6 Ripley Avenue by Noelle Holten, published by One More Chapter, HarperCollins, @nholten40 @0neMoreChapter_ @HarperCollinsUK @RandomTTours

October 14, 2022September 6, 2022 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

I was so excited to receive Noelle Holten’s new noir crime book 6 Ripley Avenue, a gripping thriller of secrets and lies. Holten is the author of Dead Inside, Dead Wrong, Dead Perfect, Dead Secret and Dead Mercy, a series I absolutely love, so I new this was going to be FABULOUS!

Book Description:

ONE HOUSE
EIGHT KILLERS
NO WITNESSES

Jeanette is the manager of a probation hostel that houses high risk offenders released on license.

At 3am one morning, she receives a call telling her a resident has been murdered.

Her whole team, along with the eight convicted murderers, are now all suspects in a crime no one saw committed…

Don’t miss the first nerve-shredding standalone thriller from Noelle Holten, author of the Maggie Jamieson series.

Praise for Noelle Holten:

‘Hugely confident … harrowing, visceral … recommended’ Ian Rankin

‘Kept me hooked’ Angela Marsons

‘An excellent read’ Martina Cole

‘Gritty, dark and chilling’ Mel Sherratt

‘Unputdownable’ M. W. Craven

No wonder this book is trending in the reading charts. It is a pretty unsettling and creepy read that quickly grabbed my attention with its story and alluring characters. 6 Ripley Avenue is the talented Noelle Holten’s first standalone psychological thriller. With a unique plot line, this book will interest crime fiction lovers.

6 Ripley House, a probation hostel where UKs most violent offenders are housed, is not a popular place amongst the residents of the area. Most notably Helen Burgess, still raw from the death of her husband, who started her neighbourhood watch scheme. But when Danny Wells, a convicted criminal, is killed in the early hours, things intensify. This is a serious problem for Jeanette Macey, Senior Probation Officer and manager of the premises. The surveillance equipment failed to record anything of significance due to neglect, and with Jeanette’s drill—if it isn’t recorded, it didn’t happen—they are lost without proof.

Enter freelance investigative journalist Sloane Armstrong, who is already well-versed in the hostel’s goings-on. I liked her immensely. Plenty of backbone and humour, all the ingredients that make up a gutsy investigator. With so many high-risk offenders housed in the hostel, you’d think the culprit couldn’t be far away. But Helen and Sloane begin their investigation at their own risk, at one point avoiding Jeanette pressing charges. It becomes clear Jeanette is unaware of the illegal activities taking place, even with the intense level of scrutiny they’re experiencing.

This book provides a realistic glimpse into a life only Holten knows about. Her background qualifies her to write not only her Maggie Jamieson crime thrillers but 6 Ripley Avenue as well. Just when you think you have worked out the plot—BAM! Another bend in the road appears. Sinister, evocative, fascinating and very addictive, are just a few of the many characteristics of this book. Written in a clear, crisp style, this book’s structure alternates between five different perspectives. Not an easy task, especially keeping voices distinct. But hats off to the author because it paid off.

The mysteries of the story were well devised and I hope Holten continues venturing into the psychological thriller genre. I’d definitely pick up whatever she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Noelle Holten for the privilege of reading this advance reader copy. Many thanks to Random Things Tours for including me in this amazing blog tour.

About the Author:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson. 6 Ripley Avenue is her first stand-alone crime thriller.

Connect with Noelle on Social Media here:

Subscribe to Newsletter: http://ow.ly/cgww50BkBtt

Twitter: (@nholten40) https://twitter.com/nholten40

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

Blog FB page: https://www.facebook.com/crimebookjunkie/

Instagram: @author_noelleholten

Website: https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk  

Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB

Other books by this Author:

#RandomThingsTours #Bloggers #Reviewers

Guilty Women by Melanie Blake, published by HarperCollins, @MelanieBlakeUK, @HarperFiction @HarperCollins #blogger #review #GuiltyWomen #Bookpreneur

June 13, 2022June 12, 2022 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

‘If you only read one book this year, Guilty Women won’t disappoint. It will leave you breathless’ The Express

‘Guilty Women’s stamped it’s razor sharp, blood-stained stiletto heel firmly in the lead to be 2022’s book of the year’ The Daily Mirror

Can they get away with murder?

On a beautiful island off the English coast, four TV actresses gather.
Their fifth member is missing – and only they know why she was killed.
As the secret between them threatens to come out, tensions on set run high.
The women are determined that the show must go on – no matter what it costs.
But one of them is on the edge of telling the truth – and no show in the world could survive this scandal…

All of the women have something to hide – but the question is, are they all guilty?

The cast of RUTHLESS WOMEN is back – but this time they’re in trouble…‘

From start to finish, Guilty Women takes you on a dramatic ride. With a blood-stained stiletto for a book cover, it promises to be an addictive and wickedly entertaining read. Said to be about the fictitious cast of Falcon Bay, four TV actresses share a secret and a few more as the book progresses. Accidents will happen. But are they accidents?

I can see this series being one of those — And Then There Were Two — stories. Their fifth member is missing. Who’s next? What drives Madeline Kane? Falcon Bay certainly has a history, and these four actresses are a force to be reckoned with. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate relating to the age-group in this book. It’s refreshing to find older faces in glamourous places. For those of us teetering on the downside of life’s slope, this book confirms how entertaining mature women are. It says a lot for the author.

This book has secrets galore, beautiful gowns, high tension, terrible killings — some of which could be construed as accidents — and a host of well-researched detail that make it a substantial read. Thrust into the world of television and politics, these women are a lively, hedonistic bunch. But fame and fortune has a way of corrupting even the best of them, and I think that’s what kept me reading.

The ending was definitely one I didn’t see coming. Although I’m not usually into soap operas, this book has a tendency to engross its readers. You have to know what happens next. So, if you’re looking for drama and suspense, mixed with a little spice, then this is the book for you. Think Desperate House Wives meets Sex and the City. It’s a riotous read.

PRAISE FOR GUILTY WOMEN:

“You’ll laugh, cry, be shocked and left wanting more… Guilty Women is an unmissable read. Pure escapism. 5 stars!” Ok! Magazine

“Revenge, murder, sex and greed… Guilty Women has it all. Blake’s latest novel proves she’s here to stay as the new queen of the blockbuster novel. Jackie Collins would have loved it” Bella Magazine

“Not for the faint hearted! An unputdownable, revenge and lust filled romp of a read that you won’t want to end!” Heat Magazine

“The perfect killer thriller with sexy scenes that’ll keep you reading late into the night” Notebook Magazine

“If you only read one book this year, then Guilty Women won’t disappoint. It will leave you breathless”
The Express

About the Author

Bestselling author Melanie Blake’s own real life Rags to Riches story reads like the plot of an outrageous drama…

At fifteen years old Melanie Blake was told by her high school career advisors that her decision to do work experience at a local record shop was an ‘embarrassment to the school and a clear example that she wouldn’t go far in life or her career’. They were wrong. By nineteen she was working at the BBC’s iconic Top of the Pops show and by twenty-seven she had built a reputation as one of the UK’s leading music and entertainment managers, with her own agency and roster of award-winning artists who had sold more than 100 million records. During this time she also built up an acting agency from scratch which quickly became the most successful independent boutique agency in the UK where she manages clients from some of the biggest internationally syndicated shows in the world.

Her roster have won Baftas, Emmys and pretty much every best actress award going and Melanie is one of the most successful female agents in the world. In the UK alone, over 25 million people a week currently tune in to watch the very stars Melanie represents in their globally syndicated shows. In 2018 after two decades at the top of her game, Melanie decided to manage a smaller client list and concentrate on her other passion, writing – first as a columnist for a national newspaper, then as a playwright and now as a best-selling novelist.

Her first book The Thunder Girls became a Number 1 Best Seller in the summer of 2019 and the play she adapted from the novel broke box office records for a new work at the prestigious Lowry Theatre. She still represents a high profile stable of some of the best known faces on British television but is also now enjoying success in her own right as a producer, author and playwright.

Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MelanieBlakeUK

Other Books by Melanie Blake

Blood Red City by Rod Reynolds @OrendaBooks @Rod_WR #crimeactionfiction #review #blog @annecater

July 10, 2020June 2, 2020 / Bookpreneur / 2 Comments

Once again, I find myself praising Orenda Books for introducing me to another fabulous writer. I’m blown away by this compelling thriller that dishes out cliff-edge tension. A pacey read with so many blind alleys you feel dizzy with excitement. It’s the kind of story you could inhale in a leisurely few hours.

Book Description:

Click here

When crusading journalist Lydia Wright is sent a video of an apparent murder on a London train, she thinks she’s found the story to revive her career. But she can’t find a victim, much less the killers, and the only witness has disappeared. Wary she’s fallen for fake news, she begins to doubt her instincts—until a sinister call suggests that she’s not the only one interested in the crime. Michael Stringer deals in information—and doesn’t care on which side of the law he finds himself. But the murder on the train has left him exposed, and now he’ll stop at nothing to discover what Lydia knows. When their paths collide, Lydia finds the story leads through a nightmare world, where money, power and politics intersect, and information is the only thing more dangerous than a bullet. Blood Red City twists and feints to a superb, unexpected ending that will leave you breathless.

File Size: 639 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Orenda Books (April 11, 2020)
Publication Date: April 11, 2020
ASIN: B082P734LB

Journalist Lydia Wright works the graveyard shift on the showbiz desk. She has only been with the company twelve months and receives a video of an assault on the Northern line of the London Underground. An empty carriage and a man struggling for his life, a slowly unfurling nightmare that had me biting my nails down to the quick. There is no indication of who’d sent it, or any reason why Lydia had been targeted to receive it. Fake news? Maybe not.

With no indication of who the killers might be, gutsy Lydia meets her friend Tammy Hodgson, a former investigative journalist at the same paper, who’s brief meeting with the victim ‘Joe the banker’ has left her nervous. A money laundering scheme begins to unravel, while at the same time, promising a story worthy of a comeback. But will Lydia jump on the same bandwagon if her life is at risk? Working on the 13th floor could be seen as unlucky in some cultures, but maybe her luck is about to change.

To me Lydia is someone you care about. Her die-hard mentality gives a reason to keep going when everything tells her to give up. Following every lead, her tenacity never fails and I suppose you could put it down to a journo’s unmistakable determination to see it through to the end. The visceral prose draws you right in and with one revelation after another, it’s hard to put the book down. This is what kept me hooked.

Written in Reynold’s unique descriptive style, this is not an offering to be missed. There’s just the right amount of backstory not to bog you down and I enjoyed the way he toys with your expectations right up until the packs-a-punch ending. The dialogue is top-notch. I’m not sure I’ve seen it done better. As befits a crime action book of this nature, it’s the twists that make this novel such an exciting and surprising reading experience, and I enjoyed keeping company with these exceptional characters. It wouldn’t surprise me if someone is working on a screen play to bring Blood Red City out as a film sometime soon. Highly recommended.

Huge thanks to Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books, Anne Cater for including me on this blog tour, and author Rod Reynolds for an advance copy of this fabulous book.

About the Author:

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books ‘Pitch-perfect American noir.’ A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books will publish his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters. Contact him:

twitter: @Rod_WR
email: rodreynoldsauthor@gmail.com

What people are saying:

‘Brutal, brilliant and razor sharp. Blood Red City is pure adrenaline rush from the first page to the last’ Chris Whitaker

‘A searing, white-hot journey through the dark underbelly of modern London. Bristling with tension, danger and seamed with the constant threat of violence … Blood Red City confirms Rod Reynolds status as one of the greatest crime talents of his generation’ Tim Baker

‘An outstanding page-turner that ratchets up the tension as it builds via a labyrinthine plot towards a satisfying and well-crafted climax … relevant and at times alarming, Blood Red City slaloms its way through the world of social media, geopolitics and hi-tech innovation with compelling conviction’ G.J. Minett

‘A well-researched, complex and fully realised story with three-dimensional lead characters. The creeping tension and mistrust is palpable and there’s an absolutely cracking end reveal’ Shots Magazine

More Books By Rod Reynolds

Hush by Leanna Sain, Published by @LPCTweets Lighthouse Publishing — Lamplighter Suspense @Leannasbooks #Bookblog #blogger #bookblast

November 19, 2019October 24, 2019 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

YAY! More excitement for today!

Another fabulous BOOK BLAST! For those who LOVE mystery and suspense, award winning author Leanna Sain’s new book HUSH is now out — November 19, 2019.

Book details and links are below and you can order your copy on Amazon.

Amazon US here Amazon UK here

Publisher: Lamplighter Suspense (November 19, 2019)

Publication Date: November 19, 2019

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

ASIN: B07Z5QVSHQ

Suspense (Kindle Store)

Christian Suspense

Christian Mystery & Suspense

Book Description:

She dreams a murder before it happens.

A young woman is strangled while her killer sings the words from the lullaby “Hush, Little Baby.”

Lacey Campbell’s life is full, but not idyllic. As head chef for a chic restaurant and primary caregiver to a mother with Alzheimer’s, she doesn’t have time for the nightmare and at first she tries to deny it. But the next day, she discovers it’s a disturbing reality. When she dreams the second heinous murder she knows it’s time to tell the police.

Detective Ford Jamison is called back to the little coastal town to help with the case and soon notices an alarming trend: the killer is using the lullaby as a “blueprint” to target women who resemble Lacey. This doesn’t slow the killings and now Lacey is afraid to fall asleep at night because the next face she sees in her dream might be her own.

As a hurricane churns ever closer to the little coastal town, danger and suspicion spin out of control. Time is running out. Can they stop the killer before the last verse of the lullaby?

What people are saying:

In Leanna Sain’s deliciously suspenseful Hush, the familiar verses of a childhood lullaby become the calling card of a serial killer terrorizing a small island community off the coast of Florida. A young chef, struggling to keep her job while caring for her aging mother, tries frantically to solve the mystery before the killer strikes again, but who can she trust?Determining the answer will keep you turning pages late into the night! — Cassandra King, Author of Moonrise

Like Dean Koontz, Leanna Sain’s strength lies in her ability to take ordinary people, thrust them into extraordinary situations, and guide their transformation into the people they never dreamed they could be. And she does this without being heavy-handed or using cheap literary tricks.Even the title, HUSH, is not what it seems. And the story, which starts out like a slice from any of our lives, soon takes us on a dark, twisted journey that ultimately makes us want even more of Sain’s special kind of literary magic. —Thomas Smith, Author of MONSTERS, Something Stirs, and Unthinkable Choice.

Bio:

North Carolina author, Leanna Sain, earned her BA from the University of South Carolina, before moving back to mountains of NC. Her Southern suspense or “GRIT-lit,” showcases her plot-driven method that successfully rolls elements of best-selling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Nicholas Sparks, and Jan Karon all together, making it her own.

Her writing accolades include: Foreword Magazine’s Book-of-the-Year; nominations for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award and the Global Ebook Award; and the Clark Cox Historical Fiction Award from the NC Society of Historians for her time travel trilogy (Gate to Nowhere; Return to Nowhere; Magnolia Blossoms.) She loves leading discussion groups and book clubs. For more information or to contact her, visit: www.LeannaSain.com

Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hush-Leanna-Sain/dp/1645262502/ref=sr_1_1?

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

Twitter: https://LeannaSain@Leannasbooks

Website and blog: http://leannasain.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LeannaSain

More books by Leanna Sain:

Cage by Lilja Sigurdardottir @OrendaBooks #review #blog #crime #thriller

October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 / Bookpreneur / 2 Comments

Cage by Lilja Sigurdardottir is a crime thriller, published by Orenda Books. With a quote by Val McDermid, I knew I was in for a treat! Told in multiple points of view, it’s an easy read with complex underpinnings that give the book that extra oomph!

About the book

Drugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue in Iceland rally with love, passion, murder and betrayal until the winner takes all … in the masterful, explosive conclusion to the award-winning Reykjavík Noir trilogy…

The prison doors slam shut behind Agla, when her sentence ends, but her lover Sonja is not there to meet her.

As a group of foreign businessmen tries to draw Agla into an ingenious fraud that stretches from Iceland around the world, Agla and her former nemesis, María find the stakes being raised at a terrifying speed.

Ruthless drug baron Ingimar will stop at nothing to protect his empire, but he has no idea about the powder keg he is sitting on in his own home. At the same time, a deadly threat to Sonya and her family brings her from London back to Iceland, where she needs to settle scores with longstanding adversaries if she wants to stay alive.

With a shocking crescendo, the lives of these characters collide, as drugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue rally with love, passion, murder and betrayal until the winner takes all … in the masterful, explosive conclusion to the award-winning Reykjavík Noir trilogy.

Book details:

Series: Reykjavik Noir trilogy

Paperback: 276 pages

Publisher: Orenda Books; None edition (April 1, 2020)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1912374498

ISBN-13: 978-1912374496

Book links: UK here US here

Agla is restless and sitting out a sentence for financial crimes. Unable to get over why her girlfriend Sonja left her, life on the inside offers plenty of distractions. An Islandic smelter scheme for one. With Maria nosing around on the outside, Agla soon realises she gets the information she’s looking for and Maria gets one hell of a scoop.

Agla comes across as brusque and rigid. With her history in an unforgiving financial environment, you can’t expect her to be anything else. Her kindness to pill-popping Elísa builds as the relationship deepens but life outside comes at a cost. Breaching probation conditions for one.

María Gunnhildur Jónudóttir, who was a former investigator at the special prosecutor’s office where Agla Margeirsdóttir had been a person of interest, now runs an online news outlet. But when she goes to see Agla in prison to ask about her links to Ingimar Magnússon and William Tedd — the Paris-based markets guru — she is denied visitation. But she doesn’t have to wait long. With the tenacity of a bloodhound, she is determined to get to the bottom of a conspiracy where a few greedy men could push their profit margins through the roof. But this settling of scores is detrimental.

Ingimar Magnússon, closely connected to Iceland’s business and politics, likes to play dangerous games. With a natural cold, ruthless streak, he’s rather good at it. He’s also good at infringing international regulations while staying just within the legal limits. Dirty tricks, blackmail and willing to hold a gun at anyone who stands in his way, this is a man you’d want Agla and María to steer well clear of.

And then we have Anton, a creative and dynamic individual, who has a project simmering in the cellar. Too much listening to Radio Edda makes him feel it’s time for action. If he takes matters into his own hands, his plan could blow a hole in the stratosphere. But will such a rash decision be a hit with his beloved Júlía? I have to say I was floored by the outcome.

Including Sonja, all of these people are in a cage of their own making, and each with their own axe to grind. The chapters are compact and the pace, even when weaving from character to character, is rapid and full of intrigue. You can’t get enough. It’s one of those books that if you have to put down, you’ll still have each scene fresh in your mind, frantic to know what happens next. When all stories converge, it’s a thrill to learn who belongs where and how their lives might or might not be intertwined. About three quarters of the way through, I guessed a small portion of how the ending might play out. But certainly not all.

All in all, I gave it five big fat stars. The story-line shifted effortlessly between each point of view and spun a complex tale of murder, revenge and betrayal. Flawlessly paced and painfully gripping.

Bonuses:

A map: Found in the front matter to show us the region and setting. Major plus!

Book cover: One that will definitely stand out on bookshelves.

Writing style: Relaxed and comfortable, with visceral descriptions.

About the Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir is an award-winning playwright who has written four crime novels. The previous titles in the Reykjavik Noir series are Snare and Trap, which was a Guardian Book of the Year. The film rights for the series have been bought by Palomar Pictures. Quentin Bates is the author of a series of Icelandic crime novels that include Frozen Assets and Cold Comfort. He has translated all of Ragnar Jónasson’s Dark Iceland series.

More books by Lilja Sigurdardóttir

Webpage

Amazon

The Marriage Trap by Sheryl Browne @Bookouture #Review #Psychological #thriller @SherylBrowne

July 7, 2019July 14, 2019 / Bookpreneur / 3 Comments

Woohoo! Another FABULOUS psychological thriller. I hadn’t read any of Sheryl Browne’s books before and since I’m always hunting for new authors, this was a real treat. Who doesn’t love a good psych thriller, where two complex personalities collide and there are emotional knots to unravel.

Description:

My husband has been keeping secrets for a long time. He thinks I don’t know what he does outside of this house. But I know everything…

Karla watches silently as Jason hurriedly packs his belongings into a suitcase. She knows that her stillness is unnerving him as she watches his every move from the doorway of their bedroom.

Clothes are screwed up and packed into the case, along with a watch she bought him for his last birthday and his precious laptop. He takes everything from his bedside table. Everything except the framed wedding photo, which now stands alone. Karla strains to see the smiling faces in the photo. If only she knew then what she knows now.

‘I’ve fallen in love with someone else,’ he’d said to her, just moments earlier. The brutality of those words hit Karla hard and she struggled to breathe as she took in each word in turn.

You may think you know what Karla will do next. But you’ll be wrong. Because Karla isn’t who you think she is. Only she knows what’s about to happen. And you will never see it coming.

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller for readers who loved The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Other Woman. With twists you’ll never see coming, you will not be able to put this one down!

Print Length: 323 pages

Publisher: Bookouture (July 30, 2019)

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

ASIN: B07SQ43947

Buying Links: UK here & US here

What the book is about:

Four personalities, four points of view. Karla, her husband Jason, and Karla’s parents Diana and Robert. The story starts in the midst of a marriage breakup with occasional glimpses of earlier times explaining how the marriage turned sour. Karla’s pain is unmistakable as she slides into a sequence of events that are not only self-destructive to her marriage and to the relationship she holds dear with her ‘babies,’ but also her reputation at work. Witnessing such a tipping point is sheer torture, as Browne leads her readers down a slippery slope with no hope of recovery. As Jason pursues an enticing on-line interest, the little grey cells in my head began to get the drift.

When we meet Karla, she has probably hit rock bottom and her character is going through the inevitable stages of grief — self-denial being the theme that carries throughout the book — and trying to right a wrong she has no hope of doing on her own. You can’t help feeling for Jason, with or without his faults, and I hoped he would somehow make a change.

My thoughts:

The ending had thee surprising twists, although there was one I had toyed with earlier. It was later confirmed with powerful backstory of Karla and Sarah, and Michael Kinsella’s background.

The family dynamic was complex. Robert a hardened Lothario with a reputation to uphold and a horrible secret he is desperate to keep. The most manipulative of the four, he drove me insane, especially with a motive that would have driven any protagonist over the edge.

Diana, enjoying the lifestyle that goes with being married to a businessman, has a few secrets of her own. I think out of all of the characters in the book, I liked her the best. Guilt-ridden to the end, she continued to demonstrate an inner strength and a sacrificial love for Sarah and Karla. We can all empathize with her situation.

This is a well-written, pacey read, hard to put down and cleverly plotted.

Summary:

When I think of divorce, I often wonder if it’s because the ‘exciting’ part of a person’s character has been stripped away with raising two children and navigating life. That’s why the fairy tales end with ‘they lived happily ever after’ because to go any further would spoil it. There are stress fractures in Karla and Jason’s relationship that need loving reinforcement. But what would happen if they had been allowed to go back in time and bottle the essence of what attracted them to each other in the first place. Could they reclaim some of the excitement and magic they first experienced? Did Karla demonstrate this with what she did? Without spoilers, you’ll just have to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, author Sheryl Browne and publisher Bookouture for an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

What readers are saying about the book:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Oh my goodness I can finally breathe!! What an amazing, addictive and totally gripping read this was… you will not be able to put it down!!’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! What a rollercoaster of a ride that story was, bloody brilliant!… If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl then this story is for you!’ Between the Pages Book Club

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Stunning… Gripping, tense and suspenseful… a heart in mouth and pulse-racing realistic thriller… I loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Phew… Goosebumps, shivers down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end, that’s how good this book is.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I’m speechless… It is just amazing.’ Rachel’s Random Reads

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow!! I was totally taken away with this book from page one.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An unputdownable read. I loved that I had no idea what the author had in store next for me.’ By the Letter Book Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Clear some room in your diary, you will not want to put this down.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I read it in less than a day. I had to know what happened to who and when!!!… 10/10.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely amazing. Twisted, thrilling and chilling. This book is one you will pick up and not want to put down.

About the Author:

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taught, dark, twisty psychological thriller and contemporary fiction. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller THE MARRIAGE TRAP comes to you from fabulous BOOKOUTURE. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies, where she completed her MA in Creative Writing.

So why does Sheryl write in two genres? Quoting E. L. Doctorow, Sheryl says: “Writing a novel is like driving a car at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights.” This she thinks sums up a writer’s journey, you never quite know where you are going until you get there. If Sheryl’s not sure where a character is going, she simply has to trust him to show her the way. Plus, according to one reviewer, she also has a scary insight into the mind of a psychopath. To find out more about Sheryl’s novels, go to http://www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author/ or follow @SherylBrowne on Twitter. To find out more about Sheryl, go to http://www.sherylbrowne.com

More books by Sheryl Browne:

New Book News! INTO THE SILENT SEA available for Pre-Order #BlogTour #NewRelease #Suspense #Psychological #Thriller

October 7, 2018October 8, 2018 / Bookpreneur / 1 Comment

I’m super excited to see psychological thriller INTO THE SILENT SEA now available to pre-order from Amazon. The eBook price has been reduced to 99c/99p until October 24, 2018. It will then revert to the regular price of $3.99.

99c/99p

Now on Amazon Pre-Order HERE

Publish date: October 24, 2017

Offer available until October 24, 2018.

Then eBook will be available for $3.99

Book Description:

Dangerous is one thing. Deadly is something else.

When Clodagh Shepherd’s curiosity gives way to obsession, her thoughts turn to revenge.

In the wake of her husband’s affair and subsequent disappearance, Clo makes an impulsive decision to befriend the beautiful stranger who has stolen her life. Answering an ad for a home help, she moves into the home of her husband’s mistress and is immediately drawn into the chilling reality behind the idyllic façade of Hamptons Life. Central to her terrifying nightmare is a deadly secret–a secret someone will kill to keep.

In this dark and twisting thriller, Clo proves the adage ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ with shocking consequences.

‘An engaging, pacy read which keeps the reader guessing.’ Bookworm Reviews, 5 stars

What people are saying about INTO THE SILENT SEA

‘A stylish beach thriller. Taut and provocative with a flawed but very likable heroine.’ Avid Reader, 5 Stars

‘Holy cow! What a read! Sun, sea and suspense with a chilling cast of lovers and mistresses. What could be better! Get ready to curl up with this churning, dark mystery.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A twisted and suspenseful thriller that entangles an unlikely friendship with a murder… Subtly tips its hat to authors such as Ruth Ware and Paula Hawkins.’ Debonair Debs Reviews, 5 stars.

‘A bracing, knotty ride, where murder won’t rinse clean and plots runs deeper than the ocean itself.’ Bookishly Bookish, 5 stars

Top Six Books I’ve Read This Year

July 4, 2018July 5, 2018 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Due to a transfer in career from New Mexico to Utah, I decided to take a brief hiatus from writing. Having completed a stand-alone thriller and nearing the end of the Detective Temeke series, there’s no better escape than reading books. Here are six of my favorites this year written by brilliant, talented writers.

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press, (Simon and Schuster) Pages: 273. Rating 4.3. Reviews 315. Genre: Family Life, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Thriller and Suspense.

Brief Description: Oliver Ryan has the perfect life. Elegant and seductive, he wants for nothing, sharing a lovely home with his steadfast wife, Alice, who illustrates the award-winning children’s books that have brought him wealth and fame. Until one evening, after eating the dinner Alice has carefully prepared, Oliver savagely assaults her and leaves her for dead.

Described as a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit, Unraveling Oliver is an intricately woven story of a man who apparently has everything. Or does he? Highly suspenseful and told from the perspectives of the injured parties, it is the tragic story of a fractured mind. Some of the reviews indicate that readers found the alternating points of view hard to get to grips with, but I love this style. If a book doesn’t have that extra layer it can fall flat for me and I end up distracted and looking for food. This story intrigued me and after the last page, the plot was thick enough to stick for at least a week. Highly recommended.

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press. Pages: 342. Rating 4.2. Reviews 1,739. Genre: Women’s Fiction, Psychological, Detective, Suspense.

Brief Description: When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

I found this story intriguing although a little slow to begin with. A twisty plot of love and betrayal written from two points of view, Nellie (the bride) and Vanessa (the disturbed ex). You you get the impression fairly early on that we are not getting the whole story and I had to go back and reread sections to make sure I had it down correctly. It’s well-read territory, twists and turns are a little contrived but around the half-way mark the reveal took me by surprise. The book is described as a clever suspense novel and compared to The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. I’m not sure it’s quite up there, but it’s well worth the read.

Publisher: Witness Impulse/Harper Collins. Pages: 411. Rating 4.0. Reviews: 1,406. Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. Heist. Supernatural. United States.

Brief Description: Frank Rath thought he was done with murder when he turned in his detective’s badge to become a private investigator and raise a daughter alone. Then the police in his remote rural community of Canaan find an ’89 Monte Carlo abandoned by the side of the road, and the beautiful teenage girl who owned the car seems to have disappeared without a trace.

I had heard of Eric Rickstad but not read any of his novels. Needless to say, I was hooked at the first few pages. He has a rhythmic writing style I love, although I could have done with less of the short sentences. They were a little choppy and when more than one character (narrative voice) attempted the same style, it can get confusing. This was another book I thought I had figured out, but nope. The ending, for me, was a serious twist. Not everyone likes cliffhangers, so I hope he comes up with a second book. Recommended.

Publisher: Berkley, Penguin Group. Pages: 377. Rating: 4.3. Reviews: 1,275. Genre: Women’s Fiction, Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. Detective. Psychological.

Brief Description: On a rainy afternoon, a mother’s life is shattered as her son slips from her grip and runs into the street… I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past.

The blurb for I Let You Go enticed me to buy it and I was glad I did. The book tells the story of a mother who loses her child in an accident (not a spoiler since this is in the blurb) during those one of those dangerous split seconds of inattention. Its the hit-and-run the reader focuses on and Jenna’s way of coping with this terrible tragedy. Unputdownable and disturbing, and brought home by brilliant, atmospheric writing. Just too many layers of this particular onion that I enjoyed, a truly emotional journey that made me feel no matter what Jenna did, she was going to pay the price at some point. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Scribner, Simon and Schuster. Pages: 545. Rating: 4.6. Reviews: 28,078. Genre: Historical Fiction, French, German, Military.

Brief Description: Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

Probably one of my favorite books of all time, All The Light We Cannot See takes you through the lives of Marie-Laure, her father and the gadget-obsessed German orphan Werner, tied together by a dangerous and priceless gem. It’s an intricate masterpiece that draws you in so you can’t fail to become personally connected. With alternating character chapters, the atrocities and the lasting scars on each will very likely create an image of war some of us have never imagined. I think this book will haunt me for some time. Highly recommended.

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing. Pages: 526. Rating: 4.8. Reviews: 19,097. Genre: Literary Fiction, Biographical, Women’s Fiction.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

With phenomenal ratings—4.8—it’s no surprise that this cinematic and literary work was chosen by Pascal Pictures to be made into a movie. Based on a true story and set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Milan during World War II, this book carries an intense pace and leaves you feeling like one of the characters and not just the reader. Pino becomes a driver for Major General Leyer, and through his eyes we ‘see’ all the harrowing Nazi atrocities and the allied advances to liberate northern Italy. Full of action and suspense, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The writing is poetic and impeccable and as quoted within the opening chapters, nothing will ever be the same. Highly recommended.

There’s nothing like reading a book with that extra special magic, the type of book you can’t bear to finish. If you’re searching for a compulsively readable novel, these must-read books, complete with publisher information, ratings, genre and descriptions, are impossible to put down.

Next, I will be reading a book by Tess Gerritson, Paula Hawkins and K.L. Slater.

New Book News

December 23, 2017 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

thankyou

2017 has been a fabulous year with two books written in the Detective Temeke Crime Series. Dead Cold, available on Amazon, and Easy Prey, coming out in eBook on December 28.

Dead Cold, Book 4 in the series was one of my favorites to write. The case winds its way through New Mexico and Arizona as the police pursue a fugitive thought to have been involved in a murder. For those of you who know the area around Schnebly Hill road will appreciate these majestic views.

schnebly-hill-vista

Easy Prey, Book 5, is set in Albuquerque around the Rio Grande River and the general area known as the Bosque, a constructed wetland intended to replicate the natural wetlands that historically occupied the floodplain of the Rio Grande.

Easy Prey for newsletter

Short Description:

Something dark and brooding stalks the mysterious Bosque nature reserve. Bird watchers fall prey to the menace and thefts of rare falcons are on the rise. But it is the body of a murdered girl discovered on the banks of The Rio Grande River that eventually brings Detectives Temeke and Santiago onto the trail.

During a camping weekend, Jessie Bowman’s best friend, Bree, has disappeared. Guilt ridden, yet determined to do the right thing, she tracks the man she believes is responsible and begins to unravel a mystery that tests every ounce of her resilience. She has only two choices – fight or flight. And Jessie is done with running.

Now Detectives Temeke and Santiago must locate Jessie before the madman snares his final prey.

What people are saying:

‘Stibbe handles the latest mystery in the Detective Temeke series with the dexterity of a master falconer. The climax will swoop down and seize you when you least expect it, leaving you feeling as if you too have become ‘easy prey’. Dr Maurice Singleton, PhD in Narrative Theory, Author and Lecturer

WINNER NM AZ

AWARDS: Night Eyes, Book 2 of the Detective Temeke Series won the New Mexico/Arizona Book Award this year in the Crime Mystery Category. This is a big award, where books are read by publishers, librarians and bestselling authors. Thank you to all those who voted for this book!

SALES: During Christmas and the New Year, the first three books in the series have been discounted to 99p/99c. So click on the picture below to reserve your copy.

Thank you to all those who read and received Advance Reviewer Copies (ARCs) for Easy Prey and made helpful suggestions to the overall book. We are giving away free copies by mobi/ePub format in the New Year to all those who would like to review the book on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thank you to all my readers and for your wonderful reviews. Keep them coming!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

New Book News

October 21, 2017 / Bookpreneur / Leave a comment

Absolutely delighted to be kicking off today with a brand new book, DEAD COLD, the fourth book in the Detective Temeke Crime series, and to let you know the book is already on pre-order on Amazon for the fantastic introductory price of only $1.99!

Huge thanks to all the lovely editors at Kingdom Writing Solutions and proofreader and editor Jeff Gardiner, and all those who gave me insight, suggestions, deletions and big high-fives! Thank you! I am thrilled to be sharing my new book with you today.

The truth is dead and buried. Or is it?

When two bodies are recovered from a house fire, Detective Temeke is called in to investigate what he believes is a routine case. The tragedy takes a more sinister turn when a post mortem reveals that one victim was beaten to death.

House owner Flynn McCann appears to have the perfect life, married to the woman he loves. His life is quiet – even ordinary. Until the fire reduces all he knows to ashes. Consumed with grief, and fleeing suspicion, he must unravel the events leading up to that terrible night to prove his innocence. But time is running out. As the dead prepare to reveal their secrets, he realizes his future is about to unfold in ways he could never have imagined.

In a house with a history of betrayal and revenge, how many lines is Temeke willing to cross to uncover the truth and bring in an elusive killer?

With taut and brooding prose, Dead Cold is a twisty new thriller from the author of The 9th Hour and Night Eyes.

What people are saying

“A crisp, confident and roundly satisfying novel, the characters simply sparkle with life. This is a meaty police procedural I couldn’t put down.” Jenny London, Ebony Press.

“Claire Stibbe has written another corker of a crime thriller that takes hold and won’t let go. Slick and exciting with tons of twists and turns, it kept me riveted until the end. I sincerely hope this series keeps on coming.” Celia Markham, Booksage.

“This is an addicting read. I rarely give a book a five star rating unless it consistently hits the bulls-eye. Dead Cold is all that and so much more.” Southwest Book Reviews

Pre-order now from Amazon UK

Pre-order now from Amazon US

Author Bio

Claire Stibbe is an award winning author of the Detective Temeke Crime series. She has been nominated as a finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards for both 2016 and 2017, selected for the 2017 Kindle Book Review Awards, and shortlisted for New Mexico/Arizona eBook Award in 2017.

She is also a reporter for Stand True 4 Blue, which features a Nationwide Newsletter dedicated to law enforcement, a member and graduate of the Citizen Police & BSCO Sheriff’s Academy. A former journalist and magazine editor, she lives in Albuquerque with her husband and son.