#authorsocialmedia – Page 14 – Avonna Loves Genres

Feature Post and Book Review: Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Book Description

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220161354-beach-house-rules?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2M85g1Ueky&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey is one of my favorite women’s fiction books so far this year. It is a small-town southern women’s fiction book full of family, both the ones we are born into and those that we make, love, second chances, friendship, and a bit of a mystery. Set in a former bed-and-breakfast turned “mommune” in an affluent small North Carolina beach town, a community of women come together as their personal world’s turn upside down.

Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime and she and her daughter, Iris, are shut out of their home and have all their bank accounts frozen. Down to her last few dollars, the town’s alleged Black Widow offers her a place for herself and her daughter in the former beachfront bed-and-breakfast turned mommune. The single moms and their children are the source of gossip throughout their small community.

Charlotte and Iris, to their surprise, find a sense of comfort and community at the mommune with the other women and children. As Charlotte works to get back their old life and prove her husband’s innocence, she and Iris discover their coming together may not have been by accident after all and secrets could destroy the new group of friends.

This book is beautifully written and pulls you right into the lives, trials, and tribulations of the mommune. The characters could walk right off the page. I enjoyed looking at the situation from both the adult women’s fears and triumphs and the teenager’s way of dealing with all the adult drama and their own high school drama. The mystery of Charlotte’s husband’s guilt or innocence had me guessing throughout and surprised me at its resolution. The addition of the on-line @JuniperShoresSocialite interspersed posts added a fun bit of laughter as well as intrigue as we tried to figure out the identity of the anonymous author. I feel this should be the top summer read this year.

I highly recommend this small-town southern women’s fiction! This is the first book I have read by this author, but it definitely will not be the last.

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About the Author

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eleven novels including The Summer of Songbirds and The Peachtree Bluff Series. Many of her books have been optioned or are in development for television and film and have received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and Joanna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Read. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize.

A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Southern Living, Parade, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, and many more. She also holds a master’s in English, with a concentration in multicultural and transnational literature.

Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction with fellow New York Times Bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry. She is also the co-founder of the interiors site Design Chic, with her mom, Beth Woodson.

She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband, son, and dog, Salt, where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kristywoodsonharvey.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristywoodsonharvey

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/beach-house-rules-by-kristy-woodson-harvey

Feature Post and Book Review: The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong

Book Description

A modern-day homicide detective is working as an undertaker’s assistant in Victorian Scotland when a serial poisoner attacks the men of Edinburgh and leaves their widows under suspicion.

Edinburgh, 1869: Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is adjusting to her new life in Victorian Scotland. Her employers know she’s not housemaid Catriona Mitchell—even though Mallory is in Catriona’s body—and Mallory is now officially an undertaker’s assistant. Dr. Duncan Gray moonlights as a medical examiner, and their latest case hits close to home. Men are dropping dead from a powerful poison, and all signs point to the grieving widows… the latest of which is Gray’s oldest sister.

Poison is said to be a woman’s weapon, though Mallory has to wonder if it’s as simple as that. But she must tread carefully. Every move the household makes is being watched, and who knows where the investigation will lead.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61885093-the-poisoner-s-ring?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=hkLfREb9hS&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE POISONER’S RING (A Rip in Time Book #2) by Kelley Armstrong is the second book in this historical mystery/time-travel romance mash-up featuring a modern-day female homicide detective who is sent back in time into the body of a Scottish Victorian house maid. These books, at least books one and two, I feel need to be read in order because the first book focuses more on all the character development, how they all interact, and the problems caused by the time-travel, while the second book is focused more on a historical murder mystery.

Mallory is still carrying out the role of house maid for Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister, Isla, while she really wants to be more of an assistant to Duncan who is an undertaker, who also moonlights as a medical examiner. Duncan becomes involved with a case of a supposed poisoning ring which soon includes his older sister when she is accused of poisoning her husband. Mallory, Isla, and Duncan all work together to investigate the murders to exonerate Duncan and Isla’s sister to save her from the hangman’s rope.

I enjoyed the first book, but I liked this one even more because the characters are more settled in their belief in Mallory’s time-travel and the focus was more on a very well-paced and plotted Victorian murder mystery. It kept me guessing until almost the end and was a satisfying solution. The characters make me keep coming back for more. While they follow the rules for their time in Scottish Victorian history, they are also educated and open minded not only to Mallery’s story, but also for their time. Ms. Armstrong brings in serious topics such as racism, varied sexual orientations, and extreme poverty and handles each with not only comparisons between Duncan’s Victorian feelings and beliefs, but also Mallory’s more modern understanding. The chemistry and dialogue between Duncan and Mallory lead to not only serious discussions, but also humorous moments. I am looking forward to following their partnership and relationship in future books.

I highly recommend this mash-up series with memorable characters and intriguing historical mysteries.

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About the Author

Kelley Armstrong believes experience is the best teacher, though she’s been told this shouldn’t apply to writing her murder scenes. To craft her books, she has studied aikido, archery and fencing. She sucks at all of them. She has also crawled through very shallow cave systems and climbed half a mountain before chickening out. She is however an expert coffee drinker and a true connoisseur of chocolate-chip cookies.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kelleyarmstrong.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelleyArmstrongAuthor

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kelleyarmstrong.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-poisoner-s-ring-by-kelley-armstrong

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Irish Daughter by Daisy O’Shea

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea on this Bookoututre Books-On-Tour blog tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Standing on the cliff above the wild Irish sea, Hannah wipes a tear from her eye and thinks about the man she called ‘Da’. She was never his daughter. Hannah has been lied to her whole life by everyone she loved. Will she ever find where she truly belongs?

When warm-hearted Hannah Barry’s father passes away, her life is turned upside down when she discovers he wasn’t her biological father, and the only family she’s ever known are not related to her at all. Now their tiny farmhouse overlooking Roone Bay feels unfamiliar and cold. So when a handsome, dark-haired stranger turns up on her doorstep, his kind eyes and shy smile are a welcome escape.

Justin Sanders is searching for clues about his long-lost grandfather, whose last letter home came addressed from the area. Justin is certain Hannah’s own grandfather is connected to the story somehow, and that the men knew each other years ago. Hannah can’t help but be drawn to Justin and his mystery – they both have a painful past to solve. Will helping Justin lead to the answers about her real family that she desperately longs for?

But Hannah is shocked when nobody in the village will speak of Justin’s grandad. What secret could be so terrible that a whole community turns their back?

Justin’s caring nature makes Hannah feel so safe, and she can’t ignore the way he makes her stomach flip. But when they discover the truth about the events of a tragic evening decades ago, it threatens to tear them apart for good… Can Hannah and Justin find a way to forgive and move forward together? Or will Hannah lose the only real love she’s ever known for good?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/226019442-the-irish-daughter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kESgIC4UJr&rank=1

Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0DVTCML7Ssocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE IRISH DAUGHTER (Emerald Isles Book #4) by Daisy O’Shea is an emotional dual timeline mash-up of romance, mystery, and history that pulled me into the story and kept me turning the pages. This book is easily read as a standalone with a few carryover secondary characters, but the real connection between the stories is that they are all set in Roone Bay, Ireland on the southern coast.

Hannah Barry has dutifully taken care of her alcoholic and dismissive father until his death as she promised her mam on her death bed believing she would inherit their hard-scrabble farm. While the home and farm are not worth much it has been her home since she returned from the hospital at three years of age after recovering from polio. Then her brother returns from America with a will to claim it all.

Justin Sanders is an English doctor who has come to Roone Bay to find where his granddad, Jack, who was stationed there as a Black and Tan in 1920, was buried during the Troubles. Hannah is surprised that no one is willing to talk, so she offers to help.

They work together as both have family secrets and history to be uncovered.

This is an enchanting story of family, love, forgiveness, and discovery. The tissues came out at a time or two. Hannah was such a strong protagonist and Justin was the perfect hero for her. The historical dual timeline tells Jack, Justin’s granddad’s story, in 1920 while he was in Roone Bay and the present-day timeline with Hannah and Justin is set in their present day, but our late 1960’s. The author’s story telling and descriptions made me feel as if I was experiencing each timeline right along with each character.

I have read all the Emerald Isles books, and they are all moving and engrossing. I highly recommend this one, also!

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Author Bio

Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaisyOSheaAuthor

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/evelynturner0990.bsky.social

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You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Dressmaker’s War by Michelle Vernal

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE DRESSMAKER’S WAR by Michelle Vernal on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

She gazes at her mother’s face in the black and white photograph, her vision blurring as tears build. Could this wartime wedding portrait be the key to finding out why her mother went missing, all those years ago?

Brides of Bold Street is filled with beautiful, brand-new ivory gowns. But dressmaker Sabrina loves it when brides-to-be wear vintage, family heirloom dresses. Seeing wedding day photographs of future mothers and grandmothers beaming – as if knowing the happiness they feel will be passed down to their daughters – is a bittersweet reminder of the mother she’s never known.

And as she and her handsome beau, Adam Taylor, start talking about marriage, not having her mother by her side weighs on Sabrina’s heart more and more each day.

But when a bride walks into the store with a family dress made of rare parachute silk from World War Two, Sabrina feels hope rise again in her chest. Because the bride also has a photograph. A photo Sabrina is sure shows her mother’s face…

With the answers to what happened all those years ago almost within reach, Sabrina decides to risk another journey through the past – and this time, with Adam by her side. He’d never let her travel alone, to a time when air raid sirens broke the silence of the night and bombs fell on Liverpool.

Together, will they finally solve the mystery of Sabrina’s real family? Or will the dangers of the darkest days of World War Two prevent Adam and Sabrina from returning to their own time?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232542182-the-dressmaker-s-war?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PQe5Y30IXG&rank=4

Purchase link: https://geni.us/B0F2SVYS6Lcover

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE DRESSMAKER’S WAR (Brides of Bold Street Book #3) by Michelle Vernal is another captivating dual timeline adventure featuring wedding dress maker, Sabrina in 1982 Liverpool, England who is able to time slip into the past. While each book has Sabrina helping a different couple in different years and could be read as standalone stories, I preferred reading them in order as those around Sabrina continue to evolve in their relationships to Sabrina in her present.

In 1982, Sabrina’s work at Brides of Bold Street and her relationship with Adam are going well and right now she has no plans to attempt a time slip to find the mother she was separated from. When a bride-to-be walks into the shop to have her grandmother’s dress altered for her own wedding, she shows Sabrina a wedding photo from her grandmother’s wedding. Sabrina is shocked to see not only herself and her boyfriend, Adam, in the photo, but she is sure she sees her mother’s face also.

Now in 1945, Sabrina and Max have slipped to the day before the celebrations for VE Day and to meet Lily, whom readers have been following in the other of the dual timelines in this story. Before the time slip, we follow Lilly’s young life during the war up to the time she meets Sabrina.

A night around the celebratory VE DAY bonfires changes everything for Sabrina.

Every book just gets better and better. I love this series and all the characters; both the main group that appear in every book and the new couple we are introduced to in each past story. This book once again had me completely engrossed as I turned the pages. Ms. Vernal’s descriptions of each time period pulled me right into the era’s history and clothing and it is especially fun and brings back good memories when she lists what music Sabrina and her friends are listening to in 1982. This is a beautiful story that is full of emotional ups and downs, love, family, and surprising revelations.

I highly recommend this mash-up of time travel, romance. and mystery!

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About the Author

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humor and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.michellevernalbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellevernalnovelist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellevernalnovelist/

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/michelle-vernal

Feature Post and Mini Book Review: The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman

Book Description

The more they know, the more danger they’re in.

When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah Brockman.

The morning after Elizabeth’s death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah’s doorstep, confirming her suspicions about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth’s grieving husband, Ralph. Working together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the United States just and free, its influence woven into every corner of the country’s history. As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, they must stop an ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them–and the secrets of Hamilton’s society are lost forever.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208433120-the-last-hamilton

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

THE LAST HAMILTON by Jenn Bregman is an intriguing adventure thriller that combines a murder mystery, treasure hunt, secret society, and American history all wrapped up in fast-paced escapism. This is a standalone story set in present-day New York City interspersed with historical facts about Alexander Hamilton’s life and family.

Sarah Brockman’s best friend, Elizabeth Walker was the last living heir in Alexander Hamilton’s direct family line until she is killed in the middle of the night. Sarah and Elizabeth’s husband, Ralph are both devastated and then puzzled by items left for them by Elizabeth upon her death. Neither knew of the secrets she was keeping and now they are not only working together to solve her murder, but they are following the clues she left to uncover a plot to destabilize the U.S. Treasury’s gold standard.

This story has a mix of interesting historical facts, intriguing locations all over New York, a murder mystery, and a thriller plot that is more easy-to-read escapism than realism. The characters do their jobs of moving the reader through the story, but I was more motivated to continue the read for the mystery and history. There is a surprise plot twist at the end, which I had already guessed, but was a nice addition to understanding that character.

Overall, a good beach read, escapism thriller.

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About the Author

Jenn Bregman is the author of THE TIMEKEEPERS and soon to be released THE LAST HAMILTON. A graduate of the University of Denver and UCLA Law School, Jenn practiced as a Big Law business lawyer in both Los Angeles and New York and worked on some of the most notorious financial crimes cases of our time. Always up for a challenge, she loves to travel, ski, run marathons, scuba dive, and hike giant mountains, having summited 14,265 foot Quandary Peak, “reverse summited” the Grand Canyon, and thru-hiked from Crested Butte to Aspen. She lives in Colorado with her family and sweet Havanese dog Babalu. THE TIMEKEEPERS is her first novel, with the next in the series, THE LAST HAMILTON, publishing on February 11, 2025 by Crooked Lane Books.

Social Media Links

Website:https://jennbregman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenn.swenson.bregman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennbregman/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-last-hamilton-by-jenn-bregman

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Fury on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FURY ON THE ISLAND by Stewart Giles on this Book ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

The midsummer madness that hit Guernsey with a vengeance has abated, but if Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly thought he could relax he’s sorely mistaken. A fury like no other is about to take hold of the island, and O’Reilly is going to be thrown headfirst right into the middle of it.

The murder of a teenager at a party on the beach is just the beginning. Things on the island are about to get much worse.

A gang of masked phantoms on mountain bikes are hell bent on terrorizing the people of Guernsey. They strike without warning, and with a fury like no other. And O’Reilly cannot figure out why they’re doing it. They attack with precision, and the brutality on display is like nothing the Irishman has ever seen before.

The fury on the island spreads far and wide as the residents gather to take the law into their own hands. The Island Police aren’t doing enough, and O’Reilly faces a war on two fronts.

How do you stop a fury when you have no idea what lies behind it?
This is going to be O’Reilly’s bloodiest investigation yet.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227887108-fury-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LU7acNbzYW&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FURY ON THE ISLAND (Detective Liam O’Reilly Book #15) by Stewart Giles is a new case of murder and mayhem for my favorite team of detectives on Guernsey Island. This story once again has DI Liam O’Reilly working with his team on a difficult murder investigation, dealing with a new temporary superintendent, and bringing the reader up to date with family and regulars on the island. One of my favorite mystery/police procedural series with a unique protagonist and the unique setting of Guernsey Island.

A gang of masked riders on mountain bikes viciously murder a teenager when he walks away from beach party. O’Reilly and his team are shocked at the fury of the attack. When more victims are attacked in the same way, the people of the island are scared and about to take the law into their own hands. There seems to be no connection or motive between those killed and injured that O’Reilly and his team can find.

With the masked riders leaving no clues or evidence, O’Reilly and his team face an island population on the brink and they are desperate for answers.

This was a different type of murder case in this series with the lack of evidence, it was less of a procedural until almost the resolution, and it still was not evidence O’Reilly could use in court. The current murder mystery reader or crime junkie wants physical evidence and DNA, but that is not always how a case is resolved. Tips, interrogations, and confessions, I believe, resolve cases more than we know. The inclusion of the temporary superintendent storyline, for me was just a space filler, although it did show O’Reilly’s care for an old colleague. I enjoyed catching up with all of O’Reilly’s police colleagues, family, and friends once again. As always, I will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this addition to the Detective Liam O’Reilly mystery/police procedural series.

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Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES:

Book 1 – Blood on the Island
Book 2 – Lies on the Island
Book 3 – Fear on the Island
Book 4 – Malice on the Island
Book 5 – Revenge on the Island
Book 6 – Christmas on the Island
Book 7 – Silence on the Island
Book 8 – Secrets on the Island
Book 9 – Chaos on the Island
Book 10 – Sadness on the Island
Book 11 – Danger on the Island
Book 12 – Evil on the Island
Book 13 – Fire on the Island
Book 14 – Madness on the Island
Book 15 – Fury on the Island