Monday 27 August 2018

Calamity in Camberwell by Alice Castle - Book Review


CALAMITY IN CAMBERWELL
BY
ALICE CASTLE

Genre:  Cozy Crime
Publication Date:  13 August 2018
Publisher:  Crooked Cat Books
Standalone Third Book in the London Murder Mystery Series


Beth Haldane, SE21’s answer to Miss Marple, worries she is losing a kindred spirit when her friend Jen, the only other single mum in the playground, suddenly remarries and moves to Camberwell. 

Soon Beth has to face much more pressing fears. Has something gone horribly wrong with Jen’s marriage? What is her new husband really up to? Why is her daughter leading Beth’s son astray? And where on earth is Jen anyway? 

As Beth's friends push her to start dating again, Beth turns to Metropolitan Police DI Harry York for help. But will they solve the mystery in time, or will it turn out that in south east London, not everyone gets to live happily ever after?



The third book in the London Murder Mystery Series once again sees our protagonist single mum Beth trying to juggle work with home life and, this time, trying to discover where her friend has disappeared to, even though no-one else seems to have missed her.

Beth's been a widow for eight years, her son is now ten, and her best friend Kate gently suggests to Beth that maybe she should consider using a dating app, but as Beth is the world's greatest prevaricator, this could take some time, especially when the lovely Detective Inspector Harry York arrives on the scene again to save Beth from getting into more trouble!

The character of Beth is incredibly well developed and I really felt that I understood her and how her mind worked as she set about her mission, determined to not leave any stone upturned in her quest.

This has a slightly different feel to the earlier books in that the crime hasn't been committed right at the start, in fact for a long time we're not sure if a crime has been committed.  It all becomes clear very gradually as the tension builds up so slowly and cleverly.

Even though this is the third in the series I think it could be read as a standalone.  If you enjoy a gentle mystery with characters you care about set in an affluent up market village in London, with just a hint of a romance, then this will appeal to you.  The plot is not so complex and there is some humour dotted about, which was just enough to bring a smile to my face.

I'm already looking forward to the next book Homicide in Herne Hill.

Meet the Author



Before turning to crime, Alice Castle had a long career as a feature writer on national newspapers including the Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice grew up in south London and, after a brief stint in Brussels (where her first novel, Hot Chocolate, is set) she is back where she belongs, dreaming up adventures for her heroine, amateur detective and single mum Beth Haldane. 
Alice is married with two children, two stepchildren and two cats. 
Find out more about her London Murder Mystery series on her website, www.alicecastleauthor.com. 
Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 by Crooked Cat Books and was #1 in the Amazon Satire/Detective charts in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain and Germany. 
The Girl in the Gallery came out in December 2017 and the third in the series, Calamity in Camberwell, was published on 13th August 2018. 
Homicide in Herne Hill will follow in autumn 2018, with more books in the pipeline. 
Follow Alice on Twitter as @DDsDiary

Links to buy books:






Friday 17 August 2018

Calamity in Camberwell by Alice Castle - Blog Tour, Spotlight & #Giveaway

Today, I am thrilled to be part of Alice Castle's blog tour for her new book Calamity in Camberwell, and there's a chance to win a copy of the book, thanks to Rachel's Random Resources





Genre:  Cozy Crime
Publication Date:  13 August 2018
Publisher:  Crooked Cat Books
Standalone Third Book in the London Murder Mystery Series


Beth Haldane, SE21's answer to Miss Marple, worries she is
losing a kindred spirit when her friend Jen, the only other
single mum in the playground, suddenly gets married and
moves to Camberwell. 

Soon Beth has to face much more pressing fears. Has

something gone horribly wrong with Jen's marriage? What is
her husband really up to? Why is her daughter leading Beth's
son astray? And where on earth IS Jen anyway? 

As Beth's friends push her to start dating again, Beth turns to

Met Police DI Harry York for help. But will they solve the
mystery in time, or will it turn out that in south east London,
not everyone gets to live happily ever after?

Purchase Link - MyBook.to/Cic


Meet the Author


Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper
journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily
Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and
London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks.
Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has
been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, Canada,
France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery
was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim. Calamity
in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery
series, will be published this summer, with Homicide in Herne
Hill due to follow in early 2019.  Alice is currently working on
the fifth London Murder Mystery adventure. Once again, it will
feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.

Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her
website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com
Links to buy books: MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery

She lives in south London and is married with two children,
two step-children and two cats.

GIVEAWAY
Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Calamity in Camberwell
(Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please
enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be
selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and
will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is
received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an
alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any
personal data given as part of the competition entry is used
for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties,
with the exception of the winners’ information. This will
passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment
of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not
responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Sunday 12 August 2018

Little Pink Taxi by Marie Laval - Blog Tour & Book Review

Today, I am delighted to be part of Marie Laval's blog tour for her new book Little Pink Taxi, thanks to Rachel's Random Resources


Take a ride with Love Taxis, the cab company with a Heart …
- Little Pink Taxi

Genre:  Contemporary/Romantic with a hint of suspense
Publication Date:  20 February 2018
Standalone Novel
Publisher:  Choc Lit

Rosalie Heart is a well-known face in Irlwick – well, if you drive a bright pink taxi and your signature style is a pink anorak, you’re going to draw a bit of attention! But Rosalie’s company Love Taxis is more than just a gimmick – for many people in the remote Scottish village, it’s a lifeline.
Which is something that Marc Petersen will never understand. Marc’s ruthless approach to business doesn’t extend to pink taxi companies running at a loss. When he arrives in Irlwick to see to a new acquisition – Raventhorn, a rundown castle – it’s apparent he poses a threat to Rosalie’s entire existence; not just her business, but her childhood home too.
On the face of it Marc and Rosalie should loathe each other, but what they didn’t count on was somebody playing cupid …



I love the cover for Little Pink Taxi but it is a little deceptive, this is not just a soft and fluffy rom/com, it is slightly more darker than that, 

Rosalie Heart loves driving her little pink taxi, she's a welcome sight to many of the residents who depend on her to take them to the local shops and the airport, with her cheerful smile and her singing along to Happy Baby Radio while driving!

Marc Peterson, the new owner of Raventhorn Castle, is cold, controlled and lacking in emotions, he's a stuck-up pompous French/Danish businessman.

There is an obvious attraction between them but they are so different and opposite, Rosalie is so warm, kind and enthusiastic about her little taxi company and Marc just cares about the bank balance and, unfortunately, the taxi company and the Castle are not making any money so Marc's job is to sell them both.

There are gorgeous descriptions of the wintry landscape around the Castle, the loch and the forests, all have a ghostly, ethereal feel and the spectre of tragic bride Isobel McBride is reputed to haunt the Castle and the grounds.

I absolutely enjoyed the story immensely, it has a will they/won't they romantic feel, but there is lots more to it than that, it also has a mystery element, with shades of criminal activity, long-lost Danish treasure, several shady characters and a surprise or two!

Overall, Little Pink Taxi is perfect for all those who like romance with a good dose of mystery and intrigue.

Meet the Author


Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire with her family. She works full-time as a modern languages teacher, and in her spare times loves writing romance and dreaming about romantic heroes.
She writes both historical and contemporary romance, and her historical romance The Lion’s Embrace won the Gold Medal at the Global eBook Awards 2015 (category Historical Romance).
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her native France, as well as her passion for history and research, very much influences her writing, and all her novels have what she likes to call ‘a French twist’!
Social Media Links –
Purchase Links

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Tuesday 7 August 2018

The Theatre of Dreams by Rosie Travers - Blog Tour & Book Review

Today, I am very happy to be part of Rosie Travers' blog tour for her new book The Theatre of Dreams, thanks to Rachel's Random Resources




Genre:  Contemporary Womens' Fiction/Romantic Comedy
Publication Date:  1st August 2018
Publisher:  Crooked Cat Books
Standalone Novel

Musical theatre actress Tara is down on her luck and in desperate need of a job. 

When terminally-ill octogenarian Kitty invites her to take over the running of her former dance academy in the old-fashioned resort of Hookes Bay, Tara thinks she’s found her guardian angel. 

But it soon becomes very clear Kitty is being far from benevolent. 

Too late, Tara realises helping Kitty will signal the end of an already tarnished career, unless she can pull off the performance of a life-time...



The Theatre of Dreams is a debut novel by Rosie Travers and I was not sure quite what to expect from this story.

I found it so slow to begin with, I could not get my head round all the characters, or what Kitty wanted Tara to do for her, and the dates of certain events in the past weren't clear for me to get an overall picture, and I nearly gave up on it.

But I am so glad that I persevered as I was rewarded with one of the most wonderful and imaginative stories that I've read in a long time!

Actress Tara has made a huge mistake in London, and when she's invited to a small seaside town by ailing Kitty to run her dance school and help save the now derelict wreck of the Pavilions theatre, she feels she has nothing to lose.  But Kitty is not being totally honest with her ..... 

With just the right amount of romantic interest, drama, deception, blackmail and humour, The Theatre of Dreams had me guessing who was pulling the strings and who was genuine throughout, the character of Tara was passionate and bubbly and I warmed to her right away, love interest Dominic was a brusque Irishman and Kitty was a clever, feisty and endearing character.

With a writing style that flowed smoothly, I loved it and could easily picture the vintage grandeur of the Art Deco Pavilions theatre on the sea front.

I am eager to see what Rosie Travers imagination comes up with next!


Meet the Author



I like to  write stories with a twist, a sprinkling of humour and a dash of tragedy.  My aim is to entertain and raise a smile.
I’ve always had a very vivid imagination and my passion for writing began at a very early age.  As a teenager I scribbled, then typed, numerous novels and short stories, none of which I was ever brave enough to show to anyone. My hobby was put on hold while mortgages, marriage, and motherhood took over. In fact, it stayed hidden for a good twenty or so years until I unexpectedly found myself with some spare time on my hands. In 2009 I left the UK to accompany my husband on an overseas work assignment to California. I started a blog about my life in the US, and from there everything mushroomed. I re-discovered my creative juices.  I am a member of the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme and Hampshire Writers Society. I now live on the south coast of England with my husband and a very spoilt cat.
The Theatre of Dreams is my first novel
Social Media Links –  www.rosietravers.com   
Twitter: @RosieTravers  
Purchase from Amazon UK  - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CTMS9WS



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Sunday 5 August 2018

The Little Cornish Kitchen by Jane Linfoot - Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway

Today, I am thrilled to be part of Jane Linfoot's blog tour for her new book The Little Cornish Kitchen, thanks to Rachel's Random Resources


It's time to come home to Cornwall
With an exciting new life in Paris, Clemmie Hamilton isn't looking forward to heading home to the picturesque but sleepy village of St Aidan, Cornwall. However, when she discovers that the cosy apartment by the sea, which her grandmother left to her, is under threat from neighbour and property developer, Charlie Hobson, Clemmie realises she can't abandon her home in its time of need.
With her childhood friends encouraging her, Clemmie decides to turn the apartment into 'The Little Cornish Kitchen' – a boutique pop up pudding club raising money for the repairs to the building in an effort to stop Charlie once and for all. But when Charlie and his easy charm won't seem to go away, everything soon becomes even messier than the state of Clemmie's Cornish kitchen…







Meet the Author

Jane Linfoot is a best selling author, who lives in a muddy cottage, up a steep hill in Derbyshire, with her family, their pets, and an astonishing number of spiders. Although she loves seeing cow noses over the garden wall, she’s happy she can walk to a supermarket.
Jane grew up in North Yorkshire where she spent a lot of her childhood avoiding horizontal gales blowing off the sea, and wrote her first book by accident, while working as an architect, and renovating country houses. While she loves to write feelgood books that let readers escape, she’s always surprised to hear her stories make people laugh, admits to (occasionally) crying as she writes, and credits her characters for creating their own story lines.
Jane’s garden would be less brambly if she wasn’t on Facebook and Twitter so often. On days when she wants to be really scared, she rides a tandem.
Her latest books include a series of stand alone novels, based around a seaside wedding shop in Cornwall. Cupcakes and Confetti – The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea, Sequins and Snowflakes – Christmas at the Little Wedding Shop, and Bunting and Bouquets – Summer at the Little Wedding Shop, and most recently, The Little Cornish Kitchen. These are all published by Harper Impulse,  an imprint of Harper Collins.


Follow Jane on Twitter @janelinfoot, or find her on her Author Page Facebook or her Personal Page Facebook. She’s also on Instagram, and has lots of Pinterest boards relating to her novels.


Giveaway – Win a signed copy of The Little Cornish Kitchen, Mermaid Notebook and Sugar Unicorns (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.


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