The Murders At Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr + Giveaway

"So much fun to read!  The castle seemed foreboding. The rumors of the ghost dog, werewolves, and more made more plausible in light of the murders. Is it enough to make even detectives reconsider?  Is it all about the missing book or is the real motive money?" - review by Mystery Suspense Reviews

 

Book Details:

Book Title: The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr
Series:  A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 5)
Category:  Adult fiction (18+), 281 pages
Genre:  Murder Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:  July 18, 2013
Content Rating: PG-13 - Lauren Carr's mysteries are murder mysteries. Sometimes, the murder does happen on-stage. There is no graphic violence or explicit sex.There is some very mild language (hell or damn, very few and far between) No F-Bombs!

 

 Book Description:

Never tell Mac Faraday not to go someplace.

Spencer’s police chief, David O’Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac to not go to the south end of Spencer’s mountaintop —even though he owns the property. It doesn’t take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of a stone wall and locked gate with a warning for visitors to keep out.

Topping the list of the ten top haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago—and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David’s warning to keep out, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What was supposed to be a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet—including a wolfman. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.

Buy the Book:   
 Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK
B&N ~ BookBub ~ The Book Depository
Add to Goodreads

The Murders At Astaire Castle is a fun Mac Faraday mystery with a lighthearted horror vibe that was inspired, so we are told in the introduction, by Halloween festivities. Although I didn't actually read this book during an October, I can imagine that it would have been even more atmospheric at that time of year - perhaps for an all night readatgon on All Hallows Eve itself! Lauren Carr manages to include a number of spooky staples - such as a haunted castle, a possible werewolf and lots of ghostly activity - whilst also giving us readers the kind of interestingly complex murder mystery that I have come to expect from this series.

I did initially find it a little beyond possibility that no one had previously let slip to Mac that the infamous Astaire Castle was just over the hill from The Spencer Inn, particularly with the delight that Hector took in divulging its ghastly history to him, however that aside, I really enjoyed getting into this story. Police chief David O'Callaghan is a great foil to Mac's impetuous character and I loved seeing Gnarly meet his match in the very prim and proper Molly! The Murders At Astaire Castle has a vintage crime feel to it that reminded me of classic authors such as Henrietta Hamilton and Helen McCloy. As the main narrative is a standalone story, this novel especially can be read without knowing the earlier books in the series.

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Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 

She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

connect with the author: website  ~  facebook  ~  instagram ~ pinterest ~ bookbub ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule:

March 28 - Mystery Review Crew - book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
March 28 – Cover Lover Book Review – book series spotlight / giveaway
March 29 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest post / giveaway
March 29 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of IT’S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway
March 30 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
Mar 30 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
Mar 30 - Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight of SHADOW OF MURDER / author interview / giveaway
March 31 – My Reading Journeys – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
April 1 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of SHADOW OF MURDER 
April 4 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of IT’S MURDER, MY SON 
April 4 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of IT'S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway
April 5 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
April 6 – Leels Loves Books – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
April 7 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of OLD LOVES DIE HARD, SHADES OF MURDER, BLAST FROM THE PAST 
April 7 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
April 8 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
April 11 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE, THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER, TWELVE TO MURDER 
April 12 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book series spotlight / giveaway
April 13 –Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
April 14 – My Reading Journeys – book review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
April 15 – Library of Clean Reads – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
April 15 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of A WEDDING AND A KILLING, OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER 
April 19 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of BLAST FROM THE PASST / giveaway
April 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
April 21 – My Reading Journeys – book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
April 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway
April 22 –Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest post / giveaway
April 26 –Literary Flits – book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway
April 27 - Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway
April 29 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway
May 3 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 4 - Kam's Place – book spotlight of THREE DAYS TO FOREVER 
May 4 - Literary Flits – book review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
May 5 –Kam's Place – book spotlight of CANCELLED VOWS 
May 6 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER and CRIMES PAST 
May 9 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
May 10 – Celticlady's Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway
May 12 - Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
May 16 – Hall Ways Blog - audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
May 17 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 18 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway
May 19 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 19 - Library of Clean Reads – book review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
May 20 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of BLAST FROM THE PAST / giveaway
May 23 – Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 24 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of IT’S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway
May 25 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
May 26 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of CANCELLED VOWS / giveaway
May 27 –Bound 4 Escape – book review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway
May 31 –Jazzy Book Reviews - book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 1 – fundinmental – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 2 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest posts / giveaway
June 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway
June 6 –Bound 4 Escape – book review of  TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
June 7 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
June 8 – The Page Ladies – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 9 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 9 - Bound 4 Escape – book review of  A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
June 10 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 13 - ​Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER / giveaway
June 14 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of  OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway
June 15 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 16 –Literary Flits – book review of THREE DAYS TO FOREVER / giveaway
June 20 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 24 – Adventurous Jessy – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 24 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of CRIMES PAST / giveaway

 

Enter the Giveaway:
Win a $50 Paypal gift card. Open internationally until the 1st July.

SHADOW OF MURDER (Mac Faraday Mysteries) Tour Giveaway

 

Click here to see all my current 

Giveaways & Free Books!

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Shades Of Murder by Lauren Carr + Giveaway

"Shades of Murder is a fascinating, intricately woven mystery that has a number of engaging characters looking into two cases that would seem to have nothing in common. ...This is a most entertaining entry in this series, made all the more so by the wonderful inclusion of Gnarly and Irving, Mac's dog and Gates's black and white cat, who meet during the course of the story." - review by Mysterious Reviews

 

Book Details:

Book Title: Shades of Murder by Lauren Carr
Series:  A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 3)
Category:  Adult fiction (18+), 232 pages
Genre:  Murder Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:  May 7, 2012

 

Book Description:

 

In Shades of Murder, Mac Faraday is once again the heir to an unbelievable fortune. This time the benefactor is a stolen art collector. But this isn’t just any stolen work-of-art–it’s a masterpiece with a murder attached to it.

Ilysa Ramsay was in the midst of taking the art world by storm with her artistic genius. Hours after unveiling her latest masterpiece–she is found dead in her Deep Creek Lake studio–and her painting is nowhere to be found. Almost a decade later, the long-lost Ilysa Ramsay masterpiece has found its way into Mac Faraday’s hands and he can’t resist the urge to delve into the case.

A world away, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; former JAG lawyer Joshua Thornton agrees to do a favor for the last person he would ever expect to do a favor–a convicted serial killer.

The Favor: Solve the one murder wrongly attributed to him.

Joshua finds an unexpected ally in Cameron Gates, a spunky detective who has reason to believe the young woman known to the media only as Jane Doe, Victim Number Four, was the victim of a copycat. Together, Joshua and Cameron (*) set out to light a flame under the cold case only to find that someone behind the scenes wants the case to remain cold, and is willing to kill to keep it that way.

Little do these detectives know that the paths of their respective cases are on a collision course when they follow the clues to bring them together in a showdown with a killer who’s got a talent for murder!

 

Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK
B&N ~ BookBub ~ The Book Depository
Add to Goodreads

Having so thoroughly enjoyed Lauren Carr's newest Mac Faraday mystery, Shadow Of Murder, last week I was keen to catch up on more books in this series. Readers who only follow through series in order had better look away now because I've jumped from book 14 to book three, the similarly titled Shades Of Murder! Although there is an overarching narrative timeline throughout the series, each novel contains a standalone cold case so I didn't find any problems reading backwards (so to speak). 

Mac Faraday is yet to come to any agreements with his German Shepherd dog, Gnarly, in Shades Of Murder so their relationship is particularly fraught. Mac is also still coming to terms with his unexpected inheritance which gives an interesting angle to his interactions with Deep Creek Lake's generally affluent residents. One of the very richest is the focus of Shades Of Murder as his wife's murder is the cold case which captures Mac's attention. I loved the intricacies of this plotline. I did manage to work out what must have happened before it was revealed to readers, but Carr kept me eagerly guessing as to the how. The novel is so cleverly plotted with several fun distractions featuring animal characters including the aforementioned Gnarly as well as a wonderful cat, Irving, who resembles a skunk and has 'issues'. 

Overall Shades Of Murder was an entertaining crime mystery Initially published almost exactly a decade ago, it was interesting to spot nods to concerns of the time and I liked the synchronicity of the cold case being a decade old too. I'm certain you will catch me reading more from the Mac Faraday series very soon.

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Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 

She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

connect with the author: website  ~  facebook  ~  instagram ~ pinterest ~ bookbub ~ goodreads

---

Tour Schedule:

March 28 - Mystery Review Crew - book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway

March 28 – Cover Lover Book Review – book series spotlight / giveaway

March 29 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest post / giveaway

March 29 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of IT’S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway

March 30 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

Mar 30 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

Mar 30 - Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight of SHADOW OF MURDER / author interview / giveaway

March 31 – My Reading Journeys – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

April 1 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of SHADOW OF MURDER 

April 4 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of IT’S MURDER, MY SON 

April 4 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of IT'S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway

April 5 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway

April 6 – Leels Loves Books – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

April 7 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of OLD LOVES DIE HARD, SHADES OF MURDER, BLAST FROM THE PAST 

April 7 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway

April 8 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway

April 11 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE, THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER, TWELVE TO MURDER 

April 12 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book series spotlight / giveaway

April 13 –Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway

April 14 – My Reading Journeys – book review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway

April 15 – Library of Clean Reads – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

April 15 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of A WEDDING AND A KILLING, OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER 

April 19 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of BLAST FROM THE PASST / giveaway

April 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway

April 21 – My Reading Journeys – book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway

April 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway

April 22 –Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest post / giveaway

April 26 –Literary Flits – book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway

April 27 - Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway

April 29 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway

May 3 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway

May 4 - Kam's Place – book spotlight of THREE DAYS TO FOREVER 

May 4 - Literary Flits – book review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway

May 5 –Kam's Place – book spotlight of CANCELLED VOWS 

May 6 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER and CRIMES PAST 

May 9 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway

May 10 – Celticlady's Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway

May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway

May 12 - Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway

May 16 – Hall Ways Blog - audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

May 17 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway

May 18 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway

May 19 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway

May 19 - Library of Clean Reads – book review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway

May 20 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway

May 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of BLAST FROM THE PAST / giveaway

May 23 – Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway

May 24 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of IT’S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway

May 25 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

May 26 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of CANCELLED VOWS / giveaway

May 27 –Bound 4 Escape – book review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway

May 31 –Jazzy Book Reviews - book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway

June 1 – fundinmental – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 2 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest posts / giveaway

June 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway

June 6 –Bound 4 Escape – book review of  TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway

June 7 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway

June 8 – The Page Ladies – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 9 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 9 - Bound 4 Escape – book review of  A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway

June 10 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 13 - ​Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER / giveaway

June 14 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of  OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway

June 15 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 16 –Literary Flits – book review of THREE DAYS TO FOREVER / giveaway

June 20 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 24 – Adventurous Jessy – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway

June 24 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of CRIMES PAST / giveaway

 

Enter the Giveaway:

SHADOW OF MURDER (Mac Faraday Mysteries) Tour Giveaway

 

Click here to see all my current 

Giveaways & Free Books!

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A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

Individual stories first published between 1945 and 1982. Published together as a collection by Penguin Classics on the 29th October 2020.

One of my Classics Club Challenge reads, a More Than One challenge read, and a Book with a Vegetarian Character.

How I got this book:

Received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Hive UK

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Tender and bittersweet, these stories by Truman Capote, the author of Breakfast at Tiffany's, are a captivating tribute to the Christmas season

Selected from across Capote's writing life, they range from nostalgic portraits of childhood to more unsettling works that reveal the darkness beneath the festive glitter. In the Deep South of Capote's youth, a young boy, Buddy, and his beloved maiden 'aunt' Sook forage for pecans and whiskey to bake into fruitcakes, make kites - too broke to buy gifts - and rise before dawn to prepare feasts for a ragged assembly of guests; it is Sook who teaches Buddy the true meaning of good will. In other stories, an unlikely festive miracle, of sorts, occurs at a local drugstore; a lonely woman has a troubling encounter in wintry New York. Brimming with feeling, these sparkling tales convey both the wonder and the chill of Christmas time.

I've only previously read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, which very much impressed me, and I wasn't sure if this short story collection, autobiographical though it is, would suit me as well. I need not have been concerned! Capote has such a deft way of capturing the whole sense of a place, a person, and indeed an era with just a few phrases that I was easily transported to 1940s rural Alabama and 1960s New York. Capote's childhood situation was unusual and I loved his portrayal of his small town Alabama life, in particular his relationship with his elderly cousin, Sook, who became his closest friend. Their annual efforts to make Christmas fruitcakes are the subject of the eponymous first story which was so powerful that it almost had me in tears.

Each of the six stories takes place during the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas so the collection is perfect reading for this time of year. I was pleasantly surprised though that the stories don't ever take advantage of that connection to dissolve into saccharine sweetness. Some are nostalgic, another is creepily disturbing, bullying and racism feature prominently, and their characters are generally either in serious poverty or just clinging to respectability. I hadn't given Capote much attention before, but these stories blew me away. I think I definitely need to make an effort to read more of his classics next year.

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Little Brutes by L N Nino

Little Brutes by L N Nino

Self published in 2015.

How I got this book:

Received a copy from the author

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review was first published on my Stephanie Jane blog in 2015.

I received a free personalised copy of Little Brutes, a short story by L N Nino, as a thank you for signing up to his email newsletter. I first discovered his work through reading his novella The Brain Within Its Groove. I was pretty impressed then and so was delighted to be emailed a few days later with this offer. 

Little Brutes is a very short story, but contains a haunting vision of callous lives within its few pages. A mother and her son are left in extreme poverty when her husband is killed. The arrival of a baby tips the mother over the edge with heartrending consequences. I can't say too much here without giving away the tale but I think this is a great, sad story. It both shocked and moved me with its sharp depictions of three desperate people. I would highly recommend anyone who likes dark writing to give Nino a try.

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Books by L N Nino / Short stories / Books from America

Le Chat Boulanger by Mirella Youssef

Le Chat Boulanger by Mirella Youssef

Self published on the 26th March 2020.

I'm linking this review up with July 2020 Foodies Read at Based On A True Story

How I got this book:

Bought the ebook at Smashwords

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Il était une fois, un chat qui vivait dans la rue, attendant chaque jour, qu'on lui donna de la nourriture près de la boulangerie de Monsieur Barom...

Rediscovering my reading bilingualism mojo, thanks to Four Words For Friend by Marek Kohn, has opened up new horizons for my personal WorldReads challenge. It's getting trickier to find enough English translations for the countries I still need, but adding French language books makes the task easier. To be truthful, I could actually have purchased and read The Cat Baker in English because Mirella Youssef writes in Arabic, French and English. However, as this short story is intended for children, I bravely plumped for the French edition!

Le Chat Boulanger is an adorable tale of a wily street cat who saves the day when it looks like Monsieur Barom, the genuine baker, will be unable to complete a special cake in time for a birthday party. Deprived of his daily chocolate treat due to the chaos, the cat steps in and takes charge. At just 500 words (only 4 of which required dictionary assistance!) this flash fiction story is entertaining and humorous - a fun sweet treat between heavier reads.

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Lone Shark by Tin Larrick + #FreeBook

Lone Shark by Tin Larrick

Self published in November 2013.

How I got this book:

Downloaded the ebook from Smashwords

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

London, 2017. In the slipstream of economic misery walks Jackson Towne, a disgraced ex-cop in his own personal exile.

A contract hit offers Jackson a way out of his hand-to-mouth existence, but as he pursues the target - a corporate whistleblower at mysterious multinational Medusa Chenaix - he realises that for so many people to want her dead , she must be more important than even she realises...


This review was first blogged on Stephanie Jane
Lone Shark is my third Tin Larrick novel (at the time of writing), although actually the second he wrote. Each, so far, is a stand alone story so I'm not messing up any story arcs for once!

By far the blokiest of the trio, elements of Lone Shark felt like a Guy Ritchie film and there is a fair bit of killing for no other reason than that's what this type of person would do. The plot is interesting and generally keeps up a fast place but I found the characters, other than our anti-hero, Jackson Towne, much more two-dimensional than in, say, Manukau Bluebirds. Larrick's descriptions of place and scene setting are excellent so it was easy to imagine his dystopian London and the furniture shop 'hotel' is a nice touch. Poor Newhaven doesn't fare too well!

I found it difficult to actually place the novel in real time as, although the synopsis states 2017, several of the text references seemed to throw us way past that while some tv namedropping particularly is oddly dated. This was distracting but not enough to ruin the atmosphere, just an occasional pull-up.

As a solid genre thriller, Lone Shark easily holds it own with best-selling authors and is more inventive than many of these. Larrick's real life police experience is well used to enhance without being overdone to make this book an entertaining escapist read.

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Head On Backwards, Chest Full Of Sand by Sandy Day

Head On Backwards, Chest Full Of Sand by Sandy Day

Published on the 14th February 2020.

H for my 2020 Alphabet Soup Challenge

How I got this book:

Received a review copy from the author

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A tender story of love-obsession, the second novel from Sandy Day, Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand chronicles a young woman’s coming of age during the height of the 1970’s women’s liberation movement. Teetering on the edge of womanhood, clinging to the first love of her life as if her survival depends on it, 17 year-old Livvy is torn between subjugating herself for love or claiming her identity and independence.

When Livvy, lovesick and artistic, spends the summer with the aunt she adores, she crosses paths with a cast of memorable characters in the coastal community of Margaree, Cape Breton Island. While Livvy’s cousins torment her, house renovations disturb her, an annoying young islander tries to befriend and teach Livvy to disco dance, Livvy prepares for the much anticipated arrival of her boyfriend, Kane.

With poetic fluidity and breathtaking revelations Sandy Day draws you into Livvy’s obsession. Such a deep dive into the dire and agonizing crannies of a love-obsessed young woman establishes Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand as a memorable coming of age story.

For fans of The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Lives of Girls and Women, and The Bell Jar, Head on Backwards, Chest Full of Sand promises to immerse you in the world of a troubled but observant young woman coming slowly to terms with love, life, and all its messy relationships.

Livvy is such a wonderfully exasperating protagonist! I think that Sandy Day has perfectly captured her mix of childish deliciousness and teenage uncertainty in her new coming of age novel, Head On Backwards, Chest Full Of Sand. Livvy (not Libby!) narrates her story in the first person which adds to the sense of this young woman being so wrapped up in her own existence that she seems barely aware of anyone else's needs. I could strongly empathise with her obsession for Kane even while, to us readers at least, it soon becomes quite obvious that he isn't as into Livvy as she would have herself believe. Having built her dreams around his presence though - and, repeatedly, told anyone who would listen - Livvy doesn't find it easy to imagine a more realistic future.

I loved the Cape Breton setting, especially with Day's poetic prose describing the natural landscapes. I felt this place reflected Livvy well. Interactions between the characters are always convincing with Livvy's gradual realisations of how others see her being poignant at times. Concepts of family and community are very much to the fore and, while Head On Backwards, Chest Full Of Sand is firmly rooted in its 1970s historical era, its messages of finding one's own senses of identity and belonging are just as vital for young (and older!) women all these decades later.

Head On Backwards, Chest Full Of Sand lives up Sandy Day's high writing standards. Although it is not a long novel, it covers a lot of emotional ground, giving a authentic portrayal of Livvy's summer on the cusp of childhood and womanhood. It shows that physical maturity and emotional maturity don't occur in tandem and that learning how to honestly be ourselves is far more important for our mental wellbeing than clinging to unrealistic dreams. I described Day's previous book, An Empty Nest, as a coming of age story for older women. I feel the two stories work well as a pairing, exploring the transformational times in women's lives.

Etsy Find!
	Cape Breton  greetings card by Michelle Ryan Art Shop in Canada Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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