Blog Tour Character Q&A: My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland

Today,  I’m super pleased to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland, who also writes under her name Steph Broadribb and blogs as Crime Thriller Girl. My Little Eye is published by Trapeze and is the first in the Starke and Bell series.

For my stop I have managed to interview Clementine Starke, one of the main protagonist from the novel – and I can tell you she wasn’t very easy to pin down.

But before the interview, here’s the blurb for My Little Eye:

KISS THE GIRLS
A young woman is found dead in her bedroom surrounded by rose petals – the latest victim of ‘The Lover’. Struggling under the weight of an internal investigation, DI Dominic Bell is no closer to discovering the identity of the killer and time is running out.

AND MAKE THEM DIE…
As the murders escalate, Clementine Starke joins an online true crime group determined to take justice in their own hands – to catch the killer before the police. Hiding a dark secret, she takes greater risks to find new evidence and infiltrate the group.

As Starke and Bell get closer to cracking the case neither of them realise they’re being watched. The killer is closer to them than they think, and he has his next victim – Clementine – firmly in his sights.

 

Over to the Interview:

Location: Clerkenwell.

Interviewer: Rachel Emms, (RE), Reporter for CKT

Interviewee: Clementine Starke, (CS), PHD Researcher

RE: Thanks for meeting with me Clementine, I really appreciate it. Clementine just nodded her head. Might as well just dive in then. What made you want to study online true crime fanatic groups?

CS: The conversations in true crime groups are a lot more interesting than looking at feed full of users posting pictures of their dinner. True crime addicts have such purpose and drive. And anyway, people are fascinating, aren’t they, the way they behave? They give away so much of themselves online, and yet many of them do not even realise what they’re doing. I see it, though. And I see the cracks in the personas they create too. Online you can be anyone you want to be. There’s something liberating about that, something that makes people feel like they are safe to experiment. Or at least a lot of people think that they are safe.

RE: Interesting. You’re part of one aren’t you? Don’t you think you are taking your research a step too far?

CS: I have joined a true crime forum, yes. But going too far – no, I don’t think so – after all, how far is too far? I’m an action researcher not a scientist in a lab coat. I participate alongside my subjects for a deeper immersive experience. The data is richer this way, and my learning from the subjects is fast-tracked. Potentially what I’m doing will be ground breaking.

RE: What types of things have you got up to while you’ve been in the group?

CS: She gives me a hard stare before answering. I’m not at liberty to talk about our investigation in detail. What I can tell you is that we study crime cases, some active and some cold. We investigate them, and we’re very good.

RE: I’d better change tact. Do you think then that the Met are limited in their resources and there should be more online crime fanatics going around solving the case for them? Surely all these people would get in the way?

CS: Well, obviously I’m going to say that I think the idea has potential. Certainly not all groups of true crime fans are like mine. Each of us has a very specific set of skills that we bring to the group which lets us know more facts than the average member of the public, and gets us access to information usually only seen by the police and the medical examiner. Just to be clear, though, I’m not admitting to breaking the law. All I will say is that we bend the law just about as far as it goes.

RE: I lean forward. Since getting to know this group have you changed your opinion about the police?

CS: Why would I? What have you heard? I don’t like what you’re insinuating.

RE: Dead end. I’ll ask about the killer instead, might find out something juicy.  Doesn’t it scare you knowing The Lover is still out there, preying on young women? You’re very brave putting yourself out there to try and catch him or her

CS: It’s not a question of being brave. It’s a question of getting a killer off the street. He needs to be caught, and the police aren’t doing it are they? So we had to step in. I’m confident that we will beat the police at their own game. We’re getting closer.

RE: Can you shed any light on anything you’ve found out from the true crime group that the police have refused to tell the public? Surely some of them have contacts and have found something? I only have the public’s best interests at heart.

CS: I’m sure the police have their reasons for keeping some details secret, and I’m hardly likely to just come out and tell you all that I know, am I? For all I know you could be part of a true crime group as well, you might think you’re some kind of serious rival to True Crime London.

She gives me a serious expression.

CS: Just so you know, you’re not.

RE: Time to push one final time. I don’t think I’m getting anywhere, she definitely keeps her cards close to her chest. Do you have any idea who the murderer is? Surely one of these crime fanatics know? Or maybe it’s one of them?

CS: We have a hypothesis and a number of leads that we’re following. We work as a group, a team, and we pool our information in a special online area set up by our leader, Death Stalker, to serve the collective good. Most of the time, anyway. Just as long as there isn’t any rivalry getting in the way.

RE: With that Clementine checks the time on her phone, stands up and walks off before I can even draw another breath. Guess that’s the end of that interview, but at least I got a name – Death Stalker.

A massive thank you to Stephanie for answering my questions for Clementine – an amazing protagonist!

About the Author:

Stephanie Marland has worked in the University sector for over ten years and published research on how people interact and learn together in virtual environments online. She’s an alumni of the MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at City University London, and an avid reader of all things crime fiction, blogging about books at http://www.crimethrillergirl.com. Steph also writes the Lori Anderson action thriller series (Deep Down Dead and Deep Blue Trouble) as Steph Broadribb.

To find out more about Stephanie Marland, follow her on twitter @crimethrillgirl.

Intrigued? My Little Eye is out now and can be ordered from Amazon here. Or Waterstones here. It’s a thrilling read!

Don’t forget to check out all the other fabulous stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour: The Fighter by Michael Farris Smith

Today, I’m super excited to be hosting the next stop on the blog tour for The Fighter by Michael Farris Smith, published by No Exit Press.

Blurb:

From the author of Desperation Road, longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award 2017

The acres and acres of fertile soil, the two-hundred year old antebellum house, all gone. And so is the woman who gave it to him. The foster mother who saved Jack Boucher from a childhood of abandonmnet now rests in a hospice. Her mind mind eroded by dementia, the family legacy she entrusted to Jack is now owned by banks and strangers. And Jack’s mind has begun to fail, too, as concussion after concussion forces him to carry around a notebook of names that separate friend from foe.

But in a single twisted night Jack is derailed. Losing the money that will clear his debt with the queen of Delta vice, and forcing Jack into the fighting pit one last time the stakes nothing less than life or death.

What I say:

Wow, what can I say to do this book justice?

This is the second book I have read from this author and my what an emotive and character-filled story.

Jack is a fighter, he always has been since he was abandoned as a baby through to his adult life. After many concussions in the ring, Jack is losing his memory and his foster mother, the only mother he has known, is in a care home after succumbing to dementia. Up to his eyeballs in debt and unable to pay them off he steps into the cage once again. Possibly for thee last time – but is this one fight too far?

I loved Jack’s character, a twisted, tormented soul trying to fight for his life who is slowly losing control and all he holds dear. He’s sometimes erratic thoughts which was told from both the past and present point of view made this an intriguing and tension-filled story, full of anguish and despair.

The author manages to inject the same depth of emotion and desperation in this novel as he did in Desperation Road. The pain and raw heartache of the characters infiltrates every part of this story, this made me feel not only sympathetic but also made me want to fight beside Jack – willing him on.

This is a compelling, rich story full of raw emotion and despair – I would highly recommend!

About the Author:

Michael Farris Smith is the award-winning author of several novels, including Desperation Road (Amazon Best Books, Barnes & Noble Discover pick, Indie Next selection), Rivers (for which he received the 2014 Mississippi Author Award for Fiction), and The Hands of Strangers. He has been awarded the Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellowship, the Transatlantic Review Award for Fiction, and the Alabama Arts Council Fellowship Award for Literature. His short fiction has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his essays have appeared in the New York Times, Catfish Alley, Deep South magazine, and more. He lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife and two daughters.

To find out more about Michael Farris Smith follow him on twitter @michael_f_smith.

The Fighter is not out yet and will be released on 29th March. It be preordered from Amazon here.

Big thanks to Anne Cater and No Exit Press for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

Don’t forget to check out all the other stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour: Class Murder by Leigh Russell

Today, I’m super excited to be kicking off the blog tour for Class Murder by Leigh Russell, published by No Exit Press.

Blurb:

With so many potential victims to choose from, there would be many deaths. He was spoiled for choice, really, but he was determined to take his time and select his targets carefully. Only by controlling his feelings could he maintain his success. He smiled to himself. If he was clever, he would never have to stop. And he was clever. He was very clever. Far too clever to be caught.

Geraldine Steel is back for her tenth case. Reunited in York with her former sergeant, Ian Peterson, she discovers that her tendency to bend the rules has consequences. The tables have turned, and now he’s the boss.

When two people are murdered, their only connection lies buried in the past. As police search for the elusive killer, another body is discovered. Pursuing her first investigation in York, Geraldine Steel struggles to solve the confusing case. How can she expose the killer, and rescue her shattered reputation, when all the witnesses are being murdered?

What I say:

This is the tenth novel in the Geraldine Steel series, I’m ashamed to admit I have never read any of Geraldine’s previous outings, but this was such a great introduction into the series!

Geraldine Steel has recently moved to York, after being disgraced and forced to relocate by the Met police after the events from the last novel. Geraldine is struggling with her recent demotion to DS while trying to fit into her new life, but undeterred Geraldine Steel throws herself into the investigation of a young woman’s murder.

It is mainly told from the point of view of Geraldine as she tries to unravel who the killer is while trying to stop the body count rising, but also follows the killer’s point of view as they plan who their next victim would be and plot their kills – which I weirdly enjoyed. I loved how warped the killer’s mind was and thought the author cleverly managed to drip feed this into the story.

I also loved Geraldine Steel – she is such an amazing character who just has so much gumption! Another thing which I loved was the opening of the story which kicked off with an absolute bang and didn’t let up.

Even though I haven’t read any of the other stories, I was still able to follow Geraldine’s backstory and the investigation itself is very self-contained, drawing both new and old readers into this story.

If you love a good action-packed crime novel, full of complex characters and unexpected twists this is one for you

About the Author:

Leigh Russell is the author of the internationally bestselling Geraldine Steel
series: Cut Short, Road Closed, Dead End, Death Bed, Stop Dead, Fatal Act, Killer
Plan, Murder Ring, Deadly Alibi and Class Murder. The series has sold over a million
copies worldwide. Cut Short was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association (CWA)
John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award, and Leigh has been longlisted for the CWA
Dagger in the Library Award. Her books have been #1 on Amazon Kindle and iTunes
with Stop Dead and Murder Ring selected as finalists for The People’s Book Prize.
Leigh is chair of the CWA’s Debut Dagger Award judging panel and is a Royal
Literary Fellow. Leigh studied at the University of Kent, gaining a Masters degree in
English and American Literature. She is married with two daughters and a
granddaughter, and lives in London.

To find out more about Leigh Russell follow her on twitter @LeighRussell.

Class Murder is out now on Ebook or released on 29th March in paperback and can be preordered from Amazon here.

Big thanks to Anne Cater and No Exit Press for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

Don’t forget to check out all the other stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour: We Were the Salt of the Sea

Today, I’m excited to be the next stop on the blog tour for We Were The Salt of The Sea by Roxanne Bouchard, published by Orenda Books and translated by David Warriner.

Blurb:

Truth lingers in murky waters…

As Montrealer Catherine Day sets foot in a remote fishing village and starts asking around about her birth mother, the body of a woman dredges up in a fisherman’s nets. Not just any woman, though: Marie Garant, an elusive, nomadic sailor and unbridled beauty who once tied many a man’s heart in knots. Detective Sergeant Joaquin Morales, newly drafted to the area from the suburbs of Montreal, barely has time to unpack his suitcase before he’s thrown into the deep end of the investigation.

On Quebec’s outlying Gaspé Peninsula, the truth can be slippery, especially down on the fishermen’s wharves. Interviews drift into idle chit-chat, evidence floats off with the tide and the truth lingers in murky waters. It’s enough to make DS Morales reach straight for a large whisky…

What I say:

Wow, this was just…poetic enveloped inside a good murder mystery!

This novel is told from the point of view of Catherine Day, a woman who is trying to find her birth mother, and detective sergeant Joaquin Morales in charge of the investigation – both outsiders looking into this remote and closed of community they have found themselves in. This gave me as the reader the opportunity to see with fresh eyes the beautiful, but sad setting of the Gaspe Peninsula – an area which is centred around the sea, where the life of the characters are regularly disrupted from tourists.

I loved getting to know the many characters within this novel, with their odd natures, quirks and captivating personalities I was dying to know more, especially the life of Marie Garant, Catherine’s birth mother and whose beauty and wild nature were renowned in the village but ended tragically.

I thought the writing itself was beautiful, poetic, lyrical and just haunting which just pulled me further into the story. Yet again Orenda Publishers have found another new pearl in the crime genre!

This novel was just hauntingly sad, beautiful and poetic with a good murder mystery t its heart. It is a story which slowly draws you into the mystery of Marie’s death and a claustrophobic fishing village whose secrets lurk beneath the water.

About the Author:

Roxanne Bouchard is a multi-award winning author and playwright from Quebec, Canada, and We Were the Salt of the Sea is her first novel to be published in English. She is currently writing an essay on literary creativity, and plotting the next Detective Sergeant Joaquin Morales investigation.

To find out more about Roxanne Bouchard follow her on twitter @KJHAuthor.

We Were the Salt of the Sea is out now on Ebook or released on 30th March in paperback and can be preordered from Amazon here or from Waterstones here.

Big thanks to Anne Cater and Karen Sullivan for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

Don’t forget to swim over to the other stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour Q&A: 29 Seconds by T.M. Logan

Today, I’m delighted to be hosting a stop on the blog tour for 29 Seconds by T.M Logan, published by Bonnier Zaffre Books. For the tour, I have a fun character interview with Sarah Haywood, the main protagonist from this novel who I must say keeps her cards close to her chest….

The Blurb:

Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear . . .

When Sarah rescues a young girl in trouble, she expects nothing in return. But her act of bravery puts a powerful and dangerous man in her debt. He lives by his own brutal code, and all debts must be repaid – in the only way he knows how.

He offers Sarah a way to solve a desperate situation with her intolerable boss. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that will make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No comeback. No chance of being found out.

All it takes is a 29 second phone call.

BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A NAME TO GIVE. DON’T THEY?

 

Interview:

Location: Queen Anne University, north London

Interviewer: Rachel Emms, (RE), Reporter.

Interviewee: Dr Sarah Haywood, (SH), junior lecturer.

RE: How did you get into your chosen field of research? It’s pretty niche.

SH: I’ve always loved books, so literature was a natural choice for me when I went to university. Then in my final year I did a module on the works of Christopher Marlowe, and just found him totally fascinating – born in the same year as Shakespeare, a playwright and poet during Elizabethan times, also a drinker and a duellist who was killed in a bar fight at the age of 29, in murky circumstances. Some said he was actually a spy and was assassinated on the orders of the Crown. Marlowe wrote a number of plays including Dr Faustus, about a man who makes a deal with the Devil, which is probably my favourite book.

RE: I decide to ask a hard hitting question first, before getting to the juicy bits. You work in a very male dominated sector, does this make you feel disadvantaged at all?

SH: To be honest I try not to think about it, I just want to get on with my job and do the best that I can. But it’s a fact that there are more male professors than female at my university, and the overall rates of pay for men are higher than for women, and progression through the hierarchy is generally faster for men. Things are changing, but it’s happening quite slowly. You just have to trust the system and believe that your turn will come.

RE: It must be a joy to work with the renowned Professor Lovelock. He is amazing at what he does. How do you feel about working with him? I look up from my notepad to watch her reaction.

SH: He’s… one of a kind. In terms of our area of research, on Marlowe’s works, he’s one of the most accomplished academics in the world. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Elizabethan literature, and of the period, and he knows everyone there is to know in academia. So working with him is really important for my career. Of course he’s quite famous as well, through his TV documentaries, books and appearances on chat shows and the like.

RE: Would you say you’re quite close? I’ve heard talk about Sarah in a not so professional sense…

SH: You mean, in a professional sense? I suppose so. He’s my line manager so we work together on a regular basis, he oversees my work and does my performance reviews, all of that kind of thing. We also collaborate sometimes on bids for new funding, and research projects. But we don’t have any contact outside of work.

RE: His parties are also legendary, have you been to one? I’ve only ever been thrown out of one.

SH: I’ve only been once. It was at his house – he holds them every year to raise money for his charitable foundation. Very plush, no expense spared, it’s quite an honour to be invited. Although the one time I did go along, there was an unexpected guest and things got a bit heated…

RE: Oh yes, I heard about that trouble maker. She’s my next job actually. Anyway, back to Sarah and the real reason I want to talk to her. I hear you recently rescued a young girl. Quite the heroine. Is this true? How did it happen?

SH: Yes, it is true although ‘rescued’ seems a bit strong. It was on my drive home from work, but all I did was try to help a girl who was in trouble – there was a man chasing her so I hit him with my car before he could get to her (I only gave him a bump, enough to slow him down). I don’t really feel like a heroine, I was only trying to help. I hope someone would do the same for my children if they were ever in that situation.

RE: I lean across the table and whisper. Finally, how did you feel when you received that offer of a phone call? Were you tempted?

SH: I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean. What did you say your name was again? I should go. I have to get to my next lecture…

RE: I watch as Sarah Haywood gathers up her pile of books and papers, before rushing out of the room. Great, that blows my chance…

A massive thank you to T.M. Logan for answering my questions for Sarah, a woman who gives nothing away…

About the Author:

TM Logan was born in Berkshire to an English father and a German mother. He studied at Queen Mary and Cardiff universities before becoming a national newspaper journalist. He currently works in communications and lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children. LIES is his first novel – published by Bonnier Zaffre in January 2017. His next thriller, 29 SECONDS, comes out in January 2018.

To find out more about T.M Logan, follow him on twitter @TMLoganAuthor.

29 Seconds is out in Ebook now and paperback on 8th March, and can be ordered from Amazon here. Or Waterstones here.

Don’t forget to check out all the other fabulous stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour: The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

Today, I’m super excited to be kicking off the blog tour for The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton, published by Wildfire, part of Headline Publishing.

First up the Blurb:

Meet Juliette. She’s intelligent, driven, committed – and in love.

Juliette loves Nate.

She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him.

They are meant to be.

The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back.

She is the perfect girlfriend.

And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.

True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain….

What I say:

There is not one word I can choose to sum up this novel and do it justice.

Juliette is a girl out to win her ex-boyfriend, Nate. She wants to be the perfect girlfriend to him and knows he is the one for her. So deciding to give Nate his space, she watches him from a close distance as she slowly manipulates and transforms herself into the perfect person she thinks he would fall in love with. Because Juliette is a woman scored and will show him what exactly he is missing. Nate shouldn’t have let her go, surely?

The novel is told from the perspective of Juliette, as she goes to great lengths to win Nate back. As the novel progresses, she slowly  adapts her plans to win back the love of her life, while showing us snippets of her childhood giving the reader a glimpse into what makes her tick.

I loved Juliette, even though she came across a psychotic and even catatonic at times her seemingly erratic behaviour made for breath-taking reading. I kept thinking surely this is it, she would get caught – I even read with my hand over my mouth at one point. Weirdly I rooted for her throughout the story, even after all the things she did. I could really empathise with her character, especially when her true motives are revealed (which quite frankly spun the whole story on it’s head). But I will say no more….

One of the stand out things for me is the setting of this novel, which was quite unusual having quite a bit of the action set on an airline and just showed the skill of the author who gave us a flavour of each different country Juliette visited, drawing me deeper into the story.

I mean this book was just hypnotic and actually really disturbing. The lengths Juliette would go kind of freaked me out as it felt very realistic, especially as I was reading this at night so I probably only had myself to blame.

This novel is packed full of pace, tension, disturbing characters filled with passion and psychotic love. What’s not to love? This was a stand out psychological thriller and would urge you to read. I am very much looking forward to seeing what else Karen Hamilton publishes in the future.

About the author:

Karen Hamilton spent her childhood in Angola, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Italy, and developed a love of travel through moving around so much. This led her to a career as a flight attendant, and it was in the air that she thought of the idea for her debut thirller THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND, which aims to explore not only obsession, but also the true faces behind those who go to work in uniform.

Karen is a recent graduate of the Faber Academy, and has now put down roots in Hampshire to raise her young family with her husband.

To find out more about Karen Hamilton, follow her on twitter @KJHAuthor.

The Perfect Girlfriend is out now on Ebook or released on 22nd March in hardcopy and can be preordered from Amazon here or from Waterstones here.

Big thanks to Anne Cater and Becky Hunter for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

Don’t forget to fly over to the other stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour: Evidence of Death by Peter Ritchie

Today, I’m also on the blog tour for Evidence of Death by Peter Ritchie, published by Black & White Publishing with a review.

Blurb:

Billy Nelson is back home in battle-scarred Belfast. But the Troubles have cut this ex-Army Loyalist hard man deep – and now that his city’s allegiances have shifted, nothing is quite the same.

An outbreak of gang violence forces Billy to move on. This time to Edinburgh, where he muscles in on the capital’s drug trade and the family who run it. As the balance of power tips, underworld rivalries between Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast spill out onto the streets.

With a spate of horrific incidents and a trail of victims, the pressure is mounting for Grace Macallan, new superintendent of the Crime & Counter Terrorism Directorate. Troubled by her own demons and with everyone baying for the blood of Billy Nelson and his old paramilitary contacts, can Grace hold her nerve?

What I say:

This is the second in the series featuring Detective Grace Macallan, which picks of where the first book Cause of Death left off and features hard hitting themes about gang violence and drug dealing.

I really liked the character of Grace, who has to deal with a horrible boss and is increasingly isolated, surrounded by a city full of criminals she has to catch.

At the beginning of this book there is a handy glossary with lots of laguage which the characters use, ensuring the author can still use Irish and Scottish dialect without slowing the plot down.

You can tell this book has been thoroughly researched and the in-depth knowledge the author has of the police force really makes this an authentic read.

I did think this was a bit of a slow burner, but a very good read as I could sympathise with many of the characters and the plot contained many twists and turns.

Even though I haven’t read the first book in the series, I could still follow what was going on as this story is self-contained.

If you like a police procedural full of research, authentic and interesting characters and a twisty plot then I would definitely recommend!

About the Author:

Peter followed his forefathers and started his working life at 15 as a deep sea fisherman.

He eventually joined the police service moving through the ranks of CID/Murder Squad/Regional Crime Squad in Scotland. He then went on to manage the Organised Crime Unit in the National Criminal Intelligence Service in London where he ran a multi agency team drawn from various branches of the law enforcement and the security services. This was a unique concept at the time and Peter travelled to many parts of the world in this role. He was subsequently appointed as the UK Liaison Officer to Europol in The Hague where he spent five years.

He returned to Lothian and Borders heading the Major Crime Team before taking on an advisory role for a project in Croatia. Following his retiral he worked on a number of private investigations before spending the next few years as part of the public inquiry team looking into the murder of the LVF leader Billy Wright in the Maze Prison.

Big thanks to Lina Langlee and Black & White Publishing for my ARC.

Evidence of Death is out now and can be ordered from Amazon here.

Don’t forget to check out all the other stops on this blog tour!

Blog Tour: Come A Little Closer by Rachel Abbott

Today, I’m super pleased to be on the next stop on the blog tour for Come A Little Closer by Rachel Abbott. For something a little different, I have agreed to take part in the author’s writing challenge, which I am both excited and a little scared about!

So the challenge:

Rachel Abbott has written a killer opening paragraph and all I had to do was finish off the story in no more than 800 words. One other thing – I had to make sure I included four key items which are; a bath, a Facebook post, a single lightbulb and a glass of sweet sherry. 

First up the blurb for Come A Little Closer:

They will be coming soon. They come every night. 

Snow is falling softly as a young woman takes her last breath.

Fifteen miles away, two women sit silently in a dark kitchen. They don’t speak, because there is nothing left to be said. 

Another woman boards a plane to escape the man who is trying to steal her life. But she will have to return, sooner or later.

These strangers have one thing in common. They each made one bad choice – and now they have no choices left. Soon they won’t be strangers, they’ll be family …

When DCI Tom Douglas is called to the cold, lonely scene of a suspicious death, he is baffled. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she get there? How many more must die? Who is controlling them, and how can they be stopped?

Now for the challenge:

Gemma had been afraid of the dark for as long as she could remember. As a child, she had blamed the cold, ancient house they had lived in – its endless corridors had too many closed doors for people to hide behind, too many secrets concealed in the shadows. But now there was no excuse. Her flat was modern, open, with huge windows.

It made no difference, though. Each night of the long winter months as she stood outside the block, she imagined all the doors she would have to pass before she reached her own, wondering if the lights in the hallway would be working, or whether they would flicker and go out, leaving her blind in the inky black void. Alone with her fear.

Perhaps she had always known that this day would come. She took a deep breath and stepped into the silent entrance, her heels tapping out a warning that she was coming on the polished concrete floor of the long corridor.

As Gemma walked towards her flat, a single bulb flickered in the hallway before extinguishing itself. She was alone in the darkness. She felt like it was suffocating her. Closing in on all sides. It felt as if someone was watching her, waiting to get her. Gemma could hear her breath coming out in short gasps. She needed a hot bubble bath, that would calm her down. She could picture her large bath with its golden feet and shiny taps. If only she could reach her flat. It was only a few steps away. Wasn’t it? She held her hands out so she could touch the walls on each side of her, and let her hands guide her to her front door.

After escaping into the confines of her flat, Gemma opened the kitchen cupboard and poured herself a glass of sweet sherry. She needed to get a grip on herself. As she took a sip her mobile phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and she saw it was a Facebook post notification. Someone had probably commented on her latest rant about socialism. That could wait, surely? But something inside of couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She needed to know what it was, because only then could she stop the panic she felt.

Gemma unlocked her phone, opened her Facebook and clicked on the post. The words ‘I’m coming. Closer and closer’ had settled itself on her wall, along with an emoji of an eye. What the hell? She looked at the person who had posted it, she hadn’t taken it in before. She gasped. The post was from Daniel May-Banks, her ex-boyfriend and boss. Gemma dropped the glass in her hands; the brown liquid seeped across the floor.

But that was impossible. He was dead. She should know. She had held the pillow over his face until his legs had stopped twitching. Someone knew her secret.

About the Author:

Rachel Abbott, born and raised in Manchester, founded her own interactive media company in the 1980s, before selling it and retiring in 2005. She then moved to Italy where she worked on the renovation of a 15th century Italian monastery, and it was here that, one day, she found herself snowed in and decided to begin writing for pleasure. This became her debut novel Only The Innocent, which she went on to publish via Kindle Direct Publishing, topping their chart for 4 weeks.

A true self-publishing pioneer, Come a Little Closer is Abbott’s seventh novel. All of her previous thrillers have hit no.1 in the Kindle charts. She splits her time between Alderney in the Channel Islands and Italy.

To find out more about Rachel Abbott, follow her on twitter @RachelAbbott or check out Rachel’s website.

Come A Little Closer is out now and can be ordered from Amazon here or from Waterstones here.

Big thanks to Maura Wilding and Rachel Abbott for allowing me to be a part of this tour.

As always don’t forget to check out all the other stops on this fabulous blog tour!

Blog Tour Q&A: A Darker State by David Young

Today, I’m delighted to be hosting the next stop on the Blog Tour for A Darker State by David Young, published by Bonnier Zaffre Books. For the tour I have a fabulous interview with the main protagonist from the series, Karin Muller, who I’m sure everyone would like to know a bit more about – although I warn you it was very difficult to get much out of her…

The Blurb:

For the Stasi, it’s not just the truth that gets buried . . .

The body of a teenage boy is found weighted down in a lake. Karin Müller, newly appointed Major of the People’s Police, is called to investigate. But her power will only stretch so far, when every move she makes is under the watchful eye of the Stasi.

Then, when the son of Müller’s team member goes missing, it quickly becomes clear that there is a terrifying conspiracy at the heart of this case, one that could fast lead Müller and her young family into real danger.

Can she navigate this complex political web and find the missing boy, before it’s too late?

Interview:

Location: East Berlin

Interviewer: Rachel Emms, (RE), Reporter.

Interviewee: Oberleutnant Karin Muller, (KM), Major of People’s Crimes.

RE: How did you feel coming back to work so soon, leaving behind your newborn twins? Especially leaving them in the care of your grandmother? How long have you known her?

KM: First let me say it is highly irregular for a reporter from the BRD or one of the fascist imperialist nations to be permitted to talk to an officer of the People’s Police. However, you have produced a signed authorisation. My deputy, Comrade Hauptmann Werner Tilsner is taking steps to check the authenticity of your documents at this very moment, and should we find any irregularities you will find yourself placed under arrest and detained here at our headquarters in Keibelstrasse, and the consular officials of your country will be informed. We will also be checking whether you crossed the Anti-Fascist Protection Barrier under false pretences.

I also have to warn you that I will not answer questions about any of our ongoing inquiries to you or indeed any reporters from the Republic either. This could jeopardise our investigations.

Your question about my children is a very personal one. However I am prepared to answer it this way. It is the duty of every woman and man in the Deutsche Demokratische Republik to play his or her part in working for the success of the workers’ and peasants’ state. Why should mothers be any different? All women should work for the good of the state and its workers be they mothers or not. It is true that my twins are currently being cared for by my grandmother, but the crèches, nurseries and preschool education in the Republic are some of the best in the world and I will have no hesitation in letting my children join the education system at the correct time. The day my son or daughter comes home singing the well-known song “I want to be a Volkspolizist” will be a very proud day for me.

The question about how long I have known my grandmother is a personal one that I am not prepared to answer. However, as the first female head of a murder squad there are a number of official publications that mention me that you could consult. VEB Buchveröffentlichkombinat Bonnier Zaffre have two titles I can recommend, Stasi Child and Stasi Wolf which have details of my career and life up to this point. Any details of current investigations that the People’s Police wish to release are – or soon will be – available in a document entitled A Darker State.

RE: I decide to try my luck, hey you only get one interview with Karin Muller. What do you think happened to that poor boy who drowned? I heard he was only young.

KM: As I explained in my first answer, I am not prepared to answer anything concerning People’s Police operations. You will have to consult the official documents. I recommend A Darker State.

RE: I try to push her again. I’ve heard whispers about Markus Schmidt disappearing, is it true? He’s your forensics guy’s son isn’t he?

KM: I am not prepared to answer anything concerning People’s Police operations.

RE: She really isn’t budging. I scratch my nose with the end of my pencil. Do you think it’s connected?

KM: I’m wondering if perhaps you have something wrong with your hearing, or your ability to understand German? I repeat, I am not prepared to answer anything concerning People’s Police operations.

RE: Do you trust everyone on your team? I’ve heard they have spies everywhere….

KM: You have been watching or reading too much counter-revolutionary propaganda, Ms Emms. Should you wish to re-educate yourself, I can recommend some of our more balanced current affairs television programmes such as Der schwarze Kanal. Every People’s Police officer swears an oath to, and I quote, “be loyal to my socialist fatherland, the German Democratic Republic and its government at all times, to keep official and state secrets, and to strictly obey laws and instructions”. I think that answers your question sufficiently well.

RE: I’m really not getting anywhere, and to be honest I’m starting to feel a little uneasy. What made you want to fight crime? Especially at this dangerous time?

KM: Once we have created the ideal socialist state, there will be no need for police force or any agency to suppress the proletarians. However, while there are still counter-revolutionaries trying to undermine that, I will, without reservation — under risk of my life — protect the socialist social, state and legal order, the socialist property, the personality, the rights and the personal property of the citizens against felonious attacks.

RE: Are you afraid of the Stasi?

KM: If you are referring to the Ministry for State Security, or MfS, then please give it its proper name. The goals of the MfS and the Volkspolizei are the same. The MfS is the sword and shield of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.

RE: I think it was a big mistake coming here. Don’t you ever feel like packing it all in? Leaving the Stasi to it? Everyone else does….

[Hauptmann Werner Tilsner re-enters the room with two guards and whispers in Müller’s ear]

KM: I’m afraid, Ms Emms, that your papers, as I suspected, have proved to be false. These officers will be handing you over to agents of the Ministry for State Security. I can assure you that they will not be as accommodating as myself. I hope you will enjoy your stay in our socialist republic. But I doubt you will find the prisons at Hohenschönhausen, Hoheneck or Bautzen as comfortable as your fascist imperialist hotels back home.

RE: Prison? I gasp.

Big thanks to David Young for answering my questions, on behalf of Karin Muller –  a formidable woman I certainly wouldn’t want to mess with, especially after locking me up in prison!

About the Author:

David Young was born near Hull and, after dropping out of a Bristol University science degree, studied Humanities at Bristol Polytechnic. Temporary jobs cleaning ferry toilets and driving a butcher’s van were followed by a career in journalism on provincial newspapers, a London news agency, and international radio and TV newsrooms. He now writes in his garden shed and in a caravan on the Isle of Wight, and in his spare time supports Hull City AFC.

To find out more about David Young, follow him on twitter @djy_writer.

Sound intrigued? If you haven’t read any of the series yet by David Young I would highly recommend!

A Darker State is the third in the Karin Muller series and can be ordered from Amazon here.

Don’t forget to check out all the other stops on this fabulous blog tour!

Chiller Review: The Foster Child by Jenny Blackhurst

Blurb:

When child psychologist Imogen Reid takes on the case of 11-year-old Ellie Atkinson, she refuses to listen to warnings that the girl is dangerous.

Ellie was the only survivor of a fire that killed her family. Imogen is convinced she’s just a sad and angry child struggling to cope with her loss.

But Ellie’s foster parents and teachers are starting to fear her. When she gets upset, bad things seem to happen. And as Imogen gets closer to Ellie, she may be putting herself in danger…

Bad things seem to follow little Ellie Atkinson around – dangerous things are happening to people who make her angry. Her teachers and fellow students believe she is evil and someone to be feared – but is there more to it?

Imogen Reid, a child psychologist agrees to take on the case of Ellie after recently moving back to her own town of Gaunt with her husband Dan. But as Imogen refuses to listen to people’s warnings about Ellie, she becomes increasingly more obsessed with her. But she hiding a secret of her own…

What I say:

What a wicked mind the author Jenny Blackhurst has!

This story had me gripped from the very beginning with a chilling opening and breath-taking twisty action which didn’t let up until the end.

The author does a fantastic job of capturing the voice of a troubled eleven-year-old girl, who slowly spirals out of control. Ellie is such a fabulous protagonist who becomes increasingly alienated for being ‘strange’ but as she fights back, the town has other ideas. Her voice is so compelling and quite frankly freaked me out. Some of the other characters in this book are just plain creepy and quite sadistic which just added to the horror elements in this story.

I particularly loved the setting of this book; the town of Gaunt, which Ellie is forced to live in and Imogen has moved back to. Gaunt is claustrophobic and suffocating, slowly forcing the characters to breaking point. Imogen is someone who views the town as a complete outsider, having escaped to London for years which gives the reader a glimpse into this creepy place.

The author manages to play with the readers misconceptions and stereotypes as the tale become darker and more terrible than even I could’ve guessed, showcasing the superb writing and wicked mind of Jenny Blackhurst.

The Foster Child definitely got under my skin and had me glued to the pages. This is a story full of chilling characters, a claustrophobic setting and a tightly woven plot full of twist and turns and a dash of horror mixed in. What’s not to love?

To find out more about Jenny Blackhurst follow her on twitter @JennyBlackhurst .

The Foster Child can be ordered from Amazon here or from Waterstones here.

Big thanks to Millie Seaward and Headline for my ARC.