Amazing bloggers make all the difference

TWO FABULOUS BLOGGERS closed down the Deadly Friendship blog tour yesterday (Sunday 30 July) exactly one week after the third book in my DI Hamilton series was published by Bloodhound Books.

But, it wasn't just two outstanding bloggers I had on the tour - no, I was very lucky to have seventeen in total. Today, I felt like I needed to take a step back from working, reading and entertaining my little boy to say a massive thank you to each and every one of them.

It's sad times when you read various social media threads or other blog posts downplaying and being downright rude about the work bloggers do for us authors. For the sheer love of books, they spend their free time reading our work - many times in advance and up against a tight schedule - and then, if they've enjoyed it, they'll spread the word to other bloggers and readers; far and wide beyond your expectations. They schedule blog posts, tweet and retweet, post and share on Facebook and some even take to Instagram to shout about a book they've read.

In the past, I've also discovered that even if a blogger didn't particular like my book, or parts of it, they are constructive and compassionate with their feedback. They appreciate the time and sweat (and sometimes tears) that can go into writing a book and I've never come across a blogger who wasn't honest - even if it wasn't exactly what you wanted to hear.

But, I'm here to celebrate and thank some very special people who, over the last week, have shared and shouted about Deadly Friendship, left reviews and encouraged readers to buy my book, and series. So, a huge thanks to Little Miss No Sleep, The Crime Warp, Best Crime Books and More, Jessicamap Reviews, eBook Nerd Reviews, By The Letter Book Reviews, Sean's Book Reviews, My Chestnut Reading Tree, Between the Pages Book Club, Booksormer, The Haphazardous Hippo, Bibliophile Book Club, Novelgossip, Crime Book Junkie (who offered up a double whammy of a review), Damppebbles and Bits About Books. I must also send an extra thanks to Chelle's Book Reviews who couldn't be on the blog tour, but kicked everything off with a fab cover reveal for Deadly Friendship. You guys rock.

And lastly, there's no way I could hit publish on this post without thanking a very special member of the Bloodhound Books team, Publicist Sarah Hardy, who makes all this happen. From sending the ARCs, to sharing posts and creating stunning posters and imagery. Thank you for making the blog tour for Deadly Friendship happen and run so smoothly.

Latest DI Hamilton book to be published this week

I must apologise for the radio silence of late on this blog - it's been quite a hectic few months. My son is preparing to leave part-time nursery and enter the world of full time education in September, we had a very spontaneous week away in the sun and my third book has been signed off and ready for publication. I'm very excited.

Deadly Friendship is the third book in the DI Hamilton series but, as with the other two, can easily be read as a standalone. I'm delighted to tell you it will be published this Sunday ... yes, THIS Sunday, by Bloodhound Books.

Already listed on Goodreads, and a pre-order on Amazon coming in the next few days, here's a little taster of what the book's about:

Who can you really trust?

Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is dragged into a gruesome murder investigation, while on annual leave at Lake Windermere. A handwritten note, with a woman's name, is found inside the corpse. 

When a direct link to London is identified, Hamilton must race against the clock to make the connection before the body count rises.

Meanwhile, four friends with strained relationships, are reunited. What past event do they want to keep buried and is there something linking them to the murders?

Then, when a person from Hamilton's past returns, he must ask himself: how well do we really know our friends? 

London's murder investigations team returns in this third novel from the bestselling author of In The Shadows and No Safe Home.

Advanced readers have said they've been "gobsmacked," "guessing right up until the end," and "literally had no idea what was going to happen."