Monthly Archives: April 2020

Footprints in the Sand (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Book 2) by Pam Lecky – Review

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Today I’m going to be reviewing Footprints in the Sand (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Book 2) by Pam Lecky.

Here’s the blurb

Cairo 1887: A melting pot of jealousy, lust and revenge. Who will pay the ultimate price?

Lucy Lawrence throws caution to the wind and embarks on a journey of self-discovery to the land of the pharaohs.

Travelling to Cairo as the patron of the charming French Egyptologist, Armand Moreau, Lucy discovers an archaeological community plagued by professional rivalries and intrigue. It is soon apparent that the thriving black market in antiquities threatens Egypt’s precious heritage.

When the Egyptian Museum is burgled, Lucy is determined to solve the case, much to the annoyance of the local inspector of police, and the alarm of Mary, her maid. But when an archaeologist is found murdered in the Great Pyramid, Lucy is catapulted into the resulting maelstrom. Can she keep her wits about her to avoid meeting a similar fate?

Review

First off.. have you read book 1 in the series? No Stone Unturned. You don’t need to in order to read Footprints in the Sand but it would certainly help you understand Lucy and her motivations.

After the death of her husband Charlie and the events that followed it’s time for Lucy to find herself.. to enjoy herself a little..lord know she needs it.

Lucy’s quite an independent woman… at a point in time when this would be highly looked down upon. It’s the whole Men do the real work kind of thing but Lucy pulls no punches and doesn’t listen to these silly views.. she will do exactly what she wants. She’s a little headstrong too at times which isn’t always a good thing for her.. impulsive and that leads to trouble.

When Lucy meets Armand Moreau she’s captivated not only by him but also his profession.. he’s an archaeologist working in Egypt.. the whole idea fascinates Lucy and with no one waiting for her to come home to she decides to be a patron of Moreau and agrees to accompany him on the dig.

Soon a theft occurs.. and a black market in goods becomes clear.. is this really a good place for Lucy to be?

Things soon become even worse when a body is found in the Great Pyramid and the murder weapon is… oh well I’ll let you find that out ha.

There’s twists and turns along the way, some subtle..some quite glaringly obvious but Lucy needs to put the pieces together to understand the events and the meanings behind them.

Why doesn’t she just go to the Police you ask? Well she quite fancies herself as a amateur detective.. and more so she wants to prove she’s capable of anything she puts her mind too.. sod what anyone else thinks.

I really enjoyed the plot and the final twist in the tale. It’s paced well and I loved the characters and their development..everyone seemed to get their fair share of the limelight.

For me Footprints in the Sand is a fun and easy read..you’ll flow through it like a hot knife through butter..it’s just written in a way it’s effortless to read..you just get sucked in.

Pam Lecky is really good at writing female lead novels which I find I really enjoy.. her characters have their good and bad points.. that makes them human.. you can’t be perfect after all.

What also shined through is Pam’s commitment to the subject as she balanced the plot perfectly with tit bits of information to show she researched well. Archaeology and Egypt have always fascinated me so It was lovely to see she didn’t skim on this but neither overegged it.. spot on.

A fun and fresh series I’m very much enjoying. More please.

5/5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Flash Gordon – War Of The Citadels by David Hagberg – Review

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Today I’m going to be reviewing War of the Citadels book 2 in the Flash Gordon series by David Hagberg.

Here’s the blurb

Sent on a rescue mission by the leaders of the planet Earth, Flash Gordon and his companions Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov find themselves involved in an intricate war plan which threatens the existence of the entire universe. Each step they take propels them further into the complex plots and counterplots of two warring worlds.

Review

This is the 2nd instalment in the series by David Hagberg. In the 1st instalment we learned of the ⁰reappearance of the Interstellar Exploration ship GOODHOPE.. with it’s crew all found dead. The ship had been launched 200 years prior and Zarkov was tasked with discovering what had happened aboard ship when suddenly the drive spools and our heroes are whisked away across the galaxy to a distant planet.

We soon learned of a war that has raged for thousands of years that could impact everyone..Flash, Zarkov and Dale decide to help.

While on the planet a ship from Citadel II appears.. the enemy..and all hell breaks loose.. they’re more advanced than first thought and this could mean the end of Citadel I and our heroes.

One hope remains.. The creators of Citadel I came from a planet called Centrus. The location of this planet has remained secret.. for everyone’s sake.. but they may still be alive, or at the very least have technology that can save them. Zarkov soon finds a way to locate Centrus and sets off in search of something to help them in their quest.

As with the previous instalment the author throws in some great twists alone the way leaving the reader wondering what the hell is going on.. gripped.. and excited..It’s not all smooth sailing and sometimes you can be left wondering who actually are the good guys in this? Is Flash backing the right team? Is this to save people or will it simply cause the war to continue?

Overall a really exciting read..I’m really enjoying the series. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get around to reading them.

If you can pick up a copy I highly recommend you do..old school SyFy.. what’s not to love!

5/5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon. I also highly recommend AbeBooks if you want to find a copy :)

Salt Lane by William Shaw – Review

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Today I’m going to be reviewing Salt Lane by William Shaw, Book 1 in the DS Alexandra Cupidi series.

Here’s the blurb

SHE ALWAYS WENT TOO FAR

DS Alexandra Cupidi has done it again. She should have learnt to keep her big mouth shut, after the scandal that sent her packing – resentful teenager in tow – from the London Met to the lonely Kent coastline. Murder is different here, among the fens and stark beaches.

SHE WAS THE ONE WHO FOUND THE KILLERS

The man drowned in the slurry pit had been herded there like an animal. He was North African, like many of the fruit pickers that work the fields. The more Cupidi discovers, the more she wants to ask – but these people are suspicious of questions.

AND NOW IT WAS KILLING HER

It will take an understanding of this strange place – its old ways and new crimes – to uncover the dark conspiracy behind the murder. Cupidi is not afraid to travel that road. But she should be. She should, by now, have learnt.

Salt Lane is the first in the new DS Alexandra Cupidi series. With his trademark characterisation and flair for social commentary, William Shaw has crafted a crime novel for our time that grips you, mind and heart.

Review

DS Cupidi has moved to Kent after a scandal she would rather her new colleagues don’t find out about. She’s trying to keep her head down and not get too pally with anyone.. a case soon hits her desk to take her mind off the past..at least for a little while.

Two murders take place in a short space of time.. this can’t be a coincidence can it? Is there a link? What makes one of the murders even stranger is the circumstances behind the woman’s death.. the time of death doesn’t make sense.. she was seen alive at the same time as she was dead in a ditch.. how is that possible?

Well I’m not going to spoil it but I will admit it’s very well executed. Until the case unravelled I had no clue where the tale would go and that’s the kind of crime novel I love! Keep me guessing 🙂

Cupidi herself is flawed like all the good detectives. She’s balancing her work but also her personal life.. a teenage daughter she’s struggling to connect with and a past that will catch up to her at some point.. this gave the character a realness I love to see. It was really refreshing having a female lead too, almost all police type books I’ve read have had male leads.

Chapter length and pace of the plot for me was spot on and the mix of personal and professional focused scenes makes it very easy to read… you’ve never get bogged down. So good infact it’s easy to devour!

The character development of Cupidi was gradual and delivered perfectly.. she’s Impulsive..she’s human..I liked her.

Do I want to read book 2 in the series? Yes!

Will I be pre-ordering book 3 due out next year? Yes!

5/5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

 

Isolation Reads – What’s on my TBR list

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You’ve probably noticed but this thing called a virus is going about so many people are now stuck in doors..I hope you are all keeping safe in these uncertain times. I have the pleasure of being classed as a essentially work but when I do have a few moments to relax around work and home schooling I still like to get to grips with a good book.

Today I wanted to share a few upcoming books on my TBR list, Click the pictures to head to Amazon if you want to know more 😊..tell me what you think and hit me up with your own isolation reads.

Footprints in the Sand by Pam Lecky

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Cairo 1887: A melting pot of jealousy, lust and revenge. Who will pay the ultimate price?

Lucy Lawrence throws caution to the wind and embarks on a journey of self-discovery to the land of the pharaohs.

Travelling to Cairo as the patron of the charming French Egyptologist, Armand Moreau, Lucy discovers an archaeological community plagued by professional rivalries and intrigue. It is soon apparent that the thriving black market in antiquities threatens Egypt’s precious heritage.

When the Egyptian Museum is burgled, Lucy is determined to solve the case, much to the annoyance of the local inspector of police, and the alarm of Mary, her maid. But when an archaeologist is found murdered in the Great Pyramid, Lucy is catapulted into the resulting maelstrom. Can she keep her wits about her to avoid meeting a similar fate?

Betray Them All by Keith Nixon

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It’s 3am on a wet, dreary morning in the south of England. Detective Inspector Solomon Gray raids an ordinary-looking house, but inside he finds the exception: an illegal cannabis farm run by a sixteen-year-old held against his will.

Within minutes Gray rushes to another nearby incident. A homeowner has stabbed and seriously wounded a burglar. Semi-retired Charles Sowerby, claims self-defence against the intruder – a traveller by the name of Aidan Jupp, a man with a violent history of targeting society’s most vulnerable.

The stabbing heightens local tensions, inflamed by far-right anti-immigrant activists and the Press. Jupp’s family swear revenge on Sowerby. Then Gray discovers Jupp wasn’t acting alone, so who’s his partner?

Somehow the cannabis farm and the stabbing are connected. Can Gray figure everything out before local tensions boil over?

Shadowless by Randall McNally

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What if the gods themselves wanted you dead?

A young boy lies on a beach on a warm summer’s day. While trying to block the sun from his eyes Arpherius makes a shocking discovery; he has no shadow. Confused and bewildered he asks his uncle why he is shadowless. What he learns is a terrifying secret that will change his life forever.

Set in the Northern Realms, Shadowless is a fantasy novel about individuals born without a shadow. Spawned by the malevolent deities of this world these children of the gods are persecuted at every turn. Hunted by the high priests who carry out the wishes of their gods, hunted by the Shadow Watchers; armed soldiers who are assigned to each temple, and hunted by the gods themselves.

Part-mortal and part-god, the Shadowless live for centuries and face a battle for survival, constantly on the run or hiding in far-flung corners of the Northern Realms.

Soon their lives and fates become intertwined, expedited by the mysterious monk Amrodan. Driven by a series of visions Amrodan travels through the Northern Realms, seeking out the Shadowless and trying to enlist their help to take a stand and fight back against the gods.

The Good Hawk by Joseph Elliott

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If everything was taken from you, what would you do to get it back?

Agatha patrols the sea wall with pride, despite those in her clan who question her right to be there, because of the condition she was born with.

Jaime is a reluctant Angler, full of self-doubt and afraid of the sea.

When disaster strikes, the pair must embark on a terrifying journey to a land where forgotten magic and dark secrets lurk in every shadow…

Five Unicorn Flush

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“Reasonspace is in shambles after the disappearance of all magical creatures. Without faster-than-light travel, supply and communication routes have dried up, leaving humankind stranded and starving. Cowboy Jim and his complement of Reason soldiers search for the relocated Bala using the only surviving FTL drive. On their new utopian planet, the Bala are on the brink of civil war between those who want peace under old-fashioned unicorn rule and those who seek revenge on their human oppressors. Only Captain Jenny and her new brain parasite can stop the Reason plan to enslave the Bala again.

That’s it from me today.. I’ve loads more on my list to share with you so keep an eye out. Whatever you do during isolation..stay safe.

Surviving Hell: the brutal true story of the Chennai Six by Nick Dunn – Review

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Next up I’m reviewing Surviving Hell: the brutal true story of the Chennai Six by Nick Dunn. Nick is a fellow Ashington boy who was mixed up in events that cost him years of his life.. it’s a true account of his imprisonment and treatment at the hands of the UK and Indian government.. it’s one hell of a read.

Here’s the blurb

THE BRUTAL TRUE STORY OF THE ‘CHENNAI SIX’

The remarkable story of former British soldier Nick Dunn, who was caught up in one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the modern era.

Arrested and imprisoned in India as one of the ‘Chennai Six’, Nick wasn’t just innocent of any crime – there was no crime. Stationed on an anti-piracy ship to protect vessels against Somali pirates, the six were arrested and falsely charged with intruding in Indian waters and the possession of illegal weapons.

Nick lost four years of his life trapped in a legal nightmare in India, thousands of miles from home and his family, spending the bulk of his time in appalling conditions at Chennai prison with extremely limited contact to the outside world. Despite this, Nick refused to buckle, and now he tells his full story of endurance and survival for the very first time.

Review

Nick Dunn is a former British soldier.. After serving his country he decides to take a job in security, specifically on an anti-piracy ship protecting vessels for Somali pirates. While aboard ship the Indian coastguard board and accuse the men of being in Indian waters with illegal weapons. The men know this to be untrue and believe it will be sorted out quickly…fat chance.. due to the vindictive and corrupt nature of the Indian justice system Nick and the rest of the men are about to be trust into hardship and uncertainty that would break many.

This tale isn’t just about his time in prison.. it’s a reflective look at his life and event that ended up with Nick being in India.. Nick had a lot of time to look back at things.. he doesn’t have regrets.. it’s just a simple series of events that have led him here but he won’t let this get him down.. he has to be strong.

We also learn of Lisa, Nick’s sister who campaigned tirelessly for his release and the amazing connection between the two of them.. a bond that could never be broken no matter the distance.

In the current climate this book is the perfect read.. Nick had to deal with isolation.. had to deal with the stress of things being out of his control.. I know it’s a very different situation but reading about his strength during that time can help you see that things could be worse.. if he made it through so will we.

What amazed me was the telling of his time in jail… you’d be forgiven for thinking he was just imprisoned from day 1… not so.. in and out of jail, on bail, back to jail, freedom of sorts..to have it crushed and forced back to jail seemingly out of spite more than anything..I can’t imagine the stress that must have caused Nick and the other men.

Nick was shockingly let down by many.. just not those closest to him.. his family. It wasn’t an easy ride for them either. As we all know life moves on regardless of events that might happen to you.. how do you balance a life when a member of your family is locked up on false charges.

To say this book is a brilliant read is an understatement.. that seems like the wrong word if you look at the subject matter.. it’s a harrowing tale of corruption and imprisonment but also sheer strength of will.. that in the end sees Nick home with his family.

5/5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.