Pigeon Fancying in Leicestershire

Pigeon Fancying in Leicestershire is a debut novel from John Littlefair.

Lanfranco DeLuca is an avid pigeon racer. But unfortunately his top stud bird, recently bought for an exorbitant fee, just isn't able to perform is duties as a stud.

So, what's to do for DeLuca? He believes that desperate measures are required to regain his standing in the pigeon world and to regain some of his money.

But he wouldn't stoop to some pigeon kidnapping. Would he?

The matter becomes more complicated when Jon Landseer, fed up of life in London, can't really decide what he wants out of two options. A career in Briton as a struggling journalist supported by his perhaps overly ambitious partner, Louse. Or a life of rural bliss on his aunt's somewhat tumbedown smallholding in Leicestershire.

To add to the mess of complications Joe falls for a scientist called Alice who is working in the city of Leicester on research into the condition Pigeon Fancier's Lung. Unfortunately Alice is embroiled in DeLuca's pigeon scam.

They try to resolve their own issues with their suddenly more complicated lives and also to solve the mystery of the male pigeon who couldn't perform.

Will they find a cure for Pigeon Fancier's Lung? Will the stud bird perform again? Will anyone find true love? Will Deluca get his just deserts?

It's published by The Book Guild at £9.99.

Hedgehog Magic

Hedgehog Magic is a new and exciting adventure for Alistair and his hedgehog friends from Dave Hills.

It's Autumn time and Alistair has had a surprise. The badge that the Hedgehog Queen presented to him is no ordinary badge. It's magic! He gives the badge a bit of a gentle rub and there's instantly a massive burst of sparkle dust and Hamish the hedgehog reappears.

Not long after a tiny hedgehog comes into Alistair's garden. He is seeking out the Hedgehog Queen because he needs assistance in his search for his two sisters who are lost.

He meets with a strange creature who seems to be unfriendly. Hector calls out for help and eventually the weird creature finds the little hedgehog and becomes his friend. It turns out that he is a small rat who wears a white waistcoat and a pair of glasses that are not level. His name is Mr Tilly.

Hector is in the garden and making a call to the Hedgehog Queen for her help.

Because Alistair can hear his calls he quickly finds him to see what he can do for him.

When he learns of his plight he uses the magic badge to call Hamish to see if they can help Hector in his mission to find his lost sisters.

Alistair, together with Hamish and Hector, then proceed on an exciting journey through the shiny, spooky forest where they discover that the two sister's are trapped inside a tree guarded by bats!

Can they rescue the sisters? Will Mr Tilly be able to help and might the badge be called in for some magical assistance?

It's the second in the series and it is published by The Book Guild at £6.99.

Moorland Blue

Paul and Solley are London-based property developers and in Moorland Blue, a novel by Charlie Gibb's, receive some details about the go-ahead for an extension to the HS2 railway line to Leeds.

They discover that there is a nearby property for sale which would be perfect for converting into luxury apartments.

They head to Yorkshire in an attempt to buy the property, but they are unaware that things are not quite what they seem.

When they arrive in Yorkshire they suddenly become entangled in a situation where bribery, double crossing and blackmail are the order of the day, with several other groups desperate to buy the property.

Why? What is so special about the property? And exactly how far will some of the groups go in order to make certain that they will become the owners of the property?

And how will the outsiders, Paul and Solley, fair against their northern rivals? Will they ultimately triumph? And if so, how?

This is a very well-crafted first novel. Hopefully it'll be the first of many from Chsrlie Gibb.

It's published by The Book Guild at £9.99

Maisie Daisy Strawberry Fayre

Maisie Daisy Strawberry Fayre is written by Elizabeth Willdon Bas and illustrated by Sarah-Leigh Wills.

Maisie Daisy is a lovely, sweet natured little girl who is loved by everyone she meets, wherever she goes.

This is the story of what happens when Maisie Daisy and her friends smell the delicious strawberries and decide to go strawberry picking.

And they end up visiting the Strawberry Faye.

It's a great book for sharing between children and adults.

It's published by Matador at £7.99.

Poppy Haviland & the Secret of the Lively Widow

Poppy Haviland & the Secret of the Lively Widow Father and daughter team Michael and Annabel Lively Barra have written the first in an exciting series of adventures.

Poppy Petunia Haviland is 12 years old and she is an aspiring actress. She loves to have adventures with her friends.

Poppy is also the daughter of one of the world's most famous movie stars. Which can be a bit daunting, at times.

Her family goes to live in a small town in an unexpected move and the sudden appearance of her mother Holly Haviland has an amazing impact on the town.

In the meantime Poppy discovers an old map within the ancient house they are renting which seems to point to the location of some buried treasure.

Poppy recruits her best friend and a rather odd neighbour to help her work out the clues in the map.

She discovers that their town was a key stopping point for the Underground Railroad, the secret method by which freed slaves were smuggled to freedom in non-slave states in the USA.

Furthermore she finds hints that her ancestors might have been involved in operating the Underground Railroad.

Can they discover the treasure indicated in the map? But who is the odd elderly fedora hatted man  who is dogging their steps? Will he or they find the treasure first?

And who was really menacing the friends?

Interestingly, the writing team is made up of Michael Barra and his daughter Annabel Lively Barra who is aged 9. They live just outside New York city with actress mum Katie and Amelia who is 6.

This is a great book, a really good thriller for children.

It's published by Matador at £8.99 and really does belong on the "must buy" list of children's books for 2019.

Parents and children will all love this book.

The Baby Box

The Baby Box is a book by Jane Hayward that is a frank and very open memoir about her tim3e in a mother and baby home.

It's 50 years after these incidents.

Her mother wanted to have an obedient, compliant daughter who would somehow magically skip right over the teenage years and jump from being an innocent child to a virgin bride. She points out that she realised that she and her mother were at war.

Jane moved to London and found herself living the dream of that time. New, interesting friends and exciting encounters.

She defied the rules set out for her by her mother but unfortunately she found herself pregnant and facing the anger of her mother who felt shamed and disgraced by what Jane had done.

And as a result Jane found herself in a mother and baby home, banished there by her "shamed" mother.

Adoption was the usual outcome of such a familial banishment, but Jane was made of sterner stuff and even the violence of her mother makes her more determined to do what is right for her and her baby and the father, Nick.

However, not all stories have happy endings.

This is a remarkably honest and courageous book

It's published by Matador at £9.99.

Region 6

Region 6 is a terrifying novel from Ian Krender  about an alternative dystopian thriller that examines what life would have been like in Britain if the Nazis had won World War 2.

It's set between the years 1983 to 1994. Britain is no longer Britain, it was renamed Region 6 by the Nazi rulers. The populace is divided into two groups, those who are fortunate, those who are not.

The story involves two repressed gay men, Thomas, who is of lower class due to his Jewish heritage and Stephen who is a reasonably wealthy man who has just joined the Gestapo.

His first mission for the Gestapo is to seduce Thomas, as the Gestapo believe he is a part of the resistance.

What will happen? Will Stephen stay loyal to the Nazi regimen and murder Thomas as ordered? Or will he take another path?

Will he side with the government or work to destroy and overthrow it?

It's a well written novel that is chilling because it's very plausible.

It's published by Matador at £9.99