The Second Time I saw You - Pippa Croft Blog Tour

Publishing 22nd May 2014

Published by Penguin

Blurb:

It's the beginning of a new term at Wyckham College, Oxford, and a fresh start for Lauren Cusack. Her fingers were badly burnt when a whirlwind romance with gorgeous English aristocrat, Alexander Hunt, became too hot to handle - and now she's determined to keep her distance.

Her resolve is shaken when Alexander appears on her doorstep - he's been completely torn apart by some devastating news. Lauren knows that she should stay away, but their chemistry is undeniable and she soon finds herself back in Alexander's arms.

Can Lauren handle the drama that comes with Alexander Hunt? Or will she have to sacrifice the most exhilarating passion she's ever known . . .

(The Second Time I saw you is the 2nd book in the Oxford Blue Series.)

Author:

Pippa Croft is the pen name of an award-winning romantic novelist. After studying English at Oxford, she worked as a copywriter and journalist before writing her debut novel, which won the RNA's New Writers' award and was later made into a TV movie. She lives in a village in the heart of England with her husband and daughter.

The First Time We Met 

Currently out

(The first in the series)

The First Time We Met is the first novel in the sizzling new Oxford Blue romance series from Pippa Croft.

When US Senator’s daughter Lauren Cusack arrives at the enchanting Wyckham College of Oxford University, she hopes to mend her broken heart by throwing herself into her studies.

But then English aristocrat Alexander Hunt walks into her life and everything changes. Handsome, brooding, and with his own dark past to escape, Alexander is exactly what Lauren doesn’t need – but she finds herself helplessly drawn towards him.

Both Alexander and Lauren know that they should stay away from each other . . . but sometimes desire is so powerful that it conquers all else.

Not Without You - Harriet Evans

Not Without You by Harriet Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you don’t learn from history . . .
You’re destined to repeat it

Not without you, she’d said. And I’d let her down…

Hollywood, 1961: when beautiful, much-loved movie star Eve Noel vanishes at the height of her fame, no-one knows where, much less why.

Fifty years later, another young British actress, Sophie Leigh, lives in Eve’s house high in the Hollywood Hills. Eve Noel was her inspiration and Sophie, disenchanted with her life in LA, finds herself becoming increasingly obsessed with the mystery of her idol's disappearance. And the more she finds out, the more she realises Eve’s life is linked with her own.

As Eve’s tragic past and the present start to collide, Sophie needs to unravel the truth to save them both – but is she already too late? Becoming increasingly entangled in Eve’s world, Sophie must decide whose life she is really living . . .


Not really sure how I felt about this book; it was well written and had some really interesting insights into the Hollywood film world of the 1950's and the fight for aspiring actresses to 'make it' in the industry but I found at times the story line seemed to loose it's way with random sub plots like the stalker which really didn't seem to slot in with the story line. Loved the book cover and would have been attracted to the book because of it.

This a story written from the point of view of two people, one in the past Eve Noel in the 1950's Hollywood, and one in the present Sophie Leigh, both actresses who travel from England to USA to become stars. I liked the story being revealed in parallel so that the reader seemed to unravel things at the same time as the characters but I felt distracted by what I considered to be unnecessary sub plots like the stalker. Eve Noel was a famous actress who at the height of her career suddenly disappears; years later Sophie Leigh (who is a huge fan of Eve's) moves into Eve's old house and while pursuing her own acting career is determined to find out what happened to Eve and hopefully when she finds her she wants to bring her back to the movies.

Of the two characters I wanted to learn more about Eve and felt that Harriet Evans connected better with this character than she did with Sophie Leigh. Eve was more interesting, intriguing and fascinating and believable than Sophie, I felt that Sophie's character was only there as a secondary storyteller rather than having a real purpose and story of her own, and that Sophie's life and experiences lacked credibility on many levels.

It was a shame that Harriet Evans didn't succeed in making both the characters as believable as each other, Sophie sleeping with her director just seemed to make her look cheap and didn't add anything to the story and in fact highlighted for me the differences between these two actresses rather than the similarities - Eve had fewer choices and was naive in an industry that was both artificial and corrupt, whereas Sophie I felt was more in control and should have been more worldly. I did like the way the book alternated between the past and the future stories but it did get confusing at times trying to work out whether it was Sophie or Eve telling their story.

I liked the twist with Eve's sister and I did guess how her story ended but I was not convinced by Sophie's ending, the whole thing seemed contrived and a bit too convenient.

Overall this book was not a winner for me it lacked credibility and depth and after a promising start really didn't deliver - I would give this a 3 star rating.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this to review. 

Tic Tac Tome - Willy Yonkers

Tic Tac Tome: The Autonomous Tic Tac Toe Playing Book by Willy Yonkers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Think you’re pretty smart? Turn the pages to play your moves and watch as Tic Tac Tome beats you forward, backward, and diagonally. Tic Tac Tome features more than 1,400 pages, hundreds of draws and losses, and just one way for a clever reader to win. No apps, batteries, or touch screens required—Tic Tac Tome is powered by good old-fashioned book smarts. It’s deceptively simple, endlessly addictive, and (nearly) impossible to defeat. Complete with introduction and FAQs for the unfamiliar and unsure, Tic Tac Tome is the smartest book you’ll ever cross.

When Quirk Books were offering this for review, I waved my hands high in the air. This looked like a fun book that could entertain you for hours.

First I sat down with a pencil and thought I would get started, I was thinking that it was a shame that the game could only be played once. I know how to play Tic Tac Toe, just like probably most of the population but I decided to check out the rules. This was when I realised that the game can be played over and over.

This book is really clever, you can choose to start first or allow the book to begin, by starting at the front of the book or back. Then by selecting where you want to put your X, you change the page to the number in that square. The grid begins to fill up in the way you would play Tic Tac Toe.

This is a really fun, clever, brilliant book that is perfect for the coffee table and a great conversation starter for a dinner party.

I love that it can be played again and again. This is going to have prime place on my dinner table and I am sure it’s going to be a great ice breaker.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this copy in exchange for an honest review.

How I got into reviewing and blogging - Week 4

Wow another week has come round!! This week I have joined by @jcorr97john Welcome John, we are very pleased you have joined us on The Book Corner to share how you got into reiewing begin, 

Hey John, how did you get into reviewing?

I have always been an avid reader, from as long ago as I can remember. Apparently I was reading long before I started school – in those ancient days of yore, when we used quill pens and the beadle supplied us with porridge and woe betide us if we asked for more.

Ok, maybe not as long ago as that, but certainly in the 1950’s. My school was in a small mining village in the county of Durham. It was a time before televisions, computers and other electronic devices. In fact our house, a small terraced place, was lit by gas lamps and our “facilities” were outside in the yard.

I had an uncle who had been injured in World War 2 ( you may have heard of it; very noisy and was in all the newspapers), and he would spend long hours reading to me. I don’t recall being taught. Perhaps it was a form of osmosis, but I was a fluent reader when I eventually began at school.

Comics were very popular in those days, and a much more varied selection were available than today’s output. Of course being a boy, I eschewed the girly comics and concentrated on such tomes as ‘The Eagle’ and ‘The Victor’, with forays into the more exotic world of American comics. I suppose it was these, added to my Uncle and his love of books that fuelled my thirst, and indeed my favourite gifts for birthday or Christmas were comic annuals and books.

Our village, despite being small and quite poor by most standards, did boast a library. In fact, two of them. One was contained in a newsagents shop ( Stephen Johnston was the name, obviously made a huge impression on me) and the books were mostly Penguin publications, with Ellery Queen being prominent amongst the authors. It cost a penny a week to rent these books.

The second library was a public one, and was held – or rather assembled – each week in a church hall. No shelves, but instead the books were laid out on trestle tables, and what a wondrous sight these were. I went every week and would take as many as I was allowed and eagerly devour them. I recall that one of the first that I read, and it has remained my first love, was by Baroness Orczy and was called ‘By The Gods beloved’. I had a copy of my own for many years but it was lost many years ago.

Over the many years since I was a small child I have developed my love for books and must have read thousands and yet I never tire of them nor lose the sense of excitement when a new one comes to me. I have even adapted to electronic books and nurture my kindle with almost as much adoration as I give to a proper book.

I fell into reviewing books by accident. I subscribed to a ( ostensibly) military website; www.arsse. And, although a surprising number of people are sceptical about it, service folk are great readers. I was in the regular army and our barrack rooms were like mini libraries with books scattered around, all well thumbed. Our N.A.A.F.I shops sold books and the turnover was huge, and I can’t recall ever seeing a comrade not pack a book on whatever operation we were doing. This still continues to be the case, because when one considers it, the army are frequently and commonly deployed to places that lack much in the way of entertainment. I once spent an 8 month tour in Borneo, in jungle camps, and books became as much of a currency as anything else one can imagine.

Of course they were not what could be regarded as classics, nor even respectable books by most standards. Indeed they tended to be Westerns or war stories, but that does not detract from the fact that reading books was a major occupation of time.

Today the soldiers and sailors still read with a great hunger, and perhaps the books are more sophisticated or learned, but the appétit is the same. We had been having discussions on the site about various books, including reminiscent ramblings by us of the old and bold on what we used to read, when someone suggested a book section.

This small section soon became a much larger thread and it was suggested that a few of us might like to give a review and recommendation of our favourite books, and so it began, until like Topsy it ‘growed and growed’. The thread became a review section and I volunteered to write for it. Now we have around a million hits a week on the site and because of that, and our membership of about 135,000 we have managed to become something of a small force in the area.

We began by approaching publishing companies with our begging bowl held out and now we have publishers and writers actively seeking us out and offering books. Transworld and Random House are some of our biggest suppliers and smaller firms as well as independents send updated catalogues with the exhortation of pick and choose.

I help to run the section, along with a colleague in Scotland ( I live in Cambridge), and as well as reviewing books I also attend launches, festivals and other events including a couple at the House of Commons. I also carry out interviews with authors and anyone else of interest to us, and although we are billed as a military website, our membership and readers encompass every walk of life, including MPs, actors and just about any other profession.

So, that is how I got into book reviewing. I don’t get paid for it but I do get lots of lovely books for free.

John Corr.

Thanks John, it has been wonderful that you have stopped by today, you can follow John here it's wonderful to see how many different ways people get into reviewing and blogging. I personally have really enjoyed reading about your journey. 

Boy in a Band - Lisa Loomis

Blurb:

Morgan Mallory meets beautiful, sexy, bond haired, blue eyed, Mathew O'Conner, a singer in a rock band, when she's just a teen. Her instant physical attraction to him completely unnerves her. Their convoluted relationship transcends years, and even when she knows it would be best to stay away from him she can't seem to stop herself. What is it about the bad boy she seems to love?

An edgy coming of age novel that is erotic, entertaining, and deeply moving. The characters will seize you and stay with you long after the read is finished. Not your predictable Cinderella story.

MATURE CONTENT language, sex, drugs, rock and roll

Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/kueenkj

Excerpt

We’d come such a long way. He put his hands on both sides of my face and tilted his head slowly to the side. I closed my eyes and waited for his lips to touch mine, remembering how much I could want him. My body tingled in anticipation. He kissed me slowly, soft lips parting mine. His tongue entered my mouth, probing slightly, and then more knowingly. I could feel my longing for him move in and out, like the tide, flowing through my body, desire pooling within me. I kissed him back, my arms wrapping around his neck before I slowly ran one hand down his back, feeling his firm body, and tucking my fingers inside the band of his swim shorts. His hands ventured lower and he cupped my ass.

“Ummm,” he moaned.

I felt a tingling between my legs, a sensation he could easily make me feel. My hips almost of their own will pressed towards his body. He squeezed my ass, pulling me to him. I could feel his body, his lips, his tongue, a complete sensory overload and wondered again how he could make me feel this every time he touched me.

About the Author

Lisa Loomis writes because she loves to. Her stories are about the human condition: love, life, and everything in between (including sex, drugs, alcohol, and things just crazy enough to be true). Her stories are not predictable, conventional, or lacking in the messiness of life. She tries to extract the real emotion in any given situation in her characters, with a touch of humor.
Lisa Loomis was born in Oakland California and raised in San Jose until she was a sophomore in high school. Her father then took a job in the San Diego area where he moved the family to Escondido, California (or hickville as she called it). She finished high school at San Pasqual High then went to junior college at Palomar JC, ultimately graduating from San Diego State University with a BS in Finance.

Finding more BS than finance with the financial meltdown in 2008 she went back to her passion of writing. Her currently published novels are BOY IN A BAND, CASANOVA COWBOY, RACING THROUGH CORNFIELDS, GEM RATS, and A HORSE NAMED JOE. She also has a children's picture book FINN & GEO'S WINTER ADVENTURE (0-8). Her newest work is nonfiction THEY TOLD ME I COULDN'T BE A MOMMY.


She now lives and writes in Park City, Utah.

LisaLoomisBooks on Facebook

Website www.LisaLoomisBooks.com

Touchstone For Ever - Sydney Jamesson Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Title: TouchStone for ever

Series: The Story of Us Trilogy (Book 3) 

Author: Sydney Jamesson 

Release Date: May 23, 2013 

Published By: SJ Publishing, United Kingdom 

Tour Sponsor: Social Butterfly  

Synopsis

What would you give to save the one you love? 

Ayden Stone and Elizabeth Parker are soul mates. They have played at love, succumbed to the magnetic pull of destiny, and forgiven themselves and each other for misadventures in life and love. Now they must look to the future and forever, bearing the scars of battles they have fought and won, together. To keep a promise, one of these fateful lovers must make an agonizing choice and commit to an impossible task; to embark upon an adventure filled with magical moments and unforgivable acts of personal sacrifice. But...with great self-sacrifice comes betrayal. 

TouchStone for ever is the culmination of an epic love story written in the stars, involving a contemporary Princess and her charming Prince. Readers will experience blazing passion, the anguish of a broken heart and every emotion in between as Beth Parker shares her thoughts and feelings about love, life, and a desperate wish for her happy ever after. Sleeping Beauty has awakened from a great sleep but, sadly, not all fairy tales have a happy ending...not even when you belong together for ever, and you're prepared to give... Everything!  

Add TouchStone for ever on Goodreads:

Goodreads

Pre-Order/Purchase Links:

Book 1, TouchStone for play: Buy it on Amazon

TouchStone for ever - The Playlist

About Sydney Jamesson - in her own words

There are those moments in life when a person you respect says something to you that strikes a chord, we’ve all had them … that moment came one Parents’ Evening when I was 16. An inspirational teacher said; “Your daughter should consider a career in Journalism or as a writer, she has a vivid imagination and a flair for creative writing …” As a wide-eyed teenager, those words were music to my ears. How prophetic was it that I went on to do just that …

I have worked in Insurance, Fashion and in advertising as a Copywriter and Commercial Journalist and loved every minute of it; creative people are a lot of fun to be around. I swapped the day job for a more meaningful enterprise: having our daughter Jenna. Now 29, she’s a fiercely independent woman living the dream in Australia. She was a heavenly surprise that had me working freelance for four years, doing what I could between feeds, playgroups and afternoon lessons in preparation for starting school. It’s a ‘story’ we can all identify with, I’m sure.

I made a sideways move into teaching in 1997 and, six years later, became Head of English in a High School, making it my mission in life to introduce young people to a range of quality reading material. I try to foster a love of all things creative in my students and encourage them to find that creativity within themselves.

For as long as I can remember, I have lived with The Story of Us in my head. The fact that Elizabeth Parker is an English teacher should come as no surprise; as novelists we write, initially, about what we know … Yet, I should confess, she isn’t me but rather that young, sensitive and naïve woman we all were or still are. The difference being, she has been victimized and, because of it, remained hidden. But, unlike some characters who may have suffered at the hands of others, she is not damaged: wary yes, but not damaged. She still believes people are innately good and that is one of her many qualities. It is her propensity for compassion that allows her to invite Ayden Stone into her world when, on the face of it, he’s exactly what she doesn’t need.

So that’s me, furiously typing away until the early hours, unveiling the intricacies of a 21^st century fairy-tale; creating an epic story that melds a heady mixture of romance suspense and a touch of the miraculous.



TWENTY FUN FACTS ABOUT SYDNEY …

1. I’m a natural blonde

2. I prefer dogs to cats – hate being ignored

3. I sometimes tell fibs about my hair colour

4. I have nocturnal tendencies –ask any of my followers on twitter

5. I love warm weather, but never sunbathe

6. I prefer the sea to the country – perpetual birdsong gives me a headache.

7. I never travel light – small cases are for light-weights

8. I must always have the window seat on the plane – not good with strangers

9. I love opera but hate heavy mental – surprising as they can both be quite loud

10. I’m an Aquarius – will never follow the crowd

11. My favourite song is LoveSong by Adele – it makes me cry & think of Ayden, alone.

12. I love a story with a twist but not one I couldn’t have predicted.

13. I’m most creative when I wake up; the only thing that stunts my creativity is an alarm

14. I enjoy driving, but not at night, too many pedestrians wearing dark clothing

15. I believe everyone should try an oyster, at least once in their lives – just to amuse their companions, if nothing else.

16. I have never skied, but I have scale Mont Banc in a gut-wrenching cable car.

17. I named our daughter after a pretty actress in ‘Dallas.’

18. I’m allergic to kiwi fruit; they make my lips swell, which is not such a bad thing!

19. I once got stung on the left breast by a wasp on a dirty weekend in York (Don’t ask!)

20. My favourite country to visit is Cuba – everywhere you go there’s music; the beaches are spectacular too!

Sydney Jamesson

Connect with Sydney:

On the Web 
Facebook 
Twitter

Enter Our Rafflecopter Giveaway!





If you don't win a copy of the book you can purchase it by following this link. 
http://www.amazon.com/TouchStone-ever-The-Story-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00KI7EDEE

Attachments - Rainbow Rowell

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?


This book I bought after reading Landline and Fangirl and loving them, I also participated in a joint read, reading this book with the lovely Catriona, you can follow her here

This book is about Beth and Jennifer, they work in a office and spend most of their time sending personal emails cross the office to each other. This is something and one of the reasons Lincoln being in the company. One of his jobs is to scan all emails at night for hot words, picking up on employees abusing the system and using it to send personal emails to one another.

Meet Lincoln, he is 29, single, still lives at home with his mum and plays Dungeons and Dragons at the weekend. Oh yes and he works in I.T! We get this stereotype image of him as a bit of a nerd/geek and with this we get a picture of him in our mind. This however could not be further from the truth if we tried. Lincoln actually is tall dark and handsome! He is deeply unhappy, he cannot see any point in his job and really does not enjoy snooping through peoples emails. He does however like Beth and Jennifer and although he knows they are breaking the rules, he has no intention of shopping them up to the boss. What harm are they doing? They also seem really nice girls.

Over time Lincoln gets drawn in, in the women's emails and he decides that actually he really likes Beth, she has a boyfriend and that's never going to change, but if it did he wonders how he would be able to be with her after knowing so much through those emails.

A lot of this book is written through Beth and Jennifer's emails, personally I love books like this, I have no idea why, but I always have. I have read some reviews mentioning that this was confusing. I must say that at the beginning I would agree with them, it was a little confusing. However when you get into the flow of the book I knew who's voice it was and could quite easily follow the book and enjoy it. By having it written in emails, I found the book a very quick read ant actually at times preferred the style of the emails to Lincolns voice. I felt that the women had a good connection and you almost felt you were one of their friends emailing too.

Beth was a brilliant character, she was witty, kind and it came across that she was a true friend to Jennifer.My love for Beth developed over the course of the story. I enjoyed her one liners in the novel and felt she kept the pace a lot of the time through the email exchanges.

Jennifer I loved and connected with right from the beginning more so than Beth. I felt at times that Jennifer was me in the book and I could really relate to her problems early on. I also became shocked by her story line as it felt a little tragic, which is something I have become familiar with in the way Rainbow Rowell writes. She writes about real things, not everything is a fairy tale, however the emotions you feel can make you feel like that. Jennifer I personally felt was a very good developed character and I loved her.

Right, Lincoln, hmm my opinion of him changed so much through the story. I felt really sorry for him to begin with - I saw this nerd, with no friends and no life. As his character began to develop I saw a softer side to him and then an obsessive one, which personally I thought he could do anything. Who knows what someone would do who is obsessed! Finally my opinion of him changed again towards the end and I am so glad it did. I am also glad Rainbow Rowell chose the ending she did for his character. I was really pleased with the outcome.

Other secondary characters were just as important in the story such as Lincoln's mum. These characters were also real and I could feel the emotion from them too.

I loved the development of the story and although it may not be everyone's cup of tea down to the format it is written in I think you should give it a chance. I enjoyed this book so much I practically read it in a day. I am fast becoming a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell, she is able to write really funny books with some fantastic one liners while still covering real, sometimes a little depressing topics.

Weekly Wrap Up

Welcome to the first of my Weekly Wrap Up's!  Every Sunday I am going to be posting what I have been reading during the week, the number of books/pages I have read and what they are. I will also be linking my page to any other book bloggers that are taking part in the Weekly Wrap Up with me. This is going to be motivational for all book bloggers who have a large TBR pile, so if you would like to join in, let me know and ill add your link to my page too! 


Sunday:

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 27

Total number of books: 1

Total number of pages: 27

Name of books: The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me - Lucy Robinson

Monday

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 87

Total number of books: 1

Total number of pages: 114

Name of books: The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me - Lucy Robinson

Tuesday:

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 130

Total number of books: 1

Total number of pages: 244

Name of books: The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me - Lucy Robinson

Wednesday:

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 120

Total number of books: 1

Total number of pages: 364

Name of books: The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me - Lucy Robinson

Thursday:

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 0

Total number of books: 1

Total number of pages: 364

Name of books: The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me - Lucy Robinson

As you can see I haven't read anything today, I do have a good excuse though. I was invited to The Sunlounger 2 event in London. I was super lucky to be able to attend and met some great other bloggers and authors. Once on the train back home, I was going to be reading but I was so hyped up still that I couldn't focus on reading so I had a complete non reading day.

Friday:

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 80

Total number of books: 1

Total number of pages: 444

Name of books: The unfinished symphony of you and me - Lucy Robinson and The Travelling Tea Shop - Belinda Jones 

Saturday:

Number of books I have read: 1

Number of pages I have read: 128

Total number of books: 2

Total number of pages: 572

Name of books: The unfinished symphony of you and me - Lucy Robinson and The Travelling Tea Shop- Belinda Jones 


So this week I managed 572 pages. This was not as good as readathon week but not too bad. I did struggle to get into these books innially and because of this I think it explains why I have not done as good as I had hoped. I do hope that I will have a better reading week next week.

Other Book Bloggers Taking Part:

Tracey over at: traceybooklover you can also find her on twitter here

Lily over at: lilysreads you can also find her on twitter here

Jo over at: cometbabesbooks you can also find her on twitter here

The Killing Club - Paul Finch with Extract!!!

I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for Paul Finch and his new book - The Killing Club! 

 

The Killing Club - Paul Finch

Published by Avon 

Published on 22nd May 2014

Blurb:  

DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg is used to bloodbaths. But nothing can prepare him for this; his most dangerous case to date is open again. 

Two years ago, he put the ringleader of The Nice Guys Club – a vicious rape and murder gang - behind bars. But Heck knows that this depraved organisation stretches far beyond UK shores. 

When brutal murders start happening across the country, it’s clear that the Nice Guys are at work again. Their victims are killed in cold blood, in broad daylight, and by any means necessary. And Heck knows it won’t be long before they come for him. 

Brace yourself as you turn the pages of a living nightmare. Welcome to The Killing Club.

Exclusive Preview - Extract:

The occupant of the Toyota climbed out. His tall, athletic form was fitted snugly into a tailored Armani suit. A head of close-cropped white curls revealed his advancing years – he was close on fifty – but he had a lean, bronzed visage on which his semi-permanent frown was at once both dangerous and attractive. He was Commander Frank Tasker of Scotland Yard, and he too had a heap of paperwork with him, zipped into plastic folders.

‘I don’t mean to tell you how do to your job, Gemma,’ Tasker said, pulling on his waterproof. ‘But we’ve got to start making headway on this soon.’

Gemma nodded. ‘I understand that, sir. But everything’s on schedule.’

‘I wish I was as sure about that as you. We’ve interviewed him six times now. Is he going to crack, or isn’t he?’

‘Guys like Peter Rochester don’t crack, sir,’ she replied. ‘It’s a case of wearing them down, slowly but surely.’

‘The time factor …’

‘Has been taken into consideration. I promise you, sir … we’re getting there.’

Tasker sniffed. ‘I don’t know who he thinks he’s being loyal to. I mean, they didn’t give a shit about him … why should he give a shit about them?’

‘Probably a military thing,’ she said. ‘Rochester reached the rank of Adjudant-Chef. You don’t manage that in the Foreign Legion if you’re a non-French national … not without really impressing people. Plus they say he commanded total loyalty from his men. And that continued when he was a merc. You don’t carry that off either unless you give a bit back.’

‘You’re saying Rochester’s lot like each other?’

‘Yes, but that’s only one of several differences between them and the run-of-the-mill mobs we usually have to deal with.’

He shrugged. ‘I’m not going to argue with that. You’ve done most of the homework on this case. The original question stands, though … how long?’

‘Couple more sessions. I think we’re almost there.’

‘And you’ve borne in mind what I told you about DS Heckenburg?’

She half-smiled. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘We don’t want him anywhere near this, Gemma.’

‘He isn’t.’

‘He’s a loose cannon at the best of times, but he could really screw this up for us.’

‘It’s alright, sir.’

‘I’m surprised he hasn’t at least been asking questions.’

‘Well … he has.’

Tasker looked distracted by that. ‘And?’

‘I’m his guv’nor. When I tell him it’s off-limits, he accepts it.’

‘Does he know how many times you’ve interviewed Rochester?’

‘He’s been too busy recently. I’ve made sure of it.’

Tasker assessed their surroundings as he pondered this. Continents of storm clouds approached over the sea, drawing palls of misty gloom beneath them. Plumes of colourless sand blew up around the car park’s edges. The hard net fencing droned in the wind. In the midst of it all, the prison stood stark and silent, an eternal rock on this windswept point, nothing beyond it but rolling, breaking waves.

‘Hellhole, that place,’ Tasker said with a shudder. ‘I mean, it’s clean enough … even sterile. But you really feel you’ve reached the end of the line when you’re in there. Particularly that Special Supervision Unit. Talk about a box inside a box.’

He glanced uneasily over his shoulder.

‘Something wrong, sir?’ Gemma asked.

‘Call me paranoid, but I keep expecting Heckenburg to show up.’

‘I’ve told you, Heck’s busy.’

‘How busy?’

‘Up-to-his-eyebrows busy,’ she said. ‘In one of the nastiest cases I’ve seen for quite some time.

 Don’t worry … we’ve got Mad Mike Silver and whatever’s left of the Nice Guys Club all to ourselves.’

About the Author: 

Paul Finch is a former cop and journalist, now turned full time writer. He first cut his literary teeth
penning episodes of the British TV crime drama, THE BILL, and has written extensively in the field of children's animation. However, he is probably best known for his work in horrors and thrillers. 

He has also written three Doctor Who audio dramas for Big Finish – Leviathan and Sentinels of the New Dawn, Hexagora and a Doctor Who novel for BBC Books, Hunter’s Moon.
Finch is no stranger to film either, having written scripts for several horror movies. One of these, The Devil’s Rock, was released in 2011, while his short story The Belfries, is shorty due to be adapted by Hollywood. 

Paul lives in Lancashire, UK, with his wife Cathy and his children, Eleanor and Harry.
A debut for 2013, Paul Finch has had a hell of a year. Selling almost 200,000 copies of his first novel Stalkers, and breaking records with his second novel Sacrifice, becoming the most pre-ordered ebook in HarperCollins’ history, he’s entered the crime world with a bang.

Last Bus to Coffeeville - J.Paul Henderson

Last Bus to Coffeeville by J. Paul Henderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'Nancy Skidmore has Alzheimer's and Eugene Chaney III once more a purpose in life - to end hers. When the moment to take Nancy to her desired death in Coffeeville arrives, however, she is unexpectedly admitted to the secure unit of a nursing home, and to fulfil her wishes Chaney has now to call upon the help of his two remaining friends - Bob Crenshaw, a man who has been officially dead for forty years, and Jack Guravitch, a disgraced weatherman in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Together they kidnap Nancy and journey to Mississippi in a tour bus stolen from Paul McCartney, and are joined on the way by Eric, a young orphan boy searching for lost family - an exotic dancer who once tore two pages of Leviticus from his father's bible. Last Bus to Coffeeville is a chronicle of lives that have jumped the tracks, a funny story about sad things, and a tale of endings and new beginnings.'


An unusual book and one I probably wouldn't have chosen to read just because I thought it would be quite depressing and morbid given the whole point of the story was to assist a woman suffering from dementia to end her life. Nancy and Eugene (Doc) are college sweethearts and when Nancy reveals she may carry a hereditary gene for Alzheimer's she makes Eugene promise that whatever happens he will help her when the time comes to end her life.

The first half of the book concentrates on Nancy, Gene and Bob (their friend) and their time at University in 1960's America. We discover the real and warm relationship that binds the friends together and learn a little about American history along the way particularly with respect to racism during this period. The characters were likeable and genuine and this first part of the book was enjoyable. The second half of the book seemed to introduce so many characters that it was hard to keep up with who they were and why it was necessary for the author to go into their characters in such depth.

This second half of the book seemed to drag on a bit for me, all the characters were important on the journey to Coffeeville but so much time was spent giving background information on the secondary characters that the main characters and the actual journey felt a bit neglected. I found myself looking up the map on the inside of the cover to see where they were and how much longer we had to go before we got to the point of the story and arrived in Coffeeville.

It was sad and in parts very moving especially the end although it was predictable it was touching and sensitive but I felt that the book could have been a lot shorter and that the climax of the book appeared to be hurried given that the author had given so much time to secondary character background information that spanned several chapters.

I am glad I read the book as it was not something I would have picked out to read but I felt it was a bit too long however it had great moments of comedy which lifted the mood of what could have been a very depressing novel and had some warm and unusual friendships giving it an overall feel good factor.

Summing up I did enjoy the book, I was a bit confused with so many characters and at one point almost lost my way but having persevered this was an enjoyable novel but not a great one for me.

I would give this novel a 3.5 score, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads - enjoyed it but didn't love it.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this copy in exchange for a honest review. 

You're The One That I Want - Giovanna Fletcher (Wedding Venue Exclusive!)

Enter the charming world of Giovanna Fletcher

You're The One That I want by Giovanna Fletcher

Published: 22nd May 2014 paperback and Ebook

Published by - Penguin

THE SECOND NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF BILLY AND ME

One groom. One best man. What do you do if you are in love with both?

Making the impossible choice could ruin their friendship.

Blurb:

Maddy, Ben and Robert have been inseparable since they met in the school playground. They’ve stuck together through thick and thin, feeling safe in the knowledge that they have each other.

So when Ben falls hopelessly in love with Maddy, he decides to keep it quiet for the sake of their friendship. Until Robert swoops in and kisses Maddy – irrevocable fracturing things between the three of them, as a kiss turns to love.

But when Robert and Maddy’s love turns sour, can Ben continue to say nothing? And can Maddy choose between her two best friends?

Wedding Venue (Exclusive Content):

Maddy would choose to have her wedding ceremony in the local church in Peaswood. It's the one they would've visited many times as youngsters and would've had many fond memories of... being dragged there on a Sunday morning (even though they'd have rather stayed in bed or been outside playing), donating a box of nearly off food each harvest (her mum always forgetting it was required- but apparently it was fine as tinned sliced pineapple was just what the starving yearned for) and of singing Christmas hymns there each winter (something that never gets old and boring!). It would've been odd for them to get married anywhere but there. 

Once married, everyone would drive ten minutes away to Oak Hill - a local boutique hotel that was even further out in the sticks, super luxurious and surrounded by towering oak trees. Having chosen a winter wedding, it would get dark early - allowing the hundreds of candles that had been scattered on the lawn majestically twinkle in the cold night breeze. The romantic woodland theme would continue throughout the inside of the venue - echoing the huge trees of their childhood and their joint love of the great outdoors.

About the Author:

You’re The One That I Want is the second novel from Giovanna Fletcher, and she is married to Tom Fletcher from McFly. She grew up in Essex with her Italian dad Mario, mum Kim, big sister Giorgina and little brother Mario, and spent most of her childhood talking to herself or reading books. Her debut novel, Billy and Me, is also published by Penguin. 

Giovanna has burst on to the scene with all the emotional impact of Jojo Moyes and the lightness of touch of Jenny Colgan. Welcome to the world of Mrs Giovanna Fletcher, a place that will fill you with joy and make you smile.

To see what makes Giovanna smile, view her blog at www.giovannasworld.com or her Twitter page @mrsgifletcher where she has 174K followers.

Giovanna also writes a blog for Hello magazine: www.blog.hellomagazine.com/giovannafletcher