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Bring Her Home - Bookouture Blog Tour

9/9/2021

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Description:
She had taken only one step towards the hotel when she heard the car door opening, and then something had her by the shoulders in a grip like steel. Penny tried to fight, but it was no good. The last thing she heard as consciousness drifted away was the whisper of a familiar song…

On a cold night in October a pretty, blonde girl named Penny O’Dwyer is snatched from the quiet main street of a small, coastal town in the west of Ireland. No one saw anything, and a desperate search leads nowhere… Until her abductor sends a video declaring Penny only has ten days to live and a deadly countdown begins.

Criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle hoped never to work a case in Ireland again. But when her career in London is cut short by a brutal tragedy, she returns to her homeland to grieve – only for her oldest friend to call in a long overdue debt. ‘Help us catch this monster and bring Penny home. We need you, Jessie.’

Throwing herself into the investigation, Jessie makes a chilling discovery: Penny wasn’t the first girl to be taken. As her team find more missing women, she becomes convinced that a serial killer has been hiding in plain sight for years. Nothing seems to tie the victims together, until Jessie realises that that each abduction site is linked to the old Irish myths she read as a child.
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Time is running out for Penny, and Jessie’s only hope is to understand the killer’s twisted logic. But he is closer than she imagined… and Jessie is next in his sights. Will she risk everything to save an innocent life?

A totally breathtaking and chilling crime thriller that will keep you gripped to the very last page, perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, A.J. Rivers, Tana French and Lisa Gardner.
Wow, that was not what I expected--and I mean in an absolutely good way! This was my first book by this author and I can tell you, before I even go into detail, that this will not be my last book by him! 
If you know me, you know I love fast-paced. This book didn't only give me that, but it also gave me a crazy combination of my favorite thriller/mystery/suspense novel elements: kidnapping, murder, sociopaths, behavioral analysis, crazy twists, and computer forensics. However, the book didn't stop there. In addition, the author added Celtic mythology and computer forensic to the mix and he did a phenomenal job combining all these elements without making it confusing, unrealistic, or boring in any way. Hold your breath before you go into this book because you will not have time to come up from it for air. That is how fast this plot moves. I love love love it!!!!
First, the chapters all start with a quote by one of the more or less real-life sociopathic serial killers, e.g., Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. Then, the reason why Jessie leaves her career with the police in London will knock you off your chair because it is not written from Jessie's POV but from someone with very sinister motives (sorry, can't say more to avoid any spoilers ;-)). And then the mind-blowing, jaw-dropping moments don't stop there. How in the world does a lunatic in solitary confinement know that Jessie is in Ireland? How does he know that Penny was abducted and he even knows who the culprit is, well more or less? Those are just the opening chapters. This book has roughly 70 chapters and the remaining chapters are no less unputdownable (I think that is a word now since Stephen King has used it multiple times lol). I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 in the series!
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Where to buy:
​Amazon: https://bit.ly/3gvipmv
Apple: https://apple.co/3jeLhRD
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2Wky0hr
About the author:
Shane Dunphy (S. A. Dunphy) was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. A child protection worker for fifteen years, he is the bestselling author of seventeen books, including the number one Irish bestseller Wednesday’s Child and the Sunday Times Bestseller The Girl Who Couldn't Smile. His bestselling series of crime novels (written under the name S. A. Dunphy) feature the criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of true crime books written for Audible, has been critically acclaimed and the second title in the series, The Bad Place, is an Audible True Crime bestseller. 

https://shanedunphyauthor.org/
https://www.facebook.com/shanewritesbooks
https://www.instagram.com/shanewritesbooks/
https://twitter.com/dunphyshane1
My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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The Woman on the Beach by Julia Roberts - Bookouture Blog Tour

8/21/2021

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Description:
​I was so sure I saw Sophie on the beach that day. But it couldn’t be her. Sophie’s dead…

Ever since we swore to be best friends at school, Sophie was there for me. When she married my brother, she became family. We shared everything.

At least I thought we did.

After she died, I was devastated. Everyone else has moved on, but I can’t. She was so quiet, those last few months. I’m sure there is something I don’t know…

Now I’m standing on the beach we visited when we were younger, and there’s a woman with long blond hair a few metres away, playing with a dog in the sunshine. She turns, and I see Sophie.

Heart racing, I run after her, but before I can reach her she’s vanished, leaving only footprints in the sand.

It can’t be Sophie… Can it? And do I want to know, if the answer will destroy everything?

A gripping emotional page-turner about the ways we lie to ourselves and how love and hope can heal us. Fans of Amanda Prowse, Liane Moriarty and Susan Lewis will absolutely love The Woman on the Beach.
If there is something I love as much as a morally grey character, it's an unreliable narrator. This book is the story of three girls whose friendship is so strong that they can tell each other everything---IS IT REALLY???? The girls thought so at least but then each one of them has to deal with a different kind of devastating and painful experience and they have to decide how much to tell the others. Julia Roberts tells the story from three different POVs and you, the reader, are the only one who (presumably) knows the whole story---at least that is what YOU think when you read the book. But everything is not what it seems. The author takes you on a rollercoaster ride through emotional struggles, doubt, grief, etc. She keeps you guessing what really happened until the very end. You think you have it all figured out and root for the girls and then, bam!, you get another piece in this puzzle and start doubting your own theories. 
While the last Julia Roberts book I read made me ball my eyes out (read my review of My Mother's Secret here), this book kept me at the edge of my seat, not only because I could relate to two of the girls' stories on a very personal level but also because one of the girls is such an unreliable narrator that you keep wondering throughout the book if you can believe what she is saying or if the events did not really happen the way she believes they did. Thank you, Julia Roberts, for giving me hours of thrill, heartbreak, and entertainment!
About the author:
Julia was born in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, and began her career as a professional singer/dancer. This enabled her to travel the world in her late teens storing up experiences she has since included in her writing.
 
Following roles as a hostess on The Price is Right and a member of the Beadle’s About ‘hit squad’ in the 1980s, she became a TV Presenter and filmed features for Sky Sports before launching the QVC shopping channel in 1993 where she still presents today. Having always wanted to write, she penned her first book, a memoir sold on QVC, in 2013 and has since written seven full length novels, two novellas and several short stories.
 
http://www.juliarobertsauthor.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JuliaRobertsTV
https://www.instagram.com/juliagroberts/
https://twitter.com/JuliaRobertsTV
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Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/37wc4SO
Apple: https://apple.co/3tRBIKF
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2RXxYdb
Google: https://bit.ly/3ftewgA
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My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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Beyond the Olive Grove - Kate Hewitt - Bookouture Blog Tour

8/14/2021

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Description:
​The place seemed utterly still, the only sound was the wind rustling high in the pines above. Standing there, realizing she didn’t even know which house had belonged to her grandmother, Ava wondered just how crazy and desperate she’d been to come all this way with no hope or plan.

When Ava arrives in Greece, it’s with a heart that’s shattered into a thousand pieces. But as she pulls up in a tiny village nestled on a cliff above the glittering Ionian Sea, and steps out in front of a tumbledown house that once belonged to her grandmother Sophia, everything changes.

At first Ava almost wants to laugh at this bizarre inheritance—a home that has been uninhabited since the Second World War—that appears as close to collapse as she herself feels. But with nowhere left to run to, her only choice is to start putting the house together again.

What Ava doesn’t expect is for pieces of her grandmother’s story to emerge, as a local survivor from the war begins to share her secrets. Ava can’t help but be drawn to Sophia’s hidden past… even though the truth could change her own life forever.

Because Sophia’s story is one of devastating choices she had to make during the Nazi invasion of her beloved country. It’s a story of bravery, betrayal and tragedy. But most of all, it is a story about love…
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​An utterly unforgettable story of two remarkable women who find the strength to persevere against all odds and find hope, courage and light in the darkness. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and Victoria Hislop’s The Island.

Previously published as The Other Side of the Bridge by Katharine Swartz.
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My thoughts
Before I tell you my thoughts, I'll have a confession to make. I have been absolutely oblivious and ignorant. Sounds dramatic but what I mean by that is that I had basically zero knowledge that (1) Greece was occupied by the Nazis and (2) that the occupation by the Nazis and later the occupation by the British military resulted in a civil war. Coincidentally and absolutely not intended, I have recently read not just one WWII novel set in Greece but now--with this book--two! (The other book is "Once we were here" by Christopher Cosmos.) As you know, I was born and raised in Germany. According to the German equivalent of the State Department, there are currently about 467,000 Greeks living in Germany. Back when I was still living in Germany, I had many Greek friends and I still, to this day, love love love Greek food!! A friend of mine moved to Greece when her husband retired from the U.S. Army and I'm always jealous when she posts photos of where she lives right now. Greece has got to be one of the most gorgeous places in the world! With that being said, because of the two WWII in Greece books I have started doing a bit more research about Greece's fate during the war and after. 

But back to this particular book: It hit home! The reason why Ava is in Greece (spoiler: the inheritance is not really the main reason she is there but merely an event in her life that helps her escape from what is haunting her) and her relationship with her husband Simon are something that is oh so familiar to me. My husband and I went through something similar. Back then, I didn't want to run away but if I had wanted to do it, Greece would be high on my list of destinations. The book is written in two timelines: One timeline follows Ava around while she tries to piece together what happened to her grandmother Sophia during the war and the other takes place during those years and follows Sophia. Both timelines are remarkable in their own way. While they differ in many aspects, they have one thing in common...both tell a story about finding the strength to persevere. 
This is my third book by Kate Hewitt and she has most certainly made it to the top of my list of historical fiction authors. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a big fan of romantic novels. This particular book does have romance in it but it is not the main theme. Beyond the Olive Grove focuses on the two female MCs' emotional journey in terms of finding out how strong they actually are, learning that sometimes things are not what they seem, and dealing with loss and grief. I could put a trigger warning on this book but that would mean to spoil it for those who haven't read the book yet. So, let me limit it to a more general trigger warning label: make sure you are not going through (family-related) trauma when you pick up this book. 
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About the author:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate
Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3lxtcQ
My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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Death at the Gates - Katie Gayle - Bookouture Blog Tour

8/4/2021

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Description: 
Hurlingham House school is a high-achiever’s heaven, full of happy, hard-working pupils. There’s just the small matter of the dead body on the field… Sounds like a case for Epiphany Bloom!

​When Epiphany Bloom’s best friend’s sister Claire is accused of trading exam papers for money, Epiphany agrees to see Ms Peters, the headteacher of Claire’s fiercely competitive school, to provide moral support. Claire has always been a model student and is loudly protesting her innocence: surely it’s all just a misunderstanding.

But when Ms Peters hears about Epiphany’s previous sleuthing exploits, she enlists her help to track down the true culprit!

Taking a job as a PE teacher, Epiphany soon realises she has plenty of suspects for the exam scam mastermind. The broke young teacher with a shady past? The father willing to buy his daughter anything – including grades? The school governor desperate to keep Hurlingham House at the top of the ranks?

Then Epiphany finds one of them dead at the school fair, and it becomes clear someone is taking the cut-throat culture of the school too literally – and when mysterious accidents start happening around her too, it seems the killer knows she’s onto them.
Can Epiphany solve the murder as well as clearing Claire’s name, before she becomes the next victim? This is one test she can’t afford to fail…

A charming and totally addictive cozy mystery with a hilarious and warm-hearted heroine. A must-read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Lee Strauss and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.
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My thoughts
Well, well, well...what to say? Let me start by saying that the authors set the bar very high with their previous book in the series. That is my favorite one so far. Read my review here!
With that being said, I have to admit that this one did not quite meet the bar which The Museum Murder set. Don't get me wrong, it is still a fantastic read but in this one, my favorite morally grey character Pip was just a bit too "normal and sweet" for my liking lol. The book starts out with her losing yet another job (for yet another crazy reason ;-)) and accepting a job as an undercover investigator at a school with a bunch of super rich kids. Out of all the subjects she could have been assigned, she has to turn into a semi-passable PE teacher. I expected her to go from one faux-pas to the next. She does do some of her typical Pip stuff, just not as crazy as in the previous books. I think what made the previous book such an amazing read for me where the pop culture references ("Pretty Woman" Julia Roberts and other iconic characters). I was waiting for some of those to pop up again even though I kind of knew that they would not fit into this storyline. Also, I really missed her sister's hilarious mistakes with the English language. I hope we get some of those laugh-out-loud-roll-on-the-floor conversations between Pip and her sister in the next book which I'm very much looking forward to. This book was a great addition to the series. Now hurry, ladies, and give us another laugh-out-loud and rollercoaster-ride-crazy story!
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​About the authors:
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.
 
https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter
https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks
Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3BK4h1u
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My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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Bookouture Blog Tours Part II: World War II stories

7/31/2021

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Here is Part II as promised!! This was my second book by Marion Kummerow and my first by Carly Schabowski. While both of these books are WWII stories, they are two totally different books. Both were heartbreaking stories in their own way. Read about them below:

A Light in the Window - Marion Kummerow

Description:
​Margarete stumbles out of the bombed-out house, the dust settling around her like snow. Mistaking her for the dead officer’s daughter, a guard rushes over to gently ask her if she is all right and whether there’s anything he can do to help her. She glances down at where the hated yellow star had once been, and with barely a pause, she replies “Yes”.

Berlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…

Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety. That is, until her former employer’s son, SS officer Wilhelm Huber, tracks her down.

But strangely he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. Instead he insists she comes and lives with him in Paris, and seems determined to keep her hidden. His only condition: she must continue to pretend to be his sister. Because whoever would suspect a Nazi girl of secretly being a Jew?

His plan seems impossible, and Margarete is terrified they might be found out, not to mention worried about what Wil-
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helm might want in return. But as the Nazis start rounding up Jews in Paris and the Résistance steps up its activities, putting everyone who opposes the regime in peril, she realizes staying hidden in plain sight may be her only chance of survival…

Can Margarete trust a Nazi officer with the only things she has left though… her safety, her life, even her heart?

A totally heartbreaking and unputdownable story about how far someone would go to save one life, that fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See will adore.
About the author:
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Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.
Inspired by the true story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime, she started writing historical fiction, set during World War II. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, take difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.
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Here are my thoughts about this book:
​Unlike many WWII books, this book had only one timeline. There was no jumping between timelines and characters which was refreshing since some books with multiple timelines can get quite confusing. This book also started right off with some "action" and left the character building in snippets all over the book. This book may not have more than one timeline, it does have multiple POVs and that made it super interesting for me. I love being put into the characters shoes and seeing things from their perspective. This story was particularly interesting since we get to read about the feelings from the perspective of a Jewish woman and the perspectives of those Germans who are either hardcore Nazi supporters or supporters but wondering if the ideology neglects some facts. I loved reading about Wilhelm being torn. His brother, on the other hand, OMG, his brother!!! I wanted to strangle him many times, not only because of his blind support of a horrible dictator and that horrible dictator's ideology but also for his view on the role of women and how he treats his own wife. I may have been born and raised in modern-day Germany but I still feel so much shame. I can't believe that my own fellow countrymen did
all these horrific things. And trust me, I'm not the only German who feels that way. The majority of Germans does!! Marion Kummerow's writing is fantastic! She really helped me dive into these characters and their world of thoughts and emotions! I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I kind of didn't like the ending ... not because it was badly written or anything. I just expected a different kind of ending. The ending the author chose broke my heart!
Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3hB7711
Apple: https://apple.co/3xHwpA4
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ySZhWo
Google: https://bit.ly/3k9glDj

The Rainbow - Carly Schabowski

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Description: 
​There, on the dusty floorboards, was a piece of paper, folded neatly. A newspaper article from 1941, written in German, alongside a faded picture of two men in Nazi uniforms staring at the camera. I was about to place it back in the box of forgotten things when something in the text jumped out at me. My breath caught in my chest. I know that name.

London, present day. Isla has grown up hearing her beloved grandad’s stories about his life as a child in pre-war Poland and as a young soldier bravely fighting the Germans to protect his people. So she is shocked and heartbroken to find, while collecting photos for his 95th birthday celebration, a picture of her dear grandfather wearing a Nazi uniform. Is everything she thought she knew about him a lie?

Unable to question him due to his advanced dementia, Isla wraps herself in her rainbow-coloured scarf, a memento of his from the war, and begins to hunt for the truth behind the photograph. What she uncovers is more shocking than she could have ever anticipated – a tale of childhood sweethearts torn apart by family duty, and how one young man risked his life, his love and the respect of his own people, to secretly fight for justice from inside the heart of the enemy itself
An heartbreaking novel of love, betrayal and a secret passed down through a family. Inspired by an incredible true story. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network.
Here are my thoughts about this book:
​First, let me start by giving you a trigger warning! This book deals with Alzheimers. If that is something that triggers strong emotions in you, you may want to use caution when picking up this book. With that being said, this book tore me up emotionally! What made it even worse was knowing that this book is based on true events! Many times, I had to stop and digest what I had just read. That is how emotional I got. I cannot even begin to imagine what Ilsa's grandfather had to go through, how tormented he must have been all these years knowing what he had done, or rather, what he was forced to do to help fight for justice from deep within enemy ranks. While I can't be 100% certain if I could have done what he did, I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done any of those things, not even to fight the enemy secretly. It's one thing to openly fight someone who's done horrible things to others but it is a totally different story when you have to be actively involved in those atrocities to fight that enemy. It takes a special type of person to be involved in horrible
About the author:
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Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
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events and not lose your humanity and sanity. Ilsa's grandfather often feels that he is a coward but I totally disagree! It takes a lot of courage to do what he did. He paid a high price for his involvement with the enemy. Back then, PTSD was not a widely known mental illness even though it existed. Nowadays, that is exactly what I think he suffered from after everything he experienced! 
I like that Carly Schabowski chose two timelines: 2014 and then the WWII years. You get to read about the mental state of the grandfather both in modern times and in WWII. 
Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3hNnuHQ
Apple: https://apple.co/3o0JXmj
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2SD8z94
Google: https://bit.ly/3y03iZh
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I am back!! Well, sort of ... for now!! News and new book review!

7/30/2021

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Hey everyone!!! I have been MIA for a while. The past few weeks have been a nightmare! So much has happened since my last post here. Let me give you the short version of what has happened. 

We found out that my husband will be going overseas and the kids and I cannot go with him due to our sons' disabilities. The Department of Defense can currently not provide the services they need at the new location. After long discussions, we decided the best solution for our family is for the kids and I to move into the house we own close to family. We also decided to do the move ourselves instead of having the DoD-assigned movers do it. What we didn't know at the time was that the new school year (it is in a different state than where we were before we moved) would start in the third week of July. Our house needed major remodeling and renovation before it was even possible for us to move in. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the pandemic, all contractors were short-staffed and therefore booked for months. So, we had to do all the work ourselves. Thank God for YouTube lol! My husband and my father-in-law did a phenomenal job with the plumbing, flooring, and electric work. Luckily, my husband is an electrician. At least, we didn't have to worry about that. I myself did all the painting. My husband and I did all the packing and--except for about and hour or so--we also loaded the moving truck ourselves. I tell ya, that was rough! Packing and loading over 10,000 lbs of stuff is crazy! I tip my hat to all the movers out there! That job is no joke!!! 
As if all that wasn't enough, we found out that our kids were all missing one shot required for school and we had to drive to a different county to get the shot and the certification we needed. After that, we hoped we were done and could finally start with the smaller repair projects and unpacking. But nooooo!!!! We encountered another big issue! We don't have an internet line leading to our house. It's 350 feet from our house and the internet provider has to come and dig a line which will not happen until next week. Why is that an issue? Well, (1) I'm a freelance translator and need the internet for my business and (2) I'm also enrolled in college and need the internet for my classes since I'm enrolled in an online master's program. My temporary solution? Starbucks Wifi :-p Gotta do whatcha gotta do, right? Please send whatever positive energy you believe in to us (prayers, vibes, etc.) that we will have internet by the end of next week. The middle section of my body cannot take Starbucks every day lol. 

With that being said, I am late with a few of my blog tour posts and for that I apologize to the publishers who have been extremely understanding!!! Thank you so much for not giving up on me! Books have been a lifesaver during these rough times. In particular my audiobooks have been a nice companion while painting, packing, etc.

Here are some fantastic books that you have not been able to read about on my blog due to our nightmare remodeling and move. I hope you find a gem among them that you find after grabbing one of them via the links I provide. So ... without further ado, here they are:

Murder at the Fair - Verity Bright (Bookouture Blog Tour)

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Let me start off with one of my favorite books in the Eleanor Swift series! Yes, so far, this is my favorite book in that particular series. Verity Bright have my heart! Just when you think the books can't get any better, this husband-and-wife team surprises me again! I keep falling more and more in love with Lady Eleanor, the amateur sleuth in this series, her butler, and Eleanor's handsome love interest Detective Seldon. And let's not forget her partner in crime, bulldog Gladstone! 
But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself in my excitement here. Let me first give you the description of this book, so you can get an idea of the theme of this book 6 in the series (btw, while I would encourage reading the books in order, this one could be read as a standalone):
Summer flowers, warm sunshine, a maypole dance and… is that another murder? A tricky case is afoot for Lady Swift!

Summer, 1921. Lady Eleanor Swift, the best amateur sleuth in the country, is delighted to be in charge of the prize-giving at her village summer fair. But the traditional homemade raft race takes a tragic turn when the local under-
taker, Solemn Jon, turns up dead amongst the ducks. Jon was the life of any party and loved by the entire village. Surely this was simply an awful accident?

But when a spiteful obituary is printed in the local paper, Eleanor realizes there may be more to Jon’s death than first thought. Despite handsome Detective Seldon giving her strict instructions not to interfere, Eleanor owes it to Jon’s good name to root out the truth. So with her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog, Eleanor starts digging for clues…

When another local dies in a riding accident, the police refuse to believe he was murdered. But a second vindictive death notice convinces Eleanor of foul play. Solemn Jon’s assistant, a bullish banker and a majestic marquess make her suspect list, but it isn’t until she finds a dusty old photograph that she knows the true culprit behind both crimes. Then another obituary appears – her own! Can Eleanor nail the killer before she too turns up dead among the ducks?

An utterly compelling and charming cozy mystery! Pure delight for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss.
Now that you know a bit more about what the theme of the book is, I will tell you just how much I loved this book: If I wasn't a fan of cozy mysteries already, the books in this series would definitely make me one!!!! Once again, Lady Eleanor proves that she is a strong and smart female amateur sleuths who doesn't need to hide in the shadow of great sleuths like Miss Marple. This time, the story gets quite a bit more personal for the young super sleuth. She ends up in various very complicated situations in which her decisions and actions could potentially have a major impact on her personal life. I don't want to go too much into detail, so I won't spoil it for you. You'll have to read the book yourself to find out what I'm talking about. What makes the entire story so bizarre but so compelling are the obituaries published after each "accident" and then Eleanor's own obituary. I cannot imagine what it feels like to try to stay away from a "case" to not disappoint your lover, to then be dragged into the whole mess anyway, and then read your own obituary. Luckily, she is not alone in her endeavors. She has her loyal butler by her side, her kind of disappointed yet supportive lover Detective Seldon, and her adorable doggy. This book kept me drawn in the entire time. I also listened to the audio version of this book and can absolutely recommend it. The narrator is always fantastic! In fact, I was driving on the interstate from our old home to our new while listening to this book and I was definitely not focusing as much on the traffic as I should have ;-) My guardian angel was probably having a heart attack and glad when we arrived safely lol.

You want to know where to buy the book ... well, I'm glad you asked. Here is the link: amzn.to/3prBNUJ 
(Disclaimer: While I did get a free e-version of the book, I do not get any compensation for you clicking the link! Just do it, I promise you won't regret it! It's money well-spend!)

Now, let's get to some other amazing books I have read over the last weeks. Part II of my reviews coming in a few! Hang on tight and don't go anywhere, you don't want to miss these!
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The Edelweiss Sisters - Kate Hewitt - Bookouture Blog Tour

6/14/2021

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Description:
1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.

Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house. But like many other Austrians, they find it impossible to ignore the changes in the world around them.

At first Johanna finds it hard to believe the Nazis pose a real threat. But then her father hires Franz to help in his shop. He’s kind and soulful, with dark eyes that twinkle with intelligence. But he’s Jewish, and as Johanna falls for him, she realizes that loving him puts them all in danger.

Then comes the Anschluss—the reunification of Austria and Germany under Nazi rule. The three sisters’ lives have become ever more separate with Lotte joining the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and Birgit’s secret involvement with the Resistance. But as Johanna realizes how mistaken she was about the level of danger, she begins to see that it may be down to her to protect the man she loves.

She knows that she can’t do it alone though. She will have to turn to the people she trusts the most: her sisters.
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The three of them work together to try to get Franz to the safety of Switzerland, and they soon prove invaluable to the Resistance. But they’re risking everything. Can three women who would die for each other, also be prepared to die for what is right?

The sisters’ subsequent journey from Nazi-occupied Salzburg to the devastating concentration camps of Ravensbruck and Mauthausen will show the strength of human spirit like never before. As, out of the darkness, a tiny seed of hope flowers…

A totally heartbreaking and impossibly powerful story about love, tragedy, and the power of humanity. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, The Lilac Girls and The Sound of Music.
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My thoughts
Alrighty, can someone please tell me why it took me so long to find books by this author? So far, I love every book I read by Kate Hewitt!! There are so many WWII stories on the market and yet Kate Hewitt manages to still draw me in with her characters and story. 
This one is set in Austria before and during WWII. The story follows the three sisters from when their world in Austria was still a happy world without too many worries and concerns all the way to WWII Germany with all the hardships, heartbreak, and tears. For me, the most heartbreaking story was the one of Lotte who joins the convent at Nonnberg Abbey and then makes a choice which will change her life forever and tests her faith in the most horrid way imaginable. 
This book also contains a treat: you encounter Betsie ten Boom, a real person, i.e., not a fictional character. If you are familiar with WWII stories about heroic acts, you will most certainly have come across the name Corrie ten Boom. Corrie and her family, including her sister Betsie, helped Jews to escape from the Nazis in the occupied Netherlands. While the encounter between the sisters Lotte and Birgit and Betsie ten Boom is a figment of the author's imagination, this kind of encounter could definitely have occurred in real life since the Betsie in the book is very much like the real Betsie who lived during the Holocaust. 
The role of Werner, Birgit's boyfriend, is a very interesting one as well. I love how this particular character evolved over time. I think he represents many Nazi followers of the time who fell for the Nazi propaganda and were thrown into a war that changed their lives forever. 
​I can't wait for Kate Hewitt's next book! 
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About the author:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

https://www.kate-hewitt.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KateHewittAuthor/
https://twitter.com/author_kate
Product details:
  • ​Pages (ebook): 437
  • Publisher: Bookouture (June 8, 2021)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN (ebook): B08ZNNDWRB
​Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3yUGFWM
Apple: https://apple.co/2OSaq8y
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3vMJw2x
Google: https://bit.ly/3lDNQwg
My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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The Moon over Kilmore Quay - Carmel Harrington

6/2/2021

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Description:

Here is a video of Carmel Harrington describing her latest novel!
drive.google.com/file/d/10jrNNedfORyT4d-9vbhMKNIw5m7RN610/view
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About the author:
Carmel Harrington is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband Roger, children Amelia and Nate and their beloved rescue dog, George Bailey. An international bestseller and regular panellist on Irish radio and TV, her warm and emotional storytelling has captured the hearts of readers worldwide, translated into nine languages. Carmel’s trademark is to write warm, uplifting stories with humour, heart and hope. She loves to write about family, friendships, love and life within complex, twisting plots. Carmel’s novels have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award in 2016 & 2017 and her debut won Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year in 2013.

https://twitter.com/HappyMrsH
https://www.facebook.com/happymrsh
https://www.instagram.com/happymrsh
www.carmelharrington.com
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My thoughts
I have to admit that it took me a while to get into this book. It is written in two timelines and the story jumps back and forth between those two timelines. About 2/3 of the book are used for character and world building. So, if that is something you like, this book is perfect for you. I'm usually not into books in which the character building is dragged out as much as Carmel Harrington did in the book, but I have to say that it is necessary for this story. Towards the end, all those little events and the way the characters acted made sense. The book builds up to the big twist and then it ends with a boom.

As someone who immigrated from Europe, it was fantastic to read from the perspective of the Lucy Murnaugh and her sisters who immigrated to New York from Italy. 

When Bea receives a letter which her younger self wrote to her, weird things start happening. The second storyline follows her and her journey into the past and her current relationships with her dad and her boyfriend. For many chapters, I thought this book would turn into a magical realism book since all those crazy things start happening after Bea receives the letter, but as I said above the book builds up to a big plot twist. This particular one made me cry happy and sad tears at the same time.
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Product details:
  • ​Pages (ebook): 418
  • Publisher: Bookouture (May 25, 2021)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN (ebook): B0922R4YL2
​Where to buy:
Amazon: https://buff.ly/3dLmFvX
Apple: https://buff.ly/3wFEWmY
Kobo: https://buff.ly/3t2Zsfe
Google: https://buff.ly/3dM0MN7
My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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The Hunted Girls - Jenna Kernan - Bookouture Blog Tour

5/28/2021

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Description:
Stumbling through the pitch-black forest, twigs scratching her bare feet, she sobs as she imagines her children crying for their mommy to put them to bed. By now everyone will know she is missing. Please, please let me find the way home. Before he comes back.

As Agent Nadine Finch rushes to investigate the murder of newlywed Nikki Darnell in Ocala National Forest, Florida, fear floods her body. She swore she’d never set foot here again, not since the case fifteen years ago which tore her life apart. But taking in the triangular cuts scarring Nikki’s perfect pale skin, she knows she must put her own traumatic past aside to find justice for Nikki’s inconsolable husband.

Discovering water in Nikki’s lungs, and certain the triangular wounds were made by arrowheads, Nadine must convince her team of her terrifying theory: that Nikki was hunted down and drowned before being left for them to find. But what monster would do such a thing? And why? Then another woman, a mother of two, is discovered in the woods, tell-tale arrow marks all over her body.

Recognizing the victim as a local waitress, Nadine fears the killer has started attacking women known to her. And the moment she traces the arrow heads to a nearby outdoors store, her own partner disappears.
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Frantic, Nadine follows the trail to a lonely cabin deep in the Florida wetlands where she finally learns the heart-stopping truth. To save one of her own, she must confront a deadly hunter obsessed with the case that’s haunted her whole career. Will Nadine have to make the ultimate sacrifice to stop him taking more innocent lives?

Jaw-dropping, packed with twists and turns, and impossible to put down until you reach the final page. Fans of Robert Dugoni, Lisa Gardner and Rachel Caine will be totally addicted to The Hunted Girls.
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My thoughts
Now this was an interesting book! I have to admit that I haven't read book 1 in the series (yet). I will definitely read it now that I have read book 2. While this is the second installment, you can absolutely read this as a standalone. The most fascinating part of book 2 for me was the fact that the team of investigators have one thing in common: they are all relatives of criminals, and I mean criminals of the worst kind...murderers! If I were Nadine, I would ask myself the same question: Do I have the "murderer trait" in my genes? Her and the other team members' inner conflict over this question was super interesting! This is a fantastically written page turner, action packed from the very first page. If you like books which start with extensive world and character building, you might have a bit of an issue with this one. But this novel focuses--just like many books in this genre--on action and mystery. If you like fast-paced thrillers, pick up a copy of this book and choose a day on which you can read this book in one sitting. I couldn't put this book down!!! That's how fast-paced and gripping it was. You just have to hold on to your seat, and, for Christ's sake, don't blink or you will miss something hahahaha. I loved not only the pace of this book, but also the characters. They drew me in with their interesting backgrounds, flaws, worries, etc. And the ending, y'all!!!! I was completely blown away by the last few chapters. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster I couldn't stop and that took my breath away! Hands down, one of the best psychological thrillers I've read lately!
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About the author:
Publishers Weekly bestselling author Jenna Kernan is a two-time RITA nominee and winner of the Book Buyers’ Best award. Prior to signing with Bookouture, she published over thirty novels including her popular APACHE PROTECTOR series, and is a member of numerous writing groups, including International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Florida Mystery Writers and Novelists, Inc. and frequently attends conferences on police procedure at the Writers Police Academy and MurderCon. Jenna currently lives on Florida’s Gulf Coast with her husband. A natural redhead, she has recently increased her sunblock to SPF 50.

https://www.jennakernan.com/
https://twitter.com/JennaKernan
Product details:
  • ​Pages (ebook): 375
  • Publisher: Bookouture (June 1, 2021)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN (ebook): B08ZVQG1VP
​Where to buy:
https://bit.ly/3orOyhr
My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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The Secretary - Catherine Hokin - Bookouture Blog Tour

5/25/2021

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Description:
The Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history…

Germany 1940. As secretary to the leader of the SS, Magda spends her days sending party invitations to high-ranking Nazis, and her evenings distributing pamphlets for the resistance. But Magda is leading a dangerous double life, smuggling secrets out of the office. It’s a deadly game, and eventual exposure is a certainty, but Magda is driven by a need to keep the man she secretly loves safe as he fights against the Nazis…

Forty years later. Nina’s heart pounds as she steps into an uncertain future carrying a forged passport, a few bank notes, and a scribbled address for The Tower House taken from an intricate drawing she found hidden in her grandmother’s wardrobe. Separated from her family and betrayed by her country, Nina’s last hope is to trace her family’s history in the ruins of the past her grandmother ran from. But, when she finally finds the abandoned house, she opens the door to a forgotten story, and to secrets which will change everything: past, present, and future…
A poignant and gripping novel about bravery, loss and redemption during the Second World War. An unputdownable read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network.
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My thoughts
It took me a while to recover emotionally from this book! As many of you know, I was born in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), i.e., the Russian-occupied part of Germany. I was 14 when the Wall fell and the two Germanies reunited. 
The Secretary is written in two timelines. On the one hand, you have the World War II timeline and story of Magda and, on the other hand, you have Nina and her life in post-World War II East Germany until the revolution which resulted in the fall of the Iron Curtain (and the Wall in Germany). Catherine Hokin did her homework 100%. All the historical details regarding life and the historical events in the GDR are very accurate. If you want to know more about Germany during the Cold War, this book is a great start! I felt a close connection with Nina. My life was in part and could have easily ended up being entirely like her life. You see, my family was a family of Germans who refused to join the Communist party and who got into trouble with the regime on multiple occasions because of our resistance. My uncle and his wife spent many months in an East German jail for trying to escape to West Germany. We believe that my uncle's own father, my grandfather, ratted him out. My grandfather was a passionate supporter of the East German government and its policies. The rest of the family saw the system for what it was: a system in which the Nazis were replaced by a party who pretended to be a Communist party, but was actually a totalitarian system. If the Wall had not fallen back in 1989, I would not have a college degree now and I truly believe I would either be in a Russian gulag, German prison, or even dead right now. Just like Nina in the book, I made some jokes about the conditions in East Germany that the government officials did not find funny at all. Just like Nina, I could not just stand by when injustice occurred. That is what made this book such an emotional story for me. I have read many WWII stories, but the combination of a WWII story and a pre-1989 East German story made me super nostalgic, extremely emotional, overwhelmed me at times, and resulted in me taking a little longer to finish the book because I had to take breaks to process what I had just read. Magda's story didn't make it any easier for me to finish the book. The gripping story of her bravery and loss added another level of emotions for me. I had to stop multiple times since I was reading in public and didn't want to break down in tears in front of strangers over a book. If you haven't experienced this part of history yourself, you may not be quite as emotionally attached to the characters, but you will definitely feel all kinds of emotions when reading this book! If I could, I would give this book more than 5 stars on Goodreads!
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About the author:

Catherine Hokin is the author of two World War Two inspired novels set in Berlin, her favourite city. Following a History degree at Manchester University she worked in teaching, marketing and politics, while waiting for a chance to do what she really wanted which was to write full time. Her short stories have been published by iScot, Writers Forum and Myslexia magazines and she was the winner of the 2019 Fiction 500 Short Story Competition. She is a lover of strong female leads and a quest.
Catherine now lives in Glasgow with her American husband. She has two grown-up children – one of whom lives, very conveniently, in Berlin – and a life long addiction to very loud music.


https://www.catherinehokin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cathokin/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
https://twitter.com/cathokin
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Product details:
  • ​Pages (ebook): 354
  • Publisher: Bookouture (May 24, 2021)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN (ebook): B08XW6QGW2
​Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/2Rjk594
Apple: https://apple.co/3e3JVa5
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3q9hmKL
Google: https://bit.ly/3bbcEYY
My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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    This part of my blog is all about books and reading! I believe in reading aloud to my kids and being creative with books (e.g., in the form of Bible journaling). 
    My goal for 2021 is --just as in 2020-- to continue to minimize my electronics time (mindless TV watching, binge-watching shows on Netflix, game apps, social media scrolling). Instead, I will continue to replace those hours with reading challenges, audiobooks, and reading time with my kids. 

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