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[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse

 Dark, deadly, determined, dastardly people are out to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting – will they succeed or will good prevail over evil?

 This debut novel opened big then took time to introduce pieces on the world gameboard that would all play parts in the outcome of the story. Norway, France, Cyprus, Northern Africa, and others were visited to give a sense of the intricate network involved while also giving a sense of urgency.

 Alexandre Lamarque is the key figure in this story. Watching him move from one scene to the next while wondering why he was doing what he was doing when and where he went was intriguing. It did take awhile to get into the story but once I had made the connections, I was invested and couldn’t stop reading.

 Poiret and Fayard, senior government officials, played their parts well. Mariam was an interesting romantic partner for Alex as well as excellent in her job. The questions I had as I watched the various game pieces move on the board had me curious while reading and then satisfied when the game finally came to the end.

 This was a well written, interesting, compelling story set in the not-too-distant future. It looks at what could happen to earth as we know it while providing an action-packed, suspense-filled, thought-provoking story.

 Thank you to MidasPR and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

     BLURB

 A thrilling debut that has been likened to John Le Carré and Raymond Chandler . . . Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t. In search of the truth, Alex must follow the trail through an ominous spiral of events, from a string of brutal child murders to a chaotic coup in North Africa. He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction. He could be the world’s only hope of preventing THE COMING DARKNESS . . .

       PUBLICITY

 THE COMING DARKNESS

 Moonflower Books|10th November 2022 | £16.99| Hardback

  Bladerunner meets John Le Carré

 A massive new talent in British fiction, Greg Mosse’s storytelling is complex and finely crafted, combining twisting plotlines, intelligent dialogue and ambiguous characters, all skilfully brought together in an epic climax. Never before has dystopian fiction been so chillingly real.

 Set in an alternate near future in which global warming and pathogenic viruses have torn through the fabric of society, The Coming Darkness follows French secret operative Alexandre Lamarque on the trail of global eco-terrorists. Lamarque’s target is set on destabilising the controls placed on global governments that protect human life from climate change. One wrong move and the world could be plunged into darkness.

 From Paris to North Africa, Lamarque is drawn into an ominous sequence of events: a theft from a Norwegian genetics lab; a string of violent child murders; his mother’s desperate illness; a chaotic coup in North Africa, and the extraction under fire of its charismatic leader.

 Experience has taught Alex there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his mentor, Professor Fayard – the man at the centre of a deadly web of government control. Lamarque rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against time, the one man with the ability to prevent chaos and destruction taking over.

 Perhaps the world’s only hope of preventing The Coming Darkness… 

 – Early Praise for The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse –

 "Superb – there's an ominous drumbeat throughout, and pace and tension, and a subtle and scarily plausible dystopia – and above all there's main character Alex Lamarque, who could be one of the greats. Greg Mosse writes like John Le Carré's hip grandson.” Lee Child

 “This is exactly the sort of big, meaty, ambitious thriller that the market needs. I haven’t read a book like this since I AM PILGRIM." Anthony Horowitz

 “A finely-crafted, complex thriller. An utterly satisfying story set in a forensically detailed dystopic future which is too close for comfort." Lesley Thomson

  About Greg Mosse 

 A theatre director, playwright and actor Greg Mosse is the founder and director of the Criterion New Writing programme at the Criterion Theatre in London, running workshops in script development to a diverse community of writers, actors and directors. In addition, since 2015, Greg has written, produced and stage 25 plays and musicals.

 Greg set up both the Southbank Centre Creative Writing School - an open access program of evening classes delivering MA level workshops - and the University of Sussex MA in Creative Writing at West Dean College which he taught for 4 years. 

 The husband of the bestselling novelist Kate Mosse, Kate’s hit novel Labyrinth was inspired by a house that Greg and his mother bought together in the French medieval city of Carcassonne, where the couple and their children spent many happy summers. Following the success of Labyrinth, Greg created the innovative readers-and-writers website mosselabyrinth.co.uk MosseLabyrinth. The first of its kind MosseLabrynth was the world’s first online accessible 3D world, and the inspiration for Pottermore - the popular Harry Potter website. 

 A multilinguist, Greg has lived and worked in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Madrid and has worked as both an interpreter at a variety of international institutions and a teacher in the UK.

 Greg and Kate live in Chichester, where Kate’s parents founded the Chichester Festival Theatre, they have two grown up children.

 The Coming Darkness was written during lockdown and is Greg’s debut novel. 

  For more information, please contact MIDAS

Tory Lyne-Pirkis on [email protected] | 07765503053

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Last Girl to Die by Helen Sarah Fields

 This is a story of myth, magic, madness, grief, beliefs, communities, and so much more. I will be processing it for a while. Finding words, the right words, to review this book is not easy. This book, like the other one by this author that I have read, made me think and care and wish things could have been different although if they had been different, the book would not have made the impact it did.

 What I liked:

* Sadie Levescquee: Canadian PI, finder of lost teens, sister, daughter, soon to be aunt, puzzle solver, strong, resilient, client advocate, finds more than one body, someone I would have liked to know more about, sometimes does things that made me wonder why she was doing them…some might use the TSTL (too stupid to live)

* Nate Carson: pathologist, interesting and perhaps interested in Sadie

* Lance Proudfoot: journalist, followed earlier murder with similarities to Addie’s, resource for Sadie

* The island community’s closeness – both good and bad

* The history and mythology created for the story

* Being able to understand what the young, and older, women on the island might find in a community-coven of their own

* Remembering how difficult it was to navigate my teens and the years we moved during my teens

* That the murderers of the females in this story were disclosed before the end of the book

* That I was invested in the outcome

* Wondering “what if” more than once…if only this or that person had made a different choice…

* Considering what secrets were being withheld from Sadie and wondering why the local police were less diligent and vigilant than they could have been

* The reason the Clark family probably chose a rather obscure PI from Canada rather than one from the USA or Scotland

* On the fence about the bits that had to do with the thoughts of the dead as presented and that the island had a voice, too

 What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Knowing that people can be murdered for little reason and with little remorse

* Realizing that this is probably a one and done standalone novel instead of the first book in a series that I would have liked to read.

 Did I enjoy this book? Yes and No – it left me unsettled

Would I read more by this author? Yes

 Thank you to MidasPR for the ARC – this is my honest review.

 4-5 Stars

                   PUBLICATION DATE

AVON | 1st September 2022 | £7.99| Paperback Original

  With a background as a criminal barrister working for both the prosecution and the defense, Helen Fields has a depth of criminal knowledge that lends a fierceness to her shockingly realistic and darkly entertaining novels. Author of ten crime fiction novels and twice long listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year, Helen Fields is an international #1 best-selling author published in 22 countries. The Last Girl to Die is her eleventh novel. 

 The seaweed was a grotesque crown - she was a dead beauty queen belonging to the sea.

 In search of a new life, sixteen-year-old Adriana Clark’s American family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque.

 Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.

 The deeper she digs into the island’s secrets, the closer danger creeps – and the more urgent her quest to find the killer grows. Because what if Adriana is not the last girl to die?

 Beautifully haunting with twists and turns you’ll never see coming, The Last Girl to Die is your next obsession waiting to happen. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and MJ Arlidge.

  About Helen Fields

A former criminal and family law barrister, Helen Fields has the expertise and experience to make the characters and plots scorch with authenticity. 

 With a background as both a prosecutor and defence counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness  to her writing. From Court Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page.

 Twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year, and a multi-bestselling author whose books have been translated across the globe, Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love.

 Now translated into 22 languages, and also selling in the USA, Canada & Australasia, Helen's books have won global recognition. In 2020 Helen’s novel, 'Perfect Kill' was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. In 2020 Perfect Remains was shortlisted for the Bronze Bat, Dutch debut crime novel of the year. Helen also writes as HS Chandler, and has released legal thriller 'Degrees of Guilt'. Her audio book 'Perfect Crime' knocked Michelle Obama off the #1 spot.  

[cathygeha]

EXTRACT

CJ Daugherty / NUMBER 10/ Page 7

Gray wasn’t going to drink any more alcohol. The cold bottle felt good against her overheated skin, though, and she held it up to her face, pressing the glass against her cheek.

‘Gray.’ Jake’s northern accented voice was unmistakable.

She spun around to see him a few feet away, his expression dripping disapproval.

‘What do you want?’ she asked.

His brow lowering, he glanced from the bottle in her hand back to her face. ‘Maybe you should go easy on that. You don’t look so great.’

This was insulting on multiple levels. But before Gray could think of a devastatingreply, Chloe stepped between them, bristling.

‘Why don’t you mind your own business, Jake?’ she asked. ‘You’re always messing with Gray; giving her looks. It’s so obvious you’re jealous of her. It’s ridiculous.’

Even in heels she was so tiny she had to stand on her toes to see his face. Like a really angry butterfly. He gazed at her with cool, infuriating detachment.

‘I’m just trying to help.’

Chloe, fuelled by alcohol and a determination to protect Gray, wasn’t backing down.

‘She doesn’t need your help. You’re always picking on her because your dad lost the election. Why don’t you get over it? It was months ago. It’s not Gray’s fault.’

Jake’s lips tightened, and he turned to Gray.

‘Look,’ he said steadily, ‘I’m not trying to insult you or anything. But you don’t want to get drunk here. There are too many people. Too many eyes.’

Maybe on a different night she would have taken this advice differently. Right now, it made her furious. He was so patronising.

Ignoring the churning in her stomach, she threw him an imperious look.

‘Thanks for your concern. But I’m perfectly able to decide how much I want to

drink.’

For a second, he held her gaze, and she thought he’d argue. But then, shaking his head, he walked away. As Gray watched, one hand on her unruly stomach, he paused at the coat check to retrieve his jacket, and then, with one final glance at her, disappeared out the wide, glass door.

A cool autumnal breeze flowed in as he departed. It felt good against Gray’s hot skin. Then the door closed, and the damp heat returned.

Gray’s stomach flipped. She covered her mouth with her fingers.

‘He’s so arrogant.’ Chloe was still fuming, but as soon as she saw Gray’s face, her anger faded. ‘Gray. Is it worse?’

Mutely, Gray nodded. ‘Have to go home,’ she said, thickly. ‘Gonna be sick.’

She didn’t trust herself to say more, and Chloe must have seen the seriousness of the situation in her face, because her only reply was, ‘I’ll get our coats.’

Gray leaned against the wall as Chloe ran to the coat stand and handed over the small,white ticket. A minute later, she rushed back, clutching their jackets, which they’d checkedtogether at the beginning of the night, when everything was so exciting.

But Gray couldn’t wait for her coat. She needed air. Now.

The bouncer stepped aside with a wary look as she bolted, her borrowed high heels skidding on the cement. Under the black and white awning with the illuminated word ‘BIJOU’ in magenta neon, she paused for a split second, the cold, October air like ice against her clammy skin.

Then she took two steps to the right and vomited into the base of a giant, potted palm tree.

‘Gray!’ Chloe ran to her.

‘She can’t be sick there,’ the bouncer objected. Pulling Gray’s hair back, Chloe fired a glare at him over her shoulder. ‘Leave her

alone.’

The two of them argued across Gray’s back as the sickness slowly subsided and Gray began to straighten, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

What happened next happened fast.

‘Bloody hell, is that Gray Langtry?’ A male voice came from a few feet away.

‘That’s her!’ Another man responded.

A blinding series of flashes lit up the night. The rat-a-tat-tat of camera clicks came from everywhere, like weapons being fired at them.

Chloe gasped and stumbled back as voices barraged them.

‘How are you feeling, Gray?’ An adult male voice with an Essex accent taunted her.

‘Bit tired and emotional?’

‘Who’s your sexy friend? What’s your name, sweet ‘eart?’

‘Had a bit too much to drink, luv?’

Flash. Flash. Flash.

Blinded by the camera flashbulbs, Gray couldn’t see the men, but she knew instantly who they were. What they were.

Her heart sank.

‘Does your mother know you’re drinking?’ the first man asked. The others laughed.

‘You’re underage, young lady,’ one of them said. ‘I should take you over my knee.’

Through it all, the flashes lit up the night.

‘Gray.’ Chloe’s voice sounded strange – high and nervous; her hand gripped Gray’s fingers hard. ‘What do we do?’

Desperate, Gray looked for escape. Behind them, the black-clad bouncer stood

blocking the doorway, his arms crossed impassively. They couldn’t go back in to their friends.

Behind the paparazzi, London’s Park Lane was busy with late evening traffic.

Gray looked at Chloe.

‘Run,’ she said.

PRAISE FOR CJ DAUGHERTY’S BESTSELLING NIGHT SCHOOL SERIES

‘Daugherty’s storytelling brims with gusto. Tremendous fun’ Financial Times

‘The most exciting teen book series to hit our shelves in ages’ Teen Now

‘If you are a fan of teen romance mixed with mystery and lots of twists and turns then this is for you’ Maximum Pop!

‘A clever and involving thriller…never less than believable’ Books for Keeps

’A really gripping book…amazing!’ Kiss  

‘St Trinian’s tinged with a murderous streak’ Closer

NUMBER 10

C. J. DAUGHERTY

NOVEMBER 10TH 2020

PUBLISHED BY MOONFLOWER BOOKS

£6.99 PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The purchase link for the paperback is also now live on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1838237410

·       CJ Daugherty’s bestselling Night School books have sold over 1.5 million copies

·       Translated into 25 languages worldwide

·       Number 10 launches in the UK, USA, France, Germany, Spain, Israel, Latin America

·       For fans  of Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare and, Holly Black

One of the UK’s most critically acclaimed teen authors returns with a new novel set in the world of her hugely popular Night School series.

Number 10 tells the spinetingling story of 16-year-old Gray Langtry, the daughter of the UK’s female prime minister, who is about to get in way over her head.

After a wild night with friends is splashed across the tabloids, Gray is grounded for two weeks at Number 10 Downing Street, no ifs no buts.

Left alone one night, with her mother at an important meeting, Gray discovers a secret network of government tunnels leading from 10 Downing Street to the Houses of Parliament and beyond. What starts as a bit of fun, suddenly gets serious, when Gray stumbles across a secret late night cabinet meeting and overhears what sounds like a Russian-led plot to kill her mother.

Wasting no time, she rushes back to inform her mother’s security detail, but with no proof of what she heard, no-one will believe a wayward teenager. Now, it’s up to Gray to break out of Number 10 and warn her mother before it’s too late.

With the help of her best friend Chloe and love interest Jake McIntyre – who just happens to be the son of the leader of the opposition – will she make it in time to save her mother?  And what will she have to sacrifice in the process?

Number 10 is a Night School spin off series that sees CJ Daugherty back at her spine tingling best.  Gripping, thrilling, and filled with intrigue, Number 10 explores the nexus of power in the UK from a teenager’s point of view.

For more information please contact Tory Lyne-Pirkis at Midas Public Relations on [email protected] or 020 7361 7860

About C.J. Daugherty

C.J. Daugherty was 22 when she saw her first dead body. Although she’s now left the world of crime reporting she has never lost her fascination with what it is that drives some people to do awful things as well as the kind of people who will try to stop them. While working as a civil servant she visited No. 10 Downing Street and saw people disappearing into a small door with her own eyes – this became the inspiration for the novel Number 10.

A former crime reporter and accidental civil servant, C.J. Daugherty began writing the Night School series while working as a communications consultant for the Home Office. The young adult series was published by Little Brown and went on to sell over a million and a half copies worldwide. A web series inspired by the books clocked up well over a million views. In 2020, the books were optioned for television. She later wrote The Echo Killing series, published by St Martin's Press, and co-wrote the fantasy series, The Secret Fire, with French author Carina Rosenfeld.

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BLURBWhen his girlfriend is violently attacked, Tom’s life falls apart and escape makes perfect sense. Taking a role as a therapist for staff on an oil camp in southern Iraq seems like the perfect solution. But upon his arrival, an explosion leaves four men dead. Tom starts to ask questions, and his curiosity soon gets him into trouble. An attack on the camp sees Tom shipped home, where he works with a journalist to continue his investigations. But when the journalist falls beneath a tube train, Tom is left wondering whether his search for the truth could end in his death, too… AUTHOR BIOPaddy Magrane is a Psychotherapist, journalist and the Kindle #1 ranked thriller writer of The Sam Keddie thrillers. Born in the Middle East, Paddy then grew up on army bases in Germany, Northern Ireland and England. Paddy was an artist for ten years in the UK before working as a journalist for The Guardian, The Observer and The Telegraph. Paddy has travelled extensively, having visited Syria before the civil war and recently worked in Israel and the West Bank. In 2006, Paddy retrained as a psychotherapist and practices at home in rural Devon where he lives with his wife and two daughters.REVIEW

Red Desert by Paddy Magrane

 Audible books require time to listen and I found time by raptly listening to this tale while getting my daily walking in. I found myself wanting to walk longer and further as I became immersed in the story. This story was fast-paced, intricately plotted, filled with twists and turns and left me wanting to read more by this author.

 What I liked:

* The story – well done – felt I was right in the midst of things

* The narration – well done – multiple dialects used to bring the characters to life and seamlessly done

* Tom: a sympathetic hero with a big heart. Kept rooting for him and hoped he would get to the bottom of things

* The international intrigue and travel

* Realizing that there was more to the story than a psychotherapist heading to the desert after a suicide.

* Following along as each tidbit was revealed

* The real feel of the desert – have lived in Saudi Arabia and imagine Iraq is similar after reading the descriptions.

* The insight into Tom’s life and how he eventually came to grips with various experiences in his life

* Wondering what Tom’s future might have in store for him – will a calm life in England be enough after all that happened in this book?

 What I did not like:

* Being reminded of the evil that men do whether in civilian, military or corporate life.

* The bad guys…all of them

 Did I enjoy this story? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

Would I listen to more books by this narrator? Yes

 Thank you to Mida PR for the audible to listen to – This is my honest review.

 5 Stars

BLURB

When his girlfriend is violently attacked, Tom’s life falls apart and escape makes perfect sense. Taking a role as a therapist for staff on an oil camp in southern Iraq seems like the perfect solution. But upon his arrival, an explosion leaves four men dead. Tom starts to ask questions, and his curiosity soon gets him into trouble. An attack on the camp sees Tom shipped home, where he works with a journalist to continue his investigations. But when the journalist falls beneath a tube train, Tom is left wondering whether his search for the truth could end in his death, too…

 AUTHOR BIO

Paddy Magrane is a Psychotherapist, journalist and the Kindle #1 ranked thriller writer of The Sam Keddie thrillers. Born in the Middle East, Paddy then grew up on army bases in Germany, Northern Ireland and England. Paddy was an artist for ten years in the UK before working as a journalist for The Guardian, The Observer and The Telegraph. Paddy has travelled extensively, having visited Syria before the civil war and recently worked in Israel and the West Bank. In 2006, Paddy retrained as a psychotherapist and practices at home in rural Devon where he lives with his wife and two daughters.

NARRATOR BIO

Joe Jameson is a London based actor and voice-over artist. He graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2010 and has since become one of London’s most in-demand voice-over artists. With an excellent ear for accents, and an extensive range, Joe has narrated more than 200 audio-books for Audible, Strathmore and Penguin, among others.