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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 20, 2021  
Today, author Julia Daily stops by my blog with a fascinating interview about her women's fiction novel NO NAMES TO BE GIVEN. Watch the book trailer, and then enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2021/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-no-names-to.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
1965. Sandy runs away from home to escape her mother’s abusive boyfriend. Becca falls in love with the wrong man. And Faith suffers a devastating attack. With no support and no other options, these three young, unwed women meet at a maternity home hospital in New Orleans where they are expected to relinquish their babies and return home as if nothing transpired.

But such a life-altering event can never be forgotten, and no secret remains buried forever. Twenty-five years later, the women are reunited by a blackmailer, who threatens to expose their secrets and destroy the lives they’ve built. That shattering revelation would shake their very foundations—and reverberate all the way to the White House.

Told from the three women’s perspectives in alternating chapters, this mesmerizing story is based on actual experiences of women in the 1960s who found themselves pregnant but unmarried, pressured by family and society to make horrific decisions. How that inconceivable act changed women forever is the story of No Names to Be Given, a heartbreaking but uplifting novel of family and redemption.
     
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ClareR (5667 KP) rated The Rising Tide in Books

Sep 14, 2021  
The Rising Tide
The Rising Tide
Sam Lloyd | 2021 | Contemporary, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Rising Tide is a fast paced thriller, a race against time. Lucy must find her children before something terrible happens to them - provided that the terrible thing hasn’t already happened.

The finger of blame is pointed firmly at Lucy’s husband, but even when he’s arrested the police still can’t find the children, and Daniel isn’t going to tell them. Abraham Rose, who is terminally ill, is the detective in charge of the investigation and the hunt for the children. He’s quite some force of nature: a quiet, dedicated man, he’s determined to bring Lucy’s children home to her. This determination and his now wavering faith, are the driving force for a man who should really be in hospital. He wants to be the one to run and solve the case, though.

There’s a lot going on under the surface of this book. Is Lucy the person she says she is? Is something not quite right in her marriage with Daniel? What is going on with Daniel’s business partner?

This book constantly surprised me, and the tension was immense! I really enjoyed Sam Lloyd’s first novel (The Memory Wood), and this book, whilst completely different, didn’t disappoint at all. My emotions throughout this book were as turbulent as the weather (which was pretty bad!). I loved it!

Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this and to Sam Lloyd for joining in with the discussion.
  
Son of Anger (The Ormstunga Saga #1)
Son of Anger (The Ormstunga Saga #1)
Donovan Cook | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Bloody and violent in places, with the Gods at work.
SON OF ANGER is the first book in The Ormstunga Saga and we start off with Ulf training with his uncle. His life quickly changes when a stranger appears and destroys everything he touches, including Ulf and his family.

I love reading stories of the Vikings, simply because their faith and relationship with the Gods seem so realistic. They don't hold them on high (as such) but rather, deal with them in an everyday manner, knowing themselves to be pawns in the game the Gods play. Signs of the Gods are all around them, giving them the feeling of being blessed or ignored. Ulf has sworn a vow of vengeance to Odin and sees the signs of that wherever he turns.

This is a bloody and violent story in parts - as you would expect. But you also get a book of camaraderie, of brotherhood, of the Gods. The time flew by as I read this, with never a dull moment. The ending was all I could wish for and left me with a longing for book two.

A brilliant start to a new series that I can't wait to read. Absolutely recommended.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2163 KP) rated Death on the Grand Canal in Books

Aug 14, 2023 (Updated Aug 14, 2023)  
Death on the Grand Canal
Death on the Grand Canal
M. A. Monnin | 2023 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stefanie’s First Official Assignment is Murder
Stefanie Adams has her first official assignment in her new job recovering stolen art for Interpol. She and Thomas Burkhardt are trying to recover the Borgia Peacock, a pendant that was stolen over 100 years ago. Stefanie has gotten an invitation from the countess selling it, but when they show up at the countess’s palazzo in Venice, they discover they have more competition than they originally thought they would. One of their competition in a notorious fence, but then he is murdered. Will Stefanie figure out what happened and still get the pendant?

The book took a little bit of time to get going, playing tourist on the way to the mystery. But once the mystery started, the book was strong with lots of secrets and twists to keep Stefanie and Thomas from their objective. I did find their personal sub-plot a mixed bag. At times I felt for Stefanie, and at others I was frustrated by her lack of faith in Thomas. On the whole, I liked both characters, however, and it was good to spend time with them again. The rest of the cast come alive as the book progresses and we learn what they are hiding. I’ve long wanted to visit Venice, and this book made me want to visit even more. If you want a good mystery with an international flair, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.