Blog Blitz: Torment by Mark Tilbury

 

torment final

Title: Torment

Author: Mark Tilbury

Blurb: Who can you really trust?

Beth couldn’t be happier. She is eight weeks pregnant and married to the man of her dreams. But after returning home from a celebratory meal, she finds a wreath from her sister’s grave hanging above the bed and a kitchen knife embedded in her pillow. There are no signs of a
forced entry. Nothing is stolen. And no one other than the cleaner has a key to the house. Then a campaign of terror begins. Beth becomes increasingly paranoid as it becomes clear that someone close to the family is behind these disturbing events. But who would want Beth dead? Does the past hold the clue? And can Beth find the answer before it’s too late?

Torment is a story of misplaced loyalty, revenge and sacrifice.


Review:

fourstars

I have always enjoyed Mark’s books, and Torment does not disappoint. It kept me hooked from the first page and although I did guess who the stalker was, the suspense build up was worth the read. I am looking forward to Mark’s next book eagerly!


Mark Tilbury Author PicAbout the Author:

Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set
in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.
After being widowed and raising his two daughters, Mark finally took the plunge and self-
published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.
He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have had seven
novels published by Bloodhound Books, including his most recent release, Torment.
When he's not writing, Mark can be found playing guitar, reading and walking.


Torment Blog Blitz

Blog Tour: The Coop

After a much needed break, I’m happy to be blogging again! I’d like to introduced The Coop, a new release from independent publisher, Bloodhound Books.


coop revisedTitle: The Coop

Author: EC Deacon

Blurb: When a woman staggers, naked, from a river, she has no idea that she’s been
saved from a killer by a text message from a dead woman.
Laura Fell is horrified when she discovers of her friend Gina’s suicide. But when the
autopsy reveals Gina died before her arrival at the house, she is perplexed. Who then
answered her mobile phone?
Everton Bowe, a cop whose career is as dead as his marriage, insists there was no-one
else present. But he’s wrong.
Meanwhile, his ex-lover, DC Helen Lake, insists there are similarities between the
traumatized river woman and the cold case of three missing women; the victims, she
fears, of a serial killer.
So, when a strange Dove’s feather, matching one found on the river victim, is found
in Gina’s house, Everton and Helen are suspicious.
If there was someone inside Gina’s house could he also be the river attacker?
And could he also be responsible for the other missing women?
At the same time, Laura Fell uncovers a web of deceit that stains the relationships
around her and seems weirdly linked to Gina’s death, as well as the attacked woman.
Is there a serial killer on the loose?
If so, what is his motive, and the macabre significance of the feather?


Review:

There are several things that I have come to expect from any Bloodhound book — a well-presented story with an interesting serial killer and suspense or psychological twists. However, there were a few things that prevented me from enjoying the novel as much as I could. This one took some time to get into. I found it difficult to follow the story at times with the number of characters introduced right at the beginning and jumping around to them frequently. I could tell the author was used to writing screenplays as the novel often read better as a movie, when the scenes can change without much description.

Another bugbear of mine has to do with the description of women. We do not stand in front of mirrors inspecting our bodies and then rubbing lotion into our skin. Sorry, that just doesn’t happen!

However, in saying that, I did enjoy the quick read and the twist at the end, and would most likely read other novels by Deacon in the future.


About the Author:

ERIC COOPEric had a successful acting career, playing leading roles in TV and film
including, Penmarric and Kings Royal for the BBC. London’s Burning and Hard Cases for ITV. His films include the lead role in Peter Greenaway’s controversial A Zed and Two Noughts. He started writing screenplays after a family illness and found almost immediate success. His scripts include the Bafta nominated, Prime Suspect and the multi IFTA nominated Relative Strangers, starring another Oscar winner,
Brenda Fricker. His short film Engaged, which he wrote and directed, was short-listed for the Fuji Film and BBC awards. Whilst Orla’s Song won the Best
Horror UK Award.

Eric has four – yes, four – screenplays in development (hell). Which is probably
why he started writing novels. The Coop is his first and will form the basis of a
trilogy.

He has two sons, both working successfully in the television and film industry.
Eric is divorced and lives in Esher with his partner, in a house once occupied by
the Judge that jailed Oscar Wilde – which may or may not be a good omen for
his work.

Blog Blitz: No Place Like Home

Rebecca Muddiman - No Place Like Home_coverTitle: No Place Like Home

Author: Rebecca Muddiman

Blurb:

What would you do if you came home to find someone in your house?
This is the predicament Polly Cooke faces when she returns to her new home.The first weeks in the house had been idyllic, but soon Jacob, a local man, is watching her.
What does he want and why is he so obsessed with Polly?
In a situation where nothing is what it seems, you might end up regretting letting some people in.

Review:

fivestars
I don’t give five star reviews lightly. However, this is one prime exception. No Place Like Home starts out with the reader going on a journey. Polly returns from her job to find that a man is watching her. However, as the story progresses, Muddiman introduces a number of twists and by the end, we’re wondering if we should have seen it coming all along. While the timeline does jump from past to present, I didn’t find the transitions jarring at all. She has an amazing gift for weaving together a believable, yet unbelievable plot line, leaving you thinking about the story long after the last sentence is written. In this case, can you really trust someone? I will definitely be looking for more novels by this author in the future.

rebecca+muddimanAbout the Author:

Rebecca Muddiman was born and raised in the North East and worked in the NHS for many years. She has published four crime novels – Stolen, Gone, Tell Me Lies, and Murder in Slow Motion. Stolen won a Northern Writers Award in 2010 and the Northern Crime Competition in 2012. She is also a screenwriter and was selected for the London Screenwriters Festival Talent Campus in 2016.
Most of her spare time is spent re-watching Game of Thrones, trying to learn Danish, and dealing with two unruly dogs. Sometimes all at the same time.

Blog Blitz: The Doomsday Girl

Dave Stanton - The Doomsday Girl_cover_high resTitle: The Doomsday Girl

Author: Dave Stanton

Genre: Crime/Private Investigator

Blurb:

Melanie Jordan’s life seemed perfect. Until masked intruders arrive at her house, demanding gold she doesn’t have. A savage blow to the head puts her in a coma and when Melanie regains consciousness, she learns her husband has been murdered and her ten-year-old daughter is missing.
Private Eye Dan Reno begins investigating, but nothing about the case makes sense. Was there gold at the house or wasn’t there? Was Melanie’s husband hiding something? And what happened to Melanie’s daughter?
To complicate things, the case leads to Las Vegas, where Reno’s loose-cannon friend, Cody Gibbons, is trying to repair his relationship with his college-aged daughter, an intern with Las Vegas P.D.
When clues implicate Russian mobsters and a mysterious African illegal, Reno tries to stay in the shadows, but once the criminals feel the noose tightening, they raise the stakes to a deadly level.


Review:

fivestars
I have to say, this is my favorite Dan Reno novel to date. I really love how complete the storyline felt, and it kept me hanging on to the very last page. I found it especially realistic how Melanie goes through stages of disassociation, which is very common with victims of traumatic crime, so it was nice to see that element tied in. I also liked the little teaser at the end, and can’t wait to see what happens to Reno and Gibbons next! This novel is a standalone, but as always, it does help to read the ones prior for a better character picture.


Dave+StantonAuthor Bio:

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960, Dave Stanton moved to Northern California in 1961. He attended San Jose State University and received a BA in journalism in 1983. Over the years, he worked as a bartender, newspaper advertising salesman, furniture mover, debt collector, and technology salesman. He has two children, Austin and Haley, and lives with his wife, Heidi, in San Jose, California.

Stanton is the author of six novels, all featuring private investigator Dan Reno and his ex-cop buddy, Cody Gibbons.

Links:

www.facebook.com/DanRenoNovels

@DanRenoNovels

danrenonovels.com/

B L O G B L I T Z

Blog Blitz: Game Players

GAME PLAYERSTitle: Game Players

Author: Anita Waller

Blurb:

When a gang of six children playing in their den in the woods spot a man burying drugs nearby, it marks the beginning of the end of their childhoods.

Unsure what to do, the children dig up the drugs and take them away. But when the dealer, who they watched bury the stash, shows up dead, the youngsters are thrown into turmoil.

Scared of what might happen, the children tell the police about the body they have discovered.

Meanwhile, a group of gangsters start searching for their missing drugs.

Soon the children and their families become the target of the vicious criminals who will stop at nothing to retrieve their narcotics…


Review:
fivestars

Every time I read something by Anita Waller, I am further impressed with her ability to weave an emotional and suspenseful plot. Game Players was no exception. From the beginning, the reader is drawn into the world of these children and holds their breath every step of the way as the story twists and turns. You will cry, you will yell, but you will also love this novel. Waller has an amazing skill to grab you and keep you interested until the very last page. Five stars and keep ’em coming!


unnamed (1)About the Author: 

Anita Waller was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1946. She married Dave in 1967 and they have three adult children.

She began writing when she was around 8 years of age, writing ‘compositions’ at junior school that became books with chapters.

In 1995 she sent Beautiful to a publisher and as they reached the contract stage the publisher went into liquidation. As a result, the book was consigned to the attic in dejected disgust but in 2013 it was dragged out again for an enforced complete re-type. The original was written on an Amstrad 8256 and the only thing that remained was one hard copy.

Anita is not a typist and it was painfully reworked over two years, submitted to Bloodhound Books who, within three days of reading it, offered her a contract. 31 August 2015 saw its release into the wide world.

Following the outstanding success of Beautiful, she began a sequel on 27 December 2015, finishing it on 19 March 2016. The new novel, Angel, was launched on 7 May 2016.

34 Days followed, with its launch in October 2016. This was a huge success, particularly in the United States. While this, her third book in the psychological thriller genre, was flying out in all directions, she began work on her fourth book.

Winterscroft was a change in genre. It is a supernatural tale, set in Castleton, Derbyshire, and its release date was February 2017.

While she was writing Winterscroft, it became very clear from reading reviews that a sequel to 34 days was needed, and she began work on that. Bloodhound Books launched Strategy, on 10 August 2017.

Her next book, launched February 2018 and entitled Captor, is a psychological thriller, set exclusively in Sheffield. It was an instant success, both in the UK and the US.

The along came Game Players… once more set in Sheffield, the story involves a group of six children who have each other’s backs to a remarkable extent. The darker, criminal side of Sheffield is explored, and the book launch is 18 May 2018.

In her life away from the computer in the corner of her kitchen, she is a Sheffield Wednesday supporter with blue blood in her veins! The club was particularly helpful during the writing of 34 Days, as a couple of matches feature in the novel, along with Ross Wallace. Information was needed, and they provided it.

Her genre is murder – necessary murder.

Links:

Amazon page:   https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=anita+waller

Facebook page:  @anitawaller2015

Website:  www.anitamayw.wixsite.com/anitawaller

Twitter:   @anitamayw

Other Books by Anita:

Beautiful: www.amazon.co.uk/Beautiful-Anita-Waller-ebook/dp/B014RCH5WM/

Angel: www.amazon.co.uk/Angel-Anita-Waller-ebook/dp/B01DR4USZC/

34 Days: www.amazon.co.uk/34-Days-Anita-Waller-ebook/dp/B01IP6YE0M/

Winterscroft: www.amazon.co.uk/Winterscroft-Anita-Waller-ebook/dp/B06XMY3JD3/

Strategy: www.amazon.co.uk/Strategy-Anita-Waller-ebook/dp/B0748MRBT2/

Captor: www.amazon.co.uk/Captor-gripping-thriller-dont-want-ebook/dp/B079F3J98Y/

Game Players

Blog Blitz: Hard Prejudice

Dave Stanton - Hard Prejudice_cover_high resTitle: Hard Prejudice

Author: Dave Stanton

Genre: Crime

Blurb:

After evidence disappears from a police locker, a man who is accused of brutally raping a popular actor’s daughter, walks free.

Hired by the actor, private detective Dan Reno’s job seemed simple enough: discover who took the DNA, and why. Problem is, from the beginning of the investigation, neither Reno, the South Lake Tahoe police, nor anyone else have any idea what the motivation could be that see the thug, Duante Tucker, get away with the crime. Not even Reno’s best friend, fellow investigator Cody Gibbons, has a clue.

When Reno and Gibbons tail Tucker, they learn the rapist is linked to various criminals and a deserter from the U.S. Marine Corps. But they still can’t tell who would want him set free, and for what reason.

Things get murkier when Tucker visits an Arabic restaurant whose owners are suspected terrorists. Then Cody’s ex-boss, a San Jose police captain, is found to with Tucker’s sister.

The clues continue to build until Reno and Cody find themselves targeted, which tells Reno he’s getting close.

The forces of evil are running out of time, and the action reaches a boiling point before an explosive conclusion that reveals a sinister plot and motivations that Reno could never have imagined.


Review:
fivestars
Ah, Dan Reno, how I adore you stories (and not just because of the setting, being a California girl myself)! I’ve been keeping up with the Dan Reno novels since Stateline, but this is the first time I’ve been on the blog tour for one! Although it can be read as a standalone, it definitely helps to know the background of Private Investigator Dan Reno, so definitely start with the first book. As always, Stanton does not disappoint. From beginning to end, I was completely hooked. The characters may seem a bit over the top at times, but it works. Also, Stanton clearly knows his locations as everything is described accurately. I absolutely cannot wait for the next novel!


Dave+StantonAuthor Bio:

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960, Dave Stanton moved to Northern California in 1961. He attended San Jose State University and received a BA in journalism in 1983. Over the years, he worked as a bartender, newspaper advertising salesman, furniture mover, debt collector, and technology salesman. He has two children, Austin and Haley, and lives with his wife, Heidi, in San Jose, California.

Stanton is the author of six novels, all featuring private investigator Dan Reno and his ex-cop buddy, Cody Gibbons.

Links:

www.facebook.com/DanRenoNovels

Twitter: @DanRenoNovels

danrenonovels.com/

Blog Blitz: Godsend

J.A. Marley - Godsend_cover_high resTitle: Godsend

Author: J.A. Marley

Genre: Contemporary Thriller

Blurb: 

It has been eighteen months since Danny Felix pulled off the robbery of his life.  His plan brought London to a standstill, but at a heavy price.

Now, living a quiet life running a charter fishing business in the Florida Keys, Danny is trying to come to terms with the death and destruction he had unwittingly unleashed. However, the low profile is beginning to wear thin and he soon starts to crave the adrenalin rush of his former criminal ways.

Little does he know that three very different women are about to enter his life and turn it upside-down. Soon Danny finds himself right back in the action.

But why has he been chosen? And does he have the appetite to pull off another job where the stakes are so lethally high?


Review:
fourstars

The follow up to his last novel, Standstill, Godsend brings us back to master thief, Danny Felix, who has fled London for sunnier climes. I really liked the further development of Danny’s character and we see a man who has been greatly impacted by his actions. I appreciated Danny’s flaws as it made him more relatable to myself as a reader. Action-packed, like Standstill, but maybe not to the same level, Godsend is a great read for anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller. I would recommend reading Standstill first, even though Godsend can read as a standalone.


John Marley, 27April2016, photographer Bronac McNeill

John Marley, 27April2016, photographer Bronac McNeill

About the Author:

John A. Marley’s writing career started with a poem about two brothers who both liked sausages…their names were Butch and Dutch and his Primary School teacher Mr. Murray liked it so much it made the main noticeboard at the entrance to Holy Child Primary School in West Belfast.  A little older but none the wiser, he ended up as a film journalist in his native Northern Ireland, contributing to local newspapers, BBC Radio Ulster and latterly writing as the main film critic for the glossy magazine, Northern Woman.

John’s love of good stories came from the Irish predilection for telling a good yarn and the fact that there was nothing quite like sneaking away his Dad’s battered paperbacks to read even though he knew they were meant for adults and not kids. And so pulp fiction such as The Edge Westerns by George G. Gilman, the adventure novels of Alistair MacLean and the thrillers of Jack Higgins all served to whet his appetite for a good story told at pace.

These days, his reading tastes still focus on thrills, spills and good plot and he can’t walk by a James Lee Burke or an Elmore Leonard without pausing to read a few pages…even if it is in a busy bookshop.

John A. Marley is also a TV producer with a proven track record in creating and producing distinctive, original entertainment and factual programming and formats for both a UK and international audience. His eclectic portfolio of high-profile shows include Britain’s Ultimate Pilots: Inside the RAFBritain’s Flying PastStaraokeBest of FriendsSkatoonyNoel’s House PartyThrough the KeyholeSMTV:Live/CD:UKHow Euro Are You? and live coverage of “The Oscars” with Barry Norman.

John runs his own production company Archie Productions which he launched in 2008. Prior to setting up his own indie, John enjoyed a wide and varied career in television will creative roles at Talent Television, Planet 24, Carlton Television and Walt Disney UK. John’s broadcast media career started in his native Northern Ireland as a radio host.

Godsend is the follow up to John’s debut novel, Standstill in which we first met master thief Danny Felix.

Links:

www.jamarley.com

@jamarleybooks

 

B L O G B L I T Z

Blog Blitz: The Key to Death’s Door

The Key to Deaths Door_Design_02
Title:
The Key to Death’s Door

Author: Mark Tilbury

Genre: Supernatural Thriller

Blurb: 

If you could discover the murderous truth of a past life and seek justice in this one, would you?

Teenager Lee Hunter doesn’t have a choice when he nearly drowns after spending the night at a derelict boathouse with his best friend, Charlie Finch. After leaving his body and meeting a mysterious light that lets him to go back to the past, Lee finds himself reliving the final days of another life. A life that ended tragically.

After recovering from his near death experience, Lee begins to realise that he is part of two lives linked by the despicable actions of one man.

Struggling against impossible odds, Lee and Charlie set out to bring this man to justice.

Will Lee be able to unlock the past and bring justice to the future?

The Key to Death’s Door is a story of sacrifice, friendship, loyalty and murder.


Review:
fivestars

I’ve been following Mark Tilbury since The Revelation Room, and his novels only seem to be getting creepier and creepier, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! Again, as with Abattoir of Dreams, Tilbury explores the supernatural (definitely his forte in the crime/thriller genre). Tilbury’s descriptions are so vivid, you almost can picture yourself there. I found it hard to put this book down, and then again, there were parts where I HAD to put it down, almost too terrified to pick it up again, hoping things would all work out for the best. No spoilers, but this is definitely on my top reads this year, and I can’t wait to see what disturbing tale he comes up with next.


About the Author:

Mark lives in a small village in the lovely county of Cumbria, although his books are set in Oxfordshire where he was born and raised.

After serving in the Royal Navy and raising his two daughters after being widowed, Mark finally took the plunge and self-published two books on Amazon, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused.

He’s always had a keen interest in writing, and is extremely proud to have his fifth novel, The Key to Death’s Door published along with The Liar’s Promise, The Abattoir of Dreams, and The Ben Whittle Investigations relaunched, by Bloodhound Books.

When he’s not writing, Mark can be found trying and failing to master blues guitar, and taking walks around the beautiful county of Cumbria.

Social Media Links:

https://twitter.com/MTilburyAuthor

http://marktilbury.com/

https://www.facebook.com/marktilburyauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13926121.Mark_Tilbury