The Wedding People by Alison Espach #TheWeddingPeople @AlisonEspach @Phoenix_Bks #BookReview

 

It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people - but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who isn't here for the big event.

Phoebe has dreamed of coming here for years. She hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband but now she is divorced and depressed, and not sure how to go on. She's not been sure how to do anything, lately, except climb into bed and drink gin and tonics and listen to the sound of the refrigerator making ice.

When the bride discovers her elaborate destination wedding could be ruined by this sad stranger, she is furious. She has spent months accounting for every detail and every possible disaster - except for, well, Phoebe . . . Soon, both women find their best-laid plans derailed and an unlikely confidante in one another.

Uproariously funny and devastatingly tender, The Wedding People is an irresistible novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families, and the unexpected paths that lead to happiness.

The Wedding People by Alison Espach was published on 1 August 2024 by Phoenix. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

There's something really special about this novel. The writing, combined with the incredible character creation, the setting and the, at times, hilariously funny narrative is such a stunning combination. It's the story of a one woman's journey. She's not actually travelling from place to place geographically, but hurtling from one event to another. From happily married, to divorced and suicidal, to the glamour and totally over the top setting of the wedding of a wealthy woman. 

Phoebe has always wanted to stay at The Cornwall Inn, a hotel that betrays its name by being much more than an inn by the sea. This is luxury, it screams wealth and entitlement. Phoebe always thought that she and her husband would visit together, but here she is, dressed in green silk with no luggage. On her own. Her husband is no longer her husband. He's now playing happy families with another woman, and her child. Phoebe and her husband tried so hard to be parents. 

Lila is also staying at the hotel. She is there for a week, to celebrate her upcoming wedding to Gary. Lila is not happy when she discovers that Phoebe has a room booked in 'her' hotel, during her wedding celebrations. Phoebe is not one of the wedding people. Lila is used to getting her own way, but this time it's not happening. 

To be honest, Phoebe is a hot mess. An educated, intelligent woman who wants to write, she's been totally destroyed by the end of her marriage and her inability to carry a child. Her plans for her stay were firm, but meeting Lila, and then the other wedding people, slowly change those plans. Whilst she still hurts, is still angry and still not sure of her future, meeting these extraordinary people really become a medicine to her. 

There's Gary, the groom-to-be, his daughter Juice and his sister Marla. There's his first wife's brother and then there's Lila. Oh Lila, how I loved you. Spoilt, entitled, totally oblivious, but such a dream of a character. Hilarious at times, heart breaking and tender at others, this is a woman who despite her wealth, is poor in terms of friends, and support, and understanding. 

With themes that include the complexities of the parent/child relationship, the loneliness within relationships, long-term grief and the importance of real friendships, this is a novel that teaches whilst making you laugh. 

Told over just a few days, The Wedding People is a book to savour. A book to make you laugh, and to make you think. You will discover characters who will fill your heart. Highly recommended. 

Alison Espach is the author of two previous novels, though The Wedding People is the
first to be published in the UK. 

Her short stories and essays have appeared in a wide range of publications, including McSweeney's and Vogue. 

She is a professor of creative writing at Providence College in Rhode Island.

X @AlisonEspach

www.alisonespach.com

Instagram @alison.espach

The Black Loch by Peter May BLOG TOUR #TheBlackLoch @authorpetermay @riverrunbooks @soph_ransompr #BookExtract

 

A MURDER

The body of eighteen-year-old TV personality Caitlin is found abandoned on a remote beach at the head of An Loch Dubh - the Black Loch - on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A swimmer and canoeist, it is inconceivable that she could have drowned.

A SECRET

Fin Macleod left the island ten years earlier to escape its memories. When he learns that his married son Fionnlagh had been having a clandestine affair with the dead girl and is suspected of her murder, he and Marsaili return to try and clear his name.

A RECKONING

But nothing is as it seems, and the truth of the murder lies in a past that Fin would rather forget, and a tragedy at the cages of a salmon farm on East Loch Roag, where the tense climax of the story finds its resolution.

The Black Loch takes us on a journey through family ties, hidden relationships and unforgiving landscapes, where suspense, violent revenge and revelation converge in the shadow of the Black Loch.

The Black Loch by Peter May is published on 12 September 2024 by Riverrun. As part of this Blog Tour, I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today.

Extract from The Black Loch by Peter May 

George Gunn folded his jacket and laid it carefully on the driver’s seat before swinging the door shut. It was not gone nine-thirty, and yet the morning sun was already hot. He clipped his Motorola Airwave to his belt and folded up each sleeve of his blue shirt to just a fraction below the elbow.

‘It’s going to be another hot one, George.’ Detective Constable Louise McNish appeared pleased by the prospect.

Gunn grunted and glowered at her across the roof of the car. He preferred the wind blowing in off the sea, the sting of rain in his face. All a matter, he supposed, of what you were used to. McNish, a good twenty years his junior, was a mainlander. From the soft south. Sometimes known as Glasgow. They ran for cover at the first sign of real rain there. He turned his gaze towards the shore.

From the gravel parking area above the beach he saw the black rock exposed at low tide breaking through a skin of sand, high tide delineated by the seaweed it had left behind in wavy lines. The smell of it carried on the breeze, salty and familiar. Next to a white Nissan X- Trail, the ambulance was parked almost on the sand itself, the flashing of its blue light nearly lost in the brilliance of this late August sunshine. A woman crouched at the tideline, leaning over a figure that lay prone on the gentle shelving of the sand. A uniformed police officer and two ambulance men stood watching. Death seemed particularly inappropriate on such a morning.

Gunn picked his way across the beach, Louise following in his wake, black boots leaving deep treads in soft sand. The uni- form nodded acknowledgement and stepped aside. The doctor looked up from the body. Fair hair dragged back and held out of her face by clasps. A strong face, pale, without make-up. She looked weary. ‘Just a lassie,’ she said.

Gunn let his eyes fall to the body and felt something turn over in his stomach. He knew this girl. Not personally. But her face was very familiar. A striking face, full lips that he had seen often parted in laughter. Her long silken chestnut hair lay tangled among the seaweed, blue eyes gazing up at him, almost in accusation. He knew, of course, that was just in his mind. The guilt he always felt when confronted by a death he had not been there to stop. He closed his eyes. What was her name again?

‘Caitlin Black, Detective Sergeant,’ the doctor said, as though she had overheard his thought.

Peter May is the multi award-winning author of:

- the Lewis Trilogy set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland;

- the China Thrillers, featuring Beijing detective Li Yan and American forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell;

- the Enzo Files, featuring Scottish forensic scientist Enzo MacLeod, which is set in France. The sixth and final Enzo book is Cast Iron (January 2017, Riverrun).

He has also written several standalone books:

- I'll Keep You Safe (January 2018, Riverrun)

- Entry Island (January 2014, Quercus UK)

- Runaway (January 2015, Quercus UK)

- Coffin Road (January 2016, Riverrun)

May had a successful career as a television writer, creator, and producer.

One of Scotland's most prolific television dramatists, he garnered more than 1000 credits in 15 years as scriptwriter and script editor on prime-time British television drama. He is the creator of three major television drama series and presided over two of the highest-rated serials in his homeland before quitting television to concentrate on his first love, writing novels.

Born and raised in Scotland he lives in France.

His breakthrough as a best-selling author came with The Lewis Trilogy. After being turned down by all the major UK publishers, the first of the The Lewis Trilogy - The Blackhouse - was published in France as L'Ile des Chasseurs d'Oiseaux where it was hailed as "a masterpiece" by the French national newspaper L'Humanité. His novels have a large following in France. The trilogy has won several French literature awards, including one of the world's largest adjudicated readers awards, the Prix Cezam.

The Blackhouse was published in English by the award-winning Quercus (a relatively young publishing house which did not exist when the book was first presented to British publishers). It went on to become an international best seller, and was shortlisted for both Barry Award and Macavity Award when it was published in the USA.

The Blackhouse won the US Barry Award for Best Mystery Novel at Bouchercon in Albany NY, in 2013.

X @authorpetermay

Living Is A Problem by Doug Johnstone BLOG TOUR #LivingIsAProblem @doug_johnstone @OrendaBooks #TheSkelfs #BookReview

 

The Skelf women are back on an even keel after everything they've been through. But when a funeral they're conducting is attacked by a drone, Jenny fears they're in the middle of an Edinburgh gangland vendetta.

At the same time, Yana, a Ukrainian member of the refugee choir that plays with Dorothy's band, has gone missing. Searching for her leads Dorothy into strange and ominous territory.

And Brodie, the newest member of the extended Skelf family, comes to Hannah with a case: Something or someone has been disturbing the grave of his stillborn son.

Everything is changing for the Skelfs … Dorothy's boyfriend Thomas is suffering PTSD after previous violent trauma, Jenny and Archie are becoming close, and Hannah's case leads her to consider the curious concept of panpsychism, which brings new danger … while ghosts from the family's past return to threaten their very lives.

Funny, shocking and profound, Living Is A Problem is the highly anticipated sixth instalment of the unforgettable Skelfs series – shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Book of the Year – where life and death become intertwined more than ever before…

Living Is A Problem by Doug Johnstone is published on 12 September 2024 by Orenda Books and is book six in the Skelfs series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I cannot put into words just how much joy the Skelfs series has brought to me. Five years ago Doug Johnstone introduced us to the women of the Skelf family in the first book; A Dark Matter, and every year since then, we have been treated to more from this incredible and unusual group of women. This has to be one of the best crime fiction series ever written. 

Living Is A Problem opens at a funeral, as most of the books do. This is a huge funeral for a member of a well known Edinburgh family, but it doesn't end well. The events of the day lead to investigations by the Skelf that will ultimately find them in more danger. 

Dorothy, her daughter Jenny, and granddaughter Hannah are the Skelfs. They run a business that is a combination of Undertakers and Private Investigators; may seem strange, but so often the two businesses are linked. Over the series, Jenny has had what can only be described as a pretty shit time, but in this book she's beginning to find herself. Settling down with Archie and contemplating her life so far. Her daughter Hannah is happily married to her wife Indy, and tentatively exploring the world of panpsychism. It is Dorothy who appears to have changed a little. Usually the strong, fearless, head of the family, in this story she appears to be thinking more of her past, and her current age and maybe limited future. 

Once again this is a multi layered and complex story, with threads ranging from gangster in-fighting, the the plight of refugees in the city, to the terrible effects of grief that has been long stored and never talked about. Johnstone deals with each issue with compassion and sensitivity, including relevant social issues into his story, exploring the most terrible things that humans can do to each other, but also shining a light on family, on love, on supportive communities and the need to ensure that justice is done.

The reader is taken through the streets of Edinburgh, visiting those areas that tourists never see. The areas where everyday people live their lives. The places that are not all fresh paint and fancy eating places. It is the reality of the setting that really creates such depth and authenticity to the novel. 

There's a lot going on. The Skelf family and those closest to them are thrown curve balls that would totally fell a lesser family. Dorothy has a lot to contend with especially, seeing the man who brought her happiness after widowhood decline so far is painful, for her, and for the reader.  Seeing Jenny's new found happiness is something of a surprise, but it's so good to see a softer side to her after years of toughness and suffering. 

Once again, I have been totally transfixed when reading about my all time favourite Edinburgh family. Their troubles are vast, but their sense of honour is bigger. Another amazing addition to this wonderful series. Highly recommended. 

Doug Johnstone is the author of seventeen novels, many of which have been bestsellers. 

The Space Between Us was chosen for BBC Two’s Between the Covers, while Black Hearts was shortlisted for and The Big Chill was longlisted for Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. 

Three of his books – A Dark Matter, Breakers and The Jump – have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize. 

Doug has taught creative writing or been writer in residence at universities, schools, writing retreats, festivals, prisons and a funeral home. 

He’s also been an arts journalist for 25 years. 

He is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. 

He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club and lives in Edinburgh with his family.

www.dougjohnstone.com

X @doug_johnstone

Instagram @writerdougj

Until We Meet by E V Radwinter BLOG TOUR #UntilWeMeet @e_v_radwinter @RandomTTours #Giveaway #Win #Competition #Prize

 

One train, a chance encounter, three lives changed forever.

The past, we are told, can help us navigate the present and provide guidance for the future. But what if you don’t know where you came from? Would it affect how you live and love? Love is, after all, a fickle thing. The harder we search for it, the more it eludes us. Then again, when we are not looking for it, then sometimes, just sometimes, it finds us.

A serendipitous encounter on a crowded train brings two strangers together.

Ellie is struggling to escape a semi-toxic relationship, whilst caring for her ailing father.

Rich has a secret he cannot share. Not yet at least.

As they traverse the emotional rollercoasters of loss and searching for her birth family, the friends follow a path of discovery, the end of which neither of them could foresee and which results in three lives being changed forever.

Until We Meet by E V Radwinter was published on 27 July 2024. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour, I am delighted to have one copy of the book to give away. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget in the blog post. UK Entries only please.

GOOD LUCK! 

One copy of Until We Meet by E V Radwinter

E V Radwinter writes heartfelt books that are inspired by real life events, experiences and emotions. 

Until We Meet is E V Radwinter’s second novel. 

The first, Loves Lost and Found, was self-published in 2021. 

She is currently working on her third novel.

E V Radwinter has worked in Marketing and Communications for most of her career and has a passion for writing. 

Her inspiration to write comes from a love of reading, a visit to the library where Evelyn Anthony wrote her books, and the encouragement of her family.

E V Radwinter was born in London and grew up in Essex. 

Over the years she has lived in some of the liveliest and most beautiful places across the country, including north Surrey and Devon, two of the locations featured in this book. She is now back in north Essex where she lives with her partner.

X: @e_v_radwinter

Instagram: e.v.radwinter

 

A Violent Heart by David Fennell BLOG TOUR #AViolentHeart @DavyFennell @ZaffreBooks @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

KILLERS DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES. SO WHY SHOULD SHE?

The stunning new 2024 crime thriller from one of British crime writing's brightest talents.

______________________

Elena Zoric is murdered, her body concealed beside a stream in North London. Her phone lies nearby, the last number dialled was to the woman who had rescued her from sex trafficking: Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Grace Archer.

Archer desperately wants to lead the murder investigation but her new boss, Chief Inspector Les Fletcher, makes it very clear its out of her jurisdiction.

Then the thirty-year-old remains of a woman are found in the attic of an abandoned house, the victim dying in similar circumstances to Elena Zoric.

But Archer's North London colleagues have bigger priorities than the murder of 'a drugged-up prostitute.'

Archer needs answers. Who killed Elena? Why did she call Archer moments from her death? And what rules must she break to stop a killer in his tracks?

A Violent Heart by David Fennell was published on 29 August 2024 by Zaffre. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

In my view, David Fennell is one of the best authors of crime fiction around at the moment. I love his lead character; Grace Archer, and her work colleague DS Quinn. They are a superb partnership, a pairing that you can trust, and who never cut corners. 

Whilst this is the fourth novel to feature these characters, this is a stand alone story. I'd highly recommend reading the previous books, but it is perfectly fine to begin with this one. The author cleverly, and without bogging the reader down in too much detail, outlines Grace's back story. And what a story it is. She's been through a lot in her life, and that has shaped her into the cracking detective that she is today.

A Violent Heart features the murders of sex workers, and whilst the first case mentioned is recent, it soon becomes clear that these murders have been happening for many years. The murderer has their own trademark way of killing his victims. This is a case that produces many puzzles for Archer and Quinn, not least because of the influence of higher ranking police officers who try their best to ensure that this duo are not involved in most of the investigations. 

Whilst the murders are violent and tragic, there is absolutely no gratuitous violence in this story. In fact, what Fennell does so well is to make sure that the victims are all depicted as real humans, with families and lives, with hopes and dreams. For the reader, these are far more than just sex workers, these are people who have found themselves in situations that they couldn't see a way out of. 

The long-term misogyny of the police officers who led the historical investigations is exposed and is horrific. The treatment of the victims and their families and friends was horrendous and Archer is determined that this way of working will never be replicated. 

Tightly plotted, with many strands expertly woven together, I flew through this book in one day. Finding it difficult to put it aside for any length of time. Fennell's writing is enticing and compelling. He's at the top of the game for me. Highly recommended. 

David Fennell was born and raised in Belfast. 

He left for London at the tender age of eighteen and jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career as a writer in the software industry. 

He is the author of six books including the multi-award nominated SLEEPER series. 

His third novel, the bestselling THE ART OF DEATH, marked the beginning of a popular new crime series. 

David is also a screenwriter and has adapted one of his books for television. 

He is also the founder and director of the Beyond the Book Festival. 

David is married and lives in Brighton.

Find out more about him on Instagram (mrdavidfennell),  X (davyfennell), and FaceBook (DavidFennellAuthor).

The Secret Orchard by Sharon Gosling BLOG TOUR #TheSecretOrchard @sharongosling @TeamBATC @simonschusterUK #BookReview

 

Can a return to the past be the start of something new?

Bette and Nina Crowdie have never been close – the ten-year age difference doesn’t help, and Bette’s rarely been home since she left for university at eighteen.

When their father passes away and unexpectedly splits the family farm between them, Nina is furious and afraid. She’s been working at the farm for the past five years. It’s the only home her young son, Barnaby, has ever had, and she’s convinced that Bette will sell at the first chance she gets. When they discover the huge debt their father has been hiding, Bette reluctantly agrees to help her sister. But that means they have to find a way to work together, and Bette must face up to the real reason she left all those years ago.

Could a long-forgotten diary and the discovery of a secret orchard on their land help save the farm – and the sisters’ relationship?

The Secret Orchard by Sharon Gosling is published on 12 September 2024 by Simon & Schuster. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour 

What an utterly enjoyable and immersive read this is! The Secret Orchard is a story packed with intrigue. The author expertly looks at the relationship of two adult sisters and how long kept secrets have impacted on their lives. She includes historical detail, with feuds and misunderstandings between two local families being explored. There's a wonderful romantic element to the story too, and if you ever wondered about how artisan cider is produced, then her amazing research into turning an orchard into a full working cider producing business is perfectly done. There's not too much technical detail, yet it is a fascinating aspect of the story. 

Nina and Bette are sisters. Bette is ten years older and hasn't been home to the family farm for many years. Nina has always resented Bette; she's the one who seems to have it all. A great job as a lawyer in London, her own flat, plenty of money. She has everything.  Nina, on the other hand is single mother to Barnaby (a wonderful character, I know you will fall in love with him). Nina's relationship with Barnaby's father broke down and she is now living in her childhood home. Their mother lives abroad with her new husband, and since their father died, Nina has taken on the running of the farm. Her only friend is neighbour Cam, a handsome man, alway happy to help and watch out for Nina and Barnaby.

Bette returns for their father's funeral and Nina is not welcoming, despite their mother's attempts to smooth the waters, Nina holds a grudge and believes that Bette abandoned their father. It is a total shock to both of them when they discover that their father has left the farm to both of them, recently changing his will to do this. 

The biggest shock though is when they learn just how much debt the farm has, and that the bank will probably foreclose on the loans now that their father has gone. Bette sets to work on the reams of paperwork and the endless figures, going round in circles, trying to find a solution. 

And then they discover the 'secret orchard'. A field of trees on the side of a cliff that none of them knew anything about. Enter Ryan, a man from Bette's past and someone she never wanted to see again. Nina knows nothing of their past and is puzzled by Bette's reaction. However, Ryan is an expert and he sees the potential for the orchard. Unfortunately, so does somebody else and so begins the incredible task of renovating the trees, grafting new saplings, until tragedy strikes and everything looks lost.

This is a multi layered story that is packed with colourful characters. The plot is enticing, with the historical aspects adding so much depth, and the current relationships of the characters adding to the tension. 

Beautifully written, it's a joy to read and recommend. 

Sharon started her career as an entertainment journalist, writing non-fiction books about film and television. 

She is also the author of multiple children’s books. 

Sharon and her husband live in a small village in northern Cumbria. 

She can be found on X @sharongosling

Instagram @sharongoslingauthor

All Boats Are Sinking by Hannah Pierce BLOG TOUR #AllBoatsAreSinking @hpierce214 @Summersdale @RandomTTours #Giveaway #Prize #Competition

 

All Boats Are Sinking is a memoir of love, life and chaos on a narrowboat, perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Helen Fielding and Phoebe Waller-Bridge

"All boats are sinking, Hannah, just at different rates."

After a break-up, some hit the gym; some cut their hair; others have a one-night stand. In the aftermath of her break-up, Hannah bought a narrowboat.

Newly single and plunged into life on the water, Hannah had to learn quickly how to grapple with exploding toilets, disappearing hulls, and the curious glances and questions from pedestrians on the towpath. But when career burn-out, a global pandemic and an ill-advised rebound relationship threatened to sink her, Hannah felt the need to escape. In a bid to let go of the past and restore her sense of self-worth, she embarked on a narrowboat odyssey which took her from the bustling streets of London to the tranquil yet dramatic waterways of West Yorkshire.

Suffering from an apparent magnetism to drama but buoyed by her brilliant friends, Hannah tells of the challenges of off-grid life as a single 30-something on the water. All this as she tries to balance the tension between owning her singledom and giving in to a deep desire to find love.

Peppered with lists, recipes, maps, footnotes and diagrams, and spanning hundreds of miles of the British waterways, it's an uplifting and often hilarious story of adventure and personal growth, and of a woman trying to keep her boat and life afloat. And to answer that perennial question: yes, it's cold on the boat in winter.

All Boats Are Sinking: Navigating Life, Loves and Locks on a Narrowboat by Hannah Pierce was published on 20 June 2024 by Summersdale

As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to have one copy to give away today. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget in the blog post. UK entries only please. 

GOOD LUCK! 

All Boats Are Sinking by Hannah Pierce

Hannah Pierce trained as an actor before writing, producing and performing in theatre for young people and adults across the UK and abroad. 

She has worked a number of roles since, but a common thread of presenting live arts is always central to her career. 

As a writer, Hannah has written for the stage, and her one-woman show on the valiant adventures of an online dater received critical acclaim. 

All Boats are Sinking is her first book. 

Hannah looks forward to taking on her next writing project, and intends to find inspiration through her imminent foray into a little-known thing called "motherhood". 

She now lives in South London with one foot still firmly rooted on her narrowboat Argie Bargie, moored somewhere in the UK.

X @hpierce214

Instagram @hannahonthewater