Grab This Book – Page 52 – Helping readers find great books they may otherwise miss

The Vanishing Box – Elly Griffiths

Winter, 1953. A young flower seller is found dead in her room at a Brighton boarding-house, posed with chilling perfection into a recreation of the death of Lady Jane Grey. This is a killer unlike any DI Edgar Stephens has encountered before.

Across the city at the Hippodrome theatre, Max Mephisto is top of the bill in a double act with his daughter Ruby. Tarnishing the experience, though, is one of the other acts: a seedy ‘living tableaux’ show where barely-dressed women strike poses from famous historical scenes. Is the resemblance to the murder scene pure coincidence, or is life imitating art?

When another death occurs – this time within the troupe itself – Max once again finds himself involved in one of Edgar’s cases, and a threat that will come closer to home than anything before. What should be just a job is about to become personal.

My thanks to Quercus for my review copy which I received through Netgalley

During the Second World War Edgar Stephens served with a specialist Army unit known as The Magic Men. They were tasked with finding ways to mislead the enemy (almost an early example of Fake News), these adventures are covered in more detail in the first Stephens and Mephisto book The Zig-Zag Girl. It was during this unusual posting that Edgar Stephens met Max Mephisto and a strong friendship was formed.

I have loved all four books which have been released in the Stephens and Mephisto series and I highly recommend them, particularly for readers who enjoy retro/classic stories as these books are set in the early 1950’s and Elly Griffiths captures the sense of time and location wonderfully. It is worth noting that all four books can be enjoyed as stand-alone stories but characters are developed over the course of the series and the reward for returning readers will be seeing these loved characters interacting and their relationships growing.

I felt The Vanishing Box was the most emotive of the books thus far (no spoilers though) and certain events through the story had such a powerful impact upon me that I lost myself to 1950’s Brighton for far longer than I may have originally intended.

Stephens is tracking another murderer, there is a connection to the theatre where Max Mephisto and his daughter are preparing for one of the biggest shows of their respective careers – TV is beckoning. One of the other acts on the bill is a performance art piece where young women (in very little clothing) are stood on stage to depict powerful women from history. The scandalous nature of their attire draws the crowds as 1950’s Brighton avail themselves of the opportunity to be outraged. Tragedy will befall this act though as one of their number is found dead in their lodgings.

Stephens and colleagues will have to unpick the relationships between the women, establish if a suitor may have come a calling and try to determine why the dead girl also appears posed in a particular manner. Elly Griffiths writes great crime thrillers and this is a top notch police procedural where readers get to follow along with the investigation as it unfolds.

I love the time I spend with Stephens and Mephisto each year and events in The Vanishing Box may have shaken up the path our heroes may follow in future. Already looking forward to the next chance to return to Brighton.

The Vanishing Box is published by and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanishing-Box-chilling-Christmas-Stephens-ebook/dp/B01N0NG4NM/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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June 1

Thirteen – Steve Cavanagh

THE SERIAL KILLER ISN’T ON TRIAL.

HE’S ON THE JURY..

‘To your knowledge, is there anything that would preclude you from serving on this jury?’

Murder wasn’t the hard part. It was just the start of the game.

Joshua Kane has been preparing for this moment his whole life. He’s done it before. But this is the big one.

This is the murder trial of the century. And Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house.

But there’s someone on his tail. Someone who suspects that the killer isn’t the man on trial.

Kane knows time is running out – he just needs to get to the conviction without being discovered.

My thanks to Lauren at Orion for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour.

I love a serial killer story. I love a courtroom drama. Thirteen was love squared, it was outstanding – the page turner you hope that every book will be but few actually achieve.

Thirteen is Eddie Flynn book 4. For me it was Eddie Flynn book 1 (though books 1, 2, 3 and the 0.5 novella are all on my Kindle screaming at me to read them). I can categorically state that you do not have to have read the earlier books to enjoy Thirteen.

Eddie Flynn is a former conman turned lawyer – he is headhunted by a large law firm to join the team defending a high profile Hollywood star who stands accused of murdering his wife and her lover. The actor maintains his innocence but the evidence seems beyond dispute.

The reader knows that the real killer is not on trial, he is devising a way to get onto the jury. From this position of power the killer believes he can influence how the other jurors will view the evidence and that he can ensure an innocent man is found guilty of a crime he committed. The twist is delicious and Steve Cavanagh has worked some serious magic to make this story astonishingly good.

To give away too much of the plot of Thirteen would be criminal – readers should discover the joy of this book for themselves. Eddie Flynn is a hugely likeable character and I loved the principled drive he brought to this case. The killer made for fascinating reading too – we spend quite a lot of time in their company and the lengths with are gone to for him to secure his position of control are astonishing (and kept me turning pages).

I can also add a little extra detail to my reading experience of Thirteen as before I knew I was joining the blog tour I had already started to listen to the audiobook. The book is narrated by Adam Sims who has the perfect voice for this story – a slightly gravelly American accent which I could listen to for hours (and did as it happens). As an audiobook can live or die by the skill of the narrator I was very happy to hear this wonderful tale enhanced by a skilled storyteller.

I tend not to score the books I read but Thirteen is a guaranteed five star read – one of the reading highs of the year.

Thirteen is published by Orion and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thirteen-serial-killer-isnt-trial-ebook/dp/B076PKVQJV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527806735&sr=8-1&keywords=thirteen+steve+cavanagh

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May 31

Ghost Virus – Graham Masterton

The girl had been staring into her mirror all morning before she picked up the small bottle of sulphuric acid and poured it over her forehead.

Samira was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her. What could have brought her to this? DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel of Tooting Police suspect it’s suicide. But then a meek husband kills his wife, and the headteacher of the local school throws her pupils out of a window. It’s no longer a random outbreak of horrific crimes. It’s a deadly virus. And it’s spreading. Somehow, ordinary Londoners are being infected with an insatiable lust to murder. All of the killers were wearing second-hand clothes. Could these garments be possessed by some supernatural force?

The death count is multiplying. Now Jerry and Jamila must defeat the ghost virus, before they are all infected…

My thanks to Melanie at Head of Zeus for the chance to join the tour.

When I read a horror story I like to begin with the understanding that anything goes. I don’t want a story which is content to ground its-self in the confines of reality, that is what psychological thrillers are meant to do. I want an author to embrace the freedom of being able to do whatever they like to put their characters through the emotional wringer (and a fairly high body count is a bonus).

In Ghost Virus Graham Masterton has very much taken the freedom available to him and has infected some Londoners with an insatiable lust to murder. The common thread (no pun intended) is that all those infected have been exposed to second hand clothes which form a lethal symbiotic relationship with their host and drive them to kill.

As the carnage escalates we get two cops trying to make sense of these seemingly unrelated acts of violence. Jerry Pardoe and his new colleague Jamila Patel are perplexed by the horrific scenes they are called to investigate but soon start to see a pattern in the behaviour of the murderers. The challenge they face is that there is no logical or rational explanation to accompany the events they are witnessing.

Graham Masterton has a dark and disturbing imagination and this comes through in Ghost Virus. There is no glossing over the violent acts, the horror is very much front and centre of the story. Horror fans will love it. As a frequent reader of police procedurals there was also a very strong investigation by Pardoe and Patel for me to enjoy too. Everything I enjoy in a story – sit back, pick up the book and let the story flow around me. Bliss.

Fantastical horror and a criminal investigation. Will not be for the crime purists but I enjoyed this immensely.

Ghost Virus is published by Head of Zeus and is available in digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Virus-Graham-Masterton/dp/1788545044/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1527632832&sr=1-1

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May 30

Motherland – G.D. Abson

Motherland is the first in a gripping series of contemporary crime novels set in contemporary St Petersburg, featuring sharp and intriguing policewoman, Captain Natalya Ivanova.

Student Zena Dahl, the daughter of a Swedish millionaire, has gone missing in St Petersburg (or Piter as the city is colloquially known) after a night out with a friend. Captain Natalya Ivanova is assigned the case, making a change for Natalya from her usual fare of domestic violence work, but, because of the family’s wealth, there’s pressure for a quick result. But as she investigates she discovers that the case is not as straightforward as it may seem. Dark, violent and insightful, Motherland twists and turns to a satisfyingly dramatic conclusion.

My thanks to Mirror Books for my review copy and the chance to join the blog tour.

It was an absolute treat to read Motherland. Before I started to read I knew that I wanted the story to convey the location and a cultural identity of Russia so I could feel immersed in the story. It most certainly did that. But I also hoped to get a cracking crime thriller to entertain me. Motherland delivers that too.

Captain Natalya Ivanova is plucked from her latest assignment to give urgent attention to a missing student. The missing girl’s father is a businessman with significant wealth behind him and urgent action is needed, with the pressure on Natalya to deliver a fast resolution.

I was not shocked to find that there are significant political pressures placed upon Natalya as she conducts her investigation. The modern day equivalent of the KGB are keeping an eye on Natalya and when they are not comfortable with the direction her enquiries are taking they will intercede. This added element of suspicion and scrutiny gives Motherland a satisfying edginess as you read the story – always the possibility that a spanner shall be thrown into the works to disrupt Natalya’s plans.

There were plenty of twists and clever plotting to keep me concentrating as I read. I tend to skim read many of my books but the detail in Motherland kept me glued to the page, didn’t want to skimp on the story and was worried about missing some subtle clues in the plot. When I focus more on a story it only helps enhance my enjoyment so much satisfaction was had.

I realise that in the first 5 months of 2018 I have read crime thrillers set in Rome, Berlin, Louisiana and now St Petersburg. All seem so very far removed from my wee corner of Scotland but each book has had a distinctive voice and I have loved the variety of locations I am introduced to. Motherland does a wonderful job of capturing the uniqueness of St Petersburg.

Once you get into the story you will appreciate that Natalya is built up to be a strong lead character with a real life away from her investigations. You care more about the characters as they become more real to the reader, particularly Natalya, and you want to read her story (and hope that this will not be a stand-alone tale).

If you enjoy police procedurals and fancy a read which takes readers away from the more established stomping grounds of London, Oxford or Edinburgh then Motherland will deliver all the crimey fun you seek with a new backdrop to explore. Highly recommended.

Motherland is published by Mirror Books and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Motherland-gripping-thriller-Putins-Russia-ebook/dp/B077XPBDZV/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1527632672&sr=8-3&keywords=motherland

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May 30

Rubicon – Ian Patrick

Two cops, both on different sides of the law – both with the same gangland boss in their sights.

Sam Batford is an undercover officer with the Metropolitan Police who will stop at nothing to get his hands on fearsome crime-lord Vincenzo Guardino’s drug supply.

DCI Klara Winter runs a team on the National Crime Agency, she’s also chasing down Guardino, but unlike Sam Batford she’s determined to bring the gangster to justice and get his drugs off the streets.

Set in a time of austerity and police cuts where opportunities for corruption are rife, Rubicon is a tense, dark thriller that is definitely not for the faint hearted.

My thanks to Fahrenheit Press for my review copy and to Emma Welton (Damppebbles) for the chance to join the Rubicon blog tour

On rare (but happy) occasions I sit down to write a review and cannot think of any way to convey just how much I loved the book I have just finished. Going forward I may refer to this predicament as The Rubicon Dilemma.

Rubicon is utterly brilliant and you should make sure you read this book as soon as possible.

Not sure what else I can add…

…

Okay some information about the book may help. Sam Batford is working undercover for the Metropolitan Police, he is a wonderfully complex character who will do whatever it takes to complete his mission. But Sam is serving many masters and his motives and methods keep you guessing and you are never quite sure how he will behave next.

Sam is the main focus but we also keep track on DCI Winter – she wants drugs removed from the streets of London and will let nothing get in her way. With the two leads operating in very different ways it is inevitable that Rubicon will deliver some delightfully twisted and tense situations for readers to enjoy.

Reading about Sam spinning so many plates and keeping up the facade of confident bravado is engrossing. Yet the readers also get sneak peeks at the pressures it brings on him when he is alone and his guard lowered.

There always seems to be something happening in Rubicon. Some books will see the story ebb and flow but with this story there never seemed a good point to put the book to the side (even when I *really* needed coffee). If you want a story which delivers dark, twisty entertainment then I cannot think of many finer examples. Ian Patrick delivers a wonderfully crafted tale of tension and intrigue and I just did not want to stop reading.

Top, top read. The purchase link is below – use it.

Rubicon is published by Fahrenheit Press and you can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_rubicon.html

Category: 5* Reviews, Blog Tours | Comments Off

May 25

A Series Business – Sarah Hilary

Regular visitors will know that I love to read about recurring characters and watch their story develop over a number of books. This new feature, A Series Business, was created so that I could ask authors to discuss all their books and try to put the focus on the wonderful back catalogue available for readers.

Today I am thrilled to welcome Sarah Hilary back to Grab This Book. Sarah is the author of the brilliant Marnie Rome books which I have loved since I first read Someone Else’s Skin not long after I began this blog.

I never begin with a question. Could I ask you to introduce yourself and ask you to ensure you take full advantage of this opportunity to plug your books?

I’m Sarah Hilary and I’m writing the Marnie Rome series set in London. Marnie is a detective inspector with the Metropolitan Police, working with her detective sergeant, Noah Jake, to tackle crimes such as domestic violence, murder, kidnap and exploitation. In the latest book, Come and Find Me, Marnie and Noah are racing against time to find Mickey Vokey, a dangerous escaped prisoner with a history of violence.

As the purpose of A Series Business is to discuss the Marnie Rome books could you now introduce us to Marnie?

Marnie is a bit of a mystery to me, but that’s all to the good. I love exploring her character and uncovering her secrets as the series progresses. As a teenager, she was a wild child, getting tattoos, getting drunk, running away from home. She deeply regrets the pain she caused her parents during that period of their lives. After she left home, they fostered a young boy, Stephen, who went on to murder them when he was fourteen. Marnie is driven by guilt, grief and the need for answers from Stephen. But I’m careful not to let this backstory get in the way of her work. Marnie is calm and compassionate, and she has a very steely core.

Had it always been your intention to build a series around a recurring character?

In a sense, yes. Once I knew who Marnie was — her complicated past, her need for redemption — I could see I needed time and many, many pages to take her on that journey. Each book has a separate crime, but Marnie’s backstory runs across the series.

Have you a character path mapped out and are you building up towards key events? Or is the future for Marnie still unclear, even to you?

No, I don’t even have a plot for each book! I abide by the rule that characters need to change, especially ones involved in police work which exposes them to trauma and stress. But I deliberately avoid knowing where a story will end. The fun for me comes from making discoveries as I write. Marnie has several times surprised me, which makes for great twists for readers too.

Have you written anything thus far in the series which you now wish you could undo?

No, thank goodness. But it does remain a chief concern of mine. I hate the thought of having written myself into a corner which might ruin a brilliant twist I’ve yet to dream up!

Do you include “spoilers” from earlier stories in subsequent books? If I were to be reading out of order could I possibly learn of a character death or a murderer’s identity which was a twist in an earlier story?

I hope not. I take care to have just enough of a flavour of the earlier stories to intrigue a new reader, but I’d hate to give the twists away. That said, to appreciate the slow burn of Marnie’s character development — and her dance with Stephen towards the truth about her parents’ murders — I’d recommend starting at the beginning.

Do your characters age in real time, living through current events and tech developments or are they wrapped in a creative bubble which allows you to draw only on what you need for the latest book?

They age. But at the moment there is only around two years time difference between the six books in the series. Each one tends to take place within a few months of the last. This is partly because of Marnie’s character arc. Can you imagine picking up book six and discovering that it’s been a couple of years since book five and she’s sorted it all out with Stephen and moved on?!

Do you have ideas for a book which just don’t fit Marnie’s world? Is there a standalone story crying out to be written?

Oh, yes. I suspect all writers are besieged by stories, all the time. I am working on a standalone after Marnie book six, in fact.

Can a Marnie Rome novel ever end in a cliff-hanger or does each book demand a resolution is achieved?

The crime itself needs a resolution, I feel. There is an individual investigation in each book which is wrapped up in the final pages. But I have written quite a few cliff-hangers involving the central characters. Come and Find Me (book five) ends with a heart-stopping shock for one of the main characters.

Colin Dexter famously killed off Inspector Morse. Agatha Christie wrote Poirot’s death and then released dozens more Poirot stories before Curtain was published. Will there ever be a “final” Marnie Rome story?

Possibly! But that depends on readers, and Marnie. If she keeps whispering her secrets to me, and readers keep wanting to find out more about her, I’d like to keep writing her stories.

Huge thanks to Sarah, I know I am not alone when I say that we really do want to learn more about Marnie!

You can order any of the Marnie Rome books through the following link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-Hilary/e/B009X3U5BE/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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May 23

The Hand of an Angel – Mark Brownless

How far would you go to get a glimpse of the afterlife, and what would you bring back?

A shattering medical thriller with a heart-stopping climax.

Devoted family man and respected cardiologist Tom Boyand is obsessed with the near-death experiences of his patients. An obsession that leaves him dead on a table with his colleagues battling desperately to resuscitate him.

But Tom has pushed the limits of the experiment too far and he’s gone for too long, seeing more of the other side than anyone before.
They get him back but he isn’t the same person. And he’s not alone.

My thanks to Sam at Lounge Marketing (Lounge Books) for the chance to join this blog tour and for providing a review copy.

I cannot remember the last time I read a medical thriller, however, The Hand of an Angel made me appreciate how much I had missed them. Doctors playing God, patients suffering mysterious ailments and so many long corridors with many, many closed doors…love, love, love a good medical drama. It is pleasing to be able to confirm that The Hand of an Angel is every bit a good medical thriller!

Tom Boyand is about to embark on the final journey. But he also plans to make it a return trip and live to tell the tale. In order to cheat death he has amassed a huge wealth of medical knowledge, assembled team of researchers and physicians who can help him “die” and then bring him back to life. Everything will be carefully monitored, all done under controlled conditions and Tom hopes that he will remember exactly how it feels to die so that he can share the knowledge.

The first half of the novel draws readers into Tom’s world. His project, his colleagues, his family and we get a very good idea as to the type of person that Tom is…a nice guy!

When the time comes to begin his experiment we are excited for Tom and his team and as a reader I was also keen to find out what he may experience after his death. Suffice to say I was shocked by how the story changed – perhaps I should have read the blurb before reading…

Tom becomes a changed man. His easygoing personality changes and he becomes paranoid, suspicious, aggressive and confrontational. Having spent so much time getting to know Tom it is upsetting to see the changes he appears to be undergoing. More so when when we see the impact it is having on his family and friends. Mark Brownless handles this change in dynamic brilliantly and it makes for gripping reading.

Unfortunately for Tom he has more pressing problems to contend with than a change to his moods. He believes that he may not have returned from the dead on his own. Tom keeps seeing the same strange figure in different places he visits…at work, at home and he cannot understand why other people don’t appear to notice.

What had been a great medical thriller now becomes a dark and sinister tale. The change up in tension is marked and it had me flicking the pages like a demon (as it were) trying to reach the end of the book as quickly as I could so I could find out what happened. And Wow.

This story totally sucked me in – what more could a reader ask for?

The Hand of an Angel is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hand-Angel-Mark-Brownless/dp/1976248744/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1527016541&sr=8-1

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May 22

The TV Detective – Simon Hall

Dan Groves is a television reporter newly assigned to the crime beat and not at all happy about it.

Dan knows next nothing about police work or how to report on it, so when he persuades Detective Chief Inspector Adam Breen to allow him to shadow a high-profile murder inquiry it seems like the perfect solution. Sadly for Dan it soon becomes clear some members of the police force have no intention of playing nice with the new boy.

With his first case Dan is dropped in at the deep-end. A man is killed in a lay-by with a blast through the heart from a shotgun. The victim is notorious local businessman Edward Bray, a man with so many enemies there are almost too many suspects for the police to eliminate.

As tensions rise Dan comes close to being thrown off the case until the detectives realise that far from being a liability, Dan might actually be the key to tempting the murderer into a trap.

My thanks to Emma Welton for the chance to join the blog blitz and to Fahrenheit Press for my review copy.

The newsroom is meeting the squadroom in Simon Hall’s The TV Detective. Dan Groves is the environment reporter for his local TV news channel. He loves his role and has developed a great reputation for reporting on contentious issues with a sympathetic understanding.

Dan finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time to avoid a new assignment from his demanding boss. A man has been attacking prostitutes in the Plymouth area – Dan is sent out to see if he can secure an interview with someone who knew the latest attack victim. A rash decision to secure the story sees Dan landing in hot water – the only way to avoid the wrath of the powers that be is to accept an immediate move to the Crime Beat (something Dan knows nothing about).

With no time to find his feet Dan finds himself dispatched to cover the latest hot news story. Local businessman and all round bad-fellow has been shot in his car by person unknown. Dan is to cover the police conference, see if he can establish any story leads from the scene of the crime and put out the best story which will ensure his network has the best coverage of the shooting. Easy. Or not so much.

Further shocks lie ahead for Dan when he learns that agreement has been reached for him to work alongside the chief investigating officer on the case, DCI Adam Breen.

Splitting his time between police station and tv studio we get to see Dan finding his feet in his new role. Shadowing the police and being allowed to contribute to discussions on suspects, motives and other case sensitive information. As the story unfolds Dan begins to show his value to the police both as a sounding-board for suggestions and as a helpful (friendly) media voice.

The TV Detective is a very accessible and entertaining read. Dan and Breen have good verbal sparring throughout the story as each man comes to understand the other and boundaries are established. Away from the investigation we are also treated to Dan’s first attempts at online dating, some light relief from the murder tale and a fun way for the reader to understand the main character a bit better too.

The TV Detective is made by the characters, a small(ish) cast are all really well presented. Dan and Breen hold centre stage and the story is built around them but the supporting cast are also well defined and the author makes you want to know more about his cast – it keeps you reading.

The TV Detective is published by Fahrenheit Press and is available in digital and paperback editions. You can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_the_tv_detective.html

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May 20

The Lost Children – Theresa Talbot

TV journalist and media darling Oonagh O’Neil can sense a sinister coverup from the moment an elderly priest dies on the altar of his Glasgow church. Especially as his death comes as she is about to expose the shocking truth behind the closure of a Magdalene Institution. The Church has already tried to suppress what happened to decades of forgotten women. Is someone also covering their tracks?

DI Alec Davies is appointed to investigate the priest’s death. He and Oonagh go way back. But what secrets lie behind the derelict Institution’s doors? What sparked the infamous three-day riot that closed it? And what happened to the girls that survived the institution and vowed to stay friends forever?

From Ireland to Scotland.

From life to death.

This book was previously published as Penance.

The last line of the description of The Lost Children is important – this book was previously published as Penance and this review (after this paragraph) is also my previous review of Penance. I wrote that review in December 2015, as many new people have started following my reviews since then I am re-sharing my review to reflect the new title for this cracking story.

I am going to struggle to do The Lost Children justice in this review. It is a fabulous book, it tells a story partly based around historical events which add a layer of heart-breaking tragedy, it is emotive, often funny and frequently shocking. You have to read it!

Central character Oonagh O’Neil is an investigative journalist and she has been looking into the closure of Glasgow’s Magdalene Institution many years prior to events in the main story. Oonagh believes that a local priest can help her uncover what went on behind the Institutions closed doors but before she can get the full story the priest dies during mass.

Oonagh refuses to give up on her investigation but pursuing the story is putting lives in danger (including Oonagh’s own). A rival journalist is digging the dirt on Oonagh and will stop at nothing to suppress her story if the payoff from other ‘interested parties’ makes it worth his while!

Events in The Lost Children are mainly played out in Glasgow in the year 2000 but at times the story drops back to the late 1950’s and we see how girls may have ended up in the Magdalene Institutions and (more alarmingly) what they endured while they were resident. The small time-shifts are handled really well, do not break the flow of the story, and add depth and context to the main plot which makes the endgame so damn effective.

A tricky read at times, the brutal reality is handled with sensitivity by Theresa Talbot. But she does not shirk away from confronting the unsettling subject matter and The Lost Children is a compelling story as a result. Most definitely a story I am glad I have read – 5/5 review score was guaranteed when I realized that I was frequently thinking back to The Lost Children when I was meant to be working!

The Lost Children is published in digital format by Aria and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Children-gripping-thriller-hooked-ebook/dp/B0798S5LN1/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1526824832&sr=1-1&keywords=theresa+talbot

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May 20

Paperbacks From Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction – Grady Hendrix

An affectionate, nostalgic, and unflinchingly funny celebration of the horror fiction boom of the 1970s and ’80s

Take a tour through the horror paperback novels of two iconic decades . . . if you dare.

Page through dozens and dozens of amazing book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, and knife-wielding killer crabs! Read shocking plot summaries that invoke devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate!

Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary’s Baby. Complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles, this unforgettable volume dishes on familiar authors like V. C. Andrews and R. L. Stine, plus many more who’ve faded into obscurity.

Also included are recommendations for which of these forgotten treasures are well worth your reading time and which should stay buried.

My thanks to Quirk Books for my review copy which I received through Netgalley

It is 2018 and if you were asked to name a few horror writers then it is likely that the name Stephen King would quickly be mentioned, perhaps James Herbert, Ramsey Campbell, Clive Barker and Richard Laymon – authors with healthy catalogues of work which fill the shelves in the Horror section of your local bookshop.

If you were to take a trip to a good second-hand bookshop and look for the Horror books then you are likely to find shelves packed with virtually unknown names. Book covers would feature inventive pictures of blood, fangs, monsters and demons, churches and spooky houses and each would be trying to give the impression that each is more terrifying than the last. For a horror fan this could be the chance for a little shelf-browsing fun. For Grady Hendrix I get the impression it would be one of the best ways to spend a day.

Paperbacks From Hell will take readers on a journey of discovery through the 1970’s and 1980’s as Grady Hendrix tracks the books, the authors and publishers and the stories which would shape horror writing for decades. Although the focus is very much on the 70’s and 80’s there is discussion around earlier books and as the book draws to a close there is a sign of where the genre was heading as the 90’s approached.

Readers will be familiar with many of the more popular titles: for example, reading about Rosemary’s Baby was fun – discovering how it gave life (no pun intended) to swathes of other imaginative tales was utterly fascinating.

Some of the titles which are discussed sound absolutely bonkers and kudos to the author for sticking with them! There are dozens and dozens of books referenced in Paperbacks From Hell. Grady Hendrix writes with humour and obvious affection for the source material. He will provide plot synopsis and make observational judgements on whether the “surprise” horrific developments in these horror tales can carry the story.

Pages are filled with pictures of book covers. The subtle, the shocking, the classics and the over-the-top. Hendrix does not just focus on the stories and their authors but the artists get to share the limelight and we see their body of work. Also under discussion are the publishers who determined which books would fill the shelves and display stands across the lands. The social commentary of these decades shows how the narrative in horror tales changed and evolved over 20 years.

If you consider yourself a fan of horror stories then this is a brilliant read. Not only do you see how the books you loved have come to be but you will also identify books you will feel you must track down to read. Really enjoyed the time I spent with Paperbacks From Hell and the paperback (which I spotted in my local bookshop last week) is gorgeous.

Paperbacks From Hell is published by Quirk Books and available in Paperback, Audio and Digital versions. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paperbacks-Hell-Twisted-History-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01NBO5GIH/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526808922&sr=8-2&keywords=paperbacks+from+hell

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