The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies #TheGreekHouse @DinahJefferies @HarperCollinsUK @HarperFiction @fictionpubteam #BookReview

 

Can one house hold a lifetime of secrets?

Corfu, 1930

The moment Thirza Caruthers sets foot on Corfu, memories flood back: the scent of jasmine, the green shutters of her family’s home ― and her brother Billy’s tragic disappearance years before.

Returning to the Greek house, high above clear blue waters, Thirza tries to escape by immersing herself in painting ― and a passionate affair.

But as webs of love, envy, and betrayal tighten around the family, buried secrets surface.

Is it finally time to uncover the truth about Billy’s vanishing?

The Greek House by Dinah Jefferies is published on 24 April 2025 by HarperCollins. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Everyone who knows me and has followed my social media accounts for some time will be aware of my love of Corfu.  It is an island that I fell in love with well over twenty years ago and make a point of returning to every year. It is not just a holiday destination, it feels like a second home. The culture and the history is vast and I'm always learning something new about this wonderful place. 

When I found out that Dinah Jefferies' latest novel was set on Corfu, I knew that was one for me. Sadly, I didn't get to read this one whilst in Corfu, but the glorious sunshine and blue skies of Lanzarote almost made up for that! 

This is historical fiction at its best. Jefferies has created a family drama that spans decades and takes in the recent history of Corfu at the same time. 

In 1923, Corfu is invaded by Italian troops. There is carnage in the capital city and young Billy Caruthers goes missing. His family have lived on Corfu for some time, alternating between their home in the countryside and a place in the city. Billy's mother, Dulcie has taken an interest in refugee children housed in Corfu and it is whilst she checks on these children that Billy disappears. Dulcie is distraught and blames her drunk sister and her sixteen year old daughter Thirza. They leave the island.

In 1930, Thirza returns to Corfu. She intends to renovate their old house in the hope that her mother will also return. Billy's disappearance has had a profound effect on the family. Her parents are no longer together, her father has remained on Corfu and is now happy in a relationship with another woman. 

There's a romance running through this novel, as well as the serious family drama. Thirza becomes involved with an Italian man living locally. It's a form of self discovery for her and is written so well by this clever author. 

Old secrets and mysteries are also disturbed and there are some unexpected and serious, dark issues dealt with as the plot progresses. 

I found this to be the perfect book to read as I lay on my sunbed in the sunshine, recovering from quite a serious illness. I was transported to a place that I love. The characters were well imagined and the setting is stunning. Recommended by me. 

Dinah Jefferies began her career with The Separation, followed by the No.1 Sunday Times and Richard and Judy bestseller, The Tea-Planter’s Wife. 

Born in Malaysia, she moved to England at the age of nine. 

In 1985, a family tragedy changed everything, and she now draws on the experience of loss in her writing, infusing love, loss and danger with the beauty of her locations. 

She is published in 29 languages in over 30 countries and lives close to her family in Gloucestershire.

www.dinahjefferies.com

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Whatever It Takes by Rachel Abbott BLOG TOUR #WhateverItTakes @RachelAbbott @RandomTTours #Giveaway #Win #Prize #Competition

 

He played by the rules – until the only rule that mattered was survival.

Recovering from a gunshot wound that nearly cost him his life, DCI Tom Douglas isn’t focused on himself – his concern is for his brother Jack, who seems to have vanished without a trace. Jack’s past is as dangerous as it is complicated. Years ago, he faked his own death to escape an organised crime group, and ever since, he’s been living in the shadows, always one step ahead of those who want to hunt him down.

Now, Tom’s worst fears are coming true. Has Jack’s past finally caught up with him? And what does that mean for his family?Tom has to find them, but the answers he seeks are hidden in a brutal underworld - one more threatening than anything Tom has faced before.

With time running out and his own life on the line, Tom must decide how far he’s willing to go and how much he’s prepared to sacrifice, knowing it will mean crossing a line he swore he never would.

But there is another player in this game – one who will stop at nothing to find the answers she seeks. And if Tom makes the wrong move, he, and everyone he loves, will lose.

He’s spent his life chasing criminals. But to save his family, he might have to become one.

Whatever It Takes by Rachel Abbott was published on 11 March 2025. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to have two proof copies to give away. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget in this blog post. UK entries only please.

GOOD LUCK!

Rachel Abbott is the bestselling author of the Tom Douglas series of books, which have sold over 5 million copies in the English language and have been translated into over 20 languages.

Whatever it Takes is the 12th thriller in this series, and Rachel Abbott has released four novels in the Stephanie King series with Headline under the Wildfire imprint. The first in the series - And So It Begins - was listed as one of The Times best crime novels of the year.

Born and raised in Manchester, Abbott founded her own interactive media company in the 1980s before retiring in 2005. She then moved to Italy where she wrote her first novel, Only the Innocent, which she went on to publish via Kindle Direct Publishing, topping their chart for 4 weeks.

A true self-publishing pioneer, Abbott now lives in Alderney in the Channel Islands.

www.rachel-abbott.com

Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger #Son @JoGustawsson @EngerThomas @OrendaBooks #NordicNoir BLOG TOUR

 

Everyone here is lying…

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.
 
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…
 
For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst … and The Mentalist

Son by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger is published in hardback by Orenda Books on 27 March 2025. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour 

Individually, Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger are two of the best crime fiction authors currently writing. When I heard that they were writing a book together, I was intrigued. I wondered how two authors with their own original styles could weave together a story that was both realistic and enjoyable to read. As I closed the book after that totally unexpected end paragraph, I came to the conclusion that here we have two outstanding writers and when brought together to write they truly are magnificent. 

We are introduced to Kari Voss. Kari is a body language and memory expert and works closely with the Oslo police force. She also has some weighty life baggage of her own. Seven years ago her young son, Vetle, disappeared, it was his birthday and he's not been seen since. Kari also grieves for her dead husband. 

Kari is contacted to help with the investigation into a brutal double murder. Two teenage girls are found in a summer house with their throats slit. This case opens up so many wounds for Kari, the victims and the person arrested for the murder were all friends of her son Vetle. Kari knows them and their families well and despite her professionalism on the case, she becomes really emotionally involved. It is not long before many dark long-held secrets are exposed in this small town, sending shockwaves through the community and raising questions about many things, and many people. 

Son is seamlessly written, it is woven together expertly with characters who are perfectly created in a setting that adds so much to the tension and depth of the murder mystery. Every single character fits perfectly into the narrative, some of them are incredibly flawed, some of them are totally unreliable, but each one of them fits perfectly into the plot line.  

This really is a writing match made in heaven. Both of these authors are incredibly talented in their own right, but bring them together and the results are explosive. This is almost pitch perfect crime fiction, written with heart, multi layered and emotionally challenging. A fabulous beginning to a new series. 

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.

The Weekenders by David F Ross #TheWeekenders @dfr10 @OrendaBooks #BookReview

 

The deaths of a series of young Eastern European women in Glasgow leads to a stately home in the Scottish countryside, and back to the Second World War, where a group of young soldiers made their own, shocking rules… Saltire Prize shortlisted author David F. Ross returns with an extraordinary, dark mystery – first in a new series.

Glasgow, 1966: Stevie 'Minto' Milloy, former star footballer-turned-rookie reporter, finds himself trailing the story of a young Eastern European student whose body has been found on remote moorland outside the city. How did she get there from her hostel at the Sovereign Grace Mission, and why does Stevie find obstacles at every turn?

Italy, 1943: As the Allies fight Mussolini's troops, a group of young soldiers are separated from their platoon, and Glaswegian Jamesie Campbell, his newfound friend Michael McTavish at his side, finds himself free to make his own rules…

Glasgow, 1969: Courtroom sketch artist Donald 'Doodle' Malpas is shocked to discover that his new case involves the murder of a teenage Lithuanian girl he knows from the Sovereign Grace Mission. Why hasn't the girl's death been reported? And why is a young police constable suddenly so keen to join the mission?

No one seems willing to join the dots between the two cases, and how they link to Raskine House, the stately home in the Scottish countryside with a dark history and even darker present – the venue for the debauched parties held there by the rich and powerful of the city who call themselves 'The Weekenders'.

Painting a picture of a 1960s Glasgow in the throes of a permissive society, pulled apart by religion, corruption, and a murderous Bible John stalking the streets, The Weekenders is a snapshot of an era of turmoil – and a terrifying insight into the mind of a ruthless criminal…

The Weekenders by David F Ross was published by Orenda Books on 27 February 2025. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

One of my all time favourite novels is There's Only One Danny Garvey by David F Ross, published in 20202. Danny Garvey was told in four voices, during one era. Ross is so skilled at creating different and unique voices for his novel. In The Weekenders, we have two main narrators - Stevie 'Minto ' Molloy and Donald 'Doodle' Malpass, and the story is set in three, very separate, time scales.  There's Stevie's story from 1966, as he finds his way as a new sports journalist after his successful football playing career is cut tragically short. Doodle tells his story in 1969, again in Glasgow. Doodle is a courtroom sketch artist and is troubled by the news of the murder of a Lithuanian girl. 
The third part of the novel, and possibly the darkest and most graphic is set in during the war, in Italy in 1943, we are introduced to Jamsie Campbell and Michael McTavish, a couple of characters whose presence is felt throughout the story. 

This is raw and violent and dark and straight to the point. Ross does not protect his readers from the realities of the Glasgow that is depicted within the plot. Coarse, strong language, mixed up with corruption and murder and the despicable behaviours displayed by those in power are to be found on every page of this truth filled, captivating and shocking story. 

The characters are all flawed, yet there are some of them who the reader cannot fail to grow fond of, despite some of the things that they do, and say. 

As he always does. David F Ross has intricately explored community and relationships within. There's a poignancy about the story, despite the starkness and violence. These are real people, their issues have shaped them, and those around them. It's wonderfully written and highly recommended by me. 

David F. Ross was born in Glasgow in 1964 and has lived in Kilmarnock for over 30
years. 

He is a graduate of the Mackintosh School of Architecture at Glasgow School of Art, an architect by day, and a hilarious social-media commentator, author and enabler by night. 

His debut novel The Last Days of Disco was shortlisted for the Authors Club Best First Novel Award, and optioned for the stage by the Scottish National Theatre. 

All five of his novels have achieved notable critical acclaim and There’s Only One Danny Garvey, published in 2021 by Orenda Books, was shortlisted for the prestigious Saltire Society Prize for Scottish Fiction Book of the Year. 

David lives in Ayrshire. 

www.davidfross.co.uk

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The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani #TheMidnightKing @TariqAshkanani @ViperBooks #BookReview

 

'This is a work of fiction. This is not a confession.'

Lucas Cole is a bestselling writer. He is also a father, a widower, and a beloved celebrity in his small town. He is an unassuming man ­- tall, thin and quietly friendly. Lucas Cole is also a serial killer.

Nathan Cole has known the truth about his father since he was ten years old. Too terrified to go to the police, he ran away from home as soon as he was able, carrying the guilt of leaving his sister behind. But when Lucas is found dead in a dingy motel room, Nathan returns to his childhood home for the first time in seventeen years. It's there he finds The Midnight King, his father's final unpublished manuscript, a fictionalised account of his hideous crimes, hidden in a box of trinkets taken from his victims. Trinkets that include a ribbon belonging to a missing eight-year-old girl who disappeared only days before his father's death.

Now, Nathan must deal with the consequences of keeping his father's secret. But it may not be as simple as finding a lost child. For The Midnight King holds Nathan's secrets as well as Lucas's, and he is not the only one searching for the truth...

Full of unexpected twists and heartrending turns, The Midnight King is a gripping thriller perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker, S.A. Cosby and Ian Rankin.

The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani is published on 10 April 2025 by Viper. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Very very dark, quite shocking and really intelligently written. This is how I like my crime fiction, and Tariq Ashkanani certainly delivers with The Midnight King. It's the sort of book that hooks the reader from the opening scenes, and then doesn't let go until the final pages. A twisted serial killer story that is up there alongside the best. 

This is a two pronged story line, with two main narrators, but one evil, devilish killer at the heart of it. Nathan Cole ran away from home many years ago. He was escaping the deeds of his father. Nathan knew exactly what Lucas Cole was. To outsiders, Lucas appeared to be quite the local celebrity- a quiet man, but a friendly man who also happened to be a best selling author of crime fiction. Nathan knows that Lucas is a serial killer. 

Nathan has returned for the first time in many years. His father has been found dead in a motel room, and Nathan has discovered a box in his father's home. This box contains unimaginable horrors; souvenirs from Lucas' crimes and also, a manuscript.  This manuscript is nothing like Lucas' other work, it is claimed that it's fiction, but Nathan knows that it details everything terrible that his father did before he died. 

Isaac Holloway is a private investigator. He's been hired by the parents of missing girl Chloe. Nathan and Isaae were childhood friends but have not had any contact for many years. Both Isaac and Nathan are sure that Chloe is the final victim of Lucas, but she hasn't been found yet. Both of them are desperate to find her, desperate to know that she is still alive. 

The Midnight King is a complex and multi layered story that is beautifully written, with the Nashville setting becoming such an integral part of the plot line that I don't think it would work anywhere else.

Shocks, twists and totally unexpected reveals all go towards making this one a totally gripping read. Highly recommended by me. 

Tariq Ashkanani is a solicitor and co-host of the writing podcast Page One. 

His debut novel, Welcome to Cooper, won the Bloody Scotland Debut Award 2022, as well as being shortlisted for both the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Capital Crime Fingerprint Award. 

His second novel, Follow Me to the Edge, was published in 2022. 

His upcoming novel, The Midnight King, will be published by Viper in 2025. 

He lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two sons.

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The Antique Hunter's ; Death on the Red Sea by C L Miller #AntiqueHunters #DeathontheRedSea @CLMillerAuthor @panmacmillan @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

Join Freya and Aunt Carole for more sleuthing in the highly anticipated second instalment in your new favourite crime series, The Antique Hunters. The Antique Hunter's: Death on the Red Sea is a cosy crime read for fans of the Antiques Roadshow.

When a painting vanishes from a maritime museum – and a dead body is found nearby – the newly established Lockwood Antique Hunter’s Agency, Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carole, are called to investigate.

Following a lead that takes them aboard a glamorous antiques cruise sailing toward the Red Sea in Jordan, they quickly discover that the ship's art gallery is filled with stolen antiquities. Each and every one of them is also listed in Freya’s late mentor’s journals detailing unsolved cases. In chasing a murderer with a stolen painting, they may have found something more sinister than they could’ve imagined . . .

Their hunt soon turns deadly when they learn that the enigmatic and dangerous art trafficker named The Collector could be on board. But on a ship full of antiques enthusiasts – plus some unexpected familiar faces – will Freya and Carole be able to discover The Collector’s identity and stop his murderous plans before the ship docks?

Or will the killer strike again?

The Antique Hunter's : Death on the Red Sea by C L Miller was published in hardback on 13 February 2025 by Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I read and reviewed the first in this series: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder back in March 2024, and whilst cosy crime is never my first choice when choosing a crime book to read, I really did enjoy it and have been looking forward to this second in the series for a while. 

This is another gloriously entertaining read from Miller featuring two of the best drawn female lead characters about. Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carol have officially created their 'Lockwood Antique Hunter's Agency' and who would have guessed that there would be quite so much business for them? The antiques business is certainly not dry and boring, it's filled to the brim with suspicious characters and crimes that need to be investigated. 

The prologue takes the reader back to before Freya's uncle Arthur died. He passing on information to Phil, from the FBI Art Crime Team - it seems 'The Collector' is taking retirement and is stepping down from his role as antique thief extraordinaire! 

When Freya and Carol are called out to investigate the theft of a painting from a nearby Maritime Museum, they discover that Arthur was heavily involved with the museum and the painting, and before long they find themselves on a art themed cruise, with Freya posing as one of the experts on board. It soon becomes clear to Freya that there's a lot of dodgy stuff going on and the appearance of a familiar face on board just proves this to her. 

This is a great series, I love the unusual premise - the crime solvers set in the world of the antiques business!  The author has used her own personal experience to ensure that the details appear so authentic whilst also creating mysteries that are complex and compelling.  Recommended by me. 

C. L. Miller started her working life in publishing as an editorial assistant for her mother, Judith Miller, on the Miller’s Antique Price Guide and as a researcher for the Antique Hunter’s Guide to Europe, and then went into hospitality and events. 

After she had children, she decided to follow her long-held dream of becoming an author and began writing full time. 

She was an Undiscovered Voices winner in 2022 and was showcased in the UV 2022 anthology.

C. L. Miller lives in a medieval cottage in Dedham Vale, Suffolk, with her family.

www.clmillerauthor.com

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Luminous by Silvia Park #Luminous @silviajpark @OneworldNews #BookReview

 

Three siblings. Two human, one robot. The spectacular new debut about what it means to be alive. 

In a recently reunified Korea, robots have integrated seamlessly into society. They are our teachers, our bus drivers and policemen. They are our lovers. They are even our children. 

Eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scrap metal in a Seoul junkyard, searching for anything that might repair her failing body. There amongst the piles of junk she happens across a robot boy: lifelike, strange and unlike anything she's seen before. 

Across the city, estranged siblings Jun and Morgan Cho haven't spoken since the abrupt disappearance of their robot brother Yoyo, which shattered their childhoods and left a gaping hole in their lives. But Ruijie's discovery is about to bring the lives of brother and sister hurtling back together, forcing them to confront the reality of Yoyo's true nature, and the dark purpose their father never revealed. 

At once a dazzling work of speculative fiction and a poignant family drama, Luminous is a timely, unforgettable story about what it really means to be human. 

Luminous by Silvia Park is published on 20 March 2025 by Magpie/Oneworld. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Speculative fiction is one of my favourite genres, yet I shy away from traditional science-fiction. I always imagine aliens and space ships when I think of Sci-Fi, maybe it's my age, having grown up in the Star Trek era!  However, sell me something that you describe as speculative and I will snap it up immediately.  Luminous is most certainly speculative fiction, it is also beautifully written literary fiction with world-building and character creation that is breathtakingly precise. 

It's the near future and Korea has recently been reunified. Officially, it was a peaceful process, but it becomes clear that may not be the case and there is a definite sense of superiority from those who originally lived in the South. 

Robots are a totally accepted and indeed, a really important part of day to to day life. Not only do they carry out important functions in society, they can also become family members, sometimes even lovers. 

Park's story revolves around a small cast of characters, each one of them finely and perfectly crafted, regardless of whether they are human or robot. Jun and Morgan are brother and sister, but they are very different, they've not been in touch with each other for years, but the re-appearance of their 'brother', Yoyo - a full robot has brought them together. Park does not give her characters easy lives. Jun works in the police, he's a trans man, who sustained multiple injuries in an accident. He has been repaired using robotic parts, he's also transgender, and he also needs to track down missing Eli; a 'girl next door' type robot who is missing. 

Morgan is a robot designer, working for Imagine Friends. She is just about to launch Boy X, her design as part of the new Future X children. She also has her own personal robot - Stephen, he's also her lover. 

Yoyo was their brother, completely robot and created by their highly intelligent, if often eccentric father. When Yoyo disappeared, they were distraught, he was a robot, but they loved him like the brother he was. 

I find it incredibly difficult to write a review about this book. It's so special and quite unlike anything else that I've written. It is about robots, yet is it life affirming, emotional and full of heart. We are not just learning about advances in science and technology, we are discovering that despite advances in these areas, we still remain human, with all of the drama and heartache that goes along with that.  Unearthing family mysteries that have long been hidden, allowing characters to look differently at each other, and themselves. 

An outstanding look at human relationships, how they develop, how they change, how they can be altered.  Vivid and engrossing, recommended by me. 

Silvia Park grew up in Seoul and has spent most of her life in Korea. 

She received her BA from Columbia and her MFA from NYU, in addition to completing the Clarion Workshop in 2018 on the George R.R. Martin “Sense of Wonder” Fellowship. 

Her short fiction has been published in Black Warrior Review, Joyland and Tor.com, nominated for a Pushcart and reprinted in the 2019 Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy.

www.silviapark.com

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