Author: @f33lthesun

Retired and reading.

Undine’s Blessing by Tessa Hastjarjanto

On By @f33lthesunIn #YA1 Comment

Blurb

A dutiful daughter, a mystical archipelago, and a hidden power waiting to command the tides…

Marella spends her days caring for her sick mother and selling her father’s fish. Bound by duty and love, she dreams little of adventure. But when her mother must travel to the city for treatment, her father takes her out to sea, despite her fear of water.

A storm steers them to Emberrain, home to a tribe of magical nymphs and a place of secrets, where Marella discovers a startling truth: her father is a frequent visitor to these mysterious islands. Soon she learns that Emberrain isn’t the only secret he had kept from her.

Marella has the power to control water and communicate with aquatic animals.

Overwhelmed by the magical but dangerous islands, and the secrets of her father, Marella must learn to harness her powers to save herself and her new aquatic friend before they are separated from their parents forever.

Undine’s Blessing is a journey of wonder, where fears are faced and mysteries unravel, and a young girl learns that true adventure begins when you dare to embrace who you truly are.

Review

Undine’s Blessing is a fairy tale like story that mixes human and magical worlds through Marella and her father.

Marella’s childhood is spent looking after her poorly mother and doing chores to help them earn enough money to get by whilst her father takes his boat out for long periods, fishing and bringing back intriguing fruits they have never seen before. Where do they come from? Her father is evasive on that.

Marella is caught between her over protective mother and her adventurous father. She questions why her mother does not want yer hear the water but her wish to obey her mother clashes with her joy of swimming and her father’s wish to see her enjoy life more and not be bound to the home by chores.

When he takes Marella on one of his boat trips, she discovers where the fruit comes from…a magical land of nymphs. But what dark secrets lie beneath the surface? How can this place be linked to Marella’s apparent affinity with water and water based creatures?

You will have to read this to find out. Join Marella in this wonderfully crafted world as she discovers her talent for water magic and takes on the village elders to help nature recover from their actions.

About the Book

Length: 298 Pages

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Young Adult

Date Published: January 27, 2024

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/3A6CTUC (Canada) https://a.co/d/cFNzg3k (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/iR6Injk (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199001923-undine-s-blessing 

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/acdc824e-225e-40be-9778-03566593b1cb

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists (16 in 2024) and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads. 

The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton

On By @f33lthesunIn #YALeave a comment
Cover illustration by Katt Phatt

Blurb

A glamorous media darling, a surprise heiress, and the magical competition of a lifetime.

At sixteen, Honora “Nora” Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in all of Walstad. Her family controls all the money–and all the magic–in the entire country. But despite being the center of attention, Nora has always felt like an outsider. When her mother is found dead in an alley, the family throne and fortune are suddenly up for grabs, and Nora will be pitted against her cousins in the Veritaz, the ultimate magical competition for power that determines the one family heir.

But there’s a surprise contestant this time: Lotte, the illegitimate daughter of Nora’s aunt. When Lotte’s absent mother retrieves her from the rural convent she’d abandoned her to, Lotte goes from being an orphan to surrounded by family. Unfortunately, most of them want her dead.

And soon, Nora discovers that her mother’s death wasn’t random–it was murder. And the only person she can trust to uncover the truth of what happened is a rakish young reporter who despises everything Nora and her family stand for.

With everyone against her, Lotte’s last hope is hunting for the identity of her father. But the dangerous competition–and her feelings for Theo, one of the Holtzfalls’ sworn protectors–turns her world upside down.

Review

I do love a fairy tale inspired story and The Notorious Virtues does not disappoint. As it turns out, this is the first in a series, and whilst ending on somewhat of a cliffhanger, it felt an appropriate place to do so. I need the next book…NOW!

Told from multiple viewpoints, which works well to keep the reader on top of what is happening, this story at is heart is about family. The family in question being the powerful Holtzfall’s, who own and hold all the power in Walstad. The matriarch leader, Mercy, uses her power and magic to control the family and keep the traditions alive…but as the younger generation prepare and endure the trials to decide the next heir to the fortune, they start to uncover deep secrets and infighting. Whilst searching for answers and trying to outmanoeuvre each other, the girls must also be prepared for trials to win a chance to be heiress. These trials are undisclosed (but linked to the virtues) until they happen and can be anything from troll attacks, helping others or not being tempered in stressful situations.

The history of the family and the traditions they keep, including that of their sworn knight protectors, the Rydders, is told in chunks interspersed throughout the main storyline and is their own origins fairy tale, linked to an immortal being in the woods and an honest, hardworking woodcutter who asks no more than to be able to cut wood to help his family survive the winter. How the family has changed these ideals and their use of magic over the generations enables themes of capitalism, dictatorship, family secrets, resistance, betrayal and rebellion. As one of the characters whose point of view is shared with us is a journalist, we also see the power of the press being used to manipulate how individuals and situations are perceived by the general population.

All this sounds heavy, but believe me, this story is anything but. It is fast paced, builds intrigue, suspense and unforeseen twists, whilst also maintaining a fairy tale-esque style.

Thank you to @TheWriteReads, the author and Faber for a copy of this to read and review.

About the book

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Young Adult

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Number of Pages: 368 Pages

Publication Date: March 27, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38347283-the-notorious-virtues 

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/3e6e7d9c-5b37-413b-9773-4550a1b42233 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/8vVbAG9 (Canada) https://a.co/d/hLVzjdb (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/i8QYXs5 (UK)

Or my preferred method, buy at a local independent bookshop.

Look out for the other blogs on this tour.

Yellow Tape and Coffee by Pat Luther

On By @f33lthesunIn Young Adult1 Comment

Blurb

In Portland, Oregon, Investigative reporter Veer Rosen has come across the story of a lifetime. If she makes it public, her career and life will be in danger. If she doesn’t, tens of thousands may die. The last time the werewolves were revealed, violence swept across Europe. Computer mogul Victor Stumpp will go to any lengths to keep that pattern from repeating. Junior software engineer Carl’s friend was murdered for breaking the rules, keeping the existence of the werewolves secret. He is determined to change the system that allowed it. Homicide detective Michael must balance keeping his city safe and bringing a criminal to justice when he learns that the murderer he’s pursuing is part of a secret society of werewolves.When middle aged accountant Gordon is attacked by a rogue werewolf he finds himself thrust into a war that he wants no part of, but he may be the only chance for peace. Alliances shift, friends are made, and others betrayed as conflicting agendas clash across the city and by the end Portland and the entire world will never be the same.

Review

I read the first 2k extract and wanted more. I then read the 10k extract and definitely wanted more. I loved this book and it thoroughly deserved its place as a BBNYA 2024 finalist. It was the longest book by far, page wise, that I read last year but it certainly didn’t feel like it. The pacing and characters kept the story alive all the way to the end.

Sometimes history teaches us something, we learn from it and move on, develop society. Other times, history teaches us something, we learn from it and then a few decide that the reasoning behind decisions are unsound and set out to change it.

In Portland, and around the world, werwolves exist but keep themselves hidden. There are societies, structures and a worldwide network in place to ensure the safety of both themselves and non werewolves. It has been this way for a long time, lessons having been learned many years ago. However, a group have decided this is wrong and werewolves should be allowed to reveal themselves and integrate with society, as well as turn more of the population into werewolves.

As you would suspect, mayhem and biting ensue, creating more werewolves, but killing in some cases. Also, as you would expect, the majority of people (and werewolves) are not happy about it, including the recently transformed ones…no one asked their consent to be bitten and turned…no one trained them in keeping themselves secret and not murdering humans.

This story deals with secret societies, integration and exclusion, corporate greed, consent, conflicting loyalties and human/werewolf nature in all its glory.

Look out for other blogs on this tour

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Curse of Souls by Niranjan

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

The fates of two nations hang on the balance on a man’s choice between love and an arcane bond.

Philip has been spearheading a rebellion in his country, with Casey, his lover and partner, at his side. The rebellion has snowballed into a civil war and casualties on both sides are mounting. In a desperate attempt for peace, Philip decides to approach Raylan, the second in command of the other side. He has learned that Raylan is not as stubborn as his mentor and that he may be open to negotiations.

The last thing Philip expects is for a soul mate bond to spring to life between him and Raylan, activating an ancient curse that will kill them both if the bond isn’t consummated. Philip has never loved anyone but Casey, and Raylan is a total stranger who he has no feelings for. Yet, the delicate negotiations between the two nations will fail without him and Raylan. Philip’s life is not his own, after all; it belongs to the people he has pledged his service to.

With more than his life at stake, will Philip be able to let go of the love of his life to bring peace to his people?

Review

This is a fantasy romance novella about a couple, Philip and Casey, together for 15 years, who are emotionally wounded when an ancient magic soulmate bond awakens in Philip, giving him a short time in which to find his soulmate and consummate the relationship or they will both die.

Time is no issue however, as they discover almost immediately that Philip’s bond soulmate is the person who they have been negotiating with to end the war and bring peace to the country, making this an issue they had not expected.

The author deals with the emotions of the three main characters well, their separate reactions to the bond curse and working through the issues (both in their own minds and together) being a very strong theme of the story.

The story being told from the different viewpoints of the three main characters is useful to us, the readers, as it means there are no unreliable narrators leading us on about how others are thinking because of the perceptions of the other characters.

Where I wanted more was the back stories…to the characters (not just Philip, Casey and Raylan), to the world they inhabit and the magic. I wanted to be more emotionally connected to the story of Raylan and his four friends since childhood, to then be really invested when we find out one of them may be a traitor.

About the Book

Length: 158 Pages

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: January 19, 2024

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/fML4oX2 (Canada) https://a.co/d/iMVvXJM (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/8MzvDYy (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/193384554-curse-of-souls

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6c7e346e-d40f-4fb2-863d-9cc2e837d9cd

Fallen Knight by Ceril N Domace

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment
Cover art by Atlas Theseus Schmidt

Blurb

Leon Quinn has two goals in life: stay out of the reach of the Templesbane and drink himself unconscious whenever he can afford it.

The first is because the Templesbane wiped out his home and family among the Knights Vigilant when he was a child, destroying everything he knew and loved in one night. The second is to help him sleep when the memories of the first overwhelm him.

But he can’t avoid his past forever. His mercenary work has brought him back to Mezeldwelf, the city he fled to after the downfall of the Knights Vigilant, and to his estranged father just in time to get embroiled in a scheme that threatens the very foundation of the city. A scheme that could see Mezeldwelf, its people, and its gods handed over to the Templesbane.

To protect the city and man that adopted him, Leon will need to confront the ruins of the life he left behind and the horrors that threaten the life he’s cobbled together since then.

Review

It took me a couple of chapters to get my head round who was who and who stood for what, but once I did, what a story! The world building is superb, the characters are deep, idiosyncratic, and Leon is a fabulous main character.

There are several themes running through the book including found family, war, revenge, loss, the weight of expectation and, mainly for Leon, perception not only of himself but how others see him.

Leon grew up knowing certain facts about his early life and thinking he knew other things, which continue to influence the decisions he makes and what he keeps secret from others. He is tortured about what has happened in the past and also what he thinks others want of him. This is not helped by the group of ghost Knights Vigilant who appear to him uninvited, telling him what he should do. Because of this he distances himself, both physically and emotionally, in what he sees as his only way of protecting the people he loves.

Despite perceiving thoughts about him by others mostly incorrectly, he does have some self awareness and when he finds himself responsible for the safety of a teenage girl, he changes his approach to things in order not to scare her.

I love the wide ranging characters that surround Leon, looking out for him despite his best efforts to distance himself, and really look forward to the next book in the series to meet them again, especially Jackie…like Leon, we just never know where she is going to turn up next!

Thank you to the author , Ceril N. Domace, and @The_WriteReads for a copy of the book including order to take part in this blog tour.

About the book

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Adult

Number of Pages: 351 Pages

Publication Date: January 24, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218368070-fallen-knight 

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/5d13c73d-29d9-4caa-b799-c8eb6379e2b7 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/379YB4Y (Canada) https://a.co/d/g3uGmmv (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/e6UwdPK (UK)

The Way By by Holly Walters

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

Fairies are real. Or they ought to be, at least, according to Madame Bel Carmen’s best hypotheses. Her problem, however, is that after searching the world over for the lore to prove it, she hasn’t uncovered anything that someone didn’t already know. Out of options, she knows her only chance to prove the existence of the Fae is to find someone who’s met them, and she’s just heard tell of a reclusive scholar who has reportedly done just that. This folklorist is more than just withdrawn; she’s nowhere, an academic ghost known only by a few obscure writings.

Review

I was intrigued by the blurb, but this book is so much more. I also love this quote, as I have never stopped reading fairy tales. This has folklore, fae, fae deals, riddles in rhyme, ghosts, a fabulous cat called Noseworthy and a group of curious women needing to get to the crux of what is happening in the Way By and stop it being destroyed.

I will admit to struggling a bit with the pace of the first half of the book, but once the ladies involved were in the Way By, the liminal world between our world and the fae, the story took on a much quicker pace and I loved it.

Being from the UK, it was strange getting used to so many place names in Massachusetts being the same as some English towns.

This passage from the book is an excellent description of the lives of the five different women who find themselves working together to save the world they know and love, as well as the Fae world. They have all had different life experiences and were all looking for something, they just did not know what that something was. Their knowledge and understanding of the Way By is wide ranging, from being a Waysmith to never having even heard of it until something brought them into the liminal space, without them knowing they were even there.

Finally navigating their way around, confronting their own demons, as well as the one who wanted to bring chaos and destruction to the world, brings them the understanding they seek, as well as more questions. They all have a reason for being there and they all have knowledge and skills that put together can hopefully resolve the situation.

The scenes at the end, where the women are battling Clarisant, made me think of this sculpture by Damien Hirst.

Myth by Damien Hirst, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

To its credit, this book gave me a lot to think about and it is still with me, a few weeks after reading it.

Thanks to @The_WriteReads and author for the ARC to read and review for this blog tour.

About the Author

Holly Walters originally hails from a small, rural, town in Minnesota. A life-long storyteller, Holly is also a cultural anthropologist with a PhD from Brandeis University working in the high Himalayas of Nepal. While her ethnographic work focuses on fossil folklores and sacred ammonites in South Asia, her creative work pays homage to the dragons, unicorns, and fairy tales of her youth.

When not writing, she can be found perfecting her Medieval archery skills, theorizing about movie plots, and forgetting where she left her tea cup. Today, she makes her home in Boston, Massachusetts, with a very unruly garden, a few equally cantankerous pets, a clever spouse, and a resident house ghost. And since her creepy sculpture hobby hasn’t panned out thus far, she is looking forward to the publication of her first novel and the writing of many more.

The Sparrow and the Oak Tree by Jamie Jackson – A BBNYA Spotlight Post

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

Blurb

Unicorns don’t exist, and dragons aren’t real, but the Fae are. And they are to be feared.

Or so the tales say.

As the sole sorceress within the Lion King’s court and kingdom, Isolde is valued for her power, provided she fulfills the king’s commands.

Her task? Deal with a child who has emerged from a forest no one has returned from in over one hundred years. As Isolde works to fulfill her order, accompanied by her nameless guardian, she’ll encounter a creature she’s only heard of through myth and legend…

When he kidnaps her.

Book Details

Length: 397 Pages

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: February 14, 2023

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/0v0fWFB (Canada) https://a.co/d/cAhfm9k (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/agF7uCx (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63347302-the-sparrow-and-the-oak-tree

Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/b845cb3c-32d0-4ccd-a029-a74fd31c81a5

Or buy it from your local independent bookshop, which is my preferred option.

Author Bio

Jamie lives with her husband, three feral children and two badly behaved dogs.

Her favorite pastimes are watching too many documentaries, reading any and all genres she can get her hands on and, when she remembers to get the ingredients, baking.

She has BAs in English and Theatre, her favourite part of which was working backstage on traveling Broadway productions.

You can follow her on Twitter via @VillainLeaning

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

The Last Magus by Mark Piggott – A BBNYA Spotlight Post

On By @f33lthesunIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

Blurb

MAGUS… The Magus were the protectors of magic, armed with a magic caster’s power and the strength of a warrior. They were able to summon various magical weapons from specialized caches they wore as an armored pauldron known as an Armory of Attlain. They were legendary among the people of Attlain, until the Magus Rebellion. When a few Magus decided they should lead the people instead of protecting them, they rebelled; but the insurrection ended from within the Magus ranks. However, the rebellion already did the damage. The Magus were cast out, feared, and outlawed except for those few who remained loyal to the crown and lived as adventurers. For generations, they had all but disappeared from the landscape of Attlain.

Marcus Gideon awoke at the crossroads outside the border town of Armändis. Lost, with no memory of his past life, he was left for dead by brigands… Stabbed through the heart. His life was saved by a blacksmith’s kindness who replaced his damaged heart with a mechanical, magical miracle—a clockwork heart. The gears turned, the motor spun, and his heart was beating again, powered by his magical energy.

Gideon was alive, but his savior was no ordinary blacksmith. Henry Botàn was a Magus, hiding out in Armändis to protect the weapons within his magical armory. The swords, spears, and other-worldly artifacts were potent in their rights, some cursed and even forbidden to wield. His responsibility was to protect these weapons from falling into the wrong hands, but he was old and past his prime. He needed an apprentice, and Marcus Gideon may be the one he waited all these years.

Now begins a new adventure, as Gideon searches for clues to his past, looking ahead toward his future in Attlain as THE LAST MAGUS.

Book Details

Length: 274 Pages

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Age Category: New Adult

Date Published: May 3, 2021

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/fpoPH0x (Canada) https://a.co/d/1am4iig (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/eMXUPz4 (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58275189-the-last-magus

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/42174246-9190-4b26-bc7e-039b944bb494 

Or buy it from your local independent bookshop, which is my preferred option.

Author Bio

A native of Phillipsburg, N.J., Mark Piggott is a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. He retired in 2006 as a Chief Petty Officer. His first book, Forever Avalon l, was published in 2009. Mark self-published several books before signing with Curious Corvid Publishing in 2021. He has won several book awards, including The Bookfest Book Award, the Firebird Book Award, AGI Indie Book Award Grand Prize for Fiction, and the Golden Wizard Children’s Book Award. Mark works as a writer-editor in Washington, D.C. He lives in Alexandria, Va., with his wife, Georgiene.

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs by Victoria Williamson

On By @f33lthesunIn Upper KS2+Leave a comment
Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs by Victoria Williamson
Cover by James Brown

Blurb

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes…

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it – the Firehawk – lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents’ legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo’s help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is a thrilling tale of adventure and resilience, perfect for middle-grade readers.

Review

Victoria Williamson has done it again. She has built a believable, futuristic, dystopian world where mutabugs are taking over, causing chaos and harm. Added to that, new giant mutabugs hatching from a crater caused by a meteor that are threatening all the villages and crops. Giant spiders, immune to the majority of weapons the bedraggled Skyfleet can throw at them, are snatching villagers and cocooning them.

The only craft with strong enough fire power is out of action and irreparable (according to the adults). However, Amberley and her best friend Ric know better. With a little help from renegade pilot Screwball (I couldn’t help thinking of Wacky Races whenever she and Bandit were involved) and her pet wombat, they collect the scraps needed to repair the Firehawk.

Showing determination and skill, they secretly rebuild and test the jet, but end up involved in more than they bargained for when they get caught up in a mutabug attack that could finish everyone off.

Themes of loss, disability, friendship, resilience and courage come through strongly in this adventurous sci-fi dystopian thriller. Highly recommended.

Thanks to @The_WriteReads and Tiny Tree (publisher) for the ARC to read and review for this blog tour.

The Dame on the Dock by Louise Gorday – A BBNYA Spotlight Post

On By @f33lthesunIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

Blurb

In 1922, private investigator Tatum “Shoe” Shoemaker—fresh off a sensational case and a Pulitzer Prize nomination—finds himself working in a bad section of Washington, D.C., and drowning in debt. So when a well-heeled solicitor offers a substantial retainer to solve the brutal murder of a wealthy industrialist’s daughter, he jumps at the chance.

Against the advice of his girlfriend-cum-wise-cracking assistant, Shoe decides to risk potential retribution from elected officials and return to Nevis, Maryland—the bayside town that ran him out six months earlier for exposing corruption in government. But his hope of solving his new case is immediately imperiled when he learns archrival Rudy Becker has been retained on the same case. Clues pile up without connection as neither investigator fully trusts the other, and each withholds information vital to solving the case. Soon, both investigators find themselves prime suspects in the murder, and they must either learn to work together with complete trust, or one of them will certainly go down for the murder.

Book Details

Length: 273 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: August 16, 2021 

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/jdztoZ6 (Canada) https://a.co/d/6PkLNEZ (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/9GWGdnm (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58897030-the-dame-on-the-dock

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/2e38997b-74fb-49a0-bce4-77d79b4b0138 

Or buy it from your local independent bookshop, which is my preferred option.

Author Bio

Louise Gorday is an award-nominated author of eleven novels, many of which center on life in a small fictional Southern Maryland town based loosely on Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Her plots range from historical fiction describing the founding of the amusement park in the early 1900s and a private investigator in the 1920s to the modern-day fantasy escapade of an immortal battling Pandora’s grandson for the dark muse of Edgar Allan Poe. Whether it be Solomons Island, Upper Marlboro, or a trip down a notched road, she loves to include local places and Maryland customs in her stories. Louise lives in Dunkirk, Maryland, with a very patient husband, two Shelties, and Emmett, an African Grey who sings the Sponge Bob Square Pants theme song.

Louise’s novel Edgar and the Flyboys was recently a finalist in Poe Baltimore’s 2022 Saturday “Visiter” Awards, which honor artistic works that continue Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy.

Website and to subscribe to Louise’s mailing list: https://www.louisegordaybooks.com/ 

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.