Murder in Venice by T.A. Williams

 

"Not for the first time, I felt a twinge of foreboding. Hopefully, tonight's murder mystery wouldn't turn out to be a disaster - or worse".

"What is it about you, Dan? Everywhere you go, murder seems to follow you. So who's the murderer this time? Don't tell me you haven't solved the case by now?"

After reading several bleak and dark Icelandic Noir books and some slightly tedious non-fiction, I fancied something lighter and more entertaining to read. 

Murder in Venice by T.A. Williams is just what I needed. 

A brand new instalment in the irresistible Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery series, it is great fun. This page-turning series features a retired DCI Dan Armstrong and his loyal companion, labrador Oscar.

Private investigator Dan Armstrong can't believe his luck when he's been invited to the luxury villa of Alice Graceland, a British superstar of the cinema, now residing in Venice of all places.

A movie legend and queen of the silver screen's invitation makes Dan a tad loopy, as he tries to imagine the true reasons of meeting Alice. Could it be his big break, a chance of schmoozing with the Hollywood legends and maybe even pitching his own murder mystery series?

"Alice Graceland is a big, huge star, just about as big as it gets, cinema and TV royalty, maybe even bigger than Selena. If she wants to see me, might this mean she's read my books? Could this be the start of something amazing?"

Dan is already imagining red carpets and a golden Oscar, in the meantime his own Oscar is always by his side, with a cheeky grin and big appetite.

"Was this the start of something big? I did my best to temper my expectations, but I was in a state of considerable anticipation by the time I got to Venice".

Once Dan arrives at Alice's residence, things start to look far from magical. Alice has no inclination to promote Dan's ambitions, she wants him to play host at the murder mystery evening with a glamorous collection of Hollywood royalty. Talk about a letdown.

As Alice explains, "I give my guests a good dinner and in the course of it, I present them with murder - naturally, a fictitious murder - and they have to sniff out the culprit or culprits". 

Alice has written the script for the murder mystery herself and plans "on showing some of these big-noise directors and producers, not only that I'm the best actor they've ever worked with, but that I can do their own jobs better than they can, too". The hostess clearly doesn't lack in self-assurance. False modesty is not for the likes of her.

Champagne, candelight, flamboyant costumes aplenty, it does not appear to be a meeting of old chums. It is quite the opposite, as a wave of grudges seems to engulf the event. 

When the murder mystery evening takes a sinister turn, it's Dan and Oscar who find themseleves submerged in the murky waters of the Venetian canals.

The atmospheric setting, mouth-watering descriptions of food, an endearing side kick, all these elements turn this story into another success. 

Murder in Venice is an unputdownable murder mystery, witty and delightful.

Many thanks to T.A. Williams and Netgalley for my free e-copy of the book!

Author Bio –

T. A. Williams is the bestselling author of the Armstrong and Oscar cozy mystery series. Trevor studied languages at University and lived and worked in Italy for eight years, returning to England with his wife in 1972. Trevor and his wife now live in Devon.

 

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: @TrevorWilliamsBooks

Twitter: @TAWilliamsBooks

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/TAWilliamsNews

Bookbub profile: @trevorwilliams3

Echoes of the Past by Evelyn Hood

 

"Bethany was happiest, on board the Fidelty. Like her father and her elder brother she was a child of the sea, treating it with respect but without fear."

Echoes of the Past by Evelyn Hood is a compelling generational saga set in Scotland in 1912.

Echoes of the Past

Can a family thrive after the death of a domineering patriarch?

Buckie, Scotland 1912

One year after Weem Lowrie's death, his wife Jess and children are still living in his shadow, bount by the strict decisions he imposed when he was alive.

Eldest son James and his sister Bethany are trapped in marriages arranged to bolster the value of the family's fishing business. Youngest son, Innes, struggles with the memory of his father's disapproval over his failure to become a fisherman.

James longs to take over as skipper of the family fishing boat, The Fidelity, rather than working for his uncle. Bethany dreams of escaping from her role as a wife and stepmother to two young children and Innes longs for acceptance and respect from his siblings and to be seen as a man. But pursuing these aims only seems to invite new conflict into their lives.

And when Jess's childhood sweetheart returns to Buckie, his attempts to help the family using his wealth and influence seem destined to cause even more chaos.

Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer.

Previously published as The Shimmer of the Herring.

The Lowrie family has lived in Buckie for generations. It's a hard way of making a living. Fishing is a men's job, and women are discouraged to even dream about being at sea. 

Bethany longs to sail, however, women are considered to bring bad luck at sea. She is strong, efficient and smart, but it's her older brother James who inherits the family business after their father's passing.

Weem Lowry died a year earlier, and even now his demise hasn't changed the tyrannical decisions he has imposed on his family.

His gravestone carries an inscription, "William James Lowrie, fisherman of the parish Buckie, born 1870, died 21 July, beloved husband of Jess Innes and father of James, Bethany and Innes."

Yet this beloved father ruled his family as a dictatorship. He has forced both of his older children into unwanted relationships because the newly-forged connections propelled him closer to his dream of owning a steam boat. 

Bethany resents being married to a man she doesn't love, and looking after his two small children. She yearns freedom, and cannot forgive her father, who she loved deeply as a child.

"She would have to relinquish something - either the deep love she'd had for the man from her earliest days, or the bitter rage born of knowing that he had used her love and trust to further his own interests, trapping her in the process with a man who meant nothing to her... she must resign herserlf to becoming what Weem had made of her: a wife and mother with no other identity. And she could not do that." 

Weem's decision feels like a betrayal. 

James has a certain degree of freedom, as he does a job he loves. Yet he wants more. He doesn't like to work for his uncle, whose decisions are constrictive.  

"Like his father and sister, James loved the sea more than anything else. He loved its contrary moods - the worst of them as well as the best."

James feels tied to a wife in an unloving relationship. Poor Stella adores him, and he treats her with indifference and even scorn. She seems a failure in his eyes, as she gives birth to three daughters. 

And there is the younger son, Innes, scarred by the contempt and derision bestown on him by his own father, because Innes chooses to work on land rather than become a fisherman. In Weem's eyes, this is an unpardonable sin.

Weem's oppressive legacy keeps hurting his children even after his death. His meek wife Jess hasn't dared to oppose his decisions. The only time she has revolted was to protect her youngest, "she had made sure that Weem - who had loved his children so deeply when they were small, and had used them with such a lack of understanding once they reached adulthood - had not managed to destroy Innes the way he'd destroyed James and Bethany."

Jess can see the difference between her children, their strength and weaknesses.

"Innes had been a loving and giving soul from the moment of his birth, whereas James and Bethany had both shrugged off embraces from an early age."

Will Bethany, James and Innes be ever free from the brutal bonds foisted by their father?

The society of the fishing village is based on patriarachal rules of obeying your parents. The parochial mindset is suffocating, with its petty squabbles and watching your neighbours with a critical eye.  

Life by the sea is portrayed unflinchingly. The back-breaking work of women is described with sympathy and compassion. Once men bring in the fish, women are waiting on the shore to start gutting, salting and packing in barrels. Their lives are hard, but there is dignity and pride in what they are doing.

The background of the fishing village is well-researched and authentic.

I wasn't sure about one of the spicy plotlines, as it didn't feel convincing.

Echoes of the Past is an unsentimental portrayal of the past, a finely crafted tale of tragedy and deception, loss and forbidden love.

Potential triggers: incest.

Purchase Link -

https://mybook.to/EchoesofthePastBook

Author Bio –

The Sunday Times bestselling author of 28 published novels, Evelyn Hood had a variety of jobs, including being a journalist and a poultry farmer. She was a full time writer, best known for her family sagas, set mainly in her home town of Paisley (Renfrewshire) and on the Clyde coast, where she also lived.

 

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16YScQLN3J/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram: @evelynhood52author

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evelyn-hood

Degustabox November Box

 

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.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in November Box Degustabox?

Leon Brazilian Style Black Beans (£2.50) is a microwave meal, inspired by Leon restaurant menu. This tasty dish is made with cooked black beans, carrots, onion, tomato, celery, chipotle seasoning paste and smoked paprika.

Serve with coconut yogurt and spring onions, red chilli and a sprinkle of parsley for a well balanced meal, full of flavour.

Nutritional information:82kcal and 0.6g of salt per 100g; vegan; source of fibre; no artificial ingredients.

Avaiable in Sainsbury's.

Noisy Snacks Chip Shop Curry Coated Chickpeas (£1.50) are crunchy roasted and coated chickpeas, packed with protein and full of fibre. 

These tasty little snacks are made from all natural ingredients.

Nutritional information: 96kcal and 3.2g of sugar per 25g.

Available in Tesco Express.

Silver Spoon Zesty Lemon Flavoured Icing Sugar (£1.80) will come super handy during this festive season, for all the tasty bakes. Think mince pies, lemon drizzle cake, apple turnovers, etc.

Made with all natural ingredients, you simply add butter or water (or even lemon juice, for a more prominent citrus flavour) to create a smooth, ready to use icing.

Available in Tesco and ASDA.

One Living Brain Health Shot/or Beauty Health Shot (£2) is a soft drink, offering health benefits.

You should receive 1 item in your box. We got Brain Health Shot Cherry Apple, a cherry apple shot with vitamins, minerals, chicory root fibre and water kefir, which helps with better mental performance and less fatigue.

Typical values per 100ml: 31kcal and 5.6g of sugar (one small bottle is 100ml); 20+ super ingredients; your daily dose; vitamins B1, B6, B12.

Flavour-wise, you get a sweet and sour note of cherries balanced with the tart flavour of crisp apples. 

Beauty Shot/Real Radiance is a shot of blueberry, pomegranate, hibiscus, with added biotin, vitamin E, zinc, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid to support healthy hair, skin, nails and cell protection.

Available in Tesco Back of Store with the soft drinks.

Hilltop Blossom Honey (£1.85) is an award-winning honey, amber in colour. It is sweet and has a mild floral scent. 

Lovely to drizzle over hot crumpets or pancakes, added to porridge or tea. The honey has so many culinary uses, from marinades and salad dressing, to bakes of all kinds.

It has a lovely taste, though I prefer to buy honey of single origin, rather than a blend of more than one countries' honeys, as sadly it loses a lot of its health qualities when mixed with different honeys. It is still good for eating and cooking.

Nutritional values: 307kcal and 76g of sugar per 100g.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Maggi Air Fryer Crispy Southern and Air Fryer Crispy Korean BBQ (£0.99 each) are blends of herbs and spices.

We must be one of a few households who didn't get an air fryer when it has become trendy, and if you don't have one either, don't worry. These blends could be used for cooking in the oven, pan or grill too. Check out www.maggi.co.uk for more information.

You should receive two items in your box. 

Maggi Air Fryer Crispy Coating Southern Style is a mix of breadcrumbs, sunflower oil, dried onion, white egg powder, dried spices, salt etc.

Simply add chicken fillets, sprinkle with seasoned crumbs and cook.

Nutritional values: 218kcal and 0.59g of salt per serving.

Maggi Air Fryer Crispy Coating Korean BBQ Style is a mix of breacrumbs, sunflower oil, dried spices, sugar, dried garlic, dried onion, etc. Also suggested to use with chicken fillets.

Nutritional values: 220kcal and 2.3g of sugar per serving.

Available in major supermarkets and discounter chains.

Waterdrop Microdrink Berry (£7.99) will encourage you to drink more water, adding a full-bodied flavour of blackberry and bluebbery, with a touch of sweetness from apple. This product is made in Germany.

Refreshingly fruity drink, it could be added straight to bottles, allowing cubes to dissolve. My younger son has been enjoying this drink, taking the bottles with him to school.

This is tasty hydration, made easy. Contains zero sugar. Vegan.

Nutritional values: 5kcal and 0g sugar per 500ml.

Available in the major supermarket chains and online at en.waterdrop.com

Poppets Chewy Toffee 39g (£0.60 each) are milk chocolate coated toffees. Quite a retro candy, but with a modern makeover, as you  can spot characters from Wicked on the box.

Soft and chewy toffee in milk chocolate coating, these are lovely treats to share in the cinema or while watching your favourite show on TV.

Nutritional values: 474kcal and 58g of sugar per 100g (one box is 39g).

Available in Morrisons, B&M, Home Bargains, Farmfoods and The Range.

You should receive 2 items in your box.

For Goodness Shakes GLOW Collage Protein Shake Iced Latte and White Chocolate (£2.50 each) are new shakes, packed with protein, calcium and collagen, helping to support healthy skin, hair and nails.

They are lactose free, fat free, contain no added sugar and are only 150kcal. 

Available in two flavours - Iced Latte and White Chocolate. What a way to give yourself a protein and collagen boost!

Available in Sainsbury's, Tesco and online at forgoodnessshakes.com.

You should receive 2 items in your box.

Degustabox Plus subscribers will also have an extra product in their box - CasaFolino Dark Chocolate and Orange Spreadable Cream (£6.99), which sounds lovely.

If you've ordered Degustabox Advent calendar, I bet you're enjoying the contents as much as we do.