Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Author Updates #Reviews – #Poetry M.J. Mallon, #Thriller Alex Craigie, #Thriller Carol Balawyder

Posted on by

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves.

The first book with a review is the recently released collection Lockdown Innit: Poems About Absurdity by M.J. Mallon

About the collection

Lockdown Innit is a poetry collection of eighteen poems about life’s absurdities and frustrations during lockdown. Wherever you live in this world, this is for you. Expect humour, a dollop of banter and ridiculous rants here and there. Amongst other delights, witness the strange antics of a swan posing by a bin and two statuesque horses appearing like arc deco pieces in a field. Check out the violin player on a tightrope, or the cheeky unmentionables wafting in the lockdown breeze!

A recent review for the collection

SVG 4.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful collection of poems  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2021

Author Marjorie Mallon’s keen sense of observation came to play in the way the poems were penned. Different emotions like fear, anger, longing, desire, humor were evoked while reading them.

The words also showed how people behaved during these tough times. It is the truth that some have still not learned after losing so many lives across the world. Many in the book were hard-hitting, some were humorous, and the best ones were, where the spoke of her love for her daughters through her words. Hope sailed through in them.

Then the author sneaked in a wispy one longing to be like the cat, dreaming peacefully of normal times. A perfect way to end the book.  

Head over to buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US

Also by M.J. Mallon

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Website:M.J. Mallon – Goodreads: Goodreads – Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon

The next author is Alex Craigie with a review for Someone Close to Home

About the book

Talented pianist Megan Youngblood has it all – fame, fortune and Gideon.

But Gideon isn’t good enough for Megan’s ambitious, manipulative mother, whose meddling has devastating repercussions for Megan and for those close to her.

Now, trapped inside her own body, she is unable to communicate her needs or fears as she faces institutional neglect in an inadequate care home.

And she faces Annie. Sadistic Annie who has reason to hate her. Damaged Annie who shouldn’t work with vulnerable people.

Just how far will Annie go?

One of the recent reviews for the book

Books R Best 5.0 out of 5 stars JUST WOW!  Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 February 2021

This is a book I will remember for a long time to come. It resonated with me, and while it is heart breaking, it also had some beautiful moments. Not an easy subject but one the author handled so well. I shall be checking out her other books for sure.  

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US

Also by Alex Craigie

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US – Follow Alex: Goodreads – Alex Craigie : Facebook

The final review today is for Carol Balawyder for a book for those who enjoy thrillers, Warning Signs

About the book

Eugene’s research into his criminal mind is not about the why, but how to prevent his horrific crimes. Angie, a young woman starving for passion sees Eugene as her saviour from a lonely life of caring for her heroin addicted mother. How far is she willing to go in order to save her relationship with Eugene and his promise for a future together?

Detective Van Ray is out on a vindictive mission as he attempts to solve the murders of young girls in Youth Protection.

Their lives collide in a mixture of mistrust, obsession and ignoring the warning signs. A psychological thriller about human frailty and loneliness.

One of the recent reviews for the book

D. W. Peach 4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating psychological thriller

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2021

This psychological thriller is told from three points of view: a serial killer, the young woman who loves him, and the detective investigating the serial murders of several teenagers.

Eugene Munroe is a creepy guy, and there were times during the read where the real world disappeared and I was completely absorbed in his strange and fascinating thought processes. Angie is overly needy and desperate for love, and Eugene’s attentions have her ignoring the warning signs that something is wrong. Van Ray is the cop on the case who compromises the law in more ways than one.

The plot starts with a lot of tension that kept me glued to the pages. A significant twist at the halfway point changes the nature of the story, shifting it away from imminent danger into the psychology of the characters. The pace slows slightly as the book works toward a conclusion, but it wraps up the various threads nicely. The writing seemed well researched, particularly related to the serial killer.

I encountered a problem with formatting on my kindle (it may just be my kindle). There were no breaks or indents distinguishing paragraphs. This made the read more difficult for me, but otherwise, I recommend it to fans of thrillers, crime novels, and psychological dramas.  

Read the reviews and buy the book : Amazon US and: Amazon UK

A selection of books by Carol Balawyder

Read reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Read more reviews : Goodreads – Website – Carol Balawyder – LinkedIn: Carol Balawyder

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope you are leaving with some books.. thanks Sally 

 

48 thoughts on “Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Author Updates #Reviews – #Poetry M.J. Mallon, #Thriller Alex Craigie, #Thriller Carol Balawyder”

  3. Pingback: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – March 7th -13th 2021 – Free promotion, Petula Clark, Pigeons, Poetry, Anti-Aging, Frozen Shoulders and humour | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

  4. Another wonderful lineup, Sally! I’m especially glad to see some familiar names here (Alex and Marje) and loved all three reviews! Thanks so much for sharing them! 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

      • We are perched on the brink of summer, Sally. Azaleas are almost done blooming, grass is starting to green up and (sadly for Mark) GROW again, and birds are already courting and building nests in the yard. So spring is well underway, and won’t be here too much longer. Overall, things are improving daily, I think, and hope the same is true for you?

        Liked by 3 people

      • Lol.. our poor birds are currently hiding in the hedges and dashing out in gale force winds (100kph last night). I assume there is nest building and courting going on so trying to provide the energy needed. With garden centres shut until April some of the usual activities have been put on hold but luckily my plants I cut back last year all seem to be showing signs of a comeback.. I hope another few weeks will see a different story..hugs ♥

        Liked by 2 people

      • Forgot that in some parts of the world (and this country, too), garden centers aren’t open all year round. Down here, there are many flowers that prefer our winters to our summers. Shouldn’t be much longer for you, though, and then you’ll start to feel the season changing. Hang in there! 😀

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Some wonderful authors, Sally. I enjoyed Alex’s Someone Close to Home and have her Acts of Convenience is my kindle. 🙂 And Carol’s book was so well done – she has serial killers down. Marje’s lockdown books have gotten some great reviews too. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 4 people

  9. Great reviews, and books! Thank you Sally, let me getting closer to “sadistic Annie” ;-), and “Warning Signs”. The “Lockdown Innit” is a fantastic read. Thank you to M.J., it got published just in time. Michael

    Liked by 4 people

  11. Thanks, Sally. This was a delightful surprise! The Met Office predict heavy rain and strong winds for the whole day but somehow that doesn’t matter anymore! xx

    Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.