UK2 (Project Renova Series, #3) by Terry Tyler #NewRelease

The third book in this post-apocalypse story promised fear, revenge and an unknown future.  Vicky, still in shock from the murder of her lover, Heath, has yet to learn the true mastermind behind his death, and her daughter, Lottie, now a mature 18 year old, must reveal what happened.

 

The community in Lindisfarne is disturbed by the visit of Barney, a bullying ex-policeman, who comes to tell them of a wonderful newly developed community UKCentral, down south.  Travis is amazed to see Barney accompanied by his old friend Doyle, who is now managing data analysis at UKCentral, but Doyle is less than enthusiastic about this brave new world.  Several of their community, including “princess” Flora, can’t wait to go to a new life in a modern apartment with hot water and entertainment.  What could be wrong with it?

 

Through the words of Vicky, Lottie, Doyle and Flora, we learn how they feel about the way UK2 is developing and how the community of Lindisfarne is in danger of disintegrating.  Are newcomers, Seren and Hawk, a threat or do they have an answer to their problems?  There is another danger to humanity approaching and it is important to know who you can depend upon.

 

This novel is the perfect conclusion to the trilogy.  Mankind is trying to move on in a world without the internet or communication and bonds are made which establish a future for many. * Tiny spoiler here, I love the Book of Lindisfarne, a biographical parish record.  But like any good conclusion, there are still questions to answer and lives to continue.  If you haven’t started Project Renova yet, I recommend you download the trilogy as soon as possible.

UK2 is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US

My reviews of Tipping Point and Lindisfarne

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Restitution by Rose Edmunds #NewRelease #Bookreview

It is exhilarating to meet “Crazy Amy” once more, trying to pick up her life again by using her financial and legal expertise to help 83-year-old George stake his claim to a valuable Picasso painting, recently rediscovered.  Believing that it belonged to his Art collector father before he was murdered in 1939, George travels to Prague accompanied by Amy, not realising that there are others with a similar mission who will stop at nothing to get hold of the picture.

 

Still in shock from a recent tragedy, Amy appears to be in control, but that little voice still pops up questioning her competence, while Mel, one of her erstwhile betrayers turns up, claiming friendship.  Amy is haunted by reminders of the horrors of her childhood, but she seems to be making progress in her task.  It is possible that both Mel and Amy might find romance in Prague, but first they need to stay alive.

 

The complex plot, deception and danger, make for an exciting narrative and Amy’s insightful analysis of the weaknesses of other characters raises a smile.   We really shouldn’t like Amy; she drinks too much, lacks patience and shows intellectual arrogance, but she is addicted to adrenalin, walking head on into every situation bravely, with a plan which may or may not work.  Some call her crazy, but Amy is trying to cope with her demons by helping others and proving her worth.  Another great adventure with this indomitable anti-heroine.

You will find Restitution on sale at Amazon UK and Amazon US

Earlier adventures of Amy are reviewed here: Concealment  and Exposure

Old Friends and New Enemies by Owen Mullen #FridayReads #BookReview

The body on the mortuary slab wasn’t who Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron was looking for.

But it wasn’t a stranger.

Suddenly, a routine missing persons investigation becomes a fight for survival. As Charlie is dragged deeper into Glasgow’s underbelly he goes up against notorious gangster Jimmy Rafferty and discovers what fear really is.

Rafferty is so ruthless even his own sons are terrified of him.

Now he wants Charlie to find something. And Jimmy Rafferty always gets what he wants.

There is only one problem… Charlie doesn’t know where it is.

My Review

I chose to read the second book about Charlie Cameron because it is partly set in the village of Luss which I know well, but I didn’t feel as if I had missed background knowledge by not reading the first in the series.  The reader soon learns that Charlie has rejected the values of his “Tory” father, who had owned a famous whisky business and that he had also given up on a law degree in which he had no interest.

Starting with a violent scene involving one of the infamous Rafferty family, Charlie finds himself involved in the misdeeds of his former friend Ian Selkirk, whom he had last seen in Thailand several years earlier.  Soon he is reunited with his former girlfriend, Fiona but he is inextricably drawn into great danger.  He should be concentrating on his latest commission to find the husband of the gracious Cecelia McNeil, whose son had recently committed suicide, but he cannot concentrate on the investigation despite the help of his sidekick, Pat Logue and friend, DS Andrew Geddes.

The story builds up to a thrilling conclusion with a dramatic scene in Edinburgh castle, eminently suited to a film scenario.  The characters are vividly painted and believable and the plot is followed in a spare style which keeps up the momentum.  I shall certainly be downloading “Games People Play” the first Charlie Mullen book.

 

Owen Mullen

When he was ten, Owen Mullen won a short story competition and didn’t write anything else for almost forty years. In between he graduated from Strathclyde University with a Masters in Tourism and a degree in Marketing, moved to London and worked as a rock musician, session singer and songwriter, and had a hit record in Japan with a band he refuses to name; on occasion he still performs. He returned to Scotland to run a management consultancy and a marketing agency. He is an Arsenal supporter and a serious foodie. A gregarious recluse, he and his wife, Christine, split their time between Glasgow – where the Charlie Cameron books are set – and their villa in the Greek Islands.

 

Jonah by Carl Rackman #fridayreads #bookreview

When a U boat is spotted floating on the surface of the Atlantic in 1940 by a British destroyer, the remaining German crew accuse one of their shipmates of being a Jonah.  Why then, in the Pacific in 1945, do the same events seem to be recurring on US Navy destroyer Brownlee?

 

The protagonist of this novel, “Lucky” Mitch Kirkham is introduced to us as he and his crewmates are involved in a terrifying battle with a continuous attack by Japanese Kamikaze pilots.  For the second time in his naval career, Mitch survives while others are killed.  He finds himself an outcast, distrusted, disliked and mistreated by his immediate superior.  When his life is threatened he is befriended by Father McGready, who gives him some hope that he will return home safely, but soon many of the crew are showing symptoms of hysteria, seeing ghosts and talking of a sea-monster.  Mitch is a naturally curious individual, an interesting character to follow, but this leads him into more trouble.  He no longer knows whom he can trust or who will be acting strangely, next.

 

The author gradually reveals the back stories of Mitch and the other characters so that we understand their demons.  Battle scenes are vividly described and full of tension.  It is evident that Carl Rackman has thoroughly researched wartime life in the US navy and we can imagine ourselves on board the Brownlee.  As the plot develops, the reader feels an increasing fear of imminent disaster leading to an eventful, surprising conclusion.

Jonah is available at Amazon UK  and Amazon US

Imago by Celina Grace #FridayReads #BookReview

Imago is the third book of the Kate Redman Mystery series featuring a young, female detective, fighting crime and pursuing justice, in the fictional West Country town of Abbeyford.

Having read two other books in this series (though not in the right order!) I knew I would enjoy meeting this hard-working, compassionate policewoman again.  This time Kate, her friend Detective Sergeant Mark Olbeck and her boss, Detective Chief Inspector Anderton have to solve the murder of a young prostitute, stabbed with a steak knife, and soon they begin to wonder if the crime has been committed by a serial killer.

As Mark settles down in domestic harmony with his partner, Kate begins to realise how lonely she is, but she tries to keep to herself the growing feelings she has for her boss.  Meanwhile she is trying to build up her fitness to participate in a half marathon and at the same time, deal with the hostility of Jerry, an older police constable who resents her.

This book is filled with tension and thrilling episodes.  We read the murderer’s diary, looking for clues and motive.  The reason for the title of this novel is intriguing.  The plot builds up to an exciting climax, as Kate thinks she has identified the killer and there is an exciting final twist to the story which will keep you on the edge of your seat.

You can purchase Imago on Amazon UK

or on Amazon US

Celina Grace

I tried to get traditionally published as a writer for a long time. A loooooooong time. I make it fifteen years and counting….

I’ve also been writing for as long as I can really remember. I wrote my first story, The Blue Ruby, when I was about seven. Throughout college and university, I experimented with screenplays and scripts (I was studying Film and English at the time at the University of East Anglia), as well as other more short stories. In my twenties, I started my first novel, finished it, then my second, then my third. In my thirties, I was slightly side-tracked by the birth of my son but, leaving aside that trifling distraction, managed to write my fourth..

I didn’t bother trying to get the first novel published as I saw it as more of a practise run at this business of being an author. With the second, I entered the 2004 Lit Idol competition and got to third place. That was my ticket to publication, I thought, surely? Hah! Just the first in a long line of disappointments, of which every writer must be familiar… hopes built up to then be smacked down again. I had an agent approach me after the competition and on their encouragement, I finished, edited and polished the manuscript, sent it off to them with happy hopes – to be told months later that they didn’t think it was quite right for them..

Gutted, but enthusiasm relatively undimmed, I started on a new novel, inspired in part by the dramatic events of 2005 – the London bombings. I also wrote a short story at the same time on the same subject – it was on my mind a lot that summer (unsurprisingly. Freedom Fighter is the story – available on Amazon as part of A Blessing From The Obeah Man short story collection). This novel The House on Fever Street was shortlisted for the 2006 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award. Aha, I thought, a fairly prestigious and industry recognised award. This will get me published. Did it? Did it buggery!

The House on Fever Street was also longlisted in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award of that year, which garnered me some nice reviews and a much needed ego boost but didn’t advance my career as a published author much further..

So what next for our doughty heroine? She ups and writes her fourth novel, gains an agent and thinks now, now I have finally made it as a published author! And she waits. And waits. And waits some more. And then waits a bit more. And a bit more. Finally, for variety, she waits a bit more..

So, after two years of waiting, reading about self-publishing on Amazon and other platforms, I believe a phrase that ends in ‘…for a game of soldiers’ passed my lips and I decide to publish myself. So I did. I think I made about £10 in my first month of publishing. Fast forward three years and here I am, a full time indie author, a Top 100 UK Amazon bestseller, having reached half a million readers. Couldn’t be happier!

Celina Grace

Pleasing Mr Pepys by Deborah Swift #TuesdayBookBlog

In a spine-chilling first chapter of this Restoration drama, we encounter Abigail Williams, aging actress, spy and mistress to Lord Brunkner. But on this occasion, she has murderous intent. In contrast the following chapter introduces 17-year-old Deb Willet, setting out for London a year after the Great Fire, to be a Lady’s maid and companion to Elisabeth, wife of Mr. Samuel Pepys. Her Aunt Beth, glad to be rid of her, tells Deb that she must, “Please Mr Pepys,” but she soon finds this applies in more ways than one.

An educated girl, Deborah is determined to work hard to make a future for herself and to finance an education for her sister, Hester. However, Elisabeth Pepys doesn’t seem to warm to her and soon her thoughts wander to her mother who went missing many years ago and may well be in London too. She seeks help from Abigail Williams, who has sought her out, but she soon finds herself entangled in a web of lies and subterfuge from which there seems to be no escape.

This is an era, of which I know little, but Deborah Swift’s knowledge and research have brought the murky streets of London, struggling to recover from the destruction of the fire, to life again. The suffering of the sailors, unpaid by the crown and their inevitable decision to rebel, is realistically described and I could not help liking Jeremiah Wells, the young curate, who wanted the best for everyone while struggling with his conscience. All this against the background of a Dutch spy ring and the incorrigible Samuel Pepys, who cannot resist a pretty face or an attractive ankle.

Although instantly appealing to anyone interested in English history, it is also a book for those who enjoy tension and thrilling scenes, especially as the main characters are women of courage. Highly recommended.

Pleasing Mr Pepys at Amazon UK  or at Amazon US

Lindisfarne (Project Renova 2) by Terry Tyler #BookReview

Book Description

‘You’re judging this by the standards of the old world. But that’s gone. We don’t live there anymore.’

Six months after the viral outbreak, civilised society in the UK has broken down. Vicky and her group travel to the Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne, where they are welcomed by an existing community.

New relationships are formed, old ones renewed. The lucky survivors adapt, finding strength they didn’t know they possessed, but the honeymoon period does not last long. Some cannot accept that the rules have changed, and, for just a few, the opportunity to seize power is too great to pass up. Egos clash, and the islanders soon discover that there are greater dangers than not having enough to eat.

Meanwhile, in the south, Brian Doyle discovers that rebuilding is taking place in the middle of the devastated countryside. He comes face to face with Alex Verlander from Renova Workforce Liaison, who makes him an offer he can’t refuse. But is UK 2.0 a world in which he will want to live?

My Review

This sequel to Tipping Point is told through the voices of Vicky and her daughter Lottie, as well as other members of the community they join in Lindisfarne.  In many ways, it is more thrilling and revealing than the first book, as we see through their eyes, that this crisis is here to stay and can only get worse.  As social mores are eroded, a new form of rough justice is established to deal with the baser forms of human behaviour.

Arriving in Lindisfarne, Vicky, Heath and their companions must adapt to a miss-matched community of bikers and well-meaning people who use expressions such as, “reach out,” and “empower.”  Vicky must now face up to former partner, Dex’s, betrayal and meet his pregnant mistress, Naomi.  But soon, there are more sinister dangers to face.

Meanwhile, down south, Doyle ekes out an existence while trying to discover more about his former employment on Project Renova.  He is soon to meet Alex Verlander, the boss who left him trapped, but whose side will he be on this time?

The development of the characters we met in book one is convincing and rewarding.  Lottie has become an independent, strong young woman and Vicky now seems to be thinking for herself, but she can still be manipulated by others.  We learn Heath’s back story, showing his torture as he battles against demons from the past.  In Dex, we meet a new age leader who owes much to his studies of the Viking age.

It is difficult to make comments about Lindisfarne without giving away the plot, but as it reflects all aspects of humanity coming to terms, not just with survival but with making a new meaningful life, the possibilities are limitless.  In the last chapter, two new characters are introduced and those we already know have many more challenges to face.  This is a terrific book and I can’t wait for the next one!!

Lindisfarne is Book 2 in the Project Renova series, sequel to Tipping Point (Book 1).

A book of related short stories, entitled Patient Zero, features back and side-stories from minor characters, and should be available in November, 2017. Book 3 is due in mid 2018.

My review of Tipping Point can be found here

Lindisfarne is available on Amazon UK

Terry Tyler is the author of sixteen books on Amazon.  She is proud to be self-published, is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.

Terry is a Walking Dead addict, and writes for one of their main fansites. She lives in the north east of England with her husband, and is still trying to learn Geordie.