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Second Chances at Hollyhock Farm by Georgina Troy #Review #HollyhockFarmBook2

  Welcome back to the blog to Georgina Troy for another in her Hollyhock Farm series. Second Chances at Hollyhock Farm was published by Boldwood Books on November 7th and takes us back to beautiful Jersey.   Festival season has come to Hollyhock Farm… Since his sister Lettie took over their parents' farm on the beautiful island of Jersey at the start of the year, Zac Torel's life has changed completely. Zac loves Hollyhock Farm, and he's determined to help Lettie succeed, but when their insurance company refuses to pay for the restoration of one of their barns in time for winter, the clock is ticking for the Torrels to raise the money themselves. The siblings decide to host a wellness festival, but with the summer already well underway, they've got their work cut out to get everything ready before the season ends. Lettie recruits the help of Melody, a yoga teacher from Edinburgh. New to the island, Melody is determined to shake things up and make a success o

The Beresford by Will Carver #Review #Giveaway

 

Today's featured novel is an original standalone literary thriller. Will Carver's The Beresford is published on 22nd July by Orenda Books. 


There is also the opportunity for you to win a print copy of the book. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post and the Giveaway is open internationally. 
 
 Just outside the city – any city, every city – is a grand, spacious but affordable apartment building called The Beresford.
 
There’s a routine at The Beresford.
 
For Mrs May, every day’s the same: a cup of cold, black coffee in the morning, pruning roses, checking on her tenants, wine, prayer and an afternoon nap. She never leaves the building. Abe Schwartz also lives at The Beresford. His housemate Smythe no longer does. Because Abe just killed him. In exactly sixty seconds, Blair Conroy will ring the doorbell to her new home and Abe will answer the door. They will become friends. Perhaps lovers.
 
And, when the time comes for one of them to die, as is always the case at The Beresford, there will be sixty seconds to move the body before the next unknowing soul arrives at the door. Because nothing changes at The Beresford, until the doorbell rings... 

Eerie, dark, superbly twisted and majestically plotted, The Beresford is the stunning standalone thriller from one of crime fiction’s most exciting names.

My Thoughts

This has all the hallmarks of Will Carver's individual talent threaded through it. It is arresting, surprising, a little macabre and full of quirky, unsettling characters. A thriller it certainly is, but also, there is a rich vein of black humour which runs throughout and even at the most gruesome moments, you find that you can raise a smile! As each newcomer to The Beresford arrives, you are aware that they all have their own backstory and reason to step outside the mainstream. The storyline keeps you hooked as it twists and turns.

    The house itself, The Beresford, is certainly a powerful presence in the novel. Split into two halves, you can't help but wonder why. The answer is surprising until you realise the significance of the underworld. At the heart of the house is the all-seeing, all-knowing Mrs May. A dear little old lady with a dark secret. This is a highly recommended read. You will need both a strong stomach and a strong sense of humour too!

In short: Hell is other people. 

About the Author


Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series. He spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off. He turned down a professional rugby contract to study  theatre  and  television  at  King  Alfred’s,  Winchester,  where  he  set  up  a  successful  theatre  company.  He  currently  runs  his  own  fitness  and  nutrition  company, and lives in Reading with his two children. Will’s latest title published by  Orenda  Books,  Hinton  Hollow  Death  Trip  was  longlisted  for  the  Not  the  Booker Prize, while Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year and for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell. Good Samaritans was a book of the year in Guardian, Telegraph and Daily Express, and hit number one on the eBook charts.

You can read my review of Good Samaritans here.  Nothing Important Happened Today here and Hinton Hollow Death Trap  here

You can follow Will here:  Twitter  |  Facebook

Book link - you can pre-order here: Amazon UK

Thanks to Will Carver, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

                                      Be sure to check out the rest of this tour!
 

 Giveaway (UK only)



To win a print copy of The Beresford, just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 

Closing date is 11th July 2021 and there is one winner.    
 
*Terms and Conditions –  UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via Tweetdraw from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

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