#AndThatsAWrap – Amalie by EJ Wood @e_j_wood @QuestionPress #BlogTour

Well my very first, of hopefully a long line of, tour(s) has finished!! What a tour!

If you have been following the tour, is the live link for the entire schedule, an interview with Emma and Donna and more about Amalie! Click here

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So what have we discovered over the last 7 days? (Click on the blogger’s name to go to the full review/extract/Q&A)

The tour kicked off on 14th April 2021, day before publication day and we were treated to

a fabulous review at Gemma at Between the Pages Book Club, who said “From the opening of this book I was hooked, intrigued and drawn in…..I was team Amalie the whole time….A brilliant read. Addictive….” Check out her site for the full review…

*Always a good sign if you are hooked!!*

Then, Ronnie Turner shared an exclusive, here is a snippet here, check the full extract at her site, “– what he was really interested in was poison and he’d experiment with his family by putting Strychnine in the Sunday roast to observe what would happen. He kept a log of the gradually increasing dosages. He eventually killed his stepmother, and the strychnine permanently damaged the internal organs of his father and sister.“

*Shocking behaviour!*

And the final review of the day hit with this fantastic one from Donna at Donna’s Interviews Reviews and Giveaways, she said, “Reading this is addictive, you need to know what happens. There was one bit that made me grateful I wasn’t eating at the time!… It’s very cleverly written and I really enjoyed it.”

*Note to self, don’t read whilst eating! Thanks for the tip!*

And that was the end of Day 1!

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It is 15th April, which can mean only one BIG thing (and 3 other things) but it is PUBLICATION DAY!!!! How did we celebrate that?

We Stayed in with Linda at  Linda’s Book Bag and we learn more about Emma’s dog Harley.

*Spoiler he is cute*

We jumped over to Susan from From Dusk till Dawn, who had a fabulous review for us, here is a snippet,”It is not a story for the faint-hearted as war criminals pay the price of their crimes in some very imaginative ways. The executioner is skilful and enjoys the work a little too much. It is a great cat and mouse game between them both, with banter galore.“

*Who doesn’t love a bit of banter and cat and mouse games!*

And we then we had a rest! Phew!

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Kicking the weekend off on the 16th April, we saw visitied these awesome people

We kicked off the morning with an AMAZING review by Lynda at Lynda’s Book Reviews and Recommendations (IG), here is a snippet of what she thought, “Did I mention that I loved this book. I have never read this author before but I’m certainly hoping this isn’t the last I see of Amalie and John Owen. Their relationship seemed to me full of a tension that had yet to be released. This was definitely a 5* read for me. Recommended. A must read.“

*On it now!*

We had another exclusive extract from Shell at Baker’s Not So Secret Blog, here is a snippet “He was especially sure after hearing Hill say, “I was always careful to draw my knife down on the face, never across or upwards. Always down. So if the knife slips you don’t cut an artery. After all, chivving is chivving, but cutting an artery is usually murder. Only mugs do murder”.

*This sounds muderous!!*

We finished the day with Donna’s at Donna’s Book Blog with another AMAZING review! Here is a snippet of what she thought, “I loved the way that the story was told too – it had a great mix of history and social commentary and I am a massive fan of books that start in this period too and this was stand out for me – it was an additive thriller and I loved the way the plot progressed too. It is 5 stars from me, absolutely loved it – very highly recommended!!”

*That is another 5* read! This book is on fire!*

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Saturday 17th, over a glass of wine we followed

We started our early morning with this wonderful review by Mandie at Jen Med’s Book Reviews, she said “For me Amalie was both a survivor and a victim. She was a survivor of the horrors of the war but later became a victim of people around her and of her own sense of vengeance. This is at times both a brutal and honest book, whilst it is not fast paced it is a book that will keep your attention right to the end.”

*Now who does not love a book that keeps your attention until the end!”

Steph at Steph’s Book Blog had an exclusive extract to share with us, here is a snippet, “The Krays sought publicity and in doing so allowed a journalist, John Pearson, into their lives. They loved having their photograph taken whilst rubbing shoulders with celebrities, and Ronnie even claimed whilst in court for his murder trial that he’d “be having tea with Judy Garland” if he hadn’t been at court.”

*Wow even the Krays have made an appearance!*

We ended the day on a high with a review by Pauline Render-Bryon (FB), here is a snippet, “It times brutal but never gratuitous, I found myself rooting for Amalie because the way the book is written it’s as if you grew up with her and understand her needs.Amalie is more than just a crime book though, it is also a fascinating look at history, bringing to the fore the true horrors of the concentration camps as well as other snapshots of history throughout the decades.”

*Who doesn’t love a bit of history when reading!*

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Sunday, curled up with a cuppa we caught up with

a bonus post from Kate at Portable Magic, as she shared her Q&A, where we learn whom Emma would least like to end up in a lift!

Then Kate shared her fabulous review on Portable Magic, here is a snippet from her review, “The title character, Amalie, is brilliant. I loved her courage and her sense of humour and I felt able to connect with her, despite her having done things that I absolutely do not condone! Her character has many layers and it was interesting to read as Wood peeled them back for us.“

*We were treated a lot by Kate and it’s always great to be able to connect with the characters”

Lorna at On the Shelf Reviews shared an exclusive extract, “Amalie smiled as she recalled the memory when she read about his mission, she felt it far more interesting than the capture of Rudolf Höss; the exact details are unknown but he was either beaten by Jewish soldiers or forced to walk naked along a snowy road.“

*Well that is an interesting capture*

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The Monday 19th April blues were chased away with

I shared an exclusive extract on Zooloo’s Book Diary, here is a snippet, “The scratch marks on the walls were like those of a rabid animal that tried to claw its way out, the windows were broken, and old broken dolls lay on the floor with heads torn away from their bodies. The walls had lost their colour, every step creaked through the shadow-filled hallways, and the children whispered cruel words.“

*Creepy much!!*

Emma was put under a bit of pressure with some questions by Jules at  One More Word, today we learned what music Emma likes to write to.

*I might have to check out this singer!*

Karen at My Reading Corner had another extract for you, here is a snippet, “Amalie laughed at his jokes and his hunt for something worth capturing on his 35mm, “I knew when I took a good one,” he would say, “for my body tingled and goose bumps popped up”. Amalie could relate to that.“

*Not all doom and gloom today!!*

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Day 7 of the tour, Tuesday 20th, the penultimate day and we celebrated with

Kaisha at The Writing Garnet, had this exclusive extract for us, “One of his victims was gambling club owner John Aspinall, of whom he recalled, “robbing that bastard Aspinall was one of my favourites”. He’d joke at the bar “I hear poor Sophia has been robbed” whilst pulling out a wad of cash.“

*Oooh naughty naughty*

THIS review by Honest Mam Reader, this is some of what she thought, “Even though she goes round killing people and shows no mercy in doing so. As a reader we should be feeling hatred toward her. But, the opposite happens. Well it did for me. I could totally understand why Amalie was out to seek revenge and I kind of rooted for her.“

*This seems to be the way a lot of people are thinking!*

We stopped by at Rae Reads, for an exclusive extract from the book, “No one wanted any involvement that would lead to the Krays being put away. The old man claimed, “I hate the sight of blood, particularly my own”. And the waitress said she hadn’t seen who did it. A year later when Reggie had murdered McVitie, a member of the gang claimed that, “when Reggie was stabbing Jack, his liver popped out and they had to flush it down the toilet”. How much of that is true, no one knows. 

*Oooh the Krays are back again!!!!*

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And then finally on 19th April, we said Goodbye to the tour but not the book by

Sharon at Sharon Beyond the Books treated us to this, “A story that has been meticulously researched and woven together to bring a book that I was enthralled with. A heartbreaking tale that on one hand brings a tear to your eye and on the other a gasp of disbelief! I for one was (in my head anyway) holding people down for Amalie, they deserved everything they got….my opinion for what it’s worth!!“

*I got a bit choked up reading that review! *

And we ended the day with this review by Lynsey at Books by Bindu, “Did anyone else get Killing Eve vibes with this one at all? Or is that just me?! This book is a great example of how society and events shape a person. I couldn’t feel anger towards Amalie but I also couldn’t condone her actions.“

*Another person to compare the book to Killing Eve!*

And the final review is by Simon at Black Book Blog, he says, “This is the first book of EJ Woods I have read and it was a really engrossing book which kept me hooked throughout…Overall the book is a brilliant story and kept me hooked throughout.”

*And that is another happy blogger!*

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And that, as they say, is a wrap!

Thank you to everyone who posted and shared the posts in the last 8 days!

The book is out now to buy! I hope we have done enough to make you want to go out and treat yourself!

Here is a link to the book too

THEY MURDERED FAMILIES. THE FUHRER CANNOT PROTECT THEM NOW.

It’s not wise to murder the family of a budding assassin. Created by Auschwitz, her skill is honed by revenge.

A very different type of serial killer is loose in 1950s Europe. In Britain, a Brotherhood of powerful men takes notice and enhances the expertise and artistry of a killer.

DCI John Owen was born to serve. Recruited by MI6, he tracks an accomplished executioner whose love of luxury and the arts is second only to the love of watching an early death come to those who truly deserve it.

Join the chase. Then ask yourself…
Can there ever be only one winner?

Until next time xxx