A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey- Book review

Here is my review of A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey-romantic fantasy

Below Covent Garden lies the Untermarkt, where anything and everything has a price: a lover’s first blush, a month of honesty, a wisp of fortune. As a child, Deri was sold to one of the Market’s most powerful merchants. Now, after years of watchful servitude, Deri finally spots a chance to buy not only his freedom but also his place amongst the Market’s elite when he stumbles into the path of a runaway princess desperate to sell her royal destiny.
But news of the missing princess and her wayward destiny spreads. Royal enforcers and Master Merchants alike are after it. Outmanoeuvring them all would all be hard enough had Deri not just also met the love of his life, a young man called Owain, whose employers are using the Market for their own nefarious schemes.
Deri soon finds that the price of selling the royal destiny, making a name for himself, and saving the man he loves is dear. The cost of it all might just change the destiny of London forever.

Review

Here is my review of A Market of Dreams of Destiny by Trip Galey- a romantic fantasy.

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

A Market of Dreams and Fantasy explores a London with an alternate history- King Henry the Eighth allies with Druids resulting in a acceptance of the Fae and the creation of a magical market below London. A concept I found fascinating and would have loved to read more off,but the book focussed more on the romance between Deri and Owain.

There isn’t much description of the world beyond the Untermarkt and the lives of the exploited children indentured to cruel employers. There are interesting concepts in the way magic is bottled up eg destiny, true love etc but I would have loved more detail.

Deri is one of the point of view characters, who reminds me little of Del boy from Only Fools and Horses,  a young man wheeling and dealing to earn enough money to buy out his contract from his master. Is was fun watching him try to exploit loopholes in contracts to improve his and others contracts as well outwit his master. Aurora as the Princess’s knight, trying to find the Princess who has sold her destiny is a nice counterfoil to all romance with single-minded drive to get want she wants.

I wasn’t expecting quite as much romance, for some reason, but I imagine fans of sweet romances will love the blossoming romance between Owain and Deri in a world determined to keep them apart.

The last chapter was one of the best I’ve read for a long time, and I was hooked by each reveal and twist leading to a satisfying end.

Content warning

Exploitation of children, abuse of children

Perfect for Fans

Romantic Fantasy

Blackmail in Bloomsbury by Anna Sayburn Lane- Book review and blog tour

Here is my review of this historical cosy murder mystery by Anna Sayburn Lane.

A bohemian party, a handsome artist – and murder. London, October 1922. When Marjorie Swallow attends her first Bloomsbury party, she worries the conversation will be over her head. But when the night ends in murder, she has more pressing concerns. Was the culprit really the handsome young artist she danced the night away with? And why did so many people want Betty Norris dead? From the garden squares of Bloomsbury to the smart restaurants of Piccadilly and the seedy backstreets of Soho, apprentice detective Marjorie goes on a perilous hunt for the killer.

Thank you @Random Things Tours and Starling Street Books for a copy of my book

Review

I really enjoyed Blackmail in Bloomsbury by Anna Sayburn Lane- a lovely cosy crime murder set in 1920’s London.

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

Majorie enjoys her first Bloomsbury party despite meeting the out of place and possibly nasty Mrs Norris who is later found murdered. Marjorie then embarks on an investigation to find the killer with her American boss Mrs Jamieson, along with plenty of tea!

I finished this book in one go and found this an entertaining and fun read. Mrs Jamieson is formidable character, and I loved her interactions with her suspects. Majorie, the main point of view character and I loved her zest of life.

The murder itself is suitably mysterious and while the motive is obvious, there are plenty of suspects for our detective duo to eliminate.

The author brings the party like (almost rave like) atmosphere of the 1920’s to life and captures the sense of a society on the verge of change.

It was refreshing to see the police detectives in this book actually appreciate the help of Mrs Jamieson – but is there another mystery there as why the police are happy to rely on her and what happened in her past to make her so competent. I will definitely read the next book to find out more.

Perfect for fans of

Agatha Christie, M.C Beeton and Michelle Salter.

About Anna Sayburn Lane

Anna is a writer and journalist, living by the sea on the Kent coast. Blackmail In Bloomsbury marks a new direction for Anna’s writing, switching from contemporary thrillers with a historical back-story into cosy historical mysteries. Anna is fascinated by the 1920s, a period of enormous social change that can seem both very modern and more than 100 years ago. Anna enjoys research in the British Library, coastal walks, summer swimming and yoga on the beach. Blackmail In Bloomsbury is her fifth no

Settled Blood by Mari Hannah- book review

Here is my review of Settled Blood by Mari Hannah, part of the #DCIKateDaniels Compulsive readers readalong

When a young girl is found dead at the base of Hadrian’s Wall, it’s not long before Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels realises her death was no ordinary homicide. She was thrown from a great height and was probably alive before she hit the ground. Then a local businessmen reports his daughter missing, has Daniels found the identity of her victim, or is a killer playing a sickening game? As the murder investigation team delve deeper into the case, half truths are told, secrets exposed, and while Daniels makes her way through a mountain of obstacles time is running out for one terrified girl.

Review

I  enjoyed Settled Blood by Mari Hannah -book 2 of my DCI Kate Daniels readalong.

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

The Water Outlaws- by S.L Huang- book review

Here is my review of The Water Outlaws by S. L Huang

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor’s soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job.
Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away.
Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.
Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.

Thank you @NetGalley and Rebellion books for e ARC

Review

Make sure you read the author’s content warning before you read The Water Outlaws by S. L Huang, this epic fantasy may not be for the faint hearted!

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

This martial- art inspired fantasy has a lush and vivid world building, and I loved the political and societal structures and conflicts. The touch of magic provides by the God’s teeth, an ancient artefact, adds to the intrigue. The martial arts scenes are fluidly written and some of the best I’ve read.

Lin Ching, one of the main characters, is riveting as the woman who has lived her life by the rules to be successful and then has it torn apart when she angers a man in power. Her journey form law abiding citizen to victim to outright bandit was the best bit of the book.

I did however struggle with some of the more violent aspects of the book and the misogyny but as I said the author has clearly highlighted this in their introduction and the reasoning behind this. Despite this is plenty of humour and the fast-paced action kept me hooked till the end.

Content warning

References to cannibalism, sexual assault, torture.

Perfect for Fans of

Anyone who enjoys non- European based epic fantasy. The Poppy Wars ( review here)

Top Ten Tuesday- Books on my Autumn to read list 2023

It’s another Top Ten Tuesday and its my Top Ten Autumn

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 some of the books on my Autumn to read list

All Blurbs are from goodreads

Labyrinth’s Heart by M. A Carrick

The Death I gave Him by Em. X Liu- Book review

Here is my review of this The Death I gave him by Em X Liu- science-fiction inspired by Hamlet.

Hayden Lichfield’s life is ripped apart when he finds his father murdered in their lab, and the camera logs erased. The killer can only have been after one thing: the Sisyphus Formula the two of them developed together, which might one day reverse death itself. Hoping to lure the killer into the open, Hayden steals the research. In the process, he uncovers a recording his father made in the days before his death, and a dying wish: Avenge me…
With the lab on lockdown, Hayden is trapped with four other people—his uncle Charles, lab technician Gabriel Rasmussen, research intern Felicia Xia and their head of security, Felicia’s father Paul—one of whom must be the killer. His only sure ally is the lab’s resident artificial intelligence, Horatio, who has been his dear friend and companion since its creation. With his world collapsing, Hayden must navigate the building’s secrets, uncover his father’s lies, and push the boundaries of sanity in the pursuit of revenge.

Thank you @rebellion books, @solaris and @Jess Gofton for a copy of my book.

Review

Here is my review of The Death I gave Him by Em X Liu- an inspired science-fiction retelling of Hamlet on a background of locked room mystery.

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

Roman Nights by Dorothy Dunnett- book review and blog tour

Here is my review of Dorothy Dunnett’s Dolly Mystery, Roman Nights featuring Johnson Johnson

If Ruth had stayed on leave, none of it might have happened. An astronomer working at the Maurice Frazer Observatory, Ruth Russell is enjoying her time in Rome.That is until Charles Digham, top fashion photographer and Ruth’s lover, has his camera stolen and the thief ends up a headless corpse in the zoo park toletta. The enigmatic Johnson Johnson, in Rome to paint a portrait of the Pope, is on hand to unravel the mystery.But as Johnson and Ruth begin the search for clues it soon becomes clear that more is at stake than the secrets of a couture house… something far more deadly.

Thank you Random Things Tours and Farrago books for my copy of this book

Review

I think Roman Nights by Dorothy Dunnett is my favourite Dolly mystery so far- a little less complicated than the earlier book but still zany.

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

The Dolly Mysteries featuring Johnson Johnson, portrait painter and spy have been rereleased under different names and in chronological order rather than its original publication date. Interestingly the books are told from the point of view of several strong women characters and our view of Johnston is formed through their eyes.

Roman nights was previously published under the name Dolly and the Starry Bird in 1973 , the fourth book if going by publication dates, and it does feel that Johnson character has become more likeable ,less enigmatic and definitely more approachable.

Ruth Russell is the heroine, an astronomer and remains happily unwed to her photographer boyfriend gets caught up in strange events when someone tries to steal a camera. I found, by the end of the book, I still had very little idea about Ruth or her life which is complete contrast to the larger-than-life heroines from the previous book.  Ruth came across an ordinary young woman trying her best to manage the situation she found, and perhaps because of this, I find her the most relatable and sympathetic Dolly heroine.

The plot and action is a little easier to follow compared to the previous book but still packs a lot in it’s slim page count- we are talking dangerous balloons, bodies in freezers, trigger happy policeman, unhinged ex-girlfriends to name a few of the plot twists. In fact, I will never look at red and blue balloons the same way again.

Even though this isn’t the first book in the Dolly series either chronologically or by date of publication, I think this would be great introduction to Dorothy Dunnet’s fiction. Roman Nights is more accessible read of Dunnett’s remarkable ability to write complex plots, with enigmatic heroes, plenty of twists and action all of which are set in some exotic and gorgeous locations.

Perfect for Fans

Of the Dolly mysteries ( click on title for my review)  Tropical Issue, Rum Affair, Ibiza Surprise, Operation Nassau.

Chasing The Dragon by Mark Wightman- Book review and Blog Tour

Here is my review of Chasing the Dragon by Mark Wightman- historical crime fiction

Singapore, 1940
A local fisherman finds the body of a missing American archaeologist
Detective Inspector Betancourt of the Singapore Marine Police is first on the scene. Something doesn’t quite add up. He finds out that the archaeologist, Richard Fulbright, was close to deciphering the previously untranslatable script on a pre-colonial relic known as the Singapore Stone. This was no accidental drowning.
Is there more to this case than archaeological rivalries?
Betancourt also discovers that Fulbright had been having an affair. He is sure he is onto something bigger than just academic infighting.
A government opium factory draws criminal interest
In his investigations into the death, Betancourt finds his own life in danger, and now he has also put himself on the wrong side of British Military Intelligence, and he is unsure which set of opponents he fears the most…

Thank you, Hobeck Books, for my ecopy

Review

I’m pleased to be part of the blog tour for Chasing The Dragon by Mark Wightman- historical crime fiction set in 1940’s Singapore.

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

Chasing The Dragon is set in Singapore, 1940 and the book beautifully describes this multicultural country- the strict and strange societal structures, the smells, the foods, and the chaos. I loved this aspect of this book.

Inspector Max Bettancourt is the main point of view character, and he drives the story as doggedly tries to find out of who has killed an American archaeologist. He continues to investigate this despite opposing bosses, bombs, people expecting racing tips and a complicated love life. Some of his interactions bring humour to the book.

There are also plenty of strong female characters with plenty of suspects and motives.

There is plenty of action and tension right till the end where poor Bettancourt hears some terrible news. and thankfully very little gore.

Perfect for fans of

Historical crime fiction

The Murder Game by Tom Hindle- Book Review

A murder mystery set in a murder mystery dinner event- here is my review of the Murder Game by Tom Hindle.

In the seaside town of Hamlet Wick, nine guests assemble for a New Year’s Eve party to remember.
The owner of Hamlet Hall has organised a murder mystery evening with a 1920s twist, and everyone has their own part to play.
But the game has barely begun when one guest is found dead – killed by a fatal injury to the head.
With no phone signal and no way out of the house, the others are trapped with a killer in their midst.
Someone is playing by their own rules. And in a close-knit community, old rivalries run deep.

Review

I love a closed room/house murder mystery full of suspects with devious motives and The Murder Game by Tom Hindle has this all.

The Murder Wall ( DCI Kate Daniels #1) by Mari Hannah- Book review

I’m so excited to be part of the #teamDaniels readalong- here is my review of the first book, The Murder Wall by Mari Hannah.

Eleven months after discovering a brutal double murder in a sleepy Northumbrian town, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Daniels is still haunted by her failure to solve the case. Then the brutal killing of a man on Newcastle’s Quayside gives Daniels another chance to get it right, and her first case as Senior Investigating Officer. When Daniels recognises the corpse, but fails to disclose the fact, her personal life swerves dangerously into her professional life. But much worse, she is now being watched. As Daniels steps closer to finding a killer, a killer is only a breath away from claiming his next victim.

Thank you Compulsive Readers and Orion Books for my ebook.

Review

I’ve wanted to read Mari Hannah’s DCI Kate Daniels crime seriesfor a long time as it’s set in the Northeast of England, so I jumped at the chance to join the Compulsive Reader’s #teamDaniels readalong.  The Murder Wall is the first book in this crime series.

I received a copy for a free and unbiased opinion.

The Murder Wall is a great first book. Kate Daniel’s is relatable heroine and Detective. She has, as expected, a complicated past but this was in keeping with the North East’s history and I liked this touch. Kate is a woman dedicated to her job and has always put her career first. Until now when she fails to disclose a personal connection to her current murder case and is still haunted by a double murder from the past. I loved her team and the fact her colleagues bar one treats her as a competent detective and not as a woman.

I couldn’t put the book down till I found out what was going on and the plots moves quickly, from suspect to suspect and motive to motive. The level of tension remains high throughout the book as we wonder whether Kate will be caught, and will there be another victim?

While I loved the mystery and action, I really enjoyed the location spotting- the town moor, Hexham and the A1 between Newcastle and Gateshead gets a mention.

Content warning

References to sexual assault

Perfect for Fans of

The Murder Wall is perfect for anyone who enjoys gritty crime dramas.