End of 2018 Post

Ok, this is a little earlier than I was expecting but I've decided that this post here is going to be my last for 2018! WHERE THE HELL HAS THIS YEAR GONE, GUYS?!

The reason I am writing this now instead of the next few days is because I will be back blogging in the New Year a week earlier than I planned so keep your eyes peeled! Plus, am going to try and do a little experiment on The Pewter Wolf where January is going to be a book reviewing free zone. It's kinda happened by fluke where other types of blog posts are taking up January and seeing as I am a tad stubborn and don't want to realise any blogposts on weekend, it's just happens that January is going to be a tad different than normal. So, no real book-review posts to my knowledge in January 2019, although I might - MIGHT -  break this with one, possible two books, but most book reviews will be up in February. Plus, this also gives me a bit of breathing room as scared am going to fall into reading slump over Christmas and New Year and I have made plans to read a few books by certain dates and I CAN NOT BREAK THEM!

Although, if you do want reviews, keep eyes peeled on my other social media outlets - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Goodreads - as I will try and put one or two up on these platforms in one form or another...

But this is gonna be a short post as all I want to say is thank you.

I know I don't have a huge readership compared to other book blogs who are smarter, funnier, cooler or more cat-like than me, but I am really grateful. I am grateful that authors, publishers, PR people and other cool book people still think my blog can be involved in promoting their book/series and allow time to tweet/email and check I'm ok. Same for when they meet me at events and am going through a tiny self-confidence crisis. Thank you for being kind and thoughtful.

To all my fellow book bloggers/vloggers/podcasters/instagrammers/etc, thank you for always being welcoming to old blogging folks like me (8 years I've been doing this! CAN'T YOU BELIEVE THAT?!) and yet always welcoming newer bloggers into the community! Your passion, warmth and dirty senses of humour are wonderful and there are a few of you I think of as wonderful friends so thank you.

To real life friends, family and my Other Half, thank you for being there and laughing at the amount of books I have and reminding me that there is a life outside of books, telling me to calm down when I get worried/stressed/flap over things I shouldn't worry over. And for your love. Thank you for loving me as much as I love you. I couldn't my lives without you all.

Just thank you all.

Now, am going to leave you and try and enjoy the last few days of 2018 (by working! And reading!) but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy and Hopeful New Year and wonderful holiday. See you in the future!

Book Review - Mistletoe and Murder

• Title And Author: Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens
• Publisher: Puffin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 383 Pages

T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, because a murder was announced… 

I’ve been meaning to return to the Murder Most Unladylike series for ages! So, when a few months back, I saw the short story of The Mystery of the Missing Treasure at my local Waterstones, I bought that, read it and went “Ok, I have to return now.” and, rather than start at the first mystery and work my way through, I know I wanted to return into this world with either Mistletoe and Murder or Spoonful of Murder, the fifth and the sixth instalments in the series. And with Christmas a few weeks away, I knew it was going to be this one that would win… 

In case you haven’t followed the Pewter Wolf for a while, I tend to do this a lot with series. I’m not 100% sure why I do this but ha-ho! 

Arriving in Cambridge to celebrate Christmas 1935 in style, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are hoping for snowy Christmas with Daisy’s brother and, to everyone expect Daisy’s hopes, this will be a quiet Christmas. 

Expect it’s not. Danger lurks within the halls of Maudlin College for an tragic accident happens. But it’s an accident, a prank gone horribly wrong… right? Daisy and Hazel aren’t so sure so they call on all their Detective Society skills to find the truth. But with a rival agency looking into the accident as well, they have to solve the case quickly. Was it an accident? Was it murder? And can they solve the case before Christmas Day? 

So, what do I think of this? 

BBC National Short Story & Young Writer Award 2019 Judges Press Release!

I HAVE A PRESS RELEASE FOR YOU!!! BRACE YOURSELVES FOR PRESS RELEASE!!!

Just think, it felt like only a few weeks ago when the 2018 BBC National Short Story Award and 2019 BBC Young Writers' Award announced their winners for 2018. And now... now we have a press release of who will be judging both Awards! And both lists are good'un!

So, let me pop this hear and let you read! ENJOY!

Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag

Another day, another tag I randomly discovered on Twitter and, seeing as Christmas is a few weeks away (and I am nowhere near ready with cards and wrapping), I thought I would do this tag to delay the horror that is to come - Christmas card shopping! 

I discovered this via Amy on her blog, Golden Books Girl, and I believe the creator was Jen from Jenniely. But, when I saw the first few questions, I went “My answers are going to be Naughty, aren’t they?”

So, let’s do this, shall we? Oh, am not going to tag anyone in this but if you wanna do it, do it! 

Hang on, I need a Christmas gif before I go on. It's gonna be a long post! 

The 5 W’s Book Tag

Ok, I stole this from Justine from I Should Read That and You’re Never Going to Read This (Of course I have! I don’t tagged that often and when I do, I usually forget I’m tagged and, by the time I realised that I have, it’s too late!) and I THINK (if I backtracked far enough) that this tag was created by Shyla at Words and Stitches! So, let’s get the crazy book party started!!!

Oh, if any of you guys want to do this (as am not going to tag anyone), DO IT! Was weirdly fun and calming (I did this after doing a stupid decision of checking the blog viewer statics and wanted to cry over how low it was! WHY, YOU STUPID HUMAN, WHY!?) 

WHO? - Who is an author you’d love to have a one-one-one with? 

Too many authors to name! I don’t want to say JK Rowling, as she is my go-to answer. I would love to sit down with her and question her about the Harry Potter books (not Fantastic Beasts movies, though - as Crimes of Grindwald left a bitter taste in my soul). My other go-to answer is Garth Nix and I would demand answers about his Old Kingdom and Keys to the Kingdom series. I love Sabriel and all I would ask is “Will there be another book set in the Old Kingdom?” I am very tempted to say Stephenie Meyer as well. 

WHAT? - What genre or style do you most gravitate to? 

I feel the most comfortable in YA, but that’s not a genre, but an age range (it’s weird that we’re still having this discussion on what YA and NA is. I’m still not 100% certain what New Adult is. Answers on a postcard please). My gut reaction to this question is fantasy and crime/thrillers. These two are the genres I always go towards in bookshops and online. I feel quite comfortable and happy with them. I do read other genres - contemporary, sci-fi (I should read more sci-fi, if am honest with self but I can’t do high sci-fi. I get a tad overwhelmed), historical fiction - but I always go towards fantasy and crime.

WHERE? - Where do you prefer to read? 

Anywhere where I can snuggle and get cosy. Usually, it’s either on my sofa in my fluffy dressing gown or in bed. Though, anywhere where I don’t have to stress or worry is wonderful. I read on holiday earlier this year - in Cyprus by the pool - and it was just wonderful to read and not be watching the clock or worrying about work or money or the blog. It was bliss. 

WHEN? - What time of the day do you prefer to read? 

Normally, I can read anywhere and at any time. But realistically, that can’t happen. Work full time and there’s so many books to read and only a handful of snatched moments to read so, if I can read before I go to bed, fantastic. But, normally, it’s mostly on days when am not working or five/ten minutes before I go to work (which is a pain as I usually am about to find my reading stride, then I have to drive myself in!).

WHY? - Why is your favourite book your favourite book? 

Not sure I can pinpoint my fave books - Harry Potter, Sabriel, His Dark Materials - but it’s usually the feeling I get while reading this. That sense of joy! No matter what mood I am, I can read one fo them and it will always make me happy and I always discover something I have missed in my many rereads! 

BONUS! - How do you go about selecting what you’ll read next? 

Mood. It sucks, but I am a total mood reader. I usually go towards something that has something I want to read. But I usually have an idea what my next book is going to be. Am usually a book ahead of myself. 

But this month and next month, I have a strict list of stories to read/audiobook as I have a few deadlines so I want to make myself up straight. Not promising that will hit these deadlines, but am going to try… 

eBook Review - Gilded Cage

• Title And Author: Gilded Cage by Vic James
• Publisher: PanMacMillan
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 416 pages

You can blame Olivia from That Fiction Life for this! IT'S ALL HER FAULT!

Ok, allow me to explain. For the past few months - maybe even year - Olivia has been banging on about this trilogy that she thought I would love. You might know, if you follow a few book bloggers/vloggers/podcasters/etc that we usually have one book or trilogy/series that we want to force onto other people and go "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!" and this trilogy was Olivia's. I usually trust Olivia's judgement, but for some reason, I tried to read the sampler of Gilded Cage on my kindle and my brain goes "Nope". 

But when I saw it for 99p, I knew I had to buy it and, when I bought it, I said I would read it before the end of the year. Then, after chatting to Olivia at one or two bookish events (The Twisted Tree and Time's Convert), I decided that it was going to be my next read. I felt ready to try the Cray Cray (her words, not mine).

In a frightening similar world to our, Gilded Cage follows Abi, Luke and their family as they have to serve their slavedays - ten years of labour that commoners must serve - whereas magically skilled aristocracy - Equal - rule. Somehow, Abi has managed to get the family to serve the oldest Equal family, the Jardines. But on the day they have to go, the family discover that Luke won't be going with them, but to a factory town of Millmoor... 

Separated from each other, the family must do the best they can. Abi must work with the Jardines, watching her little sister look after the Jardine's Heir's baby daughter (rumours say he killed the commoner mother), and slowly falling for the middle Jardine son, an Equal without magic. And at Millmoor, Luke gets into a club and slowly, begins to dream of rebellion... 

And all the while, the political backdrop is filled of blackmail, uprisings and backstabbing and with a possible rebellion on the horizon, things will take a dangerous turn... 

So, what do I think of this? 

Audiobook Review - Heroes

• Title And Author: Heroes by Stephen Fry
• Publisher: Penguin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 469 pages or 15 hours

As you guys are probably aware, I got a little obsessed when I listened to the audiobook version of Stephen Fry’s Mythos. So much so, I did the super rare thing and bought the physical copy of the book. That was how obsessed I got with this. 

So, when I discovered that there was a second edition to the Mythos Volumes, Heroes, I preordered that audiobook faster than I thought possible. I had this reaction when I discovered I could preorder Michelle Obama’s audiobook, Becoming (which am slowly listening to now. Am trying to savour that one!). 

Following on from Mythos, Heroes follows the tales of Greek heroes - from Jason aboard the Argo and his quest for the Golden Fleece, Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx, Bellerophon capturing this winged horse Pegasus and the Labours of Heracles… 

So, what do I think of this, seeing how much I loved Mythos? 

Building a Curious World

I am thrilled to welcome Julia Golding onto the Pewter Wolf today with something I think you guys are gonna love. And seeing as we are in NaNoWriMo (though at the very end - if you're doing it, COME ON! FINAL PUSH NOW! YOU CAN DO IT!!!), I think this will be perfect for you writers out there.

For those of you who don't know, Julia Golding is a multi-awarding winning author who has written a ton of novels such as the Cat Royal series (starting with The Diamond of Drury Lane), The Curious Science Quest series, The Companions Quartet, and has written under the pen-names of Eve Edwards for adult historical fiction and Joss Stirling for YA.

But getting away from the point, today we are here to talk other worlds and her latest, The Curious Crime, where we ask the big question: is curiosity a crime?

Ree understands the unfairness of the world, where alternative ideas within science are quickly dismissed. Enter a fantasy idea where dodos and other unusually animals roam the corridors, the halls and underground passages within a museum and science academy.

And then the murders start. Ree, who is working at the academy at night as a maid, given up her hopes of following her passion of being a stonemason, must join forces with determined scholar Herni to solve the mystery, all the while trying to prove their innocence...

I love a murder mystery and am a sucker for fantasy, as you guys can probably guess! So this ticked all my boxes!

Now, before I hand it over to Julia and her guide to how to create a Fantasy World, I just want to thank her for finding time to write this! I, also, want to thank Anna from Midas PR for emailing as asking if I want to be involved in some way...

Oh, and if you want to say hi to Julia, check out her website at goldinggateway.com or say hi to her on Twitter at @jgoldingauthor. Now, over to Julia!

Celia Rees Talks What Inspired Glass Town Wars

I am thrilled to have Celia Rees of the Pewter Wolf today!

Not sure how it happened, but super excited as Celia is one of those authors that I have admire from afar and will sink my teeth in her back catalogue of books such as Witch Child, Pirates!, and her newest title, Glass Town Wars.

Now, I did a contest for this a while ago (I believe all the winners have received their winning copies - WOOHOO!) but for those of you who don't know what Glass Town Wars is about, it's inspired by the very early writing of the the Brontës. Tom and Augustus are from two different times and places, but they come together in a virtual world of war to save a kingdom. But soon the lines between reality and fiction blur and learning who to trust means more than friendship, but survival.

And all the while, a girl from Tom's school is reading Wuthering Heights...

I am quite excited for you guys to read this as I found it so interesting to read. So, my thanks goes to Celia for finding time to write this post and to Mollie from Pushkin Press for being our go-between!

Now, before I hand you over to Celia, I want to point you in some directions. If you want to check out Celia's website or Twitter, just drive on over to celiarees.com or @CeliaRees. OR, if you want more info about the Brontës,  I would recommend going to either going to the Brontë Society/Brontë Parsonage Museum website at bronte.org.uk or checking out fellow booktuber LucyTheReader on her youTube as she is a Brontë Society Young Ambassador (youtube.com/LucyTheReader).

Now, over to Celia to talk about what inspired Glass Town Wars!

NetGalley Review - Wild Magic

• Title And Author: Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
• Publisher: HarperVoyager
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review
• Length: 256 Pages

I have always been aware of Tamora Pierce for many years. I’ve been aware of her since my preteens. I know she’s a big deal in the fantasy genre. But because she’s a big deal, I always felt that she would be unaccessible. So, when news came out that HarperVoyager was going to republish the Immortals Quartet and the first book in her series, Tempests and Slaughter, I requested on NetGalley…

Daine has always had a special relationship with animals. But when she is forced to leave the home, she and the people she meets realise that the gift isn’t just a knack. It’s magic. A rare form of magic called Wild Magic that allows her to speak to animals. And not only that, but to make them obey her. 

But terrifying creatures who have been taken in the Divine Realms are now free. Someone has broken the barrier and it’s up to Daine to discover her magic and it’s up to her and her friends - human and animal - to defend the world for an Immortal attack. 

Audiobook Review - A is for Arsenic

• Title And Author: A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup
• Publisher: Bloomsbury 
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 320 Pages or 9 hours and 50 minutes 

As you might be have noticed over the past few months on here and on my social media (mainly my Twitter), I have slowly reading some more crime/thriller novels. I use to say this is a guilty pleasure of mine as my reading jam is usually fantasy, but not saying that now. I enjoy reading crime. What set this off was me reading/audiobooking Agatha Christie and making an effect to read some of her work this year (I am planning to read more next year as part of a reading challenge for The Pewter Wolf). But what intrigued me the most was how Agatha Christie did the killing in her works - poisonings.

So, when I saw this book a few months back, which looks at the poisons used in her novels, I became intrigued and wanted to read it. But no bookshop I went into had it on the shelf nor my library. Plus, I didn’t want to ask if anyone could order it for me - what if they thought I was plotting to kill my Other Half? So, when I saw this on Audible, I was in two minds for a good few minutes as I wasn’t sure if audiobooking this was a good idea, plus I wasn’t sure I would get on with the narrator, and it’s non-fiction (a genre I struggle in). But in the end, I went “What’s the worse that could happen?”

Agatha Christie was a chemist throughout both World Wars so her knowledge of poisons was extensive. A is for Arsenic looks into the poisons Agatha Christie used in well-known novels, such as Mysterious Affairs at Styles, Crooked House, Sparkling Cyanide and 4.50 from Paddington among others novels, and look at how the chemicals interact with the body to cause death, to cure the poison, real life cases and look at how the murder was committed in the novels. 

Blue Salt ... Wait, What?

Story time: I was meant to be writing a review for Joanne Harris's Blue Salt Road. It was meant to be for a blog tour (I know, I said I would never do a review for a blog tour but I wanted to read this badly). Expect... I haven't got the novella. The publisher has sent a copy to me TWICE over the past few weeks and it's not turned up. No idea if it's gone to my old address by accident (even though gave them my new address both times), if there's a problem with them being sent out at warehouse/depot or if postman has stolen them (which is funny as they sent me two books last week so can't be that!).

But I wanted to do something for today and for Blue Salt Road. Bear with me, let me explain the novella (as I wanted to go into this without knowing much so RESEARCHING as I type!). The Blue Salt Road is a fable about a nameless, wild man who has no memories. With passion pulling him into his new, unknown world and trickery keeping him there, separated from his people, he has to learn a new way of life and change his notion of home... 

Now, like I said, I wanted to do something to tie to celebrate this novella and thought, one morning when I was panicking about this and feeling not 100% , "What music would I listen to while reading this?". The first answer that jumped to mind was "Music linked to water" and so, I want to share some watery music (not sure how many... 5, maybe?) that I might be listening to while reading this... I hope you like my weird choices...

Where The Truth Lies Blog Tour - Extract

I HAVE A CRIME-Y EXTRACT FOR YOU! And it's for a blog tour. And no to my Other Half who noticing that crime/thriller books are creeping more and more on the Pewter Wolf and my TBR shelves/folders, I am not planning to murder you or make you have an "accident" (I love him too much to do that.)

Anyway, I have an extract for you, from the lovely people at Canelo. The extract is from Where The Truth Lies from M J Lee - the first in the DI Ridpath series - and once I read the synopsis of this, colour me intrigued...

Ten years ago, DI Thomas Ridpath was involved in Manchester CID and his first case for this promise police officer involved him capturing a notorious serial killer. But that was then, and DI Ridpath isn't the same man. Recovering from a serious illness and on the verge of being pushed out of the police force. Then people started dying... in a the same horrible way as Ridpath's first case...

As the investigation carries on, things start to go wrong: old bodies start going missing, files get misplaced and the body count begins to grow. As the police and the coroner's office start fighting each other, Ridpath wants to solve the case first, to save his career, his marriage, his life.

And then one of his colleagues vanishes...

Doesn't that sound intriguing? I have been told that this has an dark edge of gory to it so if you like your crime thrillers to have a good level of blood, this might be up your street!

Now, I am going to hand you over to the extract, but I want to thank Ellie from Canelo for inviting me to be involved in this tour! Now, over to the extract!!!

Twisted Tree "All Hallow Eve's" Launch Party

Last week, I was very lucky to be involved to the launch party of The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge at Hot Key Books HQ. Now, it’s been a while since I’ve been to a Hot Key event (they’ve moved since I visited them last so off to a new building in a different side of London!) so off to London I go to celebrate this book with other bookish people. 

I have to admit from the get go that I haven’t read the yet. In fact, I know very little about this as I wanted to go into this blind. All I knew was it’s a ghost story so it will have the chill factor. I like a good chiller read (but not horror. I hate horror!) and when I got to Hot Key, I was very much “Oh, am I the only one who hasn’t read this yet?” 

Plus, all those lovely book bloggers pals of mine who have were going “Oh, Andrew, there’s a moment that will freak you out. The doll. The crows. The thuds!” and now I have no idea what to believe or to do a Joey from Friends and be near my freezer when I read this (which might be a mistake as I’ll be reading this on my Kindle and I am not sure it can handle the cold). 

Elaine Everest Talks "A Gift From Woolworths"

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

*blows raspberry at Halloween* Like I have said in the past on here and on my social media platforms, I like Halloween in theory. In practice, not so much. So, tonight, I will be hiding in a dark house, eating all the sweets I'm might to give to trick-n-treaters...

But a holiday I am excited to celebrate is Christmas so when the lovely Faye at Faye Rogers PR asked if I wanted to be involved in a Christmasy blog tour, I jumped at it (and got the Michael Bublé at the ready, much to my Other Half's annoyance!)

So today, I am thrilled to welcome back Elaine Everest who is gonna get us in the Christmas mood with a small Q&A to celebrate the release of her newest Christmasy novel, A Gift from Woolworths!

The Second World War moves to 1945, the lives of the women of Woolworths continue. Betty announces she's pregnant, her future life is Douglas is about to change more than she expects. Freda has fallen of a Scottish engineer - will it end happily? Maisie loves being a mother and adores her nieces - but when her brother returns on the scene, trouble follows. All Sarah wants is her husband's return, but Woolworths beckons.

With a wedding on the horizon and Christmas round the corner, happiness surely lies ahead for these friends... right?

Now, before I hand you over to Elaine and those tricky questions, I want to thank Elaine for taking time out to answering these questions and to Faye for asking if I wanted to be involved in this tour. Now, if you want to check out Elaine on her social media, check her out on Facebook - Elaine Everest Author - or her Twitter - @ElaineEverest. Now, let's get in the Christmas spirit!!!

Surprise Glass Town Wars Contest!

CONTEST TIME!!! Yes, I know I don’t do these often and I have done a contest last month (what’s going on!?), but you can thank the lovely people at Puskin Press for this contest! 

When Mollie for Puskin emailed me and asked if I fancied reading Glass Town Wars, I jumped at it for two reason. First, the author. Celia Rees is an author I am curious to read and with her novels - Witch Child, Sorceress, and Pirates! - on my radar, I was curious on how she would write this novel, which feels very modern. And the second reason is that this book is inspired by the early writings of the Brontës, which intrigued me hugely. 

Now, because I have a lot of books to read and I planned for November to be my NetGalley November (aka I’m trying to take control of my reading and am going to fail), I wanted to give this book a bit of noise so asked if I could do a contest. And here we are - CONTEST TIME!!!

But first, you’ll want to know more about the book. Glass Town Wars follows Tom and Augusta, who are from two very different places and two very different times. But they meet n a virtual world to combine forces in battles to save the kingdom and, along the way, find love and escape deceit. But in a place where truth can be fiction, learning who is trust is about more than friendship: it’s about survival…

Now, I have THREE COPIES to give away, thanks to Puskin Press. And all I ask you to do is fill in the form below. The winners will be chosen at random via random.org and the contest closes  Sunday 4th November 2018 at around midday. The winners will be announced on Twitter and I will email them as well so the publisher can send the books to them. And this is a UK only contest. 

Good luck to you who enter! 

Book Review - The Case Of The Missing Treasure

• Title And Author: The Case of the Missing Treasure by Robin Stevens
• Publisher: Puffin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 148 Pages

For the past few months, I’ve been itching to get back into the Murder Most Unladylike series. I have no real reason why - I read Arsenic For Tea - the second book in the series - back in 2015 and I read a Mini-Mystery, The Case of the Blue Violet, in 2016. And I always said that these were fun and I wanted to go back. 

But for one excuse or another, I never did return and, when I tried, I couldn’t find my “in”. I tried with the fourth book in the series - Jolly Foul Play - and struggled and I didn’t want to read the starter in the series. Plus, for some reason, the later novels appealed to me, with the fifth - Mistletoe and Murder - catching my eye. I’m sorry, but murder at Christmas. Doesn’t that gripping?

So, when I went into my local Waterstones to have a look, I saw The Case of the Missing Treasure and jumped straight on it. At last, a fast “in” for me. Plus, it’s a Waterstones exclusive (for now - most booksellers will be able to sell this in match 2019) so, at the present moment in time, you have to go to your local bookshop and buy it! HAHA! 

After the events of A Spoonful of Murder, Daisy and Hazel are back in London, staying at Daisy’s Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy. One morning, they hear a news article, saying that a thief is robbing museums all over London. On Daisy’s birthday, Uncle Felix sets up a treasure hunt for her, Hazel and friends/rivals, the Junior Pinkertons, the four find themselves in the British Museum, trying to solve clues that Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy have left. Expect… one of the clues they find isn’t from Uncle Felix or Aunt Lucy. One clue is from the thief and they are going to rob the British Museum that night! 

eBook Review - Appointment With Death

• Title And Author: Appointment With Death by Agatha Christie
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 272 Pages or 5 Hours and 57 Minutes

This has been sitting on my Kindle for quite some time (I’ve just checked - since September of last year. I got it in an eBook sale, I think) and I’ve always wanted to read this when I was in the mood for crime. Plus, it’s Agatha Christie so it can’t be a bad crime story. 

In the past few months, I read then audiobooked three Agatha Christie's (The Mysterious Mr Quin, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and And Then There Were None) as well as read a New Hercule Poirot mystery, written by Sophie Hannah (The Mystery of the Three Quarters) and each had their own success and pitfalls. So, when I remembered I had this while reading Time Convert, I knew I wanted to read it. I wanted to read a murder and this ticked the boxes. 

“You see, don’t you, that she’s got to be killed?”

Poirot overhears this one night as he was closing his hotel window and thinks nothing of this remark. But this remark comes back to haunt him several days later when he is told of a death. Among the towering red cliffs of Petra, the body of Mrs Boynton was discovered, like some swollen, detestable Buddha or a spider. She could have died of natural causes - expect for a small puncture mark on her wrist… Was Mrs Boyton murdered? Poirot decides he will try and find the truth and gives himself 24 hours to solve the crime. But with that remark in his head and seeing how damaged the Boynton family have been under Mrs Boynton rule, will the murderer get away with it…? 

Dead End - Blog Tour Extract

BLOG TOUR ALERT! And it's a genre that I enjoy and wish I could spend more time in - crime. I love a good crime, so when I was asked if I wanted to be involved in this blog tour, I jumped at the chance!

Dead End is the third DI Kelly Porter novel - following Dark Game and Deep Fear - by Rachel Lynch and follows DI Kelly Porter as two cases come crashing together. When the seventh Earl of Lowesdale is found hanging at Wasdale Hall, people assume that he decided to end his life. But when the coroner finds signs of possible fowl play, DI Kelly Porter is assigned to find the truth.

Meanwhile, two hikers have gone missing and Kelly is assigned to lead the search. But as she begins to dig, she discovers possible ties to two other unsolved disappearances and turns into a race against the clock. But when the two cases slowly begins to lead back to Wasdale Hall and with Kelly's own family secrets coming into the light, it becomes more important to discover the truth, no matter the cost...

Doesn't that sound good and slightly messed-up?!

Now, as part of my stop, I have a small extract for you! There is some bad language as this is an adult crime novel but, hopefully, you guys will love it!

Before I hand it over to Dead End, I want to thank Ellie from Canelo for asking me to be involved in this tour! And now, over the extract!

Seven Deadly Sins Book Tag

It’s rare I do tags. I know. But I saw this somewhere on Twitter - I think it was from Fantastic Book Dragon - and when I saw it, I thought it would be nice to try and do this and dip my toe into tags again and to get into the Halloween spirit. Yes, I like Halloween in theory but in real life, I kinda suck at it. 

So, answer seven questions linked to the seven deadly sins. Should be easy, right?… right? (and before I go on, I tried to find put who created this but I didn’t. So, if you created this, thank you!). And am not going to Tag anyone - if you want to do this, please do! It was weirdly fun to do! 

So, let’s get started… 

Book Review - Time's Convert

• Title And Author: Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
• Publisher: Headline
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher in exchange for an honest review
• Length: 448 Pages or 15 Hours and 46 Minutes

Oh boy… this was a long read. 

Not page wise, just time wise. I started this on 28th August, according to my Goodreads. And I finished this on 1st October. So, around five weeks. That’s a long time for me, dear readers, as you well know. Plus, you know I have audiobook the trilogy this is a companion novel of - All Souls or A Discovery of Witches, to give the trilogy its unofficial title - earlier this year. But when I heard this was coming out and it was going to follow two of my favourite secondary characters, Marcus and Phoebe, I knew I had to have it. I had it preordered and everything. 

Then several things happened. First, my preorder of a signed copy got cancelled (Boo!) and then was asked by the lovely Caitlin at Headline if I wanted an advance reader copy. Hell yeah, I replied, and what I got was a beautiful hardback advance reader copy. And, as I was reading this, I managed to get a ticket to a Deborah Harkness event in Waterstones Tottenham Court Road branch on Friday 2nd November (and that sold out fast! I know three other bloggers and vloggers -  - are going as well so this should be fun!)

Marcus is a vampire made in the 18th century during the American Revolution. Over 200 years, he finds himself in love with Phoebe Taylor, a human who has decided to be become a vampire to be with Marcus. 

But her transformation will prove to be challenging. As she is secreted away to get over the first 100 days of being a vampire, Marcus is reliving the past, reliving his journey from the battlefields of American Revolution, the French Revolution and his bloody past, both human and vampires. 

But once they have come to terms with themselves, will they still want to be together? 

So… where do I begin with this…?

BBC National Short Story Award & BBC Young Writers Award 2018

You think after last year that I wouldn’t be invited back to watch Front Row after the “Boob at the Beeb” incident (go back to my post last year to read about that!). But nope, I was asked back and  jumped at the chance to go! I mean, stories, awards, wine, sign me up! 

Expect for the wine part. You see, last year, the award ceremory was held at BBC Broadcasting House. This year, it was at the University of Cambridge. In Cambridge. Which meant I had to either drive or train it up. And because I am a little stubborn, I decided to drive, meaning it took around 1 hour and 25 minutes there and the same back. Now, I don’t normally do this is any event.The event has to be special! 

Plus, Cambridge is meant to be stunning, right? 

So, after a surprisingly easy drive up to Cambridge, and trying to find somewhere to park without getting too badly lost (Yes, I got lost and Cambridge is full of bicycles. I have never seen a city with so many bicycle riders!), I slipped into University of Cambridge, trying not to think too hard that this will be the only time I will ever get into a university without the fear of crippling student debt hanging over my head or wondering if I was smart enough to be there. 

Oh yeah, the panic I felt about possibly going to uni when I left college came screaming back (I think I would have done publishing/english or something linked to myths, so classics? WHO LAUGHED!?)

SURPRISE OTHERWORLD CONTEST!

SURPRISE CONTEST TIME!!! 

I know, it’s rare I do these now but while chatting to the lovely people at Rock The Boat about if I should read Otherearth, the second book in the Otherworld or Last Reality trilogy by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller (even though I haven’t read Otherworld yet. I know, I keep putting it off for one reason or another - hope to correct this before the year is out!), we got chatting about the series and a few others they publish and I said something along the lines of “I would love to do a contest. Maybe this will be the kick up the behind I need to read this!” and Rock the Boat, seeing that I might need a push went “Ok”. 

So now, I have no excuse now not to read this before the end of the year as I’m doing a contest! 

For those unsure of Otherworld, Otherworld is a game. Expect, it’s not. It’s addictive and will make you want to stay forever and make your dreams come true. Otherworld isn’t a game. It’s the next phase of reality and no one saw it coming. 

It’s an sci-fi thriller (best way to describe it) and am intrigued on what you guys think of this. So, the lovely people at Rock the Boat have given me the chance to give away up to FIVE signed copies. FIVE! And all you have to do it fill in the form below. 

Ok, boring stuff time. This is a UK only contest. Sorry, but this is due to publishing rights. There can only be a max of five winners (In the past, I barely get two or three people enter some of my contest, hence me airing on the side of caution). The contest will end on Sunday (7th October 2018) around midday(ish) and winners will be picked at random via random.org. I will tweet the winners and will email them for their address so Rock The Boat can send the winners their winning copy. 

Now, go forth and enter. I wish you luck and hope the odds and the Company are in your favour!