The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn @OrendaBooks

August 21, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 11 Comments

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Author : Agnes Ravatn
Title : The Bird Tribunal
Pages : 192
Translator : Rosie Hedger
Publisher : Orenda Books
Publication date : July 30, 2016

aboutthebook

Two people in exile. Two secrets. As the past tightens its grip, there may be no escape.

TV presenter Allis Hagtorn leaves her partner and her job to take voluntary exile in a remote house on an isolated fjord. But her new job as housekeeper and gardener is not all that it seems, and her silent, surly employer, 44-year-old Sigurd Bagge, is not the old man she expected. As they await the return of his wife from her travels, their silent, uneasy encounters develop into a chilling, obsessive relationship, and it becomes clear that atonement for past sins may not be enough.

mythoughts

Sometimes you read something quite extraordinary and you have absolutely no idea how to put your thoughts into words. This, for me, is one of those times. However, I can already tell you now that if you’re looking for something a little different that you won’t forget in a hurry, then you should go and pick up a copy right now!

I have blind faith in the books that Orenda publishes and they’ve not let me down yet. But when I started reading The Bird Tribunal, I wasn’t sure what to expect and I may have added a few wrinkles to my forehead from all the frowning I was doing.

I think this is by far the oddest story I’ve ever read. Not odd in the sense of being completely weird, although there is something to be said for that as well, but more odd as in “I don’t have a bloody clue what’s going on!”. And yet, I was so enormously engrossed that I couldn’t stop reading.

I can’t even figure out what genre this belongs to. It is thriller-ish and has tons of suspense, drama and brilliant characterisation. It is gripping and engrossing and I soon found myself on quite a tense ride. This story is eerie, dark and haunting but fantastically well written and executed. There’s a threatening vibe that had me on the edge of my seat. Throughout the story, you know something’s coming but I had no idea what it was going to be.

It’s fair to say I’ve never read anything like it but I loved every word on every page. This story has made an indelible impression on me and I doubt I’ll ever forget Allis and Sigurd. Also, let’s not forget Rosie Hedger for the fabulous translation.

Many thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my copy, which I chose to review honestly!

The Bird Tribunal is available now!

Amazon US – Amazon UK – Goodreads

Weekly Wrap-Up (August 20)

August 20, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 8 Comments

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Another week bites the dust. Another week that has me wondering what happened to the summer season. It seems to have completely passed us by this year. I think I caught a glimpse of sunshine this past week but it was such a fleeting moment that I may have dreamt it.

So you’d think I would have been reading up a storm but no such luck. With a national holiday on Tuesday and a long weekend for the hubby, I ended up with a measly 5 books.

Books I read this week :

Books I bought this week :

The self-imposed book buying ban however is in full swing! I’m rocking this thing like you wouldn’t believe!

Technically, that’s 10 since 99 Red Balloons is a pre-order. But still. This is completely getting out of hand. I have a bunch of print copies I totally lost track of and more than a hundred titles on my Kindle. I know that’s not a lot for some of you but I’ve never had this happen before. I was more a buy-as-you-read kind of girl which somehow turned in to buy ALL THE BOOKS! So, I am determined … stop laughing … I am determined to read ~~all~~ at least ~~half~~, let’s not get carried away here, ten books before I buy new ones. *snort*

ARC’s received via Netgalley

Bookpost that arrived this week :

I received a copy of The Adversary from the lovely Emma and The Cardinal’s Man from the equally lovely Joanna!

On the blog this past week :

Monday : Catching up on author review requests with Deadly Spirits

Tuesday : Reviewed Death Makes a Prophet

Wednesday : Hosted a stop on the blog blitz for The Good Sister

Thursday : Another blog blitz, this time for Dead to Me

Friday : Shared my thoughts on The Unquiet Dead

Saturday : Reviewed The Room by the Lake

Sunday : Joined yet another blog blitz, now for Buried Secrets

Next week on noveldeelights :

Erm, well, there will be reviews. I don’t actually have a set schedule. I like how I just made that sound like it’s a novelty. 😂

In other news : I may just be working on my first ever give-away so watch this space!

That’s a wrap! Wishing you all a fabulous week and lots of happy reading! xx

Buried Secrets by T.J. Brearton @bookouture #blogblitz

August 20, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ Leave a comment

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Author : T.J. Brearton
Title : Buried Secrets
Pages : 328
Publisher : Bookouture
Publication date : August 18, 2017

aboutthebook

There’s more than bones hidden at the Larson house…

Newlyweds Brett and Emily Larson have just moved into a new home deep in the countryside, and are overjoyed when Emily finds out she’s pregnant. Then they discover human bones in their garden.

As the police start to investigate, three things become clear:

The bones are recent.
They are not here by accident.
They are a message.

As the situation escalates, can Brett and Emily keep one step ahead to protect themselves – and their unborn child?

mythoughts

All he wanted to do was raise a family. Grow a garden.

Newlyweds Brett and Emily have just moved to the countryside. But when Brett starts digging to prepare their new vegetable garden, he stumbles upon human bones and soon they find themselves in a whole heap of trouble. Meanwhile, Russo is sent to jail because he can’t afford to pay an outstanding fine. Someone makes him an offer he can’t quite refuse. How far will he go to protect his family?

As a bit of a gardener myself, remind me never to start digging. It’s quite a believable scenario in that you never know what you may find. Roman relics, treasure or hey presto, a skeleton. To have this young family find themselves in a situation that utterly spirals out of their control, was incredibly compelling and you can’t help but feel for them. For me though, I think Russo was the more interesting character. He’s desperately trying to do the right thing as he now has a wife and child he doesn’t want to lose but circumstances are against him and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his family safe.

Buried Secrets is a fast-paced and action-packed thriller. It sort of reminded me of the good old fashioned cops and robbers stories with a dash of mafia thrown in. There are a few good guys and a whole lot of bad guys. The first part of the book is a little slow going as the scene is set and the characters are introduced but the second half will blow you away. There’s quite a lot going on to keep track of but it’s all insanely engrossing. This is quite an intense ride with plenty of twists, some I saw coming but one in particular was positively brilliant and took me completely by surprise! T.J. Brearton is one to watch!

Many thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to join the blitz tour and for my advanced copy, which I received via Netgalley and chose to review honestly!

Buried Secrets was published on August 18th.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

abouttheauthor

T.J. Brearton is the author of eight published novels of crime fiction, including detective thrillers, police procedurals, psychological suspense, and one paranormal crime story. His eBooks have been best-sellers on the Amazon kindle fiction Top 100 list. He lives in the Adirondacks with his wife and three children where he writes full time.

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The Room by the Lake by Emma Dibdin @HoZ_Books

August 19, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 13 Comments

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Author : Emma Dibdin
Title : The Room by the Lake
Pages : 368
Publisher : Head of Zeus
Publication date : August 10, 2017

aboutthebook

When Caitlin moved from London to New York, she thought she had left her problems behind: her alcoholic father, her dead mother, the pressure to succeed. But now, down to her last dollar in a foreign city, she is desperately lonely.

Then she meets Jake. Handsome, smart, slightly damaged Jake. He lives off-grid, in a lakeside commune whose members practise regular exercise and frequent group therapy. Before long, Caitlin has settled into her idyllic new home.

It looks like she has found the fresh start she longed for. But, as the commune tightens its grip on her freedom and her sanity, Caitlin realizes too late that she might become lost forever.

mythoughts

There will probably never be a time when cults stop being utterly fascinating. How do they work? What drives people to join them? How are they manipulated into staying? What happens if they decide they’d like to leave? These are all questions that make an excellent premise for a thriller.

Caitlin is lost. She’s left her homeland, England, without a clear plan and has ended up in New York. She is lonely, has no job, no goals and barely any money. Then she meets Jake and there’s an instant attraction so when he says he’d like to introduce her to his family, Caitlin agrees. But Jake’s family isn’t your typical set-up and before she realises it, Caitlin finds herself in a truly dangerous situation.

Caitlin’s mother was a schizophrenic and Caitlin constantly worries she may suffer the same fate. Practically stranded in this big and busy city with nobody to turn to, she seems to make the perfect “victim” for cult members to zero in on. Caitlin seems quite vulnerable and maybe slightly naive at times, but she’s actually a lot stronger than she realises. The story truly shows how easily someone can be “broken” when you deprive them of the bare necessities like decent food and sleep. How things that at one point sound rather innocent, can suddenly come across as incredibly threatening. In that respect, this tale is quite scary and thought-provoking.

I found this book to be quite slow for the most part until the final chapters, where the pace picked up considerably. I think I would have preferred something a tad more thrilling and gripping. I needed some more tension to truly keep me hooked. But the author does succeed in adding a threatening vibe throughout and even managed to make me wonder if Caitlin was a reliable narrator or not. Overall, I enjoyed this one and it’s a great debut by Emma Dibdin, whose writing was almost as mesmerising as the cult members themselves.

Many thanks to Head of Zeus for my copy, which I received via Netgalley and chose to review honestly!

The Room by the Lake is available now!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan @noexitpress

August 18, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 11 Comments

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Author : Ausma Zehanat Khan
Title : The Unquiet Dead
Series : Rachel Getty and Esa Khattak #1
Pages : 352
Publisher : No Exit Press
Publication date : July 19, 2017

aboutthebook

Scarborough Bluffs, Toronto.

The body of Christopher Drayton is found at the foot of the cliffs. Muslim Detective Esa Khattak, head of the Community Policing Unit, and his partner, Rachel Getty, are called in to investigate. As the secrets of Drayton’s role in the 1995 Srebrenica genocide of Bosnian Muslims surface, the harrowing significance of his death makes it difficult to remain objective.

In a community haunted by the atrocities of war, anyone could be a suspect. And when the victim is a man with so many deaths to his name, could it be that justice has at long last been served?

mythoughts

Well, I honestly don’t quite know where to start with this review as I can’t find the words to describe how much it has left me reeling. I don’t normally take breaks while reading a book but in this case, I often felt the need to go off and google fun and fluffy things in an attempt to get rid of the humongous lump in my throat.

Christopher Drayton’s body is found at the foot of the cliffs. Accident or suicide? It soon becomes apparent Drayton wasn’t who he claimed to be so is there a more sinister motive to be found for his death? It’s up to Detective Khattak and his colleague Getty to investigate and figure out the truth.

At its core, the story is a crime fiction one with detectives looking for a potential killer. Their search isn’t easy as anyone could be a suspect. It also comes with much needed diversity and multi-cultural references as Detective Khattak is Muslim. Yet, it is so much more than that as it evolves into something quite thought-provoking that will haunt me for many years to come. Try to imagine coming face to face with a war criminal who’s responsible for the deaths of your entire family. What would you do? Seek justice? Or revenge?

The Unquiet Dead has its roots firmly fixed into an incredibly dark piece of European history that is rarely talked about anymore these days, namely the war in the former republic of Yugoslavia and the genocide in Srebrenica. While I was aware of these atrocities, which happened in the early 90’s, it made for some truly uncomfortable reading.

Some chapters are massively brutal, describing events that are sadly all too prevalent in war. They brought tears to my eyes, rendered me speechless and hit even harder when I got to reading the notes at the end of the book. The storyline is often harrowing, dark and disturbing. It had me gripped from start to finish and I would highly recommend it!

Huge thanks to Maddy at No Exit Press for my advanced electronic copy, which I chose to review honestly!

The Unquiet Dead was published on July 19th.

Amazon US – Amazon UK – Goodreads

Dead to Me by Stephen Edger @bookouture #blitztour #extract

August 17, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 5 Comments

Welcome to my stop on the blog blitz for Stephen Edger’s Dead To Me! I’ll be sharing an extract from chapter one with you. On the last day of the tour, make sure to head on over to Chapter In My Life to read part two. Or if you can’t wait that long, you should just buy the book. 😉 Many thanks to Noelle Holten and Bookouture for the opportunity to join the tour and for providing the extract!

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Author : Stephen Edger
Title : Dead to Me
Series : Detective Kate Matthews #1
Publisher : Bookouture
Publication date : August 17, 2017

aboutthebook

When a body is found hanging in the remains of a dock-side warehouse, Detective Kate Matthews is called to the scene. Recently transferred following the death of a colleague, Kate is yet to see a successful prosecution over the line. But this won’t be an easy win.

Someone is watching her: leaving her clues in her home, taunting her to throw the case and threatening the life of her little girl.

As more bodies begin to surface and Kate’s stalker closes in, her instincts tell her that there is a link hidden among the victims’ missing pieces. This is a killer with a message and Kate must race against the clock to solve his twisted riddle.

But at the end of this impossible puzzle lies an impossible choice.

extract

CHAPTER ONE – PART ONE

DI Kate Matthews slammed her hand down on the rim of the steering wheel as the minutes on the dashboard clock ticked past. ‘No, no, no, no!’ An accident on the A33 had caused delays across Southampton, and the slow crawl to the station was now being impeded further by a set of temporary traffic lights at the top of Shirley High Street. She could see the police headquarters building from where she was sitting and was tempted to abandon her car, hightailing it on foot. The supe would be pacing in his office by now. She should have phoned in sick or embellished on her ailing mother’s condition, but then she’d have felt guilty all day. She couldn’t understand why her alarm hadn’t gone off at six, as usual. She’d definitely set it when she’d gone to bed.

Could she really have switched it off during the night?
The lights turned green and, rather than waiting for the old woman two cars in front to finally figure out where first gear was, Kate pulled out and shot past, narrowly missing the offside wing of a stationary car at the opposite set of lights. At the bottom of the road she swung across the roundabout into her parking space, then hurried into the station.

Racing up the stairs, she arrived, panting, at the third floor, and caught her reflection in the glass panel of the office door. She’d never been one for worrying about her appearance, but she stopped to quickly smooth her top, straighten her jacket, and fish in her handbag for a hair tie to pull her chocolate-brown hair back from her face. Brushing a few toast crumbs from the edge of her lips she forced a smile, revealing two slight dimples in each cheek. It would do.

Kate stepped into the open-plan office, nodding to DS Samir Patel, who didn’t hide his irritation as he checked his watch and shook his head. She could have pulled him up for that, but there wasn’t the time. She was sure he was still frustrated that her arrival in the department had robbed him of his shot of a promotion. She threw her bag onto the desk and unlocked her workstation. She didn’t envy the supe having a tiny office shut away from the world: she liked being around the team; she enjoyed the banter. Not that many of them had attempted to engage with her recently.

It was almost as if they saw her losing streak as a form of leprosy; they’d do anything to avoid becoming infected.

‘Morning, ma’am,’ DC Trotter offered cheerily, placing a mug of coffee on the desk in front of Kate, her blonde hair bobbing as she skipped back to her own desk.

‘Morning, Laura. Give me five minutes to get myself straight and then we can have a look at—’

‘The supe wants to see you first,’ Patel interrupted without looking up. He was cleaning out the coffee machine again; his daily ritual.

Locking her computer, Kate smiled at Laura across the room, as if it was nothing. ‘You’d better give me ten minutes instead.

I’ll grab you when I’m ready.’

She tried to act casual as she strolled back along the corridor to the supe’s office, a cold dread swirling inside her. Taking a deep breath, she knocked twice and entered.

***

Don’t forget to keep an eye out on Sharon’s blog at Chapter In My Life for part two!

Dead To Me is out today!

Amazon US – Amazon UK – Goodreads

abouttheauthor

Stephen is the author of 11 novels and 5 short stories. He has independently published Integration, Remorse, Redemption, Snatched, Shadow Line, Trespass, Double Cross, Fragments, and Downfall. Stephen’s novels Crosshairs and Complicit are published by Endeavour Press.

Stephen is a fully-fledged member of the International Thriller Writers’ (ITW) Association.

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Dead to me Blog Tour

The Good Sister by Jess Ryder @jessryderauthor @bookouture #blogblitz

August 16, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 18 Comments

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Author : Jess Ryder
Title : The Good Sister
Pages : 230
Publisher .: Bookouture
Publication date : August 16, 2017

aboutthebook

Two sisters. One secret. A lie that could destroy them both.

When her father dies, Josie is devastated to uncover he led a secret life: another house, another family and a half-sister called Valentina.

Both with red hair and icy blue eyes, Josie and Valentina could be mistaken for twins. But the similarities end there.

Josie – Sweet, reserved, jealous, thief.
Valentina – Care-free, confident, dangerous, liar.

Two sisters. One survivor.

mythoughts

You know how you’ve been on this massive rollercoaster ride and you get off and your legs are all wobbly and the world is spinning and you need to sit down? Yeah, that.

When Josie’s much beloved father dies while riding his motorcycle late at night, she’s left devastated. But things soon get even worse when she discovers her father has been leading a double life for years and has another woman and daughter stashed away. Josie and her half-sister Valentina look so much alike that they could be twins. But they are very different from one another and their lives have taken quite different paths as well.

Josie’s father was obsessed with all things relating to the Vikings and I have to say that I absolutely loved how each chapter began with some Viking knowledge. These aren’t just random facts and tidbits. They truly add to the atmosphere and make for one cohesive theme. The chapters and points of view alternate between the two half-sisters but it’s not always obvious from the start which sister is talking so Jess Ryder keeps you guessing for a while, especially when we get nearer the end of the story, when the lines become a bit blurred and you’re having a hard time keeping them apart. Fabulously done!

I felt the characters were all realistic and believable, even if I rolled my eyes at their stupidity and lack of judgment at certain points along the way. Josie particularly seemed a tad too naive sometimes. However, it did add to the whole “holy cow, who can you even trust anymore?” vibe that flowed through the story.

The Good Sister is so incredibly dark and twisty! The twists and turns had me reeling. This story has one heck of a devilish plot and is brilliantly suspenseful and tense. There was only ever going to be one conclusion that made sense, as the book description mentions “one survivor”, but the journey to get there was a nail-biting one. I found this psychological thriller to be utterly gripping and engrossing. A true and exciting page-turner!

Many thanks to Kim Nash and Bookouture for the opportunity to join the tour and my advanced copy, which I chose to review honestly!

The Good Sister is published today!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

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Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude

August 15, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 19 Comments

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Author : John Bude
Title : Death Makes a Prophet
Pages : 288
Publisher : The British Library
Publication date : July 10, 2017 (first published in 1947)

aboutthebook

‘Small hostilities were growing; vague jealousies were gaining strength; and far off, wasn’t there a nebulous hint of approaching tragedy in the air?’

Welworth Garden City in the 1940s is a forward-thinking town where free spirits find a home – vegetarians, socialists, and an array of exotic religious groups. Chief among these are the Children of Osiris, led by the eccentric High Prophet, Eustace K. Mildmann. The cult is a seething hotbed of petty resentment, jealousy and dark secrets – which eventually lead to murder.

The stage is set for one of Inspector Meredith’s most bizarre and exacting cases.

mythoughts

There’s no getting away from this series lately. It seems quite a lot of people are talking about it and I’m not immune to a bit of FOMO. On top of that, these covers are so pretty that they’ll look magnificent on any bookshelf so yes, the cover love won big time in this case and I bought five of these in one go. I’m not sorry. The lovely Emma at Emma’s Bookish Corner suggested I start with Death Makes a Prophet and so my journey through the British Library Crime Classics began.

Set in the town of Welworth Garden City, the shenanigans of the residents were reminiscent of an episode of Midsomer Murders, which I absolutely adore. Chief among these are the members of the Children of Osiris, a cult also known as Coo. But life in the cult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s an abundance of jealousy and rivalry, secrets and people pretending to be someone they’re not. And then there’s a murder.

Considering this story was first published in 1947, it has stood the test of time remarkably well. While I was worried I might find it a tad too old-fashioned, I actually found the change of pace incredibly refreshing and the setting absolutely delightful. It took me a while to get used to the writing style but I soon found myself completely engrossed.

It takes a while for the murder to happen and for Inspector Meredith to arrive on the scene but that didn’t bother me one bit. I thoroughly enjoyed the time the author spent on getting the reader acquainted with the cast of quirky and eccentric, yet quite realistic characters. The investigation into the murder is complex and highly interesting, with some twists I didn’t see coming. Every time I thought I had the whole thing figured out, the author very deftly guided me towards a dead end and I ended up suspecting everyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this foray into the British Crime Classics and I very much look forward to my next read in this collection.

Death Makes a Prophet was published in July.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Bookdepository | Goodreads

Deadly Spirits by E. Michael Helms @EMichaelHelms

August 14, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 9 Comments

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Author : E. Michael Helms
Title : Deadly Spirits
Series : Mac McClellan Mystery #4
Pages : 266
Publisher : Camel Press
Publication date : January 15, 2017

aboutthebook

When PI Mac McClellan’s girlfriend convinces him to join the Palmetto Paranormal Society, he becomes embroiled in a case of whodunnit. The society president, while investigating an old hotel, is found dead at the foot of the stairwell, his neck broken. The man’s secretary and current squeeze stands horrified beside his body. Authorities rule the death an accident. Mac has doubts—no one heard the man tumbling down the stairs. Then the secretary dies in an apparent suicide. Two deaths in two paranormal investigations, and not a peep out of either victim. Mac suspects there’s more going on than a vengeful spirit.

mythoughts

Private Investigator Mac McClellan’s girlfriend Kate convinces him to join a paranormal society with her. Mac doesn’t believe in spirits, unless they’re of the alcoholic variety so he’s quite sceptical about the whole thing. While the society investigates an old hotel, the society president is found dead at the bottom of the stairs with a broken neck. The police rule the death an accident, saying the poor man obviously fell down the stairs, but Mac isn’t convinced. Then another member of the society is found dead and Mac sets out to investigate, which soon puts him in danger.

Deadly Spirits is the fourth book in the McClellan Mystery series but if, like me, you’ve not read the previous ones, there’s no need to worry as this can perfectly be read as a stand-alone. If paranormal isn’t your thing, that shouldn’t put you off this book either. At its heart, it’s a good old-fashioned mystery and whodunnit. There are quite a few characters to keep track off and each and every single one of them seems to have a secret, making the list of potential suspects quite long. Mac definitely has his work cut out trying to unravel the various threads.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive

Mac is a highly likeable character. As a former marine, he displays quite the tough exterior but on the inside, he’s a big softie. He’s intelligent and perceptive and has a wonderful sense of humour. As a dog lover, I particularly enjoyed his interactions with his dog.

Overall, I found this to be a quite enjoyable and entertaining read with an interesting and complicated plot and some wonderful twists and turns.

Many thanks to the author for the electronic copy, which I chose to review honestly!

Deadly Spirits was published in January.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Weekly Wrap-Up (August 13)

August 13, 2017 ~ noveldeelights ~ 23 Comments

weekly-wrap-up

Summer doesn’t seem to have any intention of heading my way this year and it’s been another dark, dreary and wet week. On top of that, I’m also still stuck in twitter jail.

All of this means that I managed to read 8 books this week.