#CoverReveal for Dead in the Water by Chris McDonald #TheStonebridgeMysteries2

I’m thrilled to be taking part in the cover reveal for the second book in the Stonebridge Mysteries series, being published on 27th March 2021. I recently read and reviewed the first book in the series on this blog (https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2021/01/19/the-curious-dispatch-of-daniel-costello-by-chris-mcdonald-thestonebridgemysteries/)

Synopsis:

The Stonebridge Regatta is looming. The town’s annual face-off against neighbouring Meadowfield is usually a weekend filled with sunshine, laughter and camaraderie.

This year is different.

A week before the race, the body of Stonebridge team captain Matthew Henderson is found dead in the water. The police file his passing as a tragic accident however, his grieving widow disagrees and suspects foul play is involved. She enlists the help of Adam and Colin, the town’s amateur (self-proclaimed) private detectives to unearth the truth.

Did Matthew simply slip and fall into the water, or is there more to his death below the surface?

Buy Links:

Amazon: mybook.to/DITW

The Red Dog Shop: https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/dead-in-the-water

Author Bio:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

#CoverReveal Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

Today I’m pleased to be taking part in the cover reveal for Damage, the debut novel by Caitlin Wahrer, being published by Michael Joseph Books later this year.

ONE NIGHT. ONE CRIME. ONE FAMILY TORN APART.

TONY has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when Nick is badly hurt and it looks like he was the victim of sexual assault, Tony’s anger flares.

JULIA is alarmed by her husband Tony’s obsession with Nick’s case. She’s always known Tony has a temper. But does she really know what he’s capable of?

NICK went out for a drink. After that, everything’s a blank. When he woke up he found himself in a world of confusion and pain, and the
man who hurt him doesn’t deny doing it. But he says the whole thing was consensual.

Three ordinary people; one life-shattering event. When the police get involved with this family in crisis, all the cracks will start to show…

Set to ignite debate and as gripping as your favourite box-set, Damage is a compulsive drama from an extraordinary new writer.

Link to pre-order: Amazon: https://bit.ly/Damage_HB Waterstones: https://bit.ly/Damage_ws

#CoverReveal Country Cat Blues by Alison O’Leary #CountryCatBlues @alisonoleary81 @RedDogTweets

I’m thrilled to be joining in with the cover reveal today for Red Dog Press.

Synopsis:

When former rescue cat Aubrey moves to the picturesque village of Fallowfield with his owners and their foster son Carlos, he is keen to explore the delights of the English countryside.

However, all is not as it seems among the villagers. The idyllic peace is shattered when a gruesome murder takes place at the village fete.

Tensions run high as spectres from the past begin to emerge, and Aubrey is particularly upset when suspicion falls on Morris, who may be almost permanently drunk, but is also a good friend to the local cat population…

Can Aubrey restore the peace in the village and help clear Morris’s name?

Buy Links:

Red Dog Shop: https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/country-cat-blues

Amazon: mybook.to/CountryCat

Publication date: 23 February 2021

Author Bio:

I was born in London and spent my teenage years in Hertfordshire where I spent large amounts of time reading novels, watching daytime television and avoiding school. Failing to gain any qualifications in science whatsoever, the dream of being a forensic scientist collided with reality when a careers teacher suggested that I might like to work in a shop. I don’t think she meant Harrods. Later studying law, I decided to teach rather than go into practice and have spent many years teaching mainly criminal law and criminology to young people and adults.

I enjoy reading crime novels, doing crosswords, and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order.

#CoverReveal That Night by Gillian McAllister @GillianMAuthor @MichaelJBooks #ThatNight

Thrilled to be sharing the cover reveal for the latest book by Gillian McAllister today. I enjoyed reading How to Disappear last year (see review at https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2020/07/09/how-to-disappear-by-gillian-mcallister/ ).

Pre-order link is: http://bit.ly/ThatNightPB

Publication date: 10th June 2021

Synopsis:

What would you do to protect your family?

Anything.

During a family holiday in Italy, you get an urgent call from your sister.

There’s been an accident: she hit a man with her car and he’s dead.

She’s overcome with terror – fearing years in a foreign jail away from her child.

She asks for your help. It wasn’t her fault, not really. She’d cover for you, so will you do the same for her?

But when the police come calling, the lies start. And you each begin to doubt your trust in one another.

What really happened that night?

Who is lying to who?

Who will be the first to crack?

#CoverReveal Roses For The Dead by Chris McDonald @cmacwritescrime @RedDogPress

Today I’m taking part in the cover reveal for the latest Chris McDonald novel. As regular readers of my blog reviews may remember, I enjoyed reading Chris’s recent novella, The Curious Dispatch of Daniel Costello (see review at https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2021/01/19/the-curious-dispatch-of-daniel-costello-by-chris-mcdonald-thestonebridgemysteries/ )

Synopsis:

2013

Rockstar Johnny Mayhem sits on his bed, holding a bloody baseball bat. On the floor, clutching a lavender rose in her fist, is his wife, Amanda, who he has just beaten to death. Erika Piper knows this because she is one of the first on the scene. Mayhem is arrested and led away, screaming that they’ve got the wrong man. But the evidence is irrefutable and when Mayhem is sentenced to life in prison, no one is surprised.

Now

Thanks to new evidence, Johnny Mayhem is a now free man. During a television interview, he issues a thinly veiled threat to those involved in the original case before seemingly disappearing off the face of the Earth. When the body of Mayhem’s dealer is found, Erika Piper is pulled from the safety of her desk job and thrown into the hunt for the Rockstar. Can she find Mayhem before he can enact his revenge or everyone involved, including Erika? Or, has he been telling the truth all along? Did the police really get the wrong man?

Buy Links:

The Red Dog Shop https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/roses-for-the-dead

Amazon mybook.to/RFTD

Publication date: 13 April 2021

About the Author:

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark was the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, to be published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

#CoverReveal Transference by John Bowie (Black Viking Thriller #2)

Today I’m joining in with the Red Dog Press cover reveal promotion.

Buy Links:

Red Dog = https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/transference

Amazon = mybook.to/BV2

Synopsis:

BRUTAL, DARK AND LYRICAL MANC NOIR’

As clubbers in Manchester’s most notorious club partied hard in the 90s, a girl collapsed, falling from the stage after a bad pill.

Few noticed.

Those that did, didn’t care – lost in a hedonistic haze.

John Black, an ex-SAS soldier, who was working security that night, carried her out in his arms.

Now on witness protection for exposing the city’s underworld after the girl’s death, he goes back to the city that disowned him – to confront the orchestrator of his pains… and reclaim his lost identity.

John writes articles, poetry, reviews, short stories and novels. His fiction is a semi-autobiographical mix of dirty realism, crime fiction and noir. Ghostly references to a heritage that includes the Vikings, Scotland, Ireland and the North, flavour the words throughout. Often with a dark but humoured edge.

John’s writing has appeared online and in print for the likes of Bristol Noir, Storgy Magazine, Litro Magazine, Punk Noir Magazine, Necro Magazine and Deadman’s Tome.

He grew up on the coast in rural Northumberland, a region steeped with a history of battles, Vikings, wars and struggles. These tales and myths fascinated him as a child, and then as an adult. In the mid to late nineties, he studied in Salford enjoying the bands, music, clubs and general urban industrial-ness of Greater Manchester, including the club scene and the infamous Hacienda. He was also there when the IRA bomb went off in 1996.

John has been partly inspired by 50s pulp hard-boiled detective fiction and the beat generation authors and poets. John aims to celebrate his female characters from his real-life through his writing, whilst retaining the hard-drinking, cynical honesty and the accessible writing style of these genres.John lives in Bristol with his wife and daughters, where he has been since the late nineties. He is a professional designer, artist and writer as well as a proud husband, father, brother and son.

Scavenger Art by Lexi Rees

Thank you to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to read and review this lovely new book for the one day book blitz today.

Synopsis:

Scavenger hunts are fun.

Drawing is fun.

Put them together for ★ SCAVENGER ART ★

This unique art-based activity book includes 52 scavenger hunts designed to

✓ encourage curious minds
✓ spark creativity
✓ practise mindfulness
✓ develop drawing skills

Perfect for ages 6 to 12.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1913799042/

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1913799042/

My thoughts:

This is a gorgeous activity book, perfect for young people and the young at heart too. Each page has different groups of objects for the reader/artist to draw in the 9 boxes on the opposite page. Categories include books, front doors, vehicles, hands, trees, dogs and many more.

As we are currently being encouraged to stay safe by staying apart, children’s birthday parties have had to adapt. If my daughter was at primary school at this stage, I would have ordered one of these books for each of her friends as part of an online birthday party activity. It could also be a fun online family challenge – including family from across the country and from different generations.

Author Bio:

Lexi Rees was born in Scotland but now lives down south. She writes action-packed adventures brim full of witch-doctors, fortune-tellers, warriors and smugglers, combining elemental magic with hints of dystopia. She also writes fun activity books for children.

Her fantasy adventure, Eternal Seas, was awarded a “loved by” badge from LoveReading4Kids. The sequel, Wild Sky, is available now.

She’s passionate about developing a love of reading and writing in children and, as well as her Creative Writing Skills workbook, she has an active programme of school visits and other events, is a Book PenPal for three primary schools, and runs a free online #kidsclub and newsletter which includes book recommendations and creative writing activities.

In her spare time, she’s a keen crafter and spends a considerable amount of time trying not to fall off horses or boats.

Social Media Links –

Website: https://lexirees.co.uk

Twitter: @lexi_rees or https://twitter.com/lexi_rees

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexiAuthor/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/lexireesbooks/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexi.rees/

#CoverReveal for Street Cat Blues by Alison O’Leary @RedDogTweets #StreetCatBlues

Synopsis

A quiet life for Aubrey?

After spending several months banged up in Sunny Banks rescue centre, Aubrey, a large tabby cat, has finally found his forever home with Molly and Jeremy Goodman, and life is looking good.

However, all that changes when a serial killer begins to target elderly victims in the neighbourhood.

Aubrey wasn’t particularly upset by the death of some of the previous victims, including Miss Jenkins whom Aubrey recalls as a vinegar-lipped bitch of an old woman who enjoyed throwing stones at cats, but Mr Telling was different.

Mr Telling was a mate…

Author biography

I enjoy reading crime novels, doing crosswords, and drinking wine. Not necessarily in that order.

#CoverReveal The End of Where We Begin by Rosalind Russell @ImpressBooks1 @Ros__Russell @lovebooksgroup

Veronica is a teenager when civil war erupts in South Sudan. Lonely and friendless after the death of her father, she finds solace in her first boyfriend, and together they flee across the city when the fighting breaks out. On the same night, Daniel, the son of a colonel, also makes his escape, but finds himself stranded by the River Nile, alone and vulnerable. Lilian is a young mother, who runs for her life holding the hand of her little boy Harmony – until a bomb attack wrenches them apart, forcing her to trek on alone.

After epic journeys of endurance, their lives cross in Bidi Bidi in Uganda – the world’s largest refugee camp. There they meet James, a counsellor who helps them to find light and hope in the darkest of places.

The End of Where We Begin is a gripping and intimate true life account of three young people whose promising lives are brutally interrupted by war. It documents their heart-breaking and inspiring battle to keep moving on through the extremes of attack, injury, exile and trauma. It is a story of the bonds of community and resilience in adversity – a powerful message for our troubled times.

Author Bio

Rosalind Russell is a journalist who worked for more than a decade as a foreign correspondent for Reuters and the Independent in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Her reporting has included the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq and Burma’s Saffron Revolution. She lives in London with her husband and their two daughters. Burma’s Spring is her first book.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/34vBxK8

#CoverReveal Say Goodbye When I’m Gone by Stephen J. Golds

I’m taking part in the latest Red Dog Press cover reveal today, organised by Meggy Roussel.

Synopsis:
1949: Rudy, A Jewish New Yorker snatches a briefcase of cash from a dead man in Los Angeles and runs away from his old life, into the arms of the Boston mob.

1966: Hinako, a young Japanese girl runs away from what she thought was the suffocating conformity of a life in Japan. Aiming to make a fresh start in America, she falls into the grip of an Hawaiian gang dubbed ‘The Company’.

1967: Rudy and Hinako’s lives collide in the city of Honolulu, where there is nowhere left for either of them to run, and only blood to redeem them.

Author biography:
Stephen J. Golds was born in London, U.K, but has lived in Japan for most of his adult life. He enjoys spending time with his daughters, reading books, traveling, boxing and listening to old Soul LPs. His novel Say Goodbye When I’m Gone will be released by Red Dog Press in October 2020 and another novel Always the Dead will be released by Close to The Bone Press January 2021.

Exclusive pre-order link:

http://mybook.to/SayGoodby