THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SONG

This is such a beautiful song by a singer who blows me away. It sums up how I feel right now.  I've been thinking a lot lately about turning corners. Big corners. Sometimes when you turn a corner it's like you see things differently for the first time. I think that just happened.

BOOK REVIEW: NO-ONE LEFT TO TELL

KAREN ROSE
"NO-ONE LEFT TO TELL"
HEADLINE, £16.99

A string of deaths involving women with a shared past sets Inspector Paige Holden on the trail of a killer. But the killer's on Paige's trail too, while an innocent man (Paige's fiance) is serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit.

No One Left To Tell is a large book with a gritty, romantic plot. I love it when a book keeps me awake because I can't stop going over scenarios and outcomes. The killer's dark world is introduced immediately with scenes that made me double lock doors in the middle of the day.

Be prepared for a meaty feast of murder and mind games. Before I even got into the story, I was impressed by Rose's writing style and ability to express atmosphere, dread, fear and emotion from thought to paper in a heart-vibrating-in-chest, fingernails-in-all-sorts-of-places kind of way.

This review is published on Goodreads.com. A shorter version appears in the February 2012 issue of Essentials magazine.

MUSIC REVIEW: DAVE'S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

DAVE O GRADY "DIRTY LITTLE SECRET"
DOWNLOAD FROM ITUNES
WWW.DAVEOGRADY.COM

Dave O Grady is a unique type of weapon reminiscent of a gilded hula hoop. An ultra-hip dude from Dublin with a velvet voice that swings effortlessly with beguiling charm.

With influences of Christy Moore, Dave has brought his unique melting pot of talent across the water to Liverpool, spawning an instantly-recognizable vocal brand that is rich, smooth and distinctive.

In short, 5 fantastic originals combining melodious stories with purring slow bluesy folk, a bit of boogie and an unexpected foot tapping treat that I'll leave you to discover for yourself.

I'm shocked by the powerful, mature voice of this dude. Unbelievably only 23 years old. Prepare to watch his musical career escalate rapidly. Dirty Little Secret should be a best seller.

www.daveogrady.com

BOOK REVIEW: LASTING DAMAGE (SOPHIE HANNAH)

Good thrillers mess with your head and Sophie Hannah's Lasting Damage is one of them; an edge-of-your-seat psychological twister about a vanishing corpse that'll keep you enthralled until the end.

When Connie Bowskill logs on to a property website, she's shocked to see a woman's dead body in the living room. But when she wakes husband Kit and shows him the video, the body and blood have disappeared and the carpet is pristine.

The twists just keep on coming! You will be kept on your toes from start to finish.

This review was published in the September 2011 issue of Essentials magazine and on Goodreads.com.


SOPHIE HANNAH
"LASTING DAMAGE"
HODDER, £12.99

BOOK REVIEW: THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON

When I was at University and struggling with finance, George S Clason's The Richest Man in Babylon changed my attitude to money. It had such an effect on me that I cleared my debt - and the stress that came with it - in six months.

The book is written as a series of financial parables; stories set in ancient Babylon relating to a Babylonian guy who uses basic financial sense to build up a huge amount of wealth.

Written in ancient English that is not difficult to understand, each story teaches you how to get ahead financially, not just in Babylonian times, but at anytime in the history of mankind. The rules to wealth have never changed and never will, you just need to know what they are and then apply them to your daily life.

This review was published in Top Sante magazine and on Goodreads.com.