From the Book Elf

  The Uskok  by George Sand translated by Lynne Forest My thanks to Lynne and Aurora Metro Books  for sending me a copy of The Uskok to review and to  Random Things Resources for inviting me onto the tour. Synopsis In the elegant yet treacherous world of 17th century Venice, young nobleman Orio Soranzo has squandered his fortune and his reputation. Only by marrying the rich and beautiful heiress, Giovanna, can he regain both fortune and favour. Soranzo hurls himself into perilous ventures against the Turks — unaware that his quest for redemption will entangle him in a web of lies, shifting alliances, and dark deeds. As pirates stalk the seas, Giovanna dares to join Orio at the forbidding island fortress he commands. But with the arrival of an old friend, fate unleashes a terrible reckoning none could foresee. Lynne Forest’s vivid new translation invites readers to savour one of Sand’s most thrilling stories, in this newly rediscovered classic. My Thoughts I was int...

The Beasts of the Black Loch  by Gay Marris The Beasts of the Black Loch is  by Gay Marris and published by Bedford Square Publishers. My thanks to Gay and the publishers for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour. Synopsis In 50,000 acres of remote Scottish mountains and moor sits Dorcha Hall: a former hunting lodge nestling amongst ancient forests, on the shores of the enigmatic ‘Black Loch’. At night, lights glow from within, smoke curls from its chimneys, and in the forgiving murk of the gloaming, it looks magical. In daylight, its mouldering plasterwork and failing plumbing present a less romantic reality. Dr Ava Dickens has come to Dorcha to visit her godson, Alastair – a young man whose parents’ sudden death has taken him from a quiet life in academia to owning Loch Dorcha. He and his very new wife are convinced the only way to make the estate work is to run the Hall as a hotel. But Ava is a rigorous scientist, her specialty...

The Knife Maker of Venice  by David Gilman My thanks to David and Head of Zeus for sending me this lovely copy of  The Knife Maker of Venice to review.  Also to Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me to take part on the book tour. Synopsis A young Englishman captured by slavers must survive the snakepit that is seventeenth-century Venice. 1604. As pirates seeking slaves to sell in the markets of North Africa terrorise the coasts of Europe, headstrong Richard Sheriff and his sister Elizabeth are torn from their Devonshire home and thrust into a waking nightmare. Richard's skills as a blacksmith see him fetch a high price, but the pirate captain has other plans for Elizabeth and once they are separated, Richard has no idea of his sister's fate. They must both learn to survive on a deadly voyage into the unknown. Sold into servitude in Venice: glittering, vicious city of secrets, he is apprenticed to a knife maker. Richard's talents soon win him renown... but haunted by...

The One Where They Fall In Love  by Cristina Wolf My thanks to Cristina and Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of  The One Where They Fall In Love  to review and to   Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me onto the tour. Synopsis You never know when love may come knocking… Hopeless romantic and romance editor Elle Thompson lives for happy endings—but real-life love? Not so much. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t thrilled when her best friend gets engaged. Really. Not jealous at all. Meanwhile, Oliver Cole likes things a certain way. Schedules and routines and order. So when his move back to New York is disrupted with the unwelcome addition of Thor—the dog his sister adopted for him—he’s less than enthused. Even less enthused than Oliver? His neighbour, Elle. When Elle can’t bear to hear Thor howling all night, the two agree to strike a deal: she’ll dog-sit while he’s on shift. But what starts as a reluctant arrangement soon turns into late-night chats, sizz...

  Confessions of a Crime Writer  by Louise Mangos Confessions Of A Crime Writer by Louise Mangos  was published on 6th July. My thanks to Louise for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Handsome, debonair Nigel Inchcock is a talented crime writer working on the next global bestselling thriller. Or so he believes. In his early thirties and still living with his ageing mother, his writing career is taking time to kick-start, hampered by his warped sense of self-belief. From attempting to woo literary agents and library assistants, to becoming a victim of his own research, we follow Nigel on his turbulent journey through the bewildering world of publication. While attending a series crime writing festivals, Nigel befriends octogenarian author Edith Sparrow, after which his writing career takes an unusual turn. An accidental murder, the unintentional theft of a manuscript and the devious misuse of intellectu...