Drowning by T J Newman #bookreview #blogtour @T_J_Newman @simonschusterUK @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by T J Newman, Drowning. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent – Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife – who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time.

There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them – against impossible odds.

MY THOUGHTS

Drowning by T J Newman reads like a Hollywood movie. I’m a huge fan of disaster films and thrillers, so this novel definitely ticked all the boxes for me. I’ve heard really good things about her debut novel, which is on my TBR pile, so I will definitely be reading her first book now, after finishing her second, which I flew through at top speed. I can remember how terrified of flying I used to be when I was young. I was fine once we were up in the air, but I hated take off, and I always panicked whenever we hit turbulence, but I am much better now. In the opening of this book, there is an emergency on a passenger flight, and the plane is forced to nose dive into the ocean, so perhaps I wouldn’t recommend reading this one during a flight, but to wait until you’re safely on the ground.

Following the dramatic opening, the plot of T J Newman’s new thriller focuses on the rescue mission. I could really sense that the people charged with rescuing the survivors of the crash were running out of time, particularly, as there are people trapped inside the wreckage of the plane once it sinks beneath the waves. The remaining passengers still on board also have a limited amount of oxygen supply left, which adds to the tension. I have no idea how I would react in such a situation. I’m pretty sure there is no way I would be able to remain calm, particularly if I had to take instructions from people on the surface who were trying to rescue me.

T J Newman also brilliantly delves into the character’s backstories who are among the survivors of the crash. There are some heartbreaking reveals about what has been going on in some of the survivor’s family lives prior to the flight, particularly with one couple who have been dealing with the loss of their daughter.

Drowning is a pacy read that kept me turning the pages. If you’re looking for the perfect thriller to take away with you on holiday this summer, then you definitely need to pick this book up. 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Publication date: 8th June 2023

Print length: 320 pages

The Drowning is available to buy:

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The Fascination by Essie Fox #bookreview #blogtour @essiefox @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Essie Fox, The Fascination. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Victorian England. A world of rural fairgrounds and glamorous London theatres. A world of dark secrets and deadly obsessions…

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn’t grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father’s quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’.

Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name.


Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell’s Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical ‘family’ of performers, freaks and outcasts.

But it is Theo’s fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a web of deceits, exposing the darkest secrets and threatening everything they know…


Exploring universal themes of love and loss, the power of redemption and what it means to be unique, The Fascination is an evocative, glittering and bewitching gothic novel that brings alive Victorian London – and darkness and deception that lies beneath…

MY THOUGHTS

The Fascination is the first novel I’ve read by Essie Fox, and I will definitely be looking out for her name in the future. Set in London during the Victorian period, there are dark undertones and a mysterious element that I loved, that run right throughout this novel, with a slight hint of the supernatural, which reeled me into the story even more. There is also a unique cast of characters who will keep you utterly enthralled in their lives as we follow their journeys.

Essie Fox tells the story from the perspectives of two of her main characters, Theo and Keziah Lovell. They are two characters who both come from very different backgrounds, but they will soon find their journeys in this book intertwined and I loved seeing how Essie Fox developed this and how she brought them together. These two characters are richly described and I felt as though I was stepping into their lives as I read this book, as Essie Fox brought them to life so well. Theo lives with his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, who has displayed no sign of any affection towards him. I really felt for Theo, especially when his grandfather throws him out of his house where he, effectively abandoned Theo to the care of his staff, who have grown fond of Theo. To add insult to injury, Theo’s grandfather is intending to move his new wife into the house along with his new born son, who he declares the heir to his estate and title, and this leaves Theo with nowhere to go. It is shocking to see how brutal his grandfather is with this decision, and Theo has no choice but to obey what he says.

Keziah Lovell is an identical twin, but her sister, Tilly, has remained the same height since she was five. Like Theo’s, their story is equally heartbreaking, especially as their father, who is a drunk, chooses to exploit Tilly’s condition for his own personal gain. He has produced a fake medicine which he uses Tilly and Keziah to sell to the public when they are shown on stage. You can see how desperate the sisters are to get out of this situation they are in, and to be away from their father, especially as their mother is no longer alive. And this is when Theo steps into their lives. He is determined to help them, but as Theo becomes involved in their story, things don’t go quite to plan.

The Fascination is a bewitching read that captures the imagination. It is unlike any other book I have read recently and so I can’t wait to read what Essie Fox writes next.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 22nd June 2023

Print length: 352 pages

Fascination is available to buy:

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Hooked From Page One turns 7

I can’t believe it’s been seven years since I started my book blog on the 1st June 2016, when I first started my blog on blogspot. It’s amazing how quickly that time has gone by. I still at times feel like a newbie to the blogging world, even though my blog has been around for more than half a decade now. That’s crazy. I don’t think I ever thought back in 2016 that I would still be blogging and reviewing books seven years later. The joy and excitement I get from blogging has certainly never gone away.

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but one of the best things I’ve found that’s come from setting up a book blog, is that I’ve found some brilliant authors, who I might never have found otherwise, had it not been for my blog. It’s always a real pleasure to play a small part in helping get these authors names and their books out there.

I’m really looking forward to what discoveries I will make in the next seven years, and I’m pretty certain that in seven years time, I’ll still have my blog.

My Word Against His by Lauren North #bookreview #blogtour @Lauren_C_North @bookouture

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Lauren North, My Word Against His.

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My future hangs in the balance. They’re questioning both of us and every word I say matters. I need to be careful – it’s my word against his, and I can’t afford to lose…

Thirteen years ago. Teenager Lucie babysits our little son Henry. She’s like the daughter I never had. And she believes we’re the perfect family – just me, my husband and Henry.

But Lucie doesn’t really know what’s happening behind closed doors. Until one night, she sees something so awful she leaves. And my family is never the same again…

Now, Lucie has reached out, desperate for my help. It’s been thirteen years of silence, but I would recognise her voice anywhere. She’s back: and so are the secrets she took with her.

What did she see that night? And does she know my side of the story, or only his?

I hope she knows what she’s doing. Because there is no line I won’t cross to protect the ones I love – or the secrets I’ve worked so hard to hide…

MY THOUGHTS

My Word Against His by Lauren North is a rollercoaster of a read. I’ve become a big fan of Lauren’s work recently and I absolutely loved her latest book. The tension in this book never lets up. The story is so intriguing and it is so twisty. Lauren North throws in twist after twist and I had no idea how this book was going to develop as the story gets underway.

The novel begins when our main character, Celia, is forced by a young man with a knife to drive him to Leeds, while she is out in town. I was immediately asking questions, who is this man, why is he demanding that Celia drive him to Leeds? You can see just how frightened Celia is here. It soon becomes clear, following the explosive opening, that Celia is in a very big mess, and one that might be difficult for her to get herself out of, especially when the police become involved. I wanted to know what had led up to this moment, and what other secrets Celia is hiding. She doesn’t come across as a particularly likeable character. She appears to be very devious and very capable of manipulating situations to her advantage.

Lauren North brilliantly delves into Celia’s character as the plot of the novel progresses and Lauren North shows us what happens in the days before the inciting incident in the book takes place. This is where the plot becomes really twisty and we begin to see the true colours of Lauren’s main character’s begin to emerge, which Lauren North brings to life so well in her writing. I was never quite sure what to make of Celia. I certainly didn’t think I could trust her, but I kept thinking that perhaps I wasn’t seeing the bigger picture here, which made me even more keen to read on. This is what makes her such a fascinating character to follow and I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on.

My Word Against His is such a brilliant read and it is highly entertaining. It only took me a couple of sittings to finish it. I highly recommend it.

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 26th May 2023

Print length: 329 pages

My Word Against His is available to buy:

Amazon UK

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Deadly Fate by Angela Marsons #bookreview #blogtour @WriteAngie @bookouture

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the latest book in the Kim Stone series by Angela Marsons, Deadly Fate. With thanks to Kim Nash from Bookouture for inviting me to take part.

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The woman’s bright blonde hair floats in the breeze. She almost looks like she could be resting on the soft green grass. But her brown eyes stare unblinking up at the sky, and the final cut across her mouth is dark with blood. Her words silenced forever…

Late one evening, as the final church bell rings out, Sandra Deakin’s cold and lifeless body is found in the overgrown graveyard with multiple stab wounds. When Detective Kim Stone rushes to the scene, the violence of the attack convinces her that this murder was deeply personal. What could have caused such hate?

As the team dig into Sandra’s life, they discover she believed she could communicate with the dead. Was that why she was targeted? The last people to see her alive were a group of women who had a session with her the night before she was killed, and as Kim and her team pay them a visit, they soon learn each of the women is lying about why they wanted Sandra’s help…

Kim realises she must dig deep and open her mind to every avenue if she’s going to stand a chance at solving this case. And when she learns that Sandra was banned from the church grounds and had been receiving death threats too, she’s ever more certain that Sandra’s gifts are at the heart of everything.

But just when she thinks she’s found a lead, the broken body of a nineteen-year-old boy is found outside a call centre – a single slash across his mouth just like Sandra’s. Kim knows they are now racing against time to understand what triggered these attacks, and to stop a twisted killer.

But they might be too late. Just as Kim sits down at a local psychic show she discovers something that makes her blood run cold. Both Sandra and the call centre were named in an article about frauds. And this show stars the next name on the list. She looks around the audience with a feeling of utter dread, certain the killer is among them…

MY THOUGHTS

DI Kim Stone is back in the latest instalment in Angela Marson’s thrilling series. This time around, in Deadly Fate, Kim Stone is investigating the murder of a psychic, Sandra Deakin, after her body is found in a church graveyard, where, a witness says, she used to visit all the time and speak to the graves. Now I would definitely say that I am a non-believer when it comes to psychics. I am interested in what they do, but I do not believe that they can contact the dead, but I can see how they can give some people hope and give people comfort. I was eager to know what motives there were for someone wanting to have Sandra dead, and if this was in any way linked to her supposed psychic abilities.

Angela Marsons clearly shows in her book how strongly people can feel towards psychics. There are those who will defend them to the earth, and there are those who will seek to smear their name and call them out as fakers. There are definitely plenty of characters in this book who share both of these views, which is what made this book really fascinating and this provides a number of suspects. You can see that Kim herself is a sceptic, but even she is open minded to the possibility that psychics might be able to contact the spirit world.

The investigation quickly becomes quite a complex one for Kim and her team, especially with the discovery of another body shortly after the discovery of Sandra’s. It raises fears that they might be dealing with a serial killer and that they may not be done with their crimes. There is also, as I mentioned earlier, a number of suspects in this book. This begins with the group of women who were the last to see Sandra before her death, when she performed a psychic reading for them, and you can see the strong feelings they have towards her. But could any of them have been capable of committing this crime? Angela Marsons does a brilliant job of raising the reader’s suspicions, and from one minute to the next, I was never sure who would best fit the bill as the person responsible for the crime. I loved how gripping this made this book and it was so cleverly plotted, especially as Angela Marsons brings the case to a dramatic conclusion.

Over the course of this series, we have got to know Kim really well and Angela Marsons has previously delved into the horrors of her past. There was a particularly haunting scene concerning this towards the end of the novel, which I really liked. You can feel the emotion pouring out of Kim in this moment, and I was gripped to the words on the page as I waited to see what was going to happen.

Deadly Fate is another brilliant book in the Kim Stone series, and I’m sure I’ve said this multiple times about this series, but it does keep getting better and better. I loved it.

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 25th May 2023

Print length: 414 pages

Deadly Fate is available to buy:

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The Stranger Beside Me by Caroline England #coverreveal @CazEngland

I’m delighted to be helping to reveal the cover of the new thriller by Caroline England, The Stranger Beside Me on my blog today. But before I reveal the cover, here’s what the book is about.

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A new dark, twisty psychological suspense by bestselling author Caroline England, author of Betray Her and My Husband’s Lies.

Katy Henry is lost and lonely. A single mother, plagued by fatigue and anxiety, she rarely has time for friends. But when she encounters Sibeal Matthews, all this changes. Sibeal is everything that Katy is not: assured, headstrong and charming.

Katy soon finds herself pulled out of her isolation into a fierce friendship. But Sibeal is not all that she seems. Tragedy haunts her, and for all her feistiness, she is startlingly dependent on her brother, Gabriel. And when her life begins to spectacularly unravel, Katy is swept up in the storm.

As Katy fights to protect herself and her son, it’s not just Sibeal who threatens to endanger them – Katy’s own past starts to rupture. Who can Katy trust? Can she even trust herself?

And now for the cover . . .

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. . .

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The Stranger Beside Me is published on the 3rd August 2023, you can pre order a copy clicking on the link below:

Amazon UK

The Perfect Husband by Danielle Ramsey #bookreview #blogtour @DanielleRamsay2 @BoldwoodBooks @rararesources

On my blog today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Danielle Ramsey, The Perfect Husband. With thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources, for inviting me to take part.

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How do you know if you’ve married the wrong person?

It was a whirlwind romance and we had the perfect relationship.
He was my dream partner, loving, caring, attentive… until the day I married him and things became toxic.
I spent my wedding night in A&E with an ‘unexplained’ broken wrist – but I knew what happened….
My romantic illusions shattered. My fear of the future heightened.
The man I had fallen in love with wasn’t the man I married.
And that was just the start of things to come.
Quickly things escalated. He isolated me from family and friends, and with no one to turn to, he began to control every part of my life.
I tried to escape, but he watched my every move.
Until one day he went too far, and I found my strength to fight back.
I no longer wanted to be a victim.
I wanted to live.
I wanted my life back.
But at what cost?
In sickness and in health and till death us do part…

MY THOUGHTS

The Perfect Husband is an utterly tense thriller by Danielle Ramsay. We meet Sophie, as she is getting married to her husband, Jay. She was previously engaged to her last boyfriend, Ben, but he decided to leave her for another woman shortly before they were due to get married, a decision Ben bitterly regrets. Even Sophie’s family, especially her mother, is devastated that Sophie and Ben split up and she wants Sophie to get back together with him. Even before the marriage ceremony gets underway, Sophie is warned about Jay by his best man. Is Sophie marrying the right man?

Right from the start there is tension in Sophie’s marriage, when, on her wedding night, she ends up in Accident and Emergency after Jay breaks her wrist. Already, Sophie is beginning to wonder if she made the right choice. Jay is adamant that she was responsible for breaking her wrist. You can clearly see that he has a temper on him, but this seems to come and go, almost like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  It’s what makes him really unpredictable and dangerous, as he can change at any moment, and this is what makes the novel tense, as Sophie has no idea who he really is. Is Jay someone who can change? Or will he be the same person for the rest of their lives together. This might be the one chance Sophie has of getting out of the marriage.

Danielle Ramsay has really created an evil character in Jay. I disliked him right from the start of the novel, and even as he tried to persuade Sophie that this wasn’t the man he was, whenever he turned violent, I still could never trust him. Sophie is walking around on egg shells around him and it becomes even worse for her when she is cut off from her family, and it seems that Jay is beginning to control every access of her life. She has no idea what card Jay will play next.

The idea of this story isn’t unique but I really liked how Danielle Ramsay told it. I really cared for Sophie and I wanted her to get out of her relationship with Jay. There are times when it does seem impossible for her to achieve this, but I was rooting for her the whole way through and I wanted Jay to get what he deserved.

The Perfect Husband is an utterly gripping read by Danielle Ramsay. I really enjoyed it.

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication date: 26th May 2023

Print length: 364 pages

The Perfect Husband is available to buy:

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The Last Dance by Mark Billingham #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Mark Billingham, and the first in a new series, The Last Dance.

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Meet Detective Miller: unique, unconventional, and criminally underestimated…

He’s a detective, a dancer, he has no respect for authority ­- and he’s the best hope Blackpool has for keeping criminals off the streets. Meet Detective Declan Miller.

A double murder in a seaside hotel sees a grieving Miller return to work to solve what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. Just why were two completely unconnected men taken out?

Despite a somewhat dubious relationship with both reality and his new partner, can the eccentric, offbeat Miller find answers where his colleagues have found only an impossible puzzle?

MY THOUGHTS

I was really intrigued to hear that Mark Billingham was releasing a new series and so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the first book, The Last Dance, which is set in Blackpool. We are introduced to detective Declan Miller, who is still grieving the loss of his wife, who also worked in the police. Miller is thrown into a grisly murder investigation, following the discovery of two dead bodies in a hotel room by a cleaner, one of which appears to be a case of mistaken identity. While he is investigating these two murders, the investigation into his wife’s death is still ongoing and Miller is desperate to find out more about what is happening, including risking his career.

Mark Billingham’s writing captured my attention from the first few pages and I found this book to be really addictive. The prologue is so intriguing and I loved the last line which made me want to read the rest of the book right away. I really liked how he developed the characters, and the banter between them really made their characters come to life. I really liked his colleague Sara Xiu, who Miller is partnered with, and they work together well, even though they have disagreements every now and then. But this is what makes their partnership interesting, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Mark Billingham takes them next.

Mark Billingham delves into how much Miller’s wife’s death has affected him, and we see this as he battles with his own thoughts and the grief that he carries. He has visions of his wife and you can’t help but feel for Miller in these scenes, especially when he hears her voice inside his head, making up his mind for him, as he battles with his thoughts on what he should do next.

Mark Billingham keeps the intrigue and suspense ticking up a notch as Xiu and Miller work together to solve the double murder at the hotel. I was never sure what was going to pan out as the investigation into the murders develops, and it takes an even more chilling turn as it looks into a local crime gang.

The Last Dance is a fantastic start to a new series and it is one I will definitely be following. I can’t wait to see what Mark Billingham has in store for us with this series next.

Publisher: Sphere

Publication date: 25th May 2023

Print length: 400 pages

The Last Dance is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell #bookreview

On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Laura Purcell, The Whispering Muse.

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Be careful what you wish for… it may just come true.

At The Mercury Theatre in London’s West End, rumours are circulating of a curse.

It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees.

What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it’s as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high.

MY THOUGHTS

I was a huge fan of Laura Purcell’s debut novel, The Silent Companions. I’ve been meaning to catch up on the rest of her books for a while now, which I will definitely be bumping up my TBR pile. When The Whispering Muse, her latest novel came out, I jumped at it. This is another brilliant piece of gothic fiction from Laura Purcell.

The Whispering Muse is set in the Victorian period in London. We are introduced to our main character, Jenny, who has been summoned to the home of her employer, theatre owner, Mrs Dyer. Jenny has recently been abandoned by her brother, who was also employed at the theatre, after he ran off with an actress, and Jenny – who has been left to care for the rest of her family – is worried that this is what Mrs Dyer wants to speak to her about. She has been left mortified by her brother’s actions. But Mrs Dyer has other plans for Jenny. Mrs Dyer wants Jenny to keep an eye on up and coming actress, Lilith, who is expected to become a big star in the West End, but Mrs Dyer doesn’t like her. Mrs Dyer wants Jenny to destroy Lilith’s career before it even begins, and so she offers her the chance to become Lilith’s dresser, so Jenny can keep an eye on her and report back to her. Jenny jumps at the chance.

Laura Purcell opens her book in a dramatic way with the death of a magnificent actor on stage while he is performing, and Jenny witnesses this. Now, there is a supernatural element to this book, which is what I loved about it. It is rumoured that the actor who died on stage made a deal with a Greek Muse, Melpomene to give him talent. After making the deal, he then traps Melpomene in a pocket watch, which after his death, is passed on to Lilith. Is Lilith destined to meet the same fate as the previous owner of the watch? Is the curse real or is there another explanation for what is happening in the theatre? Could this also be the reason why Mrs Dyer is so obsessed with Lilith and wants her destroyed?

The talk of the curse really does create a mysterious atmosphere in the novel that connected me to the characters more, especially Jenny, as she tries to carry out what Mrs Dyer has asked her to do. Jenny soon finds herself torn as she grows to like Lilith, and this creates conflict internally for Jenny. I really felt for her, especially when her brother reappears, and you can see the consequences of his actions existing between them so well.

Once again Laura Purcell has created another creepy gothic thriller. I highly recommend The Whispering Muse.

Publisher: Raven Books

Publication date: 2nd February 2023

Print length: 274 pages

The Whispering Muse is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones

Outback by Michael Davies #bookreview #blogtour @mrgdavies @HarperCollinsUK @RandomTTours

On my blog today I’m sharing my thoughts on Outback by Michael Davies as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Insurance investigator Bill Kemp had never wanted to trek deep into Australia’s remote interior. But when his clients Sophie and Adam Church inherit an abandoned opal mine, triggering some explosive long-lost secrets, they – and Kemp – find themselves facing an unknown enemy even more deadly than the vast, forbidding wilderness of the Outback…

The Desmond Bagley centenary novel honours the legacy of the bestselling thriller writer with a new adventure featuring Bill Kemp, described by Jeffrey Deaver as ‘part James Bond, part Philip Marlowe, and all hero’. Writer Michael Davies, who completed the first Kemp novel Domino Island for publication nearly 40 years after the author’s death, now weaves an original tale of danger and death under the blistering Australian sun.

MY THOUGHTS

I loved Outback by Michael Davies. I’ve become a fan of Australian crime fiction in recent years, so I jumped at the chance to read this book when I read the blurb. Our main character, Sophie, only discovers that she had an uncle called George, living in Australia, when he dies. She finds out that he has left her his entire estate in Australia, which includes an opal mine. But as Sophie heads out there to claim her inheritance, thinking that the opal mine might be worth quite a sum, it is clear that there are people there who are keen to make sure that she doesn’t get her hands on her uncle’s land. It seems that being left her uncle’s estate has become more of a curse than a blessing.

I was really intrigued to find out who it was who wanted to stop Sophie getting her hands on her inheritance. Does the land hold any secrets these people are desperate to protect? I loved the tension that Michael Davies creates as Sophie and her legal team, which includes investigator Bill Kemp, trek the Australian outback in search of her uncle’s opal mine. You can really sense how dangerous the terrain is around them, and if they stray from the path they’re on, or if they are separated, it could mean death.

This is the first time I’ve heard of Desmond Bagely, so I’m intrigued to look into his work after reading Outback, which Michael Davies has written as a sequel to Desmond’s novel, Domino Island. I really liked Bill Kemp, so I am keen to find out more about him. He is definitely someone who will go above and beyond for his clients and I hope that Michael Davies might continue with this series. It would be great to find out what happens to Bill Kemp next.

I loved the action scenes as the novel raced towards its finale. I could easily see this book being portrayed on the big screen. It would make for a fantastic action-packed movie. Outback is a fast paced read that I highly recommend.

Publisher: Collins Crime Club

Publication date: 11th May 2023

Print length: 302 pages

Outback is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones

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