Rachel’sRandomResources#Divine Invention by Linden Forster#Cordate Books#Blog Tour#

Blurb

:Divine Invention
Most stories begin with either an unforeseen turn of events or a problem.
Krank has a problem. For centuries, the people of the island have lived on the animals and plants to be found there. It was bliss and so the population grew. It was not until very recently anyone noticed that the quantity of plants and animals had not. The delicate balance of the ecosystem has tipped and food is dwindling.
The King assigned the island’s two resident self-proclaimed geniuses, the Creators, to find a solution. The fruits of their labour ripen into the invention of the world’s first aquatic transportation device and promises to provide passage from the island to search further afield for food and resources.
So, there it is. Problem solved. End of story. Barring any unforeseen turn of events…
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Divine-Invention-Heros-Arc-Book-ebook/dp/B01BU60DOA
US – https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Invention-Heros-Arc-Book-ebook/dp/B01BU60DOA

My Thoughts and Review;

This was a fantasy and satire rolled into one. A book that didn’t make me laugh out loud, but rather chuckle to myself; which was strangely more satisfying. A book for our times with environmental crisis looking over our shoulders!

It concerns the island state of Krank, a paradise where the eco-system is tipping out of balance. This island is ruled by King Codrich, or rather his Queen Arburella.                           Then they’re the creators  Edin and Koel who are charged with building a floyancy,( a boat to you and me), to seek out new lands and new sources of food etc.                                    Their is one problem with this; at the great launch they make one mistake and leave behind the means of  steering the boat. So the are at the mercies of the wind, tides and fate. Soon they are strangers on a strange shore.                                                                            Another character who is central to the story is Aereon. He is everyones’ whipping boy. When things go wrong blame Aereon; when things are good claim the credit for yourself. A well written comic fantasy, satirical and comic in turns. Good writing and well rounded characters. The first book in the Hero’s Arc. As I have said I really enjoyed this tale and look forward to book two. Give it a go. Well done Linden!

Author Bio –
Linden Forster began writing at the age of seventeen. Divine Invention is his debut novel and it took seven years from the idea conjuring at the back of an English class to reaching the page.
Since then, writing has become his dream and passion. His sequel is finished and awaiting publication, while he types the third in a darkened room.
He is a lover of nature and enjoys walks in the country and often ventures out armed with a notepad and pen.
Social Media Links –
Blog – https://lindenforster.wordpress.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lindenforster/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/LindenForster
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lindenforster/?hl=en

 

Checking the Traps by Joan Livingston# Blog Tour#Rachel’sRandomResources#

Blurb:

Checking the Traps
Isabel Long is a bit banged up from her last case with a broken collarbone and her arm in a sling. But that doesn’t stop her from pouring beer at the Rooster Bar or taking her third case with Gary Beaumont, a local drug dealer who once terrorized her. Gary is convinced his brother didn’t jump off a bridge known for suicides. Somebody pushed him.
Gary’s brother was a boozer who drove for a highway crew. But what interests Isabel and her ‘Watson’ — her 93-year-old mother who lives with her — is that the man wrote poetry.
The chief suspects are one of Gary’s business associates and a famous poet who plagiarized his brother’s poetry for an award-winning book. Yes, he was that good.
As a journalist, Isabel did regular meetups with her sources for stories. She called it checking the traps. She does the same as a private investigator, and this time, she’ll make sure she doesn’t get caught in one.
Purchase Links:
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Checking-Traps-Isabel-Long-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07NDFKS59
US – https://www.amazon.com/Checking-Traps-Isabel-Long-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07NDFKS59

My Thoughts and Review:

This is the third in the series but I read and enjoyed as a standalone.

We are introduced to Isabel, one time reporter, now a Private Investigator. Along with her 93 year old mother is asked by Gary and Larry Beaumont to investigate the death of their half brother Carry six years previously.

Though a crime novel dealing with a tragic event in the recent past, it is also a book filled with humour. Isabel and her Ma are perfect foils for each other, sharing wisecracks and one liners with one another. It is a tale set in a small hill town, where everyone knows everyone and to a certain extent live in each other’s pocket. This makes for a hugely enjoyable read!

Another aspect that enjoyed is that the main character Isabel seems to be talking to you and guiding you through the events in the tale. The characters are all well drawn and the writing is top notch. A fast paced read laced with humour, that pulls the reader along willingly.

Isabel’s relationship with her Ma is not the only one in her life. She has a relationship with her boyfriend Jack who is also her boss in her other job as barmaid.

Throw in an ex wife, people who have secrets that they wish to keep secret and a surprise twist at the end and you have a hugely enjoyable read!.

Author Bio
Joan Livingston is the author of novels for adult and young readers. Checking the Traps, published by Crooked Cat Books, is the third in the mystery series featuring Isabel Long, a long time journalist who becomes an amateur P.I. The first two are Chasing the Case and Redneck’s Revenge.
An award-winning journalist, she started as a reporter covering the hill towns of Western Massachusetts. She was an editor, columnist, and the managing editor of The Taos News, which won numerous state and national awards during her tenure.
After eleven years in Northern New Mexico, she returned to rural Western Massachusetts, which is the setting of much of her adult fiction, including the Isabel Long mystery series.
Social Media Links –
Website: http://www.joanlivingston.net.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoanLivingstonAuthor/
Twitter: @joanlivingston
Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/JoanLivingston_Author
Goodreads: http://www.Goodreads.com/Joan_Livingston

Stitched by Cheryl Elaine@Cheryl Elaine15#Blog Tour#Domestic Noir#@Shell Baker Promo#

The Blurb

Tag line –
A gruesome tale of control, fear and brutality.

Marriage is not the bed of roses story books describe. More like a bed of torturous thorns.
And ,how Emily bled.
Escape seemed an illusion, a mirage of a rocky road between overgrown thickets of despair. Emily
couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel; she wasn’t allowed to dream or think for herself and had
no alternative other than submitting to his rage.
Andy was a narcissist. Emily could not, and would not, disregard his superiority. Her naivety often
clouded her judgment; she was damaged both mentally and physically. Would putting her trust in
another lead her to a happy ending?

My thoughts and review;

Domestic Noir; Violence and Secrets:
Is everything what it seems? Are the pillars of our society our protectors? Maybe on the surface , but we don’t know what lurks underneath.
Andrew Brooke is a cop who is dedicated to his job, but all is not what it seems; he hides a dark secret!
Behind closed doors he is a controlling, dominating husband. His wife Emily lives in fear of him. His time as the perfect cop is limited as he is accused of rape. His life falls apart and his reputation is stained. He takes this out on all who cross his path; but Emily bears his wrath more than most. She seems to have little room for escape but eventually she manages to escape. But to what?
Donovan a detective, with demons of his own enters the story. He has never seemed to recovered from wife’s death. He throws himself into his workload and is assigned a missing person’s case. This involves him in following the trail of a serial nicknamed ” The Stitcher”  He wants to uncover the killer; but will he uncover things that are better buried!
The further he goes into the investigation , the darker it becomes.
It shows that life can be cruel…… And not all is black and white.

Thanks to Cheryl Elaine for the book and Shell Baker for the tour.

Bio
Cheryl Elaine is a British Author, and resides in Yorkshire. Throughout her life she has been an avid reader and wrote many short stories, which lead her on a path to the world of publishing. She released her debut novel – No Ordinary Girl, followed by her latest release – Stitched.
I hope you enjoy my dark and disturbing crime books, and if you fancy reading something lighter, why not check out my fantasy novel – Dragged to the Depths.

You can find out more about me, at the following places
https://www.cherylelaine.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/cherylelaineauthor
https://www.instagram.com/cherylelaine15/

 

 

ThankstoRachel’sRandomResources#Sea of Lies by Rachel McLean#Blog Tour#

Blurb:

Sea of Lies
He abducted her. He fell in love with her. He helped her escape. Can she trust him?

Sarah Evans has returned home after being abducted and held in a dilapidated farmhouse by a group of men.

With her is Martin, who turned against the other men to help her escape. He says he’s not like them, and claims to be in love with her.

Can Sarah trust Martin? Does she share his feelings? Or should she listen to her father, himself deceitful and abusive, and turn her back on the relationship?

Sea of Lies is a chilling psychological thriller about secrets, trust, and a family falling apart.

A standalone sequel to Thicker Than Water
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Lies-chilling-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07N5Z7F5R
US – https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Lies-chilling-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07N5Z7F5R

My Thoughts and Review:

This book is the sequel to Thicker than Water and what a sequel it was! It can be read as a stand alone but if you have read the first book it does help.

In the first book the inhabitants of the village take in strangers who the they think are in danger. This has repercussions  for them. The sequel is different in that rather the influence the strangers have on the village, but more that they have to face up to their own secrets and lies.  This makes this book a great follow up to Thicker than Water.

The writing is top class and the characters in this book have grown and take their place in the story. There is not a wasted word and the reader is dragged along on the writer’s coat tails.   This is a superb book and the dynamics between the main characters is well drawn. I was glad to be asked to read this book and take part in this publication push. I urge you to read this book!

Author Bio –
My name’s Rachel McLean and I write thrillers that make you think.

What does that mean?

In short, I want my stories to make your pulse race and your brain tick.

Do you often get through a thriller at breakneck pace but are left with little sense of what the book was really about? Do you sometimes read literary fiction but just wish something would damn well happen?

My books aim to fill that gap.

If you’d like to know more about my books and receive extra bonus content, please join my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub. I’ll send you a weekly email with news about my writing research and progress, stories and bonus content for each book. And I’ll let you know when my books are on offer.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelmcwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmcleanwrites/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcwrites/

Thanks to Rachel’sRandomResources. Life and Other Dreams by Richard Dee. Blog Tour#SciFi.

Blurb:

Life and Other Dreams
Rick lives here on Earth now, with Cath. His life is boring, writing adverts for cat food and exotic holidays. When he’s asleep, he dreams vividly.

In his dreams, he lives as Dan, spending his time with his wife Vanessa. They live six-hundred years in the future, half a galaxy away. They’re explorers, searching for valuable minerals on Ecias, an alien paradise.

Dan has no dreams about Rick’s life, he lives on Ecias, loves his life and Vanessa.
When the two worlds overlap, Rick starts to question what is real. Events in his waking and sleeping lives are mirrored, similar people inhabit both and coincidences mount up. Then disaster strikes in each world at the same time. In his dreams, Dan is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Meanwhile, after one coincidence too many, Cath thinks that Rick’s dreams are hiding an affair and leaves him.

Is Rick going crazy, or can he be living in two places, in two times, at once? If not, then which one of them is the reality? Will one life carry on when the other is on hold?
Richard Dee’s fast-paced, edgy science fiction -cum- psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
Purchase Links:
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Other-Dreams-Psychological-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07KVHG384
US- https://www.amazon.com/Life-Other-Dreams-Psychological-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07KVHG384

My thoughts and Review.

This was an exciting read. Part Scifi and Human Drama. Dual timeline read which has the reader enthralled.

The book opens with Rick and Cath who have been married for a few years. He is a copy writer and she is a nurse. An ideal marriage?; maybe. The one blot on the horizon is Rick’s insomnia. After trying many therapies Rick agrees to a clinical trial in the effort to find a decent nights sleep. He is told there maybe side effects but even he could not see what these could be.

It sees Rick changing personas and becoming Dan and moving 600 years into the future on a planet called Ecias.  Here he has a partner called Vanessa. The story sees him moving from Worlds, personas and timelines.

A fast moving tale that pulls the reader along with it. Superb writing and characterisation Not a wasted word and will pull you gasping to the end. If you fancy a read that is part SciFi and Psychological thriller the this may be the book for you.

I have tried to give a fair and unbiased review.

Author Bio –
Richard Dee is a native of Brixham in Devon. He left Devon when he was in his teens and settled in Kent. Leaving school at 16 he briefly worked in a supermarket, then went to sea and travelled the world in the Merchant Navy, qualifying as a Master Mariner in 1986.
Coming ashore to be with his growing family, he used his sea-going knowledge in several jobs, working as a Marine Insurance Surveyor and as Dockmaster at Tilbury, before becoming a Port Control Officer in Sheerness and then at the Thames Barrier in Woolwich.

In 1994 he was head-hunted and offered a job as a Thames Estuary Pilot. In 1999 he transferred to the Thames River Pilots, where he regularly took vessels of all sizes through the Thames Barrier and upriver as far as HMS Belfast and through Tower Bridge. In all, he piloted over 3,500 vessels in a 22-year career with the Port of London Authority.

Richard is married with three adult children and three grandchildren.

His first science-fiction novel Freefall was published in 2013, followed by Ribbonworld in 2015. September 2016 saw the publication of his Steampunk adventure The Rocks of Aserol and of Flash Fiction, a collection of Short Stories. Myra, the prequel to Freefall was published in 2017, along with Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café, a murder mystery set in space and the start of a series featuring Andorra Pett, an amateur detective. Sequels to Ribbonworld and The Rocks of Aserol have been published, together with a second Andorra Pett story, Andorra Pett on Mars. He also contributed a story to the 1066 Turned Upside Down collection. Richard is currently working on prequels, sequels, and new projects.
You can find out more about me on my website at richarddeescifi.co.uk. Head over there to see what I get up to, click the FREE STUFF tab or the PORTFOLIO tab to get all the details about my work and pick up a free novel or short story.
I’m on Facebook at RichardDeeAuthor and Twitter at Richard Dee Sci-Fi

 

Thicker Than Water by Rachel McLean. Thanks to Rachel’sRandomResources#

Blurb:

Thicker Than Water
Six years after floods made her family homeless, Jess Dyer has found safety on the wild North Yorkshire coast. Her sister-in-law Ruth is forging a role as doctor to their community of refugees and the rock around which the family revolves.
But the family is haunted by memories of the journey north and the loss of their mother Sonia. And their community is under attack from the local population.
When Jess answers a distress call at sea, she brings strangers to their village and puts Ruth in jeopardy. Jess must calm the community, mount a rescue mission and keep her brother Ben from tipping into insanity.
Will she succeed? And will she find Ruth before it’s too late?
‘Thicker Than Water’ is a gripping thriller about family, belonging and revenge.
Purchase Links:
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thicker-Than-Water-gripping-belonging-ebook/dp/B07CVKXGRD
US – https://www.amazon.com/Thicker-Than-Water-gripping-belonging-ebook/dp/B07CVKXGRD

My thoughts and review:

This was a fast paced read. Set in a Britain that has suffered dramatic flooding in the southern half of the UK.

The book opens with the floods hitting London and then switches to Yorkshire six years later. Where a group of survivors have settled in what is known as the village. This is where they eke out a living and things can only get better. Well maybe?

The main characters are Ben, Ruth his wife and Jess Ben’s sister.  Early on disharmony visits the village when Ben loses the stewardship of the village to his sister Jess.                    This is further increased when three strangers are rescued from a stricken trawler and enter the village. Suspicions abound.

The writing is top class and the characters are all well drawn.  The tension between Ben and Jess is well illustrated and she also has to face hostility from the some men in the village as she is a woman in a position of power.

This was a tale of suspicion, hostility, betrayal and lies. Very dystopian and shows how living on the edge, where the normal rules of polite society break down and people impose their own rules and beliefs. I enjoyed this book and if dystopian fiction is to your taste I would urge you to read it! Thanks to two Rachels for the chance to read this book.

Author Bio –
My name’s Rachel McLean and I write thrillers that make you think.

What does that mean?

In short, I want my stories to make your pulse race and your brain tick.

Do you often get through a thriller at breakneck pace but are left with little sense of what the book was really about? Do you sometimes read literary fiction but just wish something would damn well happen?

My books aim to fill that gap.

If you’d like to know more about my books and receive extra bonus content, please join my book club at rachelmclean.com/bookclub. I’ll send you a weekly email with news about my writing research and progress, stories and bonus content for each book. And I’ll let you know when my books are on offer.
Social Media Links –
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachelmcwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelmcleanwrites/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmcwrites/