The Life Assitance Agency @TomAngel1

About The Life Assistance Agency

Do you want to live forever? is THE question facing anyone pursuing immortality. But what happens when eternal life is disappointing, and everyone around you keeps dying?

Ben Ferguson-Cripps, a struggling writer with a surname that gets more attention than his creative endeavours, sets aside his literary ambitions to join the mysterious Life Assistance Agency. Their first case is to trace a missing person with links to the Elizabethan angel-caller Dr John Dee.

Pursued by a shadowy organisation - and the ghosts of Ben's past - the trail leads through Europe into the historic streets of Prague, where the long-buried secrets of Dr Dee's achievements are finally revealed, and Ben discovers there is far more to life than simply living…

My review of The Life Assistance Agency

The Life Assistance Agency by Tom Hocknell has been on my to be read pile for a very long time. But during the summer holidays I found time to sit and devour this beautiful, quirky, intelligent and highly unique book. I loved it for being different and for having such a unique voice. This book is part thriller, part historical novel, part comedy and with a dash of fantasy thrown in for good mesure. Now, for me, this mish mash of genres worked, all because of the likeable and male protagonist, Ben Ferguson-Cripps. It also reminded me of the great  Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, because of its wit and sarcastic humour.  

The novel begins when new author, Ben, is told by his agent that sales for his debut novel are not good, not good at all. He is struggling to pay the rent, and is in desperate need of some income. As luck would have it he finds a business card for The Life Assistance Agency, who do everything and anything that a customer wishes. It is run by Scott, an old friend of Ben's, who employs him on the spot. His first case is that of the missing Mr. Foxe, an eccentric academic and angel caller, and so the fun begins.

This book is quirky, and you never quite know where it is headed, but that is what I loved about it. The pair travel across Europe, while being chased by two men from The Society of Psychic Research, and these are two men who you do not want to bump into down a dark alley. 

The emphasis of the novel is that of scrying for angels, something which Mr. Foxe does, and which the great spiritualist John Dee, also did. I'll admit to knowing nothing about scrying (I did a quick Google) but all was explained wonderfully well in the novel. It was also clearly evident to me that the author has carried out extensive research on the subject. What I loved was that the historical aspects of the narrative, involving Jon Dee, were brought vividly to life via this extensive knowledge in the depiction of Jane Dee's diary entries. These passages of the book were simply wonderful. 

The writing is sharp, the pace fast and the story a joy to read. It's unlike anything that I've ever read before. From the moment I met Ben, I felt like I knew him, and enjoyed being with him on every step of his journey. The Life Assistance Agency is a quirky, fabulous read. I highly recommend it.  

The Life Assistance Agency was published by Urbane Publications on 22 September 2016. It can be found on Amazon here.

A Single Step @GeorgiaRoseBook

About A Single Step

Meet Emma Grayson, heroine of The Grayson Trilogy, a series of mysterious and romantic adventure stories.

'The gun continued to be levelled at me. “Answer it...but don’t tell him I’m here or he’ll get to listen to you die.” That concentrated my mind considerably, and as I reached for my phone I came up with a plan...’

Emma Grayson was left devastated when her life was torn apart by tragedy and betrayal. Now someone believes it’s time for her to start again and puts an advert for a job through her door which leads her to the Melton Estate. Despite her desire for a solitary existence she finds herself discovering a life she could never have imagined, challenging her independence, her fears and her resistance to love.

My review of A Single Step

 A Single Step is a beautiful gothic, romantic read that is rich with suspense and I absolutely adored it. It was an addictive and joyous read.

At the heart of this novel we have Emma Grayson. She is a strong, independent woman who has carefully tried to bury her wounds and who wants to live a solitary life. She has suffered great pain in her life, and when she is offered the chance to work at the impressive Melton Estate in managing the stables, she jumps at the chance. She envisages a life of solitude, of quietness, but the inhabitants there have other plans.

This novel works so well because of Emma. I felt as if I knew her and understood her, more importantly I empathised with her. There is much attention to detail in this book, both in terms of characterisation and in the descriptions of the environment. I could smell the stables as Emma mucked out, as well as hearing her innermost, secret thoughts. I warned to her the moment I met her, and this was a crucial factor in enjoying the story. I needed to like her, and I'm so glad that I did. 

A Single Step is an addictive read. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I wanted to learn more about Emma's past, but also, I wanted to know more about the enigmatic and gruff Trent, the Estate manager. Now, here is a romantic gothic hero that you just can't help but fall in love with. Dark and ruggedly handsome, it took me a while to get a grip of him. This mysterious self assured man comes across as arrogant and instantly antagonises Emma, and I wondered how these two would get along, and where their relationship would lead, and I wasn't disappointed, although I was surprised. 

The romantic storyline is deliciously different and what starts out as a woman seeking solitude, soon turns into a dark and brooding suspense novel, when she falls from her horse, sustaining minor injuries. For me, this was the turning point in the book, and the moment when we saw Trent's true character. It is also from this moment onwards that he pace picks up. What starts out as a slow burner of a read, soon heats up and I found myself racing through the pages. 

A Single Step is an engaging, enjoyable and clever novel that hooks you in from the very beginning. I can't watt to read book two in the Grayson Trilogy series.  

With thanks to the author who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.

A Single Step was published by Three Shires Publishing on 22 August 2015. It can be found on Amazon here.

The Truth About You, Me and Us @katehaswords

About The Truth About You, Me and Us       

Sometimes the hardest person to be honest with is yourself...

Five years ago Helen Walters walked out on her perfect life with the perfect man. Wealthy, glamorous and bored, she longed for something more.

Now a talented artist with a small business, Helen creates crazy patchwork crafts to support her young daughter, Megan. Penniless, content and single, she is almost unrecognisable.

But when her past unexpectedly collides with her new life, Helen finds herself torn. She knows what the easiest choice is, but is it what she wants?


My review of The Truth About You, Me and Us

The Truth About You, Me and Us is the second novel by Kate Field. Having read The Magic of Ramblings last year, and absolutely loving it, I was very excited about reading this book. Well, all I can say is that I loved this book just as much. It's a romance novel with hidden depth, with a hugely powerful female voice who you just can't help but see as a friend.

Helen is a single mum to Megan and runs her own independent crafts stall within the local Lancashire village where she lives. Her stall is in a community led set up, within a former church. We meet Helen's fellow stall holders and I found myself fully immersed in their world. I wanted to visit all of the stalls and sit and have a slice of cake and a cup of coffee in the café. 

This is a beautifully uplifting romantic novel that you just can't help but fall in love with. It's beautifully written and eloquently tells Helen's story - the single mum whose past finally manages to catch up with her, with both hilarious and dramatic consequences. Helen is hugely likeable and I found myself caught up in her hectic lifestyle. I wanted her craft business to be successful and for her to find happiness.

This romantic novel features two interesting male characters. Firstly we have Dan, the dark and handsome ex who comes back into Helen's life. Then we also have Joel, equally handsome but fair haired. I'll admit that I fell in love with Joel, and his dimples, within a few pages of meeting him, who wouldn't? Although these two men are incredibly handsome, what I loved even more was that Helen was a fiercely independent woman, a career woman, who as a single mother did not need a man in her life. She is outspoken and I loved her for it.

The Truth About You, Me and Us  is a story that leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling, it makes you feel good, it makes you feel happy about life. It's a romantic book at heart, but one with a strong female character who doesn't take fools lightly. If you want a romantic read that is uplifting, that is about community spirit and following your heart, then this is the book for you. I loved it!

With thanks to the author who sent me an Advanced Reader Copy for review purposes. 

The Truth About You, Me and Us was published by Accent Press on 25th August. It can be found on Amazon here.

   

Death Wish @LindaHuber19 @Bloodhoundbook

Death Wish Blog Tour and Review

About Death Wish

Secrets. Lies. Murder.  

When Leo decides to go into business with his mother-in-law he soon realises his mistake. Eleanor is the mother-in-law from hell and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her daughter, Ashley, has her own reasons for hating her mother. The atmosphere is toxic and old wounds refuse to heal.  

Next door, eight-year-old Joya has a difficult life. Her parents argue constantly and her grandmother, who lives with them, is approaching death.  

Soon these two families will collide and the consequences might just be fatal…

My review of Death Wish

Death Wish is a story about family, illness, power and control. It's a cracking read that I read quickly, as I found it very difficult to put down. At first sight this book seems to be a domestic drama about a set of neighbours who have a common bond, that of a couple living with their mother/mother in law, but this novel exposes some deep and dark subjects, that make it a dark and thought provoking read. This is a book with depth, and I loved it for the many sub genres that ran throughout it, and of exploring the complexities of the family unit.

So, what's the book about? Well, the story revolves around two sets of neighbours. We have Ashley and Leo, a young couple who move in to the house next door to Martine and Stu, who have a young daughter, Joya. Leo has bought the house by investing with his mother in law, Eleanor, as without her money he could not afford to buy the property. The deal is that she lives in the annexe. This is all organised without his girlfriend's consent, and so this sets the tone for their relationship with each other and with their new home. 

Martine and Stu are married, and also find themselves living with Martine's mother. Vee, but for very different reasons. Vee has Huntingdon's disease, and as her condition progressively worsens, is forced to live with her daughter and son in law as she needs round the clock care.  This aspect of the story I found to be very realistic, well researched and quite refreshing. Vee is not made to play the victim, the one everyone feels pity towards, but rather she is shown as a strong and independent woman, who is still fiercely stubborn but who now realises that she needs help. I warmed to her instantly, and to Martine. This storyline, between mother and daughter was so very touching and dealt with a serious issue. 

This novel is not a light read, as it does tackle serious issues regarding mortality, morality and relationships. It's a clever read and a slow burning one. You really do have to immerse yourself in the first quarter of the book, to begin to understand the characters and their motives,  to truly understand the decisions that they make. It is not a fast paced, edge of-your-seat kind of read, but then, it is not meant to be. Having said all that, the ending did make me gasp out loud, as I found it totally unexpected. 

Death Wish is a gripping story, and one that had ne hooked from the very first page. I love domestic thrillers, and this book has it all. Drama, deceit and characters that truly intrigued and entertained me. Linda Huber really is a gifted storyteller.

Death Wish was published on August 31st by Bloodhound Books and can be found on Amazon here.

With thanks to Bloodhound Books for inviting me on the tour and for providing an Advanced Reader Copy

About the author

Linda grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Not to mention several years spent as a full-time mum to two boys, a rescue dog, and a large collection of guinea pigs. Her writing career began in the nineties, when she had over fifty short stories published in women’s magazines. Several years later, she discovered the love of her writing life – psychological suspense fiction. Her seventh novel, Death Wish, will be published by Bloodhound Books in August 2017.

Follow Linda on:

Amazon

Facebook

Website

Catch up and follow the blog tour

The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indridason

About The Shadow District

OLD CRIMES, NEW CONSEQUENCESTHE PAST

In wartime Reykjavik, a young woman is found strangled behind the National Theatre, a rough and dangerous area of the city known as ‘the shadow district’. An Icelandic detective and a member of the American military police are on the trail of a brutal killer.

THE PRESENT

A 90-year-old man is discovered dead on his bed, smothered with his own pillow. Konrad, a former detective now bored with retirement, finds newspaper cuttings in the dead man’s home reporting the shadow district murder that date back to the second world war. It’s a crime that Konrad remembers, having grown up in the same neighbourhood.

A MISSING LINK

Why, after all this time, would an old crime resurface? Did the police arrest the wrong man? How are these cases linked across the decades? Will Konrad's link to the past help him solve the case and finally lay the ghosts of wartime Reykjavik to rest?

My review of The Shadow District

I have been a huge fan of Arnaldur Indridason for many, many years. I read Jar City in a day and hungrily devoured the following books in the series. All equally as thrilling. The Shadow District is a complete change of direction, featuring new characters, and is the first book in his new series. I loved it! We still have murder and deceit at the core of the novel, told by a skilled storyteller. 

The Shadow District is a story set in Reykjavik in the present and in the past. The present day story focusses upon Konrad, a retired detective, who helps in the case involving the death of a 90 year old man. It is while helping in this case, that he finds newspaper clippings in the man's flat, relating to a murder case from the Second World War, which he remembers well, even though he was only a child. The murder took place in the city's Shadow District, behind the National Theatre. The two stories although separate, share a link with the dead man. What follows is an interesting, intense and dark read that I found thoroughly gripping. It is a murder mystery and I genuinely couldn't figure out the ending. 

I can't go into any more detail without giving away spoilers, but all I will say is that the storyline is a complex one and although slow to begin with, is well worth the wait. As with all Arnaldur Indridason's novels, there is much to be said about the fine detail that he gives to everyday life. You need to savour his writing, absorbing the imagery and environment, in order to fully understand the actions within the novel. 

This is a fantastic murder mystery of a book, but for me it was the depiction of Reykjavik during the Second World War that captivated me. Although decades ago, the storyline was so so real, the characters engaging and the emotions of the day so raw, that I understood completely what life must have been like. 

The Shadow District is very much a mystery, not a thriller. It is a slow read, and as I have said, one to be savoured. But I liked this pace, and the fact that I got to know the characters. If you love your Scandinavian literature, a good old murder mystery and history, then this is the book for you. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

 The Shadow District was published on May 18th by Harvill Secker and can be found on Amazon here.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard

About The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

Funny, heart-warming and ultimately triumphant, The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr by Frances Maynard is the perfect story for anyone who doesn’t quite fit in – and for everyone who chooses not to.

Elvira Carr is twenty-seven and neuro-atypical. Her father – who she suspects was in the secret service – has passed away and, after several Unfortunate Incidents growing up, she now spends most of her time at home with her overbearing mother. But when her mother has a stroke and is taken into care, Elvira is suddenly forced to look after herself or risk ending up in Sheltered Accommodation.

Armed with her Seven Rules, which she puts together after online research, Elvira hopes to learn how to navigate a world that’s full of people she doesn’t understand. Not even the Seven Rules can help her, however, when she discovers that everything she thought she knew about her father was a lie, and is faced with solving a mystery she didn’t even know existed . . .

My review of The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr

Oh this book! What a magical and emotional read. I loved this book for its honesty, its rawness and for the fact that it was such a thoroughly enjoyable tale.

As the title suggests, this book is centred around Elvira Carr, a twenty-seven-year old woman who is on the autistic spectrum (although this fact is never stated) and who has to suddenly cope with a dramatic change in her life, that of her mother suffering a stroke and having to move into a nursing home. The way in which Elvira copes is to create her 7 imperfect rules.

I loved this book because of Elvira. A woman who struggles with social clues, social niceties and living in a neurotyoical world. I read the book with a lump in my throat, not because I pitied Elvira, far from it, but because of her strength and the fact that she could survive without her mother, even though she had been told that she could not. I read this book with my parenting hat on as a mother to an autistic child, it was hard not too, and to begin with I hoped that the book would not be riddled with autistic cliches, but it is not. It is simply a story about a young woman, who happens to be autistic, and how she copes with a life changing event. It's a marvellous and uplifting read.

There were many memorable moments in this book, and which highlighted the author's extensive knowledge and insight into adults with additional needs. The fact that Elvira struggles on a bus route that was unfamiliar to her, and her obsessive knowledge about biscuits (I'll never look at a rich tea in quite the sane way again) are both beautiful and poignant.

This is a heart warming and emotional read that I devoured in a few sittings. It is a story about human kindness and of how it is ok to be different. What is normal anyway? This book challenges what is normal, and urges us to simply love life. It really is a beautiful book.

The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr was published on 24 Aug. 2017 by Pan Macmillan. It can be found on Amazon here

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy

Taking a short blogging break

I'm taking a short two week break while I catch up on my reading pile. 

I'll be back the week of September 4th.

Take care and see you soon!

Jo X