My goodness, the world is a different place since I reviewed Carol Drinkwater’s The House on the Edge of the Cliff here on Linda’s Book Bag. Then I was about to interview Carol at The Deepings Literary Festival and was beside myself with excitement.

Previously I have reviewed Carol’s The Forgotten Summer here. I also loved her story The Lost Girl which I not only reviewed here, but about which I was delighted to interview Carol on Linda’s Book Bag here.

Today I’m thrilled to share my review of Carol’s latest book, An Act of Love and would like to thank Carol for ensuring I received a copy and Olivia Thomas at Penguin for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Published by Penguin on 29th April 2021, An Act of Love is available for pre-order or purchase through the links here.

An Act of Love

It was an idyllic summer. Until they had to escape.

France, 1943.

Forced to flee war ravaged Poland, Sara and her parents are offered refuge in a beautiful but dilapidated house in the French Alps. It seems the perfect hideaway, despite haunting traces of the previous occupants who left in haste.

But shadows soon fall over Sara’s blissful summer, and her blossoming romance with local villager Alain. As the Nazis close in, the family is forced to make a harrowing choice that could drive them apart forever, while Sara’s own bid for freedom risks several lives.

Will Sara be reunited with those she loves?

And can she ever find her way back to Alain?

By turns poignant and atmospheric, this is the compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Carol Drinkwater about the power of first love and courage in our darkest hours.

My Review of An Act of Love

Sara’s Polish Jewish family is on the run.

I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read by Carol Drinkwater, but An Act of Love surpasses them all. It’s a beautiful read, perfectly crafted, romantic and exciting so that it holds the reader entranced.

In An Act of Love Carol Drinkwater creates such vivid imagery that I was totally transported to her settings. Rich and varied language caused me to inhabit Sara’s mind rather than merely read about her so that I travelled with her and experienced every nuance of the senses with her. There’s an almost filmic quality to the prose that is sumptuous. I thought this was just fantastic.

A glorious plot blends fact and fiction to perfection with an authenticity I found spell binding. Frequent hooks at the end of chapters draw the reader into the narrative so that it is impossible not to want to read on. An Act of Love is an exciting read too with considerable peril and pulse elevating action, particularly in the second half of the novel. The burgeoning and frustrated love Sara feels for Alain is so sensitively wrought that its intensity gives a feeling of yearning, a kind of tristesse that is highly emotional, so the atmosphere that really penetrates the reader’s mind. I thought the balance of action, emotion and characterisation was simply wonderful.

I loved meeting Sara. From the very first page to the last, I was on her side, desperate for her to be happy; not just to survive, but to thrive. Her bravery, her stoicism, her foolishness, her gaucheness and her determination make her a truly identifiable heroine. As Carol Drinkwater blends her protagonist’s character with themes of identity and belonging, with complete understanding of what it means to be displaced, to be an outsider, An Act of Love becomes so much more than a sweeping, carefully researched, saga of the Second World War, but rather is a rich tapestry of life relevant to all eras and to any person. I found this an emotional and compelling facet of the book.

Immersive, engaging and achingly beautifully written, An Act of Love is a book for the reader to lose themselves in, to travel through time and location until the current world seems to have melted away and they are living another life. I absolutely loved it and think it is Carol Drinkwater’s best book to date.

About Carol Drinkwater

Carol Drinkwater is a multi-award-winning actress who is best known for her portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC television series All Creatures Great and Small. She is also the author of over twenty books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her quartet of memoirs set on her olive farm in the south of France have sold over a million copies worldwide and her solo journey round the Mediterranean in search of the Olive tree’s mythical secrets inspired a five-part documentary film series, The Olive Route.

You can follow Carol on Twitter @Carol4OliveFarm and visit her website.

This is my 2,465th blog post and do you know, I’ve never featured a play before! Consequently I’m really thrilled to be staying in with Emma Zadow today to chat all about her latest playscript, Fridge. My grateful thanks to Will Dady at Renard Press for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. I’m thrilled to be starting it off.

Staying in with Emma Zadow

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

Tell me, as if I didn’t know, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’ve brought Fridge. It’s a drama about two sisters that return to their family home after the youngest attempts suicide.

That’s quite an introduction to Fridge! What can we expect from an evening in with this drama?

The eldest, Alice, lives and works in London, whilst her younger sister, Lo, now a teenager, has been left alone again when their Mum goes to Ibiza with the latest boyfriend. A local farmer, Charlie, is roped in to help Lo, and he bumps into Alice when she comes home, dredging up old feelings between the three of them, spinning their worlds out of control.

That sounds like a really fresh take on the eternal triangle. But why is is called Fridge?

I wove into the narrative the idea of having a fridge in their kitchen as a form of escape for Lo, rather than her dealing with her issues. The story is set on the North Norfolk Coast and I wanted to include local folklore into the book; the sisters share stories of the sea – mermaids, especially, and how this imagery can take on the characters’ difficulties. I love magic realism in literature and stage work, so this was important to me – it captures how important imagination can be in order to face our fragilities. I haven’t read or seen many pieces of work that explore mental health in a more creative way than an asylum or institution, and I wanted to do that for young people in isolated communities in rural areas.

That sounds brilliant. And I think you’re right, We think of mental health as a city based, often institutionalised concept but people in remote rural areas have their problems too.

It’s a reckoning, really, of the relationships between the three – between who they used to be to each other and who they are as adults now. That journey is complex, and sometimes we have to leave behind friends, family and others to become who we think we should be.

The rest is memory… or, that is, until you go back home for Christmas or Corona.

I’m utterly intrigued by the concept of Fridge. How is it being received?

Here’s a review from Silent Faces Theatre:

‘What a beautiful, eerie, nostalgic piece… was captivated by the authenticity of the setting and the sense of nostalgia. The way in which you deal with the subject of mental health is also incredibly intriguing. It makes sense to me that that experience is expressed in an almost otherworldly way, so the audience is left guessing what is real and what isn’t.’

Fridge sounds fabulous Emma.

As well as your writing, what else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

Music is a big deal to me. I’m one of those picky writers that needs a bit of music in the background all the time. The album Another Life by Hadda Be has been the perfect mix of part Pixies, part Primitives, part Banshees… and I’m in love. Some other new music I’m slightly obsessed with (and spent the summer listening to it while I was editing my book) is Amy Studt’s latest album, Happiest Girl in the Universe – vulnerable, fragile, nostalgic and a mood. It really sets the scene for me.

I confess I didn’t know these artists but I’m so pleased you’ve introduced me to them.

I listen a lot to podcasts, too – a lot! I’ve devoured Literary Friction with Carrie Plitt and Octavia Bright – and I picked out my fave books this year based on their recommendations! Daisy Johnson’s mysterious and soulful Sisters and P.L. Blackmore’s The Manningtree Witches, based around Mathew Hopkins and the witch trials in East Anglia. Haunting!

Any guest who brings books is always welcome Emma – you can come back again!

And I’m bringing my sister too, of course. I haven’t seen her in over a year.

She’s most welcome. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about Fridge Emma. It really does sound superb. Whilst the two of you have a catch up chat I’ll just give blog readers a few more details about Fridge:

Fridge

Alice hasn’t been home for a while – for seven years, in fact. But when her little sister Lo tries to take her own life, she has to return to the life she left behind. The change of scenery from London to Norfolk proves quite the culture shock, however, and Alice has to confront what she left behind all those years ago.

The sisters’ relationship hasn’t evolved in Alice’s absence, and when she steps through the door she’s plunged back into the same world she escaped from. Set against Norfolk’s bleak landscapes, but masquerading as childhood nostalgia, Fridge is an all-too-familiar exploration of the broken promises of youth, and a bitter exposition of a generation left behind.

Fridge is published by Renard Press and is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from the publisher here.

You can read a short extract from Fridge here.

About Emma Zadow

Emma Zadow is an actor, playwright and screenwriter from Norfolk. She trained at Rose Bruford College as an actor, and her plays have been performed at the Arcola, the Old Red Lion Theatre, Camden Fringe Festival, Norwich Arts Centre and Pleasance Theatre. Emma is an alumni playwright from the Soho Theatre Writers Lab, and she was shortlisted for the ETPEP Award and Tony Craze Award. A BBC New Creative, her screenplays include the hit short film The Cromer Special and Jigging. Fridge is her first book.

For more information about Emma, follow her on Twitter @emmazadow and Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

It’s Prisoner publication day for local to me author, Ross Greenwood, and I’m delighted to bring you details of Ross’s latest book and news of how UK readers can get their hands on a signed copy in a smashing giveaway from the author.

Ross is here on Linda’s Book Bag almost as often as I am as you’ll see:

You’ll find an extract from Ross’s The Snow Killer here.

A guest post all about seizing the day when his book Shadows of Regret was published in a post you can see here.

An introduction to Ross’s protagonist for Abel’s Revenge here.

My Lazy Blood interview with Ross here.

A guest post and my review of The Boy Inside here.

My review of Ross’s Fifty Years of Fear here.

But before I share today’s giveaway details, let me tell you about Prisoner.

Published today, 22nd April 2021, by Bloodhound Books, Prisoner is available for purchase here.

Prisoner

A shocking thriller inspired by the true stories of a male prison officer in a women’s prison.

Behind bars, the rules are different…

Prison Officer Jim Dalton is used to walking the landings on the male side of HMP Peterborough. It’s a dangerous place, fuelled by testosterone-driven violence, but he’s done the job for a long time. He understands the unwritten rules, and he has the prisoners’ respect.

When a relative is sent to the jail, Dalton is transferred to the female side of the prison. His next shift is so easy, he can’t believe that the officers over there get paid the same wages. He sleeps well for the first time in years.

But when he is assigned to the young offenders’ wing, dealing with female prisoners no longer seems so simple. As every day passes, and he gets to know the women better, he is slowly drawn in to new temptations, new traps and a new nightmare. One which could destroy everything.

Taking a break from his bestselling DI Barton series, Ross Greenwood returns with this shocking, page-turning and utterly compelling glimpse behind the bars of a women’s prison. From a man who walked the landings himself…

*

Now doesn’t that sound exciting?

Giveaway – A Signed Paperback Copy of Prisoner

If you live in the UK and would like the chance to win a fabulous signed paperback copy of Prisoner click here. Please note that your details will not be retained but the winner will need a UK address to receive this prize directly from Ross. Giveaway ends at UK midnight on Sunday 25th April.

About Ross Greenwood

Ross Greenwood was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until he was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. He then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

Ross found himself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually, so he says “when things had gone wrong.” It was on one of these occasions that he met his partner about 100 metres from his back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. And, according to Ross, he is “still a little stunned by the pace of it now.”

Lazy Blood book was started a long time ago but parenthood and then four years as a prison officer got in the way. Ironically it was the four a.m. feed which gave the author the opportunity to finish the book as unable to get back to sleep he completed it in the early morning hours.

Ross Greenwood’s second book, The Boy Inside, was picked up by Bloodhound Books, and in September 2017, Fifty Years of Fear was published. The year 2018 saw the publication of his next psychological thriller, Abel’s Revenge. All his books are thought provoking, and told with a sense of humour.

Ross Greenwood hopes you enjoy reading them.

You can also follow Ross on Twitter @greenwoodross and find him on Facebook.

It was the super folk at The Barbellion Prize who organised for Penned in the Margins to send me a copy of Sanatorium by Abi Palmer. My grateful thanks to them all.

Sanatorium was shortlisted for The Barbellion Prize and published by Penned in the Margins, Sanatorium is available for purchase here.

Sanatorium by Abi Palmer

A young woman spends a month taking the waters at a thermal water-based rehabilitation facility in Budapest.

On her return to London, she attempts to continue her recovery using an £80 inflatable blue bathtub. The tub becomes a metaphor for the intrusion of disability; a trip hazard in the middle of an unsuitable room, slowly deflating and in constant danger of falling apart.

Sanatorium moves through contrasting spaces bathtub to thermal pool, land to water, day to night interlacing memoir, poetry and meditations on the body to create a mesmerising, mercurial debut.

My Review of Sanatorium

A young woman’s month at a water based rehabilitation centre.

I have absolutely no idea what I’ve just read in Abi Palmer’s Sanatorium. It’s part memoir, part flash fiction, part fantasy, part lucid explanation of illness and pain, part metaphor for life, frequently written with the fabulous intensity of a narrative poem and always with luminous, beautiful, and occasionally stark, prose. However Sanatorium might be defined, it is written with incredible imagination, intelligence and beauty. There’s both sadness and humour so that Sanatorium feels perfectly balanced even while the narrator herself can feel slightly unhinged.

The quality of the prose is mesmeric and quite unsettling. Frequently poetic in tone, I found the writing ethereal and slippery. Reading it felt a bit like trying to catch something in the corner of my eye and not quite being able to see it. Ali’s experience illustrates how we are simultaneously bound by and yet not confined to our bodies so that there is a magic lantern effect in reading Sanatorium. This effect gave the book an almost mystical feeling that I absolutely loved. The iterative image of water is sensational. Abi Palmer conveys its power to heal and destroy, to support and dissolve, to buoy us up and to deluge us in ways that are poetic, unusual and completely compelling. 

The conversational tone is so convincing that it is as if Abi Palmer is on the phone, telling the reader about her month in the sanatorium in Budapest. This had the effect of drawing me in completely. 

It’s difficult to review Sanatorium because it is such an elusive chimera of a book. I was spellbound reading it because, it’s moving, mystical and magnificent. In Sanatorium Abi Palmer gives everyone a mesmerising insight into pain and life affecting illness, but above all, into hope. I didn’t always understand every allusion or reference, but I finished the book with renewed gratitude for my own life and a feeling that, if ever I were to meet Abi Palmer I would like and respect her unreservedly. I really recommend giving Sanatorium a read.

About Abi Palmer

Abi Palmer is a mixed-media artist and writer. Her work often includes themes of disability, gender and multisensory interaction. Her artworks include: Crip Casino, an interactive gambling arcade parodying the wellness industry and institutionalised spaces, displayed at the Tate Modern and Somerset House; and Alchemy, a multisensory poetry game, which won a Saboteur Award in 2016. She has written for BBC Radio, The Guardian and Poetry London. Sanatorium is her first book.

You can find out more on Abi Palmer’s website and follow her on Twitter @abipalmer_bot. You’ll also find her on Instagram.

I’ve tried really hard NOT to take on new blog tours this year as I am inundated , but when Amber Choudhary at Midas PR told me about The Rapunzel Act by Abi Silver and asked me if I’d like to participate in this blog tour I knew I had to accept. I’m delighted to stay in with Abi today to find out more about her latest book.

Staying in with Abi Silver

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

Hello Linda. I’m delighted to be here with you.

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

I’ve brought along my latest offering, The Rapunzel Act, the fourth in the Burton & Lamb legal thriller series. It’s being published as we all begin to emerge with joy and optimism and perhaps a little trepidation, from more than a year of lockdown, rather like the fairy tale character from whom the book takes its name.

Intriguing Abi. What can we expect from an evening in with The Rapunzel Act? 

It’s a rollercoaster ride through what might happen if our criminal trials were filmed and livestreamed. There’s lots of rhetoric about educating the public and ‘justice being seen to be done’ which is very laudable. But, at the same time, much as we might hate to admit it, we all love to share our views on controversial events. And the trial of Debbie Mallard, a trans woman, former Premier League footballer and one half of what used to be the biggest celebrity couple in the UK, for the murder of Rosie Harper (the other half) is always going to spark loads of debate, not all of it pleasant.

Crikey. The Rapunzel Act sounds an absolute corker. Tell me more.

We’ll meet Rosie’s brother, Ellis, a whisky-loving interior designer, whom Debbie labels ‘a waster’, her children Laura and Ben and Jason Fenwick, Rosie’s co-presenter from Breakfast Time, who has a self portrait hanging in his living room.

Ha! I can think of one or two real breakfast TV presenters who might have a self portrait too!

The story also features fame-seeking barrister Andy Chambers, an old adversary of Judith Burton’s, who becomes chief legal adviser to the new channel, Court TV and the reappearance of entrepreneur Greg Winter, who developed the lie-detecting software in The Pinocchio Brief.

I think The Rapunzel Act needs to head straight onto my TBR Abi. It sounds fabulous. 

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

I’ve brought a hot dog, smothered in mustard and ketchup and topped with onions (I’m covering all bases). Although Judith is a great ‘foodie’ – she reveals to Constance Lamb in The Cinderella Plan that she has a cookery book signed by Jamie Oliver, which praises her ‘avocado mousse’ – this hot dog dates back to 1994 and the trial of OJ Simpson in the USA for the murder of his wife Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. It’s symbolic of the public spectacle which Henry Allen described, when he reported on the trial for the Washington Post and I’ve used his quote right at the start of my book.

I sometimes think truth is stranger than fiction Abi.

And I’m wearing a t-shirt with Darth Vader’s head and the caption ‘Choose the Green Side’. All my three boys like science fiction and that includes the Star Wars franchise and various associated merchandise. So when I created campaigner-for-hire and leader of environmental pressure group ‘Dead Earth’, Nicki Smith, whom Constance suspects of involvement in Rosie’s murder, it seemed like appropriate attire for her to wear. She’s let me borrow it for my evening with you.

How kind of her! It’s quite impressive (and a little unnerving). Thank you so much for staying in with me to chat about The Rapunzel Act Abi. I’ve found it not only fascinating, but it has made me desperate to read the book immediately! You serve up teh hot dogs and I’ll just give readers a few important details about The Rapunzel Act:

The Rapunzel Act

CAN YOU FIND JUSTICE… WHEN THE WORLD IS WATCHING?

When breakfast TV host and nation’s darling, Rosie Harper, is found brutally murdered at home, suspicion falls on her spouse, formerly international football star, Danny ‘walks on water’ Mallard, now living out of the public eye as trans woman, Debbie.

Not only must Debbie challenge the hard evidence against her, including her blood-drenched glove at the scene of the crime, she must also contend with the nation’s prejudices, as the trial is broadcast live, turning it into a public spectacle. For someone trying to live their life without judgment, it might just be too much to bear.

Legal duo Judith Burton and Constance Lamb are subjected to unyielding scrutiny as they strive to defend their most famous client yet.

Another thought-provoking courtroom drama from the acclaimed author of the Burton & Lamb series.

Released on 21st January 2021, The Rapunzel Act is available from Amazon or directly from the publisher Lightning Books here.

About Abi Silver

Abi Silver is an author and lawyer who grew up in Leeds in a traditional Jewish family. Watching Granada TV’s ‘Crown Court’ in between lessons led her to study Law at Girton College, Cambridge. Abi then worked in London at international law firm, Allen & Overy and at RPC, before spending five years in Israel, where her husband, Daniel, was posted. During her time there, alongside raising her three young sons, Abi completed an MBA by distance learning, learned Hebrew and pottery on the wheel and began to write fiction, usually late at night. On returning to the UK, she went back to law before quitting a permanent position in 2015 when she decided to try her hand at writing again which led to publication of The Pinocchio Brief. Based in Radlett, Hertfordshire, Abi works part-time as a legal consultant and author.

For more about Abi, follow her on Twitter @abisilver16 and visit her website.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

I’m not supposed to be taking on new blog tours but when Anne Cater of Random Things Tours told me about Together by Luke Adam Hawker, with words by Marianne Laidlaw I knew I had to be involved. My thanks to Anne for including me in the tour and to Kyle Books for sending me a copy of Together in return for an honest review. I’m delighted to share that review today.

You’ll find buy links for Together here and via Kyle Books here.

Together

A beautiful book to connect us after such a challenging time.

‘Dark clouds were looming in the distance. We watched them gather, and we wondered… When will it come? How long will it last?’

A monumental storm brings huge and sudden change. We follow a man and his dog through the uncertainty that it brings to their lives. Through their eyes, we see the difficulties of being apart, the rollercoaster of emotions that we can all relate to, and the realisation that by pulling together we can move through difficult times with new perspective, hope and an appreciation of what matters most in life.

My Review of Together

A pictorial account of a difficult time.

In Together I had expected a quick read that I could race through. I had not expected a profoundly moving, beautifully illustrated, and emotionally annotated, account of the past year or so that, whilst it doesn’t mention Covid 19 directly, references it in ways that make reading Together cause the reader to feel part of a much bigger scenario.

Together was by no means a quick read, not least because part way through its relevance hit me and I burst into tears that took a considerable while to stem. Reading Together was complete catharsis. Here was a visual narrative that understood me completely so that Together has helped me feel healed from the trials of the last year.

Together also took much longer to ‘read’ than anticipated because it deserves complete attention. I read it for the sparse and beautiful words by Marianne Laidlaw that articulated my thoughts so sensitively and perceptively. I read it for the wonderful, wonderful drawings that transported me, held me spellbound and helped me to put my own life into perspective. I looked at the pitch perfect balance of text to image that made me feel a balance returning to my own life. I scrutinised every illustration to find the man (based on Luke Adam Hawker’s grandad) and his dog who reminded me so much of Captain Sir Tom Moore and rekindled the positivity I had felt at his efforts.

Magnificent, moving and memorable, Together is a very special book and I cannot thank Luke Adam Hawker enough for creating it. I won’t be parting with my copy of Together because just knowing it is in the house gives me a strength I didn’t realise I needed. It’s a wonderful book that I think the whole nation needs. I urge you to buy it and press it into the hands of those you love.

About Luke Adam Hawker

My enormous thanks to Nikki Griffiths for inviting me to participate in the launch celebrations for Ali Araghi’s The Immortals of Tehran. Although I wasn’t able to get round to reading The Immortals of Tehran in time for my stop, I do have it on my TBR and I’m thrilled to be staying in with Ali today to chat all about the book.

Staying in with Ali Araghi

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Ali. Thanks so much for agreeing to stay in with me. I rather think I know, but tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

It’s my debut novel, The Immortals of Tehran.

Congratulations on your debut. What is The Immortals of Tehran about?

It is about family under a curse. Every other son dies young and the other lives as if forever. The novel tells the story of this family from the 1941 invasion of Iran until the 1979 Revolution. One of these apparent immortals is Ahmad. He loses his ability to speak after a childhood catastrophic event. Later in life he becomes interested in poetry and writes verse so powerful that it gives off light. Some of his best poems even burn paper and cardboard.

Crikey. That has me completely intrigued Ali.

There are also cats in the novel. Some of the characters think that anything that happens in contemporary Iran is the doing of these cats, not people.

As a cat lover, I might just agree too!

The Immortals of Tehran is not your usual debut by the sound of it. What can we expect from an evening in with The Immortals of Tehran?

A fictional world that feels real with instances of the magical. A large cast of characters united by bonds of kinship and friendship, but also special in their unique ways of life. You can expect to read about Agha, an age-old, bent man who lives in a hollow plane tree, the ten-year-old Ahmad unable to speak but excited to teach Sara how to read and write, or a musician’s masterful solo performance bringing life to dead plum trees and making them blossom.

I think The Immortals of Tehran sounds both mystical and magical Ali. 

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

I’ve brought a manual Ferris wheel. There is a scene in my novel with one of these and I thought it might be nice to see what they exactly look like. They were popular when I was a kid, perhaps as young as the ones in the photo. The men operating them would bring them to parks where kids rushed for rides.

What a brilliant memory. From what I’ve heard, reading The Immortals of Tehran is a bit like being on a Ferris wheel with lots of different perspectives and one heck of a ride! Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat all about it Ali. Let me give blog readers a few more details: 

The Immortals of Tehran

A sweeping, multigenerational epic, this stunning debut heralds the arrival of a unique new literary voice.

As a child living in his family’s apple orchard, Ahmad Torkash-Vand treasures his great-great-great-great grandfather’s every mesmerizing word. On the day of his father’s death, Ahmad listens closely as the seemingly immortal elder tells him the tale of a centuries-old family curse… and the boy’s own fated role in the story.

Ahmad grows up to suspect that something must be interfering with his family, as he struggles to hold them together through decades of famine, loss, and political turmoil in Iran. As the world transforms around him, each turn of Ahmad’s life is a surprise: from street brawler, to father of two unusually gifted daughters; from radical poet, to politician with a target on his back. These lives, and the many unforgettable stories alongside his, converge and catch fire at the centre of the Revolution.

Exploring the brutality of history while conjuring the astonishment of magical realism, The Immortals of Tehran is a novel about the incantatory power of words and the revolutionary sparks of love, family, and poetry – set against the indifferent, relentless march of time.

The Immortals of Tehran was published yesterday, 15th April 2021, by Melville House and is available for purchase through the links here.

About Ali Araghi

Ali Araghi is an Iranian writer and translator. He earned his MA in Ancient Cultures and Languages at the University of Tehran and has translated Samuel Beckett into Persian. He won the 2017 Prairie Schooner Virginia Faulkner Award for Excellence in Writing and is currently working on his PhD in Comparative Literature, International Writers Track, at Washington University. He lives in St. Louis.

For further information, follow Ali on Twitter @ataraghi and visit his website. You’ll also find Ali on Facebook and Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too:

My enormous thanks to lovely Zoe O’Farrell for inviting me to participate in this very first Question Mark Press blog tour. I’m delighted to take part and to welcome E.J. Wood to stay in with me to chat about her brand new book. Let’s see what she has to say:

Staying in with E. J. Wood

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

Thank you for having me!

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

I’ve brought along with me this evening my latest novel, Amalie, released by Question Mark Press today, the 15^th of April.

Oo. Happy publication day. How exciting. So, what can we expect from an evening in with Amalie?

Amalie is a tenacious soul with her mind set on revenge. The book, I would catagorise as a historical thriller as it is set in and just after the Second World War. I wanted to write a story with a real diverse set of characters during real times. My protagonist, Amalie is a sophisticated, methodical murderer who finds herself being chased by MI6, as well as Britain’s criminal underground. The story follows her journey eluding authorities for years.

This sounds fascinating.

One quote that particularly stays in mind is, “Just because I survived, doesn’t mean I could live.”

Now, of course, I want to read Amalie immediately to find out why that is said!

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

Well, I can’t go anywhere without my English bulldog, Harley, so he has joined me this evening. I’m going to apologise in advance if there are any unwanted noises or smells, because, I know if we are here for any length of time there are bound to be. Other than that, he’s quite well behaved.

Hmm. We might ask Harley to stay in the conservatory for a while until I’ve told everyone a bit more about Amalie. Thanks so much for staying in with me to chat about teh book and happy publication day once again.

Amalie

THEY MURDERED FAMILIES
THE FUHRER CANNOT PROTECT THEM NOW

It’s not wise to murder the family of a budding assassin. Created by Auschwitz, her skill is honed by revenge.

A very different type of serial killer is loose in 1950s Europe. In Britain, a Brotherhood of powerful men takes notice and enhances the expertise and artistry of a killer.

DCI John Owen was born to serve. Recruited by MI6, he tracks an accomplished executioner whose love of luxury and the arts is second only to the love of watching an early death come to those who truly deserve it.

Join the chase. Then ask yourself…

Can there ever be only one winner?

Amelie is published by Question Mark Press today, 15th April 2021 and is available for purchase here.

About E.J. Wood

E.J. Wood is a thriller writer from England.

Although British born, she now resides in Spain, speaks English and Spanish, and is currently learning German. Wood co-owns a custom automotive workshop, and is also in the process of buying her first home. When she’s not working or writing, she’s riding her motorcycle or chasing after her bulldog and three cats.

You will find E.J. Wood on Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram and on Twitter @E_J_Wood. There’s more information on her website as well as with these other bloggers:

It’s been too long since Heidi Perks featured here on Linda’s Book Bag. Last time was in 2019 when I reviewed Come Back To Me here. Prior to that I shared my review of Now You See Her here and Heidi was kind enough to provide a brilliant guest post here about becoming a writer when Beneath the Surface was published.

Published by Penguin Random House imprint, Century, The Whispers is available for purchase through the links here.

The Whispers

A missing wife. Four friends. Who is telling the truth?

Anna Robinson hasn’t been seen since she went on a night out with her four closest friends.

She has a loving husband, a son she adores, a perfect life… surely she wouldn’t abandon them. And if not, then something terrible must have happened.

It’s not long before the rumours start at the school gates where this group of friends all met. What exactly happened on that mum’s night out?

Anna’s oldest friend Grace is beside herself with worry – desperately searching for answers and certain that someone is hiding the truth.

With each day that passes, Anna’s life is under increasing threat. And as the pressure mounts, it won’t be long before something cracks…

A scintillating thriller exploring female friendships and the secrets we keep from those who think they know us best.

My Review of The Whispers

Anna Robinson is missing.

If you’re looking for a fast paced all action thriller then The Whispers is probably not for you. If, however, you want a scarily insightful narrative that delves into the minds of the characters and builds and builds in atmosphere until the reader simply has to know how the story will resolve itself, then Heidi Perks provides it magnificently. Initially I was unsure if I was going to enjoy The Whispers and yet finished the book completely satisfied and entertained, appreciating the skill with which the author had built her tale.

The characterisation is brilliant. Anna’s disappearance is a catalyst for the present scenarios, but it is the gradual unfolding of the past, the way friendships work, the insidious school gate politics and the manipulative control of relationship dynamics that makes The Whispers so compelling.

I didn’t like any of the characters at all. They are flawed, frequently shallow in behaviour and self-centred so that I was glad they weren’t part of my life. But they are also vivid, realistic, loyal and fascinating so that I loved trying to work out their real thoughts and personalities. I thought Heidi Perks was incredibly skilful in manipulating me as a reader, drawing me in to petty jealousies until I felt as if I were like Grace, watching from a tangential distance in the playground. The Whispers is fascinating in delving into the human psyche.

I think what works so well in The Whispers is that Heidi Perks forces the reader to confront their own personality and loyalties; to consider what friendship really means and to question aspects of others that they simply take for granted. I found this aspect of The Whispers brilliantly constructed and somewhat unnerving. 

From what felt like a slightly unpromising beginning for me, The Whispers ended with me understanding exactly why it had been constructed as it had and realising I had just read a cleverly manipulative story.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.   

About Heidi Perks

Heidi Perks is a Sunday Times bestselling author of Now You See Her, Come Back For Me and Three Perfect Liars. Elements of The Whispers are drawn from Heidi’s own personal experience of making friends at the school gates and the intrigues and dramas of motherly friendships. Heidi Perks’ debut novel Now You See Her twice reached the Sunday Times bestseller list, first in hardback in July 2018 at No.9 and again at No.6 in paperback in March 2019 where it was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick for Spring 2019.

Now You See Her has sold over 300,000 copies across formats to date and has received over a staggering 1000 five start reviews on Amazon from readers, with more than 400,000 copies of Heidi’s books sold in the UK alone. Now You See Her has also been optioned for TV from the production company behind BBC One’s ‘The Miniaturist’ and Channel 4’s ‘National Treasure’. Heidi Perks lives with her family in Bournemouth, and sets all over books on the South Coast of England.

She is a graduate of the inaugural Curtis Brown Creative Online Novel Writing Course (the only creative writing school run by a literary agency). 

Follow Heidi on Twitter @HeidiPerksBooks and join in the conversation with #THEWHISPERS. You’ll also find Heidi on Facebook and Instagram. 

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My thanks to Graeme Williams for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for the paperback release of Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry. I’m delighted to stay in with Jessica today to find out more about the book and only wish I’d had time to squeeze in reading it as it sounds fabulous. Let’s see what Jessica told me:

Staying in with Jessica Barry

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Jessica 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’ve chosen my latest novel, Don’t Turn Around, which is just out in paperback in the UK.

How exciting. Congratulations! What can we expect from an evening in with Don’t Turn Around?

Well, it’s a thriller, so hopefully it’ll have you on the edge of your seat! The novel opens with Cait and Rebecca driving through the night on a deserted road. Their destination is unknown. Out of the darkness, a pair of headlights appear, intent on destruction. The two women – who, up until that night, were strangers to each other – are forced to dig into their pasts to understand who might want to do them harm.

Wow. That sounds brilliant. Tell me more.

It’s a novel about the way in which women coexist with the constant threat of violence.

Anyone could be behind that pair of headlights. Anyone could be waiting for us around a darkened corner, waiting to strike.

You know that old cliché, ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’? For most women, that mantra is a way of life.

And very much resonant with recent events in the world Jessica. I think Don’t Turn Around feels bang up to date.

So far, so dark: I know. But there’s a silver lining in all this, and that’s the way that this fear bonds women together. The risk-assessment calculations make us sharper. The keys clutched between fingers make us tougher. The close calls and rough scrapes and stories of survival make us stronger.

For Cait and Rebecca, in order to survive their night on the road and make it to safety, they will have to work together and learn to trust each other. Their lives depend on it.

Don’t Turn Around sounds absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait to read it. I’m delighted it’s on my TBR.

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

I brought a bottle of bourbon to steady the nerves and a cosy blanket to hide under when things get a bit too tense!

I have a feeling that after reading Don’t Turn Around I might need that drink Jessica. Thanks so much for staying in with me to tell me all about it. Let me give blog readers a few more details.

Don’t Turn Around

TWO STRANGERS. DANGEROUS SECRETS. THEIR ONLY CHANCE IS EACH OTHER.

Cait’s job is to transport women to safety. Out of respect, she never asks any questions. Like most of the women, Rebecca is trying to escape something.

But what if Rebecca’s secrets put them both in danger? There’s a reason Cait chooses to keep on the road, helping strangers. She has a past of her own, and knows what it’s like to be followed.

And there is someone right behind them, watching their every move…

*Named one of the New York Times top 10 crime novels of 2020*

Already available in hardback and e-book, Don’t Turn Around is published by Penguin imprint Vintage and the paperback is available for purchase through the links here.

About Jessica Barry

Jessica Barry is a pseudonym for an American author who has lived and worked in London for the past fifteen years. Look for Me, previously published as Freefall, her debut thriller, has sold in more than twenty-two territories around the world and has also secured a major Hollywood film deal.

You can Follow Jessica on Twitter @jessbarryauthor and you’ll find her on Instagram.

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