We are returning to France for another great summer read by Gillian Harvey . The Village Cafe in the Loire was published by Boldwood on July 12th. High-flyer Becky Thorne cannot believe what she’s being told. She doesn’t need to be signed off for burnout! Life has been a bit chaotic lately, that’s all. As if dealing with her enviable job and permanent meddling from her mother aren’t enough, she’s also inherited a café in the Loire from an estranged great-aunt, complete with sitting tenant who refuses to budge. But nobody stands in Becky’s way! Ignoring her best friend Amber’s advice, she decides to storm over to France and sort the tenant out. Then she can finally get the café sold and jump back on the career ladder. What she doesn’t count on is the tenant being Pascale, who is six feet of tall, dark, handsome and extremely grumpy about her plans for change. Not to mention the village and the secrets it holds about her past. Becky’s path to succes...
Deep Down Dead by Steph Broadribb **Blog Tour **
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The Blurb
Lori Anderson is as tough as they come, managing to keep her career as a fearless Florida bounty hunter separate from her role as single mother to nine-year-old Dakota, who suffers from leukaemia. But when the hospital bills start to rack up, she has no choice but to take her daughter along on a job that will make her a fast buck. And that’s when things start to go wrong. The fugitive she’s assigned to haul back to court is none other than JT, Lori’s former mentor – the man who taught her everything she knows … the man who also knows the secrets of her murky past.
Not only is JT fighting a child exploitation racket operating out of one of Florida’s biggest theme parks, but he’s also mixed up with the powerful Miami Mob. With two fearsome foes on their tails, just three days to get JT back to Florida, and her daughter to protect, Lori has her work cut out for her. When they’re ambushed at a gas station, the stakes go from high to stratospheric, and things become personal. Breathtakingly fast-paced, both hard-boiled and
heart-breaking, Deep Down Dead is a simply stunning debut from one of the most exciting new voices in crime
fiction.
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My Thoughts
Deep Down Dead is one of the most fast paced books that I have read. At first, the action sets off steadily but then quickly gains momentum and leaves you slightly breathless as it relentlessly builds up. It is not my usual style of book, but in the end, I found it quite difficult to put down. It is written with such confidence and it beautifully sets up a sequel.
The crowning glory for me is the creation of the main character, Lori Anderson. She seems brash and bold, super confident and a little larger than life but then some of her decisions surprise and confuse you. This is destined to be the first in a series of novels and I am sure that there are enough layers to Lori to carry it off. Set against JT, the chemistry between them crackles off the page.With a shared history, they make a great pairing.
Equally dramatic are the settings that are created and vividly described. It is possible to imagine the book translated onto the big screen. I found the location at the Amusement Park terrific. There was such a contrast between the happy go lucky visitors and the perverted version which is lurking under the surface. It is thoroughly chilling.
In short: a high octane plot and great characters which sweep the reader along.
About the author:
Steph Broadribb was born in Birmingham and grew up in Buckinghamshire. Most of her working life has been spent between the UK and USA. As her alter ego – Crime Thriller Girl – she indulges her love of all things crime fiction by blogging at www.crimethrillergirl.com, where she interviews authors and reviews the latest releases. Steph is an alumni of the MA in
Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at City University London, and she trained as a bounty hunter in California. She lives in Buckinghamshire surrounded by horses, cows and chickens.
Deep Down Dead is her debut novel. Watch out for Deep Blue Trouble in 2018!
Connect with Steph at her website, on Twitter and on Facebook.
Thanks to Karen Sullivan of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the Blog Tour. Catch up with the rest of the Blog Tour!
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