One Summer in Provence by Carol Drinkwater BLOG TOUR #OneSummerinProvence @Carol4OliveFarm @RandomTTours @CorvusBooks #BookReview

 

A season of secrets...

Celia Grey appears to have the perfect life: married to Dominic, the man of her dreams, and living on a glorious, thriving vineyard in the south of France. To celebrate their good fortune, she decides to throw a huge party.

When she is contacted by a stranger who claims to be her long-lost son, David, the newborn she gave up at twenty and has never spoken of since, Celia impulsively invites him for the weekend of celebrations - without mentioning it to her husband.

Despite his surprise, Dominic graciously welcomes David and his unexpected companion - but secretly he harbours doubts. Is David really Celia's son? And who is the mysterious young woman travelling with him?

Only Celia can decide how far she will go to hold everything together, to keep her perfect life from unravelling...One Summer in Provence is a story of betrayal and belonging, and of discovering love in unexpected places.

One Summer In Provence by Carol Drinkwater was published on 3 July 2025 by Corvus. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

Over the years,  I have read quite a few books by Carol Drinkwater. I've enjoyed her non-fiction Olive Farm series and equally loved her fiction. It has been a joy to discover her latest novel, and despite the fact that it's a hefty one at almost 500 pages in my paperback proof copy, I flew through it in a few days. 

The novel opens with a quite shocking prologue, taking place in England in the summer of 1976. We are then taken to the South of France in the present day where Celia and her husband Dominic live on a vineyard. They are throwing a party, the weather is stifling hot and they are getting over the disappointments that occurred in their marriage before they moved out to France. 

However, Celia has had a secret - one that relates to the prologue mentioned, dating back fifty years. She had a child and gave him up, and he's written a letter to her. Celia is very impulsive and although she's never told Dominic about the child, she invites David to their party. He doesn't attend alone. 

This is a complex family drama set in such a glorious place. It is the ideal summer read, and the reader is transported to the French vineyards and the stifling heat 

Beautifully written, evocative and emotionally rich. Drinkwater examines the intricacies of relationships and the effect of hidden secrets so well.  Recommended by me. 

Anglo-Irish actress Carol Drinkwater is perhaps still most familiar to audiences for her
award-winning portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. A popular and acclaimed author and film-maker as well, Carol has published nineteen books, and one Kindle Single, for both the adult and young adult markets. She is currently at work on her twenty-first title.

When she purchased a rundown property overlooking the Bay of Cannes in France, she discovered on the grounds sixty-eight, 400-year-old olive trees. Once the land was reclaimed and the olives pressed, Carol along with her French husband, Michel, became the producers of top-quality olive oil. Her series of memoirs, love stories, recounting her experiences on her farm (The Olive Farm, The Olive Season, The Olive Harvest and Return to the Olive Farm) have become international bestsellers. Carol's fascination with the olive tree extended to a seventeenth-month, solo Mediterranean journey in search of the tree's mythical secrets. The resulting travel books, The Olive Route and The Olive Tree, have inspired a five-part documentary films series entitled The Olive Route.

Carol has also been invited to work with UNESCO to help fund an Olive Heritage Trail around the Mediterranean with the dual goals of creating peace in the region and honouring the ancient heritage of the olive tree.

www.caroldrinkwater.com

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The Girl in the Doorway by Louise Mangos BLOG TOUR #TheGirlintheDoorway @LouiseMangos @RandomTTours @louisemangos.bsky.social

 

A bookseller, a homeless student and a sassy sleuth chase clues for a crime from the streets of London to the Swiss Alps.

The stakes are high, but can they trust each other?

When bookseller James meets homeless student Emma on a London street, the attraction is instant. But after a magical Christmas break in the Swiss Alps, they return to find his flat has been burgled, and the police want to question James about the suspicious death of another homeless person.

As he and his friend Sally chase clues from the West End of London to the snow-laden mountains of Switzerland to solve the mystery of his stolen antique books and family heirlooms, James is forced to ask himself whether he has been desperately unlucky, blinded by love, or worse.

Will rescuing the homeless student be his greatest mistake?

The Girl in the Doorway by Louise Mangos was published on 10 July 2025. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I have read and reviewed a couple of Louise Mangos' books in the past, and enjoyed them. I think that The Girl in the Doorway is her best to date. I was totally hooked from the explosive prologue, right through to the really classy, if unexpected ending. 

The prologue takes place in the Swiss Alps and it's clear that something tragic has happened. The author then takes us to the streets of Piccadilly in London as we learn more about bookseller James, and Emma; the girl in the doorway. 

James is a great character, lovingly created, he's an absolute joy to discover. A little innocent at times, his good nature can often cause problems for him. He's a book lover as well as a Waterstone's bookseller, he's kind and keeps an eye on the homeless on the streets. When he notices that the place in a doorway across the road usually taken by an elderly Scottish guy is now occupied by a young girl, he cannot stop himself and goes to find out more about her.  Emma is a street artist, and gives very little away, at first, James is not actually sure if she stays in the doorway all night. Gradually, they develop a relationship which becomes more than just benefactor and friends.  As this happens, they are watched by James' colleague Sal - certainly a woman scorned. 

James and Emma travelled to St Moritz in the Swiss Alps and this is when this author's description of place and area really comes into force. She is so adept at creating a real sense of place, as a reader, I really felt as though I were in Switzerland! 

There are twists and turns a plenty, this is, after all, a crime thriller.  It is quite tense in places and I feel that the short chapters really do add to the pacing. The various voices and points of view work so well, enabling the reader to get a different side to a dark story. 

A enjoyable and entertaining thriller and recommended by me. 

Louise Mangos grew up in the UK but has spent more than half her life in Switzerland. 

Her debut psychological thriller "Strangers on a Bridge" was a finalist in the Exeter Novel Prize and long listed for the Bath Novel Award. 

The psychological thriller "The Beaten Track" and her historical mystery "The Secrets of Morgarten" were both finalists in the Page Turner Awards, while her novel, the psychological whodunnit "Five Fatal Flaws" reached the shortlist. 

She also writes short stories and flash fiction which have won prizes and been published in various anthologies. 

She holds an MA in crime writing at UEA. 

Louise lives on an Alp with her Kiwi husband and two sons, and when she's not writing you can find her on the cross-country ski trails or wild swimming in the lake, depending on the season.

www.louisemangos.com

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The Woman in Ward 9 by Naomi Williams #TheWomanInWard9 @LTimoneyWrites @headlinepg #BookReview @lisatimoneywrites.bsky.social‬ @headlinebooks.bsky.social‬

 

Laura Winters doesn't know why she has lost her memory, or why she was found alone, soaked in someone else's blood.

The only thing she is certain of is that I am the only psychologist she can - or will - talk to.

I have six days to help Laura unlock her memories and find out the truth.

But what has she forgotten - and what is she hiding?

And how does she know so much about me?

With tension you could cut with a knife and twists that will have your head spinning, The Woman in Ward 9 is sure to keep you reading late into the night.

The Woman In Ward 9 by Naomi Williams is published on 17 July 2025 by Headline. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I'm always drawn by a story set in a psychiatric institution. I worked in a forensic high security hospital for a few years and the human brain fascinates me. The blurb for this one is really compelling. 

I flew through this one in a couple of days. It is dark, chilling and really keeps you guessing. I was sure I had it all sussed out, but no, I was wrong and to be honest, I like that. It keeps me on my toes as a reader, and really entertains. 

Laura Winters was discovered covered in blood.  The blood is not hers. Laura doesn't know whose blood it is, she remembers nothing.  There is just one thing that Laura knows and that is that Emma is the only psychologist that she will speak with.  Emma has six days to uncover what is happening in Laura's mind before the law takes over. Oh, and it turns out that Laura is also a psychologist. 

This is structured so well, there's a growing sense of urgency with the six day deadline that just adds to the tension throughout. It must be so difficult for authors to come up with new and interesting plot lines but this author really has created a story that feels fresh and unusual. Despite the fact that I was constantly second guessing the outcome (and always wrong!), I really enjoyed this and would recommend. 

Naomi Williams grew up in Yorkshire and now lives in London with her family. 

She studied English at university and started her career teaching English and Drama, before becoming a full-time writer. 

The Woman in Ward 9 is her first psychological suspense novel.

Please follow for alerts about new Naomi Williams thrillers. 

You can find her socials under lisatimoneywrites/KateStorey/NaomiWilliams

The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney BLOG TOUR #TheGoodFather @LiamMcIlvanney @ZaffreBooks @RandomTTours ‪@liammcilvanney.bsky.social‬ @zaffrebooks.bsky.social‬

 

Gordon and Sarah Rutherford are normal, happy people with rich, fulfilling lives. They have a son they adore, a house on the beach and a safe, friendly community in a picture-postcard town.

Until, one day, Bonnie the labrador comes in from the beach alone. Their son, Rory, has gone - the only trace left behind is a single black sandal.

Their lives don't fall apart immediately. While there's still hope, they dig deep and try to carry on.

But as desperation mounts, arms around shoulders become fingers pointed - at friends, family, strangers, each other. Without any answers, only questions remain. Who can they trust? How far will they go to find out what happened to Rory?

And the deadliest question of all: what could be worse than your child disappearing?

When the truth begins to emerge, they find themselves in a world they could barely have imagined.

The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney was published on 3 July 2025 by Zaffre. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

The Good Father is a stunning crime novel, the writing is exquisite, the plot development is sublime. Each character is meticulously created and the Scottish setting is perfect. Yes, I loved this one! 

It is a truth universally acknowledged in the world of crime fiction that the 'missing child' theme is very popular with authors. However, sometimes it isn't done so well, and occasionally it is done so brilliantly that you wonder if any other author will ever attempt it! 

Gordon and Sarah Rutherford live by the sea in Scotland with their seven-year-old son Rory. Their life is happy and content, they are surrounded by beautiful countryside. It's a good life. 

Until the day that their dog Bonnie returns from the beach alone. Rory has disappeared, there is no sign of him, just a solitary black slider, nothing else, no clue. 

The novel begins seven years after Rory's disappearance and is narrated by Gordon. Gordon is bitter, angry, hurt, grieving; all of the emotions, tearing through him all of the time. The reader learns how Sarah and Gordon's relationship altered as the years went by, we hear about Gordon's own childhood, we watch as he makes contact with other parents of missing children. It is emotional stuff and so well written. The reader almost feels as though they are spying on these people, intruding on their lives, it is beautifully done. 

And then, the twist that puts everything on its head and alters the story so much, and it's a cracker. If you were invested before this part, you certainly will be from here on, right through to the shocking ending. 

Liam McIlvanney is so very very talented. This book is so gripping, so emotional and so tense. I loved it and highly recommend it. 

Liam McIlvanney was born in Scotland and studied at the universities of Glasgow and
Oxford. 

He has written for numerous publications, including the London Review of Books and the Times Literary Supplement. 

His first book, Burns the Radical, won the Saltire First Book Award. 

His crime novels have won multiple awards, including the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize, the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel, and he has also been shortlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. 

He is Stuart Professor of Scottish Studies at the University of Otago, New Zealand. 

He lives in Dunedin with his wife and four sons.

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Every Mother's Nightmare by S E Lynes #EveryMothersNightmare #BooksonTour‪ @selynes.bsky.social‬ @bookouture.bsky.social‬ @bookouture #BookReview

 

It's the call every mother dreads.

You knew it was coming...

You are at work, on a hot summer afternoon, when the phone vibrates in your handbag. Your heart beats faster as you scrabble to find it because somehow, even before you answer it, you know. It's the call every mother fears. It's the call you've been waiting for.

Your daughter is in hospital. She was found this morning, confused and alone. She doesn't remember anything. You wish you had never let her go away for the weekend. You can't understand why her brother wasn't watching over her like he promised, why he didn't protect her.

You race to be with them, before it's too late. But then the police find a body, deep in the woods, right next to where your children were staying.

You'll do anything to keep them safe. But knowing what you know... do you need to protect your son, your daughter, or yourself?

Every Mother's Nightmare by S E Lynes was published on 9 July 2025 by Bookouture. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Books On Tour. 

S E Lynes writes thrillers with depth. Always right on trend, dealing with issues that surround us. Always with character that are familiar, created skilfully and who the reader will back throughout and always with a real empathy and understanding of the human psyche. 

There are some thrillers that have plots that a great and immersive, but the reader really knows they are a little over the top and then there are the thrillers that Lynes produces. They could be based on your street, within your friendship groups, in your local schools. 

I am not a mother, and sometimes it can be difficult for me to relate to characters when their whole remit is being a parent. However, Lynes has created, in Melissa, a woman who is so easily believable. Her thoughts, her fears, her anxieties are excellently portrayed. I felt every emotion. 

Melissa's children are teenagers.  Daughter Casey and her older brother Dan. They've both gone off to summer camp. Casey is working there whilst Dan and his friends have gone along for the craic. When Melissa's phone rings, she knows instantly. This is not good news. She is right. Casey has been found in a confused state, in a tent that is not hers.  With no hesitation, Melissa sets off to be with her girl, wondering as she travels, where Dan was and why he hasn't protected his sister. 

And then, a body is found. Not far from the campsite and things really become quite tense. Melissa is determined that she will protect her kids and keep them safe, no matter what that takes. 

That's as much as you get on the blurb of the book and I'm not going to give anything else away about the plot. I will tell you that the author doesn't shy away from issues that are so current. Toxic masculinity and the dreadful behaviours and beliefs that can poison young men's minds. She deals with it all, it can be emotionally challenging but it is done so very well. 

Gripping and utterly absorbing. Highly recommended 

S.E. Lynes is the author of Amazon #1 best seller, THE HOUSEWARMING, plus
bestselling psychological suspense novels such as VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE WOMEN, HER SISTER's SECRET, THE BABY SHOWER ,THE EX, THE SUMMER HOLIDAY and many more!

A former BBC Producer, she has lived in France, Spain, Scotland and Italy and is now settled with her family in Greater London. After completing her MA, S E Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing in Richmond Borough.

Lynes has also published thrillers in Italy, Germany, Poland and Croatia, and has also published three children's books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY.

Website: susielynes.wixsite.com/website

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The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards #TheWaspTrap @mredwards @MichaelJBooks #BookReview @markedwardsauthor.bsky.social‬‪ @michaeljbooks.bsky.social‬

 

Summer 1999. Will joins five other idealistic graduates working for an eccentric psychology professor. They’re going to launch a website to change online dating forever.

No-one expects it to end in tragedy.

Twenty-five years later, Will gets an invitation: a dinner party. A chance to see the old gang again.

But as soon as he arrives, something doesn’t seem right.

There’s an unexpected guest. The hosts are clearly keeping a secret. And on the way in, Will is sure he heard crying.

Everyone has something to hide about what really happened that summer.

But only one of them is willing to kill to find the truth…

The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards is published on 31 July 2025 by Michael Joseph. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

It's been a while since I last read Mark Edwards, not sure why! I read this one during my recent holiday in Rhodes. It is the perfect holiday read, sitting in the sun with a long cool drink being totally entertained by a tension filled plot. Perfection! 

I'm a fan of a dual time narrative and the story of The Wasp Trap takes place in 1999, and then twenty five years later.  

Will relates his story as he accepts an invitation from two friends from 1999. There were six of them back then, they worked on a dating website with Professor Sebastian Marlowe. The professor has recently died and it was thought that having a dinner and reuniting the old gang would be a great way to celebrate his life. 

Edwards carefully creates each of his characters. All six of the group are individuals and clearly defined, and then there's Finn - a newbie to the group. He worked alongside the professor in his later years and has been invited to join the group of old friends.  

The dinner party does not go to plan ..... 

The group find themselves imprisoned in the house, at gunpoint. They are told that they must tell their innermost secrets, if they don't they won't survive. 

The author nips back and forth, to 1999 and back to the present day and it's a great structure that keeps up the tension and left me trying to work out just where we were going with this one. It's clever, it takes an unexpected twist every so often, just to keep you on your toes! 

This one is a winner for me and highly recommended. 

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary
people.

He has sold 5 million books since his first novel, The Magpies was published in 2013, and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. 

His other novels include Follow You Home, The Retreat, In Her Shadow, Because She Loves Me, The Hollows and Here to Stay. 

He has also co-authored six books with Louise Voss. 

Originally from Hastings in East Sussex, Mark now lives in Wolverhampton with his wife, their children and two cats.

www.markedwardsauthor.com
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Canaries by Alex Makepeace BLOG TOUR #Canaries @LexMakepeace @elsewhenpress @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

IT HAPPENED HERE


In a chillingly credible near-future Britain, a new government sweeps to power with a radical agenda. For some, life will never be the same again.

Bryan and Philip are living a comfortable life with their adopted children in London and barely give a thought to how the change of government might affect them. But little by little the family and their friends - gay and straight - begin to discover their way of life is under threat. When the family are forced to go on the run from the authorities, they are faced with impossible choices, and soon find out who their true friends really are.



Includes instances of violence, prejudice and bullying that some readers may find upsetting.

Canaries by Alex Makepeace was published on 04 July 2025 by Elsewhen Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent. my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I am a huge fan of speculative fiction, it is often very unsettling as we have some very clever authors who look into the future and describe things that really could happen.  

I don't think anyone can deny that the premise of Alex Makepeace's Canaries is utterly and totally relevant to today and will resonate painfully with many readers. 

Given that, it is also a brilliantly created story about two characters who could live on your own street. Beautifully imagined, with elegance and poise. 

Bryan and Philip, a middle-class gay couple and their two adopted children go on the run when a new government come to power with a radical agenda that forces them to flee.  What Makepeace does so very well is to describe just how regular people, and organisations respond to the new government. 

At times it's like reading the current news, with our own new government under fire, and of course, the whole Trump thing in the US.

I'm finding it quite difficult to write a review of this one without giving away the plot, but still expressing my horror at what could happen here! 

Recommended by me. 

Alex Makepeace was raised in London and began his career as a journalist before moving into international aid and public health, where he learned that what might seem like a catastrophe to some is just another day at the office for others. 

That got him thinking, and that got him writing. 

He also publishes Italy-set fiction as Tom Benjamin.

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The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson #TheArtofaLie @LauraSRobinson @laurasrobinson.bsky.social @panmacmillan.bsky.social #BookReview #HistoricalThriller

 

London, 1749. Following the murder of her husband in a violent street robbery, Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her head above water. The Punchbowl and Pineapple, her confectionary shop on Piccadilly, is barely turning a profit, and her suppliers are conspiring to put her out of business. So when she learns that her husband had a large sum of money in his bank account that she knew nothing about, the surprise is extremely welcome. And when William Devereux, a friend of her late husband, tells her about a new Italian delicacy called “iced cream”, Hannah believes it might transform the fortunes of her shop.

But her husband’s unexpected windfall attracts the attention of author-turned-magistrate Henry Fielding, who suspects the money was illicitly acquired. Unless Hannah can prove otherwise, her inheritance will be confiscated. As she and Devereux work to uncover the secrets of her husband’s double life, their friendship opens Hannah to speculation and gossip, locking her into a battle of wits more devastating than anything, even her husband’s murder.

The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is published on 10 July 2025 by Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Fans of historical fiction are in for such a treat with this one!  I have read all of this author's novels now and can honestly say that this is her best yet. A clever and compelling thriller with a cast of characters headed up by a strong feisty female, researched impeccably and delivered with style. 

In Georgian London, Hannah Cole is recently widowed. Her husband Jonas was murdered in a street robbery and Hannah is struggling to keep her high-end confectionary shop; Punchbowl and Pineapple going. A lone woman in business can be a target and there are some suppliers who would happily see her out of business. 

Two events change Hannah's outlook. The discovery that Jonas had a large sum of money in his account when he died and a visit from William Devereux; a man who claims to be an old friend of Jonas and who introduces Hannah to iced cream.  This new delicacy from Italy seems perfect for Hannah's shop and she goes about producing her own.

Meanwhile, Henry Fielding, novelist and now magistrate is looking into the late Jonas' affairs. He is convinced that the money in the account should not be there and is threatening to block the account. 

This is an immersive and detailed story, beautifully written and filled with tension. This author brings Georgian London to life with her colourful and evocative descriptions.  I was impressed by the structure of this novel; the author chooses to tell her tale using two voices; Hannah and William. These two narratives are so different yet work so perfectly together. 

The title of this novel is perfect. The story is filled with lies, with treachery, with confidence tricksters. It is superb and highly recommended by me. 

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is the award-winning, Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of four historical novels. 

Her books have been featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers and Radio 4’s Front Row and Open Book. 

Her fourth novel, The Art of a Lie, will be published in Summer 2025.

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