#Spotlight on World Premier “We Will Hear The Angels” written by Nicholas Bone, co-directed by Nicholas Bone and Marisa Zanotti begins @fruitmarket #Edinburgh by #AwardWinning @magnetic_north_theatre @magnorththeatre #Theatre #Music #Play #Stage

Magnetic North brings the World Premiere of We Will Hear the Angels written by Nicholas Bone, co-directed by Nicholas Bone and Marisa Zanotti to Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket. This is a culmination event of Magnetic North’s 25th anniversary programme.
It runs between 24th January – 6th February 2025 at Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh

You can book tickets here: www.fruitmarket.com

Discover more below. I am doing a spotlight due to being now unable to review because I am unwell with the lurgy and do not want to pass it onto the audience or cast members. Storm Eowyn this January has also affected train travel. Meantime, take a moment to have a look at some fantastic photos by Jassy Earl and some information of what it’s all about. It truly sounds a fantastic night out of drama and music in a wonderfully supportive venue in Edinburgh. It does have a nice run of dates between now and 6th February for you to catch it.
Discover more about Magnetic North below and another opportunity to how to book your tickets to their latest production: We Will Hear The Angels as you scroll below…

We Will hear the Angels explores universal connection of melancholy, loneliness and music.

The performance uses music, words and movement to explore the strange power of sad music to uplift us. It features an eclectic mix of music performed live by a cast of five performers; Apphia Campbell, Greg Sinclair, Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda, Caitlin Forbes and Nicholas Bone.

We Will Hear The Angels takes its title from Chekhov’s play Uncle Vanya. It explores the loneliness of heartbreak through four characters who find themselves telling their stories to the enigmatic Lou. What becomes of the broken-hearted? They find healing through the sublime power of music. The performance features songs by Hank Williams, Moondog and Orange Juice among others…

Magnetic North’s Artistic Director Nicholas Bone said:
“Songs about loneliness and longing – from Purcell’s When I am Laid in Earth to Al Green’s Tired of Being Alone – are so ubiquitous and popular that they must answer some need we have to acknowledge and understand unhappiness. Working with a hugely talented cast and creative team on a development process that began in 2020, we have explored the relationship between music and melancholy through a whole range of inspirations. Starting with characters from stories by Chekhov and Katherine Mansfield and drawing on the set-up of Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

“We presented an earlier version of the work as part of a residency at the Fruitmarket in 2023, and I’m really delighted to be back in the beautifully atmospheric Warehouse to present the full premiere of the show.”

We Will Hear The Angels is the culmination of Magnetic North’s season of events to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. Also part of the programme is a screening of Pass The Spoon, the company’s legendary collaboration with composer David Fennessy and artist David Shrigley on 18 December at 7pm, and Aberdeen by David Fennessy on 2 February 2025 at 6:30pm.

**Tickets for We Will Hear The Angels are available at www.fruitmarket.co.uk**

About Magnetic North

Magnetic North is led by Artistic Director Nicholas Bone and Producer Anna Hodgart, and combines developing and producing live theatre with innovative multi-artform artist development. Magnetic North collaborate with playwrights, composers, choreographers, visual artists, performers and other artists to create a wide range of work including plays, music-theatre, installations, online events and films. Their comprehensive artist development strand has supported over 350 independent artists to continue developing. Founded in 1999, Magnetic North celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. Further information at www.magneticnorth.org.uk

#Review of The Bookseller By Tim Sullivan @TimJRSullivan @HoZ_Books #TheBookseller #DSCross #BlogTour

The Bookseller

By Tim Sullivan

The Bookseller is the latest DS Cross series. I have been hooked on these for quite some time. If you haven’t started, I highly recommend them. Once started, each one is like meeting an old friend in feel. They are that pleasing to keep joining DS Cross in his life and crime solving.
You can read them in any order. If you liked Ludwig or Grace on TV/books, this is a bookish thriller series that you’ll like too. Discover more about The Bookseller in the blurb and review below… a bit later than planned due to being busy with work matters.

Blurb

SOMEONE’S ABOUT TO TURN THEIR LAST PAGE…

‘One of the most iconic British fictional detectives of the 21st century.’ DAILY MAIL
‘These are must-read detective novels.’ MARK BILLINGHAM
‘One of my favourite detectives.’ ELLY GRIFFITHS

THE SETTING
The body of a bookseller is discovered, lying in a pool of blood in his Bristol bookshop. Police have one question: how did the man meet such a violent, murderous end in this peaceful place?

THE CONFLICT
DS Cross’s ability to dismiss red herrings is challenged by a worrying development in his personal life. Hopelessly distracted, he needs to rely on those around him in a way he has never been comfortable doing before.

THE MURDER PLOT
It may be a quiet profession, but it’s full of passionate, ambitious characters who know the value of a rare book. Their extensive reading means they also know how to get away with murder.

But is that enough to fool the tenacious DS George Cross?

Perfect for fans of MW Craven, Peter James and Joy Ellis, this is the seventh book in the bestselling series, which can be read in any order.

Review

Raymond, DS. George Cross’s dad has some health news to break to him. What’s striking is how DS. Cross reacts to it, with questions, minus some of the perhaps more expected emotion and the balance tipped far more towards the matter of fact of the situation.
For those who don’t know, DS. Cross is on the autism spectrum. The characterisation can totally be captured within the writing, giving you a real feel for DS Cross.

Ed Squire is meanwhile worried about his dad’s whereabouts. Little does he know that he went back from a day in London to Bristol after a satisfying day, all to find something amiss in the bookshop, “Squire’s Rare Books”…

The window into the world of antique books is fascinating, coupled together with a crime, creates a deep world to explore full of mystery and intrigue.

As the investigation into the murder gets deeper, there are increasing suspicions and some shady characters about and complex relationships, emotive issues to delve into that keep readers gripped and guessing.

The end twists are seriously not ones I was expecting and were brilliantly executed.

I am now looking forward to seeing what comes next by Tim Sullivan. This is a series I highly recommend.

#Review By Lou of The Year of What If By Phaedra Patrick @phaedrapatrick @AriaFiction @rararesources #TheYearOfWhatIf #BlogTour #ContemporaryFiction

The Year of What If
By Phaedra Patrick

The Year of What If is full of interesting character traits, discovery and perception. What if you could delve into the past in order to change life chances in the future?
Find out more about this intriguing book in the blurb and my review below.

Can the future be rewritten?

On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she’s finally found the one. She and her fiancé, Tom, met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she’s confident that, together, they will dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love.

But Carla’s highly superstitious family insists she visit a fortune teller before her big day, and the tarot cards reveal that a different man holds the key to Carla’s happiness – someone she met while travelling during a gap year, twenty-one years ago. This startling information spurs Carla to trace and revisit the ex-boyfriends she met during that time before she walks down the aisle.

From Barcelona to Amsterdam, Turkey to Paris, will Carla find her perfect match? And can a face from her past help Carla rewrite her entire family history, forever?

Review

What If? It’s a familiar question we’ve all asked ourselves and pondered over at some point in our lifetimes. Carla Carter ponders that very question as she wonders What If things worked out differently with the men she has had enter and leave her life and takes action. She tracks down all her ex-boyfriends before she gets married again. The search takes her (and readers) on quite a journey through different countries throughout mainland Europe. What she finds each time she meets someone is that she discovers something new about herself.

Carla’s superstitious family reckons there’s a curse upon it when it comes to love. Can she break this “spell” and move away from the superstitions her family reckon exist and show a different path?

It’s an intriguing book that shows some interesting insights into the characters that keeps it flowing along very nicely in, sometimes picturesque settings.
The question “What If” is one that flows neatly across the book as you wonder, what next and who next? as you follow Carla in her quest to change her future path in life.

About the Author

Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family.

You can follow Phaedra here: X (Twitter) Aria | X (Phaedra Patrick) Instagram | Instagram Head of Zeus | Facebook

You can purchase your copy from Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Thanks to Thanks to Phaedra Patrick, Aria and Rachel’s Random Resources for a copy of the book and the invite to join the blog tour

Check out more bloggers on the blog tour here:

#Review By Lou of Widows Waive the Rules By Julia Jarman @BoldwoodBooks @JuliaJarman @rararesources #BlogTour #Bookclub #Humour #ContemporaryFiction #Holidays

Widows Waive the Rules
By Julia Jarman

Review by Louise Cannon

A few years back now, I came across Julia Jarman’s books when she wrote for children. They are beautiful, insightful, fun books. I read a couple to a class in a library when they visited. Now, I see she is writing for adults and knowing her high calibre of writing in those children’s books, I simply had to accept a blog tour request to review one of her adult books.
Julia Jarman maintained that high calibre I had seen previously and certainly creates enthralling, entertaining plots for her books aimed at adults as can be seen from Widows Waive the Rules.

Blurb

The BRAND NEW novel from bestselling author Julia Jarman! Perfect for fans of Maddie Please and anyone who thinks age is just a number.

The Widows Wine Club of Viv, Janet and Zelda have navigated choppy waters before.

Having supported each other through the first shaky years of widowhood, the future was starting to look brighter. But when Janet is dealt another blow, it’s all hands on deck for the firm friends.

Deciding what Janet needs is a change of scenery, Viv and Zelda book a luxury cruise on the Queen Mary 2, heading for the bright lights of New York. And once on board, the women are entranced. A floating pleasure palace, the Queen Mary is just what the doctor ordered. From tai chi to dance lessons, cocktails to crafting, there’s nothing they can’t do to while away the miles at sea.

But when they are joined at their first supper by fellow widow Primrose Carmichael, the holiday takes an unexpected turn. Because not only does Primrose share Janet’s surname, but their late-husbands were both called Mal… As the similarities between the two women stack up, so do Viv and Zelda’s suspicions. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before they’re in sight of the Statue of Liberty, the friends are ready to waive a few rules…

Julia Jarman’s warm, wise and witty novels are perfect for everyone who believes age is just a number. Perfect for fans of Caroline James, Judy Leigh and Maddie Please.

Review

There is mystery and revelations and fun to be discovered on the high seas in Widows Waive the Rules.

Janet, Viv and Zelda are friends who need a holiday, so it’s all NYC, here we come! There’s lots to do on the cruise ship to keep them entertained, including various classes. There’s also the warmth of friendship and support through difficult times, as well as laughs. It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside that makes you want to join them. I’m not even their age, but still, I’d join them in a heartbeat!

Primrose Carmichael is an intriguing passenger who joins with our 3 intrepid explorers. The question is who is she? Certain things don’t all add up, which sends the 3 friends hunting for answers as to why it looks like she’s connected with Mal, Janet’s late husband…

Widow’s Waive is a highly entertaining, heart-warming book with surprises.
By the time you turn to the last page, you hope there will be more…

What’s more, I am certain I am not quite the target market for this book, but I still found it highly enjoyable and would read more…

To find out about all of Julia Jarman’s books, check out her website here: www.juliajarman.com

Buy Link Boldwood

#Review By Lou of Pimlico People By Rupert Stanbury. All of the Author’s Royalties Will Support Charities for the Homeless @RupertStanbury @RandomTTours #BlogTour #PimlicoPeople

Pimlico People
By Rupert Stanbury

Pimlico People is great for those looking for something a bit different. I jumped at the chance to review because I’ve volunteered in various charities and continue to do so. When I saw the author was wanting to donate his royalties to support homeless, I jumped at the chance to tell you all about it. So, join it all below as I close the blog tour.
Pimlico People is the 3rd in the series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone.
Find out more about it below, including a link where to purchase it.

ALL THE AUTHOR’S ROYALTIES WILL BE GIVEN TO SUPPORT CHARITIES FOR THE HOMELESS

Pimlico People is the third book in the Gods Galore series about the Olympian Gods in the 21^st Century.

The Goddesses Artemis and Hebe are staying in Central London to obtain a better understanding of the lives of ‘normal’ people.

To their surprise, they soon encounter a plot to blow up a foreign embassy. Add to that a sophisticated operation involving the theft of valuable paintings from a major art gallery, and the two goddesses begin to question what a ‘normal’ life is all about.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld Cerberus encounters another dog who, amazingly, only has one head! How will they get on?

A mixture of Comedy, Fantasy and Criminality, Pimlico People should appeal to readers of Terry Pratchett and Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson).

Review

Godesses Hebe and Artemis find themselves in London. This is a humorous, fantastical book that shows how people might be perceived by these Goddesses as they try to discover “normal” human life and what it entails. What they stumble across is some high criminal activity in the art world and plots to blow up an embassy. Luckily there are also some mere mortals that are useful and can help everyone out in trying to save the day.

There is also a different sort of underworld with Cerberus, a dog who wants to make friends with a mortal, earthly dog. A revenge on the owner story unfolds at this point.

Pimlico People, whilst entering something quite absurd, does, because of this, have some rather humorous qualities to it alongside some action-packed capers.
It all becomes an entertaining read.
It’s also interesting to think about how someone other worldly might see human life.

It’s definitely good for those wanting something rather original in their reading repertoire.

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Author

Rupert Stanbury is a Cambridge graduate. He was born in Manchester but has lived most of his adult life in Central London. He has always been an avid reader and recently decided to take up writing himself. His books have one overriding objective which is TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH. His first book, Gods Galore, was published in November 2021 and his second one, The Four Horsemen, in April 2023.

#Review By Lou of Your Child Next By MJ Arlidge and Andy Maslen @MJArlidge @Tr4cyF3nt0n @OrionBooks #CompulsiveReaders #BlogTour #YourChildNext

Your Child Next

By MJ Arlidge and Andy Maslen

Today I am on the Compulsive Readers blog tour with Your Child Next, the latest book to look out for to add to your collection of books by MJ Arlidge, or if you’ve not ready any before, this is a good one to start with as these thrillers are complete within themselves. He’s teamed up with Andy Maslen who’s books include Trigger Point, Rattle Snake and many more, with his latest being Peacemaker.
If you’re a Harlen Coben fan, you may well like this book too.
Check out the blurb and my review for Your Child Next.

Blurb

THEY’VE FAKED YOUR CHILD’S DEATH. AND IF YOU DON’T GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT, THEY’LL MAKE IT A REALITY.

Things have been difficult for Annie since her husband left; her teenage daughter, Isla, has become a ghost of her former self. Annie’s terrified that Isla might do something desperate, and she’ll lose her, too. So when Annie receives a video of herself crying at Isla’s funeral, her blood runs cold.

Confused and horrified, Annie races upstairs to check on Isla, who is alive and well. The video has been faked. But who sent it and what do they want?

One dark truth soon becomes clear: Annie is the latest in a string of parents being blackmailed, and Isla will be killed if Annie goes to the police or if she fails to give the sender what they want. Annie has a deadly choice: comply with the demands, or try to unmask the dangerous criminal.

Your Child Next is a thrilling and unputdownable novel that asks you how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Steve Cavanagh.

Review

Darkly, twisted and mysterious, Your Child Next pulls on the heartstrings and everyone’s, especially parents worst nightmare.

Annie hasn’t got it easy when it comes to family life, now being a single-mother with a teenage daughter, Isla who has many “demons” causing her many issues and struggles in her own life. Things turn into something much more sinister and chilling when someone is clearly playing on the family predicaments. It sends spinal shivers when someone sends a fake video of Isla’s death to Annie.
It’s clever in the way it shows the dark sides of how technology can be used to manipulate images and the the dark side of the human psyche.
As Annie and others are being blackmailed in such a horrifying way that you know could happen in real life, she has to decide what to do. Pay up or try to uncover the perpetrator. It’s a rollercoaster of a ride with twists and turns and a wonder about how far Annie can and will go and what she can stomach.

Your Child Next is a thought-provoking and gripping thriller that will play on everyone’s minds.