Tag: No Exit Press

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A Deadly Divide by Ausma Zehanet Khan – Blog Tour Review.

About The Book

IN A TOWN FULL OF SECRETS, WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

In the aftermath of a mass shooting in a mosque, small town tensions run high. Clashes between the Muslim community and a local faction of radical white nationalists are escalating, but who would have motive and opportunity to commit such a devastating act of violence?

Detectives Esa Khattak and Rachel Getty from Canada’s Community Policing Unit are assigned to this high-profile case and tasked to ensure the extremely volatile situation doesn’t worsen. But when leaked CCTV footage exposes a shocking piece of evidence, both sides of the divide are enraged.

As Khattak and Getty work through a mounting list of suspects, they realise there’s far more going on in this small town than anyone first thought…

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. I don’t think that I will be the only reader who finds books that concern hate crime difficult to read. What this author does so well is make it so real without baffling the reader with the politics, which is something I have struggled with in books by other authors. It is evident that a lot of research has taken place, it’s not propaganda or make believe. This is something you see too often in the media, in many, if not all parts of the world. 

The case itself is only a small part of the novel. There is the trouble brewing on campus, the radio shows, the online chat where I spent a lot of time trying to see the true identity behind their usernames. There is the attitudes of the politicians and the police, many of who could do with some lessons on how to deal with other faiths. 

But there are also the characters, both returning and new. The ones I was routing for, the ones who I was hesitant to form an opinion on and the ones I detested as soon as they made an appearance. I won’t say who these are, if you read this book you will find them soon enough. I really hope I never meet anybody similar to at least one of them!

This is a wonderful series, a different country to my own but sadly some of the views are similar. It is an educational but also intriguing crime series with likeable lead characters who deserve an easier life. I’m looking forward to what happens next.

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The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby – Review.

A few months ago I took part in the blog tour for this book. I am re-sharing my review today because until the 10th November the kindle edition is only 99p. Too good to miss.

About The Book

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 HWA DEBUT CROWN

To believe in her future, she must uncover her past…

Birmingham, 1885.

Born in a gaol and raised in a workhouse, Cora Burns has always struggled to control the violence inside her.

Haunted by memories of a terrible crime, she seeks a new life working as a servant in the house of scientist Thomas Jerwood. Here, Cora befriends a young girl, Violet, who seems to be the subject of a living experiment. But is Jerwood also secretly studying Cora…?

With the power and intrigue of Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions and Sarah Schmidt’s See What I Have Done, Carolyn Kirby’s stunning debut takes the reader on a heart-breaking journey through Victorian Birmingham and questions where we first learn violence: from our scars or from our hearts.

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. I have read a lot of historical fiction but I don’t think I’ve ever read one where the lead character affected me quite like Cora did. She was a character who I wasn’t sure about at the beginning, I had a combination of dislike and fear but gradually that changed and I wanted her to be accepted, find happiness and some answers and I adored her.

She was a character who despite her very hard life thought of others. Her loyalty to a few of the characters in this novel wouldn’t have been entertained by many in her situation. One of them, much older than the other was somebody whose life story I would have loved to know.

It’s not only the characters, it’s also the setting. I had no idea there was a bullring in Birmingham in the 1880s. I googled it whilst reading and was very surprised by the results. It felt different to read an English historical novel that wasn’t set in and around London and given more time I would like to know which, if any of the other locations were real. 

The more scientific sides of the novel were also interesting, how people who were mentally ill were treated and that there were some who worked in the profession who were more understanding than others. How experiments were carried out to try and find answers to human behaviour, regardless of whether their methods were immoral. The photography storyline was another that I spent time looking at. Composite photography was something that I had heard of but didn’t know much about.

Thank you Carolyn Kirby to opening my eyes to a lot of things, this book was a reminder that you can learn a lot by reading. 

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No Place Of Refuge by Ausma Zehanat Khan – Giveaway..

About The Book

Amid a global crisis, one woman searches for justice…

The Syrian refugee crisis just became personal for Inspector Esa Khattak and Sergeant Rachel Getty.

NGO worker Audrey Clare, sister of Khattak’s childhood friend, is missing.

In her wake, a French Interpol Agent and a young Syrian man are found dead at the Greek refugee camp where she worked.

Khattak and Getty travel to Greece to trace Audrey’s last movements in a desperate attempt to find her. In doing so, they learn that her work in Greece had strayed well beyond the remit of her NGO…

Had Audrey been on the edge of exposing a dangerous secret at the heart of the refugee crisis – one that ultimately put a target on her own back?

Giveaway

Today I am thrilled that I can offer a giveaway. The Khattak and Getty series is a favourite of mine and this book is one I am eager to read. All you have to do to win a copy is either share this post or RT my pinned tweet and I will draw a winner using a random number generator at 5pm on Tuesday 17th September. I will pass on the winner details to the publisher, no information will be kept by myself.

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The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby – Blog Tour Review.

About The Book

Birmingham, 1885.

Born in a gaol and raised in a workhouse, Cora Burns has always struggled to control the violence inside her.

Haunted by memories of a terrible crime, she seeks a new life working as a servant in the house of scientist Thomas Jerwood. Here, Cora befriends a young girl, Violet, who seems to be the subject of a living experiment. But is Jerwood also secretly studying Cora…?

With the power and intrigue of Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions and Sarah Schmidt’s See What I Have Done, Carolyn Kirby’s stunning debut takes the reader on a heart-breaking journey through Victorian Birmingham and questions where we first learn violence: from our scars or from our hearts.

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. I have read a lot of historical fiction but I don’t think I’ve ever read one where the lead character affected me quite like Cora did. She was a character who I wasn’t sure about at the beginning, I had a combination of dislike and fear but gradually that changed and I wanted her to be accepted, find happiness and some answers and I adored her.

She was a character who despite her very hard life thought of others. Her loyalty to a few of the characters in this novel wouldn’t have been entertained by many in her situation. One of them, much older than the other was somebody whose life story I would have loved to know.

It’s not only the characters, it’s also the setting. I had no idea there was a bullring in Birmingham in the 1880s. I googled it whilst reading and was very surprised by the results. It felt different to read an English historical novel that wasn’t set in and around London and given more time I would like to know which, if any of the other locations were real. 

The more scientific sides of the novel were also interesting, how people who were mentally ill were treated and that there were some who worked in the profession who were more understanding than others. How experiments were carried out to try and find answers to human behaviour, regardless of whether their methods were immoral. The photography storyline was another that I spent time looking at. Composite photography was something that I had heard of but didn’t know much about.

Thank you Carolyn Kirby to opening my eyes to a lot of things, this book was a reminder that you can learn a lot by reading. 

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Fade To Grey by John Lincoln – Blog Tour Review.

About The Book

Gethin Grey is the man you call when there’s nowhere else to turn. His Last Resort Legals team investigates miscarriages of justice. But Gethin is running out of options himself: his gambling is out of control, his marriage is falling apart and there’s no money left to pay the wages… 

Izma M was sent down years ago for the brutal murder of a young woman. In jail he’s written a bestseller and become a cult hero, and now the charismatic fading-film-star Amelia Laverne wants to bankroll Gethin to prove Izma’s innocence. For Gethin – low on luck and cash – the job is heaven sent. But is Izma M really as blameless as his fans believe?

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Fade to Grey is potentially the start of a new series to feature the Last Resorts Agency. The people who work there are Gethin, Lee and Bex. Gethin is a character who has some major problems. His marriage is on the rocks and he is a gambler. Initially I wasn’t that keen on his character and preferred the two women, especially Lee. But when I got to know him more, and understood him I mellowed. I don’t understand anything about the attraction of gambling but I did like his playlist. I liked the descriptions of his family life, particularly his home which sounded lovely.

The story was an interesting one and different to other novels I have read lately. I have read novels before where a convict has possibly been wrongly charged but it’s the characters who made this feel fresh.  The well known actress whose appearance was something of a shock to the team, Gethin’s father, the judge, who he had a strange relationship with, his daughter, Hattie who was definitely a Daddy’s girl, Lee with her straight forward approach and Bex with her other career as a tribute act.

I hope this does become a series I would like to get to know the team more, I want to know more about the close knit team.