An excellent selection  of new crime novels this week  from Joffe Books, ranging from a brand-new serial killer thriller to a somewhat addictive character-driven police procedural, so let’s take a look at :

The Skin Code by Stephen Willams.

Joffe’s book of the week is one of the most chilling new crime thrillers you’ll read this year from internationally bestselling author Stephen Williams — THE SKIN CODE is out now for just 99p | 99c.

Seasoned detective Mary Hume finds herself on the trail of a vicious serial killer who leaves a baffling code carved into the skin of his victims.  CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE?

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE SKIN CODE BY STEPHEN WILLIAMS FOR 99P | 99C.

I have a feeling you are going to be spoiled for choice. Take a look:

Killer on the Moors by Priscilla Masters   99p/99c

Missing nurse Marilyn Smith is dead. Spread-eagled on the bed, all dressed up for a date she didn’t keep. DI Joanna Piercy is convinced that Marilyn was murdered even though the post-mortem is inconclusive.  Joanna’s boss is breathing down her neck to close the case. She must catch a killer to keep her job.

Murder in Rome by Roy Lewis  £1.99/$3.99

Arnold Landon heads to Rome, ready to begin retraining for his own job. His first port of call? An ancient tomb.  Arnold treads the twisty path down to the burial chamber, expecting to find nothing but old bones. Instead, he stumbles on fresh blood and a much more recently dead body.

Can Arnold unravel the mystery before the ruthless killer strikes again?

Little Sister is the latest page-turning psychological thriller from bestselling master of suspense, Patricia MacDonald — available for pre-order now for £2.99 | $4.99.

Joffe Books Editorial Director Emma Grundy Haigh had this to say:

“LITTLE SISTER brims with all that makes Patricia MacDonald such a master of her craft: endearingly relatable characters, a brilliantly twisty plot and a taut undercurrent of tension that builds to a crescendo!”

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER LITTLE SISTER BY PATRICIA MACDONALD FOR £2.99 | $4.99. 

But that’s not all.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER DEVIL’S CHIMNEY BY ADAM LYNDON FOR 99P | 99C.

Devil’s Chimney is an utterly authentic new police procedural from debut author and serving police officer Adam Lyndon — available for pre-order now for just 99p | 99c.

Joffe Books Publishing Director Kate Lyall Grant told us::

“This intricately plotted crime thriller introduces an intriguing new detectiveprotagonist in DC Rutherford Barnes.  Good-looking and intensely ambitious, Barnes’ all-consuming desire for promotion leads him to make a decidedly dodgy decision — and plunges him into a nightmare which threatens his career, his marriage — and ultimately his life.

A serving police officer, Adam Lyndon’s 20-year career in CID and special investigations ensures this outstanding police procedural offers  a unique insight into the inner workings of a high-profile murder investigation.”

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER DEVIL’S CHIMNEY BY ADAM LYNDON FOR 99P | 99C.

For more information Joffe Books

This weekend we joined thousands others to line the Mall for Trooping the Colour. I have never done anything like this before & will probably never do so again.

I couldn’t help but reflect – there were after all hours of hanging around until the troops & cavalry arrived – on the similarities between our own Queen Elizabeth & the previous longest reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej the esteemed and beloved King of Thailand.

Whilst we were living in Thailind the King passed away. He was beloved by his people, the nation was devastated.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej came to the throne  when he was 18 years old and like our own Queen, was much revered by his people as he was their champion. He once said, ‘My place in this world is being among my people, the Thai people.’

He spearheaded projects to support the poor and bring the nation into the 21st century, audubg Thailand in becoming one of the more successful Asian nations whilst still maintaining it’s cultural heritage and spirit and navigating political and social crises with grace and diplomacy.

Queen Elizabeth pledged,’ I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.‘ And she has worked tirelessly since then for her people & served us for 70 years. She has been a known & stable for us all throughout our lives.

What I also find interesting about the 2 longest regaining monarchs is that neither was born into their roles but nevertheless destined to be so.

It was our Queen’s destiny after her uncle abdicated for his love of Mrs Simpson, so it was for King Bhumibol as he only became King after his brother died.

I am grateful we went to London to play a very small part in Her Majesty’s celebrations. It was an amazing experience. I hope it will be an experience my kids will never forget.

My son certainly went from a petulant teenager hiding in his coat as he processed the 4am start to flag-waving & smiling. My daughter loved all the pomp & pageantry. We chatted to the crowds, played Uno, cheered & waved & so worth the early start!

Thank you, Your Majesty for your 70 year’s of dedication & service.

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for the decade, not just in the UK but also in Thailand & Germany. Her mission is to help everyone discover their bliss within & to encourage them to embrace a practice of self-care.

If you would like more information on how to practice self-care message Alex at alex@alexbannard.com.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulnessyoga4selfcare

Alternatively please check out her website: www.alexbannard.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbannard/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

We all have goals in life whether these are lifestyle goals, health goals, or financial goals. Another type of goal that many people set themselves is career goals, and it can be a challenge trying to achieve these in what has become a very competitive world. No matter what type of industry you are interested in, you will face stiff competition. This means that you need to be proactive, plan ahead, and take steps to boost your chances of success.

There are various steps that you can take if you want to achieve your career goals with greater ease, and these are simple yet very effective methods that can make a huge positive difference to your success levels. By taking the time to create a career plan, you will be able to work toward your goals one step at a time, and this makes the process far less stressful. In this article, we will look at some of the steps you should take to work toward achieving your career goals.

Some of the Key Steps to Take

Of course, the first thing you need to do is to work out what your career goals are, what type of job you want to do, and what industry you are interested in. Once you have decided this, you can follow these steps:

Research What Is Needed and Gain New Skills/Qualifications

The first thing you need to do is to look at the skills and qualifications that are needed in order to get into your chosen job or career. If you do not currently possess these skills, you should research training and educational institutions where you can gain the skills and earn the qualifications that are required. You may even be able to do this online depending on the type of studies or training you need to undertake.

Get a Solid Resume Created

Once you have completed your training or studies, you need to ensure you have a solid resume so that you can impress decision-makers when you apply for suitable jobs. You can use a resume template online in order to help you create a resume that looks great and will make a huge positive impression on potential employers. When you send out an impressive resume, it can make all the difference in terms of getting a face-to-face interview, which then means a better chance of getting the job.

Make Use of Online Job Sites

One of the other things that you should do is to make use of online job sites, as this enables you to identify suitable job opportunities with greater ease and convenience. When you register your details on these sites, you can get the details of relevant and suitable jobs sent directly to your inbox, so you will not miss out and you can save yourself time, hassle, and inconvenience.

These are some of the key steps that you should take if you want to work toward achieving your career goals.

Collaborative post with our brand partner.

It was a nice day, so togo for a walk seemed like a good idea, particularly as I was stuck on a difficult chapter. I must write a difficult chapter many times if a walk brings us as  great a treat as The Kings Arms.

Yes, they could squeeze us in, walking boots and all. so there we sat at a table for two, while conversation buzzed all around. We barely looked at the menu for it would be the usual fabulouspub fare:  North Yorkshire pies too large for us but how could we not finish them, and chips too delicious to be left. But no or rather yes, because there was everything from sandwiches to pub food … Oh, crikey, there was also food more commonly guzzled in rather special restaurants.

It seems that  Alex Boynton and his father Raymond plus some of the family  re-opened The King’s Arms in 2006 as a new venture,  Both Alex and Raymond have extensive experience of hotels and restaurants, and importantly, in creating fantastic food.

Raymond after all, was in the hotel and restaurant business for more than 50 years, including owning, with his brother,  a successful country inn and restaurant. This is where Alex pitched into the hospitality business, and over the years developed his individual cuisine and hospitality which is now, thank heavens, offered at The Kings Arms.

I kid you not, Alex creates quite superb meals, and thankfully his interest is in producing not airey fairy little bits of Nouvelle Cuisine, though I admit it is all beautifully presented, but his aim is to put before you simple well cooked meals from excellent locally sourced produce, (not hard in North Yorkshire). If that is his intention, then my friends, my waistline says he succeeds.

Whatever your taste, be it meat, fish or vegetarian then walk, cycle or drive – just go, feast.   Gluten free, dairy free and vegan – no problem. During the winter season pheasant, venison and duck is on the menu.

The only celebrity involved with The Butterfly Cannon Tequila is the incredible Monarch Butterfly – whose migration each year from the US to Mexico is magnificent feat of nature.

As the days become cooler in North America, the Monarch Butterflies begin their annual migration to their overwintering sites in Mexico. Even though each year, the migrating generation has never made this journey before, the butterflies all merge into a single flyway cannon in Central Texas and cross the border into Mexico.

Once the Monarch Butterflies have arrived in Mexico, they overwinter in the beautiful forests of south western Mexico. However, these precious forests are being lost to deforestation meaning that the Monarch Butterflies are in danger of loosing their natural habitat.

Once the temperature rises and the days get longer, the Monarch Butterflies begin their journey back to North America where they breed the new generation of Monarch Butterflies, which will take on the responsibility of this crucial migration the following winter.

The Butterfly Cannon Tequila has been donating money to the Monarch Butterfly Fund in the US which does important work helping rebuild the habitat for the Monarchs in Mexico and raising awareness about this incredible natural phenomenon.

The Butterfly Cannon Blue expression is infused with prickly pear and clementine, with an unusual natural blue colour which changes colour when a mixer such as tonic or lime is added. Designed for mixability, The Butterfly Cannon Rosa is made by infusing Mexican pink grapefruit peel in silver Tequila. The Silver Cristalino is a clean, crisp silver Tequila, aged for up to 30 days in barrels before being charcoal filtered to produce a perfectly clear tequila. The Butterfly Cannon expressions are made from 7-8 year old agave, sustainably grown, harvested by hand and baked in traditional steam ovens before being mashed, fermented and

RRP: £33 for a 50cl bottle ABV: 40%. Available from Amazon

Will the truth be buried with the dead?
When DS Joe Romano first meets Ana Dobrescu she’s nervous, in serious danger and clearly in need of help. The next time Romano sees her, she’s dead.
There was nothing more that could have been done, but that’s cold comfort for Romano. He’s determined to catch Ana’s killer. Although the prime suspect, her millionaire boyfriend, is in a coma.

With the help of his larger-than-life partner, Rita Scannon-Aktar, Romano begins to piece together a puzzle that places Ana at the centre of something much bigger than they could have imagined.

But while they’re hunting a murderer, those higher up are more concerned about the money. So it’s up to Romano to get justice for Ana. And whatever she knew, he’ll just have to pray that she didn’t take her secrets to the grave.

To the Grave is the second book in the DS Joe Romano series but the first one I have read. It is a strong book that can be read as a stand alone or as part of the series. Barlow brings to life a complex and gritty case for the dynamic duo. To the Grave possess a brilliantly written police procedure for the Yorkshire based detective. Full of determination and gut instinct Romano tries to solve this case. I loved this book, it is gripping and overflowing with action and suspense with a surprising twist that will leave you coming back for more.

I highly recommend for fans of T.M. Logan and Adam Croft.

Thirsk, as you may know from the Yorkshire Vet series is a ‘quaint’ Yorkshire Market Town. Well, indeed it is, but it is also quirky, or so I feel, which is probably why I absolutely adore it.

You see, amongst other things we have a shadowy organisation, no no, not a Mafia type of one, but a good hearted talented, group of about 100 women who beaver away with knitting and stuffing, then  come out at night, and yarn bomb the town, draping the bollards, post boxes, even hanging baskets with scenes appropriate to the date. Yes, out they come, tip toeing about, and there, and in the morning we see the town transformed.

I am showing you a very few of the bollard toppers, the post box toppers, and above, the wonderul tea party the Queen is having, and frankly, she has every right to rest her weary foot on the top tier of cakes as she surveys a small square a bit away from the main market place. Below you can see some of the bollard toppers around the market place.

You can see how the yarn bombers have excelled themselves for the  70th year of our Queen’s reign. And what a reign. I remember as a tiddler we all crammed into the village hall to see the Coronation on the black and white TV rented for the occasion, as heavens, to own a TV was beyond expectation.  Such excitedment, mixed with real grief on the death of King George 6th. I remember we wore black armbands. He had rallied the nation in the war, overcome his stutter, and not lived as long as he should.  I remember that Prince Charles looked away just as his mother was crowned.

Here is the Queen looking from her castle, perched on top of a post box,  and then we have the behind the scenes, as the Queen clings on, complete with her black bag and shoes, and a guard in case she unclings.

And yes, before our Frost Magazine readers ask: any donations are passed on to various good causes. For instance over £4000 has been given to the Herriot Hospice Project, yes, that Herriot, James as he called himself for his hugely successful books. He was Thirsk’s local vet and long time resident.

Latterly Thirsk Yarn Bombers have raised about £1.500 for Ukraine.

So thank you, Yarn Bombers for all the heart warming pleasure you give us and Frost Magazine hopes that you, and all its readers enjoy their Jubilee celebrations – we most certainly will in Thirsk.