Category Archives: crime writer

crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, Marsali Taylor, Novels, Scotland

Death in a Shetland Lane by Marsali Taylor #DEATHINASHETLANDLANE

May 8, 2023 Melanie 1 Comment

Today, I welcome Marsali Taylor to Celtic Connexions and the latest installment of her Shetland Sailing Mysteries, Death in a Shetland Lane.

Death

BLURB

Days before the final Shetland fire festival, in broad daylight, a glamorous young singer tumbles down a flight of steps. Though it seems a tragic accident, sailing sleuth Cass Lynch, a witness at the scene, thought it looked like Chloe sleepwalked to her death. But young women don’t slumber while laughing and strolling with friends. Could it be that someone’s cast a spell from the Book of the Black Arts, recently stolen from a Yell graveyard?A web of tensions between the victim and those who knew her confirm that something more deadly than black magic is at work. But proving what, or who, could be lethal – and until the mystery is solved, innocent people will remain in terrible danger…

HOW TO BUY

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Shetland-Lane-Sailing-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BNDHKVRF/>

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

death

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist guide who is fascinated by history and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women’s suffrage in Shetland. She’s also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht and an active member of her local drama group.

FOLLOW MARSALI

Author Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/MarsaliTaylorAuthor/
Website – https://www.marsalitaylor.co.uk
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marsali-Taylor/e/B0034PACI8/

Authors, Book Promo, Book Tour, Carol Wyer, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Detective Kate Young, Novels, Thomas & Mercer

DI Kate Young in A Truth for a Truth by Carol Wyer

April 5, 2023 Melanie 3 Comments

Welcome to Celtic Connexions and one of today’s stops on the blog tour for A Truth for a Truth, featuring DI Kate Young by Carol Wyer, the fourth in this gripping series.

Young

BLURB

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished…

But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Stanka, the sex worker who supplied the evidence against Dickson, leads her to crucial information on another corrupt officer, DI Harriet Khatri, and her dubious involvement with sex traffickers.

As the noose starts to tighten on Kate, she finds herself targeted by traffickers, the bent cops on her force and even her own team of detectives. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

My review

DI Kate Young

I loved this book!

This is the best one in this series, and the others were cracking excellent reads. Carol has a knack for creating tortured characters you want to love (or hate) and wraps them in a fast-paced plot that keeps you turning the virtual pages.

And the ending? I didn’t see that coming.

About Carol

Young

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer’s crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK and Australia. The third, A Life For A Life, is due out March 15th, 2022, but is available to preorder.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr. Grumpy who is very, very grumpy.

When not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter @carolewyer

You can also follow Carol at these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolEWyer/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolwyer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolewyer
Website: www.carolwyer.co.uk

#cover, Carol Wyer, cover reveal, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Novels, Thomas & Mercer

A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH #cover #reveal

October 3, 2022 Melanie 2 Comments

Are you ready for the spectacular cover for DI Kate Young Book 5 – A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH? It’s a cracker, I can tell you. So without any further ado, let’s show this baby to the world!

TRUTH

Blurb

DI Kate Young’s team is hunting for a killer. What they don’t know…is that the killer is her.

PRE-ORDER LINKS

A TRUTH FOR A TRUTH will be released on April 4th, 2023 but is available to pre-order now:

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Truth-Detective-Kate-Young-Book-ebook/dp/B0B9CKMSFW

USA https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Detective-Kate-Young-Book-ebook/dp/B0B9CKMSFW

AUS https://www.amazon.com.au/Truth-Detective-Kate-Young-Book-ebook/dp/B0B9CKMSFW

#cover, Carol Wyer, cover reveal, crime writer, Novels, Psychological Thriller

Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer #CoverReveal

August 3, 2022 Melanie 2 Comments

I’m so excited to be able to share the fantastic cover for the latest psychological thriller, Behind Closed Doors, by Carol Wyer.

So without further ado, here it is!

Behind Closed Doors cover

Blurb

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom—she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it. She knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. And she knows her captor was never apprehended.

Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, and she’ll use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. Desperate to find any link between Lyra’s abduction and her own, Stacey forces herself to revisit her forgotten, traumatic past for clues.

But can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS – IS OUT DECEMBER 6TH 2022

BUY LINKS:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behind-Closed-Doors-Carol-Wyer-ebook/dp/B09TZTZF9B/

USA: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-Carol-Wyer-ebook/dp/B09TZTZF9B/

AUSTRALIA: https://www.amazon.com.au/Behind-Closed-Doors-Carol-Wyer-ebook/dp/B09TZTZF9B/

About Carol Wyer

Carol Wyer is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the People’s Book Prize Award. Her crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK, USA and Australia. Since then, two further books in the series have been published, with a fourth and fifth due out in 2023.

A standalone psychological thriller, Behind Closed Doors, will be released on December 6th, 2022, and is available to preorder now.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband, Mr. Grumpy . . . who is very, very grumpy.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter @carolewyer

PRAISE FOR CAROL’S BOOKS:

‘I’m buzzing from this book. I LOVED it. I don’t think I have been this gripped by a book, ever. …Totally terrifying, this addictive read will keep you gasping, guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout …You won’t be disappointed!’ Booked Up Girl, 5 stars

‘OMG OMG OMG! Fantastic these just keep on getting better and better. Fabulous sorry kept me guessing …Can’t wait for the next one’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another breath-taking read from Carol Wyer. This book pulled me in from the beginning and didn’t let go!… A heart-pounding read and one you won’t be able to put down.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Wow this is another five-star read from Carol Wyer. I couldn’t put this down. It was a roller-coaster of a ride, I highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Compelling… Remarkable… Utterly thrilling. I read this exceptional book in one sitting. I simply could not put it down. I was hanging onto the edge of my seat as this book reached a crescendo. I definitely cannot wait for the next book in the series.’ Robin Loves Reading, 5 stars

Book Promo, crime writer, Crime/Mystery, Crime/Thriller, darkstroke, Karen Moore, Novels

Release by Karen Moore #RELEASE #crime #mysteries

August 30, 2021 Melanie 2 Comments

A husband is given an early release from prison. What could go wrong? Better yet, what could go right? Karen Moore spins her take on just that in her latest novel.

Karen

BLURB

When Hanna’s estranged mafioso husband, Luciano, is released early from a Sicilian prison, she fears he will come after her and her young daughter, Eva.

The revelation leaves her with a dilemma. Invited to Sicily to attend her best friend’s wedding, can she really take the risk?

But even staying at home in North Wales may not be safe. Something strange is going on at her old cottage in the hills. As the lines between Sicily and North Wales blur, Hanna uncovers a criminal operation that leads her to fear for Eva’s life all over again.

Will Hanna ever be able to release herself from Luciano’s grip? Or will her discovery lead her into even deeper danger?

Karen

ABOUT KAREN

Karen

Karen Moore is passionate about all things noir – crime, mystery, thrillers – and writes in that genre.

She has been writing all her life, mostly for work purposes, and is now delighted to be able to spend more time developing her own creative work.

Her debut novel, Torn, is a dark tale of intrigue and betrayal set in Sicily and North Wales. Release is the sequel, although it is written as a standalone novel for people who may not have read Torn.

Karen worked as a tour guide across Europe, North America and Canada, followed by a career in PR and marketing. She has lived in France and Italy, and is now based in Cheshire, England. Her cat, Lexi, often appears in her social media feeds.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/karenmooreauthor

TWITTER http://www.twitter.com/KarenMo35731701

BUY LINK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Release-Karen-Moore/dp/B09BGG72N1/

Karen

#amreading, #Audible, #audiobook, crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Mystery, darkstroke, Edinburgh, Novels, Val Penny

Hunter’s Chase by Val Penny #HUNTERSCHASE

July 7, 2021 Melanie 4 Comments

Hunter’s Chase Audible Tour

Hunter’s Chase, book 1 in the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series, written by Val Penny is now available as an audiobook through Audible.

BLURB

Hunter by name – Hunter by nature: DI Hunter Wilson will not rest until Edinburgh is safe.

Detective Inspector Hunter Wilson knows there is a new supply of cocaine flooding his city, and he needs to find the source, but his attention is transferred to murder when a corpse is discovered in the grounds of a golf course.

Shortly after the post-mortem, Hunter witnesses a second murder, but that is not the end of the slaughter. With a young woman’s life also hanging in the balance, the last thing Hunter needs is a new man on his team: Detective Constable Tim Myerscough, the son of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable Sir Peter Myerscough.

Hunter’s perseverance and patience are put to the test time after time in this first novel in The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series.

Val Penny

MY REVIEW

Well plotted and fast-paced. I loved this book! al Penny wrote a fantastic debut novel. I can’t wait to read more DI Hunter Wilson stories.

This is my first time listening to an audiobook, so I’m glad it was one I was familiar with. I loved the narrator. Give me a man with a Scottish accent and I’m automatically in swoon mode. If there was a downside to the book, I found the breaks between chapters a wee bit too long. As I said, it was my first time with an audiobook so perhaps that’s the industry standard. Also, in one of the later chapters (I’m sorry I didn’t make note of it at the time), the narrator started a sentence and then started it over again.

I can’t wait for the rest of the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries series to be available in audio format.

AUDIBLE BUY LINK

Hunter’s Chase Audible

ABOUT VAL PENNY

Val Penny

Val Penny’s other crime novels, Hunter’s Chase Hunter’s Revenge, Hunter’s Force Hunter’s Blood, and Hunter’s Secret form the bestselling series The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries. They are set in Edinburgh, Scotland, published by darkstroke. Her first non-fiction book Let’s Get Published is also available now and she has most recently contributed her short story, Cats and Dogs to a charity anthology, Dark Scotland.

Val is an American author living in SW Scotland with her husband and their cat.

You can connect with Val at the following links:

Website: www.valpenny.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Authorvalpenny

Facebook: www.facebook.com/valerie.penny.739

Friends of Hunter Wilson & The Edinburgh Crime Mysteries: www.facebook.com/groups/296295777444303

Val’s Book Bundle: https://www.facebook.com/groups/167248300537409

Twitter: https://twitter.com/valeriepenny

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17300087.Val_Penny

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Val-Penny/e/B07C4725TK

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/val-penny

Val Penny

Carol Wyer, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Detective Kate Young, Novels, Thomas & Mercer

A Cut for a Cut by Carol Wyer #review

July 1, 2021 Melanie 3 Comments

A Cut for a Cut (Detective Kate Young #2) by Carol Wyer

Carol Wyer

#ACutForACut #DetectiveKateYoung @carolewyer @AmazonPub @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Carol Wyer

Book Blurb:

DI Kate Young can’t trust anybody. Not even herself.

In the bleak countryside around Blithfield Reservoir, a serial murderer and rapist is leaving a trail of bloodshed. His savage calling card: the word ‘MINE’ carved into each of his victims.

DI Kate Young struggles to get the case moving—even when one of the team’s own investigators is found dead in a dumpster. But Kate is battling her own demons. Obsessed with exposing Superintendent John Dickson and convinced there’s a conspiracy running deep in the force, she no longer knows who to trust. Kate’s crusade has already cost her dearly. What will she lose next?

When her stepsister spills a long-buried secret, Kate realises she’s found the missing link—now she must prove it before the killer strikes again. With enemies closing in on all sides, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to bring them down. But time is running out, and Kate’s past has pushed her to the very edge. Can she stop herself from falling?

My review:

Wow! This second DI Kate Young novel packs a wallop. I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series and I liked it.

Kate juggles a lot in this story. A rapist who carves the word “mine” in the flesh of his victims’ shoulders. Her half-sister has returned with her young son. Kate wants to spend time with them, but her workload conspires against it, and then there’s the ever-present thread of who was behind her reporter husband’s murder? She’s certain she knows it’s someone high ranking in the department and maybe even her immediate supervisor is corrupt, too.

This was a rollercoaster ride and I held on with white knuckles until the very end! I hope there will be more in this series as I loved it so much.

Carol is an extraordinary writer and brings her written world to life so much you feel like you’re in the villages and witnessing the crimes and/or the investigations.

I received a copy of A Cut for a Cut from NetGalley and Carol’s publishers, Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

About Carol Wyer:

Carol Wyer

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in LITTLE GIRL LOST and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

Carol has been interviewed on numerous radio shows discussing ”Irritable Male Syndrome’ and ‘Ageing Disgracefully’ and on BBC Breakfast television. She has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and the Huffington Post.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

Social Media:

Website www.carolwyer.co.uk

Blog www.carolwyer.com

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/carolewyer

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

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/carolewyer

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-wyer-407b1032

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14925467.Carol_Wyer

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5O-lvkAYO19S0AMW8VqJQ

Purchase Links:

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

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2TXmOGn

Publishing Information:

Published by Thomas & Mercer in paperback, audio and digital formats on 29^th June 2021.

You can read about book 1 in this riveting series – An Eye for An Eye here.

Carol E. Wyer, Carol Wyer, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Novels, Psychological Thriller

DI Kate Young is back in A Cut for A Cut

February 16, 2021 Melanie 3 Comments

DI Kate Young can’t trust anybody. Not even herself.

In the bleak countryside around Blithfield Reservoir, a serial murderer and rapist is leaving a trail of bloodshed. His savage calling card: the word ‘MINE’ carved into each of his victims.

DI Kate Young
Pre-Order Links:

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P1GWK3R

USA https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08P1GWK3R

AUSTRALIA: https://www.amazon.com.au/Cut-Detective…/dp/B08P1GWK3R

Carol E. Wyer, Carol Wyer, crime writer, Crime/Thriller, Novels

An Eye for an Eye by @carolewyer @AmazonPub @damppebbles

February 7, 2021 Melanie 6 Comments

An Eye for an Eye

An Eye for an Eye (Detective Kate Young #1) by Carol Wyer #AnEyeForAnEye @DetectiveKateYoung @carolewyer @AmazonPub @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

An Eye for an Eye

A new series. A new detective. The Detective Kate Young series starts with a bang with An Eye for an eye.

Book Blurb:

A killer running rings around the police. A detective spiralling out of control.

DI Kate Young is on leave. She’s the force’s best detective, but her bosses know she’s under pressure, on medication and overcoming trauma. So after her bad judgement call leads to a narrowly averted public disaster, they’re sure all she needs is a rest.

But when Staffordshire Police summon her back to work on a murder case, it’s a harder, more suspicious Kate Young who returns. With a new ruthlessness, she sets about tracking down a clinical, calculating serial killer who is torturing victims and leaving clues to taunt the police. Spurred on by her reporter husband, Young begins to suspect that the murderer might be closer than she ever imagined.

As she works to uncover the truth, Young unravels a network of secrets and lies, with even those closest to her having something to hide. But with her own competence—and her grip on reality—called into question, can she unmask the killer before they strike again?

Review:

I enjoyed meeting the characters in Carol Wyer’s new series starting with An Eye for an Eye. They were well-rounded, some were flawed (and some of those more than others).

It took some time to really get into the book, I think it was because it was so different from the DI Robyn Carter and DI Natalie Ward series, but once I did, I was loath to put it down.

I’m looking forward to more Detective Kate Young stories.

About Carol Wyer:

@carolewyer

USA Today bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize Award, Carol Wyer writes feel-good comedies and gripping crime fiction.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in LITTLE GIRL LOST and demonstrated that stand-up comedian Carol had found her true niche.

To date, her crime novels have sold over 750,000 copies and been translated for various overseas markets.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband Mr Grumpy… who is very, very grumpy.

When she is not plotting devious murders, she can be found performing her comedy routine, Smile While You Still Have Teeth.

Social Media:

Website www.carolwyer.co.uk

Blog www.carolwyer.com

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/carolewyer

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

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/carolewyer

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-wyer-407b1032

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14925467.Carol_Wyer

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj5O-lvkAYO19S0AMW8VqJQ

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2LdJpdV

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35y4g2j

Publishing Information:

Published in paperback, digital and audio formats by Thomas & Mercer on 1^st February 2021.

#amreading, #amwriting, Children's author, Children's Chapter Book, children's picture book, Chris Longmuir, contemporary romance, cosy mystery, cozy crime, crime writer, crime writing, Crime/Thriller, Novels, Read a Book Day, time-travel, Wendy H. Jones, YA fiction, Young Adult

Hooray for Read a Book Day! #amreading #amwriting

September 6, 2020 Melanie 7 Comments

Hooray for Read a Book Day!

Hooray for Read a Book day! Here in North America, it’s our Labour Day weekend, so we can extend our “bookish” holiday into another full day of reading enjoyment.

What’s your preferred medium for reading? Are you a fan of ebooks or do you prefer print, either paperback or hardcover?

And then there are genres? Which do you like to read? Crime? Thrillers? Horror? Romance? Historical? Or a blend of all of the above.

I’m lucky in that being an author, I’ve met authors from other countries around the world – England, Scotland, Australia, France, the US, and back here at home in Canada.

I write in a number of genres, but my favourite is romance. You can see my books here. To find out more about any particular title, click on the cover and you’ll be taken to the book’s page where you’ll be provided with the description and buy links should you be so inclined to purchase.

possibly a title or two you might be interested in?

My brand “where fact and fiction meet” stems from the fact I take real events and spin fictional stories around them, changing place and characters’ names to protect the ‘guilty.’ 😉

Now before you think this blog post is all about me, I’m going to introduce you to two authors you might not have heard of before.

I’ll start with Chris Longmuir. Chris and I first met virtually in early 2001 when she contacted me asking permission to use a photograph. We met in person later that same year and see each other as often as possible.

Another is Wendy H. Jones. I’ve not known Wendy as long, but she Chris and I make up the Princesses of Pandemonium. While their books are crime – gritty, humourous or historical – we have a great time when we get together.

Here we are outside the Old Town Jail in Stirling, Scotland.