Tag: kindle

Price Drop Alert: #MyLittleEye just £1.99 on #Kindle for limited time! #crimefiction

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MLE 1.99 Q1

Quick, listen up… the ebook of My Little Eye – my brand new ‘hunt for a serial killer’ thriller is on a special £1.99 price promotion on Kindle.

My Little Eye came out last month in ebook and I’ve been thrilled at the rave reviews it’s been getting from readers, bloggers and fellow crime writers. Here’s a couple of examples of what people are saying:

“My Little Eye is an enthralling, intriguing and twisty tale for all of us armchair detectives who think we know it all.” Liz Nugent, author of LYING IN WAIT and UNRAVELLING OLIVER. 

“The first novel in what promises to be a riveting new series, My Little Eye is a one-sitting read: gripping, clever and worryingly plausible.” Mick Herron, author of SLOW HORSES and SPOOK STREET

“My Little Eye is a bang on psychological thriller of the most addictive kind.” Goodreads

“Beautifully paced writing that had me speeding through every chapter at a rate of knots. Easily one of my favourite reads this year so far.” Goodreads

 

Fancy finding out what My Little Eye is all about? Well, here’s the blurb…

Can a group of true crime addicts take on the police to catch a serial killer? Could you catch the killer? 

Clementine Starke thinks she can. As a string of young women are found dead in their homes surrounded by rose petals, it’s becoming clear that London has a new serial killer; ‘The Lover’. Reeling from her own disturbing past, Clementine bands together with an online crime collective and immerses herself in the case, desperate to beat the police and catch The Lover before he kills again. But with the body count rising, Clementine discovers that trying to catch a killer is safer from behind a keyboard.

If My Little Eye sounds like your sort of read then click on this link to Amazon UK to grab it at the bargain price of £1.99.

MY LITTLE EYE ROSE 1.99

CTG’S BOOK NEWS: #MyLittleEye out in ebook now!

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Yesterday my first book under the pen name Stephanie Marland was published. It was thrilling to see the ebook delivered to my Kindle first thing in the morning (yes, I bought my own ebook!) and it’s so exciting to see the story out there in the world. I spent the day on Twitter, FaceBook and Instagram, and the night drinking prosecco!

It’s the first in the Starke and Bell crime thriller series and is published by Trapeze (who are part of Orion). The paperback will be out in April 2018.

HERE’S THE BLURB:

Can a group of true crime addicts take on the police to catch a serial killer?

Could you catch a killer?

Clementine Starke thinks she can. As a string of young women are found dead in their homes surrounded by rose petals, it’s becoming clear that London has a new serial killer; ‘The Lover’. Reeling from her own disturbing past, Clementine bands together with an online crime collective and immerses herself in the case, desperate to beat the police and catch The Lover before he kills again. But with the body count rising, Clementine discovers that trying to catch a killer is safer from behind a keyboard.

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

‘The first novel in what promises to be a riveting new series, My Little Eye is a one-sitting read: gripping, clever and worryingly plausible.’ Mick Herron author of REAL TIGERS and SPOOK STREET

‘My Little Eye is an enthralling, intriguing and twisty tale for all of us armchair detectives who think we know it all.’ Liz Nugent, author of LYING IN WAIT and UNRAVELLING OLIVER

‘A clever, twisting, nightmare-inducing read, I couldn’t put this one down’ Chris Whitaker, author of ALL THE WICKED GIRLS

‘Ingeniously plotted and perfectly chilling, Marland knows how to ratchet up the tension and keep her readers balancing on the edge. A dark, mysterious thriller with characters you can’t wait to meet again. I loved it.’ Susi Holliday, author of THE DEATHS OF DECEMBER

‘A masterclass in pacing & such an original take on the serial killer thriller’ Eva Dolan, author of THIS IS HOW IT ENDS

‘This is a multi-layered, gripping read steeped in authenticity that will keep you up at night.’ Catherine Ryan Howard, author of DISTRESS SIGNALS

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE? 

Hop over to Amazon UK HERE or Amazon US HERE

CTG Exclusive: Chris Ewan talks rebooting the Good Thief’s Guide series

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Today the fabulous Chris Ewan – a great crime writer and all-round good guy – is reissuing the first few books in his awesome Good Thief’s Guide… series.  

To celebrate, Chris is taking the controls for the day at CTG HQ to tell us more about the series and how it came about.

Over to Chris…

Just lately, I’ve been in the process of reissuing the first five titles in my Good Thief’s Guide To … series of mystery novels as ebooks in the UK. (I’ve priced them very reasonably! You should totally check them out!) The novels are fun, fast-paced capers about globetrotting crime writer and thief-for-hire Charlie Howard, with each book set in a different international city, ranging from Amsterdam to Paris, Las Vegas, Venice and Berlin.

One of the most interesting parts for me in reissuing the books has been the opportunity to read them again and remember all of the experiences and ideas that went into each one – from the research trips I made to the cities I was writing about, to learning how to pick locks and crack safes, to figuring out (usually after a LOT of swearing) whodunnit and why. As I thought about some of those experiences, it occurred to me that it might be a nice idea to include a letter to readers in the back of each of the reissued books sharing a few of my memories.

Which brings us to the letter below. It’s a slightly amended version of the letter I’ve included in the back of my first Good Thief’s Guide novel, The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam, and it tells the story of how I got published for the first time. It took me a while to get there – a little under a decade – but the story has a pretty neat ending, I think. I hope you enjoy reading about it. And hey, if you fancy checking out one of my Good Thief’s Guides while you’re at it, I’d be doubly thrilled.

*

Dear Reader

In 2006, when I was twenty-nine years old, I made my wife a promise. I had spent most of my twenties pursuing my dream of becoming a published author. I had written in the early mornings before work, in the evenings and nights after work, and all day every weekend. In that time, I had written and endlessly rewritten three novels. I’d been taken on by a literary agent but I hadn’t got my break. Eventually, my wife pointed out that I was spending more time in my makeshift study with the imaginary people in my head than I was with her. She was right, and I felt bad about it, and so I promised her that if I wasn’t published by the time I was thirty, I would take a breather for a few years. (I still wasn’t prepared to give up on the dream quite yet).

That year, I happened to be working on a book about a burglar set in Amsterdam. I chose Amsterdam because I had lived there for six months when I was training to be a lawyer and I had fallen in love with the city. I chose a burglar because I’ve always enjoyed crime novels about crooks. And I made my lead character a writer of mystery novels because I wanted to write about my love of the genre. I called the book The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam.

One day, some time around April, I think, when I had just completed yet another draft of the book, a colleague at my law firm on the Isle of Man came into my office and asked me if I had seen that the author Susan Hill was running a competition for unpublished writers. Anyone could submit their work and the winner would have their book published by Susan’s small publishing company, Long Barn Books. I emailed my novel to the competition in the secret hope that if I was very lucky I might get a small word of feedback from Susan, perhaps even a gem of advice.

Many months went by. Then, on a day in September, the same colleague stuck their head into my office to say that I should look at Susan’s website because my book was on the shortlist for the award. A week later, my phone went at work. I picked it up and a voice on the other end said, “Hello, this is Susan Hill. You’ve won my competition. You’re going to be a published author.”

That phone call changed my life. It remains the single best phone call I’ve ever received. And it reached me one week before I turned thirty.

Since then, The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam has gone on to be published in thirteen countries around the world. It has led to four more Good Thief’s Guides, set in Paris, Las Vegas, Venice and Berlin. The books have been optioned for television three times and they set me on my way to realizing an even bigger dream of becoming a full-time writer. I am itching to write more books in the series, and with your support, I hope there may be many more Good Thief’s Guides to come.

But none of this would be possible, or worthwhile, without you. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this book and for becoming such a crucial part of the Good Thief’s Guides story.

These books are brilliant. I recommend you read them right now! As a fabulous bonus the Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam is only 99p on Kindle right now, and the Good Thief’s Guides Box Set just £6.99.

Here are the links…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Thiefs-Guide-Amsterdam-Guides-ebook/dp/B071F6PBQM/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Thiefs-Guides-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B072LXDRWB/

And be sure to pop by Chris Ewan’s website and follow him on all the social media sites to stay up to date with his news

www.chrisewan.com

www.facebook.com/chrisewanauthor

Twitter: @chrisewan

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CTG Reviews: Summerchill by Quentin Bates

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Summerchill cover image

Summerchill cover image

What the blurb says: “It’s the tail end of a hot summer when half of Reykjavík is on holiday and the other half wishes it was. Things are quiet when a man is reported missing from his home in the suburbs. As Gunna and Helgi investigate, it becomes clear that the missing man had secrets of his own that lead to a sinister set of friends, and to someone with little to lose who is a fugitive from both justice and the underworld. It becomes a challenge for Gunna to tail both the victim and his would-be executioner, racing to catch up with at least one of them before they finally meet.”

This pacey novella is a perfect weekend read. Published this month, it continues Quentin Bates’ popular Icelandic detective series and, at 142 pages, is a perfect stop-gap to tide you over until his next novel comes out.

The story focuses on Logi, a carpenter (amongst other things!) who finds himself doing a job for some people who turn out to be rather dodgy. As one incident leads to another Logi finds himself getting deeper into trouble and is soon forced to take some dramatic actions of his own.

As their investigation for the missing man encounters dead ends and non co-operative witnesses Gunna and Helgi have to draw on all of their resources to piece together what has happened. The story thunders along as both criminals and police race to locate their target before its too late.

Although the story follows Gunna and Helgi’s investigation, it’s more about the criminal underworld lurking beneath the surface of Reykjavík. It immerses the reader into the world Logi becomes drawn into, highlighting some of the illegal practices and the ways in which criminal gangs extort money from the vulnerable and unsuspecting.

Recommended for fans of Icelandic noir and police procedurals.

You can find out more about Quentin Bates by hoping over to his website at www.graskeggur.com and follow him on Twitter @graskeggur

You can also read a guest post by Quentin Bates on his experiences in translating Icelandic Crime fiction here

 

 

 

 

CTG Reviews: Shallow Waters by Rebecca Bradley

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Shallow Waters cover image

Shallow Waters cover image

What the blurb says: “When the naked, battered body of an unidentified teenager is found dumped in an alleyway, post-mortem finds evidence of a harrowing series of events. Another teenage death with the same MO pushes DI Hannah Robbins and her team in the Nottingham City division of Major Crime Unit, to their limits, and across county borders. In a race against the clock, they attempt to unpick a thick web of lies and deceit to uncover the truth behind the deaths. But it doesn’t stop there. When catching a killer isn’t enough, just how far are the team willing to push themselves to save the next girl?”

Shallow Waters is the first book in the DI Hannah Robbins series. From the opening page to the final one, this is a tense, suspense-filled read. Hauntingly dark, and highly emotive, the child abduction storyline hooked me as a reader and compelled me to keep reading.

DI Hannah Robbins is an action orientated and dynamic lead. Striving for justice, and determined to get to the ringleader of the gang, she follows the evidence and motivates her team to go over and above in order to solve the case. She’s also trying to navigate a rather tricky new personal relationship, getting up close and personal with Ethan Gale – a local journalist covering the case – which may not be her wisest move.

What I really liked about this book is the way that the layers of complexity and deeper mystery are gradually revealed. DI Robbins and her team uncover an operation far more shocking and wide-reaching than they could ever have anticipated, as what at first seemed to be a single incident is soon found to be one of several, and the abductor one of many. Packed with twists and turns, this is an investigation that gets into your mind and stays with you long after you’ve put the book down.

Shallow Waters is perfect for fans of gritty police procedurals.

Recommended.

 

[with thanks to Rebecca Bradley for my copy of Shallow Waters]

 

CTG Reviews: TAKEDOWN by Brett Battles and Robert Gregory Browne

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TAKEDOWN cover image (Kindle)

TAKEDOWN cover image (Kindle)

What the blurb says: “After an op in Istanbul goes sour, all Alexandra Poe wants is a little down time, and a chance to finally sell off the family vacation home in Key Largo which carries too many painful memories.

Instead, she finds herself on a private Bahamian island, working with Deuce and Cooper to relieve a human rodent of some very sensitive codes, and to take down one of the world’s most notorious terrorists. Just another job for Stonewell International. Or is it?

What Alex doesn’t realize is that she’s about to get caught up in a twisted maze of shifting allegiances that forces her to face those painful memories head on–even if it’s the last thing she ever does…”

This second book in the Alexandra Poe thriller series is actually the first one I’ve read. The series is a collaboration written by two authors already well known in the genre – Brett Battles (Barry Award winning author, founder member of Killer Year, and member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America) and Robert Gregory Browne (AMPAS Nicholl Fellowship-winning screenwriter and ITW Thriller Award-nominated novelist).

It’s an action-paced, fast paced, adrenalin-rush of a read from the opening chapter to the last. Alexandra Poe is a skilled and smart operative, hunting her mark and adapting her plans as problems threaten the mission. She’s used to being in control, but on this job something is different – her focus is off, the conflict she’s feeling over an offer on her parents’ beach house is preying on her mind.

Then people from her personal life start showing up in the most unexpected, and dangerous, locations. It seems that the job on the beautiful Bahamian island isn’t all that she and the team believed it to be. As the bodycount rises, and danger closes in, Alexandra has to figure out who she can really trust, because one wrong move and her and her team won’t be making it off the island alive.

I devoured this book in a weekend. It’s a fun and lively read, and a must for all those who enjoy a fast-paced action thriller.

Highly Recommended.

 

[I bought my own Kindle copy of TAKEDOWN]

EDEN by Dean Crawford

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EDEN cover image

EDEN cover image

What the blurb says: “If the world feel apart overnight, what would you do to protect your family? When a horrific natural disaster causes the collapse of civilisation and strands Cody Ryan deep inside the Arctic Circle, he is forced to embark upon an impossible journey. Thousands of miles from home in a brutal new world where only the strongest will survive, Cody and his companions must conquer seemingly insurmountable odds in  a search for their loved ones, the limits of their own humanity and the rumoured last refuge of mankind … Eden.”

Be warned. This isn’t a book for the faint-hearted.

Cody Ryan, a family man with a dark secret, takes a last minute job to fill in for an injured team member on a scheduled research expedition to the Arctic Circle. What he doesn’t know is that the team have been put together not only for the advertised research into the Arctic environment, but also to ensure a clash of personalities for a secondary covert research mission investigating the effect of isolated environments on teams as preparation for future landings on Mars.

In the first part of the book the team struggle to acclimatise in the remote and unforgiving Arctic conditions. When the team leader suspects that the secret Cody is trying to keep hidden involves a murder, tension comes to a head between the two.  This, combined with the team fracturing into two groups and the rising distrust, and dislike, amongst team members adds to the conflict.

But when all personnel on the Army base nearby evacuate their posts without warning, the story takes an even more dramatic turn. Following a solar storm, the team are left with no means of communication, dwindling supplies and injured team members. With little choice they decide to battle the elements to get out of the Arctic and reunite with their families. It’s only when they make contact with a ship that they realise the full impact of the situation, and at this point the story turns into a true post-apocalyptic thriller.

As the story takes on a global scale, each of the characters is forced to consider just how far they are willing to abandon their values, and their humanity, in order to get home. With echos of the social disintegration issues explored in The Road, LOST and The Walking Dead, the answer certainly isn’t always pleasant, but it does make for some gripping reading.

Personally, and as someone who hasn’t read a great deal of post-apocalyptic thrillers, I found it a little difficult to suspend disbelief at times (I won’t say why, no spoilers here!) but I still wanted to keep reading. The epic nature of the story reminded me of films like The Day After Tomorrow and the fabulous techno-thrillers of the late Michael Crichton.

A vivid, thought provoking and page-turner of a read.

Recommended.

[with thanks to Dean Crawford for my Kindle copy of EDEN]

You know you need another bookcase when …

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many books!

many books!

 

I love books.

It’s a simple fact.

The problem is, even though I’ve got a Kindle, I’m still hopelessly addicted to hardbacks and paperbacks.

And that’s a problem. I’m always running out of shelf-space and so my books begin to take over the floor – I think the photo speaks for itself!

What’s your solution to an ever increasing book collection?

Single or Multiple: what kind of a reader are you?

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books

books

What kind of reader are you?

I must confess I struggle to read one book at a time. I usually have two or three on the go at once: a hardback or paperback fiction, a non-fiction, and then a kindle or ePub fiction.

I read them at different times of the day, in different locations.

For example, a paper book is best to read in the bath for me, because I’m very likely to dip it in the water by accident.

But a kindle or ePub book is easier to grab for a quick ten minutes during my lunch break at work.

On the train it’s got to be a paperback or kindle/ePub – a hardback is just too heavy! Although, if it’s an excellent story by one of my favorite writers I’ll often make an exception.

And in bed any format works.

So, I guess that makes me a multiple kind of girl.

What about you?