#Review of Dark Truth – A Joe Wilde Investigation By C.D. Steele @BookGuild #CrimeFiction #PrivateInvestigatorFiction #CrimeTrilogy #JoeWildeInvestigation

Dark Truth
By C.D. Steele

It started with False Truth and now there’s the stunning page-turner of a second book in Dark Truth. Discover the blurb and my review below. Thanks to Christopher Steele for requesting an honest review.

Blurb

‘Dark Truth’, the second in a series of three novels, is a suspenseful mystery thriller full of intrigue that will leave you guessing right until the very end. Private investigator Joe Wilde is hired by Tom and Marie Archer to investigate the disappearance of their six-year-old daughter Laura. Joe also takes on an unusual case for a client by the name of Jack Riley. Jack believes he was framed to make it look like he was cheating on his fiancée Claire Brooks. Claire has been the target of disturbing vandalism. As Joe helps the police investigate Laura’s disappearance, he uncovers disturbing secrets concerning the Archers and some of their neighbours. Meanwhile the attacks on Claire become more extreme. Fearing for her life, Claire also hires Joe. As Joe continues to investigate, he puts himself in great danger.

Review

Dark Truth is intensely chilling from the start, with someone creeping upon his victim. From there, the chapters are short and snappy. Personally, I’m rather enjoying this style and it works well for this book.

As the story builds about what is happening to Claire, it is spine-tingling how she died and how technology is used. It tells the dark side of how people use it and how twisted some relationships can become.

DCI Whelan and P.I. Joe Wilde have a challenging working relationship, where info isn’t always being passed on. It’s a type of working relationship that will be familiar to many in, at least certain sectors. The exposing it in this book is interesting and it is quite a change from colleagues just rubbing along. The tensions are there for all to see and feel. It’s clever as Dark Truth then doesn’t solely focus on the crimes, it also delves into the darker side of certain personality types.

As much as False Truth, the first book, was very compelling and well-written, this one exceeds it. It’s tightly written and an excellent page-turner.

#Review By Lou of #CookBook by #Chef Sat Bains – Eat To Your Heart’s Content @SatBains1 @Octopus_Books @RandomTTours #RecipeBook #EatToYourHeartsContent #HealthyEating #Food #NonFiction

Sat Bains Eat To Your Heart’s Content
By Chef Sat Bains
Introduction By Dr. Neil Williams

Review by Louise Cannon (Lou)

As we now reach the end of any leftover chocolates and other treats from Christmas and look towards a different lifestyle, Eat To You Heart’s Content is great. It is full of healthy foods for your heart and body, easy to buy ingredients, simple to prepare and cook recipes.

I am delighted to be closing the Random T. Tours blog tour with a review of chef Sat Bain’s new cookbook – Eat To Your Heart’s Content.

Cookbooks absolutely still have their place in the era of the internet and just looking up a recipe that include things in your kitchen. They feed the curious and they make you more adventurous in your cooking. A good cookbook will take the fear out of trying something new and that, in part is what this does.
I’ve been cooking up a storm in my kitchen as I decided in-order to give a fair review, I would try out the recipes in just an ordinary, everyday kitchen. I am just a very ordinary home cook. Nothing fancy about me. So, time to perhaps make you hungry.

Check out the blurb and then my full review, with some pics of what I tried out. Here are also a few photos from the book. These are recipes I will try out as look delicious, but this time I tried some different ones and you’ll see some pics of those too.

Blurb

Sat Bains worked out, always maintained a reasonable weight and considered himself fit and healthy, so it was a shock when, in March 2021, he had a massive heart attack and underwent an emergency triple heart bypass operation.

During recovery, Sat consulted his friend, nutritionist Dr Neil Williams, who guided him on a revised diet to help maintain heart health. Having two Michelin Stars and a three-decade long obsession with flavour, Sat was not willing to sacrifice great food just because his diet now had to be heart healthy. This collection of recipes is made up of those he devised following surgery and focuses on lean protein, a mix of legumes, good fats – such as avocado, nuts and olive oil – and vegetables and fruits.
These delicious, simple dishes are designed for every day, they use supermarket-friendly ingredients and are accompanied by nutritional advice highlighting the ingredients rich in heart-healthy vitamins and minerals.

Review

I reckon I was first conscious of Sat Bains when I saw him on Saturday Kitchen and liked watching him show what he can do. He also holds Michelin Stars. Don’t be intimidated by this. I say this as I know sometimes some recipes seem so complex and involved, the recipes in this book are easy enough to cook. I am just an ordinary home cook and found it all to be straight-forward and not overly time consuming.

It was written out of Sat Bains having a health condition, explained in the introduction, so also sets out informative and interesting paragraphs alongside recipes about nutrition of the ingredients used.

There’s everything from vegetables to meat; starters, mains, desserts and sides are all covered, along with suggestions with what each goes with, although, of course you can easily mix and match. There are also alternative suggestions, which expand what you can use certain ingredients for ie changing cod for salmon etc.

Buying The Ingredients

Ingredients, even those I wouldn’t use everyday, nor ever bought before, such as chai seeds was easy to get from just an ordinary, everyday supermarket. This gets points from me. It made shopping easy. I wasn’t having to hunt things down from specialist places that may not be local to me.

Following The Recipes

Easy to follow, step-by-step recipes, including what is essential equipment. I love that some state air-fryer. I found that there are other ways to do something if you don’t have a particular piece of equipment, so don’t let that concern you.
It states how an ingredient needs to be ie chopped, toasted etc.

Trying Out The Recipes

There are a good choice of recipes using easy to source ingredients.
I chose 4 recipes to try for the purposes of review, although I wholly plan to try out more.
What was great was cooking times were pretty accurate and it seems like a book you could actually use most or everyday.
Please note photos are of Sat Bains perfect outcomes to recipes on the left and my attempts on the right.

Nut and Seed Crispy Chicken Escalope

It was a resounding success in my family. It uses various seeds, nuts and panko crumbs all mixed together with harissa and cooked in the air fryer. The crunch was amazing and it felt and tasted healthy. The nutritional notes were interesting. The time was in the preparation, perhaps because I couldn’t buy everything pre-crushed, but but so easy to do myself.
The really impressive thing is, even my rather fussy dad, who reckoned he wouldn’t eat anything I made from the book, ate this, enjoyed it and said he would have it again. Almost unheard of when it comes to something new!
The recipe even made more than what I needed, which was perfect as it stores really well.
I also tried this out to put a supermarket through its paces, what with so many different seeds and nuts, but sure enough, it truly did deliver.

I decided to serve it with:

Broccoli with Spring Onions. Chilli, Soy and Sesame Seeds.
It was so lovely to find a tasty alternative to just the plain broccoli I would normally have. I couldn’t get tenderstem broccoli, but the purple sprouting variety proved a good alternative. I was amazed at what just a small bit of the mixed seasoning, that takes seconds to make, did when broccoli was tossed in the mix. A little bit truly went a long way.

I would definitely be making these again.

I then made:

Cod In Baking Parchment
It had a lovely lemony spiciness to it, but not too overpowering. It says about alternative fish options. I definitely plan to try it out with salmon some time. I served it with the broccoli side dish again as this is the dish it suggests to serve it with, and I added carrots as I had to use them up. Still works beautifully well.

I then tried out:

Butternut Squash, Olive Oil and Parmesan

This makes handling butternut squash easy as it suggests keeping the skin on. It cooked well and there’s a pork dish it suggests to serve with, that I didn’t try on this occasion. I added a bit less parmesan cheese, just for my tastes though.
I may not try this again, or I’d have a small amount, but that’s only because I discovered I wasn’t massively fond of butternut squash. Brilliant trying it out though and absolutely would be great for fans of this vegetables.

About the Author

Sat Bains is best known for being chef proprietor of the two-Michelin starred Restaurant.
Sat Bains with Rooms in Nottingham, England. It also holds one Green Michelin Star. He won the Roux Scholarship in 1999 and worked in France before returning to the UK and opening his own restaurant.

Sat won Great British Menu in 2007 and has continued making regular appearances on television.

#Review By Lou of Blunt Force By Lynda La Plante @LaPlanteLynda @ZaffreBooks #CompulsiveReaders #TeamTennison #BlogTour #BluntForce #CrimeFiction @Tr4cyF3nt0n

Blunt Force
By Lynda La Plante

Blunt Force is the 6th Tennison book in the series about Lynda La Plante’s most famous creation, Jane Tennison, which takes readers back to where her career all began. This one sees an unexpected turn in her career. Find out more in the blurb and then my opinion in my review.

Blurb

Things can’t get much worse for detective Jane Tennison.

Unceremoniously kicked off the adrenaline-fuelled Flying Squad, she’s been relegated to Gerald Road, a small and sleepy police station in the heart of London’s affluent Knightsbridge.

With only petty crime to sink her teeth into, Tennison can feel her career slowly flatlining. That is until the discovery of the most brutal murder Jane has ever Charlie Foxley has been found viciously beaten to death, his body dismembered and disembowelled.

As a big-time showbiz agent, Foxley had a lot of powerful friends – but even more enemies. And alongside her old friend DS Spencer Gibbs, Tennison must journey into the salacious world of show business to find the killer, before they strike again

In Lynda La Plante’s most gripping thriller yet , Tennison discovers that the brightest lights hide the darkest secrets – and the killer doesn’t always hide in the shadows . . .

Review

Jane Tennison, in book 5 had, excitedly made it to “The Flying Squad.” Now in 1983, she’s been kicked off and has, yet another new police station to join. As you read through the series, you’ll see she gets around the police stations, meeting different team as she moves onwards with her career. This time, it isn’t so much a move up, more a step down and to the side. This makes the book a bit different from the others, as she gets bored of solving petty crimes, showing policing isn’t always about the up and up, perhaps until she enters the world of showbiz and in this case, the darker side and it is brutal. The challenges she faces are trying to find out more about Charlie Foxley. It got me thinking about how today, so much could be found out with a Google search, but back then, that just didn’t exist. They had other means, but, even for such a big name such as Foxley, it proves hard work.

Blunt Force has, what feels, quite a bit of realism, again, lots of research was clearly done. It can be slow at times, but some of the times, that was okay as it gave time to really be there as everything is examined. It was refreshing to see a character, who is so well-known to stutter in her career. Up until now, she has been moving upwards and someway makes you root for Jane Tennison and also makes you wonder what direction her career will take take her next. The situation she finds herself in feels realistic. It’s good to see her work has different challenges to overcome. It takes great courage to change a direction and have something flatline for such a huge character and this does it pretty well.

#TheatreReview of David Suchet – Poirot and More: A Retrospective – 5/5 star Talk and Performance @David_Suchet #Theatre #Poirot #Stage #TV #PoirotandMore

Theatre Review of David Suchet – Poirot and More
A Retrospective

Written By Louise (Lou)

David Suchet, actor of many parts on stage and screen, but perhaps most famously, that little Belgian man of Agatha Christie’s creation – Poirot is on tour with:
Poirot and More: A Retrospective. There’s a link at the end of my review so you can discover where you can see him. He’s touring across the UK and Ireland until and including March 2024. He’s also written books, find out more later…

I saw David Suchet at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh as part 2 of a birthday present from my parents and as a thanks for caring for them. I was so excited and I am genuinely pleased to say, it lived up to expectations and so much more…

I highly recommend this talk. It’s running time is about 2hrs 20 mins and time goes fast . David Suchet is mesmerising with excellent stage presence as he passionately and warmly shares his fascinating life as an actor on screen and stage and more… He has acted in many tv series and films and mentions Doctor Who, Blott on the Landscape, Maxwell and of course, Poirot. I have a link, after my review for you to explore what else he’s acted in. He also talks of stage acting, such as doing Rep Theatre, part of getting into Equity and being in Panto for the first time in recent years, playing Captain Hook.
He’s admired by people, young and old and everything in-between.

The interviewer, Geoffrey Wansell, is a great friend of David Suchet’s, and you can tell on-stage, which is really lovely. He’s a well-informed person, not only about David Suchet, but about the history of the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh. How excited they got when it is revealed that it used to be an Empire theatre. There’s a reason for this, but you’ll have to see the talk to find out more…

All eyes were on David Suchet. It’s great that, although he begins in a chair, he doesn’t stay in it and makes use of the whole stage he’s as he treat the audience to a mix of talk and acting. There’s also a screen behind him that is used to great effect as photos and a short film are shown to illustrate what he’s talking about.
When he talks to the audience, it feels inclusive. He isn’t talking at you, but to you, with parts that feel conversational. It feels special! You can feel the care, respect and appreciation he has of his audience when he speaks.

He talks of his family, his mother and father that brings much poignancy and humour, as well as mentioning his famous brother, John Suchet and shares many anecdotes throughout, that ooze love for his family and brings laughter. He also takes the audience right back to when he was 8 years old, at school and being in a play as an oyster and what funny thing happened whilst on-stage.

There’s much chat about his route to London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and how he is perhaps not quite your typical student. For anyone looking to apply to stage schools, his talk of this would be most inspiring as it was far from the case of him applying and being accepted. He talked about it taking time and many tries.

It is a joy to watch David Suchet act. He does most of this in the second-half, but there is some in the first too. His acting is powerful and you end up hanging on his every word as he brings characters to life. It hits your heart and soul. This, perhaps is because he cares about the characterisation and the writer who created them. For Poirot, for instance, he studied him so much to get him right. I truly have a lot of respect for him for this. He talks of going back to what the original writer has on the page and wants to be depicted and translates it to the letter, as much as possible, on stage and screen. You can tell this belief is strong, even if he has to change those people’s minds, who may want something different from the original creation.

Later, there’s music in the background as he launches into a speech from Amadeus. Then he goes and does something even more surprising, and gives what is like a quick and fun masterclass in Shakespeare that includes the language, rhythm and art. If you didn’t think Shakespeare was relevant or couldn’t understand it, you sure will after this performance. I sat, thinking he should make a short film of it and share it to educational establishments, tv and continue it in his talks. I even heard adults around me saying they then really understood it like they hadn’t before and gained greater appreciation.

It, of course all culminates, more or less in talking about his most famous creation of all – Agatha Christie’s Poirot. It wasn’t a role he immediately jumped into. He shared anecdotes of this about what his brother, John Suchet and friend, Geoffrey Wansell had to say. Suffice to say, the opinions were polar opposites. He has the props and shows, bit by bit how he gets into character. The skill and care is immense and it is fascinating to watch. He talks about how, even after all these years, since the series finished, he still has a love of the role and is grateful for it.

The role of Poirot instilled David Suchet into many hearts and minds. I explored what else he did before and was eager to watch what he did after. So, when Long Journey into Night arrived at a theatre in Scotland, I jumped at the chance to watch it and I avidly watched Murder In Mind at the time on TV. I now see this is being repeated. I borrowed a DVD of Blott on the Landscape. I watched many other tv programmes, I can also recommend, such as Maxwell, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Urban Myths, Tales of the Unexpected, The Way We Live Now, The Phoenix and the Carpet (voice of the Phoenix).

Suffice to say, I was impressed by this talk, that exceeded all expectations.

If you get the chance to see David Suchet’s talk, then I highly recommend it and do have fun exploring the actor’s work and books.

As everyone walked out at the end with the Poirot theme tune, aptly playing in the background, there was a buzz of positivity and cheerfulness around.

I then joined the stage door queue and was lucky to talk to David Suchet, on what was a very cold January night. He was very kind, indeed and I felt very privileged to meet him, something I hadn’t ever thought I’d get a chance to do.

David Suchet has also written excellent books – Poirot and Me and Behind the Lens: My Life.

Links

Tour Locations and Dates IMDB – What David Suchet has acted in on-screen Waterstones

*Photos courtesy of David Suchet’s manager on tour.

#Review By Lou of #Macbeth #RalphFiennes #IndiraVarma #MacbethTheShow #Shakespeare @HighlandCentre @FollowTheCow #Theatre

Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
Ralph Fiennes Adaptation for Stage
Directed By Simon Godwin

Review By Lou at Bookmarks and Stages

Immersive and absolutely phenomenal performance starring:
Ralph Fiennes as Macbeth and Indira Varma as Lady Macbeth

That Scottish Play or The Play That Must Not be Named as Macbeth is often referred to was timely in Ingliston, near Edinburgh city centre since all eyes turn to Scotland in January. I got a ticket from my parents as part 1 of my birthday treat.

A play showing what the lust for power does to a person, how far they’ll go and the consequences. They’re enough to put you off murdering anyone. Macbeth is in the first folio of Shakespeare’s works, which is celebrating it’s 400 year anniversary.

Walk through the sounds and sights of what looks like a war scene, with smoke and lights. It is truly a fantastic way to enter the main auditorium that is almost a round, to continue the immersive feeling as every spare inch on and off stage is used.
There is a bit of a mix of a modern and (very nicely) a traditional feel, that’s very cleverly put together. The Shakespeare rhythm in speech is spot-on and feels authentic, all adding to this magnificent performance.

There’s a crack and the 3 witches appear. The audience goes silent and for the whole play, everyone is silent. Ralph Feinnes is Macbeth, appearing in battle gear and then we see Indira Varma as Lady Macbeth.

Until now, I had not seen either on stage, but I had on-screen and they acted their socks off.

Ralph Fiennes is fabulous as the bold and then very troubled Macbeth. Ralph Fiennes converged the light and dark seamlessly, even adding a little humour here and there, that worked rather well.

This is the best I’ve seen Indira Varma play a character. Shakespeare, perhaps suits her style. This play certainly does. She is steely, strong and controlled, until her character can’t keep it together anymore. She is very convincing in this transformation as the enormity of what they’ve done eats away.

Both give great monologues and it struck me that you could hear a pin-drop and all eyes were just on them. They had the audience in the palm of their hands, absorbing every single word and mannerism. This was powerful!

The 3 witches, full of mystique and mischief in the subconscious are deliciously mischievous and dark as they cackle away and say their spells.

All supporting cast were great, who you’d see now and again.

This performance got a well-deserved standing ovation at the end by everyone who could stand. It was that fantastic that it felt the most natural thing to do.

This is a production that is not to be missed. I was in awe from start, from the walkthrough to the end of the play. He seems to have a great love and admiration of Shakespeare and I loved that he looked outside the usual places, like the city centres to put on this production. He did what Shakespeare did. He took plays to little towns and suburbs, they weren’t solely shown in the centres. The place was absolutely packed out. A full-house with people coming from even across the border from England. It could be something that the creative arts could start considering, taking theatre and some big-named actors to places they aren’t normally expected to be. It could be an interesting future for theatre, to get people in. I spoke to people who didn’t really know where they were going had flocked in. This was special and something that would be wonderful to be replicated for this play and other plays. Ralph Fiennes took a gamble and it truly paid-off.

I would advise you to eat beforehand. These are pop-up venues with pop-up bars with some drinks and some crisps and chocolates, which are unfortunately, some of the most expensive I’ve ever seen. Apart from that, it is a very well-organised affair by The Underbelly, with great customer service too. It’s worth getting to the venue earlier as it was lovely to witness the socialisation of people, strangers all mingling together.

The Underbelly are one of the companies, renowned for hosting fabulous performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is held for the entire month of August, every year. They have become synonymous with their, rather fun, upside-down purple cow symbol.

#Review By Lou of The Philosophy of Love By Rebecca Ryan #RebeccaRyan @BookMinxSJV #TeamBATC @simonschusterUK

The Philosophy of Love
By Rebecca Ryan

Th Philosophy of Love is a romance that shows love and romance in many forms, yet, is a poignant book with some grit.. Please find the blurb and my full review below.
Firstly, Thanks to Books and The City, Simon and Schuster for allowing me to review for the blog tour and for a copy of the book.

Blurb

What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole? Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers. Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else. So the two decide to make a they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does. But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?

Review

Meet Charles, Dwaine, Alice and Luke in this witty, heartfelt, relatable book. Each part of the book, there are 6 of them, has a powerful quote, prior to reading on.
It has certain topics and debates of the day that may cause debate and be thought-provoking as well as stir emotions.
It has a lot of light to it. It is essentially an easy-going read to sink into, even with the gritty side of life.

There is essentially a will they, won’t they get it together going on between Alice and Luke, which brings warmth and humour, which brings that warm, fuzzy feeling.

The characterisation of reflecting young people’s lives, warts and all, the immature and self-absorption to the growing to discover more about themselves is well-written.

There’s much entertainment to be had in much of the dialogue, as well as poignancy, creating light-heartedness. The different types of love from agape to the romantic, the way people view love, the challenges, the science of love and the romance is all explored.