Cover Reveal – Grab This Book

Cover Reveal: Best Defence – William McIntyre

As the year draws to an end my thoughts turn to the year ahead and the promise of many new books to enjoy. My preference will always be to pick up the latest book in an ongoing series – the opportunity to reunite with familiar characters and to see how their stories continue to develop always holds a greater lure for me (I am invested into so many fictional lives).

One of the first returning characters I will meet in 2022 is Robbie Munro, star of the Best Defence series from William McIntyre. An enticing prospect as Robbie’s legal adventures are always a treat and the author mixes adventure, legal wrangling and lots of wry humour which I always enjoy.

Best Defence is the twelfth book in the series but, having read the earlier titles, I am confident that the new book will be accessbile to new readers without need to pick up any of the previous stories. However, I would highly recommend trying these books for yourself, if you haven’t discovered Robbie Munro yet then you are missing out on a treat.

Before I share the cover for Best Defence I also get to reveal something of what we can expect from the book too:

Honesty is the best policy, but not always the Best DefenceWhen the wife of a soccer superstar is charged with murder, Robbie Munro is instructed for the defence, but his client’s version of events keeps changing as more and more damaging evidence is revealed.Meanwhile, Robbie’s brother, Malky, falls victim to the cancel culture, and insists Robbie step in to save his TV career.Both Robbie’s clients have their own strategies, but it’s up to Robbie to decide the BEST DEFENCE.

And now that cover:

That’s going to light up my Twitter feed! Not too long to wait until we can start reading, pre-orders are already possible on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Defence-Book-Robbie-Munro-ebook/dp/B09P1J7YH8/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1640302440&refinements=p_27%3AWilliam++McIntyre&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=William++McIntyre

Best Defence will be available from 1 January 2022.

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September 30

Cover Reveal: River Clyde – Simone Buchholz

Today I am beyond excited to share something new with you. A first opportunity to see the cover for River Clyde, the next Chastity Riley book from Simone Buchholz which will be published in the new year by Orenda Books.

Before you scroll down to catch that first glimpse of the FIFTH book in this stupendous series I have the FAQ’s too:

River Clyde releases in digital format first. Ebook will be available from 17 January 2022 with print copies arriving on 17 March 2022.

Once again we can thank Rachel Ward for translating the original German text into English, Rachel translated all four previous books in the series.

Blurb first, cover second and then the handy pre-order links, there is a lot of love for this series and I know you will want to secure this one early to be sure you can get reading as soon as possible.

Chastity Riley travels to Scotland to face the demons of her past, as Hamburg is hit by a major arson attack. Queen of Krimi, Simone Buchholz returns with the nail-biting fifth instalment in the electric Chastity Riley series … and this time things are personal…

‘Simone Buchholz writes with real authority and a pungent, noir-ish sense of time and space … a palpable hit’ Independent

‘Reading Buchholz is like walking on firecrackers … a truly unique voice in crime fiction’ Graeme Macrae Burnet

Mired in grief after tragic recent events, state prosecutor Chastity Riley escapes to Scotland, lured to the birthplace of her great-great-grandfather by a mysterious letter suggesting she has inherited a house.

In Glasgow, she meets Tom, the ex-lover of Chastity’s great aunt, who holds the keys to her own family secrets – painful stories of unexpected cruelty and loss that she’s never dared to confront.

In Hamburg, Stepanovic and Calabretta investigate a major arson attack, while a group of property investors kicks off an explosion of violence that threatens everyone.

As events in these two countries collide, Chastity prepares to face the inevitable, battling the ghosts of her past and the lost souls that could be her future and, perhaps, finally finding redemption for them all.

Nail-bitingly tense and breathtakingly emotive, River Clyde is both an electrifying, pulse-pounding thriller and a poignant, powerful story of damage and hope, and one woman’s fight for survival.

You’ve been very patient so just zip down the page a little futher and enjoy the River Clyde cover in all its glory…

Isn’t it terrific? I love the stylistic approach that has featured for all the titles in this series and River Clyde really catches the eye.

I promised purchase links so you could get an early order in…

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/3EZj8XJ

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3F4nuwu

And I am afraid that’s all I have for you today, cover, blurb and order links with a huge dose of anticipation. Roll on January 17th

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October 27

Cover Reveal: Thunder Bay – Douglas Skelton

A treat today as I get to share the first glimpse of the new thriller from Douglas Skelton. I have a cover to show you but that is at the end of the post so you need to work your way down to see it. First up some publication details and then the cover blurb…

Thunder Bay will be published by Polygon on 7 March 2019

It will be available in paperback and digital format.

Here is what to expect:

When reporter Rebecca Connolly is told of Roddie Drummond’s return to the island of Stoirm she senses a story. Fifteen years before he was charged with the murder of his lover, Mhairi. When he was found Not Proven, Roddie left the island and no one, apart from his sister, knew where he was or what he was doing.

Now he has returned for his mother’s funeral – and it will spark an explosion of hatred, bitterness and violence.

Defying her editor’s wishes, Rebecca joins forces with local photographer Chazz Wymark to dig into the secrets surrounding Mhairi’s death, and her mysterious last words of Thunder Bay, the secluded spot on the west coast of the island where, according to local lore, the souls of the dead set off into the after life. When another murder takes place, and the severe weather that gives the island its name hits, she is ideally placed to uncover the truth about what happened that night fifteen years before.

Sounds terrific – and it looks awesome too!

Best news of all is that you can use this handy link to order your copy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thunder-Bay-Douglas-Skelton/dp/1846974739/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1540583328&sr=1-2&keywords=thunder+bay

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October 5

Cover Reveal: Welcome To The Heady Heights – David F Ross

Another very special post today as I am delighted to host a cover reveal for Welcome To The Heady Heights by David F Ross which shall be published in March 2019 by Orenda Books.

First we have the blurb – so we can know what to expect then that cover in its full magnificence:

Welcome to the Heady Heights – David F Ross (March 2019)

Welcome to the Heady Heights …

It’s the year punk rock was born, Concorde entered commercial service and a tiny Romanian gymnast changed the sport forever.

Archie Blunt is a man with big ideas. He just needs a break for them to be realised. In a bizarre brush with the light-entertainment business, Archie unwittingly saves the life of the UK’s top showbiz star, Hank ‘Heady’ Hendricks’, and now dreams of hitting the big-time as a Popular Music Impresario. Seizing the initiative, he creates a new singing group with five unruly working-class kids from Glasgow’s East End. Together, they make the finals of a televised Saturday-night talent show, and before they know it, fame and fortune beckon for Archie and The High Five. But there’s a complication; a trail of irate Glaswegian bookies, corrupt politicians and a determined Scottish WPC known as The Tank are all on his tail…

A hilarious and poignant nod to the elusivity of stardom, in an age when making it’ was ‘having it all’, Welcome to the Heady Heights is also a dark, laugh-out-loud comedy, a heartwarming tribute to a bygone age and a delicious drama about desperate men, connected by secrets and lies, by accidents of time and, most of all, the city they live in.

Another fabulous Orenda cover and one that is guaranteed to catch your eyes when you see it in the wild.

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June 13

Cover Reveal: The Lingering – SJI Holliday

A very special post today as I get to share the first look at the cover for The Lingering by SJI Holliday.

You need to scroll down a little for this one as the book blurb comes first to set the scene. I promise though that those extra screen swipes or and clicks of the mouse make it totally worthwhile – this is a stunning cover.

Don’t stop reading once you reach the cover though as Susi has joined me to share her thoughts and tease some extra info about what you can expect from The Lingering.

The Lingering – SJI Holliday published by Orenda Books on 15 September 2018

Married couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient spiritual commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history.

When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution…

At once an unnerving mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre.

My initial reaction was “ooft…that’s a belter” but I tried to sound a bit more professional when I caught up with Susi yesterday.

The cover of The Lingering is stunning – quite unlike any other that I can think of. Does seeing a cover for the first time change how you think about a forthcoming book, for example does it seem more real?

Yes! It makes it feel instantly more real and instantly more scary as then I start to think about what people will make of the cover and will they love it and then hate the book? Haha! Seriously – all of this is really exciting but always massively anxiety inducing. And thank you, it really is a stunning cover – I was blown away by it at first as it was so unusual – the inversion of the building and the odd feeling of looking up at it, and the tree, from somewhere very low – as if someone might be lying on the ground… *cough* no spoilers here. And the people on the roof! I love them so much.

The description is teasing witches and a ghost story, something of a change from what we may have seen from you before. Does the fact The Lingering appears to be a “chiller” reflect the type of story you enjoy reading?

Most definitely. My favourite ghost stories are The Woman in Black and The Lovely Bones and I have read some brilliant new ones lately, such as The Silent Companions. I think with my early short stories and then my first novel, Black Wood, there was a hint of horror, of something a touch unworldly, but then after that I seemed to veer down another path. That path was fun, but I felt it was time to go back to my roots. With The Lingering, I am back where I belong and I am excited to share this story with the world and hope they appreciate that I have always been a creepy little girl at heart 🙂

You can pre-order a copy of The Lingering here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lingering-SJI-Holliday-ebook/dp/B07DFVXVDX/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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March 31

Cover Reveal: The Janus Run – Douglas Skelton

Today I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share the first glimpse of the new Douglas Skelton novel with you all.

Having thrilled readers with the phenomenal Davie McCall series and then entertained us with that tricky balance of thrills and chuckles with two books featuring the fast-talking Dominic Queste books. Now we have something new (and very different) to look forward to.

The Janus Run is due to release in September 2018 and it will not be a Scottish thriller this time as Mr Skelton is heading West and taking us to the US.

I know this is a Cover Reveal but before we get to the pretty bit of the post I really want to share a little more of what we can look forward to from The Janus Run…first the blurb, then the cover.

The Janus Run – Douglas Skelton

‘A bullet doesn’t know good from evil, right from wrong. A bullet only knows how to kill. I was a bullet…’

For Cole Lang, the past was buried. A successful advertising executive, he has put one horrific marriage behind him but ahead was a new life with corporate lawyer Gina Scolari.

But then someone murders Gina. In his bed.

Big mistake.

They thought he was just a white collar pushover but they were wrong. He has secrets.

Gina had secrets, too, and one of them may have got her killed.

Was it because of her father, Tony Falcone, a former Mafioso who turned rat?

Or was it something else? Something from Cole’s past, from his days with Janus, a group so shadowy only those in the highest echelons of government know of its existence.

In the frame and on the run from the dogged cop Rosie Santoro and US Marshal TP McDonough, Cole must tap into old skill in order to survive.

But those old skills are rusty and that could prove lethal.

He forges an uneasy alliance with Falcone, who seeks revenge for his daughter’s death.

Falcone has baggage of his own, mistakes in his past he must address if they are to survive. Not the least is the Marino family, out for blood.

They have the law, the feds and the mob on their tail as they dodge bullets and bodies across the Five Boroughs.

Meanwhile, someone else is tying off loose ends. Is it Nicky ‘The Juke’ Bruno, the Marino’s cold-hearted enforcer? Or is the chilling professional killer Mister Jinks responsible?

And all the while, Janus watches and waits.

I SIMPLY CAN NOT WAIT.

Now that all important cover, keep your eyes peeled for this book and when you see it in a shop you will know to pick it up and take it to a till…

LUSH.

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February 18

Cover Reveal: Tag You’re Dead – Douglas Skelton

Last year Douglas Skelton introduced us to Dominic Queste in the fantastic The Dead Don’t Boogie. It was one of my favourite reads and was included in my Top 5 Scottish Books of 2016.

In just a few short weeks Queste will return in Tag You’re Dead and Douglas has entrusted three starry eyed bloggers to give everyone the first glimpse at the cover. Play the fanfare music….

And a sneaky look at the cover blurb too:

Maverick investigator Dominic Queste is on the trail of missing butcher, Sam Price. But he soon uncovers a killer with a taste for games. What began as a simple favour for his girlfriend quickly descends into a battle for survival against an enemy who has no qualms about turning victims into prime cuts.

Amidst a twisted game of cat and mouse, suspicious coppers, vicious crooks and a seemingly random burglary, Queste has to keep his wits about him. Or he might just find himself on the butcher’s block.

Tag You’re Dead is published on 27th April by Sarabrand Books but I will be trying to bribe Douglas with offers of coffee and cake to come back and chat about the book before then – watch this space.

Now head over to visit my two starry-eyed buddies and catch their take on today’s reveal:

Noelle at CrimeBookJunkie: https://crimebookjunkie.co.uk/

Sharon at ChapterInMyLife: https://chapterinmylife.wordpress.com/

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