It’s brave of Louise Beech to make Catherine-Maria, the heroine of her new novel Maria in the Moon, so unlikeable.

Several times in the opening chapters I wanted to give up because it was just impossible to really care about Catherine.

Clearly, the woman had ‘issues’ but who doesn’t?

And, frankly it would have been a lot easier to feel sympathy for Catherine, if she’d felt a little less sorry for herself.  Continue reading →

Cooking up stories is just the beginning for Lydia Livingston…

Ever since she could read, she’s craved her very own fairy-tale ending and her own Prince Charming.

Unfortunately, despite kissing a fair few frogs, none of them have turned into a prince.

Maybe her dad, a chap who wants nothing but the best for his one and only daughter, is right?

She’s just too picky.  Continue reading →

It’s not something I’ve ever considered before, but when someone is murdered in prison the best person to find the killer is a policeman who’s already locked up.

And that’s the interesting premise behind Locked Up, the new crime mystery from GB Williams.

Former detective sergeant Charlie Bell is serving time for the killing of Phillip Mansel-Jones, a ‘scumbag of the worse degree’.

Charlie has no regrets – as well as money laundering, Mansel-Jones was known to be Continue reading →

Author Carmen Radkte joins us today on the last stop of the blog tour for her new mystery novel The Case of the Missing Bride.

German-born Carmen claims to have spent most of her life with ink on her fingers and a dangerously high pile of books and newspapers by her side.  Continue reading →

I’m pleased to be reviewing the latest AJ Waines psychological thriller, Lost in the Lake, which is released today.

I first read Waines’ Girl on a Train, which I by far preferred to that other much-hyped book of a similar title, so I was delighted to be sent a proof copy of this new chiller thriller, the second book in the Dr Samantha Willerby series.

Continue reading →

Meet award-winning, multi-talented comedian Rosie Wilby, whose credits include BBC Radio 4, The Guardian and Glastonbury.

Born in Liverpool, but now living in Brixton, South London, she was a finalist at Funny Women 2006 and the following year was named the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year.

She’s been touring award-winning solo shows and steadily building a word-of-mouth army of fans ever since.  Continue reading →

Did Missee Lee, the classically educated pirate, who rescued the Swallows and Amazons after they were shipwrecked off the coast of China, sail the seven seas in a boat like this one (above) which ferries present-day tourists across Hong Kong harbour?

I hope so – it would have been a slight consolation for the Walkers and the Blacketts, who are horrified to discover Missee Lee wants to keep them prisoners.

And, to the dismay of Cap’n Nancy, teach them Latin. Continue reading →

There’s no such thing as a right time to have a baby.

But six months into a new relationship is definitely not good timing.

Especially as Kat and boyfriend Max are still finding their feet as a couple.

And his snarky mother is doing everything she can to ensure Max dumps Kat and gets back with his ex-girlfriend. Continue reading →