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Book Review : Mortiswood Evil Rising by Gina Dickerson
I was fortunate to be given an ARC of this book by the author & publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
This is the third book in the Mortiswood series, the young adult fantasy fiction following the story of Kaelia and in this case I would recommend that the other two books are read first: Mortiswood Kaelia Arising and Mortiswood Kaelia Falling. (Book Review “Mortiswood: Kaelia Awakening” – a little magic in the ordinary)
The story continues with Kaelia having been reunited with her mother and father, but also discovering that her mother is the goddess Vanadis who guided her early on in the tale. After a short time with her family, Kaelia and Bay (her Vallesm boyfriend) must return to their own world to battle with the Salloki and their evil leader Thom, who plan to take over the human Earth. They find that Thom and his new wife Cadence, previously human but now a Draugr, have wreaked havoc in Margate and killed many humans – and these bodies are now inhabited by Salloki souls preparing for battle. Are you keeping up?
Bay is outraged to find that his father, head of the Vallesm (human/wolf), does not believe that his relationship with Kaelia can survive and instructs him to pair with a Vallesm girl. This view point seems to be borne out when Kaelia disappears for weeks with Bran. Do you remember him? Bran and Kaelia are described as the opposite sides to a coin, he the darkness to her light and they draw on the other’s strengths enhancing their own powers. There is an attraction between them that neither can shake off, even if Kaelia desperately wants to for Bay’s sake, and Bran has ulterior motives for winning Kaelia’s trust. Kaelia is experiencing a darker side to her magic now as the darkness seems to speak to her more and more.
Determined not to let whatever magic was deceiving her, win, Kaelia charged
back out into the corridor and, using her magical speed, flew through corridor
after corridor, up and down staircase after staircase until the light outside had
slipped into darkness.‘Why won’t you let me go?’ Kaelia pulled at her hair and collapsed in a heap
outside the room with the bed.
‘You don’t want to leave,’ Bran said, startling Kaelia. He held a crystal
candelabra in one hand, wax dripping from the burning tips of the three gold
candlesticks and running over the crystal.
‘Of course I do. Stop playing tricks on me. This is your doing. I don’t know what
you’re playing at and I don’t care, just stop whatever it is and let me out.’ She
jumped up and glared at Bran. ‘I’ll fight you if I have to.’
‘There’s no need to be stroppy with me, I’m not doing anything.’ Bran set the
candelabra on the small stand beside the chair outside of the bedroom and folded
his arms over his slender chest. ‘It’s all part of the tower’s protection. You can
leave if you want to but if you don’t want to, you can’t. It’ll keep you here until
you really want to leave. It’s the tower’s way of keeping you safe.’
‘I don’t want your stupid tower to keep me safe. I’m quite capable of looking
after myself.’
Bran reached her in two easy strides. Sparks of cool purple light crackled from
them both as he pressed close against Kaelia, trapping her between him and the
wall. ‘The tower knows the secrets you can’t speak, those you can’t admit even to
yourself.’
‘Rubbish!’ Kaelia shivered from the transference of power.
Such a feeling, a powerful, intoxicating feeling.
Only achievable with Bran.
No-one else.
No-one else could make her feel like this.
They were two sides of a coin.
Night and day.
Dark and light.
Kaelia shook her head. No, it was the power surge talking, not her, she was
nothing like him and needed nothing from him!
Yet part of her yearned for it, the power they shared whenever they touched.
Right then and there it was as if she needed it so much she couldn’t live without
it.
Meanwhile Calix, another human friend, has been taken by Thom to be turned into a Draugr – will Kaelia be able to reach him in time? The battles and deceptions rage throughout the tale, until Kaelia is left at the end in no doubt as to what her destiny really means.
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It is very difficult to give a succinct outline of the story and give no spoilers…in fact there is so much action in this chapter of the Mortiswood tales that it impossible to make it succinct. It feels like being on a rollercoaster ride as the tale lurches from one action packed event to another with such high energy and speed. I love the way that the realms of the fantasy world are woven into our mundane world, with crucial battle scenes happening at the seafront at Margate! The writing is colourful and bright, painting a great image of the characters and the action – the descriptions of the bone furniture in the Salloki fortress are particularly gruesome! The characters all go from strength to strength – goodies & baddies! – developing their good or evil sides, their mystical powers and using their humanity. The relationships between the characters continue to weave in and out of love, deception, alliances and sworn enemies. This is not the final instalment of the Mortiswood story and Ms Dickerson leaves us on the edge of our seats with a cliff-hanger…..
Another thoroughly enjoyable, easy to read tale – Mortiswood remains a guilty pleasure for this middle-aged mum!! 4 stars.
Links:
About the author:
Gina Dickerson lives by the Thanet coast on the north-eastern tip of
Kent within the UK, with her family and bouncy Siberian husky.
Having previously worked for a Local Authority, and been a Systems
Supervisor for the departmental database, Gina is now a full-time
author and designer. Her books include the dark urban fantasy
Mortiswood Tales series, Lies Love Tells – part of the thrilling romantic
suspense Eastcove Lies series, dark fairy tales The Pennington
Christmas Curse and Always Golden, as well as a collection of her dark
short stories, Underleaf.
Gina has also written newspaper articles, and was a fashion and
shopping columnist for her local newspaper, as well as having had short
stories and poetry published in anthologies. She designs book covers
and other promotional material under the name RoseWolf Design, and
belongs to the author co-operative Authors Reach.
Links
https://www.ginadickersonwriter.co.uk/
https://www.authorsreach.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/GinaDWriter
https://www.facebook.com/ginadickersonwriter
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5 Star Book Review: Oracle’s Hunt by A. Claire Everward #SundayBlogShare @ClaireEverward
#SundayBlogShare #SocialSaturday
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review – thanks to The Book Club on Facebook. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.
This is the first book in the Oracle Series.
Donovan Pierce is a United States Federal Investigative Division Agent and he has been called to a new case – the destruction of the data storage facility for the worldwide defense and security services. This will not be a mission to be taken lightly. Ever since a group of forward thinking citizens of the world had formed a peaceful alliance calling themselves the Internationals and had grown in numbers, strength and support from major powers, there were factions desperate to topple the peace and take power for themselves. This latest act of sabotage shows all the signs that it has been carefully orchestrated by one such group, as the level of professionalism has ensured that there are no traces of evidence left behind. Except one.
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The terrorists couldn’t have known that the old security cameras for the facility were still operating, and that Donovan’s IT team have picked up one very important word: Oracle. But as the investigation commences, it is starting to feel to Donovan that someone is blocking his access to the information that he requires – someone with the highest level of security clearance. Then imagine his surprise the following morning when his new neighbour is sitting sipping coffee in the garden and she is none other than the elusive female who was part of a video call shutting down the investigation into this word the previous day! This is Lara Holsworth.
I really enjoyed the concept behind this book, particularly with current world politics as they are, and I immediately felt sympathetic to Donovan and also felt his frustration. He becomes more convinced that Lara is central to Oracle…..but just what is it and has the impossible been achieved with a functioning human/Artificial Intelligence interface? I must admit that I had to quiz my electronic/computer science engineer son about this – and was still none the wiser by his explanation! The relationship that unfolds between the two main characters is as interesting as the investigation, but I am not going to give away any spoilers! Lara is enigmatic, intriguing and attractive to both Donovan and the reader, and of course Donovan is described as a very fine specimen as well as being a fantastic investigator.
It was only one word, always the same word that lit up whenever it appeared, one word that was the target of those who had made such an effort to procure this information, destroying everything on the way. Just one word. Oracle.
The plot is intricate (I had to keep reminding myself of the different abbreviations for the various agencies – not so easy to flick back and forth on a Kindle)), fast paced and rang alarm bells for me as the reader for just how much fact there could be in this. With the increasing number of terrorist attacks that we see in the real world, it is hard to dismiss the criminal elements as merely fiction. But it kept me on the edge of my seat and I found it very difficult to put the book down, devouring it in a couple of days. I was delighted to see the opening for next in the series pop up on my Kindle and it is on my Christmas list.
If you love contemporary, investigative plots with great three-dimensional characters, you will enjoy this. Five stars from me!
Publisher: Author & Sister (2017)
Available from Amazon here:
Author Biography:
Anna Claire Everward
A. Claire Everward is a suspense author with a love of knowledge and a lively imagination that made writing the natural thing for her to do. Claire is also the author of The First, and is currently working on her next book in the Oracle series with the help of her two hyperactive cats and a laptop named Stanley.
Claire spent years away from home getting a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, with a risk management specialty. During that time, she lived in the university, surrounded by forested hills and too much silence, so to keep away the boredom she also took on an MBA, and now she feels ridiculously over-educated.
She tried to work in her field, she really did, and even put her education to good use in the finance field. But eventually her love for writing took over, and she decided to leave it all and move to the world of her imagination. Her characters had a lot to do with that—they had lived in her mind, waiting patiently for her to be ready, for too long, they felt, and so they finally decided enough is enough and took over. And Claire didn’t put up that much of a resistance. She has always loved to read, but writing, that’s a whole new world she soon knew she could never give up.
Link with Claire on social media:
Amazon author: www.amazon.com/author/a.claire.everward
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/AClaire_Everward
Facebook: www.facebook.com/annaclaire.everward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/claireeverward
https://twitter.com/authorandsister
Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorandsister
Website: http://www.authorandsister.net
Email: kate.a@authorandsister.net
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Book Blog Tour & Review: “When The Stars Come Out” by Laura Trentham
Disclaimer: I was fortunate to be given an advance copy of this book by the author and publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Blog Tour – for the latest in Laura Trentham’s Cottonbloom series
I wonder if you remember my previous review of Laura Trentham’s book Leave The Night On in which we met the Abbott brothers? Well this new contemporary romance in her Cottonbloom series follows the brothers again, focusing particularly on Jackson, twin of Wyatt who we met before. The Abbott garage is in trouble, not least because eldest brother Ford has announced that he plans to sell his share and he has now disappeared. The remaining three, Jackson, Wyatt and Mack have now idea where he is and no idea who the mystery buyer could be.
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Still employed at the garage is mechanic Willa, quietly and diligently working under the bonnets of cars and trucks, but hugging a multitude of secrets about her life and loves to her heart. She doesn’t think that anyone notices her, with her home cut hair, charity shop clothes and beat up old car – and this is how she wants it. She certainly doesn’t want Jackson to know how she feels about him. But Willa hasn’t factored in that the Abbott boys are a close-knit family and do notice when someone they care about is in need. Wyatt has had a few rough edges knocked off him since falling for Sutton Mize (see my last review!), and Mack has always looked out for Willa. But it is Jackson who has started to notice Willa as a living and breathing woman, rather than just a mechanic and he wonders why she is living in a cold, damp caravan, driving a clapped out old car and failing to eat properly. Don’t they pay her enough and why does she want cash only?
“I’ll have a pork plate and sweet tea to go.” Willa did a mental calculation for tax and
pulled out two fives. More than she should spend, but her stomach vetoed any protest. Now not only was she saving to fix her car, but she needed a cushion. If she had to move, money was a necessity. Any decent place required a deposit for rent. Not to mention utilities. And how long would it take her to find another job that didn’t require her Social Security number or real name? The thought made her stomach hurt from something other than hunger.
“Make that two for here, Rufus, and I’m buying.”
Willa spun around. Jackson Abbott’s chest filled her vision. The animal like noises her stomach was making must have drowned out his approach.
“Sure thing, Jackson.” Rufus favored them with a grin and turned to dole out barbeque, baked beans, and slaw. She tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling intensely vulnerable without her steel-toed work boots, coveralls, and ball cap. Her flip-flops, worn-out jeans with a rip at one knee, and a black T-shirt with the emblem of a band she’d never listened to were from the thrift shop down
the street.
“You don’t have to pay.” When she found her voice, it was breathy.
“I want to.” His words were low and rumbly and sexy, and she resisted the urge to lay her cheek against his chest, desperate to have someone, anyone, to lean on, even for a moment. Obviously, hunger was impeding her mental faculties.
In the two years she’d lived in Cottonbloom, she’d never run into Jackson outside of the garage. Her forays to secretly watch him race didn’t count since he’d never noticed her. The only place she was a regular was at the library, because it offered free Internet and entertainment—two things she couldn’t afford to waste money on.
Her mental faculties slipped further away as she allowed her gaze to wander over his shoulders before rising. He’d showered, his damp hair darker than its usual rich brown, but hadn’t shaved, his stubble even more pronounced from the afternoon. The scent of soap and clean laundry was mouthwatering in a different way than the barbeque was. The butterflies in her stomach did a slow bump and grind. God, she was hungry for so many things.
So begins the romance that forms the bedrock of the story, but it is by no means plain sailing. Willa is a determined young lady who trusts no one and is living a life on the run – but what or whom is she running from? Her back-story winds through the book allowing us to watch a veneer of self-preservation to be chipped away as her confidence in those around her begins to grow. She allows herself to form an attachment to a stray dog and this is when her true nature starts to shine through and little by little we learn just what Willa is running from and how much of this is herself.
Jackson has his own demons to tackle, in the form of his absent brother and his estranged mother, who abandoned the family as children. But we see him mellow as his feelings for Willa deepen and he realises that he can have what he sees his twin enjoying – that is a loving relationship.
This would not be a good contemporary romance if there were not some glamour and an opportunity for the hero to be dazzled by the hidden beauties of his new love. Ms Trentham does not fail us, and with the help and friendship of Sutton, Willa allows herself to once again feel feminine and become the lovely young woman that is hiding beneath her greasy overalls.
I think that if you enjoy a good romance, with some intrigue and some great characters then you will enjoy When The Stars Come Out. It can be read as a stand-alone book, but I personally enjoy a series that is set around a town and which interlinks characters and plots from book to book – like large chapters of an overall novel. This is an easy to read, light story that will brighten these cold, wet months at the start of the new year. I am now looking forward to the next instalment – surely, we need a tale about the other Abbott brother, Mack! Please, Laura Trentham!! Four stars from me.
Published: January 30th 2018 by St Martin’s Paperbacks
Book Links:
Amz: Amazon
BN: Barnes & Noble
iBooks: ibooks
Kobo: Kobo
GooglePlay: GooglePlay
Author biography:
An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in
Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an
English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical
Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.
She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. KISS
ME THAT WAY, Cottonbloom Book 1, won the Stiletto Contest for Best Long Contemporary and finaled in the National Readers Choice Award. THEN HE KISSED ME, Cottonbloom Book 2, was named an Amazon Best Romance of 2016 and was a finalist for the National Excellence for Romance Fiction. TILL I KISSED YOU, Cottonbloom Book 3, is a finalist in the Maggie contest. LEAVE THE NIGHT ON, the latest Cottonbloom book, was named an iBooks Best Book of the Month and a Recommended Read from NPR.
When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to
soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be- read pile of books on her nightstand.
Link with Laura on Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraTrentham
Or join my reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1733284316920632/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauratrentham/
Sign up for my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bwbOkD
Follow me on Bookbub for new release or sale announcements:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-trentham
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Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!
Good morning on the last Monday of January! Our week has passed in a flurry of parents’ evening, book club, Burn’s night celebrations and not forgetting our son’s better half being offered a great new job. Funnily enough we haven’t had any news on the politics student other than a text about football scores – oh, the life of a first year student!
Parents’ evening was like a speed dating event…five minutes per teacher and when the bell rings get up and run! Not sure the computer goblin automatically churning out slots on the online booking system had allowed for mass movement between the hall and the library, and he hadn’t allowed for a wheelie like me – although hubby just used the wheelchair to barge through other parents! For Burn’s night we were greeted by a piper resplendent in kilt , sporan and full regalia. How is it that one set of bagpipes can sound as loud as the (what is the collective term for bagpipes – haggis? sporan? noise?) whole Edinburgh Tattoo? It certainly had the desired effect of moving guests swiftly from the lobby to the dining area, but I think the ladies serving whisky must have been deaf and in need of a few drams by the time the meal was served. Slightly disappointing this year was the lack of kilts….couldn’t persuade hubby into one!
Our book club read the new Emma Donoghue book The Wonder this month – review to come – and as usual we had lively debate from the actual book, to last month’s book again (The City and The City by China ……..) which is being made into a TV series starring David Morrisey, to the current BBC TV series McMafia and Hard Sun. Amongst the blog posts that I have for you this week is an online book club aimed specifically at those who would find it hard to get out of the house to attend one. This could be spoonie friends, elderly, young/new mums….anyone who enjoys a good book. Talking of which, I am taking part in a blog tour this week so will just drop a flier in for it – more info later this week.
I am sitting here Nil By Mouth and have a hot date with a gastroscope this afternoon, so it does pain me somewhat to invite you to pick up your coffee…..but I will do just that and encourage you to kick off your shoes, sit down and enjoy some great posts from some lovely bloggers. Maybe I will give the pilates a go whilst you down your caffeine….
https://survivinglifeshurdles.com/the-surviving-life-book-club/
https://www.midlifesmarts.com/theres-new-ism-plump-ism-and-its-rife/
http://achysmile.com/index.php/2018/01/25/daughters-migraine-school/
https://www.nicolefrancesca.co.uk/homepage/2018/1/22/i-am-the-1-10-statistic
http://millysguide.com/6-reasons-pilates-good-mental-health/
https://www.chronicmom.com/2018/01/how-to-deal-with-people-who-dont-believe-youre-sick.html/
https://reclaiminghope.blog/2018/01/26/whats-your-favorite-01-26-18/
https://www.trulymadlysassy.com/2017/12/19/the-gift-of-loneliness/
https://ribbonrx.com/2018/01/29/two-frightening-side-effects/
https://emlinthorpe.com/2018/01/22/being-blanked-made-me-smile/
Please comment, like, and share the posts you love.
Have a lovely week,
Claire x
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Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!
A week into the new year, the decorations are down, the Christmas tree is looking forlorn on the back lawn and the kids back to school. Well in our case nearly…..the lovely girl returns tomorrow, the middle child returns to university next weekend and the student engineer returned today, just as the UK train strikes started up.
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Our house has been a mad frenzy of coursework this last week – 2 projects for the final year of Engineering involving analysing the use of Boris bikes in London and Deep Learning (whatever that may be!); the lovely girl has been finishing her sketch books and final piece for her art, although any visitors would have thought she was decorating the lounge!! The title of her works – “I, Me, Mine” and “Blood, Flesh, Bones” – so she has focused on our genetic Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I have spent some time modelling for her photographs and I wish I could report that they are super glam….but they are not!!! Instead she wanted close ups of my body parts which looked the most veiny – charming.
Hubby managed the delayed visit to his parents, and whilst he was away I enjoyed reading and sharing a huge variety of blog posts. This is just a small assortment varying from favourite books, to beauty products to a yummy recipe for dairy free ice cream. Two that really stand out, and are poles apart, are Tania’s about her need for a Smartdrive for her wheelchair (I am slightly biased as we share the same condition) and The Bryntin Project’s plea to us all to realise the harm our birthday balloons are doing.
So grab a cuppa and take a break whilst you dive into some fab blog reads. Please comment, like and share!
http://www.whentaniatalks.com/fundraising-for-a-smartdrive/
https://croneconfidence.com/2018/01/06/first-world-blessings-2/
https://www.themerrymomma.com/2018/01/top-10-favorite-books-2017/
http://countingmyspoons.com/2018/01/ten-tips-combating-chronic-pain-winter/
http://chronicallyhopeful.com/first-outing-5-months/
http://www.makeitbakeitfakeit.com/2018/01/the-most-amazing-dairy-free-mango-ice.html
http://www.corter.co/2018/01/the-way-ill-slay-in-2018.html
https://brainsandbodiesblog.com/2017/11/10/5-ways-to-have-a-productive-day-with-a-chronic-illness/
https://thebryntinproject.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/birthday-littering/
Have a great week,
Claire x
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Review of a great contemporary novel! “All We Have Lost” by Aimee Alexander
Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this contemporary novel by The Book Club on Facebook & the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All views are my own. This review contains an affiliate link.
I am a huge fan of classic novels, particularly those with strong female leads, but I also have an enormous soft spot for contemporary fiction. “All We Have Lost” features business woman, wife and mother Kim who really does seem to have it all. She runs a successful PR agency, is married to the good looking Ian – the love of her life, has two lovely young children, a great nanny to care for them and supportive family and friends. Kim knows her own mind, has life mapped out and is certain where she is headed. Or is she?
For one day Kim wakes up and realises that this isn’t the road she wants to be on at all. She rarely sees her children, her home is virtually run by another woman and her husband sees more of the children than he does her. Add to this her parents’ “perfect marriage” that Kim has placed on a pedestal since her father’s death, and suddenly Kim feels like she is in fact failing. She decides to wind the business down, let the nanny go and be an author who happens to be a stay at home mum. Her husband is on trial for a new job, she has always aspired to writing like her best friend Sarah and she is certain that she can work this around the needs of 2 preschool children. How hard could it be?
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I think that any parent – particularly the mums out there – will be able to relate to this, working or stay at home! Of course Kim has no idea just how demanding caring for young children can be. A 2 year old just will not stick to your carefully constructed time table allowing mum time to write her novel whilst the tot naps. Add in cooking, housework and a bit of writer’s block into the mix and suddenly the grass isn’t greener on the other side. I really enjoyed the way that Aimee Alexander showed Kim’s gradual decline from a business woman in control, to a woman who was “letting herself go” and suddenly felt powerless to take back that control. How many of us can empathise with the gradual weight gain (gym, who has time to visit the gym with young children?), the lack of regular personal grooming time (feel grateful if your hair sees the backside of a brush daily, let alone regular visits for a blow dry at the salon) and the overwhelming tiredness that strikes before hubby even gets home (from his fourth late night of the week). But it should be ok if only Kim can start writing – and yet even this is not the easy task that she has imagined.
The author shows just how quickly and easily relationships can change – in Kim’s situation it is not just her marital relationship, but also that with her mother and her friends too. Failure to communicate leads to misunderstandings, jumping to the wrong conclusions, reading signals incorrectly and great hurt. At times I found myself becoming so frustrated with Kim and Ian, wanting to shout at them to stand still, take a breath and look what is happening. Kim seems to become completely hung up on her world at home, forgetting that the very things that she complains about in Ian in his new job were her not so long ago. Ian is so intent on making up for the fact that he is suddenly the main breadwinner and also feels he has to prove himself in his new job, that he becomes unable to communicate his concerns to a wife who no longer seems to have time for him. Aghhhh – I can see your relationship falling apart and yet neither of you can. It is a testament to Ms Alexander’s writing that I could also feel Kim’s envy for her friend Sarah’s life as an author, yet also hear the alarm bells ringing loudly to warn Kim that her decisions were having awful consequences and yet she didn’t seem to see it. Misunderstandings and knee jerk reactions have such devastating effects for all the people that Kim holds dear – including the children.
There are no schmaltzy happy endings for every character here. This is real life and certain actions cannot be undone or forgiven. I admire the additional change in the relationship between Kim and her mother – how a mother’s desire to protect her children can have devastating consequences if lies are uncovered, even years later. I laughed and I cried with the characters in this book and I found them to be believable. The visit to a single friend’s modern flat with 2 young children for a long weekend did make me smile – you will understand when you read it! The author even examines that age old chestnut – can a man and a woman ever be just good friends?
In my opinion an enjoyable contemporary novel about real life relationships that gets 4 stars!
About the Author:
Aimee Alexander is the pen name of best selling author Denise Deegan who writes contemporary family dramas about ordinary people who become extraordinary in crisis. Her novels have been published by Penguin, Random House and Hachette.
Aimee lives in Dublin with her family where she regularly dreams of sunshine, a life without cooking and her novels being made into movies. She has a Masters in Public Relations and has been a college lecturer, nurse, china restorer, pharmaceutical sales rep, public relations executive and entrepreneur. (taken from Author’s Amazon page)
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (20 Dec. 2015)
Buy the novel on Amazon by clicking here:
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Time for a Book Review: “Tabula Rasa” by Gordon Bickerstaff #Thriller
Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this book by The Book Club on Facebook and the author in return for a fair and honest review. All views are my own. Post contains affiliate links.
This is the fifth book in The Lambeth Group thriller aka Gavin Shawlens series – I must be honest that when I dived into Tabula Rasa I had not read the previous books and had no knowledge of the main characters. So the first thing to tell you is that this can be read as a standalone book.
The thriller launches straight into the territory of the underworld and secret agents, and an introduction for new readers, or a reunion for old to Zoe Tampsin – A Special Forces trained agent now working for The Lambeth Group. There is a description of extreme sexual violence at the outset, but don’t be put off as this is important in setting the story up. Her mission is to investigate the death of a government scientist and the mysterious “abduction” and guardianship of his son by a family of aristocrats, the Silsdens. This is where Zoe’s partner from previous cases, scientist Gavin Shawlens comes in to play as he is a personal friend of Lord Silsden’s son. Odd couple Zoe and Gavin go undercover as an engaged couple to try to unearth the secrets of the Silsden family business but someone wants to stop them at every turn. The mysterious phrase Tabula Rasa is brought to their attention – can Gavin’s knowledge of the world of science help them to understand what it means?
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I don’t intend to give any spoilers away here. But I will tell you is that this plot moves in so many directions and has twists and turns that are so unexpected that I defy you to be able to put it down! I hadn’t met Zoe Tampsin before, and whilst the books seem to be labelled the Gavin Shawlens thrillers, for me Zoe is the stand out character. Gordon Bickerstaff has created a strong woman with a great sense of self-worth, duty and loyalty. She has grown up in the military with a serving father and brother, has served an exemplary career herself and is a natural leader. I love the way that she can slip so easily into and out of character, doing whatever needs to be done, fooling even those who know her, and yet her love and loyalty for her family and closest comrades is uncompromising. Her strength of character is tested to the extreme both mentally and physically in this book – she is the ultimate survivor and a wonderful female protagonist.
Based on this book alone I felt that I didn’t get to know Gavin Shawlens particularly well and he at times feels the weak link when put alongside Zoe and her team. It feels that Mr Bickerstaff is asking us to question the need for Shawlens and whether he can be relied upon to remember which “side” he is working with. The attention to detail of the science is superb, and I really like the fact that not everything goes to plan and the characters have to think on their feet, make life changing instant decisions and show their vulnerability. This feels like real life, if in a world very removed to my own!
I could not put this book down and felt exhausted when I did reach the end. For me there were so many things that I just did not see coming – the sign of a great thriller, surely? My first thought on completing the book – “WOW!”. My second…..well, let’s just say it involved a certain online book store and I now have the first 4 books sitting on my Kindle too – I loved it that much!
Five stars from me!
Available from Amazon
Other titles in the Lambeth Group thriller series:
Deadly Secrets: The Truth will out…
Everything To Lose: The Chase is on…
Black Fox: Run For Your Life…
Toxic Minds: The Damage is Done
About the Author: biography from Amazon page
I was born and raised in Glasgow but spent my student years in Edinburgh. On summer vacations, I learned plumbing, garden maintenance, and I cut the grass in the Meadows. If I ran the lawnmower over your toes – sorry.
I learned some biochemistry and taught it for a while before I retired to write fiction. I like DIY and I do some aspects of DIY moderately well and other aspects not so well. I live with my wife in Scotland where corrupt academics, mystery, murder and intrigue exists mostly in my mind.
I write the Gavin Shawlens series of thrillers: Deadly Secrets, Everything To Lose, The Black Fox, Toxic Minds and Tabula Rasa. They feature special investigators Zoe and Gavin. More will come in due course.
I enjoy walking in the hills, 60s & 70s music, reading and travel.
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Monday Magic – Inspiring posts for Halloween!
Good evening – yes, I know, evening, Pain Pals! I am just about managing to make this a Monday Magic post, having spent yesterday and today asleep after The Book Club party on Saturday – I could tell you that it was over indulgence, but sadly these days it is just down to fatigue. Those of you in the know appreciate how hard it can be to do anything – and believe me when this mum doesn’t even care what is going around her in the house (yesterday) things must be dire!! But a good time was had by all and we came away with some fantastic goody bags full of TBC author books – all arranged by the lovely Tracy Fenton (TBConFB and Compulsive Readers blog).
Anyway feeling a bit more human now, and noting the date…..I thought I would have a flick through some of the fab groups I belong to and find my favourite Halloween inspired posts. There are some spooky books, scary films, ghostly doughnuts and a haunted Indian fort. My personal favourite as a baker is the Brain cake! So it is time to sit down, grab your favourite tipple and enjoy some All Hallow’s Eve fun! As for me…on the topic of all things eerie, I’m off to start season 2 of Stranger Things!
http://www.imagineeredvacations.com/the-ultimate-disney-halloween-2017/
http://www.annanuttall.com/6-ghost-books-for-adults/
https://thephilfactor.com/2017/10/24/top-ten-tuesday-the-ten-scariest-movies-of-all-time-3/
https://jaipurthrumylens.com/2017/10/28/bhangarh-fort-ghost-haunted-stories-rajasthan/
https://butterflyinremission.wordpress.com/2017/10/29/funnybones-my-halloween-flashback-nostalgia/
https://www.momtrends.com/2017/10/delicious-healthy-candy-swaps-halloween/
http://www.natalieshealth.com/2017/10/halloween-ghost-vanilla-donuts/
https://justanotherblogfromawoman.blog/2017/10/26/halloween-playlist/
https://www.yourvetonline.com/halloween-top-safety-tips-keep-pet-safe/
https://fancypaperblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/02/how-to-theme-a-one-year-olds-party-for-halloween/
https://www.judyedwinamartin.com/couple-of-halloween-limericks-witch-and-werewolf/
https://marriedcatladysite.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/decisions-decisions/
http://www.sherbakes.com/2016/10/step-by-step-tutorial-on-how-to-make.html
Please like, comment and share anything you enjoy!
Claire x
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Nobody said it would be easy – cake, life and curveballs
Tonight is the 3rd birthday for The Book Club on Facebook – a fantastic group that I belong to full of authors, reviewers and readers. Basically book people. Yours truly has been making the birthday cake over the last few days and with a shoulder slipping in and out of socket it has been no easy task!
Of course I have been too ambitious and I always start with an image of the finished cake, and then am disappointed in my results. This has taken me longer not just due to my lack of a right arm – yes, I am right handed – but also down to the design and needing to let it harden in phases. More of that later. It has made me draw parallels with expectations of everyday life – don’t worry I’m not going to get too deep here.
But how often do we set out with expectations of how an area of life will turn out only to be disappointed. So many people talk about their life plans from university to careers to marriage to children etc, etc. But life has this habit of throwing in a few surprises and curve balls along the way doesn’t it? Isn’t this true for everyone?
Life with illness – be it chronic, acute, mental or physical – is something few of us can anticipate and much less embrace. When I set off to nursing college as an eager 18 year old, I never dreamed that life would turn out like it has. But then I guess it is a good thing because with each setback it is so important to be able to get back up, brush yourself off and continue. If I had known when I had major back surgery at 21 that by 38 I would be heading for medical retirement, I might not have tried so hard to get myself back on my feet and back to work. I loved those years nursing and I think that I was a pretty good nurse. If I had known my genetic diagnosis – Ehlers Danlos Syndrome – and all that it covers aged in my teens, I might not taken up rowing and then gone on to nursing – probably the worst things I could have done but great experiences.
But then some of the curve balls can be pleasant surprises. For me probably the biggest surprise was falling pregnant when I had been told I would never conceive naturally. The tiredness, anaemia and nausea/sickness turned into a pregnancy when my GP carried out a PAP smear and informed my cervix was blue – a classic sign of a 13 week pregnancy apparently! I was taking HRT and had gone for a check up ahead of a new job – but came out as a mummy. A huge curve ball, not in the game plan but fantastic (although I wasn’t saying that half an hour ago when said babe, 21 years on, created havoc in the kitchen with a pot of pasta on the stove!).
I suppose what I am getting at is the importance to strive hard but also to accept that not everything will go exactly to plan…..and this is ok. For me I’ve been thinking about the periods of needing to let my cake set before I can continue with it – living with chronic illness has these periods when fatigue hits and symptoms flare equalling a need to rest and pace. Wait for the cake to set! Don’t rush it, don’t take short cuts because there will be some sort of pay back. In my experience this is life – illness or not.
So back to the cake….it is for a book club, so clever clogs here decided to make a stack of books. The individual books were made – one chocolate, one Victoria sponge and one lemon – and then the icing covers started. This is where the patience and waiting was required and I’m not good at this part! Then last night came the final assembly of the three tier cake to form a stack of books……it wasn’t completely straight forward, there have been a couple of corners broken, some scaffolding was required and this morning some patch were required to plaster a few stress fractures. The result is a stack of books that are not altogether straight and definitely look like they have been well loved if a little dog eared. Not so different to life, I’d say – starting with high expectations (nothing wrong with that and I am not saying they should be lowered), hitting a few bumps along the way, the odd curve ball and maybe the finished product not quite as expected, but nevertheless created and to be made the best of. Not always easy to do or accept, but as the infamous anonymous quote says “Nobody said it would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it..”
Will let you know if this holds for the cake when it is tasted, as for comparisons with life….what do you think?
PainPalsBlog 