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Mix-U{ Under the Mistletoe by Margaret Amatt #Review #GlenbriarSeriesBook11

  We are returning to the beautiful Scottish Highlands for Margaret Amatt's eleventh in her Glenbriar  Series, Mix-Up Under the Mistletoe. This latest festive novel was published on 23rd November by Leannan Press .   She’s always on the outside looking in, but his door might just be the one to open for her this Christmas. ‘Her name’s Tilly. Tilly Thorpe. She lives in London.’   To stop his family from speculating about his love life, travel company CEO Rafe Harrington casually drops Tilly Thorpe’s name as his girlfriend. After all, they’ll never meet – she’s just a name he saw on a rival company’s website. But when Rafe arrives at his family’s home in Glenbriar for Christmas, he’s shocked to find ‘his girlfriend’ waiting for him. He has some explaining to do and so does Tilly. Why did Rafe’s family welcome her with open arms when she’s little more than a spy? Someone who’s trying hard to please her superiors, hoping it’ll bring some desperately desired happiness to h

The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen #Review #Giveaway #RabbitFactorBook3

 

Welcome back to another Orenda Book Tour with Antti Tuomainen. The Beaver Theory was published on October 12th.  I also have a print copy for you to win. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.

Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…

As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…

Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.

In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…

Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell

My Thoughts

This is the final novel in this quirky trilogy and although you can read it as a standalone, it will always be more satisfying to read its predecessors. Henri is a complicated character, who takes a black and white approach to life. As an actuary, he is used to taking a very logical and mathematical method to solve problems. He feels safer if he applies this method to other areas of his life. Henri has found love and at the beginning of the story, has made the monumental step of moving in with Laura and her daughter. An artist, they could not be mor different.

    There is a lot of humour to be found in Henri’s new life as he finds himself involved in the dad’s club as part of his family responsibilities. Added to this, the Amusement Park he owns finds itself pitted against a rival one which seems to be out to close him down. Murders follow and Henri finds himself applying his logical brain to discover the culprits. There is warmth and hope in Henri’s relationships with his staff which seem to take him by surprise. As you watch Henri trying to make sense of his relationships, you see his vulnerability and desire to belong. This is an entertaining read with a distinctive and individual style which gets your attention and keeps you enthralled to the end.

In short: quirky and distinctive crime writing.

 

About the Author

Finnish Antti Tuomainen was an award-winning copywriter when he made his literary debut in 2007 as a suspense author. In 2011, Tuomainen’s third novel, The Healer, was awarded the Clue Award for ‘Best Finnish Crime Novel of 2011’ and was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award. Two years later, in 2013, the Finnish press crowned Tuomainen the ‘King of Helsinki Noir’ when Dark as My Heart was published. With a piercing and evocative style, Tuomainen was one of the first to challenge the Scandinavian crime genre formula, and his poignant, dark and hilarious The Man Who Died (2017) became an international bestseller, shortlisting for the Petrona and Last Laugh Awards. Palm Beach Finland (2018) was an immense success, with The Times calling Tuomainen ‘the funniest writer in Europe’.


 You can read my review of The Rabbit Factor here and The Moose Paradox here.
 
You can follow Antti here: Website   |  Twitter   |  Instagram
                                           | Facebook  

Book links: Amazon UK
 

Thanks to Antti Tuomainen, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the Blog Tour.
 
Check out these great bloggers! 
 

Giveaway  (UK only)
 

To win a print copy of The Beaver Theory just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!
 
Closing date is 5th November 2023 and there is one winner.    
 
*Terms and Conditions – UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via a random retweet selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (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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