My enormous thanks to lovely Jennie Godfrey for sending me a copy of her wonderful novel The List of Suspicious Things. Far later than intended, it’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Available in all formats and released in paperback by Penguin on 2nd January 2025, The List of Suspicious Things is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The List of Suspicious Things

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv’s mum stopped talking.

Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don’t.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families – and between each other – than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

My Review of The List of Suspicious Things

Miv is determined to capture the Yorkshire Ripper.

It’s quite hard to review The List of Suspicious Things adequately. It is stunning and I absolutely adored every moment reading it. 

In fact, reading The List of Suspicious Things is like being with an old friend and the reader’s relationship with the book echoes that between Miv and Sharon. The moment you pick up The List of Suspicious Things you’re immediately immersed back into Miv’s life, regardless of the gap between sessions. And that’s the huge strength of this narrative. It might be based around the real times of the Yorkshire Ripper and attacks on women, but it is in fact a warm hearted, frequently funny, and highly emotional story of friendship and community. 

Miv is an absolute triumph. It’s as if Jennie Godfrey has looked deep inside every one of us, seen our insecurities and distilled them into the most relatable character in fiction. This is an exquisite coming of age story as well as being a compelling crime novel. Her self awareness means that Miv is vivid and realistic so that we get to know – and love – her fully.

With the Ripper murders the focus of Miv’s list and the catalyst for her adventures and actions, it also leads to the darker elements of the narrative. Jennie Godfrey’s lightness of touch is totally convincing and enables her to include themes that are important and disturbing, told through Miv’s perspective. Consequently, this is a story that grips, entertains and lays bare the realities of ordinary lives. It truly is magnificent. 

The other characters are equally memorable. I found each one engendered strong emotions in me. Of course I loved Miv the most, but Omar and Ishtiaq felt incredibly special and sadly, their experience is all too realistic in today’s society. 

The setting of The List of Suspicious Things could not be better. There’s a real sense of Yorkshire and the local community. The presentation of the Ripper era is depicted to perfection, through the cultural aspects of music, food, television and clothing. It’s like being transported back in time. 

Breathtakingly good, accessible and emotional, The List of Suspicious Things is an absolute triumph. I cannot recommend it highly enough and it has gone straight on my list of favourite reads this year. I’m only sorry I haven’t met Miv sooner. In case there’s any element of doubt left, I adored The List of Suspicious Things unreservedly.

About Jennie Godfrey

Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, is inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. Jennie is from a mill-working family, but as the first of the generation born after the mills closed, she went to university and built a career in the corporate world. In 2020 she left and began to write. She is now a writer and part-time Waterstones bookseller and lives in the Somerset countryside.

For further information, follow Jennie on Twitter/X @jennieg_author, and find Jennie on Bluesky and Instagram.

As you know, I love being in at the start of a new book and with today being publication day for C. R. Westbrook’s debut I’m thrilled to welcome her to the blog to chat all about it. My huge thanks to Sarah Hembrow at Vulpine Press for putting us in touch with one another.

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with C.R. Westbrook

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Caroline and thank you for staying in with me.

Hi Linda! Thanks for having me as a guest, it’s great to be here!

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

So today I’m bringing along my debut novel Troublemaker, which is published by Vulpine Press today – and since it’s the only one I’ve had published so far, bringing this one along was an obvious choice.

Congratulations on your debut and happy publication day. How did Troublemaker start out?

I first started writing it in the summer of 2021, just as we were coming out of lockdown, after spending the enforced time behind closed doors teaching myself how to write and structure a novel, as well as researching the publishing industry and how I could possibly get my work out into the world! 

Is Troublemaker your first attempt at writing?

Troublemaker is actually the second full-length novel I wrote (not counting the long-forgotten, utterly self-indulgent and completely terrible attempt I made at writing a book when I was 25!)  -and I wrote this one just to confirm to myself the first one wasn’t a fluke and I could actually do it! 

Ah! I have one of those ‘first’ novels too Caroline!

And then, when my beta readers starting telling me it was better than my first, I decided trying to get this one out into the world would be a better bet. Now, after lots of late nights, an awful lot of panicked overthinking, much questioning of my character’s motivations, four birthdays, three bouts of Covid and plenty of emotional support dark chocolate it’s here. And I couldn’t be prouder of what I’ve achieved. Which makes it such an honour to share it with you today.

I’m so impressed. It’s not easy getting into print so you should be very proud of yourself. So, what can we expect from an evening in with Troublemaker?

Troublemaker is (deep breath) a dark-comedy-psycho-thriller with a romcom twist.

That sounds really innovative.

Before I started writing I was struggling a lot with anxiety and depression (both thankfully now stable) and one of my coping strategies was reading, usually around a book a week or every ten days. Specifically I love psycho-thrillers but always noticed with the genre there’s very little in the way of humour (or at least that was the case before the current trend for sassy female serial killer stories, of which I wholeheartedly approve). 

I think many of us can empathise with those feelings.

Obviously it’s a tough one because thrillers often deal with very sensitive subjects which are no laughing matter. But I noticed when I did read something which had any funny moments in it at all it really stood out to me. 

As someone who has always had a darkly comic sense of humour (my favourite films include Heathers and Grosse Pointe Blank, and I love TV shows like Inside No 9 and What We Do In The Shadows) I did wonder if it was possible to apply the same to a thriller. And when I started writing that very first night, around 1am in January 2021 I realised very quickly that doing a serious drama wasn’t me. Hence I dropped right into this genre-straddling hole and didn’t look back!

That’s brilliant – and we do need light and shade in all genres I think – and even Shakespeare agreed! So what is Troublemaker about?

Troublemaker tells the story of star showbiz reporter Elena Robins, who works at a news website in Canary Wharf called Spark. She’s feisty, witty, popular, has a millionaire boyfriend, an ill-advised crush on her cynical deskmate Nathan, and fabulous fashion sense. Oh, and she might have murdered a colleague seven years earlier.

You can’t just leave me hanging there. Tell me more…

When a mysterious newcomer, Katja Lake, shows up in the office, it sparks off a chain of events which threaten to ruin both Elena’s career, and her life. Which leaves her fearing that her murky past is back to haunt her – until things spin wildly out of control with an unexpected moment of violence, and she realises she’s in real danger from the new girl. But will anyone believe her? Or will she wind up as dead as her ex-colleague?

Is this Elena’s single person perspective then?

The story is told from the points of view of several different characters – Elena, Katja and Nathan in the present, and we also have a dual timeline woven in from the past featuring the victim, Laura Lucas, and the events which lead up to her death.

It sounds as if Troublemaker is very much more than just a comedic thriller.

Troublemaker might be a comedy but it’s got serious underlying themes, mainly around my fascination with how we treat each other (which isn’t always as we should – all of us have at some point in our lives behaved in an ill-advised way towards someone else!) But equally it asks the question of whether you can make that one huge, enormous mistake and still be redeemable – or if you deserve to be forgiven.

Most of the characters are pretty morally grey – perfectly likeable on the surface, the sort of people you’d probably get on well with if you met them down the pub. But underneath they’re concealing secrets and lies and a whole lot of eyebrow-raising behaviour, the sort of things many of us have done but would never actually admit to.

You’ve just captured humanity in a sentence I think! Where did you get your ideas?

Most importantly, the book is inspired by my own experiences working in entertainment and lifestyle journalism for the past 35 years, at places like Empire Magazine, the BBC and, currently metro.co.uk where I worked on the entertainment desk for several years before moving departments (I currently work on what’s called Audience, which I’m not going to explain here but it involves curating our content for other platforms on the internet, writing fun quirky original content across a range of topics, playing around with analytics and spreadsheets, etc etc).

I’ve read books before about showbiz reporters and it’s always along the lines of them meeting some hot film star on the red carpet and falling in love, having the whole Cinderella dream come true etc, but in reality that almost never happens. It’s true there are some glamorous aspects to entertainment journalism, and I’ve met some incredibly famous people others can only dream of meeting. But those red carpet encounters are generally fleeting – and I certainly don’t know anybody who’s run off with a celebrity they met on one!

How would you describe showbiz journalism as a career then?

For the most part at least –working in showbiz journalism is much like any other office job, with meetings and deadlines and squabbles over who gets to take leave when, and complaints about people heating up last night’s fish in the microwave. And yes, everyone works very hard, with people on those desks often putting in very anti-social hours including evenings and weekends. Not all swanning off to parties and events and premieres then – and even when I did work on that desk they were few and far between. 

So my aim with this was to reflect that by writing about the relationships between the actual people in the office, rather than going all in for the more glamorous aspect. Which a lot of the time can be overrated – just because you get invited to showbiz parties doesn’t always mean they’re good! Laura discovers this in one scene where after doing an interview with an up-and-coming pop star she gets invited to his launch party, and it ends in disaster. As she tells us:

‘The party was not what I expected. The entrance was bold and flashy and covered in thousands of lights, twinkling shards of glass in the night sky. Inside, though, it was far from glitzy. Instead it was hot, noisy and thronged with people drowning out the DJ with their chatter. Everybody seemed to know somebody and have something to say to them. The floor was so sticky I had to prise my boots off it like Velcro, and while there may have been a bar somewhere, it was so murky and crowded it was impossible to find it. My colleagues had done, however, as about ten minutes later, a dark brown beer bottle, dripping with condensation, was handed to me. And just like that, they disappeared.

Leaving me to fend for myself.’

That sounds highly relatable!

One final thing to say here is that obviously, a lot of what happens in this book is inspired by things which I have experienced in my time as a journalist – for example Gleam, the website where Elena and Laura both work is very similar to the long forgotten teen magazine where I began my career all those years ago. The party which ends so badly for Laura also actually happened, given the turn events take it might seem embarrassing to admit this. But at the same time I was also 19 when it happened. And if you can’t make mistakes when you’re 19 then when can you? We’ve all been there.

Other parts, however, are complete fiction. And I’ll leave it up to you to figure out what’s the truth and what isn’t.

I think Troublemaker sounds fabulous.

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

There’s a lot of elements in Troublemaker which you can adapt for a great evening in with your book, and it’s those I’m going to focus on.

Firstly some pink décor as it’s the signature colour of the book, right down to the cover! It’s Elena’s favourite colour and she wears it a lot, in some pretty significant scenes. There’s a lot of clothing descriptions in the book, which is reflective of my own love of dressing up for work (rather than rolling in to the office in whatever’s clean). So that was reflected here. As for pink, well it’s a pretty wholesome colour, and Elena likes to give off this air of being cutesy and innocent when the reality is she is anything but.

So if I’m having a night in with Troublemaker I’ll wear something to match the book cover, maybe wrap up in a pink blanket. Elena also loves her cuddly toys, specifically her plush bunnies. So those would be my reading companions.

Secondly, snacks. Troublemaker has quite a few scenes of people in restaurants enjoying sushi and steak dinners, eating takeaways on the sofa on a Friday night, eating toast in bed, so you have a lot to choose from. However to accompany reading time and discussion of the book I’d have to pour myself a glass of Shiraz – it’s Elena’s favourite, as we find out, and as a red wine drinker myself it works perfectly for this!

To that I’m adding some salted caramel ice-cream, to reflect a scene in which Elena, having done something seriously ill-advised, eats an entire tub of it in bed. It happens to be a favourite flavour of mine, but I also chose it because at the time I was listening a lot to a song called Salted Caramel Ice-Cream by the band Metronomy. It’s a cute electro-pop tune with lyrics in which the singer is expressing how he feels about a mystery woman. It seemed to fit the mood of the romcom subplot, so I had to fit an oblique reference in somewhere!

Now you’re talking! I can’t drink wine as it makes me ill, but I can certainly help you with that ice-cream… And is music important to you?

Music plays a big part in my writing, and when I was up late finishing off drafts of Troublemaker and working on edits I’d stick my earbuds in and basically listen to whatever random cheese I could find on Spotify. So for my evening in I’d compile a playlist of songs which feature or are mentioned, kicking off with All Out Of Love (the Air Supply version not the Westlife one!). I love an 80s power ballad and this one has to be on there, given that it crops up at the worst possible moment in the action, at least for the character who hears it. And from that point of view the playlist also needs Blame It On The Boogie and the Macarena on there. Two party classics that, as you will discover, play their part in proceedings.

The Macarena has unfortunate connotations for me. I was dancing to it on a cruise on the Nile in Egypt just before I went down with horrific food poisoning!

Characters are also described as listening to songs by Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Duran Duran, so I’d add those also. For a fun twist I’d chuck in Jaja Ding Dong from the Netflix movie Eurovision – it’s Elena’s ringtone so any excuse!

Speaking of which, it’s a little known fact that all the characters in Troublemaker are named after (in some cases forgotten) Eurovision singers – given I’m such an enormous fan of the contest it’s like my little tribute to the whole thing! 

You do realise that I’m now going to have to research every one of them!

The playlist would get far too long if I included every song by every artist whose name I’ve borrowed, but two in particular stand out to me. One is a song called Verona, which was Estonia’s entry at Eurovision 2017 by a duo called Koit and Laura – I listened to this one a lot when I was writing the initial draft as it somehow seemed to fit in with the romantic element of the storyline. And although nobody’s named after this one, Sweden’s 2022 entry, Hold Me Closer by the singer Cornelia Jakobs, hit me in the feels so much that it actually influenced the direction the story took towards the end of the book. I originally had a very different ending in mind for it, then around the end of March 2022 as I was coming to the end of the first draft, I caught Covid for the first time. Luckily I wasn’t seriously unwell with it, merely feeling as though I had the worst cold ever, but because I was too stuffed up to sleep I sat up for several nights into the small hours writing the final chapters of the book while listening to that song on a loop. 

Ha! Finally something positive about Covid!

By the time I recovered I had this ending which I had no intention of writing but just, to me, worked so much better than what I had planned, and literally sent my emotions all over the shop. I knew I had to go with it. So, Cornelia Jakobs, if you’re reading this, it’s all your fault.

I’m sure she won’t mind…

Two other suggestions for this now epic playlist: firstly we have Habanera from Carmen – which is Elena’s custom ringtone for her boyfriend Daniel, and like the Air Supply song comes in at the worst possible time. I’d stick that on for a touch of class. And finally, you have to have a song called Troublemaker on there – Olly Murs’ hit is the obvious but I recommend the one by Green Day, purely as a reflection of my own personal taste.

So once you’ve done your reading, talked about the book, drunk your wine and eaten your ice-cream you’ve still got the living-room disco to come.

I think we definitely need to get the music on Caroline. You do that and I’ll give readers a few more details about Troublemaker. Thank you so for much staying in with me. I wish you every success with Troublemaker – it sounds fabulous.

Troublemaker

Showbiz reporter Elena Robins, the rising star of London’s biggest news website Spark, is talented, witty, popular, has fabulous dress sense, and might have murdered her biggest work rival.

Nobody knows what happened to promising young writer Laura Lucas that night, and Elena doesn’t want to talk about it. Not to her millionaire lawyer boyfriend Daniel, nor her spiky boss Paula. And especially not to moody, cynical colleague Nathan, whom she’s had a secret crush on for years.

But when mysterious newcomer Katja Lake shows up at work, nabbing Elena’s longed-for promotion, it sets off a chain of bizarre events involving poisoned colleagues, badminton mishaps, and spectacular film star tantrums.

As Elena’s career and reputation crumble, she wonders if her murky past is back to haunt her – until an unexpected, violent showdown leaves her fearing for her life.

Did she really kill Laura? And can she prove she’s in grave danger from the new girl– before her death becomes the next big Spark headline?

Published by Vulpine, today, 27th March 2025, Troublemaker is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

About C.R. Westbrook

(Photo credit: Natasha Pszenicki)

CR (Caroline) Westbrook is a journalist and author with a CV that includes Metro, Empire and BBC News Online among others, writing about showbiz, TV and film. Troublemaker is her first fiction novel, coming 25 years after her first literary endeavour, writing biographies of Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio which were translated into Japanese, Spanish, German and even English.

She lives in West London with husband Leslie Bunder and teenage daughter Emily. When she’s not writing she is a dedicated Eurovision fan who has been to the contest four times, an enthusiastic film quizzer and a distinctly average badminton player.

You can find out more about Caroline on Instagram and on Bluesky. 

I often comment that I love being in at the start of a book’s life (and indeed I hosted a guest post here from Julia Chapman when the first book in her Dales Detective series, Date with Death, was released way back in 2017), but today’s post is somewhat different as Julia celebrates the release of the tenth and final book in the series, Date with Destiny. Julia has kindly provided a guest post looking at ten things she’s loved about writing ten books in a series. My huge thanks to Chloe Davies for putting us in touch with one another.

Date with Destiny is published by Pan Macmillan today, 27th March 2025, and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Date with Destiny

From death to danger and malice to mystery, Samson and Delilah have weathered many storms. Finally, things should be going smoothly. Except life’s never that simple in Bruncliffe, is it?

As the couple are beset with worries about their upcoming wedding, a charismatic celebrity comes knocking on the Dales Detective Agency’s door, seeking their services. Samson is initially reluctant to help, for many reasons. But things quickly escalate following a shocking murder at Fellside Court and, as a friend comes under suspicion, Samson and Delilah must set aside their personal problems to catch a killer.

In a case that will bring so many of Bruncliffe’s secrets out into the open, this final investigation for the Dales Detectives may be the one that breaks them for ever . . .

Ten Things

A Guest Post by Julia Chapman

Writing the Dales Detective series has been an absolute joy. When I set out ten years ago, I didn’t dare dream that the series would span a decade (even though I was planning the plot lines around ten books from the start!). Like every author, I knew that a series’ longevity would be determined by success and, in publishing, success isn’t always easy to come by. Yet here I am! The tenth and final book Date with Destiny is hitting the shelves in the UK and the series is an international best seller. I feel proud. I feel sad at saying goodbye to a wonderful community I’ve loved creating. But I also feel excited about what I’m writing next!

 

Top Ten Things I’ve Loved about writing the Dales Detective series (cue your own Top of the Pops music!):

10. Sheep and vintage tractors – I never thought I’d become so knowledgeable about sheep breeds and old tractors! Yes I have favourites – Swaledale (Suffolk a close second) in the sheep category and the Ferguson TE20 tractor (or Little Grey). But it’s not just me. I now get sent photos of sheep (especially pink ones – if you know, you know!) and Little Greys from readers all over the world

9. Stumbling across things which are perfect for a plot… This is so hard to explain but on countless occasions, while mulling over a tricky plot, something will happen in the real world which just perfectly fits with the puzzle I’m working on. And on one notable occasion, a plot arrived long before the book was to be written. This was the case with Date with Justice (DD9), where I heard a radio programme about newts and had to sit on that knowledge for FOUR years! Its working title was Date with Newt!

8. The perfect excuse for riding – I love being out on my bike. Writing this series gave me an excuse to explore the Dales on two wheels, which included a lot of uphill riding! But it was worth it. Seeing the world I was writing about in that way really gave me a chance to take in the landscape.

7. Using the landscape as a character – when you’ve got rugged stone walls, steep fellsides, dramatic limestone pavement, all combined with a climate that is as capricious as Troy Murgatroyd’s moods, it’s an absolute gift for a writer.

6. Being able to Showcase the Yorkshire Dales – I’ve really enjoyed shining a spotlight on the bits of the Dales which are less well known. Things like the Hoffmann Kiln in Settle, or even a livestock auction, such a fundamental part of life here and yet an aspect few ‘offcumden’ know anything about.

5. Research – Some authors hate it. I ADORE it. Getting my teeth into a new subject and really digging deep is one of the greatest pleasures in writing. Whether it’s types of poison (there’s a dictionary full of them – who knew?!!), livestock auctions, electronic tags, the aforementioned newts or, in the latest book, the world of haute couture, there’s something fascinating about immersing myself in an area beyond my expertise. And talking to experts in those fields has also been a privilege.

4. Tolpuddle –  When I came across the fact that Weimaraners make excellent fell-running companions (like I said, I love research!!), I knew I’d found my companion for Delilah Metcalfe. The fact that they are also prone to anxiety attacks just made this grey shadow a perfect fit. I had no idea when I introduced him on the page that Tolpuddle would go on to become one of the most popular characters in the series. Even with his allergy to beer…

3. Fell Running – I took up fell running when I moved to the Dales fourteen years ago and I’m not exaggerating when I state that the majority of the Dales Detective series was ‘written’ while I was out running. There’s something about being up there all alone (except for the sheep and the larks!) that allows my creative energy to really flow.

2. Ida Capstick – Some readers might expect her to be in pole position. And I have to be honest, it was a tough call! Ida strode across the pages of the very first book and made it clear she wasn’t going to be the peripheral character I’d planned. She has been an absolute joy to write. Her pragmatism in a world that often doesn’t make sense. Her sharp humour which can take the pain out of a poignant scene. And her tea. Oh, her tea! I will miss her so much.

1. The Readers – I’ve been bowled over by the reaction to the series across the world. People have really taken Bruncliffe and its community to their hearts and, for me, that is just the best thing to have come out of writing these books. They also give me so much support, often in ways they don’t even realise. A photo of pink sheep here. A comment about Ida there. And the lovely messages I get through social media. Without the readers, there would be no Dale Detective series. So take a bow you lovely lot. You’re my No. 1.

 ****

How fabulous Julia. Thank you so much for providing an insight into the Dales Detectives series. I wish you every success with your next writing venture.

About Julia Chapman

Julia Chapman is the author of the Dales Detective series, which follows the adventures of Samson O’Brien and Delilah Metcalfe as they solve cases in the Yorkshire Dales. Born with a wanderlust that keeps her moving, Julia has followed her restless feet to Japan, Australia, the USA and France. She spent the majority of that time as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language but also dabbled in bookselling, pawnbroking, waitressing and was once ‘checkout-chick of the month’ at a supermarket in South Australia! Her first series of books, the Fogas Chronicles, were written while she was running an auberge in the French Pyrenees with her husband. Published under her real name, Julia Stagg, the novels are set in that spectacular mountain area. Now, having spent many years wandering, she is glad to call the Yorkshire Dales home, its distinctive landscape and way of life providing the setting for her cosy crime series.

For further information find Julia on Facebook The Dales Detective or follow her on Bluesky and Instagram.

I so enjoyed Beverley Kendall’s Token reviewed here that I couldn’t resist taking part in this tour for her latest book One in a Million. My thanks to S-J of Books and the City for inviting me to take part. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

One in a Million is published by Simon and Schuster on 27th March 2025 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

One in a Million

Megastar Whitney “Sahara” Richardson has everything planned – including when she’ll have kids. But a medical mix-up makes her the biological mother of a child she didn’t carry and whose father she’s never met. 

World-famous Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is at the top of her game. With four Grammys, an Oscar nod, and a half-billion-dollar clothing line, her career is skyrocketing. Even her headline-grabbing dating life is looking up. And if everything goes as planned, marriage and children are just a few years away. However, a mix-up at the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored puts the cart before the horse, and Sahara suddenly has a daughter… whose biological father is reluctant to share.

My Review of One in a Million

Whitney ‘Sahara’ Richardson has everything mapped out – or so she thinks!

One in a Million is fast paced romp of a read, being sheer escapism, making it a perfect beach book. Without giving away the plot, of course there’s everything one might expect in this kind of fiction. There’s a forced proximity as Whitney and Myles unwittingly find themselves sharing a child. There’s enemies to lovers as the two find they actually have far more in common than just Haylee. And of course there’s a happy ever after ending. But the plot encompassing these elements is huge fun, very sexy and totally absorbing as it gives an insight into the world of the rich and famous that we mere mortals can only dream of. At the same time, there’s witty dialogue and some real humour that add extra dimensions, making it huge fun to read.

Speaking of extra dimensions, there are themes in One in a Million that might just surprise those readers who eschew this kind of fiction. The stresses of living life in the world’s spotlight, the nature of corporate business and ethics, different types of law and a consideration of biracial heritage all weave throughout the story, so that the narrative is informative and intelligent as well as a cracking read that shows true emotions on occasion. 

Having read the first book, Token, I was pleased to see recurring characters like Kennedy and equally pleased to find they didn’t dominate this narrative so that it isn’t necessary to read the books in order (though I suggest you do). It was highly entertaining discovering more about Whitney. She’s a fabulous protagonist, being beautiful, quick witted and independent and yet with a vulnerability and an occasional tendency to judge others negatively too quickly so that, whilst she is an attractive, successful global megastar, she’s also relatable and real. This is a book about real people. 

I also very much enjoyed meeting Myles – but then who wouldn’t? You’ll need to read One in a Million to find out why for yourself.

The dynamics and relationships that involve Haylee provide the pivotal action for the narrative. I have absolutely no interest in children and don’t have a maternal atom in my body, but I found this element truly fascinating. There’s a super consideration of parenthood and what actually constitutes being a mother. This aspect makes One in a Million highly pertinent to today’s society. 

I thoroughly enjoyed One in a Million. It’s a varied and engaging narrative that can be read on several levels that I recommend completely. I’m looking forward to meeting these people again in future books. 

About Beverley Kendall

Beverley Kendall discovered her love of books while growing up in, the then, small city of Barrie, Ontario Canada. With her love of books and romance, she always wished that everyone would find their happily ever after. She currently writes sexy historical, new adult and contemporary romances. As the mother of one too bright and mischievous young boy, she pulls full-time duty on all fronts. When she’s not writing full-time, running The Season review website or mothering, she’s probably reading or sleeping and dreaming of a time when she’ll have time for her favourite hobbies: knitting, crocheting and sewing. Beverley has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in the southeast. All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing.

For further information, visit Beverley’s website, and follow her on Bluesky and Facebook.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My grateful thanks to Amy Turnbull at Luath Press for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for the children’s book The Good Witch of Abbotsford by Alasdair Hutton illustrated by Bob Dewar. It’s my pleasure to help close the tour by sharing my review today.

The Good Witch of Abbotsford was published by Luath on 1st November 2024 and is available for purchase here. 

The Good Witch of Abbotsford

Meet Morag, a kind-hearted witch on a magical adventure in the enchanted woodlands of Abbotsford!

When the wicked leader of her coven plots to kidnap the local children, Morag must use her magic and bravery to stop the evil scheme. With a race against time and surrounded by darkness, Morag sets out to rescue the children and bring peace back to Abbotsford.

Will she succeed in overcoming the evil powers and saving the day?

Find out in this thrilling tale of courage and magic!

My Review of The Good Witch of Abbotsford

Young witch Morag has an evil plot to stop.

Influenced by the cover design of The Good Witch of Abbotsford I confess that I had been expecting a light hearted and simple story about the triumph of good over evil. However, this story was darker than anticipated and felt very much part of the tradition of fairy stories and morality tales, drawing on well established concepts of witches, and referencing tales and fables like Sleeping Beauty and the Pied Piper. This has the effect of making the book feel well grounded in folk-lore and classical children’s literature.

With plenty of white space between paragraphs and super illustrations by Bob Dewar, The Good Witch of Abbotsford is a book that would be perfect for young readers moving onto chapter books. Those at the younger end of the age range might benefit from an adult reading with or to them, because it might feel a little scary and the vocabulary is challenging on occasion. That’s by no means a criticism. Alasdair Hutton doesn’t patronise his audience, but rather he introduces them to new words in context that broadens vocabulary. 

The plot is fast paced and exciting for young readers with considerable consideration of good and evil and plenty of peril and danger that is resolved well. I thought it was inspired to have Morag in contact with her grandmother rather than a parent, because this gives status to children not in traditional family units whilst providing respect for older generations. Morag is a super character and feels all the more realistic because she isn’t averse to some devious behaviour of her own – for the right reasons, enabling children to appreciate that good and evil are not always clear cut but that being kind to others is always preferable. 

The Good Witch of Abbotsford is a story KS2 children will particularly enjoy, either as a class or home reader, or through independent reading.

About Alasdair Hutton

Alasdair Hutton has been the Voice of the Tattoo since 1992. He has been writing and telling stories for children since he was at primary school. In addition to being writer and narrator of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, he has written and introduced hundreds of events and concerts in Scotland and around the world. He won a David Thomas Charitable Trust Writing Award for one of his short stories and wrote the history of the 15th Scottish Volunteer Battalion of the Parachute Regiment to which he belonged for 22 years. He worked for the BBC in Scotland and Northern Ireland and has been a Member of the European Parliament for the South of Scotland and Convener of Scottish Borders Council. He lives in the Scottish Borders town of Kelso and writes little stories for his grand-daughter Aline who lives far away in America.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Regular visitors to Linda’s Book Bag will have noticed a dearth of blog tours this year. Life is just too complicated to commit to them at the moment. However, I couldn’t resist taking part in this one for Barbara Henderson’s latest middle grade book I Don’t Do Mountains as I have loved every one of her books that I’ve read and always want to shout about them from the rooftops. My thanks to Barbara for inviting me to participate. I only wish I’d had time to read and review as well as share a lovely guest post from Barbara.

You’ll find my other reviews of Barbara’s books as well as other features here. 

Published by Scottish Mountaineering Press on 17th March 2025 I Don’t Do Mountains is available for purchase in all the usual places as well as directly from the publisher here. 

 I Don’t Do Mountains

Adventures are good things for people in books.

But I am not a person in a book. I am Kenzie. I like to READ about adventures, not actually have them.

A hillwalking expedition? With a group of strangers AND Sorley Mackay, the most annoying boy in the universe?
Bookworm Kenzie can’t believe her bad luck when her teacher announces plans for a three-day hillwalking expedition into the Cairngorms. She tries everything to get out of the trip, but soon the group heads to the hills with mountain leader Bairdy and set up camp for the night.

Bairdy’s stories of ancient magic fill Kenzie’s mind, but in the cold light of morning, they discover that the mountain leader has vanished, his tent left untouched. They are alone.

Take a walk – how Barbara Henderson learned to appreciate the outdoors – despite her best efforts!

A Guest Post by Barbara Henderson

Every Sunday afternoon, it was the same unwelcome rallying cry: Get ready, Barbara. We are going for a walk.’ 

To which my inevitable answer was: ‘What? Again? Noooo.’

I’m a country girl who grew up on the edge of a village, the brooding darkness of Germany’s endless forested hills no more than a stone’s throw away. I spent all day outdoors as it was – playing in the garden, exploring the woods and burns all around our house, walking to my cousin’s house which was even more remote. I wasn’t fair! Why did my evil parents have to impose a walk. Walks were pointless, in my humble opinion. You went from A to B to A again, without the freedom of playing or taking adventure detours along the way. And what were you to do while placing one foot in front of the other? Talk? Look around? It was the very idea of purgatory for eleven-year-old me!

And yet. My parents pointed out different trees which I learned to identify by their leaves. We spotted deer and hares, collected bird feathers and investigated wild boar tracks on the forest ground. My parents were keen foragers for mushrooms and berries too – yawn! This made those walks even longer. Come on, I’d whinge. I want to go home!

Home to read my book, most likely. I was a voracious reader as a child, and my idea of adventures was to disappear, quite safely and without any physical effort, between the pages of a great story. There! That was better. 

I opted out of those Sunday afternoon walks as soon as I was a proper teen. However, when I moved to Scotland to study, something very strange happened – I began to miss all the things I had previously resented in my upbringing. I began to set the table for the formal coffee and cake afternoons which I had detested. I began to listen to classical and choir music which I had drowned out with Springsteen back home. And, much against my better judgement, I began to develop an interest in birds, and gardens and… going for walks! Who had I become?

In my defence, if there was ever a country made for walking in, it was Scotland! It began innocently enough, with short wanders in and around the beautiful city of Edinburgh. Before long, we were taking weekends away to the Borders, Aberfeldy and Glencoe. What was happening to me? When my husband’s job took our family to the Highlands, I had to admit I was a lost cause – I had turned into my parents. Like my mum and dad before me, I am mother to three (now grown-up) youngsters who protested against the obligatory weekend walks almost as much as I had done. But they can also identify most birds and have experienced first hand wading through Scottish muck on the way to a foggy hilltop, or being assaulted by a million midges on a coastal campsite. My latest story, I Don’t Do Mountains, is about that experience – being a young person who has no choice but to engage with the great outdoors – but who cannot quite resist the lure of it either. 

Most people passing me in the street would not class me as a typical outdoorsy type – and I am not muscly, lithe or weatherbeaten. I am not even tough. But how could I not fall in love with birdsong and breeze, and the wild places on my doorstep. 

A typical Sunday afternoon in our house now will be quiet. No rallying cry, no protest. Just the creaking of the chairs as we smilingly get our walking boots on and head out for a walk.

It goes without saying.

****

Thank you so much Barbara, and yes, I think we all become our parents in some ways, so I’m off to dig out my walking boots – though sadly Fenland Lincolnshire doesn’t offer many mountains…

About Barbara Henderson

 

Barbara Henderson is the award-winning author of eleven books, including the Young Quills Award-winning novels The Chessmen Thief and The Siege of Caerlaverock, as well as Rivet Boy, winner of the Books for Topics Curriculum Support Award. Her historical and eco-fiction for children is widely studied in schools. Barbara is based in the Scottish Highlands where she still teaches Drama, but she loves to travel and spread the story-love in classrooms across the country. When she gets the chance, she likes to head outside, often to the nearby hills.

For further information, visit Barbara’s website, find her on Facebook or follow Barbara on Instagram and Bluesky. 

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

 

There’s a slightly convoluted story behind my ‘meeting’ Suze of Suze’s Reading Club. We are both members of a Facebook group where I was recently interviewed, having been asked to model some book related clothing, and we realised we had books in common. 

When I found out Suze runs a reading group, I was interested to find out more and luckily she agreed to pop over to Linda’s Book Bag to answer a few questions. Let’s find out more.

An Interview with Suze

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Suze. We met vicariously through Facebook and I know you run Suze’s Reading Club. Can you tell me a bit about what you do?

I tutor students with reading and writing through online one to one sessions and I also run a children’s and an adult’s online reading club.

And why did you set it up? 

I am passionate about reading and writing, and the importance of literacy in our lives, and I wanted to be able to help children with these skills. I also work full-time as a Librarian in a High School and have responsibility for literacy, so my business is a natural extension of what I already enjoy!

Brilliant! I used to be a literacy consultant so I fully understand the importance of literacy. How does the club work?

 My reading clubs are for around 7-11 year olds. They run on a half-term basis, for five or six consecutive weeks. The majority of reading is completed outside of the sessions, and we meet once a week to discuss the book, its themes, characters and plot and complete enjoyable activities based around our weekly focus. It is a great motivator for children who struggle to read without a focus and children enjoy coming together to discuss the books.  I have some children who are still in my reading club from when I started my business over two years ago!

You have clubs for both adults and children. Why do you think it’s important to include both?

I love reading myself, and felt it was important to offer a reading club for adults too. My adult reading club is great for motivating people to find the time to read and my readers enjoy coming together to chat with other like-minded people about books. It’s lovely to be part of an online reading community!

Do members have to buy books?

Yes. We read one book each month and members can choose how they read. We’re all different! Some members read hard-copy books, some read on kindle and some prefer audio book. It just depends on what works for you! Many of my readers buy used books, so the reading club is very affordable. The three-monthly membership is currently £18 and this includes author-meets and access to a Whatsapp Book chat group. I am also offering a free trial first session.

What happens if authors want to feature in the club?

We do have author meets. We vote for our book each month, but I also invite authors to join us some months. We are looking forward to three author meets over the next couple of months. It’s great for readers to have the opportunity to meet and chat with the author of the book they’ve just read!

Sounds great. It’s not just reading that you support though is it?

 

I support writing too and currently work with students from 6-18 on all aspects of writing from handwriting to punctuation, grammar and creative writing.

How can blog readers get involved in your reading clubs?

Please visit my Facebook page to get a flavour of my offers. You can also send me a whatsapp message or message me on messenger via my Facebook page. 

What advice would you give to others thinking of doing something similar?

Go for it! I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love! It’s a pleasure to work with some amazing students, families and adult readers. 

And when you’re not involved in running Suze’s Reading Club, what do you like to read?

I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries and am currently reading my eleventh book of 2025. I have set myself a Goodreads target to read 25 books in 2025! I am currently enjoying The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose.

I enjoy Nita Prose books too. Thanks so much for telling me more about Suze’s Reading Club and good luck with whatever comes along next. This sounds such a great idea.

For further information, visit Suze’s Reading Club on Facebook.

It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome T.M. Payne to Linda’s Book Bag today to discuss her latest book in the DI Sheridan Holler series. Tina is such a witty, mischievous and friendly person that I have a feeling we’re in for quite an evening!

Let’s find out more:

Staying in with T.M Payne

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Tina and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Thank YOU for inviting me. I promise to wipe my feet before I come in…oh and was I supposed to bring wine?

Er, no. I can’t drink wine as it makes me ill. I can, however, drink champagne so, you know… next time…

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

I’ve brought Play With Fire, which is the third in the DI Sheridan Holler series, and I’ve chosen that one because it’s out today! 14th March.

Happy Play With Fire publication day. 

I have to say, it’s still strange to think that I’m talking about book 3 in the series already. 

I imagine so. I think when we first met you’d only just written book one. Tell us a bit about the series.

The first book, Long Time Dead was published in April 2024, the second called This Ends Now was out in October and now here we are talking about the third one.

I’d also like to share (am I talking too much?) that I have recently signed a further four book deal with my publisher, Thomas and Mercer, so there will be at least seven books in the series.   

Wow! That’s fabulous news. Congratulations.

What can we expect from an evening in with Play With Fire?

PLAY WITH FIRE sees the return of DI Sheridan Holler and her team….and of course, Maud the cat, who is gearing up to be somewhat of a favourite amongst readers. It sounds a bit strange that a cat is an important character when I’m writing a crime fiction series, but I’m a huge animal lover and had to have a cat in there. If I had my way, there would also be dogs, a giraffe and probably a penguin, but they’d be difficult to place in a crime novel. Not that I won’t try one day. (Don’t tell my agent…our secret, eh?)

My lips are sealed Tina!

I have said before that although I kill off characters in my books (being crime fiction and all that) I will never kill off Maud, no matter how old she gets as the series progresses. The wonderful Anna Mazzola actually reliably informed me recently that the oldest cat lived until the ripe old age of 38, so Maud’s going to be fine.

She should last those next seven books then!

Tell me about the setting for the series.

So, the series is set in Liverpool and the Wirral, although I’m originally from Hampshire, but call myself an adopted scouser. I’ve lived on the Wirral for six years now, having met my wife, Susie, nine years ago, who’s a scouser. I fell in love with the place the very first time I visited her (I kind of liked Susie too, of course) and just had to set the series here. Honestly, scousers have the best sense of humour and I like to feed that humour into my characters. Even though the subjects I write about can be quite dark, I think it’s important to keep a bit of humour in there.

I totally agree – a bit of Shakespearean light relief, but how did you come to that conclusion?

I spent 18 years in Norfolk police and 14 of those as a Case Investigator in the Domestic Violence Unit. It was heavy going dealing with high-risk victims of domestic abuse every day, but my colleagues and I would (never at the expense of a victim) grab moments when we laughed out loud. It’s a coping mechanism when you’re working in a job like that, it gets you through the toughest of days. And so, I inject humour into Sheridan and her team, because I know how police officers need to let off steam and I think it keeps that authenticity when you’re writing about what goes on in a busy CID or specialist unit, or any job that involves high levels of stress.

Absolutely.

I also thought that as I have quite a lot of experience working in domestic abuse, I’d include this in the books. So, there’s a character called Anna Markinson, who’s a detective sergeant, and she’s not only a colleague of Sheridan’s, she’s also her best friend. I wanted to show that anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, even a police officer.

I think it’s always surprising what goes on behind closed doors Tina. Exploring those experiences through fiction is an important means of bringing them out into the open.

So have you always been involved in crime – in the best possible way of course?

I’ve pretty much always worked in the criminal justice system. I trained to be a store detective when I was in my early twenties and loved it. However, looking back it was such a dangerous job. I once had a massive kitchen knife pulled out on me and on another occasion, I got thrown in a river when I chased a kid onto a campsite after he’d nicked a load of stuff from the shop I was working at. It wasn’t the kid who threw me in, just to be clear, but some of his family. They were very nice about it and laughed while they picked me up by my arms and legs and swung me a few times before they launched me into the water.

That’s OK Then!

Then, I spent a few years working for a private investigator in London. Now, that was a job and a half. You never knew what you were going to be asked to do when you went into the office each day. There was one job that came in where my partner and I had to observe a building in London and the only place we could stand with a clear view was outside a bank. Obviously, this came with its own problems because we looked pretty dodgy hanging around there. So, I bought a newspaper, laid it on the ground and started singing American Pie by Don Mclean, pretending to be a busker. I picked that song because it’s really long and I knew all the words. It worked too, because we got the information we needed about the building we were watching… and I made about five quid in change from passers-by who actually thought I was a busker.

That’s hilarious. If I’d sung they’d have paid me to shut up. I bet you’ve got considerable things in your background that you can draw on for your books then.

I’ve got hundreds of stories to tell about the jobs I’ve done and people I’ve met along the way and believe me, the saying ‘the truth is stranger than fiction’ is spot on. Some of the things that have happened to me wouldn’t be believed if I put them in my books.

But my life experience does help me to create the characters I write about. Some are based on people I’ve encountered…good and bad. 

Is Sheridan you then?

Although Sheridan is not based exactly on anyone I know, there are elements of her which resemble an ex-colleague of mine and there’s probably a bit of me in her as well. Although she’s tall and slim… and I’m not.

Not many of us are! Tell me more about Sheridan.

I love writing about Sheridan, she’s a really strong lead character who isn’t afraid to bend the rules, sometimes to the point of breaking them, and she does this because she desperately wants to solve every case that comes her way. She wants justice for the victims and will push boundaries to get it. She has wonderful support from her team, because they respect her and they know that if she has a gut feeling about something, she trusts that instinct and in turn, the team trust her. She sees things that others don’t, like that tiny speck of a clue that might have been overlooked, or that comment made by a suspect or witness that many wouldn’t pick up on. She misses nothing. I also like her because she’s not angst-ridden. I didn’t want to create a character who goes home and drinks herself into a stupor every night because she needs to block out the horrors of her job, or has ongoing issues and constant battles with her boss or colleagues. I wanted her to be mentally very ‘together’ even though she carries her own tragic past.

Interesting. So many of our fictional detectives have huge emotional baggage. How did Sheridan become a police officer?

Sheridan’s backstory is, when she was 14, her brother, Matthew, who was 12, was found murdered and his killer was never caught. Sheridan made a pact with herself to join the police force, become a detective one day and solve his murder. So, this is a sub plot in the books as we follow the ongoing cold case into Matthew’s death.

I really think it’s about time I caught up with the series Tina! It sounds fabulous. Is it a challenge to keep a series going?

I love writing this series and get excited when I start the next book. I also love an epigraph (that little poem or famous quote that authors use at the beginning of a book) but after spending days searching for something to fit the first book in the series, Long Time Dead and realising that nothing worked, I decided to write my own epigraphs. So, this is the epigraph for Play With Fire.

The storms are coming, so hold your breath. For one brings rage and one brings death.

While Satan watches from the wings, awaiting what will be.

He will pretend that he’s your friend. Four souls. Two blind. Two see.

He’s found you now, too late to run. And now the stakes are higher.

It’s the sacrifice of men and mice. And those who play with fire.      

I love that!

I really enjoy writing my own epigraphs; I can play about with them until I get them right…although I do have to be careful that I don’t give anything away about the plot. I’m in awe of authors who tell an audience about their books and don’t let out any spoilers. I’m rubbish at it, probably because I don’t stop talking.

I hadn’t noticed your garrulousness at all Tina… (cough).

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

I’ve brought a few things with me. The first is a bottle of Jack Daniels, not that it has anything to do with the books, I just fancied having a cheeky drink while we were ‘staying in’ … have you got any ice?

I have, but I’ll have a Baileys with mine. 

The next thing I’ve brought along is a packet of Jaffa cakes…because Maud the cat loves them, as do I. I know cats are allergic to chocolate, but she only eats the biscuit bit and the orangey filling. Maud is based on my old cat, Cookie Dude, although he was a boy, he used to steal biscuits, especially Jaffa Cakes.

If you’re going to bring Jaffa cakes Tina, you can come again. 

I thought I’d also bring along a bit of music, a song by Adele, called ‘A million years ago.’

Why that piece?

In book 2 in the series, This Ends Now, there’s a scene on Crosby beach in Liverpool which, when I listen to this song, it puts me right there. It just fits the scene perfectly. I get goosebumps when I hear it and imagine those beautifully haunting statues called the Iron Men. There are a hundred of them along the estuary. They’re life-sized casts of their creator, Antony Gormley. Seriously, if you ever get the chance to visit Crosby beach, they really are quite mesmerising, so I had to have a scene in the book which included them.   

I’m hoping to take a trip in the motorhome this year actually as the statues are on my list of things I want to see. 

And lastly, I’d like to bring along Judi Dench. Not for any other reason other than I love Judi Dench. I think she’d be fascinating to talk to… certainly more fascinating than me. Although she’s probably never been thrown in a river. At least I hope not.

Judi Dench is VERY welcome, although you’ve been pretty fascinating yourself.

Oh…actually, can I be greedy and bring the wonderful Heather Bleasdale too? Heather narrates the audiobooks, and she has absolutely nailed every character. I think having her here would be like having Sheridan in the room.

You can indeed. The more the merrier. Thanks so much for staying in with me Tina to chat about Play With Fire. You’ve been one of the best guests I’ve ever had. I’m now desperate to read the whole series. 

Well, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed staying in with you, Linda. It’s been an absolute pleasure, but I’m going to go now because I’ve noticed there’s only one Jaffa Cake left, and I can see you eyeing it up. 

Damn! I hoped you hadn’t noticed!

Play With Fire

A missing woman. A gruesome delivery. A terrifying discovery. Where is Caroline Crow?

“Just when you think Payne is at the top of her game, she pulls this out of the bag.”―Graham Bartlett

All has been quiet in Liverpool, suspiciously quiet…

So, when a frantic 999 call comes into Hale Street Police Station reporting a missing woman, it seems like there’s work to do. Except for DI Sheridan Holler there are questions. Why did Caroline Crow take her purse, suitcase and even tell friends she was going away? There’s no reason to suspect foul play…until a severed, burned hand is delivered to another address.

With no hard evidence linking the two cases, Holler’s gut is telling her that all is not as it seems and if she’s right, time is running out to find Caroline alive.

As DI Holler attempts to weed out the truth from the lies, will this be one puzzle that runs out the clock? Or can Holler and her team fit the pieces together before it’s too late?

Published by Thomas & Mercer today, 14th March 2025, Play With Fire is available for purchase here.

About T.M. Payne

T.M. Payne (Tina) was born in Lee on Solent, Hampshire and now lives on the Wirral with her wife, Susie, who she works closely with on her novels. Tina is the best-selling author of the D.I. Sheridan Holler series, set in Liverpool and the Wirral. Her debut novel, Long Time Dead was published in April 2024 and went to number one in Crime Fiction in both the UK and Germany.

The second book in the series, This Ends Now, was published in October 2024 and went to number one in the UK and Australia.

The third book, Play With Fire is published today, 14th March 2025. Tina has written book 4 in the series and is currently working on book 5.

Tina has spent most of her working life in the criminal justice system, starting out as a Store Detective, before joining a private investigator agency (where she once nearly got arrested) She then became a Prisoner Custody Officer (where she carried a prisoner out of the courtroom single-handedly, when he started hallucinating butterflies).

She has worked in practically every London court, including the Old Bailey and Court of Appeal and has been handcuffed to murderers, rapists, and one of the worst sexual predators this country has ever seen. In 2001, she joined Norfolk Police as a Detention Officer, working in the custody suite, before joining the Domestic Violence Unit as a Police Case Investigator. In her 14 years in that role, she dealt with thousands of victims of domestic abuse, with one of her cases earning her a Chief Constable’s commendation.

Having left the police in 2019, Tina now writes full time.

For further information, follow Tina on Twitter/X @tinap66payne. 

I’m a huge fan of Fran Hill’s writing and was thrilled when Lucy at Legend Press sent me a copy of Fran’s new book Home Bird. I’m incredibly grateful to her.

You’ll find my reviews of Fran’s Cuckoo in the Nest here and of Miss What Does Incomprehensible Mean? here. I also interviewed Fran here.

Home Bird is published by Legend Press on 20th March 2025 and is available for purchase here.

Home Bird

1979. Jackie Chadwick is 17 and living in a supported bedsit. She’s still close to her foster parents and friends with (aka unofficial minder for) Amanda, their irresponsible daughter, but she’s enjoying her independence – until a fire leaves her temporarily homeless. Jackie’s dad, widower and recovering alcoholic Dave, has just been released from prison and sees this as his chance to make amends. He offers her his spare room – but can their relationship survive him going back on the booze and the arrival of his gin-loving lady friend and her errant son? As things go from bad to worse, Jackie has to decide how many chances you give someone who keeps letting you down.

Bittersweet and funny, Home Bird draws on Fran Hill’s own experiences as a teenager in foster care.

My Review of Home Bird

17 year old Jackie Chadwick’s dad is fresh out of prison. 

Sometimes with a book review, I just want to say, ‘Buy this book.’ Home Bird is one such story. It’s wonderful. Having previously met the fabulous Jackie, Amanda et al in Cuckoo in the Nest, I’d urge readers to read that book before Home Bird. Not because you need any prior knowledge of Jackie, as this story works flawlessly as a stand alone, but because, once you’ve read Home Bird, you’ll feel devastated not to have met Jackie sooner! 

I’m not quite sure how she does it, but Fran Hill is as able to convey meaning equally as well through what she doesn’t write, as through the words she allows into the page. Her prose is simply glorious. It’s imbued with every emotion conceivable and impacts the reader right in the heart, even when they are laughing aloud at Jackie’s wry, self-preserving, dark humour. It’s the direct speech that conveys meaning and emotion so perfectly. But it’s not just brevity and pared back prose that is so effective. Some of the description of inanimate objects is so astute it takes the reader’s breath away. I found myself reading Home Bird with admiration and envy of the author’s craft because it felt totally perfect.

On the surface, the narrative plot seems prosaic. A teenage girl navigates her way through relationships with her less than perfect father, her previous foster family and her friends. So too do many other teenage girls. But this apparent simplicity belies the stunning insight into human nature, the heart rending and uplifting moments that everyday life throws at Jackie and the true understanding of social care, its efforts and its inadequacies. Heather does her best by Jackie, as do her school’s Nursey B and teacher Mrs Collingworth, but Fran Hill lays bare the challenges faced by young people experiencing social care and she does so with such humanity that it’s impossible not to feel touched to the soul by her writing. I could not have loved Jackie more. She’s the same age as I was in 1979 and reading about her life made me want to climb into the book and become her closest friend. She’s an outstanding character.

I found all the characters quite wonderful. Dave’s spiral back into drink is so realistic as he gravitates towards Doreen, that Jackie finds herself once more a ‘cuckoo in the nest’ in her own home. This gives a sense of the inevitability of life and a feeling of doom even when there’s considerable humour in the telling.

The depiction of 1979 in Home Bird is phenomenal. References to school, food, television, magazines and music all create an authentic and nostalgic tapestry of setting and era so that the reader is totally transported. This is a story written by someone who knows. Someone who understands. Someone who cares.

As a result, Home Bird is the most brilliant read. It made me laugh aloud and it made me cry. It cemented in my mind that Fran Hill is a writer of exceptional talent who understands human frailty completely and who can convey her characters in an intense, yet humorous, distilled fashion so that we comprehend their very essence and they break our hearts along the way. In case you didn’t realise, I absolutely loved this Home Bird. Don’t miss it.

About Fran Hill

Fran Hill is an author and retired English teacher living in Warwickshire, England. Her debut full-length novel Cuckoo in the Nest, was published by Legend Press in April 2023. Its follow-up Home Bird is due out in March 2025. Fran’s funny teacher-memoir Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean? was published in May 2020 by SPCK Publishing.

Fran is a member of the Society of Authors and the Association of Christian Writers and was selected for the prestigious Room 204 emerging writers’ programme run by Writing West Midlands in 2016-17.

For more information, visit Fran’s website, find her on Facebook or follow Fran on Twitter @franhill123 and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Jo Hardacre for sending me a surprise copy of the children’s book Meet the Mubbles by Liz Pichon. I’m delighted better to share my review today.

Meet the Mubbles is published by Macmillan children’s books on 13th March 2025 and is available for purchare through the links here.

Meet the Mubbles

A FABULOUS, all singing, all dancing book of JOY!

Meet the Mubbles is the first in a hilarious brand-new, full colour graphic novel series perfect for young readers from Liz Pichon, creator of the global phenomenon Tom Gates series. Filled with colourful characters, boundless fun and lots of adventures this series is a guaranteed hit for kids!

Welcome to the Isle of Smile where everyone, including the Wibbles of Wobble Mountain, the singing Earworms and the one-eyed Drib Drabs, lives in perfect harmony – most of the time! But when the Clouds of Joy BUMP together to make a wonky rainbow it means one thing: someone or something is coming to VISIT. Who could it be?

Time spent with The Mubbles on the Isle of Smile makes everything better – you’ll see.

Featuring a QR code that will take you to a website full of extra content including arts and crafts and many fun songs from The Mubbles world and The Isle of Smile. Join our ever growing community – with over 88,000 subscribers already!

My Review of Meet the Mubbles

A strange ball arrives.

As usual with children’s books, I think it’s worth commenting on the physical attributes and Meet the Muggles is excellent. The hard back copy I have is a perfect size for young hands and has a solid and robust cover that feels high quality and which will withstand rough treatment in schools and libraries as well as in the home. 

I do have one small niggle to get out of the way as I prefer not to have upper case letters used for emphasis in the middle of sentences in books for young children. I would rather see emboldened text, because I feel it’s a good idea to model the kind of writing we’d like emergent writers to produce. That said, other elements are perfect for teaching writing, with a clear distinction between direct speech and thought through the shapes they are contained in, for example. 

That aside, I thought Meet the Mubbles was terrific as it is utterly bonkers and huge fun. The illustrations are fabulous, being a perfect style for the target age group and so engaging in their vibrancy. There’s so much to see that Meet the Mubbles can be returned to time and again without young readers ever discovering everything in the pictures. Adults too will love the book, partly through the hilarious thought bubbles and partly through the illustrations. Anyone reading this who hates sprouts will appreciate the section containing stuorps! 

There’s a magical quality in the story that children will adore, from wonky rainbows through a slug of knowledge, to singing and being fabulous. In fact, being fabulous is at the heart of the book, encouraging children to be as bright and vibrant as they can as they work together like the Mubbles – or in some cases, not like the Mubbles, as events don’t always work out as expected, injecting real fun and humour.

With the QR code and a website to go alongside the book, this is a truly interactive reading experience. However, it doesn’t matter if children only have access to the book, because there are lots of moments when they can participate, from shouting aloud and singing, to answering Auntie Mubble’s questions. I loved this aspect as it enables young readers to make predictions and develop their cognitive skills.

I think Meet the Mubbles is a fantastic book to ignite a joy of reading in young children. It’s quirky, colourful and funny. It uses super imagination. Above all else it shows that it doesn’t matter what size, shape or colour you are, you can still be fabulous. 

About Liz Pichon

Liz Pichon is one of the UK’s best-loved and bestselling creators of children’s books, including Tom Gates and The Mubbles. The Tom Gates series won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Story and the younger fiction category of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

For further information, visit Liz’s website, find her on Facebook and follow Liz on Twitter/X @lizpichon and Instagram.