Jess Castle and the Eyeballs of Death by M.B Vincent

Welcome to Castle Kidbury - a pretty town in a green West Country valley. It's home to all sorts of people, with all the stresses and joys of modern life, but with a town square and a proper butcher's. It also has, for our purposes, a rash of gory murders ...
***Fast-paced and funny, this is a must-read for all fans of a classic murder mystery - think The Vicar of Dibley meets Midsomer Murders ***

Jess Castle is running away. Again. This time she's running back home, like she swore she never would.

Castle Kidbury, like all small towns, hums with gossip but now it's plagued with murder of the most gruesome kind. Jess instinctively believes that the hippyish cult camped out on the edge of town are not responsible for the spate of crucifixions that blights the pretty landscape. Her father, a respected judge, despairs of Jess as she infiltrates the cult and manages, not for the first time, to get herself arrested.

Rupert Lawson, a schooldays crush who's now a barrister, bails her out. Jess ropes in a reluctant Rupert as she gatecrashes the murder investigation of DS Eden. A by-the-book copper, Eden has to admit that intuitive, eccentric Jess has the nose of a detective.

As the gory murders pile up, there’s nothing to connect the victims. And yet, the clues are there if you look hard enough.

Perfect for fans of MC Beaton, this is cosy crime at its most entertaining and enthralling.

Title: Jess Castle and the Eyeballs of Death

Author: M.B Vincent

Published By: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: 18th October 2018

Links:  UK: Amazon        US: Amazon

Our Review

If I could start with a quote from Miranda Hart’s mum to describe this book I would say, “Such fun!’

It really was a hoot, Jess Castle is a young woman who is from a very privileged background and as much as she’s made a success of her studies she still feels a bit of a failure, mainly because she runs away from everything in her life.

When she returns to Castle Kidbury it’s because she has run away from something else. She is tortured by a horrible dream that stems from a traumatic event that happened when she was little and still haunts her. She is a very likeable person and quite awkward in her relationships with other people.

When a murder happens in the village she becomes involved in the investigation because of her extensive knowledge of paganism and the use of symbols.

The murders are quite gory and not for the faint hearted but there are also lots of laughs as the authors’ sense of humour shines through the pages.

This is such a fun and exciting Cosy crime mystery, very tongue in cheek like Midsummer murders and Rosemary and Thyme but a bit more sweary. It has just the right amount of tension and pace to make you not want to put the book down.

I am so excited for the rest of the books in the series and think they would be great to watch on tv. 

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

M.B Vincent is a married couple. She writes romantic fiction, he writes songs and TV theme tunes. They've even written musicals together. They work at opposite ends of the house and meet in the middle to write about Jess Castle and Castle Kidbury, the West Country's goriest market town.

Our Little Lies by Sue Watson

Marianne has a life others dream of. A beautiful townhouse on the best street in the neighbourhood. Three bright children who are her pride and joy.

Sometimes her past still hurts: losing her mother, growing up in foster care. But her husband Simon is always there. A successful surgeon, he’s the envy of every woman they’ve ever met. Flowers, gifts, trips to France – nothing is too good for his family.

Then Simon says another woman’s name. The way he lingers on it, Caroline, gives Marianne a shudder of suspicion, but she knows she can’t entertain this flash of paranoia.

In the old days, she’d have distracted herself at work, but Marianne left her glamorous career behind when she got married. She’d speak to a friend, but she’s too busy with her children and besides, Simon doesn’t approve of the few she has left.

It’s almost by accident that Marianne begins to learn more about Caroline. But once she starts, she can’t stop. Because what she finds makes her wonder whether the question she should be asking is not ‘should she be jealous’, but... ‘should she be scared’?

Title: Our Little Lies

Author: Sue Watson

Published By: Bookouture

Publication Date: 11th October 2018

Links: UK: Amazon   US: Amazon

Our Review

Omg what a ride that was.

This amazing breath-holding, heart-stopping psychological thriller was told completely from Marianne Wilson’s point of view. We are in her head the whole time and are privy to her innermost thoughts and that gives a strong feeling of intimacy with the main character.

Marianne has many flaws and is on medication for various reasons. From the outside her life looks perfect but it soon becomes apparent that it’s just a facade and is crumbling behind closed doors.

Her mental state is called into question throughout the book but it’s a guessing game as to whether it’s all in her head or she’s right to feel paranoid.

The tension builds up really quickly at the start of the book and continues to race until the end. I felt so on edge reading this and I felt like I was holding my breath as some parts made me furious.

As we delved into what had happened to cause Marianne to act and feel the way she did my heart bled for her and I felt as though I was going through every step of this journey with her and at some points felt so angry at what was happening to her. But then another twist would raise my suspicions as to whether her view of the situation was a genuine one.

This was such a realistic and genuine portrayal of someone being subjected to mental torture that to me it felt like a memoir rather than a work of fiction. The sense of helplessness that Marianne feels really comes across so strongly.

It reminded me of Big Little Lies crossed with Girl on the Train and Gone Girl.

I've really enjoyed Sue’s romance books and would like to say a huge congratulations to her for this debut psychological thriller and I look forward to reading more from her in either genre.

Sincerely

Book Angel x

About the Author

Sue Watson was a journalist then TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.

She's now written thirteen novels - many involving cake - and her books have been translated into Italian, German and Portuguese. Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent procrastinating while eating cake (for research purposes), and watching 'My 600lb Life,' on the sofa.

Sue explored the darker side of life for her latest book 'Our Little Lies,' a dark, psychological thriller completely devoid of cake. She's hoping this change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

For more info visit Sue's website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

Sue would love to meet you on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks

Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

Author Q & A with Chrissie Bradshaw

  

Erin and Heather Douglas are struggling. Their mother’s sudden death has left a void in their family and everyday life has side-lined their dreams.

Erin has buried herself away in Magpie's Rest, the family home, and left her promising stage career. By hiding away, she is avoiding the pain of returning to London and the acting world where her ex-fiancé is enjoying success and a new relationship. When she meets charismatic Texan Jackson McGee, she wrestles with her feelings for him. Should she trust another man?

Heather is juggling babies, work, a rocky marriage and running on wine. An overheard conversation makes her ask, would Mark ever cheat on her? Can the sisters help one another to face their fears, dust off and revive those dreams and find joy in life?

Title: The Barn of Buried Dreams
Author: Chrissie Bradshaw
Published By: Amazon
Publication Date: 2nd October 2018
Links: Amazon

Author Q and A

Thanks for joining us Chrissie and welcome to the blog.

Did you always want to be a writer? 

In my late twenties and thirties, I juggled my career with being a single parent and my dreams of writing novels, finding my ideal man or travelling had to be put on hold. My energy was used up with the school run, a challenging job and after school activities. Luckily, I loved my job and loved my daughter so I was tired but happy and fulfilled. Those childhood years are precious and we can’t grab them back even though we sometimes think the summer holidays are never ending! My three dreams were buried away but eventually they all saw daylight. My younger self would be amazed to know that I'd be a happily remarried, well- travelled author, one day.


What other jobs have you had? 

I started out teaching and rose through the ranks. I was determined to succeed because I was a single parent who had a hefty mortgage. Eventually I became a headteacher. It's a ' jack-of-all-trades' position and, after discovering that many of my days were taken up with sorting out the blocked toilet, the leaking roof, the maintenance of school playing fields and other jobs that did not involve learning, I looked for something new. I became a literacy consultant for the city of Newcastle and left finance meetings, blockages and leaks behind without a glance. I loved getting back to young people, books and working to raise literacy standards in our inner city schools.

What made you write that first novel? 

It was a bloody great storm in my G cup that kick started it all! I was fit and healthy so I surprised when I found out I had an aggressive breast cancer but I didn’t ever think ‘why me?’ Why not when it happens to 1 in 8 of us women? I felt numb as I prepared for the treatments and prepared for the worst scenario. Would my time be far shorter than I’d ever imagined?

Secretly (I didn't want to upset my family) I set about writing a bucket list. I’m good at writing lists but not so great at carrying them out! This was the most important list I’d written. I thought about writing and the pleasure it gave me so that went on the list. I thought I would quite like to do a lot of things but nothing compared to writing. My real regret was not ever getting down to writing those novels in my head so my bucket list was short. Write a novel!

As soon as my ‘chemo fog’ lifted, I got to work on an idea I had been playing around with for far too long. At that point, I didn’t care if my novel was published or not as long as I finished it. That was my promise to myself.

How did it feel when your first novel was published? 

It was amazing and quite nerve-wracking waiting for the first sales and reviews. I got great pleasure every time someone took the trouble to write one! Like all authors, reviews are my feedback and help boost my sales so I can't thank readers who make time to review enough. I do love writing for the group of readers I have in mind and think of my readers as friends who, like me, love to escape into a book.


Can you please tell us a little about your publishing story. 

After a few months of agent rejections, some kind and some one-liners, I decided to find a publisher myself. After my cancer experience, I wasn't sure that I had the time to wait around for years to see whether my first novel would fit an agent’s list. I see now that I was impatient and I made mistakes. Luckily, I'm resilient and it's all about learning. I'm not with the publisher now - never explain, never complain - but I should have taken more time to consider. I eventually took my debut novel back, gave it a beautiful new jacket to match my new novel and embraced being an indie author. I've already said that we must help to make our own dreams come true. My books are out there now and proof of that.


What other books have you written? 

'A Jarful of Moondreams' was my debut novel. It tells the story of the Moon family's eventful summer involving sparring sisters, secrets spilling out of their ‘moondream’ jar and love is in the air. Because writing this was my escape from troubling times, it had to have an upbeat ending. Reading is all about escaping for a little while isn’t it?

The characters from this first novel cross over into my new release ‘The Barn of Buried Dreams’ but the novels are stand alone and can be read in any order.


Where is your favourite place to write? ( can we please have a picture)

I have an office to store things but I write in several ' hidey holes' around my house and I often write with my laptop on my knee in bed. I like a change! This is today’s writing corner.

Do your characters moods ever affect your mood and vice versa? 

Oh yes! I have to put the poor souls through the mill and then I feel dreadful leaving them there because I'm really fond of my characters. When I finish a book I miss them. That's how Heather Douglas, a minor character in my debut novel, reappears in a main role in this latest book. She demanded a storyline of her own. I really gave her a hard time.


What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

1 Just do it. There's no right way. 

2 Go to conferences and mingle with people who love to write. Be a good listener and you'll learn.

3 Have a plan. Be realistic. Keep going until you finish that first draft. 

Which authors inspire you?

I have a huge list. At the top are JoJo Moyes, Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Lisa Jewell and Jane Fallon. 

What is your new release. 'The Barn of Buried Dreams' about? 

It's about sorrow and joy and how women struggle and juggle and often lose sight of their own dreams.


If your book was made into a film what song would you choose for the opening credits?

Hang onto a Dream - The Fleetwood Mac version is perfect for this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eDI6rfarNk


Who would you choose to play your favourite character in the film of your book?

I am a tiny bit in love with Jackson McGee, the handsome Texan businessman who harbours a secret and falls for my heroine, Erin. I hope my readers will fall for him too. He should be played by Scott Eastwood. Scott has his father Clint Eastwood's piercing eyes and is just the right age to play Jackson. 

About the Author

Chrissie Bradshaw, the 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelist's Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, is a seasoned tea drinker and a tenacious trainer of her welsh terrier, Oscar. She likes the odd glass of prossecco too. Chrissie has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further. When Chrissie is not writing or reading, you will find her walking Oscar on the beach, trying to avoid the gym and spending time with her family and friends.

Chrissie enjoys tweeting to readers on @ChrissieBeee

Her instagram account is chrissie_bradshaw_author

Her blog is newhenontheblog.com

and she has a Chrissie Bradshaw author page on Facebook.
She would love to hear from anyone who reads this blog.