Categories
Book Reviews

Bound by Vanda Symon: Blog Tour Review and Giveaway

About the book

The passionate, young police officer Sam Shephard returns in a taut, atmospheric and compelling police procedural, which sees her take matters into her own hands when the official investigation into the murder of a local businessman fails to add up… The New Zealand city of Dunedin is rocked when a wealthy and apparently respectable businessman is murdered in his luxurious home while his wife is bound and gagged, and forced to watch. But when Detective Sam Shephard and her team start investigating the case, they discover that the victim had links with some dubious characters. The case seems cut and dried, but Sam has other ideas. Weighed down by her dad’s terminal cancer diagnosis, and by complications in her relationship with Paul, she needs a distraction, and launches her own investigation. And when another murder throws the official case into chaos, it’s up to Sam to prove that the killer is someone no one could ever suspect.

My review

Chopped into short, staccato chapters, Bound reels the reader in with an unnerving opening and a tough, spirited heroine. Set in Dunedin, New Zealand, the story’s backdrop is vivid and atmospheric – just like its characters. Sam Shepard is a brilliant protagonist to follow on this twisting, layered case. The tight plot is made even more fun to unwrap by the splashes of her wry, humorous observations. Despite Sam’s sharp instincts, she doesn’t have an easy run. Both her personal and professional life close in on her as she struggles with a complex case, a toxic work environment, and family and relationship troubles. Almost fuelled by the obstructions surrounding her, she retains the grit and resolve to see the case to its – very unexpected – end.

Bound is evocative and unpredictable, heartbreaking and humorous. If you want the chance to pick it up ASAP, enter my giveaway on Instagram @milasbookshelf.

Thanks so much to Orenda Books and Random Things Tours for having me on the blog tour!

About the author

Vanda Symon is a crime writer, TV presenter and radio host from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the chair of the Otago Southland branch of the New Zealand Society of Authors. The Sam Shephard series has climbed to number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and has also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel and for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger. She currently lives in Dunedin, with her husband and two sons.

Purchase links

Hive | Waterstones | Amazon

Follow Vanda Symon

Website: www.vandasymon.com

Twitter: @vandasymon

Instagram: @vandasymon

Follow the tour

Twitter: @RandomTTours

Advertisement
Categories
Book Reviews

Watery Through the Gaps by Emma Blas

About the book

My review

In Emma Blas’ ‘Watery Through the Gaps,’ raw emotions intertwine with the crashes and lulls of the natural world, bringing the human experience back in tune with the earth. Sensual and atmospheric, the poems are vivid, intricate miniatures of emotion and nature melding. They skip across the page with the unpredictability of the ocean but are crafted with intent and skill. I read this collection three times, uncovering fresh depths with each read and enjoying Blas’ honest exploration of our world within and without.

Thank you so much to Emma Blas and Random Things Tours for having me on the blog tour!

My three favourite poems from the collection

Author bio:

‘emma blas lives near gijón in spain. her poetry explores transitions, shifts of phase and form in the natural world. you will find her at the beach, walking through the dramatic landscape of asturias, or with her hands in the soil, trying to learn from the earth. it is these crossing points between the physical, psychological and imagined states of life that are painted in her poetry.’

Purchase links:

Waterstones

Amazon:

Follow Emma Blas

Website: www.emmablaspoetry.com

Instagram: @emmablaspoetry

Follow Random Things Tours:

Twitter: @RandomTTours