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Crow Moon by Suzie Aspley#Extract #Giveaway #AMarthaStrangewaysInvestigationBook1

  I am delighted to introduce the first in a new series by debut writer, Suzie Aspley . The atmospheric thriller, Crow Moon was published by Orenda on March 14th. Today I have an extract for you to read and the chance to win a print copy of Crow Moon . Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post. When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed… Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire. Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back... When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows. As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes

Tipping Point by Emily Benet #Extract

 

Today I am delighted to bring you an extract from Emily Benet's contemporary novel, Tipping Point which was published on 5th May. First, here's a little about the story:

The sun ... the ocean ... the farmhouse ... the scammer... the police... the 3-legged dog?

George and Ellen have retired to sunny Mallorca. Social butterfly Ellen is itching to make yacht-owning friends while George's heart is set on a secluded farmhouse in the country. In fact, now that they're no longer living busy London lives, they're beginning to realise they have very different ideas of happiness.

Private investigator Salva specialises in cases of adultery. That's why it's particularly embarrassing that he didn't realise his long-term girlfriend has been cheating on him. He has no time to nurse a broken heart, since his family are the victims of a property scam they urgently need him to solve.

Robyn Chase is giving talks on her self-help book, No More Toxic Relationships - 7 Years, 7 Lessons. She's finding it awkward being a relationship guru when her own boyfriend is avoiding her.

The sun is shining in Mallorca and everything looks beautiful. But the residents of one particular apartment block are about to discover it all might be too good to be true.

 

  Extract from Tipping Point with Introduction by Emily Benet

Trouble in Paradise

Ellen and George have retired to the sun-soaked island of Mallorca. Picture coves of crystalline waters, gleaming white yachts on the horizon and sundowners at Mediterranean chic beach clubs. At least, that's what Ellen is daydreaming. Her husband, however, is set on a much less glamorous lifestyle in the rural Mallorcan countryside. What do you do if you escape to paradise only to realise your spouse has an opposing vision? This is one of a number of conundrums the four main characters will need to solve in the novel Tipping Point.

EXTRACT:

Ellen squinted through the spy hole, a glass of white wine growing warm in her hand. What had all that noise been about? She didn’t know if she should be alarmed or pleased. The apartment block had felt like a mausoleum recently. She rather fancied some action.

Most of the flats were holiday homes belonging to people who clearly never took a holiday. It was June, for goodness’s sake. What were they waiting for? It couldn’t possibly get any hotter. She was having four showers a day. Her feet and hands were swollen; her wedding ring looked like it was circling a chipolata.

Of course, George was thrilled by the excessive peace and quiet. He was on a mission to view a falling-down farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. The property had popped up in his inbox one morning and renewed his flagging enthusiasm. Estate agents had insisted there was nothing available for less than a million. Well, it appeared there was, and George wasn’t going to rest until he had seen it.

Who retires to a Mediterranean island to live as far away from the sea as possible? It was true that sand was tedious, but her idea of making fancy yacht-owning friends had kept her going while they were packing up their home back in Kent. She’d daydreamed of sipping cocktails on the sunny deck of a sleek vessel; the men dressed in white linen, the women in oversized sunhats. She’d made the teachers at St Joseph’s green with envy, talking about it in the staff room. They had organised a surprise leaving dinner for her at the OXO Tower in London. Her presents had been a beautiful silk sarong, some diamante flipflops and a fifty pound voucher for a new swimsuit. Ellen didn’t see much point in getting a glamorous bikini if no one was going to see it. That was why her plan had to work.

She turned away from the door and headed on to the balcony, topping her glass up on the way. It was a relief not to have George around making disapproving remarks about her drinking. It was their first month in a foreign land. She’d been taken away from her friends, removed from all that was familiar, and they were staying in temporary accommodation. If that wasn’t grounds for a few extra glasses of Chardonnay, she didn’t know what was. She felt better after the second glass: strong and optimistic and capable of carving out a stylish and entertaining future. In her mind, plain rural became rural chic. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the photographs George had shown her of the country house. For starters, she would turn those chicken coops into Moroccan chill-out areas with twinkly lamps and gigantic cushions. Guests would like that. They wouldn’t want a petting zoo; the only livestock she would consider was lobster.

If that has whetted your appetite, here are the book links: 

 Amazon UK  |  Amazon US

About the Author

 

Emily Benet is a journalist, award-winning blogger and author of contemporary fiction. Her books include the blog-to-book Shop Girl Diaries, Wattpad hit Spray Painted Bananas and social media romcom #PleaseRetweet. She lives in Mallorca with her husband and daughter and the sunny island is the setting for her latest novels The Hen Party and Tipping Point. She writes regularly for the luxury lifestyle magazine abcMallorca.

You can follow Emily here:  Facebook  |   Instagram  |   Twitter

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