Category: Psychological Thriller

Posted in Crime Thriller, Holidays, MONTHLY UPDATE, Psychological Thriller, Writing

MONTHLY UPDATE

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

First post of 2023! January has simply whizzed by and now we’re saying goodbye to February. The first month of the year is my least favourite and usually the most quiet. So, I decided to move on and save my first update for February. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to have happened, here so I am, finishing off the post during the first few days of March!

What a lot of difference these weeks have made. The days are lighter and the dusk is nudging towards six pm. Whether you believe in Seasonal Affected Disorder or not, dark mornings and the early onset of dark evenings as the year ends definitely makes an impression on me. And not a good one. The run up to Christmas, with all its social activities acts as a distraction. There are things to look forward to. Purchases to make, get togethers to organise. And then, soon after the last strains of Auld Lang Syne have faded, there you are, face to face with January and a whole month which makes me feel I want to hibernate. No, of course that’s an exaggeration. It’s another year. New things to plan and look forward to. Nevertheless, I always find myself eager to get away from those thirty one days and move into February. And now, here we are, and I know I should not wish my life away, but I’m so glad January and February are behind me.

Fitness classes have resumed and I’m glad because I really felt the need to get back to proper exercise. Standing in the kitchen using two tins of beans for weights is no substitution. Joking aside, I do actually have some proper weights (in a girly pink circa late 1980s). I also have a step exerciser, and a selection of exercise bands, and I try to make time for home exercise. There is no substitution, however, for exercising as a group with a proper fitness trainer.

Holidays – I think everyone thought I was mad booking two holidays for 2023 in November. However, it’s clear from the situation with the current level of bookings on holiday websites that UK holidays a very much in demand. I’m spending my birthday in Norfolk at Wells Next The Sea. We first came here in 2007. Friends of ours retired to Dereham and love it so we always catch up with them whenever we stay here. I’ve always had this thing about boats and water and love Wells. It’s also a place for walkers and is a great opportunity to walk those extra pounds off (the pubs here are very good!)

In June we travel down to Devon. This time we’re in Kingsbridge; somewhere we haven’t stayed for quite a few years, usually opting for Dartmouth if we decide to stay in South Hams. And finally, in September we’re spending a week at Lake Garda. I really love the Italian Lakes and this time we’re going back to Desenzano, staying in the same hotel as we did in 2016. It will be my first trip overseas since Covid. The last time I holidayed out of the UK was in 2018 in Menorca. Memorable for all the wrong reasons, as I broke my ankle stepping awkwardly off the bottom step of the staircase in the villa where we were staying. As a result, I spent most of the summer in plaster, followed by a boot and physio. Not something I’m keen to repeat…

And finally –

READING AND REVIEWING

A busy two months so far – and some exceptionally good reads. For an excellent crime drama, I can recommend The Lonely Lake Killings by Wes Markham. Or if you are a lover of psychological thrillers then why not try The Summer Party by Rebecca Heath?

JANUARY and FEBRUARY

Have a good March everyone, by the time I’m here again, we’ll be looking forward to Easter and hopefully, the weather will be a tad warmer…

Posted in Holidays, Madison Harper, Psychological Thriller, Update, Writing

SAYING GOODBYE TO APRIL

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

Here we are, once again, saying goodbye to yet another month. We are now a third of the way through 2022. Where has the time gone?

On the writing front, I’ve had a complete overhaul of my writing timetable.  I had planned to have my ms ready for editing by the time we go away in May. That is now definitely not happening, which has had a bit of a domino effect, pushing the publication date to later in the year.  I’m now looking to publish in early September.  Having agreed this change with my editor and formatter, as you can imagine, it’s taken a whole lot of pressure off me. The delays which have caused me to fall behind have been due to health issues. Nothing serious, but it has definitely impacted on my writing.

Note sure whether any of you know, but I live in a village on the eastern side of Bath. We’ve been here many years and have been lucky enough to look out onto open fields at the rear of our property.  When we first moved in, a farmer rented the field and we had a herd of Friesians as neighbours  Then it was sold off to someone in London and there was talk of them wanting to sell it for building.  We realised that things change and although not ideal, this could well happen.  A retired businessman not far from us used to pay for the field to be mowed twice a year and then, last year, we heard that he’d managed to purchase it.  The great news now is that it is now being developed as a nature reserve.  Last September we noticed seed being sewed and automatically thought it was meadow flowers. However, with the arrival of spring, it’s clear they were planting different types of grasses.  This week a team have arrived and given an oak tree, which stands a few hundred yards away, a bit of a makeover, cutting out the dead wood.  In addition, young trees are being planted in small copses around the field, which when established will provide a useful habitat for wildlife.  

 

I think everyone in the road is relieved that any new neighbours will be of the fur and feathered variety rather than the human kind.  Living in an area of outstanding natural beauty and having been incorporated into the Cotswolds it’s a relief to know the area behind the houses will be preserved and won’t be given over to another extension of suburbia.

Our first holiday is imminent. We are spending a week in Cumbria and have chosen a location which gives us the benefit of being able to visit the Lake District or the Yorkshire Dales.  We’ve not been to the Lakes since the 1980s when we stayed at Ambleside.  I have to admit to not ever having visited the Dales, so a new adventure for me – and hopefully plenty of photo opportunities!

And finally, my April reads. I went slightly mad this month. The problem was there were so many good titles to choose from. I ended up with seven in all, which I set out below.  Although I enjoyed all of them, two in particular became favourites – Gone To Her Grave by Wendy Dranfield, the fourth in her Detective Madison Harper series. One which I have to say gets better and better with each book.  The second was Out of Her Depth by Lizzie Barber.  A gripping read, helped by the wonderful Tuscan backdrop which brought back memories of holidays in places like Florence,  Sienna and San Gimignano. 

So that’s it for another month.  The next time I’m in touch, I hope to able to post some holiday shots. Until then….

Best wishes

Jo 

Posted in Author Promotion, BOOKOUTURE, CRIME, Crime Thriller, MADDISON HARPER, Psychological Thriller, Writing

THURSDAY 29TH JULY AND IT’S PUBLICATION DAY FOR LITTLE GIRL TAKEN, BOOK THREE IN THE MADISON HARPER SERIES BY WENDY DRANFIELD

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

SYNOPSIS

Rain rattles through the trees as she leans into the car, careful not to touch anything. Two pretty blue eyes stare back through the dark, wide with relief, or maybe fear. A baby girl, wrapped up in a pink snowsuit, reaches out a tiny hand. Her mother is nowhere to be found…

An abandoned baby is the last thing Detective Madison Harper expects to find as she drives to her first day back at work since the case that ripped her life apart. But as she cradles the shivering child close, all her instincts tell her there’s something more sinister at play. Then she finds a lone sneaker down a muddy trail nearby, the laces spattered with blood…

In a town as small as Lost Creek, Colorado, the baby and the shoe are quickly identified as belonging to Kacie Larson, a waitress at the local diner who quietly stashed away her tips to make a better life for her daughter. A mother herself, Madison can’t believe that Kacie would just abandon her child, but she also can’t convince her new team. Not for the first time, Madison feels she must go it alone to get the job done.

But when a body is pulled from a nearby lake, and it’s not Kacie, the case takes an agonizing turn. Is this missing mother really who she says she is? Is there a chance she’s still alive? Madison barely has time to think before the sweet little girl she rescued is snatched on a crowded street. Gone, in the blink of an eye.

To break this case and earn her place back on the force, Madison must learn to trust her team, and herself again—and fast. If she doesn’t find this twisted individual in time, a little girl could die…

A pulse-pounding, absolutely gripping and totally addictive page-turner that will have you racing through the pages and reeling at the twists. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Lisa Regan and Kendra Elliot, you’ll be sleeping with the lights on!

 Amazon link: http://viewbook.at/LittleGirlTaken

Author bio:

 

Wendy is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer who lives in the UK with her husband and 3 cats.

Her first novel (The Girl Who Died) was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Competition. Since then she has written two crime series – one follows Officer Dean Matheson on his quest to make detective, and the other is her current series which follows Detective Madison Harper as she tries to reclaim her life after spending six years in prison for a murder she didn’t commit.

As well as crime novels Wendy also has short stories published in various anthologies in the UK and the US, and she has been shortlisted and longlisted for various writing competitions.

Wendy’s social media:

Website: https://wendydranfield.co.uk/
Twitter: @WendyDranfield
Facebook: Wendy Dranfield Author
Pinterest: Wendy Dranfield
Instagram: Wendy Dranfield Author

MY REVIEW

This is the third book in the Detective Madison Harper series. On her way to her first day back at Lost Creek Police Department, she discovers a baby girl in the back of a crashed car. Who is she? Why has she been abandoned? And where is her mother? The blood in the front of the vehicle is concerning.

I love Wendy Dranfield’s novels. She provides the reader with great characters and a plot with twists and turns aplenty. Nothing is straightforward and the shocks and surprises are many as the suspense mounts during the search for the abandoned baby’s mother.  Of course, a Maddison Harper novel would not be complete without her friend Nate and dog Brody. In Little Girl Taken, Nate plays a more central role, and confronts a nemesis who has taunted him since his release from jail.

This is a well written, edge of the seat thriller with surprises aplenty.  Since joining Bookouture, Wendy’s writing has gone from strength to strength.  Looking forward to what’s next in store for Madison and Nate.

Posted in Author Promotion, Crime Thriller, Dean Matheson, Murder, Psychological Thriller, Publication Day, Ruby Fiction, Writing

It’s publication day for Where the Snow Bleeds by Wendy Dranfield

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

where the snow bleeds cover

“You want to know what I’ve learnt after living in Lone Creek all my life? I know the snow bleeds here …”

Former police officer Dean Matheson has been playing it safe since the case that cost him almost everything. But working as a PI doesn’t quite cut it, that is until a British woman walks into his office with a job that Dean can’t resist.
The woman’s daughter, Hannah Walker, and her friend Jodie have gone missing whilst working at a ski resort in Colorado. It’s clear there’s something sinister about the girls’ disappearance, but then why are the local police department being so unhelpful?
So begins Dean’s journey to Lone Creek on the trail of the missing girls – and he’ll soon find out that in Lone Creek, everyone has something to hide …

Book trailer: https://youtu.be/Wq_3DounAQM

Amazon (universal link): http://viewbook.at/WhereTheSnowBleeds

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/where-the-snow-bleeds

Apple books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/where-the-snow-bleeds/id1466771293

GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Wendy_Dranfield_Where_the_Snow_Bleeds?id=WGSbDwAAQBAJ

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-the-snow-bleeds-wendy-dranfield/1131939239?ean=2940161429013

ABOUT WENDY

Wendy Dranfield Profile Pic 2018Wendy is a former Coroner’s Assistant turned crime writer who lives in the UK with her husband.

Who Cares If They Die and Where the Snow Bleeds are the first two books in the Dean Matheson series, with more on the way. As well as her crime thriller series, Wendy has written a YA crime novel – The Girl Who Died – and she has several short stories published in UK and US anthologies. She has also been shortlisted and longlisted for various competitions, including the Mslexia Novel Competition.

 

For behind the scenes gossip and updates on her books (or photos of her cats), follow her on social media!

My website: https://wendydranfield.co.uk/

Twitter: @WendyDranfield

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyDranfield1/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7g8miK6akDG2pFqgGeLFAw?view_as=subscriber

 

RUBY LOGO

 

Posted in Life Playlists, Psychological Thriller, Writing

LIFEPLAYLISTS IS BACK AND THIS WEEK AUTHOR SADIE RYAN IS CHOOSING HER FIVE FAVOURITE TRACKS…

Posted on by Jo Lambert - Author

Hi, there, lovely to be asked by Jo Lambert to do my Life Playlist.

SADIE RYAN PhotoI’m 54 years old and very proud of my age. It’s the time in my life where I feel most comfortable with myself and with who I am. It’s taken me along time to get to this place where I think life is just what it is…it’s just life…just live it.

I live in Cheshire, I have been married and divorced, have two wonderful children, a dog called Willow and a cat called Freddie. This year I had my book Behind Closed Doors, a psychological thriller published and what a dream come true that has been after over ten years of writing and rejections.

I love my own company which is pretty important for a writer. I don’t like travelling as much as I used to when I was younger. Having said that, I love cruises and have travelled with Cunard in the last few years and been totally spoilt. I think it’s an age thing or so my kids tell me, but who needs the hassle of airports if you can avoid them, right?

I speak Spanish fluently and a little French. My ideal day would be, if the weather is good, to write in the morning and then sit in the garden with a glass of something naughty and read a good book. I’m an avid reader and even though I vowed never to read on Kindle, I must confess I am now hooked. There’s something magical about a paperback that I adore, the smell and the feel of them, but practically a kindle is so light to carry around. I can even read on my phone if waiting for an appointment! That’s the advantage.

I love my garden and spend a lot of time there when I can and when the British weather allows me to.

I’ve not always written, but I’ve always read a lot. I remember the first book that got me into a heavy reading pattern where I just became obsessed with books, that was Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. I was sixteen. From then on, I knew that I wanted to write. But I knew to do so I had to read a lot and learn and that’s what I did. I started writing around ten years ago. I first started writing paranormal romance, a genre I still enjoy reading. I do have a novel hidden in the back of my drawer, which I hope one day to blow the dust off and take another look at it. I then wrote chick lit and finally fell into writing thrillers. I think sometimes you have to just write until you find your niche.

Now back to the music and here are my choices:

Ventura Highway by America

Ventura Highway is a 1972 song by the band America from their album Homecoming.
I love listening to this. I have wanted to visit California all my life and at one time I was about to move out there but met my husband the day before I was to send my papers in the post. And as they say that was that. This song fills me with happiness and sunshine and sandy beaches. I still want to visit.

Soldier of Fortune by Deep Purple

When I wrote my first book, a paranormal romance, (unpublished) about fifteen years ago, after finishing I heard this song on the radio and thought how beautifully it corresponded to my book. I love the sound of David Coverdale’s voice, so emotive and gritty. It’s a beautiful song.

Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush

When I heard this song and that voice in 1978, I was mesmerised. Kate Bush was so different and her music so marmite. I loved this video and whenever I hear this on the radio today it takes me back to a time when I was twelve years old and carefree.

California Dreaming by The Mamas and the Papas

I’ve always loved this song because of the unique delayed harmonies. A real masterpiece for all time. It evokes images of West Coast cruising in corvettes, malt shops, beach boys cruising down the California coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The Mamas and the Papas created music that changed the culture of that time. It’s happy music, to sit in the garden on a hot summer’s day with an iced cool glass of wine and just relaxing.

Fairy Tale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

What can I say! This song is amazing. Brilliant. The lyrics and music are perfect. I love hearing this at Christmas time and all year round. It makes me laugh and smile and just feel happy.

 

SADIE RYAN

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

A simmering sense of dread dominates this brilliant debut thriller. Highly recommended!

She’s in your house, now she wants your life …
Tina Valentine has it all: the loving family, the beautiful house, the successful career.
But then Megan Pearson starts work at Tina’s law firm and with her arrival the perfect world Tina has built for herself starts to collapse as it becomes clear that the newcomer is intent on infiltrating every aspect of her life.
Something is obviously wrong with Megan but nobody else seems to see it. As the mind games and manipulations continue, Tina comes to the sickening conclusion that now she’s opened the door to Megan, it’s going to be impossible to make her leave …

Available to order on Amazon Universal Link – https://t.co/HjJeNtjPZi
Audio available to order on Amazon https://t.co/wwuNUicXh0
AppleiBooks https://books.apple.com/gb/book/behind-closed-doors/id1457689508
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/behind-closed-door-sadie-ryan/1131014859
Google Play https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Jc-UDwAAQBAJ&dq=behind+closed+doors+sadie
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/behind-closed-doors-157