Romance

Blog Tour| Crossing In Time by D.L. Orton

June 17, 2020 Yvonne 1 Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book contains themes unsuitable for readers under 17. Contains drugs, sex and or abuse

crossing in time by d l orton - Blog Tour| Crossing In Time by D.L. Orton

Crossing in Time by D. L. Orton
Published by Rocky Mountain Press on April 1, 2015
ISBN: 9781941368138
Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Romance, Suspense, Action & Adventure, Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Emotions & Feelings, General, Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult
Pages: 480
Source: Author
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Blog Tour| Crossing In Time by D.L. Orton

The past isn't over, it's an opening; the future isn't hidden, it's a trap. If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk...
They say that true love transcends space and time, but what if your lover is murdered, and you're given the chance to go back in time to warn his much-younger self? You climb into the time machine, knowing it might kill you in a matter of hours...
Only to discover he doesn't believe you. In fact, he thinks you're one fry short of a Happy Meal. (Oh, and you're supposed to save the world while you're at it. Go figure.)
Fall into this "engaging, funny, romantic & harrowing" (Publishers Weekly ⭐️'d Review) time-travel love story and prepare to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely no ditzes.)
If there's only one love story you read this year, this is it.

Crossing in Time truly does transcend genres, I never felt I was able to fully pin down a specific genre. It’s heavy in science fiction with a romantic element underpinning its DNA. It drums a love story through its veins, one that lasts the ages and time and you should be aware of this if you delve into its pages. I was gifted an audio copy of the book and I wasn’t disappointed at the realism and the sheer talent of the narrators in bringing this story to life. The passion they both felt for the story was conveyed and it made it a truly immersive experience.

I’m such a huge fan of dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels. It just taps into the part of my brain that thinks she would have the necessary skills it would take to survive in a ravaged world. Maybe therefore I love watching tv programs like The Walking Dead and Birdbox, or maybe I just have a masochistic way of thinking. There’s just something so frightening and different from the way we all know and the lives we are living that it is like my own personal drug. The story was hugely enjoyable, and it certainly got those synapses firing.

Crossing in Time does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s about time travel, one of my favourite science fiction tropes. Isabel is a Geneticist and Diego is a software engineer. What would you do if you were given the opportunity to salvage your relationship which would then in turn stop the impending apocalypse from destroying everything you knew? She has her crack team helping her build and develop a time machine. Everything hangs in the balance. Can she save her relationship and stop the earth meeting its doom? Stay tuned.

Truthfully, I wasn’t entirely sure that this was the right time to be reading this novel. Scarily, it seemed to have a lot of parallels to the life we are currently experiencing. God, wouldn’t it be amazing to have access to a time machine that would allow us to halt the deadly spread of Covid-19 and literally save hundreds of thousands of lives. Extreme food for thought and constantly I felt that Crossing in Time plunged me into instances of deep thought – liked it!

The characters were extremely likable, and you couldn’t help but root for them during the entirety of the novel. They could have been your mates down the street, a relation or a work colleague. They dealt with pain and suffering with dignity but had your heart cracking into hundreds of pieces – I’m not sure that I found all the pieces again. One specific scene really did have me in tears, the narrative was heartbreakingly traumatic, and I wanted to reach out and hug Isabel. I love a book that can break me like that!

I did find the Crossing in Time a bit slow at the start and the contrasting element of the present and the time travel had me in a muddle initially but the second half of the book more than made up for that. It was a stunningly breath-taking examination of love and hope and above all strength.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DL ORTON, THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the BETWEEN TWO EVILS series, lives in the foothills of the Rockies where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops.♂‍

In her spare time, she’s building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.

D.L. Orton Website

Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

June 13, 2020 Yvonne 5 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book contains themes unsuitable for readers under 17. Contains drugs, sex and or abuse

the house on the lake by nuala ellwood - Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

The House on the Lake by Nuala Ellwood
Published by Penguin UK on January 24, 2020
ISBN: 9780241985168
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Crime, Psychological, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Cozy, General, Ghost, Gothic, Romance, Domestic, Family Life, Marriage & Divorce, Military, Horror
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

two stars - Review| The House On The Lake by Nuala Ellwood

No matter how far you run . . .He's never far behind
'Gripping, poignant' Rosamund Lupton
'Eerily haunting' Jane Corry
'I literally couldn't put it down' Emma Curtis
__________________________________________
Lisa needs to disappear. And her friend's rambling old home in the wilds of Yorkshire seems like the perfect place. It's miles away from the closest town, and no one there knows her or her little boy, Joe.
But when a woman from the local village comes to visit them, Lisa realizes that she and Joe aren't as safe as she thought.
What secrets have Rowan Isle House - and her friend - kept hidden all these years?
And what will Lisa have to do to survive, when her past finally catches up with her?
**BUY THE NEW SPELLBINDING THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DAY OF THE ACCIDENT AND MY SISTER'S BONES**__________________________________________
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT NUALA ELLWOOD
'Creepy and deliciously atmospheric, this page-turner has it all - twists and turns and a powerful emotional punch' Teresa Driscoll
'What a great book! It's got everything a good thriller needs, a creepy old house, a remote location, some great complex characters and lots of perfectly timed twists and turns' Netgalley Reader
'Makes you question everything you thought you knew' Emma Kavanagh
'Brilliantly compulsive and with one hell of a twist!' Claire Douglas

The House On The Lake. The synopsis, the atmosphere, the struggle. It held such incredible promise. A woman, Lisa is on the run from her husband, Mark. A woman and her three-year-old son, Joe. An impossible situation that finally breaks the woman – it gives her the edge and the courage to leave. She essentially kidnaps her son and goes on the run, a plan loosely concocted. She must make it to her friends Yorkshire cottage. A cottage on the lake. Rowan Isle House. A story told in dual timeframes. The plan didn’t account for how dilapidated the house would be. It’s no place for a frightened woman…no place for a three-year-old boy. Hostile and cold just like the life Lisa has been living.

We also have the point of view of an eleven-year-old girl, Grace approximately fifteen years previously. The similarities between the two storylines are startling. They are both living unconventional lives in the house. The walls of Rowan Isle House has seen some sights. Grace is living with her father, who is ex SAS and from all appearances seems to be experiencing the symptoms of PTSD. The girl has an extremely harsh life and it is so far away from a regular childhood it is awful. He treats her more like a solider, referring to her as solider number one – but only when she passes the tasks that deem her to be worthy of the title.

Unfortunately, House On The Lake didn’t work for me. The plot just seemed to be so inconceivably unbelievable. The urge to escape a terrifying domestic abuse situation is strong, especially when a child is involved but to escape to an inhospitable house with no electric, water or heating just seemed idiotic. Where was the simple and rational thought process of staying with friends or even accessing the help available through the avenues of the police and women’s aid? I fully accept the fear factor and it always isn’t easy but surely it would have easier than the route she chose?

One other thing I found at odds with the situation and Lisa’s behaviour was just how much she put herself out there. She didn’t want to be memorable to those in the village, but she didn’t exactly do the whole incognito deal well. She would be terrible in a spy situation. At the very least she could have had a name change. That was one aspect of the plot that just didn’t add up.

The House On The Lake was just extremely slow and for most of the book nothing of any note seemed to happen in relation to Lisa and Joe’s story. I couldn’t bring myself to be invested or to really care about the conclusion of her story. Grace was a more pragmatic narrative, but I was only slightly more invested in her as a character. Although this was the first book I’ve read by the author I will attempt one of her other books.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nuala Ellwood is the daughter of an award-winning journalist. She was inspired by his experiences and those of foreign correspondents such as Marie Colvin and Martha Gellhorn to secure Arts Council funding for her research into PTSD for her debut psychological thriller MY SISTER’S BONES.

Nuala Ellwood

Review: The Lady Of The Ravens by Joanna Hickson

May 15, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the lady of the ravens queens of the tower book 1 by joanna hickson - Review: The Lady Of The Ravens by Joanna Hickson

The Lady of the Ravens (Queens of the Tower, Book 1) by Joanna Hickson
Published by HarperCollins on January 9, 2020
ISBN: 9780008305598
Genres: Fiction, Historical, General, Medieval, Renaissance, Romance, Tudor
Pages: 466
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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Goodreads

three stars - Review: The Lady Of The Ravens by Joanna Hickson

‘A fascinating portrait of the women who helped make a dynasty’ The Times ‘Bewitching’ Woman & Home ‘Evocative’ Woman’s Weekly Two women, two very different destinies, drawn together in the shadow of the Tower of London:
Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII.
Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, as conspiracy whispers through the dark corridors of the Tower.
Through Joan’s eyes, The Lady of the Ravens inhabits the squalid streets of Tudor London, the imposing walls of its most fearsome fortress and the glamorous court of a kingdom in crisis.

The Lady Of Ravens was a great introduction into historical fiction. The Tudor years seemed to be filled with the brutal way that life was and also the romantic way of living with the dress, the relationships and the dreams and aspirations. I enjoyed the experience of being transported back in time to a land where you could truly count your enemies and friends on the same hand, and not really distinguishing between the two. I did struggle with the speed at which the story pushed forward and would have benefitted from a faster pace.

Our protagonist, Joan Guildford was an honourable friend and a lady in waiting for Queen Elizabeth during the time of King Henry VII’s reign. Her ultimate role was to guide the Queen through the many challenges that she would ultimately face being the Queen. The births and deaths of children – giving Joan a standpoint in which she knew she wouldn’t want to be married or have children. This was an extremely rare and misunderstood viewpoint that others couldn’t get their head around. I admired her. Her strength and singular capability is what drew me immediately into her corner. She was a force to be reckoned with.

The Tudor era which was the focus in The Lady of Ravens is time that I am extremely unfamiliar with. I got excited by a lot of the imagery. It was skilfully and visually painted into my vision. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am obsessed with anything medieval and castles. The gender roles contained within the pages meant that the events that Joan was involved with were generally unexciting and a lot ended up happening behind the scenes.

For a book that is titled, The Lady Of Ravens I would have loved to have Joan’s obsession with the birds delved into deeper. I never thought that it was investigated fully, and I felt myself pulling towards answers, wanting more, why was she so enraptured with the birds? The author never really gave me the reasoning that I was requiring, and I was a bit disappointed.

The Lady of Ravens was an enjoyable read but I did close the book thinking that a lot of it fell flat for me. Information that wasn’t required, storylines that seemed to be dragged on for the sake of it. I enjoyed the writing style and I did fall in love with the descriptive nature of the authors work. I just wanted a more direct journey to the conclusion rather than a roundabout trip that felt at times, unnecessary.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Hickson w - Review: The Lady Of The Ravens by Joanna Hickson

Joanna Hickson was born in England but spent her early childhood in Australia, returning at thirteen to visit her first castle and fall in love with medieval history. During a twenty-five year career at the BBC, presenting and producing News and Arts programmes for TV and Radio, Joanna also published a children’s historical novel, Rebellion at Orford Castle. She now writes adult fiction full-time, indulging her passion for bringing the medieval past and its characters to life. Joanna warns that she spends much of her life in the fifteenth century and even her Wiltshire farmhouse home dates back to that period.

Joanna’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannahickson

Joanna Hickson is represented at Jenny Brown Associates by Jenny. For all enquiries contact jenny@jennybrownassociates.com

JOANNA HICKSON

Blog Tour: Incendiary (Hollow Crown #1) by Zoraida Cordova

April 28, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

36115268. SY475 - Blog Tour: Incendiary (Hollow Crown #1) by Zoraida Cordova

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on April 28, 2020
ISBN: 9781368023801
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Action & Adventure, Survival Stories, Romance, General
Pages: 464
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four stars - Blog Tour: Incendiary (Hollow Crown #1) by Zoraida Cordova

Set in a lushly drawn world inspired by Inquisition Spain, Zoraida Córdova's hotly anticipated new fantasy is an epic tale of love and revenge perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Sarah J. Maas. I am Renata Convida.I have lived a hundred stolen lives. Now I live my own. Renata was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a memory thief, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata was used by the crown to carry out the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people. Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown. The Whispers may have rescued Renata years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred-or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she drained during her time in the palace. When Dez, the commander of her unit-and the boy she's grown to love-is taken captive by the notorious Principe Dorado, Renata must return to Andalucia and complete Dez's top secret mission herself. Can she keep her cover, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it. But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the fate of the entire kingdom-and end the war that has cost her everything.

Incendiary. The Ability to cause fires, and boy does this book burn up in your hands. Agreeing to take part in this book tour is one of the best decisions I have made. The book cover, the title and the words contained within was a dead cert to win hearts and capture aspirations. I opened the first page and I was lost to the magnificence and by the end I knew I would never be the same again. A maze of enchantment, the words melded into one and I was lost.

Upon turning the final page on this piece of art, I knew this would be a difficult review to write. Where would I find the right words to do the plot justice, the right words to capture the magic, the right words that will hypnotise your mind just like I had experienced. This review is going to messy, raw and gritty and by hook or by crook I hope I do this book justice.

Renata Convida. A woman. A warrior. A lover. The will to survive coursing through her blood, putting everything on the line to succeed in the ultimate goal. She is ready for anything. She is ready to lace those boots and kick some ass. She takes names, sheds some blood and unearths deep seated secrets. She has type of magic that strips away your memories and becomes her power. A power she can use. A power she can use against you. Give her the chance and she can take it all way from you. Leaving you nothing but a hollow. She is dangerous and never as dangerous as those she works with, The Whispers. They are a renegade team that are working to annihilate the crown that wishes them gone. They want to strip their power away, leave them with nothing and no ability to fight against them. Her lover and commander is captured by the system and Renata captains a team to go in and rescue him. It goes wrong – badly wrong and it will have lasting consequences for the team and Renata.

Incendiary is a magnificent take on the coming of age tale. It is a tantalising exploration of what makes us us. How events and trauma not only define us but strengthen us. The author at no point cowers away from storylines that makes the reader scream with frustration and anticipation. Our reactions make us face reality that we are not in control of how Renata reacts and tackles situations. Rest assured you are in good hands with the author. She will steer us right, she knows just how guide us to the end point, with ease.

The narrative is outstanding. The story moulds into something else as Renata grows and develops. Her magic doesn’t transform her into a higher being, but it takes its toll. As she takes more memories she loses a part of herself – her own early memories. Lost in grey. She knows what she must become to survive but just how does she do that? She must evolve. What came before? How does that translate to the battle that she must now face?

Incendiary is a testament to resilience and strength of character. It fizzes and crackles with electricity. A true coming of age fantasy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zoraida Author Photo 19 225x300 1 - Blog Tour: Incendiary (Hollow Crown #1) by Zoraida Cordova

Zoraida Córdova is the author of nine fantasy novels for kids and teens, most recently the award-winning Brooklyn Brujas series, Incendiary, and Star Wars: A Crash of Fate. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, Come on In: 15 Stories About Immigration and Finding Home, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of Vampires Never Get Old: Eleven Tales with Fresh Bite. Her debut middle grade novel is The Way to Rio Luna. She is the co-host of the podcast Deadline City with Dhonielle Clayton. Zoraida was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she’s planning a new adventure.

For book, tv, & film rights related inquiries, please contact Victoria Marini.

Zoraida Cordova

Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

March 23, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the girls in the lake by helen phifer - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

The Girls in the Lake by Helen Phifer
Published by Bookouture on December 9, 2019
ISBN: 9781786819253
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Police Procedural, General, Thrillers, Medical, Crime, Suspense, Traditional, Women Sleuths, Romance, Psychological, Small Town & Rural, Private Investigators, Hard-Boiled, Noir, Amateur Sleuth
Pages: 291
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

three stars - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Peering over the side of the boat, the glare of early morning sun catches on something pale in the inky water. The boy’s curious fingertips break the surface, pulling up a tangle of long blonde hair from the reeds below…

The discovery of a girl floating face down in Lake Windermere, her naked skin almost translucent in the freezing water, looks like yet another tragic teen suicide. But the victim’s lack of clothes make Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams want to investigate further. Anything to distract her from the arrival of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s body on the mortuary table that morning.

With witnesses keeping tight-lipped and any clues washed away by the tides, it’s up to Beth to find the evidence her team needs. But then another girl is found in the lake, this time still clinging to life. She tells them she was at a party on a boat, and that she was pushed…

As more bodies surface, tiny traces of boat paint lead Beth to a tragic accident involving a group of school children years ago, and the feeling that the killer might be closer than anyone could ever have imaged. But with her personal life spinning out of control, can she persuade her team before another life is lost?

An absolutely unputdownable serial killer thriller that will have you sleeping with the lights on. Fans of Patricia Gibney, LJ Ross and Angela Marsons will have to hold on tight for this nail-biting rollercoaster ride!

Readers love The Girls in the Lake:
‘Brilliant… keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the last chapter...loving this series and the characters in it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Plenty of twists… I didn’t want to put it down… suspenseful and riveting, you will want time to read it in one sitting.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Hooked from the beginning and it kept me engaged until the very last page.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Full of twists… full of tension… several times I caught myself holding my breath.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another thrilling, tightly plotted addition to this already fabulous series...I loved this book…fast paced, realistic… plenty of action, mystery and suspects. Definitely comes highly recommended and deserves all of 5 stars.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘I thoroughly enjoyed… an engrossing tale… I don’t know where the time went, one minute I started to read and a few hours later I was finishing.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A humdinger of a crime thriller that grabs you and draws you in from the brilliantly written and powerful opening scene to the nail-biting, butt-clenching finale.’ Netgalley reviewer, 5 stars

The water is beautiful. The water will also pull you under into its murky depths without a care or a thought about race, gender or social standing. If you don’t grant it the respect it so deserves it will unleash its power and it isn’t a battle you are going to win. The Girls in the Lake is a steady paced police procedural which picks up a few weeks after book 1. I felt that the first half of the novel was slower paced but it took off like a rocket in the second half.

The story is centred around the main character, Dr Beth Adams, a forensic pathologist. She has had an extremely tough life, having been subjected to a traumatic abusive relationship for the past seven years. Fast forward and she has marginally moved forward happy in the knowledge that her ex is in prison but still frozen in the past and being haunted by the effects that relationship has instilled in her. She is now living with DS Josh Walker. Life is good but usually when its that good something comes along and has a habit of turning it on its end. Cue, two dead bodies turning up in lake Windemere and the onslaught of the impending investigation.

Things get even more personal with a third girl being pushed into the water from a troublesome party boat…are the three women connected or was its mere accidents?

I really liked the character of Beth. Although she often participated in the sport of self-depreciation, she was an extremely strong character. She knew her worth and knew what she needed to do to move forward and boy did she go out and do it. She is one hell of a woman! I think to a certain extent she is struggling with the possibility of suffering from PTSD and seeks solace in the bottle more than she should but again we all have our crutches to bear. She navigates the murky waters of following her gut instinct and at points I thought that she was more on the ball as a detective than the actual police were.

The girls in the lake was a haven for geeks like me. I really enjoyed reading about the science behind the pathology of Beth’s work and the other forensic anomalies that popped in her freelance investigating. Call me a weirdo but I love what killed someone and the science that backs it all up even more.

I was mildly frustrated with the avoidable spat that occurred between Beth and Josh. In any relationship, trust and communication is paramount and their issue just seemed like a non-issue. Beth seemed to go a little off the deep end without having any proof and it did feel a little at odds with the character that I had been becoming acquainted to previously. But, overall, The Girls in the Lake was an enjoyable reading experience and I would like to give the first book a go.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

download - Review: The Girls in the Lake (Beth Adams #2) by Helen Phifer

Helen Phifer is the #1 Bestselling crime and horror novelist of the Annie Graham and Lucy Harwin series. Helen lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children. She has lived in the same town since she was born. Surrounded by miles of coastline and not too far away from the beautiful Lake District. She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years. Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.

Her debut novel The Ghost House was released October 2013 and introduced readers to police officer Annie Graham. It went on to be an Amazon #1 bestseller in Canada. It reached #1 on the Amazon Contemporary Horror Charts in both the UK and the US, pushing her idol Stephen King off his #1 spot many times.

She was thrilled when the second book in the series The Secrets of the Shadows managed to push The Ghost House off its #1 spot even if it was a little surreal. This was followed by The Forgotten Cottage, The Lake House, The Girls in the Woods and The Face Behind the Mask.

The Good Sisters is a standalone old, fashioned horror story which Helen admits scared her so much when she was writing it that she couldn’t write once it got dark. Set in an abandoned convent it will definitely give you the chills.

March 2017 saw the publication of Dark House, a gripping psychological thriller which introduced readers to the dangerous world of Detective Inspector Lucy Harwin. Dying Breath and Last Light are books two and three in that series.

The Haunting on West 10th Street is a supernatural thriller set on the streets of New York.

The Girl in the Grave featuring Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams is released 16th July 2019.

Helen Phifer

Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

February 3, 2020 Yvonne 9 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

death deserved by thomas engerjorn lier horst - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Death Deserved by Thomas EngerJorn Lier Horst
Published by Orenda Books Limited on January 31, 2020
ISBN: 9781913193010
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Romance, Mystery & Detective, Hard-Boiled, Action & Adventure, Noir, City Life, Crime, International Mystery & Crime, Police & Law Enforcement, Women Sleuths, Political, Police Procedural, General
Pages: 276
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

five stars - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Police officer Alexander Blix and celebrity blogger Emma Ramm join forces to track down a serial killer with a thirst for attention and high-profile murders, in the first episode of a gripping new Nordic Noir series...
Oslo, 2018. Former long-distance runner Sonja Nordstrøm never shows at the launch of her controversial autobiography, Always Number One. When celebrity blogger Emma Ramm visits Nordstrøm’s home later that day, she finds the door unlocked and signs of a struggle inside. A bib with the number ‘one’ has been pinned to the TV.
Police officer Alexander Blix is appointed to head up the missing-persons investigation, but he still bears the emotional scars of a hostage situation nineteen years earlier, when he killed the father of a five-year-old girl. Traces of Nordstrøm soon show up at different locations, but the appearance of the clues appear to be carefully calculated ... evidence of a bigger picture that he’s just not seeing...
Blix and Ramm soon join forces, determined to find and stop a merciless killer with a flare for the dramatic, and thirst for attention.Trouble is, he’s just got his first taste of it...

Some publishers are just complete go-to. Crime fiction and Nordic Noir are phrases that are somonis with Orenda Books. This blog tour invitation for Death Deserved was an automatic YES YES YES. Nordic Noir is a relatively new genre for me, but I am quickly falling head over heels. It has restarted my heart and gave me a passion for crime fiction once more. I couldn’t wait to get my grubby little hands on this exciting and riveting read.

I was expecting huge things from this superstar double act. The anticipation was melting my brain. The prologue created that taut tension that I crave and live for. My eyes couldn’t stop the uncontrollable speed that they took in the lines of the book. The words took on a life of its own. They grew legs and marched straight up to my face and smacked me silly…it had my full attention.

Deserved Death was an interesting title choice but one that seeped in a rightness as soon as the final page was put to rest. Is any untimely death deserved? What events in a person’s life would make it a given that they deserve to die. I’m sure at some point in our lives we have done something that was immoral or bad, does it necessarily mean that our deaths would be deserved? The authors captured everything that I anticipate in Nordic Noir. They led you down a deserted road, one that had the hairs on the back of your neck stand to attention, military style. The possibilities were endless, and my stomach churned like it was on the super spin cycle. Nausea and crime is my favourite combination.

This book sets the tone. The dark and dangerous tone. Just sit and imagine taking in the words and the ominous theme tune to the exorcist playing in the background. You know it isn’t going to be like visiting your sweet aunt for the afternoon. It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride over the Grand Canyon except that half of the track is missing. Heart in mouth. Senses threatening to leave your body. It truly challenges the control you have over your own emotions.

Two narrators. Two broken characters. Connections intertwined. We meet Alexander Blix, a quiet police officer who has gone through the emotional wringer both professionally and personally. He acts from the heart frequently and is more an action man than a procedure man. It causes him difficulties in his job, but he is respected and admired by his close- nit team. He instantly spoke to me on a deep level. He is relatable and is living a life in the shadows not fully grasping it by the balls. A victim of his past. He threatens to become a victim of his future too.

We also meet Emma Ramm, celebrity blogger. She also has her own skeletons in the cupboard. She can appear cold but progressively you uncover the real her, layer by complex layer. At times she seemed like a rubix cube. Frustrating and complex to fathom out.

Set in Oslo, ex-former long-distance runner, Sonja Nordstrøm has recently released her scathing autobiography. Emma Ramm discovers her lack of contact for a TV interview and visits her home. There appears to have been a struggle. There is, however, no sign of her. The police launch an official investigation. An intriguing Number One has been attached to the TV. The scene is unsettling, and you can feel a lingering shadow threatening to creep beyond the edges.

There is a bigger picture emerging. The police investigation is stretched taut to its very limits. Blix is still haunted by the tragedy that saw him kill a 5-year-old girl’s father. Guns still make him nervous, but his persona belies the man he portrays to the world. The cracks threaten to split. Can he keep it together until the end of the investigation?

The main theme running through this book is the human condition and it’s need and pure want of fame and the culture of celebrity. What drives people to want these things with such a hunger? We know from history that money doesn’t make you happy. More often than not it attracts ill mental health like a calling card. In this story the burden of celebrity attracts the dark. It has created a festering wound seeping in dysfunctionality and pain. It certainly made me think about the important things in life. I am quite happy being a nobody.

Death Deserved is a tautly woven, intricately written tale of suspense and layer upon layers visceral action. The authors nail the exact art of Nordic Noir and make you hunger for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Jorn Lier Horst Author pic - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Thomas Author Pic 1024x687 - Blog Tour: Death Deserved by Jorn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger are the internationally bestselling Norwegian authors of the William Wisting and Henning Juul series respectively. Jørn Lier Horst first rose to literary fame with his No. 1 internationally bestselling William Wisting series. A former investigator in the Norwegian police, Horst imbues all his works with an unparalleled realism and suspense. Thomas Enger is the journalist-turned-author behind the internationally acclaimed and bestselling Henning Juul series. Enger’s trademark has become a darkly gritty voice paired with key social messages and tight plotting. Besides writing fiction for both adults and young adults, Enger also works as a music composer. Death Deserved is Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger’s first co-written thriller.

Orenda Books

Romance

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Incendiary is a testament to resilience and strength of character. It fizzes and crackles with electricity. A true coming of age fantasy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Death Deserved is a tautly woven, intricately written tale of suspense and layer upon layers visceral action. The authors nail the exact art of Nordic Noir and make you hunger for more.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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