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Healing Hearts at the Forever Cottage by Jill Steeples #Review

   I am delighted to feature another in the latest Lower Leaping series set in the Cotswolds, Healing Hearts at the Forever Cottage . It was published by Boldwood Books on February 19th.   The winds of change are sweeping through the idyllic Cotswold village of Lower Leaping. After a tumultuous few months, Tess Alexander is ready to welcome her first guests to The Garden Retreat, a beautiful lodge in the grounds of Hollyhocks Cottage. With her daughter Hannah home from her travels in Australia and her mother, Marjorie, acting out of character, Tess has to juggle many demands on her attention. Even her flourishing relationship with dashing Rob Templeton is put to the test when he faces an emotional dilemma from his past and Barney, her beloved beagle, has her at her wits end. Tess can weather most storms with the unbridling support of her close friends Dilly, Gina and Suzy but when a passing remark in the local pub causes her to question one of those friendships,...
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The Lost Shrine by Nicola Ford #Hills&Barbrook book 2 #Review #Publication Day


 I am delighted to be featuring Nicola Ford's latest novel, The Lost Shrine, on Publication Day.

Clare Hills, archaeologist and sometime sleuth, is struggling to finance her recently established university research institute along with her long-time friend, Dr David Barbrook. When they are offered commercial work with a housing developer on a site in the Cotswolds, the pair are hardly in a position to refuse. There is just one slight catch: the previous site director, Beth Kinsella, was found hanged on-site, surrounded by mutilated wildlife. Despite misgivings, Clare leads a team to continue work on the dig, juggling lingering disquiet between local residents and the developers. When something unsettling is unearthed, will Clare uncover the truth before it is hidden for ever?

My Thoughts

When I reviewed the first in this series,The Hidden Bones, I wrote that I hoped to read more books featuring Clare Hills. Well I got my wish and thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Shrine. As archaeology meets crime fiction, this is a book which totally engages the reader and immerses you in a world which the author knows well. Consequently, it has an authenticity which rings true.

    I found all the characters to be believable and love the connection which is teased between David Barbrook and Claire Hills. In fact all the secondary characters stand out in their own right, with Jo and Margaret being my favourites. The mystery is slowly uncovered, in a painstaking way, mirroring the work on site. In all, it is an entertaining read, written with a fluent writing style and an easy manner. Roll on Book 3!

In short: More secrets are uncovered in the Cotswolds.
 
About the Author



Nicola Ford is the pen-name for archaeologist Dr Nick Snashall, National Trust Archaeologist for the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. Through her day job and now her writing, she’s spent more time than most people thinking about the dead.
 

You can follow Nicola here: Website   |  Facebook   |  Twitter 
                                            |  Instagram

Book link:   Amazon UK

Thanks to Nicola Ford and Lesley Crooks of Allison & Busby for a copy of the book. There will be the opportunity to get the e-book for 99p from 29th May to 5th June.


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