Book Review: The Case of the Christie Curse By Kelly Oliver
It’s so wonderful to be welcoming Kelly Oliver to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest book, The Case of the Christie Curse.
Mesopotamia, 1930: When Agatha Christie invites fellow members of the Detection Club to witness the famous excavations at the ruins of Ur, Dorothy L. Sayers, her quick-witted assistant Eliza Baker, and Theo Sharp expect ancient wonders – not fresh corpses.
But when an archaeologist is found dead in the sand, whispers of a deadly curse sweep through the camp. Eliza suspects something far more dangerous than superstition. Amid glittering artifacts and fragile alliances, every guest harbors secrets: the Woolleys, whose marriage is shadowed by tragedy; a journalist hungry for scandal; even academic Max Mallowan, whose loyalties are not what they seem.
As theft, forgery, and coded messages surface, the line between archaeology and espionage blurs. And when Eliza and Theo find themselves in danger, they must face not only the truth about the murder – but also the truths they’ve long denied about each other. Can they uncover the killer before the desert claims another victim? Or will this dig unearth secrets too dangerous to survive?
*****
1930.
The Detection Club are called to assist their most famous member, Agatha Christie, in the deserts of Mesopotamia. The Queen of Crime has a strange feeling. When the team arrive, it isn’t long before superstition turns into murder. Can they figure out what is going on before anyone else gets hurt?
I was extremely excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Case of the Christie Curse, the latest novel in the Detection Club series. Having devoured the previous novel, The Case of the Body on the Orient Express, I couldn’t wait to get started on book 3 of the series. I do thoroughly recommend this series as a whole, but this can be read as a standalone.
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Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Monday and February
It’s Friday which means it’s time to start writing some fiction.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing flash fiction prompt.
The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can.
Don’t edit, just write. Once you’re done, you’re welcome to share in the comments but there’s no obligation.
Today’s prompt – Monday and February.
‘All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February.’ – Fortnight – Taylor Swift.
Your character wakes up on a Monday morning in February. It’s the same as every other morning. They follow their usual routine.
This time however, instead of Monday afternoon arriving, the morning repeats. After some denial and panic, they start to analyse their morning and realise that there is something within this time frame that they need to change in order to stop their Monday mornings repeating and for Monday afternoon to arrive.
The only problem is that they don’t know what that is.
Write their story.
Have fun.
by Book Review & Giveaway: Escape To Seahaven Bay By Nicola May
We are pleased to be welcoming Nicola May to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, Escape To Seahaven Bay.
The heartwarming new novel from the author of the million-copy bestselling Cockleberry Bay series.
Seahaven Bay has always been a place where the sparkling tides bring laughter, love and a lot of fun. But when Rita Jory’s beloved husband Archie dies in a tragic accident, she’s left alone on their failing Cornish farm with nothing but her grieving heart, a mountain of debt and some very badly behaved goats. Faced with selling the home she loves or finding a way to make it pay, Rita has a moment of desperate inspiration. She decides to transform her beloved Seahaven Farm into a place where broken souls can heal by the sea.
With help from her sharp-tongued mother-in-law, loyal best friend, daughter and new friends, the rundown farm soon blossoms into a haven of healing, creativity and community. Rita dares to believe her future might still shimmer with possibility – and even admits her growing attraction to Jago, the gorgeous neighbouring farmer with whom the Jorys had a decades-long feud.
But just as Rita begins to find peace, long-buried secrets about Archie’s past begin to surface, forcing her to question everything she believed about the life they built together.
Rita must discover the truth and decide if she’s ready to open her heart again – to love, to hope, and to the possibility that even after loss, life can still be full of surprises.
A tender, uplifting and hilarious tale of resilience, friendship and finding light in the darkest moments, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.
*****
I’m delighted to be a part of the blog tour for Nicola May’s forthcoming book, ‘Escape to Seahaven Bay’.
Now, where to start? Seahaven farm is failing, as Rita finds life hard after the unexpected death of her husband. With her son rarely in contact and her daughter working away from home, Rita is getting to her wits end, with the possibility of losing the farm a real possibility. Through a change of direction for the farm, things begin to change, before a secret long buried makes things even worse.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Scenarios
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Today, it’s about building possible scenarios.
Set the timer for five minutes. In this time, write down as many life changing events that a character could face. A divorce? A bereavement? It could be something like their house is robbed or an illness. Anything and everything you can think of, write it down.
Then, pick someone from the list below –
Jenny (29) – lives in London
Alan (60) – lives in Edinburgh
Michael (18) – lives in Brighton
Leah (50) – lives in Cornwall
Yasmin (46) – lives in Newcastle
Connor (80) – lives in Birmingham
Pick one of your scenarios from your list and write a scene for a story for one of the characters above.
Have fun.
by Book Extract: The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann
I’m excited to be welcoming Anna Normann to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for The Silent Resistance.
Occupied Norway, 1944. Anni endures the war alone, aiding the resistance while longing for news of her sailor husband. Her daughter, Ingrid, is her joy, and Anni is determined to keep her safe. But when a German official is billeted at their home, danger escalates, and Anni faces an agonising dilemma.
London, 1952. Ingrid has been trying to understand her mother’s mysterious disappearance at the war’s end. Clinging to Anni’s promise that she would always come back for her, Ingrid sets out to discover what happened all those years ago.
Grab that beverage of your choice and find that comfortable chair. Anna Normann has kindly shared an extract with us today. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
While people didn’t starve in Norway during the war, they went hungry and children were malnourished. No food could be imported, and the approximately 400.000 German soldiers stationed in Norway had first pick.
I grew up listening to stories about the food during the war. The rancid cod liver oil used for cooking, the turnip they fried in the oil, the salty herring. No butter, no sugar, no chocolate. I couldn’t even imagine how horrible that was.
Ingrid looked up from her dolly and teddy, who by now had arrived in China. ‘I’m hungry, mamma.’
‘Me too. I have potatoes and more potatoes. Would you like that?’ Anni said.
‘Can we fry the potatoes, mamma?’ Ingrid loved crispy potatoes, even those fried in cod liver oil.
by Book Club
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