Troutie McFish Tales
Thanks to everyone currently reading and reviewing the advance copies of The Blue of You. It's a scary moment when a book first leaves the nest and I am always grateful for everyone's kind words – it makes it all worthwhile!
Can you ever paint over the past?
Every Christmas Eve, Janey Shaw is reminded of the tragic death of her schoolfriend, Alice, and the untidy ending of her relationship with Rory Brook, her first love. When Janey leaves London to return to her hometown on the north-east coast of England, the ghosts of her unresolved past lie in wait.
There, Janey meets a coble fisherman, Tom Inglewood, and admires his ambitions to preserve the traditional way of life in their community and to stop second home owners from painting over the town’s heritage. Can she start to build a new life and finally paint over her own past? Or will she have to confront her ghosts as Christmas draws closer?
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Look out for my author events nearer the time - the first will be at Marsden Library on Thursday 6th November!
The Blue of You
is out on
October 23rd 2025
from Northodox Press
My Review:
I don’t read a lot of crime/noir fiction, but I’ve reviewed a couple of Chris Hammer’s novels and really enjoyed them. The Broken River didn’t disappoint - Hammer’s writing is always vivid with a great sense of place. He effortlessly evokes the sheer vastness of Australia and the way the landscape shapes lives. The plot and characters are engaging and the twists keep you on your toes.
What the publisher says:
BURIED GOLD, OLD BONES.
WHAT SECRETS LURK IN THE DEPTHS?
A masterclass of small-town mystery and jaw-dropping twists from Chris Hammer, the international bestselling author of Scrublands, The Times Crime Book of the Year 2023 Dead Man's Creek and Crime Book of the Month for January 2024, Cover the Bones.
A
body has been discovered on the riverbanks of The Valley, a remote
community in the hills of New South Wales. The gold mine at the heart of
The Valley was once the lifeblood of this region, but it has been
flooded for decades. Over the years, many have tried and failed to bring
it back to life. Now, most believe the mine is barren.
The
victim is Wolfgang Burnside, deputy mayor - a champion of change or
local schemer, depending on who you ask. He had been working on plans to
take the Valley off-grid with hydro-power using the lake surrounding
the abandoned mine. Until he was poisoned, his body dumped in the river
for all to see.
Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are
dispatched to investigate. The warning is clear - there are secrets
lurking in the depths of this Valley, secrets worth more than their
weight in gold. What price will this town have to pay to ensure that
they never see the light of day?
An
epic, atmospheric mystery spanning generations set against a luscious
backdrop and the twisting veins of gold that lurk beneath.
Praise for Chris Hammer:
'A masterful, stunning thriller. A twisting mystery epic in scale yet intricate in detail. Irresistible.' Chris Whitaker
'Epic. Shakespearean in depth and range' The Times
'Fierce, gripping and spine-chilling.' Daily Mail
'My favourite Australian detective is Nell Buchanan.' - Ann Cleeves
'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly
'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid
'Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times
OUT 17th JULY 2025 FROM WILDFIRE - Available HERE
Thanks to Caitlin Raynor @bookywookydooda for the review copy
The Blurb:
A daring young woman takes her brother's place to risk her life in New York City. A breathtaking historical novel full of heart and hope, family and friendship, and the sacrifices we make for love...
As the Great Depression bites, show dancer Grace's Irish immigrant family can't afford the rising rents, nor the medicine that her little sister urgently needs. When her twin brother is injured and can no longer work on the construction of the half-built Empire State Building, Grace steps up - literally. She trades her dancing shoes for worker boots, braving deadly metal work hundreds of feet in the sky.
But survival isn't guaranteed. Failure could mean not only losing her job, but also her life, and the livelihood of her family and team.
Sparks fly across the great metal beams, as a terrible accident and a split-second decision leaves Grace re-evaluating everything that she thought she knew about herself…
My Review:
When I was asked if I would be interested in reading and reviewing Grace of the Empire State, I was immediately seduced by the blurb and the advance reviews. A 1930s New York setting – tick. A bold, brave, heroic female central character thrown into a dangerous and precarious world – tick. An edge-of-the-seat page-turner – tick. All underpinned by an exploration of the enduring force of family connections, the strength of friendships, and a touch of heartwarming romance.
It promised everything required to enhance a couple of cold January afternoons. And it certainly didn’t disappoint. I was immediately captivated and read it in three sittings.
There is a strong and evocative sense of place in Gemma Tizzard’s writing, and the fast-paced and terrifying construction environment is skilfully described. I was up there with Grace, hundreds of vertiginous feet above the street, dizzy and reeling.
Tizzard is also a writer who creates effortlessly authentic dialogue and believable, relatable characters. Grace is both courageous and resilient when faced with her family’s seemingly insurmountable problems, and we find ourselves rooting for her from the start as she makes numerous sacrifices, proving herself to be a true heroine. We are also treated to an entire supporting cast, all equally compelling. Every character in the book, however minor, is painted with the same deft strokes by Tizzard. I came to care about each and every one of them as they struggled to carve out their lives in the Great Depression.
I thoroughly enjoyed Grace of the Empire State – a great debut! Many thanks to Alara and Headline for the ARC and for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour.
Published by Headline Review (28 Jan. 2025)
About the Author:
Gemma Tizzard is from Berkshire, and currently lives in Southampton, where she works as a marketing manager by day, and writes historical fiction by evening. She can most often be found scribbling notes from research books about her latest obsession, or plastering the walls with Post-It notes. Whenever she's not working, she can be found reading, or planning her next travel adventure. She has a degree in American Studies and a particular interest in untold women's stories throughout the twentieth century. GRACE OF THE EMPIRE STATE is her debut novel, available in January 2025, with a second, set in Boston in 1942, due in 2026.
Gemma also writes rom-coms, and was longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print (CWIP) Unpublished Novel Prize in both 2021 and 2022.
'A page-turning debut...that reminds us that women have been quietly saving the day since the dawn of time' New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel
'A wonderful story of courage, sacrifice, resilience and love. Heart-warming, romantic and at times utterly nerve-wracking, I loved every minute of it!' Anita Frank '
A thrilling, heartbreaking story about the power of family, friendship and women struggling to survive in a man's world. A must-read for historical fiction fans' Annie Lyons
Thanks to everyone currently reading and reviewing the advance copies of The Blue of You. It's a scary moment when a book first leaves ...
