From The Bookshelf – Page 11

The Library of the Dead (Edinburgh Nights 1) -T. L. Huchu

When ghosts talk, she will listen . . .

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker – and she now speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl’s gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone’s bewitching children – leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honour bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.

She’ll dice with death (not part of her life plan . . .) as she calls on Zimbabwean magic and Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets. And in the process, she discovers an occult library and some unexpected allies. Yet as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

Opening up a world of magic and adventure, The Library of the Dead by T. L. Huchu is the first book in the Edinburgh Nights series.

My thanks to Jamie-Lee at Black Crow for inviting me to read The Library of the Dead. I received a copy of the book from the publishers through Netgalley.

Book One of the Edinburgh Nights series. Perfect. Not the first in the “Ropa” series but the Edinburgh Nights series. Why is that a good start? Quite simply if the series is named after a character then you know that no matter how bad things get – the lead character will pull through. Reacher, Rebus, Baggins, Morse…okay maybe not Morse but you get my point. But The Library of the Dead is about the Library, it is the Edinburgh Nights series – will our lead character, Ropa, make it to the end of the book? Well I am not sharing but lets just say she is in for a terrible experience in the first of T. L. Huchu’s series.

Ropa lives in Edinburgh, in a caravan with her gran. She makes money by meeting the dead around the city and taking messages back to their relatives who will pay for the message. I particularly liked the family of bakers who were receiving recipes from beyond the grave as secret of the perfect battenburg was a closely guarded secret until it was too late to pass it to the next generation.

Edinburgh is very recognisable to anyone that has visited the city, Ropa covers a lot of ground and even a ‘Weegie like me could identify many of the areas she visited. However, Edinburgh is not recognisable as we know it. “God Save The King” is a greeting with “Long May He Reign” the response. Money is shillings again, technology such as mobile phones does exist but the city feels poor and the vibe was of a historical setting. All my confusion made the story feel nicely jarred with reality and I had no issues accepting the fantasy themes of magic, ghost whispering and the catalogue of fantasy horrors which will creep into story.

A ghost approaches Ropa – she is worried for he young son. Although she has died she cannot rest until she knows her son is safe. Ropa approaches the family but they are not helpful, she has a mission to fulfil but chasing down what is seemingly a lost cause does not pay the bills. After meeing a friend from school Ropa may finally catch a break. Her friend has a job in a secret place and he thinks Ropa may find what she is looking for there – a secret library where magic is commonplace and actively practiced. The only problem for Ropa is that her magical skill – speaking with ghosts is rather primitive for the fussy and traditional users of the library. There is also the small matter of her unexpected arrival in a place which was meant to be a closely guarded secret – a price to be paid.

Ropa wants information about young children disappearing around the city. When one child makes it home after a period of absence he has changed – hidden away by his family Ropa manages to see the child…head and face aged and withered. What dark process could have inflicted this child? Is the ghost of the worried mother going to discover her missing son is also going to age in this unnatural fashion?

Chasing down a lead one night Ropa spots something unexpected inside a house, she decides to break in to investigate futher. Inside she stumbles upon a clue which may just explain what has happened to the missing childre however entering the house was the worst mistake Ropa has made in her young life. It may also be the last mistake she makes.

The Library of the Dead pitches nicely between fantasy and light horror. The initial confusion I experienced while trying to pigeonhole an identifiable time and society structure for Edinburgh soon became irrelevant as I just accepted the story as a fantasy tale in a setting I knew. The characters are will defined and each needs an edge to survive in this slightly dark world. I read less fantasy than I once did but this was a treat and I was extremely glad I picked it as one of my first reads of the year – a strong start and I very much look forward to more in this series. More Library, more horrors and a bit of magic to keep everything unpredicable.

The Library of the Dead is published by Tor and will release in hardback, digital and audiobook on 4 February 2021. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Library-Dead-Edinburgh-Nights-ebook/dp/B08JM2P3L1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1610798054&refinements=p_27%3AT.+L.+Huchu&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=T.+L.+Huchu

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December 5

Christmas Shopping 2020 – Buy Books!

As we are still navigating our way through a global pandemic; the opportunity to browse for the ideal book gift for loved ones, friends, family, work colleagues etc will be very limited – that is assuming the shops are even open. So I thought I would pull together a selection of books which I feel would make a great Christmas gift.

As there is an overwhelming amount of choice when it comes to selecting books I had to narrow down the criteria for incusion – otherwise I would still be drafting this at Christmas 2021. The books I have included in my selections are (a) books I have actually read (b) books I have not yet reviewed because 2020 has been demanding in too many ways and (c) books you are unlikely to find in a supermarket – unless your local supermarket are much better than the ones I can access.

CURSE THE DAY – JUDITH O’REILLY

First up I offer a Crime Thriller which offers slick and stylish tech devices, a dogged and determined lead character and his sassy mouthed teen sidekick (the tech wizard). Curse The Day was one of the few books I was able to read and enjoy while lockdown was at its peak. Here’s the blurb:

At a global tech gala hosted at the British Museum, scientist Tobias Hawke is due to unveil an astonishing breakthrough. His AI system appears to have reached consciousness, making Hawke the leading light in his field.

But when terrorists storm the building, they don’t just leave chaos in their wake. They seize Hawke’s masterwork, sparking a chain reaction of explosive events which could end the world as we know it.

Michael North, ex-assassin and spy-for-hire, must find the killers and recover the AI. But he can’t do it alone. Hawke’s wife, Esme, and teenage hacker, Fangfang, have their own reasons to help complete North’s mission – and together they unravel a dark and deadly conspiracy which stretches right to the top of the British elite.

Can North survive long enough to uncover the whole truth? Or is it already too late for humanity?

Curse The Day is a high stakes thriller where Michael North is pitted against a ruthless enemy who will allow nothing to stand in their way. From the gripping opening chapter to the explosive endgame this is a book which will appeal to fans of the Hollywood summer blockbusters. Political interest is high in the cutting edge technology that Tobias Hawke is due to reveal to the world – investors and superpowers are determined to cut themselves a piece of the action. The pace is relentless and the pages are packed with tension – I loved this book and it allowed me some much needed escapism at a time I really needed it.

Judith O’Reilly has crafted a brilliant action adventure which pits underdogs against international spies, covert military groups and there is even an extremely unsettling appearance from an underwater killer which I certainly did not expect but absolutely adored. During the adrenaline filled chase scenes and the narrow escapes from death North has to negotiate there are plenty of wise-cracks and putdowns to be dished out by his colleagues – those touches of humour or deadpan wit were so important to humanise the players and bring some light to their dark and chilling predicament. Highly recommended.

You can order a Hardback copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/curse-the-day/judith-oreilly/9781788548946

If you are not looking to pick up a hardback crime thriller but still like the idea of gifting a gripping story then I have a paperback recommendation too.

THE BLOOD IS STILL – DOUGLAS SKELTON

When the body of a man in eighteenth-century Highland dress is discovered on the site of the Battle of Culloden, journalist Rebecca Connolly takes up the story for the Chronicle.

Meanwhile, a film being made about the ’45 Rebellion has enraged the right-wing group Spirit of the Gael which is connected to a shadowy group called Black Dawn linked to death threats and fake anthrax deliveries to Downing Street and Holyrood. When a second body – this time in the Redcoat uniform of the government army – is found in Inverness, Rebecca finds herself drawn ever deeper into the mystery. Are the murders connected to politics, a local gang war or something else entirely?

There was no chance I was going to get through this list of offerings without including some Scottish crime fiction. Regular visitors will know that I am a huge admirer of Douglas Skelton’s books and each new release is very much anticipated here at Chez Grab.

The Blood is still sees journalist Rebecca Connolly digging for a story after a body is found on the site where the Battle of Culloden was fought. The deceased is dressed in antique Highlander clothing which is causing the police no small amout of confusion. A second body dressed as a Redcoat gives Rebecca further fuel for her story but her paper is facing further cutbacks and unwelcome editorial intervention. Convincing the bean counters that she needs time to investigate these strange deaths will be a challenge she could well do without.

If you are keen to gift a clever and exciting murder story then look no further than The Blood is Still.

The Blood Is Still is published by Polygon and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-blood-is-still/douglas-skelton/9781846975301

THE REACHER GUY – HEATHER MARTIN

Jack Reacher is only the second of Jim Grant’s great fictional characters: the first is Lee Child himself. Heather Martin’s biography tells the story of all three.

Lee Child is the enigmatic powerhouse behind the bestselling Jack Reacher novels. With millions of devoted fans across the globe, and over a hundred million copies of his books sold in more than forty languages, he is that rarity, a writer who is lauded by critics and revered by readers. And yet curiously little has been written about the man himself.

The Reacher Guy is a compelling and authoritative portrait of the artist as a young man, refracted through the life of his fictional avatar, Jack Reacher. Through parallels drawn between Child and his literary creation, it tells the story of how a boy from Birmingham with a ferocious appetite for reading grew up to become a high-flying TV executive, before coming full circle and establishing himself as the strongest brand in publishing.

Heather Martin explores Child’s lifelong fascination with America, and shows how the Reacher novels fed and fuelled this obsession, shedding light on the opaque process of publishing a novel along the way. Drawing on her conversations and correspondence with Child over a number of years, as well as interviews with his friends, teachers and colleagues, she forensically pieces together his life, traversing back through the generations to Northern Ireland and County Durham, and following the trajectory of his extraordinary career via New York and Hollywood until the climactic moment when, in 2020, having written a continuous series of twenty-four books, he finally breaks free of his fictional creation.

Despite my blog being very heavy on the fiction titles I do also read some non-fiction when the subject appeals. As a fan of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books I found the prospect of reading the Lee Child story to be very appealing.

Lee Child has become a name recognised around the world but Child is a creation too and Heather Martin’s new book The Reacher Guy takes a look at the author, his literary creation and the real man behind the books. Wonderful narrative, stories and real life incidents which found their way into recognizable scenes within the Jack Reacher novels this would make a tremendous gift for any Reacher fan.

Child’s writing process is fascinating and Heather Martin made The Reacher Guy captivating reading – something I seldom say about biographies.

The Reacher Guy is published by Little, Brown Group and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-reacher-guy/heather-martin/9781472134257

DOCTOR WHO: THE MONSTER VAULT – JONATHAN MORRIS, PENNY CS ANDREWS

You’re going to need a bigger sofa…

Doctor Who‘s biggest and most comprehensive monster guide yet, The Monster Vault takes you on the ultimate tour of the Whoniverse, discovering and cataloguing every wonderful and terrifying creature the Doctor has ever encountered.

From the notorious Daleks, to evil Stenza warrior Tzim-Sha and the ancient Thijarians, The Monster Vault features in-depth profiles on each monster, showing the Doctor’s most dangerous enemies in their natural habitat and unveiling their secret histories. You will also discover how monsters were created and designed, behind-the-scenes secrets, unseen details from the original scripts, case studies and rare artwork.

This lavish and visually stunning book provides an unrivalled wealth of information, allowing you to explore the rich history of Doctor Who and expand your knowledge and understanding of characters old and new.

I have been reading Doctor Who fiction for 40 years. I have been reading Doctor Who non-fiction for about 30 years. I got hooked on books about how they made the show, the characters, the companions, the monsters and even the writers and production team. Having taken in the best and the worst of the Doctor Who offerings down the years I am comfortable proclaiming The Monster Vault to be extremely high quality and a cracking addition to the Doctor Who library.

I did have to ask the question: is a book collating information and background on fictional monsters really allowed to be called a non-fiction title? Yes! This book will include all the monsters you recognise from the tv show and will remind you of dozens more which you may well have forgotten about. Detailed without being excessive, colourful and huge fun to read – this would be a beautiful Christmas gift for any Doctor Who fan.

Doctor Who – THe Monster Vault is published by Ebury Press and can be ordered here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/doctor-who-the-monster-vault/jonathan-morris/penny-cs-andrews/9781785945335

A VERY FAHRENHEITY CHRISTMAS

The Final Suggestion breaks my selection rule about books I have acutually read. This offering is included because I think it is a lovely idea and buying this book would support an indy publisher, and that can only be a good thing.

My last choice is Fahrenheit Press’s A VERY FAHRENHEITY CHRISTMAS. It is a slim volume of five carefully selected tales featuring stories from Oscar Wilde, The Brothers Grimm and Arthur Conan Doyle (to name but three). I have not read this book in its current format but I am familiar with the stories. Here is the purchase link to the book so you can judge for yourself https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/collections/latest-releases/products/a-very-fahrenheity-christmas-fahrenheit-press

Numbers are limited so not only are you buying loved stories but you are buying a very rare collected volume of loved stories. What book lover doesn’t enjoy owning a rare book? It is also worth mentioning that Fahrenheit do a cracking line in book merchandising – it is a bit more edgy than their wholesome Christmas book but I got through the last 8 months wearing one of their “Bookish Weirdo” facemasks so there are some practical presents available too!

So there you have it – just a few suggestions, all very different but each is a gem. I have included purchase links to every one of the titles I have suggested. I do hope one of my recommendations would make a welcome gift for someone close to you this Christmas.

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November 29

Out For Blood – Deborah Masson

A young man, the son of an influential businessman, is discovered dead in his central Aberdeen apartment.

Hours later, a teenaged girl with no identification is found hanged in a suspected suicide.

As DI Eve Hunter and her team investigate the two cases, they find themselves in a tug-of-war between privilege and poverty; between the elite and those on the fringes of society.

Then an unexpected breakthrough leads them to the shocking conclusion: that those in power have been at the top for too long – and now, someone is going to desperate lengths to bring them down…

Can they stop someone who is dead set on revenge, no matter the cost?

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the opportunity to join the Out For Blood Tour.

Many years ago I lived and worked in Aberdeen. Just for a couple of years but long enough to form an opinion of the city. Since that time (after reading more than a few books set in Aberdeen) I think Deborah Mason has come closest to capturing the city I recognise. Particularly as Out For Blood highlights the divide between those that have and those that have not.

First up is the murder of a young man. He was the son of a successful businessman, one of the most influential players in the area, and his son had clearly enjoyed the comforts and privilege that came from being part of a successful family. His early death was shocking but DI Eve Hunter finds the reaction of the boy’s father to be rather strange.

Then we see the other side of the social spectrum. A young girl is found hanged, spotted by an elderly golfer in the early hours of the morning. Nobody reports her as missing and she has no identification on her. But her body shows signs of forceful damage which would not be connected to a suicide and there are other suggestions (no spoilers) which indicate a difficult and dangerous lifestyle.

Apologies for being slightly vague at this but I am going to be urging you to read Out For Blood and I don’t want to let too much slip.

Eve Hunter and her colleagues have two very different deaths to investigate but both will present a similar problem – a lack of information. They don’t know anything about the hanged girl, not even how she got to the spot where she took her life. The murdered boy is very well known but nobody seems willing to speak to the police about him. Even his family and closest friends seem to be actively avoiding Eve.

Undeterred Eve and her team will chase down any small clues they can find. Out For Blood is a very good police procedural in this regard and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to read a “proper police story” for the first time in a while.

With a team to command and a boss who has serious reservations about Eve’s temper and her ability to perform her job effectively (again no spoilers) there is a lot of politics for Eve to negotiate too. The chapters are nicely split between the two investigations, as the majority, and time is well spent further developing the backgrounds of the members of Eve’s team. As a reader it makes a story so much more rewarding when I start to engage with the characters – I felt Deborah Masson got this just right.

The two deaths in the story lead to a fascinating resolution in which the strength of friendships are tested and the limits of love will determine how some of the key characters will fare when the police come calling. It’s an extremely engaging read and as I am a bit late to the party on the Eve Hunter books I have now picked up the first book, Hold Your Tongue, to read soon too.

I do love a series with recurring characters and I very much hope Eve Hunter will return very soon. Don’t dawdle on these books (yes, like I did) get Deborah Masson on your bookshelves now.

Out For Blood is published in paperback on 10th December 2020 and is available in digital format now. The audiobook is also available and you can order in the format of your choice here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085RBVZ2L/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 24

Sins of the Father – Sharon Bairden

Lucas Findlay thinks he has struck gold when he marries Rebecca, but she married him for one reason only – to destroy him.

TRAUMA RUNS DEEP

When her past comes back to haunt her, Rebecca begins to disconnect from herself and the world around her. As secrets are unearthed, she begins to fear for her sanity… and her life.

TRUTH WILL OUT

With her world unravelling around her, Rebecca clings to her determination to make Lucas pay, whatever the cost.

FORGIVE HIS SINS

But someone must pay for the sins of the father…

My thanks to Meggy at Red Dog Press for my review copy and for the opportunity to join the blog tour for Sins of the Father.

Stand down cozy crime fans this one isn’t for you I am afraid. Sins of the Father is very much a dark and gritty story which tackles (amongst other things) domestic abuse, mental illness, murder and child abuse.

Still with me? Good you should be as Sharon Bairden has delivered a powerful debut which takes an unflinching look at some of societies darker secrets and wrapped a story of betrayal and revenge around them.

The focus of the story is Rebecca. The first quarter of the book introduces the reader to her world and shows how Rebecca had always been a bit different – from a young age she could hear voices in her head who would try to take over from Rebecca and guide her to say or do things which she may not normally have considered. The strongest of these voices was Samantha and Rebecca would often speak directly to her – essentially arguing with herself and allowing the reader to understand Rebecca’s conflicts.

Life isn’t easy for Rebecca, initially living alone with her mum the pair are close and determined to take on the world. Unfortunately for Rebecca her mother makes a new friend and starts to lose interest in her daughter, drink and drugs take over and soon a string of strangers will be at Rebecca’s home looking for time with her mother…and subsequently with Rebecca. The young vulnerable girl becomes too easy prey.

All too late the authorities catch up with what has been happening and Rebecca concludes her childhood in care and foster homes. She is a shell of her former self and seemingly irrevocably damaged.

Yet we spin forward a few years and Rebecca has her demons mainly under control. She is a successful player in Glasgow’s charity sector and has married Lucas, a fellow charity worker. The pair appear happy but behind closed doors this is a badly damaged coupling and there is much more to this marriage than anybody would have thought possible.

But Lucas and Rebecca have bigger problems, even if they don’t know it yet. Someone is watching. Someone who has been waiting for an opportunity to right a wrong and someone who wants revenge. It may be too late for Lucas and Rebecca – is their world about to collapse around them?

Powerful, emotive and dark – this is one hell of a debut.

Sins of the Father will be published by Red Dog Press on 27 November 2020 and will be available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B088HGYLFF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 20

Fallen Angels – Gunner Staalesen

Exploring his own dark memories may be the only way to find a killer…

When Bergen PI Varg Veum finds himself at the funeral of a former classmate on a sleet-grey December afternoon, he’s unexpectedly reunited with his old friend Jakob – guitarist of the once-famous 1960s rock band The Harpers – and his estranged wife, Rebecca, Veum’s first love.

Their rekindled friendship is thrown into jeopardy by the discovery of a horrific murder, and Veum is forced to dig deep into his own adolescence and his darkest memories, to find a motive … and a killer.

My thanks to Orenda Books for the review copy I received and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Fallen Angels tour.

Fans of Varg Veum may find they learn more about our hero in Fallen Angels than in any of his other outings. In Fallen Angels Veum is very much looking to the past – his childhood, friends he grew up with and he must come to accept that people will change over time and he may not like the result.

Fallen Angels begins with an ending – at a funeral for an old friend and where one old friend can be found it is not unexpected for a few familiar faces from yester-year also to put in an appearance. Soon Veum is back in the company of people he thought we knew well but it is clear something significant took place in 1975 and along with the immediate impact it had among his friends there is still fallout taking place.

Fallen Angels is set in the mid to late 1980s so the events of 1975 are not too far removed from when the action takes place. Other than a lack of mobile phones it is not immediately obvious Fallen Angels is not set in present day. But it really doesn’t need to be, the story is expertly told and Varg Veum is an imminently enjoyable and complex character who will always keep me engaged.

At the end of the opening quarter of the book we have a murder and a good understanding of Veum’s friends. While it may not have felt relevant at the time the scenes Veum spends catching up with old acquaintances and hearing of the days they spent as a band are seeding important clues as to what may lie ahead. Obviously I totally missed the important ones so when we head into the end game of Fallen Angels there were more than a few dark and unpleasant shocks to be revealed.

Tackling some difficult themes I found Fallen Angels to be thoroughly absorbing. Nostalgia and melancholy moments, regrets for lost opportunities but also an awareness that time doesn’t always heal – anger can grow if left to fester. Veum has to get people he once knew well to open up to him and share stories they wanted to keep secret. Staalesen has written this one superbly – Veum picking his way through half truths and faded memories to then bring everything together with such devastating effect.

Translation duties are handled by Don Bartlett who has done an amazing job with this lyrical prose. I intend the pun on lyrical – Staalesen’s writing is poetic in places and there are many musical references and comparisions through Fallen Angels. Bartlett has captured the musical feel of these poetic interchanges and the story is hugely enriched by it.

What seems to begin as a slow burn novel soon ignites into a cracking crime thriller. Veum is plunged back to his past and sees old friends dying, can he save his childhood chum or is there someone out there lurking and waiting for the opportunity to avenge an incident which took place several years ago?

Another gem from the Orenda collection.

Fallen Angels is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback and digital versions. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081QZ3NYS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 19

Dark Highway – Lisa Gray

An isolated highway in the middle of the desert – the perfect place to hide a secret.

LA-based artist Laurie Simmonds disappeared two months ago, her camper van abandoned on the isolated Twentynine Palms Highway, miles from anything – or anyone. With the police investigation stalled, her parents put all their faith in private investigator Jessica Shaw to find out the truth of what happened.

Jessica and her partner Matt Connor discover that two other women are missing, their disappearances connected to the same highway. When a link emerges between these women and a group of former college friends, Jessica feels certain they’re closing in on their target.

But no sooner do they follow this up than Laurie’s parents get spooked and drop the case. Jessica is blindsided but determined not to give up: three women are missing, and many more may be at risk. She can’t turn her back on them. But the more she pulls at the threads of the truth, the closer she comes to danger. Can she find out who’s behind these crimes before they come for her?

My thanks to the author for arranging for me to receive an early Netgalley review copy.

Dark Highway is the third Jessica Shaw thriller from Lisa Gray. I really hope you haven’t been snoozing on these excellent stories as they are already really high on my annual “most wanted” list. Regular readers may have realised I much prefer reading about recurring characters; I really enjoy following the character evolution as new books are released and Jessica Shaw has already got a cracking back story in place which the author has been able to build on in Dark Highway. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy Dark Highway as a stand alone thriller if you haven’t read the first two books – you most certainly can come into this one with no prior knowledge of Jessica and her previous expolits.

We join the story with a hell of an opening paragraph. Eighteen words and scene guaranteed to keep you reading – no spoilers but I will confirm the presence of a corpse. So straight into the action and a small group with a big problem and there is division in their ranks. Lisa Gray doing exactly what is needed to draw me into her world once again.

Cut to Jessica Shaw and she is hired to find missing artist Laurie Simmonds. She hasn’t been seen for a couple of months and her mother wants her found – even suggesting there is a connection to other missing women. Jessica and her partner, Matt, start digging and it isn’t long before Jessica thinks there may be some truth in the suggestion that there are some common elements to the disappearances she is looking into. However, Laurie’s father is about to pull the plug on Jessica’s case and bring her investigations crashing to a halt.

Laurie will need to convince Matt that they can’t just walk away from these missing women. Matt and Laurie have some history and there is more than a little chemistry between them but their relationship is currently a business one and doing pro-bono work will not pay the bills. A confrontation is brewing and Jessica knows she can’t simply forget about Laurie Simmonds.

Dark Highway is a multi layered story which also takes readers back a few years to follow the story of a single mum, working in a bar near the same highway where Laurie Simmonds was last seen. The steps back in time give readers a brief respite from Jessicas troubles but you know that there is going to be some connection between past and present events. Well there may be but I certainly must confess to being well off the mark as a tried to guess where the story was heading. Dark times lie ahead and the author takes the readers to some grim scenes which sustain the excellent edgy feel of this series.

Although I have not had the opportunity to hear the Dark Highway audiobook yet I did listen to the previous book (Bad Memory) through Audible and I was delighted to see Amy Landon is returning to narrate Dark Highway. Amy did a magnificent job on Bad Memory and I thought her voice captured the tone and feel of the story perfectly – I am quite sure that magnificience will carry over into Dark Highway. Audiobooks are always a more enjoyable experience when the narrator is such a good fit for the story you are listening to.

As I alluded to at the start of my review – I am a huge fan of the Jessica Shaw books. I strongly encourage everyone to read Dark Highway and if you are new to the series you can’t go far wrong if you pick up Thin Air and Bad Memory too.

Dark Highway is published today by Thomas & Mercer and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can get your copy right now by clicking through this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B087JPTMKC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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October 27

Betrayal – Lilja Sigurdardóttir

When aid worker Úrsula returns to Iceland for a new job, she’s drawn into the dangerous worlds of politics, corruption and misogyny … a powerful, relevant, fast-paced standalone thriller.

Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.

But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And why has the death of her father in police custody so many years earlier reared its head again?

As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher…

My thanks to Orenda Books for a review copy of Betrayal and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to join the Betrayal blog tour.

When I first started this blog I had no expectation around where it may lead. I used to read quite a lot of books each week but would stick to familiar authors and got caught up in too many ongoing series but I didn’t really push myself into trying titles I would not normally have considered. To keep my blog fun for myself, I promised myself that I would try to bring myself out of my reading comfort zone and try new authors or consider reading books I would never likely have been aware of.

Why am I telling you this? Today’s review is the 800th post on Grab This Book – it is for an Icelandic political thriller and I am quite confident this is not a book which would have been on my radar had I not spent the last six years on the fringes of crime fiction’s blogging community. I would have missed out on this (and many other) great thrillers and it would mean I would not be encouraging more people to read Betrayal and enter the seemingly dark world of Icelandic politics.

Thanks for keeping me company over the last 800 blog posts. Regular readers will know that I have featured many books by the newly annointed winner of the Best Crime/Thriller Publisher Dagger Award – Orenda Books. When I am looking for stories which take me into new reading territories then the Orenda library is easily the best place to begin looking. “Mama Orenda”, Karen Sullivan has a phenomonal ability to find the most powerful authors and get incredible stories into the hands of readers.

To Betrayal: the story begins with Úrsula, who is being lined up to take a ministerial post in the Icelandic government. She is not affiliated with any party but both sides of the political divide agree she is a great neutral candidate to step into post. Always up for a challenge the former aid worker is putting warzones behind her to return home but is she stepping into a new type of conflict?

Úrsula has to find her feet quickly but her department seems well run and she can rely upon the support of her staff. On her first day a distressed mother appeals to Úrsula to assist with a rape case – her daughter was attacked by a police officer but her attempts for justice and a fair hearing for her daughter has gone nowhere.

Outside her office and without her knowledge a streetsleeper has recognised Úrsula and is determined to ensure she understands she has allied with “the Devil”. He will stalk her and find ways to leave messages for Úrsula and her initial decision to decline a ministerial car and bodyguard appear to be serious mistakes.

We also get to spend chapters in the company of some other interesting characters. First there is Úrsula’s bodyguard who is dealing with online attacks against his new boss and a jealous girlfriend at home. Then we have Úrsula’s smoking buddy; a cleaner at the ministry who may also be a witch but is certainly a party goer who winds up matchmaking for a TV newsreader. There is also Úrsula’s family, her colleagues and a journalist who is paying her lots of attention.

With so many plates spinning for Úrsula and story threads woven by Lilja Sigurdardóttir to keep her readers hooked you will find Betrayal spins along at a cracking pace. There’s always something to keep you wanting to read more and I was somewhat bereft when I reached the end of the book and realised my time with these engaging characters was over.

Betrayal is published by Orenda Books and is available in digital and paperback. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Betrayal-Lilja-Sigurdard%C3%B3ttir-ebook/dp/B088671XP2/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&qid=1603730427&refinements=p_27%3ALilja+Sigurdard%C3%B3ttir&s=digital-text&sr=1-5&text=Lilja+Sigurdard%C3%B3ttir

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October 20

Some Lockdown Reviews

Without being too subtle about 2020 – it has been a really crap year. I have found my reading has really suffered and my reviews more so. Working from home has been a great relief but at the end of my working day I have felt little urge to shut down the work laptop only to remain sitting in the same spot and crank open my own laptop to draft a few reviews.

But that’s selfish behaviour – I have used stories to lift my blue moods and give me the escapism I needed. Maybe someone else would benefit from knowing about the great stories which brought me some respite and the authors and teams behind the stories worked so hard to get their books out there that I cannot simply pass them over without comment. So here are some catch up reviews for books I have read “in lockdown”

Knife Edge – Simon Mayo

You never know where danger may come from…

6.45am. A sweltering London rush hour. And in the last 29 minutes, seven people have been murdered.

In a series of coordinated attacks, seven men and women across London have been targeted. For journalist Famie Madden, the horror unfolds as she arrives for the morning shift.

The victims have one thing in common: they make up the investigations team at the news agency where Famie works. The question everyone’s asking: what were they working on that could prompt such brutal devastation?

As Famie starts to receive mysterious messages, she must find out whether she is being warned of the next attack, or being told that she will be the next victim…

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley

I know that Simon Mayo has had a number of successful books which are aimed at younger readers so I was keen to see how the transition to the adult market would be recieved. If Knife Edge is reflection on the excitement and tension he brought to his earlier books then I can see why his previous titles are held in such high regard. This was a highly enjoyable thriller.

Focus is on Famie Madden, she works for one of the top media outlets in the country and on the day we join her story she is in the hot-seat for co-ordinating all the stories which are going to air. However, Famie is soon to find the news is coming far too close to home – a series of murders in London all take place during the start of the morning rush hour. The attacks are clearly linked and must have been conducted by different people as they are spread around the city. As more information starts to come through to Famie and her team they realise that all the victims are their colleagues.

It is a shocking opening to the story and Famie is impacted more than most as she had been in a secret relationship with one of the victims. Naturally Famie wants answers so she begins to look into what story her colleagues may have been working on that brought about their terrible fate.

Knife Edge has all the thrills you need from a high stakes thriller. After a dynamic start the pace does slow a touch but it’s a steady build up back to a corking finale. While there haven’t been many opportunities to post recommendations for a summer beach read – Knife Edge falls into that category. The paperback is out in March 2021 so keep this one in mind when the good weather returns and you are planning some relaxing downtime. If you can’t wait that long then hardback, digital and audio copies are all available now!

Knife Edge is published by Doubleday and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WFS252B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

The Photographer – Craig Robertson

The sergeant took some from each box and spread them around the floor so they could all see. Dozens upon dozens of them. DI Rachel Narey’s guess was that there were a few hundred in all.

Photographs.

Many of them were in crowd scenes, some just sitting on a park bench or walking a dog or waiting for a bus or working in shops. They seemed to have no idea they’d been photographed.

A dawn raid on the home of a suspected rapist leads to a chilling discovery, a disturbing collection hidden under floorboards. Narey is terrified at the potential scale of what they’ve found and of what brutalities it may signal.
When the photographs are ruled inadmissible as evidence and the man walks free from court, Narey knows she’s let down the victim she’d promised to protect and a monster is back on the streets.
Tony Winter’s young family is under threat from internet trolls and he is determined to protect them whatever the cost. He and Narey are in a race against time to find the unknown victims of the photographer’s lens – before he strikes again.

I was at the launch of The Photographer and Craig Robertson gave a very powerful demonstration of the inherent creepiness behind an element of this story. It made me uncomfortable but made me really want to read The Photographer to see how the author addressed the issue in the book.

I was horrified to realise that a good many months (far, far too many) have passed since that launch event and that a review I thought I had written remained outstanding. The good thing about a good book is that it doesn’t go away and on a recent trip to my local bookshop I saw copies of The Photographer on the shelves waiting to find new readers. Go find it – this is a powerful and brilliantly told story.

Photographs – taken without the consent of the subject, or without the subject even knowing they were being photographed, have been found by DI Rachel Narey while she searched the home of a suspected rapist. What was already a harrowing case has taken an even more sinister turn. Narey is convinced her suspect is guilty of the rape she is investigating but now she wonders what other crimes he may have committed. She will throw herself at this case in the pursit of justice and in doing so will bring danger to her home.

This is an incredibly tense read and it’s another cracking addition to what is already a brilliant series. Craig Robertson knows how to hold his readers attention and I found I lost huge chunks of time engrossed in The Photographer. The scenes of tension and peril are nicely balanced out with lighter moments between Narey and Winter as their relationship further develops and they juggle their time between work and caring for their young daughter.

It is always a reading treat to spend time with one of Craig Robertson’s books – if you haven’t read any of his books before now then there is no time like the present to start!

The Photographer is published by Simon & Schuster and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XKH76MX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

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October 10

The Point Of No Return (Audiobook) – Neil Broadfoot

How far would you go to find the truth?

After more than a decade of being in prison for the brutal murder of two Stirling University students, Colin Sanderson has been released after his conviction was found to be unsafe.

Returning home to a small village not far from Stirling, Sanderson refuses police protection, even in the face of a death threat. But the PR firm that has scooped him up to sell his story does know of a protection expert in Stirling. They want Connor Fraser.

Connor reluctantly takes the assignment, partly as a favour to DCI Malcolm Ford, who is none too keen to have Sanderson on the loose, particularly as he was involved in the original investigation that saw him imprisoned.

When a body is found, mutilated in the same way as Sanderson’s victims were, all eyes fall on the released man. But how can he be the killer when Connor’s own security detail gives him an alibi?

As Connor races to uncover the truth, he is forced to confront not only Sanderson’s past, but his own, and a secret that could change his life forever.

I am an Audible member and I bought the Point Of No Return audiobook on release.

Some housekeeping first and an apology to Neil Broadfoot. This is the third Connor Fraser book but the first I have reviewed. Earlier this year I read the second book, No Place to Die, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, this was one of the books I was reading when we first went into the March 2020 Covid Lockdown. A quick glance at my blog archive will show very little reviews were prepared over the first few months of the year as I found it incredibly difficult to keep focus on anything at that time. I stuggled and reviews which should have been written were not. My apologies to Neil for missing the paperback publication window of No Place to Die with a review I did so want to write.

The earlier Connor Fraser titles are readily available in paperback and digital format. Connor’s story builds with each book (though each title can be read as a stand alone). If you haven’t already read the previous books No Mans Land and No Place To Die then I would encourage you to pick them up and immerse yourself in these terrific stories.

The Point Of No Return opens with a miscarriage of justice being corrected. Some 14 years ago Colin Sanderson was convicted of the brutal murders of two students. The reader is left in no doubt that Sanderson is a nasty piece of work and there are interested parties, other than the police, unhappy to see his conviction overturned after his lawyer found an irregularity in the evidence used to secure the original Guilty verdict. Sanderson is free and is not looking to slip quietly into the background. A PR firm have ensured he will be given a platform to air his grievances (he has many) and there is talk of a book deal to allow him to tell his story. Enter Donna Blake, reporter for Sky News who is handed exclusive interview rights and the lure of the chance to ghost-write Sanderson’s book. Donna is a friend of Connor’s and their paths have previously crossed in devastating ways.

Just a few days after his release Sanderson manages to shake off the observation team working for Connor’s security firm. During the period where he is not being watched another murder takes place on the Stirling University campus. There are stiking similarities between the new murder and the deaths of the two students Sanderson was accused of committing. Have the courts freed a murderer on a technicality?

There is a constant sense of peril surrounding both Connor and Donna in The Point Of No Return. Neil Broadfoot managed make me believe both characters were just one step away from falling foul of a dangerous killer. I love when a story grips me in the way Point Of No Return did.

It should be noted there are also some emotive scenes away from the murders where Connor is starting to understand his own family history a bit better. His relationship with his father is strained but he dotes on his grandmother,who is in ailing health. Connor’s relationship with his gran and his father come into close scrutiny and he will not always like what he discovers when he starts asking questions about their past. Families have their secrets and Connor is going to have to face some unpleasant realisations before this book reaches its climax.

The Point Of No Return delivers a cracking murder story and anyone that enjoys a great thriller cannot go wrong with this one.

Huge shout to the team behind the audiobook too. Narration duties were handled by Angus King and he was excellent. There is a fair sized cast in this story and King gave each their own voice and brought the characters to life. Audiobooks can really let down a great book if the vocal performances are jarring or the voices chosen are unsuited to the material presented. In the case of The Point Of No Return there were no concerns – this is a polished and quality production and the source material shines.

Great book and a cracking addition to the Connor Fraser series. Don’t miss out on these stories – they are too good to let them slip by.

The Point Of No Return is published in Hardcover, digital and audiobook format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085PV4NHV/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

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September 6

The Thursday Murder Club (Audiobook) – Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

My thanks to Chloe at Penguin Random House for the opportunity to listen to The Thursday Murder Club audiobook ahead of the publication date.

After a summer of COVID related publication delays this week saw a tsunami of new titles heading our way. Many debut authors will get lost in the flurry but as one of the most familiar faces on our telly boxes I doubt that will apply to Richard Osman. Indeed a quick glance at the Amazon charts shows that The Thursday Murder Club is sitting in the top ten Mystery titles. But here’s the thing – this is a good book and irrespective of how well known the author may be a good story shines through and The Thursday Murder Club definately shines.

I was invited to join the blog tour for the audiobook of The Thursday Murder Club so the past two weeks I have spent my time in the company of Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim and Ron; four residents of a retirement village in once of the nicer areas in Southern England. Much of the story is seen through the eyes of Joyce (as relayed to her diary) however narrative does change viewpoints and we get a good opportunity to view many different events and discussions as the story unfolds. This is extremely helpful as there is a lot going on down in Coopers Chase village where our amatur sleuths reside.

For clarity, the Thursday Murder Club are not a gang of aged killers biding their time to pick off the next victim. Elizabeth is good friends with a former police inspector who now finds herself hospitalized and seemingly receiving end of life care. The police officer and Elizabeth (along with Ron and Ibrahim) would review old case files and try to find clues which the investigating teams may have missed many years before. Their endeavours are keeping their minds active and deep down Elizabeth knows there is little hope of actually catching a killer. At the start of the story we see Joyce (former nurse) being consulted by Elizabeth on the liklihood of a stabbing victim dying within a certain timeframe. Having considered the extent of the wounds – Elizabeth has crime scene photographs for reference – Joyce is able to surmise there was time between stabbing and death for the victim to have received medical assistance which would surely have saved her life. Elizabeth concurred and Joyce appears to have passed the “entry exam” and is invited to join the Thursday Murder Club. Thus Joyce and the reader become members of Elizabeth’s core circle.

Archive files are all well and good but when an actual (brutal) murder takes place and the members of the Thursday Murder Club knew the victim, the old cases are promptly forgotten as there is a killer to be found. Using their combined skills Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce and Ibrahim manage to befriend the local community police officer, get her brought into the team investigating the murder and then work their charms on her boss to facilitate an exhange of information to ensure they are kept up to date on the progress of the police investigation.

If that sounds whimiscal and unlikely then you may well be right but it is fun and that’s what’s really important here. Richard Osman has crafted a light hearted, funny and engaging story. It is cozy crime but with an unexpectedly large death count by the end of the story and there are so many charming, tender and emotive moments in the book that you can find yourself laughing one paragraph only to have a casual throwaway line in the next bringing a tear-prick to your eyes. Joyce’s Jersey Boys story nearly did for me.

The hook in this story is not the murder or even the investigation. It is very much the characters – the four Club members, Donna and Chris the two police officers investigating the murder, the gangsters who knew the victim (he was one of them) and the dozens of supporting characters that come and go as life goes on around the Coopers Chase retirment village. If you enjoy larger than life characters wonderfully realised on page then Richard Osman is your current go-to book of choice…he nails it.

I do need to point out that it took me a while to embrace this story. The narrative style is very conversational and that took me some time to get my head around. Characters have conversations with lots of tangents, drifting off point to discuss the daughter of the person they met and oh she had a new car and her husband is not the nicest chap in town. It is a frighteningly realistic portrayal of group discussions in a retirement home and adds so much more insight into how the characters are thinking but when I was reading I was initially horrified about having to listen to all the ramblings. But the ramblings are sometimes important, they are often emotive or funny and they can lead to some unexpected outcomes. I am more accustomed to dark and edgy crime thrillers so the mental shift to cosy, chatty was needed. I think I was around 90 mins into the audiobook (over 10 hours in length) before I embraced it fully. And I am glad I did.

The all important information you need to know about the audiobook is how does the narration sound? Leading us through this story is Lesley Manville – she was a great choice and made Joyce, Elizabeth and the others really come to life for me. She has, what I consider to be, a posh English accent which I associate with tea with the vicar, the chair of the local WI branch and someone who uses the word “frightful” in every day conversation. Not much like the voices I hear in my neighbourhood on the edge of Glasgow! But it works perfectly for The Thursday Murder Club and that’s the key.

Not my usual listen as I tend not to enjoy the cosy crime stories but The Thursday Murder Club had so much going on and was written with buckets of charm and clever, clever red herrings I could not help but love it. Not too shabby at all – good job Mr Osman!

The Thursday Murder Club is available in hardback, digital and (obviously) audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07S5D5TH7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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