BLOG TOUR: THE BEACH READS BOOK CLUB BY KATHRYN FREEMAN @rararesources

 

The Beach Reads Book Club

Welcome to the Beach Reads Book Club…where love is just a page away…

When Lottie Watt is unceremoniously booted out of her uptight book club for not following the rules, she decides to throw the rulebook out the window and start her own club – one where conversation, gin and cake take precedent over actually having read the book!

The Beach Reads Book Club soon finds a home for its meetings at Books by the Bay, a charming bookshop and café owned by gorgeous, brooding Matthew Steele, and as the book club picks heat up, so too does the attraction between Matt and Lottie.

If there’s anything Lottie has learned from the romances she’s been reading, it’s that the greatest loves are the ones hardest earned.

A love letter to chicklit, romance, romcoms, whatever you want to call them!

A romantic and enjoyable read!!

The Beach Reads Book Club was a whole lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story.

Lottie, bored with the heavy books chosen by her book club decides to start a book club of her own called the Beach Reads Book Club. Upon returning a book at the bookstore by the Bay she is captivated by the book club's new owner Matt who apart from being a mystery is also very handsome. Meanwhile Matt is in the process of starting over, and thought that buying the bookstore will be a good place to start. Lottie with her golden curls has his attention, but is he capable of being happy again. As Matt deals with his past Lottie brings the Beach Reads Book Club to his store this changed everything..

I have always wanted to join a book club and honestly I had so much fun reading about The Beach Reads Book Club. I love the chemistry of the women in the club. Audrey was a hoot.!!! I loved the element of the book club being not like a literature class but as a place where readers can really discuss their love of reading.

I think Matt was an interesting and very relatable character, Ms. Freeman was skilled in her writing of his character because I really understood the impact that his past had on how he approached his relationship with Lottie. Oh and how could I forget the ex boyfriend Henry. His appearance in the book,,,,,

Well you can read it for yourself

I really enjoyed this book and now let me join a book club myself.

Purchase Links

AMAZON UK / AMAZON US

Author Bio – A former pharmacist, I'm now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it's the reaction to a sexy hero. 

With a husband who asks every Valentine's Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

Social Media Links –

Website:  http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kathrynfreeman

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1

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BOOK REVIEW: History of Silence by The Vandi Show

Synopsis:

What does a hard-nosed detective, a flying hooker, naked dwarfs, a screwy ladies' room, and a smart-mouth attorney have in common? Seemingly nothing, but they all come together quite insanely in this sometimes quirky, sometimes tragic, always sexy, disjointed tale of love and betrayal.

Sylus is the detective with a penchant for cracking skulls. Cashmere is the girl-turned-woman from his past destined to bring him to his knees.

He broke her heart once. She'll be damned if she lets him do it again...no matter what that fragile organ tells her.

My thoughts

A book with everything romance, drama, suspense.... A gripping story from beginning to end.

I received this book a while back from the author and just got around to reading it. Let me tell you I could not put it down. From the very start when Cashmere stepped in that precinct as the new district attorney and Sylus couldn't as we say in Trinidad "catch himself." I knew immediately I wanted to know why.

This book in my opinion was about secrets and why secrets could really be dangerous. Like the secret Cashmere's mom Mona kept from her daughters that impacted Cashmere's entire life and her relationships. Sam's, whose secret had fatal implications and of course we cannot forget Sylus. The author did a fantastic job with the storyline making the characters and the story believable and entertaining. 

I absolutely loved the ending,  Sylus' speech I would call it ….

I tell you if you are the emotional type it would bring you to tears.

All in all I loved this story...….

Much thanks to the author for sending me a copy of the book to review. It was truly enjoyable.

Are you interested in purchasing??

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Book Review: Mr. Loverman by Bernadine Evaristo

 

Synopsis

Barrington Jedidiah Walker.

Barry to his friends.

Trouble to his wife.

Seventy-four years old, Antiguan born and bred, flamboyant Hackney personality Barry is known for his dapper taste and fondness for retro suits.

He is a husband, father and grandfather.

And for the past sixty years, he has been in a relationship with his childhood friend and soulmate, Morris.

Wife Carmel knows Barry has been cheating on her, but little does she know what is really going on. When their marriage goes into meltdown, Barrington has big choices to make.

Mr Loverman is a groundbreaking exploration of Britain's older Caribbean community, which explodes cultural myths and fallacies, and shows how deep and far-reaching the consequences of prejudice and fear can be. It is also a warm-hearted, funny and life-affirming story about a character as mischievous, cheeky and downright lovable as any you'll ever meet.

My Thoughts

After reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo I was excited to finally pick this one up. 

Although this one was a decent read I did not love it as I thought I would have. In my opinion this book speaks to the danger of keeping secrets which I personally do not care for. It speaks to a long marriage between two people Barrington and Carmel that should not have lasted as long as it did. 

What I liked about the book was the message that life should not be based on a lie and in spite of the consequences that may occur individuals need to be true to who they are.

Barry was a complicated character. I think that Ms. Evaristo wrote this character well mainly because his attitude towards his marriage to Carmel, and his relationship with Morris throughout the years is how I would picture Caribbean people dealing with this situation. 

I always enjoy reading about the Caribbean diaspora that live abroad , in this case it was Antiguans that migrated to the UK. Aspects of the culture was well represented in the book and that was appreciated. 

I became angry with Barrington's family in this story because I think deep down they all knew the truth, (I don't know somehow I got that nagging feeling) but is like they didn't not want to face the truth. I felt so much emotion for Carmel and even Morris, is like everyone even Barry's children was just going through the motions waiting for the ball to drop.

The ending though!!! What a surprise!!! In all this is a well written story full of themes and drama and comedy too. While I didn't LOVE it. It was a decent read.

Blog Tour: The Orchard Girls by Nikola Scott

The Orchard Girls

London, 2004. Frankie didn't always have it easy. Growing up motherless, she was raised by her grandmother, who loved her – and betrayed her. For years, the rift between them seemed irreparable. But when their paths suddenly cross again, Frankie is shocked to realise that her grandmother is slowly losing control of her memory. There is a darkness in her past that won't stay buried – secrets going back to wartime that may have a devastating effect on Frankie's own life.

Somerset, 1940. When seventeen-year-old Violet's life is ripped apart by the London Blitz, she runs away to join the Women's Land Army, wanting nothing more than to leave her grief behind. But as well as the terror of enemy air raids, the land girls at Winterbourne Orchards face a powerful enemy closer to home. One terrible night, their courage will be put to the test – and the truth of what happened must be kept hidden, forever . . .

My Thoughts

   I love books that take me on a journey to the past. Especially a past that I had little knowledge about and this book did that for me. I really enjoyed this story. I especially loved the switching between the time periods and learning about Violet's past I do not think every author has that ability to do that skillfully enough to make a story interesting so this aspect for me was good. Frankie was a very interesting I think readers will connect with her personality on many levels. This is the type of story that should play out on the screen as a movie or a TV series. Fans of Historical Fiction would be thrilled with the detail of the time period. I am certainly appreciative of the learning that I gained with this story that I now have a renewed interest in learning more about life during the war years. 

All in all a great story, A must read.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

Author Bio –

Nikola Scott started out in book publishing and worked as a crime fiction editor in America and England for many years. Turning her back on blood-spattered paperback covers and dead bodies found in woods, she sat down at her kitchen table one day to start her first novel — and hasn’t stopped writing since. Obsessed with history and family stories (‘How exactly did you feel when your parents gave the house to your brother?’) she is well-known – and feared – for digging up dark secrets at dinner parties and turning them into novels. 

 

Her first two books, My Mother's Shadow and Summer of Secrets, have both been international bestsellers and were translated widely around the world. Nikola lives in Frankfurt with her husband and two boys (and a kitchen table). 

Once a month, Nikola sends out a popular newsletter about writing, reading, book news, freebies and loads of therapeutic baking. Join in here if you’d love to be a part of it all: bit.ly/NikolaScottNews

For more info on Nikola, visit her website at www.nikolascott.com  

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/NikolaScottAuthor/

https://twitter.com/nikola_scott

https://www.instagram.com/nikolascottauthor/

 https://www.pinterest.de/nikolascott/pins/

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Audio Book Review : The Man I Married by Elena Wilkes

 

THE MAN I MARRIED by ELENA WILKES

You love him. You’ll do anything for him. But do you really know him?

This is the story of Lucy and Paul.

They met. They fell deeply in love. They got married.

Lucy thought that she had everything she wanted.

Until she found the photograph from Paul's past life, read the text messages he's so desperately trying to hide. Until she uncovered Paul’s darkest secrets.

Now Lucy realizes she doesn’t really know her husband. She doesn’t know if she can trust her own mind. She doesn’t know the lengths Paul would go to keep his perfect life.

And worst of all, she doesn’t know that she’s in danger...

A gripping, dark psychological thriller with an absolutely nail-biting ending that will keep you hooked - the perfect read for fans of Behind Closed Doors, Mark Edwards, and Lisa Jewell.

MY THOUGHTS 

While listening to this book I kept thinking about women in general and the choices that we make sometimes when it comes to love relationships . 

Here was Lucy, at a stage in her life where she was looking at having a happy life and of course this is what drew her to the handsome Doctor Paul Webb. But was this handsome man too good to be true?

Paul's character was well written because I was able to picture him as that perfect person from the beginning.

I think Lucy became really blinded by love or infatuation perhaps that she was unable to trust her instincts about him and like most people in love she was in denial.

Towards the middle to the end of the book I thought her friend Emma did not really stand up for her as I would have expected but then again that was part of Paul's manipulation. The ending of the book was a bit shocking to me as well I really did not expect that outcome. I will have to ponder on that for a few days. The audiobook was very well narrated, very easy to understand and very entertaining as well. I enjoyed this book very much.

Book Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

Blurb:

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place. 

My thoughts
5⭐

"Every life contains millions of decisions. Some big, some small. But every time one decision is taken over another, the outcomes differ, An irreversible  variation occurs which in turn leads to further variations. These books are portals to all the lives you could be living."

Simple put. I loved everything about this book 

This story had so much depth and meaning and will go down as the best book I have read in 2021 so far.

The story follows Nora Seed a young woman in her thirties who feels as if she has made all the wrong choices and let not only herself but everyone in her life down. having been a champion swimmer she let her father down by not pursuing it to the Olympics. She let her brother down by not continuing with their band and this has strained their relationship. After loosing her job, Nora thinks that she has nothing else to live for this is when she enters the midnight library. In this library each book opens to a world that she has wanted to live.

Will she find true happiness in the end??

In life very often we regret decisions we have made. I myself often wonder about certain paths that I have chosen especially in career, marriage. This story reminded me that the life we live now may not have been our first choice in how we wanted to live, but it is the life we are supposed to live.

I would highly recommend this book, I read it as an eBook but I will buy a physical copy for my collection

SPOTLIGHT: The Island by Mary Grand

Today on the blog I would like to spotlight a book that I am excited about reading, The Island by Mary Grand. 

 

The Island

The Island - where everyone knows everyone, and secrets are impossible to keep...

‘Be careful, you don’t know them as well as you think. Remember - anyone can kill.’

Juliet has returned to the Isle of Wight from years abroad to visit her sick father and to be reunited with her three sisters – Cassie, a professional musician who seems to have lost her way in life, Mira, who is profoundly deaf, is married to the local vicar but their relationship is falling apart, and Rosalind, glamorous and charming but now deeply unhappy and secretive about her life. 

As Juliet’s father lies dying, he issues her with a warning. There is a killer on the loose, and they may be closer than she can ever imagine. He anxiously tells Juliet that he confided a family secret in son-in-law Rhys, and now regrets ever saying a word.

Days later, as the clock strikes one in the morning, a man comes out of Rhys’s church, walks along the path and is run down by a car driven by an unidentified person. When the finger of suspicion points to Juliet, she realises the only way to clear her name is to uncover the secrets her family has been keeping from her for years. But with a killer on the loose, danger is getting closer all the time…

The Island  is set on the Isle of Wight - insular,  claustrophobic, and where secrets are hard to keep. Mary Grand's heart-stopping who-dunnits are perfect for fans of Louise Candlish. Agatha Christie and Lucy Foley.

Sounds Interesting???

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

Author Bio:

Mary Grand is the author of five novels and writes gripping, page-turning suspense, with a dark and often murderous underside. She grew up in Wales, was for many years a teacher of deaf children and now lives on the Isle of Wight where her new novel, The House Party, which was published by Boldwood in August 2020, is set.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarygrand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authormaryg

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

Newsletter Sign Up Link: https://bit.ly/MaryGrandNewsletter

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-grand

 

BLOG TOUR: BETWEEN YOU AND ME by CAROL MASON @rararesources

 

Between You and Me
Is her new husband really who she thinks he is?

When young doctor Lauren Matheson meets Joe, an older divorced businessman, at a glittering poolside in California, it’s a chance encounter that seems life-changing for them both. Back home in London, their feelings only strengthen. But Lauren soon discovers that building a happy future with Joe is going to be an uphill struggle…

She’s determined to be a good stepmother to his children, four-year-old Toby and complicated teen Grace. But under the watchful eye of Meredith, Joe’s intimidating ex-wife, Lauren can’t seem to do a thing right. Why won’t Joe ever take her side against Grace? And what really happened between him and Meredith?

As her husband retreats into a cold, secretive version of the dashing man she met in California, Lauren starts to wonder if she’s made a costly mistake. Was Joe ever the man she thought she married?

 

My thoughts

This novel is definitely a page turner. 

I do not know why but Lauren has a world of patience indeed. I think this story was a very important one because like Lauren many women find themselves in similar situations being second wives and having to deal with step children like Grace and Toby. 

Grace was definitely a believable step daughter character, so disrespectful. But I enjoyed for an odd reason reading about Joe. From the very beginning I thought that there was something a bit odd about him, how he approached Lauren at the hotel and the chain of events into their marriage. 

The ex wife Meredith as well was also quite interesting. This book would make for a nice TV series I think is almost as if I could picture the actors in my head....Lol I am getting a bit carried away here. I would recommend this book, because it was well written , interesting and enjoyable. 

Click below to purchase 

AMAZON LINK

Author Bio –  Carol Mason is the Amazon Charts and Kindle #1 bestselling author After You Left (more than 300,000 copies sold), The Secrets of Married Women, The Last Time We Met, The Shadow Between Us, Send Me A Lover and Little White Secrets which hit the Bookstat digital bestsellers list top 3 in the week of its launch. She was born in the North East of England where most of her novels are set. She now lives in Canada with her Canadian husband, a rescue dog from Kuwait and a three-legged cat. When not writing, Carol loves to read, cook and binge watch Netflix.

 

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/CarolMasonAuthor

https://twitter.com/CarolMasonBooks

https://www.instagram.com/carolmasonauthor/

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The Darlings by Angela Jackson #TheDarlings @AngelaJ @EyeAndLightning @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

 

Book Blurb:

THE DARING NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE EMERGENCE OF JUDY TAYLOR

 When Mark Darling is fifteen years old, he is the golden boy, captain of the school football team, admired by all who know him. Until he kills his best friend in a freak accident.

 He spends the next decade drifting between the therapy couch and dead-end pursuits. Then along comes Sadie. A mender by nature, she tries her best to fix him, and has enough energy to carry them both through the next few years.

 One evening, Mark bumps into an old schoolfriend, Ruby. She saw the accident first hand. He is pulled towards her by a force stronger than logic: the universal need to reconcile one’s childhood wounds. This is his chance to, once again, feel the enveloping warmth of unconditional love. But can he leave behind the woman who rescued him from the pit of despair, the wife he loves? His unborn child?

 This is a story about how childhood experience can profoundly impact how we behave as adults. It’s a story about betrayal, infidelity and how we often blinker ourselves to see a version of the truth that is more palatable to us.

 

My thoughts 

The Darlings by Angela Jackson took me on a very interesting journey while reading. I was drawn to the complexity of Mark's character. I felt that the accidental killing that he experienced in his young life really impacted every aspect of his life into adulthood in every possible way. 

Mark, being haunted by this event creates a somewhat content life with his wife Sadie who after years of trying is finally pregnant, however there is a void in Mark's heart that remains unfulfilled. I love how from the very beginning he asks himself whether he will be a good father or not. That part really stayed with me.

But Ruby's entrance in the story changed everything. Oh yes, this blast from the past Ruby, was a witness to that freak life altering accident. This chance encounter really impacted Mark's life in more ways than you can imagine.....

The writing in this novel was superb to say the least. It is my first time reading Angela Jackson and it would not be my last.  I truly enjoyed this novel mainly because it was so well written. The story line was good and the cast of characters really drew you in. 

When reading The Darlings you will feel every emotion sadness, regret and even joy and a bit of humor. 

A very nice and INTERESTING book.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3cpZ7gk

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3v3OgiD

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3v409Vw

Hive.co.uk: https://bit.ly/34ZEaVq

 

About Angela Jackson:

Angela Jackson is a former psychology lecturer and teacher trainer. Her debut novel The Emergence of Judy Taylor won the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award and was Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year. 

 

The Darlings is her second novel. 

 

Originally from the north of England, she now lives with her family in Edinburgh.

 

 

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelaJ

Website: http://www.angela-jackson.com/

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

 

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BOOK BLITZ: THE PERFECT MURDER by KAT MARTIN

 

The Perfect Murder
Kat Martin
(Maximum Security, #4)
Publication date: June 22nd 2021
Genres: Adult, Thriller

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is back with her most thrilling novel yet in the Maximum Security series—The Perfect Murder. Fans of Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and Julie Garwood will fall in love with The Max.

The eldest of the three wealthy Garrett brothers, Reese Garrett is in the middle of a major purchase for his multimillion-dollar oil and gas company, Garrett Resources. The Poseidon offshore drilling platform venture will greatly enhance the company’s value.

But when Reese is on a trip out to see the rig, his helicopter crashes, leaving him hospitalized and two men dead. It’s discovered the chopper was sabotaged, and Reese is determined to find out who’s behind the crash—and whether he was the intended target. Then, when his lover, Kenzie, is accused of her ex-husband’s murder—a man with a vested interest in the Poseidon deal—clues start pointing to a connection that puts Reese, Kenzie and her young son in the sights of a killer.

From the Texas heat to the Louisiana bayous, Reese and his brothers must track down the truth before the body count gets any higher.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

—

EXCERPT:

“I’ve got a few things I need to add to my schedule,” he said. “Derek Stiles called yesterday. Looks like we’re having more problems with the rig.”

“You’ll get them sorted.” She flashed him a smile. “You always do.”

But there was one thing he was having more and more trouble handling and it was standing right in front of him.
Reese clenched his jaw and went to work.

He was sitting at his desk two hours later when his intercom buzzed.

“It’s Frank Milburn,” Kenzie said. “He has news about the crash.”

Milburn was in charge of the NTSB investigation. “Put him through.” Reese pressed the speaker button and settled back in his chair.

“I know you’ve been anxious to hear from us,” Frank said, a small man with close-cropped brown hair. “I wish we could have completed the investigation sooner, but these things take time.”

“I’m aware. So what have you found out?”

“The last of the reports came in. We’d been waiting for some metal structural tests. Combined with the rest of the information we’ve assembled, the reports revealed what we had recently begun to suspect but until today weren’t able to confirm.”

“Go on.”

“Sometime before the flight took off the morning of the crash, someone tampered with the engine. A piece of metal in one of the gears was filed just enough to cause it to grind itself to pieces. The flight control mechanism disconnected, rendering the helo uncontrollable. To put it in layman’s terms, the helicopter was sabotaged.”

Tension tightened Reese’s shoulders. He didn’t ask Milburn if he was sure. The NTSB team had been investigating the crash for weeks. Two men were dead. The authorities had to be extremely thorough. The question now was who had done it? And why?

“Have you found out who’s responsible?” Reese asked.

“Unfortunately, not yet. As we’ve known from the start and you were informed, pilot error contributed heavily to the event. There should have been room for the chopper to safely auto-rotate down, but the pilot misjudged his position. He came in too close to the building, one of blades clipped the corner, and the helicopter was torn apart.”

“So what, exactly, do you know?”

“As of today, we know a criminal act was committed that ended up causing the deaths of two men. As of this morning, the FBI will be taking over the investigation. They’ll be actively pursuing whoever is responsible for the crime, now a double murder.”

Murder. The news sent a chill down Reese’s spine. He leaned over his desk, shut off the speaker, and picked up the phone. “Whatever you find out, I’ll expect you to keep me in the loop.”

“I’ll do my best,” Milburn said. “It’ll be more difficult once the gears of the FBI begin to turn.”

He understood how a federal agency worked. Lots of interlocking pieces and parts that inevitably slowed things down. The call ended, but Reese had no intention of leaving the matter in the hands of some governmental bureaucracy, not even the FBI. The feds would have to start over, look at the crash from an entirely different angle. It could take weeks, even months.

Two men were dead and he could have been the third. He thought of the accidents that had been plaguing the Poseidon. The helo crash hadn’t been accidental. The chopper was meant to go down.

Was it possible he had been the target?

Author Bio:

Currently living outside Missoula, Montana, Kat Martin is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventy-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. Before she started writing, Kat was a real estate broker. During that time, she met her husband, L. J. Martin, an author of Westerns and high-action Thrillers. Kat is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. She spends her winters in Arizona.

"I love to travel and especially like visiting the places where my books are set," Kat says. "I love history and enjoy spending time in museums and art galleries. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and historical houses. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."

To date, Kat has over seventeen million copies of her books in print. She is published in more than two dozen foreign countries, including Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, China, Korea, Bulgaria, Russia, England, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Japan and Greece.

Kat is currently writing her next Romantic thriller.

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Blog Tour: The Five Things by Beth Merwood @rararesources

 

The Five Things

For nine-year-old Wendy, the summer of 1969 will never be forgotten.

                Local kids have always told stories about the eerie wood on the outskirts of the village, and Wendy knows for sure that some of them are true. Now the school holidays have started and she's going to the wood again with Anna and Sam, but they soon become convinced that someone is trying to frighten them off.

                When a terrible event rocks the coastal community, the young friends can't help thinking there must be a connection between the incident, the tales they’ve heard, and the strange happenings they’ve begun to witness. As glimpses of a darker world threaten their carefree existence, they feel compelled to search out the underlying truth.

 

Below is a sneak peek for your enjoyment.

Rural England, 1969. Wendy and Sam are on the beach. Sam’s Grandad has given them bread to throw to the gulls, and they begin to discuss their young friend Tommy and how he’s been taken up with stories about the dead birds they’ve seen in the local wood. Stories are circulating about the wood and the old farmer, Bridges, who’s owns the land.

 

            We took the bread and walked farther on round. The gulls were crying. Sometimes they sounded as if they were laughing, and sometimes they sounded as if they were crying; sometimes they sounded like cats meowing. They soon found us. We waited until a gull flew quite close and threw a piece of bread up toward it. We were up on the wall, and the birds were a few yards away, flying low over the sea, landing and floating, flying off again. After a couple of throws, one gull caught on and swooped to get the food. Within minutes, we had attracted a large flock that could expertly pluck the pieces out of the air.”

                You know Tommy is always talking about the birds in the wood,” Sam said.         

                “I know, and I told you he dressed up as a bird at that fancy dress party I went to.”

                “Do you know what he said to me?” Sam threw another piece of bread. “He said the birds were strung through the heart. I was sort of surprised when he said it like that. He never saw them, did he?”       

                “No, I’m sure he didn’t,” I said. “He’s just heard people talking about it.”

                “Do you really think Bridges put them there?”

                “He must have done.”

                Then we talked about Bridges. He was always known as Bridges, and nothing else. I’d only ever seen him from a distance. He was stout and wore the same old long coat no matter what. If we spotted him in the fields, we didn’t go in. I’d never come across him at the shops or walking through the village. Sam said he was supposed to go to the inn sometimes, but we didn’t know if that was true.

                “Do you think it was him that scared Judy and Susan?” Sam questioned.

                “I expect so,” I said.

                “Is he old?” Sam asked.

                “I think so,” I said.

                “Is there a Mrs. Bridges?” he asked.

                “I don’t think so. He lives on his own.”

                “Do you think he killed the birds, or were they dead already?”

                “I don’t know,” I said. “But why would they be dead already?”

 

 Enjoy it???

Click below to purchase 

                                                               AMAZON UK /  AMAZON US

Author Bio – Beth Merwood is from the south of England. The Five Things is her debut novel.

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