Secrets in the Little Irish Village by Michelle Vernal (The Little Irish Village #4)

Grace Kelly can’t escape the draws of Emerald Bay; the sweeping cliffs, the sparkling sea… and her gorgeous new flatmate. The problem is, she has to keep him a secret from her family. And she isn’t the only one in the village with something to hide this summer…

Grace really needs someone to help cover the rent for her London flat, but Christopher Dorrance? Everyone in the little Irish village of Emerald Bay knows about the feud between their families, though no one knows how it started. But, both being in a tight spot, they try and make it work, swearing to tell no one back home. Until a mutual friend and her son in the bay are left homeless after a storm. Grace and Christopher must head back to Ireland to help… together.
As they flesh out their idea to raise money for their friend with a village charity concert, Chris’s blue eyes light up. Even though they have to hide out for every planning session, and after all her father has said about the Dorrances, Grace can’t believe how kind he is. Soon sparks are flying as they laugh together, chasing dairy cows from a field to set up the stage. Could Chris be more than just a flatmate?
But their hopes that a good cause will soften the hostility between their dads are dashed. The two men still argue constantly. And with a happy future for their friend depending on the concert running smoothly, the truth behind the feud threatens to come out and destroy everything…

Could the events of the past destroy any chance of a future for Chris and Grace? Or, if Grace follows her heart, could she finally heal the rift between their families?

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0CVYKMMM9social

My Review:
This is the second book I read in the Little Irish Village series and it was the right book at the right moment.
I needed some escapism, a good and honest enemy to lover story, and a lovely setting. There’s also a very funny pet but you have to read this book to know more.
I had fun, rooted for the characters, and had some good time in reading this heartwamring and cute story.
Even if it’s the 4th book in the series it can be read as a standalone but, beware, this series can be addictive.
4.5 upped to 5
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humour and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

Author social media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleVernal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellevernalnovelist/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellevernalnovelist
Website: https://www.michellevernalbooks.com/
Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/michelle-vernal

Mystery on Meadowsweet Grove by Clare Chase (An Eve Mallow Mystery #12)

Saxford St Peter is having an open gardens day! But one of the villagers has murder, not marigolds, in mind… And now Eve Mallow needs to unearth a killer.

Everyone in Saxford is delighted when jeweller Cleo Marbeck suggests a prize for the village’s best garden. Flowers are planted, grass is cut, and the competition is on. But the event only digs up dirt… Twenty-five years ago, a young woman fell to her death in Cleo’s house, and rumours soon resurface about Cleo’s part in the tragedy.
Eve’s best friend Viv is hosting Stevie, her son’s fiancée, ahead of the wedding. On the open garden day, Stevie has a horrible flashback: the memory of a woman lying at the bottom of a staircase. But she sees it in a totally different house from the one where Honor died…
Hours later Cleo’s body is found, drowned in her own pond. Almost everyone in Saxford has been in and out of her garden, sowing suspicion everywhere. But Eve is convinced the flashback has triggered the crime… and when the police turn their sights on Stevie, she’ll have to work fast to solve the case and save the wedding.
So who wanted Cleo in the ground? The son of the woman who died, out for revenge? The employee passed over for promotion? Her long-term lover, who she refused to marry? And why do so many suspects live on Meadowsweet Grove?
When someone else takes a tumble downstairs, Eve knows she’s close to grubbing up the truth. But can she catch the killer or is she heading for a fatal fall?

My Review:
There’s always something new and exciting, like a character, a happy event, or something in Eve’s life.
This is one of my favorite aspects, as each book is better than the previous and very entertaining.
The start of this book add something my bucket list, as I love gardening and view an open garden day in an English village as paradise on Earth.
It would be better if no-one is murdered but, as this is a mystery, it’s part of the game and finding the culprit is what you expect.
Eve will investigate, write an obituary, and the balance of the universe will be reestablished at the end of the story.
Another whodunit with plenty of secrets, twists, red herrings, and a very satisfying solution.. Another novel by Ms Chase that kept me reading till late in the night.
Read it and have fun.
Many thanks to Bookouture for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Buy Link(s): https://geni.us/B0CM6ZN66Lsocial

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.
Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.
Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.
As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.
You can find Clare’s website and blog at http://www.clarechase.com

Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClareChaseAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClareChase_
Website: http://www.clarechase.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarechaseauthor/
Bookouture email signup: https://www.bookouture.com/clare-chase

THE CHALK MAN by Adam Lyndon (Detective Rutherford Barnes Mysteries #4)

Winter sunrise over stream on the Lincolnshire Wolds

MEET DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES IN THIS BRILLIANT BRITISH CRIME SERIES FROM A SERVING POLICE OFFICER, PACKED FULL OF TWISTS.

Barnes finally has the family he always longed for. But someone is coming for them . . .

Detective Barnes crouches down by the body near the seafront. Male, mid-twenties. The face is blue-white, mouth stretched open in a silent yawn.
Suddenly his eye is caught by an abrupt movement. A woman has fallen over on the pavement opposite. ‘Looks like someone’s feeling crook,’ says Howlett, his detective constable.
Then Barnes sees another person collapse nearby. A young man, fit. He hasn’t tripped. His body starts to convulse on the ground.
As panic spreads through the crowd, Barnes’s mobile rings. It’s Tamsin, his normally unflappable partner.

‘Barnes . . .’ She sounds frantic. ‘It’s . . . it’s Maggie.’
Barnes goes cold. ‘What about her?’
‘She was supposed to be at rugby practice. But she never showed up. She’s . . . she’s missing.’
His stepdaughter is missing — and Barnes has a very bad feeling about who might be responsible . . .

Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Helen H. Durrant, Peter James, Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk or J.M. Dalgliesh.

THE DETECTIVE
DI Rutherford Barnes is no longer the ambitious, idealistic young police constable he was when he joined the force. Ten years with the police has left him world-weary and a touch cynical. He’s a dedicated police officer, although he’s made mistakes, ruffled too many feathers during the course of his career — and is no longer on the fast track to promotion. No one has ever been brought to justice for the murder of his wife, and it remains a constant running sore.

THE SETTING
Set against the picturesque landscape of the South Downs, the Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne is packed with tourists during the summer — but it can seem pretty dismal during the winter months. Only fifty-odd miles from London, the town is not immune to the violence which occasionally spills over from the city. Pockets of deprivation and criminality exist alongside reminders of Eastbourne’s more genteel past in the grand Victorian hotels that line the seafront, the pier and the bandstand. The town also boasts one of Britain’s best-known — and most infamous — beauty spots, Beachy Head.

My Review
Sometimes you request an ARC because you like the author or are attracted by the cover. Other times, it’s a gut feeling that tells you you’re going to love the book, and this is what happened with this book.
It features a gripping, tightly-knit, and twisty plot that kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing throughout.
It was an entertaining and well-plotted read, and I was glad to catch up with the characters. I rooted for Rutherford and his family. The twists always surprised me, and I was satisfied with the solution. The author is a good storyteller who never let my attention wander.
It’s the right police procedural for me: well-plotted, full of suspense, and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Joffe Books for this ARC; all opinions are mine

Adam Lyndon has been a serving UK police officer for more than twenty years, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations.
Adam was born and raised in Sussex. He has been a police officer for twenty years both in the UK and in New Zealand, working across a range of disciplines including uniformed ops, firearms command and as a detective in CID and specialist investigations.
He went around the world a couple of times, living in New Zealand for a year before realising home was where all the stories were. Adam writes gritty, Eastbourne-based police-procedurals with hard-edged authenticity, forming a daisy chain along the south coast alongside the likes of Graham Hurley and Peter James. He has been married for twenty years and has four children. His ambition, as his children keep reminding him, is to own a dog.

FOLLOW ADAM ON:
AUTHOR WEBSITE

BOOKS BY ADAM LYNDON

DETECTIVE RUTHERFORD BARNES MYSTERIES:

• DEVIL’S CHIMNEY
• BEACHY HEAD
• BURNT OUT SECRETS
• THE CHALK MAN

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DETECTIVE BARNES SERIES:
‘Packed full of unexpected twists and turns.’ Sheila M.
Pulled me in and held me to the end.’ Dawn T.
‘Cracking good police story. Complex and twisty.’ Joan
‘Very good and gripping.’ Kay C.
‘Some really convoluted twists and turns. I loved it.’ Rob
‘Excellent sense of place, strong characterisation . . . authentic and detailed police procedure, and a thrilling denouement’ Oliver T.
‘A real page-turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it.’ Mike B.

Murder on the Italian Riviera by T. A. Williams (Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries #7)

A brand-new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany…It’s murder in paradise!

An ex-con…
Private investigator Dan Armstrong is no stranger to working with criminals, but when he’s approached for help by Bianca Moretti, he’s on high alert. Bianca is intelligent and beautiful, and Dan likes her, but he also once sent her to prison…

A suspicious death…
Bianca explains that a guest has been found dead at her father’s luxurious and private retreat on the beautiful Italian Riviera. The police are sure the death is accidental, but Bianca is convinced the man’s been murdered. Dan’s sure he can get to the bottom of things…as long as Bianca is telling him the whole truth.

A very revealing case!
But when Dan arrives at the resort, he’s in for a shock. He finds that the place is a naturist retreat, and everybody is walking around stark naked! Dan is determined to discover the truth, but this is going to mean revealing a whole lot more of himself than he expected.

Can Dan sniff out the truth about this case before Oscar’s cold wet nose causes havoc?

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/italianrivierasocial

My Review;
I think this is the best in this lovely series as there’s a lot of humorous moments, a very solid mystery full of surprises, and a cast of intriguing and well-developed characters.
There’s also some heartache, memories, a wonderful setting.
The descriptions of the place were excellent and it made me visualize the resort and the view of the sea and the mountain.
I read it in one sitting as it’s a page turner, one of those book that keeps you turning pages.
Oscar is the start of the novel and I love this dog and his healthy appetite (he makes me think of one of my cats who never stops eating).
It’s better to read the series in order even if can be enjoyed as a stand alone
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…
I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing romance and whodunnits. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. Murder mystery is all very well, but it needs to put a smile on your face, so that’s why I like to inject some humour. I’m having a lot of fun writing the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series set in sunny Italy. They are all standalone books but if you really want to do it properly, start with the first one in the series, Murder in Tuscany. If my books can whisk you away to gorgeous locations, put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.
I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in many of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.
I’ve been writing since I was 14 and that is well over half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she’s right.

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrevorWilliamsBooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TAWilliamsBooks
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/TAWilliamsNews

The Love Algorithm by Camilla Isley

At 28, with a Ph.D under her belt and a meteoric rise to head of Research and Development at Mercer Robotics, Reese feels her decision to put her career first has worked out pretty well for her. Sure, she doesn’t have many personal relationships to speak of, but she does love her team and they like her too.
So when she’s called to the Big Boss’s office and told she will be looking after his son while he does a rotation in her lab, she’s not thrilled that her hard work and achievements have boiled down to being a glorified babysitter – especially to a billionaire playboy with zero experience of mechanical engineering.
But then tall, blond Thomas walks into her office, and Reese realizes this assignment is going to be even harder than she thought. Because the CEO’s son is not only extraordinarily gorgeous, chiseled, and charming… he’s also on course to become her new boss one day, and so extraordinarily out of bounds. As the pair get to know each other, can Reese hold her nerve and her beliefs, or will she fall victim to the billionaire charm?

A gorgeously funny enemies-to-lovers, work-place rom com, perfect for fans of Sarah Adams, Lynn Painter and Jo Watson.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/LoveAlgorithmSocial

My Review:
I have been working in high tech for ages and I met some people like Reese, sort of genius with lack of social skills. Reese is a sort of genius but she’s also a sort of work alcoholics and work is the only way to spend time that would be empty.
I appreciated the realistic description because you can meet these person: they prefer to code than to go to a restaurant.
There’s a lot of references to geek culture and there’s androids that takes the place of pets.
I noticed I didn’t talk about romance but there’s romance and I liked how Reese and Thomas went from enemy to lovers in a realistic way and she doesn’t end being the perfect Stepford Wifes.
Reese is a geek and a technologist to the bones and I like her (the form sysadmin and cloud architect speaking).
There’s a lot of humour, there’s a witty and acid android. It’s fast paced and compelling, I started it and read more than 30% in a few time as I was thoroughly enjoying it and having fun.
Loved it, highly recommended.
Many thanks Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance, will be published in June 2023.

Social Media Links –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camillaisley
Twitter: https://twitter.com/camillaisley
Instagram; Camilla Isley (@camillaisley) • Instagram photos and videos
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/CamillaIsleyNews
Bookbub profile: Camilla Isley Books – BookBub

Hard Times For The East End Library Girls by Patricia McBride (Library Girls 2)

As the war hits London, they’ll band together…
War strikes close to home for chief librarian Cordelia when her flat is bombed, and her beloved Robert is called up and sent abroad. Fortunately, her colleagues Mavis and Jane can help see her through hard times.
The three friends find purpose in making the Silvertown library a friendly sanctuary for their deprived and devastated community. But sinister forces, from callous bureaucrats to crafty criminals, still lurk among the stacks. Worse, Jane’s soldier husband is injured and suffers both physically and mentally.
With so many struggles Cordelia and her friends might need more than books to survive war’s shadow. Can they find light in the darkness?
A captivating tale of resilience and determination, perfect for fans of Lizzie Lane, Elaine Roberts and Lesley Eames

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/hardtimeseastendsocial

My Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming and well written story set in the East End in 1940, during the Blitz.
It’s the second in a series but I had no issues with plot or characters even if I didn’t read the first one.
I loved the tone and the style of writing, even in the most tragic moments there’s always something that makes you think about future and hope.
Cordelia, Mavis and Jane are very differents persons. They comes from different social backgrounds and their characters are very different. But they’re able to join forces and face the difficulties of the the historical moments and those cause by bureucracy or simple pettiness.
Tom, a part time volunteer, is a very original character: he’s a conscientious objector and it’s the first time I read about one in a historical fiction set in WWII
The author did an excellent job in mixing tones as there’s humour, some drama and some moments when you feel angry.
The historical background is well done as it makes you feel how hard it was.
I cannot wait to read another book in this series, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this arc, all opinions are mine.

Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.mcbride.106
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tricia.mcbride.writer/
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/PatriciaMcbridenews
Bookbub profile: Patricia McBride Books – BookBub

The Good Ones Are Taken by Taj McCoy

When Maggie’s best friend admits he’s in love with her, she’ll have to decide whether it’s worth giving up something good for something that could be amazing in this laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers rom-com.

After a bad breakup, Maggie wants to find her Prince Charming, but all she’s finding are frogs. When her best friends, Savvy and Joan, apply pressure and demand she find a date worthy of attending their respective weddings, she agrees to take her own advice and try online dating. Since she’s the maid of honor for both weddings, her bridal party duties are massive, but both brides insist that Maggie prioritize finding a date. After an onslaught of maybes, noes and hell noes, she’s close to giving up, when she meets a handsome doctor at the gym who just might be the one.
Meanwhile, her college bestie, Garrett, throws salt in everyone’s game. At every turn, he points out the red flags and tells Maggie to keep looking. Things come to a head when Maggie demands that Garrett be happy for her, and he finally admits that he can’t. Not when he’s not with her. When he blurts out his feelings, Maggie’s world is turned upside down. Now she must choose between the perfect guy and a friendship that is the foundation for everything she’s ever wanted.

My Review:
I had fun as it’s a refreshing and well plotted rom-com featuring a strong female character and a realistic description of the world of dating.
No insta-love, the frogs who thinks are swans and a lot of dates that makes you wish you were home watching television.
Maggie is single after a breakup but she’s lucky because she’s got great friends and maybe one of them could be the right one.
This is a friend-to-lover story and, even if it takes some suspension of belief, I rooted for Maggie and Gareth.
The Queen-of-Skipping-sex-descriptions did her job and I had fun in reading the adventures of this groups of characters.
Entertaining and well plotted even if a bit dragging at times.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Buy Links:

BookShop.org

Harlequin

Barnes & Noble

Books A Million

Amazon

Law grad Taj McCoy is committed to championing plus-sized Black love stories and characters with a strong sense of sisterhood and familial bonds. Born in Oakland, Taj started writing as a child and celebrated her first publications in grade school. When she’s not writing, Taj boosts other marginalized writers, practices yoga, co-hosts the Fat Like Me and Better Than Brunch podcasts, shares recipes, and cooks supper club meals for friends.

Social Links:

Author Website

Instagram

Goodreads

Twitter

TEAMLYONS: Last Witness by Lucie Whitehouse (Robin Lyons #3)

Last Witness

One murder, three families destroyed
And a detective guilty of a crime of her own

When 18-year-old Ben Renshaw is found dead in city woodland, DCI Robin Lyons is plunged into one of Birmingham’s most controversial cases.
Months earlier, Ben and his best friend gave testimony that sent a former classmate, Alistair Heywood, to prison for a vicious sexual assault. Before the trial, the boys and their families endured months of brutal witness intimidation, for which the Heywoods, a privileged and influential local family, faced no legal repercussions. Instead, they vowed revenge.
Is Ben’s murder the fulfilment of that vow, the beginning of a bloody new chapter that will go on claim lives on all sides? Or is the truth – as the Heywoods claim – something entirely different?

To solve the case, Robin has to negotiate the city’s networks of power while walking a dangerous line: her own daughter, Lennie, has a secret that could threaten her liberty – and, if it comes out, Robin’s, too. Before long, Robin comes to question whether she knows what justice is at all.

Book page: https://www.orionbooks.co.uk/titles/lucie-whitehouse/last-witness/9781398709270/

My Review:

This is the last stop in the #TeamLyons blog tour that reviews all the books in this series.
This is a book you can read as a stand-alone, but reading them in order will make you appreciate the evolution of Robin, a single mother and homicide investigator who moved from London to Birmingham, and of the main characters in this series.
The author deals with some very sensitive issues like sexual abuse, entitlement, misogyny. It brings you to dark places and into the centre of human darkness.
I started it while I was travelling and I was so engrossed that only the name of the stations made me realize time was passing.
Robin’s life is as complex as usual: she’s a woman who is part of a complex family, she’s attracted to her boss who’s married and is a former lover. Her daughter is a teenager who is involved in the trial of her uncle and is not very happy.
This is the behind-the-scenes look at a complex and highly political investigation. There are twists, red herrings, and a possible culprit related to the victim‘s social activity.
The author is an excellent storyteller, and I was kept turning pages and guessing.
Loved it, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the author, Orion and Compulsive Readers for this ARC; all opinions are mine.

Lucie Whitehouse is the author of seven novels, including the Birmingham-set Robin Lyons crime series of which Last Witness is the third. Her novels of psychological suspense include Before We Met, which was a Richard & Judy Summer Book Club and ITV Crime Thriller Book Club selection, and The Bed I Made, which was a Channel 4/TV Book Club pick. The previous Robin Lyons novel, Risk Of Harm, was a Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Month. Lucie grew up in Warwickshire, studied Classics at Oxford and worked in publishing in London before moving to Brooklyn where she now lives with her husband and daughter.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucie-Whitehouse…
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/885506.Lucie_Whitehouse
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LWhitehouse5

Bloodshed on the Boards by Judy Leigh (The Morwenna Mutton Mysteries #2)

There is excitement in the air as the travelling theatre arrives in Seal Bay.
When The Spriggan Travelling Theatre Company arrives in Seal Bay to perform a Cornish version of King Arthur the locals flock to be entertained. But for Morwenna Mutton, sexagenarian librarian, wild swimming enthusiast and amateur sleuth, the theatre brings intrigue too. Actor and director Daniel Kitto is not the most popular member of the cast and unbeknownst to him, his role of Uther Pendragon on the opening night is to be his swansong.
In front of a horrified audience, he collapses during the dying moments of the performance in a pool of fake blood, and although the police are content that the causes of his death are natural, Morwenna isn’t so sure. And once it becomes clear that there are a number of people who stand to gain from Daniel’s death, Morwenna’s investigation takes a dangerous turn.
If you love Miss Marple and The Thursday Murder Club, then you’ll love The Morwenna Mutton mysteries.

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/bloodshedboardssocial

My Review:
Morwenna Mutton is an eccentric and clever sixty-something that I love as I think the more you age the more you get the right to be eccentric and don’t care about what other think about you.
I was glad to catch up with her and the cast of quirky characters. I liked them in the first instalment in this series and loved in this second one.
This is a well done and highly entertaining cosy mystery: there’s the right level of mystery, small town vibe, weird characters that never take the front seat and makes the mystery an accidental part of the plot.
I love Judy Leigh’s storytelling and style of writng and this solid and fast paced novel kept me hooked and being surprised.
Can’t wait for the next one, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this arc, all opinions are mine.

Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.

Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judyleighuk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudyLeighWriter
Instagram: Judy Leigh (@judyrleigh) • Instagram photos and videos
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JudyLeighNews
Bookbub profile: Judy Leigh Books – BookBub

Sword of the War God by Tim Hodkinson

In a world of war and ruin, men and gods collide.

436 AD. The Burgundars are confident of destroying Rome’s legions. Their forces are strong and they have beaten the Romans in battle before. But they are annihilated, their king killed, his people scattered. Their fabled treasure is lost. For Rome has new allies: the Huns, whose taste for bloodshed knows no bounds.

Many years later, the Huns, led by the fearsome Attila, have become the deadliest enemies of Rome. Attila seeks the Burgundars’ treasure, for it includes the legendary Sword of the War God, said to make the bearer unbeatable.

No alliance can defeat Attila by conventional means. With Rome desperate for help, a one-eyed old warlord from distant lands and his strange band of warriors may have the answers… but oaths will be broken and the plains of Europe will run with blood before the end.

Drawing on Norse mythology and European history, Sword of the War God is an epic historical adventure perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman and Christian Cameron.

Purchase link: Amazon: https://geni.us/SOTWGBlogTour

Review:
You start a book and you’re immerse in a mythical and epic world, a dark age that is the moment when a great empire collapse and some of the western founding myths are born.
There’s an exciting moment at the beginning of the book as you meet characters out of myth and history. They mix the different plant and you could think they’re part of the same story and they were all historical characters
The Dark Age myths are all presents in this novel, a sort of tapestry and you will meet heroes from the well-known sagas like The Nibelungen or The Matter of Britain.
I think this is a novel that should be read listening to Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen.
I had to admin I’m not a fan of the Nibelungen, school curricula can cause this, or the Ring, love some parts.
Tim Hodkinson is an excellent storyteller and kept me turning pages and being enthralled by the fast paced and tightly knitted plot.
It was a great travel into the Dark Age as there’s a lot of researched behind the world building and the development of the fleshed-out characters.
An excellent historical fiction, gripping and intriguing. I strongly recommend it and think it will be loved by fantasy aficionados too.
Many thanks to ARIES for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Tim Hodkinson grew up in Northern Ireland where the rugged coast and call of the Atlantic Ocean led to a lifelong fascination with Vikings and a degree in Medieval English and Old Norse Literature. Tim’s more recent writing heroes include Ben Kane, Giles Kristian, Bernard Cornwell, George R.R. Martin and Lee Child. After several years in the USA, Tim returned to Northern Ireland, where he lives with his wife and children.

AUTHOR Social Handles
Twitter: @TimHodkinson
Facebook: The Whale Road Chronicles
Website: Tim Hodkinson

Aries/Head of Zeus Social Handles
Twitter: @AriesFiction
Facebook: Aries Fiction
Instagram: @headofzeus
TikTok: @headofzeus
Website: http://www.headofzeus.com