The Child by Fiona Barton

◊ THE CHILD

◊ by Fiona Barton

◊ Berkley Hardcover

◊ On-Sale: June 27, 2017

◊ ISBN: 9781101990483

◊ $26.00

You can bury the story . . . but you can’t hide the truth

This summer FIONA BARTON is back with a second novel that proves lightning can strike twice.

Here’s what others are saying about it:

          *One of Publishers Weekly and Bustle’s Most Anticipated Books of 2017*

*A TIME “Top 10” Summer Thriller*

*Pre-publication exclusives featured by Entertainment Weekly and theSkimm*

*Praise from Lee Child, Shari Lapena, and Clare Mackintosh *

*Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal*

*A June 2017 Library Reads Selection*

Barton’s 2016 debut, The Widow, was an instant global bestseller, captivating readers around the world and setting the publishing industry abuzz.

The highly-anticipated release of THE CHILD (Berkley Hardcover; June 27, 2017) reaffirms Barton’s growing reputation as a writer of rich, character-driven suspense novels. Like Tana French, Louise Penny, and Megan Abbott, Barton’s stories do more than thrill: they explore the complexities of a changing world.

The Widow delved into the secrets that exist within a marriage and the reporter’s role as voyeur. Here Barton continues to mine those themes. THE CHILD tackles the 24/7 news cycle, and lays bare the intricacies of a different but equally fascinating relationship — mother and child.

Says Barton: “The emotions, responsibilities—and the pain—of motherhood are unique to each of us with children. Ask any woman and she will have her own story to tell.”

In a working-class neighborhood of London, construction workers make a grisly discovery: the long-buried remains of a baby. When a newspaper mention reveals the find, most readers barely give it a glance. But for two women, its threat to unearth hidden stories is impossible to ignore. For veteran reporter, Kate Waters (introduced in The Widow), it sparks the question “Who would bury a baby?” and starts a hunt for the truth about the nameless child. The story unfolds via the women’s alternating perspectives to eventually reveal: Who is Building Site Baby?

In fact, it was the allure of a hidden story that propelled Barton to her long-time career in news. A journalist and British Press Awards “Reporter of the Year,” she has worked at the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph, and brings that experience to bear in her novels.

In THE CHILD she details how Kate’s lengthy investigation into Building Site Baby’s death represents a perilous breach of the newsroom’s new culture of 24/7 online news.

Says Barton: “The danger for Kate is that she risks becoming one of the dinosaurs—sidelined because she is unable and unwilling to be part of the revolution. And I feel for her.”

Author Fiona Barton credit Jenny Lewis

Though THE CHILD delivers an evocative look at the changing face of journalism, and a delicious plot twist, it is the characters’ haunting and rich emotional lives that set Barton apart and confirm her stature as a crime novelist of the first order.

Visit Fiona Barton online at fionabartonauthor.com and on Twitter @figbarton. Join the conversation using #TheChild

Thanks for stopping by today. What are your thoughts on this subject? Would you be curious as to who could bury a baby?

Bad Blood {+ Giveaway}

Bad Blood

by Brian McGilloway

on Tour June 26 - July 31, 2017

Synopsis:

A young man is found in a riverside park, his head bashed in with a rock. One clue is left behind to uncover his identity—an admission stamp for the local gay club.

DS Lucy Black is called in to investigate. As Lucy delves into the community, tensions begin to rise as the man’s death draws the attention of the local Gay Rights group to a hate-speech Pastor who, days earlier, had advocated the stoning of gay people and who refuses to retract his statement.

Things become further complicated with the emergence of a far-right group targeting immigrants in a local working-class estate. As their attacks escalate, Lucy and her boss, Tom Fleming, must also deal with the building power struggle between an old paramilitary commander and his deputy that threatens to further enflame an already volatile situation.

Hatred and complicity abound in McGilloway’s new Lucy Black thriller. Compelling and current, Bad Blood is an expertly crafted and acutely observed page-turner, delivering the punch that readers of Little Lost Girl have grown to expect. 

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: June 13th 2017
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 0062684558 (ISBN13: 9780062684554)
Series: DS Lucy Black #4
Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Goodreads 

 

Read an excerpt:

The hall was already packed by the time Detective Inspector Tom Fleming arrived. The air was sweet with perfume and talc and, beneath that, from the farmers still wearing their work clothes, the scent of sweat and the smell of the earth.
The congregation were on their feet, being led in the opening hymn by Pastor James Nixon. Fleming smiled apologetically at those he squeezed past to get to a free seat in the third row from the back. The hymn finished, the assembly took their seats just as Fleming reached his, and settled to listen to the words of Pastor Nixon.
‘My brothers and sisters, it is a great honour to be here with you this evening and to see so many of you have taken the time to come and pray with me.’ His voice was strong despite his age, a rich baritone still carrying the inflections of his native Ballymena accent.
‘But it is a time of great challenge for us all. Daily, all good people face an assault on their morality with the rampant homosexual agenda that assails us and belittles everything we hold to be true and dear. Men of conscience are tried for refusing to make a cake celebrating homosexuality or print leaflets and posters furthering that agenda. And on the other side of the border, the Irish Republic has voted to allow homosexuals to marry, as if two women playing house is no different to the consummated union of a man and a woman. As if it is not a perversion which shames us all.
A few voices appended his comment with ‘Amen’.
Nixon raised his hands, acknowledging their support. ‘There are those who would silence me, silence us. They tell us we must accept homosexuals in our town, our shops, allow homosexual bars and public houses to operate on our streets. We must allow sodomites to teach our children and to corrupt our young. We must stay silent while a new Gomorrah is built next to our homes and farms, our shops and schools. They say I am dangerous. They say I preach hatred. They say I should be silent. But I say this: I say that there is no danger in truth. I say that there is no hatred in goodness. And I say that I will not be silent.’
Another chorus of ‘Amens’ greeted his proclamation, accompanied by a smattering of applause which began at the front and rippled its way through the hall.
‘I will not stand idly by as our families are exposed to sin and depravity. I will not countenance the laws of the land being used to protect profane persons, allowing them to indulge their lustful practices, forcing those of us with consciences to humour this lifestyle. It is an abomination. The people who practise it are abominations and, like those before them, they will end in fire and brimstone.’
Fleming glanced around at the others in the congregation. While one or two shifted uncomfortably in their seats, for the most part the listeners sat intently waiting for Nixon to continue.
‘Friends, only last week, I read of an African nation – a heathen nation, a Godless nation – who arrested two men for homosexual acts. One of these men was sixteen. Sixteen! And do you know what they did to the pair of them? They stoned them. They took them out of the town and they threw rocks at them until the pair of them were dead. And do you know what I thought? Shall I tell you?’
An elderly lady in the front row called out ‘Yes’, to the amusement of those around her. Nixon smiled mildly at her, as if indulging her.
‘Stoning was too good for those men. Every rock that struck them was a just reward for their sinfulness, their immorality, their ungodly behaviour. Every drop of their blood that stained the ground was a reminder that they deserved to die. It was the wages of their sin!’
***
Excerpt from Bad Blood by Brian McGilloway. Copyright © 2017 by Brian McGilloway. Reproduced with permission from Witness Impulse. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. After studying English at Queen’s University, Belfast, he took up a teaching position in St Columb’s College in Derry, where he was Head of English. 

He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Lucy Black series, all to be published by Witness. Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife and their four children.

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!  

Join In for a Chance to Win!

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Brian McGilloway and WitnessImpulse. There will be 3 winners of one (1) non-Kindle eBook coupon for a copy of THE FORGOTTEN ONES by Brian McGilloway. The giveaway begins on June 24 and runs through August 1, 2017.

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Dying Breath by Heather Graham

◊ DYING BREATH by Heather Graham

◊ Series: Krewe of Hunters, Book #21

◊ Narrator: Luke Daniels

◊ Audio CD

◊ Listening Length: 9 hours and 38 minutes

◊ Program Type: Audiobook

◊ Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

◊ Version: Unabridged MP3 CD

◊ Publisher: Harlequin Audio and Blackstone Audio

◊ Scheduled Audible.com Release Date: May 30, 2017

◊ Language: English

◊ ASIN: BO6XRSBM5D

◊ ISBN-10: 1538409275

◊ ISBN-13: 978-1538409275

SYNOPSIS:

Buried alive....

As a teenager, Vickie Preston survived an attack by a serial killer. That was the first time she saw a ghost. Now the city of Boston is being terrorized - someone is kidnapping women and burying them alive, but cruelly leaving a glimmer of hope for the authorities by sending a clue about their location. Vickie is pulled into the investigation when her name is mentioned in one of the notes. And as a historian, she has the knowledge to help uncover the graves the killer known as the Undertaker is choosing. But she also has another, unique lead: the spirit of one of the victims is appearing to her in dreams.

Special Agent Griffin Price is on the case for the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI's special unit for paranormal investigators. He feels particularly protective of Vickie, since their shared past is connected to the threat that currently surrounds them. With the killer accelerating his plans, time is running out for more victims hidden around the city. Vickie is becoming closer with Griffin, but she's getting too close to the danger, and every breath could be her last.

Boston and its history makes it a perfect setting for author Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series to visit.

Narrator Luke Daniels does an excellent job giving the characters their own distinct voice. His mannerisms and timing is spot on. His vocals emphasize the emotions and tension of the story giving it depth.

Graham has a unique way of bringing history to life using ghosts to help guide the story along. She weaves historical places, events, and people throughout the story making it more realistic. Her eye for details places the listener/reader in the middle of the action and makes you feel you’re actually visiting Boston.

The story moves at a steady pace holding your attention from beginning to end. The twists and turns will keep you guessing as you try to figure out the end game.

Familiar characters are brought back to work with new ones. Returning fans can catch up with old favorites, while new readers/listeners begin their journey without being left in the dark.

If you like stories that have everything wrapped up in the end, this one doesn’t fall into that category. It whets your appetite for the next adventure just as this one ends.

Dying Breath by Heather Graham, Krewe of Hunters series (Book #21), Narrated by Luke Daniels, Harlequin Audio, @2017, ISBN: 978-1538409275, Unabridged, MP3 CD, Run Time: 9 Hours and 38 Minutes

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks for stopping by today. Do you enjoy learning bits of history while you’re reading a mystery?

Comeback Cowboy {+ Giveaway}

I’m delighted to be a part of the Release Day Blitz for author Sara Richardson’s COMEBACK COWBOY, the second installment in her Rocky Mountain Riders series.

As part of the blitz, you can enter to win one of ten (10) print copies of COMEBACK COWBOY. Please see the end of the post for more details. There is also an excerpt to give you a glimpse inside the story.

◊ Title: COMEBACK COWBOY

◊ Author: Sara Richardson

◊ Series: Rocky Mountain Riders, #2

◊ On Sale: June 27, 2017

◊ Publisher: Forever

◊ Mass Market: $7.99 USD

◊ eBook: $5.99 USD

Add to Goodreads

A WOMAN NEVER FORGETS HER FIRST COWBOY . .

As a single mother, Naomi Sullivan is used to doing things on her own. She's finally saved enough from working at the Cortez Ranch to buy a lovely home for her and her little girl. Life is going as planned. But when her high school sweetheart comes riding back to town, this self-sufficient woman feels something she hasn't felt in years: red-hot, unbridled need for the handsome cowboy who left her behind.

          Lucas Cortez doesn't plan on being in town long. Yet when he sees Naomi again—the gorgeous girl he never stopped loving—he's tempted to hang up his hat and stay awhile. He's already charmed his way into her daughter's heart, but he'll need more than sweet talk and roses to convince Naomi to give them a second chance-especially when she's hiding a secret that could change their lives forever…

BUY THE BOOK HERE

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Google Play

iBooks

IndieBound

Kobo

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RIDERS SERIES

HOMETOWN COWBOY, #1

COMEBACK COWBOY, #2

RENEGADE COWBOY, #3

Series Page on Goodreads

Now an excerpt for your reading pleasure.

A yellow Volkswagen Beetle blitzed toward Lucas, picking up speed. Yep, he’d know that car anywhere. Naomi.

He watched her draw closer and closer, and just like it always did when Naomi got near, his heart picked up. Would she stop and give him a lift to the ranch? They hadn’t exactly been alone since he’d come back to Topaz Falls. She’d made sure of that.

As the yellow car sped around the curve, he lifted a hand to flag her down, but the car didn’t slow. Maybe she hadn’t seen him. Waving his arms, he stepped onto the shoulder…

Shit! The car was coming right for him! Adrenaline fired through him and sent him rolling into the ditch just as the car’s brakes screeched. The thing skidded and fish tailed, likely taking out half of the tires’ tread.

Breathing in the scent of burnt rubber, Lucas stared up at the sky. Well, that’d been one hell of a close shave.

The car door opened and out Naomi flew, stumbling down the embankment in her polished red heels, to where he lay on the ground.

“God, Lucas. I was so distracted I didn’t even see you.” Her delicate hands covered her face. “My god, I almost hit you.” She staggered a few steps.

That got him off the ground. “Hey.” He hurried over to her, brushing the gravel off his ass. “I’m fine.” He’d been through a hell of a lot worse than a tumble down into a ditch. “See. No blood. I’m good.”

She nodded, but seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating. Which meant she was in no condition to get behind the wheel of that car.

“Why don’t I drive you back to the ranch?” He slipped an arm around her waist to support her, and he couldn’t resist drawing her close to him, closer than she’d been in ten long years. She still smelled like carefree summer afternoons—a subtle hint of lemon along with the coconut oil she used to use to soften her hands. That scent, the feel of her leaning into his body, roused a sudden overpowering greed. He’d never hungered as desperately for something as he hungered for her. To turn her fully to him. To feel those breasts he used to kiss so intimately against his own chest again. He knew that body, remembered every curve and bend, every fine detail…

“I’m okay,” Naomi whispered, shaking him off. “I can walk.”

Of course she could. But she did hand him the keys before hurrying to climb into the passenger’s seat without his assistance.

Lucas folded himself into the driver’s seat. “All right, then. We’re off.” He started the engine and backed up, then turned carefully out onto the highway.

He stole a glance at Naomi. Her soft lips twitched as he studied her. It wasn’t her full, bright, beautiful smile.

But it was a start.

Sara Richardson CREDIT Jen Honeycutt Photography

Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado's rugged mountains. She's climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swum through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.

Eventually Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After a brief stint in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons.

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Moxie's Decision and Maski {+ Giveaways}

I'm doing something a bit unusual for me today. If you visit here often you know I normally only feature one author on tour at a time. I'm making an exception today to highlight two amazing authors.

I'm doing this in one post rather than two so please bear with me that the post is longer than usual. You also have the opportunity to win some fascinating books. So here's the first spotlight.

Sometimes it’s fun to add a little laughter and satire to our daily routine so that’s why I’m delighted to be a part of author Hank Quense’s MOXIE’S DECISION Blog Tour with MC Book Tours today.

Entertaining from beginning to end, MOXIE'S DECISION is uproariously funny and satire at its best. Selected as one of 2016's best YA novels: Huffington Post. It’s also a top pick! Indie Reader: 5 stars

You can enter to win a copy of MOXIE’S DECISION today. Be sure to check out the giveaway details below.

◊ Series: Princess Moxie (Book 2)

◊ Paperback: 306 pages

◊ Publisher: Strange Worlds Publishing (October 15, 2015)

◊ Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure,

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 0985779195

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0985779191

Moxie has a plan; she’s determined to rule as queen after her father, King Smedley, dies.

 

But Smedley refuses to acknowledge her as his heir. Her uncle also wants the throne and he’s already tried once to eliminate Moxie as competition.

Moxie recognizes she hasn't been trained to rule and she needs lessons about the real world. Moxie goes on a quest to learn how to rule and to learn about life outside the castle.

Moxie faces unexpected obstacles as she struggles with adventures in a brutal reality that tests her mettle and determination.

This is a fantasy coming-of-age story that is decidedly different than the usual ones. The book is filled with satire and humor. What more can a reader wish for?

It takes place against the backdrop of Camelot, but this isn’t the Camelot of legends. It’s Camelot in a parallel universe where the Knights of the Round Table play football and Guinevere coaches the team’s cheer leaders. The wizard Merlin struggles to understand the Magic of the Mind using primitive ink stained diagrams and Stonehenge is a theater-in-the-round.

 

Moxie’s rollicking adventures are the stuff of comedy. Enjoy!

Add MOXIE'S DECISION to you Goodreads shelf!

Author Hank Quense

Hank Quense writes humorous and satiric sci-fi and fantasy stories.

He also writes and lectures about fiction writing and self-publishing. He has published 19 books and 50 short stories along with dozens of

articles. He often lectures on fiction writing and publishing and has a series of guides covering the basics on each subject. He is currently working on a third Moxie novel that takes place in the Camelot era.

He and his wife, Pat, usually vacation in another galaxy or parallel universe. They also time travel occasionally when Hank is searching for new story ideas.

Be sure to visit Hank’s Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BM76IE

This tour-wide giveaway (prizes courtesy of the author) is for five (5) eBooks copies (worldwide) of MOXIE’S DECISION and three (3) print copies of MOXIE’S DECISION (U.S. entries only). The giveaway ends at 12 a.m. (EST) on Monday, July 3.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. If the widget doesn’t appear, just CLICK HERE for a chance to win a copy of this fun book.

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Now for the second spotlight.

 

Award-winning author Joylene Nowell Butler is showcasing not one, but two of her intriguing books in two different formats and you could win a copy of one of them. 

Joylene won the IPPY Silver Medal with Broken But Not Dead. Once only available in print, the book has received a fresh new cover and title for readers to enjoy and is now available in eBook format. Maski: Broken But Not Dead is the prequel to Joylene’s 2016 release, Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries, which is now available in audio format.

◊ Maski: Broken But Not Dead
◊ By Joylene Nowell Butler
◊ Psychological Thriller

◊ Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press LLC
◊ eBook ISBN 9781939844385

To the Breaking Point...

When Brendell Meshango resigns from her university professor position and retreats to her isolated cabin to repair her psyche, she is confronted by a masked intruder. His racial comments lead her to believe she is the solitary victim of a hate crime.

          However, is all as it appears? After two bizarre days, the intruder mysteriously disappears but continues to play mind games with her. Taught by her mother to distrust the mainstream-based power structures, and with her stalker possibly linked to a high level of government, Brendell conceals the incident from the police. But will her silence keep her safe?

          Then her beloved daughter, Zoë, is threatened and Brendell takes matters into her own hands. To save Zoë, Brendell searches for the stalker and confronts not just a depraved madman but her own fears and prejudices.

Maski: Broken But Not Dead is available on Amazon.

◊ Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries
◊ By Joylene Nowell Butler
◊ Psychological Thriller

◊ Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press LLC

A murder enveloped in pain and mystery...

When Canada's retired Minister of National Defense, Leland Warner, is murdered in his home, the case is handed to Corporal Danny Killian, an aboriginal man tortured by his wife's unsolved murder. The suspect, 60-year-old Sally Warner, still grieves for the loss of her two sons, dead in a suicide/murder eighteen months earlier. Confused and damaged, she sees in Corporal Killian a friend sympathetic to her grief and suffering and wants more than anything to trust him.

Danny finds himself with a difficult choice-indict his prime suspect, the dead minister's horribly abused wife or find a way to protect her and risk demotion. Or worse, transfer away from the scene of his wife's murder and the guilt that haunts him…

The audio version of Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries is available through Audible and Amazon. Click on the links to hear an audio sample of the book.

Author Joylene Nowell Butler

Joylene, Métis, is the author of Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and Break Time. She and her husband and their two cats reside in Canada for the summers and Nayarit, Mexico, for the winters. They believe life should be an adventure. 

For more on Joylene and her writing, visit her website and blog, as well as connect with her on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon.

Comments on Maski: Broken But Not Dead:

“A psychological thriller filled with suspense, action and drama...” - John Bell, 93.1CFIS-FM: Prince George, BC

“Riveting and beautifully written. You won't be able to set it down.” Judith S. Avila, author

This tour-wide giveaway is for two (2) eBook copies of Maski: Broken But Not Dead and two (2) audio copies of Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries. The giveaway ends July 6.

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. If the widget doesn’t appear, just click on this link and you’ll be taken to a page where the widget should be.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you'll check out these tantalizing stories.

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