Left on the Shelf

Amazon US

About the Author

Seána Tinley is an Irish author of saga historical romance. She also writes regency romance as Catherine Tinley.

After a career encompassing speech and language therapy, Sure Start, being president of a charity, and managing a maternity service, she now works as NI Country Director for a leading UK charity.

Seána was appointed as chair of the Romantic Novelists’Association in August 2024.

You can also find Seana at:

Author Website

Bluesky

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 15 September 2025

10 Ten Exciting New Releases in October 2025

I am looking forward to October and all the lovely new release books that await.

Here are just ten that I am excited about.

The Lion Cub Secret by Lauren St. John

Imagine rescuing a lion cub . . .

After Martine rescues an orphaned lion cub from a market, she dreams of keeping him forever. But Tau, the cub, already has a home. He's been snatched from one of South Africa's most famous game reserves.

When Martine and her best friend Ben are invited to the reserve to help settle Tau in, they leap at the chance. But the beautiful wilderness is riddled with mysteries and secrets, and the lion cub's secret is the biggest of all.

As Martine and Ben start asking questions, they quickly discover that there are those who'll stop at nothing to get to Tau. Will the lonely lion cub ever be truly free?

Lauren St John's White Giraffe series has become internationally beloved. This is the perfect time to discover - or rediscover - this bestselling series.

The Dog Walkers Detective Agency by Michael Hogan

They've got a lot of leads...but can they collar a killer?

When Charlie Boardman and his beloved Staffy, Ruby, stumble across a corpse in the woods, the sleepy coastal town of Framstone is rocked by the discovery that the local pub landlord has been murdered.

Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to try and sniff out any clues that might help the local police with their investigation.

But what begins as idle speculation and gossip quickly becomes something more sinister, when Charlie starts receiving anonymous threats warning him off the case.

Then, a second body washes up on the beach…

Can Charlie hunt down a killer, before he becomes the next victim?

Daughter of the Stones by Alexandra Walsh

When Caitlin King’s father collapses on the eve of the summer solstice, she’s drawn back into the tangled web of her already fragile family – and strange visions begin to haunt her. Visions of another life, another time and a woman who looks uncannily like herself.

In Iron Age Britain, Cordelia is the third daughter of chief Lear Bladudsunu and a gifted shaman. But she is left grief-stricken when betrayal, ambition and patriarchal power threaten everything she holds dear.

Linked across the centuries, Caitlin and Cordelia each face devastating choices. As Cordelia fights to protect her people from destruction, Caitlin finds herself drawn deeper into the mysteries of the past.

As the veil thins between past and present, can Caitlin unravel the truth of her own heritage in time to heal old wounds and unite her fractured family?

Alexandra Walsh’s captivating new novel is a richly layered tale of sisterhood, legacy and the enduring power of love across the ages.

A Stranger Comes to Town by Lynne Sharon Schwartz

"What's the last thing you remember?"

This is the question posed to Joe Marzino after being found on a sidewalk, knocked down by a bicycle on Columbus Avenue, one block from New York's Central Park. Joe remembers nothing, not even his own name. He awakens into the world with only the clothes on his back, a throbbing pain in his left ankle, and more questions than answers.

A Stranger Comes to Town is a masterful novel of self-discovery, revealing the multitude of histories and lives we each inhabit, as well as the many ways we seek to reinvent ourselves and reshape our pasts. Joe's search to discover his true identity exposes how even the most ordinary aspects of our lives are often extraordinarily felt.

Lynne Sharon Schwartz is a celebrated author of thirty books including novels, short fiction, poetry, criticism, and works of translation. A Stranger Comes to Town is crafted with immense imagination and a skillfulness that reaffirms Schwartz as one of the most assured writers of our time.

Better Days on Dressmakers Alley by Rosie Clarke

Catch up with the goings on on Dressmakers' Alley, where love seems to be in the air.

London’s East End 1926

The girls of Dressmaker’s Alley are busier than ever and Lady Diane’s business continues to thrive.

New recruit Janice Williams is one of the new seamstresses Miss Susie hires to cope with the work but on the day of her interview, Janice is injured in a roadside accident that will change her life forever.

Poor Winnie Collins’ pregnancy is beset with problems and under Doctor’s strict orders she is confined to bed rest. How will she cope when there is so much to do?

Susie Collins’ and Timothy Marsh’s relationship continues to flourish. But when will Susie find time to allow Timothy to make an honest woman of her?

Meanwhile business is blooming at the flower shop but Lily is concerned what her husband Jeb Jarvis and brother Joe Ross are up to. When something seems too good to be true, it usually is and none of them realise the danger it could bring.

Things are looking brighter on Dressmaker’s Alley, but there are always those who want to cause trouble…

The Old Gals Bucket List by Karen King

It’s been eight months since Sandra lost her beloved husband, and she knows something has to change. Her son wants her to sell up her home and move into a retirement apartment, close to him. But she doesn’t feel ready for that yet.

Then she bumps into her old friend Patti, heading off to get her first tattoo. Patti explains she’s beaten cancer and now she’s ready to make every second count… And – sitting down for a cuppa and a slice of cake – the women land on the perfect idea – a bucket list!

As they set out to fulfil dreams, overcome fears, and have the adventure of their lives, their lives intertwine with others who feel the same, including Mary and her anxious husband…

If anyone can help them live their best lives… it’s the old gals!

A New Recruit for the Resistance Girls by Alice G May

They said women were a liability in war. They were wrong...

March 1940

A woman desperate for escape…

A skilled mechanic, Fliss Makepeace chafes under the suffocating expectations of her family and society. Ordered to abandon her beloved engines for a 'woman's job' and pressured into a brutal marriage with the menacing Jake, Fliss feels trapped. But as the drums of war beat louder, she vows to serve King and Country rather than surrender to a life of quiet torment.

A chance to serve her country…

Joining the ATS offers Fliss not just a uniform, but freedom. Yet, a chance encounter with the formidable Major Stapleton propels her into an even deeper secret: a clandestine Women's Army, poised to become the British Resistance should Hitler invade. For Fliss, it's an undeniable call to duty—and a thrilling escape from her past.

And turn the tide of war?

At a secret research base, Fliss and the other ATS girls join scientists in a race against time to intercept Hitler's deadly bombing raids. The work is exhilarating, exhausting and fraught with peril. When a vicious attack rocks the isolated compound, a chilling question echoes through the ranks: Is there a German spy in their midst?

With their vital mission now at risk, Fliss must draw on every ounce of her mechanical ingenuity and intuition to unmask the traitor before their secret war plans—and their lives—are shattered.

A heart-stopping story of courage, betrayal, and the hidden heroines who risked everything to change the course of history. Inspired by the true-life stories of The Women's Secret Army. Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Lana Kortchik and Tenko!

Dead of Winter by Keri Beevis

A sister looking for answers.

A brother with secrets to hide...

Three days before Christmas, I travel to Midwinter Manor in Norfolk through a worsening snowstorm to meet Daniel, the brother I never knew existed. He has reluctantly granted me an hour of his precious time.

The welcome I receive is frosty. Daniel is cold, intimidating and unfriendly, while his wife, Rose, is polite, but tense. From the moment I step through the door of this imposing manor house, I sense I’m not welcome.

When I go to leave, the snowy blizzard prevents me. Then there’s a power cut and I can’t let anyone know where I am. I realise I am trapped.

Something feels wrong in this house. The way Daniel and Rose speak in whispers behind closed doors suggests something’s amiss. As cracks start to form in their stories, I wonder what it is they are hiding.

Midwinter Manor is a house full of secrets, and some of them are dangerously deadly.

The Cornish Chrismas Book Club by Angela Britnell

'Tis the season for second chances - and unexpected chapters . . .

Tamara Pascoe has spent years saving every penny and perfecting her baking in the hopes of opening her own café in the cosy Cornish village of Penworthal. But when she loses her job, her long-held dream is suddenly out of reach.

To make matters worse, her perfect café location is snapped up by newcomer Gage Bennet - a brooding ex-Marine with plans to open a bookshop.

Gage has no time for pleasantries, let alone Christmas spirit. But he didn't count on Tamara - sharp, stubborn and full of festive cheer.

Tamara is impossible to ignore, and when the village book club throws them together, Gage realises they might just be able to help one another. Tamara needs a job. He needs help connecting with the community.

Striking a reluctant truce, Tamara and Gage's frosty beginning starts to melt as they bond over their shared love of books.

As snow begins to fall and the fairy lights go up, could a little Cornish book club help two opposites write their own happily ever after?

https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/about/the-old-bailey

The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House by Jenni Keer

As the bones start to fall, the spirits will rise…

Norfolk, England, 1895: When renowned spiritualist Edward Blackmore receives a desperate message from his cousin Barnabas, begging him to come to the coastal village of Thistlewick Tye, his first thought is to ignore the request. Despite his cousin’s insistence that his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, Edward has no time for the man who stole his inheritance. Lured by the promise of money, along with a genuine concern for Barnabas’s wife – who he’d once loved – he reluctantly travels to at Thistlewick House, only to arrive too late. Emma is dead. Barnabas suspects there are supernatural forces at play. But Edward is convinced murder is afoot. As he begins to investigate, he finds himself drawn into the lives of those in this isolated and unnerving village, especially the beguiling woman who gathers up the human bones falling from the rapidly eroding cliffs. Then he discovers that a travelling circus completely disappeared in the area forty years previously and no one is willing to talk about it. Perhaps not everything at Thistlewick Tye is quite what it seems…

Preorder Link

Friday, 12 September 2025

Lord Frederick's Return by Catherine Kullman - #guestpost #blogtour

Today I am delighted to welcome author, Catherine Kullman, onto the blog. Catherine is the author of the The Duchess of Gracechurch Trilogy series. In fact, I reviewed her book, The Husband Criteria, and you can find my review here.

Lord Frederick's Return is recently published and Catherine is going to tell us about how she went about her research for her book.

But first, a little about the book...

The Blurb

An older hero, an enigmatic heroine and a delightfully outspoken four-year-old. Throw scandal into the mix for a gripping and tender Regency love story

August 1816. Lord Frederick Danlow returns to England after spending 18 years in India. He plans to make a home for himself and his motherless, four-year-old daughter, Ruperta. Unsure where to start, he accepts an invitation to stay at Ponsonby Place, home of Colonel Jack Ponsonby who made his fortune in India, and his daughter Susannah, the mistress of the household.

Soon Frederick finds himself in need of a governess—and a wife? The more time he spends with Susannah, the more his admiration of her deepens. Is she the woman with whom he will share his life?

He is resolved to court her, but then his younger brother Henry engulfs his family in an appalling scandal that could prevent any lady from agreeing to a connection with it. Now Frederick must support his family during this ordeal.

But what of Susannah? What will she say when she hears of the scandal? Should he, dare he offer her his heart and his hand?

Welcome to the blog Catherine. We are really looking forward to hearing from you.

Research for my Novel

Lord Frederick’s Return is my ninth Regency novel. I have been writing for over ten years and in that time have built up a considerable research library, the nucleus of which had been formed over a lifetime of reading. My interest in the period began when, a teenager, I first read Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen in addition to the great romantic poets and essayists we studied at school. My library now covers everything to do with the Regency, from great matters of state and war to the trivia of everyday life—what people ate, the clothes they wore, their pleasures and pastimes as well as their struggles not only to survive but to lead meaningful lives. Apart from the physical library of about one thousand books, I also have a very extensive data base where I record the treasures and trifles of the internet. As a result, I can now step into the Regency world as easily as stepping outside my own front door.

There is always a trigger for a new book: a what if or what next? In this case, it was two books, White Mughals by William Dalrymple and The Memoirs of a Georgian Rake by William Hickey. Together they cover mid-eighteenth century to early nineteenth century when the East India Company ruled in India. This was before the great social changes brought about by the advent of steam ships that almost halved the duration of the voyage between Great Britain and India, and before the transfer of power to the British Crown in 1858. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 shortened the voyage even more, leading to the ‘Fishing Fleets’ of the Raj, when unmarried girls and women went to India hoping to find a husband but, prior to this, the British presence was predominantly male and it was usual for gentlemen to set up Indian women as mistresses or bibis. Some men stayed in India, others left their mistresses and any children they might have had together behind them, and still others either sent or brought their ‘Anglo-Indian’ children back to England with them. What was it like for these fathers and daughters or sons, I wondered.

This is where my special research began. Hickey’s detailed accounts of his various voyages were invaluable, as was Dalrymple’s focus on the family life of the eponymous White Mughals. As usual, the internet yielded up many treasures. One little nugget was the fact that the great East India men could not venture alone up the Thames to their final anchorage. They must anchor in the Downs off Deal in Kent and wait for the Company’s cutter to bring the pilot. I was able make use of this to allow Lord Frederick to send a letter with the cutter.

Intelligent and inquisitive travellers find not only their minds broadened but their palates stimulated. Spices were very important in the trade between India and Britain. In 1810, the Hindoostanee Coffee House was opened in London, the first Indian restaurant in Britain. The Epicure’s Almanac, a guidebook published in 1815, refers to several taverns and chophouses near East India House where the gentlemen belonging to the house ‘have a good dinner together’. By 1829, Meg Dodds in Chapter III (Scotch and Other National Dishes), of her Cooks’ and Housewives’ Manual refers to curry-powder and gives recipes, among others, for Le bon Diable, (devilled fowl) as prepared at Pondicherry, and Indian Burdwan. I felt I could safely enliven the colonel’s table with chutneys and crisply fried pastries.

Over the years, I have found that the websites of British institutions are a fount of information about their histories, and their archivists, librarians, research officers etc. are always willing to answer any questions. For this book, I needed details of procedures in the Old Bailey and found the following websites most useful:

https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/The_Old_Bailey_Criminal_Trial

https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/documents/s197443/Report%20to%20GP%20-%20Knocking%20In%20FINAL.pdf

For travel from London to Danlow Castle in Northumberland, I followed the route as set out in Cary’s Itinerary which gives the distances between the stages and posting inns, helped by a copy of Pratt’s High Test Map of the Great North Road. It is surprising how many of the old Posting Inns have survived and their websites can help you visualise your characters turning in. Apart from that, I drew on my accumulated knowledge of the period and my vivid imagination.

Wow, that is an impressive library that you have at home Catherine. Thank you so much for being on the blog today. Reading how you do your research is so interesting.

Book Details

ISBN: 979 8899657405

Publisher: Willow Books

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages: 269 (paperback)

Purchase Links

Amazon US

About the Author

Catherine Kullmann was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted mostly by letter, she moved to Germany where she lived for twenty-five years before returning to Ireland. She has worked in the Irish and New Zealand public services and in the private sector. Widowed, she has three adult sons and two grandchildren.

Catherine has always been interested in the extended Regency period, a time when the foundations of our modern world were laid. She loves writing and is particularly interested in what happens after the first happy end—how life goes on for the protagonists and sometimes catches up with them. Her books are set against a background of the offstage, Napoleonic wars and consider in particular the situation of women trapped in a patriarchal society.

She is the author of The Murmur of Masks, Perception & Illusion, A Suggestion of Scandal, The Duke’s Regret, The Potential for Love, A Comfortable Alliance and Lady Loring’s Dilemma.

Catherine also blogs about historical facts and trivia related to this era. You can find out more about her books and read her blog (My Scrap Album) at her website.

You can contact her via her Facebook page or on Twitter.

You can also find Catherine at:

Author Website

Bluesky

(media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

Thursday, 11 September 2025

The Vanishing Act by Jo Jakeman - #bookreview

Eloise Ford was a Small Pond person. And within that pond, she wasn't even a big fish...

The Blurb

Life as a missing person is absolute murder...

When artist Eloise Ford hears that human remains found in an abandoned mine are believed to be those of long-missing teenager Elizabeth King, the shock sends her reeling.

It can't be true. Eloise knows this for a fact because... she is Elizabeth King.

Now, her carefully curated life in Cornwall is falling apart. Her husband is acting strangely, her children aren't speaking to her and she can't sell a painting for love nor money. But much more worrying are the signs that someone knows exactly who she is... and why she had to vanish thirty years ago.

Eloise needs answers. Is her son's ex-girlfriend just plain annoying... or does she know something? Will the detection skills of the online 'Truth Seekers' group prove more than amateurish? What's the real story behind those village newcomers?

And just how far would she go to keep her family, her friends, and her fraudulent life, safe?

My Review

I enjoyed every page of this super book and was sorry when it reached it's satisfying conclusion, as I would have happily carried on reading.

The main character is Eloise Ford, who enjoys her life. She has good friends, a wonderful husband, and two children who have flown the nest. However, she is keeping a secret from the past. She used to be known as Elizabeth King, and when remains of a woman are found and they are thought to be Elizabeth, Eloise is the only one who knows that the remains aren't hers. It is at this point that Eloise's carefully constructed life in Cornwall begins to unravel.

The book is told from the alternating perspectives of Eloise and her son's girlfriend, Holly. Holly is a fabulous character, and whilst she has flaws of her own, is very likable. She is drawn into a true crime Facebook group called Truth Seekers UK, and some of the narrative is told via the posted messages in the group. This added another dimension to the story. It served to break up the prose whilst moving the story along perfectly. In addition, we are also introduced to other characters.

The book was well plotted, with some marvellous twists and turns which kept me guessing. The author's excellent writing style had me gripped throughout. It was perfectly paced for the genre, and it was easy to read and to become engrossed in the story.

I am now very keen to read other books by this author. This was a fabulous book to read. It is publishing today and I highly recommend it.

Other books available by Jo Jakeman are:

Book Details

ISBN: 9781408718421

Publisher: Constable

Formats: e-book and hardback

No. of Pages: 368 (hardback)

Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

About the Author

Born in Cyprus, Jo Jakeman worked for many years in the City of London before moving to Cornwall with her husband and twin boys. When she's not writing or reading, Jo walks the coastal paths and plots the fictional downfall of those who have wronged her.

She is the author of One Bad Apple.

You can also find Jo at:

(ARC and media courtesy of the publisher)

(all opinions are my own)

Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Wheels of Destruction: Death in Petra by Gina Cheyne - #bookspotlight #blogtour

I am so pleased to be shining the book spotlight on Wheels of Destruction: Death in Petra by author, Gina Cheyne today.

The Blurb

Where do you hide an escaped prisoner? On a wheelchair holiday perhaps. Like a spoke in a wheel, the villain is seen but not seen.

Aspiring writer Sandy Blee is stuck in a dead-end receptionist job until she wins a working holiday to Jordan, pushing a wheelchair for Wheelchair Warriors Holidays. Even though she quickly realises she was the only entrant in the Blerglergle writing competition she is extremely excited about leaving England for the first time.

However, after arriving in the pink city of Petra she discovers her fellow travellers are not all they seem, and most are not who they claim to be. Moreover, the whole group is under investigation by the SeeMs Detective Agency who have been sent out to search for an escaped convict.

When members of the group are kidnapped and one mysteriously dies, Sandy finds herself pulled into the SeeMs detectives’ investigation. Is she, who so wants to write bestselling crime stories, ready to take on a real-life mystery – one that might just turn deadly?

This book will be enjoyed by readers who like travel crime, plus devotees of Agatha Christie, Grease the movie and MM Kaye.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1915138200

Publisher: Fly Fizzi Ltd

Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages: 274 (paperback)

Series: Book 6 in the SeeMs Detective series

Purchase Links

Amazon US

About the Author

Like many authors Gina has had a lot of different jobs and careers. She has been a physiotherapist, a flying instructor and pilot, a dog breeder, and a journalist. This is her sixth book in the SeeMs Detective series: the agency that looks behind what seems to be true.

Gina had two lengths of time when she was in a wheelchair (after a car crash and a helicopter accident) and having experienced the difficulties of wheel chair travel first hand she wanted to write a book that showed the challenges for wheelchair users when travelling, not just steps and narrow doorways, for example, but unexpected things like the difficulties of traversing cobbles.

When not writing or travelling Gina lives in Sussex with her husband and dogs.

You can also find Gina at:

(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Tiger's Last Roar by Harriet Howe and Katie Cottle - #bookreview

Tiger and Mae

Queens of the Jungle

The greatest explorers...

The Blurb

After a whole day of exploring with Tiger, Mae loved drawing with Tiger and telling stories with Tiger.

Always with Tiger. Tiger and Mae. Queens of the Jungle.

Tiger and Mae do everything together, the very best of friends. But there is nothing they love more than exploring, racing and chasing across their jungle. That is, until the call comes for "TEATIME!" and they race back to the house. As time moves on, Mae realises that Tiger is getting old and tired. And when Tiger then dies, Mae feels lost in a whirlwind of anger, fear and sadness. Even the safety of their jungle is stripped away. Only through time and healing does Mae learn that Tiger lives on - through her memories, pictures and their jungle itself.

This book is a profoundly moving, hopeful and reassuring story that celebrates the strength that comes from love and supports a child (and adults too) through navigating the loss of a beloved pet. A necessary and important book for your bookshelf.

My Review

This is a moving story about losing a pet. The death of a pet is a difficult enough experience when you are an adult, but for children, it can be a sad and confusing time. This book is a reassuring story about Mae and her pet cat, Tiger. They do everything together, and across a few short pages, we observe Tiger ageing. As he grows older, he slows down and sleeps more, but is always there for Mae, until one day when he doesn't come home. Mae has to deal with the myriad of emotions of his loss. Sometimes she is quiet, other times she is angry, until the time comes when she shuts herself away completely. However, the book culminates in hope when she realises that although Tiger has gone, he will always be with her and around her. This book has been beautifully illustrated by Katie Cottle, and I love the way the colour palette changes based on Mae's emotions. They combine perfectly with the excellent text to produce a book that is just perfect to help both children and their adults to deal with such a difficult time. In fact, there is a section at the back of the book which is dedicated to adults in supporting their child cope with the loss of a pet. Publishing on the 11th September, this debut book is a perfect one to have on the shelf at home or in the classroom for when a child has to face the devastating loss of a pet. I highly recommend it.

Book Details

ISBN: 978 1800789302

Publisher: Templar Books

Formats: paperback

No. of Pages: 40

Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Blackwell's

Waterstones

About the Author

Harriet's first word was "book", she's loved stories ever since, so it's a dream come true to end up writing her own. Originally from London, she now lives in Suffolk with her family. When not writing, Harriet works in television; she's filmed talking horses, chefs in jets and pop princesses in fabulous dresses. But she's happiest with a pencil in one hand and a cup of tea in the other, brewing up her next story.

You can also find Harriet at:

Bluesky

About the Illustrator

Katie Cottle is a freelance illustrator and picture-bookmaker based in Bristol. Originally from Swansea, Katie graduated from the Illustration course at the University of the West of England in 2017. She enjoys telling stories through drawing, and uses a variety of media, including a mix of traditional and digital techniques. She was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for The Blue Giant. She particularly enjoys using bright colours and drawing grumpy faces.

You can also find Katie at:

Website