The Library Suicides – Fflur Dafydd

`You can get in. But you can’t get out. Welcome to the library…

Twins Ana and Nan are lost after the death of their mother. Everyone knows who drove Elena, the renowned novelist, to suicide – her long-term literary critic, Eben. But the twins need proof if they’re going to get revenge.

Desperate to clear his name, Eben requests access to Elena’s diaries at the National Library where the twins work, and they see an opportunity. With careful planning, the twins lock down the labyrinthine building, trapping their colleagues, the public and most importantly Eben inside. But as a rogue security guard starts freeing hostages, the plan unravels. And what began as a single-minded act of revenge blooms into a complex unravelling of loyalties, motives and what it is that makes us who we are.

Hauntingly written, with a fresh, captivating voice, The Library Suicides is an intensely memorable and provocative literary read for fans of high concept thrillers that break the mould, and books about books and the concept of the written word.

I received a review copy of The Library Suicides from the publishers via Netgalley.

The Library Suicides was described on Waterstones website as a “captivating locked-room psychological thriller” those words made me think of a much darker tale than Fflur Dafydd’s excellent story. The description quoted above describes it as “an intensely memorable and provacative literary read” – yes to this. It’s quirky, clever and wonderfully constructed. I tend not to read books which get classed as “literary” as I don’t feel I am their target audience and I don’t have the depth of knowledge to compare these reads to other offerings. In the case of The Library Suicides, I had fun with the story and thought the characters were marvellous – I particularly enjoyed how easily they became real for me.

I didn’t get the gritty darkness I had expected from The Library Suicides and I think that’s taken some of the shine off the story for me which is a real shame as these characters do get the chance to shine under the care of Fflur Dafydd.

Twins Nan and Ana are a complex duo who have a plan. They are going to their place of work, the National Library, they will lock down the building, they will hold their colleagues hostage and – most importantly – they will have literary critic Eben Prytherch trapped inside with them. Exactly where they want him.

Nan and Ana’s mother, Elena, was a famous novelist but Eben was one of her fiercest critics – irrationally so. When Elena took her own life the blame was placed firmly at Eben’s door. Now Eben has been granted access to Elena’s diaries (all stored in an archive in the National Library) and he wants to tell her story, perhaps to absolve himself of some personal guilt? Or perhaps to find a reason to shift the blame on Elena’s death onto someone or something else? Irrespective of his motives it comes as a surprise when the Twins agree to allow Eben to read their late mother’s words. But the reader comes to understand the true reason for their motivation.

Not mentioned in the book description is the backdrop to The Library Suicides. The story is set in a time after a great disease has taken a toll on much of the population. There is a great fuss made when one character touches a stranger. Books and paper are no longer in use. Libraries are digitising and destroying as paper can transmit disease. I found the unexpected dystopian twist to the setting to be a real plus point in my enjoyment of the story.

You can tell I found this tricky to review. Many positive elements, humour and quirky characters which kept my attention long past the point I would have set aside a book which I felt “wasn’t really for me”. I had a real desire to find out how the twins would execute their plan (as it were) and once the stoned, ex-con security guard started to show a bit of initiatve and a desire to do the right thing I was totally onboard for the rest of the journey.

Not my normal read and a very different type of story than I had expected (that’s on me) great characters, moral dilemmas and a fascinating build up to…well to something I hadn’t expected…this book will shine and delight many readers.

The Library Suicides publishes in hardback on 19 January 2023 and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-library-suicides/fflur-dafydd/9781399711074

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January 4

Mirrorland – Carole Johnstone

One twin ran. The other vanished. Neither escaped…

DON’T TRUST ANYONE
Cat’s twin sister El has disappeared. But there’s one thing Cat is sure of: her sister isn’t dead. She would have felt it. She would have known.

DON’T TRUST YOUR MEMORIES
To find her sister, Cat must return to their dark, crumbling childhood home and confront the horrors that wait there. Because it’s all coming back to Cat now: all the things she has buried, all the secrets she’s been running from.

DON’T TRUST THIS STORY…
The closer Cat comes to the truth, the closer to danger she is. Some things are better left in the past…

I received a review copy from the publishers via Netgalley

In 2022 I read and reviewed fewer books than I wanted. I began 2023 with a determination to read some of the titles I hadn’t managed to get to last year and make sure I reviewed them too! Doesn’t seem too much to ask for a bookblogger…

As the New Year bells rang out I was finishing Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone. Scottish based, a dark and twisty story (gothic is a word which I have seen used more than once in connection with this story) and extensive use of flashback chapters to a time when twins Cat and El were children.

Their childhood is very much central to the story set in current times (2018 as it turns out) as the characteristics of each twin is embedded during their troubled formative years and when we first meet Cat in 2018 the sisters have not spoken for many years, Cat is living in America while El has remained in Scotland and is married to their childhood friend Ross. But Cat is finally making the return trip to Scotland as El has taken her boat out to sea and both El and the boat are missing.

Cat is utterly convinced that El is alive. As a twin she would know if something had happened to her sister. When she returns to her childhood home (where El and Ross now live) she starts receiving strange messages – warnings – and then emails begin to arrive each seem to be from El who is sending Cat on “treasure hunts” similar to those the girls played many years before. Cat believes the language and the clues can only have come from her sister, so where is she and why is she hiding from her husband and twin?

Carole Johnstone makes excellent use of flashbacks to past events to reveal more and more about the relationship between El and Cat, El and Ross and Ross and Cat. But pivotal to the story is Mirrorland. The place where the girls spent their childhood – a fantasy construct within their house and garden where clowns, pirates were real, they could hide from The Witch in their house and live out the stories they enjoyed.

If truth be told I did sometimes lose track of what was a fantasy memory and what was Cat on a present day treasure hunt – reading in a busy Christmas house was not condusive to keeping firm hold of the story thread. It got to the point where I was doubting everything all the characters were saying, I doubted their actions were genuine and I second guessed everything as it happened. This is what I want from a thriller – that uncertainty and the need to find out what actually happens kept me coming back for chapter after chapter.

A good start to my reading year as I had fun with Mirrorland.

Mirrorland is published by HarperCollins and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/mirrorland/carole-johnstone/9780008361426

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December 29

My Top Ten Favourite Reads of 2022

The end of another year of blogging and I look back on all the books I read this year so I can pick out ten of my favourites. It will be ten books, as I can’t keep adding more and more titles into the end of year wrap-up it becomes unweildy and a nightmare to tag everyone on Twitter.

Behind the scenes here at Grab This Book it has been a tricky 2022. There has been #Decades (which I thank everyone for) but far fewer reviews than I would like. I look forward to 2023 with a vow to do better and share more reviews – I did what I could to champion those unreviewed books on Twitter and Facebook but I would have preferred to caputre that enthusiasm here too.

But you’re here for the books and I want to get to them too. Ten of them. Not in any order for nine of the ten. But one title did stand out for me and I have recommended it to more people than any other book this year so that will be the last book I mention below and that book will be my favourite book of 2022. All the books I detail are the stories I enjoyed the most as I read them. They may not have won awards, you may disagree (we can’t all love the same books) but these ten books stuck with me as the months slipped by. If you read any of these then I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Dark Objects – Simon Toyne

Dark Objects, dark storytelling. The best feeling for a reader is to get drawn into the story and just want to keep those pages turning. This book stands out as one of the best thrillers I read this year and I remember reading it extremely late into the night, reluctant to leave the world which Simon Toyne had spun around me.

My review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6594

Demon – Matt Wesolowski

The Six Stories series is a firm favourite and if you’re ever looking for a terrific audiobook experience then Matt Wesolowski’s books should be your first port of call. All the stories are dark adventures but Demon got into my head more than the previous books – haunting.

My review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6280

The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill – Craig Robertson

One of the first books I read in 2022 and, despite my goldfish memory, Grace’s story is not one I will forget in a hurry. I feel guilty for not shouting about this book as much as I should have done at the time but it has quite a few trigger issues which hit close to home. The fact I hold this book in such high regard, despite it putting me through emotional turmoil, is clear indication as to how good it is.

My review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6260

The Junction – Norm Konyu

A graphic novel? Absolutely! This book blew me away when I read it. Norm Konyu’s artwork is absolutely stunning and the story is a thing of beauty – I hadn’t cried at a comicbook since Amazing Spider-Man 400 (Aunt May died) but I came damned close to seeping tears at The Junction.

My Review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6609

Up Close and Fatal – Fergus McNeil

A serial killer road trip? Yes Please!

When I picked up this book I was intrigued by the prospect of a journalist receiving a list of murder victims then being drawn into a race against time to try to catch a killer. But once I started reading I was totally hooked. The words flowed past like miles under the wheels of a car as Fergus McNeil served up one of the most readable thrillers I have read for a long, long time. I had such fun with this book.

My Review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6685

Old Bones Lie – Marion Todd

As a reader with a terrible memory for remembering character names I like nothing more than getting stuck into a series of books where recurring characters return for multiple adventures – I feel I get to know these characters so well and I look forward to seeing what may lie in store for them in the next book. One of the best new series is the Clare Mackay books by Marion Todd – the stories are set in and around St Andrews and in Old Bones Lie there is a cracking opening scenario which grabbed me from the outset. I read this with a huge grin on my face.

My review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6739

The Blood Tide – Neil Lancaster

Keeping the recurring characters and police thriller theme going my next selection is this fabulous new adventure featuring DS Max Cragie. Neil Lancaster has his lead character on the hunt for corruption within Police Scotland and when you know you can’t trust any of the cops in a story how can you not be glued to every interaction? How can you not try to second guess every decision taken by the characters? The story takes the reader all around Scotland and that just makes it even better. Don’t miss these books.

My Review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6509

Truly, Darkly, Deeply – Victoria Selman

Every good list of books (and every list of good books) needs at least one title where you can’t reveal too much about the story as the revelations and discovery as the chapters fly by must be discovered for the first time only when the author deems it necessary. That book in 2022 was Truly, Darkly, Deeply. If you’re in the market for a cracking serial killer story then grab this book and don’t read too much into the plot before you start reading.

My Review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6763

Dead Rich – G W Shaw

Although most of my year finds me reading crime/detective stories, Dead Rich is a book I’d place into the Adventure category. But there’s loads of crime going on between the covers here and G W Shaw delivers an absolutely riproaring thriller which I described as a Hollywood Summer Blockbuster in a novel.

Terror on the high seas and a lead character you cannot help but root for – I read this early in the year and loved seeing other readers discovering how much fun was to be had from Dead Rich as the year unfolded.

My Review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6513

Vine Street – Dominic Nolan

I began 2022 listening to Vine Street on Audible. I was utterly captivated by this story and for the last twelve months I have suggested Vine Street to anyone who is looking for a new book to read. I tried to review it and I don’t think I did it justice. I saw Dominic Nolan at Aye Write and again at Bloody Scotland, each time he shared more detail about writing Vine Street which made me appreciate just how much detail was included in the story. I first described Vine Street as a serial killer story which spanned decades but at Aye Write Mr Nolan said he had wanted to write about the clubs of Soho in the 1920s – I felt had totally missed the purpose of the story but there’s just so much going on that I took in the Soho clubs as I looked for the killer among those dark streets.

My favourite book of 2022 – I wish I could have the chance to read it for the first time all over again.

My Review: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=6479

And that’s a wrap on 2022. Ten books I loved. If you haven’t read all these stories then you may wish to seek them out. If you do (and you enjoy them) then please take a minute to let the author know. You don’t need a blog to share the booklove – leave a wee review on a website (Amazon, Goodreads, Waterstones, Kobo). Just saying “I enjoyed this book” will help the author, may encourage another reader to pick up the book too and it may even give the author the motivation they need to finish just one more chaper of a new novel.

Category: 5* Reviews, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off

December 14

My Ten Favourite Audiobooks of 2022

As another year draws to a close I have decided, once again, to pull together a list of my favourite audiobooks that I listened to over the last twelve months. There will be a favourite books of 2022 list to follow this post and (spoiler) at least one of the following ten selections will also appear on that list when I share it.

A brief explanatory introduction then the ten audiobooks shall follow (with a purchase link for each where you can pick up a copy in a number of different formats). I do these lists as I want you – yes YOU – to read or listen to the books too.

The last twelve months have been extremely busy for me and I have not read or reviewed as many books as I wanted to. Lets face it though, I am approaching fifty years of age and I have never had a year where I have managed to read all the books I wanted to read. Despite being busy I still managed to get through more audiobooks than ever before so I have expanded my favourite listens from a traditional short list of five titles to a full list of ten.

These books may not have won awards, may not have topped the charts and not all of them are “new” titles which released in 2022. The selections are the ten stories I enjoyed listening to the most – my blog, my favourites. Oh – and I present them in no particular order.

The Seeker – S G MacLean (narr. Nicholas Camm)

It has been my absolute honour to make a few appearances on the Bloody Scotland Book Club over the last couple of years. Panel members are invited to suggest books to read and discuss and for one of my appearances I selected The Seeker. I don’t read very many historical thrilers but I find I always enjoy them more when I listen to the audiobook and this one was an absolute cracker.

London, 1654. Oliver Cromwell is at the height of his power and has declared himself Lord Protector. Yet he has many enemies, at home and abroad.

London is a teeming warren of spies and merchants, priests and soldiers, exiles and assassins. One of the web’s most fearsome spiders is Damian Seeker, agent of the Lord Protector. No one knows where Seeker comes from, who his family is, or even his real name. All that is known of him for certain is that he is utterly loyal to Cromwell, and that nothing can be long hidden from him.

In the city, coffee houses are springing up, fashionable places where men may meet to plot and gossip. Suddenly they are ringing with news of a murder. John Winter, hero of Cromwell’s all-powerful army, is dead, and the lawyer, Elias Ellingworth, found standing over the bleeding body, clutching a knife.

Yet despite the damning evidence, Seeker is not convinced of Ellingworth’s guilt. He will stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice: and Seeker knows better than any man where to search.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M3ERIA6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

Roll With It – Jay Stringer (Narr: Jennifer Pickens)

This was a summer listen and those bright, warm evening dog walks were just perfect for this tale of bounty hunters, stolen money and stolen kisses.

What is your whole life worth, to the nearest dollar?
A bag of cash. No owner. Do you take it?

Emily Scott was the first girl Chloe Medina ever kissed. Back before she was ready to talk about that kind of thing. Now, two decades later, Chloe is a bounty hunter in Arizona, and a local crime boss hires her track down a criminal who has stolen a bag of cash. The fugitive’s name? Emily Scott.

Emily Scott is a stand-up comedian and one-time bank robber who came into possession of forbidden knowledge that could get her killed. She knows the identity of Big Wheel, an illusive and semi-mythic criminal kingpin who runs the state. When presented with a chance to run away with a bag full of cash, she didn’t hesitate. But now out on the road she’s stuck between two worlds. After spending twenty years getting good at one thing, and building her identity around it, can she abandon all that work and become someone new? And what happens when she finds out Chloe Medina is on her tail, the hot girl who broke her nose at high school after one kiss?

Chloe isn’t the only person chasing Scott down. Deputy U.S. Marshal Treat Tyler is on the case. Scott had been in Tyler’s custody when she escaped, and his reputation is on the line. What self-respecting lawman lets a comedian get away? Tyler has another personal stake in the story. He used to work with Medina, back when she was a Marshal. They were rivals. They had identical test scores and identical success rates. Tyler enjoys wearing the badge just as much as Medina did. He’s obsessed with being the cowboy, and despite the years between, can’t stop wondering if Medina may have been just a bit better at it. Whenever their paths cross, he finds a way to bring conversation round to the idea of a contest—to settle the issue once and for all. Medina always declines. She has nothing to prove. But Tyler does, and finding out that Medina is tracking the same fugitive? Game on. Again. And, of course, Tyler is hiding his own secrets about Big Wheel.

Can Medina get to Emily before Tyler? And before Big Wheel? And if she does…do they need to talk about that kiss?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09THR1HH9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

And Your Enemies Closer – Rob Parker (Narr: Warren Brown)

If my last selection was one from the warm summertime, this choice was a listen for the dark winter nights. It is the second in the Thirty Miles trilogy and I bought this the day it released as I had loved the first book. It may only have been January 6th but it was one of the best book purchases I made all year.

In the North West criminal underworld, a deal goes tragically wrong, resulting in war between the two main organised crime factions in the region. Shockwaves rock the 30-mile gap between Liverpool and Manchester – with retired detective Brendan Foley right in the middle of it all.

For Brendan, six months after his resignation, life is all different. His marriage is a mess, he’s working as a nightclub bouncer, his brother is still missing and he just can’t stop searching for the crime family that destroyed his life. And at last, he’s found them – and he’s got them bang to rights.

Iona Madison, his one-time partner and now successor as a DI in Warrington Police, is tasked with a body pulled from the River Mersey – a teen-age boy that went missing the previous year, which might bring her own conduct into question. Not only that, Brendan is feeding her information whether she likes it or not – and his unsanctioned activities are causing her headaches.

And now, there’s a price on his head. A million pounds, dead or alive.

And Your Enemies Closer is a serpentine race against time as Brendan and Iona must stay one step ahead of criminals at every corner, while trying to bring justice – in whatever form it takes, and whatever loyalties it might burn.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Enemies-Closer-Thirty-Trilogy/dp/B09NC7TCSX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Rob+Parker&qid=1671054727&s=audible&sr=1-1

The Dying Squad – Adam Simcox (Narr: Sophie Aldred)

I love when someone shakes things up a bit and brings different elements to a crime story. How about the two principle investigators being dead? A policeman solving his own murder? Sign me up for that one – it was brilliant!

Who better to solve a murder than a dead detective?

When Detective Inspector Joe Lazarus storms a Lincolnshire farmhouse, he expects to bring down a notorious drug gang; instead, he discovers his own body and a spirit guide called Daisy-May.

She’s there to enlist him to the Dying Squad, a spectral police force who solve crimes their flesh and blood counterparts cannot.

Lazarus reluctantly accepts and returns to the Lincolnshire Badlands, where he faces dangers from both the living and the dead in his quest to discover the identity of his killer – before they kill again.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Dying-Squad/dp/B08T1WBWF5/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Adam+Simcox&qid=1671055145&s=audible&sr=1-2

The Book of Cold Cases – Simone St. James (Narr: Pressley, Potter, Petkoff)

This was atmospheric, wonderfully narrated, delightfully twisty and in Beth Greer a powerful character that I just could not figure out – terrific writing by Simone St James, I was utterly hooked on this one.

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times best-selling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect – a rich, eccentric 23-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases – a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Book-of-Cold-Cases/dp/B098YNXGV1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3Q73X04EH227X&keywords=book+of+cold+cases&qid=1671055383&s=audible&sprefix=the+book+of+cold+ca%2Caudible%2C123&sr=1-1

The Dynasty – Jeff Benedict (Narr: Todd Menesses)

I love American Football, have done for years and the weeks from September through to February when I can watch the NFL matches always give me some of the best sport viewing of the year. I don’t follow the New England Patriots – would someone from Scotland cheer for a New England team? Well yes we would, we aren’t all mad racists like certain newspapers may have you believe. Nah, I am a Packers fan and have been for over 20 years but I knew a little about the Patriots, about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick so I thought I would give this a spin. Wow. Wow. Wow. My mind was blown as I discovered how little I knew about the NFL, the team dynamics and these larger than life figures.

From the number-one New York Times best-selling coauthor of Tiger Woods comes the definitive inside story of the New England Patriots – the greatest sports dynasty of the 21st century.

It’s easy to forget that the New England Patriots were once the laughingstock of the NFL, a nearly bankrupt team that had never won a championship and was on the brink of moving to St. Louis. Everything changed in 1994, when Robert Kraft acquired the franchise and soon brought on board Head Coach Bill Belichick and Quarterback Tom Brady. Since then, the Patriots have become a juggernaut, making 10 trips to the Super Bowl, winning six of them, and emerging as one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.

How was the Patriots dynasty built? And how did it last for two decades? In The Dynasty, acclaimed journalist Jeff Benedict provides richly reported answers in a sweeping account based on exclusive interviews with more than 200 insiders – including team executives, coaches, players, players’ wives, team doctors, lawyers, and more – as well as never-before-seen recordings, documents, and electronic communications.

Through his exhaustive research, Benedict uncovers surprising new details about the inner workings of a team notorious for its secrecy. He puts listeners in the room as Robert Kraft outmaneuvers a legion of lawyers and investors to buy the team. We listen in on the phone call when the greatest trade ever made – Bill Belichick for a first-round draft choice – is negotiated. And we look over the shoulder of 40-year-old Tom Brady as a surgeon operates on his throwing hand on the eve of the AFC Championship Game in 2018.

But the portrait that emerges in The Dynasty is more rewarding than new details alone. By tracing the team’s epic run through the perspectives of Kraft, Belichick, and Brady – each of whom was interviewed for the book – the author provides a wealth of new insight into the complex human beings most responsible for the Patriots’ success. We watch the NFL’s savviest owner treat Brady like a son, empower Belichick to cut and trade beloved players, and spend sleepless nights figuring out diplomatic ways to keep Brady and Belichick together for two decades. We come to understand how a genius head coach keeps his players at an emotional distance and blocks out anything that gets in the way of winning. And we experience the relentless drive, ferocious competitive nature, and emotional sensitivity that allows Brady to continue playing football into his 40s.

The result is an intimate portrait that captures the human drama of the dynasty’s three key characters while also revealing the secrets behind their success. This is perhaps the most compelling and illuminating book that will ever be written about the greatest professional sports team of our time.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Dynasty/dp/B088MKXN8N/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21WK22IHFA309&keywords=the+dynasty+jeff+benedict&qid=1671056224&s=audible&sprefix=the+dynasty%2C+jeff%2Caudible%2C147&sr=1-1

Sleep – C. L. Taylor (Narr: Clare Corbett)

I was always going to listen to Sleep at some point in 2022. I had heard Cally Taylor talking about the book during the Bloody Scotland festival. The thought of a small group thrown together in a small hotel on a remote Scottish island was too much of a hook for me to pass on. Sleep was one of the stories which saw me taking longer routes on the evening dog walks so I could listen for longer.

Seven guests. Seven secrets. One killer. Do you dare to sleep?

All Anna wants is to be able to sleep. But crushing insomnia, terrifying night terrors and memories of that terrible night are making it impossible. If only she didn’t feel so guilty….

To escape her past, Anna takes a job at a hotel on the remote Scottish island of Rum, but when seven guests join her, what started as a retreat from the world turns into a deadly nightmare.

Each of the guests has a secret, but one of them is lying—about who they are and why they’re on the island. There’s a murderer staying in the Bay View hotel. And they’ve set their sights on Anna.

Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One deadly lie.

Someone’s going to sleep and never wake up….

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleep/dp/B07GFTWK8S/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=C.L.+Taylor&qid=1671056682&s=audible&sr=1-6

Vine Street – Dominic Nolan (Narr: Owen Findlay)

The book I was listening to as 2021 faded into the past and we welcomed 2022 (not that I was listening as the Hogmanay bells were ringing out – you know what I mean). The first audiobook I finished in 2022 and it’s still the book I am recommending everyone to read as we reach mid-December. I haven’t put this list in an order of preference but if I had Vine Street would have been my Number One recommendation.

Soho, 1935.

Sergeant Leon Geats’ Patch.

A snarling, skull-cracking misanthrope, Geats marshals the grimy rabble according to his own elastic moral code.

The narrow alleys are brimming with jazz bars, bookies, black-shirts, ponces and tarts, so when a body is found above the Windmill Club, detectives are content to dismiss the case as just another young woman who topped herself early.

But Geats – a good man prepared to be a bad one if it keeps the worst of them at bay – knows the dark seams of the city.

Working with his former partner, mercenary Flying Squad Sergeant Mark Cassar, Geats obsessively dedicates himself to finding a warped killer – a decision that will reverberate for a lifetime and transform both men in ways they could never expect.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B093Y38WDQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Violent Ends – Neil Broadfoot (Narr: Angus King)

The fifth title in the Connor Fraser series and these are books I always prefer to listen to as Angus King does such a wonderful job of bringing Neil Broadfoot’s characters to life for me. I have been describing Violent Ends as “Line of Duty meets Backdraft.” The clash and grudging cooperation of Police and Fire Services made for a hugely entertaining story. It’s also full on action which just made it damned hard to find a “good” spot to stop listening and rejoin the real world.

Having the wrong client can be murder….

The voice was smooth, cultured, almost tender as it oozed from the phone into Connor Fraser’s ear. ‘I’ve heard about you, Mr Fraser, and I’m very impressed by your work. So I’ve decided to employ you. I am going to kill Father John Donnelly sometime in the next seven days. And you are going to stop me—or die trying. If you check your account, you’ll see I’ve deposited £70,000. And, just to be fair, I’ll give you an hour, starting now, to find Father Donnelly before the games begin. Refuse my offer, and someone you love will die. Good hunting, to both of us.’

The thought it’s a sick joke lasts for as long as it takes Connor to find that £70,000 has been deposited into his PayPal account and for him to receive an email with a picture of his grandmother. With no choice but to make a deal with the devil, Connor races to unmask a killer before he strikes and uncovers a mystery that stretches back decades, threatening the people closest to him.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09STHMXH2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Silverweed Road – Simon Crook (Narr: Karai, Nicholas Camm, Sam Stafford)

It was something of a shock to add The Dynasty (a non-fiction audiobook) to my list of favourite listens – I don’t really read non-fiction. However, if you had told me in January I would be including a collection of short stories in my list of favourites I would have laughed you out of town. I never enjoy short stories. Except now I can’t say that as Silverweed Road was great fun. A collection of quirky, creepy and horrifying tales which all play out in the same housing estate but are all vastly different in the telling. Some characters or events may overlap (bleed?) into more than one story and this just made the whole expereince more absorbing.

A collection of chilling and weird stories all set on one (seemingly) everyday suburban street in the UK…

Behind each door lies something strange and terrifying. Here, the normal is made nightmarish, from howls of were-foxes to satanic car-boot sales. Creepy, terrifying and witty by turn, Silverweed Road deals in love, loss, isolation, loneliness, obsession, greed and revenge. As the screw turns with each story, Crook creates a world of pure imagination, constantly surprising, in a setting that is instantly recognisable but other-worldly at the same time.

This is fun British suburban horror at its best, with nods to M.R. James, Angela Carter, Roald Dahl and echoes of Inside No. 9, Stranger Things and Black Mirror.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09SKJ1HZL/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

And there we have it – ten great books which I enjoyed having someone else read to me.

Many people don’t feel they can enjoy an audiobook. I didn’t enjoy audiobooks until relatively recently but they make long drives more fun, nightly dog walks more varied and the daily commute more tolerable. I am already excited to get started on listening to more books so I can share my favourites in December 2023. If you have any suggestions for books I should try then please tweet me @grabthisbook

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December 12

A Deadly Covenant – Michael Stanley

When a human skeleton is discovered at the site of a controversial new dam in remote northern Botswana, rookie Detective Kubu is drawn into a terrifying local feud, and discovers a deadly covenant that could change everything…

While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the remains of a long-dead Bushman. Rookie Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu of Botswana CID and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons.

Shortly after the gruesome discoveries, the elder of a nearby village is murdered in his home. The local police are convinced it was a robbery, but Kubu isn’t so sure … and neither is the strange woman who claims that an angry river spirit caused the elder’s death.

As accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the Bushman families, Kubu and his colleagues uncover a deadly covenant, and begin to fear that their own lives may be in mortal danger…

My thanks to Orenda Books for the digital review copy I received of A Deadly Covenant. Thanks also to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the blog tour.

As I write my review of A Deadly Covenant there is snow on the ground outside my window, this book transported me to the heat of Botswana and let me forget the creeping which was descending over Scotland. Though I was startled by a brief mention of a small Scottish village just fifteen minutes from my house – a good story really can take you around the world!

I say the story transported me because the scene setting and locations play such an important role in the Detective Kubu books. I am constantly amazed I can have a clear image in my mind of what Kubu is seeing and the places he visits, despite the fact I have never been anywhere near Botswana. The authors seem to always excel at weaving Kubu’s world around me and I never fail to become caught up in the story.

A Deadly Covenant takes the readers back to the days of “young Kubu”. It is a few months since the success of his first case and Kubu is very much still finding his feet and learning the ropes. Having first encountered an older and wiser Kubu I am very much enjoying this more cautious and vulnerable period in his life and it gives the books a very different feel too.

In the story Kubu is travelling far from home to a remote corner of the country where a controversial water pipeline is being laid. The construction has temporarily paused due to the discovery of a human skull as the ground was dug away to lay pipes. Kubu and a well-travelled Scottish pathologist (Dr Macgregor) are sent to investigate. Under the instruction of the doctor; the skull and other human remains are excavated with care so he can begin his examination of the remains. However, it soon becomes apparent there are bones of more than one person buried in the sands – multiple deaths will bring multiple headaches.

The bodies appear to have been buried for at least a decade, perhaps longer, and Kubu and Mcgregor will be challenged to investigate events which none of the locals claim to have any knowledge of and are happy to assume was a sad accident or happened many years before they were born. No facts support these claims but disassociation and denial is rife.

The pipeline promises opportunity for the towns residents who will benefit from more water reaching their land. It’s a large project and has European funding money behind it too. As is the same the world over – money and local politics will make for dangerous bedfellows and tensions are rising between old friends and neighbours. Not long after Kubu arrives the problems start to come to a head and an influential member of the community is killed in his bed as he rested.

A Deadly Covenant brings us another methodical investigation by Detective Kubu and it’s always a real treat to follow his progress (or lack of it) as he doggedly chases down clues. In these earlier years much of his legwork is done under the instruction of his boss who guides Kubu and helps highlight the skills he needs to develop to become better at his job. It is very much a refreshing angle as so many of the police stories I read focus on the experienced investigators; seeing our lead character make mistakes and have those mistakes pointed out to him makes for good reading.

I never fail to enjoy a Detective Kubu book and A Deadly Covenant is another cracker. Loved it.

A Deadly Covenant is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B4Z2GC4Z/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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December 2

When The Lights Go Out – Chris Curran

Who can you trust…

WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT

A group of new friends. But can she trust them?

For struggling actress Ava, landing a role with the Chimera Theatre Group could lead to her big break. And relocating to a remote country village means stepping out from the shadow of her boyfriend-despite his determination not to let her go.

Everyone in the group seems so welcoming, they’re one big happy family. But, like all families, they each have secrets. And someone in the group doesn’t want certain secrets to get out…

My thanks to the publishers for the review copy I received and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host the opening leg of the tour for When The Lights Go Out

I don’t host a blog tour for weeks then suddenly I find I have the honour of being asked to open two different tours over two consecutive days. Welcome to the When The Lights Go Out tour, the schedule of hosts is at the foot of my review. It’s rather apt this book is embarking on a tour as the characters in the story are members of the Chimera Theatre Group and as a small collective of talent they too tour to present their work and entertain as they go.

Our focus is on Ava. When we meet her she is in a stagnating relationship with another actor. His career is going better than her own and their relationship isn’t going anywhere. But a chance encounter with a member of the Chimera Theatre Group sees Ava being offered the opportunity to join Chimera and get out the city to stay and work with the others in the Group out in rural Gloucestershire. Jumping at a chance for a fresh start Ava takes up the offer.

From the opening pages Chris Curran makes sure readers know Ava is taking steps into a dangerous unknown. An incident in the opening chapter puts Ava immediately into a dangerous situation and as the chapter draws to a close the readers know there are secrets and suspicions as to how accidental the cause of the dangerous sitation may have been. I love when a story hits the ground running and makes it clear that every seemingly random action may actually be a deliberate or malicious act by persons unknown. Or a sneaky red herring laid down by the author to keep me guessing!

As I got deeper into the story I had the feeling of foreboding, something unpleasant was going to happen. Not the malicious or nasty type of “something” which peppered the early chapters but something BAD. What made that foreboding worse was that the characters knew this too – there was a collective bracing taking place between the cast and this reader.

Chris Curran has worked wonders assembling a small cast of characters that I found compelling to read about and I became invested in their complex relationships. The events around these characters are twisty and often surprising – I treated all with suspicion but couldn’t stop reading.

I had huge fun reading When The Lights Go Out. It’s wickedly plotted and nips along at a nice pace to keep the tension running through the chapters. Seek this one out, it’s highly recommended.

When The Lights Go Out is published by One More Chapter and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B1LW2V8Y/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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December 1

Dashboard Elvis is Dead – David F Ross

A failed writer connects the murder of an American journalist, a drowned 80s musician and a Scottish politician’s resignation, in a heart-wrenching novel about ordinary people living in extraordinary times.

Renowned photo-journalist Jude Montgomery arrives in Glasgow in 2014, in the wake of the failed Scottish independence referendum, and it’s clear that she’s searching for someone.

Is it Anna Mason, who will go on to lead the country as First Minister? Jamie Hewitt, guitarist from eighties one-hit wonders The Hyptones? Or is it Rabbit – Jude’s estranged foster sister, now a world-famous artist?

Three apparently unconnected people, who share a devastating secret, whose lives were forever changed by one traumatic night in Phoenix, forty years earlier…

Taking us back to a school shooting in her Texas hometown, and a 1980s road trip across the American West – to San Francisco and on to New York – Jude’s search ends in Glasgow, and a final, shocking event that only one person can fully explain…

I received a review copy from the publisher, Orenda Books, ahead of this blog tour post. My thanks to Orenda Books and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to help open the tour for Dashboard Elvis is Dead.

When David F Ross writes a new novel I never know what to expect. But with Dashboard Elvis is Dead I don’t think I could ever anticipated the journey he takes his readers on. The story begins in Glasgow (a location I’ll admit I was expecting to feature) but not the Glasgow cafe and not with an American character taking the lead. Jude is looking for a quiet place so it’s not surprising that one of Glasgow’s own decides to sit with her and begin a (very one sided) conversation. David F Ross is very good at nailing the Glasgowisms of his characters and from these opening scenes his pinpoint observational humour comes to the fore.

We don’t linger long in Glasgow as events soon take us back in time and across the Atlantic Ocean to an 80s America where Jude is still a schoolgirl and finding life with her mother rather challenging. Jude’s life is about to take her places she never could have envisaged but before the rollercoaster of shock and upset is an unexpected and very welcome friendship with the school football star. He is the epitomy of the all American high school quarterback and Jude is a mixed race quiet girl – they keep their friendship a secret so when it is suddenly and tragically ended nobody can know the extent of Jude’s upset. It’s a harrowing and beautifully written delve back in time and sets the tone of the novel. Expect drama, emotional turmoil and don’t expect fairy tale endings.

As Jude leaves home and starts a journey to the bright city lights we meet The Hypetones. A Scottish breakthrough band who are embarking on a massive journey to the US to make their fortune and become the next big thing. Except they probably wont and their journey is being paid for on a shoestring budget which will test the patience of the musicians and their travelling companions. Wickedly funny, you cannot help but feel sorry for these young men as nothing seems to be going their way. But how I loved reading about their introduction to America and its cheap hotels and glitzy clubs.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is a story which will unfold over a number of decades. An emotional journey which also spans different continents and will show how the lives of the central characters change as they grow and adapt to the world around them. David F Ross is one of the best at capturing characters and breathing life, humour and humanity into them so his readers cannot help but become engaged in their stories. It’s a wonderful read.

I wasn’t able to predict where the story was heading and I wasn’t prepared for how much I would become invested in the book either. I generally skim read stories and fly through them when I get started. I didn’t do that in this case. My reading slowed, I was taking in much more detail and I got much, much more back from the book as a result. Time with this book was time very well spent. It’s a reading treat – treat yourself when it releases next week.

Dashboard Elvis is Dead is published by Orenda Books and releases in paperback, digital and audiobook format on 8 December 2022. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B4Z6PBX3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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November 25

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with James Oswald

If you have visited this blog on a Friday over the last two years there is a better than high chance you have met one of my many amazing guest curators of my Decades Library. Each week I am joined by a new guest who has agreed to help me assemble a new library of amazing books. My Ultimate Library – the Decades Library.

I explain to my guests that I hope my Library will offer the very best selections of books to its visitors. I ask them to nominate their favourite books or books which they consider unmissable. But when making those selections I ask that they follow two rules:

1 – You Can Select ANY Five Books
2 – You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

Sounds easy? I am told narrowing down five books is tricky. I am then told choosing one per decade makes it vexing. I won’t repeat what I am told when I enforce the five “consecutive” decades part of the rules. But we DO get some wonderful reading recommendations.

This week it is my very great pleasure to welcome James Oswald to Grab This Book. My blog began in 2014 and the very first book I chose to review was James’s Natural Causes. I have reviewed quite a few more of his books since then and they always delight, I couldn’t wait to see what titles he may recommend I add to my Library shelves.

DECADES

Who am I to be recommending books for such an illustrious library? Well, the dull stuff is that I am the author of some twenty books to date, including twelve Inspector McLean and three Con Fairchild crime fiction novels. I’ve also written the five part epic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro, inspired by a decade living in mid Wales and learning about its history, mythology, language and culture. I self-published the first two Inspector McLean books because publishers didn’t like the mixing of Police Procedural with more supernatural overtones. They changed their minds when Natural Causes shifted a quarter of a million copies in eight months. The Penguin edition went on to be a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and made the National Book Awards debut novel shortlist.

The less dull stuff is that when not writing, I run a 350 acre livestock farm in North East Fife, where I raise pedigree Highland cattle. You’ll find regular updates and videos of the coos on my twitter feed – @SirBenfro. Everything else is on my website – jamesoswald.co.uk – when I remember to update it.

And so to my recommendations…

50s – Paul Gallico – Jennie (1950)

I was loaned a copy of this book when I was about ten, while bored on a family holiday in Sutherland. I remember my mother being very insistent that I give it back once I was finished, so it’s slightly embarrassing to admit that forty-five years later I still have that very same copy. I can’t remember a lot of the details, save that it concerns a young boy who wakes up to find he has turned into a cat and is guided through the necessary learning of how to deal with this transformation by the eponymous Jennie. What I remember quite vividly is the feeling of being taken off to another world, such is the brilliance of Paul Gallico’s writing. The ending, which I won’t give away, was a painful return to dull reality. Perhaps my keeping a hold of the book was my subconscious not willing to completely let go of the fantasy, something I don’t think I ever really have done.

60s – Robert A Heinlein – Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)

Like most boys as they hit their teens, my reading dropped off a cliff. There were far too many more interesting things to do, and reading became tainted by the whiff of schoolwork, robbing it of much in the way of pleasure. Fortunately for me, I stumbled into reading comics, first with 2000AD and then what American comics I could lay my hands on. I also discovered SF novels, devouring the works of EE Doc Smith, Philip K Dick, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert and, of course, Robert A Heinlein. There are many books I could have chosen for the 60s, but Stranger in a Strange Land is such a masterpiece it really had to be the one.

70s – Various Authors – 2000AD (1977)

Does this count for the library? I hope so. I can remember when 2000AD first came out, back in 1977 (oddly enough, around about the same time I read Jennie). I wasn’t allowed to buy it very often, and didn’t have much pocket money to spare for such things anyway, but I did buy that first issue, and still have it (although the space spinner is long gone). It wasn’t until the early 80s that I managed to catch up with it properly. Judge Dredd, Strontium Dogs, Rogue Trooper, Tharg’s Future Shocks, what’s not to like about a weekly SF anthology that’s still going strong 45 years later?

And if I can’t have 2000AD, then my alternative choice for the 70s has to be James Herbert’s brilliant 1975 book, The Fog. Deeply disturbing to read as a 12 year old (a few years after it came out, if you’re worried about my maths), Herbert’s books were passed around at school like some kind of illicit currency. I recall how if you held them carefully by the spine, they would naturally drop open at the steamy sex scene. Some might criticize Herbert’s books for being a bit formulaic, but he was a master at bringing characters to life (and then often killing them in horribly inventive ways).

80s – Terry Pratchett – Guards! Guards! (1989)

I stumbled upon the works of the late, great PTerry when at university in Aberdeen in the late 80s. John Menzies newsagents in the St Nicholas centre had a large bookshop upstairs where, looking for something to feed my SF addiction, I found a copy of his early novel Strata. Not the best Pratchett book, but still good enough to send me scurrying back for everything else he had in print at the time. It’s a toss-up between the Sam Vimes books and the Witches books as to which are my favourite of the Discworld novels, but frankly they are all brilliant.

90s – Robin Hobb – Assassin’s Apprentice (1995)

My partner picked this up when we were living in Wales in the early oughts, read it very swiftly and handed it straight to me. The first in what would turn out to be a long saga concerning Fitzchivalry Farseer (Fitz) and the Fool, it’s a brilliantly dark slice of medieval-style fantasy. Game of Thrones might have got everyone interested in the genre again, but it was Robin Hobb who inspired me to write my own epic fantasy series. It has much better dragons, too.

As you can see I have allowed James the opporunty to add both of his 1970’s selections to the Library shelves. He didn’t try to flex the rules but made two selections on the chance his first choice didn’t meet the rules. That kind consideration means he gets to include an extra book. Also, I am a huge fan of comic books and of James Herbert books (except Ash which is still the worst book I have ever read) and I am not keen to remove either of the choices from my Library.

Sam Vimes is my favourite fictional officer of the law – my thanks to James for his time, his terrific selections and for bringing Ankh Morpork’s finest into my Decades Library.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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November 24

The Coming Darkness – Greg Mosse

Paris, 2037. Global warming and pandemics have torn through the fabric of society. And Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.

In search of the truth, Alex must follow the trail through an ominous spiral of events, from a string of brutal child murders to a chaotic coup in North Africa. He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction. He could be the world’s only hope of preventing the coming darkness…

I was invited to join the blog tour by Midas PR and I received a review copy from the publishers for the purpose of sharing this review.

I never quite know how to label books correctly, this is a cracking thriller which is set a few years into our future, it references actual people from our past and has spy story elements, action sequences and global consequences. Is it speculative fiction? A futuristic thriller? Dystopian even? I genuinely don’t know – but what I can say is that I would class it as “highly recommended” fiction as I had a blast reading The Coming Darkness.

Our main focus through the story is Alexander Lamarque (Alex). He works for a division of the French security services and early in the story he confronts two suspected terrorists, trying to stop them reaching their intended target and to dissuade them from continuing their dangerous mission. Dangerous to the establishment that is. Beleiving he can talk sense into the pair Alex finds events get away from him and the couple are more than just a pair of idealistic children. Blood is shed and lives lost. Alex is shaken by the incident and questions his current role.

Alex decides he wants to get away from his life and change careers, however, his employes place too much value on his skills – it seems they feel he has an extraordinary talent for identifying problems or opportunities. It’s almost a supernatural intuition he brings to his role so his employers do not wish to lose that skill. Alex is asked to assess the networks which connect the world – can he find weak points which could be targeted and determine where problems may arise. It will bring problems even Alex could not have foreseen. But he does know there is a darkness coming…something looms. Something bad.

One of the elements I enjoyed most about this book was the development of the characters around Alex. His relationship with his mother is a big factor to his peace of mind but she doesn’t seem well. There is talk of viruses which sweep the city and when Alex goes to visit her she is showing signs of ill health. He asks a friend to look after her but the pair have history and their relationship is another fascinating focal point through the story.

I found The Coming Darkness to be an engaging read. The story nips along at a good pace and there are pleny of action points to keep readers engaged with the story. The overlap with fictional (hopefully fictional) future events and the reality of the world we know was smoothly done and made me a little fearful for where the world may be heading. There are sinister forces working in the background of this book and their actions will pit them against Alex. You can see the two forces on a crash course and you want to know how it pans out.

This book took me a little out my comfort/familiarity zone but I had a great time with it and suspect you would enjoy it too.

The Coming Darkness is published by Moonflower Publishing and is available in hardback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-coming-darkness/greg-mosse/9781919618753

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November 23

The Pain Tourist – Paul Cleave

A young man wakes from a coma to find himself targeted by the men who killed his parents, while someone is impersonating a notorious New Zealand serial killer … the latest chilling, nerve-shredding, twisty thriller from the author of The Quiet People

How do you catch a killer…When the only evidence is a dream?

James Garrett was critically injured when he was shot following his parents’ execution, and no one expected him to waken from a deep, traumatic coma. When he does, nine years later, Detective Inspector Rebecca Kent is tasked with closing the case that her now retired colleague, Theodore Tate, failed to solve all those years ago.

But between that, and hunting for Copy Joe – a murderer on a spree, who’s imitating Christchurch’s most notorious serial killer – she’s going to need Tate’s help. Especially when they learn that James has lived out another life in his nine-year coma, and there are things he couldn’t possibly know, including the fact that Copy Joe isn’t the only serial killer in town…

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the blog tour for The Pain Tourist. I was provided with a review copy by the publishers, Orenda Books, but I am reviewing a copy I purchased through Kobo.

I picked up The Pain Tourist and read the blurb. A coma patient who has a dream-world from the time he was seemingly oblivious to events which were unfolding around him. Pain, Coma, Medical Bracelet on the cover and I am strapping myself in for a medical thriller. Reader I was totally wrong with my first assumption (which became a theme when I started trying to second=guess where Paul Cleave was taking the story) this is a dark crime story with killers, liars, cheats and ne’er-do-wells. Everything you want from a good crime thriller really – oh and there is actually a doctor too so a little bit of the medical thriller I had expected.

Central to all the events is James Garrett. He wakes one night as masked men have entered his family home and are holding his parents at gunpoint. James scrambles to alert his older sister and she manages to get out a window to try and summon help. Sadly for the other family members the gunmen aren’t happy at the prospect of leaving the Garrett home with nothing to show for their energies. James and his parents are all shot before the men leave the house – only James will survive but it takes extensive medical intervention to keep him alive and his small body goes into a coma for nine years.

Paul Cleave opens The Pain Tourist with the gripping account of the Garrett family plight. We then spin forward nine years to the point James starts coming out the coma. Many things have changed, the police officer investigating the original attach on the Garrett home has retired from active service. Younger colleagues need to pick up the threads of the investigation but the killers are still out there and it doesn’t take long for them to learn James is awake and he could be considered a threat if he can help police to identify his attackers.

Another seemingly dormant investigation is about to cause police a headache though. Initallly it looks like a notorious serial killer who escaped the police may have started killing again. However, a copycat murderer seems more likely and this creates a whole new problem. If someone wants to imitate a killer how far will they go to get the thrill or satisfaction they seek? Detective Inspector Rebecca Kent is caught up in both cases and her attention will be stretched as she is run ragged by both cases.

With two big cases to juggle Paul Cleave keeps the reader hooked with a canny use of short, punchy chapters. There’s always a new drama or trigger point arising in one of the cases and as we get deeper into the stories new layers of intrigue are unpeeled which draws the reader deeper into events. It is a difficult book to put down – each chapter seems to end with a need to keep you reading and with over one hundred and forty chapters there is a lot of story to be told.

As with all good stories it is the characters which will determine if you lose yourself to events. James Garrett is a fascinating one. He spent nine years in a coma and during this time he seems to have constructed a new world (coma world) where his family follow a very different path than the tragedy they faced in our world. But when James comes out of his coma his doctor realises the two worlds may overlap and where they do a murderer hides.

This may seem a fantastical construct but the author grounds the premise with some scientific explanation. Now these explanations may, or may not, be true science facts – but in a crime story I am more than happy to roll with what I am reading. It sounded legit! It also let me buy into the contribution that James makes to the investigations which are central to the story.

The Pain Tourist is a novel I will find easy to recommend, engaging multi-layered story and strong characters you want to read about. Plus finding out what The Pain Tourist from the title actually refers to was a real mind-blown moment. Dark.

The Pain Tourist is published by Orenda Books and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-pain-tourist/paul-cleave/9781914585487

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