Extract: Feeding The Gods, by Elizabeth Harrison

RELEASE DATE: 28/03/2021
ISBN: 9781913551636 Price: £9.99

Female writing duo ‘Elizabeth Harrison’ releases a powerful thriller that addresses the issues women face through life and the readiness of the drug
companies to provide a pill for every problem.


Roberta, Rosie, Sandra and Linda meet at college in the 70s and remain constant friends, despite life’s up and downs. The sudden death of one of the friends leads the others to suspect that a slimming drug she had been taking was perhaps to blame.
Was this a wonder drug or a threat to life?
The friends start to uncover long held secrets and betrayals – both personal and professional, but the pharmaceutical industry is not yet finished with them.

Feeding the Gods is a thriller that addresses friendships, the different roles a woman must take on through life and the power of the drug giants.


“Feeding the Gods is a triumph of strong female voices. Posing tough questions and packed with character, it’s bold, witty and thoroughly engaging.” – Miles Hawksley

Continue reading “Extract: Feeding The Gods, by Elizabeth Harrison”

Review: SWOP The Satsuma-Sized Secret, by Lucy Noguera


Age: 7-9 years
 
Themes
Friendship
Adventure
Family
Deaf sibling
Sign Language 
Acceptance

Blurb 

What would you do if you found the world’s smallest dog?

When Ernie and his family leave the countryside to move to the city. Ernie feels like he’ll never settle into their new home.

Yet on his very first night, a surprising new friend introduces himself – Swop is a very tiny dog. A dog that just happens to be the size of a satsuma.

Ernie vows to keep Swop a secret, but Swop has other ideas and he’s determined to make Ernie’s first day at his new school a memorable one!

Continue reading “Review: SWOP The Satsuma-Sized Secret, by Lucy Noguera”

Review: What Lies Buried, by Kerry Daynes

Kerry Daynes, leading forensic psychologist, takes us into the murky world of psychological investigation to uncover what lies buried. Each of her clients is classed as a ‘mentally disordered criminal offender’ whose psychological problems have contributed to them breaking the law.

Whether she is dealing with a young murderer who says he has heard voices telling him to kill, a teacher who daubs children in red paint and threatens to abduct them, or an aspiring serial killer who faints at the sight of blood, Kerry’s quest is to delve beyond the classic question asked of forensic psychologists: ‘Are they mad or are they bad?’

In her new book, Kerry provides an unflinching, enlightening and provocative insight into the minds of her clients, shedding light
on the root causes of their behaviour.

Continue reading “Review: What Lies Buried, by Kerry Daynes”

Audiobook Review: The Ryan Green True Crime Collection, Volume 5, written by Ryan Green and Narrated by Steve White

By: Ryan Green
Narrated by: Steve White
Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 29-07-21
Language: English
Publisher: Ryan Green Publishing

ummary

Four chilling true crime stories in one collection.

Best-selling true crime author, Ryan Green, has complied four fascinating stories in one collection. Volume five contains some of Green’s most intriguing accounts of violence, abuse, deception and murder. Within this collection, you’ll receive:

The Texas Tower Sniper: The Terrifying True Story of Charles Whitman
Growing up under the brutal rule of his father took its toll on Charles Whitman Jr. He could not live up to the impossible expectations or accept the failures. His life started to unravel. He wasn’t going to slide into mediocrity or go silently into suicide. The world needed to know his name and what he was truly capable of, for the rest of time.

The Kentucky Cannibal: The True Story of an Outlaw, Murderer and Man-Eater
In 1850, Boone Helm headed “Out West” to chase the Californian Gold Rush. During his travels, Helm killed and consumed the flesh of his enemies and travelling companions, earning him the nickname “The Kentucky Cannibal”. In California, where violence was the law of the land, Helm’s savage set of skills could finally be recognised and rewarded.

Vampire Killer: A Terrifying True Story of Psychosis, Mutilation and Murder
In 1978, Richard Chase was influenced by constant commanding delusions that had devastating consequences on the City of Sacramento. The crime scenes were so disturbing that the police were not equipped to deal with them. Within the space of a month, six victims were found mutilated, disembowelled, abused and missing vast quantities of blood.

Gorilla Killer: A True Story of Betrayal, Brutality and Butchery
Before Bundy and BTK, there was Earle Nelson. Serial Killers were unknown to the American public in the 1920s but the local authorities and press were fast becoming aware of the devastating and horrific reality that unfolded before their eyes. The roaming “Gorilla Killer” became the first real ‘superstar criminal’ who everyone talked about and feared.

The Ryan Green True Crime Collection contains chilling accounts of some of the most brutal and bizarre true crime stories in history. Green’s riveting narrative draws the listener into the real-life horror experienced by the victims and has all the elements of a classic thriller.

My review

I received an email from Ryan Green about a month ago, the day this audiobook was published on Audible and received a code for a free copy in return for an honest review.

Three of these books were new to me; I’ve listened to The Kentucky Killer before, so that one was not a surprise to me, and I’ve heard of the Gorilla Killer from a podcast. I’ve heard of Richard Chase but not the details, and I hadn’t heard of Charles Whitman at all.

The narratives of each of these men is told in an easy to understand and easy to digest. Some of the material is very graphic so it should be approached with caution. The lives of the murderers is told in chronological order from birth to death. Some of the possible origins for their behaviour and their self-justification are explored.

Steve White is a very good narrator and he does the material justice.

Review: Billy Plonka and the Grot Laboratory, by Ian Billings


5- 12-year-olds
134 pages  

Blurb 

Billy Plonka – the Prince of Stink, the Monarch of Muck, the Sultan of Slime, the Duke of Dregs and the King of Kak. He’s the most extraordinary maker of GROT in the entire world, and he’s invited 5 individuals (Orson Ploop – An overweight kazoo playing protégé; Victoria Scabb – 259th in line to the English throne; Viola Mudguard – 11-year-old, ex-Wollywood star; Spike Peecee – A self-obsessed dweeb who can never disconnect from the Internet; and Marley Suckett – An anti-hero), to visit his world-famous Grot Laboratory, and step into an adventure they will never forget!

Your tour is about to start. Don’t wander off . YOU! Yes, YOU! I’m talking to YOU! Mr. Plonka would hate to lose you along the way… READ IT!!! 
BILLY PLONKA AND THE GROT LABORATORY- the 100% unofficial official parody of one of the greatest children’s stories of all time.

This modern re-telling of the Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ stays true to the wonderful wit of Dahl, but brings the tale into the modern age with a lovely twist at the end. Each character meets their grotty fate as they go on their tour of The Grot Laboratory – as the name suggests, a disgusting place full of scumpiddlinoxious fumes and materials. Words reminiscent of Dahl fill the pages – Whi-ffi (it’s like wifi only smellier), whazzplop and picklescooper to name but a few.

Continue reading “Review: Billy Plonka and the Grot Laboratory, by Ian Billings”

Audiobook Review: The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri, narrated by Shiromi Arserio

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Audiobook
Published June 8th 2021 by Orbit
ISBN:154910487X (ISBN13: 9781549104879)
Series: Burning Kingdoms #1

Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women–a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic–come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

Exiled by her despotic brother when he claimed their father’s kingdom, Malini spends her days trapped in the Hirana: an ancient, cliffside temple that was once the source of the magical deathless waters, but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

A servant in the regent’s household, Priya makes the treacherous climb to the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to play the role of a drudge so long as it keeps anyone from discovering her ties to the temple and the dark secret of her past.

But when Malini bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to steal a throne. The other is a powerful priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will set an empire ablaze.

Continue reading “Audiobook Review: The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri, narrated by Shiromi Arserio”

Review: Anthracite, by Matt Thomas

PAPERBACK 978-1-78965-147-8
5 August 2021
£10.99 / $14.99 / C$19.99 /€11.66
Science Fiction /
Humorous

Blurb

Deadbeat Kevin Jones finds himself kidnapped to an alternative reality where Wales is the single global superpower. Abducted from his mundane existence by the mysterious Gwen, she tells him there are forces seeking his destruction – he has to run or die. It turns out Kevin’s story holds the key to why all worlds but ours turn out the way they do – Pax Cambria.

Featuring a host of mysterious characters, cheese-on-toast based fast food, altright druids and the deadly all-knowing Taffia, Anthracite begins the battle to address the woeful lack of Welsh themed comedy cyberpunk. The fearsome Jones-Corporation might run the world but they have a dirty little secret they don’t want to get out. Swansea has never looked more like near-future LA. It’s already got the rain.

Continue reading “Review: Anthracite, by Matt Thomas”

Review: Fireborn, by Aisling Fowler


Publisher: Harper Collins
Length: 384 Pages
Publishing: 30th September 2021
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fireborn-1-Aisling-Fowler/dp/0062996711/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56554614-fireborn
 

Blurb

Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide.

Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other–and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve.

Ember is full of monsters.

Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them–so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her.

But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny–and the very fate of her world.

Continue reading “Review: Fireborn, by Aisling Fowler”

Review: Kings & Daemons, by Marcus Lee

Blurb

If you like fantasy tales of conquest, dark kings, daemonic heroes, and magic, you’ll love ‘Kings and Daemons’ by Epic Fantasy author, Marcus Lee. This is a spellbinding Dark Fantasy novel which will enchant you with its plot of ambition, revenge, love, and tragedy. What the gods give with one hand, they take away with the other, for if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.

—–

Over fifty years have passed since Daleth the seemingly immortal Witch-King, and his army conquered the Ember Kingdom.

Now, with the once fertile lands and its enslaved people dying around him, the Witch-King, driven by his insatiable thirst for eternal youth, prepares his forces to march on the prosperous neighbouring Freestates. It will be the beginnings of a conquest that could destroy nations, bringing death and destruction on an unimaginable scale.

Then, when a peasant huntress whose rare gift was concealed from birth is exposed, it sets in motion a chain of events that could alter the destiny of generations to come.

Continue reading “Review: Kings & Daemons, by Marcus Lee”

Children’s Picture Book Review: D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales – Hector, by D.M. Mullan, Illustrated by Kirsteen Harris-Jones

Blurb 

If something is missing, and you’re feeling blue, you could learn from Hector, who feels this way too.

This little genius lives in an upside down boat, and he grunts from his hill like a grumpy old goat:

“Hector van Groat needs no one but Hector, because he is a genius, a crazy inventor!”

Book #1 in the D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales series.

D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales

D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales is a series of peculiar modern fables from author D.M. Mullan and illustrator Kirsteen Harris-Jones.

With a classic rhyming style and wonderfully quirky illustrations, each book centres around a unique little individual and tells their story all whilst

Continue reading “Children’s Picture Book Review: D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales – Hector, by D.M. Mullan, Illustrated by Kirsteen Harris-Jones”