The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames: Review & Excerpt

About the Book

London, 1910. Lily is ten years old when she realizes her grandmother, a washerwoman in the backstreets of London's Bermondsey, is seriously ill. She's determined to do what can she can to help and keep her grandmother's illness a secret – even from her beloved twin, Artie. But Gran isn't getting any better, and there's only so much Lily can do...

When tragedy strikes and the twins are faced with the prospect of a workhouse or an orphanage, a benefactor offers to take Artie in and educate him. All Artie's needs will be taken care of – but the gentleman has no use for a girl. The twins have lost everything they knew and loved, but they never thought they'd lose each other.

As the orphan twins grow up and take different paths, their new lives are beyond anything they could have imagined. Will they ever find a way to be together again?

Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey 1910

About the Author

Lesley Eames was born in Manchester but currently living in Hertfordshire, Lesley’s career has included law and charity fundraising. She is now devoting her time to her own writing and to teaching creative writing to others. In addition to selling almost 90 short stories to the women’s magazine market, Lesley has won the Festival of Romance’s New Talent Award and the Romantic Novelists’ Associations Elizabeth Goudge Cup.

Workhouse Dining Hall

Author Links

Twitter: @LesleyEames

Facebook: @LesleyEamesWriter

Bakery & Confectionery 1908

My Thoughts

The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames is an engaging historical novel.   Lily Tomkins and her twin brother, Artie live with their Gran on Jessey Street in Bermondsey in 1910.  Lily is just ten years old when she notices that Gran is unwell.  Gran passes within a year leaving the twins with just each other.  Artie is fortunate to have found a benefactor in Mr. Crispin Alderton.  He agrees to take in Artie and provide him with an excellent education which will allow him to obtain a good position later.  Lily is sent to Booth’s Cottage Schools in Sevenoaks where she will train for life as a domestic.  The twins will need to work hard to get ahead and fight to keep in touch with each other.  I thought The Orphan Twins was well-written and it moved along at a good pace.  The characters are developed, and I enjoyed following the twins’ journey.  We get to see how differently boys and girls were treated.  The Orphan Twins is told from Lily’s point-of-view.  Lily Tomkins is smart, and she knows that she wants more out of her life.  Artie is given a great opportunity (one Lily would have loved) and Lily encourages Artie to accept it.  The education of a boy was considered a higher priority than that of a female.  We get to see the differences in the twins’ lifestyle.  I thought the author captured the time-period with the clothing, books, attitudes, and historical events.  There are great descriptions of London and the scenic places the characters visited.  Lesley Eames brought the setting to life with her vivid word imagery.  The Orphan Twins is an emotional novel about love, family, trust, friends, and hope.  We get to see good times and the bad (make sure to have tissues handy).  The ending was just lovely.  My favorite phrases from The Orphan Twins is, “It isn’t how much money a person has that matters.  It’s what’s in their hearts.”  The Orphan Twins is a captivating historical novel with a raging war, fine friends, tons of tea, romantic despairs, ingenious ideas, and steadfast siblings.

Excerpt

‘How much would this errand cost?’ Mr Higgins asked, when Lily took his washing round and announced that she was running errands for people.

‘Just a halfpenny,’ Lily told him. None of their neighbours were rich so she knew she was unlikely to get any business if she asked for more. ‘I can fetch things like cigarettes and milk or shoes from the cobbler. Or I can post letters. You know you can trust me. I’m Maggie Tomkins’s granddaughter, after all.’

‘Hmm.’ He gave her a long look as she stood before his chair, hands clasped behind her back. ‘All right. You can fetch me ten Woodbines from Welby’s. Be quick about it or I might think you’ve gone off with my money.’

He gave her two shillings. Lily raced to the corner shop, bought the cigarettes and raced back to hand them to Mr Higgins along with his change which he counted carefully. ‘You haven’t taken your halfpenny,’ he pointed out.

‘I thought I should wait for you to give it to me.’  He pushed a halfpenny across the table and Lily picked it up. ‘Thanks. Maybe I’ll call tomorrow and see if you have any more errands for me.’

A half penny coin

‘I’m not promising I’ll have any.’

‘I can ask, though, can’t I?’

‘I suppose you can. Knock on the window and I’ll beckon you in if I need you.’

Lily took the halfpenny home and wrapped it in an old sock. By the end of the first week she had seven halfpennies in there – three from Mr Higgins, two from his neighbour, Mrs Platt, and two from Mr Wright across the road.

Gran seemed no worse but neither did she seem any better. She was eating little and looked terribly tired in unguarded moments. She also looked deeply relieved for all the help Lily was giving but she fired up one afternoon when she and Lily were alone and Lily asked, ‘Feeling all right, Gran?’ ‘’Course I am!’ Gran insisted.

Lily regretted asking the question because Gran got up and busied herself instead of resting for a moment over a cup of tea. Lily was sure Gran still wasn’t back to her old self, but some illnesses took a while to pass and Lily hoped Gran’s was one of them.

Even so, she made it known to her customers that she was available for errand-running in the mornings too. It meant getting up very early to fill the copper and set it to boil, put washing in the dolly tub or the old tin bath to soak, mix starch, scrub grubby collars and cuffs, and eat breakfast too, moving quickly while trying to look as though she wasn’t rushing at all.

She encouraged Artie to leave for school sooner than was really needed by suggesting he’d like to play with his pals then, as soon as he’d joined them, she’d say, ‘Don’t be late,’ and hasten away as though going to see her own friends, Gertie and Ruth. In reality she’d race off to get her errands done before running back to school in time for the starting bell.

By the end of the second week the money in the sock totalled eightpence. By the end of the third week there was a shilling and thruppence.

Gran still wasn’t better. No matter how hard she was trying to hide it, the signs were there. Less washing was coming in and yet Gran was behind with it. There were occasional creases in ironing that used to be perfect, little food in the house and Gran herself seemed… smaller somehow. Not the vigorous Maggie Tomkins of old.

 

For all that she was trying to leave Gran her pride, Lily couldn’t help speaking out again when she caught Gran’s worn hands rubbing her middle as though trying to soothe pain. ‘I wish you’d tell me if you have a belly ache.’  ‘Only a bit of wind, Lil.’

It was more serious than wind. Lily was certain now. She wished she knew how much it would cost for Gran to see a doctor, but asking any of their neighbours would arouse their suspicions about why she wanted to know and word might get back to Gran. Perhaps when Lily had three shillings in the sock she’d speak to Gran about seeing someone.

Armistice Day in London 1918

The Orphan Twins is available from Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, and Google Play.   The Orphan Twins is available through Kindle Unlimited (can learn more about the program here).  If you like The Orphan Twins, check out Lesley Ames' other novels here.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will be back tomorrow Ghost Ups Her Game by Carolyn Hart.  It is the 9th A Bailey Ruth Ghost Novel.  I do hope that you have a positive day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates

Good Day! I want to share some upcoming book releases with you. The Mockingbird's Song by Wanda E. Brunstetter is out on August 1.  It is the second novel in Amish Greenhouse Mystery series.  A free preview is available from Amazon by clicking here.  Adriana Licio has created a new cozy mystery series called The Homeswappers.  It begins with a prequel titled Castelmezzano:  The Witch is Dead which comes out July 30.  The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne by Elsa Hart publishes on August 4.  You can never have too many books!

Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates has Katie Lightfoot completing the final details of her wedding which will take place within a week.  It has been a whirlwind three months since Declan proposed.  Declan’s mother and two of his sisters arrived in town early to revisit old haunts.  Unfortunately, Rori McCarthy’s ex-husband has tracked her down.  Katie gets a late-night call from Declan.  Rori visited her ex-hubby at his seedy motel and found him dead on the floor of his room.  Detective Peter Quinn has Rori at the top of his suspect list especially since she made a threat against him hours before his demise.  Rori asks Katie to investigate.  She wants closure as well as off the suspect list.  In between working at the bakery, moving into the newly renovated carriage house, and last-minute wedding details, Katie, with help from the ladies of the spellbook club, begins asking questions.  It turns out that Tucker Abbott, Rori’s ex-husband, was a con man who left unhappy people in his wake.  Katie will need to work quickly if she is going to solve this case before she walks down the aisle.  

Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates is the 9^th A Magical Bakery Mystery.  I have been reading this spirited series from the very first beginning.  Witches and Wedding Cake can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading this series in order.  It will allow you to follow Katie on her journey from discovering she is a kitchen witch, moving to Savannah, solving mysteries, and falling in love with Declan McCarthy.  Katie has had a busy two and half years.  I thought Witches and Wedding Cake was well-written with developed characters.  The author captures the beauty of Savannah, Georgia with her word imagery.  Katie Lightfoot is the perfect protagonist for this series.   She is friendly, smart, creative, and relatable.  There is a great cast of characters from Lucy, Ben, and Declan to the ladies of the spellbook club.  I just love Mungo, Katie’s familiar with his adorable “yip”.  The mystery was fun to solve.  There are multiple suspects that slowly get whittled down.  One little detail can provide the solution.  Katie has a full plate in this book, but she found time to help Declan.  Connor, the spirit who had attached himself to Declan, is missing.  Declan misses the Irish spirit.  I look forward to seeing how they find him. The special part of this book is Katie and Declan’s wedding.  Katie must deal with an interfering soon-to-be sister-in-law and a lack of an officiant.  I enjoyed reading Witches and Wedding Cake.  It is one of those books that puts a smile on your face.  Witches and Wedding Cake is an enchanting cozy mystery with a twitchy troglodyte, distinct dragonflies, a cupcake wedding cake, a mystifying music box, a stray spirit, and a magical marriage ceremony.

Witches and Wedding Cake can be obtained from Amazon* along with the other eight books in A Magical Bakery Mystery series.  I hope you enjoy this enchanting cozy mystery.  I appreciate you reading my review today.  Tomorrow I am sharing The Orphan Twins by Lesley Eames. I hope that you have a magical day.  Take care of yourself, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

Welcome!  I hope everyone is having a good week.  I am in a very good mood.  I have been working towards a goal for almost seven years and I finally achieved it this week.  I had no idea it would take me this long to get the invite (sorry, but I am not allowed to say more).  I am just happy to finally have reached the summit.  I can now enjoy the perks.  How are you doing?  

Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard has Jo Fussner coming up with the idea to use the old Clementi barn as a marketplace for their community.  She takes her notion to Bishop Jeremiah Shetler.  Soon The Marketplace is born and it will open at the beginning of June.  Regina Miller finds painting a joy.  She creates beautiful watercolors which goes against the Ordung.  Regina rents a booth at The Marketplace under a pseudonym which will allow her to maintain her secrecy while selling her creations.  Unfortunately, Gabe Flaud has been paying attention to Regina and her habits.  It leads him to speculate in public that Regina may be the artist which brings the church leaders down on Regina.  Gabe feels guilty for the trouble he has caused Regina especially since he has a secret of his own.  Gabe defends Regina before the other members and confesses his own sin.  The pair find themselves drawn together in the weeks that follow.  Will they find themselves the newest couple in Morning Star, or are their differences too numerous to overcome?

Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard is the beginning of The Maidels of Morning Star series.  Jo Fussner, Regina Miller, Lydianne Christner plus Mariettta and Molly Helfing are five unmarried women living in Morning Star, Missouri.  The five independent ladies all have jobs that support them which is unconventional for Amish women.  I liked Jo Fussner’s idea of purchasing the Clementi property and turning the run down stable into a marketplace.   The community is lucky to have a kind and compassionate leader in Bishop Jeremiah Shetler.  It is a shame the deacon and ministers are not cut from the same cloth.  Regina Miller has been creating art for many years.  While taking a class during her rumspringa, Regina discovered her love of watercolors.  She creates realistic landscapes and has dozens of them stacked in bins in her attic studio.  Regina came up with a plan to rent a stall at The Marketplace.  Unfortunately, she did not count on someone figuring out her secret and blurting it out in front of others.  I thought Morning Star was well-written with steady pacing.  There are some great characters in this story as well as some you want to drop kick into the next county.  The problem I had was with the content.  We see a woman being condemned for using her God given talents to create art.  These few men now attack her for her creativity.  I could not stand the belittling and bullying.  They want Regina to give up her independence.  I just found it all wrong.  I know it is a part of the Amish faith, but I found it frustrating and upsetting.  If she had painted on usable objects, then it was not sinful (where is the logic in that).  Please note that this is just my personal feelings about some of the content.  Morning Star has other components that I enjoyed.  I will be reading First Light in Morning Star.  I enjoyed the references to nearby Willow Ridge from Charlotte Hubbard’s Simple Gifts series and Seasons of the Heart series.  My favorite line from Morning Stars is, “Chocolate makes everything feel better, ain’t so?”  Morning Star starts off the Maidels of Morning Star series with a bang.  Morning Star is an emotional tale with picturesque paintings, merry music, a booming marketplace, firm friends, and a benevolent bishop. 

Amish heading to church

Morning Star is available from Amazon* as well as other booksellers (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, etc.).  The next novel in The Maidels of Morning Star series is First Light in Morning Star featuring Lydianne Christner.  It will release on December 29, 2020.  You can find Charlotte Hubbard's other novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am featuring Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates.  It is the 9th A Magical Bakery Mystery.  I hope you have an uplifting day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany

Happy Book Release Day!  Here are some of the books that came out today:  From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris, Piece by Piece by Laura Bradford, Murder with Honey Ham Biscuits by A.L. Herbert, Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard, Witches and Wedding Cake by Bailey Cates, Romancing Nadine by Amy Lillard, Someone's Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass, Knot of This World by Mary Marks, and Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany.  Which one do want to read first?

Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany takes us to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where Lily Roberts owns Tea by the Sea.  In the mornings, Lily prepares the breakfasts for Victoria-on-Sea Bed and Breakfast which is owned by her grandmother, Rose.  Rose is currently in an uproar because her neighbor wants to sell his lot to a developer who intends to erect a golf resort.  Jack Ford, the developer, needs to get the zoning changed first, but he does not see that as an obstacle.  The day after an altercation between Rose and Jack Ford, Lily finds Ford dead at the bottom of their cliffside staircase.  Detective Chuck Williams believes Rose did in Jack Ford and is determined to put her behind bars.  Rose and Lily’s friend, Bernie decide to do a little digging into Jack Ford’s background and business practices.  Lily tries to dissuade them, but that is like trying to stop a steamroller going downhill with a tricycle.  Lily gets swept into the investigation and finds a multitude of suspects.  It appears that Jack Ford was not a well-liked man.  The killer is unhappy with Lily’s sleuthing which results in some scary threats.  Lily needs to work quickly, or she could end up the next victim.

Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany is the debut novel in A Tea by the Sea Mystery series.  Tea & Treachery is set in Cape Code, Massachusetts where Rose Campbell, Lily’s grandmother, settled after the death of her husband.  She purchased a large Victorian home on the cliffs above the sea which provides her with a beautiful view and plenty of peace.  When Lily saw the little cottage on the property, she thought it was the perfect place for a tea shop which has been her dream.  When not busy whipping up delectable delights and tea for Tea by the Sea, Lily is helping her grandmother with the bed and breakfast.  I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and provide beautiful descriptions of the B&B, tea shop, Lily’s little cottage, and the beautiful gardens.  I could just imagine strolling along through the gardens and hearing the waves below.  There are great facts about the history of tea, the various teas Lily’s serves, and food Lily’s whips up.  It was interesting to learn about the different types of teas, and how tea time started.  The mystery had a variety of suspects from the mayor, the victim’s wife, the mistress, to the son of the man trying to unload the land next to Rose.  If you pay close attention to the details, this whodunit can be solved before the reveal.  I liked that the mystery had a good wrap up (no questions left unanswered).  The new head gardener, Simon McCracken seems to have taken a liking a Lily.  There was some mild flirting between Lily and Simon.  Bernie Murphy, Lily’s writer friend, provided humor while Éclair, Lily’s labradoodle, gave readers cuteness.  Rose, Lily’s grandmother, was a hard character to like.  She is stubborn, feisty, set in her ways, selfish, and opinionated.  I found her frustrating with her “its my way or its my way” approach.   Rose and Bernie together were a bit much.  I hope both women will grow on me in future books.  Also, Lily need to develop a backbone and learn to say no, or her grandmother will run roughshod over her.  Tea & Treachery is an easy to read book and a good start to this new cozy mystery series.  There are recipes at the end for coconut cupcakes, scones, and tea bath salts.  Tea & Treachery is an engaging cozy mystery with tempting tea treats, a scarcity of scones, a dead developer, curious clues, shaky steps, a whimsical writer, and a burdened baker.  

Tea & Treachery is available from Amazon*.  You can find more novels by Vicki Delany here.  She is the author of A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series, A Constable Mary Smith series, and A Year-Round Christmas Mystery series.  Her next release is Dying in a Winter Wonderland which is the 5th A Year-Round Christmas Mystery.  Dying in a Winter Wonderland publishes on September 29.  Thank you for reading my review today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard.  It is the debut novel in The Maidels of Morning Star series.  I do hope that you have an uplifting day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*This post contains affiliate links.

From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris: Review & Giveaway!

From Beer to Eternity

A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery

by Sherry Harris

About from Beer to Eternity 

From Beer to Eternity (A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

New Series

Publisher: Kensington (July 28, 2020)

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages

ISBN-10: 1496723031

ISBN-13: 978-1496723031

Digital ASIN: B07ZPKTWCZ

A whip smart librarian’s fresh start comes with a tart twist in this perfect cocktail of murder and mystery—with a romance chaser.

MURDER ON TAP

With Chicago winters in the rearview mirror, Chloe Jackson is making good on a promise: help her late friend’s grandmother run the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle. To Chloe’s surprise, feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe expects. Nor is Emerald Cove. It’s less a sleepy fishing village than a panhandle hotspot overrun with land developers and tourists. But it’s a Sea Glass regular who’s mysteriously crossed the cranky Vivi. When their bitter argument comes to a head and he’s found dead behind the bar, guess who’s the number one suspect?

In trying to clear Vivi’s name, Chloe discovers the old woman isn’t the only one in Emerald Cove with secrets. Under the laidback attitude, sparkling white beaches, and small town ways something terrible is brewing. And the sure way a killer can keep those secrets bottled up is to finish off one murder with a double shot: aimed at Chloe and Vivi.

About Sherry Harris

Sherry Harris is the Agatha Award-nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series and the upcoming Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime, and a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.

In her spare time, Sherry loves reading and is a patent-holding inventor. Sherry, her husband, and guard dog Lily are living in northern Virginia until they figure out where they want to move to next.

Chloe runs on the beach each morning

Author Links

Kensington: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/39655

Website: https://sherryharrisauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherry.n.harris.1

Glass Bottom Boat Tours (Chloe takes one)

My Thoughts

From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris has Chloe Jackson, a children’s librarian, visiting Emerald Cove, Florida for the funeral of her friend, Boone Slidell.  Chloe promised Boone that if something happened to him, she would help his grandmother.  The caveat is that she cannot tell Vivi, Boone’s grandmother, of his request.  Vivi is not what Chloe expected.  She is a stubborn, feisty, well-dressed woman in her seventies who has taken a dislike to Chloe.  In order to stay, Chloe told Vivi that her car broke down and she needs to earn money for the repairs.  Vivi reluctantly gave Chloe a job at her beach bar, the Sea Glass Saloon.  One morning, Chloe discovers Elwell Pugh, a bar regular, dead behind the bar’s dumpster.  Evidence points to Vivi as the killer.  Chloe begins asking questions to learn who else could have wanted Elwell dead.  The killer is not happy with Chloe’s nosy nature and sets out to eliminate her. 

From Beer to Eternity is the debut of A Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series.  I found From Beer to Eternity easy to read with steady pacing.  Chloe Jackson lives in Chicago, Illinois where she is a children’s librarian.  She has taken a leave of absence so she can keep her promise to Boone.  I like that the author took the time to establish Chloe’s character as well as Vivi, Joaquin Diaz, and Rhett Barnett.  I can tell Sherry Harris is familiar with the Florida panhandle from her descriptions of the town, bars, restaurants, and tourist attractions.  I liked the number and variety of attractions that Chloe visited.  I enjoyed the book references especially the Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.  The mystery was thought out with multiple suspects.  Chloe begins asking questions around town and eavesdropping so she can clear Vivi off the suspect list. Of course, the killer is not happy with Chloe’s sleuthing.   I liked the unique murder weapon and the various nefarious activities.  I was disappointed that the resolution was not concrete.  I like the resolution to be based on fast instead of supposition.  I would have preferred fewer references to Rhett’s looks and Chloe’s hormonal reactions.  I enjoyed the humor scattered throughout the story.  This cozy mystery will have you longing for the beach where you can relax with a good book and a cool drink.  From Beer to Eternity is an engaging cozy mystery that will delight fans of Sherry Harris’ A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series.    From Beer to Eternity is a fun cozy mystery with stentorian snoring, the redneck riviera, flaming fires, deficient drinks, a horrid hat, and a bookish barmaid.  

Crab Island-a unique place to visit in Destin, Florida

From Beer to Eternity comes out on July 28.  From Beer to Eternity is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Books, and IndieBound.  The author is giving away five (5) ARCs of From Beer to Eternity.  To enter the giveaway, click here or enter via the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!  Thank you for stopping by today.  Next time I am reviewing Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany.  It is the debut of A Tea by the Sea Mystery series.  I hope that you sunny day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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Tour Participants

July 27 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

July 27 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into Good Book – REVIEW  

July 28 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 29 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 29 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Chloe could have rented her jet ski here

July 30 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

July 30 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 31 - I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 - Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW

August 1 - The Book Decoder – REVIEW  

August 1 - Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW

August 2 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 2 – eBook addicts – REVIEW

Chloe and Rhett enjoy breakfast from a food truck

August 3 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

August 4 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 4 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW

August 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

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Someone's Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass: Review & Excerpt

About the Book 

You’re not alone. Someone’s waiting. Someone’s watching…Someone's listening.

In SOMEONE’S LISTENING (Graydon House Books; July 28; $16.99) Dr. Faith Finley has everything she’s ever wanted: she’s a renowned psychologist, a radio personality—host of the wildly popular “Someone’s Listening with Dr. Faith Finley”—and a soon-to-be bestselling author. She’s young, beautiful, and married to the perfect man, Liam.

Of course Liam was at Faith’s book launch with her. But after her car crashes on the way home and she’s pulled from the wreckage, nobody can confirm that Liam was with her at the party. The police claim she was alone in car, and they don’t believe her when she says otherwise. Perhaps that’s understandable, given the horrible thing Faith was accused of doing a few weeks ago.

And then the notes start arriving—the ones literally ripped from the pages of Faith’s own self-help book on leaving an abusive relationship. Ones like “Secure your new home. Consider new window and door locks, an alarm system, and steel doors…”

Where is Liam? Is his disappearance connected to the scandal that ruined Faith’s life? Who is sending the notes? Faith’s very life will depend on finding the answers.

About the Author 

Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and Playwright-in-Residence at the University of Texas-Arlington, where she teaches Film Studies and Playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and has optioned multiple screenplays to Hallmark and Lifetime. Someone's Listening is her first novel.  

Author Links

Author Website

Twitter: @SeraphinaNova

Instagram: @SeraphinaNovaGlass

Facebook: @SeraphinaNovaGlass

Goodreads

My Thoughts

Someone’s Listening is Seraphina Nova Glass’s debut novel.  It is a thriller featuring Dr. Faith Finley who wakes up from an auto accident in the hospital to find her husband missing.  The police find no evidence of Liam being in the car despite Faith’s insistence.  All evidence points to Liam deciding to disappear.  Of course, it is understandable considering recent events. Their lives have been in flux. Faith leaves their Sugar Grove home to return to their Chicago condo.  Then the notes begin arriving.  Are they threats or warnings?  Someone’s Listening has a unique format.  It is told in alternating chapters of Then and Now.  We get to learn about Faith and Liam’s past in the Then chapters and what led up to the accident. I found Someone’s Listening to be slow starter with the pace increasing in the second half of the book.  There is some great suspense and action near the end that will have you riveted.  There are a variety of suspects and you will be wondering who you can trust.  Many readers will be surprised with the outcome.  Someone’s Listening is a twisty suspense novel with a lost spouse, nasty notes, an abundance of alcohol, a disengaged detective, and a prominent psychologist.

Excerpt from Someones Listening

WHEN I WAKE UP, IT’S BLACK AND STILL; I FEEL A light, icy snow that floats rather than falls, and I can’t open my eyes. I don’t know where I am, but it’s so quiet, the silence rings in my ears. My fingertips try to grip the ground, but I feel only a sheet of ice beneath me, splintered with bits of embedded gravel. The air is sharp, and I try to call for him, but I can’t speak. How long have I been here? I drift back out of consciousness. The next time I wake, I hear the crunching of ice under the boots of EMTs who rush around my body. I know where I am. I’m lying in the middle of County Road 6. There has been a crash. There’s a swirling red light, a strobe light in the vast blackness: they tell me not to move.

“Where’s my husband?” I whimper. They tell me to try not to talk either. “Liam!” I try to yell for him, but it barely escapes my lips; they’re numb, near frozen, and it comes out in a hoarse whisper. How has this happened?

I think of the party and how I hate driving at night, and how I was careful not to drink too much. I nursed a glass or two, stayed in control. Liam had a lot more. It wasn’t like him to get loaded, and I knew it was his way of getting back at me. He was irritated with me, with the position I’d put him in, even though he had never said it in so many words. I wanted to please him because this whole horrible situation was my fault, and I was sorry.

When I wake up again I’m in a hospital room, connected to tubes and machines. The IV needle is stuck into a bruised, purple vein in the back of my hand that aches. In the dim light, I sip juice from a tiny plastic cup, and the soft beep of the EKG tries to lull me back to sleep, but I fight it. I want answers. I need to appear stabilized and alert. Another dose of painkiller is released into my IV; the momentary euphoria forces me to heave a sigh. I need to keep my eyes open. I can hear the cops arrive and talk to someone at a desk outside my door. They’ll tell me what happened.

There’s a nurse who calls me “sweetie” and changes the subject when I ask about the accident. She gives the cops a sideways look when they come in to talk to me, and tells them they only have a few minutes and that I need to rest.

Detective John Sterling greets me with a soft “Hello, ma’am.” I almost forget about my shattered femur and groan after I move too quickly. Another officer lingers by the door, a tall, stern-looking woman with her light hair pulled into a tight bun at the base of her skull. She tells me I’m lucky to be alive, and if it had dropped below freezing, I wouldn’t have lasted those couple hours before a passing car stopped and called 911. I ask where Liam is, but she just looks to Sterling. Something is terribly wrong.

“Why won’t anyone tell me what happened to him?” I plead. I watch Detective Sterling as he picks his way through a response.

“The nurse tells me that you believe he was in the car with you at the time of the accident,” he says. I can hear the condescension in his voice. He’s speaking to me like I’m a child.

“They said ‘I believe’ he was? That’s not a— That’s a fact. We came from a party—a book signing party. Anyone, anyone can tell you that he was with me. Please. Is he hurt?” I look down at my body for the first time and see the jagged stitches holding together the bruised flesh of my right arm. They look exaggerated, like the kind you might draw on with makeup and glue for a Halloween costume. I close my eyes, holding back nausea. I try to walk through the series of events—trying to piece together what happened and when.

Liam had been quiet in the car. I knew he’d believed me after the accusations started. I knew he trusted me, but maybe I’d underestimated the seeds of doubt that had been planted in his mind. I tried to lighten the mood when we got in the car by making some joke about the fourteen-dollar domestic beers; he’d given a weak chuckle and rested his head on the passenger window.

The detective looks at me with something resembling sympathy but closer to pity.

“Do you recall how much you had to drink last night?” he asks accusingly.

“What? You think…? No. I drove because he… No! Where is he?” I ask, not recognizing my own voice. It’s haggard and raw.

“Do you recall taking anything to help you relax? Anything that might impair your driving?”

“No,” I snap, nearly in tears again.

“So, you didn’t take any benzodiazepine maybe? Yesterday…at some point?”

“No— I— Please.” I choke back tears. “I don’t…” He looks at me pointedly, then scribbles something on his stupid notepad. I didn’t know what to say. Liam must be dead, and they think I’m too fragile to take the news. Why would they ask me this?

“Ma’am,” he says, standing. He softens his tone. This is it. He’s going to tell me something I’ll never recover from.

“You were the only one in the car when medics got there,” he says, studying me for my response, waiting to detect a lie that he can use against me later. His patronizing look infuriates me.

“What?” The blood thumps in my ears. They think I’m crazy; that soft tone isn’t a sympathetic one reserved for delivery of the news that a loved one has died—it’s the careful language chosen when speaking to someone unstable. They think I’m some addict or a drunk. Maybe they think the impact had made me lose the details, but he was there. I swear to God. His cry came too late and there was a crash. It was deafening, and I saw him reach for me, his face distorted in terror. He tried to shield me. He was there. He was next to me, screaming my name when we saw the truck headlights appear only feet in front of us—too late.

Are you ready to read Someone's Listening?  Someone's Listening is available from Amazon*, Harlequin, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Powells.  Seraphina Nova Glass's next novel is The Seduction coming in 2021.  Harlequin is having a great sale on Christmas themed books.  It is a Christmas in July sale!  There are 130 ebooks listed at $1.99 each.  Click here for start shopping.  Thank you for dropping in today.  Tomorrow I am featuring From Beer to Eternity by Sherry Harris.  It is the first novel in A Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series.  I hope you have a jolly day.  Take care, stay safe, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

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