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Sewing Machine Blog Tour Poster

It’s a great pleasure to be hosting today’s stop on the blog tour for The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie, which is published in paperback tomorrow (7^th February) having sold over sold over 100k ebook copies to date. Thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part and to Unbound for my review copy.

Described by Herald Scotland as ‘A tapestry of strong characters and accomplished writing’, you can read my thoughts on The Sewing Machine below. Do check out the tour banner to follow the other fabulous book bloggers taking part in the tour.

About the Book

It is 1911, and Jean is about to join the mass strike at the Singer factory. For her, nothing will be the same again.

Decades later, in Edinburgh, Connie sews coded moments of her life into a notebook, as her mother did before her.

More than 100 years after his grandmother’s sewing machine was made, Fred discovers a treasure trove of documents. His family history is laid out before him in a patchwork of unfamiliar handwriting and colourful seams.

He starts to unpick the secrets of four generations, one stitch at a time.

Format: Paperback (342 pp.) Publisher: Unbound
Published: 7^th February 2019 Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find The Sewing Machine on Goodreads

My Review

Focusing on the lives of three characters – Jean, Connie and Fred – along with the people close to them, The Sewing Machine transports the reader from 1911 to the modern day. In telling the stories of the various characters, the author provides a wealth of domestic detail relevant to the specific period giving a real feeling of authenticity. On the other hand, at times the narrative skips over significant periods of and momentous events in their lives, with the gaps only filled towards the end of the book. I had a few “When did that happen?” moments. There were some events, such as the strike at the Singer factory, that I would actually have liked to learn more about.

There were details in the book that I absolutely loved such as the entries in the notebook recording garments made on the sewing machine that often told their own sad story. The introduction of a new character later in the book cleverly brings the various stories together. I also liked how the sewing machine is shown to represent different things to different people: a solace, a distraction, a source of employment, a symbol of frugality, a key to friendship and a source of artistic inspiration.

The author possesses an obvious gift for creating realistic characters. I loved Jean and Connie but I have to say I struggled a bit more with Fred initially. I was even tempted to sympathise with his girlfriend, Samantha, at one point but that quickly passed! And the author did eventually her work her magic on me. As the book went on and Fred is gradually drawn out of himself, particularly with the help of the family next door, I began to warm to him. In a way, he is the character who grows the most during this charming, heartwarming book.

I received a review copy courtesy of publishers, Unbound, and Random Things Tours.

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In three words: Gentle, emotional, intimate

Try something similar…Entanglement by Katy Mahood (read my review here)

About the Author

Natalie Fergie is a textile enthusiast, and has spent the last ten years running a one-woman dyeing business, sending parcels of unique yarn and thread all over the world. Before this she had a career in nursing. She lives near Edinburgh.

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About the Book

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her sexually abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters – some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.

Format: ebook (426 pp.) Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 19^th February 2019 Genre: Crime, Thriller

Pre-order/Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk ǀ Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find A Killer’s Alibi on Goodreads

My Review

The book opens with a prologue in which the reader witnesses a dramatic and shocking event, the consequences of which will only become apparent later in the book.

I liked the way the book alternates between the two story lines – Mick McFarland’s defence of mob boss, Jimmy Nunzio and the attempts of Mick’s wife, Piper, to prove the innocence of convicted killer, Darlene Dowd. Needless to say, the progress of neither investigation runs smoothly and both Mick and Piper are forced to confront the consequences of what they have taken on and face difficult moral dilemmas. And, of course, things are not always exactly what they seem…

As events unfold, readers (as I did) will no doubt find themselves making connections and finding common themes between the two storylines. That is especially true in the final few paragraphs. The plot positively zips along, with plenty of twists and turns. This reader certainly found herself reading long after she’d intended to put the book down for the night.

The author chooses to give the reader an insight into the inner thoughts of the manipulative and ruthless Jimmy Nunzio and I have to say it is a chilling experience but at the same time totally compelling. Unfortunately, nasty people tend to have other nasty people around them and that’s certainly the case here. Plus it’s always worth remembering Rudyard Kipling’s words ‘For the female of the species is more deadly than the male’.

Given the author’s profession, it’s no surprise that the book is full of precise and convincing details about police, investigatory, legal and prison procedures (although a little less detail about Philadelphia’s road system would have been okay with me). The final scenes in the courtroom as Jimmy Nunzio stands trial are convincingly realistic and I was fascinated by the sections covering the process of jury selection. Who knew there were such things as jury consultants or shadow juries?

Although there are references to events in the two earlier books, A Killer’s Alibi works perfectly well as a standalone. In fact, the author cleverly gives just enough information about the events in A Criminal Defense and An Engineered Injustice to tease but not to spoil. It’s clear many of the characters are still working through in their own minds the consequences of the actions and decisions they took or were forced to take. Secrets don’t tend to stay buried forever, after all.

I really enjoyed A Killer’s Alibi. It’s a fast-moving, intricately plotted and compelling crime thriller. My thanks to the author for my advance review copy.

You can read my interview with William L. Myers, Jr. about An Engineered Injustice, the second book in the series, here. Don’t worry, no spoilers, as I’m looking forward to reading it myself now that I’ve read A Killer’s Alibi.

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In three words: Gripping, assured, twisty

Try something similar…Lying in Vengeance by Gary Corbin (read my review here)

About the Author

William L. Myers, Jr. is the author of the bestselling ‘Philadelphia Legal’ series, which includes the #1 Kindle bestseller A Criminal Defense, An Engineered Injustice and now, A Killer’s Alibi. A Philadelphia lawyer with thirty years of trial experience in state and federal courts up and down the East Coast, Myers has argued before the United States Supreme Court and still actively practices law.

Myers was born into a proud working-class family, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and now lives with his wife, Lisa, in the western suburbs of Pennsylvania.

Connect with William

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