Tuesday, 24 June 2025

10 Ten Exciting New Releases Coming in July 2025 - #books



There are so many wonderful looking books which are due to be released next month. I am very excited by some of these titles. As always, I have limited myself to just ten here. Believe me, it is never easy deciding which ten books I am most enthusiastic about as there are loads of wonderful looking ones coming along next month.

Are there any soon to be released books that you are looking forward to reading?


 Till Death Us Do Part by Revd. Penny Stephens

Weddings can be murder . . .

Reverend Clare Brakespear is used to a challenge. With a young family to wrangle, a parish to manage and a particularly excitable Golden Retriever by her side, life is never dull.

But when she attends a wedding where one of the guests is fatally stabbed with a cake knife, even Clare admits that she might have been given too much to handle this time.

As the police investigate the murder, they zero-in on one woman as their prime suspect, who they believe had the motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. The trouble is, Clare is convinced that they have the wrong person. She might not understand forensic testing and finger-tip searches, but if there's one thing Clare does know, it's people and the complexities of their emotional lives. So she decides to take matters into her own hands.

However, investigating a murder is no mean feat and Clare soon finds herself embroiled in a complex web of family secrets and deceptions. Is she in way over her head or can she find the real killer before an innocent woman is sent down?

Preorder Link


Romance is Dead by Katie Bohn

Roses are red, violets are blue, romance is dead - but is their love true?

Scream queen Quinn has had it with scary movies. After years as Hollywood's horror It Girl, she's sick of the tabloids and the off-screen drama. So she's decided: one last film, before quitting for good.

All that stands in her way is leading man Teddy James. Reality TV star and renowned playboy Teddy has looks to kill for, but absolutely no talent. AKA, Quinn's worst nightmare.

That's until they stumble - literally - across a dead body on set. Everyone believes it's a tragic accident, but Quinn's not convinced. So she offers Teddy a deal: acting lessons in exchange for his help investigating. And as Teddy and Quinn dig deeper, she begins to wonder what's most at risk here - their lives, or her heart?

Preorder Link


The Writer by Valerie Keogh

Cara Jenkins is a successful author about to embark on her thirtieth novel. But as she sits at her desk to write, she realizes that she has no ideas left. And as the pressure mounts for her to deliver, she begins to fear that her career is over.

Then the letters start.

At first, they seem harmless. But as the messages grow darker, Cara becomes convinced that someone is watching her, waiting for their moment to strike.

Her husband, Artie, dismisses the notes as stupid pranks, but Cara feels them pulling her back to a past she can't escape. With no easy answers, Cara does what she does best and begins to write. But the more words that come, the more fantasy and reality begin to blur and soon her imagination, and her accusations, begin to run wild.

With reality blurring into fiction, Cara struggles to see the truth. Is someone really watching her, or is her unravelling mind feeding her paranoia? And how will this story - her story – end?

This time her deadline has never felt more deadly….

Preorder Link


Such Good People by Amy Blumenfeld

It's 10 p.m. on a Thursday in the spring of her freshman year of college, and April is standing at the back of a crowded Manhattan bar waiting for her friend, Rudy, to arrive. Their eyes lock the moment he enters the room, and in an instant, lives and legacies are altered forever. Within hours, Rudy is arrested. Within days, April is expelled. Within weeks, he's incarcerated. And within months, she meets Peter, a prodigious young attorney who makes her world recognizable again. Nearly fifteen years later, April is happily living in Chicago married to Peter, a mother of three with a fulfilling career and standing yoga date with her girlfriends. On the eve of Peter's election for local office, Rudy is up for parole. Headlines explode about April's past, jeopardizing Peter's campaign and everything they hold dear. Suddenly, April is faced with an impossible choice: protecting the life she created, or the person who sacrificed everything to make that life a possibility. Such Good People is a captivating portrait of blurred lines, divided loyalties, and what it means to love purely, steadfastly, and interminably.

Preorder Link


Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle by Lilac Mills

Will she give everything up for love?

Freya Sinclair has it all. An exciting life in London, a successful career as a ceramicist and a handsome boyfriend. But when she receives a call that her father is in hospital, she drops everything to support his recovery in Skye.

On the island, Freya finds new inspiration – Coorie Castle’s craft centre is firing her creativity and she’s glad to be back with her dad again. Being so close to her schoolgirl crush, Mackenzie Burns, is an added bonus. The two share an instant connection and Freya misses London less and less.

But Freya has a boyfriend at home and now a dazzling job offer in New York. She must figure out what she truly wants, before anyone gets hurt..

Preorder Link


The Lines We Draw by Tim Franks

A moving journey through a Jewish family history from BBC Newshour presenter Tim Franks.

Tim Franks spent years as the BBC's Middle East Correspondent covering Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. During that time, he was attacked as a self-hating Jew and as an Islamophobe - as a tool of competing, malign agendas. He always tried to respond with a journalist's detached curiosity, drawing a clear line between his identity and his work. Up to the point that he asked himself: is that necessary? Beyond the judgments of others: what does it mean to be Jewish?

It was a question he struggled to answer. As a child in 1970s Birmingham, Tim was a practising Jew with hardly any relations or sense of lineage. And so he embarked on a search for his ancestral roots, from Constantinople to Curaçao, from Amsterdam to the death camps, from Lithuania to Downing Street.

Framing each part of his journey through what he has learned as a journalist, Tim discovers ancestors who all speak to a part of the Jewish story: there are the refugees and the risk-takers; the artists, rabbis, soldiers and revolutionaries; there is even a route to the Conservative Party's unlikeliest leader, Benjamin Disraeli.

This book is a deeply empathetic memoir which encourages us all to confront the lines we draw. In searching for what it is to be Jewish, Tim discovers what it means to take a stand and write about the world.

Preorder Link


A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet

Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again and she enjoys it. She dreams of writing something under her own name someday rather than babysitting her adopted character Simon, but at least she's writing. And as one of the burnt-out souls who've run away from dry land to live on London's waterways, she has the joy of working from the home she loves: a colorful houseboat. Life on the canals is grand, but when her cheating ex-boyfriend turns up floating face down in the water outside her boat, murdered, and the police arrest her, the plot takes a wayward turn. Suddenly, Maeve is thrust into one of her own crime dramas, complete with missing money, violent thugs, extortion, and conspiracy. Only this time, there is no real-life Simon Hill to come to her aid. Instead, with the help of friends from the river - India, owner of a popular floating bookshop; Paul, the exceedingly attractive landlord of the local pub; and Ash, Maeve's quiet, nerdy neighbor who is keeping some secrets of his own - Maeve may have a shot at saving herself. As Maeve and her motley crew of would-be investigators find themselves wondering if they are in over their heads, a killer lurks and won't hesitate to kill again...

Preorder Link


Chance at Life by Susan Ellison Busch

Chance at Life provides a portal into the lives of dialysis unit 'regulars, ' both patients and staff. Together they confront life's limitations and its certain end, with unique stories of struggle, hope, and resilience.

Rachel is a novice nurse whose well-intentioned choices put her career in jeopardy. Her personal life disintegrates when she discovers that she is pregnant, and her fiancé abuses her.

Kidney failure derailed Darnell's career path. He waits in vain for a transplant, losing hope as long days on dialysis consume his future.

Elizabeth, a seasoned nurse practitioner, faces her own failing kidneys and decides to refuse dialysis, planning to let nature take its course-though her daughters and her doctor won't let her go so easily.

The dialysis unit is a high-stakes cauldron of conflicts and ethical dilemmas. A machine malfunction claims one patient's life, another patient buys a black-market kidney, and another patient withdraws from dialysis entirely, throwing herself a "goodbye" party. Covid 19 arrives, bringing an entirely new dimension to the daily dramas.

Chance at Life is a gripping, poignant exploration of the human spirit and the unforeseen connections that form in the most trying of circumstances, perfect for those who appreciate medical dramas filled with real-world challenges and heartfelt storytelling.

Preorder Link


The Getaway by Rona Halsall

Would you swap houses – and lives – with a stranger?

Maddie and her long-term boyfriend, Tom, dream of a life living and working abroad, though right now they’re settling for a lovely vacation in the sunny European beach town.

When Maddie is befriended by a lovely-seeming couple, who are living the digital nomad lifestyle, they make her an offer that feels hard to refuse…

Swap houses, swap lives – just for a couple of weeks - and see if living abroad is a lifestyle that would really suit them.

But as soon as they’ve handed keys over to their home in London, it becomes clear the couple aren’t who they’d seemed to be. And Maddie and Tom’s dream getaway is about to become a nightmare they could never have imagined…

Preorder Link


Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting by Barbara Breen

Knit your way to peace of mind!

A meditative approach to knitting that brings relaxation and calm as you create elegant handcrafted pieces

19 easy projects for knitters of all levels, from beginner to experienced

Step-by-step instructions achieving a meditative state while knitting

Clear easy-to-understand patterns for knitwear accessories and home décor, each specifically created for mindful knitting

An essential volume for those who seek balance and stress reduction through knitting

Whether you're a beginner exploring the art of knitting as a portal to serenity, or a seasoned knitter looking for relief from intricate patterns, Simple Designs for Meditative Kitting cuts a soothing path toward mindfulness and well-being.

This stunning collection of super-easy designs allows you to unwind and embrace the calming rhythm of knitting. Timeless patterns with easy-to-memorize knit and purl repeats are the key to a true meditative knitting experience. Choose from a versatile mix of knitwear and home décor items. All are well suited for hours of mindful knitting.

Captivating photos underscore the contemplative theme of the book, while a sprinkling of quotations from notable authors enhances the peaceful narrative. The simplicity of the designs is complemented by carefully curated yarns, resulting in the perfect finish for every piece.

Author Barbara Breen is a highly skilled knitter, designer, and writer. Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting embodies her belief that knitting need not be complicated to produce beautiful results. Her inspiring collection is certain to bring you a joyful knitting experience and enhanced creativity. As a bonus, the universal appeal of this book makes it a gift that any knitter will treasure.

Preorder Link


(I am Bookshop.org affiliated)

Monday, 23 June 2025

The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor - #bookreview


Life can turn on a dime. It’s a common cliché, and I’d heard it often enough. People die or move away. Investments go south. Affairs end. Loved ones betray us... Stuff happens.

***

The Blurb

This was a charming story which I really enjoyed.

Daisy McCrae’s life got off to a rocky start. Abandoned by a mother she never really knew, she was adopted into a family she’s never truly felt a part of. Thirty years later, her life is just as rocky. Between losing her job and her boyfriend, she’s lost all sense of self.

Now Daisy is back where it all began: the Union Street Bakery. She’s resigned to living in the bakery’s attic, learning the family business, and saving it if she can. But patching up the holes in her relationship with her sisters is another story.

So, too, is the century-old journal she inherits. Written by an enslaved girl named Susie, the weathered pages offer Daisy a glimpse into a past that has everything to do with her present.

As Daisy learns more about Susie, the town, and her family, she starts to see who she’s been and who she wants to be―and realizes that maybe, no matter how much you’ve lost, there’s always something more to find.

From the bestselling author of The Brighter the Light comes a bittersweet and hopeful story about how one woman’s journey into her family’s past helps her embrace her future.This is the first in the Union Street Bakery and I'm already looking forward to reading the next one, Sweet Expectations, which I already have downloaded to my kindle.


My Review

The book centres around three sisters, Rachel, Margaret and Daisy McCrae with the latter of the three being the main character. Daisy is a successful and determined woman but when she loses her high powered job in finance, and separates from her fiance, she moves back home to her family in Virginia. There she finds the family bakery business close to financial ruin and she steps in to help save it.

Daisy is also the only one of the sisters to be adopted and has always struggled with feeling like 'a real McCrae' and finding her place in the family. When Daisy inherits a 19th century journal from an elderly customer she couldn't be more surprised. At first appearance, the journal seems to have been written by a literate slave girl called Susie.

Susie is someone that Daisy has known all her life. Her ghostly form has appeared to her since her childhood and now she is back at the bakery, Daisy still hears her... along with another ghostly presence who makes it clear he wants her gone.

The bakery itself is every bit as important as the characters.  I thought it was a lovely touch to include some of the recipes at the back of the book.

This was a gripping and engaging novel which I really loved. It is a multi-faceted story and the author does a fabulous job in bringing together the present and the past, and with a paranormal aspect thrown in.

The book is about love, belonging and identity. It is about second chances and having sufficient faith and trust to start again, not just for the people but for the bakery itself.

An excellent novel which I highly recommend.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1662531002

Publisher:  Montlake

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  335 (paperback)


Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Blackwell's


About the Author

Amazon Charts bestselling author, Mary Ellen Taylor’s love of her home state Virginia is evident in her contemporary women’s fiction, including After Paris, The Promise of Tomorrow, Winter Cottage, Spring House, and Honeysuckle Season. She brings her new home on the Outer Banks of North Carolina to life in her latest novel The Brighter The Light and When the Rain Ends.

As do so many people, her protagonists search for their place in the world, exploring issues of family, home, love and belonging. Inevitably, Mary Ellen’s stories interweave setting, history and mysteries that span past and present.

You can also find her at:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram


(ARC courtesy of NetGalley)

(author media courtesy of the Author)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Thursday, 5 June 2025

Rainbows and Lollipops by Mo Fanning - #bookreview


 Two weeks before everything changed, Jake's life had seemed wonderfully, boringly normal. Surrounded by scatter cushions, he perched on the sofa, working from home, reading an emailed complaint from a Horizon Holidays customer whose Dusseldorf mini-break was 'ruined' by a lukewarm in-flight beef casserole...

***

The Blurb

When Jake met Tom, he waved goodbye to trawling Birmingham's gay bars. He didn't reckon with sleeping under glow-in-the-dark stars in his childhood bedroom.

Ambitious lawyer and lifelong loner Vicky has everything worked out... until she's faced with threats that can't be fixed with a power suit and a clever argument.

Lucy has planned her wedding down to each perfect petal on each perfect flower. If only 'happily-ever-after didn't come with a question mark.

Six binge-worthy episodes tell a story of finding your tribe and standing you ground.


My Review

This is a wonderful book that I enjoyed reading very much.

It is a novel that focuses on three friends during the summer of 2024. Each of the main characters narrate sections of their own: Jake, Vicky and Lucy. This gives the narrative a personal perspective from each of them. I enjoyed reading how their lives intertwine. Individually, they are all dealing with their own challenges, but with the support of one another, they are able to come through.

The book demonstrates how friends can become family and the importance of friendship in our lives. Jake, Vicky and Lucy were well-presented characters who were fully formed. What makes this book somewhat unique is that it is written as though for a television screenplay series which takes place across six episodes. This means the scenes are separated, but it all flows together cohesively.

The book deals with some serious themes such as grief and loss, love and friendship, and also what it is like to be queer or trans in twenty-first century Birmingham. The author does not sugarcoat these issues but presents them in a compassionate and sensitive way. 

This is a story that is contemporary, relevant, and utterly compelling. It is relatable, and the author develops the plot brilliantly throughout. 

This is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1739290382

Publisher:  Spring Street Books

Formats:  e-book, hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  320 (paperback)


Preorder Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK


About the Author

Page Turner Award finalist Mo Fanning is a part-time novelist, part-time stand-up comic and full-time potty-mouthed homosexual.

Birmingham-based Mo crafts deeply emotional, character-driven stories that blend humour, heartbreak, and hope. With a commitment to authentic LGBTQ+ representation, his work explores the messy, beautiful realities of love, loss, and resilience through characters readers can't help but root for.

When not writing, Mo enjoys immersing himself in Birmingham's vibrant culture and finding inspiration in its streets, stories, and people.

You can also find Mo at:

Author Website

Bluesky

You Tube

Instagram



(book courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)

(Bookshop.org affiliated)

Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi - #guestpost #blogtour

 


 I am thrilled to welcome author, Francesca Capaldi, onto the blog today. Francesca has previously featured on the blog when she was kind enough to tell us about one of her other books, Dark Days at the Beach Hotel

I have also reviewed another book in this series, Love and Loss at the Beach Hotel.

Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel is the part of the Beach Hotel series, and I am really looking forward to hear what Francesca is going to tell us about this book.

But first is the blurb...


The Blurb

Chambermaid Fanny is thanking her lucky stars she has had a second chance at life. As an unmarried mother, it could have been very different, and she is happy.

But when new maid, Susie, arrives at the Beach Hotel, it isn't long before sparks fly. Susie begins to meddle in Fanny's friendships and even in her budding romance with Walter, an American working at the aerodrome.

Meanwhile, a flu epidemic starts to spread and as more people fall ill, the hotel is forced to close.

Matters come to a head when Susie plots to reveal secrets about Fanny that could spell her ruin.

Can the hotel and the hardworking women who run it survive?

***


Welcome to the blog Francesca. It's over to you...


Creating a back story for the love interest 

When I started planning Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel, I knew I needed a compelling love interest for Fanny Bullen, long-time chambermaid at the hotel. 

This is the fifth book in the series (all can be read as standalones), and I’d had to find four love interests already – not easy during a war when many of the men are away fighting. But the history of the area – Littlehampton in Sussex – handed me a nice young man on a plate, so to speak.

In January 1918, the Americans started building several aerodromes in the area, one being in Rustington, a mile or so up the road from Littlehampton. And so, I dreamed up Walter Lehman, an American at the base. At first, I thought he might be a pilot but, although there were a few US airman in the area, practising for when the aerodromes were completed, there were far more craftsmen, like bricklayers and carpenters, which is what I decided Walter would be.

My next problem was, where on earth would he hail from? I’ve only ever visited New York in the US. On top of this, I needed to know something of the chosen area well over a hundred years ago. I wanted Walter, born in 1890, to be able to tell Fanny something of his homeland.

It was then I remembered that, in previous books, Fanny had been reading The Oz books by L Frank Baum, one of which is, of course, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  A prominent character in most of them is Dorothy, who was from Kansas. So why not have Walter come from there?

But I still had the problem of knowing nothing about the place!

I researched online to see whether there were novels set there at that time and finally came across The Little House on the Prairie.  Many of you will remember the television series, with the Ingalls family, taken from the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, in turn based on her own life. Although the TV series itself isn’t set in Kansas, this one book is, detailing a year of living on the Prairies there. It’s set around twenty years before Walter’s birth, but, with a little other historical research, I managed to extract what I needed for Walter’s background. 

Despite being a children’s book, The Little House on the Prairie has a wealth of description about the setting and how people lived. It tells of how they built nearly everything they needed, mostly of wood, and how they interacted with neighbours who might live three miles away. It highlighted how different Walter’s early life would have been to that of Fanny. She lived in a busy tourist community with lots of neighbours, in a place where houses were built by businesses, and mostly of brick, and where there were shops around the corner, not a day’s horse ride away. It made a nice contrast between their two lives, even while there are aspects of their upbringings that they do have in common.

The aerodrome in Rustington, where Walter ends up, was one of four being built in the area. This includes one in Tangmere near Chichester, which is, coincidentaly, where my mother-in-law first met my father-in-law (he was doing his national service at the RAF base there and she was doing teacher training in Chichester), despite them coming from Devon and Tyneside!

A couple of the scenes involving Walter in Stormy Skies at the Beach Hotel include events that did really happen. The Americans did play baseball on Littlehampton common, and there were Independent Day celebrations at Worthing and Rustington.

None of the aerodromes were completed before the war ended, and today, there is little evidence that the Rustington aerodrome ever existed, so it was interesting to bring it back to life, along with the real Beach Hotel, which was sadly pulled down in the late 1980s. 

Thank you so much for being my guest today. Your new book looks great.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1804368473

Publisher:  Canelo Hera

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages: 400 (paperback)


Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK


About the Author


Francesca Capaldi has enjoyed writing since she was a child, largely influenced by a Welsh mother who was good at improvised story telling. 

Writing both under her maiden name, Francesca Capaldi, and her married name, Francesca Burgess, she is the author of historical saga novels, short stories published in the UK and abroad, and several pocket novels. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Society of Women Writers and Journalists. 

The first novel in the Beach Hotel series, A New Start at the Beach Hotel, won the Romantic Saga Award at the Romantic Novelists' Association Awards in 2024. The first novel in the Wartime in the Valleys series, Heartbreak in the Valleys, was shortlisted for the Historical Romantic Award in the RoNAs in 2021. Both the Valleys series and the Beach Hotel series are published by Hera Books.

Francesca was born and brought up on the Sussex coast. She currently lives in Kent with her family and a cat called Lando Calrission.

You can also find Francesca at:

Author Website

X

Instagram




(media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Wednesday, 4 June 2025

Women in Lockdown - Ed. by Wayfinder Woman #bookreview

 


This beautiful and by turns, poignant, powerful, sad and amusing book you hold in your hands came about by accident. It is the culmination of an unexpected and topsy turvy 18-month journey into, through and, we hope, beyond the Covid-19 pandemic that swept the globe...

***

The Blurb

When the UK entered lockdown in the Spring of 2020 a call went out from The Wayfinder Woman Trust for ordinary women's voices to be heard so that they could feel supported, connected and valued. They asked women to communicate their hopes, fears and experiences of the pandemic so their stories could be told.

Now experience these extra-ordinary women's responses in this unique collection of stories, poems, diary entries and artwork, sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous and often uplifting. Their voices will not be forgotten but live on for future generations in this inspiring book.


My Review

Recently, I was fortunate enough to meet Laura Murphy when she came to speak at my Women's Institute meeting. Laura is the founder of The Wayfinder Woman charity and she was fascinating to listen to. So, I am very happy to be writing a short review of this book, which they have published.

The book is full to the brim with the writing, artwork and photographs of women in lockdown. The artwork in itself is testament to the talents that we women possess. For many, lockdown gave women the opportunity to express themselves creatively in a way that they perhaps had not had time to do before. The artworks appear in several medias; painting, textile and photographic. There are several inspiring examples in the book.

The writing is in many different forms also. Prose, diary entries, poetry and even as the minutes taken during a meeting. The writings portray the frustrations and challenges they faced. However, there are many that saw the time as an opportunity to put in place the things that they had been putting off.

The collection of experiences has been well put together and it was interesting to read how other women coped with the lockdown situation. You will find the good and the bad portrayed here, all of which were fascinating to read.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 1838102210

Publisher:  Thought Centre Publishing

Formats:  Paperback

No. of Pages:  202


Purchase Link

Wayfinder Woman


About the Wayfinder Woman Charity

Wayfinder Woman is a charity run by women for women. They are an organisation that provides support and resources to women of working age who need help.

Their vision is to empower every woman to live a life of confidence, skill, and strength to create the life that she desires.

Their mission is to have a positive social impact on the women and communities they serve. Their purpose is to give women access to the resources, networks and assistance they need to build and maintain their lives.


You can find them at:

Website

Instagram

Facebook


(book courtesy of The Wayfinder Woman)

(all opinions are my own)

Tuesday, 3 June 2025

10 Ten Books I Want to Read in June 2025

 


Here we are in June and I am looking forward to this month. Not just for the reading but because it's my birthday and we are going on a long awaited holiday to the Lake District.

Consequently, I should get lots of reading time and I'm looking forward to catching up on some of those books which have been on my radar to read for a while; as well as some nice new recent releases... and who knows if any new birthday books might appear!

Here are just ten of the books I would like to read.

The Door-to-Door Book Store by Carsten Henn


The Silken Rose by Carol McGrath


The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye



The Perfect Crime: Around the World in 22 Murders by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski


Butter by Asako Yuzuki


No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky



Dark Flood by Karon Alderman



The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor



All the Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow


Pioneering Women's Education by Sally Waller



Monday, 2 June 2025

The Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift - #blogtour #bookreview

 


Zofia stirred the pot in the airless heat. The stew would never be eaten, but Zofia didn't know that yet. Unfinished things were already a part of her life, as they were for so many in wartime...

***

The Blurb

1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive.

A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it.

Pursued across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Express, Zofia faces danger at every turn, racing to expose the truth as Japan edges closer to allying with the Nazis. With the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance, can she complete her mission before time runs out?


My Review

There are a plethora of books on the market which are set during wartime. It would be easy to think that the genre has nothing fresh to contribute, and I might have agreed until I read this fabulous book. I seldom give books of this type five stars, but this one fully deserves it for bringing something new and refreshing to the genre.

In fact, I have read many books set during World War Two. What separates this from the rest is that it is concerned with the part that was played by the real life Japanese diplomat, Sugihara Chiune, by his issuing Jewish refugees in Lithuania, visas to Japan. Even though I believe myself to be fairly widely read about the plight of the Jews during WWII, both fiction and non-fiction, this was one aspect that was new to me, and I applaud the author for bringing this to us in fictional form. 

The book is largely set on the gruelling Trans-Siberian railway on which the main characters are journeying. The main character Zofia, is escaping with her twin brother, Jacek and his girlfriend, Masha. Accompanying them is Sugihara's German assistant, Otto. The four make an interesting cast of characters, and the dynamic between them made for fascinating reading. However, we see the narrative and story through Zofia's eyes, and it was impossible not to root for her every step of the way. We observe the changing relationships with them through her perspective alone. Her journey, both physically and emotionally, is arduous and at times terrifying, but she faces this with bravery and resilience at every turn. She is a fabulous character, and the author has done a great job in bringing her to life on the page.

This has clearly been very well researched and is plentiful in the historical detail of the time in which it is set. I appreciated the author providing a list of further reading at the end of the book. She also provides an explanation of the history surrounding her novel, along with an explanation of the factual and fictional parts.

This is an accomplished novel which is compelling and fascinating. I could hardly bring myself to put it down as I was so immersed in it.

Even before I read this book, I was a fan of Deborah Swift. I have previously read The Shadow Network and Operation Tulip, both of which are part of her WW2 Secret Agent series. Additionally, I have read Shadow on the Highway. You can find the reviews of these books by clicking on the titles. Deborah Swift was also kind enough to tell me about which books she would take with her to a desert island, and you can read about it here. You can also find an excerpt from The Fortune Keeper here.

The Last Train to Freedom is an outstanding novel which I highly recommend.


Book Details

ISBN:  978 0008739706

Publisher:  HQ Digital

Formats:  e-books, audio and paperback 

No. of Pages:  361


Purchase Links

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK


About the Author

Deborah Swift is the English author of twenty historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Poison Keeper the novel based around the life of the legendary poisoner Giulia Tofana. The Poison Keeper won the Wishing Shelf Readers Award for Book of the Decade. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code.

Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against a background of real historical events. Deborah lives in England on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

You can also find Deborah at:

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(ARC and media courtesy of The Coffee Pot Book Club)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)