TRIGGER WARNING: child sexual exploitation and rape
Wanda wakes in a grave then escapes her captor into the woods. She meets Sheriff Jenna Alton who has been stranded in the forest but Jenna is unable to save her when the killer returns. Can Jenna prevent other young girls becoming the next victim?
Where Hidden Souls Lie is the 20th Kane and Alton book. Unfortunately I have missed the last couple of books in the series so events in their personal lives have moved on and I need to catch up!
The pair are separated by dangerous incidents in the first half of the book. Kane is called upon to help protect the US president when he spots an assassin he believed he had killed previously. Meanwhile Jenna is almost struck by ligntning and falls into the river. She makes it to shore but needs to use all her survival instincts to stay alive. Thankfully the pair reunite and race to investigate the murder of a woman who Jenna saw killed in the woods.
As always, the action and plot developments are fast paced and hugely dramatic. The personal lives of Jenna and Dave show their softer side and vulnerabilities hwhich contrasts with their professional personas. The child sexual exploitation ring makes for difficult reading and the descriptions of injuries, murders and victims are quite graphic. There is a wonderful link with the Tarot Killer who is central to D.K. Hood’s new series which begins with Dark Angel.
Where Hidden Souls Lie is a high energy, high drama thriller.
MEDIA PACK
Book: WHERE HIDDEN SOULS LIE
Author: D.K. HOOD
Pub Day: OCTOBER 11TH 2023
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About the book:
As she opens her eyes and takes in the dark, damp earth, her heart races. She tries to move but the rope binding her feet cuts tight—she’s trapped underground. Heavy footsteps pace above. A tear falls down her cheek as she stifles a scream. He’s walking away. He’s left her for dead…
When a shallow grave is discovered in the dark pine forest surrounding Black Rock Falls, Sheriff Jenna Alton rushes to investigate. After unearthing the old bones, Jenna scours the area for clues: and her heart beats wildly when she bumps into a teenage girl, breathless and covered in dirt. Wanda Beauchamp tells Jenna she was kidnapped from her foster home and buried alive. Could the kidnapper be linked to the shallow grave?
Taking in Wanda’s thin frame, Jenna knows the poor girl is close to death. She’ll do everything she can to save her, but they’re miles from anywhere and night is falling fast. When Wanda falls, the kidnapper makes his move and Jenna is powerless to stop him taking the young girl’s life. Escaping the same fate, she is wracked with guilt and vows to catch the ruthless killer and bring him to justice.
When another girl is reported missing from a foster home, Jenna and her deputy David Kane know they must act fast to save her. Jenna believes the murderer lives off-grid, and a clue at a local supply store finally leads her to a remote cabin in the woods.
Still haunted by Wanda’s last moments, can Jenna lay a trap to outsmart this twisted killer preying on young girls? Or did she just put herself in unthinkable danger?
This absolutely gripping crime thriller is perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author D.K. Hood, Where Hidden Souls Lie will have you gasping for breath!
**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**
Author Bio
D.K. Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and AMAZON bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.
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1353, Colmar in Alsace. Three women have survived the Black Death but need to adjust to the changes in their village. The need for money alongside a spate of thefts and murders leads to the women stepping out of their traditional roles to thrive within their community.
The Alewives is an historical novel with elements of murder mystery as well as humour.
Gritta, Appel and Efi are women trying to survive in a man’s world as well as having the danger of the plague. Gritta has 12 children and a useless husband while Appel and Efi are both widows. The community are reeling from shock at the devastation of the plague, murders in their midst and their church is threatened by the theft of precious items.
Loving history, I enjoyed being transported back to medieval times. The church and patriarchy dominate society and the women’s lives are governed by their status in relation to men. The plague has decimated the population and now the community is adjusting as well as families on a personal level. There were also accusations of witchcraft which is another topic close to my heart as I wrote my dissertation on it.
This isn’t a long book but I felt that I got to know the three women well although they wasn’t much emotional exploration or depth. There are lovely turns of phrase and comedic moments which lighten the tone and make the women more relatable. I enjoyed the narration which brought the characters to life and carried the plot developments with humour and wit.
The Alewives is a quick and interesting book about women’s lives in medieval Europe with a murder thrown in.
The Alewives
Colmar, 1353 CE
Gritta, Appel, and Efi managed to survive the Black Death, only to find that they are in desperate need of money. With limited options and lots of obstacles, they band together to become alewives – brewing and selling ale in the free Alsatian town of Colmar. But when an elderly neighbor is discovered dead in her house, the alewives cannot convince the sheriff and the town council that her death wasn’t an accident, it was murder. As the body count piles up, the ale flows and mystery is afoot!
Set in the tumultuous years after the most devastating pandemic the world has ever experienced, The Alewives is a playful romp through a dark time, when society was reeling from loss and a grieving population attempted to return to normal, proving that with the bonds of love, friendship, and humor, the human spirit will always continue to shine.
* * * * * A short, sharp, snappy, hugely entertaining, medieval mystery that portrays the realities of life at the time, with just the right amount of humour to make it thoroughly entertaining. A well-deserved 5/5 from me! – MJ Porter, author of Cragside and The Erdington Mysteries
* * * *.* ‘The Alewives’ is laid out with great compassion, insight and humour and the reader comes to care for these people! The strong and growing working relationship and friendship of the three ale wives in question and round which the action evolves is moving and profound. we are left hoping that good times – and further adventures – are just around the corner! – The Historical Fiction Company
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Author Bio –
Although she spent many years of her life as a journalist, independent fashion designer, and overworked tech employee, there have always been two consistent loves in Elizabeth R. Andersen’s life: writing and history. She finally decided to put them both together and discovered her true love.
Elizabeth lives in the Seattle area with her young son and energetic husky. On the weekends she usually hikes in the stunning Cascade mountains to hide from people and dream up new plotlines and characters.
– Join Elizabeth’s monthly newsletter and receive the first two chapters of The Scribe for free. Sign up at https://www.elizabethrandersen.com
– Find photos of hikes and daily author life at Elizabeth’s Instagram: @elizabethrandersen
– Follow Elizabeth on Twitter for nerdy medieval history facts: @E_R_A_writes
– Watch Elizabeth try to explain the weird, wonderful world of Medieval life on her TikTok channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@elizabethrandersen
Elizabeth is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
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Narrator Bio
My name is Ella Lynch, I am an experienced British audiobook narrator and nature-loving treasure seeker on an ever-evolving journey of connection and expansion through the art of storytelling.
I am an empathetic, married mum of 1, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and a mental health advocate. My lived experiences inform my art, helping me deeply connect with the intentions behind words and relay them intuitively to the listener.
I gained a triple distinction in my (BTEC) National Diploma in Performing Arts from Truro College, and have been working as a professional audiobook narrator since 2018. In this time I have narrated over100 audiobooks, voiced numerous healthcare explainer videos for the NHS, provided VO for children’s animated audiobooks and even dubbed a Russian commercial!
I have a particular passion and flair for Magical Realism, Literary Fiction and LGBTQIA+ Romance and Comedy, and as a voracious reader myself I absolutely thrive on bringing all words, across multiple genres, to life for listeners.
When I’m not in my booth you will likely find me walking my dog on the beach, paddleboarding an estuary, exploring the UK in my self-built campervan, playing boardgames and cooking up delicious plant-based feasts for my family. A vegan of over 20 years, I love crochet, painting, fires, swimming and hoola-hooping as well as meditating, practicing Reiki and EFT tapping and deep, heart-felt connection.
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Dylan plans one final memorial event for his murdered sister Celeste. He and his wife are finally ready to move on but the arrival of their former best friend Eden has disasterous consequences for their marriage…
Don’t Trust Her is a psychological thriller with elements of murder mystery.
Dylan, Parker and Eden were best friends until the first two paired off and Eden headed to Italy. In the intervening years there has been very little contact but Eden decides to attend the twentieth anniversary and final memorial for Celeste. Dylan is thrilled to be reunited but Parker is worried because Eden used to want Dylan for herself. Is she being insecure or does Eden have plans to take her husband?
There is a massive tension between the three former best friends. Dylan thinks Parker is overreacting but doesn’t know how strong Eden’s feelings used to be. I loved the dynamic between the characters and found myself unsure of who to trust. I wanted Dylan to support his wife and was angry that he was letting Eden drive a wedge between them, but I also felt that Parker should have had more faith in the strength of their relationship.
The book is written from the first person perspectives of the three main characters in the past and present. This gives us an understanding of the dynamics of the friendship and I can certainly see why Eden was devastated to be betrayed by Parker after they’d promised that neither of them would date Dylan.
There is also the mystery of Celeste’s murder and the suspicious behaviour of their neighbour Julian who might have been a peeping tom but definitely witnessed everything through his binoculars. I agreed with Parker that Dylan needed closure and was initially annoyed with Eden for dredging up the past but equally I wanted the truth to finally come out so justice could be served.
Don’t Trust Her is an engaging and strongly narrated psychological thriller.
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Book Blurb
Parker had the perfect marriage. Then Eden came home.
Twenty years have passed since Dylan’s beloved sister, Celeste, was brutally murdered. Now he plans an anniversary memorial for the sister he misses to this day.
When their childhood friend, Eden, comes home to attend the memorial, Dylan invites her to stay with him and his wife, Parker.
But Parker is apprehensive. She remembers a time when Eden had designs on her husband, and she worries she still carries a torch for him. Her fears seem confirmed when Eden openly flirts with Dylan and captivates their pre-teen daughter.
As Parker desperately tries to hasten Eden’s departure, Dylan resists, fondly remembering the time they spent as childhood friends. And when Eden brings up questions about who murdered Celeste, Parker’s fears only escalate. She thinks her husband’s mental health could suffer if Eden keeps digging.
Can Parker get rid of Eden before she destroys her family? And why has Eden really come back to town? As the two old friends circle each other, past secrets are revealed and they find themselves hurtling into a vortex of unimaginable pain and terror.
Don’t Trust Her – the gripping psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Other Couple and The Guest.
Cathryn’s Bio
Cathryn Grant writes psychological thrillers, psychological suspense, and ghost stories. She’s the author of twenty-three novels. She’s loved crime fiction all her life and is endlessly fascinated by the twists and turns, and the dark corners of the human mind.
When she’s not writing, Cathryn reads fiction, eavesdrops, and tries to play golf without hitting her ball into the sand or the water. She lives on the Central California coast with her husband and two cats.
This is Cathryn’s eleventh psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.
Cathryn’s Links
TRIGGER WARNING: Nazi brutality and the Holocaust
Trudi’s family are sheltering a Jewish family in their attic. The house is raided and Trudi is entrusted with keeping the two young girls safe. Trudi decides she wants to do more to fight against the occupation of her country and the persecution she witnesses on the streets. She joins the resistance…
The Girl from the Resistance is an historical novel set in the Netherlands during WW2. It is actually based on a true story which makes it even more poignant.
Trudi is a young woman in occupied Netherlands in 1941. She is revolted by the brutality she witnesses and vows to help defy the Nazis in any way she can. She is given sole charge of two young Jewish girls after their parents sacrificed themselves so that they could escape. Once hidden at a safe location, Trudi begins to look for other ways to resist and joins a local group, dropping off information and ammo before moving on to acts of sabotage.
The book is written in the third person to show Trudi’s journey into danger. There are several big events that see Trudi risk her life and these are dramatic and tensely described. Friendship and hope are important themes in this book which also does not shy away from the negative choices people made in the face of the Nazi occupation. It would be easy to condemn collaborators but this book shows that individuals had genuine reasons for doing so.
I believe that this is the first book in a new series about three real life women. This makes me wonder if we will see more of Trudi’s life in later books and I would love to know if little Rosy and Louisa are ever reunited with their parents or if they perished in a camp.
The Girl from the Resistance is an engaging and dramatic historical book about bravery in the face of constant danger.
1941, Nazi-occupied Holland. Trudi can hear the muffled sobs of two heartbroken little girls as they peer wide-eyed from their hiding place behind the bookcase. Rosy and Louisa’s parents have been dragged away by soldiers. Now Trudi is the only one who can keep them safe…
When Nazis break down the front door of eighteen-year-old Trudi’s home and seize the Jewish couple hiding in her attic, she’s devastated, and is suddenly solely responsible for their two innocent children. The whispered rumours about the resistance are her only hope. A man called Frans and his cousin Piet risk their lives every day, helping scared and abandoned Jewish children escape into the countryside. Under the cover of night she races to beg for their help.
When the girls are offered a safe house, Trudi is relieved. But with soldiers on every corner of the cobbled streets, getting there will be extremely dangerous… she must dress up in a German nurse’s uniform and convince anyone who asks that she is transporting two children to hospital.
Trudi will have to give up everything to protect Rosy and Louisa. She will have to lie to her friends and family, and learn to fire a weapon that could take someone’s life. The only consolation is Piet’s dark eyes and handsome face as he stands beside her helping to plan her next steps.
But Trudi suspects someone close to her told the Nazis about the hiding place in the attic, and they’ll stop at nothing to make sure the girls do not escape…
A heartbreaking, inspiring and uplifting tale about the sacrifices we’re prepared to make for innocent people. Fans of Mandy Robotham, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will love this unforgettable historical series based on true stories of the heroic women of the Dutch resistance.
About Imogen Matthews
Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother’s own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.
Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.
Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon’s most-read book lists.
Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.
Imogen’s third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell – the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.
Imogen’s WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.
Author social media
Facebook: @theHiddenVillagenovel
Twitter: @ImogenMatthews3
At the start of the summer I enjoyed a delicious two course meal at the White Lion in Yateley. I have been to this pub many times in the last 25 years (it is also the venue for my book club) but I have never eaten there before.
As always, I had researched the food options before agreeing to attend the dinner which was a work social event.
My main course was a penang curry. The flavours were good and I liked the chilli on top which could be removed if you don’t like things too spicy (obviously I do, my plate was almost licked clean!)
Oops… forgot to take a photo of the chips before I’d eaten most of them… Perfectly crispy on the outside with a soft and fluffy inside.
I don’t normally go for puddings but, as everyone else was and it wasn’t the usual boring sorbet that is offered as a vegan option, I couldn’t resist the crumble.
Now I am the queen of crumbles at home thanks to my mum. I can’t eat raw fruit due to oral allergy syndrome inherited from my dad so crumbles were a way to get us to have cooked fruit regularly. One of my faves from childhood and now one that my own kids love. The White Lion version was tasty and a substantial portion whilst the vegan custard was lovely.
I was very impressed with my vegan and gluten free food, and would definitely visit the White Lion again for a meal.
