#Review By Lou of Black Hearts By Doug Johnston @doug_johnstone @OrendaBooks #BlackHearts #TheSkelfs #BlogTour #skelfaholics @RandomTTours #TartanNoir

Black Hearts
By Doug Johnstone

A welcome return of The Skelfs, a family who run a funeral parlour and are also Private Investigators in Edinburgh. I am on the blog tour today, thanks to Orenda Books and Random Things Tours for the invite and book. Find out more in the blurb and then onto my review below.

Death is just the beginning…

The Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events.

A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young woman’s obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave … pushing her to breaking point.

As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly…

Review

Beware of the single magpie on the cover…. “One for Sorrow” and all that. Grief can have consequences and people can behave oddly and “Black Hearts” becomes both literal and figurative. As grief takes hold, guilt also seeps in.
Family is at the heart of this series of books and a love of music also creeps in.

The Skelfs are funeral directors, as a family, turned Private Investigators, so also deal with families in their many states of life on a day to day basis. Readers can follow this latest case as well as the backstory of the Skelfs themselves and delves deeper into their personalities and lives.

The lives of the Skelfs are in danger; Dorothy takes on a missing person’s case and little does she know what would come next…
Hannah has a disturbing problem to contend with – she is being stalked.
With so much at stake and so much to deal with, its a gripping read.

What occurs in Black Hearts is totally chilling, but with the dark humour that has been established in this series of books and always cuts through well in this Edinburgh based haunting mystery, as does the warmth that cosies it up, just a little, to show a little shed of light through the Black Hearts.

#Review By Lou of. Better The Blood By Micheal Bennett @MBennettBooks @simonschusterUK @RandomTTours #Thriller #CompulsivReaders

Better The Blood
By Michael Bennett

Today I am delighted to be closing the blog tour for Better The Blood.

A DETECTIVE IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH

Hana Westerman is a tenacious Mā ori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career

in Auckland’s Central Investigation Branch. When she’s led to a crime scene by a mysterious video, she

discovers a man hanging in a secret room. As Hana and her team work to track down the killer, other deaths

lead her to think that they are searching for New Zealand’s first serial killer.

A KILLER IN SEARCH OF RETRIBUTION

With little to go on, Hana must use all her experience as a police officer to try and find a motive to these

apparently unrelated murders. What she eventually discovers is a link to an historic crime that leads back to

the brutal bloody colonisation of New Zealand.

A CLASH BETWEEN CULTURE AND DUTY

When the pursuit becomes frighteningly personal, Hana realises that her heritage and knowledge are their

only keys to finding the killer.

THE PAST NEVER TRULY STAYS BURIED

But as the murders continue, it seems that the killer’s agenda of revenge may include Hana – and her

family…

WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE OF PARADISE.

Review

Michael Bennett brings a different slant in the crime fiction genre in the setting, culture and history.
Hana Westerman’s tenacity really comes through and she is determined to balance career and family life. NewZealand is rocked as it has it’s first serial killer.

Better The Blood is as fascinating as it is intriguing.

It holds much fascination in how a person’s experience and knowledge can be valuable in something, in this case, solving a murder case, as well as being that strong, determined woman, who, instead of crumbling or shouting about things, gets on with her job, even in the face of adversity and juggling a lot in her personal and work life. The mystery and hunt for the serial killer is intriguing and all the more shocking because of its location.

For a new voice in crime fiction, Michael Bennett is most definitely worth a read.

About the Author

Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an award– winning screenwriter, director and author.

His first book, a non-fiction novel telling the true story of New Zealand’s worst miscarriage of justice, In

Dark Places, won Best Non- Fiction Book at the 2017 Ngaio Marsh Awards.

Michael’s short films and feature films have won awards internationally, and have screened at

numerous international festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Locarno, New York, London, and

Melbourne. Michael is the 2020 recipient of the Te Aupounamu Māori Screen Excellence Award, in

recognition of members of the Māori filmmaking community who have made high level contributions to

screen storytelling.

He lives in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand) with his partner Jane, and children Tīhema, Māhina and

Matariki.

Chinese-ish – Home cooking, not quite authentic, 100% delicious By Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu #RosheenKaul #JoannaHu @MurdochBooksUK @RandomTTours #BlogTour #RecipeBook #Chineseish #Cookery #HomeCook

Chinese-ish – Home cooking, not quite authentic, 100% delicious
By Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu

Today I have a different sort of book review for you, thanks to Random T. Tours. It’s a recipe book called Chineseish. It is a book that is accessible to many home cooks with a lot of flavour packed in. See more below in the blurb and my review.

Blurb

Modern, unconventional, innovative, vibrant, tasty, colourful and incredibly delicious—this is a cookbook from two authors who consider themselves wonderfully Chinese-ish.

As immigrants with Chinese heritage who both moved to Australia as kids, Rosheen Kaul and Joanna Hu spent their formative years living between (at least) two cultures and wondering how they fitted in. Food was a huge part of this journey – should they cling to the traditional comfort of their parents’ varied culinary heritage, attempt to assimilate wholly by learning to love shepherd’s pie, or forge a new path where flavour and the freedom to choose trumped

authenticity?

They went with option three. Chineseish celebrates the confident blending of culture and identity through food: take what you love and reject what doesn’t work for you. In these pages

you’ll find a bounty of inauthentic Chinese-influenced dishes from all over

Southeast Asia, including the best rice and noodle dishes, wontons and dumplings, classic Chinese mains and even a Sichuan Sausage Sanga that would sit proudly at any backyard barbie. There are also plenty of tips and shortcuts to demystify any tricky-sounding techniques, and reassuring advice on unfamiliar ingredients and where to find them.

Tuck in to Hot and sour noodles and Chicken congee, make your own Chilli oil and Lazy XO sauce, and enjoy those meals for one with Burnt spring onion noodles or Chiffon omelette. There are Chinese snacks (sort of) such as Crispy prawn balls and Beijing hot chicken, as well as dishes for a crowd (‘Big plate’ chicken with hand-pulled noodles). Lastly, there are Rosheen and Jo’s favourite Chinese-ish puddings: Pumpkin buns, Egg custard tarts and Hong Kong-style sago puddings.

Review

Chinese food is ever popular and most of us know it from Chinese takeaway places and restaurants. This recipe book, although, as it claims, is inauthentic, but still has many dishes people will recognise.

There are handy tips and explanations throughout, as well as the story they want to tell about food. The book is accessible to many, if not all home cooks who want to potter around the kitchen and try cooking something delicious and different from the day to day.

I tried cooking a couple of dishes and the wantons and a few of the rice and chicken dishes went down a treat. I often wonder about getting the ingredients for such cooking, but it was easy, as much came from your average supermarket. The wonton wrappers came from a small Chinese supermarket and are becoming more readily available, even in small places where they were perhaps not. There are alternatives mentioned, which I found useful.

The layout of the book was informative and interesting as were the pictures. The methods of cooking were, as short as they could be, which made the actual cooking less daunting and more enjoyable.

This is a book home cooks can experiment with and enjoy as there is so much in it, but it isn’t overwhelming. There are chicken and other meat dishes, rice dishes, vegetable dishes with great starters and main courses.

So, happy cooking as this truly is a book that doesn’t build up a million dishes to be washed afterwards either, which is always a bonus (unless you enjoy that part).

Its easy to be relaxed when cooking from here, once you have the ingredients you need as it is all well organised.

It’s got tasty recipes, so I recommend this as you can be adventurous without it being overwhelming.

By Her Own Design By Piper Huguley @piperhuguley @Harper360UK @RandomTTours #Fashion #ByHerOwnDesign

By Her Own Design

By Piper Huguley

Today I am on the blog tour for a review of a book for all the fashionistas out there ~ By Her Own Design. Thanks to Tandom T.Tours for inviting me to review and a copy of the book. Discover more in the blurb and review below.

Blurb

The incredible untold story of how Ann Lowe, a Black woman and granddaughter of slaves, rose

above personal struggles and racial prejudice to design and create one of America’s most famous

wedding dresses of all time for Jackie Kennedy.

1953, New York City

Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F.

Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins eleven dresses, including the expensive

wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step

of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them. She and her seamstresses will

find the way to re-create the dresses. It may take all day and all night for the next week to accomplish

the task, but they will do it.

1918, Tampa

Raised in Jim Crow Alabama, Ann learned the art of sewing from her mother and her grandmother, a

former slave, who are the most talented seamstresses in the state. After Ann elopes at twelve with an

older man who soon proves himself to be an abusive alcoholic, her dreams of becoming a celebrated

designer seem to be put on hold. But then a wealthy Tampa socialite sees Ann’s talent and offers her

an amazing opportunity—the chance to sew and design clothing for Florida’s society elite. Taking her

young son in the middle of the night, Ann escapes her husband and embarks on the adventure of a

lifetime.

Based on the true story of one of the most famous designers of the twenties through the sixties who

has since been unjustly forgotten, By Her Own Design is an unforgettable novel of determination

despite countless obstacles and a triumph celebrated by the world

Review

This is an extraordinary life story of a woman who most people may not have known about, until now. It takes readers into the world of a family who could seriously sew. You can see where Ann Lowe’s talent comes from as her early life is examined and throughout the rest of it.

There is clear signs of the times in both fashion and race. There’s also growing up and romance as well as man trouble. The book is well-written and reads with great fluidity. The book captures resilience and her life in sewing and for whom she sewed clothes for, very well and in an interesting manner.

The anticipation of a new life, when she gets the opportunity, is tantalisingly close to touching, the further you read and the excitement is palpable as her life moves onto new stages as she marries, although this doesn’t last, there are doors that open as she sews for high society. This sets her on a path of building a good reputation and how she ultimately becomes even more luckier in life and gets the job of working as a designer for Jackie Kennedy.

This is book will sit beautifully in readers collections of fashion and/or historical books and would also be of interest to those who would like to know more about Jackie Kennedy as well as the rise of someone who created a dress for her.

About the Author

Piper Huguley is the author of the Home to Milford College and the Migrations of the Heart series.
She is a multiple-time Golden Heart finalist.
Piper blogs about the history behind her novels on her website.

She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and son.

#Review By Lou of A Little Piece Of Mind By Giles Paley-Phillips @eliistender10 @unbounders @RandomTTours #ALittlePieceOfMind #BlogTour

A Little Piece Of Mind
By Giles Paley-Phillips

Today I am on the blog tour with a review for A Little Piece of Mind by award winning author and podcaster of Blank Podcast – Giles Paley- Phillips. Thanks to Unbound and Random T. Tours for inviting me to review.

Blurb

From award-winning author Giles Paley-Phillips, this haunting verse novel follows Hobs, a young man struggling to navigate his own mind and the increasingly mysterious affairs he encounters in his supposedly idyllic suburban home town.
When Jenni, the girl of his dreams, suddenly disappears, Hobs finds himself on the trail of Mike Bilk, a charismatic businessman-turned-politician whose alleged role in a local tragedy points to greater questions of political greed and corruption.

As time begins to lose its shape, Hobs is left to piece together his fragmented memories while battling the disorienting anguish of adolescent love and infatuation. With reality crumbling around him, Hobs must confront the possibility that there’s no one left he can trust – least of all himself.

Review

The story cuts and makes you involuntarily take a sharp-intake of breath! Then Hobs, short for Hobart appears…
Think verse books are just for children or students of Shakespeare? Think again. This is becoming a bit of a trend, re-emerging in adult books and they are very good and bring a different freshness, as this one does to contemporary fiction.

A Little Piece Of Mind tells a story of Hobs and through short verses, an entire story is created, so it’s useful for readers with little time on their hands as it’s easy to dip in and out, or, in this case, read perhaps more than what you first intended as the verses enthrall as the story builds and builds and also because they are short.

A Little Piece of Mind allows readers into the mind and life of Hobs. It’s a beautifully written book, showing his mental state and his life of finding the girl of his dreams – Jenni; where the story moves along and it shows a bit about her relationship with her mother. Readers see and feel the emotion of Hobs when Jenni goes mysteriously missing. You can feel and see the urgency and desire of Hobs to see Jenni again. The writing becomes quite intense in places. The pain is there and feels real for Hobs as aspects of life seem to swirl around him as he pieces bits of what is going on together.
Hot-shot – Mike Bilk is quite the high profile character, who he ends up on the trail of. He’s an intruguing character with quite a lot of influence and power, for readers to get to know.

A Little Piece of Mind captures something quite cerebral on one-hand and on the other, sheer emotion and characters to get your teeth into and also care about in this pacey book that creates a desire to keep turning the pages to see what happens next.

#Review By Lou of The Tail of Mum, Dad and A Dog Called Rupert By Helen Morrish @helenmbooks @RandomTTours #BlogTour #RupertsBook #ChildrensBook #Kidslit #Dogs #Grief

The Tail of Mum, Dad and A Dog Called Rupert
By Helen Morrish

Today I am on the blog tour for the delightful book – The Tail of Mum, Dad and a Dog Called Rupert. It is an entertaining story for children aged 5 plus then also then has a serious side of grief, giving opportunities for discussion in either preparation for this or if someone has died in the family or just to give pause for thought. Kids will love to see what Rupert gets up to and what he becomes through some resillience too. Thanks to Random T Tours and Helen Morrish for the review invite and for a copy of the book. Find out more below in my review.

Review

Rupert is a a mixed breed Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He has a bit of Maltese Terrier and Cocker Spaniel mixed in. He’s a rescue dog and it’s about him settling into his new home and loving his new owners. Readers get to know about the dog’s likes and how he has fun, much in the way Rupert is discovering as he grows more confident in his new home and feels comfortable, and much like owners would discover too. There is much humour. The story then twists to a sad note as it also deals with grief, which can be looked upon as how pets and owners handle it. One of his owners dies and this is a subject matter that can be discussed with children whilst reading the book or just to quietly contemplate and empathise and sympathise with. Fear not though, it also has an uplifting ending.
There are illustrations throughout that are often entertaining.

About the Author

After the sudden death of her husband, realising with a jolt that life really was too short, Helen
left her job as an art director to pursue a long-held dream of becoming an artist. To help her
through her grief, she spent five minutes every day drawing their beloved dog, Rupert, and these
are the illustrations that have evolved into her debut book.
When she’s not working on her next book, Helen freelances as a designer and illustrator and runs
her vintage clothes shop Lady Crimplene. Having a passion for all things retro, she has a huge
collection of Sindy dolls and kitsch collectibles. She’s a film buff and her favourite genre is horror,
she also dabbles in stand up comedy, and dancing to the ‘80s makes her feel very happy indeed!
To find out more about Helen, her book and general musings visit helenmorrish.co.uk
All photographs http://www.urszula-soltys.com