Page~Turners: August 2021

August 29, 2021

MURDER IN THE VILLAGE

MY THOUGHTS:

Escape to the village of Little Challham. Belinda Penshurst loves her little village, with the quiet streets and quaint pubs. Belinda lives in Callham Castle, and when local pub owner Tipper is found dead in his cellar, Belinda wastes no time, and she is on the case to investigate. When retired detective Harry Powell, who is new to town, is pulled into a murder investigation he wonders just how quiet his new town really is. And when a dognapper is following dog walkers, it makes this book both exciting and unputdownable.

This story was absolutely amazing and I loved plot twists and turns, it kept me guessing to the very last page. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, it definitely will not be the last. I absolutely loved it, it was a great plot. I loved everything about it. I really liked the introduction of a new sleuth Belinda Penshurst. She is a wonderful addition to the cozy mystery genre.

Thank you Lisa Cutts for such a wonderful cozy mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I’m so happy to know that it is only the beginning of a series. I can’t wait to read more from this author. This story is fantastic and I highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

MURDER IN THE VILLAGE
Author: Lisa Cutts
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 25, 2021
Pages: 252
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Meet Belinda Penshurst. Castle owner, dog lover… crime solver?
Belinda Penshurst loves her home village Little Challham, with its shady lanes, two pubs and weekly market, and she’s determined to keep it peaceful. She may live in Challham Castle but she knows almost everything that goes on under her nose. So when irritable pub landlord Tipper is found dead in his cellar, she’s perfectly placed to investigate.
Retired detective Harry Powell moved to Little Challham for a quiet life. He didn’t expect to be dragged into a murder investigation. But the police don’t seem half as enthusiastic as Belinda about the case, and there are strange things happening in the village. Particularly the number of dogs that have disappeared lately…
Is there a dognapper snaffling schnauzers and luring away Labradors? Is Belinda barking mad to be worried that her brother Marcus was arguing with Tipper on the day he died? Belinda and Harry track down the suspects: the rival landlord, the outraged barmaid, the mysterious man in the black car following dogwalkers around. But are the dogged detectives running out of time to sniff out the killer, before he starts hounding them?

ABOUT LISA CUTTS

Lisa Cutts is a full-time detective constable investigating murders for a living. When off duty she writes a fictitious version of her day job. She lives and works within the county of Kent with her husband and Labrador.

She is the author of the DC Nina Foster books, Never Forget and Remember, Remember. Never Forgot was longlisted for the Waverton Good Read Award 2013 and the winner of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award 2014 for Best Thriller. She has also written four books in the East Rise Incident Room series, Mercy Killing, Buried Secrets, Lost Lives and Don’t Trust Him. All four centre around DI Harry Powell and his Major Crime Team battling to solve the latest murders within the county. Currently she is writing the Little Challham mysteries, cosy mysteries set in a fictional village in Kent.

She writes a monthly column, Behind the Tape, for Writing Magazine answering police procedural questions from other writers. In early 2016, she was honoured to become the Patron of Rochester Literature Festival and help establish Murderous Medway, an annual crime fiction festival packed full of amazing author panels. As well as being on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book, Lisa has twice appeared on This Morning to chat about TV crime dramas Broadchurch and Line of Duty.

August 26, 2021

THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE

MY THOUGHTS:

Teagan is in much need of a new start in life. After a terrible family tragedy, she runs away to Copper Canyon, Colorado to escape her past. She carries with her many secrets that she has never told anyone. But when Teagan meets Jack, he is also hiding his past, she feels like she can finally relax, but she may have let her walls down a little to soon. When she discovers all the newspaper stories and the photos that Jack has in the trunk of his car, and keeps with him everywhere he goes, she has no choice but to rebuild her walls. Once again she feels like there is no safe place for her to be, and the only way for her to survive is to continue to keep her family secrets locked up inside.

This story was absolutely amazing and the plot twists and turns kept me flipping the pages. Once you open the cover, this story is one that will keep you up all night to finish. I felt so pulled into this story from the very first page, until I closed the book at the end. This story hits all the emotions, and is one to be remembered for a long time.

Thank you Melissa Wiesner for another wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed this storyline. I felt as if I was watching a movie playing out in my minds eye. Very descriptive and visually written. I highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE GIRL IN THE PICTURE
Author: Melissa Wiener
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 23, 2021
Pages: 300
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As the newspaper clipping falls from the cardboard box Tegan takes in the woman in the picture: her chestnut hair, her eyes full of laughter, the way she nestles against the man beside her. And as she reads the words in the article, Tegan almost stops breathing. Was coming here a terrible mistake?
When Tegan’s family is torn apart by a terrible tragedy, she runs away in search of somewhere to keep safe from the past that haunts her, and the painful secrets she’s never told anyone. Arriving in Copper Canyon, Colorado, where wooden storefronts line the quiet streets and no-one knows her name, Tegan breathes easy for the first time in years. And when she grows close with Jack, another lost soul who won’t talk about his home, it seems she’s found the perfect companion to explore the mountain landscapes with.
But just as Tegan starts to think maybe safety isn’t a place, it’s a person, she notices the box of photos and newspaper clippings that Jack takes everywhere in the trunk of his car. Who is the woman in every frame? And why does she look so familiar…?
Tegan knows the only way to protect herself, and keep her dark family history locked away, is to discover more about the woman in Jack’s photos. But when she does, will the truth help her build a new life, or will it send her running once more?

ABOUT MELISSA WIESNER

Melissa Wiesner is a night-owl who began writing novels about five years ago when her early-to-bed family retired for the evening. In 2019, she won the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Award in the Mainstream Fiction Category for her first novel. Melissa holds two Master’s Degrees in Public Health and Community Agency Counseling. Her day job is in Social Work where she often encounters people knocked down by hard times but who pick themselves up and keep going, just like the characters of her novels. Melissa lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her charming husband and two adorable children.

August 25, 2021

THE WAR CHILD

MY THOUGHTS:

Clara Knight was an orphan during the First World War but now she is a nurse in World War II helping the soldiers heal. She falls in love with one of her patients and when he has to leave she is left behind to raise their son on her own. Left alone with her son and a war raging on, she is given an opportunity to give her son a better life and with a shattered broken heart she lets him go. Many years pass and Indira loves to spend time with her grandfather. But when he begins telling her stories and mentions the name Clara, a name she’s never heard of before, she begins to search for information about the woman named Clara.

The plot twists and turns kept me flying through the pages. I felt so pulled into this story that I forgot where I was. This author exudes such emotion in the story, that it completely absorbs you into the book. Keep the Kleenex nearby because you will definitely need it.

Thank you Renita D’Silva for such a wonderful unputdownable read. The characters were relatable and the story was both enthralling and captivating. I highly recommend this must read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE WAR CHILD
Author: Renita D’Silva
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 24, 2021
Pages: 361
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Everything will change, my love, she whispers to her only baby. I will make sure you are protected, looked after, loved. She commits his smell, the feel of him, to memory and fastens the gold St Christopher’s medal around his neck, tucking it into the blanket. Kissing him one last time, she lets him go. And with him go the pieces of her shattered heart.
London, 1940. Clara Knight grew up an orphan in the first world war and now is fighting to win the second. Nursing brave soldiers, she falls in love with one of her patients, whose warm brown eyes give her hope for a brighter future. But then he is sent to the front, leaving her alone with their child amidst the bombs raining down on the city… When she is offered the chance to give her son a better life, Clara makes the impossible choice to let him go. She leaves her mother’s precious St Christopher pendant with him, vowing to find him again when the war is over, so they can be a family once more.
Years later. Indira’s life has taken an unexpected turn and her only solace is caring for her grandfather. As he lies in bed, weak and confused, he calls her ‘Clara’, begging forgiveness for an unknown terrible act, tears rolling down his face. Indira goes looking for the truth… and discovers a tattered box of unsent letters, a gold St Christopher’s medal and a photograph of a baby swaddled in a blanket. Who was Clara Knight? And who is the baby in the photo? Her quest will reveal a devastating secret spanning decades, and change everything Indira thought she knew about her family…

ABOUT RENITA D’SILVA

Renita grew up in a picturesque coastal village in the South of India, the oldest of three children. Her father got her first story books when she was six and she fell in love with the world of stories. Even now she prefers that world, by far, to this.

August 21, 2021

A DEATH AT CANDLEWICK CASTLE

MY THOUGHTS:

It’s cozy mystery time and Librarian Jemima Jago is on the case. While on vacation in The Isle of Scilly, and enjoying time with friends. Because Candlewick Castle is on the white sandy beach her favorite things to do while there, is swimming, sailing and of course sunbathing. But when the body of well to do business man, Hermie Castleberry washes up on shore Jem doesn’t want to get involved, but she is left with no choice when her old flame, Ryse Tremayne is arrested for murder. She jumps into action and won’t give up until she proves Ryse is innocent and uncovers who actually murdered Hermie.

This whodunnit was so much fun to read. The plot twists and turns kept me flying through the pages. I loved how the murderer wasn’t known until the very end. Just when you think you have it figured out, something else pops up, and keeps you guessing. The vivid description of Candlewick Castle and its surroundings made the book a wonderful escape. I highly recommend this series, it is definitely a must read.

Thank you Emma Jameson for an awesome continuation to this wonderful series. The characters were relatable and the story was very captivating and fun. I loved the banter between the characters….well done. What a fantastic addition to this much loved series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

A DEATH AT CANDLEWICK CASTLE
Author: Emma Jameson
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 20, 2021
Pages: 270
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Librarian Jemima Jago is enjoying a peaceful summer in the Isles of Scilly – until a puzzling crime comes in with the tide…
Between her work in Cornwall’s oldest library and catching up with old friends over tea and chocolate biscuits, Jemima Jago is spending the season the only way she knows how: sunbathing, swimming and sailing. But her postcard-perfect summer is turned upside down when the body of well-to-do businessman Hermie Castleberry is found on the sweeping white sands at the foot of Candlewick Castle.
Jem doesn’t mean to get involved, but when her old flame Rhys Tremayne is arrested for murder, she springs into action to prove his innocence. With her gift for uncovering hard-to-find information, Jem discovers Hermie had been keeping secrets and ruffling a few feathers in the ordinarily tranquil islands. Did the quiet wife, the belittled business partner or the slimy salesman want Hermie out of the way?
The discovery of a pair of silver gloves by little dog Buck could be just the clue Jem needs to crack the case. But can she catch the real culprit, and keep her heart in check, before the killer sends her down to Davy Jones’ locker too?

ABOUT EMMA JAMESON

Emma Jameson writes mysteries that readers call witty, romantic, and full of surprises. An aspiring novelist since age seven, she took a long, twisty route to the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. After years of working at a major medical center, her first novel, cobbled together on nights and weekends, became a runaway e-book bestseller. Now she writes full-time and has sold over half a million books. A compulsive reader and information hoarder, Emma is always searching for that fascinating nugget or startling fact that will spark another novel. A lifelong Anglophile, she resides in the United States, where she enjoys swimming, yoga, and serving the needs of not one, not two, not three, but four cats.

August 20, 2021

THE PARIS WIFE

MY THOUGHTS:

It’s 1856 in Paris France and newlywed Livia has just moved into her husband’s mansion. She feels extremely out of place with her surroundings and wants nothing more to be back in her home in Italy. Livia grew up the daughter of a doctor she loves to study plants. It’s probably one reason she misses her home in Italy so much because it was surrounded by beautiful gardens. But now as the wife of a diplomat she has no use for her love of plants. Livia becomes fast friends with Elisabetta, and as they find the masquerade balls and the French high society to be intriguing, they find that there is much more to going on then meets the eye.

I found this book to be both absorbing and interesting. The vivid description of both France and Italy made the book a wonderful escape. This is a wonderful historical fiction that is sure to entertain readers who enjoy this genre.

Thank you Meghan Masterson for another wonderful and emotional read. The characters were relatable and the story was very captivating and was definitely an engrossing read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE PARIS WIFE
Author: Meghan Masterson
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 18, 2021
Pages: 250
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Paris, 1856. In a world ruled by men, one woman holds the fate of a nation in her hands.
When newly married Livia arrives in her husband’s grand, echoing mansion house in Paris, she longs to return to her home in Italy with its fragrant garden. A doctor’s daughter, her study of plants and poisons has always been her greatest obsession. But now she is the wife of a powerful diplomat and she has no use for her skills and knowledge. Except for the deadly nightshade she keeps hidden under her dress… For a dark secret is hidden in her past, and Livia knows that she must protect herself and the life growing inside her…
Livia feels isolated, but soon she befriends Elisabetta, Napoleon III's glamorous and controversial mistress. And she finds herself caught up in an exciting whirlwind of masked balls and intrigue in French high society. But enemies lurk in the shadows, and one night an assassination attempt is made on Napoleon outside Elisabetta’s house. Then Livia’s husband is arrested for treason…
With danger surrounding them, Livia must fight with Elisabetta to save their country and the lives of those they love. But can she really trust her new friend? And with a baby to protect, how far is she prepared to go?

ABOUT MEGHAN MASTERSON

Meghan Masterson graduated from the University of Calgary with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies, and has worked several unrelated jobs while writing on the side. When not writing, Meghan can often be found reading at all hours (even at breakfast), practicing archery and roaming through the woods with her dog.

Meghan is represented by Carrie Pestritto of Laura Dail Literary Agency.

August 19, 2021

BEYOND THE OLIVE GROVE

MY THOUGHTS:

Ava arrives in Greece with her heart in shambles from the loss of her grandmother. When Ava arrives in the tiny village where her grandmother lived, she finds the house her grandmother left her in her will. It has been vacant and uninhabited since World War II. While Ava is there her grandmother, Sophia’s history and her stories begin to surface from a local who survived the war. The choice’s Sophia made and the bravery she exhibited were so heartbreaking. As Sophia’s story unfolds, Ava soon realizes why Sophia never talked about the war. Sophia’s story is one that will forever change the path of Ava’s life.

This story is a wonderful, must read. It is one that will transport you from wherever you are, to Greece. The description of the village is so vivid you feel as if you are walking through the town. This story is told in two timelines and they are intertwined in such an amazing way. I loved the flow of this book, it is one that you can’t stop reading until the last page is turned. It is unforgettable and will keep you up all night reading until the end. This emotional and phenomenal story is one that I highly recommend.

Thank you Kate Hewitt for another wonderful and emotional read. I loved everything about this story. The characters were relatable and the storyline was fantastic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

BEYOND THE OLIVE GROVE
Author: Kate Hewitt
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 13, 2021
Pages: 232
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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…

ABOUT KATE HEWITT

Kate Hewitt is the bestselling author of many novels of women’s fiction, including the Hartley-by-the-Sea series set in the Lake District, the Willoughby Close series set in the Cotswolds, and Tales From Goswell written as Katharine Swartz. Her novel A Mother’s Goodbye has been called ‘unputdownable’ and ‘the most emotional book I have ever read’ by readers. Her latest novel, Not My Daughter, is out now, and No Time to Say Goodbye is available for preorder.

She lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers. Join her newsletter for monthly updates and giveaways on her website, or be part of her Facebook groups Kate’s Reads.

August 06, 2021

MYSTERY AT THE CHURCH

MY THOUGHTS:

Eve Mallow, obituary writer and amateur sleuth is so excited when her village, Saxford St Peter is chosen as the location for a new drama series. Eve is happy to take on odd jobs, like delivering cupcakes because it allows her the opportunity to hang around the set as much as possible. Being the people watcher that she is, she realizes that television stars are as glamorous as she imagined. But when a bouquet of poisonous flowers is delivered to the director, Rufus Beaumont, soon after, Rufus’s body is found and Eve is on the case. But when Detective Inspector Palmer arrives on scene, he isn’t surprised and isn’t happy, that once again Eve is in the middle of it all. She finds herself interrogating suspects, and trying to find the culprit, before she becomes the next victim.

I thoroughly enjoy this series. I absolutely love that Eve’s side kick is Gus, the dachshund. It really personalizes this story. I love this series and I look so forward to its continuation. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Clare Chase for such a wonderful continuation to a fabulous series. I loved the plot twists so much that it definitely kept me guessing. The characters were relatable and the storyline was fantastic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

MYSTERY AT THE CHURCH
Author: Clare Chase
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 4, 2021
Pages: 260
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When a TV drama crew descends on sleepy Saxford St Peter, Eve Mallow joins the excited throng of extras in a funeral scene. But then a real body is found… and Eve gets a starring role as sleuth!
Eve Mallow is looking forward to her fifteen minutes of fame when Saxford St Peter is chosen as the location for a new drama series. A devoted people-watcher, Eve is thrilled to learn that TV stars are just as glamorous – and tempestuous – as she’s always imagined.
But then someone delivers a bouquet of poisonous flowers to the director Rufus Beaumont, making Eve worry that some of the rivalries she’s noticed are deadly serious. And when Rufus’s body is found in the church where the funeral scene took place, it’s clear that someone’s out for the kill in real life.
Eve and dachshund Gus have been on the ground from the start, and now they’re on the case, interrogating the suspects one by one. Is it the devastating diva whose relationship with Rufus was far from professional? The cameraman who caught Rufus doing something he shouldn’t? Or the groupie groundskeeper who’s in the background of every shot? One thing’s for sure – Eve must catch the killer before she stars in their next murderous production…

ABOUT CLARE CHASE

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.

Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.

As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture, cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.

If you would like to get in touch, Clare would love to hear from you. You can follow her on Twitter, find her on Facebook, and through her website.

August 05, 2021

THE SECRET DIARY

MY THOUGHTS:

It’s Norfolk in 1945 and only a few months before Nancy Jones was a gunner in World War Two, fighting for her country. Nancy and her husband had a whirlwind romance and are soon married. But there is so much that they don’t know about each other. Things that occurred during the war begin to come to light. Norfolk, 2019, Lorna Haynes looses her husband and is on the verge of loosing her home, Gamekeeper’s Cottage. While at the Cottage she finds a locked room that she never knew about. When she enters the room, Lorna finds a red diary in a desk drawer. As Lorena reads through the diary, she learns about the woman who lived in the cottage decades before her. But reading through the diary, she reads the very secrets that were so desperately meant to be kept quiet. The secrets that change her life.

This time slip historical fiction is an absolute must read. I devoured this book in its entirety. It is filled with suspense, romance, and plot twist and turns, that will have you flying through the pages. I enjoyed this book so much, that I am almost speechless. This is a definite must read, however, a box of Kleenex is mandatory. I absolutely loved this book…historical fiction at its best!

Thank you Anna Stuart for yet another well written story. I loved the dual timeline as it made it a fast paced read. The characters were relatable and the storyline was phenomenal and heartbreaking. I loved it, this one can’t be surpassed. Definitely worth ten stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE SECRET DIARY
Author: Anna Stuart
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 3, 2021
Pages: 337
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Two women. One house. And a wartime secret that spans decades…
Norfolk, 1945: Only a few months ago Nancy Jones was fighting for her country as a gunner girl. Now she’s struggling to adjust to her responsibilities as a gamekeeper’s wife. After a whirlwind romance, Nancy is deeply in love with her handsome husband Joe but there is still so much they don’t know about each other. When a secret from Nancy’s war years threatens to resurface, will the terrible truth about the worst night of her life shatter their new marriage?
Norfolk, 2019: Devastated by the sudden loss of her husband, Lorna Haynes escapes to the beautiful but crumbling Gamekeeper’s Cottage. There, she stumbles upon a locked room. When she enters, it’s like going back in time. A soldier’s uniform hangs on the back of the door, the flowery wallpaper still intact, the spindle of the record player frozen and ready to play. At the back of the room, Lorna discovers a red, leather-bound diary in a hidden compartment of a desk drawer.
As Lorna battles with heartache, she takes comfort in reading the ink-stained words. Turning the pages of the old book, she learns of the incredible bravery of the woman who lived in the house decades before her. And discovers a shocking wartime secret that will change the course of her own life…

ABOUT ANNA STUART

Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers.