping ground. Like every case since her husband’s mysterious disappearance, Lucy wonders if this one will bring her closer to the truth. Luke was a journalist with a reputation for getting buried in his work; Lucy is certain that this time he delved too deep.
With new DI Jack Ellis calling the shots, Lucy struggles to keep her professionalism intact. She can’t stay away from these murders – and a killer who may hold the answers she desperately wants. But with those at the very heart of the investigation withholding secrets of their own, can more brutal deaths be prevented?
The first book in the gripping new police procedural series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday. Perfect for fans of Lynda La Plante, Val McDermid and Susie Steiner.
Pre-order Link
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January 16, 2024
Happy is the One by Katie Allen Cover Reveal
Imagine you knew exactly when you were going to die…
Robin Edmund Blake is halfway through his life.
Born in 1986, when Halley’s Comet crossed the sky, he is destined to go out with it, when it returns in 2061. Until that day, he can’t die. He has proof.
With his future mapped out in minute detail, a lucrative but increasingly dull job in the City of London, and Gemma to share his life with, Robin has a plan to be remembered forever.
Published by Orenda Books #OrendaTakeover
But when Robin’s sick father has one accident too many, the plan starts to unravel. Robin must return home to the tiny seaside town of Eastgate, learn to care for the man who never really cared for him, and face the childhood ghosts he fled decades ago.
Desperate to get his life back on schedule, he connects with fellow outsider Astrid. Brutally direct, sharp-witted and a professor at a nearby university, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever met. But Astrid is hiding something and someone from Robin and he’s hiding even more from her.
A warmly funny, poignant and exquisite novel about coming home and letting go, Happy Is the One asks what is truly important in a chaotic, unpredictable world…
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.
Diary of an Artist in Love by The Muse Frequency Out Now
A slender, beautifully illustrated volume of 30 poems, enumerating love in all its configurations and crucibles: through enchantment, presence, magnetism, illusion, nature, restlessness, wonder, and memories that rise from our past, and follow us into our future.
For seekers, artists, lovers, moon-gazers, anyone that dares to glimpse the beating heart within, this collection is a goldmine of inspiration and magical fairy dust.
About the Author
The Muse Frequency is an artist, poet and producer working with musicians and creators around the world to design immersive and meditative experiences.
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January 15, 2024
Shatter Creek by Rod Reynolds Cover Reveal
Fresh from the scandal at Hampstead County PD, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray works a complex double-homicide that points to a killer on a murderous rampage and a shattering series of discoveries that could end her career … The shocking sequel to the addictive, twisty, bestselling Black Reed Bay…
Hampstead County Police Department is embroiled in scandal after corruption at the top of the force was exposed. Cleared of involvement and returned to active duty, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray nonetheless finds herself at a crossroads when it becomes clear not everyone believes she’s innocent.
Published by Orenda Books #OrendaTakeover
Partnered with rookie Billy Drocker, Casey works a shocking daytime double-homicide in downtown Rockport with the two victims seemingly unknown to one another. And when a third victim is gunned down on her doorstep shortly after, it appears an abusive ex-boyfriend holds the key to the killings.
With powerful figures demanding answers, Casey and Billy search for the suspect, fearing he’s on a murderous rampage. But when a key witness goes missing, and new evidence just won’t fit, the case begins to unravel. With her career in jeopardy, Casey makes a shattering discovery that threatens to expose the true darkness at the heart of the murders… with a killer still on the loose…
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.
