Tag: Helen Pryke

Book Review Whisper of Magic @helen_pryke #bookreview #magic

Whisper of Magic  by Helen Pryke

Blurb

Somewhere beyond the veil, between our world and other realms, is the Shallows, a lonely, barren place from which few return. What more lies beyond a legend lost to the mists of time?

“That moment you let go of everything you believe is true, is when you will go beyond this world and step into the other realms.” When Ria reads these words in her grandmother’s Book of Shadows, she has no idea that she is about to be immersed in the world of Tarot, magic, and witchcraft.

Desperate to find her two sisters and fulfill the final part of an ancient legend, Ria must trust the cards and set out on the search for her sisters, who were lost years before when they entered the Shallows.

But someone is determined to stop her. Someone who wants to bring chaos and destruction to all the worlds. Someone who wants to destroy the symbiosis between nature and the beings that inhabit the realms.

As the veil thins, Ria must find her sisters before it’s too late. If the veil is broken, the worlds will never be the same again.

Ria has her friends…and magic. Will it be enough?

A Whisper of Magic is perfect for fans of The Night Circus, The Ten Thousand Doors Of January, and the Healer saga.

I absolutely loved this tale of magic, the legacy left by Ria’s grandmother, and the story of three sisters.  The quest to find  Ria’s sisters: Sage and Celeste, and finally to discover what’s happened to Ria’s mother is exciting, and emotionally moving, with fantastic characters both witchy and of the undead kind…

The skeletal cat and mouse had me smiling and chuckling!

I loved the tarot card characters coming alive and in particular Kendon, the Knight of Wands!

This will be for you if you enjoy crystals, wands, witchy vibes, wraiths and ancient magic with a strong thread of family and environmental/world vulnerability aspects running through the narrative.

Also there are some striking and unusual revelations towards the end of the book placing the highest value on our emotions, hearts and souls.

Different and imaginatively so!

Highly recommended, definitely 5 stars! 

Author Bio

Helen Pryke is a British author who has been living in the north of Italy for almost 30 years, learning everything about Italians, their culture, and their way of life. She now considers herself more Italian than British, even though she has never lost her British accent. Addicted to coffee and chocolate, she has also developed a passion for good food, having married an Italian who is a wonderful cook!

As well as writing suspense novels, Helen also writes emotional women’s fiction set in Italy that deals with the difficult subject of abuse in a sensitive way. She also writes middle grade fiction under the pen name, Julia E. Clements. You can find her books here: author.to/JuliaEClements

When she’s not writing, she works as a proofreader for indie authors and a translator (from Italian to English). She loves reading, and will read anything and everything.

For all the latest information, excerpts from her upcoming books, general fun, or for a chat, follow Helen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/helenprykeauthor/

For all her books, social media links, and more, visit her website at https://pinkquillbooks.wordpress.com

Book Review: Right Beside You (Maggie Turner Book 2) @Helen_Pryke #suspense #thriller

BLURB

This dark suspense series is set in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and features British journalist Maggie Turner.

They had their future all mapped out until that fateful night destroyed it. Now those responsible must pay.

When Maggie receives an anonymous letter, she realises she’s being stalked. The only connection is a Hampshire gang she helped put in prison thirteen years earlier. As the stalking intensifies, Maggie suspects everyone around her. Even those she loves.

But as Maggie becomes more and more paranoid, one by one the gang members suffer horrifying attacks. Someone from her past is out for revenge, and it’s clear that Maggie is next . . .

When your life is falling apart, who can you trust?

Right Beside You is the second book in the Maggie Turner series. Don’t miss this gripping sequel to The Lost Girls!

Review

I am part of the ARC reader group. Thank you to the author for a copy. Here is my review, all opinions are my own and unbiased.

A Page turning tense suspense thriller

Right Beside You is the 2nd book in The Maggie Turner series of suspense novels. I re-read The Lost Girls just recently and was keen to continue with this wonderful series. Though Right Beside You can be comfortably read as a standalone.

It’s a gripping read! One which kept me reading and intrigued to find out what happened next. It’s somewhat gruesomely revengeful in bits but this is beautifully counterbalanced by the love that investigated journalist Maggie and policewoman Sally share.

I thought the characterisation was superb as was the storyline and there is an interesting twist in the epilogue to set up for more in this series.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a well plotted suspense novel and those who don’t mind gruesome bits! Not gratuitous violence – all plot and character driven.

Rating:  5 out of 5.

Author Bio:

Helen Pryke is a British author who has been living in the north of Italy for almost 30 years, learning everything about Italians, their culture, and their way of life. She now considers herself more Italian than British, even though she has never lost her British accent. Addicted to coffee and chocolate, she has also developed a passion for good food, having married an Italian who is a wonderful cook!

As well as writing suspense novels, Helen also writes emotional women’s fiction set in Italy that deals with the difficult subject of abuse in a sensitive way.

She also writes middle grade fiction under the pen name, Julia E. Clements. You can find her books here: author.to/JuliaEClements

When she’s not writing, she works as a proofreader for indie authors and a translator (from Italian to English). She loves reading, and will read anything and everything.

For all the latest information, excerpts from her upcoming books, general fun, or for a chat, follow Helen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/helenprykeauthor/

For all her books, social media links, and more, visit her website at https://pinkquillbooks.wordpress.com

Please support my review efforts by following my bookstagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

All my links are available via: https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor

Book Review: The Lost Girls by Helen Pryke @helen_pryke #psychological #thriller #review

BLURB

This dark suspense series is set in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and features British journalist Maggie Turner.

Seventeen years ago he lost his sisters. Now he wants them back.

Four years ago, two teenage girls were abducted. Four years ago, a ten-year-old boy was murdered. Both cases remain unsolved.

Desperate to find their missing sisters, Michael and Chloe ask investigative journalist Maggie Turner to help them. And what starts as a simple investigation soon turns into a frantic race against time.

The kidnapper took the girls to replace his sisters. Who died seventeen years earlier.

Forced to face traumatic events from the past, Maggie finds herself in the middle of a nightmare that can only get worse…

Tense, fast paced, and gritty, The Lost Girls is the first novel in the Maggie Turner series.

My Review:

I originally read this novel in 2021 and it has now been republished. The author kindly gave me an ARC copy of the updated version which I re-read. What a fabulous read!

I am impressed. A confident, engaging psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages wanting to discover what happens next.

The strengths of the story lie in its excellent characters: particularly Maggie the investigative journalist who seeks to discover who abducted the two young girls.

In The Lost Girls a deranged person abducts two young girls. As the story progresses I became more aware that this thriller should be praised for its handling of mental health issues with regard to the abductor, and his two young victims. It’s superb in that respect.

This is the first in this series. The ending was emotionally charged, making me keen to read more. So, I couldn’t wait to start the second book, Right Beside You!

This novel is for you if you enjoy psychological thrillers with a dark, disturbing edge to them. Please be aware that there are distressing themes in this novel: abduction, sexual assault of a minor, and scenes of violence. These are written in such a way as not be too graphic, or prolonged. So, considerable praise to the author for handling these difficult passages in such a sensitive way.

An excellent psychological thriller: highly recommended.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Author Bio:

Helen Pryke is a British author who has been living in the north of Italy for almost 30 years, learning everything about Italians, their culture, and their way of life. She now considers herself more Italian than British, even though she has never lost her British accent. Addicted to coffee and chocolate, she has also developed a passion for good food, having married an Italian who is a wonderful cook!

As well as writing suspense novels, Helen also writes emotional women’s fiction set in Italy that deals with the difficult subject of abuse in a sensitive way.

She also writes middle grade fiction under the pen name, Julia E. Clements. You can find her books here: author.to/JuliaEClements

When she’s not writing, she works as a proofreader for indie authors and a translator (from Italian to English). She loves reading, and will read anything and everything.

For all the latest information, excerpts from her upcoming books, general fun, or for a chat, follow Helen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/helenprykeauthor/

For all her books, social media links, and more, visit her website at https://pinkquillbooks.wordpress.com

Please support my review efforts by following my bookstagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mjmallonauthor/

All my links are available via: https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor