Untouchable by Ava Marsh Q+A's & Review

Today, it's my turn on the final day of The Untouchable Blog Tour and I'm delighted that I was asked to participate with some great Book Bloggers.  I'd like to say thank you so much to Ava for taking the time to answer the questions that I put to her.  You can read my review of Untouchable at the end of these Q+A's.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I suppose I always wanted to be a writer, but it took me years to screw up the courage to properly try. I was terrified of failing at the thing I most wanted to do, so it was easier to channel my creative energy into things like journalism, where the stakes weren’t as high.

Eventually, however, the nagging sense that I was letting time slip away brought me to the point where I made a proper commitment to fiction. Once I got my head around the fact that writing was something you could learn, and that initial rejection was normal, I never looked back. I regret those wasted years though. I wish I’d had more confidence in myself.

What books have most influenced your life?

I’ll pick three. ‘The Master and Margarita’ by Mixhail Bulgakov is my favourite novel, essentially because it works on so many levels: satire, political commentary, social history, a love story, even a ‘historical’ insight into the encounter between Jesus and Pontius Pilate. It opened my eyes to how much you could do with a novel – though of course it helps to be a Russian genius.

‘The White Hotel’ by D M Thomas has had the most impact on me of any book ever written. I cannot describe the emotional punch of this now somewhat neglected novel. I was devastated by it. I’m scared to ever go back and reread– I am not sure I could cope with going through that particular journey again.

‘American Psycho’ by Brett Easton Ellis. Love him or hate him, Easton Ellis is a prodigy. I adored this book, the way it played with reality, with satire, with character and notions of identity. I love books that toy with the reader. And it’s hugely funny, despite all the gory bits.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Hmmm… I think I’d have to say all those writers who are generous enough to share their journey, their struggles to learn the craft, to overcome rejection. They helped me get over the idea that writers are born rather than made, and that if you’re any good, you’ll be a literary genius from the first moment you set pen to paper. It’s not like that. You become good by increments, a never-ending process of improvement.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

I think the greatest challenge with Untouchable was structural. I like character-driven books which start slowly and build up, but so often in crime writing there’s a pressure to have a death right up in the early chapters. I wanted a balance where the reader gets to know Grace a little before the murder kicks off, whilst keeping the novel within the remit of a crime thriller.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?  

Rewriting. Like most authors, I dread the editing process. There’s nothing worse than having to excise a chapter, a character, or prose you’ve spent hours crafting. It’s almost physically painful, but necessary; a good editor helps you see what needs to change or delete, for the greater good of the story as a whole.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Fab question! I am neck-deep in changing my latest book, Exposure, currently in the thick of structural edits – I’m at the stage where I feel lost in the woods with only my edit notes to guide me to safety.

In terms of Untouchable, I don’t think so. I had to get rid of a character I was extremely fond of – Lennox, Grace’s gay friend and personal trainer – but he’s been partially reincarnated as Nelson in Exposure, so I am grieving a little less now.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? 

I loved SJI Holliday’s debut, Black Wood and Ruth Ware’s In a Dark, Dark Wood. I’m about to read In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward, which I’ve been hearing so many good things about, and Tenacity by J S Law. I also enjoyed I Let You Go, by Clare Mackintosh, which is fast becoming a runaway bestseller.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Exposure is set in the world of porn, and is essentially the story of Leanne Jenkins - aka Kitty Sweet - now incarcerated in prison on a life sentence for double murder. It’s a very different story to Untouchable, and like many second novels, proving a pig to get right. Pray for me. I need all the help I can get.

Thanks to Sophie Christopher and Transworld, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review..................

Attraction can be fatal..........

Grace is an escort in London, she is an expensive and high class one at that but is known as Stella by her clients and colleagues.  She also works as a telephonist in a rape crisis centre.  Stella has a "party piece" that makes her rather popular but you get the sense from the start that this life is her way of hiding from her past but what has happened to make her choose this life? When a fellow escort Amanda is found murdered and Grace realises that a party they attended together could be the key to her murder. Is it possible that she can work out why Amanda was killed without putting herself in more danger or before it's too late!??

This is the first book by Ava Marsh and what a debut it was, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint. This novel is like a rollercoaster ride and I was hooked from the beginning. I would state that due to mature content, I would recommend this for readers aged 18+. It is pretty gritty book in parts and there are alot of graphic scenes of prostitution and sex and it might not be to everyone's cup of tea but I thought that it was tastefully written. There were a few parts I did squirm through so it's definitely not for the fainthearted. I am really looking forward to reading more from Ava Marsh as she's definitely an author to watch and I would highly recommend this so don't say I never told you.

Untouchable is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores and is currently £1.99 at the time of publication of this review.

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

Thanks to Headline and Elizabeth Masters I recieved a copy of this in exchange for an honest review..........

The story opens where we meet Emma Cartwright, 3 years ago she was Susan Webster, she murdered her twelve-week-old son Dylan and is now a child killer. Susan was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for her crime, and four weeks ago she was released early on parole with her new identity, address and a chance to rebuild her life that's been destroyed.

Apart from the authorities and her best friend Cassy who was a fellow inmate she befriended but has now also been released, nobody else was supposed to know where Susan was living. However, one morning whilst alone in her new home, an envelope is pushed through her door; it contains a photograph of a young boy and written on the back was “Dylan – January 2013”. Now Susan starts to question everything she has believed, she has no memory of the event, but Dylan is dead, she killed him, didn't she!?

Jenny Blackhurst has written a very clever debut thriller. Throughout the story there are separate chapters of the present and the past, going back in time to 1987 about a group of boys who meet at school and who are follow through to university. I did have my suspicions about certain people but I was completely wrong with the outcome. Family secrets and a web of lies kept me gripped and I couldn't get to the end quick enough. I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint and would recommend it. I look forward to reading more work from Jenny Blackhurst and hopefully it won't be too long until I do.

How I Lost You is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores. It is only 99p on Kindle and the time of the publication of this review.

Fairytale Beginnings by Holly Martin

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest review...........

Meet Milly Rose, a hopeless romantic who has had her fair share of heartbreak. Obsessed with all things Disney (who isn't?) but she refuses to give up on finding her Prince Charming  he has to be out there somewhere, isn’t he?

Milly is given a job to investigate the origins of an historical building in the village of Clovers Rest, she’s not sure what to expect. What she discovers takes her breath away - a beautiful real life Cinderella castle, complete with turrets, a magnificent drawbridge AND a very handsome owner, Cameron Heartstone.  As they both work together and begin to unearth family secrets and ghosts that haunt the Clover Castle, they can ignore the intense chemistry building between them, can't they!? Can they take a big leap of faith and find their own happily-ever-after?

I really enjoyed this book and I definitely needed this uplifting tale as I'd been having a tough few weeks and reading alot of heavy themed book so this book was very welcome.  This was a very bittersweet & heart-warming read, the story flows well throughout the book.  This is the first book I've read by Holly and I really enjoyed it. I read in a couple of days, it kept me turning the pages until the very end.  This story had it all with a little bit of humor, friendship and love - I found I had a little tear in my eye at the end along with shedding a few along the way, so grab this book, curl up on the couch and prepare to have a few lump in your throat moments too.  It definitely didn't disappoint.  Now excuse me while I go plan my Disney themed wedding.

Fairytale Beginnings is available on Kindle and from all good bookstores and is only 99p at publication of this review.

Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville

Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Netgalley, I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.....

One Crime.  Two Brothers.  Seven Years of Secrets.

Ciaran and Thomas Devine are brothers, they'd been in and out of foster homes ever since their mother and father died.  Ciaran made Belfast headlines seven years ago as the “schoolboy killer,” is about to walk free.   At the age of twelve, he confessed to the brutal murder of his foster father, he tells the police that his brother Thomas had tried to stop him but he did it because the foster father was doing bad things to Thomas.  Ciaran's testimony reduced the sentence of his older brother, Thomas, who was also found at the crime scene, covered in blood.

The story  follows four key characters; Ciaran, Thomas, DCI Serena Flanagan and Probation Officer Paula Cunningham and  are perfectly written along two timeframes and is narrated in each character's point of view.  DCI Serena Flanagan has just returned to the department after recovering from breast cancer.  Probation Officer Paula Cunningham has been working with Ciaran to help him adjust to his release from prison.

This book is brilliant, it had me gripped from the first few pages right through to the end. I even had to slow down reading it as I didn't want it to end. The story does cover alot of subjects and situations which we're all too familiar with on a daily basis, from bullying, violence to paedophilia, whether it's on the news or in the papers, this story was near enough to real life. It is a pretty gritty book so it's definitely not for the fainthearted.  This is the first time that I've read a book by Stuart Neville, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint.  This is the first book in a new series I am hoping that it won't be too long until we meet DCI Serena Flanagan again and I am really looking forward to Stuart's next book already.  This is a 'must read' for all crime thriller fans.

Those We Left Behind is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and Netgalley, I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review......

Someone's getting married................someone's getting murdered.

Norah is a writer and one day out of the blue whilst checking her emails she notices that she's received an email with an invitation to Clare's hen do, they were once best friends but she hasn't seen her for the last 10 years.  Initially, Norah decides not to go and debates whether to delete the email or not but when she contacts one of the girls from the group from years ago she changes her mind and ends up at the Glass House in a remote part of Northumberland.   There are six people in total for this hen weekend; Norah, Clare, Flo, Tom, Melanie and Nina.  They are all really complete strangers to each other in an isolated location, cut off from the rest of the world and as the snow begins to fall the phone lines go down and mobile coverage is scarce.   Clare's friend Flo has organised the whole weekend down to the finest details and the party begins. The story flicks between the past and the present,  where 48 hours after the party begun we meet Norah in hospital under police guard with no recollection of how or why she's there.......

This book is brilliant, it had me gripped from the first few pages right through to the end, a real page turner and there were some great twists and turns too.  I even had to slow down reading it as I didn't want it to end.  It's a bit creepy in parts and definitely not for the fainthearted especially towards the end.   I thought that I'd worked out the killer halfway through it in my mind but I was wrong.  So, the next time you receive an invitation to something you may think twice of accepting after reading this book.

This is Ruth Ware's debut novel, I didn't just like it, I LOVED it and it definitely didn't disappoint.  I would definitely recommend this book.  I am really looking forward to Ruth's next book already.

In A Dark, Dark Wood is available on Kindle & in all good bookshops since 30th July 2015.

The Girl Who Broke the Rules by Marnie Riches - COVER REVEAL

Hi everyone,

I was really excited to receive an email last week asking me to do a cover reveal so I'd like to say a huge thanks to Kate Ellis from Harper Collins for been given this huge opportunity to host the cover reveal for The Girl Who Broke The Rules by Marnie Riches, which is the second book in the George McKenzie trilogy and is due to be released on 20th August and I really can't wait to read it as I am also going be part of the blog tour for The Girl Who Broke The Rules in September which I'm really looking forward too already.  I really can't wait for this and can it be pre-ordered on Amazon.  The Girl Who Wouldn't Die is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.

So without further ado, here it is.............................

What’s in store next for George McKenzie?

When the mutilated bodies of two sex-workers are found in Amsterdam, Chief Inspector van den Bergen must find a brutal murderer before the red-light-district erupts into panic.

Georgina McKenzie is conducting research into pornography among the UK’s most violent sex-offenders but once van den Bergen calls on her criminology expertise, she is only too happy to come running.

The rising death toll forces George and van den Bergen to navigate the labyrinthine worlds of Soho strip-club sleaze and trans-national human trafficking. And with the case growing ever more complicated, George must walk the halls of Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, seeking advice from the brilliant serial murderer, Dr. Silas Holm…

A Single Breath by Lucy Clarke

The deeper the water, the darker the secrets..........


Meet Eva who has been happily married to Jackson for the past 8 months.  Jackson is a fisherman and decides to leave that morning to go down to the rocks and make a start on catching fish but the weather is horrendous, a huge wave comes in and sweeps Jackson out to sea where he tragically drowns.  Eva has to eventually face up to the reality that Jackson is gone but his body never found.  She is devastated, the man she adored has now gone and left her alone.  She met Jackson on a plane, he is from Tasmania. They lived together in London, as happy as can be until the fateful day.

Eva never met Jackson's family so she decides to leave everything behind including her mother and job and travel to Tasmania to find out more about her husband's life, family and friends, she never got to meet anyone and is looking for closure in whatever way she can.   Will she find the truth?  Will she find the answers and the closure she is looking for?   Will her heart heal?  What impact will all these events have on her as a person and her life?

I really enjoyed this book…..a lot!  I could visualise myself sitting in a beach-hut in Tasmania soaking up the sun and the heat while looking out at the sea.  This was no way a chic-lit book, more of a thriller as the chapters gathered pace and webs of lies were spun and secrets kept that they all hoped would be kept that way forever.  I would recommend this for readers who like thrillers or mysteries with a twist but if you're looking for a read about love, family, friendship and how far people will go to keep secrets buried then grab this book, curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and a large bar of chocolate and sink into the story.

This is Lucy Clarke's second novel, the first been Sea Sisters which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I'm really looking forward to Lucy's new novel, The Blue which is due to be published in August 2015.

A Single Breath is available on Kindle and in all good bookstores.