Saturday, 3 March 2018

#BookReview Blodlokan (Blood Hog-weed) by Louise Boije af Gennäs (SWE/ENG)

Blodlokan by Louise Boije af Gennäs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

Efter att Saras pappa dör i en mystisk eldsvåda flyttar hon från Örebro till Stockholm för att starta ett nytt liv. Till en början går allt nästan för bra: kaféjobbet byts mot en anställning på pr-byrå och det torftiga rummet i förorten ersätts av en lyxig lägenhet på Östermalm.

Men snart utsätts hon för märkliga och obehagliga händelser, och hotet mot Sara och hennes familj känns alltmer påtagligt. Det blir uppenbart att någon tror att hon har den avgörande nyckeln till något viktigt men vem? Och till vad?

I MOTSTÅNDSTRILOGIN skildrar Louise Boije af Gennäs en ung kvinnas kamp mot det etablerade maktmaskineriet. Det är en nervkittlande lek med verklighet och fiktion, där ingenting är som det verkar och där sanningen kan komma att förändra allt.


**********

I Blodlokan får vi följa Sara som har flyttat från Örebro till Stockholm efter att hennes pappa har gått bort. I början känns livet mörkt i en lägenhet med en jobbig hyresvärdinna och kaféjobbet är krävande, men ett slumpmöte på kaféet blir starten till ett nytt liv, med ett toppenjobb och en ny lyxig lägenhet. Men det sker besynnerliga saker runtomkring Sara och hon känner sig hotad. Är hon paranoid eller är det någon som är efter henne och i sådana fall varför?

Blodlokan är den första delen i trilogi och jag blev som uppslukad av boken och dess spännande handling. Boken börjar med att Sara etablerar sig i Stockholm, och allting verkar frid och fröjd men konstiga händelser sker omkring henne, och efter att ha hittat en massa mappar hemma i hennes pappas arbetsrum börjar hon fundera på vad hennes pappa egentligen höll på med. Snart står det klart att något skumt pågår, eller så är det Sara det är fel på.

Något som jag tyckte var väldigt intressant var alla artiklar som var bifogade i handlingen, verkliga artiklar på skandaler som har tystats ner under årtionden. Samt även artiklar på oklarheter kring mordet på Olof Palmes samt journalisten Cats Falck som försvann och sedan hittade död i en bil i Hammarbykanalen tillsammans med en väninna. Varför har Saras pappa samlat på alla dessa artiklar? Vad är det som pågår?

Blodlokan är en spännande bok och jag ser verkligen fram emot att läsa nästa bok i serien, speciellt då denna bok slutade väldigt överraskande och jag vill veta vad Sara ska göra härnäst.


Tack till Bookmarks förlag för recensionsexemplaret

ENGLISH REVIEW

Sara moves from Örebro to Stockholm to start a new life after her father dies in a mysterious fire. At first, everything is going too well: the cafe job is changed to a job at the agency and the meager space in the suburb is replaced by a luxury apartment in Östermalm.

But soon strange and unpleasant events start to occur around her, and the threat to Sara and her family feels increasingly obvious. It becomes apparent that someone thinks she has the crucial key to something important but who? And what?


Louise Boije of Gennäs portrays a young woman's struggle against the established power machinery in the Opposition Trilogy. It's a thrilling game with reality and fiction, where nothing is as it seems and where truth can change everything.

**********

In Blood Hog-weed do we get to follow Sara who has moved Örebro to Stockholm after her father has died. At first, life feels dismal in an apartment with a harsh landlady and the cafe job is demanding, but a random meeting at the cafe will be the start of a new life, with a top job and a new luxury apartment. Strange things are happening around Sara and she feels threatened. Is she paranoid or is someone after her and in that case why?

Blood Hog-weeds is the first book in a trilogy and I was engrossed with the thrilling story. The book begins with Sara establishing herself in Stockholm, and everything seems delightful after she gets the new job, but strange events happen around her, and she begins to wonder what her dad really was doing after finding a lot of folders at home in her father's workroom. Soon it is clear that something is going on, or something is wrong with Sara.

Something that I thought was very interesting was all the articles that were interwoven with the story, actual articles on scandals that have been silenced for decades. As well as articles about uncertainties surrounding the murder of Olof Palmes as well as the journalist Cats Falck who disappeared and then found dead in a car in the Hammarby Canal along with a friend. Why has Sara's dad collected all these articles? What is going on?

Blood Hog-weed is a thrilling book and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, especially since this book ended very surprisingly and I want to know what Sara will do next.

Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!

#BookReview Crimson Lake by Candice Fox @candicefoxbooks @arrowpublishing

Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How do you move on when the world won’t let you?

12:46: Claire Bingleystands alone at a bus stop
12:47: Ted Conkaffey parks his car beside her
12:52: The girl is missing . . .

Six minutes in the wrong place at the wrong time—that’s all it took to ruin Sydney detective Ted Conkaffey’s life. Accused but not convicted of a brutal abduction,Ted is now a free man—and public enemy number one. Maintaining his innocence, he flees north to keep a low profile amidst the steamy, croc-infested wetlands of Crimson Lake.

There, Ted’s lawyer introduces him to eccentric private investigator Amanda Pharrell, herself a convicted murderer. Not entirely convinced Amanda is a cold-blooded killer, Ted agrees to help with her investigation, a case full of deception and obsession, while secretly digging into her troubled past. The residents of Crimson Lake are watching the pair's every move . . . and the town offers no place to hide.

**********

Do you know what I need in my life? Redemption Point the sequel to this book. And I want it now, but I've heard patience is a virtue so I will have to wait. Anyway, this book is awesome. I mean a team of a convicted murderer working together with a disgraced police officer accused of the abduction and rape of a young girl? A crime Ted is trying to clear his name from. I'm always on the lookout for thriller series that are a bit different that doesn't follow the standard model and here I have found one that I really like.

Crimson Lake is a fabulous book, with two very different individuals trying to work together to solve the disappearance of a well-known author. Ted Conkaffey has fled his old life after the charges were dropped because of lack of evidence, not that it matters very much since pretty much everyone thinks he's guilty. His lawyer fixes him up with PI Amanda Pharrell, a convicted murderer since Ted needs a job. And, them working together is brings some lightheartedness to this dark and tragic story.

There are many things about this book I like, the weird (but sweet and funny) partnership, the atmospheric little town with the crocodiles lurking in the water, the mystery of the missing author. The geese and all the cats. *sigh* I really want the next book!

I want to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Friday, 2 March 2018

#BlogTour Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper by Ana Brazil @hfvbt

Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper by Ana Brazil

Publication Date: November 1, 2017
Sand Hill Review Press
Formats: Paperback & eBook
Genre: Fiction/Historical/Mystery
Gilded Age New Orleans is overrun with prostitutes, pornographers, and a malicious Jack the Ripper copycat. As threatening letters to newspaper editors proclaim, no woman is safe from his blade.

Desperate to know who murdered her favorite student, ambitious typewriting teacher Fanny Newcomb launches into a hunt for the self-proclaimed Irish Channel Ripper.

Fanny quickly enlists her well-connected employers—Principal Sylvia Giddings and her sister Dr. Olive—to help, and the women forge through saloons, cemeteries, slums, and houses of prostitution in their pursuit.

Fanny’s good intentions quickly infuriate her longtime beau Lawrence Decatur, while her reckless persistence confounds the talented police detective Daniel Crenshaw. Reluctantly, Lawrence and Daniel also lend their investigative talents to Fanny’s investigation.

As the murderer sets a date for his next heinous crime, can Fanny Newcomb and her crew stop the Irish Channel Ripper before he kills again?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble


About the Author



A native of California, Ana Brazil lived in the south for many years. She earned her MA in American history from Florida State University and traveled her way through Mississippi as an architectural historian. Ana loves fried mullet, Greek Revival colonnades, and Miss Welty’s garden. She has a weakness for almost all things New Orleans. (Although she’s not sure just how it happened…but she favors bluegrass over jazz.)

The Fanny Newcomb stories celebrate the tenacity, intelligence, and wisdom of the dozens of courageous and outrageous southern women that Ana is proud to call friends.

Although Ana, her husband, and their dog Traveller live in the beautiful Oakland foothills, she is forever drawn to the lush mystique of New Orleans, where Fanny Newcomb and her friends are ever prepared to seek a certain justice.
For more information, please visit Ana Brazil's website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, February 5 
Interview at Passages to the Past 

Tuesday, February 6 

Thursday, February 8 

Friday, February 9 

Monday, February 12 
Review at Fervently Curious 

Friday, February 16 
Review at Back Porchervations 

Saturday, February 17 
Review at Cup of Sensibility 

Monday, February 19 
Review at Peppermint Ph.D. 
Interview at Fervently Curious 

Wednesday, February 21 
Feature at The Reading Queen

Monday, February 26 
Review at A Chick Who Reads 

Wednesday, February 28 

Friday, March 2 
Feature at A Bookaholic Swede 

Monday, March 5 

Wednesday, March 7 
Review at Donna's Book Blog 

Friday, March 9 
Feature at What Cathy Read Next 

Monday, March 12 
Review at Buried Under Books 

Thursday, March 15 
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All 

Friday, March 16 

Monday, March 19 
Review at Cheryl's Book Nook

Giveaway


During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Fanny Newcomb #2

#BlogTour The Muse of Fire by Carol M. Cram @CarolCram @hfvbt

The Muse of Fire by Carol M. Cram

Publication Date: December 26, 2017
eBook; Kindle Press
Paperback; New Arcadia Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Abandoned at birth, the grandly christened Edward Plantagenet rises from London’s Foundling Hospital to take charge back stage at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, only to be blind-sided when he rescues Grace—a young woman escaping an abusive father. Grace finds an outlet for her passions as a Shakespearean actress, becoming ensnared by intrigues and setbacks that mar the pathway to stardom she craves. Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Old Price Riots of 1809, Grace and Ned find common purpose in a quest that threatens to tear both their worlds apart.

"Meticulously researched and with an atmosphere so rich that one can almost smell the face powder, The Muse of Fire is another triumph for Carol M. Cram. The irresistible story at its heart is impeccably woven into the tapestry of British theatrical history with such precision that Grace and Ned might have stepped from the pages of the Georgian gossip sheets and straight into fiction. The Muse of Fire will linger long after reading. It’s not to be missed!" – Catherine Curzon, author of Queens of Georgian Britain, Life in the Georgian Court, and Kings of Georgian Britain

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound


Book Review


One of the great joys of reading historical fiction is learning more about historical events and characters. True, you're reading a historical work and not a non-fiction book. But, a well-researched book can make history come alive.

I knew nothing about Old Price riots of 1809 and it was interesting reading about how the people rose up against the rise of the ticket prices when the new theater was finished build after the old one was destroyed in a fire. And they thought the riots would end after a couple of days, but it didn't.

The book, however, starts off before the riots and we are introduced to Ned and Grace, the main characters. Ned finds Grace on the streets after she has run away after being attacked by her drunken father. He takes her home and she learns that he's at the theater, working backstage. This meeting will change her life, as her passion for theater grows and she finds a life away from her father.

There are several things about this book that I liked. Like for instance that the meeting of Ned and Grace isn't the start of a great romance between them. Instead, they become close friends. Grace instead form an attachment with another man. It's more of a way for her to be free from her father and I can understand her predicament. I was, however, a bit confused about why the man in question wanted to marry him since there wasn't much feeling between them in my opinion. Ned instead had his heart set on Olympia an actress that also becomes Grace's friend. I liked Olympia, she's one of those minor characters that swoops in and brightens the plot. Looking back do I wonder if I did not like Olympia better than Grace. Grace never really becomes a character that I rooted for. And, there is a turn in the story that just felt odd when it came to her and her love life. So, Ned and Olympia, those are the people that I felt most for.

I will end this review by saying that I quite enjoyed reading this book and I'm looking forward to reading more from Carol M. Cram.

About the Author


Carol M. Cram is the author of A Woman of Note (Lake Union Publishing, 2015) and The Towers of Tuscany (Lake Union Publishing 2014). In addition to writing fiction, Carol has enjoyed a great career as an educator, teaching at Capilano University in North Vancouver for over twenty years and authoring forty-plus bestselling textbooks on business communications and software applications for Cengage Learning. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carol is currently focusing as much of her attention as she can spare between walks in the woods on writing historical novels with an arts twist and sharing her Nia practice as a Nia teacher. She and her husband, painter Gregg Simpson, share a life on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada.

For more information, please visit Carol M. Cram's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, February 26 
Review at Peppermint Ph.D. 

Tuesday, February 27 
Interview at Donna's Book Blog 

Thursday, March 1 

Friday, March 2 
Review at A Bookaholic Swede 
Feature at A Literary Vacation 

Monday, March 5 

Thursday, March 8 
Interview at Passages to the Past 

Friday, March 9 
Review at Pursuing Stacie 

Wednesday, March 14 

Monday, March 19 
Review at Books of a Shy Girl 
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books 

Tuesday, March 20 

Thursday, March 22 

Giveaway


During the Blog Tour we will be giving away three paperback copies of The Muse of Fire! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 22nd. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents in the US and UK.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. The Muse of Fire

Thursday, 1 March 2018

#BlogTour Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikalsen @WF_writerEM @hfvbt

Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikalsen

Publication Date: February 19, 2018
The Wild Rose Press
Paperback & eBook; 384 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Struggling with guilt over her sister’s death and the stress of her medical residency, Maya Radelis runs away to Scotland. She gets lost in an alley, where a robin mysteriously appears, leading her to an antique shop where she buys a century-old moonstone engagement ring. After having a dream about the ring’s former owner, Maya quickly realizes that there is a mystery associated with the ring, and it was not an accident that she was led to buy it. 

 The novel follows Maya from Edinburgh to Paris to Bern, and, finally, to New York as she discovers why she was meant to find the ring and learn about Rebecca, a young Jewish woman practicing medicine in Bern as the Great War unfolded and the Russian Revolution was planned in Switzerland. Maya especially wants to learn about the love story between Rebecca and Mark, a young surgeon from Ukraine, who Rebecca fought to keep safe during this turbulent time in Europe. 

 While in Paris, Maya meets David Fischer, a fellow American, who helps Maya learn Rebecca’s story. The attraction between David and Maya grows, and they discover that their meeting was not by chance. As Maya returns to New York from her travels, Rebecca’s courage and strength help her face her own troubles.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound


Praise for Wrapped in the Stars


"Written with passion and expertise, Elena Mikalsen’s WRAPPED IN THE STARS is an intelligent and beautifully crafted story that proves the power of love while illuminating the historical struggles of women in medicine. I love books that teach me something while also being thoroughly entertaining, and Mikalsen’s debut does just that." -Kelli Estes, author of The Girl Who Wrote in Silk

"Mikalsen effortlessly weaves past and present in this engaging tale. WRAPPED IN THE STARS spans countries and centuries, testing the boundaries between love, loyalty, fate, and following your heart. A delightful debut!" -Jessica Topper, author of Louder Than Love

 "Mikalsen's debut draws you in and takes you on a richly detailed journey, from Edinburgh to Bern, to Paris and New York. A tale of aspirations and familial pressures, of serendipity and the choices we make, WRAPPED IN THE STARS thoughtfully explores how we can take control of our lives." -Amanda Stauffer, author of Match Made in Manhattan

 "In WRAPPED IN THE STARS, with a touch of magical realism and a sprinkle of quantum physics, Elena Mikalsen blends the present with the Belle Epoque past, deftly weaving two points of view into two timeless romances into a can’t-be-put-down novel." - Suanne Schafer, author of A Different Kind of Fire

About the Author


Elena Mikalsen was born in Ukraine and came to New York City as a refugee with her family at age 17. She is somewhat obsessive about travel, but, when at home in San Antonio, can be found browsing through bookstores or antique shops with her family and two adopted pups. When not writing stories, she is a Pediatric Psychologist, working at a Children's Hospital, helping children cope with chronic medical illness. She actively blogs and gives interviews on issues related to child and adolescent mental health. WRAPPED IN THE STARS is her first work of fiction. She has two other works in progress.

For more information please visit Elena Mikalsen's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, February 19 
Review at Donna McCabe 
  
Tuesday, February 20 
Review at Pursuing Stacie 
  
Wednesday, February 21 
  
Friday, February 23 
  
Monday, February 26 
Interview at Passages to the Past 
  
Tuesday, February 27 
  
Thursday, March 1 
Feature at A Bookaholic Swede 
  
Monday, March 5
Review at Donna's Book Blog 
  
Wednesday, March 7 
  
Friday, March 9 
Review at Cup of Sensibility

Giveaway


During the Book Blast we will be giving away a signed copy of Wrapped in the Stars and a Book Scents Candle! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules
 – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 9th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Wrapped in the Stars

#CoverCrush Last Car to Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke

For new visitors do I want to explain that Cover Crush is something that my friend Erin over at Flashlight Commentary came up with and I adopted the idea together with some other friends. And, now we try to put up a Cover Crush every week. You can check below my pick of the week for their choices this week!


Sheriff Dave Robicheaux returns to New Orleans to investigate the beating of a controversial Catholic priest and murder of three teenage girls in this intense, atmospheric entry in the New York Timesbestselling series.

For Dave Robicheaux, there is no easy passage home. New Orleans, and the memories of his life in the Big Easy, will always haunt him. So to return there means visiting old ghosts, exposing old wounds, opening himself up to new, yet familiar, dangers.

When Robicheaux, now a police officer based in the somewhat quieter Louisiana town of New Iberia, learns that an old friend, Father Jimmie Dolan, a Catholic priest always at the center of controversy, has been the victim of a particularly brutal assault, he knows he has to return to New Orleans to investigate, if only unofficially. What he doesn’t realize is that in doing so he is inviting into his life—and into the lives of those around him—an ancestral evil that could destroy them all. 

A masterful exploration of the troubled side of human nature and the darkest corners of the heart, and filled with the kinds of unforgettable characters that are the hallmarks of his novels, Last Car to Elysian Fields is Burke in top form in the kind of lush, atmospheric thriller that is “an outstanding entry in an excellent series” (Publishers Weekly).

Thoughts:

I like the fact that this cover only has two colors, white and blue and how the image blends into the author's surname. Another thing I like is that the blue pictures border is a bit blurred. It's a gorgeous cover and it's the kind that would stop me in my tracks to check out the blurb. 

Check out what my friends have picked for Cover Crush's this week:

Stephanie @ Layered Pages





#BlogTour Look for Her by Emily Winslow @cwinslow @partnersincr1me

Look for Her by Emily WinslowLook for Her by Emily Winslow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Look for Her

by Emily Winslow

on Tour February 12 - March 16, 2018


Synopsis:


Lilling might seem like an idyllic English village, but it’s home to a dark history. In 1976, a teenage girl named Annalise Wood disappeared, and though her body was later discovered, the culprit was never found. Decades later, Annalise maintains a perverse kind of celebrity, and is still the focus of grief, speculation, and for one young woman, a disturbing, escalating jealousy.

When DNA linked to the Annalise murder unexpectedly surfaces, cold case detective Morris Keene and his former partner, Chloe Frohmann, hope to finally bring closure to this traumatized community. But the new evidence instead undoes the case's only certainty: the buried body that had long ago been confidently identified as Annalise may be someone else entirely, and instead of answers, the investigators face only new puzzles.

Whose body was unearthed all those years ago, and what happened to the real Annalise? Is someone interfering with the investigation? And is there a link to a present-day drowning with eerie connections? With piercing insight and shocking twists, Emily Winslow explores the dark side of sensationalized crime in this haunting psychological thriller.


BOOK REVIEW


I didn't know that this book was the latest book in a series when I got a copy of it. All I saw was an interesting book and I just knew that I wanted to read it. I'm actually thrilled that there are several more books with Morris Keene and Chloe Frohman to read since I found this book to be awesome.

I'm a big fan of cold casebooks and the finding of a body presumed to be Annalise who disappeared decades ago intrigued me. What happened to her, and has the finding of the body something to do with a recent drowning? I was hooked and I loved that the book seemed to have a straightforward kind of story, but as the story progressed did the author twist and turn everything around so you realize that what you expected was just something that you had imagined thanks to a red herring. I especially enjoyed the ending! It felt just perfect! I really liked that the story turned out to be pretty different from what I expected and I enjoyed following the investigation into the missing girl especially when a death in present time seemed to have a connection to the finding of the body. Is there truly a link or is the drowning case just a coincidence?  I will not go into details since I don't want to spoil the story.

As for the Morris Keene and Chloe Frohman. I understand there is a lot of history between them and that Morris daughter's arrest in the previous book has had an effect on their relationship. I'm curious to learn more and getting the chance will I definitely read the previous books to find out more. I'm really happy that I decided to read this book since I have now found a new series to read.

Look For Her is a great book that I recommend warmly!

Trade Reviews:


“An intriguing, suspenseful, and briskly paced story with complex characters, evocative descriptions of England's Cambridgeshire, plenty of clever misdirection, and a satisfying ending.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Using multiple narrators, as she did in The Start of Everything (2013), Winslow spins the plot to a satisfying and humane conclusion, with Keene and Frohmann again proving to be a winning pair.” —Booklist

“Winslow’s kaleidoscopic narrative technique, employing first-person accounts from multiple characters, makes for engaging reading.” —Publishers Weekly

“Look For Her is a nuanced, thought-provoking portrait of a crime and its aftermath. Beautifully written with an expertly twisty, surprising story, this is a must-read!” —Chevy Stevens, New York Times bestselling author of Never Let You Go

“Surprising and satisfying, you won't be able to stop turning the pages of Look For Her.” —Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King’s Daughter

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: February 13th 2018
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 006257258X (ISBN13: 9780062572585)
Series: Keene and Frohmann #4 | Each is a stand alone novel

Read an excerpt:

From Chapter One
Annalise Williams (Wolfson College),
University Counselling Service,
recorded and transcribed by Dr. Laurie Ambrose
My mother picked the name Annalise for me because of a girl who was killed. Her name was Annalise Wood, and she went missing when she was sixteen. My mother was the same age when it happened. Annalise was lovely, much prettier than my sister and I ever became. She was the kind of girl you look at and think, "Of course someone would want to take her."
Don’t look at me like that. I know that what happened to her was awful. It just seems a very fine line between being the kind of person that others want to be with and be like and treat well, and being the kind of person that some others, just a few, sick others, want to take for themselves. That’s the same kind of person, isn’t it? The loved and lovely. Isn’t that from a poem somewhere? That’s what she was like. That’s the risk when you’re the kind of person who’s wanted. Good people want to be close to you, but the bad people want you too.
There were two photos of her that the media used most: her most recent school portrait, and a snapshot of her laughing, with the friends on either side cropped out. Taken together, they presented the two sides of a beautiful and perfect person: poised and thoughtful, and spontaneous and bubbly. The kind of person who deserves help and attention.
Realistically, if they wanted these pictures to help strangers identify her if they saw her out and about with the bad man, they should have used photos of her frowning or looking frightened. Either there weren’t any (which may well be the case; who would take a photo of that?), or they couldn’t bring themselves to advertise a version of her that was less than appealing. The narrative is important. If you want the “general public” to get worked up, you have to persuade. Attractiveness and innocence must be communicated, even if emphasising those traits makes the real person harder to recognise.
In the end, she was already dead, so it’s a good thing, I suppose, that they used the nice photos. They’re the images that everyone remembers. My mum was a teenager when those pictures were in the paper every day for weeks, then weekly for months. Annalise Wood was the most beautiful girl in the world. Everyone cared about her. It’s what any mother would wish for her child, to be the kind of person that everyone would care about and miss if she disappeared.
It wasn’t until Mum was over thirty that what really happened to Annalise Wood was discovered.
***
Excerpt from Look for Her by Emily Winslow. Copyright © 2018 by Emily Winslow. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Emily Winslow
Emily Winslow is an American living in Cambridge, England. She trained as an actor at Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious drama conservatory and earned a master’s degree in museum studies from Seton Hall University. For six years she wrote for Games magazine, creating increasingly elaborate and lavishly illustrated logic puzzles. She lives with her husband and two sons. She is the author of four novels and a memoir.

Catch Up With Our Author On: Website , Goodreads , Twitter , & Facebook !


Tour Participants:

Visit the other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Emily Winslow and William Morrow. There will be 1 winner of one (1) physical copy of each of the 1st three books in the Keene and Frohmann Series: The Whole World, The Start of Everything, and The Red House AND there will be 5 Winners of one (1) physical copy of their choice of ONE of the 1st three books in the Keene and Frohmann Series: The Whole World, The Start of Everything, and The Red House. The giveaway begins on February 12 and runs through March 18, 2018. This giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

#BookReview Egyptian Enigma by L.J.M. Owen @Bleuddyn_Coll

Egyptian Enigma by L.J.M. Owen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr Elizabeth Pimms, enthusiastic archaeologist and reluctant librarian, has returned to Egypt.

Among the treasures of the Cairo museum she spies cryptic symbols in the corner of an ancient papyrus. Decoding them leads Elizabeth and her newly formed gang of Sleuthers to a tomb of mummies whose identities must be uncovered.

What is the connection between the mummies and Twosret, female Pharaoh and last ruler of Egypt's nineteenth dynasty? How did their bodies end up scattered across the globe? And is the investigation related to the attacks on Elizabeth's family and friends back in Australia?

Between grave robbers, cannibals, misogynist historians and jealous Pharaohs, can Dr Pimms solve her latest archaeological mystery?

Filled with ancient murder, family secrets and really good food, Egyptian Enigma is the third adventure in the charming series Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth. Really cold cases.


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The Egyptian Enigma is the third book in the Dr. Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series. They can all be read separately, but I do recommend reading them in order (because they are all so good).

In Egyptian Enigma has Elizabeth finally returned to Egypt, well only as a tourist not as an Egyptologist. However, her dreams are still to return to work in Egypt. This trip, however, gives her the chance to study some mummies that yet have been identified. As with the two previous book do we also get a parallel storyline, this time in ancient Egypt. As Elizabeth and her team work to identify the remains do we get the background to the mummies in the parallel story.

I've come to enjoy this two storyline approach in this series. To get both angles, the story of what really happened in the past and the present story with the archeologist trying to figure out the identity of the mummies. It's fascinating. And let's not forget Elizabeth's own problem in real life, adjusting to a new family member, being a lecturer and not forget the new hot guy that shows up in this book. Also, all the food. Warning, don't read this book hungry! On a side note, all those Ramses, they were very hard to keep track on, at one point I wondered if I needed to do a mindmap...

Now I'm eagerly awaiting book four!

I want to thank Bonnier Publishing Australia for providing me with a free copy through Netgalley for an honest review!