Mr. Todd’s Reckoning by Iain Maitland.

Blurb:

Norman Bates is alive and well… He’s living just next door
Behind the normal door of a normal house, in a normal street, two men are slowly driving each other insane. One of them is a psychopath.
The father Mr Todd is at his wits’ end. He’s been robbed of his job as a tax inspector and is now stuck at home… with him. Frustrated. Lonely. Angry. Really angry.
The son Adrian has no job, no friends. He is at home all day, obsessively chopping vegetables and tap-tap-tapping on his computer. And he’s getting worse, disappearing for hours at a time, sneaking off to who-knows-where?
The unholy spirit in the safety of suburbia, one man has developed a taste for killing. And he’ll kill again.

My Thoughts and Review :

My first read by Iain and I really enjoyed it. It is a tale of any street in any town , anywhere in the UK. maybe just a street like yours. Each person in his own little castle, with his own closed door. What goes on behind closed doors stays behind closed doors. Each with his/her own little secret. You don’t want to know; or do you?
Mr. Todd an ex HMRC. Tax inspector lives a seemingly orderly life but is very angry at loosing his job. He lives with his twenty something son Adrian. Adrian suffers from OCD, has no job and disappears for hours at a time with no explanation.
Definitely the weirdo of the family? Or you may think so! Read on to find out.
Iain’s writing is top class and engages the reader in the story. Writing that tells of a serious tale but also displays a wry sense of humour! A tale that moves backwards and forwards in time telling the reader about the characters. All of whom are well rounded and are essential to the story. A book I would urge you to read.

About the Author:

As well as Mr Todd’s Reckoning, Iain Maitland is the author of the psychological thriller Sweet William (2017) and two non-fiction books on mental health: Dear Michael, Love Dad (2016) and Out of the Madhouse (2018). An ambassador for Stem4, the teenage mental health charity, Iain also speaks on mental health issues in the workplace. A writer since 1987, he is a journalist and has written more than 50 books, mainly on business, which have been published around the world.

Moorings by David Blake# Blog Tour

Book Description@

A war veteran murdered in his home, a property developer with links to organised crime, and an old family secret that seems unwilling to stay dead.

When Harry Falcon, a wealthy boatyard owner and highly decorated World War Two veteran, is found drowned in his bath, DI John Tanner and DC Jenny Evans start by questioning his two sons, each with a motive for wanting him dead.

But when the elder son is found with his head smashed in under a toppled yacht, and the younger son has been talking to a local property developer, one who’d spent months trying to buy the yard from his father, the investigation soon leads them towards a dark and dangerous secret, one which nobody can quite believe.

Set within the mysterious beauty of the Norfolk Broads, this fast-paced British detective series is a dark cozy murder mystery with a slice of humour and a touch of romance, one that will have you guessing until the very end, when the last shocking twist is finally revealed.

Moorings is a totally addictive gripping crime thriller, the third in a chilling series of serial killer books, ones which will rapidly convert followers of L J Ross, Faith Martin, Joy Ellis, Damien Boyd and Helen H. Durrant into David Blake devotees.
My thoughts and Review:

Book three in the Di Tanner series. And what a book and series this is! David has kept the quality of his writing top notch and the pace of his story never flags!

The story is set as his previous books were in the Norfolk Broads And the reader finds themselves immersed in the atmosphere of this part of the country.

The story starts of with the murder of ninety plus owner of a local boatyard and the immediate suspects are his two sons. But are they the murderers? You may at first think so, but as misfortune befalls them they are quickly ruled out. So who did it? This is just one of the many twists this book takes. Twists that have you second guessing yourself.

The relationship between Tanner and Evans is further fleshed out and Jenny is a great foil for Tanner. Her sense humour a perfect foil his taciturn character. He says he cares for her and feels she is in a job that puts her in danger. He would prefer her to be in a less dangerous job. Is this what he really feels; or the fact she is going for her sergeants exam, she may soon pass him on the promotion ladder!

Also Tanner’s interaction with his colleagues is further explained. All characters in this book are well rounded and take their places in the story.

I read this book at a furious pace. For various reasons. The top quality writing and superb storyline. This is a series that continues to grow with superb writing and characters. I would urge you to read it and the previous two. You will not be disappointed!

Author Bio:

David is a full-time author living in North London. To date he has written fifteen books along with a collection of short stories. He’s currently working on his sixteenth, Moorings, which is the next in his series of crime fiction thrillers, after Broadland and St. Benet’s.

When not writing, David likes to spend his time mucking about in boats, often in the Norfolk Broads, where his crime fiction books are based.

Website: http://www.david-blake.com

Amazon Profile: viewAuthor.at/DavidBlake
Facebook Readers’ Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/DavidBlakeAuthor
Facebook Site: http://www.facebook.com/DavidBlakeAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15104629.David_Blake

Thanks to: Sarah Hardy
Book On The Bright Side Publicity & Promo
Twitter: @BOTBSPublicity
Facebook: Book On The Bright Side

Blood in the Dust by Bill Swiggs. Readersfirst

Blurb:

1853, Victoria, Australia. Five bushrangers led by the murderous outlaw Warrigal Anderson raid a small homestead. When they ride away, nineteen-year-old Toby O’Rourke’s life is changed forever. His parents lay dead at his feet and his brother, Patrick, is badly wounded.

But Toby O’Rourke is made of steel forged in the hardship of colonial life. Forced into adulthood, he and Patrick will seek to restore the family fortunes and outwit not only the rich businessman who conspired to rob them of their birth right, but the vicious men who murdered their parents . . .

My Thoughts and Review:
Read over 3 days.
A fast paced read.
This was my first read by this author. A tale set in the early settlements of Australia in the 1800’s. A tale of lawlessness and outlaws, or to give them there Australian name bushrangers. A tale of barely scrapping a living, of murder and deceit. But also hope and ambition.
Toby and Paddy O’Rourke find their parents murdered and Paddy seriously injured. And when a friendly neighbour swindles them out of their home and cattle, they find themselves having to find alternative ways to survive.
It is also the story of Frank and Maree Hocking and their two daughters.
All these people and their lives intertwine and they forge a life together, not without setbacks and hardship.
A tale that will appeal to readers of Wilbur Smith. Only the setting is Australia not Africa. A well written fast paced read.

 

About the Author
Bill Swiggs was born in Victoria and brought up in Western Australia, where he still lives. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force as an aviation firefighter before becoming a police officer, and now works as a firefighter for a defence contractor. Bill divides his time between working, writing, flying and his grandchildren.

 

Life’s a Banquet by Robin Bennett# Blog Tour#Rachel’sRandomResources#

Life’s A Banquet

If life gives you lemons, add gin

Life’s a Banquet is the unofficial but essential ‘guide book’ to negotiating your way through life – through education, family life and business, to relationships, marriage, failure and rejection.

Aged 21, Robin Bennett was set to become a cavalry officer and aged 21 and a half, he found himself working as an assistant grave digger in South London – wondering where it had all gone wrong.

Determined to succeed, he went on and founded The Bennett Group, aged 23, and since then has gone on to start and run over a dozen successful businesses in a variety of areas from dog-sitting to cigars, translation to home tuition. In 2003, Robin was recognised in Who’s Who as one of the UK’s most successful business initiators. Catapulting readers through his colourful life and career, Robin Bennett’s memoir is an inspiring tale.

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifes-Banquet-Robin-Bennett/dp/1912881683

US – https://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Banquet-Robin-Bennett/dp/1912881683

My Thoughts:

I heard never heard of Robin Bennet. In fact I had to Google him to find out who he was.

He is the founder of The Bennett Group, which he started at the age of 23. He has also started and run numerous other firms. Including dog sitting, home tuition amongst others.

This book is filled with anecdotes and humour. It tells of his young prep school days, university and his business days.

He is an example of using your wit and nuance to get on in life. Yo don’t necessarily need high degrees of education to get on in life.

In fact I get the impression that most of the time he flies by the seat of his pants. But once he sets up in business he surrounds himself with capable people. This was evident from his sandwich bar days at university and seems to be a template for future ventures.

He peppers this book with humorous anecdotes and they’re several laugh out loud moments.

If I have one complaint it is the use of numerous foot notes.  If you like your Non-Fiction with some humour then this could be the book for you!

Robin Bennett lives in Henley on Thames, Oxon. He is an author and entrepreneur who has written several books for children and books on the swashbuckling world of business. His documentary, Fantastic Britain, about the British obsession with magic and folklore, won best foreign feature at the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards.

Robin says, “When the world seems to be precarious and cruel, remember that the game is to never give up – there’s everything to play for, and it will all be OK.”