I have loved everything I’ve ever read by Katie Marsh so when Emma Knight at Hodder sent me a copy of Unbreak Your Heart I was thrilled. I chose Unbreak Your Heart as a ‘hot book’ at a recent online discussion with fellow bloggers Tracy Fenton, Jo Robertson and Anne Cater and have been saving it up to read as a treat. Having recently been away with no phone signal or wi-fi, affording me some extra reading time, finally I have my review to share.

It is far too long since I’ve featured Katie here on Linda’s Book Bag. Last time I was reviewing The Rest of Me in a post you’ll find here. I reviewed My Everything here when I first began blogging (and how the blog has changed since then!). I have a review of A Life Without You here and of This Beautiful Life here which was also one of my books of the year in 2017.

In addition, I was thrilled to host a guest post here by Katie all about the playlists of her life when This Beautiful Life was published and honoured to attend the book’s launch.

Unbreak Your Heart was published by Hodder on 27th May 2021 and is available for purchase through these links.

Unbreak Your Heart

Seven-year-old Jake’s heart is failing and he doesn’t want to leave his dad, Simon, alone. So he makes a decision: to find Simon someone to love before he goes.

Beth is determined to forget the past. But even when she leaves New York to start afresh in a Lake District village, she can’t shake the secrets that haunt her.

Single dad Simon still holds a candle for the woman who left him years ago. Every day is a struggle to earn a living while caring for his beloved son. He has no time for finding someone new.

But Jake is determined his plan will succeed – and what unfolds will change all three of them forever.

My Review of Unbreak Your Heart

Beth needs a new start.

It’s going to be tricky to convey just how much I loved Unbreak Your Heart. I know Katie Marsh is a fantastic author but here she has surpassed herself, creating a wonderful narrative that I not only adored, but feel privileged to have read.

Let me be honest. Generally I do not like children and I’m not remotely interested in them. Consequently, it is indicative of Katie Marsh’s glorious, mesmerising, writing that I could not have cared more about Jake, finding him endearing, moving and captivating. I desperately wanted him to thrive, to have his physical heart unbroken and to be successful in finding his Dad, Simon, a new girlfriend. Jake felt so real to me that I might even have to alter my anti-children attitude!

The relatively small cast of characters creates a real intimacy in this narrative, making Unbreak Your Heart all the more intense and emotional. Beth’s story is gradually uncovered so that the reader gets to know it at the same time as others in the narrative. She needs her emotional heart, and indeed her spirit, unbreaking. This careful unfolding had the effect of making me feel part of the action and I loved the book all the more for it. I wanted Beth to be the woman Jake is so hoping for for Simon, but you’ll need to read Unbreak Your Heart to see if she is. I also loved the development of Simon in the text. What Katie Marsh does so skilfully is to illustrate how initial impressions may not always give us the real person, and their behaviours might be masking underlying pain.

Such a theme of inner reality is just one of the aspects of Unbreak Your Heart that makes it so wonderful. Certainly Katie Marsh writes about love and relationships, friendship and family, but this book is predicated on a life-threatening medical condition that is so well researched that I found it almost unbearably convincing and authentic. Jake’s story broke my heart every bit as much as it did the others in the book. That said, there’s real humour here as well as exquisite pain so that Unbreak Your Heart is perfectly balanced and entertaining, as well as captivating and moving. What is so brilliant is that this could actually be the story of any one of us. Much of the plot is based in fairly ordinary, everyday events, so that any reader can identify with what happens to the characters, making for a truly immersive read.

I adored Unbreak Your Heart. It made me laugh and it made me cry. I had had high hopes of Unbreak Your Heart and Katie Marsh fulfilled and surpassed every single one. This is a book I won’t forget in a hurry. I absolutely loved it.

About Katie Marsh

Katie Marsh had a ten-year NHS career before leaving to write full-time. She lives in the countryside with her family, and is the author of four novels, including the 2018 World Book Night pick My Everything and the e-book bestseller A Life Without You. She loves strong coffee, the promise of a blank page and stealing her husband’s toast.

You can follow Katie on Twitter @marshisms, visit her website and find her on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s always a real pleasure to discover new to me authors and books and so I am delighted to welcome Peter Scholes to Linda’s Book Bag today to stay in with me and tell me about his second novel.

Staying in with Peter Scholes

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

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

I have brought along my second novel, Once Upon A Time There Was A Man.

We have had a year of upheaval, sadness and uncertainty. I wanted to share something to help bring that feel-good factor back. Something that will make you collapse in the chair with a smile on your face and a tear of happiness trickling down your cheek afterwards and just think, “Wow!”

That sounds EXACTLY what we need. I love that cover too Peter – makes the man seem universal. What can we expect from an evening in with Once Upon A Time There Was A Man?

The book blurb is brief on purpose. I suppose the mystery starts with the blurb. The plot follows the antics of a rather self-centred but arrogant young private investigator who records his case findings in his trusted diary. His routine cases fill his days and his bank account and then, one day, he receives a letter asking him to find a man.

What follows is the pursuit of quite an extraordinary individual. The book is about love, relationships, friendships and sheer determination. I have been quite overwhelmed by the reviews so far. To know the book has had such an effect on so many people has been quite humbling.

I certainly love the concept and what you’ve told me so far Peter. How does it make you feel?

To know your book is being read and enjoyed is worth far more than royalties. In fact, I have given away more than I have sold via email to anyone who requested a copy. An example of one such review was:

“I don’t know where to start, firstly I need to clear away the tears streaming down my cheeks, never have I read such a moving and inspirational story as this. If only there were more Ernie Grimshaws in this world, it would certainly be a wonderful place. I will recommend this book to all my friends as it is a heart-wrenching tale of heartache and sheer determination but so heart-warming. A definite 5 out of 5.”

How wonderful. That’s really made me want to get Once Upon A Time There Was A Man onto my TBR as soon as I can.

As well as that glowing review, what else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I have brought along Paul Brunskill’s diaries, a comfy armchair to place in front of a log fire, a strong cup of coffee and a box of tissues. I would also bring along a photo album of every person who has ‘starred’ in the book – alive or alas not. If possible, I would like to invite Ernie along too just to shake the man by the hand and offer him a huge ‘thank you’.

Well thank you, Peter, for staying in with me and telling me about Once Upon A Time There Was A Man as I think it sounds fabulous. I’ll just give blog readers a few more details:

Once Upon A Time There Was A Man

Private investigating should be an exciting, interesting career, but for Paul Brunskill it was pretty mundane work. When a letter arrived seeking his expertise to help find a man it looked like more of the same. But this was no ordinary man. The job was to take him on a mission like none he had ever embarked on before…

Published by Bruntonwood on 11th December 2020, Once Upon A Time There Was A Man is available for purchase here.

About Peter Scholes

As a primary school teacher by day and a single parent the rest of the time, it is a wonder Peter manages to find any writing time at all, but he does, and when he does he gets lost in his own little world and that is a lovely place to be. Peter’s first novel, Conscience was completed about ten years ago and sat in a box under the bed waiting for him to share it with the world. He eventually got around to it and discovered Amazon’s self publishing. From that point, there was no stopping him. Peter has also managed to upload his series of children’s books (the Beyond The Hill series), write educational resources for schools and also complete poems, plays and screenplays which are all ready to be snapped up by an agent or publisher should he or she ever feel inclined. They wouldn’t regret it.

For more information, follow Peter on Twitter @scholes_peter. You’ll also find him on Facebook.

If, like me, you follow Claire Dyer, you may have seen some teasers on social media over the last couple of weeks for an exciting new book. Today, I’m thrilled to give you the full cover and details.

I can’t believe it’s three years since I interviewed Claire Dyer about her novel The Last Day and reviewed it here on Linda’s Book Bag. More recently, I read and adored Claire Dyer’s poetry collection Yield that I reviewed here, and so it gives me enormous pleasure to help launch Claire’s latest writing The Significant Others of Odie May. The Significant Others of Odie May is Claire’s first crime fiction with a touch of magical realism and I simply cannot wait to read it.

The Significant Others of Odie May will be published by Matador on 28th July 2021 and is available for pre-order here.

The Significant Others of Odie May

Any one of them could have murdered her… but who did?

On the night Odie May and her married lover are due to celebrate him leaving his wife, Odie goes out to buy a bottle of his favourite wine and, on her way home, is murdered by a woman in a lime green coat.

The next thing Odie knows is that she’s in a waiting room and there’s a man called Carl Draper saying he’s her Initial Contact. He is carrying a clipboard and invites her into an interview room.

Over the course of her interview, Carl and Odie track back to the significant others in her life to date to try and work out where she’s gone wrong, who might have killed her, and why.

In the meantime, Carl also shows Odie what’s happening in the life she’s left behind as her mother and her lover, Michael, learn of her death and manage the tricky days that follow it.

But nothing is as simple as it seems. Although Carl has it in his power to return Odie to the moment before she was killed, this comes at a price she may not be able to pay.

***

Now, doesn’t that sound just brilliant?

About Claire Dyer

Claire Dyer’s novels The Moment and The Perfect Affair, and her short story, Falling For Gatsby, are published by Quercus. The Last Day is published by The Dome Press.

Her poetry collections, Interference Effects, Eleven Rooms and Yield are published by Two Rivers Press. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London and teaches creative writing.

She also runs Fresh Eyes, an editorial and critiquing service.

You can follow Claire on Twitter @ClaireDyer1 and visit her website. You’ll also find Claire on Facebook and Instagram.

The world was a very different place when I met Roz Morris for afternoon tea at a book launch in London almost two years ago. Today I am delighted to share my review of Roz’s latest book, Ever Rest. My enormous thanks to Roz for sending me a copy of Ever Rest in return for an honest review.

Published yesterday, 3rd June 2021, Ever Rest is available for purchase in all the usual places including here.

Ever Rest

Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing, lost in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerizing Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.

Two decades on, Ash’s fiancée Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.

While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?

My Review of Ever Rest

The repercussions of Ash’s disappearance 20 years ago continue.

I had absolutely no idea what kind of book I was about to read when I picked up Ever Rest, but I hadn’t expected such an intense, beautifully crafted work of literary fiction. There’s a smooth sophistication to Roz Morris writing that makes for a really pleasurable read, especially when it’s coupled with natural dialogue and a variety of sentences where exposition and description are perfectly balanced. Ever Rest feels like a book of real quality. There’s a quietness somehow, that belies the intensity of emotion presented that I found quite mesmerising. Similarly, the description is frequently poetic but never self-conscious so that I had a truly striking image in my mind’s eye as I read.

About Roz Morris

Roz Morris writes fiction and essays about unusual ways we can be haunted and how we seek people and places we belong with. Her work has been profiled by The Guardian, Literature Works, the Potomac Review, Rain Taxi and BBC Radio. Her novel Lifeform Three was longlisted for the World Fantasy Award.

Her fiction has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, although you won’t have seen her name on the covers – she began her career in secret, ghostwriting fiction for big-name authors.

Her own novels have been described as ‘profound tales and compelling page-turners’, with fine-honed language, unforgettable characters, and gripping, unusual storylines. Plaudits include a top-ranked title in the American Library Journal programme, a longlisting for an international award alongside Neil Gaiman and a finalist position in the People’s Book Prize 2017.

She is a writer, journalist, fiction editor and the author of the Nail Your Novel series for writers. She teaches creative writing masterclasses for The Guardian newspaper in London and is also the author of a series for writers – Nail Your Novel.

For more information, visit Roz’s website, follow her on Twitter @Roz_Morris and find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Regular Linda’s Book Bag readers will know just how much I enjoy M.W. Craven’s writing. Consequently, I was thrilled to receive a copy of Dead Ground, the fourth book in the Washington Poe series from lovely Beth Wright at Little Brown in return for an honest review.

When I say that the first two of M. W. Craven’s books in the series were on my books of the year list (here) in 2019 and the third a book of the year in 2020, you’ll understand how delighted I am to share my review of Dead Ground today.  You can read my review of The Puppet Show here, of Black Summer here and of The Curator here.

Published by Little Brown imprint Constable on 3rd June 2021, Dead Ground is available for purchase through these links.

Dead Ground

Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved and isolated croft, when he is summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Poe is confused – he hunts serial killers and this appears to be a straightforward murder-by-pimp – but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows.

As Poe and the socially awkward programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a high-profile job, why does nothing in the victim’s background check out? Why was a small ornament left at the murder scene – and why did someone on the investigation team steal it? And what is the connection to a flawlessly executed bank heist three years earlier, a heist where nothing was taken . . .

My Review of Dead Ground

Poe’s in trouble again.

Now, I rarely read a book series because I have so many books awaiting my attention that I don’t want to be tied in to one author. However, not only do I make an exception for M.W. Craven, I think I’d probably walk over hot coals to get my hands on his latest book. This time, Dead Ground, the latest in the Washington Poe series, convinces me that Craven is one of the most brilliant story tellers around. Dead Ground is an absolute corker.

Dead Ground opens with a dramatic, if seemingly unconnected scene to the ensuing narrative, that ensnares the reader from the very first moment. As Tilly and Poe find themselves involved in an unconventional murder, the threads of the story interweave in a thrilling and dynamic manner that makes me wonder just how devious this author’s own mind really is. I found Dead Ground plunged me into a world of conspiracies, drama and events that I found convincing, disturbing and utterly mesmerising. As usual with M.W. Craven, short, fast paced chapters with tantalising cliff hangers imbued with humour, drama and some deliberate obfuscation mean that it is impossible not to read on. Obviously I can’t say too much about the plot for fear of spoiling the read for others, but it is breakneck and exciting.

The relationship between Poe and Tilly is pitch perfect for those who’ve read the whole series, settling into familiar patterns, but M.W. Craven ensures anyone coming to the series afresh can understand and appreciate it easily because of the throw away asides to new or returning characters. This is such skilled writing. What I always find unsettling is the world Tilly inhabits. She makes me question my own online habits so that whilst reading Dead Ground is glorious entertainment, it does raise questions for the reader about their own behaviour too, making it educational as well as thrilling.

Beware if you pick up a book by M.W. Craven. Your life will no longer belong to you. He will hold you spellbound until you’ve read every brilliantly crafted word. He is, without question, one of the most captivating crime writers around and Dead Ground is a fantastic addition to the Washington Poe Tilly Bradshaw series. I thought it was fabulous.

About M.W. Craven

M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle, returning after 31 years to take up a probation officer position in Whitehaven, eventually working his way up to chief officer grade. Sixteen years later he took the plunge, accepted redundancy and became a full-time author. He now has entirely different motivations for trying to get inside the minds of criminals. His first novel featuring Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw, The Puppet Show, was published by Constable to huge acclaim, and won the 2019 CWA Gold Dagger Award.

M. W. Craven lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne. When he isn’t out with his springer spaniel, or talking nonsense in the pub, he can usually be found at punk gigs and writing festivals up and down the country.

You can follow M.W. Craven on Twitter @MWCravenUK and visit his website for more information or find him on Facebook and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to the lovely Isabelle Broom for sending me a much desired proof of her latest novel The Getaway in return for an honest review. Regular Linda’s Book Bag readers know just how much I adore Isabelle’s writing and I’m thrilled to share my review of The Getaway today. I was thrilled to interview Isabelle for the Deepings Literary Festival Easter offer back in April too.

Isabelle Broom has featured here on the blog so many times and you can find the following posts:

I ‘stayed in’ with Isabelle here to celebrate Hello, Again and I reviewed the book here

I have interviewed Isabelle more fully here.

I’ve also reviewed Isabelle’s book One Winter Morning here, My Map of You here, A Year and a Day here and The Place We Met here. One Thousand Stars and You is still looking at me from the shelf above my head!

Published by Hodder and Stoughton on 10th June 2021, The Getaway is available for purchase through the links here.

The Getaway

Most people travel to Croatia for its endless sunshine, pebbly beaches and crystal clear sea.

Kate goes there to disappear.

She needs to escape from a life that has fallen apart in spectacular and public fashion, and no one on the beautiful island of Hvar knows who she is or what she’s running away from.

Until she meets another lonely soul.

Alex is different to any man Kate has ever known, yet the connection between them is undeniable. She soon begins to open up in ways she never has before – not even to herself. But Kate is not the only person in Hvar hiding secrets. And, as she is about to discover, it is always only a matter of time before the truth catches up with you . . .

My Review of The Getaway

Kate’s life is a mess.

It’s no exaggeration to say I inhaled The Getaway greedily, putting life on hold until I had savoured every word. I adored it and could simply not tear myself away. The Getaway has everything for the most wonderful immersive, escapist read. Certainly it fits its genre to perfection and I was expecting romance and a positive resolution, but Isabelle Broom writes with such grace and beauty that there is an added dimension of enjoyment that is so satisfying. Her descriptions of places are perfect. Having been to Hvar I recognised some of the settings because they are so vividly and accurately described. Reading The Getaway is a true feast for the senses with everything from the sound of cicadas, to the sight of salt crystals on eyelashes, so that it feels like being plunged into the most idyllic world.

Aside from the accurate and evocative descriptions, however, there are wonderful, rounded characters who garner strong reactions in the reader. With a relatively small cast, I felt I got to know the people of The Getaway intimately, especially Kate and Alex, to the extent that their experiences, emotions and actions felt as convincing to me as if they were my own. I can’t imagine any reader not recognising at least one of Kate’s traits, desires or hurts and empathising with them. As an aside, I loved too the fact that she wears glasses. So few heroines are presented this way so that she felt all the more tangible to me.

As might be expected, from Isabelle Broom, relationships form the backbone of the plot, with familial, romantic and business partnerships presented fully. I adored watching the relationship between Kate and Alex unfold because not only was it romantic, it felt utterly believable. At one point I thought I was going to have to climb into The Getaway and perform a somewhat unpleasant physical action upon James!

However, wonderful settings, fabulous, entertaining, romantic plot and vivid characters aside, The Getaway is so much more. It’s difficult to say much about themes without spoiling the story, but The Getaway illustrates how we are affected by others, how our lives are what we make of them, how we cannot expect others to define us and how we shouldn’t just accept it when they do. Isabelle Broom explores identity, secrets, self-confidence and mental health in a subtle, clever and sensitively constructed manner so that not only did I want to hold and comfort her characters, I felt the need to give the author a hug too. The Getaway thrums with humanity and understanding in a manner I found extremely affecting.

I’ve thought hard about how to sum up The Getaway but it is, quite simply, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I loved The Getaway unreservedly and it’s one of my favourite reads this year. Don’t miss it.

About Isabelle Broom

Isabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts in London before a 12-year stint at Heat magazine. Always happiest when she is off on an adventure, Isabelle now travels all over the world seeking out settings for her escapist fiction novels, as well as making the annual pilgrimage to her second home – the Greek island of Zakynthos. Currently based in Suffolk, where she shares a cottage with her dogs, Max and Julius, and approximately 467 spiders, Isabelle fits her writing around a busy freelance career and tries her best not to be crushed to oblivion under her ever-growing pile of to-be-read books.

For more information, visit Isabelle’s website. You can also follow her on Twitter @Isabelle_Broom or Instagram and find her on Facebook.

Sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day so that I could read all the books that I’m offered. Sadly that isn’t possible, but at least today I can stay in with Bentley Turner to chat about one of his books. Let’s find out more:

Staying in with Bentley Turner

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Bentley. Tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought The File on Thomas Marks.  The reason I’ve chosen it is because it is the first mystery I’ve written that has been accepted for publications.  It will be published in June by the Global Publishing Group.

How exciting. Congratulations. So, what can we expect from an evening in with The File on Thomas Marks?

The File on Thomas Marks is a mystery about a young, intelligent man who is somewhat naïve about those who work in law enforcement or simply has too much confidence in the legal system, or both, because he becomes the leading suspect in the murders of two women, even though he claims he’s innocent.  The question is, is he guilty?

That sounds like a very intriguing question indeed!

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

Sometimes readers are interested in how a writer came up with the idea for the story or novel they’ve read.  At least, this has been my experience.  So, I thought I’d say something about how the idea for The File on Thomas Marks came to me.

Great idea. What happened?

Actually, several years ago I had tried writing a lengthy short story that featured two detectives who investigated two murders.  This was my first story about detectives.  Yet, over the years I had read numerous mysteries―short stories and novels―that featured detectives, but I had never tried writing a story about detectives.  At the time, primarily because I enjoyed the characters in the story so much, I wondered why I had not tried writing about detectives sooner.  Although the short story was entirely different from The File on Thomas Marks, it caused me to try writing a full-length mystery about two detectives investigating at least two or three murders.  I should mention that I enjoyed writing a plot filled with twists and turns, too, which I found out was not necessarily that easy to do―at least, not initially.  Eventually, the process came easier as more “What if . . .?” questions came to me.  Hopefully, readers who buy the mystery will enjoy it.

I think they will Bentley! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about The File on Thomas Marks. 

The File on Thomas Marks

In this suspenseful thriller, Thomas Marks, a young, intelligent man, admits to being with two women just before they were murdered.  Though detectives don’t believe him, he claims to be innocent.

The only problem is none of the evidence corroborates his story nor confirms the guilt of anyone else.

When another suspect surfaces, Thomas thinks he’s in the clear, but appearances can’t always be trusted.

Will an arrest stick?

Find out in this mystery mayhem of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.

The File on Thomas Marks is available from Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo and Nook.

About Bentley Turner

Bentley Turner, a pseudonym, has written several short stories and numerous poems that have been published in literary journals and anthologies. Under his legal name he has written several articles for academic journals, numerous chapters for scholarly books, numerous entries for encyclopedias and other reference books, and several books of nonfiction published by academic and reference publishers.

It’s a real thrill to welcome Tony J Forder back to Linda’s Book Bag with a fabulous guest post about his protagonist DI Bliss in celebration of the latest thriller The Autumn Tree. The Autumn Tree is part of a series but I have found all the books work brilliantly as stand alone reads too.

Tony has featured on the blog many, many times and you’ll find the other posts as follows:

My review of Slow Slicing here

My review of Endless Silent Scream here

A guest piece from Tony about The Cold Winter Sun imperative you will find here,

A  moving post about becoming a writer here when Bad to the Bone was published

Tony also told us about writing outside his comfort zone here

His characters Bliss and Chandler from The Scent of Guilt introduced each other here.

Published on 24th May 2021, The Autumn Tree is available for purchase here.

The Autumn Tree

DI Bliss returns in another stunning crime thriller.

After a young woman is found strangled to death, Bliss is called to the scene. When he learns that one of his business cards was found among the victim’s clothing, and he is told what was written on the back of it, Bliss is immediately troubled. The card was one of five he handed out to trafficked young women he and his team had previously rescued from a shipping container.

When he sees the victim, Bliss realises she was not one of those saved that day. So whose card does she have? Any why? And is it connected to her murder?

The murder investigation proves to be more complex and challenging than the team could possibly have imagined. But just as they think they have it figured out, they learn that depravity has no boundaries…

When dark desires have no limitations, anything is fair game.

***

THE BLISS MYTHS

A Guest Post by Tony J Forder

With my ninth DI Jimmy Bliss book now available, I thought it was time to look at some of the things that have been written about him over the past few years. Much of it may well be true, but are there also some myths in need of dispelling? I believe there are, which is what I hope to do here.

Bliss’s Baggage

Many people are under the impression that Bliss entered the fray in book one already weighed down by tons of baggage and only adding to that burden as the book unwound. In my view that entirely depends on what you consider to be ‘baggage’, and I believe it somewhat misrepresents the character. As the author, I look at Jimmy and see a man who had a wonderful childhood in an unbroken home, who followed his father’s footsteps into the police force and still does a job he cannot bear to be away from. I see a man who met, dated and married a woman who understood him and his commitment to the job, and whom he would undoubtedly still be with had she not been murdered. To me, that loss is his only piece of genuine baggage, because he doesn’t even consider his health problem to be a burden. His loneliness and general negative outlook stem from that one terrible incident that took his soul mate away. The rest of it is life… something we all have to negotiate.

Bliss’s Bosses

There are two things you have to understand about Jimmy Bliss when it comes to the more senior officers: first, he has no time for the politically ambitious types who have little experience out on the streets; and second, he is willing to like those who prove likeable and respect those who earn it. If you think about it, while he loathed his Superintendent in the first book, he got on well with the Chief Super. When he returned to the city, he traded verbal blows with his DCI, but had a decent relationship with his Det Supt. As time moved on, even he and his DCI at the time arrived at a place of mutual understanding and respect. So yes, he is a cussed sod at times, and he does not suffer fools easily. Occasionally he’ll consider an instruction to be more of a suggestion, a rule something pliable to be bent. But at his core he gives people a fair shake and is not afraid to hold his hands up when he gets it wrong.

Bliss’s Roving Eye

I’ve had a few complaints about Bliss being a sexist, especially in the wake of the first book. I usually consider most criticisms, but this one I dismiss out of hand. It’s a complete no brainer. To me, this is a perfect example of the way language has been twisted and manipulated to suit a specific point of view, and I simply won’t have it. It’s a modern day malaise, and I find it lazy and infuriating. Yes, Jimmy has a roving eye. Yes, if he spots an attractive women he won’t immediately turn his gaze away, and yes he does admire a shapely calf or two. But for him to actually be a sexist, if we take the true meaning of the word, he would have to objectify women, he would have to demonstrate prejudice or actually discriminate against women on the basis of their sex, and this is patently not the case with Bliss. His best friend right from the word go is Penny Chandler, his female DC. He treats her with respect, as an equal, and yes during their banter he might make the odd remark, but the very first page of the first book has Chandler accusing him of being willing to jump the bones of an unearthed skeleton, yet absolutely nobody has ever complained about that. Sadly, we live in an age in which the mere act of admiring a woman’s physical attributes can lead to a man being accused of being a sexist, when in fact the word is simply being terribly misused and abused by some seeking to signal their virtue. Also, it seldom – if ever – works the other way around.

Bliss Colouring Outside The Lines

There are a few people who believe the police service – no longer a force, we must remember – and everyone in it operates within the rules of PACE at all times, that they are lean, mean, robotic machines adhering to the rules and going about their daily lives putting law and order ahead of justice at every turn. In this same world, coppers live perfectly normal family lives, partake only occasionally of the odd libation, don’t gamble, play away from home, or accidentally ever trip an unruly suspect down the stairs. In short, they are idealistic but not overly realistic.

So let’s get real, shall we? I don’t doubt that some uniforms and detectives meet these parameters, but are they necessarily the majority? Because to err is to be human. We humans have strengths and weaknesses, we occasionally succumb to temptation, sometimes we are less moral than we might prefer, we get things wrong and make bad decisions. And many have no problem at all with the ends justifying the means.

Some readers and even the odd writer look down their noses at lead characters whose lives have gone off the rails. They consistently sell the idealistic notion of policing, often suggesting that the alternative is a rough mixture of The Sweeney and Life on Mars TV shows. The truth, as is so often the case, lies somewhere in the middle. But they know best, you see, because they have authenticity in the shape of police insiders to guide them. Their outlook fails to appreciate the fact that many of us do, even if we sometimes choose to liberally dust our work with fiction.

I can’t deny it… Jimmy Bliss does colour outside the lines at times. But he’s no maverick, speeding around town in a souped-up Ford, leaping over bonnets, punching every villain who oozes across his path, and neither does he wave around a smoking Uzi in each hand. He’s just a hard-working DI who knows his own mind, is able to think for himself, and has a sense of justice that at times manages to overlook the odd protocol or procedure in favour of banging up ‘chummy’. He’s an old dog who really doesn’t want to learn new tricks, because the ones he’s used to have served him so well. Oh, and I should perhaps also mention that he’s fictional, a character in a work of fiction that looks to entertain as well as inform. Bliss may not always adhere to every line of PACE, but he takes each situation as it comes and reacts accordingly. That one isn’t mythical, and it’s also just fine with me.

***

That’s wonderful Tony. Thank you so much for providing us with such a brilliant insight into Bliss. I agree – he’s a true individual – even if he is a fictional character!

About Tony J Forder

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. The first seven books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of Shadows, The Death of Justice, Endless Silent Scream, and Slow Slicing, were joined in December 2020 by a prequel novella, Bliss Uncovered. The series now continues with, The Autumn Tree, released on 24 May 2021.

Tony’s other series – two action-adventure novels featuring Mike Lynch – comprises both Scream Blue Murder, and Cold Winter Sun. These books were republished in April 2021.

In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, called Fifteen Coffins, released in November 2020.

Tony lives with his wife in Peterborough, UK, and is now a full-time author. He is currently working on the first book of an intended new crime series, whose working title is The Huntsmen.

You can follow Tony on Twitter @TonyJForder, visit his website and find him on Instagram and Facebook.

You’ll find all Tony’s books here and he’s also on Goodreads and Fantastic Fiction.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I love being in at the start of a brand new book, especially when it is by an author I should have featured here more frequently than I have, so it gives me enormous pleasure to welcome back Fiona Cane to the blog today to tell us all about her new book. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. In addition, you can be part of the book’s journey as there’s a very special UK giveaway too. Read on for more details!

Last time Fiona was here she was writing about the impact of Haiti for her book The Other Side of the Mountain, in a post you will find here.

Staying in with Fiona Crane

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag Fiona. It’s lovely to have you here.

Hello Linda, and thank you very much for inviting me. I’ve been looking forward to this evening hugely.

Which of your books have you brought along this evening and why have you brought it?

I have brought along my latest book A Song Unsung because, today, I am celebrating its publication day.

Oo. Happy publication day Fiona! So what can we expect from an evening in with A Song Unsung?

A Song Unsung is a coming-of-age story about an impressionable teenage girl who falls under the spell of a beautiful singer with a mysterious past. It is set against the bohemian backdrop of Soho’s jazz basements and coffee shops of the late fifties, and a Sussex village during the long hot summer of 1976, so we can expect a wonderfully nostalgic evening.

I remember that summer so well. Tell me more…

1959 was a wonderful year to be young. The streets of Soho buzzed with the sound of jazz and Rock and Roll played in late-night sweaty basements, where beatniks danced with bare foot girls until the early hours. By day, teenagers with money to spare hung out in coffee shops, sitting at sticky Formica tables, drinking cappuccinos as the latest hits blared out of the jukeboxes. And in the French, and the Coach and Horses, painters, boxers and actors, mixed with writers, musicians and prostitutes.  There were delis, charcuteries, Algerian coffee stores, Italian, Greek, Indian, Chinese, German and French restaurants. The air was thick with the fug of cigarette smoke, and the notorious gangs, which controlled the gambling and protection rackets, prowled the streets.

That sounds wonderfully evocative. 

1976, on the other hand, will be forever remembered for its seemingly endless summer. It was swelteringly hot, the mercury hitting ninety day after day. Lawns cracked, tarmac melted on the roads, plants withered in the parched fields and flowerbeds and, with fewer aphids to feed on, there was a plague of ladybirds, who feasted on human sweat to stay alive. With no rain for forty-five days, the country was running out of water. The government’s advice was to bathe with a friend, put a brick in the cistern, let wilting flowers die, and cars go dirty. People queued at standpipes. The land was parched and, with the rivers and reservoirs drying up, water had become a precious commodity, more valuable than gold.

It certainly was! What else have you brought along and why have you brought it.

It’ll come as no surprise to you that I drove here on my Vespa, wearing, as you can see, my tank top, flares and platform shoes (and probably a little too much blue eyeshadow), armed with a bag of goodies.

It was quite a vision actually Fiona!

But before I tell you what they are, I’ll just pop on the extremely mellow A Song Unsung Soundtrack – Spotify to get us in the mood.

That’s perfect.

Martha Palmer, one of the central characters, is a waitress at a coffee shop owned by Giovanni Fiori, an exuberant Italian who sees life through a prism of Italian proverbs. It would have been remiss of me, therefore, not to have brought along a cappuccino – although I doubt mine reaches his exacting standards – and a Negroni, Giovanni’s favourite cocktail. I have also brought Bo Rivers’ trumpet, because it is such a beautiful object and, when played by a skilled jazz musician, the most exhilarating instrument to listen to. I toyed with the idea of bringing a Space Hopper (too big), and a Starsky and Hutch dvd (bit anti-social), but in the ended I opted for The Best of Jackie, hilariously sub-titled, The best thing for girls – next to boys. It’s Song’s central character Natasha James’ bible, and a gloriously nostalgic shrine to my teenage years. Linda, you can expect a really good laugh when we flick through it.

I think I might remember that edition from my youth Fiona… I certainly remember my Space Hopper! It’s been wonderful staying in with you this evening to hear about A Song Unsung and to relive my teenage years of 1976. Thanks so much for staying in with me.

Thank you for a fabulous evening and, as Giovanni might say, eat well, laugh often, love much. 

I will!

A Song Unsung

Set against the bohemian backdrop of Soho’s jazz basements and coffee shops of the late fifties, and a Sussex village during the long hot summer of 1976, A Song Unsung is a coming-of-age story about an impressionable teenage girl who falls under the spell of a beautiful singer with a mysterious past.

‘Powerful, evocative with such a big heart. Once I started I couldn’t put it down.’ Dreda Say Mitchell.

Soho 1958. Martha Palmer, an aspiring singer working in a coffee shop, is desperately short of cash. She’s been scouted by a photographer. The money’s good. But there’s a catch …

Sussex 1976. Nothing much happens in teenager Natasha James’ life. Her mother has taken to her bed and her father, the local doctor, is preoccupied with his patients. But when the magnetic Martha Palmer moves into her village, Natasha is drawn into a glittery world of extravagant parties, steeped in the embroidered rhythms of jazz.

But who is the mysterious Martha Palmer? And why is she the keeper of so many secrets? Desperate to fill in the gaps of Martha’s past, Natasha uncovers a heart-breaking love story, the truth of which threatens to destroy all that she holds dear.

A Song Unsung is published today, 27th May 2021, and is available for purchase here.

A Song Unsung UK Paperback Giveaway

Lovely Fiona has offered a paperback copy of A Song Unsung for a lucky Linda’s Book Bag reader. The giveaway is open to UK postcodes and I’ll need the winner’s address for Fiona to send the book, but details won’t be retained beyond that! For your chance to win, click here. Giveaway ends at UK midnight on Thursday 3rd June.

About Fiona Cane

Independent author, Fiona Cane, graduated from Exeter University with a degree in Philosophy. She worked in London in film PR, before moving back to Sussex where, as a married mother of two, she divided her time between coaching tennis and writing books.

To date, she has published two mysteries, Killing Fame, and The Gate – the psychological thriller, When the Dove Cried – and the critically acclaimed literary thriller, The Other Side of the Mountain.

You can follow Fiona on Twitter @FiBee49, find her on Facebook and visit her website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

Having adored Jo Spain’s Six Wicked Reasons which I reviewed here, I was thrilled to receive a copy of Jo’s latest book The Perfect Lie from Milly Reid at Quercus in return for an honest review.

Published by Quercus on 13th May 2021, The Perfect Lie is available for purchase through these links.

The Perfect Lie

He jumped to his death in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with murder.

Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues one morning, it’s the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.

Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.

But it was all built on the perfect lie.

My Review of The Perfect Lie

Erin’s life is about to change.

What an absolute treat of an author Jo Spain is. I absolutely loved The Perfect Lie because I had no idea how it would be resolved and it captivated me from the very first word to the final full stop. The quality of plotting is magnificent. After a very dramatic opening there are unexpected moments that make for such an exciting and bewitching book that I simply couldn’t tear myself away from The Perfect Lie. It was one of those reads where I was pondering it all the time I wasn’t actually reading it. The different timescales weave together smoothly and convincingly and it’s an absolute masterclass as Jo Spain creates a kind of narrative DNA helix of twisting and exciting events. Initially I had no idea how the threads would come together and to say more would spoil the story for others but The Perfect Lie is a corker of a story.

The characters are deftly defined and Jo Spain explores magnificently the manner in which we all hide part of our essential selves to ensure the reader is never entirely sure whom to believe or trust. I loved the way that Danny is the catalyst for action so that whilst he isn’t present directly, he drives the story forward. Erin’s first person account is so clever because there’s a permanent frisson of intrigue and danger about her story that really elevated my pulse as I read. Erin is a flawed character, being occasionally reckless, stubborn and always slightly an outsider – from her family and her place in American society – so that I found her gripping and convincing.

Not only is The Perfect Lie hugely entertaining but the themes that weave throughout the story give it an added dimension that makes it feel fresh and maturely presented. Identity is key and Jo Spain explores how we present ourselves to others, and indeed to ourselves, with absolute precision. I found this aspect fascinating. Add in themes of corruption at so many levels, family and relationships, professionalism, grief, trust and healing and The Perfect Lie resounds with aspects with which any reader can find resonance in their own lives.

Jo Spain is a brilliant writer and The Perfect Lie is an equally brilliant book. I loved it.

About Jo Spain

Jo Spain is a full-time writer and screenwriter. Her first novel, With Our Blessing, was one of seven books shortlisted in the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and her first psychological thriller, The Confession, was a number one bestseller in Ireland. Jo co-wrote the ground-breaking RTE television series Taken Down, which first broadcast in Ireland in 2018. She’s now working on multiple European television projects. Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and their four young children.

You can follow Jo on Twitter @SpainJoanne, and find her on Facebook and Instagram.