I’ve said before that it’s a real source of frustration that I simply cannot read or feature all the books I’m offered, but occasionally I simply have to feature one that I wish I could get to in the near future and which is calling to me from my TBR. The Genius Killer by Mark Robson is one such book and I’m delighted that Mark has agreed to provide a guest post about his journey to publication for The Genius Killer for Linda’s Book Bag today. I also have a cracking extract to share and I think when you’ve read these pieces you’ll see why I’m so keen to read The Genius Killer myself.

The Genius Killer is available for purchase here with all profits going ebook and paperback profits to charity including The Lighthouse Charity.

The Genius Killer

The dark heart of a brilliant and ruthless psychopath

A celebrated but haunted detective

A determined young reporter hunting for justice – and the big story

Karl Jackson is a particularly vengeful sociopath with his unique way of ‘problem-solving’. DCI Tex Deacon suffers from the trauma of his beloved wife’s death and finds it immensely difficult to come to terms with it. As a Detective Chief Inspector specialising in murder and killer profiling, Tex has a relentless workload from his base on the edges of the mountains of the Lake District.

Tex is under pressure from his superiors to take a step back to grieve properly. It’s clear that Susan’s death has ripped out part of his soul. There is no doubt that Tex is suffering, but this DCI is a driven man. Tex’s welfare is the responsibility of his boss Chief Constable Barbara Bracewell, and she and Tex go back a very long way. However, Bracewell must do what is right for Tex and the Cumbrian police force.

Despite falling into a mental abyss, Tex’s instincts for the hunt never leave him. A hyper-intelligent and devious murderer appears in his crosshairs – the self-styled ‘Genius Killer’. So what will Tex do? What can he get away with doing with the Chief Constable monitoring his every move?

And then there’s Debbie Pilkington, a tenacious and hugely ambitious cub reporter at the local paper – The Rimpton Chronicle. Debbie has big stories and a big future in her own sights. A young journalist, a craggy and vastly experienced detective, and one of the most dangerous serial killers Britain has even seen. Their lives were about to intertwine. The chase to stop a cunning killer begins. Tex is a master at breaking down the thinking processes of those he hunts but with Tex enduring his own psychological meltdown, can he penetrate the mind of this supremely malevolent psychopath?

The Genius Killer Road to Publication

A Guest Post by Mark Robson

“Murder? The mountains are the perfect place.” The man looked at me from the corner of his eye – the way Clint Eastwood does in A Fistful of Dollars just before he spits and butchers the bad guys. “Yeah, it’s very tough for the police – remote spots, very little evidence and there’s no CCTV. A killer’s paradise really.” Those were the words that launched the seed of an idea, a seed that lay dormant for many years before being germinated by the arrival of the coronavirus lockdown. As a freelance sports broadcaster all of my work and income was shut down in a heartbeat. The Netflix box sets took an almighty thrashing but lying on the sofa and fretting and rattling around my bachelor pad wasn’t particularly good for my mental health.

Enter Petra, my then girlfriend, “Do something. Write a book. A novel.” I remember curling a lip and widening my eyes in that sarcastic way that people do when they think someone has said something ridiculous.  “What about?”  I squawked, sounding rather like a chip hunting seagull. Petra sighed, “Don’t be a prick. What about that fell running chum of yours. The guy who knew some of the Mourne Mountain Rescue team? You always said that would make for a great novel.” My curled lip had softened – replaced by the knowing pout that all novelists display when they realise they have ‘The Narrative’. You see, now, without writing one word I was already, in my own mind, an author. My eyebrows arched so high they almost hit my receding hairline. I remembered Fred, the man who had described in detail three Mountain Rescue body recoveries that they had suspected to be murder. They were all reported as natural or accidental deaths. Me and Fred were running side by side. Rain drops battered us like bullets, our Gortex tops working at capacity through the rolling roar of a storming Westerly, “There were far too many suspicious elements. A few of the team went to the body sites and carried out re-enactments. Murder – definitely.”

That was it then. I had a loose framework and all I had to do now was build a structure around it. First I met my old chum Deric Henderson, one of Northern Ireland’s great political journalists, who had written Let This Be Our Secret, a shocking true story about double murder in Castlerock. Deric’s book went on to become an ITV and Netflix series, The Secret starring Jimmy Nesbitt and Genevieve O’Reilly. Deric, close to breaking point due to my persistent questioning, put me in touch with Michael Mcloughlin at Penguin Ireland and Patsy Horton of Blackstaff Press. They gave me more valuable advice which was along the lines of, “Go read On Writing by the great Stephen King,  a masterpiece of instruction for budding novelists who think they already know everything but actually know feck all.” I also consulted my old schoolfriend Colin Bateman, auther of many best sellers like Divorcing Jack and writer of several Hollywood screenplays.

Within moments of writing the first words of The Genius Killer I was an arousing combo of Ernest Hemingway, Patricia Cornwell, Harlan Coben, Val McDermid and Liz Nugent with a luscious soupcon of Agatha Christie adding the final thrilling sprinkles. Three months later and my New York Times best seller was finished. 70,000 words of pure magic. Netflix had already been in touch. Okay – it was about renewing  my subscription – but it was true. I’d had contact from the streaming giant. A deal was sure to follow. The washing machine of white noise inside my head had already reached the spin cycle, “I’ll have Miles Teller as the killer, Jason Bateman as the Detective and Julia Garner as the ambitious journalist. Not cheap. I hope those Netflix Muppets know the kind of budget they’ll need to give this book the treatment it deserves.”

Then, sadly, and this was inevitable I suppose, someone read my draft. His name? Andy Brennan, former Head of English at the highly respected Wrekin College in Shropshire. “Mark. Love the story, but it’s written like a journalist – probably because you are one!” Andy went on while I visualised the embers of a burning Netflix contract, “It’s like a news report. Facts and detail all tightly packaged and, yes, it rollicks along but there’s not much colour and very little character development….” Andy kept talking but I was already blubbering, frothy spittle on my chin. He’d taken a fire hose to my sizzling ambition.

Who could rescue me? Enter the first of my saviours, Simon Hess of Gill Hess Publishers. Simon, a big rugby fan, found grass with a long punt downfield that landed in the bread basket of Vanessa O’Loughlin (AKA Sam Blake) at The Inkwell Group. Vanessa propelled my red raw scribbling into the experienced hands of two published authors, Mary Stanley and Adrian White. Mary’s brilliant synopsis highlighted the good and the bad and sent me scurrying into the richness of ‘show’ and not ‘tell’ and so the real learning began. (SHOW: A warm ball of fuzzy fur had wrapped itself tightly in front of a crackling wall of flame, teasing it’s whiskers with the pads of a spongy paw. Red and orange shards flickered up and away into the smoky darkness. TELL: The cat sat in front of the fire) Vanessa – is that right?

After a short spell of mourning a rewrite followed. Then came Adrian White’s report. Now this was different. I felt like I’d opened my legs and allowed Tyson Fury three free uppercuts. It was quite devastating but, mostly, Adrian was right – though I almost gave up. It took a lot of weeping before I was able to galvanise myself enough to rewrite the bloody thing again. Thanks to Mary and Adrian – and other caring helpers – 70,000 words became 100,000. Finally there was a printable blend of story, show, tell, timeline, narrative and plot. Orla Kelly Publishing took on my little project. On publication day I celebrated by running naked through my home town, like some sort of deranged town cryer, screaming, “Here it is, ‘The Genius Killer’ … Roll up, roll up, get your copy here.” Hopefully, while I’m in custody, Netflix will call.

****

That’s brilliant. I’m sure Netflix are on the phone right now!

And in case readers would like a flavour of The Genius Killer then here’s an extract to whet their appetite further:

An Extract from The Genius Killer

The following morning Ferris stood at the end of the small pontoon. The sun, which had peaked its brow above the yellow grass of the distant fields was already forming a heat haze across the lake, forming silver shadows. A haphazard smattering of trees circled the lake, their branches waving with a hypnotic synergy as if absorbed in some mysterious dance.

Karl, in no rush, walked towards Ferris, taking the long route round the boat house. Ferris, relaxed and vulnerable, turned and held out his hand. Karl took it, but instead of shaking it, he used it as a pivot. Karl pulled hard and fast, and Ferris spun round on his heels. Karl pressed the chloroform-soaked cloth over Ferris’s mouth.

To minimise what he knew would be a brief struggle, Karl pulled his free arm across the man’s chest. Ferris blew a muffled cry through the drenched rag. Resistance drained quickly and Karl was in complete control. He positioned the unconscious victim face up on the pontoon and then slid out a stiletto knife he’d concealed in his sleeve. Half light from the early sun bounced off the blade and the rippling water. Karl slid the stiletto between Peter Ferris’s ribs. There was a barely audible murmur and in a heartbeat it was over.

Earlier that morning, Karl had rowed across the lake, a lake he knew so well. This was where he had enjoyed so much fun blowing up those hopping amphibians. It wasn’t far from the Satterscale village between the towns of Rimpton and Hollway and the site of Jackson’s old house. Karl had placed two heavy dumb bells on the struts below the waterline underneath the pontoon. Now, after the kill, Karl used cable ties to attach the dumb bells to the floppy corpse of Ferris. Karl rolled him over the side of the pontoon. He sank fast, the weight helping Ferris on his final journey, and he would soon be buried in the lake’s deep soft silt.

Ferris disappeared below the water as a few geese lifted from the water, disturbed by the gentle splash. It was such a peaceful disposal.

****

Doesn’t that sound a cracker? Don’t forget The Genius Killer is available for purchase here.

About Mark Robson

Mark has been a journalist and broadcaster for over 30 years. Working almost exclusively in sport. Mark was employed for 15 years by SKY Sports, and 11 years by the BBC. Elsewhere he worked, on significant national contracts, for ITV, Eurosport and Premier Sport. Mark has been been involved in BAFTA and Sony award winning, and nominated, documentaries and programmes. Mark worked on these productions as a writer/reporter.  For the last 10 years Mark has focused on rugby commentary with SKY, as well as Premier Sport and Eirsport. Mark was working on the Six Nations Rugby when all sport stopped due to the pandemic, so he decided to write his first novel.

For further information, follow Mark on Twitter @rugbyjaffa, or visit Mark’s website.

My enormous thanks to Natasha Finn at DK Books for sending me a copy of children’s book Wonderfully Wired Brains by Louise Gooding and illustrated by Ruth Burrows in return for an honest review. With my niece only diagnosed with autism in her late 30s, it feels very special to me to share my review of Wonderfully Wired Brains today.

Published by DK Books on 4th May 2023, Wonderfully Wired Brains is available for purchase through the links here.

Wonderfully Wired Brains

An informative and inclusive children’s guide to neurodiversity for those not in the know and to inspire children who are neurodivergent.

Our brains are unique in the way they function, work, and think. Neurodiversity is still a relatively ‘new’ concept that can be tricky to understand, but this book is here to help! This inspirational book written by neurodiverse author Louise Gooding challenges misconceptions and shows how neurodivergent brains work a little differently.

It is common for neurodiverse people and those with neurological differences to feel as though they don’t fit in, but their extraordinary differences should be embraced. Wonderfully Wired Brains teaches children aged 7-9 all about the awesome abilities that neurodiverse individuals have, introduces them to advocates who are challenging neurodiversity stereotypes, and most importantly gives them a safe space to feel accepted.

This informative and educational book for children features:

– Accurate, understandable explanations of diagnoses that impact the brain, including each area of neurodiversity and what it can or does mean for anyone with that particular neurological difference.
– A positive, friendly look at neurodiverse brains that debunks myths and stereotypes.
– Informative, inclusive text is accompanied by colourful, modern illustrations.

The font and colours used have been selected to accommodate a range of neurodiverse readers. Combining neurodiverse experiences with science, history, and brain-bursting facts, Wonderfully Wired Brains has something for everyone!

Whether your child is neurodiverse or not, this book will inspire inquisitive young readers and show them that no two brains function in the same way and that everyone’s differences should be celebrated. There really is no other book like it.

My Review of Wonderfully Wired Brains

A children’s book about neurodiversity.

It was quite tricky to review Wonderfully Wired Brains as it took considerable effort to prise it from my husband’s hands! He’s in his mid sixties with a Ph.D in Chemistry and he loved this book! 

As with so many DK books, I simply want to repeat the book’s description as it sums up perfectly what a fabulous book Wonderfully Wired Brains is. In keeping with other DK books this one has all the physical properties and qualities one expects. There is a vibrant, robust and superb quality cover that encases a non-fiction book jam packed with information that makes Wonderfully Wired Brains perfect for home, school or other institution use.

The illustrations in Wonderfully Wired Brains actually made me cheer aloud! The children represented are as physically diverse as the brains being written about with children in wheelchairs, wearing glasses, with different coloured skin and hair and so on, so that the book feels inclusive before a word is read.

There’s a lovely personal introduction by Louise Gooding which means that children (and the adults around them) have an instant connection and feel they are not alone in their own neurodiversity. Indeed, brain difference is seen as absolutely normal whether that’s through a leech’s many brains through bi-polar brains to the fabulous artistry of Stephen Wiltshire.

The range of information in Wonderfully Wired Brains is astonishing so that every reader, regardless of age or their own unique brain, will find something of interest here. Just the two succinct pages on Brain Care would make us all happier and healthier if we followed them.

I think Wonderfully Wired Brains is fantastic at exploring neurodiversity but equally it has so many other uses too. The book can be used to model research practices with a glossary and index perfect for literacy lessons. The Brilliant brains in history or the Wonderfully wired people could lead to all kinds of projects, from oral presentations to the use of the Internet for example. This really is an educational book of the highest quality.

However, the most powerful aspect of Wonderfully Wired Brains is its humanity and inclusion. Written and illustrated with celebratory sensitivity whilst not shying away from issues such as tics, anxiety and depression that can affect neurodivergent people in particular, Wonderfully Wired Brains is completely brilliant. Every home, hospital, children’s group and classroom should have one. I thought it was sensational and only wish my family had had access to it years ago. 

About Louise Gooding

Louise Gooding is a British children’s author living in Switzerland with her family.

Louise has a keen interest in sharing stories that feature characters that stand out, are different and who have something to say.

Inspired by stories from her own experiences and within her family, she took up writing to find a way of discussing neurological and physical diversity, and how to explore other sensitive issues within children’s books.

Louise a member of SCBWI, an Inclusive Minds ambassador and leads The Writers and Illustrators of Zurich.

In her spare time Louise enjoys reading, painting, photography, spending time with her family and her work as a Book Fairy.

For more information, visit Louise’s website and follow her on Twitter @OnceUponaLouise. You’ll also find Louise on Facebook and Instagram.

About Ruth Burrows

Ruth Burrows has always loved drawing, painting and making, as a child she also loved entertaining and always took a lead part in the school play. Ruth’s two main passions eventually came together when she studied Theatre Design at Nottingham Trent University.

Ruth currently works full time as an illustrator from her open studio and art shop in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, where you are welcome to drop by and say hello!

For further information visit Ruth’s website, follow her on Twitter @RuthBBurrows, or find her on Facebook and Instagram.

I’ve long been a fan of Louise Jensen so it gives me enormous pleasure to review her latest thriller The Fall for my latest My Weekly online review.

Previously I have reviewed Louise’s The Stolen Sisters here, and I stayed in with Louise writing under her pseudonym Amelia Henley to celebrate the publication of The Life We Almost Had in a post you can read here. I also reviewed The Life We Almost Had here and From Now On, one of my Books of the Year in 2022, here.

I reviewed Louise’s The Family here and it was one of my Books of the Year in 2019.

Published by Harper Collins’ imprint HQ on 27th April, The Fall is available for purchase through the links here.

The Fall

She promised not to tell. They made sure she couldn’t…

At her surprise 40th birthday party, Kate Granger feels like the luckiest woman in the world but just hours later her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious underneath a bridge when she should have been at school.

Now, Caily lies comatose in her hospital bed, and the police don’t believe it was an accident. As the investigation progresses, it soon becomes clear that not everyone in the family was where they claimed to be at the time of her fall.

Caily should be safe in hospital but not everyone wants her to wake up. Someone is desperate to protect the truth and it isn’t just Caily’s life that is in danger.

Because some secrets are worth killing for…

My Review of The Fall

My full review of The Fall can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, I can say that The Fall is an absolute belter of a thriller that is totally compelling and that I just loved.

Do visit My Weekly to read more of my review here.

About Louise Jensen

Louise Jensen has sold over a million English language copies of her International No. 1 psychological thrillers The Sister, The Gift, The Surrogate, The Date, The Family, The Stolen Sisters and All For You. Her novels have also been translated into twenty-five languages, as well as featuring on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller’s List. Her next thriller publishes in Spring 2023.

Louise has been nominated for multiple awards including Goodreads Debut Author Of The Year, The Guardians ‘Not The Booker Prize’, best polish thriller of 2018 and she has also been listed for two CWA Dagger awards. All of Louise’s thrillers are currently under option for TV & film. She has also written short stories for various publications including ‘My Weekly’, ‘Hello’, ‘Best’ and ‘The Sun’, as well as having stories featured in multiple anthologies.

Louise also has a penchant for exploring the intricacies of relationships through writing heart-breaking and uplifting stories under the pen name Amelia Henley. The Life We Almost Had and The Art of Loving You were international best sellers. From Now On published in autumn 2022.

Louise lives with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat in Northamptonshire. She loves to hear from readers and writers.

You can find out more by visiting Louise’s website, finding her on Facebook or Instagram and following her on Twitter @Fab_fiction.

It was my absolute pleasure to meet lovely Diane Jeffrey at Harrogate last year and I owe her a huge debt of gratitude for sending me a copy of her latest book, The Other Couple. I’m delighted to share my review of The Other Couple today. 

It was also my privilege to share an extract from Diane’s previous thriller The Couple at Causeway Cottage in a post you’ll find here.

The Other Couple is published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 14th June 2023 in ebook and in paperback on 3rd August. It is available for pre-order through the links here.

The Other Couple

Two couples. A fatal accident. And a decision that changes everything…

Kirsten and Nick are enjoying a weekend away until, on their drive home, they accidentally run over and kill a man. They should call for help – but they have too much to lose, and no one can know the real reason they’re here. Instead, they make a split-second decision to conceal the accident.

Amy and Greg have just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. Amy is expecting a baby, and they couldn’t be happier. So when Greg fails to come home from a dog walk one weekend, Amy knows the police are wrong to believe he left of his own accord. Someone must be behind Greg’s disappearance, and Amy won’t give up until she gets justice – or revenge.

If you had nothing left to lose, how far would you go to find the truth?

My Review of The Other Couple

Greg is missing.

Oo. I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Couple because it’s filled with drama, deftly plotted and fast paced, making for an exciting and entertaining read. As the narrative progresses, there’s an added frisson of tension and mystery through some anonymous first person interjections from prison that draw in the reader still further making for a really captivating story. 

I loathed the selfishness of Nick from the very start and because Diane Jeffrey had created him so vividly, I was desperate for him to get his comeuppance. I found Kirsten fascinating. I couldn’t decide if I loathed her for her complicity with Nick, felt sorry for her because she is manipulated by him, or was contemptuous of her because of her cavalier attitude to the sanctity of her own marriage and family, and the ease with which she seems to disregard how her and Nick’s actions will impact Amy. 

Amy is both convincing and empathetic. I was on her side completely and thought the way Diane Jeffrey retained my faith in Amy was so skilful. I also loved the way Greg is a catalyst for all the exciting action, even though he is dead from the outset. What we have in The Other Couple is a set of truly realistic, layered and convincing characters that get right under the skin of the reader.

The Other Couple is a cracking, fast paced and twisty story that held my unwavering attention but at the same time, it’s far, far more than simple entertainment as Diane Jeffrey encourages the reader to contemplate morality and the fine line we walk in our lives. She explores marriage, family and relationships, the law and criminality, with absolute precision and a fluidity of style so that the story resonates long after it has been read. This is a narrative that has depth and thought-provoking themes as well as all the excitement and entertainment needed in a fabulous triller.

I thought The Other Couple was excellent. It held me spellbound and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Brilliant. 

About Diane Jeffrey

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling author.

She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.

Diane has written six psychological thrillers, all published by HQ / HarperCollins.

The Guilty Mother, Diane’s third book, was a USA Today bestseller and her fourth novel, The Silent Friend, was a Karin Slaughter Killer Reads pick for ASDA. Her fifth psychological thriller, The Couple at Causeway Cottage has been shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.

The Other Couple is Diane’s latest psychological thriller and will be released on 14th June 2023 in ebook and audiobook and on 2nd August 2023 in paperback.

Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

For further information follow Diane on Instagram and on Twitter @dianefjeffrey, visit her website or on Facebook.

My grateful thanks to Kirsten Knight for sending me a copy of children’s book Harriet’s Hungry Worms by Samantha Smith and Melissa Johns in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

Published by EK Books on 9th May 2023, Harriet’s Hungry Worms is available for purchase here.

Harriet’s Hungry Worms

This funny, engaging eco story invites young readers to follow the adventures of Harriet’s ravenous compost worms as they munch their way through their wide and wonderful weekly menu.

Packed with worm facts, Harriet’s Hungry Worms is the ideal companion for worm warriors and curious composters keen to roll their sleeves up and put their kitchen food scraps to good use.

My Review of Harriet’s Hungry Worms

Harriet is feeding the worms.

I’m beginning to realise that any EK children’s book is a real delight. As with other EK books I’ve reviewed, Harriet’s Hungry Worms is beautifully produced with a real feeling of quality in its robust cover, smooth pages and perfect size for sharing in the home or school.

Harriet’s Hungry Worms is absolutely smashing. The illustrations bring alive a lovely ecological story that is filled with important information and is inspirational so that young children are bound to want their own wormery as a result of reading this book. Children learn how to create the best environment for worms and will adore the concept of using ‘worm poo’ and ‘worm wee’ to make vegetables grow. Indeed, the illustrations have a real feeling of ecology with earthy browns and greens that reflect the subject matter, giving a feeling of coherence that is so satisfying.

Aside from the brilliant wormy details, Harriet learns other skills such as responsibility as she feed the worms, and patience, because her siblings Fred and Sally seem to have better pets in the dog and the chickens, until she realises the usefulness of worms.

There’s a superb balance of text to image with perfect modelling of speech for emergent writers in Harriet’s Hungry Worms and the use of upper case letters for emphasis so that reading Harriet’s Hungry Worms provides a highly useful template. The language in the story is accessible for young independent readers too. Very young children have days of the week reinforced and the alliteration between the days and the way the worms eat is huge fun.

I also loved the facts and worm diet at the back of the book and could see this as the catalyst for further research.

Harriet’s Hungry Worms is a delight. It’s fun, informative and beautifully presented. I thought it was lovely.

About Samantha Smith

Samantha Smith lives in Melbourne with her three junior co-authors, an adopted cat, nine-hundred and ninety-seven compost worms and an impressive pumpkin vine that’s slowly taking over the backyard. As a lover of all things green, she completed doctoral research exploring young people’s relationship with the environment and how to encourage positive behaviour change. Harriet’s Hungry Worms is her first eco picture book, and she’s hoping it will inspire young worm warriors to roll up their sleeves and put their food scraps to good use.

You’ll find Sam on Instagram and can visit her website for further information.

About Melissa Johns

Melissa Johns is an artist, illustrator, an avid upcycler and a closet poet. She produces artworks predominantly made of recycled materials that lend her work a uniquely whimsical quality. Melissa is passionate about her family, her artistic creations and stimulating young minds through art and literature. Melissa has also illustrated Growing Pains and Tabitha and the Raincloud, both for EK Books.

It’s my pleasure to welcome back Lindy Keane Carter to Linda’s Book Bag today to chat with me all about The Rice Birds. I had hoped to include Lindy somewhat earlier but life rather got the better of me!

Lindy has previously featured here on the blog and it’s a real pleasure to discover her latest novel. Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Lindy Keane Carter

Welcome back to the blog Lindy! So you’ve published another book since you were last here. Tell us about this new work.

Thank you for having me again. I’ve brought my new historical fiction novel, The Rice Birds, set in 1849 in Charleston, South Carolina in the southern United States. The title refers to the migratory bobolinks that arrived twice a year in South Carolina’s 18^th and 19^th century rice plantations. The flocks could devastate the crop if the planter hadn’t timed his planting and harvesting around the arrivals. The book is not about birds! The title is a metaphor for my Irish protagonist and her friend, an enslaved house servant, runaways from a huge plantation, so they’re hunted, hungry, and hated like the rice birds.

Sounds fascinating. Why did they run away?

One of them commits a crime on the plantation, so they must flee to Charleston, earn some money somehow out of sight, and get to New York.

I love the ethereal quality of the cover. Tell me about it. 

It’s a golden rice field.

Here’s another photo that gives better idea of the grid system of waterways and dikes that flooded the fields with the tidal push of water from the creeks and rivers.

It looks very similar to the Fens where I live!

What else have you brought to share with us?

Some photos of hair art, a craze in the 1800’s. In my book, the two girls create hair art as a way to make money while in hiding. Creepy but impressive.

I’m not sure I’d be wearing those items Lindy!

Tell me a bit more about The Rice Birds.

You can expect to root for my poor Irish girl all the way. She arrives in America in 1849 expecting to work as an indentured servant in one of Charleston’s mansions (see the above photo of the city, which today looks much as it did then) but finds herself working in the house on a vast, remote rice plantation. There, she’s wooed by a carpenter (from County Mayo, of all places) but he betrays her, and she’s forced to flee. Just when she has the means to get on a boat to New York, an old enemy shows up in Charleston to carry out an illegal transatlantic slaving scheme and it will derail her plans.

I love the sound of this. Why did you make your protagonist Irish?

I wanted to bring an Irish voice to the historic narrative of Charleston. The Irish made so many contributions here, from 1640 on. Plus, I’m part Irish. Isn’t everyone in America?

I think so. When I was working in New York I think everyone I met claimed to be part Irish! Thanks so much for telling me all about The Rice Birds. It sounds a smashing read.

My pleasure. And by the way, you’ll learn a lot. This book is full of historical details that are based on my extensive research.

Brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing this with me.

The Rice Birds

In 1849, twin sisters fleeing Ireland’s famine arrive at New York’s seaport. Only one — Nora-is allowed to get on the boat to South Carolina to fulfil her work contract. On her master’s vast rice plantation, an enslaved worker — Pearl — befriends her. After one of them commits a crime, the girls flee to Charleston, a dangerous place for runaways. Nora frantically seeks to get back to her twin and Pearl tries to find her mother before heading north. Meanwhile, an old enemy’s illegal transatlantic scheme is about to derail the girls’ plans.

The Rice Birds, published by Evening Post Books, is available in paperback via the publisher here, or on your local Amazon site.

About Lindy Keane Carter

Lindy Keane Carter holds a journalism degree from the University of Georgia. After writing non-fiction for 40 years, she signed up for a fiction class and has won several awards for her short stories. The Rice Birds is her third novel. She’s the proud mother of three adults: two daughters and a son. She enjoys kayaking, swimming, and gardening in Charleston, South Carolina.

For further information, visit Lindy’s website or find her on Facebook.

It was a real pleasure to stay in (here) with Jennifer Bibby last July to chat all about her debut novel The Cornish Hideaway and I’m delighted to share my review for My Weekly online today.

Published in paperback by Simon and Schuster on 230th March 2023, The Cornish Hideaway is available for purchase through the links here.

The Cornish Hideaway

All Freya has ever wanted to do is paint. So when she fails her Master’s Degree in Art, on the same day that her boyfriend decides he needs a ‘more serious’ partner, to Freya it feels like the end of the world.

Luckily, she has a saviour in the shape of best friend Lola, who invites her to the sleepy Cornish village of Polcarrow, to work in her café. With nothing keeping her in London, Freya jumps at the chance of a summer by the sea.

Freya needs time to focus on herself. But then dark and mysterious biker Angelo blows into town on a stormy afternoon, with his own artistic dreams and a secretive past, and Freya’s plans of a romance-free summer fly straight out of the window…

Heart-warming, heartfelt and romantic, The Cornish Hideaway is a novel of community, friendship and learning to love again, for fans of Jenny Colgan, Cathy Bramley and Heidi Swain.

My Review of A Cornish Hideaway

My full review of The Cornish Hideaway can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, I can say that The Cornish Hideaway is a gorgeous escapist read that will have you packing your bags and heading to Polcarrow. I loved it!

Do visit My Weekly to read more of my review here.

About Jennifer Bibby

As a lifelong lover of stories, Jennifer Bibby spent her teenage years wowing various teachers with her historical epics before finding her feet exploring the everyday lives of modern women through literature. In addition to being a bibliophile she loves classy cocktails, cake and medieval history. She’s happiest by the sea and loves to travel, and firmly believes that dinosaurs improve everything. The Cornish Hideaway is her debut novel.

You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @jennyfromthewr1 and Instagram.

One of the wonders of the bookish world is the variety of ways books actually come into being these days. When Ben Eady got in touch about his children’s book The Hidden Creatures of Hackney I knew I had to feature it on Linda’s Book Bag because I was fortunate enough to be brought up in the country in days when it was safe to roam wild around the fields and woods. Not all children are able to experience freedom and wildlife like that and The Hidden Creatures of Hackney is designed to have broad appeal, especially for families living in high-density communities.

Ben is funding his book through a Kickstarter campaign that you’ll find here. I’ve had the privilege of reading The Hidden Creatures of Hackney and I can tell you it’s really worth supporting. My thanks to Ben for sending me a copy of the book. I’m delighted to share my review today.

The Hidden Creatures of Hackney

The Hidden Creatures of Hackney is a story seen through the eyes of Kiran and Karma, as they explore their neighborhood in search of a hidden magical world. The journey begins when the children find a map when playing in Granny’s attic. The map includes instructions for making devices called “Imagi-scopes”. Using these devices and through the power of imagination, they can see and interact with otherwise invisible magical creatures who inhabit each location.

Written and illustrated by award winning Creative Director, Ben Eady: this fantasy-adventure, graphic-novel for developing readers aged 5-10, is written in verse, with a hint of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a touch of The Gruffalo and a smidge of Pokémon GO. The whole family will love it!

My Review of The Hidden Creatures of Hackney

Karma and Kiran are having adventures.

My goodness The Hidden Creatures of Hackney is a clever book. Knowing that it’s a fantasy adventure book for children aged 5+ who are moving from picture books to lengthier text I was initially unsure that it hit the youngest target audience. However, I was completely wrong. What Benjamin Eady has done is produce the perfect blend of image and text to reach so many young readers. Visually The Hidden Creatures of Hackney looks like a story for middle grade children but the rhyming text accompanying the images is accessible so that this is a story emergent readers and older more reluctant readers will adore. I can see it being a real benefit to children in KS2 who find reading a challenge or unappealing.

I love the potential for literacy use in schools. Well modelled speech, a variety of rhyme patterns, and the opportunity for oracy with discussions about what Kiren and Karma see and experience, or perhaps performance through an element like the Lemur’s stick poem are all woven in to this cracking book.

Whilst the story is set in Hackney, this doesn’t limit the audience. It could be the catalyst for research of another area for children as well as a prompt for children to write similar adventures for their own environment. Animals like lemurs and tigers not usually associated with such settings add interest and prompts for geography and environmental study too. With graffiti, crafting and history included as well as nature, The Hidden Creatures of Hackney would also provide scope for so many cross-curricular activities.

However, all of that is all very well, but the true essence of The Hidden Creatures of Hackney is much more important. It’s about childhood fun, fantasy and adventure. It’s a story that stimulates imagination and provides enjoyment and entertainment for children. It’s colourful in appearance and content so that children are given real joy in reading this book.  Benjamin Eady’s The Hidden Creatures of Hackney is highly impressive and I really recommend it.

About Ben Eady

If you’d like to be part of the journey for The Hidden Creatures of Hackney, you can view the Kickstarter campaign here.

You’ll find more information on Instagram or Facebook and on the website too. Ben has recently joined Twitter @H1ddenCreatures.

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction so it gives me enormous pleasure to welcome Brian Klein, author of The Führer’s Prophecy to Linda’s Book Bag today. Brian has kindly written a fabulous guest post all about writing this sequel to The Counterfeit Candidate which I’m delighted to share with you today.

The Führer’s Prophecy is available for purchase here.

The Führer’s Prophecy

30 January 1939. Adolf Hitler makes an infamous speech at the Reichstag threatening “The annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe”. This vile public proclamation is seized upon by his fanatical supporters who christen it “The Führer’s Prophecy”.

November 1943. A sinister plot hatched inside Block 10 of the notorious Auschwitz deathcamp is known only to a handful of Nazis as Operation Gesamtkunstwerk. It’s a plan originated by Hitler, Himmler and Mengele and now, almost eighty years later, it’s finally ready to be actioned by the direct descendants of the Führer.

April 2022. As the world emerges from the Covid pandemic, an encrypted zoom call involving five participants, based across four continents, approves a plan that could have unimaginable consequences for the State of Israel. Chief Inspector Nicolas Vargas of the Buenos Aires Police Department and Lieutenant Troy Hembury of the LAPD join forces with Lea Katz, an elite Mossad agent, in a race against time to try and prevent the unthinkable consequences of Operation Gesamtkunstwerk.

Writing a Sequel

A Guest Post by Brian Klein

I didn’t really expect to write a sequel, even though I did leave the ending of The Counterfeit Candidate open for one. To be honest I was overwhelmed by the public reaction, as thousands of reviews demanded a sequel. In addition, the film company who optioned the rights to the novel pointed out that an America streamer such as Netflix would insist on knowing there could be a season two. Those two factors combined to inspire me to work on a new idea for a sequel.

My ideas come from looking back at history for inspiration. I studied Modern History and Politics at university, and I find that looking AT true stories and real characters inspire me to then fictionalise events based on a ‘What If’ theory. Just like its predecessor, The Führer’s Prophecy deals with a ‘What If’ scenario, where Hitler does not die in 1945 and the possible consequences of that fact in the present day.

Given the fact that I’m Jewish, it’s extremely difficult writing about one of the evilest men in history, who was obsessed with wiping out the Jewish race, but equally I have to remind myself I am writing a novel and therefore I try and make him a three-dimensional character, however hard that may be.

The main characters in The Führer’s Prophecy are now ten years older, and I guess somewhat wiser than before. John Franklin is now a man in hiding, looking for revenge and obsessed with carrying out an attack on the Jewish people – hence his fanatical approach to Israel. Vargas and Hembury have seen it before and so nothing surprises them about the lengths Franklin will go to, in orderto fulfil his grandfather’s prophecy.

The Führer’s Prophecy is a phrase used by Hitler sympathisers and followers which arises from a speech Hitler made in January,1939 at the Reichstag. During it he publicly proclaimed his desire to wipe out all the Jews in eastern Europe and so in the novel, his descendants vowel to deliver that pledge through an attack on Israel.

I find it inspirational to work with real-life characters and to imagine how they might have behaved had they not died when they did, and what choices they might have made that could have changed history and affect the way we all live today.

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I think The Führer’s Prophecy sounds fabulous Brian and am delighted it is on my TBR. Equally, I fear history may not have led us to a more humane approach to others than the one you describe here…

About Brian Klein

Brian Klein is an award-winning Television Director, with over twenty-five years’ experience in the industry. His work regularly appears on Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC and Sky. Amongst his directing credits are twenty-eight seasons of the iconic car show, Top Gear and seven seasons of A League Of Their Own Roadtrip, Sky One’s highest rating entertainment show. He has also directed two feature-length films for BBC Worldwide and five entertainment specials for Netflix. The Führer’s Prophecy is a sequel to his best-seller, debut novel, The Counterfeit Candidate.

For further information, visit Brian’s website. You can also find Brian on Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Amy Watson at Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of There’s Been A Little Incident by Alice Ryan in return for an honest review. I wasn’t intending on reading There’s Been A Little Incident quite yet but couldn’t resist its siren call and so I’m delighted to share my review today.

There’s Been A Little Incident is published by Head of Zeus and is available in all the usual places including here.

There’s Been A Little Incident

Molly Black has disappeared. She’s been running away since her parents died.

But this time, or so says her note, she’s gone for good.

There’s Been a Little Incident is an award-winning debut about grief, family and the people who are there for you when you can’t be there for yourself.

My Review of There’s Been A Little Incident

Molly is missing.

What a complete and utter joy. I just adored There’s Been A Little Incident. It’s everything I had hoped and more. I don’t know what it is about Irish writers, but Alice Ryan fully deserves an enduring place in that line of natural storytellers who create emotional, life affirming books not easily forgotten. 

In a sense, there’s very little plot here although there are surprises along the way. Molly goes missing and her extended family decide to look for her. But saying that is to miss the fact that There’s Been A Little Incident encompasses the whole of humanity in its structure. Here we have life and death, happiness and sadness in glorious technicolour. I laughed out loud reading There’s Been A Little Incident, and found myself moved to tears too.

Molly is a fabulous character and the mirror held up so that everyone else can finally see themselves clearly. Grief, loneliness, addiction, appearances, fear and shame are just some of the emotions experienced by the Black family, and it takes Molly, who is, ironically, absent for much of the narrative, to enable each person to find their true selves. I thought the way Alice Ryan created the underpinning theme of grief in particular was simply stunning. 

What works so effectively is the way in which Molly’s absence enables each family member to reassess their own lives. Uncle John remains a fairly pivotal constant, but others like Danny and Lady V experience epiphanies that are moving, engaging and absolutely realistic. I’d go so far as to say that reading There’s Been A Little Incident is equally as important and profound for the reader as it is for the characters because there’s a moment, a character or a feeling that is relatable for every reader. As well as a riveting, entertaining and emotional story, this book is a subliminal self-help manual! 

That makes There’s Been A Little Incident sound somewhat ‘worthy’. It isn’t. It’s huge fun, witty, and sensitive. I thought it was totally wonderful and cannot recommend it highly enough. Don’t miss it. 

About Alice Ryan

Alice Ryan grew up in Dublin. After moving to London to study at the LSE, she spent ten years working in the creative industries, holding roles in publishing, film and TV. She was Head of Insight and Planning at BBC Studios before returning to Ireland. She now works at The Arts Council of Ireland and lives in Dublin with her husband Brian and their daughter Kate.

For further information, follow Alice on Twitter @Alice_Ryan.