Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister @GillianMAuthor @MichaelJBooks #WrongPlaceWrongTime #BookReview

 

It's every parent's nightmare.

Your happy, funny, innocent son commits a terrible crime: murdering a complete stranger.

You don't know who.

You don't know why.

You only know your teenage boy is in custody - and his future lost.

Somewhere in the past lie the answers, and you don't have a choice but to find them . . .

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister was published in hardback on 12 May 2022 by Michael Joseph. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Quite possibly one of the hardest book reviews I've ever tried to write. To talk about the plot is far too difficult, it's complex, intriguing and structured so cleverly that anything I say would just confuse you! It's a crime novel, it's a time-slip story and it's a stylish and precise look at the strength of a mother's love and the impact that long kept secrets can have on a family.

I was able to read this in almost one sitting. It's not a short novel, there are over 400 pages. I started this as I sat in the airport waiting for a flight, I continued it as we sat on the tarmac for almost two hours, waiting for a slot to take off, and finished it during the three hour flight to Corfu. Absolutely no 'delay stress' from me, I was totally entertained throughout, hardly raising my gaze from this compelling and extremely clever story. 

Jen witnesses her teenage son Todd stab and kill a man. She is horrified and cannot believe that her usually mild mannered boy has done such a violent thing. Jen knows that Todd will go to prison for this and she has no idea which way to turn. 

The next morning, Jen wakes and it is the day before the murder happened. Todd is in his bedroom, slightly bemused by his mother's anxiety, having no idea what she saw happen. And so it continues, each day Jen wakes and she's further and further back in the past, and what she learns will turn her whole life on its head. 

I was totally and utterly transfixed by this story, it's clever and unusual and each reveal shocked me just a little bit more. It did take a while to settle into the style, but once you are in, you are in!

I have no idea how Gillian McAllister kept on top of her plot, it's seamlessly done. Really skilled writing, something a little bit different and highly recommended by me. 

Gillian McAllister is the Sunday Times Top 10 bestselling author of Everything But The Truth,
Anything You Do Say, No Further Questions, The Evidence Against You, How To Disappear and the Richard and Judy book club pick That Night.

Her latest release is Wrong Place Wrong Time, available now and selected for the Radio 2 book club.

All of her novels are standalone and can be read in any order. She is published in ten countries around the world. The Good Sister is her US debut, released by Penguin USA, and is the American title for No Further Questions. The Choice is her second American release which is the US title for Anything You Do Say.

You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @gillianmauthor. She also blogs at http://www.gillianmcallister.com.

The Botanist by MW Craven @TheBotanist @MWCravenUK @LittleBrownUK @BethWright26 #PoeandTilly #TheBotanist #BookReview

 

This is going to be the longest week of Washington Poe's life...

Detective Sergeant Washington Poe can count on one hand the number of friends he has. And he'd still have his thumb left. There's the guilelessly innocent civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw of course. Insanely brilliant, she's a bit of a social hand grenade. He's known his beleaguered boss, Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn for years as he has his nearest neighbour, full-time shepherd/part-time dog sitter, Victoria.

And then there's Estelle Doyle. Dark and dangerous and sexy as hell. It's true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street, but has she gone too far this time? Shot twice in the head, her father's murder appears to be an open and shut case. Estelle has firearms discharge residue on her hands, and, in a house surrounded by fresh snow, hers are the only footprints. Since her arrest she's only said three words: 'Tell Washington Poe.'

Meanwhile, a poisoner called the Botanist is sending the nation's most reviled people poems and pressed flowers. Twisted and ingenious, he seems to be able to walk through walls and, despite the advance notice given to his victims, and regardless of the security measures taken, he is able to kill with impunity.

Poe hates locked room mysteries and now he has two to solve. To unravel them he's going to have to draw on every resource he has: Tilly Bradshaw, an organised crime boss, even an alcoholic ex-journalist. Because if he doesn't, the bodies are going to keep piling up . . .

The Botanist by M W Craven was published in hardback on 2 June 2022 by Constable / Little Brown. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Well, welcome back Poe and Tilly, it's been a long year without you!  The Botanist is number five in the Washington Poe series. I have devoured every single one of this series, they get better and better. The Botanist is another gripping, darkly funny in places and tense crime thriller from one of the very best crime authors out there. The creation of the partnership between Washingto Poe and Tilly Bradshaw must surely be one of the best things ever to happen in crime ficton. 

Whilst you could, at a push, read this as a stand alone story, I'd really advise people to go back and start from the beginning of the series. That way, you get to see the characters grow and you'll realise just why they do the things that they do.

So, back to the plot of The Botanist. Once again Poe and Tilly find themselves at the centre of suspected serial killer case, but this time, they have more than one case on their hands. One of their team, Estelle Doyle, much respected pathologist has been arrested. Her father was found shot dead at his home and Estelle's hand are covered with firearms discharge residue. Poe is convinced that Estelle is innocent but the evidence is totally stacked against her. Meanwhile, in what appears to be a totally separate case, high profile celebrities are being slain, but these are people that the public love to hate. Misogynists, racists, cheats ... the serial killer dubbed The Botanist is beginning to get a cult following and whilst Poe may agree that the victims were not nice people, his job is to stop the killings. 

There's some really grim and warped events in this story which could make it too dark, however Mike Craven absolutely excels at the dark humour and some of the Tillyisms uttered throughout the story are laugh out loud hilarious. It's great touch and reveals the humanity of the police force and civilians who are immersed every single day in the horrors that humans can create. 

Myself and my husband both read The Botanist whilst on holiday in Corfu, we both chuckled in the same places, we both cringed and we both were left open mouthed by the intricate plotting and the total unexpected series of events that are so cleverly and masterfully outlined. 

Bring on the next instalment!

M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle, running away to join the army at the
tender age of sixteen. 

He spent the next ten years travelling the world having fun, leaving in 1995 to complete a degree in social work with specialisms in criminology and substance misuse. 

Thirty-one years after leaving Cumbria, he returned to take up a probation officer position in Whitehaven, eventually working his way up to chief officer grade. 

Sixteen years later he took the plunge, accepted redundancy and became a full-time author. He now has entirely different motivations for trying to get inside the minds of criminals . . .

M. W. Craven is married and lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne. When he isn’t out with his springer spaniel, or talking nonsense in the pub, he can be found at punk gigs and writing festivals up and down the country.

Website: mwcraven.com

Twitter: @MWCravenUK

My Chronicle Book Box - Book Subscription Box @MyChronicleBB #DiscountCode #BookBoxSubscription

 

I am delighted to share my thoughts about the latest Chronicle Book Box selection here on Random Things today.

The lovely Louise who owns and runs My Chronicle Book Box kindly sent over a complimentary May box to me and she's also offering a 15% discount for followers of Random Things 

To get your discount of 15% off your first box subscription, just use the code LETTERBOX15 when you check out

Louise runs My Chronicle Book Box from rural Yorkshire and began the business in 2017, alongside her day job. 

By the following year the company was flourishing and were featured in The Independent as one of their top book subscription boxes. Louise left her job and now concentrates on the business, as well as looking after three daughters. 

Each one of the quarterly book subscription boxes contains three hand-picked and gift-wrapped new releases, author content, exclusive bookish goodies and personalised letter

Just choose your favourite genre and they will send the boxes to you or a loved one every three months in February, May, August and November 

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE 

www.mychroniclebookbox.com

So, what was in my May box??

Not quite fitting into the box was a fabulous Doggy Book Rest. 

It's such a great idea and I've been using mine loads since I got it

Louise also included a fabulous glossy bookmark and a sheet of stickers that will delight any

bookworm!

The book this month is After Everything You Did by Stephanie Sowden which was published in April in hardback by Canelo.  

Now most of you will know that I own A LOT of books so I was so happy to receive this one, I don't already have a copy and it sounds amazing!

And, the book comes in its own little tote bag, so cute! 

Please do pop over to the website and have a good look

www.mychroniclebookbox.com

And remember, use your discount code LETTERBOX15 to get 15% off your first subscription

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton BLOG TOUR #LocalGoneMissing @figbarton @PenguinUKBooks @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

Everyone watches their neighbours.

Elise King moves into the sleepy seaside town of Ebbing. Illness has thrown her career as a successful detective into doubt, but no matter how hard she tries to relax and recuperate, she knows that something isn't right.

Everyone lies about their friends.

Tensions are running high beneath the surface of this idyllic community: the weekenders in their fancy clothes, renovating old bungalows into luxury homes, and the locals resentful of the changes. A town divided, with the threat of violence only a heartbeat away.

Everyone knows a secret.

This peaceful world is shattered when two teenagers end up in hospital and a local man vanishes without trace. Elise starts digging for answers, but the community closes ranks, and the truth begins to slip through her fingers. Because in a small town like this, the locals are good at keeping secrets...

Everyone's a suspect when a local goes missing.

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton was published on 9 June 2022 by Bantam Press / Penguin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I've read all of Fiona Barton's previous novels and enjoyed them. It seems ages since her last book and I was really looking forward to Local Gone Missing. I was lucky enough to read this whilst sitting in the sun in Corfu, I sped through it in a couple of days. I was invested from the start and despite having to concentrate pretty hard at times due to the number of character voices, I enjoyed the story so much. 

Ebbing is a small seaside down with an assorted mix of residents. There are those who have lived in the area for years, there are relative newcomers and there are the people who arrive on Friday and leave on Monday morning. Despite the small town feel, there's a distinct separation between the community, with the long term residents often resenting those who flit in and out. 

Elise King and Dee Eastwood are the prominent female characters in the story. Elise is a police detective, currently taking sick leave after chemotherapy and Dee is her cleaner. Dee also cleans for other households in the area and although not treated badly, she appears to be invisible. Families talk about personal things when she's in the room and she sees and hears far more than other realise. Dee is a fascinating character who just grows throughout the novel.

One of Dee's clients is Charlie Perry who lives in a caravan with his wife Pauline whilst their house is being renovated. Charlie is popular man in the community, in his 70s and well known for his kindness. His wife is a different kettle of fish though and Dee knows what is really going on. 

When Charlie disappears after a local music festival, and two teenagers need treatment after taking drugs, the community feels shockwaves. Elise cannot help herself but get involved, using her detective skills combined with her local knowledge to try to get to the bottom of what's going on. 

This is a complex tale, told from different points of view and skipping back and forward in time. You do need to keep your wits about you when reading, it would be easy to lose the thread. I was lucky enough to have the time to invest in reading large chunks with no breaks, in fact, I was loathe to put it down until I found out what happened at the end! 

The writing is sharp, the plot is involved and intriguing and the characters are well developed. A great read and one I'd recommend. 

Fiona Barton's debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and has been published in 36 countries and optioned for television. 

Her second novel, The Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives in Sussex and south-west France.

Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards.

While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and she developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. Fiona interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most

Twitter @figbarton

Vlad and the Roman Triumph by Kate & Sam Cunningham BLOG TOUR @reading_riddle @RandomTTours #Giveaway #Prize #Win #VladandtheRomanTriumph

 

Vlad flea is back with another history adventure. Join him and his friend, Felix the cat, as they explore ancient Rome.

They are meant to be part of the Emperor's Triumph, but become lost in their new city and are in danger of being over-shadowed by a monster which is destined for Octavian's museum.

From the team that created the Flea in History series, this is an adventure story with information woven into the tale. Young readers will see all ranks of Romans, living their daily lives and joining in the celebrations.

With a fact file and 32 pages of colour illustrations this book tells the story of Octavian's Triumph as narrated by Vlad.

Each page is full detail, and teaching materials and parent packs can be downloaded for free from the Reading Riddle website.

Vlad and the Roman Triumph (A Flea in History), written by Kate Cunningham and illustrated by Sam Cunningham was published in March 2022 by Reading Riddle.

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

GOOD LUCK! 

One copy of Vlad and the Roman Empire by Kate & Sam Cunningham

About Kate Cunningham

I was a primary teacher in large London primary schools for ten years after having initially worked in a development charity.

Being married to a historian I was constantly discussing the most amazing stories; sometimes large incidents that changed the political landscape, but often small personal tales that gave a glimpse of the life of our ancestors. 

My writing became more and more influenced by these events and the ripples we still feel from them.

My books now reflect that, sometimes directly in the picture books, but more as an influence, showing how people behave when caught up in events like in the pandemic in MARY. 

I have three sons — my eldest, Sam, is an illustrator who works with me on the Vlad flea picture book series, and I visit schools (often in a kirtle) and create resources for parents and teachers.

Twitter @reading_riddle

www.readingriddle.co.uk

Into The Dark by Fiona Cummins #IntoTheDark @FionaAnnCummins @panmacmillan @rosiefriisreads #BookReview

 

THE PLACE: Seawings, a beautiful Art Deco home overlooking the sweep of the bay in Midtown-on-Sea.

THE CRIME: The gilded Holden family - Piper and Gray and their two teenage children, Riva and Artie - has vanished from the house without a trace.

THE DETECTIVE: DS Saul Anguish, brilliant but with a dark past, treads the narrow line between light and shade.

One late autumn morning, Piper’s best friend arrives at Seawings to discover an eerie scene – the kettle is still warm, all the family’s phones are charging on the worktop, the cars are in the garage. But the house is deserted.

In fifteen-year-old Riva Holden’s bedroom, scrawled across the mirror in blood, are three words:

Make
Them
Stop.

What happens next?

Into The Dark by Fiona Cummins was published on 14 April 2022 by Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I have been a huge fan of Fiona Cummins since her first book, Rattle, was published in January 2017, I have since gone on to read and review all of her books. She writes with such depth and intelligence, her stories are complex but very clever. Into The Dark is another excellent read from this very talented author. 

Cummins' writing is exquisite, almost beautiful in parts as she brings to life the small seaside town of Midtown-on-Sea. A place that seems to be populated by the rich and the beautiful, and none more so than the Holden family who live in a luxury mansion called Seawings that overlooks the bay like a castle. 

Piper Holden and Julianne Hillier are best friends. Every morning they go for a run, but this particular morning is different. When Julianne arrives, there's no sign of Piper, in fact, when she enters Seawings with their cleaner, there's no sign of any of them. It looks like they left in a hurry, phones are still charging, mugs are still warm ...... in the bedroom there's a message, and it looks like it's written in blood. 

It's a fabulous opening to what becomes a tense and thrilling story, populated with characters who will make your teeth grind at their arrogance and self entitlement. These are not lovely, warm people, but they are missing and it looks like murder. 

Saul Anguish is a new policeman in town, a dark and moody character in his own right, with a distinct feeling of darkness around him. He's put on the case, but feels out of place, his only ally seems to be Dr Clover March (or Blue, as he calls her). This is an incredible partnership, both of them are intense and deep characters, with much to hide, but give little away. 

This is most definitely a crime thriller, but it is also a clever look at the world of the wealthy and how greed and jealously can direct a life. With shocking twists and turns a plenty, this kept me gripped throughout.

Another cracker from Fiona Cummins and highly recommended by me. 

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former Daily Mirror showbusiness journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy, where she now teaches her own Writing Crime course. She is the bestselling author of five crime thriller novels, all of which have received widespread critical acclaim from household names including Val McDermid, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Martina Cole and Ian Rankin. Three of her novels have been optioned for television.

Rattle, her debut, has been translated into several languages and Marcel Berlins wrote in The Times: 'Amid the outpouring of crime novels, Rattle is up there with the best of them.' Fiona was selected for McDermid's prestigious New Blood panel at the 2017 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, where her novel was nominated for a Dead Good Reader Award for Most Exceptional Debut. A sequel, The Collector, was published in February 2018 and David Baldacci described it as 'A crime novel of the very first order'.

Her third novel - standalone thriller The Neighbour - was published in April 2019. Ian Rankin called it 'creepy as hell'. Her fourth novel When I Was Ten, an Irish Times bestseller, was published in April 2021. Into The Dark, Fiona's fifth novel, will be published in April 2022 and was described by Sarah Vaughan, author of Netflix smash-hit Anatomy of A Scandal, as 'Complex. Inventive. Twisty. Unsettling.'

When Fiona is not writing, she can be found on Twitter, eating biscuits or walking her dogs. She lives in Essex with her family.

Twitter @FionaAnnCummins

Fossils by Alison Armstrong BLOG TOUR #Fossils @alison_1513 @SarabandBooks @RandomTTours #Giveaway #Win #Prize #Competition

 

When twelve-year-old Sherrie-Lee witnesses a failed bank robbery in her neglected town, she seizes an opportunity to claim a new identity for herself. Escaping her troubled home life, she tries out a new name and invents stories and personas to cover her tracks.

Sherrie-Lee finds both possibility and loneliness in this new freedom, as well as an unusual friendship which she nurtures. But harsh realities close in, and she’s plagued with foreboding – from her vulnerable brother at home to the climate crisis. While she dreams of a kinder world, it won’t be long before her own deceits start catching up with her.

This arresting debut challenges assumptions and captures the powerless yearning of adolescence with a voice that is fresh, magnetic and often funny – one that pulls you in and won’t let go.

Fossils by Alison Armstrong was published on 21 April 2022 by Saraband. I'm delighted to have one copy to give away today as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour

Entry is simple. Just fill out the competition widget. UK entries only please.

GOOD LUCK! 

One copy of Fossils by Alison Armstrong

Alison Armstrong is a writer of prose and plays. 

She grew up in Leeds and East Yorkshire and has worked as a cleaner, waitress, painter and teacher, as well as developing her writing career. 

She won a Northern Writers’ Award for short fiction in 2017, a Literature Matters Award from the Royal Society of Literature in 2020 and a Project Grant from Arts Council England in 2021. 

Her poems, essays and short stories have been published in magazines and journals. 

She now makes her home in Lancashire, and Fossils is her first book.

Twitter @alison_1513

www.alisonarmstrong.org

Saraband: 28 years of award-winning independent publishing

Saraband is “a small but brilliant independent publisher” (Guardian, 2021) of literary and historical fiction and of non-fiction in nature and place writing, memoir, and history. 

Our authors have won and been shortlisted in awards including the Booker Prize (Graeme Macrae Burnet’s His Bloody Project), Rathbones Folio Award, Paul Torday Memorial Prize, Wainwright Prize for nature writing, Portico Prize, Authors’ Club First Novel, Saltire Society awards across all categories, and the Lakeland and Highland awards, amongst others. 

Many of these prizes and nominations have been for debuts, demonstrating a strong track record for discovering and nurturing talent. 

In particular, our authors have won three of the last five prizes for First Book of the Year award (all genres) in Scotland’s National Book Awards.

www.saraband.net 

@sarabandbooks