Book Extract: In the Shadow of War by Adrienne Chinn
Please join me in welcoming Adrienne Chinn to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, In the Shadow of War.
One war may be over, but their fight for survival continues…
For sisters Etta, Jessie and Celie Fry, the Great War and the hardships of the years that followed have taken a heavy toll.
Determined to leave her painful past behind her, Etta heads to the bright lights of Hollywood whilst Jessie, determined to train as a doctor and use her skills to help others, is hampered by the men who dominate her profession. On the vast, empty plains of the Canadian prairies, Celie and her small family stand on the brink of losing everything.
As whispers of a new war make their way to each sister, each must face the possibility of the unthinkable happening again…
Adrienne has shared an extract from her novel with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
*****beginning of extract*****
The following excerpt from In the Shadow of War, takes place in July 1936 in Barcelona, Spain, where middle Fry sister, Dr Jessie Fry Khalid, has joined her journalist friend, Ruth Bellico, for a short holiday before continuing on to London to join her daughter, Shani, at her mother’s. The People’s Olympiad is about to begin, and tourists and journalists have arrived in the city to attend, oblivious to the storm of war about to break throughout the country.
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Hotel Colon, Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona
Late that night, after an evening wandering with Ruth down the long pedestrian street of La Rambla past shops and buildings festooned with the red flags of the socialists, the red and black flags of the anarchists, and posters announcing the Olympiad, and chatting with tourists in the queues for the food stalls hawking golden tortilla de patatas, crunchy croquettes with creamy centres, or plates of crispy fried potatoes topped with spicy tomato sauce or garlic mayonnaise, Jessie stirs sleeplessly in the comfortable bed in her hotel room. She kicks off the sheet and wanders over to the glazed doors which she has left open in the hope of catching a breeze to cool the oppressive heat.
The night is moonless, and stars glitter in the black sky. In the plaza below, there is silence, the tourists sleeping off the evening’s beers, cavas, vermouths and sangrias. Despite the buzz of excitement in the air, she couldn’t help but notice the way La Rambla split the city in two – the medieval Gothic Quarter on the east side, with its towering churches and elegant hotels, restaurants, shops and clubs; and the shacks and tenements of the working class section of El Raval on the west side.
The tourists and athletes carried a thrum of excitement with them, but beyond that, leftist street corner orators espoused their beliefs, while locals debated the reports and rumours filtering into the city from the south. She’d experienced that same nervous energy before on the streets of Cairo. It had always been the precursor to violence. That energy was like a djinni released from a magic lamp. Once it had escaped, there was no getting it back in the lamp.
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Book Extract: Dying To Bake by Helen Golden
I’m pleased to be welcoming Helen Golden to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Dying To Bake.
Bake Off Wars is back! Get your aprons on and let the sleuthing begin!
Vera Bolt, Queen of Bakes, dies unexpectedly aged 66
In a shocking announcement this afternoon, Vera Bolt’s agent confirmed that the Bake Off Wars judge and national treasure died yesterday. Ms Bolt was in the process of filming the next series of the hugely popular television show at Francis Court, the home of the King’s sister and her family. It’s believed that the renowned pastry chef was stabbed in the heart, and the main suspect is rumoured new royal girlfriend, Summer York.
What am I supposed to do? Lady Beatrice has promised DCI Richard Fitzwilliam that she won’t get involved in the investigation into Vera Bolt’s death. But when her brother’s new love interest, Summer York, becomes the top suspect for Vera’s murder, Fred begs Bea to find out who the real killer is. In a race against time, can Bea navigate a labyrinth of secrets and lies, evade danger, and safeguard her friendship with Fitzwilliam? The answer may determine not only Summer’s innocence but also the fate of Bea’s and Fitzwilliam’s burgeoning feelings for each other.
Helen has shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy it.
*****beginning of extract*****
The hugely popular television show Bake Off Wars is being filmed on site at Francis Court and everyone is buzzing. Everyone, that is, except for amateur royal sleuth Lady Beatrice who is more interested in overseeing the refurbishment of her home, The Dower House. In contrast her best friend and business partner, Perry Juke, is gossip central when it comes to the show. But all is not well on set. Following the exit at the end of last season of the well-liked judge, Mark Jacobs, the remaining judge and national treasure, Vera Bolt, has been making herself unpopular with her critical snipes at both the crew and the new presenters. Insiders report that tensions are running high, and the atmosphere is toxic.
After Vera Bolt was found on set stabbed to death, Bea is confident that Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitzwilliam, who is recuperating in a cottage on the estate after being shot during their previous case together, will be assigned to the case. She gets a call to come and ‘meet’ the DCI assigned to the case and assumes it’s Rich playing a little joke on her, but when she gets there it’s not Rich…
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Daisy, seeing a new person, rushed over to greet him, but he carried on walking, not even acknowledging the little dog. Bea frowned. What sort of person ignores a dog who wants to say hello? She lifted her chin and stiffened. Studying the stocky man in front of her, she realised he looked familiar. Hold on, isn’t he the surly sergeant who investigated the failure of the security system at The Dower House a couple of months before James died? She remembered him because, after he’d left, she and James had joked that he looked more like a criminal than a PaIRS officer, with his very short hair, bulging muscles, and a menacing scowl on his face.
by Book Review: The Mistress by Valerie Keogh
I’m pleased to be welcoming Valerie Keogh to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Mistress.
She wants what you have…
Hannah Parker is a woman who always gets what she wants.
When her current husband discovers she has been lying to him – again – she knows it’s time to move on and find someone who can give her the life she desires… The life she knows she deserves…
But who will be the lucky man?
When her eye catches a glimpse of an old flame in a photograph, she’s sure it’s a sign. Mark Shepherd has always been in her thoughts – they’d been happy once, he’d adored her, but she’d made a mistake and let him get away. She won’t make the same mistake again….
Hannah is older now and wiser. She knows what men want and she knows how to keep them happy.
So what if Mark is happily married with a family of his own?
All good things must come to an end…
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Hannah is used to getting what she wants or what she thinks she wants. So what if men fall over themselves to buy her things, to give her money?
When her marriage comes to an end, Hannah looks back to a time in her life where she was close to happy. She will do whatever she can to be with the man responsible for that happiness, no matter what it costs him.
Susan has been happily married to Mark for years. Although she’s suffering from empty nest syndrome, she thought that she could at least depend on her husband… or can she?
I am such a big fan of Valerie Keogh and so was super excited to be invited onto the blog tour for her latest novel, The Mistress.
The author doesn’t waste any time in throwing the reader into the action and the mind games that follow.
by Book Spotlight: Murder in Moscow by Kelly Oliver
I’m pleased to be welcoming Kelly Oliver to Novel Kicks. Today, we are shining a spotlight on her latest novel, Murder in Moscow.
Journey into the heart of 20th Century Russia in this fun and funny historical mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright and Helena Dixon.
1918 Moscow
Will following her heart mean losing her head? It could mean losing her job.
Fiona Figg trails her nemesis Fredrick Fredricks to Moscow. But when she arrives at the grand Metropol Hotel, the bounder has vanished.
After Fiona doesn’t show up for work at the War Office, Kitty Lane raises a red flag and tracks her to Russia. Seeking haven at the British Embassy, Kitty and Fiona become embroiled in a plot to overthrow the Bolshevik government.
But the plot turns deadly when Fiona goes undercover as a governess in the household of Iron Viktor, the Bolsheviks’ Head of Secret Police. And when Viktor turns up dead in his study, Fiona finds herself wanted for murder and on the lam.
Can Fiona and Kitty find the real killer and escape the Kremlin before it’s too late? Or will this dangerous game of Russian roulette be their last?
*****
by Book Spotlight: At The Stroke Of Midnight by Jenni Keer
I’m so happy to be welcoming Jenni Keer to Novel Kicks. We are shining a book spotlight on her latest novel, At the Stroke of Midnight.
It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, Pearl Glenham and her father are invited to a mysterious country house party on the Dorset coast, by a total stranger.
Her father claims not to have any prior association with Highcliffe House, but upon arrival, it is apparent that he has a shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive…
Intimidated by everyone at the party, she escapes to the nearby cove and stumbles upon a mysterious mercury clock hidden in a cave. This strange encounter sets in motion a series of events that will culminate in an horrific house fire, claiming the lives of all the guests, including Pearl herself.
But then Pearl wakes up back in the cave, seemingly destined never to live past midnight. She can repeat the day. But can she change its outcome?
At The Stroke Of Midnight was released by Boldwood Books on 12th March 2024. Click to buy on Amazon and Waterstones.
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by Book Club
