Veronika Jordan's Blog, page 9

The Executioner by Chris Carter (Robert Hunter #2)

Imagine your worst fear – and then meet your worst nightmare…

Inside a Los Angeles church, on the altar steps, lies the blood-soaked, decapitated body of a priest. Carefully positioned, legs stretched out, arms crossed over the chest, the most horrifying thing of all is that the priest’s head has been replaced by that of a dog. Later, the forensic team discover that, on the victim’s chest, the figure ‘3’ has been scrawled in blood.

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At first, Detective Robert Hunter believes that this is a ritualistic killing. But as more bodies surface, he is forced to reassess. All the victims died in the way they feared the most. Their worst nightmares have literally come true. But how could the killer have known? And what links these apparently random victims?

Hunter finds himself on the trail of an elusive and sadistic killer, someone who apparently has the power to read his victims’ minds. Someone who can sense what scares his victims the most. Someone who will stop at nothing to achieve his twisted aim.

My Review

Welcome to post number two on this fab #blogathon. I will be reviewing one book per month.

This was some seriously messed up stuff. It makes The Crucifix Killer look like an episode of The Bill. When I read out the blurb about the dog’s head to my son he said something like “you’re kidding right?”

In fact the first killing is probably more horrific for the boy who finds the body and the police officers who attend the crime scene than the victim, who appears to have met a swift end – apart from the poor dog that is. However, in case you are getting complacent, the second is probably the grisliest I’ve ever read about (though *cooking someone in a sauna while his bum is super-glued to the seat takes some beating, as does the deep-fat fryer incident in Spooks). To make it worse, we get the gruesome details over and over again. For me it was the worst (but not the last).

But now we have two unanswered questions – was the murder of the priest the killer’s first murder and will there be more. Because the priest has the number ‘3’ scrawled on him in blood. So were there two victims before him? As expert crime readers, we know it takes three murders for someone to be designated a serial killer, and so far we only have two bodies (minus one head).

With each ‘kill’ the perp becomes more sadistic, the crimes more horrific, so is it confidence or is he ‘descending into madness’ like in a Shakespeare tragedy. Robert and Garcia are struggling to find a motive. And can they discover common ground between the victims?

It’s a great story – I read it in two days – but definitely not for the faint-hearted. If you like your crime fiction a bit different and full of gory bits, then this is for you. Onwards and upwards. Bring on book number three.

Many thanks to @Tr4cyF3nt0n for inviting me to be part of the #CompulsiveReaders #blogathon.

*The Burning Stones by Antti Tuomainen

About the Author

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour at the University of Michigan. As a member of the Michigan State District Attorney’s Criminal Psychology team, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London. Visit his website www.chriscarterbooks.com

The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eva Glyn

Escape to Greece in 2025 with this joyful new novel about friendship, lost love and hidden stories!

Bestselling author Jessica Rose needs to escape from a terrible secret that’s robbed her of her creativity. Could leading a retreat on a gorgeous Greek island be just what she needs?

Coming home to Santorini was never in Zina’s plans, but now she’s determined to make her new business a success.

And then there’s Karmela, who just wants to write her book and make her mother proud.

In the heat of their Greek island paradise, these new friends find the courage to shape their own stories, and write endings they can all be proud of…

My Review

The Santorini Writing Retreat is the story of three women. They are all at a point in their lives where they are embracing change, or at least trying to.

Jo has published a book under the name Jessica Rose. It was a huge success and she is now mentoring a writing retreat in Santorini. But she carries a devastating secret that could blow her life apart and the lives of a number of others including her own mother.

Zina has returned to Santorini leaving behind a thriving career in Athens, because her husband needed to get away from the pressure of living and working in the city. Zina has created a wonderful retreat, but living with her recently widowed mother and giving up everything she loved is taking its toll.

And Karmela? Well she was my favourite character in The Dubrovnik Book Club, so I was delighted to discover she was one of the main characters in The Santorini Writing Retreat. See what I wrote in my review:

“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).”

No Mis here, but we do have a greyhound called Sybil, and lots of goats.

Karmela’s fear of rejection has always stood in the way of her forming a meaningful relationship, but is she now ready for love?

This was such a lovely book, perfect as a holiday read, but it does cover some serious subjects, and is at times very emotional. I still love Karmela, and Jo of course – Zina could be very annoying. There are lots of other beautifully written characters like Zina’s husband Lambros, the other members of the writing group, and of course Iain.

Many thanks to the author and to NetGalley for a review copy.

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.”

The People Next Door by Kate Braithwaite

Twenty years ago, Jen’s sister disappeared. Now, she’s looking for answers. 

Jen Silver has moved to a new neighbourhood in affluent, suburban Pennsylvania with her partner, Dan, and her daughter. It’s a picture-perfect neighbourhood where the residents hang out on each other’s patios drinking margaritas on warm summer nights. They eagerly welcome Jen and her family.

But Jen isn’t who they think she is. Dan doesn’t know the truth either.

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Jen has spent her life trying to find out what happened to her sister. She’s chosen this community for a reason — because Dan has his own connection to the neighbourhood and a past he thought was long-buried.

As Jen pieces together the events of twenty years ago, someone is determined to keep the facts from coming to light. 

But secrets always come out and sometimes, the worst truths lie close to home. . .

My Review

The People Next Door was brilliant. It’s told from multiple viewpoints over two timelines. This can at times be a bit confusing initially, and I had to look back to remember who was ‘speaking’. Now and twenty years ago (when Jen’s sister Lynette went missing), we hear from Jen, current partner Dan, Lynette’s friend Natalie, and Aunt Jocelyn who everyone thinks is Jen’s mum. Jen’s ex is journalist Booker, who is Nina’s dad. He’s probably the only one without a troubled background.

I must at this point mention Jocelyn. What a woman, and I don’t mean that in a good way. She’s creepy, controlling, coercive, self-centred, intimidating – need I say more, She’s one of my favourite ‘villains’ ever in a book. Some readers may not even think of her as a villain, they may find her actions justified (I sincerely hope not). Personally I would be scared to be in the same room with her staring at me, and I definitely wouldn’t accept a drink she’d made. The one thing that Jocelyn banks on is that no-one will recognise her from before. Big mistake. Someone is bound to. Some people just don’t change that much.

At first I didn’t really understand what was going on or what the relationship was between Jen and Jocelyn, or why Natalie is so key to Jen’s sister’s disappearance. Slowly but surely secrets start to emerge. We learn about Jen’s dad leaving, her mum Sal (Jocelyn’s sister), her grandparents, and all the other goings on, and the people in Ithaca, where they lived twenty years ago.

My only criticism of the book would be around Dan. I just can’t see him as a neurosurgeon. He seems too dumb. And then there’s his relationship with Jen. I totally understand how she’s been bullied by Jocelyn’s obsession with finding out what really happened to her sister’s daughter, but to be pushed into a relationship with Dan seems a step too far. Or maybe not as you get further into the story. Nothing is out of bounds.

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

About the Author

Kate Braithwaite is the author of four historical novels based on true but overlooked events. Charlatan tells the story of Madame de Montespan and the Affair of the Poisons in 17th Century Paris. The Plot features Titus Oates’ Popish Plot, a scandal that earns him a place as one of Britain’s top ten villains. The Puzzle of Nellie Bly explores the exploits of a ground-breaking female journalist going undercover in a 19th Century New York lunatic asylum. The Scandalous Life of Nancy Randolph reveals a shocking rupture between two very different sisters in late 18th century Virginia.

Originally from Scotland, Kate studied English at Leeds University and has subsequently lived in Canada and the US. She is the author of Sis-Stories, a Substack publication all about sisters in history and fiction, and an editor for the Historical Novel Society. Kate and her family live in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Kate’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateBraithwaiteAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katebraithwaiteauthor/
Website: https://kate-braithwaite.com/

Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228125367-the-people-next-door
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/peoplenextdoor-zbt

Death of a Wild Swimmer by Peter Boland The Charity Shop Detective Agency #5

Still waters run deep in this baffling new case for the Charity Shop Detective Agency!

Wild swimming in February? No, thank you . . . To Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue, the retired ladies behind the counter at Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop, it sounds like torture.

Still, no one ever died of plunging themselves into the icy sea waters...Until now.

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When the body of Colin Barclay — retired PE master and wild-swimming fanatic — washes up in a secluded cove, the ladies begin to realize just how dicey this wellbeing trend can be. Especially when a shifty new customer comes calling at their charity shop.

Is this where you solve murders? She asks, her eyes darting wildly round the shelves of bric-a-brac. I think I have one . . .

This woman knows Colin better than most. And she’s convinced his death was no accident. It was murder. But she’ll need the ladies to dive in and help her prove it . . .

My Review

I’ve always fancied the idea of wild swimming – theoretically. Me and cold water don’t really get on though. In reality I don’t care if there is snow on the hills and it’s minus 2 degrees, so long as the water is warm – hot preferably. With steam rising off the surface.

But the ladies of the Dogs Need Nice Homes charity shop want to help new found friend Beth to solve the murder of her friend Colin Barclay. Except the police believe it was an accident, no foul play involved. The wild swimmers have a rule – never swim alone – and Colin was a stickler for the rules. So what was he doing out on his own?

This leaves the question who is going to be the main investigator? It will involve some wild swimming, so for Daisy and Partial Sue, it’s a definite no-no, but Fiona is made of sterner stuff. So off she goes with her new teal-coloured swimsuit and a flask of tea. She is introduced to Ahmed and Rani who lend her a pair of leaky neoprene boots and tell her what equipment she will need to bring next time. She even left her tea in the car.

Death Of A Wild Swimmer is a very entertaining read, with the three main characters – Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue – being both likable, and nosy in a good way. They solve crimes in their own inimitable fashion, with the help of Fiona’s dog Simon Le Bon.

It romps along (or should it be splashes) at a cracking pace (relatively – the ladies are getting on a bit), and we meet all sorts of possible suspects along the way, like Roger from the surf shop, Ralph the surfer dude, Colin’s therapist Ted Maplin, ‘charming’ wild swimmer Will with his budgie smugglers, and a host of others.

I only have one query? Who looks after Simon Le Bon when the ladies are on holiday? Please do tell (I’m always available).

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

About the Author

After studying to be an architect, Peter realised he wasn’t very good at it. He liked designing buildings he just couldn’t make them stand up, which is a bit of a handicap in an industry that likes to keep things upright. So he switched to advertising, writing ads for everything from cruise lines to zombie video games.

After becoming disillusioned with working in ad agencies, he switched to writing thriller novels (or was it because he just wanted to work at home in his pyjamas?). He soon realised there’s no magic formula. You just have to put one word in front of the other (and keep doing that for about a year). It also helps if you can resist the lure of surfing, playing Nintendo Switch with his son, watching America’s Next Top Model with his daughter and drinking beer in a garden chair.

Book Links
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
Purchase Link: www.amazon.co.uk

Peter’s Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterBolandWriter
Twitter: https://x.com/PeterBoland19
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/peterboland.bsky.social

Joffe Books’ Social Media
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/joffebooks
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Website: https://joffebooks.com/

Bibi Saves The Ocean by Judith A. Ewa (Preserve the Planet book 2)

Bibi can’t wait to have fun in the sun, surf, and sand. But she’s shocked when the pristine playground she was expecting is covered in garbage.

Determined to solve the mystery, the conscientious child discovers the trash bins are broken, the no-littering signs are faded and the recycling area is hidden.

Genre: Children’s Picture Book 
Ages: 5-8 years
Pages: 38
Publisher: Aya Press

But with a job so big, she fears rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty won’t be enough to set things right.

Can Bibi recruit her community to jump in and turn the dump into a paradise?

My Review

The reason I gave this book 5 stars is not just because it’s a nice little story with lovely illustrations, it’s also about the message. And it’s one we should take very seriously.

Three of my four granddaughters (the youngest is only three) are learning about the climate and the problems with litter and are intent on protecting our wildlife. Many children of their age are very concerned (and some have even become anxious) about the state of the seas and oceans, and of the legacy we are leaving behind.

So this review is a serious one. We must follow the example set by Bibi and her friends. We must do something, however small, and ignore those who pretend it’s not a problem. At the end of the book, we have a double page section called How to Organize a Beach Clean Up! ‘Do you want to become an agent of change by promoting climate action?’ The section is very informative and sounds like a fun day. Always have adults on hand in case of hazardous waste. And share your event on social media so others can follow your example.

Many thanks to @lovebookstours for inviting me to be part of the #BibiSavesTheOcean blog tour.

Author bio 

Judith A. Ewa is the award-winning author of the new children’s book Bibi Saves the Ocean. Her international career as a finance professional, currently working in the area of climate change, has spanned the areas of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development and peacekeeping. The focus of her career has been on improving the lives of children around the world, especially in developing countries. Her latest work is the second book in the Preserve the Planet Series. Through her books she aims to bring awareness to children about the importance of preserving the environment. Each book also offers a simple solution that children can actively carry out to bring about small changes today, to make a big difference tomorrow. Judith holds an MBA from the University of Leicester. She enjoys listening to jazz, is an avid football and tennis fan who currently resides in Switzerland. Find out more about Judith at www.judithaewa.com

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Murder At Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd Nora Breen Investigates Book #1

A cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears

1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent. A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests—but when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.

My Review

Murder at Gulls Nest ‘stars’ Nora Breen, ex-nun turned Miss Marple. It’s very different from Jess Kidd’s other novels, but it still has the same ring to it. It’s the first in a series – I can’t wait for book two. I just adored it.

I love the narrator who sounds just like the presenter of The Great Pottery Throwdown. I kept waiting for her to say ‘Potters, you have one hour’. But then I realised it is her, Siobhán McSweeney! Of course it is.

Nora has left her religious order behind after 30 years to search for her friend, young novitiate Frieda, whose letters suddenly stopped. She follows her to the sleepy seaside town of Gore-on-Sea, where she takes a room in the Gulls Nest boarding house. It’s owned by the reclusive Mrs Wells, whose ten-year-old daughter Dinah is dirty, unruly, and doesn’t go to school. She also can’t speak. In my opinion I think Dinah is autistic, she shows obvious traits, but it wasn’t diagnosed in the 1950s.

Nora has taken the room once occupied by Frieda, but no-one knows who she is. She tells them she was a nurse, which she was, just not that she was in a convent. When one of the boarders dies in mysterious circumstances, Nora begins to investigate. ‘Let the police do their job’ is not in her vocabulary.

She doesn’t suffer fools gladly and she can sniff out a liar at ten paces. She upsets the police (I love the shoe throwing incident), though eventually Inspector Rideout warms to her, and respects her opinion. I became quite fond of him with his memories of the war and his dead mother’s garden.

I also loved Poppy and Toby dog even though I hate Punch and Judy, for numerous feminist and no doubt considered woke reasons. Bring on book two. I need it now.

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.’

My 3 Favourite Audiobooks of 2025 – Part One

So far I have only listened to three audiobooks this year and they are all by Jess Kidd. I have just finished her latest so expect to see that in Part Two.

The Hoarder by Jess Kidd

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.

For my full review click here

Himself by Jess Kidd

Back to Audible and I’m reading Jess Kidd’s first novel, Himself. The story takes place in 1976 when Mahony returns to the place of his birth, Mulderrig on Ireland’s West Coast, to try and find out what happened to his promiscuous, teenage mother Orla Sweeney. Everyone says she left town, dumping her ‘illegitimate brat’ at the orphanage. Mahony – that very same ‘illegitimate brat’ – is not convinced.

He enlists (actually I think she enlisted him) the help of aging actress Mrs Cauley, who believes Orla was murdered, but then she loves a drama. There are those in the town who want to run him out, those with something to hide. They hated Orla for shamelessly flaunting her bastard for the whole town to see. The vile Father Quinn in particular, and nurse Annie Farrelly amongst others.

For my full review click here

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

I’ve now listened to all four of Jess Kidd’s original novels (this time on Borrowbox), and while Things In Jars will probably always be my favourite, The Night Ship comes a close second. It’s written in two timelines – a young Dutch girl called Mayken in 1629 aboard the Batavia with her nursemaid, and Gil, 360 years later in 1989. Both have lost their mothers, one from the ‘flux’, the other from a drug overdose, but while Mayken is going to live with the father she doesn’t know, Gil has been sent to live with his grandfather on the same remote island off the coast of Western Australia where Mayken was shipwrecked.

It’s not typical of Kidd’s novels – there are no spirits of saints that only certain people can see, or nuns, or dead boxers, and it lacks the ‘Irishness’ of the other three books (though Dutch in 1989 is actually Irish – don’t ask). However, it has its own brand of magic, particularly Mayken’s story, which was my favourite of the two timelines, but only by a whisker. I know nothing of this period of history, especially as the characters are Dutch, so I know even less. There are plenty of superstitions and myths though to get your teeth into, if they don’t get their teeth into you first.

For my full review click here

Ouija by Zoé-Lee O’Farrell

The only thing for certain is the deaths were no accident.

Rayner High School – once a prestigious school – stands in ruins after such a terrible event.

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A year later, a group of friends return to the abandoned school and their nightmare begins. Something wants to get out and won’t take NO for an answer…

My Review

When I was a child my mother told me that she and my father had tried having a seance with a Ouija. In those days you made your own letters of the alphabet and used an upturned glass as the planchette. She said the ‘spirit’ got angry and the glass flew off the table and smashed on the floor. So a few years later my brother and I tried the same thing. Needless to say we didn’t conjure up any deceased relatives or demons, but it did have a marked effect on us. We are both still fascinated by ghosts and things that go bump in the night. However, I wouldn’t be trying to contact the dead in the place where a horrific crime was carried out.

But enough of that and on to the book Ouija, the brilliant debut from a new voice in YA horror fiction, Zoe-Lee O’Farrell. Now anyone who knows me is aware that I find there is a very thinly drawn line between horror and dark humour and initially I found some of that here. A bit like The Blair Witch Project of the late nineties, which I struggled to take seriously much of the time. But Ouija gets scarier and scarier, without ever resorting to the ridiculous.

The nineties was the decade of teen horror films and there were loads. Ouija pays homage to the best of them, but it’s not a slasher story like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer (The Faculty is my personal favourite though that chucks in Sci-Fi as well), it’s all about lost spirits and a demon. Supernatural, the TV series which began in the early 2000s, immediately springs to mind.

I was slightly out of my comfort zone with Ouija, as my teen experience of horror was Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and the books of MR James and Bram Stoker, but I really loved it. In a review on Goodreads, the reviewer refers to Ouija being for fans of Point Horror, Fear Street and Goosebumps. I think these are from my children’s generation – I’ve heard of Point Horror but not the other two.

Ouija is quite short and because of that it never lets up on the shocks and scary moments. Nothing is wasted on long descriptions and while the ‘romance’ and text messages are a bit meh and bleh, they are teenagers after all, so are not likely to proofread their texts, looking for grammatical errors (like me)!

The story is very simple really. Six teenagers decide to visit the scene of a horrific crime – Rayner High School now in ruins – and see what happens when you try to conjure up spirits using a Ouija board. That’s just asking for trouble and moaning minnie Lara never misses an opportunity to make her feelings known. Perhaps they should all have taken her more seriously. Jon is the leader, Ben is Lara’s boyfriend, Caley is her best friend and twins Simon and Sophie are there for the ride. And some ride it turns out to be. More terrifying than Nemesis at Alton Towers (says someone who finds the teapot ride scary), it will have you closing your eyes and holding your breath.

It has everything a teen spookfest needs from shock and horror to suspense and a body count of, well, loads. Read alone in the dark for added scariness. Recommended for reading ages 13 to 18 years.

Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

Zoé O’Farrell grew up in Watford but left the town life to live by the sea down at the White Cliffs of Dover. She spends her days working with numbers before escaping in the evening to the world of words and movies. Her go-to relaxation is watching a scary movie or reading a terrifying book!

She is a book blogger and tour organiser just to keep her extra busy. When she is not reading or writing, you can usually find her watching Watford FC or at a gig. Failing that she can be found rolling her eyes at her husband as he acts the same age as her spitfire of a Mini-Me whilst separating her two cats. Ouija is her debut novel.

Follow her at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZoeOFarrellAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zooloosbookdiary/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zooloo2008
Website : https://zooloosbookdiary.co.uk/

Book Links
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com
Buy Links: www.amazon.co.uk

My Top 10 Books of 2025 – Part One

Here are my favourite ten books of 2025 Part One, not counting audiobooks. Quite a disparate selection for a change. Audiobooks to follow.

Late Venetian by GN Lawson

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.

For my full review click here

The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden

No matter how many books I read about the holocaust, ‘man’s inhumanity to man’ never ceases to shock and disgust me. How anyone can carry out this level of cruelty is beyond me, particularly on children. If it ever ceases to upset me, then there is something very wrong.

The Teacher of Auschwitz is different from the books I have read in the past. It is told from the point of view of a young Jewish man named Fredy Hirsch. It’s based on a true story, and many of the other characters are also real. I can’t pretend it won’t upset you, because it will and it should. The worst parts are about the children who Fredy is trying to protect by teaching them about hope and survival. He does this through sport, art, poetry and drama, enlisting the help of others with the relevant skills.

For my full review click here

A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power

When I was in my teens in 1970 I saw the film Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman. What stuck with me was a scene in which a fleeing Native American woman was shot from behind by the US troops, killing the baby she was carrying on her back. It has never left me. I fear the horrendous scene with Blanche at school will be the same.

While Little Big Man is set decades earlier (mid 1850s), the treatment of Native Americans hadn’t changed by the last century. Regarded as savages who needed to be ‘civilised’, they were forced to adopt Catholicism with all its cruelty and prejudice. They were sent to ‘Indian’ schools, forced to go to church and were not allowed to speak in their own language.

The level of cruelty is astonishing, as is the lack of respect for their culture. It was virtually wiped out. In The Council of Dolls, we follow three women – grandmother Cora at the start of the century, her daughter Lillian in the 1930s and Sissy, growing up in the 1960s.

For my full review click here

The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

The whole book is written from the point of view of Tama (short for Tamagochi), a rescued Magpie. I kid you not. It’s very strange to start with when he is in the egg (says someone who has written a short story from the point of view of a spider), but once you realise what’s going on it makes sense.

Tama is devoted to Marnie who rescued him and soon learns tricks and human speech. He repeats everything she says, actually he repeats everything he hears, including foreign languages, and a lot of swear words. So be careful what you say in front of him if you have something to hide. Because sooner or later he’ll remember that incriminating phrase or sentence. The author is very clever with this, because he naturally doesn’t understand what he is saying, though occasionally he appears to.

For my full review click here

Not My Country by AE Dean

It’s been years since 75-year-old Louise has seen a homeless person on the street. After all, they were all ‘homed’ and settled years back. So seeing one is a shock.

Her comments on immigrants are typical of her generation – are economic migrants taking places from true refugees from war torn countries? She’s not sure, but we need to stop the boats, the traffickers. Many people I know would agree with that. Isn’t it one of the reasons we did Brexit? We’d lost our national identity and wanted our sovereignty back. As a second generation immigrant of Polish/Jewish heritage, it’s never been my view. But my parents were welcomed with open arms and post-war my father became a civil engineer and worked in the UK all his life.

For my full review click here

Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

I know it’s supposed to but Small Fires really freaked me out. All those horrific folk tales. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before.

Sisters Lily and Della killed their parents (allegedly though it was never proved) and fled to a remote Scottish island, a place filled with superstition, folklore, and belief in the Devil. I was waiting for Christopher Lee to appear and start building a Wicker Man.

Everyone who lives there appears to be mad, but in reality it is fear. Some of the stories – many based on Celtic/Cornish folklore – are horrifying, as children’s folk tales often are. The Boy at the Bottom of the Sea, Aine’s Well, The Poor Maidens etc have all been written by the author to enhance the back stories. Others you may recognise, like the stories of Gaia, Charon the Ferryman, the Dryads, the Pleiades. They are often told to children as a warning, like the story of Baba Yaga from my Polish heritage.

For my full review click here

Little Red Death by AK Benedict

Little Red Death is like nothing I’ve ever read before. It starts off with a killer obsessed with fairy tales, a kidnapped author called Katie forced to rewrite the Brothers Grimm stories so he can re-enact them, and a threat that she will die if she doesn’t keep writing. So it becomes about her or the victims in the stories.

What a dilemma! Does she even believe he’s serious. Well she soon finds out he is – deadly serious – literally. And the murders are pretty nasty with the bodies laid out in line with the fairy tales they represent. How can Katie escape and who is The Wolf anyway? He wears a wolf mask so she never sees his face.

For my full review click here

Killing Lily by Jillian Gardner

Killing Lily was absolutely brilliant. I love anything to do with cults and this certainly did not disappoint. It has always fascinated me how people get sucked in, but for Mae and Lily, they were born at Sunnyside, so didn’t know anything about life ‘outside’. That is, until true crime podcaster-posing-as-dove-breeder Charlotte arrives the day before Lily’s wedding.

At Sunnyside there are ‘good’ women and ‘bad’ women. Good women will find eternal salvation in heaven, while bad women will go straight to hell. Lily is good, while Mae is bad. Bad women suffer punishment at the hands of the terrifying Lou, including beatings and Thought Correction. If anyone leaves, their possessions are ceremoniously burnt.

For my full review click here

The Grapevine by Kate Kemp

I’m not sure who I disliked more – Cecil – outwardly racist, misogynistic and homophobic. At least I could have a go at him if I wanted to. Or Helen – involved in the church, hypocritical, always involved with something. I felt for her husband, who we know will eventually snap. Tammy is Helen and Duncan’s twelve-year-old daughter, around whom the story revolves, more so than the murder, which at times is almost incidental.

This is Australia (and many other so-called civilised countries) at its worst. When the murder takes place, fingers immediately point at the Laus, Hong Kong Chinese with a secret. Or is it Joe and Zlata from Yugoslavia? The victim was Italian – does that make his family suspicious as well? I was a second generation Eastern European immigrant at my convent school ten years before The Grapevine, but while I was considered ‘other’, maybe a bit exotic (I wish), I never encountered this level of racism. Or if I did I wasn’t aware.

For my full review click here

Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger

I’m just gobsmacked! This is SO good. Typical Scandi/Nordic Noir, it’s hard-hitting, gritty and quite graphic. More than ‘quite’ actually. I’m sticking my neck out here, but it’s probably one of the best crime novels I’ve read in years.

Kari Voss, psychologist and expert on body language and memory, lost her son when he disappeared on his ninth birthday seven years ago. No trace of him has ever been found. She also lost her beloved husband a few years earlier. She is alone, with only her work to keep her going and the hope that her son is still out there somewhere – alive. She barely sleeps.

Then her friend Chief Constable Ramona Norum, asks for her help with a new case.

For my full review click here

Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

#Son X/Twitter @JoGustawsson @EngerThomas  @OrendaBooks
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When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well…

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one – including the victims – are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son’s disappearance, but Kari’s own life, too…

My Review

I’m just gobsmacked! This is SO good. Typical Scandi/Nordic Noir, it’s hard-hitting, gritty and quite graphic. More than ‘quite’ actually. I’m sticking my neck out here, but it’s probably one of the best crime novels I’ve read in years.

Kari Voss, psychologist and expert on body language and memory, lost her son when he disappeared on his ninth birthday seven years ago. No trace of him has ever been found. She also lost her beloved husband a few years earlier. She is alone, with only her work to keep her going and the hope that her son is still out there somewhere – alive. She barely sleeps.

Then her friend Chief Constable Ramona Norum, asks for her help with a new case. Two 16-year-old girls have been brutally murdered the night before Halloween, and they just happened to be in the same school year as Kari’s son. In fact they were friends. Could that be a coincidence?

But nothing is as it seems, and even though someone has confessed to the killings, Kari can’t be sure. Too many stones left unturned. Too many possible suspects. And too many secrets in the village of Son.

You’ll have to work a bit if you want to discover the truth for yourself. I didn’t guess the killer, I was sure towards the end that it was someone else. But there’s another plot twist that is far more devastating. Now I was truly gobsmacked.

It’s absolutely brilliant, but then it would be with two such esteemed authors as Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger collaborating.

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

About the Authors

Known as the Queen of French Noir, Johana Gustawsson is one of France’s most highly
regarded, award-winning crime writers, recipient of the prestigious Cultura Ligue de
l`Imaginaire Award for her Gothic mystery Yule Island. Number-one bestselling books
include Block 46, Keeper, Blood Song and her historical thriller, The Bleeding. Johana lives in Sweden with her family.

A former journalist, Thomas Enger is the number-one bestselling author of the Henning Juul series and, with co-author Jørn Lier Horst, the international bestselling Blix & Ramm series, and one of the biggest proponents of the Nordic Noir genre. He lives in Oslo.

Rights to Johana and Thomas’ books have been sold to a combined fifty countries and, for the first time, two crime writers, from two different countries, writing in two different languages, have joined forces to create an original series together.

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.