Willow Rose is a fabulous thriller author and when I saw this gorgeous cover, there was no doubt I had to have it. Human traffickers, terrorists and a cult abound and it’s hard to decipher who is doing what to who.
Someone took her daughter, Olivia, and Eva will stop at nothing to get her back. Her famous sister, Sydney is be her side as they hunt down the Iron Fist, a human trafficker. She walked away from her family and her lover, Matt, a cop who is trying his best to save her from Carter, a cop that will do anything to catch her and make a name for himself.
Time is precious and its running out for Olivia.
Has Eva crossed the line? Because of her treatment of the first trafficker Eva came across, there is a warrant out for her arrest and it’s all downhill from there. Eva’s friends will stick by her….no matter what. What has she done to earn their loyalty, admiration you will have to find out for yourself.
I think I see where Willow Rose is going with her dual storyline, both of which are horrendous and frightening and all too true in our current times. Truth is stranger than fiction and real life plays out on the pages as trafficking, gas attacks and the cult stories play out.
By the time I get to the halfway mark, the pace picks up and I begin to read faster.
Olivia..oh Olivia…my heart bleeds for you, yet I admire your courage, bravery, and determination to find your way home.
Matt, OMG, I cannot imagine the agony he goes through as he tries to save Eva from a ruthless cop, Carter, who is out to make a name for himself. Carter has tunnel vision and his sights are set on Eva. I think I see how she may survive and I am eager to find out if I am right.
Emma…what a fabulous surprise. Willow Rose does surprises well. The first surprise is quickly followed by a second. A villain is exposed and the surprises keep on coming. The twists and turns make my head spin.
Never Ever is the rawest writing I have read of Willow Rose’s and the first half didn’t ratchet up the suspense like the second half. For that reason I rated it a 4, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the rating went higher after the final edits.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Never Ever by Willow Rose.
4 Stars
Former FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas returns in Willow Rose’s most
hair-raising thriller yet.
Ex-agent Eva Rae Thomas is on the run. The past month she has done
things she never knew she was capable of while hunting for her
kidnapped daughter.
Eva Rae has risked everything,
-her career,
-her newfound love,
-her freedom.
She’s looking for the man they call the Iron Fist.
The trail has led her to Miami.
Meanwhile, Miami is under attack. Hundreds of passengers in the Metrorail are
exposed to a deathly nerve gas on a peaceful Monday morning. When Eva
Rae Thomas sees her daughter on the surveillance footage from the
attack, she knows it is no coincidence. But by the time she uncovers
the chilling truth of how it is all connected, it might be too late.
NEVER EVER is the third book in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series
and can be read as a standalone.
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror,
Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t
see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of
ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three
million books.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and
watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
I have seen E J Stevens name bandied about and even follow her newsletter, so why I haven’t read or reviewed any of her work before surprised me. LOL So I set out to correct that and picked up a review copy of Craven Street, which was released 6.25.19.
The cover has an eerie vibe and I do I love the location, Whitechapel. It made me feel as if Jack The Ripper was looking over my shoulder as I walked the streets…or should I say ran, because there be monsters here.
I also love that the Whitechapel Paranormal Society has an all female unit.
We have plenty of action and sometimes our enemy will be our friend, as the bodies pile up. Gritty, dangerous action in this other worldly battle between good and evil.
Though there is not a cliffhanger, the story is far from over.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Craven Street by E J Stevens.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In this spellbinding
novella, E.J. Stevens weaves a tale of murder, necromancy, and demonic
possession that brings together characters from her Whitechapel
Paranormal Society Victorian horror series and award-winning Ivy Granger
Psychic Detective urban fantasy series on the fog-shrouded cobblestones
of 36 Craven Street.
The discovery of bricked up skeletal
remains at 36 Craven Street point to something more diabolical than an
illegal anatomy school. The tool marks on the bones, arcane sigils of
great power, indicate more than mere butchery, more than enlightened
experimentation. The signs, omens, and portents support the crown’s
greatest fears. A great evil is being unleashed upon the gaslit streets
of London, a blood-drenched shadow reaching skeletal fingers beyond the
slums of Whitechapel.
We must stamp out this demonic plague
for the sake of our Queen, our Country, and our immortal souls. – Cora
Drummond, Whitechapel Paranormal Society
Collecting human
souls is a thankless job, nearly as tedious as acting as solicitor to
the fae. But when the demon Forneus enters an opium den searching for
men eager to trade their souls for the ill-smelling weed, he stumbles on
a plot so devious, so heinous, he’s jealous that he hadn’t thought of
it himself.
There’s nothing like a maniacal plot to unleash
Hell on earth to break the boredom of immortality. – Forneus, Grand
Marquis of Hell
The Whitechapel Paranormal Society series is
a Victorian horror “dreadpunk” series set in London’s East End. The Ivy
Granger Psychic Detective series is an award-winning urban fantasy
series known for heart-pounding action, quirky characters, and
supernatural horrors.
Whitechapel Paranormal Society novels Eeper Weeper and One for Sorrow coming July and October 2019.
I have a lot of books by Willow Rose that I have gotten for free, and
I think it is high time I started showing my appreciation and writing
some reviews. I LOVE her work and eagerly pick up every book I see from
her.
I picked it up for free on Amazon on 9.20.13 and finished reading it on 12.27.15.
It amazes me how lucky I am to have gotten such a mind blowing novel for free. Lucky me!
It’s always nice to visit some familiar characters and I am eager to take on a new case. The characters are not perfect and that makes me love them even more and they appear more realistic. After all, in real life we don’t like everyone we meet.
Since Rebecca has moved to a smaller town with a slower pace, she is managing to fit right in.
We have another serial killer on the warpath with revenge in their heart.
Another cover to cover thrill ride and I am always eager to jump on the rollercoaster with Willow Rose…and I will…soon. If you are a thriller lover, this is an author that has to be on your must read list!
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It was supposed to be a
night of fun, pleasure, lust and pain for Susanne Larsen when she agreed
to meet with a stranger from a S&M chatroom. She met him for dinner
that later led to casual, anonymous sex at the hotel-room at the local
inn.
But someone else showed up in the room and suddenly it was no longer a game.
Zeeland
Times star-reporter Rebekka Franck and her photographer Sune are
covering the case for the news-paper and soon they find themselves
deeply involved in a story of terrifying horror and ugly secrets.
“Three,
Four … Better lock your door” is a thrilling Scandinavian
Mystery-novel from the International Bestselling author Willow Rose. It
is the sequel to the International bestseller “One, Two … He is coming
from you”. The third book in this series is called “Five, Six … Grab
your crucifix.” Willow Rose will be writing the fourth book in the
spring of 2013.
ABOUT WILLOW ROSE
TheQueen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror,
Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t
see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of
ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three
million books.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and
watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Very pretty cover for Codename: Chimera by J K Persy. I got this book back in February of 2014, but didn’t read it until 1.15.15. I loved it and I don’t have any excuse for waiting so long to share it with you. The cover does not make me think of the cozy mystery that it is.
During their investigation, they learned about a project called Chimera and now the mystery deepens. Is it a conspiracy? Will they kill anyone to keep a secret?
A convoluted mystery centered around a medallion. Who does it belong to?
Codename: Chimera lacked a sense of urgency, but a lot of cozies do. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy them and I loved this one. I was super curious about the outcome and the deaths that follow the medallion.
I loved the trio and was happy to be along for their adventure. Codename: Chimera by J K Persy is not what I expected from looking at the cover, but it all made sense in the end.
The brain teasers are a bonus. I stopped and spent a lot of time trying to solve them. I wonder if you will too.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Codename: Chimera by J K Persy.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Adventures. Twists & Turns. Unexpected Final.
Dear reader!
If you like Indiana Jones, Kingsman, James Bond, Sam Spade, Sherlock Holmes by Guy Ritchie, try “Codename: Chimera”.
This
is a fast-paced action/adventure/whodunit mystery with elements of
mystical mythology. It does not involve much character development, but
instead has interesting plot with twists, turns, and puzzles.
The
corpse of a millionaire collecting antiques is found in New York on the
eve of a major auction. The last thing he saw in the darkness seconds
before his death was a certain Man-With-No-Face. Is it a man or a ghost?
Is he capable of causing paralyzing fear and death by his appearance?
Is he the embodiment of Chimera, the ancient Greek monster?
Following
in the tracks of the Man-With-No-Face the detective finds out about the
stolen precious locket and a secret project under the codename
“Chimera”. How are these connected? Does the locket have a mystical
curse or is it a fiction?
Together with the private detective
Kevin Kris, you are being waited for by amazing adventures, interesting
puzzles and unexpected twists.
ABOUT J K PERSY
Our names are Jake and Kate Persy and we’re young, self-publishing writers. We’re a happy couple and our motto is ‘The best moment to be happy is right now’. We have a healthy, active lifestyle.
We love having fun and that’s why
we’ve written Codename: Chimera. It’s been an exciting experience. We
wanted to write an interesting mystery that you can sit back and enjoy
and we hope that’s what we’ve done.
I finished reading Beyond Time (Time Shifters #1) by Laura N Anile on 1.1.15. I did rate it on Goodreads, but didn’t post the review for this ARC. Sooooo….here is is.
It was free when I made this post but be sure and check for the ‘0’
Beyond Time by Laura N Anile intrigued me because I do love a good time travel story and add a bit of the apocalyptic/dystopian to it and it intrigues me more.
Why I didn’t connect to the characters, other than Kira, I don’t know.
There’s danger, a virus, nuclear bombs, lies and conspiracy, trouble figuring out who’s good and who’s bad…
The Time Shifter series needs to be read in order and Beyond Time makes the need to read more a necessity. Could that be part of my problem? Was it too ‘young’ for me.
If it sounds interesting to you, I do recommend trying it for yourself. Just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Beyond Time by Laura N Anile.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When you wake up in the wrong body within a futuristic world, being yourself can get you killed.
17-year-old
Ryder is on his way to school when he experiences pain like he has
never felt before. He awakes in a mysterious lab to discover that, as a
victim of an unauthorized transfer, he has been pulled into the year
2127.
Now Ryder’s life depends on him succeeding in making
everyone believe that he is Ziron, the boy that swapped places with him
in 2015. If he fails, he will be captured, imprisoned, or worse. Ryder
only has to survive two weeks in this futuristic world he doesn’t
understand. But two weeks is a long time when you don’t know who to
trust, and when you have to keep away from a girl you have sworn to
protect.
Kira refuses to stay away, so how can he prevent her
from discovering his secret? And how can he be with her when she thinks
he’s someone else?
Time is running out for Ryder to unravel the
conspiracy and uncover the answer to the biggest question of all: Just
why did Ziron risk everything to change places with him? And what
exactly has Ryder been pulled into?
In a desperate quest to find his way home, Ryder will stop at nothing to protect the girl of his dreams, and the secret that could destroy everything.
I downloaded a copy of Hidden by Megg Jensen a long time ago, 12.16.15, to be exact, but before that. I think it had been made free since I had signed up to review the book through Xpresso Book Tours. I finished reading the book on 1.3.15 and did rate the book on goodreads, but did not write the review.
The living conditions put people’s true character to the test. Such close living makes it hard to hid their true colors. The characters are vindictive, revengeful, heroic and brave. I love ’em and hate ’em.
What is the fog? Is it treacherous, benign, hiding something? What happens to those who go into the fog?
I was engrossed from the beginning. The fog had me very curious and I wanted to walk into it with Tressa. When I first started reading the book, I was looking for dragons, but once I met Tressa, it became all about her. I love her strength. Her personality demanded she do what is right, no matter the consequences. She wasn’t reckless, she felt it was her duty to her people…as if she were their leader. Bastion, her true love since childhood, meant, fated, to be together.
The longer I read, the more I find is going on. I am loving my journey to the answers. It is exciting and dangers at the same time. I was bummed when a favorite of min bit the dust, added an unexpected twist, but I love when an author doesn’t walk the usual line and isn’t afraid to kill of their characters. Not predictable and plenty of surprises. Would love to read more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Hidden by Megg Jensen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The mystery enshrouding
Hutton’s Bridge is as impenetrable as the fog that descended at its
borders eighty years ago. Each year, three villagers enter the mist
searching for answers. No one ever returns.
Then a dragon falls
from the sky to the town square, dead—the first glimpse of an outside
world that has become nothing more than a fairy tale to Hutton’s Bridge.
Except to Tressa.
Tressa grew up with Granna’s stories of the
days before the fog fell. When Granna dies, leaving Tressa without any
family, Tressa ventures into the fog herself, vowing to unravel the foul
magic holding Hutton’s Bridge captive.
What she discovers beyond the fog endangers the lives of everyone she loves
ABOUT MEGG JENSEN (from Amazon)
Megg Jensen is all sorts of strange things: medieval history buff, Ren Faire goer, fairy garden builder, swing dancer, and lover of movies everyone else hates. She spends too much time waiting for The Doctor.
She is the USA Today bestselling
author of Dragonlands, Dragons of the Nether, Forsaken Stars Saga, Cloud
Prophet Trilogy, The Swarm Trilogy, and Shucked.
For more information on Megg please visit her website at http://www.meggjensen.com/.
Want a FREE gift? Newsletter: http://www.meggjensen.com/#!newsletter/ch36 Hang out & chat with Megg on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meggjensen
I don’t do a lot of the monthly wrapup. I usually do Sunday memes where you can see all I have been sharing in one post. Because I have missed a lot of those too, I am sharing August’s action on fundinmental in one post.
Tainted Future by Ashley Fontainne is an apocalyptic/dystopian novel where zombies run AMOK and aren’t the only bodies that will be falling. The series does need to be read in order.
Tainted Future by Ashley Fontainne is the third book in the Rememdium series and I do recommend reading them in order. That being said, how do I write this review without giving any of the good stuff away?
Ashley Fontainne included a cast of characters in the beginning of the book and it picks up where Book II, Tainted Reality left off.
Tainted Future starts out with three bloody, gory deaths and a flaming missile that obliterates the town. They are on the run. Where do they go?
And it only gets worse. A bullet to the head. Brains splatter.
My emotions ran hot. I was filled with fear, smiles and hope, watching the characters face their personal demons and rise above them was inspiring. I only wish I would do the same in a dire situation.
People will be exposed for who they really are. Some will change for the good, others… Some characters are filled with great courage and sacrifice, at least those that are not out to rule the world. I hate that Ashley Fontainne has the need to kill so many of them off, but hey, I’m not surprised at all. Be careful of who becomes your favorite, because they might not make it.
One of the greatest scenes was in the Humvee, racing over the terrain and anything else that gets in the way. Bodies were thrown side to side, as they bounced their way into the next hair raising end of the world scenario.
We don’t end up with a cliffhanger, but we do need to read Book IV, Tainted World to find out what happens next. Will it be the final chapter? I am already bummed at some of the characters that had to bite the dust and I am afraid to find out who will be next…but, I have the book on my Kindle and will begin reading…NOW.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Tainted Future by Ashley Fontainne
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Everything they know is gone. The old world obliterated in less than forty-eight hours. They soon discover they aren’t alone, and other dangers besides the undead lurk in the forests. The new law of the land: kill or be killed.
Dr. Everett Berning and his team seek refuge in the underground lab in the Ozark Mountains. The first week after the collapse of civilization, those who made it out alive struggle against the odds to survive.
Only a handful escaped the devastation in their hometown of Malvern, Arkansas, and they grapple with the new reality. Tired, frightened, and mourning the loss of loved ones, they attempt to regroup and cope with the life-altering changes.
When one suffers a debilitating injury, they are thrust into a tenuous relationship with Dr. Berning’s group. Other survivors battle the odds as they flee treacherous cities destroyed by the government and crawling with reanimated corpses.
Unfortunately, they all are about to discover the roaming dead aren’t the only threat they face. As the world plummets into darkness, things will never be the same. Ever.
ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)
Award-winning and
International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of
mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her
youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse
the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within
us are her favorite reads.
Her muse for penning the
Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre
Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write
her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy.
With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a
person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous
acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero
Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge
has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How
far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries
answered that question: far and wide.
Her short thriller
entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world
of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in
fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards
contest and is currently in production for a feature film.
Her paranormal thriller
entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book
Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film
entitled Foreseen.
Ashley’s decided to delve
into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel,
Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty
Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with
Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder
mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book,
Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.
Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.
Jane Blythe and Amanda Siegrist are two amazing authors that I have had the fortune of finding through blogging. They write of love, loss, danger and death, not necessarily in that order. I am excited to have the opportunity to read their first collaboration, Drowning in You, a part of Sweetest Obsessions Boxed Set, which was released on August 20, 2019.
Imagine…locked up in the dark…you make an escape…before you can get out the door, you are yanked back into an even worse horror than you had been in, before trying to get away. Will he kill you now?
Carter and Jade, homicide partners…a lake, a dead body and for Carter, painful memories.
Rose and Evelyn had been chosen by the same foster family and quickly became best friends. They are complete opposites. Rose is quiet, and rather spend a night at a home than go out. Evelyn is outgoing, ready for a party.
When Carter and Rose meet, there is an immediate attraction. Carter wanted to take away her sorrow and pain, to protect her. Rose felt safe when she was near him.
The beginning of their relationship, the feeling out period, is so sweet. They are like a couple of teenagers and the writing brought the innocence to life. They had both suffered devastating losses, so trusting in love is very difficult for them. They protect themselves and their secrets. I loved watching them learn to share, to communicate.
The serial killer is so much more than just a serial killer. Killing people is not his motivation, but he has no qualms about getting rid of anyone that gives him a problem. Are serial killers capable of love, or is it some twisted interpretation?
I am in a state of suspense. What is he going to do next? I know it won’t be anything good.
I didn’t see it before, but at 66% something triggered my monster meter and I know who he is. Maybe I could have picked up on him sooner, if I was trying harder. Jane and Amanda’s writing has a way of taking me along for the ride and I am enjoy the journey so much that I forget to decipher the clues. I knew the one guy was too big of a scumbag, ya know, too obvious. I wasn’t falling for that red herring. But I really hope he gets his before the story ends.
80%…I know what’s coming and I’m racing through the pages. I can’t stop myself. I need to see how this plays out…NOW.
Want a HEA? Come on in!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Drowning in You by Jane Blythe and Amanda Siegrist.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He has a choice to make. Face his fear … or watch her die.
For
Rose Gowan the death of her best friend means she no longer has a
confidante—someone to keep her secrets, someone who knew all her
insecurities—and she’s not sure she’s brave enough to let anyone else
in. Until she meets the detective working her friend’s case. He gives
her hope for a future she had thought she’d never have, but he can be
possessive, and she promised her best friend that she would never let
anyone control her again.
Death is a part of life. It’s not
something Detective Carter Dixson likes to dwell on, but working in the
homicide division, he has no choice. He does his job, and he does it
well. When his latest case brings Rose into his life, he finally has
something other than his pain from his past to focus on. She makes him
smile, his heart beat faster, and actually feel happy for the first time
since his brother died. He’s not afraid of falling in love too fast.
But he is afraid of one thing—losing Rose the same way he lost his
brother.
This novel is included in the Sweetest Obsessions Boxed Set, which will release on August 20, 2019.
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
Love!
Gimme some love and heaps of romance. I have a sappy heart that just
loves two people meeting, going through the cycles of a relationship,
and ultimately, falling in love. Give me a good book like that and I’m a
happy camper:)
I write contemporary and romantic suspense, but I am partial to suspense. I just love a good mystery.
Besides writing, I love baking, crafts, and baseball…oh, and meeting new people. *smiles*
I believe this is my first novel by Ann Cleeves and I would like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review The Long Call.
I love the cover for The Long Call by Ann Cleeves and am always on the lookout for a good mystery. That being said, I really wanted to love this, but…
Maggie loved talking to her friend but one day he didn’t show up. And so her mystery begins and she wants answers.
The characters are gay, lesbian, mentally challenged…
Everything, good and bad, centers around the Woodyard, a community center.
It held no tension or suspense for me. I couldn’t get excited by the story or the writing but I am curious…so I will read on. I know a police procedural is not as exciting as a thriller, but I would put down The Long Call, read something else, come back to it, put it down…well, you get the picture. I was bored and my mind kept drifting.
I did finish it and because I had to know the ending, I gave it 3 stars, for satisfying my curiosity.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Long Call by Ann Cleeves.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For the first time in 20 years, Ann Cleeves—international bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—embarks on a gripping new series.
In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.
Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a
call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a
man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.
The
case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left
behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past
and present collide.
An astonishing new novel told with
compassion and searing insight, The Long Call will captivate fans of
Vera and Shetland, as well as new readers.
ABOUT ANN CLEEVES
Ann is the author of the books
behind ITV’s VERA, now in it’s third series, and the BBC’s SHETLAND,
which will be aired in December 2012. Ann’s DI Vera Stanhope series of
books is set in Northumberland and features the well loved detective
along with her partner Joe Ashworth. Ann’s Shetland series bring us DI
Jimmy Perez, investigating in the mysterious, dark, and beautiful
Shetland Islands…
Ann grew up in the country, first in
Herefordshire, then in North Devon. Her father was a village school
teacher. After dropping out of university she took a number of temporary
jobs – child care officer, women’s refuge leader, bird observatory
cook, auxiliary coastguard – before going back to college and training
to be a probation officer.
While she was cooking in the Bird
Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting
ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle
of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room.
Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny
tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only
residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the
mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person’s not heavily
into birds – and Ann isn’t – there’s not much to do on Hilbre and that
was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features
the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are
seriously dreadful.
In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters
moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for
many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie
lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their
ambition of moving back to the North East.
For the National Year
of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library
authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid
for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups
in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham
Literature Festival’s first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working
with libraries. Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony
Ann’s
short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television
Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award –
once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the
Dagger in the Library award.
In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first
winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime
Writers’ Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland
Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA’s Gold Dagger award,
and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world’s largest award for
crime fiction.
Ann’s success was announced at the 2006 Dagger
Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London’s Aldwych, on Thursday
29 June 2006. She said: “I have never won anything before in my life, so
it was a complete shock – but lovely of course.. The evening was
relatively relaxing because I’d lost my voice and knew that even if the
unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So
I wouldn’t have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!”
The
judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown
MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray
(an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime
fiction), Heather O’Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer
for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime
fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).
Ann’s
books have been translated into sixteen languages. She’s a bestseller
in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical
acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin
Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200
