#ADGIFTED book given in return for a blog post, and all thoughts and opinions are my own. I love murder mysteries so I opt for that genre mostly.

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The Ash Lake Murders

MEET DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI IN THIS BRILLIANT NEW CRIME SERIES.

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A brand-new mystery from #1 bestselling author Helen H. Durrant that will have you gripped from start to explosive finish.

A female serial killer with a deadly agenda. The detective who must stop her. Luxury holiday lodges in the stunning Peak District. The game begins . . .

Callum is lured to an isolated boathouse by an attractive older woman. When she gets him alone, she knocks him out with a single blow. As he wakes up, her voice comes out of the darkness, “You’re a sprat to catch a mackerel.”

Surrounded by hills and lakes, Still Waters is home to a close-knit community of wealthy retirees. It’s an unlikely setting for violence. The police don’t take Callum’s disappearance seriously: he’s 24-years-old, after all. But Callum’s mother, a Still Waters resident, knows that something is very wrong.

Then a body is discovered floating in the lake. Head bashed in. But it’s not Callum.

And someone tweets: Come out to play one last time, Alice. Still Waters run deep. #MadHatter.

That’s when DCI Alice Rossi is called in. She’s back.

IT’S A CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME BETWEEN AN OBSESSED KILLER AND A DETERMINED DETECTIVE IN THIS GRIPPING MYSTERY FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS.

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel McLean, Joy Ellis, J.D. Kirk, Rachel Abbott, Elly Griffiths, J.M. Dalgliesh, Steph Broadribb or Patricia Gibney.

READERS LOVE HELEN H. DURRANT:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Another first-class read from Helen H. Durrant.” Iain

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A satisfying and enjoyable read.” Carol S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wow . . . this will keep you on the edge of your seat. Brilliant story from this author.” Booklover Bev

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Loved it. Read it in one sitting.” Aileen G.

THE DETECTIVE
DCI Alice Rossi of Greater Manchester’s Serious Crime Squad has served with the police for the past twenty-nine years. Since the death of her husband, Paul, six years ago, she has lived alone in a large, three-storey Edwardian terrace on the outskirts of Manchester. Her grown-up son lives in Edinburgh with his family. Alice is about to retire — but she’s not looking forward to it. Since her husband died, work has been her mainstay, not because she misses Paul — he was a bad man — but because it keeps her dark thoughts at bay.

ALSO BY HELEN H. DURRANT
DETECTIVE ALICE ROSSI
Book 1: THE ASH LAKE MURDERS

DETECTIVE RACHEL KING
Book 1: NEXT VICTIM
Book 2: TWO VICTIMS
Book 3: WRONG VICTIM
Book 4: FORGOTTEN VICTIM
Book 5: LAST VICTIM

THE CALLADINE & BAYLISS MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: DEAD WRONG
Book 2: DEAD SILENT
Book 3: DEAD LIST
Book 4: DEAD LOST
Book 5: DEAD & BURIED
Book 6: DEAD NASTY
Book 7: DEAD JEALOUS
Book 8: DEAD BAD
Book 9: DEAD GUILTY
Book 10: DEAD WICKED
Book 11: DEAD SORRY

THE DCI GRECO BOOKS
Book 1: DARK MURDER
Book 2: DARK HOUSES
Book 3: DARK TRADE
Book 4: DARK ANGEL

MATT BRINDLE
Book 1: HIS THIRD VICTIM
Book 2: THE OTHER VICTIM

DETECTIVES LENNOX & WILDE
Book 1: THE GUILTY MAN
Book 2: THE FACELESS MAN

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Author Bio Helen sets her books in the area she has lived in for many years. The towns and villages that sit in the shelter of the Pennine hills. This is an area between two counties, Lancashire and Yorkshire, and between the city and the hills. It offers a rich mix of the industrial and the countryside and all the character therein.

Helen always planned to write crime novels. But until she retired from full-time work in a local further education college, it had to go on the back burner. Once she did retire – there was no excuse. She now writes full-time. Retirement proper will have to wait!

Currently there are ten books in the ‘Calladine & Bayliss’ series available – Dead Wrong, Dead Silent, Dead List, Dead Lost, Dead & Buried, Dead Nasty, Dead Jealous, Dead Bad, Dead Guilty and the latest – Dead Wicked.

There is also a box set of the first three books.

Also available are four books in the ‘DI Greco’ series – Dark Murder, Dark Houses, Dark Trade, and the latest – Dark Angel.

The four DI Greco books are available as a box set at a bargain price.

There are two books in the DI Matt Brindle series – His Third Victim and The Other Victim.

The DCI Rachel King series has four books – Next Victim , Two Victims, Wrong Victim and Forgotten Victim.

There are currently two books in the Lennox & Wilde series, The Guilty Man, The Faceless Man.

The entire Calladine & Bayliss series are also available as a boxset.

My Review It isn’t often you find a book to read about a female serial killer, so it felt like a refreshing change for that alone, and that it’s set in the Peak District. And if anyone reads my blog knows, I walk around the Peaks every week, so it feels eerily familiar, and added to the spooky, thriller aspect to the book.

She is ruthless and calculating and it’s so intriguing to try and work out the connection, nothing is given away too early. This kept me on the edge of my actual seat. Nail biter as they say.

These sunny days and long road trips have helped me have some extra reading time to myself. What better way to enjoy a book with the sea lapping softly while to bask in the sunshine! Happy days

Body On The Island by Victoria Dowd #BlogBookTour

#ADGIFTED Book given in return for a blog post, all opinions and review is my own, I choose the genre I love to read, so I know I will enjoy the mystery.

BODY ON THEISLAND by Victoria Dowd: a gripping, darkly comic murder mystery packed with twists

ISLAND by Victoria Dowd: a gripping, darkly comic murder mystery packed with twists

An uninhabitedisland.

island.

Ten stranded strangers.

No way to escape.
Ursula Smart (not her real name), realising
therapy alone cannot teach her how to survive this life, is determined to make
some changes. She signs herself up for a survival course — along with her mother, aunts Charlotte and Mirabelle and Bridget.
But the promised gentle weekend of foraging and camping in the Outer Hebrides swiftly turns into a desperate battle for survival.
Their boat capsizes. Washed up on an uninhabited island, the Smart women face starvation, freezing conditions and — worse — no
Wi-Fi.
Then the murders begin.
Someone is killing off them one by one. Will the
Smarts escape or will they be next?
A DARKLY COMIC GOLDEN AGE MURDER MYSTERY
Victoria Dowd’s brilliant whodunnit is perfect
for fans of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, Faith Martin and Stuart Turton.

ABOUT VICTORIA DOWD
After graduating from Cambridge, Victoria was a criminal law barrister on the London circuit for many years, where many of her
cases were much stranger than fiction. Victoria is now an award-winning writer.
She lives with her husband and two children, splitting her time between London and Devon , where she indulges her passion for all things Agatha Christie.
PRAISE FOR VICTORIA DOWD
‘A witty, clever and darkly delicious take on
the country house murder genre. I relished the twists and turns that came
at me faster than an Alpine switchback and the characters who are at times all
too horribly familiar. Hugely enjoyable.’ Amanda Lees, author of Selling
Out
‘This book was exactly what I needed! A breath of fresh air. A modern day cozy mystery where a group of despicable
characters with deadly humor and sarcasm!’ Helga H.
‘A fun and quirky take on the classic
whodunit mystery!’ Lyndie D.
‘I didn’t know what to expect from this novel but I adored it, and devoured it in a few hours . . . It bounces along and is thoroughly enjoyable, lots of wickedly astute moments from the most unsuspecting of characters. Please can I have more?’
Aine T.
‘What a fabulous whodunnit, that
kept me gripped from the start. Uncaring characters hide a vast array of emotions that seep out as the book progresses. Spooky setting, creepy cast and twisty turny storylines make this book the perfect read.’ Emma M.
‘I was worried at first that it might be a bit too slow but after the first chapter, you are instantly thrown into the drama
and this book is definitely full of it. I have different thoughts of who the killer was the whole way through, but I did not come close to working it out. I love the way the story was written.’ Rebecca H.
‘This book is SHARP . . . There is
so much thought and careful plotting in this book, which will keep you hooked until the very end. This book is great for fans of Agatha Christie.’
Cait G.
‘Cute, witty, suspenseful, quirky!’ Tina
B.
ALSO BY VICTORIA DOWD
SMART WOMAN’S MYSTERY SERIES
Book 1: THE SMART WOMAN’S GUIDE TO MURDER
Book 2: BODY ON THE ISLAND

MY REVIEW

As a Lover of Father Brown, Miss Marple and Midsummer Murders, it’s very like that style.

All very British and Humourous, and light hearted, and exactly what you need as an antidote to the world’s misery.

Get lost, and whisked away into an daring survivalist style mystery, who is picking them all off?, and who will survive?

The way the characters intertwine with each other, warts and all, is magic. The traits we all know in others or ourselves help you bond with the characters as well. The most descriptive writer I’ve ever read.

A perfect read in the evenings, grab some me time, with a good dose of who dunnit and see if you pick the killer out of this lot?!

13 weeks post #hipreplacement

Goals for this week is to keep up my red band resistance exercises, but maybe try and add some ankle weights in some exercises, such as step ups, hip abduction, extension and flexion. (as the band gets hard to use at times)

To roller my scar area, to try and awaken some nerves and break down scar tissue. The area is still NUMB as hell. I feel pressure if I press down, but the sensation of touch has gone altogether.

Had another #Geocaching adventure, I love this as it gives you a purpose to get outside and walk where you might not of thought to visit. It’s chilly, but wrapped up from the biting wind, we set off to find 1st of 3 caches, first one gives co-ordinates to the second and so on, so no treasure, just hunting the clues.

First cache above, have us numbers for the second cache below.

More numbers to add, to find the third

Oh no, cache 3 is missing (we have found it a few years ago) instead this tree had an egg in the trunk. So careful not to disturb, took photo to share with the cache owner.

Oh well had fun finding the clues, time to head back after walking in heather and weird spongey grass (adder fear was real at this point)

On the way back to the car, Mr Moon spotted on the GPS another cache close by, so we headed to this one, making it 4 in one day!!

Erm…. This wasn’t hidden, it seems someone forgot the memo. Not to worry logged we found it, and carefully hidden once again.

As much as I love all this walking, my hip still has its pain moments, and nags to go and rest. Walking is good for me, mentally especially. But physio works on the actual muscles I need waking up, so it can’t replace that for me.

I was pleased to get home and rest my aches with a hot water bottle, knee twinges and thigh pains are still real here. And I am still on a walking stick, just not strong enough to walk unaided outside.