**Children's Picture Books** "Rosie's Special Present" Myfanwy & Gwen Millward

Rosie’s Special Present is the perfect birthday story from award-winning illustrator Gwen Millward and her talented writer-sister Myfanwy Millward. 

Rosie is hoping for a very special present. Meanwhile Rosie's present is hoping and thinking and wishing too! What will Rosie be like? And will he be special enough? This is a warm and witty celebraton of new friends and special days.

“My box is so big and has such a giant bow that Rosie will think something really wonderful is inside…like a magical bird…or a juggling rabbit…or a hundred dancing mice…I have the best box, but when Rosie opens it, will she think I’m the best present?”

Today I welcome Myfanwy Millward to my blog to talk about the children's book she wrote with her illustrator sister Gwen. 

"Rosie's Special Present" was published in 2015 by Penguin and is suitable for 3-5 year olds. 

Thank you so much Myfanwy for coming on my blog today! My 5 old son, 7 year old daughter and myself have read your lovely story many times! The questions that i"m going to put to you today come from my daughter! 

Where do you get your ideas from? 

My ideas come from all kinds of places. An animal, a feeling, something in a museum, someone I know, but I suppose the strongest ideas come from deep inside and start with a strong emotion about something.

What comes first- words or pictures?

I see pictures first though I’m not an illustrator. I imagine scenes and then the characters and words emerge from those images.

Are you writing lots of stories about Rosie and Max? Can you tell us anything about the sort of adventures they might have together?

I’ve written one more story about Rosie and Max. It’s Halloween and grandma comes to visit with her big, black and not very friendly cat. Max has a bit of a tough time!

Why did you choose a cat to be Rosie's special present rather than any other animal?

When I first wrote Rosie’s Special Present, I actually chose a penguin to be the present not a cat! It was a Christmas story but then it became a birthday story and a kitten made more sense as a present. 

Do you have a pet cat? What is it called? 

I don’t have a cat but we always had pet cats when I was growing up. The first was called Mewm.

Do you base the characters on yourself or anyone you know?

I think Max definitely has some of my character traits. He worries about all kinds of things in the story. Will I be good enough? Is my box the best? And I’m a bit of a worrier myself. I think a lot of us worry about things when we don’t need to.

What was your favourite book when you were 7 years old?

I absolutely loved The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I loved it so much I climbed into my grandma’s big old wardrobe one day to see if I could get to Narnia. I didn’t find Narnia but I tried a few different wardrobes after that…just in case. George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl was another of my favourite stories.

Who is your favourite children's author? And illustrator?

It’s difficult to choose a favourite but for children’s authors I think it could be Roald Dahl along with Quentin Blake’s fantastic illustrations. My sister, Gwen is one of my favourite illustrators too (and I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister!).

What is it like working with your sister? 

It’s been great to work with Gwen. She’s such an experienced illustrator so she really helped me understand how Rosie’s Special Present would work in a picture book. We live really close to each other too which helps when it comes to meeting and discussing ideas.  

Thank you so much Myfanwy for answering our questions today! We wish you lots of success with "Rosie's Special Present" and we will look out for any of your future books!  

More about Myfanwy:

I'm a freelance writer based in Bristol. 

Communication can take many forms and over the years I’ve enjoyed finding different ways of connecting with audiences. I’ve been writing professionally since 2008 and my experience ranges from print media to television. I’m also a published children’s book author. 

After graduating with a BA in Journalism and Film I trained as a video editor at the School of Image and Design in Barcelona (IDEP). My experience in post-production gave me a real insight into how words work with images (invaluable for scriptwriting!). I also worked as an English teacher in Italy, Spain and the UK and learned everything I possibly could about the English language.

Nowadays I collaborate with graphic design agencies, film production companies and small businesses to produce scripts, marketing materials and much more. I also do more creative work writing plays, poetry and children’s stories. 

http://www.myfanwymillward.com

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk) 

What Books Can I Buy Him For Christmas?

I have received a plea from a desperate Christmas shopper wondering what which books she could buy for her husband this year. At the risk of outrageous stereotyping, here's a few suggestions that might appeal to a male reader......! 

"Classics" 

Debut Novels 2016

More Crime.......

Fiction & Literary Fiction 

Which titles would you recommend for the men on your Christmas Shopping List?! 

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)  

"Follow Me" Angela Clarke

LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

It's hard to ignore a book with the strap line "Online no one can hear you scream." It's hard to ignore a book with a blurb like this. It's hard to ignore a book with an opening chapter title FML. It's hard to ignore a book with a main character like Freddie. It's hard to ignore your phone every time it pings with a Twitter notification, Facebook update, email or text message.

It's hard to ignore this story!

Angela Clarke has written a crime thriller which is so 'of the moment' it's as compulsive as our obsession with social media sites and living our lives through our social media profiles. This book is as loud as that dreaded 'ping' of a new notification, as vivid as the brightest filter on Instagram, as fast paced as a Twitter feed and as addictive as Facebook. It's so up to date in its content that it really is a book that should immediately downloaded.

Social media presents a whole new world for a murderer to inhabit and where they can gain the kudos, following and acclaim that they seek. They can be more threatening, more intrusive, more anonymous, harder for the police to track and identify - and with the frenzy in which hashtags can suddenly trend and go viral, it is a whole new platform from which they can manage their deadly behaviour. Clarke uses this as the premise for her 'Hashtag Murderer' and "Follow Me" is an unsettling and chilling novel in which a viral threat becomes a very real threat for the protagonist, Freddie.

I really liked the fact that each chapter is given the title in text style abbreviation - with a translation for those of us not completely bilingual in this new language. These headings capture the essence of the book. This is a novel bursting with vitality; a book which rattles along with a protagonist who is reckless and unconventional. The short chapters are fitting for a thriller that bases itself on the brevity of modern communication and ensures that actually it is as impossible to switch off from this story as it is your online timeline.

Clarke also starts each chapter with a break down of how many followers the Hashtag Murderer has and how many people he is following which creates a sense of panic, tension, need for action as well as reflecting just how quickly things can go viral on social media these days. Clarke is also exploring the effect of social media on a police investigation - how people can hide their anonymity, ensure their activity is untraceable, leak police details and generate endless speculation or indeed encourage people to get involved in a potentially dangerous situation. Anyone can get involved in the twitter feed from a murderer, call him names, guess his next move and solve the riddles before the police. Even the detective finds out his young daughter has been following the Hashtag murderer because "everyone else is". Some of these throw away comments that appear to be merely a plot device are actually chilling statements about the potential risk and danger of social media.

Meet Freddie, the main character. Totally unconventional. Flawed. Not always completely likeable. Not always completely reliable. But with enough determination, grit and energy to make the reader want to engage with her and stick with her throughout the story.

"Her brown hair, cut by a mate with kitchen scissors, sprang away from her shoulders like she'd been shocked. Flashes of red hair chalk zigzagged toward her DIY fringe. Her legs, stubbornly plump despite working on her feet and taking more than the recommended 10,000 steps a day, poked our from beneath her nightshirt....She wiggled her black plastic rectangular-framed glasses. Not traditionally beautiful." 

Freddie lives and breaths journalism and social media. She is constantly searching for a story and in the way that some people view their live through the next Facebook post, Freddie lives hers through the next headline or potential lead story.

Are Millennials cut out for work?
Seize the story. Push yourself into uncomfortable situations. 
Disposable jumpsuits: the ideal Freelance Uniform?

This effectively captures the dead pan humour of Freddie and conveys her frustration and quirkiness. It also helps the reader to develop a closer relationship with her as we learn more about how her mind works even though it's a third person narrative.

Freddie is also honest and acknowledges her shortcomings. I really enjoyed some of her observations and I could almost hear her sighing and rolling her eyes as I read the sentences:

"Fear makes you braver. Despite deriding the inspirational quotes that appear over photos of sunsets and the ocean on Facebook, Freddie was disappointed to discover that when she reached her own life crossroads her brain filled with nothing but cliches." 

Nasreen, a childhood friend of Freddie's who has not seen her for years, is one of the police officers working on the murder. There are hints of a secret past between these two and a lot of intrigue surrounding their wariness and estrangement from each other.

"Nasreen never wanted to see Freddie Venton ever again." 

This sub plot adds further tension, suspense, mystery and drama to the story and Clarke writes about the dynamics, dilemmas and complexities between these two characters well.

I was shocked to find Freddie accused of murder on page 50 and to be honest I have made very few notes since that page as I obviously became completely engrossed in the story! Although, I think there is one very good piece of advice given by Freddie which we should all remember.......

No matter how internet savvy you think you are, you can still get fooled.

Clarke's research and knowledge about social media sites, twitter handles, identities, abbreviations and everything technical is extensive and absolutely faultless. She uses all sorts of aspects of the internet to enhance her storytelling and make the plot and characters as effective and authentic as possible. I thought the ending offered a particularly pleasing bit of prose about the internet:

"Keys are pressed and code unfurls; filing the screen, multiplying, travelling through wires, air, light; reaching out in invisible waves of orange, blue, yellow from one computer to another. From one phone to another. Spreading the millions of words, the millions of images that fill up the Internet, that fill us all up. An email address is entered. A password. A date of birth. A phone number. A new account is created." 

Thankfully there is more to come so from Clarke so don't worry when you reach the final page! Her second novel "Watch Me" will be published in January and I am looking forward to seeing what else she has in store for us and what might be lurking inbetween our tweets, posts and WhatsApp conversations!

If you enjoyed Fiona Neil's "The Good Girl, "Viral" by Helen Fitzgerald and "Cut to the Bone" by Alex Caan then this is the book for you! If you are looking for a thoroughly modern, unconventional story then this is for you. I recommend!

"Follow Me" is available as an ebook or a paperback from Amazon and all good bookshops. "Watch Me" will publish on 12th January 2017 by Avon.

For more reviews, recommendations and book chat you can find me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

**Author Q&A** Melissa Daley "Christmas at the Cat Cafe"

Looking for a purrfect Christmas read or present for someone? How about this very festive looking novel?

The Costwolds' town of Stourton-on-the-Hill has its very own cat café. Resident cat Molly, and her kittens, live here in feline paradise, while owner Debbie serves the locals home-made goodies. But even in the most idyllic surroundings, things don't always go to plan . . .

When Debbie's heartbroken sister Linda arrives at the café, Debbie insists she move in. But Linda is not alone, and the cats are devastated with the arrival of Linda's dog, Beau. Sadly, Beau's arrival is not the only bombshell - now Molly's home is also under threat when a rival cat moves in on her turf.

With Christmas approaching, Molly is unsettled, barely roused by the promise of tinsel to play with. Fearing for her feline family she hopelessly stares out of the café window searching for an answer. Only a Christmas miracle could bring everyone together . . .

Christmas at the Cat Cafe is the wonderfully festive sequel to Melissa Daley's uplifting tale, Molly and the Cat Cafe.

Today I welcome Melissa Daley to my blog to tell us all about her second novel "Christmas at the Cat Cafe" which is published by Pan Macmillan and available on ebook and paperback from Amazon and all good bookshops. Thank you Melissa for your time today to answer my questions! 

You refer to a real Cat Cafe in your acknowledgements at the back of the book. Can you tell me a bit about the 'real cat cafe' and why you decided to write about it?

The idea for the cat cafe setting came from the publisher Pan Macmillan originally. Although I have never been to a cat cafe (having two cats of my own at home I have never felt particularly cat-deprived!) I could immediately see the potential of a cat cafe as a location for the story, offering the perfect setting to mix feline stories with human ones. I wanted to speak to someone at a real cat cafe to check for accuracy, and the manager of Maison du Moggy in Edinburgh kindly agreed to answer my questions.  

This is a series of books. Can you tell us a little bit about the previous titles and how the stories link together?

Christmas at the Cat Cafe is the sequel to Molly and the Cat Cafe, which was published in 2015. The first book tells the story of how the feline protagonist Molly ended up homeless, before eventually finding a new home with Debbie, the owner of a struggling sandwich shop in a Cotswolds town. When Molly unexpectedly has a litter of kittens, the sandwich shop ends up becoming a cat cafe by default. 

The story is narrated by Molly the cat. What particular challenges does this pose for you? What decisions, problems or difficulties do you come across when writing a narrative from the point of view of a cat? 

Writing from the point of view of a cat is a mixed blessing. I love trying to imagine myself into the mindset of a cat and how they perceive the world and human behaviour, so creatively it's great fun. However although Molly does have many 'human' emotions, she has to come across to the reader as convincingly feline, so I can't allow her to show too much insight into the human psyche. From a writer's point of view, can be restrictive and frustrating at times. 

What do you enjoy the most about writing through Molly's eyes?

I adore the tiny minutiae of cat's behaviour, whether it's embedding their claws in your knees when they sit on your lap, or staring disdainfully at passing dogs, or getting under your feet when they want to be fed. I love writing about all those quirky little traits from the cat's point of view.

Do you own a cat yourself? Does this help / hinder? 

Yes I own two cats, Nancy and Pip. It's no exaggeration to say I couldn't have written these books without them. They are my muses, and I would frequently go and stare at them if I needed inspiration for some descriptive passage about feline movement or behaviour. 

What other animal do you think would make a good central character or whose perspective you would like to write from?

Personally, I don't think any other domestic animals have quite the same enigmatic qualities as cats, or lead semi-independent lifestyles in the way that cats do,. Cats never quite give away what they're thinking, so they're the perfect vessel for our creative projections.  

As well as the storyline about Molly and her family, there is an equally engaging storyline about the cafe owner Debbie, her daughter, her partner and her sister. Which story comes first?!

I did try and make sure the feline and human storylines were evenly balanced in terms of the novel's structure. The relationship between Molly and her human owners is very much central to both novels and it was very important that both stories were interconnected and that Molly and Debbie's fates were intertwined. 

The novel is set in the Cotswolds. Is this somewhere you know well?

I spent a weekend visiting different Cotswolds towns to find the perfect location to use as a base for the novel. I chose Stow-on-the-Wold, (which in the books becomes Stourton-on-the-Hill), partly because it is a quintessential picturesque Cotswolds town, set around a beautiful market square. It also has a network of alleyways criss-crossing the town, which I thought would be fantastic plot device for a story about cats. I even found the perfect tea-shop in Stow, called Lucy's, which is what I had in mind when describing Molly's Cat Cafe.

 

Debbie and Linda are very easy to visualise as characters. What do you like best about them? Who did you find easier to write about and why?

I loved writing about the love-hate relationship between Debbie and her sister Linda. I'm not sure if I found one easier to write than the other. I could have some fun with Linda because she is a less sympathetic character (to start with, at least), whereas Debbie's character is slightly more long-suffering and just trying to keep things together.  

This is a Christmas story. This must affect some decisions you make about the plot line. Can you tell us a bit about this and how it was different from previous books you have written? 

I knew the story had to end on Christmas day, so when I had written my initial chapter plan, I had to work backwards to make a week-by-week timetable of the plot points. Once I had done that, I knew the novel had to start in October. At times, the timing issues were a bit of a headache to keep on top of, and I had to do a fair amount of googling of mundane things like 'what time does it get dark in the third week of November' in order to make sure descriptive details were accurate.    

What were the deadlines for publishing a book in time for Christmas? Were you writing this in the middle of your summer holiday?!

In order for the book to be published in October I had to deliver it at the end of May, so the first half of the year was pretty much spent writing solidly (although that did at least mean it was all over by the time the summer arrived!) 

Can you tell us a little bit about your writing day?

My writing day wasn't really a 'day' as such, as I had to juggle the writing around my other work as a psychodynamic counsellor. As a rule, if I was at home, I was writing, whether that was in the evenings, weekends, or early mornings. I don't think I was much fun to be around for a few months, if I'm honest.

What are the challenges of writing a series of books? What have you enjoyed the most? 

The biggest challenge writing the second book was working out how much I should refer to the previous book, especially at the start of the novel. I had to fight the urge to write a 'recap' of what had happened previously, and instead launch straight into the new story and let the readers work out for themselves what had happened in the past. 

From the ending of the book, there is clearly more to come from the cat cafe! Are you working on another title? 

I haven't started working on another one yet, but I do find myself wondering what Molly and Debbie are up to, so watch this space. 

What genre do you most enjoy reading? Who are some of your favourite authors?

I don't know if I have a specific genre which I enjoy reading - I tend to go more for authors I like. I'm loving Kate Atkinson at the moment - Life after Life and a God in Ruins. But I found Robert Galbraith's (aka JK Rowling) Cormoron Strike series really helpful when writing the cat cafe books, as they combine storylines that zip along, and characters that seem completely real and engaging. I think that's definitely what I was aiming for in my own writing.

Thanks so much Melissa! Great answers and lovely to hear more about the story behind the cat cafe and your writing life! I hope you have a great Christmas and Nancy and Pip keep themselves out of mischief! 

"Christmas at the Cat Cafe" is an engaging read which will appeal to cat lovers and fans of fiction about families, sisters, parenthood, relationships and happy endings! Read on for my review!

This is a perfect easy-one-sitting read for any cat lovers! Told from the viewpoint of Molly, the mother cat who lives with her kittens and Debbie- owner of the cat cafe- in the Cotswolds, we watch the ups and downs of events in the cafe. 

This story centres on the arrival of Linda, Debbie's sister, who is reluctant to really explain why she has arrived out of the blue and seems to be hiding several secrets from them all. She then sets about getting involved in the running of the cafe and threatening the cosy routine that Debbie, Molly and her kittens have become so used to. 

The story has several threads running through it- a good balance between the drama and adventures of the cats and the drama of the relationships between Debbie, her sister, her daughter and her partner. Although the story is from Molly's point of view, there is enough about Debbie and her storyline to appeal to anyone who enjoys an easy read. 

It is well written, engaging, pleasant read full of colourful characters. All told with enough mentions of the cafe's cat's whiskers cookies and feline fancies to satisfy any appetite for a gentle, heartwarming story. Perfect Christmas gift for cat lovers and cake lovers!

For more recommendations, reviews and bookish chat you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

"Deadly Alibi" Leigh Russell

Two murder victims and a suspect whose alibi appears open to doubt.... Geraldine Steel is plunged into a double murder investigation which threatens not only her career, but her life. And then her previously unknown twin Helena turns up, with problems which are about to make Geraldine's life turn toxic in more ways than one!

Incredibly this is the ninth book in the Geraldine Steel series by Leigh Russell who now has an established fan base with glowing reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I only came across the series at #8 but one day I intend to go back to #1 and meet Geraldine at the beginning of her journey- out of interest rather than a necessity, as the two Steel mysteries I have read work as stand alone novels. But as Steel's own story arc is beginning to really carve itself out alongside the criminal investigation in Book 9, it would satisfy my own curiosity to see how Russell portrayed her from the beginning.

Anyway, back to "Deadly Alibi" which begins with a fittingly anonymous, ambiguous and dramatic prologue throwing us straight in at the deep end, immediately raising plenty of questions as well as setting an appropriately sinister and dark atmosphere necessary for a good crime novel!

The story opens with several threads unspooling across the pages but the most captivating one being the discovery of a woman's body in a wheelie bin. The investigation sets of at a gallop. Russell's procedural detail is authentic, detailed enough without weighing down the text with overwhelming jargon or technical talk. Russell uses a lot of dialogue and those that are more familiar with the series will recognise favourite characters returning to their desks to carry out their part in the investigation.

Russell's story has dark elements within it and a couple of scenes were uncomfortable to read. She can capture the villain's character convincingly and describe his actions with chilling bluntness:

"Before he had realised what he was doing, the chisel had struck. It had all happened so quickly. The craziness hadn't lasted long. Once her skull had split open, that had been the end of it." 

However, generally the pages are not splattered with too much gratuitous blood or gore and I think Russell is actually as interested in the characters and the journeys they find themselves on as much as driving the plot forward at a rattling pace.

There are several points when one of the detectives or people working on the case lost themselves in their own thoughts and spoke directly to the victim as if the dead body would answer back. I found this very visual - and I liked the light touch of humour it brought to the pages too when Steel is reminded that the corpse in front of her will never be able to offer any light on the events.

"If she could tell us that, we'd both be out of job!" 

Halfway through the book, after a few twists and turns, the case seems neatly solved, all the loose ends tied up and Steel being congratulated for her work.

"'A case of husbands wanting to murder their wives,' he remarked when she had finished."

"The case was solved. Geraldine should have been pleased, but...." 

But...... there you go...there's the but..... But I was only 48% through so there must be more! And more to come there is! Plenty more!

I'm not going to spoil it for you, but "Deadly Alibi" is a story about identity, the wrong identity, assumptions, evidence, the wrong evidence, false alibi's, seeing and not seeing things. The plot is easy to follow but there are a number of different threads to keep track of and Russell's skill is in the way she weaves everything together to an effective conclusion.

What I found interesting in this book too was that Russell juggled two story lines. Foremost is the story of murder, but secondly is the story of Geraldine Steel - aspects of which mirrored some of the themes about identity that are explored by Steel in a more pragmatic, physical way during her police work.

In this instalment, Geraldine is grieving for her mother, meeting her twin for the first time and confronting things from her past.

"She had managed for forty years without a twin in her life. She wasn't sure she was ready to meet Helena yet." 

This is a very intriguing sub plot - to find not just a sister, but a twin sister - after all this time. As this happens, Steel also has to deal with the death of her mother - whatever the relationship had or hadn't been - and then is very quickly drawn into conflicting situations and tricky moral dilemmas with someone she really doesn't have much of a relationship with at all. Situations which have very serious repercussions for Geraldine's future.

What's interesting is the emotional impact that the funeral and the arrival of her twin Helena have on Steel. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel and found the effect it had on Geraldine's professional life added a layer of drama, complexity and suspense.

"She waited for the sense of urgency that consumed her whenever she saw a murder victim, the feeling that she had to see the killer punished. That was what gave her life a sense of purpose. For the first time she felt only a cold indifference." 

"Everybody died. Did it really matter if the end came prematurely?"

This is a woman under pressure. As Steel herself realises,  "it might have been a mistake to think she could cope unaided with so much personal grief." What effect will this have on her ability to solve the crime, keep herself safe and focused, work with death, grief, untruths and complicated relationships?

I am new to the Geraldine Steel mysteries but I can completely see their appeal. Russell's writing is purposeful, fluent and very readable. The crimes are intriguing, with a controlled level of violence so that the reader is not overwhelmed or intimidated by the scenes they read, but still remains excited and suitably wary. There is a wide range of characters, who are all very real and very relatable. The dynamics between the characters are believable and help to reflect more about their personalities.

Readers like to have a protagonist who is flawed or struggling with some inner demon and in this book Russell achieves this. A lot of detective characters are troubled souls, or socially awkward, aloof or slightly quirky and again, although Steel is professional, bright, dedicated and trustworthy, her emotional fragility does add a further layer of interest to the story.

This novel marks quite a turning point in Steel's story and I would be really interested to see what happens next. I think Russell knew full well her readers would feel this way, as she has kindly left the ending open so there is potential should she wish. I would be interested to see what direction Russell takes us in - if she does move forward to book 10 - and quite how she would follow on from such a dramatic turn of events at the end of "Deadly Alibi".

If you enjoy detective fiction and authors like Marnie Riches, Angela Marson, Peter James, Michael Wood and Nikki Owens then you will enjoy this novel. It's a page turner which isn't afraid to lead you down one path, let you crash into a dead end then pull you back and make you set off in a new direction. You won't need breadcrumbs or wool to find your way through the plot, but there will be enough twists and turns which will ensure you can't put it down for a while!

Geraldine Steel is a very likeable character who the reader is rooting for all the way. I would recommend this book!

"Deadly Alibi" publishes in ebook on 8th December 2016 and 25th May 2017 as a paperback by No Exit Press.

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

"Secrets & Fries at the Starlight Diner" Helen Cox

This is the second instalment of Helen Cox's humorous and entertaining series set in a vintage style diner in the 1990s in New York City. The first, "Milkshakes and Heartbreak at the Starlight Diner" introduced us to Esther, an English girl on the run from her life in England, who falls into the diner, lands a job as a waitress there and then continues to face her secrets, her past and her heartbreak with the help of the friendly, warm, quirky cast of characters who have all found a home at the Starlight Diner. It ended with the cliffhanger of another lost soul entering the diner looking for Esther. 

And so "Secrets and Fries" picks up from exactly this moment. Written with the same lively, fresh, vivid energy of Book One, it takes up the story of Bonnie, a singer who seeks out the only friend she feels she has as she tries to out run the dangerous and threatening situation she has unwillingly become entangled with. Although this is a sequel, there is enough recap when necessary and as this book focuses on Bonnie and her story, it is completely possible to read the novel as a stand alone (but I would highly recommend checking out "Milkshakes and Heartbreak at the Starlight Diner" if you have not yet discovered it!). 

Synopsis:

What brings Bonnie Brooks to The Starlight Diner? And why is she on the run?

As the front-woman in a band, Bonnie is used to being in the spotlight, but now she must hide in the shadows.

Bonnie only has one person who she can turn to: her friend Esther Knight, who waitresses at the Fifties-themed diner. There, retro songs play on the jukebox as fries and sundaes are served to satisfied customers. But where has Esther gone?

Alone in New York City, Bonnie breaks down in front of arrogant news reporter, and diner regular, Jimmy Boyle. Jimmy offers to help her. Can she trust him?

When the kindly owner of the Starlight Diner offers Bonnie work, and she meets charming security officer Nick Moloney, she dares to hope that her luck has changed. Is there a blossoming romance on the cards? And can Bonnie rebuild her life with the help of her Starlight Diner friends?

"Milkshakes and Heartbreak at the Starlight Diner" was narrated by Esther and Cox now hands on the narrative to Bonnie. Bonnie is an appealing character; relatable, flawed, a little lost and a little prone to making the wrong decision but ultimately a good person who is only trying to find love, friendship and a home. Having got to know Esther so well in the first book and feeling very attached to her story, I was initially a little thrown not to be reunited with her but actually it works to see this new story from Bonnie's point of view and very quickly I felt I had formed a relationship with her, cared about her and related to her in the same way I had Esther. And Esther is still there, still in the story and still an important member of the cast, it's just not her story anymore. Again, this puts Cox in the great position of creating a series of novels that has limitless potential and for this, I am excited!

"Secrets and Fries at the Starlight Diner" opens by once again establishing the setting and location and firmly settling us down in a comfy seat at the back of the diner, ready to watch the action unfold.

"Of course, when your doors are open, anyone can walk into your life - someone besides the local cops on their lunch break or the old lady who always asks for the corner table and orders ice cream in December and soup in August. The next person could just as easy be a stranger with a story you'll never get to hear and secrets best left unsaid."

Quickly Cox paints an enticing and vivid picture of the diner; it's colour, its style, its atmosphere- all of which is integral to the appeal of these novels.

"The place was painted in a blinding shade of red and had vintage signs hanging around the walls advertising sodas and milkshakes, each one complete with some sickly-sweet slogan like 'Put a cherry on top of your day'. The smells left behind from the cooking of hotdogs, omelettes, grilled cheese sandwiches and French fries all lingered, creating their own unique, sweaty perfume."

The Starlight Diner is a "magnet for lost souls". It is a place where anyone is welcome, anyone can walk in and order a drink, anyone can sit and dwell on their day - although chances are Mona will soon interrupt you to take your order and then get you disclosing all that you were trying to keep hidden while journalist Jimmy's pen and paper are twitching under the table next to you as he tries to capture the next big news item!

And this of course is why a diner is such an excellent setting for a fast paced story of drama, danger, secrets and lies.

But let's get back to Bonnie and her sense of trepidation as she enters the diner and seeks out Esther - unannounced, unexpected and with something unknown gnawing away at her.

"I didn't know what kind of reception I'd get from Esther, not after what had happened between us. When she found out what was going on, the parts it was safe to tell, I'd at least be subjected to a tut and an eyebrow raise. That much was certain......Still I needed a friendly face and she was the closest thing I had."

Bonnie is a flawed character. She knows she has got herself in to a serious scrape, she knows that she has made the wrong choices and she knows that turning up at the diner is a risk. The reader doesn't know what it is she is running from, how precarious her position is or what reception Esther might give her but we are intrigued. We have got to know enough of Bonnie in these few opening pages to want to find out more, to feel that she is a character we are going to want to care for and stick with through her trails and tribulations. Bonnie is perhaps a bit more edgy and risqué than Esther and her dry wit, quick quips and wry self deprecation add a good dollop of humour to the appetising recipe.

"If there were two choice in any given situation, I'd choose the wrong one. Guaranteed."

The title of the book is "Secrets and Lies" and secrets and lies is indeed what it is all about, so we are not surprised to discover that Bonnie is being rather economical with the truth. I really liked the way Cox handled her protagonist's duplicity.

"'So what brings you to New York?'
Ok. Straight down to business. I can do that. I've rehearsed my little speech. It'll sound natural enough, it's pretty much the truth. Like ninety-eight percent of it, so I'm not telling any out-and-out lies. I just need to breath, and talk."

As the novel progresses Cox introduces the love triangle between Jimmy, Nick and Bonnie. Bonnie finds herself weaving an even more complex web of 'white lies' and again, I really enjoyed the way she talked herself through her selectiveness and justified what she shared. Cox makes sure the reader stills feels sympathetic towards Bonnie despite her lack of transparency and although Bonnie is involved in something dangerous and serious, we always feel that she is not to blame for anything dishonest or illegal. The first person narrative and her chaotic, blunt humour helps maintain this.

"'Well, I appreciate an honest woman,' Nick said, edging his feet closer to me, while I wondered how honest we were talking here. A pang of guilt churned in my stomach but tried to shake it off. You don't have to be one hundred per cent honest on a second meeting, Bonnie. Besides, not disclosing something is not lying, it's just being select with the truth - or that's what I tried to convince myself."

I've already said that Bonnie is flawed and perhaps more fragile than she appears. As a singer in a band she is used to performing, creating a story, taking on a role so it was great to see this facade crack as the story continues and Bonnie's situation becomes more threatening. The warmth and friendliness of the diner also forces her on an emotional journey as what she really wants is the love and acceptance from these people.

"take me out of my costume, let me come up with my own words, and I didn't know who I was or what to say. Off stage, I wasn't anybody at all. Other than a person nobody really wanted around."

It's impossible not to like Bonnie. She reminded me of lots of my favourite characters that I have met in this genre, and perhaps also aspects of myself. She's a realistic, authentic and relatable character. We enjoy the exciting drama of secrets, lies, crime and justice as Bonnie tries to resolve the physical challenges that are threatening her, and then we also enjoy the emotional drama as Bonnie comes to term with who she is, what she wants and how she is going to move forward.

"'But I'm going to change that,' I said to her, quick as I could, before she turned on the waterworks. 'It is going to change, Bonnie.' the woman in the mirror flinched at the sound of me speaking her name out loud. 'Something has to. You deserve better that what you've had.'......Neat. Talking to yourself in the mirror. That's always a sign of spectacular mental health."

Bonnie's description that she had been acting "under the heady drug of impulse" captures her character really well and I loved this phrase as it is true for many of us- or people we have known- at certain times of our lives.

The middle part of the novel centres around the criminal event with which Bonnie is embroiled and this part of the book felt very different from "Milkshakes" which is more of a romance. In this part of the book, Cox shows how well she can integrate a police procedural angle and gripping scenes from the court room. It shows Cox's versatility and potential and hints at how much more she has to offer as a novelist.

Ultimately though, Cox's skill is inventing a world that every reader wants to go to; creating characters that intrigue us, make us smile, make us frown, make us want to pull up a stool at the counter and share a burger with them. She makes us want to discuss them, wonder about them and spy on them from the comfort of the diner as we watch their lives play out before us. Mona, Bernie, Jimmy, Esther and Jack continue to grow as characters in this sequel and I am becoming more and more attached to them the more I read about them. And now Bonnie has discovered them too.

"funny how you can interact with some people your whole life and never truly know them, while others make you feel as though you've always known them after five minutes. That's how it was for me with staff at the Strlight Diner. They'd let me in on their jokes, told me their life stories and listened to mine. Though I'd only been working there for one week, I didn't want to remember a time when I'd lived without them."

This is a fun, witty, easy read full of engaging characters and a plot that gallops along at a good pace. I really like the brand and buzz Cox has created around the Starlight Diner too and always enjoy her posts on Twitter for glimpses of life in a New York Diner!

Recommend!

"Secrets and Fries at the Starlight Diner" publishes on 16th December.

For more about Helen Cox you can follow her on Twitter @helenography or visit her website helencoxauthor.wordpress.com

For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacuk)

Serial Killers: Women who write Crime Fiction

This week there was a fascinating programme looking at the women who write crime fiction. The documentary interviewed some of the most well known female authors in this genre and also included extracts from their books. Having attended the Killer Women Crime Festival in October, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing more about writers in this genre; their influences, what interests them in this genre, how they research their novels and generally more about their books!

Here is a list of some of the authors and titles referred to in the documentary so you can compile your own Serial Killer Women To Be Read list! 

The Original Killer Women


First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.


Since his debut in 1955, Tom Ripley has evolved into the ultimate bad boy sociopath, influencing countless novelists and filmmakers. In this first novel, we are introduced to suave, handsome Tom Ripley: a young striver, newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan in the 1950s. A product of a broken home, branded a "sissy" by his dismissive Aunt Dottie, Ripley becomes enamored of the moneyed world of his new friend, Dickie Greenleaf. This fondness turns obsessive when Ripley is sent to Italy to bring back his libertine pal but grows enraged by Dickie's ambivalent feelings for Marge, a charming American dilettante.

When Carl sells a box of slimming pills to his close friend Stacey, inadvertently causing her death, he sets in train a sequence of catastrophic events which begin with subterfuge, extend to lies, and culminate in murder.
In Rendell’s dark and atmospheric tale of psychological suspense, we encounter mistaken identity, kidnap, blackmail, and a cast of characters who are so real that we come to know them better than we know ourselves.
Infused with her distinctive blend of wry humour, acute observation and deep humanity, this is Rendell at her most memorable and best.


 P. D. James' prose illuminates each of these perfectly formed stories, making them ideal reading for the darkest days of the year. While she delights in the secrets that lurk beneath the surface at family gatherings, her Christmas stories also provide tantalizing puzzles to keep the reader guessing. P. D. James embraces the challenge of the short-story form, and ingeniously weaves the strands of plot, setting, characterisation and surprise to create a satisfying whole within only a few thousand words. From the title story about a strained country-house party on Christmas Eve, to another about an illicit affair that ends in murder, and two cases for James' poet-detective Adam Dalgliesh, each treats the reader to James' masterfully atmospheric storytelling, always with the lure of a mystery to be solved.

Patricia Cornwell's first novel "Postmortem" was written in 1990 and was the first real forensic thriller.  It introduced Dr Kay Scarpetta who works as a medical examiner. Cornwell wrote this first novel while working as a computer analyst at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. Since it's publication, it has led to an explosion of forensic literature, television and film and Cornwell has gone on to sell over 100 million books and has written over 29 novels in this genre. 



Under cover of night in Richmond, Virginia, a human monster strikes, leaving a gruesome trail of stranglings that has paralyzed the city. Medical examiner Kay Scarpetta suspects the worst: a deliberate campaign by a brilliant serial killer whose signature offers precious few clues. With an unerring eye, she calls on the latest advances in forensic research to unmask the madman. But this investigation will test Kay like no other, because it's being sabotaged from within—and someone wants her dead

Best Selling Killer Women



When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test reveals a connection to an unsolved murder from twenty-two years before. Finding the answer to the cold case should be straightforward. But it’s as twisted as the DNA helix itself.
Meanwhile, Detective Karen Pirie finds herself irresistibly drawn to another mystery that she has no business investigating, a mystery that has its roots in a terrorist bombing two decades ago. And again, she finds that nothing is as it seems.


Her life is devoted to justice; for those she never even knew. In the year since Temperance Brennan left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work has often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. When a female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in trash bags, Temperance detects an alarming pattern and she plunges into a harrowing search for a killer. But her investigation is about to place those closest to her, her best friend and her own daughter in mortal danger...



Ruth Lennox, beloved mother of three, is found by her daughter in a pool of her own blood. Who would want to murder an ordinary housewife? And why?
Psychotherapist Frieda Klein finds she has an unusually personal connection with DCI Karlsson's latest case. She is no longer working with him in an official capacity, but when her niece befriends Ruth Lennox's son, Ted, she finds herself in the awkward position of confidante to both Karlsson and Ted.
When it emerges that Ruth was leading a secret life, her family closes ranks and Karlsson finds he needs Frieda's help more than ever before. 
But Frieda is distracted. Having survived an attack on her life, she is struggling to stay in control and when a patient's chance remark rings an alarm bell, she finds herself on a path that seems to lead to a serial killer who has long escaped detection. Or is it merely a symptom of her own increasingly fragile mind?
Because, as Frieda knows, every step closer to a killer is one more step into a darkness from which there may be no return...


Freddie Jackson thinks he owns the underworld when he gets out of prison. He's done his time, made the right connections, and now he's ready to use them. His wife Jackie just wants her husband home, but she's forgotten the rows, the violence, and the girls Freddie can't leave alone. Bitter, resentful, and increasingly unstable, Jackie watches her life crumble while her little sister Maggie's star rises. In love with Freddie's cousin Jimmy, Maggie is determined not to end up like her sister.
Families should stick together, but behind closed doors, jealousy and betrayal can fester until everyone's life is infected. And for the Jacksons, loyalty cannot win out. Because in their world you can trust no one. In their world everyone is on the take.

Killer Woman of the Moment 


Rachel catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. She’s even started to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses. ‘Jess and Jason’, she calls them. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.
Now everything’s changed. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar.
Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…

Other Recent Killer Women Phenomenons



On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?



As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child, thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me... 
Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love--all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. 
Welcome to Christine's life.


So the programme has helped add a few more titles to my TBR pile, reminded me of a few authors that I have enjoyed and a few books I might revisit. Most importantly it seems that Killer Women are here to stay; with their killer instinct for what women want to read about and their skill in writing about the anguish, darkness and complexity of a serial killer's mind, their books are going to top the charts for as long as we are interested in the human mind.  

If you can, I would highly recommend you try and catch the programme on iPlayer as listening to the authors chat about their work and the discussion about the appeal of crime fiction is very interesting and engaging. 

I just wouldn't want to cross any of them - or want to meet them in a dark alley! 

For my reviews of the Killer Women Crime Festival in October 2016, please click below:
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/10/killerwomen-silver-scream-book-v-film.html
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/10/killerwomen-inside-killers-head.html
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/10/killerwomen-how-to-write-psychological.html
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/10/killerwomenfestival-history-and-mystery.html
http://bibliomaniacuk.blogspot.com/2016/10/killerwomencrimefest-fresh-blood.html
For more recommendations and reviews you can follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 

For more Killer Women Crime Festival chat follow @killerwomenorg 

You may also like to follow these crime obsessed tweeters.....
@KillerReads @CrimeFix @nholten40 (crimebookjunkie) @TheCrimeVault @sbairden @CrimeFest
@crimethrillgirl

I know that by no means covers the list of excellent bloggers out there - not to mention the hundreds who blog about all kind of fiction but focus largely on psychological thrillers........If I could list you all, I would!