The Perfect Date by Julia Crouch #BooksOnTour @thatjuliacrouch #ThePerfectDate @bookouture #BookReview #Win #Giveaway #Competition

 

I thought I’d found the one… But then I found him dead.

The last time I saw Harry, he was smiling at me over a candlelit table. It felt like I’d known him forever. I sipped my wine, and let myself hope for a second perfect date.

But this morning, out on a bright sunny walk, my rescue dog starts barking. I follow to see what he’s found. That’s when I see Harry’s body. His handsome face is cold and still. I back away, trembling.

It should be the worst thing that has ever happened to me. But it’s happened to me before.

The last two men I dated are dead.

I can’t tell the police I knew them both. I’d be their number one suspect.

But I need answers. Am I going mad, or is this my fault? And if I don’t find out who is doing this, will I be next?

A totally unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you gripped and gasping till the very last page. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn.

The Perfect Date by Julia Crouch was published by Bookouture on 06 October 2023. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I also have one copy to give away today. Entry is simple. Just fill out the competition widget in this blog post. UK entries only please.

GOOD LUCK! 

I have been reading Julia Crouch's books for many years, and have always looked forward to getting my hands on her latest offering. 

The Perfect Date is another twisty tale of mystery and tension. Quite often, in novels, the characters that I like to read about most are the characters that I don't actually like very much. Caz is the lead player in this story, and to be honest, I didn't really like her. I wanted to like her, but some of her choices were so off the scale that she annoyed me at times. Apart from Caz's Mum, and her friend Damien, the same can be said for the rest of the characters. They are incredibly well created, but they are not very nice.

This does not mean that I didn't like this book!  I really really enjoyed it. Despite my misgivings about Caz, and some of the actions she took, I was totally invested in her story. It gets more curious by the chapter, culminating in a tense, almost heart-stopping conclusion that is very satisfying.

Caz has returned home to her home town. She quit her London teaching job and is now dog-walking for a living, whilst caring for her fragile mother. The care of her mother is her excuse, what she really tried to leave behind was memories of the 'incident', an awful experience that have left scars. However, it seems that she cannot get away from it and another dreadful incident has just happened. 

'Dog walker discovers body' - we've all seen the headline. Caz has been that dog walker, not once, but now twice and the twist in her story is that she knew both of the victims ..... intimately. 

Whilst house sitting for an old friend, Caz begins to receive strange envelopes, filled with obscure messages, and things that are terrifying.

What follows is a story that takes the reader down some very bumpy roads. Caz begins to suspect everyone she knows, as did I. Her fear and anxiety are depicted so very well and whilst I did begin to have suspicions about one character, I just couldn't bet my life on being correct. 

An addictive story that kept me on my toes. I love Julia Crouch's distinctive writing style and her ability to create characters that intrigue me, yet often repel me at the same time. 

I'd recommend this as a chilling, all-consuming tale that will keep the reader guessing right up to the end.

One copy of The Perfect Date by Julia Crouch

Julia started off as a theatre director and playwright. While her children were growing up,
she swerved into graphic design. After writing and illustrating two children’s books for an MA, she discovered that her great love was writing prose. The picture books were deemed too dark for publication, so, to save the children, she turned instead to writing for adults. Her first book, Cuckoo, was published in 2011, and she has been writing what she calls her Domestic Noir novels ever since. She also writes for TV and teaches on the Crime Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. She has three grown up children and lives in Brighton with her husband and two cats, Keith and Sandra.

http://juliacrouch.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/JuliaCrouchAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/juliageek/

https://twitter.com/thatjuliacrouch

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Julia Crouch here: https://www.bookouture.com/julia-crouch/

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You're Here For A Reason by Rebecca Kirk BLOG TOUR #YoureHereForAReason @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

Imagine if you could finally answer this age-old, universal question and start living your purpose.

 Spiritual career coach Rebecca Kirk offers some life-changing solutions – helping us dive deep to find the clarity and confidence to re-align our working lives and feel more truly fulfilled. 

Whether you're considering a career change or seeking greater fulfilment in your existing role, you will find indispensable guidance to invest in yourself and discover your own unique path to purpose, peace and prosperity. 

It's time to stop holding yourself back and start listening to the inner voice that's been telling you there's something else you're meant to be doing. 

It's time to awaken.

You're Here For A Reason by Rebecca Kirk is published in October 2023. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. 

Extract from YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON by Rebecca Kirk

I believe that we are all here for a reason, whether or not we know what that is or are living it out yet. Having a reason for being is one of the most profound needs we have as humans.

The quest for meaning and purpose has always been part of our evolutionary journey. And the events surrounding the pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, have only served to exacerbate this need for many. As a spiritual career coach, I have witnessed more and more people lose connection with their work and their true identity and question the very core of their existence.

The planet is undergoing a major shift, a shake up of sorts. Many of us are being forced to re-evaluate what is truly important to us. If we can take anything from these past few years, it is to recognise the power that a challenge can have to act as a catalyst. A catalyst which can wake us up from our slumber and stop us from staying stuck in a situation which no longer serves us. You might have witnessed this through a friend or colleague who was made redundant from a job they hated but were too afraid to resign from and then it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to them.

This shift has led me to create a quantum leap in my coaching business. I could no longer coach people in their career without bringing spirituality into the mix. I see the two as intrinsically linked and mutually supportive. The challenges you face in your career can force you to open up to your spirituality. To look for new support tools and a deeper connection to help anchor yourself through the choppy waters. And similarly, your spirituality can support you through your career challenge.

Rebecca Kirk is a spiritual career coach, guiding people who are at a crossroads in their career, or those who feel unfulfilled in their jobs, towards a deeper understanding of their purpose. 

She previously worked in corporate retail, but found there was a deeper pull in her life for something less commercial and more meaningful, and in 2016 she retrained to be a life coach.

Having noticed during the pandemic that people had started to search for more purpose in their lives, she relaunched her business, focusing on spiritual career coaching. 

She uses her own experience of changing careers and spiritual journey to help people who feel stuck find the courage and conviction they need to make more favourable choices, rather than repeating the same patterns. 

www.rebeccakirk.co.uk

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop BLOG TOUR #TheFigurine @VicHislop @headlinepg @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

When Helena inherits her grandparents' apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime's generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them?

Helena's desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth - and to understand the origins of her grandfather's collection.

Helena's attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather's actions sees her wrestle with the meaning of 'home', both in relation to looted objects of antiquity ... and herself.

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop was published on 28 September 2023 by Headline Review. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour.

I have been reading and enjoying Victoria Hislop's novels for almost twenty years. I devoured her debut, The Island, back in 2005. I visited the island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Crete, purely because of that book and have eagerly awaiting every one of her books ever since. 

I love Greece, and have spent so many wonderful holidays of many of the Greek islands. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also steeped in history and it is this history that Victoria Hislop recreates in her novels. 

In The Figurine, she explores the destruction of Greece's historical past, and has created a dramatic and often tense story that details the robbery of precious, often very ancient artefacts. Take from the ground by looters and those who often should know better and sold for huge sums and then secreted away in the homes of the rich and wealthy. Depriving Greece and its people of their birthright. 

We meet Helena as a shy eight-year-old girl in the early 1960s. She's arrived in Athens, after travelling alone from her home in the UK, to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. Helena's mother left Greece many years ago and has never been back. She speaks little of her parents, and especially seems to loathe her father, but she appreciates that Helena should be aware of her roots. 

Hislop takes us through Helena's formative years, as she learns to love Greece, learning the language and making new friends. Her own relationship with her Grandfather is strained, he's an oppressive, stern and angry man who often lashes out. However, it is clear to Helena that he is very important and that her family come from great riches. 

Helena's relationship with her own parents is the exact opposite. They clearly adore each other, and her and until tragedy strikes, they have a happy and comfortable life. 

When Helena's inherits her Grandparents Athens apartment, after their deaths, she is dismayed. She has learnt much about her mother's experiences and has no desire to return to those rooms. However, she does and this is where her real awakening begins. Striking up a relationship with suave and smooth talking Nick, Helena soon falls in love. Swept up by the lifestyle at Oxford, surrounded by people with money and freedom, Helena enjoys life.

From the dusty, chaotic streets of Athens to the slow paced Greek islands, Hislop brings Greece to life on the page. Her incredible passion for the country shines through in her writing, her descriptions of the people, the customs, the food and the music are wonderful.

Her research is admirable, and she doesn't hold back from including events from recent history that still affect Greece. The vicious fighting after the war, Greek on Greek. The terrible work camps, the destruction of families, the murders and the never to be forgotten events that shape modern Greece are all there. 

It is the wanton destruction of Greece's history, the looting of incredibly important artefacts to satisfy the whims of the wealthy are really brought home and Helena's bravery and courage in facing up to the sins of her own family, and her determination to bring justice is perfectly portrayed.

Another wonderful story from a very talented author. Highly recommended. 

Inspired by a visit to Spinalonga, the abandoned Greek leprosy colony, Victoria Hislop wrote The
Island in 2005. It became an international bestseller, has sold more than 6 million copies and was turned into a 26-part Greek TV series. She was named Newcomer of the Year at the British Book Awards and is now an ambassador for Lepra.

Her affection for the Mediterranean then took her to Spain, and in the number one bestseller The Return she wrote about the painful secrets of its civil war. In The Thread, Victoria returned to Greece to tell the turbulent tale of Thessaloniki and its people across the twentieth century. Shortlisted for a British Book Award, it confirmed her reputation as an inspirational storyteller.

Her fourth novel, The Sunrise, about the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the enduring ghost town of Famagusta, was a Sunday Times number one bestseller. Cartes Postales from Greece, fiction illustrated with photographs, was a Sunday Times bestseller in hardback and one of the biggest selling books of 2016.

The poignant and powerful Those Who Are Loved, was a Sunday Times number one hardback bestseller in 2019 and explores a tempestuous period of modern Greek history through the eyes of a complex and compelling heroine.

Victoria's most recent novel, One August Night, returned to Crete in the long-anticipated sequel to The Island. It spent twelve weeks in the Top 10 hardback fiction charts.

www.victoriahislop.com

X @VicHislop

Instagram @vichislop

Water by John Boyne #Water @JohnBoyneBooks @DoubledayUK @patsyirwin #BookReview

 

The first thing Vanessa Carvin does when she arrives on the island is change her name. To the locals, she is Willow Hale, a solitary outsider escaping Dublin to live a hermetic existence in a small cottage, not a notorious woman on the run from her past.

But scandals follow like hunting dogs. And she has some questions of her own to answer. If her ex-husband is really the monster everyone says he is, then how complicit was she in his crimes?

Escaping her old life might seem like a good idea but the choices she has made throughout her marriage have consequences. Here, on the island, Vanessa must reflect on what she did - and did not do. Only then can she discover whether she is worthy of finding peace at all.

Water by John Boyne is published by Doubleday on 2 November 2023, and is the first in a new literary quartet from Boyne. Water is followed by Earth; published May 2024, Fire in November 2024 and Air in May 2025. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I am a huge fan of John Boyne's writing, I consider him to be one of the finest living authors, his ability to transport his readers into the story is so impressive, and despite Water being only 166 pages long, I was utterly transfixed, from page one. 

We met a fifty-two year old woman who has arrived on a small island off the west coast of Ireland. The first thing that she does is change her name, the islanders know her as Willow Hale. She then cuts off her hair, determined to change herself.

We know that Willow has a husband, but that they are no longer together. We know that she has a daughter, but that daughter doesn't want to speak to her. We also learn that she had another daughter, and thinking about her is very painful. 

As Willow gets to know the island, and the inhabitants, the reader gets to know her. We learn snippets about her life; about her husband and her daughters. We learn that she has never had a job, and that hairdressers and fine foods were important to her. As the story moves on, Willow herself learns more and more about herself. Her encounters with the locals teach her so much, she's something of curiosity to them, yet she finds people that she can really relate to.

Short, but oh so perfectly formed. Water is a magical, joyous read, and this is despite some of the darker issues that are explored and uncovered along the way. It's a journey, for the reader, and for Willow. The sense of place, the hint of humour, the feeling of community - all combine to create a wonderful read.

Highly recommended. 

John Boyne is the author of fourteen novels for adults, six for younger readers, and a collection of
short stories. 

His 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet, and opera. 

His many international bestsellers include The Heart's Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky. 

He has won four Irish Book Awards, including Author of the Year in 2022, along with a host of other international literary prizes. 

His novels are published in fifty-eight languages.

Twitter: @JohnBoyneBooks

Instagram: @JohnBoyneAuthor

Minka and Curdy by Antonia White #MinkaAndCurdy @ViragoBooks #ViragoModernClassics @lucy_martin20 #AntoniaWhite #BookReview

 

One of the most enchanting books about cats ever written, Minka and Curdy describes the adventures - and misadventures - of two very different kittens.

Victoria, a real tyrant of a cat, spent so many years training her owner to be the ideal hostess that Mrs Bell feels it would be disrespectful to replace that formidable creature. But her resolve is worn down, and she finally agrees to take a marmalade kitten - and is immediately offered a Siamese that she also simply cannot resist. This is the story of a writer seduced by the contrasting charms of two kittens: Curdy, lively and mischievous; and Minka, elegant, imperious, and disdainful of the ginger upstart.

Delightfully illustrated with line drawings, this is a witty and charming love letter to feline companionship from the author of Frost in May, and the perfect book for all cat lovers.

Minka and Curdy by Antonia White is published by Virago Modern Classics on 5 October 2023. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Antonia White was devoted to her cats throughout her life. They were her constant companions as she wrote the famous Frost In May Quartet.
In Minka and Curdy, she fictionalised their lives in a brilliant story of the misadventures of two feline friends.
Originally published in 1957 

What an absolute delight this little book is. Beautifully produced by Virago Modern Classics, in hardback and fabulous line drawings throughout the text. 

Anyone who has ever owned a cat will nod in agreement as Mrs Bell talks about her late cat Victoria. There were lines about how Victoria owned Mrs Bell, and demanded certain things that certainly rang true for me, and raised many a chuckle and laugh as I read. 

Victoria is now gone and initially Mrs Bell didn't want another cat. She wanted to pay homage to how special Victoria was. However, her friend persuades her that getting another cat would be the greatest tribute to Victoria, and Mrs Bell agrees. 

She'd really love a Siamese, especially after meeting one in her local bookshop. She's also fond of a marmalade cat. 

Mrs Bell ends up with one of each; the Minka and Curdy of the title. Minka, the Siamese arrived first and when Curdy is introduced to the household, there's a war. Minka is not going to allow any other cat in her house! 

Antonia White's language is probably a little outdated, but it is still exquisite and her understanding of cats and their habits is wonderfully portrayed in this story. It is just a short novel, at 113 pages, and I read it in one sitting, fairly quickly, but totally entranced throughout. 

This would make the perfect gift for any cat lover. A beautiful book, one to treasure. 

Antonia White (1899 - 1980) worked as a journalist from 1924 until the Second World War.

Among numerous volumes of short stories, fiction and autobiography, Antonia White published a celebrated quarter of novels called the Frost In May Quartet which included Frost in  May, The Lost Traveller, The Sugar House and Beyond The Glass. 

The Treatment by Sarah Moorhead #TheTreatment @semoorhead @canelo_co #BookReview

 

The future of law enforcement has arrived, courtesy of private health contractor Janus Justice. Their ground-breaking ‘Offender Treatment Programme’ has been hailed as the most effective way of tackling crime yet.

As offenders move through the four-tiered system, their needs are dealt with, each tier more drastic in its methods:

Tier One: Low-risk crimes. Physical therapy encouraged

Tier Two: Trauma and addiction. Emotional and psychological reasons for offending are examined

Tier Three: Aversion therapy & moral punishment

Tier Four: Siberia, where all hope is lost

But Grace Gunnarsson, one of Janus’ most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists, has uncovered a terrible flaw in the system, one that is allowing people to get away with murder...

The Treatment by Sarah Moorehead was published on 31 August 2023 by Canelo. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This review was originally published in the September edition of the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners magazine.

This speculative fiction novel is set in a future that really does seem possible. The current social issues facing the entire world form the basis of a story that is bold and quite terrifying. The author cleverly incorporates issues around climate change, the increasing advances in technology, and the criminal justice system in this novel that will shivers down the spine. 

Janus Justice are a private health contractor. They are carrying out an offender treatment plan that has divided the public. With many people pleased that offenders are facing severe treatments, there are also those who protest about the infringement of human rights. 

Tier One: Low-risk crimes. Physical therapy encouraged

Tier Two: Trauma and addiction. Emotional and psychological reasons for offending are examined

Tier Three: Aversion therapy & moral punishment

Tier Four: Siberia, where all hope is lost

Grace Gunnarsson is an old-school psychologist. She is filled with empathy for her patients, she is also the golden girl of Janus and is married to a reporter whose main aim is to ensure that the public are aware of what happens in the clinics.

Split between loyalty to her husband and the desire to ensure that patients get the most appropriate treatment, Grace is also hiding secrets from her past life. When she realises that the the Janus system has flaws, and people are getting away with murder, she puts herself into terrible danger to find out the truth. 

Sarah Moorhead tackles social issues whilst producing a high-octane, thrilling story filled with characters that the reader will love or hate. It’s a world that seems far away, yet it is probably nearer to our world than we realise. 

An exceptionally good read. Emotional, chilling and utterly devasting at times, but highly enjoyable too. 

Born in Liverpool, Sarah Moorhead has told stories since childhood and uses writing as bubblegum for her over-active brain – to keep it out of trouble. 

Fascinated by meaning, motivation and mystery, she studied Theology at university. 

Over the last twenty five years, apart from teaching in secondary school, Sarah has attained a black belt in kickboxing, worked as a chaplain, established a Justice and Peace youth group, and written articles for newspapers and magazines about her work in education and religion.

www.sarahmoorhead.com

X @semoorhead

Instagram @sarahmoorheadauthor

The Time of Cherries by Michael S Hollington BLOG TOUR #TheTimeofCherries #MichaelSHollington @BookGuild @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

Burgundy, 1861.

Christine ‘Kiki’ Vellay, the daughter of vineyard workers, is forced to marry an older man in exchange for a piece of land. He abuses her. Seduced by a young naval cadet she plots to run away. When her husband is killed during the attempt, she finds herself wrongly accused of his murder.

Kiki is on the run.

On reaching Paris in disguise, Kiki discovers she is pregnant and takes on various jobs to survive. When her child is stolen from her, she begins a desperate attempt to find him. Her story takes her from imprisonment in the infamous Conciergerie, to a chateau in the Loire, back to Paris under siege – as a spy – during the Franco-Prussian war, culminating in a dramatic conclusion in the final bloody week of the Paris Commune.

A story of resilience in the face of immense hardship, The Time of Cherries is a gripping account of a woman’s instinct and longing for her child.

The Time of Cherries by Michael S Hollington was published on 23 August 2023 by The Book Guild. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. 

Extract from The Time of Cherries by Michael S Hollington 

My family, the Vellays, have worked this land for generations as labourers. Everyone who lives in the town is in their own way dependent on the grape – from the priest who blesses the wine in church to the butcher and baker who provide us with sustenance. 

The crop is king. Men, women and children divine the sky at sunset and sunrise, gauge the drift of the wind, observe the rise and fall of the barometer, kneel in prayer on Sundays, all in fealty to the grape. A late frost, hailstones, tempest and snow can bring disaster – there, sent by God to test man in his quest for a decent drop to drink.

 

The land, the domaines, are owned by a handful of proprietors – men who control our lives, pay a man a miserable two and a half francs a day to sweat and toil on God’s own ground. To become a proprietor, you have to be born to it, or marry into it, or be of sufficient fortune to obtain it. Or by whatever means are deemed as necessary. 

One such proprietor was staring at my back. I was convinced of it. I dared not turn around to look at Junius Gerard lest the congregation saw me and shook their collective head. Only last week, he had turned in his saddle and smiled at me with his large brown eyes. Now, those eyes were on me again, on my back. His family were the owners of Domaine de l’Oubliette, an estate on the edge of the town. I had seen him over the years, high up on his horse and as ignorant of me as a cat is of God. 

Until now. 

Father Alberic stood and blessed the wine. I shifted down the pew with the rest of my family, convinced that everybody was looking at me. I knelt, felt myself tense when he placed the wafer on my tongue. The blood of Christ tasted acidic – in Meursault? I looked across at my sister Aliette and wondered again how different we were: she with her fair hair and blue eyes; me with my dark hair, brown eyes and olive skin. 

I followed Maman’s bulk as she clattered back to her pew. She was large, the child within her a surprise, as Alie was supposed to be the last of our generation of Vellays. Papa plonked himself next to me. He was large as well, and flushed. Hair gathered at his Adam’s apple; his collar tight against the flesh of his neck. I could see he was chafing to be away... for his Sunday drink. My brothers sat the other side; the male Vellays tended to stick together. 

My given name is Christine, after the saint whose feast day, the twenty-fourth of July, was the same day as my birthday. As an infant Alie had struggled with my name. ‘Kikine, Kikine,’ she would say. The family had settled on Kiki. 

Soon it was over, except the ignominy of walking up the aisle, of avoiding his stare. At last, I was outside in the warm spring air. I chanced a look behind me. Junius was there. Smiling, he waggled his fingers at me without raising his hand. 

Michael S Hollington qualified as a chartered surveyor. 

After spells in the City, Belgium and North America he spent the bulk of his career in Hong Kong, selling buildings on behalf of clients. 

He lives in London with his wife, Sarah. 

The Time of Cherries is his first published novel.

www.michaelshollington.com

Instagram @michael_hollington