Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

Everyone knows about the Pedley sisters. Lily and Della, the sisters who killed their parents. Without enough proof, they were never officially convicted. Which is why they're free to roam, making their way to an unnamed island with a small village of superstitious people called the Folk. 

From the time of their arrival, things are off kilter on the island. The Folk are drawn to one of the sisters in particular, because she is like them. They tell the stories of their beliefs and their history. Stories that are more than they seem at the surface. And the sisters find something of a home there. Until people begin to die. 

Ah! Ronnie Turner's latest is an odd fable/fairy tale for adults. It's a story about sisters and trauma, about stories and the lessons hidden between the lines. 

Tonally, this is all gothic. But it has aspects of folk horror, mystery, and—given the stories within the story—even fantasy. 

The Folk speak of devils. One devil, the Warden, the one they are devoted to in the hopes that he will be merciful when they die, lives under the land. And this devil rules their lives. 

When sisters Della and Lily arrive on the island it's the time of the Harvest. Three people die annually to appease the devil. And if he is displeased...well, worse than that will come. 

Della and Lily don't exactly fit in. They don't not fit in either. It's an island of misfits of a sort. But the girls are indeed very different. And everyone thinks they know the story. 

But in Small Fires the story is never quite what you think it is. 

Small Fires is absolutely excellent. It's perfect for fans of Catriona Ward and Angela Slatter. And it's a perfect introduction to Turner and her work. Honestly, I can't wait to see what she'll do next!

Small Fires is out soon in the UK and will be available this summer in the States from Orenda. US readers can preorder a copy from Bookshop now.

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Camilla Bruce's latest, At the Bottom of the Garden.

Clara never wanted children. And she's never even met her half-brother's two daughters. But then their parents die on K2, it turns out that Clara is the girls' only living relative. Not that she's all that interested in them. Rather, the stipend of their fortune that was to be allocated to their education and care. After all, she herself had not inherited anything from her own mother. It all went to her brother. And she has big plans that may finally be realized. 

Lily and Violet aren't thrilled about the situation either. It's just until Lily is of age and they can live on their own. Until then, they need Clara. Lily can see when someone is lying. And Aunt Clara is surrounded by a lying lime green. 

Violet has her own ability. She can see the dead. All of the animals preserved throughout Aunt Clara's house. An old lady lives in the dining room. And a scary man lives at the bottom of the garden. 

Ha! With three narrators, readers get treated to a full story from the start, even if certain things are only hinted at in the beginning. 

Clara is no good. She tries to pawn the girls off immediately and only changes her mind when she realizes she can get money out of taking them on. And thus her scheme begins. 

But Violet and Iris aren't fools. And Violet especially is suspicious of Clara from the first meeting. 

This is 100% witchy gothic fiction that could easily be set in Victorian England. And yet, it's set in the 70s! Which I think is a fabulous twist! I'm a sucker for a 70's setting anyway but when you throw gothic tropes in the mix, I love it even more!

Camilla Bruce is a jack of all trades as far as I'm concerned. Her range of subjects and settings is wide and new to her readers will love kicking off their reading with this latest! I absolutely love Violet and Iris and Violet's unique abilities in particular.

At the Bottom of the Garden is out now! Quick shout out for the audio narrated by Suzanne Barbetta, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Morris—it's fabulous!

Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson

It feels like Monday but it's really Tuesday, everyone! And today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Ørjan Karlsson's debut, Into Thin Air, the first in the new Jakob Weber series!

Things can be fairly quiet in Bodø and when teenager Iselin Hanssen disappears, the obvious suspect is her boyfriend, Casper. Open and shut. 

Except that it's not. Another woman goes missing soon after and Jakob Weber, Chief Investigator, notes the similarities not only to Iselin's case but to a string of older ones as well. 

Ooh I do love a new Scandi Crime/Nordic Noir series! The setting alone makes the sub-genre appealing to me as they usually become a character unto themselves. Into Thin Air is no exception as Bodø and other surrounding areas play such a huge role in the plot. (Not just as places where the bodies are found.)

Jakob is a great main character. An officer in a small region where he started on as a temporary position. He's a widower with a Jack Russell Terrier as his companion. 

I also love, love, love when cold cases are part of the plot! There's something so appealing about the potential for justice to play out years down the line, when everyone else has given up. 

This was perfect timing for the read as well, considering we've been hit by winter weather. I hate winter, so cozying up inside with a good book is usually my preferred way to spend the time. Even better that the weather isn't as inclement as the setting's norm!

This is another fantastic release from Orenda! And another series I'll be keeping my eye on! 

Into Thin Air is out now in the UK from Orenda books and will be out in the US in June. Huge thanks to Random Things Tours for asking me to participate!

The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Catherine Chidgey's The Axeman's Carnival. 

Tama is just a chick when Marnie rescues him. She sang to him. She kept him warm in a box. A magpie, fallen from the nest. A magpie that lives and witnesses Marnie's marriage and life. A magpie who is the narrator of our story. 

But Tama isn't just the narrator. He's also the star. A bit. A bird that learns to speak. Marnie and Rob profit off of it and for a while, Rob is split: one person behind closed doors, who yells and leaves marks on Marnie. Another person when the world is watching. 

At times funny and at times sorrowful, The Axeman's Carnival is a a unique story with a beloved bird that carries us through. 

Tama reminds me a bit of the narrator in Kira Jane Buxton's Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures. But where those are set during a zombie apocalypse, Chidgey's novel is set on a modern-day farm. No zombies, but there is a monster. And Tama is a fun character: one who struggles considering he doesn't fit with the other magpies anymore. His father warns him. His sister warns him. But Marnie has become a surrogate mother in the absence of his own. 

And Rob doesn't like it. Even when they begin to profit off of Tama, Rob still doesn't like it. 

They say dogs are man's best friend. Here it's a magpie and he's woman's best friend!

This is a book that first crossed my reading path this fall. People were raving about it and I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. They weren't wrong! Chidgey, a New Zealander, is an award winning author in her home country. I'm so glad that her work is being spread through the wider world! 

Huge thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part!

The Axeman's Carnival is now available in the UK and the US. Order a copy from Bookshop.org and support your favorite indie bookstore!

What I Ate in One Year [and other related thoughts] by Stanley Tucci

I mentioned I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks of late and Stanley Tucci's latest was a given for that medium considering he reads it himself!

Beginning in Jan of 2023 (when he was filming Conclave based on the book by Robert Harris) Tucci journals what and where he ate and who he dined with throughout the year. A lot of it is his own home cooking. A lot of it is in Italy, a place Tucci clearly adores. 

Tucci is a foodie with a fabulous palate. And a wonderful way with words as well. This book should come with a warning: keep snacks and pasta on hand while reading!

Tucci, who lives in London, travels to NYC, Los Angeles, Italy, the Alps, Bristol, and numerous other places while promoting various projects and charities as well as family vacations. 

It's a fun read (listen) because it shows that Tucci, yes and actor of high renown, is still just a normal guy. A normal guy who has faced challenges, deals with parenting, fears for his own parents, and loves food and friends with a passion anyone can relate to. 

Sure his dinner parties are fancier (he likes to dress for dinner too) but his meals sound amazing (must get his cookbooks) and some recipes are included. I've already made his gin Paloma and have been gathering ingredients for some of his other others. I've also been eating melon and prosciutto, always a fave of mine, but mentioned in the book enough that I couldn't resist snacking on it too!

This isn''t the first of Tucci's memoirs. It's a great follow up to his last one, Taste, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. 

Now excuse me, I've got to go read Conclave and watch some Stanley Tucci films while I eat spaghetti!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org.

The Victim by Jørn Lier Horst & Thomas Enger

Happy Wednesday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tour for the latest Blix and Ramm thriller, The Victim. 

Former investigator Alexander Blix has been released from jail after being acquitted for killing the man who murdered his daughter. And yet, the release and acquittal have done nothing to address his own personal guilt. 

Needless to say he's no longer welcome at his old job with the police. Which doesn't keep someone from reaching out to confess about one of Blix's old cases. 

Meanwhile, Emma Ramm has left journalism as well. But when the stepdaughter of a man accused of murder reaches out for Emma's help, she's intrigued. The case is a high profile one in part because no body has been discovered. 

Oh, how I adore this series! Hørst and Enger work so well together and have created main characters you root for no matter what. I'd follow them through any story and wait anxiously for each new installment. They've never let me down with their excellent plots and breakneck pacing!

Alexander Blix and Emma Ramm have a long history, one that is touched on in each book but really hits harder if you've read the series in order. 

I kind of hate seeing both of them beaten down, but it's this that makes them stand out. They're more real than the unbeatable, untouchable jaded police and PIs in so many thrillers. They've suffered great loss and they find solace in their friendship with one another. 

Plus they're both damn good investigators.

The Blix and Ramm series isn't quite as dark as Lars Kepler, but if you're a fan of those, you're going to love Hørst and Enger. And it's perfect timing since it's officially #NordicNoirNovember!

The Victim is out now in the UK from Orenda. And for US readers, it'll be out in spring. 

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Kinch Na Shannack is blessed with luck and the ability to read anything. The former is what got him into his current predicament. 

An attempted robbery leads to Kinch being hired by the Takers Guild to head to the heart of a battlefield for reasons they haven't revealed. In exchange, Kinch's debt to the guild will be erased. Which would be great as the tattoo on his face allows for slapping and ends with Kinch buying a drink for the aggressor. It's a whole thing. 

Kinch is to follow a warrior and survivor of the goblin wars, Galva, to Hrava, which has just been decimated by giants. Along the way the two meet a variety of characters, become entangled in seemingly endless messes, and exchange favors that all play a role in their final mission. 

Kinch Na Shannack is your new favorite antihero!

Kinch is a thief, but an amiable one (at least for the reader), who turns out to be a hero at heart. There's a bit of will he/won't he throughout in terms of the different paths and decisions Kinch is forced to make. 

Galva is awesome and thorough her we get quite a bit of history and world building. 

This is a world that's suffered huge losses since their war with the goblins. And since men went off to fight in the early wars, heavy losses meant only women were left for the later campaigns. Galva is a soldier and survivor of the Daughters' War (which is the focus of the prequel book of the same name that came out this spring from Tor).

Holy bejeezus! People told me this one was good but shame on them for not telling me just HOW FREAKING GOOD! (I kid. Shame on me for taking so long to read it!)

I've been doing so many audiobooks lately and this is one that I highly, highly recommend in audio. Seriously, if you're inclined to audio AT ALL, listen to it rather than read the physical. Buehlman himself reads (and sings) and it is an absolute pleasure to hear! (Added bonus of getting to hear actual pronunciations.)

This audio is over twelve hours. Twelve hours, my friends! It's a good thing I started it on the weekend because I literally did NOTHING that couldn't be accompanied by an audiobook in my ears, listening as straight through as was possible! It's so good!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org.