Three Summers is a book for fans of Lucinda Riley and Santa Montefiore, coastal fisherman villages and towns. It’s a compelling summer book with substance. Check out the cover any my review below in my Random T. Tours and Bantam Books blog tour.
Oozing of romance and the scents of Italy, Karen Swan transports readers to the 1950’s and early 1960’s in three lush summer times. The scenery is picturesque and captures balmy summers in Puglia, and paints a clear picture. The interwoven traditions of the food, from lemons to pasta, festivals creates an immersive atmosphere, creating a sense of what the author is seeing as she writes. The historical content is also fascinating about the socio-economic situation back then.
Rafaella Parisi’s romantic life is complex. She is dating Fon Giannelli but Cosimo from the wealthy Franchetti family is on the scene.
The writing is descriptive, but not overcooked and the development the characters situations throughout the years is fascinating to watch play out. With decisions that have big impacts on everyone’s lives to be made, it becomes a book that you want to invest the time in reading.
Wherever their lives lead and whatever the turns that materialise in their paths, there are consequences and highly unexpected dangers ahead, creating jeopardy, making it an enthralling, captivating read with some intense moments.
Three Summers is where Escapism and the realities of complicated relationships collide, bringing emotion and romanticism from both the characters and the Italian setting.
Every summer tells a story…
1950’s Italy
1957:The summer of innocence.
Amongst the lemon trees, Rafaella Parisi impatiently waits for the summer visitors to arrive in her small fishing village on the coast of Puglia. She may be dating Fon Giannelli, but there is one person she longs to see: Cosimo – son of the wealthy Franchetti family.
1958: The summer everything changes.
After a devastating accident at the lavish Franchetti villa, Rafa makes a vow that changes the course of all their futures . . .1961: The summer they meet againWhen Rafa and Cosi’s worlds collide, Rafa faces an agonizing choice. Is she willing to risk the life she has for the future she once dreamed of?
1961: The summer they meet again
When Rafa and Cosi’s worlds collide, Rafa faces an agonizing choice. Is she willing to risk the life she has for the future she once dreamed of?
I have recently had the pleasure of interviewing Joe Fria, whose acting career spans to great Hollywood Blockbusters such as Marvel’s Guide to the Guardians vol. 2 and Goosebumps. He has now directed a brand new film called Shadows of Willow Cabin. In the interview all those films are discussed as well as other works, such as lesser talked about parts of the film industry Joe Fria is involved in, such as English dubs for Amazon, Netflix and Apple TV and more…
Shadows of Willow Cabin follows Albert and Devon who travel to a remote cabin to explore the possibility of a relationship. But when the cabin reveals its true intentions, their romantic getaway turns into a game of survival.
Thank you to Joe Fria who has given fascinating in-depth answers to the interview here:
1. What drew you or who inspired you to writing/directing films?
I grew up as a latchkey kid in Pittsburgh, and in many ways, my babysitter was the TV. I was immersed in movies from a very young age, probably earlier than I should have been. We had cable, and I also had a video store card back when those were a thing, so I was constantly watching films I picked out myself, especially horror.
Looking back, I realize what drew me in wasn’t just the characters, it was the worlds. As a kid, I was inspired by Travolta as Tony Manero and so I pursued acting, but, in retrospect, what really stuck with me was the atmosphere and the larger world of Saturday Night Fever. That sense of a fully realized environment is what captured my imagination, and it’s what I now love so much about making movies.
The real turning point came much later. In 2018, I got sober and started writing consistently for the first time. That process—both the writing and the recovery—gave me a new level of clarity and confidence. I had already been directing in the dubbing world, but it was during that period that I realized I could step fully into directing for film as well.
2. Shadows Of Willow Cabin is a horror film, what do you think makes the combination of a cabin at a forest retreat and a dating app such a great combination for this genre?
That’s a great question. For me, it really comes down to isolation, both physical and emotional.
A cabin in the woods is one of the most classic horror settings because it removes you from the world. You’re cut off, vulnerable, and forced to confront whatever’s in front of you. But what interested me with Shadows of Willow Cabin was pairing that with a different kind of isolation, the kind that exists within a dating app.
On the surface, dating apps are about connection, but in reality, they can be incredibly lonely spaces. You’re presenting a version of yourself, often hiding parts of who you are, and trying to connect through a kind of distance. That mirrors what’s happening with Albert as a character, he’s hiding from his life and his identity.
Then you place that emotional isolation into a physical space like an off-season cabin retreat. It’s a place that should be full of people and activity, but instead it’s empty, quiet, and suddenly it’s just the two of them. That contrast heightens everything.
The horror comes from these overlapping layers of isolation: being alone in a place, being alone with another person, and ultimately being alone with yourself. And I think that last one is often the most terrifying.
3. You play with reality and the metaphysical, including time and ghosts, how did you weave that into the plot so that there is a certain amount of grounding to hook your audience in?
What grounded the supernatural elements for me was tying them directly to the emotional states of the characters.
Any time you introduce metaphysical ideas—time loops, ghosts, altered reality—you risk creating distance from the audience. My approach was to make sure that everything happening on a supernatural level had a clear emotional parallel. These aren’t just external phenomena; they’re expressions of what the characters are going through internally.
In particular, the manipulation of time is rooted in the way we actually experience it. When you’re in a state of desperation, or when you’re dealing with unresolved trauma, time doesn’t feel linear. It stretches, loops, and collapses in on itself. That’s something most people have felt in some form, even if they’ve never experienced anything supernatural.
The metaphysical elements become a kind of language for those internal experiences. They’re heightened, but they’re not arbitrary. They’re grounded in something real and recognizable. And that connection is what keeps the audience anchored, even as the story moves into more abstract territory.
4. The film explores sexuality through closeted Albert whose heterosexuality is collapsing, what research did you need to do for that and how did you balance that emotion with that of his wife?
That’s a funny question for me (not because it’s a bad question!), because I didn’t really have to do research. I drew directly from my own experience.
In many ways, the film became my own coming-out story. I didn’t fully realize it at the time, but through writing and making the film, I came to understand that I had been hiding from my own bisexuality. So, Albert’s journey started as a concept, but it became much more personal as I leaned into that.
To ground him, I pulled from moments in my own life, particularly from a period when I was struggling with addiction. I experimented with my sexuality during that time and hid it from everyone. That experience of hiding, of not being fully honest with yourself or the people around you, became a key emotional foundation for the character.
As for balancing that with his wife, even though we never really see her, I drew from the reactions of people close to me during that time in my life. I understood what it felt like to be on the receiving end of that kind of concern, confusion, or hurt. That made it easier to imagine her presence and how that pressure would push Albert even further into isolation.
5. You have a UK and US release following a world premiere at Cinepride and a UK premiere at Grimmfest.
How did you celebrate knowing Shadows of Willow Cabin was going further than the film festival audiences?
The first thing I did was call my best friend, Mike Kelly, who’s the executive producer and sole financier of the film. Honestly, it wasn’t so much an immediate celebration as it was a long conversation about how to handle what was happening in the smartest way possible.
Once we had that conversation, there was definitely a moment of stepping back and acknowledging it, kind of a quiet “we did it” between the two of us. But I’ll be honest, I have a tendency not to fully celebrate milestones in the moment. I’ve made a point that when the film actually releases, that’s when we’re going to properly celebrate. That one’s going on the calendar.
6. You’ve previously worked on huge franchises, such as “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2” for Marvel Studios and playing Slappy in various “Goosebumps” projects, based on the work of RL Stine.
What was that like and how much and what are the benefits and disadvantages of working on such franchises and what are they for working on a shorter, more independent film?
The first thing to acknowledge is that my experience on those projects, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the Goosebumps project, was as an actor, and acting versus directing are completely different experiences.
As an actor, it’s a very vulnerable place. You’re focused on your performance, often self-conscious, and there’s always that underlying fear that this will be your last job for a variety of reasons. As a director, you’re the one steering the ship. Your attention is everywhere at once—story, performance, logistics—while also making sure the entire team is supported. It’s a very different kind of pressure.
That said, working on something like Guardians was incredible. Being immersed in those sets and costumes, and operating at that scale, was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that very few people get to be a part of. And getting to work with my friend James Gunn was a huge part of that experience.
What I didn’t fully realize at the time but really appreciate now as a director is how much I learned from him. He had this ability to run a massive, multi-million dollar production while still making it feel like you were just making something in your backyard (and I have literally made movies with him in his back yard!). That energy is something I’ve carried with me. It’s very much how I try to run my own sets now.
In terms of benefits, those large-scale projects give you exposure to a high level of craft and organization: you see how everything operates at the top tier. But the tradeoff is that they’re highly structured, massive, and require an army and fortune to accomplish. With that level of scale, you tend to have to compromise on creative control.
With independent films, it’s the opposite. You have full creative control, and the process is much more personal and immediate—but you’re also responsible for everything, and you’re working with far fewer resources.
For me, having experienced both has been incredibly valuable. It’s about taking the scale and discipline of those larger productions and combining it with the intimacy and creative freedom of independent filmmaking.
7. You’ve done all the English dubs of all four “Rebuild” films in the Evangelion franchise for Amazon and other dubs for Apple TV and Netflix.
Can you give us a little insight into what’s involved in this part of your world, which isn’t looked at so much compared to other parts of the profession?
Dubbing is a fascinating part of the industry, and you’re right, it’s often overlooked. But it’s actually incredibly important, especially for English-speaking audiences. Unlike many countries that grow up watching dubbed content regularly, we tend to be very sensitive to bad dubbing. So, the bar is high. If it doesn’t feel natural, audiences will watch with subtitles or turn it off.
What I love about it is that it’s like solving a giant puzzle. As a director, you’re doing all the things you normally do: working with actors, shaping performance, managing time. But you’re also dealing with a translated script that has to match the original actor’s lip movements and performance almost perfectly. The tone, the rhythm, the emotional scale—it all has to line up. You’re constantly adjusting dialogue so that it feels organic in English while still syncing to the original performance.
There’s also a technical side that I really enjoy: figuring out where certain sounds land, how to restructure a line so it matches the mouth movements. That level of detail is something I genuinely nerd out on.
At the same time, it’s a very intimate process. It’s usually just you, the actor, and the engineer in a room, without the pressure of a full set or camera. That creates a space where actors can really focus on performance, and where collaboration feels very direct and personal.
While dubbing might not always get the spotlight, it’s a deeply creative and challenging craft, and one that I really love being a part of.
8. Where can people follow and where can people watch Shadows of Willow Cabin when it’s released to the general public on 26th May 2026?
You can follow the film on Instagram at @ShadowsOfWillowCabin, and find more information.
Will Carver is known for Nothing Important Happened Today, Hinton Hollow Death Trip, The Beresford Hotel and more books that will have you seeing society in a different light and make you think in ways you may never have before. His unique societal focussed thrillers are darkly twisty and once you pick them up, they’re hard to put down. In Bad Influence, it looks at social media, influencers and poses the question, do you know who’s in your house when you’re not at home? I am on the blog tour for Bad Influence with a review. Check it out below, along with the blurb. Thanks to Random T.Tours and Orenda Books for an e-book and slot.
Do you know who’s in your house when you’re not at home? It may be more than just your dog or cat. *Phrogging is the latest wave of social media crazes, created by top influencers in America, followed and tried out by others. In this case it can lead to dangerous consequences. *Phrogging – an act of living in someone else’s home without their knowledge or permission.
The world of influencers is what Will Carver is focusing on in this latest societal thriller. It takes you into the world of Paige, a qualified nutritionist and mentor who doesn’t like fake news and promotes fitness, Ellie, Max, Shona, Barnaby, Alyssa who is friends with Alessandro, now wanting to be called Less, all in their 20’s and hoping to “make it”. The main story-lines come from Alyssa and Less in a rather fast-paced unique manner that is fitting with social media, narratives and in a relational sense too. The observations are acute and spot-on about how people want to be noticed. In Less and Alyssa, their parents bankroll them financially and they do a bit of entrepreneurship themselves, especially Less, so in that way, they are secure, even with Alyssa being not quite so wealthy, but within themselves they are insecure. There are issues within their families and Alyssa is a full time carer to her grandmother, gets herself out the door, does the meals. She, in that respect is relatable as anyone who’s a carer from a younger than average age will understand and see this part reflected to a certain degree. Paige plays a big part too and is brought further to the fore later on in the book.
What happens next is the start of a darker side creeping in after a jaw-dropping party, a crime fuelled by inhibitions. Not a thought about the consequences. Things get even darker when a new type of influence is coming on-trend, Phrogging. As readers we join the speed and thrills of the ride of this life, but things take an unexpected dangerous turn.
Intelligently the emotions and mental health are played out in the characters, most pertinently in Paige. It is, again, a well observed study of not just the ‘human condition’ but also the effects of being so absorbed to high influencer levels in social media.
The relevancy and importance of reading this book is high. The pace is fast, explosive compelling plot won’t just wash over you, it will stay with you beyond the last page!
Blurb
Two bored teenagers.One stupid game.The wrong place to play…Alyssa wants to be seen. Less wants to be someone. She takes two buses to class, posts pictures of her lunch, and pretends it’s all effortless. He hides his privilege beneath thrifted clothes and a sketchbook full of impossible designs. Together, they are inseparable – two outsiders constructing a version of themselves the world might finally applaud.Then Alyssa stumbles upon the hidden world of phrogging – living unnoticed inside other people’s homes. She and Less slip through Los Angeles’ glossy veneer: influencers, producers, pop stars, all so busy performing their perfect lives they don’t notice the shadows in their attics, the scratching in their walls.An act of rebellion. A harmless thrill. A social experiment.Until they choose the wrong house.Until the influencer they idolise catches them in the act.Until the cameras, already rolling, capture everything.What begins as a reckless adventure becomes a nightmare of lies, power … and murder…
Cake, Prosecco, a book event and murder. Bookshops aren’t all quite a cosy as they first appear and the people in them aren’t always innocent as they first seem either. Cosy crime got twisty and A Killer Plot is a new book in the genre. Enter this book event recounted in a book if you dare! Today, I am on the Compulsive Readers blog tour. Also thanks to Zaffre Books for a book. Check below for the blurb and my review.
Having not read the previous Jane Hepburn mysteries book, I felt that A Killer Plot works well as being read as a stand alone. Jane Hepburn is.a mystery author who, like many authors, does the literary talk tours. This time she is at the cutely named, Willow Tree Books in London. Fascinatingly, you learn a lot about upmarket Cecil Court, its connection with Cats poet, T.S. Eliot, Graham Greene, theatreland and the starting place for Foyles Bookshop. Later, Cleeves, Rankin and other authors are mentioned, which may inspire readers to take a look at their books if they haven’t already too. The mentioning fits neatly into the plot.
One part that stands out is when it nicely says about authors being social butterflies, although she isn’t. It made me think about how much of social media is about readers not being sociable, which looks like a majority when the reality is more likely to be a mix, similarly with authors. What mirrors those not sociable butterflies is how Jane loves the bookshop, seeing it as almost the perfect haven, except for all the people. It mirrors that part of society in a well observed way. There’s an air of sadness in the beginning as you learn about how her books aren’t selling well, barely a ripple, a key member of publishing staff leaves and her contract ends. It also shows a reality in the book world. This is in contrast to the much celebrated author, Natasha Martez.
The mystery really begins when there’s a panic about what’s happened to Hugo Strauss, host of the book launch party and first under big suspicion is Jane. She has a funny way with words, which adds a lightness to the serious situation, which readers can see unfold day by day, hour by hour. It creates an air of immersiveness, giving people an ‘eagle-eyed’ view of what happened from a Friday in September. There’s more mystery when RedRuin66 pops up in online messages, which are cleverly crafted by Nevin. The mystery gets twistier and observes just what can be dug up around the internet if you know what or how to do searches on people. In parts the atmosphere grows quite sinister in feel. There’s some trepidation and danger in certain events.
I recommend A Killer plot and enter a sinister author and publisher world of book events. It’s coy crime with a twist. If you like books such as The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horrowitz, I also recommend A Killer Plot.
Blurb
In the follow-up to A Novel Murder, mystery author Jane Hepburn is back and ready to leave her sleuthing skills in the pages of her novels. That is, until she’s invited to a prestigious literary party in London—where the gathering of glamorous attendees may be hiding a killer.
Jane Hepburn has almost made it. After solving the murder of her literary agent at last season’s crime book festival, Jane has received a burst of internet fame that landed her an invite to the coveted Cecil Court book party in London. Visiting beloved bookstores along the winding alleyway of Cecil Court, and brushing shoulders with famous writers and the editors and agents who made them stars, Jane is looking forward to a fun, murder-free weekend and a distraction from her own writer’s block. But an innocent moment of respite leads Jane to the charming, yet indolent assistant to a hotshot editor. The only problem is the assistant happens to be dead, and it is Jane who discovers her body.
Chaos ensues as the police get involved, but the case quickly grows more complicated when the assistant’s boss also shows up dead. What secrets were they hiding? And what was someone trying to conceal by killing them? To ensure that another event isn’t overshadowed by an unsolved murder, Jane and her two loyal friends, debut novelist and star of the party Natasha Martez, and agent intern Daniel Thurston, must put their sleuthing skills to the test. But nothing is as it seems in a party full of attendees with secrets they’d do anything to keep.
Matson Taylor is back!!! His debut novel shot up the charts and introduced readers to Evie Epworth. His debut was the very funny and poignant The Miseducation of Evie Epworth with a strong follow-up, All About Evie, set in Yorkshire and London. Now, he has a new character and is transporting readers to Italy in his 3rd fabulous book, Roman Mornings.
Some books are worth their weight in gold, this is one of them. It was worth the wait and it, for me, came along at the best possible time. It’s one for cat lovers, the holiday adventurers, readers of Kate Atkinson and Sarah Winman and for those who just need a little healing and a spot of heartwarmth in their books.
It was a delightful surprise when an opportunity to review Roman Mornings landed in my inbox from Simon & Schuster. Check it out below the cover you can just walk into for a perfect summer escape and my review and blurb below.
Full of heartwarming wit and encounters as an adventure on a mint-green Vespa ensues to seek out hope and new way of living life.
Roman Mornings takes readers between 1952, Trastevere, Rome and 1976. The sense of place draws you into the old narrow streets, adding an air of intrigue and mystery and wonderment as to who lives in these crammed streets and what are their stories. This is when readers meet some rather interesting eccentric characters. Clementine Severs is the main character, who in 1952, arrives with a certificate in teaching and a whole lot of idealism, enough to fill many Grecian urns, certainly more than realism. She has many hopes, dreams and an urn-full of spirit.
By 1976, times from those days of surviving through World War 2, she is wilting, she and readers are reminded we all need something fun and happy in our lives. For Clemmie, it comes in the form striking up an unlikely friendship with young carpenter, Mongomery Marsh and a journey to find new hope and new ways of living life.
They also meet a cat called Octavian, who, if you’re a cat-owner, is so recognisable in manner and behaviours right down to a whisker twitch. Readers can be right into this feline and understand exactly what it’s doing and thinking, just like how cats communicate with humans in real-life and in some mysterious way, we understand them. Octavian is a great cat character.
Well-observed, are the changing times in culture and how young and older people can be both seeking out something similar and also become friends. The writing style has you hanging on every word as, cleverly he ensures his reader is absolutely with them every bit of the way, through potholes, the surrounding scents, food and growing friendship.
Roman Mornings is immersive, full of universally, heartstring tugging and heartfelt relatable themes that are emotional yet also upbeat, full of humour, hope, poignancy, whilst encompassing some healing along the way.
Roman Mornings may well make you want to wake up in Rome. If you don’t find yourself in Italy, it still may we’ll have you wake up to searching for hope and a new life.
I highly recommend Roman Mornings for your summer read or anyone looking for a heartfelt pick-me-up, perhaps with your favourite Italian food and tipple.
Blurb
A glorious novel of hope and healing for fans of Armistead Maupin, Fredrik Backman, Kate Atkinson and Sarah Winman.
1952, Trastevere, Rome. An idyllic maze crammed full of narrow streets and eccentric characters. A young English woman, Clementine Severs, arrives armed with a teaching certificate and enough idealism to fill a host of Grecian urns.
By 1976, she finds herself wilting, her youthful dreams squashed by time and tide. A chance encounter between an angel and a speeding mint green Vespa brings her into contact with a troubled young carpenter called Montgomery Marsh. Clemmie and Monty forge an unlikely friendship that takes them on a magical ride through the Eternal City in search of fresh hope and a new way of living.
Fun, spirited and full of heart, Roman Mornings, like the city of Rome itself, is a novel of mysterious beauty that you will want to revisit time and time again.
DiagnosisorDeath By Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Mind Over Murder author, Jake Lynch and Annabel Goldrick have their new book Diagnosis or Death are groundbreaking in who their protagonist is. The protagonist is a psychotherapist who specialises in EMDR – Eye Movement Desentisisation and Reprocessing. Both authors have worked in journalism and now, Annabel is also accredited in EMDR. They bring their real life experiences and fictionalised them to create a compelling new series that brings a uniqueness to the crime/thriller/psychological thriller genre. I am on the blog tour with a review and book. I haven’t read any other books by these authors, but from this one, readers looking for something new are in for a treat of a read. Check out the cover, my review and blurb below…
Review
It’s intriguing when there’s a new protagonist on the horizon in crime fiction and this piqued my interest. Janna is a former news reporter, now a psychotherapist practicing EMDR, is knee deep in work. Then there’s the shock of the death of a colleague and surely it isn’t suicide as first thought by the police.
Janna works from home nowadays and ends up getting highly involved in trying to discover what really happened. She then ends up digging around the murkier side of AI and the deep-fakes that are created. It’s chilling to the core!
What is fascinating to see unfold is how the skills of a psychotherapist can be deployed into a crime scene and also learning a bit more about this branch of psychology. Both professions in some ways marry up well as demonstrated in the book as both have an interest in people. This comes across in an intriguing manner, as does the crossover into a deep, dark crime scene. What evolves is a modern day crime that feels realistic and is compelling to read.
Blurb
Janna Rose is back! The Oxford journalist-turned-therapist is shocked by a colleague’s sudden death, which police dismiss as suicide – but she’s not convinced.
Pursuing her passion for justice, Janna investigates further only to be drawn into a shadowy world of Artificial Intelligence, where identity is fluid and nothing quite as it seems.
But who are the men behind the scheme, and what are their real motives? With dark forces threatening to drag her down and peril around every corner, Janna must deploy all her insights into human motivation to reveal the truth.
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 