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Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour of: Echoes of the Past by Evelyn Hood

Rachel's Random Resources
Book Tours

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Wander through worlds
real and fictional,
meet interesting people,
visit exciting places
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About the Book

Echoes of the Past

Can a family thrive after the death of a domineering patriarch?

Buckie, Scotland 1912

One year after Weem Lowrie’s death, his wife Jess and children are still living in his shadow, bound by the strict decisions he imposed when he was alive.

Eldest son James and his sister Bethany are trapped in marriages arranged to bolster the value of the family’s fishing business. Youngest son, Innes, struggles with the memory of his father’s disapproval over his failure to become a fisherman.

James longs to take over as skipper of the family fishing boat, The Fidelity, rather than working for his uncle. Bethany dreams of escaping from her role as a wife and stepmother to two young children and Innes longs for acceptance and respect from his siblings and to be seen as a man. But pursuing these aims only seems to invite new conflict into their lives.

And when Jess’s childhood sweetheart returns to Buckie, his attempts to help the family using his wealth and influence seem destined to cause even more chaos.

Storytelling at its best, Evelyn Hood is the original bestselling Scottish saga writer

Previously published as The Shimmer of the Herring

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/EchoesofthePastBook

Author Bio –

The Sunday Times bestselling author of 28 published novels, Evelyn Hood had a variety of jobs, including being a journalist and a poultry farmer. She was a full time writer, best known for her family sagas, set mainly in her home town of Paisley (Renfrewshire) and on the Clyde coast, where she also lived.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16YScQLN3J/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instagram: @evelynhood52author

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evelyn-hood

My thoughts

A 'family saga' story set in Scotland in the early 1900s. The characters were all believably portrayed, the setting well done - and the book as a whole an interesting read, with the lives of a fishing community well-portrayed and echoing the culture of the time. I did find all the family squabbling a little tiresome - however followers of the TV soaps (Eastenders and Coronation Street, for instance) will not feel the same. (I actually don't like the soaps either, for the same reason.)

The story very much put me in mind of Catherine Cookson - the favourite of many a reader when I was a library assistant back in the 1970s. Family sagas about fictional people who have to survive the tragedies - and good moments - of life were popular then, and it is good to know that they still are!

**** 4 stars

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Tuesday, 16 December 2025

My Coffee Pot Book Tour Guest: A Most Unlikely Man by J.P. Rieger

Welcome to my Blog!
Wander through worlds
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meet interesting people,
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and find good books
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About the Book

Book Title: A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance

Author Name: J.P. Rieger

Publication Date: September 23, 2025

Publisher: Blue Cedar Press

Pages: 107

Genre: Historical Fiction with a touch of Magical Realism

Any Triggers: Killings, war, violence against prisoners

Isadore Levinsky is a survivor. No stranger to concentration camps, he’s been freighted by boxcar to yet one more, possibly his last, before death by rifle or neglect. He’s survived this far because he’s done what any person would do under the circumstances: everything possible, irrespective of the consequences for others. At the nearly deserted Natzweiler-Struthof camp, Levinsky matches wits with fellow prisoner Otto Beck, a self-proclaimed pacifist, gentile and admitted liar. Beck has decreed that all food and water will be shared equally. He’s rallied the men and challenged his Nazi overseers, willingly taking their beatings and abuse. But is Beck a charismatic con man or a liberator? Previously convicted for treachery, Beck is architect of an escape plan specifically designed to assist his Nazi captors. Can Levinsky and the men survive Beck and find their way to freedom?

A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance is a story that resonates with our own times. Uplifting and inspiring, the story draws us into a dark past we must never forget, while shining a ray of hope for our future.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/boJd5L

Author Bio:

J. Paul (J.P.) Rieger is a mostly retired Maryland attorney and author of five books, The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a mystery featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero published in April, 2013, Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in May, 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University, Maryland), The Big Comb Over, a slipstream comedy of manners published in April, 2024, Sunscreen Shower, a Clonk! sequel, published by Flock Publishing in October, 2024 and A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance, published by Blue Cedar Press in September, 2025.

J. Paul and spouse live in Towson, Maryland. His website is www.jpaulrieger.net.

Author Links:

Website: www.jpaulrieger.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jpaulrieger

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jprieger.bsky.social

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-p-rieger

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-P.-Rieger/author/B00JIO5W4S

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239777922-a-most-unlikely-man

read an excerpt

Excerpt 3:

Bauer obtained the barrels from the Polish woman and dragged them into the barracks just as Emmerich and Wittmer arrived, following behind him.

“Prisoners, form the usual line.”

Beck spoke from the back of the line. “Private Bauer, I see that young Hammel is not present today. I presume he received the evacuation order?”

“No talking, Beck!”

Wittmer barked angrily, “What is he saying? Is that the queer?”

“Yes sir. The queer.”

Beck spoke up. “For the record, Sergeant, I was not convicted for being a sexual deviant. I was convicted for the crime of treason, the same as our beloved Führer.”

With that, Wittmer pulled Beck out of the line by his collar and struck him in his face with an open hand, boxing Beck’s ear. Beck cried out in pain and dropped to one knee, holding his stinging face and ringing ear with his palm.

“Impertinent queer! Now stand up. You spoke of an evacuation order. Who informed you of such an order?”

Beck stood tentatively, defensively. “I beg your pardon, sir. A mistake on my part. I saw that Hammel was absent and presumed that the colonel had passed the order along to Lieutenant Magnus for further implementation.”

“The colonel?” Wittmer laughed gruffly. “You and the colonel now speak regularly about camp administration? And when exactly did you see the colonel?”

“Again, my apologies sir. I haven’t seen him for, perhaps a day or two. And for the record, he did not speak with me on camp matters. He made no such communication, besides a friendly wave while passing through the camp. The notion that the colonel passed along the order from Berlin to the lieutenant was mere speculation on my part. Whether the lieutenant received the order is unknown.”

Wittmer shook his head and stared at Emmerich, angrily, who shook his head in response.

Beck spoke again. “And I know it’s not my place to speculate, sir, but perhaps the lieutenant received but simply failed to share the order. With all the cavorting and such with the French woman, perhaps he was distracted?”

Emmerich barked, “What French woman?”

“Sorry, sir. I should not have repeated the rumor. We prisoners hear things. It’s inevitable. These walls are porous. You can see daylight through the cracks.” Beck pointed to the rays of sun piercing the ground through the wall. “And that’s why, sometimes at night, we hear voices outside our barracks. The language is always French, though, usually whispered. I do know a very slight amount of French, but not the words I heard last time.”

“What words did you hear?”

“I believe the words sounded something like … umm …ahh … ‘usine.’ And the other word I heard several times was ‘cible, ‘cible.’ And then the word ‘espionner.’ But I don’t know what any of those words mean. I am able to understand words like ‘bonjour,’ ‘oui,’ and ‘non.’”

Wittmer walked over to Beck again and grabbed him by his sore ear, twisting it into his scalp. Beck fell to his knees and cried out in agony.

“Worthless queer! Tell me—at any time did you see Lieutenant with a French woman or any civilian?”

“No sir! I did not! Please accept my apologies. I should not have repeated rumors. Rumors are so often lies!”

Wittmer released his grip and pushed Beck down to the ground.

“Enough! Be quiet, queer! Bauer, when you have completed this task, see me in my quarters!”

Wittmer and Emmerich exited, slamming the barracks door behind them. Bauer walked over to Beck to help him up. “You sure know how to get everyone in trouble, Beck.”

…

After Bauer left, the men surrounded Beck.

Goldenberg looked at Beck’s ear. “Are you badly hurt, Beck?”

“Just a little sore, Eli. I’ll be fine.”

Levinsky scowled. “We’re lucky he only smacked you. Those two Nazi pigs could have just as well shot you in the head and maybe the rest of us, too. If this is your ‘plan,’ Beck, I suggest you submit a new plan. Otherwise, you’re going to get us all killed.”

Heinz Gelbach spoke up. “So what, Levinsky. We are already dead men. At least we’d be going out making a little trouble. Who agrees?”

Every hand was raised, save Levinsky’s. “Okay. If you men want to follow this pied piper off his cliff, go ahead. I can’t stop you.”

Beck finally spoke. “Lev is right. My plan does hold great risks for each of us. If anyone would prefer to stay behind when the rest of us walk out of here as free men, you certainly may do so. And by the way—one down and four to go.”

Levinsky snarled. “What do you mean?”

“We helped Hammel escape. Now we have only four more left, not counting the mysterious, invisible colonel.”