Maggie is adjusting to life’s changes. Her children are all grown up and her parents are battling age. Can she ever find happiness again or will she always put others first?
Maggie in the Middle is an emotional yet light hearted book about big changes.
It is a situation that many people find themselves in. An empty nest as your kids grow up and then the responsibility of caring for parents as their health deteriorates. All the while trying to work and live your own life. This is the situation Maggie finds herself in: her children have flown the nest, her parents are struggling with mental and physical health.
There are some huge issues dealt with in this book and it could have been very heavy. However, the writing is light hearted in tone and there are plenty of bad jokes to counter the deep emotions. I felt Maggie’s distress, frustration and grief. Her sister is completely unreasonable and this is partially excused in the final chapters but I did not feel this was sufficient justification for her abhorrent behaviour throughout the book.
Maggie finds friendship and love through a dog rescue centre. Her developing relationship with Bess the German Shepherd was just delightful and uplifting. This also provides Maggie with the opportunity to move on with her life and confront the big changes that she has been avoiding.
Maggie in the MIddle is packed full of emotion and cheesy jokes, radiating warmth from every page.
Maggie In The Middle
WHEN LIFE FEELS LIKE…
A TEST YOU DIDN’T STUDY FOR
When Maggie King turned sixty, she thought her life complete.
Now she’s sixty-one, and everything has gone horribly wrong.
Husband Greg has abruptly upped and left leaving Maggie bewildered. But there’s no time to question his departure because her ancient parents are all-consuming.
Once fondly referred to as the Golden Oldies, they’re now the BOBs – Bad-Tempered Old Buggers.
Sister Freya is never available to help, and Maggie is rapidly reaching the end of her tether.
She wants her life – and husband – back.
Instead, she’s trapped in what has been coined the Sandwich Generation – supporting both children and parents – except this particular sarnie is in danger of falling apart.
Maggie needs to learn that when life is like a club sandwich, it needs the best ingredients – and that includes lashings of love and some knee-trembling romance!
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Author Bio – Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy… apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!
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A series of murders on the street of York. Very differents ways of death but only one motive and one killer. Can Smith and his colleagues prevent the murderer fulfilling his mission…?
The Loner is the 27th book in the DS Jason Smith series.
The covid lockdown is about to begin and a killer is trying to complete his murders. In the space of a few days, there are a number of deaths and the bodies all have post mortem stigmata mutilations. Smith has issues at home and work to contend with as well as the impending lockdown and catching a killer. His daugher is pregnant and a new police officer is making life tricky.
The pace of the book and the rapidity of the murders are relentless. Chapters are short and the narrative is dialogue-led so the action and plot races along. The murders are quite graphically described and we have some chapters that show us the killer’s viewpoint to increase the tension and anticipation.
I make no secret that I love this series of books. The writing style is engaging and the characters jump from the pages. Grisly descriptions are balanced by the banter between the police team and among Smith’s family.
The Loner is a tense and gripping police procedural and serial killer thriller.
THE LONER (Detective Jason Smith #27) by Stewart Giles
From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith series.
Sometimes, it’s the quiet ones you need to be careful of.
Detective Jason Smith has always considered himself to be a bit of a loner. His colleagues would agree with him.
But Smith has no idea that another solitary soul is about to give him the worst nightmares of his life.
Another loner is killing people in York, and this one isn’t about to stop until he’s caught.
He kills indiscriminately, and he’s extremely good at it.
It’s going to take a loner to catch a loner, and Smith is the only man who can stop the worst serial killer York has ever seen.
What readers are saying about THE LONER:
It’s a bit gruesome in parts but completely gripping and unpredictable. I found the plot to be highly original and wonderfully thought out. Absolutely brilliant! – CAROL
I love Stewarts books as I know I will quickly get into the story and have a wonderfully entertaining read. It’s one you can settle down with and despite the subject matter feel comfortable and at home with. A thrilling roller coaster of a read I really didnt want to end. A huge 5* – MISFITS FARM
Stewart Giles has a vivid imagination and the books he writes certainly keep me entertained. Highly recommended. – MAUREEN
Stewart Giles has done it again. Another absolutely unique story which had me hooked from the first chapter. – AMAZON REVIEWER
Stewart Giles – Author Bio
After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.
In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.
The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.
The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.
Website: www.stewartgiles.com
Twitter: @stewartgiles
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33
Cressida Fawcett is enjoying a tour of Winchester Cathedral with her aunt when they come across the body of a man. Her aunt’s maid is standing over the body holding the candlestick that struck him. She is instantly arrested but Cressida is sure she is innocent…
Death in the Crypt is the 5th book set in the 1920s to feature amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett and her friends.
Nancy the maid is found standing over the body of her fiance. Cressida believes her protestations of innocence and arranges for DCI Andrews to lead the case. Of course, she can’t help starting an investigation herself while she waits for him to arrive! She is ably assisted by her dog Ruby and her high class friends Dotty and Alfred. But danger, a ghost and another murder mean trouble…
Cressy is a wonderful lead character. She is feisty and has determined never to marry in order to preserve her independence in an era when gender roles were severe and unfair. But her heart is tempted and confused by her feelings. Her dog Ruby is delightfully naughty which gives Cressida the chance to investigate more subtly.
I loved the familiar setting of Winchester Cathedral. This site has a special place in my heart and I remember the ethereal nature of the crypt. I thought that the historical and geographical settings, social conventions and class/gender roles had been well researched to underpin the plot and character behaviour.
Death in the Crypt is an enjoyable historical murder mystery.
Book Description:
The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet…
Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand…
Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again?
As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin?
The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The sceptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march?
A totally gripping and deliciously witty historical murder mystery with a gasp-out-loud reveal, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Author Bio:
Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
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You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo
TRIGGER WARNING: domestic violence
Sally’s husband Gordon is violent and controlling. She manages to escape one night and the only place she can turn is to her estranged family. Her father and uncle reject her but her sister Alison is delighted to be reunited. But Gordon refuses to let her go…
The Family Home is an intense psychological thriller set in the UK.
The opening chapter is pretty horrific. Sally’s fear was so palpable that I felt scared for her. The writing was so vivid and powerful yet incredibly difficult to read. Gordon is terrifying and I was desperate for Sally to run away. But out fo the frying pan and into the fire, as they say! She heads to her estranged family where she finds her father battling with dementia and she is rejected due to her mother’s past. Luckily she has her half sister Alison to rely on and stick up for her. But she doesn’t feel welcome and is living in fear that Gordon will find her, and he does…
The majority of the book is written from Sally’s perspective but there are some chapters that focus on Gordon. These heighten the tension as we realise he will stop at nothing. As well as her difficult present situation, Sally suffers from flashbacks and nightmares about the past. The writing is vivid throughout the book and I found that I cared about Sally and wanted her to find happiness after so much pain.
There are big hints about what may have happened decades ago and I did guess the twists. I thought that there was a bit too much repetition (many references to Sally looking like her mother, Alison and Peter arguing etc) which slowed the pace of the book a little. My credulity was stretched and the ending was quite abrupt.
The Family Home is very intense and the issue of domestic violence was handled very sensitively but explicitly.
The Family Home
IS BLOOD ALWAYS THICKER THAN WATER?
Sally has lived in fear of her husband long enough. But after twenty years of suffering, she has been left with nothing of her own and no one to turn to – except her estranged sister, Alison.
When Alison agrees to help Sally escape, she knows she must return to the one place she was told never to show her face again – the family home – and confront her father once more.
But soon, Sally begins to suspect that all is not as it seems, and as she is forced to face the ghosts of the past, she discovers there may be secrets hidden in her own memory that are best left buried . . .
A twisting and compulsive page-turner, with a shocking twist. If you love Keri Beevis, L H Stacey and K. L. Slater, you’ll love The Family Home.
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Author Bio – Born and raised in South East London, Lorraine lived and worked in South Africa, on the Island of Gozo and in France before settling on the Costa del Sol in Spain. She lives with her partner in a traditional Spanish village inland from the coast and enjoys sampling the regional dishes and ever-changing tapas in the local bars. Her knowledge of Spanish is expanding. To stop her waistline from doing the same, she runs five times a week.
Lorraine is the author of the D.I. Sterling series and two psychological thrillers, The Guest and The Family Home.
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1954, Eva is called upon to act as a translator when a Greek Cypriot woman is arrested on suspicion of murdering her daughter in law. Zina is relying on Eva to help her but will her translation help the prosecution or defence?
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is based on a true crime story (don’t search in case of spoilers!)
Zina has travelled from her home country to England to live with her son and his family. There is instant conflict with her daughter in law and a few months later Zina is accused of her murder. Eva earns extra money acting as a translator for the police and is quickly immersed in Zina’s case.
I was swept up in the story of these two women. My emotions were mixed and evolved over the course of the book. Zina is put in an awkward situation as culture and family clash. The evidence against her is damning but she has been treated badly by her family. I felt sorry for her although her stubbornness added to her problems. The police want a quick conviction so are not seeking other suspects or motives. Eva has personal issues at home as well as her increasingly emotional involvement with Zina’s case.
The book is written in the present day to show Zina and Eva meeting and then Zina’s experiences in the recent past to show the lead up to the murder. The 1950s was brought to life vividly and the attitudes of the period underpinned the plot effectively. I thought that the author has researched the era and the case thoroughly to bring the characters and their situations to life.
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is a fascinating historical crime drama.
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou
THEY HAVE TOLD SO MANY LIES ABOUT ME.
London, 1954. Zina Pavlou, a Cypriot grandmother, waits quietly in the custody of the Metropolitan police. She can’t speak their language, but she understands what their wary looks mean: she has been accused of the brutal murder of her daughter-in-law.
Eva Georgiou, Greek interpreter for the Met, knows how it feels to be voiceless as an immigrant woman. While she works as Zina’s translator, her obsession with the case deepens, and so too does her bond with the accused murderer.
Zina can’t speak for herself. She can’t clear her own name. All she can do is wait for the world to decide…
IS SHE A VICTIM? OR IS SHE A KILLER?
A compelling historical crime novel set in the Greek diaspora of 1950s London – that’s inspired by a true story – The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is perfect for fans of Erin Kelly, Sara Collins, and Jessie Burton.
Author Bio
Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. Her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Grazia, and Red, among others. She’s the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, and her debut novel, She Came To Stay, was published in 2020. Follow her on and www.elenikwriter.com
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AUTHOR Social Handles
Twitter: @EleniKWriter
Facebook: Elenikwriter
Website: www.elenikwriter.com
