Category: Science Fiction

Xtinct! Tiger Hunt by Ash Stone

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The Blurb On The Back:

Xtinct!

Jeevan can’t wait to hit the slopes.  But his snowboard will have to wait because a mix-up at his mum’s lab has brought a dangerous SABRE-TOOTH TIGER back to life – and now it’s prowling around outside!

With a blizzard raging, a tiger on the loose and two hunters in hot pursuit, Jeevan needs to keep a cool head.  Can he come up with a plan before things snowball out of control?

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

You can order XTINCT! TIGER HUNT by Ash Stone from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt

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The Blurb On The Back:

The race for immortality is on.

When linguist and smuggler Sean Wren is blackmailed into a job to get some data off an ancient ship, he’s not expecting it to be the Philosopher’s Stone: a literal recipe for immortality.

Unfortunately, he’s not the only one looking.  The undying Ministers, mysterious aliens that have ruled over humanity for thousands of years, want the data too.  So does the Republic, the last free human government.

To add to the fun, the map to the treasure is in a long-lost language, the ship’s filled with dangerous traps and genetically-engineered monsters, and the nearby star’s going supernova in a few days.

Easy job, right? 

THE IMMORTALITY THIEF by Taran Hunt was released in the United States on 11th October 2022 and in the United Kingdom on 13th October 2022.  Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the review copy of this book.

You can order THE IMMORTALITY THIEF by Taran Hunt from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

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The Blurb On The Back:

1967: Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China’s Cultural Revolution.  This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind.

Four decades later, Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a secretive cabal of scientists after a spate of inexplicable suicides.  Wang’s investigation will lead him to a mysterious virtual world ruled by the intractable and unpredictable interaction of its three suns.

This is the Three-body Problem and it is the key to everything: the key to the scientists’ death, the key to a conspiracy that spans light years and the key to the extinction-level threat humanity now faces. 

You can order THE THREE BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Space Blasters: Suzie Saves The Universe by Katie & Kevin Tsang

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The Blurb On The Back:

Suzie Wen LOVES inventing things – but after one of her inventions goes wrong, Suzie finds herself sucked into her favourite TV show – SPACE BLASTERS!

Now on board AN ACTUAL SPACESHIP with her new friends, Suzie is exploring strange planets and meeting plenty of aliens.

But when moons start disappearing, it’s up to Suzie and the Space Blasters to …

SAVE THE UNIVERSE!

SPACE BLASTERS: SUZIE SAVES THE UNIVERSE was released in the United Kingdom on 4th August 2022.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

You can order SPACE BLASTERS: SUZIE SAVES THE UNIVERSE by Katie & Kevin Tsang from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor

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The Blurb On The Back:

Koré knew that meddling in politics could end badly, particularly when trying to sabotage his aristocratic father’s campaign before it destroys the city he has come to love.  When a chance encounter with a dying god imbues him with magic-breathing powers, it gets worse: he suddenly becomes a commodity – and a political player.

But the corruption in his city runs deeper than just one man, and an ally’s betrayal unleashes an army of the dead on his home street.  Koré must trust the world with his deepest secret to stand beside the woman and man he’s finally let himself love, as only the bright truth of dragon’s fire can break the iron fist of a necromancer’s hold.

SILK FIRE by Alex Livingston was released in the United States on 5th July 2022 and in the United Kingdom on 7th July 2022.  Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the review copy of this book.

You can order SILK FIRE by Zabé Ellor from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Lego Star Wars: Awesome Vehicles

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The Blurb On The Back:

With X-wing pilot Poe Dameron as your guide, see the most amazing brick-built vehicles in the LEGO STAR WARS galaxy!

Get top tips from pilots.

Read the reviews.

Check out the features and decide which vehicle you would test drive.

LEGO STAR WARS AWESOME VEHICLES was released in the United Kingdom on 7th April 2022.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book

You can order LEGO STAR WARS: AWESOME VEHICLES from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Worst Day Ever! by James Bishop

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The Blurb On The Back:

Chloe’s having a bad day.  

First she stubbed her toe.  Now she’s being followed by an alien.  It can only get better, right? WRONG.

Mylan’s travelling the universe, looking for someone having a bad day, to help them.

But after Mylan makes a TINY mistake, suddenly earth is about to be ‘recycled’.  Chloe and Dylan must save the planet!

Throw in a swanky spaceship, a grumpy queen of the universe and some technology that could go haywire at any moment … and you have an amazing INTERGALACTIC ADVENTURE!

THE WORST DAY EVER! was released in the United Kingdom on 6th January 2022.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book

You can order THE WORST DAY EVER! by James Bishop from Amazon UK and Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

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The Blurb On The Back:

Dying isn’t any fun …

But at least it’s a living.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonise the ice world Niflheim.  Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous – even suicidal – the crew turns to Mickey.  After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.  Mickey signed on to escape from bad debts and boredom on Midgard.

After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal … and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

When he goes missing and is presumed dead at the hands of deadly indigenous creatures, Mickey8 reports for duty, and their troubles really begin.

MICKEY7 by Edward Ashton will be released in the United States on 15th February 2022 and in the United Kingdom on 17th February 2022.  Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the review copy of this book.

You can order MICKEY7 by Edward Ashton from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

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The Blurb On The Back:

A searing exploration of the world we live in – and the ones we don’t.

Ash is used to taking hits for his high school football team – but then those hits start pushing him through a succession of universes almost-but-not-really like his own.  As small shifts in reality become significant shits in Ash’s own identity, he starts to question the world he thought he knew, as well as the ones he finds himself catapulted into.

For better or worse, the one thing Ash knows is that he’s got to find a way to put everything back. 

You can buy GAME CHANGER by Neal Shusterman from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley

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The Blurb On The Back:

This is a place we can be alone, together.

Drink down the brew and dream of a better Earth.

Skyward Inn, within the high walls of the Western Protectorate, is a place of safety, where people come together to tell stories of the time before the war with Qita.

But safety from what?  Qita surrendered without complaint when Earth invaded; Inkeepers em and Isley, veterans from either side, have regrets but few scars.

Their peace is disturbed when a visitor known to Isley comes to the Inn asking for help, bringing reminders of an unnerving past and triggering an uncertain future.

Did humanity really win the war? 

You can buy SKYWARD INN by Aliya Whiteley from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Gunnerkrigg Court Volume 1: Orientation by Thomas Siddell

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The Blurb On The Back:

Antimony Carver is a precocious and preternaturally self-possessed young girl starting her first year of school at gloomy Gunnerkrigg Court, a very British boarding school that has robots running around alongside body-snatching demons, forest gods, and the odd mythical creature.

The opening volume in the series follows Antimony through her orientation year: the people she meets, the strange things that happen, and the things she causes to happen as she and her new friend, Kat, unravel the mysteries of the Court and deal with the everyday adventures of growing up. 

You can order Gunnerkrigg Court Volume 1: Orientation by Thomas Siddell from Amazon UK, or Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Deadpool: The Complete Collection Volume 1 by Daniel Way, Andy Diggle, Steve Dillon, Paco Medina, Carlo Barberi and Bong Dazo

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The Blurb On The Back:

He’s the Marvel Universe’s Merc With A Mouth!  As quick with a pistol as he is with a one-liner!

Fan-favourite writer Daniel Way brings the crazy with his character-defining run on the Crimson Comedian, the Regeneratin’ Degenerate, the Asinine Assassin … Deadpool!

The X-Men’s favourite frenemy, Deadpool straddles the line between hero and villain, sanity and insanity.  So when a Skrull invasion force lands on Earth, it’s anyone’s guess which side the unpredictable Wade Wilson will join!  The wisecracking, gun-toting, one-man army single-handedly saves a baseball stadium full of fans from a Skrull attack – and promptly surrenders to the invaders, leaving everyone scratching their heads.

Deadpool infiltrates the Skrull ranks – and through all the allegiance swapping, back-stabbing and mental instability, he tries to make good on a contract and get PAID!  But all hell breaks loose when the objective is compromised and his big, fat pay check gets cancelled.  Wade sets out to settle the score – even if that means he has to fight his way through Norman Osborn’s new team of Dark Avengers, made up of the Marvel Universe’s greatest villains in disguise.

And as Deadpool storms his way to the top of Avengers Tower, Osborn goes all in and deploys his bloodthirsty black-ops team of assassins, the Thunderbolts!  Plug up your ears, kids – it’s gonna get loud!

Plus: Two men who can’t die slice one another to ribbons and then blow those ribbons up with lots of explosives as Wolverine and Deadpool hash out their differences in a showdown for the ages! 

You can order Deadpool: The Complete Collection Volume 1 by Daniel Way, Andy Diggle, Steve Dillon, Paco Medina, Carlo Barberi and Bong Dazo from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Liquid Crystal Nightingale by Eeleen Lee

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The Blurb On The Back:

Go deeper, they said.  Look closer. 

Pleo Tanza is a survivor.  Her father was broken by tragedy, her twin sister is dead – chewed up and spat out by the corruption and injustice of Chatoyance – but she’s going to make it, whatever it takes.  She’s going to get off this rock.

But escape is for the rich or lucky.  Pleo’s framed for the murder of a rival student – the daughter of one of the colony’s wealthy, squabbling clans – and goes on the run, setting off a chain of events that could destroy the fragile balance of the old colony forever …

You can order Liquid Crystal Nightingale by Eeleen Lee from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Boot by Shane Hegarty

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The Blurb On The Back:

When toy robot, Boot, wakes up at a scrapyard it has no idea how it got there and why it isn’t with its owner, Beth.  It only has two and a half glitchy memories but it knows it was loved, which seems important.

Boot is scared but tries to be brave, which is hard when your screen keeps showing a wobbly, worried face.  Luckily Boot meets Noke and Red who have learned to survive in secret.

With its new friends by its side, Boot and the gang set off on a dangerous adventure to find their way home. 

You can order Boot by Shane Hegarty from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Places In The Darkness by Chris Brookmyre

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The Blurb On The Back:

”This is as close to a city without crime as mankind has ever seen.”

Ciudad de Cielo is the ‘city in the sky’, a space station where hundreds of scientists and engineers work in Earth’s orbit, building the colony shop that will one day take humanity to the stars.  When a mutilated body is found on the CDC, the eyes of the world are watching.

Top-of-the-class investigator, Alice Blake, is sent from Earth to team up with CDC’s Freeman – a jaded cop with more reason that most to distrust such planet side interference.  As the death toll climbs and factions aboard the station become more and more fractious, Freeman and Blake will discover clues to a conspiracy that threatens not only their own lives, but the future of humanity itself. 

You can order Places In The Darkness by Chris Brookmyre from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Alice Encounter by John Gribbin

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The Blurb On The Back:

There is about 10 times more dark matter (DM, also known here as Alice matter) than bright stuff in our Galaxy.

The DM is spread out in a roughly uniform sphere (a spherical distribution of Alice stars), with our flattened disk Galaxy embedded in it.  The “Alice matter”, is a kind of mirror image shadow stuff; the term “looking glass matter” has been used by some scientists.  Alice matter can be turned into ordinary matter (and vice versa) by sending it though a loop of Alice string, a naturally occurring cosmic phenomenon.

Aliens in the DM world, more advanced than we are, have discovered the trace of 10 per cent “normal” matter in “their” universe.  And have come to investigate it.

Our disk is a perturbation that they are puzzled about.

You can order The Alice Encounter by John Gribbin from Amazon UK, or Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World by C. A. Fletcher

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The Blurb On The Back:

My name’s Griz.

My childhood wasn’t like yours.  I’ve never had friends, and in my whole life I’ve not met enough people to pay a game of football.  My parents told me how crowded the world used to be, before all the people went away.  But we were never lonely on our remote island.  We had each other, and our dogs.

Then the thief came.

There may be no law left except what you make of it.  But if you steal my dog, you can at least expect me to come after you.  Because if we’re not loyal to the things we love, what’s the point? 

You can order A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World by C. A. Fletcher from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Dog Who Saved The World by Ross Welford

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The Blurb On The Back:

When eleven-year-old Georgie befriends an eccentric retired scientist, she becomes the test subject for a thrilling new experiment: a virtual-reality 3D version of the future.

But then a deadly disease threatens the life of every dog in the country and Georgie’s beloved dog, Mr Mash, gets sick.  And that’s only the start of her troubles.

Soon, Georgie and Mr Mash must embark on a desperate quest: to save every dog on earth, and maybe even all of humanity …

… without actually leaving the room. 

You can order The Dog Who Saved The World by Ross Welford from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Hope For The Best by Jodi Taylor

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The Blurb On The Back:

You can’t change History.  History doesn’t like it.  There are always consequences.

Max is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands.  Especially when she’s had A Brilliant Idea.  Yes, it will mean breaking a few rules, but – as Max always says – they’re not her rules.

Seconded to the Time Police to join in the hunt for the renegade Clive Ronan, Max is a long way from St Mary’s.  But life in the future does have its plus points – although not for long.

A problem with the Time Map reveals chaos in the 16th century and the wrong Tudor queen on the throne.  History has gone rogue, there’s a St Mary’s team right in the firing line and Max must step up.

You know what they say.  Hope for the best.  But plan for the worst. 

You can order HOPE FOR THE BEST by Jodi Taylor from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Heartstream by Tom Pollock

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The Blurb On The Back:

Heartstream: The App That Allows You To Feel Everything

Amy Becker is a star. She’s used Heartstream to broadcast every moment of her mother’s illness. It’s the realest, rawest reality TV imaginable, and it’s everywhere.

On the day of her mother’s funeral, she goes home to find a fan of hers in the kitchen. She’s rigged herself and the house with explosives – and she’s been waiting to talk to Amy for a long time.

Amy is about to discover just how far true obsession can go.

You can order Heartstream by Tom Pollock from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Feed by Nick Clark Windo

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The Blurb On The Back:

Your knowledge.

Your memories.

Your dreams.

If all that you are is on the Feed, who are you when the Feed goes down?

The Feed is everywhere.  It can be accessed by anyone, at any time.  Every interaction, every emotion, every image can be shared through it.

Tom and Kate use The Feed, but they have resisted addiction to it.  And this will serve them well when The Feed collapses.

Until their six-year-old-daughter, Bea, goes missing.

Because how do you find someone in a world devoid of technology?  And what happens when you can no longer trust your loved ones are really who they claim to be?

You can order THE FEED by Nick Clark Windo from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Empire Of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

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The Blurb On The Back:

Hadrian Marlowe, privileged first son of a Duke was destined for greatness and he has become a legend.  The Sun-Slayer.  The Breaker of Sieges.  The Crusher of Civilisations.  His is a story which defined the course of worlds.

This novel is not that story.

This is Hadrian’s story told in his own words. Of being passed over by his father for rule in favour of his younger brother, and sent to a military academy against his wishes.  Of being kidnapped in transit to that planet and sold into slavery and of how he clawed his way back into the dangers and opportunities of politics …  

You can order EMPIRE OF SILENCE by Christopher Ruocchio from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Shattermoon by Dominic Dulley

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The Blurb On The Back:

An inexperienced grafter. An obsolete spaceship. And against them, the might of the Grand fleet. Orry Kent might just be in over her head. 

Orry’s father is the best conman in the quadrant, targeting the decadent ruling families of the Ascendancy, running elaborate heists with Orry and her brother Ethan before disappearing without a trace. This time should be no different.

But then Orry goes off-script and everything falls apart. Less than an hour later the Count’s spoiled grandson is dead and Orry’s on the run, accused of a murder she didn’t commit.

Turns out, the pendant Orry stole was crafted by the Departed, the ancient civilisation who left this universe aeons ago, taking most of their secrets with them. But she’s not the only one who wants it. It doesn’t take ruthless space pirate Morven Dyas long to track her down, and when she’s unexpectedly rescued by loner Jurgen Mender and his aging spaceship, Dainty Jane, Orry knows there’s only one thing left to do.

It will take all of Orry’s powers of persuasion to get Mender to agree to her plan, especially when even she can see the madness of pitting an inexperienced young grafter, a space-dog long past his best and an obsolete spaceship against the Grand Fleet, space pirates – and the alien Kadirans, who are getting bored with the long, uneasy truce with humankind …

But what other choice does she have?

You can order Shattermoon by Dominic Dulley from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Tell The Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams

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The Blurb On The Back:

Follow these steps for guaranteed happiness.

That’s what the machine said.

But how far would you go to be happy?

Happiness is Pearl’s job.  As a technician working with the revolutionary Apricity device, she runs tests to determine what will improve people’s mood.  But her teenage son, Rhett, is a sensitive boy who has forged an unconventional path through adolescence.  If only Pearl could persuade him to run an Apricity assessment … but what if she doesn’t like what she finds?

You can order TELL THE MACHINE GOODNIGHT by Katie Williams (published in the UK as THE HAPPINESS MACHINE) from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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The Blurb On The Back:

Somebody’s going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won’t appear to be a murder and so the murderer won’t be caught.  Rectify that injustice and I’ll show you the way out.

It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy.  As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed.

But Evelyn will not die just once.  Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again.  Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot.

The only way to break this cycle is to identify her killer.  But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is desperate to stop him ever escaping Blackheath …

You can order THE SEVEN DEATHS OF EVELYN HARDCASTLE by Stuart Turton from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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