The Grocer's Son by Garrick Jones (Spotlight) GBP

The Grocers’ Son

ADULT title

by

Garrick Jones

Publisher: MoshPit Publishing

Cover Artist: Garrick Jones

Release Date: September 21, 2022

Genres: Crime Fiction; Detective; Thriller

Tropes: Lost lovers reunited

Themes: The strength of relationships over time; What one will do for love

Heat Rating: 2 flames      

Length:  138 629 words/ 422 pages (paperback)

It is a standalone book and the third book in the Clyde Smith Mystery series.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Blurb 

“I swear to God it was Willoughby. My brother stood not two feet away from me, called me Lina to my face, and pulled Harley into his arms, saying he was sorry, sobbing, and calling him his boy.”

An apparition in Sydney’s fruit and vegetable market leaves the mother of one of Clyde’s best friends believing that her brother, hanged for murder twenty-four years beforehand, has somehow risen from the grave and confronted her.

She is adamant that the visitation was real and visits Clyde asking him to investigate the mass murder her brother was supposed to have committed. She believes he was either set up or was covering for someone else’s crime.

Could this vision have been a folie à deux, a delusional vision shared by both mother and son? As Clyde investigates, clues lead him to one of Australia’s most famous silent screen actors, a man who, together with his murdered father, becomes intrinsically linked to the mass murder, known as The Killing at Candal Creek.

Wheels within wheels, lies, extortion, and coverups lead Clyde to a bloody confrontation on a deserted beach in the tropics. This time, it’s not only his own life at risk but also that of one of his most valued and closest friends.

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Excerpt 

 I was in my “puzzle room” when I heard Harry’s cooee from the front door.

I called it a puzzle room because that’s the phrase we’d used during the war to describe a safe place where we could discuss plans, devise strategies, and toss ideas around. Mine was my bathroom, lying on my back in the bath with the lights out and the shower falling onto my legs, the only illumination from the flickering blue light of the gas geyser. After eating dinner, I’d listened to Mama Lena’s Arrivederci Roma radio programme then had got stuck into some research on Elwood Pearson.

I could hear Harry clunking around in the hallway. “I’m in here!” I called out.

“I know!” he responded, then appeared in the doorway, totally naked except for the black bow tie around his neck and wearing his socks and garters.

“What happened to the master of the house looking for the lazy footman?” I said, laughing because I could see he was more than three sheets to the wind.

He climbed into the tub and sat between my legs, water pouring over his head, grinning at me stupidly. “I changed it,” he said. “It’s master of the house, pissed out of his skull, ravishing the naked footman in the bathtub.”

“Come here,” I said, and pulled his head down for a kiss. “You’re not that drunk,” I added, my hand having found no evidence of brewer’s droop.

“Shh!” he said, biting my chin. “Mark’s crashed in the spare room.”

“What?”

“Too many cocktails, both of us. We caught a taxi and he helped me up the stairs.”

“So, no noise then?”

“Nup,” he said, then pulled my legs around his hips and let forth a loud wolf-howl.

I laughed then pushed my wet washcloth between his teeth, which he spat out then attacked my mouth with his own. I really hoped Mark had closed his bedroom door. When Harry was in this sort of mood, he could make a lot of noise … not that I was complaining.

Buy Links

Amazon AU  |  Amazon US |  Amazon UK  |  Smashwords

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About the Author 

From the outback to the opera.

After a thirty-year career as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world, I took up a position as lecturer in music in Australia in 1999, at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, which is now part of CQUniversity.

Brought up in Australia, between the bush and the beaches of the Eastern suburbs, I retired in 2015 and now live in the tropics, writing, gardening, and finally finding time to enjoy life and to re-establish a connection with who I am after a very busy career on the stage and as an academic.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram

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Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Honour's Rest by Judith Crow (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Honour's Rest

by 

Judith Crow

 

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GENRE:   YA Magical Realism

 

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BLURB:

 

“So, it’s – what – like magic?”

No, according to Pen’s uncle, the Rite is not magic at all. But, if it’s not magic, then how could Pen push the school bully into a pond while he was really studying alone in the library?
When Pen’s family realise he has the Rite, he is sent to live with his Uncle Napier, who can help him control his ability.
But Napier has other duties. He is the Rendelf, in charge of the Rite in the UK, and he has gathered many enemies over the years…
…enemies who would be delighted to use Pen against him.

 

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EXCERPT

“Stop that!” Napier shouted, just as his nephew had done seconds before. But Pen was no less stubborn than his uncle, and the sword continued to move across the room. “Stop that now!”

 

The hint of panic in Napier’s voice gave Pen a sense of satisfaction. He had achieved what Marley had not. He could see Napier’s fingers working frantically as he wound the Rite around them. The sword was now above his head, the pointed tip of the blade only six feet above him. With an angry cry, Pen sent it crashing down, commanding it to reach its target no matter whether or not Napier stepped out of the way.

 

There was a loud crash of metal as the sword fell on the floor, and the noise seemed to bring Pen back to his senses. The anger was gone, but it had been replaced with a sickening feeling of remorse and guilt which was already feasting on his insides.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

 

His uncle’s face was almost as white as his right index finger, around which he had pulled the Rite tightly to prevent the sword from hitting him. Napier looked at him in silence for a few moments before shaking his head.

 

“It can’t be helped,” he said, his voice as calm as ever. “I should have known you had it in you. And every Rendelf must face the darker side of his apprentice sooner or later. I should be grateful it happened before you have full control of the Rite. I’ll tidy this place up. You two go and enjoy what’s left of the sunshine.”

 

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Judith was born in Orkney, grew up in Lincolnshire and now lives in the far north of Scotland. Her work draws inspiration from folklore, experience and the natural world.

The Backwater, Judith’s debut book, was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2019, and her most recent novel, Honour’s Rest, was a finalist in the Eyelands Book Award.

When she isn’t writing, Judith is a teacher at a primary school in Caithness. She sometimes finds that writing gets usurped by crafting, music, and being a generally doting spaniel owner.

 

Website

www.judithcrow.co.uk

www.crowvus.com

 

Twitter

@jayzed_kay

 

Facebook

 

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 GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here

 

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My review:

3.5 stars

 

Honour’s Rest by Judith Crow is the first book in ‘The Rite Way’ series and centers around a young teen named Pendragon (Pen) who inexplicably has been accused of an assault that he doesn’t remember performing. The discovery that his family has been keeping a major secret from him even as he is sent to Scotland to live with his enigmatic uncle turns Pen’s world upside-down, and forces him to learn things about himself and his abilities that he may regret for the rest of his life, however short that may be.

This young adult magical realism story is a dark fantasy that conjures up the sometimes macabre fairy tales that include death and destruction and a high price for wishes granted. Pendragon is dragged into a world that includes something called the Rite, and forced to learn about a destiny that he’s not sure he wants. I had trouble connecting to the young man, whose frustration and passive (and occasionally active) resistance were understandable but not attractive traits. The secondary characters will hopefully get their time in the spotlight, as some of them have challenging stories that are only lightly touched on, and I would have liked a bit more depth.

The magical elements that are sprinkled through the story are creative and compelling, and I’d like to see much more of them in subsequent books. Some of the twists and turns of the story are unexpected and somber, and I was saddened by several of the developments. The story does provide an arc for Pendragon, but there are several dangling threads to keep one anxiously awaiting the next tale in the series. The dangers of dealing with kelpies is a perfect metaphor for the story itself, which is a cautionary tale, best appreciated by those who like a bit of bite in their tales.

 

A copy of this title was provided for review