Book Review: The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse
We are pleased to be welcoming Greg Mosse to Novel Kicks. He’s here with the blog tour for his new novel, The Coming Darkness.
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 – 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 . . .
*****
Alexandre is in the French external security service, hunting for eco-terrorists.
He doesn’t know who to trust, not even his lover or his former mentor.
However, he can’t give up his search for the truth.
This book really hooked me from the first page. It’s fast paced and has multiple story lines running throughout. I wondered how they were all going to converge and couldn’t wait to find out.
Even though this is the first of his novels, you can tell that Greg Mosse is a seasoned writer. This book, in my opinion is very well written.
It offers short pieces of information that skilfully drive the plot forward which meant that I wanted to keep reading to find out how it was going to end.
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Book Extract: The Placeholder by Lynda Wolters
I am pleased to be welcoming Lynda Wolters to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her novel, The Placeholder.
THE PLACEHOLDER, a mash-up of Thelma and Louise besties meet Eat, Pray, Love and Me Before You.
Middle-aged Serenade Kincaid has lost everything: her stepchildren, her house, half her earnings, her sports car, and her husband, all to a decades younger–and more fertile–woman.
Sera now drinks boxed wine from a plastic cup as she attempts to start over from her new home, a seedy motel, as she kills time scrolling dating apps in search of a semi-decent-not-mass-murderer-please-just-spend-time-with-me port in the storm.
As Sera discontentedly leapfrogs through men, her snarky, meddling boss and sometimes-best friend, Carolyn, encourages her to focus more on finding a friend with benefits, just until Prince Charming comes along, of course. Zac fits the bill.
He’s a self-proclaimed “unsuitable boyfriend” who looks to have jumped straight from the pages of a romance novel. Zac also insists he, too is only looking for some fun, which is perfect for Sera.
Cue the booty calls. And wow, are they hitting the spot. But just when Sera is starting to figure herself out, get her life back on track and think she may have found someone, life takes a sharp left. And all fun and games come to a screeching halt.
Now, Sera, Zac, and Carolyn must race against time to disentangle their web of lies and deceit before it’s too late.
The Placeholder is an unconventional, unforgettable, unputdownable story of loss and love.
Lynda has shared an extract with us today. Enjoy!
*****beginning of extract*****
I never had a sister, but I did have a best friend, and oh, did we get ourselves into some tricky situations; but we always had each other’s backs. Decades later, I still have that BFF, and while we live a thousand miles apart, we still have each other’s backs. While writing the friendship scenes in The Placeholder between Sera and Carolyn, I drew on my relationship and how crazy and daring, and trusting a good relationship is; I hope the same comes through in this fun, somewhat crazy scene where Carolyn is driving Sera’s sporty Barracuda to see Sera’s mom. Here’s the scene:
The drive north is otherwise uneventful. We rock out to seventies disco when my head and ears can handle the noise, with an occasional Etta James and requisite Pat Benatar – because no girls’ trip is complete without “Heartbreaker.”
“Detour,” I call out. “Take old Highway 7. I want to show you something.”
Carolyn follows my directions, keeping to the posted speed.
“Faster,” I blurt. We are at the bottom of a hill where the intersecting road sign reads, Greencreek 6 miles. “Go faster.”
“I’m driving at the speed limit.”
“Just do it.”
I see Carolyn push the peddle down slightly.
“Faster.”
by Book Extract: Just One Day – Autumn by Susan Buchanan
I am pleased to be welcoming Susan Buchanan back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with the blog tour for her book, Just One Day – Autumn.
Pregnant Louisa is just getting back on track when life throws her another curveball. Now, it’s not a case of how she’ll get through her to-do lists but how she’ll manage being a mum again.
No one seems to understand. How will she run her company, be partner in a new venture, look after her three kids and handle a newborn? And why does everyone think this will be easy? Except her.
All Louisa wants is to be a good mum, a good wife and have a bit of time left for herself, but sometimes that’s too big an ask. Can she find the support she needs, or will she forever be pulled in too many directions, always at the mercy of her to-do lists?
Susan has shared an extract from Just One Day – Autumn. Enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Louisa and her family are at the Ferniehall scarecrow festival. She has just bumped into her landlord who needs to meet with her urgently.
I try to put Benedict to the back of my mind so as not to spoil the kids’ enjoyment of the day. Aria plays pin the carrot on the scarecrow and is the closest so wins a hand-knitted scarecrow as a prize. Hugo plays ten-pin scarecrow bowling and comes second, so he wins a voucher to spend at several of the other stalls, and Gen, with a little gentle coaxing creates a scarecrow rap and performs it on the makeshift stage and wins. The fact only three people participated in the ‘talent show’ doesn’t matter. She wins iTunes vouchers and is delighted.
‘I’m hungry,’ Hugo announces.
‘Hugo, you’ve been eating all day long. Grazing constantly. How can you be hungry?’ I ask, incredulous even though I know what he’s like.
‘I’m a growing boy, Mother,’ he says in a withering tone.
Honestly. ‘Fine. There’s a hot dog stand at the back. Do you want one?’
by Novel Kicks Book Club: Freckles by Cecelia Ahern
Hello November.
I love this time of year. It’s a perfect excuse to grab that blanket, a comfortable reading spot and that book you’ve been wanting to read for ages.
One of those books for me is by an author I love and admire – Cecelia Ahern. The book I’ve chosen is Freckles.
As usual, our book club is open to all, whether you’ve read it and want to discuss it or haven’t and want to read along with me this month. It’s up to you. The great thing is that you can take part from the comfort of your sofa, armchair, whatever.
I’ve posted a question below in the comments to get the discussion started. See you there.
About Freckles:
What if the people who have the power to change your life are the ones who have been there all along…
Like stars in the night sky, freckles are scattered across Allegra Bird’s arms, a legacy from her beloved father.
by Book Extract: The Girl of Lost Petals and Possibilities by Laura Briggs
I am so happy to be welcoming Laura Briggs back to Novel Kicks. She’s here with her novel, The Girl of Lost Petals and Possibilities.
On holiday in Egypt with Sidney and Dean, young writer Maisie is—in her mind—on top of the world. Her long-labored manuscript is finally going to be published, she and Sidney are deeply in love, and the future looks bright on every level.
In one moment, however, it all changes. Tragedy leads to overwhelming loss that Maisie can’t even begin to process. As the world itself turns upside down, there’s no solace for Maisie from the growing sense that her wonderful future is finished.
No dream about to come true. No certainties of new chances in life.
No Sidney.
Even if the first two did not break her, the last one is determined to. It’s up to Maisie to find her strength and determination to find a new future, even if—unthinkably—it may be nothing like the one she dreamed of.
Laura has shared an extract from The Girl of Lost Petals and Possibilities with us today. Enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Thanks so much to Laura for this chance to have my book featured on Novel Kicks. Titled The Girl of Lost Petals and Possibilities it continues the adventures of Maisie Clark, the aspiring young novelist who finds inspiration working at a quirky Cornish hotel. The scene below finds Maisie dealing with the aftermath of a terrible accident that has left her fiance Sidney facing a long road to recovery. With Sidney’s wealthy but distant mother determined to seek rehabilitation for him in London, Maisie must try to convince herself—and their mutual friend Dean—that it’s the only option, despite the hardships it will bring.
At Dean’s cottage, Callum switched on the lights and the stove’s eye beneath the teakettle, while Dean wheeled himself closer to the stereo. I put the tin containing Mrs. Graves’s biscuits on the table, a future snack for the birds in Dean’s garden. With my back still to Dean, I gathered my courage and spoke.
“Dean, you should know. Adele is taking Sidney home with her when he’s released,” I said, quietly. “She told me so a few days ago.”
It only took a second for what I said to sink in. “What?” Dean’s voice sharpened. He stopped studying the records laid out by the stereo and wheeled to face me. “Did you tell her that notion was ridiculous?”
by Book Club
