#Review By Lou of #Thriller – The Attic At Wilton Place @CazEngland @HeraBooks #WeekendRead #Suspense

The Attic At Wilton Place
By C.E. Rose

The Attic At Wilton Place is an eerily chilling thriller. Today, I am on the blog tour with a blurb and review, thanks to Hera Books and C.E. Rose.

Blurb

The perfect life. The perfect home. But at what price?
Introspective Ruth Parker is desperate for love and attention. Overlooked as a child by her cold and critical mother, her pain manifests in mloneliness and a crippling lack of self-esteem. When glamorous actress ‘Aunt’ Vanessa, her mother’s childhood friend, shows an interest in her, Ruth basks in the blinding light of her attention.
Once Ruth escapes to university in London, Aunt Vanessa invites her to Wilton Place, her stunning Belgravia residence. As she blossoms under Vanessa’s guidance, Ruth finds herself torn between student life and the hypnotic, luxurious confines of Wilton Place. Belgravia wins out, but when Ruth explores the gloomy attic of her new home and finds a hidden, locked door, she discovers that Vanessa is hiding the darkest of secrets from her childhood, secrets that threaten everything Ruth knew about her own mother.
How far will Ruth go to find the truth – and how much does she really want to know?
A twisty, Gothic-inspired chiller that fans of Kate Morton, Louise Douglas and Kathleen McGurl will love.

Review

Sometimes things from the outside can be too perfect. The house seems perfect, but behind the closed doors is a different story. There are deep, dark secrets.

Ruth Parker is in her teens and we see her embark on student life and we get to grips of her relationship of her Aunt Vanessa who is an actress, and her mother. Her own life is blossoming and full of so much potential, with her Aunt Vanessa taking her more under her wing, since her mother is cold and harsh and she had been suffering as a result of how she treated her daughter. You will for things to be well and for the blossom of Ruth’s youth to flourish, despite her mother, since she has so much guidance from her aunt, but things change. This is when it gets even deeper and darker, entering a more gothic style as she uncovers secrets in the attic. The book becomes even twistier and chilling, in a haunting type of way, as Ruth discovers not all is what it seems, making her life seem worse, not better, and she wants to dig more into what she begins to uncover. The suspense also heightens as you delve deeper into the characters lives and the home.

If you like a gothic style of book, full of suspense, dark secrets and family drama, I recommend this book.

Thanks to C.E. Rose and Hera Books for the book, in-exchange of an honest review

#Extract #Excerpt post By Lou of Finding Ruby Draker By Marianne Scott @MScott44 @lovebookstours #blogtour #Suspense #Thriller

Finding Ruby Draker
By Marianne Scott
Excerpt/Extract

Today I have an excerpt of finding Ruby Draker for you, courtesy of being on the Love Books Group blog tour and Marianne Scott.
It certainly caught my attention and drew my eye in. First, check out the blurb and then onto the excerpt, of this suspense/thriller, which has intrigue and intensity.

Blurb

Kathleen Jones has lived a protected and typical suburban life, nothing unexpected in her carefully controlled and planned existence. She’s about to complete her college degree and is ready to start a successful career but after completing her last exam she comes home to find her world has been turned upside down. Her home has been torched and her parents and little brother killed. If that’s not bad enough, she is kidnapped and drugged unconscious by strangers posing as police officers. When she awakes she discovers that everything has changed – her face, her name, and everything she believed to be true. But things get worse. Hardly recovered from surgery, she is whisked away under the cover of darkness as more men storm the clinic with guns. It seems that the men who abducted her are not her greatest threat. Now on a private charter on its way to Nice, France, her abductors are calling her Ruby – Ruby Draker!

Now, onto the excerpt.

When I awoke, I could hear people moving around me, but I kept my eyes squeezed shut.

For a minute or two I listened to what was going on around me, but then I just had to see what was happening. I cracked open my eyes, but my vision was blurry, and I couldn’t make out much of anything except shapes and colors.
All the people who floated in and out of this quiet place were dressed in white.
A man with dark hair stood from his chair in the corner and leaned over. I knew right away it was him, from the fire. He tapped the IV pole to my side while a nurse covered me with another blanket and adjusted the pillow under my head.

In a few seconds, the white fog went black and I passed out again.

I have no idea how long I was like this; it could have been a day, a week, a month.

When I woke up again, my face was tightly bandaged and again everyone around was fuzzy and white. The bandage felt like a straitjacket, and my hand flew to it to pull it off. Someone saw I was conscious and came over to scoot me into a sitting position in some kind of high- backed chair and rested my head on a cushion.

Why was everything so white?
My heart was like a rock, heavy in my chest. I didn’t feel anything, no pain, no fear, just like I’d been emptied out.
I didn’t even know if I was breathing. I couldn’t move or talk or see much.
My eyes and lips seared against the air.

#Review By Lou of Cousin Ash By S.E. Shepherd @HobeckBooks #Thriller #Suspense #CousinAsh #Blogtour

Cousin Ash
By SE Shepherd

Today I am excited to be on the blog tour for Cousin Ask, thanks to Hobeck Books inviting me and for a copy of the book for this suspenseful thriller

Blurb

RUN FOR IT!’

Were they also Ash’s last words?

A chance meeting with a school friend of Lottie’s brings Hannah a new case. She’s confident Sandlin Private Investigations can find out who’s responsible for the recent threats at Eliza’s house. But, as she and Lottie begin to unravel the facts of the present case, they also find themselves involved in a longstanding mystery.

Three cousins, once as close as siblings.

Ash, the black sheep
Grieving Ash loved her dad deeply, but swore no one else understood her. She’s been missing for twelve years, and is now presumed dead.

Eliza, the peacemaker
Eliza, rebuilding her life after heartbreak, inherits everything.

Scott the ‘baby’
Scott, broken and bitter, inherits nothing.

What made Auntie Miriam so angry that she left nothing in her will to Scott? And why did Scott and Eliza make a pact all those years ago never to admit the truth about the disappearance of their cousin Ash?

Ash may be presumed dead, but somehow, she’s still causing trouble. Ultimately, the case can’t be solved without answering the question – what really happened the last time the three cousins were all together in Lullaby Woods?

Review

Cousin Ash is missing and the question is, what really happened? What occurred in Lullaby Woods?

This is the second book in the Sandlin series, the first is Swindled. It’s a strong second book that intrigues and grips, piquing curiosity in the lives of the characters, who have many issues surrounding grief in many forms and money.

Eliza and Scott are no longer close and Eliza is point blank adamant he will not receive any money, so is determined not to follow her aunt’s wishes. Scott however feels very entitled Then there’s Ryan – Eliza’s ex husband. He’s all partnered up and kiddied up. As if him moving away from Eliza and leading a new chapter in his life isn’t enough for Eliza to cope with, he’s now wanting her money.

Things take a more sinister turn when Eliza starts to feel threatened as she gets left weird messages, gifts and signs such as her fence being vandalised. Hannah Sandlin PI is soon on the case. It is quite some case to unravel and as it does, it holds quite a lot of suspense. There are secrets, money disputes, and Ash’s disappearance all packaged up in a twisty, gripping plot that needs unravelled to reveal the concealed truths.

#BookReview By Lou of Lights Out By Natalie Walters @nataliewalterswrite @revellbooks @lovebooktours @igbooktours #SNAPagency #RevellBooks

Lights Out
By Natalie Walters

I have a review on Lights Out. It is Romance/Suspense. There’s terrorism, spies, betrayal and more in this first book in the series… Discover more in the explosive blurb. Thanks to Love Books for inviting me to spotlight.

Blurb

CIA analyst Brynn Taylor developed a new program to combat terrorism, and she invited members of foreign intelligence agencies to America to foster cooperation between countries. Now one of them, Egyptian spy Remon Riad, is missing.

Jack Hudson has been working for the Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency (SNAP) for almost nine years and takes the lead in hunting down the missing spy. But he isn’t at all pleased to find out Brynn is involved. It’s hard to trust a woman who’s already betrayed you.

Every lead they follow draws them dangerously deeper into an international plot. Kidnapping, murder, explosions, poisoning—the terrorists will do anything to accomplish their goal of causing a digital blackout that will blind a strategic US military communications center and throw the world into chaos.

Can Brynn surrender control to a man who doesn’t trust her? And can Jack ever get over what she did to him? The fate of the world—and their hearts—hangs in the balance.

Review

Lights Out is packed full of suspense. It is gripping with characters that will keep many readers glued. Brynn and Jack pull you in so much that you end up so invested in what happens to them at each stage of the book.

Brynn is ambitious and career is just about everything to her. It means relationships outside her work for the CIA is hard.

Jack leads SNAP – a private agency assisting in government agencies.

Romance is sparked between these 2 characters, but there’s the question of can they trust each other or not. Jack isn’t too sure. They find themselves in so much danger though and attraction to each other is clear to see as magentism pull between them attracts.

There is suspense right to the end as there isn’t much time to stop a plan of terror coming into being as prospects of devastation looms and tension, away from some of the humour within the book, increases to keep readers hooked, after the initial scene-setting, which means you can begin to get to know the characters well.

#Excerpt of #Romance #Suspense #NewBook – The Counterfeiters Daughter by Victoria Marswell @vicmarswell @booktamins #TheCounterfeitersDaughter

The Counterfeiter’s Daughter
by Victoria Marswell
Romance/Suspense
Excerpt

Today I am pleased to be closing this blog tour for the Counterfeiter’s Daughter by Victoria Marswell, with an excerpt from the book, to give you a taste of what you can expect from it. Please find below, the blurb, excerpt and a bit about the author.
Thanks to Booktamins for inviting me on the blog tour to share this content.

Blurb

An empathetic psychologist, Madelyn Brighton trusts no one. She maintains a solitary and organized life with a serene view of the beach.
Everything changes when bad news forces her to leave sunny California and travel to Bavaria in south Germany. Amid 19th-century castles and dark family secrets, she must deal with the repercussions of her estranged father’s shocking counterfeiting crimes when she secretly inherits a priceless artifact.
Complications ensue when Madelyn reluctantly partners with the adventurous, blue-eyed archaeologist Jake Nolan. He promises to help her evade Leon Von Füssen, a prominent and wealthy art conservator who keeps them on the run as he tries to get his hands on the valuable museum piece Madelyn hides.
Madelyn finds herself caught in the middle of a rivalry between Jake and Leon. Will she succeed at protecting the innocent victims affected by her father’s mistakes, trust Jake with her safety and open herself to love again? Or will the counterfeiter’s daughter suffer the fallout of her father’s choices?
Join Madelyn on her thrilling journey of romantic suspense—from disillusionment to faith, bitterness to forgiveness, and loneliness to the prospect of love.

Excerpt

Sam’s eyes darted to the tiny flame on the edge of the rug. A breath hitched in his chest.

“Next time your wife and kids may not make it to the train so easily.” He wore a hard smile on his face, turned his back and headed toward the door. “Be at the beer garden tonight, seven sharp.” He patted the pocket that concealed the gun and left.

Sam seized a glass from the coffee table, tossed water onto the small fire and stomped on the remaining flames. A billow of smoke rose, setting off the alarm. Grabbing a magazine, he stepped up onto a chair and fanned the soot from the ceiling. He rushed to the front door, slammed it shut then chained and double-bolted the locks.

A tightness gripped his heart. He smacked a flat palm against his chest and sucked in a sharp intake of air. He bustled toward the writing desk in the room’s corner, pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled a note. Time denied him a moment to dwell on thoughts of Gretchen and the boys.

He only had one chance to react and perhaps, just this once, get it right.

After he penned the letter, he folded it, sealed the back and wrote the name of the one person essential to notify in his despair. Putting on his wool pea coat he shoved the envelope inside his pocket and peered out the balcony.

A silver sedan sat parked across the street. Sam noticed the vehicle when he returned after driving Gretchen and the kids to the Berlin Central train station.

Sam’s hands trembled and he closed the windows overlooking the Brandenburg Gate. The room darkened as he pulled the shades, blocking the little sunlight peeking from the thick gray clouds.

He shuddered. An eerie sensation swirled in the pit of his stomach, spreading to his nerves, that he’d never again see the light of day.

About the Author

Victoria Marswell is a romance suspense author. Victoria started writing poetry and short stories in her early teens. She majored in biblical studies at Hope International University and incorporates inspirational Christian themes into her writings. Victoria is a world traveler and sets her stories in the locations she has visited. At 17, she traveled to Germany and Austria where she was inspired to write her debut novel, The Counterfeiter’s Daughter. Victoria continues to travel the world; creating and writing romantic and thrilling adventures. She lived in Orange County, CA. for 38 years and currently resides in Portsmouth, NH.

Media Links

Website – https://www.victoriamarswell.com/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20371336.Victoria_Marswell

Twitter – https://twitter.com/vicmarswell

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/VicMarswell/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/victoriamarswell/

Purchase Links

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0893PM7YK/r

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Counterfeiters-Daughter-Victoria-Marswell/dp/173501351X/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53807026-the-counterfeiter-s-daughter

#Review of the gritty – Snatched From Home by Graham Smith @GrahamSmith1972 @NightsBooks @RandomTTours #CrimeFiction #blogtour

Snatched From Home
By Graham Smith
Rated: 4 stars ****

A kidnapping that leads to blackmail and the first case for DI John Campbell to solve before time runs out is the crux of this gripping case.
Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me and for her and Graham Smith and Caffeine Nights Publishing for sending me a copy of the book.
Discover the blurb and review and a bit about this crime fiction author in Scotland, below.

Blurb

DI Harry Evans – Book 1

What would you do to save your children?

Middle-class parents Victoria and Nicholas Foulkes are distraught when their children are kidnapped against Nicholas’ gambling debts. Penniless and desperate the couple turn to crime as a way to raise the ransom.

Hot on their heels is recently bereaved DI Harry Evans and his Major Crimes team. Evans is fighting against enforced retirement and his replacement – DI John Campbell – is foisted upon him along with other cases. If he must leave the police then he wants one last big case before he goes.

In a race against time Victoria and Nicholas must evade the police while continuing to add to the ransom fund. If they don’t pay up on time the kidnappers have threatened to amputate their children’s limbs with an oxy-acetylene torch.

Can they save their children before time runs out?

Review

From page one, the action begins and spirals into any parent’s worst nightmare of a child being abducted in this gritty, fast-paced crime book. The setting is Carlisle, around the Lake District and the Scottish borders.

Victoria is left in tears but with a grit and determination to get her children, Samantha and Kyle back. It wasn’t a chance kidnapping either. It was all planned to force her into repaying debts that her husband – Nicholas, has and it takes a toll on the family.

DCI Peter Grantham and DI Campbell and DI Harry Evans are the detectives on the case. There’s no “pussy-footing” around with these guys and they certainly don’t “mince” their words. DI Campbell got the transfer he wanted out of Glasgow to Cumbria. Apart from dealing with crimes, there’s the more sociable side to them too, like talk of ‘pop-culture’. They’re definitely not a fan of the ‘pen-pushers’. They’re pretty rough and ready.

Every so often, in a manner that flows well, the book goes back to the children and their captives.

The characters that are created are engaging and pretty hard-hitting and no-nonsense. There are degrees of tension that ascends throughout.

About the Author

Graham Smith is a time served joiner who has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000, he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.

He is an internationally best-selling Kindle author and has six books featuring DI Harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team, and four novels, featuring Utah doorman, Jake Boulder. His ‘Lakes’ series which has three novels featuring DC Beth Young has received much critical acclaim.

An avid fan of crime fiction since being given one of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books at the age of eight, he has also been a regular reviewer and interviewer for the well-respected website Crimesquad.com since 2009

Graham is the founder of Crime and Publishment, a weekend of crime-writing classes which includes the chance for attendees to pitch their novels to agents and publishers. Since the first weekend in 2013, ten attendees have gone on to sign publishing contracts.

Graham can be found at:

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/grahamnsmithauthor
Twitter
https://twitter.com/GrahamSmith1972
Website
http://www.grahamsmithauthor.com