Cover Reveal: Blackstoke by Rob Parker

It's another cover reveal day and I'm mega excited to be part of the cover reveal for Blackstoke, by the awesome Rob Parker, author of the Audible number 1 bestseller Far From The Tree. A huge thank you to Meggy at Red Dog Press for the sneak preview.

Here's what Blackstoke is all about...

WEALTH. SECURITY. PROSPERITY. NONE OF IT MATTERS IN THE DARK. 

In a quiet cul-de-sac on the newly-opened, much sought-after Blackstoke housing development, the first handful of families are moving in. These neighbours, thrown together for the first time, are looking forward to settling into their bright new lives—with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The estate couldn’t be nicer, but it’s a big change for everyone. 

Then things start to happen. Bad things. As if something doesn't want them there. 

As the new residents try to make sense of events, the buried history of the area makes itself suddenly, deeply apparent—with a series of shocking, violent escalations. 

Soon, no one is safe, as the original powers of Blackstoke return to reclaim their territory and birth right in a final night of dark revelations, gore and bloodshed. 

Are you ready for the cover reveal? Drumroll, please...

How awesome is this? This lands on 23rd March 2021, and you can preorder here.

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

About the author

Rob Parker is a married father of three, who lives in Warrington, UK. The author of the Ben Bracken thrillers, Crook’s Hollow and the #1 Audible bestseller Far From The Tree, he enjoys a rural life, writing horrible things between school runs. Rob writes full time, attends various author events across the UK, and boxes regularly for charity. He spends a lot of time in schools across the North, encouraging literacy, story-telling and creative-writing, and somehow squeezes in time to co-host the For Your Reconsideration film podcast, appear regularly on The Blood Brothers crime podcast, and is a member of the Northern Crime Syndicate.

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Book Review: Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker

She wanted a child. So she took one.

Glamorous, beautiful Mummy has everything a woman could want... except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim - heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop - she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But little foul-mouthed Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.

Meanwhile Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserved to lose Tonya and ought to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, she begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.

Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle...

CALL ME MUMMY. IT'LL BE BETTER IF YOU DO.

Welcome to the blog! If you're looking for an exciting new read, or a twisted Mother's Day present, I'm pleased to tell you that you're in the right place. A huge thank you to Netgalley and Viper Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

When a woman, known only as Mummy, spots 5-year-old Tonya being ignored by her mother, she decides to make motherhood happen for herself by snatching the little girl in broad daylight and keeping her a prisoner in her lavish home. She gives her everything she could possibly want... a million miles away from that 'scummy mummy' of hers. But all Tonya wants is to go home. 

This disturbing and twisted tale delves into some very dark themes indeed. Prepare yourself. Call Me Mummy also explores the darker side of the press and social media, and how it can affect the families that are unwillingly thrust into the limelight. 

It is mainly told from the perspectives of Mummy and Kim, Tonya's real mother, as well as snippets from little Tonya herself. The short and snappy chapters built up the tension really quickly, and had me racing through the book, desperate to see how things would pan out for everyone involved. 

The thing I found clever in Call Me Mummy, is that I felt sympathy for both characters - yes, even the abductor. I'm not sure I should even admit this, but at times I almost wanted Mummy and Tonya to be happy together. Both Kim and Mummy experienced harrowing childhoods, and adulthood hasn't been much better for either of them. My head was a whirling vortex of emotion and internal conflict as each horrendous secret bubbled its way to the surface.

This book is heartbreaking at times, but always exciting and unputdownable, with a writing style that is utterly fantastic. And can we just stop for a moment to appreciate that stunning cover?

Huge congratulations to the fabulous Tina on this explosive debut thriller, which lands on 25th February in ebook, audiobook and hardback, with the paperback release coming in September.

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey

About the author

Tina Baker, the daughter of a window cleaner and fairground traveller, worked as a journalist and broadcaster for thirty years and is probably best known as a television critic for the BBC and GMTV. After so many hours watching soaps gave her a widescreen bum, she got off it and won Celebrity Fit Club. She now avoids writing-induced DVT by working as a fitness instructor.

Call Me Mummy is Tina's first novel, inspired by her own unsuccessful attempts to become a mother. Despite the grief of that, she's not stolen a child - so far. But she does rescue cats, whether they want to be rescued or not.

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Cover Reveal: Roses for the Dead by Chris McDonald

Hi, crime lovers!

I'm so excited to be part of the cover reveal for Roses for the Dead, the third installment in the excellent DI Erika Piper series by Chris McDonald. A huge thank you to Meggy at Red Dog Press for the sneak preview!

Full disclosure: I LOVED the previous book in the series, Whispers in the Dark. Check out my review and author Q&A here.

Here's what Roses for the Dead is all about...

2013

Rockstar Johnny Mayhem sits on his bed, holding a bloody baseball bat. On the floor, clutching a lavender rose in her fist, is his wife, Amanda, who he has just beaten to death. Erika Piper knows this because she is one of the first on the scene. Mayhem is arrested and led away, screaming that they’ve got the wrong man. But the evidence is irrefutable and when Mayhem is sentenced to life in prison, no one is surprised.

Now

Thanks to new evidence, Johnny Mayhem is a now free man. During a television interview, he issues a thinly veiled threat to those involved in the original case before seemingly disappearing off the face of the Earth. When the body of Mayhem’s dealer is found, Erika Piper is pulled from the safety of her desk job and thrown into the hunt for the Rockstar. Can she find Mayhem before he can enact his revenge or everyone involved, including Erika? Or, has he been telling the truth all along? Did the police really get the wrong man?

Are you ready for the cover reveal?

I don't know about you, but I'm excited! Drumroll, please...

How amazing is this? This lands on 13th April 2021, and you can preorder here.

About the author

Originally hailing from the north coast of Northern Ireland and now residing in South Manchester, Chris McDonald has always been a reader. At primary school, The Hardy Boys inspired his love of adventure before his reading world was opened up by Chuck Palahniuk and the gritty world of crime. A Wash of Black is his first attempt at writing a book. He came up with the initial idea whilst feeding his baby in the middle of the night, which may not be the best thing to admit, considering the content. He is a fan of 5-a-side football, heavy metal and dogs. Whispers in the Dark is the second installment in the DI Erika Piper series, and Chris is currently working on his latest series, The Stonebridge Mysteries, to be published by Red Dog Press in 2021.

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Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey