The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight- Book review

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction! – Here is my review of The Premonitions Bureau by Sam Knight

What if you could share your vision, and stop that train? Could these forebodings help the world to prevent disasters?
In 1966, John Barker, a dynamic psychiatrist working in an outdated British mental hospital, established the Premonitions Bureau to investigate these questions. He would find a network of hundreds of correspondents, from bank clerks to ballet teachers. Among them were two unnervingly gifted “percipients”. Together, the pair predicted plane crashes, assassinations and international incidents, with uncanny accuracy. And then, they informed Barker of their most disturbing premonition: that he was about to die.
The Premonitions Bureau is an enthralling true story, of madness and wonder, science and the supernatural – a journey to the most powerful and unsettling reaches of the human mind.

Review

I must make a confession; I was in a bit of rush when I picked this book off the shelf at my local waterstones. I took one look at the title and assumed with a title like the Premonitions Bureau, this book by Sam Knight would be firmly in the science- fiction genre. But this book is a strange true story!

Moon Yoga by Lisa Hood- Book review/Blog Tour

I’m pleased to be part of the Random Things Tours Blog Tour for Moon Yoga by Lisa Hood- yoga practice that can fit into your busy life.

Yoga is both a physical practice and a spiritual one. Expert yoga instructor Lisa Hood provides insightful guidance on how to shape a spiritual practice that channels the moon’s energy to stimulate vitality, creativity, productivity and relaxation. Whether you work through a whole flow, focus on one pose, or just work through a breathing exercise, aligning your body and your mind in a moment of spiritual connection with the moon can help you centre yourself, even if just for a few moments in the middle of a busy day.
– Learn about how each phase of the moon brings a different energy into your life.
– Move with the moon with yoga positions and flows that draw on the energy of each of the nine lunar phases.
– Adjust your practice seasonally with practices for each of the full moons of the year, such as the Wolf Moon, Flower Moon and Corn Moon.
– Find rituals to carry you through the cycles of the moon.
With uplifting mantras and rituals to provide grounding, strengthened intuition and mindfulness beyond your physical practice, Moon Yoga gives you all the tools you need to move in sync with the moon.

Review

I try to be regular in my Yoga practice but I have to admit I struggle with this, so I look forward to incorporating Lisa’s Hood Moon Yoga into my daily life (or at least try to!).

Death at Crookham Hall by Michelle Slater – Book review and Blog Tour

I’m pleased to be part of the Racheal’s Random Resources Blog Tour for Death at Crookham Hall by Michelle Slater.

A fatal jump. A missing suffragette. An inexplicable murder. 

London, 1920. When she catches news of a big story, reporter Iris Woodmore rushes to the House of Commons. But it’s a place that holds painful memories. In 1914, her mother died there when she fell into the River Thames during a daring suffragette protest. But in the shadow of Big Ben, a waterman tells Iris her mother didn’t fall – she jumped. 

Iris discovers that the suffragette with her mother that fateful day has been missing for years, disappearing just after the protest. Desperate to know the truth behind the fatal jump, Iris’s investigation leads her to Crookham Hall, an ancestral home where secrets and lies lead to murder…

Review

Death at Crookham Hall by Michelle Slater is a murder mystery set just after World War I, just after women won the right to vote (some women anyway) and were just beginning to step into a world outside of marriage and babies.

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim- Book review

I loved this middle eastern inspired YA fantasy full of spice, magic, djinns, rebellions and magic tea- here is my review of Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim.

Review

We will fight but first, we will have tea.

I loved this middle eastern inspired YA fantasy full of spice, magic, djinns, rebellions and magic tea- here is my review of Spice Road, the first book in the Spice Road Trilogy by Maiya Ibrahim.

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Bookish Goals 2023

It’s another Tuesday and another Top Ten- this time it’s my top ten bookish ( and blog) goals

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This time the topic my top ten bookish goals but I am going to add some of blog goals as well as they are related ( somehow).

 

Beat the backlog. Again

I tried to do this last and was doing so well until life and work got in the way. So I am going to again in 2023 and read those eBooks vegetating on my kindle,

City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky- Book Review

Here is my review for City of Last Chances, epic fantasy  by Adrian Tchaikovsky

There has always been a darkness to Ilmar, but never more so than now. The city chafes under the heavy hand of the Palleseen occupation, the choke-hold of its criminal underworld, the boot of its factory owners, the weight of its wretched poor and the burden of its ancient curse.
What will be the spark that lights the conflagration?
Despite the city’s refugees, wanderers, murderers, madmen, fanatics and thieves, the catalyst, as always, will be the Anchorwood – that dark grove of trees, that primeval remnant, that portal, when the moon is full, to strange and distant shores.
Ilmar, some say, is the worst place in the world and the gateway to a thousand worse places.
Ilmar,
City of Long Shadows.
City of Bad Decisions.
City of Last Chances.

Review

I’ve enjoyed Adrian Tchaikovsky’s science fiction books so I was keen to see how his fantasy compared to this and was happy my request was approved by NetGalley for the arc of  City Of Last Chances.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.

This is a hard review to write. I didn’t really love the book as much as I thought I would ( although I didn’t dislike the book as much as I thought I would after I finished it either).

A Deadly Inheritance by Jane McParkes- Book review/Blog Tour

I’m so pleased to be part of the Random Things Blog tour for Deadly Inheritance by Jane McParkes- a murder mystery set in Cornwall.

When Olivia Wells returns to Creekside, Cornwall, intent on fulfilling her bequest of cultivating a co-working community of eco and creative entrepreneurs in a renovated railway building, she soon finds opposition, sabotage and the murdered body of her friend.She has to put her trust in an unlikely ally to help her investigate exactly who is threatening the success of her ventures, her liberty and ultimately, her life.

Review

A Deadly Inheritance by Jane McParkes is a cosy murder mystery set in a little village in Cornwall- a village on the verge of major change. A village that has to deal with very modern issues and challenges.

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten Most Anticipated releases in the first half of 2023

It’s another Tuesday and another Top Ten-  this time its my Top Ten Most Anticipated releases in the first half of 2023

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Here are my anticipated releases in the first 2023 in no particular order ( blurb and image from goodreads)

The Launch Party by Lauren Foley

Death Comes to Marlowe by Robert Thorogood- Book review

I really enjoyed Death Comes to Marlowe by Robert Thorogood- cosy crime at its best

I couldn’t put Death Comes to Marlowe ,  the second instalment of Marlowe Murder club, by Robert Thorogood ,down until I found out who the murderer was- much to the annoyance of the people around me.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion

Judith, the seven-eight-year-old crossword setter, and naked wild water swimmer is the amateur detective who finds herself with a puzzle of a death when she is invited to the pre-wedding party of Sir. Peter Bailey. But the only problem is while Judith is convinced this is murder, there isn’t any evidence to suggest the death wasn’t anything other than an accident. So of course, Judith sets out to solve the mystery with the help of Suzie, a dog walker and burgeoning radio celebrity and Becks the vicar’s wife hiding her own little secret.

This is modern cosy crime at it its best- interesting with bizarre suspects, plenty of motives and red herrings, a locked room murder, a helpful cop and of course Judith.

Judith is not Miss Marple, she is a vibrant, determined older person battling her own demons but is someone happy with her choices and her life. The subplot involving the messages in the cryptic crosswords was fascinating in itself and made me want to dip my toes in trying a few out.

The plot races along with one little revelation after another and as expected there was plenty of humour and no gore. The book also somehow manages to touch upon serious issues such as privilege and misogyny but not in a heavy-handed way.

My only tiny gripe is Becks- her unique skill is her knowledge of the ‘middle classes but for some reason, I thought that some of the things she was talking about were far beyond the means of the average middle-class household (this is of course my own subjective view which could be very wrong!).

But that is a tiny gripe and I can’t wait for the next instalment and really hope this is turned into a tv show (like Death in Paradise by the same author).

Perfect for Fans

A good murder mystery such as The Thursday Murder Club or a more modern take on Agatha Christie

Publication date : 5th of January 2023 by HarperCollins

Source Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins

The Simple Truth by James Buckler- Book review/Blog Tour

I’m pleased to be part of the Random Things Tours Blog Tour for The Simple Truth by James Buckler- a fast-paced thriller set in London.

A young woman is dead.

A very wealthy client needs a favour. You newly qualified as a lawyer and this could be your big break, so you jump at the chance.

The case is about to be closed.

All you have to do is talk to a family, ask them to sign some papers. How difficult could it be? Their daughter was found dead at a beauty spot on the outskirts of London in what you told was a tragic suicide.

Only you can uncover what really happened.

But the truth is never that simple. And this case could cost you your life…

Review

I enjoyed The Simple Truth by James Buckler- a fast-paced murder thriller set in the not-so-glossy legal world and the criminal underbelly of London.

I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.

Lewis is an ambitious yet idealistic lawyer from a working-class background trying to succeed in a posh and privileged world where he is an outsider, He jumps at the chance to prove himself in what should be a simple signing of an NDA but finds his values and loyalties are challenged. Lewis’s journey from a man trying to be a typical city lawyer to a man who is comfortable being who he is was a heart-warming journey in what could have been a cynical book on the power of wealth.

The book is contemptuous and relevant to the times we live with its background of environmental issues, corruption and politics.

The underlying murder- the mystery is complex with plenty of suspects and motives – I didn’t guess who the murderer was right till the end when several threads converge quite neatly.

The Simple Truth was engaging, easy and quick (for me) read– I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys tightly-paced thrillers and mysteries.

Content Warning

Drug Misuse, References to Suicide, grief at the loss of an adult child, references to parental abandonment.

About the Author

James Buckler lives in London. He has worked in film and TV for many years, most notably for MTV and BBC Films. His first thriller, Last Stop Tokyo, published to critical acclaim. The Simple Truth is his second novel.