Today I’m taking part in the blog tour for The Lynmouth Stories. My review is written with thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on the tour and for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

Beautiful places hide dark secrets … 

Devon’s very own crime writer L.V Hay (The Other Twin, Do No Harm) brings forth three new short stories from her dark mind and poison pen:

– For kidnapped Meg and her young son Danny, In Plain Sight, the remote headland above Lynmouth is not a haven, but hell.

– A summer of fun for Catherine in Killing Me Softly becomes a winter of discontent … and death.

– In Hell And High Water, a last minute holiday for Naomi and baby Tommy  becomes a survival situation … But that’s before the village floods.

All taking place out of season when the majority of tourists have gone home, L.V Hay uses her local knowledge to bring forth dark and claustrophic noir she has come to be known for.

Did You Know …?

Known as England’s ‘Little Switzerland’, the Devon village of Lynmouth is famous for its Victorian cliff railway, fish n’ chips and of course, RD Blackmore’s Lorna Doone.

Located on the doorstep of the dramatic Valley of The Rocks and the South West Cliff Path, the twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth have inspired many writers, including 19th Century romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who honeymooned there in 1812.

PRAISE FOR LV HAY:

‘Well-written, engrossing & brilliantly unique’– Heat World

‘Prepare to be surprised by this psychological mystery’– Closer

‘Sharp, confident writing, as dark and twisty as the Brighton Lanes’– Peter James

‘Prepare to be seriously disturbed’ – Paul Finch

‘Crackles with tension’ – Karen Dionne

‘An original, fresh new voice in crime fiction’  – Cal Moriarty

‘The writing shines from every page of this twisted tale’– Ruth Dugdall

‘I couldn’t put it down’ –  Paula Daly

‘An unsettling whirlwind of a novel with a startlingly dark core’ – The Sun

‘An author with a fresh, intriguing voice and a rare mastery of the art of storytelling’ – Joel Hames

Review:

Each of the stories in this collection begins with a sense of foreboding which makes them incredibly atmospheric. I was drawn into them from the outset and intrigued as to where the author would take me. The stories are dark and the tension is palpable.

As the title, The Lynmouth Stories, suggests, the collection is set in the village of Lynmouth. The landscape creates a brilliant backdrop for the stories which adds to their mysterious feel. I also found the historical facts about the village that are dotted around the stories fascinating.

Each of the stories ends on a cliffhanger which gives the reader lots to think about even after the story has finished.

The Lynmouth Stories is available from Amazon.