I really enjoyed BODY & SOUL by John Harvey. The plot was brilliant and kept me on my toes right up to the end. An end with an emotional twist. It’s sad to say this is the final novel by John Harvey as he has finally decided to retire from a writing career blessed with bestseller after bestseller. Thank you for the tremendous skill you have woven into each and every one of your stories. Thank you also to Cornerstone, Penguin Random Hous...

THE QUAKER by Liam McIlvanney is an atmospheric Thriller that grips the imagination in the harshness of a 1969 Glasgow. The attention to detail is breathtaking. I could smell the cigarette smoke, the damp, and the sweat. I felt totally immersed in the story. The lead character, DI McCormack searches for the truth in a case that sees women dying in terrible circumstances. The writing is refreshing and gritty. Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCo...

LAST LETTER FROM ISTANBUL a Romantic Suspense by Lucey Foley was a little on the slow side for me. I persevered because the writing was so good. I am glad I did. The evocative story, which was written using flashbacks came full circle and really hit me hard. I even shed a few tears because I had come to love all the characters. I would love to know their complete stories . . . what happened and when . . . If . . . ? Thank you to #NetGalley for t...

THE SAPPHIRE WIDOW, a  Mystery Suspense by Dinah Jefferies left me enthralled. It was the most beautiful breathtaking book I have read for a while. The sumptuous descriptions, raw emotions and intense mystery fill the pages and my thoughts. It was a though I were there in Ceylon, in the days of British rule with the sun beating ferociously down before the Monsoons broke and the mystery deepened. The suspense is woven throughout the book and whi...

SKIN DEEP, an Adult Mystery Thriller by Liz Nugent left me in a quandary. Perhaps that was the reason: to shock and make the reader think. I, on the other hand, could not get to grips with the main character, Cordelia Russell. Within the first few pages, we learn Cordelia has the body of a dead man decomposing in her flat. But who? Over the rest of the book, we are introduced to many would-be suspects as the story begins again when Cordelia is ...

CROSS HER HEART a psychological thriller, by Sarah Pinborough, moved along at a great pace. Secrets, lies, and scandal were at every page turn. I could not put this book down. Without giving any ‘secrets’ away, the novel led me down one path only to turn everything on its head. BOOM! This book grips and doesn’t let go. It twists the reader left and right as the characters come to terms with their past. At times, this was not a...

THE HIDEAWAY by Sheila O’Flanagan proved a great read. After devasting news, the author took us on a journey from soul-destroying distress to acceptance and new beginnings. All the while the backdrop of sultry Spain with its orange groves, vineyards, and handsome men held the reader entranced. I read the book quite quickly. I wanted to know how Juno mended her broken heart. It seemed time and the beautiful Spanish scenery, along with Pep ...

Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard was a rewarding book to read. At first, it didn’t seem like a read for a grown up. After all, what could we possibly have in common? But, it turned out to be a real treat. This story was about not just finding a little dog lost in the Gobi Desert, but also a journey to finding oneself. Dion Leonard, an ultramarathon runner came across Gobi, a small stray dog in the Gobi desert. The little dog latched onto Dio...

When I’m not writing I love to paint
My Thoughts / December 23, 2009

When I’m not writing I love to paint. Here are several paintings that I have done over the years. Each one is made using just household paints, and canvas blocks. I found that I could repaint the canvas many times. This proved very useful in the early stages, as I hadn’t painted for years. I particularly like lighthouses and seascapes. The man standing in this one is my husband in silouhette. A lovely desert scene. It shows ...

An Email I Just had to Share
Latest News / December 22, 2009

I just had to share an email I received from someone who read ‘The Return’. It makes all the writing worth while. I just finished reading The Return. I absolutely loved it. The story line was very moving. It just made me think of how this situation is affecting other families in real time. The characters and situation was so real, the story just flowed off the pages. I had a hard time stopping at times. My children were very...

A Beautiful Review By LASR
Reviews Received / December 16, 2009

I just had to share my review from Long and Short reviews. The reviewer went into great detail about the characters and sub plots. I’m really bowled over. The Return by Jan Bowles The Return by Jan BowlesPublisher: BookStrandGenre: ContemporaryLength: Short (147 pages)Heat: SpicyRating: 4 BooksReviewed by Edelweiss Whilst on assignment in Iraq, English TV presenter and journalist Robert Tremayne is captured by Islamic Jihadists an...

How I fell in love with poetry
My Thoughts / December 14, 2009

Sometimes opinions change. Sometimes ideas that have stayed with you a lifetime suddenly alter and shift, and you find a different angle with which to view. Take poetry. Apart from having a poem published in the school magazine I really couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. For years, the well formed verses never quite did it for me. They were just words, structured, yet with little meaning. Then everything changed. Life chang...

A Week in Reviews
Reviews Received / December 12, 2009

I finally received my first review for The Return from Mind Fog Reviews: “This book, at times, reminds me of Castaway the movie. The book is well written and has a couple of hot and steamy love scenes for those of us that love the hot stuff in a romance novel. The cute little father and daughter moments are so cute that it makes your heart melt.” 4 BookmarksCarol Langstroth, Manager Mind Fog Reviews Then later this week I re...

What Inspired Me to Write The Return
My Thoughts / December 8, 2009

Blurb: Whilst on assignment in Iraq, English TV presenter and journalist Robert Tremayne is captured by the Islamic Jihad and held hostage. His soul mate, Marielle, can barely come to terms with her loss but tries to move on with her life. Two years later Robert is discovered alive. Marielle is overjoyed, but her life has changed beyond all recognition, and the man she loved is now very different. His time in Iraq has left him cold, emo...

The Return by Jan Bowles Coming Soon
Latest News / November 28, 2009

THE RETURN Coming 1st December 2009 A Siren-Bookstrand release. Whilst in Iraq English journalist and upcoming TV personality Robert Tremayne is captured by the Islamic Jihad and held hostage. His sweetheart Marielle is devastated when she is told he has been executed. She had so much to tell him, now she must continue her life without him. Two years later she learns that Robert is alive and well and returning to Britain. How can they c...

My New Video for The Return
Video / November 26, 2009

Music supplied by www.freemusicplay.comMy new novel The Return is due for release on 1st December 2009.Whilst on assignment in Iraq, TV presenter and English journalist Robert Tremayne is captured by the Islamic Jihad and held hostage. His soul mate, Marielle, can barely come to terms with her loss. When she’s told he’ll never return home, she’s devastated, but tries to move on with her life. Two years later Robert is ...