It's Just Four Times Round the Village by Helen Stothard

A special mention has to go to this book by Helen Stothard. Helen has M.E. (or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as it is otherwise known) and this is the journal of her inspirational journey to compete in the London Marathon. M.E. is a chronic health condition which is often misunderstood. The sufferer can look fine in between flare ups but when it hits, and it can hit at any time, they can be left washed out and barely functional. So this lady has accomplished something to be very proud of and I wanted to highlight her story here.

The book itself is written as journal entries and tells of her triumphs, mistakes, improvements and set backs. It would be a fabulous companion for someone who is just starting out in the world of running. It tells of the common pitfalls from family perceptions and mental attitude to having the right running shoes and gives good advice for those whose only previous experience of running is for the bus.

As she says herself, she is a Yorkshire lass with a lot of grit and, against difficult odds, she kept going and prevailed. 

http://amzn.to/19pv9kx

Twitter: @HelenStothard

Don't Look Back by E L Lindley

I didn't think I was going to like the main character Catherine much as she came across as very self absorbed to start with but I ended up warming to her and her situation. The subject of adoption has been honestly tackled in this fictional tale by E L Lindley. She has taken a difficult subject and given her character Catherine true to life responses to a decision which changes the lives of everyone touched by it.

Catherine had an intense holiday romance with Bill, resulting in a pregnancy and a baby she just wasn't ready for. She made the decision to give the baby up for adoption and move on with her life in the way she thought she wanted it to be. Eighteen years later and she is still drifting but then her son turns up. Now she has to decide on the right thing to do because this time it isn't so easy to move on and pretend nothing has happened.

This was an absorbing read with well developed characters which acted true to their respective roles. Catherine, Bill and Harry are the main cast but they are supported by others who really add to the story. What I particularly liked about this book was the strong personalities of the supporting characters. While I sat and wondered about Catherine's attitude, her friend Jenny came in and said exactly what I was thinking. When Bill's father, Stan, could see things not working out he stepped in and proactively put a stop to the nonsense. I loved that!

This is an engaging read with a good dollop of romance, family angst and characters which can be related to. Mix that all together with a story which flows and is very well written and you have a fabulous read!

http://amzn.to/18Cl4jd

http://ellindley.weebly.com

Twitter: @LindleyE

Blue Heaven by Cynthia Harrison

Blue Heaven is one of those books which is best read when you have time to sit down for a few hours. I got carried away with the story and have just spent the best part of a day reading it.

Eva Delacroix is determined to carry out her grandfather's dream and renovate Blue Heaven, the holiday home of her childhood, to his original specifications. When she arrives in town to start renovations she goes to the local bank to get finance and meets Daniel Bryman, whose grandfather co-designed Blue Heaven. He seems to have big ideas on exactly how those renovations should be done. He calls it a restoration but Eva isn't so sure. Eva needs to get the cottages in the grounds ready to let out as holiday homes if she is to meet the loan repayments and she isn't entirely certain if Daniel's motives are pure.

This is the second book of Cynthia Harrison's I have reviewed and again it was a pleasure to lose myself in one of her stories. Well written with believably flawed characters, this is a book for women who like romance with a hint of a mystery.

This is the first book in a series but stands alone quite comfortably.

http://amzn.to/16Wl6mH

http://www.cynthiaharrison.com

Twitter: @CynthiaHarriso1

Authors: Would you like your book to be reviewed?

I am now accepting submissions again for book reviews on my blog. If you would like to submit for review then please contact me through DM on Twitter (@bodiciasapple).

I can't promise to review every book I receive but, if I do review it on my blog, I will post reviews on Amazon UK and US. I will retweet your links to your book on occasion and also to my own review. 

If I don't review your book it may simply mean it didn't work for me personally. I love a book which reaches the emotions and stimulates imagination and these are the types of books I am interested in. I will let you know if I intend to review or not and will give feedback on my reasons if asked to do so.

I don't have a favourite genre and will read most things but I won't review erotica novels or anything too explicit on my blog as I want it to be family friendly. 

I have a particular interest in Indie authors and giving attention to those books which deserve to be seen by more people. 

I have always had a love of books and appreciate how hard it is to get your book seen and 'out there'. I decided I would use my blog to review books in my free time and I have discovered some fabulous authors whose work really does deserve more recognition in my opinion. I only review books which I would give a four or five star review to as I don't feel it is necessary to slate a book so if it is on my blog then I genuinely found it a pleasure to read.

My preference is to communicate directly with the author of the book in question and I therefore don't accept submissions from representatives for review submissions of single or multiple authors.

I reserve the right to not accept a book for review regardless of whether or not I have previously reviewed a similar book.

Thank you for taking the time to read this :)

Tilly Lake's Road Trip by Francis Potts

There is something very endearing about this book. It's not exactly true to life, the people in it are far too open and kind to each other, but in this case I don't think that matters.

I have to warn you, it is slightly erotic but in a very mild way. There are no rampant bed scenes, more a slight whisper of suggestion, but there is a fixation on the female chest area which you could compare to looking at an oil painting of a few hundred years ago.

Tilly, the main character, is at work when she learns of her husband's death. They had been married for decades and reached the stage of comfortable companionship and deep love. She learns he died in the arms of another woman but takes this news exceptionally well and with curiosity more than anything else as she knew he had the odd liaison and was happy he was content. This is about the stage in the novel where I would imagine most women, including myself, would look at Tilly and raise an eyebrow at her apparent lack of self worth but there is more to this story than what is right or wrong, it is purely about what is.

Tilly finds herself comfortably off financially and decides to go on a road trip. She buys a large classic car, hires a driver from outside the local job centre, leaves the house in the care of her husband's mistress, (Anka, a homeless immigrant from Russia) and embarks on the road trip she dreamt of as a child with her handsome Prince Charming who is more than happy to wear her pink pyjamas. They travel together around Britain, meeting people along the way who could be likened to the flower children of the 1970's for their openness and welcoming nature. However, it isn't drug use which makes the people they meet so open minded, it is love.

Francis Pott's has stripped away reserve and replaced it with a total acceptance and need for physical human contact. He has taken a woman who didn't enjoy sexual contact with her husband, her only lover, and has given her the ultimate comfort, a physical journey of healing where touch and kisses from people she meets are as acceptable as a sympathy card on the mantelpiece.

Tilly rescues everyone who needs it. Even her husband's mistress. She went from a woman I wanted to shake to a woman I began to understand. This story is almost feminist in the telling but written by a man. Interesting.

Well written, emotional, heart warming yet slightly dreamlike and, if you can see past the first layer to what's underneath, rather like a beautiful oil painting.

http://amzn.to/14oE2GI

http://www.francispotts.com

Twitter: @fpotts

The Pressure and Pleasure of Hunting Happiness

There are a lot of articles on the internet about the subjects of happiness and positive thinking. Positive affirmations crop up on Twitter on a daily basis and I have retweeted some of the better ones myself. It set me thinking about the pursuit of happiness itself, the expectations these days that we must bombard our minds with positivity daily and, if we don't, then we are somehow lacking.

The last millennium was all about perfecting the body; going to the gym, eating healthily, jogging before breakfast and lunch hour Pilates. This millennium is all about training the mind; positive thinking, the power of suggestion, expanding mental horizons, thinking ourselves to wealth and success.

For some, these new expectations add to the pressure of trying to be more than we are. We are expected to do it all; have a career, have children (educate and expand their minds with extra curriculum activities, the more the better), go to the gym three times a week, keep the home looking nice and make sure the Jones' aren't doing better, push for that promotion, network-network-network and then the hardest thing of all, think positively and present a balanced, healthy, happy, content front. All the time.

The number of people with stress and stress related illnesses has increased. This is unsurprising. It takes a rare person to be all things to all people. Then comes the guilt because of the perceived failure of suffering from stress and the thoughts of self-loathing. In the past we would share our concerns and worries with our families, who would all live in arms reach and a problem shared was a problem halved. Now, of course, families tend to be further apart geographically from each other and often we find ourselves handling everyday life alone with our thoughts. We are told we are weak minded if we can't handle life. We are told to be positive. Look at the positives. There are always people worse off. Count your blessings. In other words, put up, shut up and go and get therapy.

I do believe in meditation, the benefits of alternative therapy such as reiki and massage and the value of positive affirmations. I count my blessings and have gratitude for my life, my family and the people I love. I just can't subscribe to the theory we have failed if we aren't permanently positive, ambitious, seeking self improvement and enlightenment and are a size 6. I measure my worth through the happiness and contentment of the people I love, not my material possessions and self ambition.

I believe it is okay to take time to breathe. It is okay to have a bad day. It is okay to eat a piece of chocolate cake covered in fresh cream. It is okay to indulge in 'me' time. In short, it is okay to take the time to be yourself and to stop trying to live up to the media and others expectations.

1. Give yourself permission to be true to yourself and be kind to yourself.

2. Give yourself permission to be human with all the flaws, pleasure and gratitude that embodies.

3. Find time to meditate and relax. Quieten your mind, even if you only close your eyes in a quiet room and think of a peaceful place.

If you can do this then balance, happiness and contentment will find you eventually but don't force it, don't try and be perfect, don't try and live up to everyone else's expectations. Do something every day which makes you feel as if you have achieved something worthwhile and makes you feel good about who you are. It can be as simple as getting round to clearing out a cupboard, phoning a friend in need of an ear or taking a walk by the sea.

As the saying goes 'a cup is filled drop by drop'.

Red Written by P T Mayes

This novel from Philip Mayes had me in two minds so I wrote to him and got a very nice email back answering my queries. I haven't done that too often but this novel felt worthy of the extra time. Having reread the novel, I can see what the author was trying to do and it added to the whole concept for me.

The story of humankind being 'unmasked' by forces unknown and having their sins written on their faces for all to see is a brilliant concept and the story itself is descriptive and interesting. As usual, we humans fail to pull together and there is civil unrest, to put it mildly. People attack each other, murder and make judgement on those whose sins are the worst but there are those 'in power' who escape simply because they can, their former jobs and status giving them a certain leverage. Most hide behind masks, refusing to reveal themselves to others and families are broken apart by revelations of adultery and worse. Paranoia, mistrust and self preservation are rife and Michael, the main character, is caught up in some of the worst of it. 

The twist at the end is very good and this is a novel which will make you sit and think.

What sins would your face reveal?

http://amzn.to/148xAXQ

http://www.ptmayes.com/home.html

Lantamyra: A Tapestry of Fantasy by Susan Waterwyk

After an initial slightly shaky start, this book took off and kept me intrigued and eager to find out what happened next. Lantamyra has many strong characters which admirably support the main ones, Tylya and Josh. This story is not fast paced and action packed but instead is almost a record of a journey to a world which is believable and fascinating in its possibility. In other words, there seems to be a truth to it all which I found absorbing. This was helped by the authors attention to scientific detail in her book which I found, (as someone with an interest in the subject), added a deeper sense of reality to the tale.

Tylya and Josh are two young people who are at the beginning of a close relationship. When Josh joins Tylya in the canyon to prospect he finds out it is not gold she wants but her grandmother's lost treasure of a very different kind. The discovery of the treasure leads the three of them to Lantamyra where they are surrounded by dragons, magic, crystal power and the need to understand more. The price for knowledge is high and they must choose whether to go ahead and become more than they are but lose each other in the process.

This novel is beautifully descriptive and it is easy to see Lantamyra through the eyes of the author who has created a wonderful world. There is a second book coming out in the autumn which continues the story. This is a longish novel but it really is worth persisting with it to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the continuation.

http://amzn.to/13tdbhS

Twitter @waterwyk

The Purpose of a Man by Daniel Brevitt

I have just finished reading The Purpose of a Man and I am still wiping away a few tears. This is a sad and poignant story but it is also one of hope.

The story centres around Michael and his relationship with his brother, Robert. Robert is an alcoholic. He is also married with a small child, likes to be the centre of attention, cheats on his wife repeatedly and has ruthlessly tried to injure his brother in as many ways as he can think of, and get away with, since childhood. Their father is someone they both look up to but Robert takes it a stage further. He so desperately wants his fathers approval it is almost an obsession and a goal which ultimately makes him self destruct as an adult. He has seen Michael as the fly in the ointment of this goal and has spent a lifetime belittling him, enjoying when things go wrong for him and sharing this with their parents. At the same time, whilst trying to portray the image of success and masculinity, he ultimately leads himself to a place where he loses his wife and child, his self respect and potentially his life.

Michael, who tells the story, is initially happy with his lot. He is used to being told he is somewhat a failure and disappointment in his brother Robert's eyes but doesn't let it worry him too much until his girlfriend, Jessica, seems to confirm it. This is almost too much to bear and Michael is forced to confront his own ideals, that of his brother and of his parents to see who is right and who is wrong.

Daniel Brevitt has written a story which touches your heart and makes you care what happens to the characters. He has got it bang on about life with an alcoholic and has explored it, and the the topic of sibling rivalry, with heart, honesty and skill.

http://amzn.to/19pAJ6o

http://www.danielbrevitt.com

Twitter: @DanielBrevitt

Tethers by Jack Croxhall

I was really impressed with this debut YA fiction novel from Jack Croxhall. It had me hooked from the beginning and I read it in an evening.

Jack draws you in with the characters and the story, both original and well thought out. I particularly liked feisty Esther and it was fabulous to see a strong female teenager who refused to hide behind her male companion, Karl. Harland and Mr Cauldwell, the main adults of the story, treat Karl and Esther with trust and respect which was refreshing to see as I have lost count of the number of stories I have read where the adults never believe the children and put things down to their 'vivid imaginations'.

Karl and Esther are teenagers who live in a village where nothing much happens. Karl, intelligent and resourceful, is destined to become a teacher at the village school and Esther to work with her parents at their pub. That is until a chance encounter leads them to overhear a threat against a fellow villager and they find a notebook stating they were together at a village neither of them had ever visited or heard of.

There are several positive messages for teenagers in this book and I rather liked that about it too. Although the characters are strong, positive, resourceful and brave, they are also unafraid to break the rules a bit and it makes them easy to warm to and very believable. I thought the Victorian setting worked well for this novel, the characters had to walk to places, use a canal boat etc and it made for an interesting twist when it took hours or sometimes days to get to places which we would consider nearby by today's standards. 

The first of a trilogy, this novel is well written, fresh and absorbing. A great first novel! 

http://amzn.to/14VlQb7

http://jackcroxall.co.uk

Twitter: @JackCroxhall

Writing for the BBC

All this listening to radio led me back to the BBC Writer's Room website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/

This was a place I used to visit regularly when I had more time. I noticed they have changed their submissions policy and now only accept unsolicited scripts at certain times of the year. The website also contains projects the BBC are involved in, opportunities for the writer new and experienced. If you think you can write a ten minute play containing a life changing event or transition then why not enter Little Pieces of Gold? The chosen plays will be given a director and cast and performed at the Park Theatre in London on 30th September. You have until 15th August this year to get your entry in and details can be found here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunities/little-pieces-of-gold

There are also scripts from well known BBC programmes etc to download, to give you a feel of what is required, as well as templates to set your work to BBC standard and guidance for submissions. All you need to do is decide what you are going to write about ;)

Getting Back to Radio

Just lately I have been listening to a lot of BBC Radio drama and have been surprised at the gems I have found.

The 7th Dimension, broadcast daily at 6.30pm on Radio Four Extra is a personal favourite and I have just finished listening to an unabridged reading of John Wyndham's Day of the Triffids. These half hour chunks were read by Roger May who has a fabulous way with his voice, projecting male, female, young and old with ease and skill.

I also came across some horror stories on BBC iPlayer. 'Troll' by Ed Harris (an Afternoon Drama on Radio Four) is a particularly good adult fairytale worthy of a listen. As is the latest from Fear on Four's The Man in Black called 'Hellhound on my Trail', (currently available on Radio Four Extra). 'Hellhound on my Trail' was slightly unnerving, particularly when the character's anxiety and panic reached fever pitch near the end...the hairs on the back of my neck actually rose at the actor's screams of fear. Good stuff!

In the Romance and Relationship's section you will find the Love Stories series on BBC Four which are 15 minutes long and written by well known authors. I really like Freya North's Fish and Chips, a tale of a woman who goes to see her inheritance, left by an Uncle she never liked, and is deeply affected by what she finds.

I admit I still love having stories read to me and it makes the most mundane task go so much quicker!

Road to Rouen by Ben Hatch

Ben and Dinah Hatch take their two children Phoebe and Charlie on another of their epic road trips with the usual chaos along the way...well, before they have even left actually because Ben has had an idea about packing the car up which is Baldrick cunning in its simplicity...

This time they are powering around France and finding out that, despite the rumours, the baguette is a rare commodity which you have to move quickly to pin down before the shop closes again. The children behave impeccably, unless there's an audience, in which case the French have no problem with telling them to hush, much to the embarrassment of their parents. Typical family outing then!

The book contains some personal memories of Ben's earlier life which are touching. He is also brutally honest about his behaviour when he receives some bad news and decides to beggar off over the border to Spain, leaving Dinah and the children to it while he contemplates the situation.

There are several hilarious incidents but my favourite has to be when Ben decides it would be a good idea to pop out of the car on the highway and take photos whilst the lights are red, only to still be outside when the lights turn green and the surrounding drivers are getting cross. Dinah (driven by the embarrassment of what people think which us Brits do so well) can stand it no longer and decides to take matters into her own hands. Despite not having driven the whole trip, she jumps into the drivers seat, screams at Ben to get in and obliviously heads off towards the Arc De Triomphe, the worst roundabout in France, where it's a free for all dodging death drive for foreigners and sometimes even the French themselves. I felt her pain, I could see her bug eyed expression, but it was very funny too.

What I like about Ben's writing is the way he draws you in and it feels as if you are actually (squashed) in the boot of the car, hearing it all happening but feeling as if perhaps you should go and forage for bread and give them some privacy.

The next trip is planned already and this time they are all off to explore Italy...might ask if there is room in the boot ;)

http://amzn.to/16Wwcbs

Twitter: @BenHatch

Three Things by Randall Grange

This book is a strange one, but I rather like that about it.

It says at the end that it is a work of fiction but I am not so sure because this teenage girl speaks directly to you. She rambles, she changes direction, she jumps back and forward with the story and puts random blocks of memory on the page to share with you. She shares memories of rehab and how she got there and explores memories of (quite horrific in places) events with a shrug of the shoulders and a touch of humour.

As a work of fiction, Randall Grange has got inside the head of her character with skill and honesty and has 'lived' her character's life whilst writing this book. It's raw emotion and I cried, smiled and wished I could give her character a hug. 

Randall's description of growing up in a somewhat dysfunctional family and the impact it had on her was a tough read emotionally in places but the realness made it feel as if it were just you and her, sitting in a room, while she told you with brutal honesty just how bad things can get before a corner needs to be turned.

It's different and won't be to everyone's taste but I was impressed by this. Very moving and I liked the style it was written in because I thought it worked very well.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Things-ebook/dp/B00C0CQ4TC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371063779&sr=1-1

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17699921-three-things

Forever and Ever, Amen by Liv Rancourt

Molly is a single mum who struggling to survive emotionally with two teenage children and an ex husband she really wants to forget but can't because, well, he still reaches the parts that matter. Trouble is behind those gorgeous eyes there lurks a cheating, arrogant man who wants to play the field with younger models and it's really time to move on! Molly has a girls night out and wakes the next morning with a hangover, no idea what happened and the mother of all love bites on her neck.

Did she? Didn't she? She doesn't know but, when she sees a man reflected in her bedroom mirror, she sort of accepts it as an indication of how the week is panning out. When the man in the mirror turns out to be an angel and tells her the love bite is actually a demon's mark and she now has to face three difficult trials to make it go away, she wonders if she is losing the plot.

I loved the humour in this book and enjoyed the character of Molly in particular. I could imagine her standing there, watching it all unfold and shrugging her shoulders as she accepted it all as just another part of the sod's law of life. Well written and an easy read, this book is one for the girl on holiday. Fabulous.

http://amzn.to/1cO7Mpx

http://livrancourt.com

Twitter: @LivRancourt

The Ramblings of a Fledgling Book Reviewer

I have had some lovely feedback on my reviews. Indie authors in particular are pleased to have their work recognised and promoted on Twitter for free by someone who read their work and loved it.

As I was writing a review recently, it struck me how the tables are turned once the review is written, at least for me. If I have liked a book enough to review it and put it on my blog I also want the author to be pleased with the review and there is often a nail biting moment while I wait for them to see the review and let me know what they thought.

I suppose I am not a typical reviewer. I don't give a book review unless I like the book. I talk about emotional responses not style, voice or POV. I write reviews the way I do because reviewing is subjective, what one person will hate, another will love. No amount of picking the books structure apart is going to change that. I have read a few books by published authors, and thought they were pretty dire, yet they have had literary prizes heaped on their work. Equally, I have read books others thought were below par which I have absolutely loved. Of course, I am sometimes in agreement with the majority too, so I am 'in the club' on occasion! This is why I write about how a book made me feel because human emotions are far more similar than human ideals.

We all have emotions, I read to exercise mine. What I choose to read depends on my mood at the time. I have what I call 'Holiday Reads', those books which aren't taxing in their style, which are suitable for lazy days when you almost want a story read to you. I also like to have a more 'wordy' book on the go. My current one is written by someone I follow on Twitter and it is very heavy going but the story is keeping me interested and that is what counts. Then there is my review list, a mix of genres which I read in order of submission. I love that list, it's like a treasure dip where I put my hand in the bag, not knowing what I am going to pull out next.

Have you read any books which you had been told were the 'next Big Thing' and found yourself wondering what the fuss is about? I have, plenty of times and I know I am not alone. When I was much younger, I felt perhaps I ought to like these books. Perhaps I was lacking in my ability to appreciate a fine piece of creativity when I saw it. I went through a stage where I read books which I 'ought' to and it was an expensive and frustrating experience sometimes. I quickly realised it wasn't a lack of intelligence on my part of perhaps failing to understand the finer nuances of the text or the beautifully forged prose. I just didn't like some of these books, it was that simple and no amount of flamboyant reviews from internationally acclaimed sources was going to change that.

Book snobbery on the whole is something I don't have time for, I lose respect for an opinion very quickly if all I see is the need to sound superior. Recently I have read some truly horrific and venom based reviews of books on Amazon. Some have been written by people who seem to delight in telling the world how much they hated the book and why. There are those which are written by people who feel a sprinkling of 'wordy' literary phrases will make them be taken more seriously and those with the well-worn phrase along the lines of 'keep ya £1.50' at the end. You know the types I mean. In my opinion, if you don't like a book then don't review it if you really can't find anything nice to say, there is never a good reason to get personally nasty to the author. Never. If a book doesn't work for you then please move on. Don't launch a mouth foaming attack as if your eyes are bleeding and you are seeking monetary compensation for emotional distress...or at least ya £1.50 back.

Books are for sharing so if you find a book which left you feeling a bit of a glow then write a review and let everyone else know too. Authors will thank you for it and so will their potential readers. Don't be afraid to keep it simple. In my opinion, a review doesn't have to be high brow, just honest and respectful.

The Paris Notebook by Cynthia Harrison

Although this isn't an indie book I am keen to share it as one of those feel-good books us girls need sometimes.

Deena is a character with a personality which made me root for her from the start. In her twenties she had a relationship with Ian, the self-centred and unfaithful singer in the band Yellow Star and she wrote the lyrics for the band's first album. After their relationship ended she gave him a copy of her notebook containing new song lyrics for him to look at but he doesn't get back in touch. Years later, she hears her own words barely masked in his new song and realises what her unscrupulous ex has done. She wants the notebook back and she wants the credit due to her but it means getting close to him again. Jack, a friend and colleague, asks her to dinner but she doesn't know if she wants her heart broken again. When Jack says he is leaving soon, she finally agrees to go, feeling safe as he will soon be gone. Ian is certain he can win Deena round and get her to agree to give him the lyrics because he is used to getting what he wants but Deena is equally determined he won't. Ian's shenanigans had me grinding my teeth and I was very keen to see if he had his comeuppance.

The background characters all add to the plot and each has their own story, interwoven very nicely with Deena's. There is a feel of real friendship in this novel.

The Paris Notebook left a smile on my face and it's perfect for those days when you just want to enjoy the sunshine outside with a good book and the tipple of your choice. I'm not an avid reader of romance novels but this one is well written with an easy style and a satisfying ending.  I liked it.

http://amzn.to/1af8Q3T

http://www.cynthiaharrison.com

Twitter: CynthiaHarriso1

Doppelganger - (A Jack Lockwood Mystery) by Geoffrey David West

This book is all you could want from a crime thriller and I have spent the best part of a day happily glued to its pages.

Jack Lockwood is a fabulous character. A criminal profiler and true crime writer, he acts on hunches and instincts but like every fallible human, he doesn't always get it bang on first time. A good investigator of the facts, he chases down information and makes a nuisance of himself with the police, who aren't his greatest allies. Nothing seems to really faze him, whether he is being hunted down by gangland criminals who want him dead or finding out the woman he loves may not be what she seems. He always keeps going no matter what the personal cost. I think this character is very unsure of what love should be about as he seems a little confused when it comes to matters of the heart but, in a way, it makes his personality very real and engaging.

I love the fast paced flow of this novel, although there is a lot going on the author has a knack of keeping you fully informed. The writing is clear, descriptive and crisp with a satisfying ending and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and also to lead you down the wrong path until you reach that 'A-ha!' moment and realise you have been had. At least I was at one point and not in the most obvious way! I also liked the references to real life events, such as speculating the circumstances surrounding the death of Princess Diana. Naughty but plausible...

This is the second in the series of Jack Lockwood mysteries but it can be read very well as a stand alone book. Geoffrey David West gives enough background information to establish Lockwood's personality, and the things he has gone through before, to make it easy to join in the journey.

http://amzn.to/15SXZ7Z

http://www.geoffreydavidwest.com

Twitter: @GeoffreyDWest

The Blake Soul by I. C. Camilleri

Now this book is a strange one. The author has written a story about a man who can see into the future, he sees various pathways his family life could take and tries to prepare for the ones which look the most fatal. Some he can change, some get worse when he tries, some don't happen at all.

Josh Blake has the mother from hell and never knew his father. He was brought up by a woman who begged his mother not to have an abortion, his mother only visiting once a year to tell him how unwanted he is and how much she dislikes him for existing. Josh has a photographic memory, is very intelligent and can see his future mapped out...well, almost. Hurt by his past, he shields himself and his heart from women and simply uses them as they glide in and out of his glamorous world of film premieres. Then he sees a woman he thinks he knows and slowly the visions he has had all his life start to make sense.

This is one of those novels which leave you with a sense of wondering what just happened but in a good way. The author pulls you along, giving you tidbits of anticipation mixed in with a bizarre feeling of wondering if you really want to do this or not.

The story has romance in it which is slightly off kilter, they are in love but they hurt each other by saying the most bizarre things and you are allowed to watch as if you were looking through the CCTV camera which is hidden on the wall in their apartment in the story. It's like they both periodically lose their minds. They dip in and out of reality, with their insecurities playing a deep role in their outlook of love and their future.

This book is all about the extremes and flaws in human nature, the moments of madness, the five second thoughts of revenge most sane people dismiss as unacceptable. It is the first in a series of three.

I rather liked it.

http://amzn.to/1dh2rVB

Twitter: @ICCamilleri

Blood Pool by J. E. Ryder

Blood Pool is an excellent thriller with so many twists and turns to the plot I wasn't sure who the good guys were until the author told me right at the end.

Sam Shelley inherits her husband's family boatyard when his body is discovered on the beach. The locals aren't happy as the Shelley empire, such as it is, traditionally falls to the next male heir but, since none have been traced, Sam is left to run things. When another body turns up on the beach, its face a bloody mess, and Madge, the wife of Sam's close friend Professor Jonas Weal, turns up at the boatyard office saying he urgently needs to see Sam, things start to get out of hand and Sam doesn't know whom to trust anymore. There is a touch of romance between Sam and Mik Portillus, one of the hands at the boatyard, but is Mik all he seems?

This tale is really well written, complex and intriguing. From the start the pace and descriptive writing made it feel as if I was living it all with Sam, almost like watching a movie pan out. The author has done a fabulous job with the background characters as well, giving them depth and personalities which make them just as real and believable as the main ones.

The only criticism I have was when the story led the characters to Spain, it all seemed a bit pointless to the plot but it was a very small part of what is an excellent and absorbing story and I thought it was very good.

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http://www.jeryder.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: @Jeryder5Author