Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor B Shearer BLOG TOUR #FirefliesinWinter @headlinepg @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

Nova Scotia 1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.

Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.

Deep among the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes's past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom - and of love...

With evocative prose and immersive storytelling, a powerful novel about love - love for the wilderness in all its unforgiving beauty, and love between two women who risk everything to be together.

Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor B Shearer was published by Headline Review on 10 February 2026. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour. 

Back in February 2023 I read and reviewed this author's debut novel; River Sing Me Home. I adored that story, and have been looking forward to her new one so much 

There are some novels that demand patience from their reader, and it took me a little while to settle into the rhythm, and the characters in the snowy forests of 1796 Nova Scotia, but once I did, I was completely immersed.

Cora, newly arrived in Nova Scotia from Jamaica, feels the cold in her bones. As one of the Jamaican Maroons exiled under British rule, she is already displaced before the story even begins. She is an orphan, but she has a colourful history, and as the novel unfolds, fragments of her past are revealed with care. Cora is a wonderfully compelling character, she is observant, quietly defiant, and so in tune with the nature around her. There’s something slightly distant about her, a sense that she sees beyond what other people see.

The setting is extraordinary. The winter landscape feels like an active, breathing presence. It is stark, beautiful, and feels dangerous. The isolation of the Maroon community is palpable; the claustrophobia of their small homes during the brutal winter months contrasts sharply with the vast, silent forest that Cora cannot resist visiting.  The writing is evocative and the author beautifully captures the harshness and the beauty of the area.It is within this wilderness that Cora encounters Agnes, a young woman living in hiding, surviving alone among the trees. Agnes is cautious, and fiercely protective of her hard-won freedom. The early interactions between Cora and Agnes are tentative and edged with uncertainty, and it is this slow, careful unfolding of trust that gives the novel much of its emotional power. Their relationship develops with sensitivity and they are always aware of the real dangers that surround them.

The historical context is fascinating. The plight of the Jamaican Maroons in Nova Scotia is not widely explored in fiction, and the author brings this little-known history vividly to life. I found myself wanting to know even more about the Maroons. The novel made me start to to down a Google rabbit hole, which for me is always the sign of powerful storytelling!

This is not a fast-paced read; it unfolds deliberately, layering atmosphere, character and history. But it is a really rewarding read. Themes of displacement, belonging, love and freedom are woven through every page.

Fireflies in Winter is an atmospheric, thoughtful and ultimately moving historical novel. It asks what it means to carve out a space of safety in an unforgiving world, and what it might cost to hold on to it. A book that lingers long after the final page.

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. 

She splits her time between London and Ramsgate. 

Her debut novel River Sing Me Home sold in 20 territories. 

It was named as one of Time magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023, was a finalist for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Award, shortlisted for the Grand Prix des Lectrices ELLE 2025 in France and also shortlisted for the Prix Fragonard 2025 in France. It was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and has been optioned for TV by AL Films and BBC Films.

IG: eleanorbshearer

Your Twin Flame Journey by Theresa Cheung BLOG TOUR #YourTwinFlameJourney @Theresa_Cheung_ @Octopus_Books @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

Unlock the mystery of Twin Flame relationships with spiritual expert, Theresa Cheung.

Every relationship has lessons to teach you, but none more so than the Twin Flame relationship. Meeting your Twin Flame is the most powerful soul encounter you can ever experience. Often marked with an irresistible familiarity and heart-breaking intensity, your Twin Flame serves as a mirror to both the best and the most unlikeable and unhealed parts of you. The Twin Flame relationship has an ancient, multi-cultural history behind it, and is accompanied by many immortal expressions across art and culture. But unfortunately, it is also often very misunderstood.

From debunking the myths around Twin Flames to offering practical advice for navigating these passionate connections, Your Twin Flame Journey is a comprehensive guide to intimate relationships from a psychological and spiritual perspective.

With Theresa's expert guidance, you will learn how to heal your broken heart and make empowering decisions for yourself, as Theresa knows best of all: you cannot find your Twin Flame until you spiritually awaken to the power of self-love first.

Your Twin Flame Journey by Theresa Cheung was published on 5 February 2026 by Octopus / Godsfield Press. I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today as part of this #RandomThingsTours blog tour. 

Extract from Your Twin Flame Journey by Theresa Cheung 

The Romance of Twin Flames in Pop Culture

Romcoms have a special place in our hearts. We adore how they tell us that true love will always find a way. The longing, the passion, the bliss, the heartbreak, the union – they invite us to vicariously experience every twist and turn of the romantic journey. Whether it’s Sleepless in Seattle, Jerry Maguire, Serendipity, Notting Hill, The Notebook, Brokeback Mountain, or Bridget Jones’s Diary, we get to dream along with the characters, cheering them on as they chase the love they crave.

But these films, as beloved as they are for their ‘feel-good’ escapism, often fail to show us the full picture of Twin Flame love. They typically depict the early stages of love, the first sparks that ignite between two people, but don’t delve into the real work that happens after the honeymoon phase. These stories rarely show us the growing pains, the learning and the transformation that occur in a true, lasting relationship. For Cosmic Love to flourish, it requires much more than chemistry – it needs two people to consciously evolve together, with a commitment to a higher form of love.

Literature too has long explored the idea of Divine Union, of two souls destined to be together. From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and its star-crossed lovers to the telepathic bond between Jane and Rochester in Jane Eyre, the seeds of Twin Flame energy can be seen in many classic tales. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Darcy undergo a slow- burning transformation towards each other, recognizing the deeper truth of their connection. The passionate, magnetic pull between the Duke and Daphne in Bridgerton, or the forbidden love of Evelyn Hugo in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, or that intense ‘I see you’ passion between Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights echo the timeless story of two souls destined to both reflect and reveal each other.

These iconic stories are captivating, but they are still just that: stories. They are a lens through which we view love, but they often create misconceptions about what real Twin Flame connection is. Crucially, these fictional tales rarely touch on the most important and unacknowledged part of the journey. Before you can attract your true Twin Flame, you must first develop a fulfilling relationship with yourself.

The Drowning Place by Sarah Hillary #TheDrowningPlace @sarah_hilary @harvillbooks #BookReview #CrimeFiction #PeakDistrict

 

Every place has its ghosts. Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most.

17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since.

Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive.

Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present.

But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty…

The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary is published on 16 April 2026 by Harvill and is the start of a new series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

I think it's a well known fact that I am a huge fan of Sarah Hilary - I will claim the title of her number one fan, if that's OK?? 

I have owned a pre publication proof copy of The Drowning Place since last summer, but have purposely not posted a review until now - not long until actual publication, and ready to build some hype. 

The authors original police procedural series has long been one of my favourites and I was very excited to discover that she had embarked on a new one. I am also delighted that it is set in the Peak District, around Lady Bower reservoir - a place that I know so well, a place where I spent many happy times as a child with my family. 

Whilst my own memories of this area are happy, Sarah Hilary's version evokes a darkness, that runs through her story. With tragedy and grief and the echoes of the past, and the ghosts of today, this is a chilling, intense novel that captivated me. 

Set in the fictional town of Edenscar in the Peak District, the novel opens with a tragedy that has shaped the community for seventeen long years. A school bus careered off the road and into the reservoir, claiming the lives of nine children and three adults. Only one child survived: Joseph Ashe. Now grown, Joe is a Detective Sergeant in the very town that still feels the weight of that loss. His survival has never felt miraculous to him, it has been more a burden than a blessing, and the past lingers heavily in both his mind and the atmosphere of Edenscar itself.

When a brutal and seemingly motiveless crime shocks the town, Joe is forced to confront not only the present investigation but also the ghosts that have never quite settled. Enter DI Laurie Bower, newly arrived from city policing and unimpressed by whispers of superstition or local folklore. Laurie wants evidence, motive and a suspect; Joe understands that Edenscar does not give up its secrets easily. Together, they begin to dig beneath the surface of a place that has been shaped by grief, silence and something far darker.

The author’s depiction of the Peak District is breathtaking. The brooding moors, the darkened forests, and the reservoir itself feels like a character itself.  The sense of place is utterly immersive; you can feel the damp chill in the air and the claustrophobic darkness of the nights. 

Characterisation is, as ever with this author, pitch perfect. Joe is a fascinating protagonist; outwardly steady and capable, inwardly haunted and carrying a weight of guilt that informs every decision he makes. His relationship with his grandmother adds warmth and depth, grounding him in a way that feels authentic and tender. Laurie is equally compelling: sharp, direct, and refreshingly unsentimental, yet quietly navigating her own challenges. The dynamic between them is evolving, layered with tension, mutual respect and the promise of something more complex to come.

This is a novel rich in atmosphere, emotion and moral complexity. It asks what it means to survive, what a community does with its grief, and how far the past can reach into the present.

The Drowning Place is the first in what promises to be an exceptional crime series, and it is, quite simply, superb.

Sarah Hilary is the critically-acclaimed author of nine novels. 

Her debut, Someone Else's Skin, won the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year 2015 and was also a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a finalist for both the Silver Falchion and Macavity Awards in the US. 

No Other Darkness, the second in her DI Marnie Rome series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award. 

Sarah is Programme Director for St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend, and co-founder of Ledburied, a crime fiction festival in her home town. 

Her short stories have won the Fish Criminally Short Histories Prize, the Cheshire Prize for Literature, and the SENSE Prize.

www.sarahhilary.com

Liar Thief by May Rinaldi BLOG TOUR #LiarThief @mayrinaldi56 @BlackSpringC @RandomTTours #BookReview #CrimeFiction

 

Two childhood friends;  one ‘killer’, one cop.

Ginnie says she is a serial killer who kills people who have wronged her. No one believes her.

Author Fiona Taylor is writing Ginnie’s memoir, The Killer Inside, trying to understand why Ginnie should still insist that she’s a killer. She recruits ex-DI, Tom O’Brien, to examine the evidence. As Ginnie’s oldest friend, Tom has his own insights into her story.

As her memoir unfolds will the decisions taken by Fiona and Tom put them and their families at risk?

Is it safe to release a self-confessed serial killer back out into society, even if there is no evidence against her?

Liar Thief by May Rinaldi was published on 2 December 2025 by Black Spring Crime. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours blog tour. 

I heard the author read from this novel at Moffat Crime Fest in October and was instantly intrigued by the premise of the story, and was so eager to read it. 

There is something deliciously unsettling about a book that plants a seed of doubt in your mind and then quietly nurtures it until you’re questioning everything. Liar Thief by May Rinaldi is exactly that kind of read, it is clever, chilling and utterly compelling from the very first page.

At the heart of the story is Ginnie: a woman who calmly insists she is a serial killer. She claims that every victim deserved their fate. One huge problem though;  there are no bodies, no evidence, and she's never been charged. There is no proof that any crime was ever committed. And yet she refuses to retract her confession.

What follows is a brilliantly constructed psychological thriller told through three perspectives. Ginnie’s voice is measured and controlled as she recounts her past for true crime author Fiona Taylor, who is writing her memoir, The Killer Inside. Fiona’s chapters offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world of true crime publishing, there's the the fine line between truth and storytelling, between justice and profit. As Fiona digs deeper, what begins as a professional project slowly edges into something far more personal and potentially dangerous.

Then there is Tom O’Brien, ex-DI and Ginnie’s childhood friend. Through his reflections and old diaries, we see a man torn between loyalty and logic. He wants to believe in the girl he once knew, but instinct and experience tell him to look harder. His internal conflict adds a layer of emotional depth that elevates this beyond a straightforward thriller.

What I loved most about Liar Thief is the ambiguity. Ginnie is not painted as a caricature villain. She is intelligent, composed and strangely persuasive. The tension doesn't come from graphic detail or dramatic scenes, but from uncertainty. Memory clashes with memory. Motive is murky. Loyalty blurs judgement. You are left constantly reassessing what you think you know.

The author handles the themes of truth, perception and the marketing of crime with confidence. The pacing is sharp, the structure cleverly created, and the sense of unease lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

A gripping, intelligent psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, and doubting right to the end. Highly recommended.

May Rinaldi is a crime writer from the South-West of Scotland where she lives with her Norwegian husband, and two decrepit cats. 

She recently retired from her consultancy job in Health and Safety and, in the past, has worked as a taxidermist, mycologist and lab technician, all useful in crime writing – not only can her protagonist poison her victims, she can turn them into an interesting, mounted specimen afterwards.

She is the co-founder of Moffat Crime Fest, bringing top crime authors to the Dumfries and Galloway town of Moffat. She also runs writing retreats in her secluded home where visiting authors are only disturbed by sheep, cows and the dinner gong.

She spends her spare time travelling between Scotland, Norway and Gozo, and uses her travels as settings for her books. She is currently working on a Gozo trilogy; the Mediterranean island is as much one of the characters as the people who inhabit it.

X @mayrindali56

Instagram @mayrinaldi56

Facebook - May Rinaldi

The Cut Up by Louise Welsh BLOG TOUR #TheCutUp @louisewelsh00 @canongatebooks @RandomTTours #BookExtract #Rilke

 

It's hard to be good when living is expensive. And times are tough on the streets these days. Luckily for Rilke at Bowery Auctions the demand for no-questions-asked cash is at an all-time high, and business is booming.

When Rilke hears his old acquaintance Les is fresh out of prison, his inclination is to stay well out of his way. Letting sleeping dogs lie is one thing - but when one of Bowery's customers winds up dead on their tarmac, Rilke needs a bit of help from his friends to tidy things up. If only his friends didn't have such a habit of making things

The Cut Up by Louise Welsh was published on 29 January 2026 by Canongate Books. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you. 

Extract from The Cut Up by Louise Welsh

The eye sees what the eye expects to see. What my eye saw

was a pile of rags fluttering against the north wall of Bowery

Auctions, in the blind spot where Rose’s CCTV spy lens

does not reach. It was four-thirty in the afternoon, October

dark. The working day was done, and I had locked the sale-

room doors. I almost walked away, but our district is on the

up, and gentrified neighbours had been complaining about

fly-tipping and removal vans blocking access. I cursed under

my breath.

I knew before I knew. It was just fabric, mussed and damp

from the intermittent showers that had punctuated the day.

But there was a familiar shape to it, an ancient outline.

‘Ah Christ,’ I swore again.

Now was the moment to turn my back and head for the

pint that had been hovering on the edge of my mind all

afternoon. The bundle was motionless, the man – for some

reason I knew it was a man and not a woman – sound asleep.

Glasgow has more than its share of rough sleepers. People

need somewhere to kip, so why not our place? But Glasgow

is not known as Tinderbox City for nothing, and old auction

houses like ours are prone to burning down, even in the

dank end of the year. The sleeper might wake and decide to

light a fire to warm themselves.

I paused on the edge of the shadow cast by the wall. ‘You

okay, mate?’

The bundle shivered but did not move. I drew closer, and

saw that it was his hair that trembled in response to the

breeze. The man was not huddled in a sleeping bag. There

was no cardboard cushioning the tarmac, no small dog to

raise the alarm. He was wrapped in a raincoat that, now I

looked closely, I thought I recognised. I squatted level with

him and saw that one hand was outstretched, the gold signet

ring set with diamonds still on its middle finger.

‘Are you okay Manders?’ A faint whiff of whisky scented

the air between us. ‘You can’t sleep it off here, Mandy. Sorry,

pal, time to head home.’ I reached out and touched his

shoulder. He did not move. The rain started, and I was

tempted to retreat, but it was cold and Mandy Manderson

was not a young man. ‘Fuck’s sake, Mandy. It’s been a long,

bloody week.’ I gave him a gentle shake. His face turned

towards me, and I saw the reason why Mandy Manderson,

jewellery dealer, man-about-town and thorn in many sides

was lying on the ground in the rain.

If I had been asked to take a bet on how Manderson would

snuff it, I would have put a heart attack top of the list, a

stumble down a pub staircase close second, followed by

a hit and run, some fast and joyless ride. He was obnoxious

when sober, unpleasant when drunk, but I would not have

thought him important enough for murder.

Louise Welsh is an award-winning author of ten novels. 

The Cutting Room, her debut novel, won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award and the Saltire First Book of The Year Award. 

In 2018, she was named the Most Inspiring Saltire First Book Award winner by public vote. 

She is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. 

In 2022 she published The Second Cut, which was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Crime Book of the Year and named by The Times as their Crime Book of the Year.

@louisewelsh00

The Nowhere Girls by Carmel Harrington BLOG TOUR #TheNowhereGirls. @HappyMrsH @headlinepg @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

On a cold afternoon in December 1995, two young girls are found abandoned on a platform at Pearse Station in Dublin.

Thirty years later, investigative journalist Vega is determined to find out what happened to the so-called 'Nowhere Girls'. Where did their mother go? Why did no one come forward to claim them? And where are they now?

Searching for answers takes her on a journey with twists she never could have imagined. And one that could put everything else she knows at risk; including her new relationship, her career, and her life as she knows it.

The Nowhere Girls by Carmel Harrington was published on 29 January 2026 by Headline Review. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

There is something quietly compelling about The Nowhere Girls that pulled me in from the very first chapter and kept me turning the pages at speed. Carmel Harrington blends emotional depth with a gently twisty investigative thread, creating a story that lingers long after you’ve closed the book.

The novel opens with an unsettling premise: two very young girls left alone on a freezing December afternoon at Pearse Station in 1995, waiting for a mother who never comes back. Fast forward thirty years and the mystery remains unresolved, the girls long since labelled “the Nowhere Girls”. Enter Vega, an investigative journalist whose professional curiosity and personal determination won’t let the case lie.

Vega is a strong, believable protagonist and very easy to root for. Her determination to uncover what happened to the girls takes her across Ireland and over to the US, following a trail that grows more complicated the deeper she digs. The author balances the procedural elements of the investigation with Vega’s personal life beautifully, showing how the case begins to seep into every corner of her world;  her relationships, her career, and how she looks at herself. 

The plot unfolds at a good pace, there's plenty of intrigue to keep the reader hooked. This is very much a character-driven story, and the author really excellently explores themes of motherhood, identity, abandonment, and deeply buried secrets. While there are twists along the way, the real strength of the story, for me, is in its emotional depth. 

I raced through this one, eager to understand the truth behind the girls’ disappearance, but I also really enjoyed how Vega thinks about herself, and changes as a result of her search. The ending felt satisfying and thoughtful. 

Overall, The Nowhere Girls is a poignant, engaging and highly readable mystery that will appeal to fans of emotional thrillers with heart. A compelling journey into the past, and a reminder that some stories refuse to stay buried.

Carmel Harrington is the internationally bestselling author of thirteen novels.

Her last novel, The Lighthouse Secret, was an instant Irish Times bestseller.

Carmel's debut novel was a winner of multiple awards, and several of her books have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award.
She is a regular on Irish TV screens and radio and has been a guest speaker at literary events in Ireland, UK and USA.
She was also the Chair of Wexford Literary Festival for three years.

Carmel is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband, children and rescue dog, George Bailey.

X: @HappyMrsH / IG: @happymrsh

A Daughter's Love by Nancy Revell BLOG TOUR #Giveaway #ADaughtersLove #NancyRevell @PenguinUKBooks @RandomTTours #Prize #Win #Competition

 

From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Nancy Revell comes the third novel in the compelling Cuthford Manor series.

When Lucy’s estranged mother dies unexpectedly, her grief is overwhelming. Lucy was disowned when she married penniless horse-trainer Danny for love, leaving her blue-blooded family’s fortune in tatters. But Lucy always dreamed that one day, they’d reconcile.

So when her widowed father Edward begs her and Danny’s forgiveness for his part in their argument, she’s overjoyed. Newly pregnant, she’s determined to give her baby the family she longed for.

Danny, however, isn’t convinced: Edward’s mended ways feel too good to be true. But Lucy’s pregnancy is difficult, and she can’t hear his worries. Until the worst happens, and their fragile family is tested to its very limit…

Will love be enough to get them through?

A Daughter's Love by Nancy Revell was published on 29 January 2026 by Penguin. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to offer one copy as a prize. Entry is simple, just fill out the competition widget in the blog post.  UK entries only please. 

GOOD LUCK! 

One copy of A Daughter's Love by Nancy Revell

Nancy Revell is the author of twelve titles in the bestselling Shipyard Girls series - which
tells the story of a group of women who work together in a Sunderland ship yard during the Second World War. Her latest books, The Widow's Choice, A Secret in the Family and A Daughter's Love feature some of the characters from the world of the Shipyard Girls series in a new County Durham setting. Nancy's books have sold more than half a million copies across all editions.

Before becoming an author, Nancy was a journalist who worked for all the national newspapers, providing them with hard-hitting news stories and in-depth features. She also wrote amazing and inspirational true life stories for just about every woman's magazine in the country.