Skip to main content

Featured

Saving Starlight Hall by Debbie Viggiano #Review

  The second in the Starlight Series by Debbie Viggiano , Saving Starlight Hall , was published by  ‎ Unicorn Publishing on 3rd November 2025. You can read my review of Starting Over at Starlight Cottage   here .   Nestled deep in the countryside lies Starlight Croft – population small, gossip levels high, and secrets harder to hide than a cow in a phone box. Jen Armstrong thought she had life more or less under control – marriage ticking along, teenagers on the right side of the law – until hubby Peter unexpectedly demises leaving Jen suddenly single, hugging a secret, and trying very hard not to fall apart in front of the entire village. Just when things couldn’t get messier a For Sale sign appears. The community centre – the only place big enough to host Pilates and the local psychic’s séance nights – goes up for sale. Cue The Starlight Society: a mismatched crew of locals with hearts of gold, questionable strategies a...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

Dead Embers by Matt Brolly


Welcome to Books, Life and Everything! I am so pleased to be part of the Blog Tour to celebrate the digital publication of Dead Embers by Matt Brolly on March 6th. It is the 3rd DCI Michael Lambert novel. 


An explosive fire. A double murder. And that’s just the start…

When DCI Michael Lambert is called out to an apparent house fire, he knows it can’t be routine. Instead he finds the remains of a burnt house, a traumatised child and two corpses - one of whom is a senior police officer.

Lambert’s got other problems. Anti-corruption are onto his boss. His relationships is on the rocks. He can’t get over his ex-wife and he keeps blacking out.

But when a detective has been murdered the stakes are too high to get distracted. All is not as it seems. As the investigation continues Lambert realises he is getting drawn into something altogether bigger and more terrifying than he could ever have imagined…

Trust no one.

My Thoughts 

    This book may be the third in the series featuring DCI Michael Lambert but it stands up as a standalone read. I found the main character of Lambert to be such a strong one, with a complicated backstory. The book appears to have a simple plot at the beginning with a fire leading to the discovery of two bodies but it grows and grows in complexity as the story evolves, in an ingenious way. The central mystery is full of twists and turns, with it seeming that absolutely no one can be trusted. 

     The plot is well paced with plenty of surprises and explosions along the way. Even though police procedurals are not my favourite genre, it kept me hooked right up to the end, although some aspects were very disturbing. The author persuades us to suspend belief and takes the reader along with him through his skilful writing style and rounded central characterisation. 

 In short: pacy, surprising reading with chilling moments.
 
About the Author

Following his law degree where he developed an interest in
criminal law, Matt completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. He reads widely across all genres, and is currently working on the third in his Michael Lambert thriller series. Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children.

You can connect with Matt on   Twitter    Facebook and on his Website. 

Also visit his Goodreads site. 


Thanks to Faye Rogers and the publishers, Canelo, for a copy of the book and a place on the Blog Tour.

Catch up with the rest of the Tour!

 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts