From the Book Elf

Holmes and Moriarty  by Gareth Rubin Holmes and Moriarty by Gareth Rubin  was published on 12th September 2024 by Simon & Schuster. My thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend, Dr John Watson, have been hired by actor George Reynolds. George wants them to find out why the audience who comes to see him perform every night are the same people, only wearing disguises. Is something sinister going on and, if so, what? Meanwhile, Holmes’ archenemy, Professor James Moriarty is having problems of his own. Implicated in the murder of a gang leader, Moriarty and his second, Moran, must go on the run from the police in order to find out who is behind the set-up. But their investigation puts them in the way of Holmes and Watson and it’s not long before all four realise that they are being targeted by the same person. With lives on the l...

Bella’s Countryside Christmas  by Claire Huston Bella's Countryside Christmas by Claire Huston  was published by Goldcrest books. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for asking me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack. Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory. A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away. But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really ...

Blood Debt  by M.K. Murphy Blood Debt by M.K. Murphy  will be published on 12th September by HQ. My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis Justice is served As criminal gangs rampage unchecked across London, a secretive elite squad begins a campaign of action, delivering the guilty to the cops – along with all the evidence they need for a conviction. Lines are drawn But when innocent people are shot after the vigilante crew blunders into a major police operation – Detective Rick Turner among the unintended victims – it’s clear they must be stopped. Rick’s brother Sam might be able to help, but he’s a fugitive from the law himself, on nobody’s side but his own. In too deep As Sam and Rick are drawn into a vast criminal web, allegiances are tested to the limit. mistrusted by his bosses, and targeted by a deadly enemy out for revenge, Rick must decide where his true...

Vagabond  by Mark Eveleigh Vagabond by Mark Eveleigh   Published on 8th August 2024 by Summersdale.  My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis This incredible true story of one man's 1,225-km hike across the Iberian Peninsula is a celebration of rural Spain along the road less travelled Inspired by a nomadic "vagabundo" he met decades ago, travel writer Mark Eveleigh eschews the fast pace of modern life and sets off on a solo hike 1,225 km across the Iberian Peninsula - from Gibraltar in the far south to Estaca de Bares, Spain's most northerly tip - carrying just a backpack and a hammock. Hiking through sleepy siesta-hour plazas, shady cork forests and heat-shimmering plains, the hours would be long, dusty and hot. But, as Mark passes through the many small villages and communities en route, his trek comes to be characterized most of all by the sharin...

Until We Meet  by E.V Radwinter Until We Meet by E.V Radwinter  was published in early August 2024. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to  Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour. Synopsis One train, a chance encounter, three lives changed forever. The past, we are told, can help us navigate the present and provide guidance for the future. But what if you don’t know where you came from? Would it affect how you live and love? Love is, after all, a fickle thing. The harder we search for it, the more it eludes us. Then again, when we are not looking for it, then sometimes, just sometimes, it finds us. A serendipitous encounter on a crowded train brings two strangers together. Ellie is struggling to escape a semi-toxic relationship, whilst caring for her ailing father. Rich has a secret he cannot share. Not yet at least. As the friends traverse the emotional rollercoasters of loss and searching for her birth family, they follow a ...