Life has been rather complicated of late and I’m struggling to fit in everything I’d like to, but I simply couldn’t let publication day for Allie Cresswell’s Salad Days go unmarked. You see, Allie has always been so generous to me as a reader, sending me copies of her books with no expectation that I’ll review, but just hoping I’ll enjoy reading them.

Allie also provided a super guest post about mature characters when her book Widow’s Weeds was published that you’ll find here. Consequently, the least I can do is bring Allie’s new book, Salad Days to your attention – especially as it sounds fantastic.

Available in ebook too, Salad Days is published in paperback today, 7th June 2024, and is available for purchase here.

Salad Days

“My earliest memory is of you, Arthur. We were children, running across the garden at Granny’s house. The sun on your hair made it look like copper wire. Then you stopped, and I cannoned into you. We both went headlong into the rockery. It was 1964, the summer before I started school, so I was nearly five. You would have been just three.
It’s strange, isn’t it? That my first memory is of you. Or maybe it isn’t very strange at all.”

Prudence and Arthur take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to the sixties and seventies; turbulent, changeful years that contrasted with their idyllic childhood at ‘Salad Days,’ the market garden run by Prue’s extended family.

But was it idyllic? Tragedy makes uneasy waypoints in their journey of recollection, and Arthur’s overbearing father casts a dark pall. How did he inveigle himself into Prue’s close-knit family circle? What was his hold on them?

As Prue and Arthur retrace their youthful attempts to get to the facts, it’s clear that truth and memory aren’t always the same.

What of the mysteries that defy the clarity of hindsight? The uncanny auspices of eccentric Mrs Glenister, latest in the line of ‘peculiar’ Glenister wives—why did she only materialise at times of calamity? And most oddly of all, why, in all their reminiscing, does Arthur never speak a word?

Memory is a curious thing—unreliable and awkward. Shaping it into an account Prue and Arthur can both live with might take a lifetime. Or two.

***

Doesn’t that sound completely brilliant? I love the way the cover has a slightly indistinct quality, rather like the unreliable quality of memory explored in Salad Days. I think this sounds a very special book.

About Allie Cresswell

Allie Cresswell is the recipient of two coveted One Stop Fiction Five Star Awards and three Readers’ Favorite Awards

Allie was born in Stockport, UK and began writing fiction as soon as she could hold a pencil.

She went on to do a BA in English Literature at Birmingham University and an MA at Queen Mary College, London.

She has been a print-buyer, a pub landlady, a book-keeper, and has run a B & B and a group of boutique holiday cottages. Nowadays Allie writes full time having retired from teaching literature to lifelong learners.

She has two grown-up children, two granddaughters and two grandsons, is married to Tim and lives in Cumbria.

For further information, visit Allie’s website, or follow Allie on Twitter/X @Alliescribbler, Facebook and Instagram.

I love Phillipa Ashley books, although I don’t always get chance to fit them in to my reading and when Hana Sparkes sent me a surprise copy of Phillipa’s latest book, Second Chance Summer I was delighted. Even better, Second Chance Summer is my latest My Weekly magazine online review and I’m thrilled to share details today.

You’ll find other posts featuring Phillipa here on Linda’s Book Bag, including reviews and extracts.

Published by Penguin on 6th June 2024, Second Chance Summer is available for purchase through the links here.

Second Chance Summer

From the moment Lily Harper arrives at a remote retreat on the breath-taking Scilly Isles, she is itching to get back to civilisation – and her thriving business.

Slowing down simply isn’t in her vocabulary, and so she quickly clashes with the gorgeous but dour Sam who runs the retreat.

Just as Lily is about to give up and leave, disaster strikes, and she is involved in an incident that changes her perspective on everything.

Lily is no longer sure she wants to return to the life she thought she loved. But will she have the courage to give the retreat, and Sam, a second chance?

My Review of Second Chance Summer

My full review of Second Chance Summer  can be found on the My Weekly website here.

However, here I can say that Second Chance Summer is absolutely delightful. It transports the reader to Stark and provides them with an uplifting, warm and wonderful story that is every bit as good as taking a holiday.

Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.

About Phillipa Ashley

Phillipa Ashley is a Sunday Times, Amazon and Audible best-selling author of uplifting romantic fiction.

After studying English at Oxford University, she worked as a copywriter and journalist before turning her hand to writing. Since then, her novels have sold well over a million copies and have been translated into numerous languages.

Phillipa lives in an English village with her husband, has a grown-up daughter and loves nothing better than walking the Lake District hills and swimming in Cornish coves.

For more information about Phillipa, visit her website or find her on Instagram or Facebook. You can also follow Phillipa on Twitter/X @PhillipaAshley.

It’s just over a year since lovely Emma Cowell stayed in with me to chat about The House in the Olive Grove in a post you can find here. Today, not only do I welcome Emma back to Linda’s Book Bag to tell me about her latest release, but there’s a wonderful giveaway for you too!

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Emma Cowell

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag Emma and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me once more.

Thank you for inviting me back! Did the baklava I baked last time that helped secure a return visit?!

It did indeed – that and the wonderful books! I rather think I know, but tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought along The Island Love Song– my third novel! It still feels strange to say that and I’m not sure how I’ve written three, and in the middle of drafting my fourth. But I feel very lucky to be living a dream and I wouldn’t be able to without the support of the readers and amazing bloggers like you, so thank you.

It’s always a pleasure to support authors Emma! And I understand today is The Island Love Song publication day, so congratulations.

The Island Love Song also marks another step away from how it all began with my first novel, One Last Letter From Greece, which was inspired by the death of my darling Mum. I so wish she was here to see everything that’s happened. Sorry to put a downer on the evening- I’m pouring you a shot of ouzo!

That’s not a downer Emma. Of course you should remember your Mum. I’m sure she would be very proud of you. Let’s drink a toast to her.

What can we expect from an evening in with The Island Love Song?

It’s a story about love and family, which I’ve realised are unintentional themes in all my novels so far- though the stories are all unconnected. It’s about two sisters- Ella and Georgia- and their journey to an island called Hydra in Greece to scatter their mother’s ashes. But their relationship is strained to say the least! They’re both hiding secrets, hiding from themselves and from their past. All their troubles bubble up to the surface against a backdrop of blissful Greek paradise. They are both very different. Georgia is one of those women who plan and try to control everything so much that they forget to have fun. Ella is carefree with no urge to settle down, she lives out of a suitcase and follows her creativity wherever it takes her. There’s also a love song that has haunted Ella for decades. It was written about her by the man who broke her heart, and she has tried to escape it, but she can’t. The island forces them to confront their demons and face the truth… it isn’t all sunshine and crystal clear blue waters, but there’s a sweeping love story in there too.

That sounds gorgeous. I’m so glad I have The Island Love Song on my TBR pile.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

Last time I inflicted the husky sounds of Leonard Cohen on you, so you’ll be thrilled to know I have my playlist that I wrote the book to. It has become part of my process to create a soundtrack, choose a candle and make a mood board to transport me into the world I’ve created. It’s filled with some of the greatest love songs- in my humble opinion- ever written. For the audiobook version of The Island Love Song, I wrote three original songs as music is an important part of the novel and such an integral part of my life- I couldn’t be without it.

Wow! As someone tone deaf I find that amazing!

The song that Ella is trying to avoid is one of those iconic songs that gets used for weddings, funerals and christenings, like Angels by Robbie Williams or Something by George Harrison- my personal favourite love song. Do you have a favourite, Linda?

It’s so hard to choose a favourite song but I think probably Love is the Drug by Roxy Music as I am somewhat obsessed with Bryan Ferry – I’ll make you look at my photos of me with him later!

And of course, I’ve cooked Greek food for you which features heavily in all my writing.

I was hoping you might say that!

I’ve made a very simple dish of roasted vegetables- tomatoes, aubergine, onions, and courgettes with herbs, a little lemon and a sprinkling of capers- it’s my twist on a dish called Briam. Served with a classic Greek salad of course.

That sounds delicious…

And there’s pudding…I’ve made Portokalopita which is the most delicious orange cake that I discovered in Greece years ago. It’s a light orange flavoured sponge, though the Greeks call it a pie, and is covered in a sweet orange and cinnamon syrup glaze and is absolute heaven. It’s mentioned somewhere in all of my books. I can’t go to Greece and not have a slice or four!

You might have to fight me for that actually…

I also love that my readers have sought out some of the dishes featured in my stories and they send me pictures of their home cooking or taverna orders.

How brilliant.

And before I go, I’d also like a re-match of our Backgammon tournament we had last time we stayed in…the dice weren’t kind to me then, but I’m always hopeful that luck may turn in my favour….

I think they might be Emma. All that ouzo seems to have gone to my head! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about The Island Love Song. You set up the Backgammon board and I’ll give readers a few more details and a chance to win a copy for themselves!

The Island Love Song

Escape to the beautiful Greek Island of Hydra with this moving novel, filled with family secrets and romance

Emma Cowell, author of The House in the Olive Grove, returns with her brand new, emotional and romantic novel set on an idyllic Greek Island.

Hydra, the picturesque Greek island, is a paradise for most, yet for sisters Ella and Georgia, it is a place where their darkest secrets dwell. And now the time has come for them to confront their past as they return to Greece to scatter their mother’s ashes.

Ella is haunted by a love song that was written for her by the man who broke her heart years earlier and she longs to find peace so she can move on with her life.

Georgia pretends everything in her life is perfect, but she is plagued with guilt. If what she’s kept hidden for decades was revealed, their family would never be the same again.

The island is urging the sisters to confront the truth, but can they build a future on the ruins of their past?

Published today, 6th June 2024, by Harper Collins imprint Avon, The Island Love Song is available for purchase through the links here.

Giveaway

A Paperback Copy

of

The Island Love Song

Doesn’t The Island Love Song sound amazing? Thanks to lovely Laura Sherlock I have a paperback copy to give away to a lucky UK reader. The giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday 9th June 2024 and the winner needs to provide a UK postal address to receive their prize. Winner details will not be retained once the prize is dispatched.

To enter, click here.

Good luck!

About Emma Cowell

Emma lives in Cornwall with her husband, Tony, and their fur baby, a Russian Blue called Papoushka Gerald Cowell. A former actress and BBC presenter Emma is currently Head of Philanthropy for national charity Together for Short Lives. Outside of work, Emma is a keen angler and held a Cornish record for over 10 years until her crown was toppled. She is yet to get over it but tries to keep calm by practising yoga. Also, a keen linguist, Emma is attempting to learn Greek to maintain her love affair with the country where she has set her debut novel. She is yet to achieve a level of proficiency outside of tavernas and bakeries.

For further information, follow visit Emma’s website or follow Emma on Twitter: @EmmaLLoydCowell, and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

It’s always a sadness to me that I physically can’t read every book that I’d like to. That’s most definitely the case with Anne Montgomery’s new novel. However, I am delighted to find out more by staying in with Anne today.

Let’s see what Anne told me:

Staying in with Anne Montgomery

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Anne. Thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

I’m happy to be here, Linda.

Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

Your Forgotten Sons is my new novel that will be released on June 6, 2024, which is the 80^th Anniversary of D-Day. The story details the life of Bud Richardville who was assigned to the Graves Registration Service during World War II where soldiers were tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead.

Happy publication day for tomorrow Anne. That sounds like quite a task for the Graves Registration Service. What can we expect from an evening in with Your Forgotten Sons?

Bud’s story came to me in a strange way. I’d travelled to Baltimore at the request of a dear friend. She was facing a delicate, possibly life-changing surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and asked that I stand in as her healthcare power of attorney.

The night before the operation, Gina, handed me a Ziplock bag. Inside I found a packet of yellowed letters. We’d spoken of Gina’s elusive uncle—her mother’s handsome, rakish brother—on occasion over the years, and of the odd circumstances surrounding his death near the end of World War II.

I followed Bud’s trail through the postmarks—dates and locations—on those letters and travelled with him from England, to the beaches of Normandy, to the Battle of the Bulge and beyond.

I learned that those who served in the Graves Registration Service had arguably the toughest job in the military and that they rarely, if ever, got credit for their efforts.

Wow. That sounds like a brilliant catalyst for the novel. It has me completely intrigued.

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

When I think about Bud, I sometimes hear the popular music of the time. Big Band songs that young people danced to. Swing music with horns blaring. I can see Bud as he was before the war. He was easy-going and happy. People liked him, especially women. I’m guessing he could be a charmer. But war with its relentless cruelties beat him down.

I imagine Bud’s experience was one so many went through. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Your Forgotten Sons Anne. Happy publication day for tomorrow.

Your Forgotten Sons

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares to enter World War II in 1943.

A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine: a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose shadowy past leaves many unanswered questions.

When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Published by Next Chapter on 6th June 2024, Your Forgotten Sons is available for purchase online in all the usual places including here.

About Anne Montgomery

Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, author, and amateur sports official. Her first TV job came at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award-winning SportsCenter. She finished her on-camera broadcasting career with a two-year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archaeological pieces. Her novels include The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wild Horses on the Salt, The Scent of Rain, and Wolf Catcher.

Anne Montgomery taught sports reporting at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and taught high school journalism for 20 years. She was an amateur sports official for four decades, a time during which she called baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games and served as a high school football referee and crew chief.

Anne Montgomery is a foster mom to three sons and a daughter. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, theatre, and playing her guitar.

For more information, visit Anne’s website, find her on Facebook and Instagram or follow Anne on Twitter/X @amontgomery8.

My enormous thanks to Becci Mansell at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of A Woman of Intrigue by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York with Marguerite Kaye in return for an honest review. It’s my absolute pleasure to share that review today.

A Woman of Intrigue will be published by Mills and Boon in paperback on 6th June 2024 and is available for pre-order through the links here.

A Woman of Intrigue

Scandals, seduction and secrets… and one woman’s quest to uncover the truth. The most intriguing historical romance of 2024, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Wallflower Lady Mary Montagu Douglas Scott has a secret. Moving effortlessly unnoticed amongst the ballrooms and palaces of Queen Victoria, her sharp intelligence and keen powers of observation allow her to quietly solve society crimes – coming to the rescue of those whose pride and fortune are at stake.

Overlooked and underestimated, Mary finds missing money, recovers stolen jewellery and saves reputations. When she meets Colonel Walter Trefusis, an unlikely and spirited alliance is formed. But Mary has more than met her match in her sleuthing partner. As she battles the expectations of society and her family, Mary must follow her heart – whatever the cost…

My Review of A Woman of Intrigue

Lady Mary Montague Douglas Scott is not quite the wallflower she might appear! 

What a super story. I must say at the outset that I’m hugely impressed by the openness with which Sarah Ferguson acknowledges the input to A Woman of Intrigue from her writing partner Marguerite Kaye. Between the two authors they have blended both real and imagined characters and events into an entertaining, compelling and really interesting narrative. 

The plot of A Woman of Intrigue is totally engaging because there’s lots of action, a tantalising physical attraction between Mary and Tre, and considerable intrigue, mystery and crime to capture the imagination. Indeed, I think there’s huge scope for more adventures featuring Mary and Tre. 

The historical detail and the depiction of Victorian society are so well drawn that they place the reader right in the era. Balanced by Tre’s affliction that places him just slightly at a tangent to polite society, there’s a realism that I found truly refreshing. I thoroughly enjoyed the references to food, to gardening and to the running of large, wealthy households as well as the more prosaic aspects of life and the depiction of how lower classes live. Every aspect felt really vivid.

I thought Mary was a wonderful character. She is determined, principled and adventurous. I so appreciated the way Sarah Ferguson avoids making her a constrained, simpering woman of heaving bosom and the vapours, so typical of her class and upbringing. Instead, she is quite prepared to put pragmatism before romance, and to identify what she wants for herself in a modern and feminist manner, rather than allow herself to be drawn into marriage as might be expected of her. This makes A Woman of Intrigue relevant to today’s society as well as an engaging historical read.

Similarly, although he is physically attractive, Tre is also not cliched. His physical affliction arising out of mental trauma is sensitively handled, realistic and makes him feel modern and appealing. His attitude towards Mary, respecting her autonomy, makes him all the more charismatic. 

The more minor characters such as Charlotte and Louisa are also entertaining and interesting because they add texture to the story. It’s wonderful to discover older characters in historical fiction of this kind who find a new lease of life. 

Not being a fan of ‘celebrity’ books I confess that I began reading A Woman of Intrigue without great expectations. I was proved totally wrong. A Woman of Intrigue is a cracker of a read. It has a fast paced, interesting and exciting plot. It has rounded, engaging characters. It depicts the era, the roles of men and women and the sense of history with elan. A Woman of Intrigue entertains brilliantly and I thought it was such a smashing read. 

About Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is also a bestselling memoirist and children’s book author, film producer, and has been a spokesperson for Weight Watchers and Wedgwood china. She currently campaigns for her international charity Sarah’s Trust which supports children’s literacy and education globally. She works on historical documentaries and films that draw on her deep interest in Victorian history.
She was the daughter-in-law of HM The Queen and former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, brother to King Charles III. Grandmother to August and Sienna and mother of two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. She lives in Windsor.

For further information, visit Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York charity website, follow her on Twitter/X @SarahTheDuchess, or find her on Instagram and Facebook.

About Marguerite Kaye

Marguerite Kaye is a prolific historical romance author hailing from the west coast of Argyll in Scotland. She has written almost sixty books and novellas, and co-authored two books with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. She is a voracious reader, a keen sewist and a cook who loves to eat.

For further information, follow Marguerite on Twitter/X @MargueriteKaye, or find her on Instagram and Facebook.

It was my privilege to stay in with L. T. Shearer last November when The Cat Who Solved Three Murders came out in hardback. You’ll find that post here.

Today, in advance of the paperback release of The Cat Who Solved Three Murders, I’m delighted finally to share my review.

The Cat Who Solved Three Murders is published by Macmillan in paperback on 20th June 2024 and is available for purchase through the links here.

The Cat Who Solved Three Murders

Conrad the cat detective and retired police detective Lulu Lewis travel to Oxford on their canal boat and investigate a case of art theft in a grand country manor house.

Retired police detective Lulu Lewis’s life changed forever when she met a street cat named Conrad. There’s something very special about Conrad, but it’s a secret she has to keep to herself.

When Lulu takes her narrowboat to Oxford, she is planning nothing more stressful than attending a friend’s birthday party. And drinking a few glasses of Chardonnay.

But a brutal murder and a daring art theft means her plans are shattered – instead she and Conrad find themselves on the trail of a killer. A killer who may well strike again.

My Review of The Cat Who Solved Three Murders

Lulu and Conrad have a second case to solve.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cat Who Solved Three Murders. The premise of a talking cat, Conrad, acting as a detective is utterly bonkers, and yet it really works. In a sense, although Conrad is a physical Calico cat, he perhaps represents ex-Detective Lulu’s inner monologue so that he is a kind of sounding board for her theories and conclusions. Whatever the manifestation of Conrad, the story works highly entertainingly. It doesn’t matter at all that this is the second in LT Shearer’s Conrad the Cat Detective series, as Lulu’s back story and the reasons why she lives on a narrow boat with Conrad are skilfully woven into the narratives so that the story can be enjoyed completely independently. 

As Lulu and Conrad investigate a burglary and killing at Lulu’s friend Julia’s home, the plot is full of action, crime and murder. It is pacy, engaging and interesting. The Cat Who Solved Three Murders is an excellent example of the current trend in cosy crime, but with a talking cat it has the edge of novelty too, so that it feels just a little bit different and all the better for it.

The setting is so clever because the majority of it takes place at Julia’s home so that the reader gets a real sense of the grandeur and scale of the mansion. I loved the descriptions of the rooms. It’s so easy to picture where the action happens as there is a filmic quality to the descriptions. 

The narrative might feel essentially light in tone and an easy, diverting read, but there are deceptively deep themes too. The Cat Who Solved Three Murders contemplates friendship, family, marriage, loyalty and revenge. There’s a blurring of morality in doing the right thing for the wrong reason and the wrong thing for the right, or at least understandable, reasons. Lulu struggles with her conscience at times and through her conversations with Conrad we discover that choices are not always clear cut. 

Is The Cat Who Solved Three Murders the finest literary fiction I’ve ever read? Well, no. But it is extremely well plotted, absorbing and brilliantly entertaining. It would make a wonderful television series and I had a super time reading it. For those who want a well thought out narrative with an innovative extra in Conrad, The Cat Who Solved Three Murders is an absolute must read. I thought it was great! 

About L.T. Shearer

L T Shearer has had a lifelong love of canal boats and calico cats, and both are combined in The Cat Who Caught a Killer, a one-of-a-kind debut crime novel which continues with The Cat Who Solved Three Murders.

For further information, find L.T. Shearer on Facebook.