Death on the Crags by Jo Allen

 

"He was falling.

Her eyes must be playing tricks. She blinked. but nothing changed except a sountrack kicking in to this nightmare, his terrified scream tearing the silence a split-second after the fall. He seemed to hang in the air forever, arms and legs flailing like a huge black bird that had suddenly lost the power of flight, and all the while that horrible, tortured scream hung on the wind".

Death on the Crags by Jo Allen is a compelling mystery/police procedural, set in the Lake District.

This is book 9 in DCI Satterthwaite series. This book reads as a standalone, but to understand the undercurrents in the police unit and dynamics of personal relationships, I suggest reading a few of the previous books. I started the series from book 4, and have read all of them onwards (except book no.8).

Blurb:

Everybody loves Thomas Davies. Don't they?

When policeman Thomas Davies falls from a crag on a visit to the Lake District in full view of his partner Mia, it looks for all the world like a terrible but unfortunate accident - until a second witness comes forward with a different story.

Alerted to the incident, DCI Jude Satterthwaite is inclined to take it seriously - not least because of Mia's reluctance to speak to the police about the incident. As Jude and his colleagues, including his on-off partner Ashleigh O'Halloran, tackle the case, they're astonished by how many people seem to have a reason to want all-round good guy Thomas out of the way.

With the arrival of one of Thomas's colleagues to assist the local force, the investigation intensifies. As the team unpick the complicated lives of those who claim to care for Thomas but have good reasons to want him dead, they find themselves digging deeper and deeper into a web of blackmail and cruelty... and investigating a second death.

A traditional British police procedural set in Cumbria.

Review:

From the first pages I thought that this book confirms yet again that Jo Allen is a master storyteller.

It's not just the intricate crime plotlines, it's also the continuation of personal stories that keep you turning the pages. With each book you get to see how the main characters' relationships develop. They almost become your family, as you get to know them. You sympathise with them, sigh at what you perceive as their short-sightedness and stubborn mistakes, but accept them for who they are. 

Jo Allen's ability to paint a picture with words, the use of descriptive language to set the background (the landscapes of Cumbria appear atmospheric, and often reflect the inner thoughts of the protagonists), the clever introduction of suspence - all keep you engaged and interested.

The case under investigation might appear as an accident to the police and ambulance who arrive at the scene of the fall on the crags, but the reader is alerted from the start of the book that it is much more sinister than that. 

One of the witnesses happens to be working alongside Jude. When the police begin looking into the victim's life and work, they come to the initial conclusion that Thomas Davies is a nice guy.

"There were bad apples, corrupt coppers, police officers whose heavy-handedness made enemies even among those who weren't criminals, but Thomas wasn't one of them. Or was he? Did he have something to hide - or know something someone else was determined should be kept quiet?"

Thomas's partner Mia behaves suspiciously, avoiding to talk to the police. She is obviously shocked to witness her partner's fall, but there is more to her reticence to communicate with the investigation unit.

Mia is one of those women who lack self-confidence, and self-destruct personal relationships. Abandoned by her mother as a young child, Mia has lived with her father, stepmother and stepbrother. She has resented her stepmother Sarah for many years, to the point of wishing her dead.

It is interesting to see a stepmother in fiction, who is not one-dimensional. We first see her through Mia's eyes, as an interfering annoying woman, but as we get to know her, Sarah is far from being the wicked stepmother. She has her faults, yet Mia has an unpleasant side to her too. 

The main plotline, crime and interpersonal, is running in parallel to the personal relationships between Jude, and Becca, and Ashley and her obsession with her ex. Jude and Ashley are friends with benefits. They trust each other, and work well as a team (as a reader, I never warmed up to Becca, and was hoping that Jude and Ashley will be together). 

"Sometimes he [Jude] thought he'd trusted her too much himself, given away too much, let her in on secrets about himself that she ended by understanding better than he did".

Death on the Crags is a gripping, intense and thought-provoking read. It makes you think about the complexity of human relationships, and frailties of love. I have great admiration for Jo Allen's work. She creates plausible flawed characters, unpredictable and multi-dimensional.

This review is part of the blog tour for Death on the Crags.

Many thanks to Jo Allen and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

Purchase Links 

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BB33T34Y 

US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BB33T34Y 

Author Bio – 

Jo Allen was born in Wolverhampton and is a graduate of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and the Open University, with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in geography and Earth science. She's been writing for pleasure and publication for as long as she can remember. After a career in economic consultancy she took up writing and was first published under the name Jennifer Young, in genres of short stories, romance and romantic suspense. She wrote online articles on travel and on her favourite academic subject, Earth science. In 2017 she took the plunge and began writing the genre she most likes to read -- crime.

Jo lives in the English Lakes, where the DCI Satterthwaite series is set. In common with all her favourite characters, she loves football (she's a season ticket holder with her beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers) and cats.

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/JoAllenAuthor

https://twitter.com/JoAllenAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/joallenauthor/

The Automobile Assassination by M J Porter

 

"Wouldn't this be something if we'd uncovered some spying activity because of this? Your name would be in the national newspapers again." Mason didn't much like the thought of drawing attention to himself once more, but he was beginning to thinkk, as O'Rourke was, that there was something mighty intriguing going on. And, he admitted, perhaps it would be good not to be known as the custard copper".

The Automobile Assassination by MJ Porter is a historical mystery/police procedural, set in Erdington in the 1940s. 

This is the second book in the series. It reads perfectly well as a standalone, but reading the first book will give you a better understanding of the dynamics among the police unit, and explain some of the references to the previous big case.

Erdington, September 1944.

Chief Inspector Mason of Erdington Police Station and Constable O'Rourke are tasked to assist Sergeant Jones on the counterfeiting scam case. It had rumbled on for too long now, on a bigger scale, with a vily mastermind behind it.

"If he could just work out who was doing what and how they were doing it, Jones would be able to take the acclaim for solving the pesky counterfeit scam. Sergeant Jones would apprecaite it far more than Sam ever could. There had been cases of counterfeit ration books before, but this was something else entirely. Or so it seemed. Yet, the resolution remained just out of reach".

At the same time Mason is called to look into a new case, this time concerning a dead body found outside the Castle Bromwich aerodrome. The body appears to be in a bizarre position, shockingly bent double. With no identification papers or reports of missing persons, the identity of the murder victim is a mystery.

Mason and O'Rourke begin their investigation at the aerodrome.

"It seemed obvious to suspect something to do wiith the Royal Air Force. But perhaps that was what the person who'd killed the man had wanted them to think. It might be little more than a red herring... It was undoubtedly a good way of distracting them. The higher authorities would insist on a thorough investigation. Just in case the man had been compromised in some way. There were spies and counterspies, allegedly, throughout Great Britain".

The Royal Air Force personnel appear to be their prime suspects, but are they? Is the murder victim a spy? Is the place where his body has been found a random choice, or is it meaningful? Why does noone at the aerodrome recognise the dead man?

Mason, who's recently solved the so called The Custard Corpses case (see book 1), which has dogged his career for two decades, is resolute to discover the identity of the dead man, and track down his assassin. 

His boss, Smythe, is eager for Mason to deal with the counterfeiting scam, which is a plague on the local shopkeepers. Once again, the cases seem to be impossible to solve.

At first glance, Mason and o'Rourke seem an unlikely team. Mason, beleagured by the health issues, is not as spritely and physically fit as his younger colleague. But both of them are smart, observant, intelligent at slotting the pieces of the puzzle together, and complement each other.

The Automobile Assassination, like its predecessor, is written in the style of the classic crime fiction. It has that evocative mode of writing.

It is as much a historical fiction as a crime mystery story. The details of the historical background are well-researched, authentic and true to life.

A gripping atmosperic page turner, with engaging characters, and rich in historical detail.

This review is part of the Book Birthday Blitz for The Automobile Assassination.

Many thanks to MJ Porter and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

 Purchase Link - https://books2read.com/TheAutomobileAssassination

Author Bio – MJ Porter is the author of many historical novels set predominantly in Seventh to Eleventh-Century England, as well as three twentieth-century mysteries. Raised in the shadow of a building that was believed to house the bones of long-dead Kings of Mercia, meant that the author's writing destiny was set.

 

Social Media Links –

Website: www.mjporterauthor.com/www.mjporterauthor.blog   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coloursofunison

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MJPorterauthor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mj-porterauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m_j_porter/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/coloursofunison/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mj-porter

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MJ-Porter/e/B006N8K6X4/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163404.M_J_Porter

Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/MJPorterauthor

Young Eagle Rising by Ellie Joyce

 

"You are brave. You have survived many danger. I will give you a new name. I will call you Aihàmtёt... It is our word for a young eagle. An eagle fly alone. It is fearless. It will not run before a storm like other bird. It fly above the cloud. You have risen above the storm. You are a young eagle."

Young Eagle Rising by Ellie Joyce is a coming of age story, set in the 18C Ireland and America. It is a mix of historical fiction and adventure, with elements of supernatural.

1735.

William Baxter, a thirteen-year-old boy, is reluctant to travel with his family to the New World in search of a better life. 

He is especially devastated to leave his elderly grandmother behind. His Grandma is well known among the locals for her special gifts. William is convinced his Grandma is a witch. "She had what Ma called "the gift"; she had visions, heard voices, and occasionally, on a good day, brought messages from the dead... So, from an early age, I knew we had a witch in the house. My witch. I loved her wizened face and twinkling black eyes."

William and Grandma are close to each other. "Of all the folk we were leaving behind, I would miss her most of all. From the day she first gathered me in her arms, there had been a special bond between us and I blamed my parents for breaking it. I had yet to learm that no amount of distance can break the tie between a witch and her grandchild".

The three-months-long sea voyage is a test of endurance and hope. William is a social chap who easily makes friends among the fellow passengers and the crew. 

When the ship reaches Philadelphia, the Baxters are ready to begin their quest. The family travels further to claim the land they can cultivate. Three weeks later they find a perfect spot for their future home. "This was our promised land; there for the taking. So we took it".

Life is hard, and as the second winter is approaching, they seem to have settled into the rhythm of living in seclusion, away from the other people, harvesting crops, looking after their home, hunting for food.

Pennsylvania is not a land of manna. It is a place of conflict between the warring tribes. Being in the middle of the undercurrents which they don't understand, the Baxters happen to make a fatal mistake.

When William's life changes dramatically, he can only rely on himself to survive in the unforgiving terrain. He is determined to return to Ireland, to his grandma and aunt. "I knew now where I should go, home to Ireland. It would take all of my determination because the journey would mean weeks of riding through dangerous forests all the way back to the port of Philadelphia, but it seemed a good plan, a sensible plan".

His trip back to Philadelphia is full of peril. It will take a hundred miles to reach the port. In the meantime he comes into contact with the settlers, slaves, slave owners, natives.

William is consumed with hatred towards those who destroyed his world, yet he learns that not everything is black and white. Of course, their promised land was never there for the taking in the first place. 

He can see the injustice of the new order brought in by the white settlers, the tragedy of the native population. He begins to understand that nothing is clear cut, that there are intolerable cruelties inflicted on both sides, and comes to realise who the real savages are. The brutality of the new world will teach him to value a personal freedom.

William is a likeable character, smart, courageous, resourceful, and kind. He is also a compassionate narrator, with a gift of observation. He's the kind of character that you are rooting for from the first pages.

There are fabulous supporting characters, and secondary subplots, which enrich the main narrative. The friendship between William and Mёlёk, from the Lenape tribe, is beautifully-written. Living among the Lenape helps William discover his real self.

The story is aimed at the YA readers, but will appeal to mature audience as well. 

Young Eagle Rising is an unflinching portrait of the cruel era. Some scenes are certainly not for the squeamish.

I would also suggest reading the Appendix at the end of the book, if you are interested in historical data. I learnt a few new facts, including the plant Sarracenia purpurea, which has been used by the Native Americans as a medicine to help cure the smallpox.

An incredible epic story, that you won't be able to put down. 

This post is part of the blog tour for Young Eagle Rising.

Many thanks to Ellie Joyce and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy of the book!

Purchase Links

Book Guild – https://www.bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/book/429/young-eagle-rising/

Amazon – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Young-Eagle-Rising-Ellie-Joyce/dp/1915122953

Waterstones – https://www.waterstones.com/book/young-eagle-rising/ellie-joyce/9781915122957

Foyles – https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/childrens/young-eagle-rising,ellie-joyce-9781915122957?term=9781915122957

WHSmith – https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/young-eagle-rising/ellie-joyce/paperback/9781915122957.html

Book Depository – https://www.bookdepository.com/Young-Eagle-Rising-Ellie-Joyce/9781915122957

Bookshop.org ­– https://uk.bookshop.org/books/young-eagle-rising/9781915122957

Author Bio –

Ellie Joyce was born and raised in Belfast. She holds an A.L.A.M. (Dip. Acting) from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She and her husband have four children and live in Leicestershire. Young Eagle Rising is her debut novel. See more at elliejoyceauthor.com.

 

Social Media Links –

Website – https://elliejoyceauthor.com/

A Scottish Country Escape & The Christmas Highland Lodge by Julie Shackman (Double Cover reveal)

Today I'm delighted to take part in a double cover reveal of Julie Shackman's brand new romance books, A Scottish Country Escape & The Cottage in the Highlands. 

A Scottish Country Escape

Escape to the Scottish Highlands with a brand new spring romance from bestselling author, Julie Shackman

*Julie Shackman’s brand new romance The Cottage in the Highlands is exclusively available on First Reads for November*

Determined to overcome a family tragedy, Elle Cassidy decides to reopen her late mother’s ailing newsagent as a stationery shop in the quiet Scottish town of Fir Haven.

But when the arrogant yet handsome crime writer Dexter Grayling almost runs over Elle in his beast of a sports car, the town is thrown into a tailspin – especially when Dexter claims that local resident Linda Carlucci has put a curse on him and he is no longer able to write.

Can Elle put aside her dislike for the self-absorbed writer and help Dexter uncover what is really going on with the Carlucci family? And in the process will Elle realise that there’s a lot more to her beloved Fir Haven than she first thought…

For fans of Donna Ashcroft, Jane Linfoot and Rachael Lucas.

 

Pre-order Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B9SK1DHM 

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9SK1DHM

Publication Date: 16^th March 2023

 

 The Christmas Highland Lodge

The brand new Christmas romance filled with love and second-chances

Fall in love with the Christmas romance of the year, full of love and second chances!

Lottie Grant loves the festive season so much that she works at the incredibly successful Christmas shop, Christmas Crackers, in her pretty Scottish home town of Craig Brae. But when the shop is sold, her world is turned upside down, leaving her wondering what she will do next.

Just as she’s about to give up hope on finding a new dream job, an offer comes that she can’t refuse, managing a set of luxury wooden cabins… and opening just in time for Christmas!

As she gets to work decorating the cabins, and hanging lights on the fir trees, Lottie can’t believe her luck. That is until the arrival of Blake Dempster, a moody but handsome hiking expert, who threatens to bring down her festive joy. But never one to shy away from a challenge, Lottie is determined to change Blake’s mind about all things festive.

And as the snow falls and the fairy lights sparkle, will work-obsessed Lottie and frozen-hearted Blake make their Christmas wishes come true?

Pre-order Links

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BDBT59L4

US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BDBT59L4

Publication Date: 20^th October 2023

Author Bio – Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance. As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies.

She admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags and has an impressive pile of gorgeous To Be Read novels she is wading her way through.

She is married, has two sons and a Romanian rescue puppy, Cooper. A Scottish Country Escape and The Christmas Highland Lodge are Julie’s eighth and nineth novels respectively.

Social Media Links –

Website - Julie Shackman Author

Julie Shackman (@G13Julie) / Twitter

Julie Georgina Shackman (@juliegeorginashackman) • Instagram photos and videos

(2) Julie Georgina Shackman | Facebook

And here comes a thrilling moment! 

Ta Da! 

Feast your eyes on these pretty book covers.

A Little Christmas Panto by Angela Britnell

 

"We are an unlikely couple and there's no guarantee we'd beat the odds. We've both messed up at least once already... I don't know how many other skeletons are in your closet and I'm not sure I want to, but the real question is whether we're both willing to take another risk?"

A Little Christmas Panto by Angela Britnell is a festive romance set in a Cornish village of Polcarne.

Zach Broussart is a Hollywood star who arrives to Cornwall to hide from the world and recover from the tragedy. He'd "withdrawn from public life after his young wife's fatal climbing accident on Mount Everest became headline news". The village of Polcarne appears to be a perfect hiding place, or is it?!

"Everyone in Polcarne - one thousand, five hundred and thirty-six inhabitants at last count - knew the Oscar-winning Hollywood actor was renting Joe Warren's holiday let, The Old Hay Barn, on the outskirts of the village". Zach's stay has set the local tongues wagging. 

Rosey Teague is a British pianist of great renown who moves back from London to a small Cornish village of her childhood, leaving behind her own drama, and nursing a broken heart. 

Rosey stays with her mother, a formidable Amazon of a woman, who loves to embarrass her daughter with her insensitive remarks and interfering ways. Anna Teague enjoys giving unsolicited advice and dispensing "wisdom". She's a social disaster, if you ever met one. And she knows perfectly well how out of line she is.

Anna happens to be involved in the production of the local panto. She comes up with a "brilliant" idea of inviting Zach to be part of it. Rosey is horrified, "Even if you set his problems to one side, do you seriously think an Oscar-winning Hollywood actor wants to get involved in our little village show? What do you think he's going to do? Put on fake boobs, a dress and a garish wig and prance around as Widow Twankey?"

But Anna is unstoppable. Once she gets an idea in her head, she is persistent. 

Out of politeness, Zach agrees to help with the panto, only as a stage assistant. He categorically refuses to go on stage in any capacity. He is attracted to Rosey, and what a better way to spend more time with her than the panto rehearsals, as she is helping with the music. 

Rosey used to study music in London, and until a few years ago made a good living as a soloist at minor venues around the country and Europe. The break-up of her marriage brought her back home, where she is giving piano lessons and helps with the panto.

Rosey has a lovely personality, but her self-confidence is quite low. 

There is a distinct mutual attraction between the two, however, Rosey is hesitant. "He was an Oscar-winning heartthrob. She was as ordinary as it was possible to be. The flicker of connection she thought she'd sensed between them had undoubtedly been nothing more than the figment of her over-active imagination".

Both Rosey and Zach have issues going back to their previous married experience. 

Can a little Cornish village panto heal two people and bring them together? Will this be a Christmas to remember?

This is a very enjoyable story, if you can forgive Anna's scheming. Rosey tries to stand up to her mother, "That is so not fair. You can't manipulate him that way." The twinkle in Anna's eyes said otherwise". 

(I wonder if her behaviour is supposed to be endearing in some way, but it sure is exasperating. Good intentions, and all that). When Anna says to Zach, "I'm determined to get you back on the stage, but I can be patient", you just want to throw her on Aladdin's magic carpet, and send it flying as far away as possible.

I couldn't warm up to Anna, as she strongly reminded me of someone I used to know in real life, in fact these two ladies could have been twins.

A Little Christmas Panto is a diverting, entertaining and heartwarming festive story. 

The Cornish setting is a cherry on top. Angela's love of Cornwall and all things Cornish shines through her books. Every time I read one of Angela's books, I feel that little bit closer to my favourite place on earth. 

This post is part of the blog tour for A Little Christmas Panto.

Many thanks to Angela Britnell and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/alittlechristmaspanto

Author Bio –

Angela grew up in Cornwall, England and returns frequently from her home outside of Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat far too many Cornish pasties!

 

A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she's visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to almost four decades of marriage to her wonderful American husband she's a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

 

She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association. Her first novel ‘Truth and Consequence’ was published in 2006 and she’s now had over 40 novels published internationally and multiple short stories in women’s magazines.

 

 

Social Media Links –  www.facebook.com/angelabritnell

                                          www.twitter.com/angelabritnell

                                           https://www.instagram.com/AngelaGolleyBritnell/

Cold Degustabox

 Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

On top of the regular food box which arrives every month, Degustabox also offers Limited editions, like Cold Degustabox and Advent Calendar.

I have tried the Cold Degustabox a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it. I wanted to see what new things I might discover this time, so placed an order. It's sold out by now, but keep you eyes open for the next limited edition. And of course, there is the Advent Calendar, which was one of my favourite advent calendars of the last year. Don't miss it, if you want to treat your family. It is still available, just go to the link above and click on the Limited editions button.

What was included in the last Cold Degustabox?

It arrived well insulated, with several ice packs keeping all the food cold. 

This is a selection of products for different diets and tastes, to accommodate a family of meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans (though not suitable if you are a vegan or vegetarian family, as there are meat and dairy products included).

La Famiglia Rana Prosciutto Cotto & Mozzarella fresh tortelloni (£2.75) is the Product of the Box. This Italian pasta is easy to cook and ready in just 2 minutes.

La Famiglia Rana are pasta connoisseurs. The texture and balance of flavours is just right.

Nutritional values: 331kcal and 0.98g of salt per 1/2 pack (each pack contains 2 servings)

Fab with just a bit of melted butter and grated cheese. You can also make a lovely tortelloni soup in a chicken or vegetable broth, with vegetables, herbs and pulses.

Available at Sainsbury's, ASDA, Morrisons and Ocado.

The Jolly Hog Pigs in Blankets (£3.60) are cocktail sausages wrapped in treacle cured bacon. 

They are gluten free, RSPCA assured and big on flavour. Each sausage is wrapped by hand, with a signature streaky bacon which is cured in black treacle.

If your Christmas table is incomplete without pigs in blankets, this selection will make it perfect. 

Typical values: 281kcal and 1.9g of salt per 100g.

Available in Sainsbury's, Ocado, Co-Op.

Higgidy Spinach & Pine Nut Pie with Greek feta and red peppers (£4.30) is a tasty little pie, carefully crafted with seeded spelt shortcrust pastry, with a creamy spinach and feta filling, topped with pieces of red pepper and toasted pine nuts. 

Ingredients include: spinach, Cheddar, Feta, sauteed onions, free range egg, red peppers, spelt flour, dried skimmed milk, butter, sustainable palm oil etc. 

It is suitable for vegetarians but not vegans.

Typical values: 684kcal and 2.63g of salt per pie. Suitable for home freezing.

Available at Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado and Booths.

The Vegetarian Butcher Impeckable (£3) is a vegan chicken substitute. This is a soy-based chicken style fillet, fortified with Vitamin B12, high in protein and fibre. You can grill it, stir fry, marinate or stew.

I know The Vegetarian Butcher as a brand has a cult following among the vegans. This is the third time I've tried one of their products, and it's OK. It doesn't taste like chicken. The texture is different, it is tender enough, but it tastes as an overprocessed indescribable meat product.

I am generally not a fan of fake meat or meat substitutes. I'd rather have plain tofu, which you can jazz up with a multitude of sauces (I cook tofu once a week), but the plant-based products which try to emulate meat are not to my taste. Again, I must stress, that the brand has an army of fans, who love the plant-based meat substitutes.

Nutritional values: 135kcal and 0.81g of salt per 90g portion. Suitable for home freezing.

It is available at Tesco & Sainsbury's.

The Simple Root Truffle & Ch**se Style Sauce/Spicy Satay Style Sauce/Creamy Pesto Style Sauce (£3.95) is a plant-based sauce. Vegan, veg-powered and gluten free.

You should receive 1 of 3 items in your box. We got Truffle & Ch**se Sauce (<--- this is their own spelling, not me trying to use swear words). Ingredients include root vegetables (parsnip puree, potato), vegetable oil, natural flavourings, chicory root fibre, sea salt, white truffle flavoured grapeseed oil, white pepper and more.

This sauce could be used in a vegan mac-n'cheese recipe. I did indeed cook a macaroni cheese, though not a vegan variety, as I also added a simple bechamel sauce to the big tray of pasta.

I have seen comments on Insta about people not liking the smell. That will be the truffle, it's an acquired taste. I remember we brought a big bottle of truffle oil from Italy as a gift for our friends, they tried it, and admitted that they didn't like it. I was happy to have it back, as we enjoy the taste of truffle-infused products. If anything, there was not enough truffle in the sauce for my taste.

Available at www.thesimpleroot.co.uk.

Holy Moly Tzatziki (from £2.20) is a creamy vegan dip, made with cooling cucumber and mint. Lovely with warm pitta, as part of a mezze platter, with a variety of crudites.

It is a very decent plant-based substitute. Almost impossible to guess that it is not made with dairy. 

I used it to make stuffed cabbage rolls, baked in tzatziki and ketchup sauce (see picture of the vegan chicken, above).

Ingredients: plant-based mayonnaise (rapeseed oil, water, cornflour, sugar, spirit vinegar, salt, modified starch, Dijon mustard, lemon juice), cucumber, lemon zest and juice, soya protein, black pepper, dried mint, dried dill etc.

Nutritional values: 239kcal and 2.6g of sugar per 100g.

Available at Waitrose, Ocado, Tesco and ASDA.

 

Shaken Other Dairy Free Strawberry Shake (£1.95 for 330ml) is a delightful smooth shake, made with strawberries and creamy, ethically-sourced coconut milk, and absolutely nothing artificial.

High in calcium and vitamin D, it is also gluten free and suitable for vegans.

I love coconut milk, and this shake is a lovely treat.

Typical values: 40kcal and 4.4g of sugar per 100ml.

Available in selected Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and ASDA stores.

Nomadic Yogurt & Oat Clusters Strawberry (£1.50) makes a lovely breakfast. It comes in two halves: a container with plain pouring yogurt, and a bigger pot of crunchy clusters and delicious freeze dried strawberries. 

A handy spoon is included. Shake, pour, enjoy!

Nutritional values: 178kcal and 11.9g of sugar per 100g.

Available in all major supermarket chains and convenience stores.

Caprice des Dieux (£2.50 for 200g) - literally translated as the whim of the gods - is a delicious mild and creamy soft ripened cheese, in a distinct oval shape.

A great addition to any cheese board. Serve with crackers, grapes, figs, chutney or relish.

Nutritional information: 333kcal and 1.4g of salt per 100g.

Available at Tesco, Sainsbury's and Ocado.

Tropicana Sensations Passionfruit Punch (£2.75) is a refreshing drink, full of exotic, tropical flavours.

150ml is one of your 5 a day. It makes a good pairing with food, as it's not too sweet. Not from concentrate. Contains Vitamin C and no added sugar.

Nutritional values: 48kcal and 11g of sugar per 100ml.

Available in all major supermarket chains.

VICI Surimi Royale Chunks (£1.60) are the quality seafood sticks. Munch them on their own, dipped in a sweet chilli sauce, or add, chopped, as an ingredient to seafood salads, or pasta/rice dishes.

They are made with flavoured textured white fish, with added water and starch. Typical values: 87kcal and 1.83g of salt per 100g.

This product is a very good source of protein.

Available in Waitrose and Ocado.

Elsinore Lumpfish Caviar (£2.30) will add a touch of luxury to any festive table.

Decorate the eggs, use as a garnish for a seafood salad, or serve on buttered crostini. The caviar has a distinct salty taste and a subtle pop.

Available at Waitrose, Ocado and Amazon.

The Cold Degustabox costed £13.99, with free shipping. You have to agree, it's an excellent value. 

Have you ever tried Cold Degustabox? What is your favourite product in the last Cold box?

The Silent Child by MJ White

 

"If I could smuggle you inside my head, you'd know I wasn't dumb. You'd hear my thoughts screaming. Because behind the silence everyone sees, I am screaming. I've been screaming for eleven months...

If you were inside my head, you'd know why I don't speak.

Why I can't speak again..."

"There are no words?" Tris frowned. "So she's imprisoning her thoughts as well as her spoken voice?"

"Exactly."

The Silent Child by MJ White is a tense psychological thriller/police procedural. This is the second book in Dr Cora Lael series. You can read it as a standalone, but it might help to understand the unique gift of the main protagonist, and the dynamics of the relationships if you read The Secret Voices first.

Dr Cora Lael is an educational psychologist with a remarkable talent, "an emotional synaesthesia, the ability to sense emotional echoes from discarded objects". This gift has been a curse and blessing at the same time. Cora has learnt to live with her gift, managing it, so that it doesn't overwhelm her everyday life.

When a gruesome discovery is made in an abandoned Suffolk farm, the police believe at first that the murder is related to the territorial drugs war. The victim, however, is identified as a popular local secondary school teacher. This murder does not fit the drugs wars' scenario.

DS Rob Minshull who has worked with Cora Lael on one of the previous cases, wants her exclusive insight into the new case.

At the same time Cora is invited to work with an electively mute fifteen-year-old Lottie. She is not sure how she can help, but her boss insists that Cora sees things which others miss. Standard approaches haven't worked. Lottie has not spoken for eleven months. Her family are at their wits' end, all interviews have so far revealed no reason for trauma. What has triggered this long silence?

"Lottie has received two courses of speech therapy and has been under the care of a consultant neurologist. Neither the speech therapists nor consultant have been able to identify any psychological or neurological reason for her lack of speech. Current conclusion is that she is displaying indicators of Elective Mutism".

Cora agrees to meet Lottie. "Why would a fifteen-year-old refuse to speak? Cora had to admit it was a puzzle that appealed to her".

Cora is intrigued by the case. This is an opportunity for her to explore her own abilities further, push deeper into the voices only she can hear in her head.

"But she had never encountered anything like Lottie Arundel's secret voices before. The complete absence of words, coupled with the magnified physical manifestation of emotion she experienced was unfamiliar territory to navigate".

Along the main investigation, the South Suffolk CID has to deal with a new menace, as a ferocious and pitiless vigilante group begins their own campaign of corrupted "justice". The danger is rapidly progressing in scale. 

While Cora is trying to help Lottie, she realises that her silence could be connected to the main case. Cora and Rob must work together as a team to get to the bottom of the mystery of the silent child, and find the killer before they claim another victim.

"One man's death has opened a Pandora's box of horros that nobody in this tight-knit community can comprehend."

Cora is unlike any other character in the world of psychological thrillers. Her unique abilities give her an extra edge, but also underline her vulnerability. This is the gift which is bordering on special needs, as Cora would never be able to live a "normal" neuro typical life. 

It is interesting to observe how her relationship with Rob is progressing through the series, from distrust and disbelief to acceptance, understanding, mutual respect and a possibility of a romance.

Lottie's character is a very complex one. You feel sad and anguished on her behalf, but also shocked with her actions. Her story is harrowing and distressing. 

Sadly, fiction reflects the real life. There are too many cases when victims' voices are ignored, mocked, silenced, when the allegations of abuse are downplayed, brushed aside and disregarded for a variety of reasons, protecting the perpetrator and enabling them to continue their abusive behaviour.

It is a bleak story, where anger and desire for revenge turn into a dark force.

The Silent Child is a compelling and intriguing read, full of dark secrets, complex characters, and menacing twists and turns. MJ White creates a tense, tight atmosphere which culminates in an unsettling and bleak denouement.

The Silent Child is well-written: the atmospheric setting is the perfect background to the heart-breaking and thought-provoking plotline.

Potential triggers: sadistic murder, child grooming/abuse.

This review is one of the stops on the blog tour for The Silent Child.

Many thanks to MJ White and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!

If you enjoyed this review, you might want to read the review of the first book in the series, The Secret Voices.

Purchase Link - https://amzn.to/3yiWXZT

Author Bio – MJ White is the pseudonym of bestselling author Miranda Dickinson, author of twelve books, including six Sunday Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into ten languages, selling over a million copies worldwide. A long time lover of crime fiction, The Secret Voices is her debut crime series. She is a singer-songwriter, host of weekly Facebook Live show, Fab Night In Chatty Thing..

Social Media Links – 

https://twitter.com/wurdsmyth

https://www.instagram.com/wurdsmyth/

Counterpoint by Michelle Cook

 Counterpoint

It’s 31st October 2041 in England. On her twenty-fifth birthday, Essie Glass still grieves for her family, killed by a terrorist bomb when she was just sixteen. The signs of humanity and climate in decline are everywhere. Roads and communities crumble, floods and fires blight the landscape, and the sea reclaims the islands of the world. Unconcerned, the government tightens its grip on power with brazen propaganda and brutality.

Still, Essie has built a good life with Seth and their four-year-old daughter, Willow. If only she wasn’t haunted by the events of six years ago, when Alex Langford, corrupt businessman-turned-Prime Minister, tried to kill her to conceal his conspiracy to suppress climate-saving technology.

Essie takes solace in her secret plot to build a new prototype. When tricked into revealing the scheme to powerful enemies, she is forced to abandon her cherished family and run for her life. Her flight drives her into the heart of a resistance movement she never knew existed.

Among the chaos, and in mortal danger, will Essie finally find hope for the future?

Counterpoint is the hotly awaited sequel to Tipping Point, a gripping story of political environmental conspiracy.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/counterpoint 

Author Bio – 

Michelle Cook writes thrillers and dystopian fiction. She lives in Worcestershire, UK with her husband and their two young children.

Her first joyful steps into creative writing were at the age of ten, when the teacher read out her short story in class. A slapstick tale of two talking kangaroos breaking out of a zoo, the work was sadly lost to history. Still, Michelle never forgot the buzz of others enjoying her words.

More recently, she has had several flash pieces published, was longlisted for the Cambridge Prize for flash fiction, and placed first in the Writers’ Forum competition with her short story The Truth About Cherry House. Her debut novel, Tipping Point, was a finalist in the 2022 Page Turner Awards.

Counterpoint, the sequel to Tipping Point, is her second novel.

Social Media Links – 

@michellecookwriter