The Plague Letters – V.L. Valentine

WHO WOULD MURDER THE DYING…

London, 1665. Hidden within the growing pile of corpses in his churchyard, Rector Symon Patrick discovers a victim of the pestilence unlike any he has seen before: a young woman with a shorn head, covered in burns, and with pieces of twine delicately tied around each wrist and ankle.

Desperate to discover the culprit, Symon joins a society of eccentric medical men who have gathered to find a cure for the plague. Someone is performing terrible experiments upon the dying, hiding their bodies amongst the hundreds that fill the death carts.

Only Penelope – a new and mysterious addition to Symon’s household – may have the skill to find the killer. Far more than what she appears, she is already on the hunt. But the dark presence that enters the houses of the sick will not stop, and has no mercy…

My thanks to Fiona Willis at Viper Books for the chance to join the blog tour for The Plague Letters. I reviewed a Netgalley copy of the book which was provided by the publishers.

London is a city in lockdown, it is 1665 and the advice is to restrict movement and stay home. A deadly disease is spreading through the city and there are countless deaths which the medial profession are unable to cure but are frantically trying to find ways to ease suffering. A Plague Society has gained a few notable members but the extent of their success is not apparent and Rector Symon even questions (to himself) what methods they are using to conduct their research.

I mention Symon as he is one of the key players in our tale. A man of faith and someone that is coming into frequent contact with the dead as the bodies are brought for blessing and burial. In the midst of the bodies arriving at his church there is one girl who has died with her hair cropped off, burns on her body and her hands and ankles bound with twine.

Symon is a man with distractions. He is being pestered to release some of the corpses which have come to him for burial to the self-proclaimed scientists. He is also obsessed with a married woman – the Lady Elizabeth. Her name crops into his sermons and the two have a steady correspondence by letter Symon travels to visit Elizabeth at her home but finds others also in her company and their relationship seems rather cool in person.

Trying to focus Symon’s attention to the very real problem of missing girls in London is a strange soul – Penelope. She appears something of an urchin, unkempt, displaced in the city and often subject of sharp comments regarding her appearance. Yet she manages to make a place for herself in Symon’s household and is doing what she can to make him forget his obsession with Elizabeth and concentrate on the increasing number of bodies which arrive at the church with hair missing and twine binding the hands and ankles. Penelope is trying to make Symon see that a killer is active in the city but will she have any success in getting him to listen to her warnings?

Through the book the story is punctuated by a wonderful use of city maps which show the spread and devastation of the plague. This was slighly impacted on my digital copy as the Kindle didn’t reflect the red colouring which grows from map to map showing the increased coverage of the disease. In a hardback, physical, copy I have no doubt these maps will look glorious. I seldom advocate a perference of physical/digial or audiobook but in this case I make a rare exception and only for aesthetic reasons.

The Plague Letters is a cracking period thriller. If historical crime is your thing then you absolutely must seek this one out. As someone who only dabbles with historic stories it took me a little longer than I would have liked to adjust to the narrative style and the (excellent) depiction of 1660’s London life. Once I was into the rhythm of the language my initial hesitance faded away and I grew into the story as the world built up around me. I clearly need to read outwith my comfort zone more than I do at present – The Plague Letters was extremely good fun to read with pleasing surprises and more than a few villianous players to raise my suspicions.

The Plague Letters is published by Viper Books and is available in Hardback and Digital verisions. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FNPM7ZC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 8

Facets of Death (Detective Kubu) – Michael Stanley

When a Botswana mine is robbed of 100,000 carats of diamonds and the thieves are murdered execution-style, Botswana’s Detective Kubu begins a terrifying international investigation in the prequel to the award-winning Detective Kubu series.

Recruited straight from university to Botswana’s CID, David ‘Kubu’ Bengu has raised his colleagues’ suspicions with his meteoric rise within the department, and he has a lot to prove…

When the richest diamond mine in the world is robbed of 100,000 carats worth of gems, and then the thieves are killed, execution-style, Kubu leaps at the chance to prove himself. But where are the diamonds? And what role does a witch doctor and his son play? Does this young detective have the skill – and integrity – to engineer an international trap? Or could it cost him everything, including his life…?

A riveting, chilling prequel to the award-winning Detective Kubu series, Facets of Death introduces the beloved Kubu and his richly described native Botswana, in a dark, sophisticated thriller that will leave you breathless.

I had ordered this book before release and I review my own copy for the Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the Facets of Death tour.

Amazon describes Facets of Death as Kubu “Book 0”. A prequel to the stories which I have previously read and really enjoyed. A new story about the large Botswana policeman and how he took on his first cases when he joined the police. It’s like reading Spider-Man before Uncle Ben was killed. I am fully in board for Kubu The Early Years.

The book opens with David “Kubu” Bengu getting ready to head to his first day at his new job. He is excited about the prospect of joining the police and readers share his nervous enthusiasm. Returning readers will have seen Kubu as an established member of the police force and I enjoyed his seemingly unflappable composure when faced with subsequent investigations. Yet the apprehensive and optimistic Kubu is rather endearing and I have no doubt readers will warm to the awkward youthful detective too.

Kubu starts as he intends to proceed. He introduces himself to the officer at the front desk as Kubu, a nickname which translates as “hippopotamus” (Kubu is a large gentleman) and he meets a frosty reception. The name does not concern Kubu as it has always been used and he takes it in good spirits – his new colleagues are not so quick to be congenial with him. Kubu realises this is not an issue with the name but grudges are being held as Kubu has been recruited to join the police in a promoted role – no grafing his way up the ranks for the smart-educated new start.

Nevertheless Kubu throws himself into his new job and is enlisted to solve a problem with missing luggage. Suitcases leaving Botswana for Europe are not reaching their destination but both departure and arrival airports insist there are no anomalies in their processes. Latching onto a colleague to keep him right Kubu begins to puzzle out this mystery. He will receive some critical feedback on trust and effective witness questioning before much longer passes.

Missing luggage will soon become a minor concern for the police though. A massive diamond robbery has taken place (readers riding along with the crime as it develops and unfolds). The mining company had an effective process in place to protect their gems during transport but the robbers have found a way to identify when to target the diamonds and how to steal them away. Can the police get a trace on the missing diamonds? A trail of dead bodies and double crossed robbers will provide some clues but to get to the truth they will need to figure out how the thieves could have successfully identified where the diamonds would be. The collective brainpower of the Botswana police will be needed and Kubu wants to help in any way he can.

The innocence of Kubu tracing missing suitcases is a strong counterpoint to the brutality of the diamond theft. Even though it is all hands on deck to recover the diamonds, Kubu still wants to work out how the luggage is disappearing. An early indication of the thoroughness of his approach to his work and an amusing look at how his new colleagues take to this young, inexperienced addition to their team.

The writing is superb, as is always the case with the Michael Stanley books. The setting and location is exotic for the European readers and the sense of place is wonderfully conveyed. The local customs and beliefs play a large part in the behaviour of many characters and early in is police career Kubu will discover the power that a Witch Doctor can exert when he turns his focus on the manipulation of the players in Kubu’s investigation.

Facets of Death is a rewarding and richly entertaining read. Young Kubu is a familiar friend in an unrecognisable skin and I would not be unhappy to see more of this youthful police officer in future books.

Before I was introduced to the books of Michael Stanley by the Queen of Orenda Books, Karen Sullivan, I know I would not have stepped out of my reading comfort zone to read a crime story set in Botswana. Yet Karen’s enthusiasm for these books was infectious and I am so glad I listened to her advice – the Detective Kubu books are fabulous reading and I encourage everyone to try these wonderful stories too.

Facets of Death is available in digital format and will release in paperback on 29 April 2021. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08T6C7HDC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 7

Far From The Tree – Rob Parker (Audiobook)

Twenty-seven bodies, vacuum-packed, buried in a woodland trench. Some have been there for years, some for just days.

When DI Brendan Foley recognises one of the Warrington 27, he knows this case is about to shake his world.

Detective Sergeant Iona Madison is a skilled boxer and a vital support for Foley. Theirs is a newly established police force, and loyalties are about to be tested to the extreme.

Pressure mounts as news of the mass grave is plastered over the news. Brendan knows they can’t crack this case alone, but he’s not letting a rival force take over.

Their investigations lead them into the murky underworlds of Manchester and Liverpool, where one more murder means little to drug-dealing gangs, desperate to control their power bases.

But as Madison steps into the ring for the fight of her life, the criminals come to them. It’s no coincidence that the corpses have been buried in Foley’s hometown. The question is, why?

I am an Audible member and I purchased this audiobook through my membership allocation.

I bought Far From The Tree when it was an Audible Only title and because it was by Rob Parker – who is currently releasing books faster than I seem to be able to read them. Knowing this author can write a pacy thriller and reading that blurb (above) about a mass grave and an investigating officer recognising one of the victims, I decided Far From The Tree was a book I didn’t want to miss out on. Turns out my instinct was on the money as I could’t get enough of this one.

The good news for non-audiobook readers is that Red Dog Press have just announced there will be a paperback release of Far From The Tree in July of this year. The audiobook remains immediately available and I rate it highly, narrator Warren Brown is magnificent and does a fabulous job bringing life to DI Brendan Foley and his collleagues. The action is set in Warrington and England’s North West and even to my untrained (and Scottish) ear I was able to place the regional accents and feel entirely satisfied the authenticity and accuracy which you would hope to hear was very much accomplished.

Why was Far From The Tree such a hit with me? It gripped me early and kept me hooked. I didn’t want to stop listening and Rob Parker really nailed the dynamics and impact of the story with a strong set of characters.

Lead character is Brendan Foley. He is meant to be enjoying his son’s christening but is called out to supervise a shocking discovery in a local wood. When we arrive on the scene with Foley the police are uncovering a trench which appears to be a mass grave. The bodies within are all wrapped tightly in plastic but it is immediately clear that some have been in the ground for quite some time. Nothing the Warrington Police have seen before can have prepared them for this and readers can immediately see the impact it is having on them.

Foley is briefly called away from the crimescene and we see his DS, Iona Madison, step up to oversee matters while Foley returns to his family to explain his absence to his wife and to get his father to keep an eye on proceedings (and his wife) while Foley will be away. This distraction from the body-filled trench was extremely effective in introducing Foley’s family, who will go on to play a significant role in later events, and also showcasing Madison as the strong, effective investigator she needs to be in Far From The Tree.

I am loathe to get too deeply into events of the book as part of my review (Spoilers) however, I do want to touch on how much I enjoyed this book as a strong police procedural thriller. The investigation into twenty seven multiple murders is no mean feat, particularly when many of the victims were buried in a condition which involved maiming or disfigurement. Foley and his team doggedly pursue the small clues they can uncover as the pathologist completes examinations. I also enjoyed the side of the story where action slips to Foley and his family. The strain an investigation such as this can put on the officers is something not always explored in fiction but Rob Parker takes time to show the devestation it can have on a family and it brings you closer to Foley and Madison and their loved ones.

This isn’t an easy review as I am trying so hard to avoid spoilers. What I can share is that Far From The Tree is easily one of the best audiobooks I have listened to for some time. I did a full six hour listening session to get through three quarters of the story in one go – previously the longest audiobook session I had completed was around 2 hours (and that was while I was driving). I loved this book, it got its claws into me early and didn’t let me go. When it ended I didn’t feel I was done with these characters – they endured shocks, grief, personal trauma and not all the team will be at their desks in the weeks following the story…but I still wanted more. When a book leaves you craving more chapters then it has done its job. Brilliant. Pure page turning drama.

Far From The Tree is currently available in audiobook format only but will be released in paperback on 2 July 2021. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1839012099/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i8

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April 4

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Paul Cuddihy

In January I began a quest to determine which books would be represented in the Ulitmate Library. Imagine, if you will, a vast room lined with dozens of empty bookshelves all crying out to be filled with the best books available. Alternatively, you are handed a brand new digital reader and asked to fill it with nothing but the best titles you can think of. Where would you start? How do you choose?

I confess I had no idea where to begin and I knew if I tried then it would only result in a selection of crime thrillers, all the Terry Pratchett books and a fan-boy collection of Doctor Who novels. Hardly the best representation of centuries of writing.

Rather than tackle this challenge alone I decided to invite book lovers to join me in my quest. Each guest curator is asked to nominate any five books which should be included in my Ultimate Library. However, they are only permitted to select one book per decade and they must choose from any five consecutive decades.

That’s it. Two Rules. Five Books, Five Consecutive Decades.

While you contemplate your personal selections I will hand over to today’s guest: Paul Cuddihy.

You know the format by now…I ask Paul to introduce himself and then I pass him the Decades baton as he nominates his five books.

DECADES

I’m Paul Cuddihy, and I’m a journalist, writer and podcaster. I run a books podcast – Read All About It – where people talk about their favourite and not so favourite books. Each guest chooses a book from these five categories:

Favourite book from childhood.

Favourite book from teenage/formative years.

A book you’d recommend to anyone

A book you couldn’t be paid to read again

The last book you read/are currently reading.

The podcast has been running since January 2020, and it has been an absolute blast – what could be better than sitting talking books with people? You can find the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and most other places where you get your podcasts.

I also self-published a non-fiction book called Read All About It back in 2015, which charted my year of trying to read more books and fall in love with literature again.

I have had three novels published – a historical trilogy set between Scotland, Ireland and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century.

I also published a book of short stories inspired by Duran Duran – every story is a song title from the band. I am, I confess, a big Duranie! (And, no, that’s not Cockney rhyming slang!) I am also in the process of launching a new podcast with a friend called the Duran Duran Albums Podcast, with each episode looking at one of the band’s 14 studio albums. I am convinced the world is waiting for such a podcast!

And I have also written around 10 books on Celtic Football Club through my work as a multi-media journalist with the club.

As any good writer will admit, I am currently working on a novel, but I can’t tell you what it’s about! I don’t want to jinx it.

You can find me on:

Twitter: @paulthehunted or @readallabout20 Email: author@paulcuddihy.com

Website: www.paulcuddihy.com

In choosing these books, my starting point was including The Cone-gatherers, which was published in the 1950s, and then I just had to work out which direction to go after that – I decided to go backwards and forward!

This is a great idea – anything to get you thinking, writing or talking about books is – and I’m delighted to be taking part in it

1920s

All Quiet on the Western Front: Erich Maria Remarque (1929)

This is a novel of the First World War but told from the perspective of a German soldier. Remarque was a veteran of the conflict, and All Quiet on the Western Front tells the reality of the terrible conflict, which was in sharp contrast to the patriotic appeals which led his main character, Paul Baumer, to enlist in the Kaiser’s army. The fact that the book was banned and burned by the Nazis only adds to its reputation. The novel strips away the mythical glamour and heroism of war, and instead gives an honest portrayal of the mundanity of live in the trenches, which is accompanied by its horrors, and how the soldiers subsequently find civilian life difficult to adjust to, given their wartime experiences.

1930s

The Grapes of Wrath: John Steinbeck (1939)

I think this was the first novel which made me cry as an adult. The ending of this novel is breathtaking, and comes at the end of the arduous journey you’ve been on with the characters as they travel from the 1930s Oklahoma dustbowl to the apparent promised land of California. I have read this book three times already, and I’m sure I’ll read it at least three more times in the years ahead – and I say that as someone who does not re-read many books. This is a stunning novel, following the Joad family on their journey across America. The writing is perfect – the description of the food being cooked and eaten on the way is such that there are times when I’m sure I can smell the aromas, or taste the food. Certainly, my mouth waters on occasion. A couple of years ago, my wife and I drove the Pacific Highway on America’s west coast, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, and one of my highlights was visiting the National Steinbeck Centre in Salinas. Of course, I purchased a copy of The Grapes of Wrath there!

1940s

Hiroshima: John Hersey (1946)

This is a stunning piece of reportage, and I can’t think of anything that better explains the horrors of weapons of mass destruction. It was originally published in the New Yorker magazine in August 1946, with the whole magazine given over to Hersey’s story. Hersey was one of the first Western journalists to visit Hiroshima after the devastation of the Japanese city by an American atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. He tells the story of what happened that day and afterwards through the stories of six survivors, and I can only imagine it profoundly affects every reader. What makes the book so successful, I think, is that Hersey tells this story which has a global impact though the personal. That makes what happens – which is almost beyond comprehension – all the more shocking because the reader invests their emotions in the stories of these six people.

1950s

The Cone-gatherers: Robin Jenkins (1955)

This is the book I recommend to everyone, and I subsequently judge them, depending on their reaction to it! It’s long been a bugbear of mine that when I was growing up, we were taught very little Scottish literature at school – I was at high school between 1978 and ’83 – and so I was in the twenties before I read The Cone-gatherers. It was love at first read, and Robin Jenkins remains my favourite Scottish author. The novel is set on a country estate during the Second World War, where conscientious objectors are set to work gathering cones to be replanted to replenish forestry stock. The two main characters are Neil and his brother, Callum, and there’s a nod to Of Mice and Men in the characters of the two brothers, with Neil almost a carer for Callum. The clash between good and evil in this garden of Eden is built with increasing tension by Jenkins, as the brothers’ relationship with the estate’s gamekeeper, Duror, slowly deteriorates, and the ending is incredibly dramatic. The Cone-gatherers is a masterpiece.

1960s

Catch 22: Joseph Heller (1961)

Peter McGhee was my English teacher when I was studying Higher English at Turnbull High School in Bishopbriggs between 1982-83. If I met him now, I would buy him a pint and thank him for giving us Catch 22 to read that year. What he actually did was give the boys Catch 22, while the girls had to study DH Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers. I’m not sure if the girls in the class were as grateful for the book choice, but all of us loved Catch 22. It’s funny, irreverent, with some topics and language that

we weren’t used to reading about in a Catholic high school, and that made it all the more appealing. I remember being in other classes where, if the teacher was off, we were told to take out a book and read it for the hour. Normally, that would be a signal for anarchy in the classroom, but we would take our copies of Catch 22 out, becoming instantly engrossed and laughing out loud at various parts of the book. There is a poignancy to the novel, of course, and a serious message about the futility and madness of war, but it’s also a very funny book. Thanks, Mr McGhee, I still owe you a pint!

A brilliant mix of books I instantly recognised with a couple which were new to me. I really enjoy when I learn of new books I should be seeking out. My thanks to Paul for putting himself through the wringer to narrow down his choices to this final five.

You can find Paul’s Amazon page and pick up any of his books here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paul-Cuddihy/e/B003E3LJIW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1617564066&sr=8-1

If you are keen to see the choices already submitted to the Library by my previous guests, you can visit the Ulitmate Libary here: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=5113

DECADES WILL RETURN

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April 3

Into The Fire – Rachael Blok

Eleven guests. Three nights. One murderer… This is the haunting and atmospheric new thriller from rising star of crime fiction, Rachael Blok.

In a gorgeous mansion in the Hertfordshire countryside, sisters Lois and Ebba prepare to launch their new venture. Archipelago is an exploitation-free tech company whose virtual reality game promises to unite the worlds of technology, politics and the environment.

Invited to the launch party are their investors: current and ex-politicians, international business moguls and activists, one of whom – Marieke – has been receiving online abuse and death threats for her views on eco-politics.

DCI Maarten Jansen has been summoned to join the house party. He is sure the threats are from online trolls with nothing better to do – he’s only offering police protection because his boss wants to put the VIP guests at ease. But when eight of the guests are involved in a suspicious helicopter crash, Maarten starts to uncover long-buried secrets – and a murderer in their midst…

My thanks to Sophie at Midas PR for my review copy and the chance to join the Blog Tour

It is a big weekend for sisters Lois and Ebba. They have gathered together a group of investors, film representatives, politician and activists to showcase their innovative and potentially game-changing Virtual Reality videogame. The sister believe the VR is better than anything else out there and the interaction it offers will have benefits beyond the gaming world for those that want to develop it further. There is a lot at stake for Lois and Ebba and they are understandably apprehensive as they start to welcome guests to their home, a large mansion where no expense has been spared to make their VIP guests feel welcome.

But also in attendance is DCI Maarten Jansen. One of the guests has been receiving death threats and the police are on the scene to keep her safe and ensure the weekend goes off without incident. On that front the police are not successful. The book begins with a helicopter crash which did not happen by accident. The helicopter had been taking some of the guests to the studios in London where a demonstration of the VR game was to take place, it doesn’t even clear the grounds before it is spinning back to earth with several of the VIP guests on board.

Into The Fire is told with a non-linear narrative so after the early sight of the helicoper crashing down the reader is taken back to the start of the weekend and we get to know the key players in the story. The introductions are done by watching guests arrive at the house as from the viewpoint of some of the guests themselves (the multiple narrative runs through the book). Not only does this allow us to assess what the guests each have been witness to but we also get their thoughts and background story which allows the reader to know the big issues which dominate the lives. The positive pregnancy test, the man who adores his wife but feels so inferior to her that he is terrified to even make eye contact, even the policeman who will see his wife meet his ex.

Getting to know the characters can feel a bit of a slow burn but the characters do have quite fascinating and complex backstories so readers will engage with the various dilemmas. Rachael Blok is ensuring we have all the information we need so when DCI Jansen starts to uncover some of the secrets which surround the death which occurs during the weekend the reader also knows something of what is there to be discovered for him.

Into The Fire is a clever character driven mystery. Rachael Blok moves her figures around the board and only allows readers the opportunity to glimpse what her overall strategy may be. The characters need to be strong to make this approach work and I felt this was accomplished well. I had sympathy for some, anxiety for others and the charaters who were the clear villains of the story were not made too toxic that you did not care what may happen to them.

Nicely plotted, engaging characters and a good payoff. I hadn’t realised DCI Jansen had featured in previous books but I feel returning readers will enjoy his participation in this book.

Into The Fire is published by Head of Zeus and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082NZST2T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 1

The April Dead – Alan Parks

NO ONE WILL FORGET . . .

In a grimy flat in Glasgow, a homemade bomb explodes, leaving few remains to identify its maker.

Detective Harry McCoy knows in his gut that there’ll be more to follow. The hunt for a missing sailor from the local US naval base leads him to the secretive group behind the bomb, and their disturbing, dominating leader.

On top of that, McCoy thinks he’s doing an old friend a favour when he passes on a warning, but instead he’s pulled into a vicious gang feud. And in the meantime, there’s word another bigger explosion is coming Glasgow’s way – so if the city is to survive, it’ll take everything McCoy’s got . . .

My thanks to Jamie at Canongate for a review copy of The April Dead and to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the oppourtunity to host this leg of the tour.

Harry McCoy is the new name to add to the list of Scotland’s Best Fictional Coppers. His city is Glasgow and The April Dead takes us to 1974 – a full decade before Taggart became known as “Scottish For Murder.”

This book opens with a bang – literally. A homemade bomb has blown up in a rundown house in a quiet part of town. It looks like the bomb-maker made one final mistake at the wrong moment. McCoy isn’t good with blood so being asked to investiate a death where the victim is spread around a room really isn’t the best way for him to begin his day.

Before too long McCoy will be spinning more than one plate and finding himself in another unwelcome position. As ever, one of the key elements which bring these predicaments is is oldest friend Stevie Cooper – recently released from Peterhead prison and back in town to re-establish himself as the big noise with a finger in every pie. McCoy’s friendship with Cooper, one of Glasgows biggest criminals, is always problematic but never more so when Cooper is arrested for murder by McCoy’s young apprentice Wattie.

It seems the clumsy bombmaker may not have been working alone as there are further incidents around the city and McCoy finds he is relying upon the skills of a colleague who transferred from Northern Ireland. His experience of dealing with the aftermath of IRA bombs across the Irish Sea has given him unwelcome knowledge of different bombs and the destruction they can cause. In the mid-1970s the IRA were starting to make their presence felt on the mainland UK and unfortunately for McCoy he appears to be drawing attention to himself and being noticed by the wrong type of people.

With regular sidekick Wattie spending some of his time dealing with his new paternal responsibilities we see McCoy using some of his personal time trying to help out a retired American naval captain. His son (also a sailor) has gone missing in Glasgow and Capitan Stewart has travelled to Scotland to try and trace him. He is reliant upon McCoy’s support and McCoy appears happy to spend time with Stewart and help him to find the missing boy. However, it seems Stewart junior may have fallen in with a bad crowd and McCoy is certain there are elements of his life which his father knows nothing about. Diplomacy isn’t really McCoy’s strength so digging into possible criminal activities while keeping Captain Stewart in the dark is just another challenge for McCoy.

As with the earlier Harry McCoy novels I find the author’s depictions of Glasgow, as she was, to be mesmerising. It’s a familiar city in unfamiliar coat. McCoy knows his home and he knows many of the undesirable characters who live within but he moves around and spins those plates and by shaking up the right people and knowing the questions to ask he begins to make progress. The bombings are a clear and present threat and there are too many young military types cropping up in the investigation for McCoy’s liking. Alan Parks keeps the reader hooked with multiple events and threads and you know that when the book reaches the endgame lots of those threads are going to be connected – but which ones?

I make no secret of the fact I adore the Harry McCoy series. I recommend them above many other crime books and each new release brings increasing levels of anticipation. The April Dead did not disappoint – if I did “starred” reviews it would be a nailed on Five Star recommendation. I know you have a TBR which is taking over your house but you need to be reading these books. So read them. No excuses.

The April Dead is published by Canongate Books and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook fomat. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08H2BQR1T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

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March 30

The Late Train to Gypsy Hill – Alan Johnson

Something a little different from me today which I am really excited to share with you. I am usually the last person to hear about new books but I am delighted to bring you an early notification of a forthcoming release which will be hitting our bookshelves in September. The author will be familiar name to many but not (yet) as a crime writer.

Alan Johnson is the former Home Secretary and, more recently, political commentator. Alan currently hosts a brand new Podcast series called How To Change the World, guests will include Caitlin Moran, James Dean Bradfield and Stuart Lee. Alan has a monthly column in Saga Magazine acting as their first ever Agony Uncle, as well as a regular slot on ‘Steph’s Packed Lunch’, Steph McGovern’s show on Channel 4.

Due for release on 2 September 2021, The Late Train to Gypsy Hill is Alan’s first crime novel. Alan himself will be along in a moment to tell you about his new novel but first the important details…cover and blurb.

The Late Train to Gypsy Hill

Gary Nelson has a routine for the commute to his rather dull job in the city. Each day, he watches as a woman on the train applies her make up in a ritual he now knows by heart. He’s never dared to strike up a conversation . . . but maybe one day.

Then one evening, on the late train to Gipsy Hill, the woman invites him to take the empty seat beside her. Fiddling with her mascara, she holds up her mirror and Gary reads the words ‘HELP ME’ scrawled in sticky black letters on the glass.

With a little bit of internet trickery and the kind support of Vicky at Headline I can also bring you this short video of Alan introducing his first crime novel: The Late Train to Gypsy Hill

You can get your order in early with this handy pre-order link: https://smarturl.it/TheLateTrain

Keep abreast of updates through social media by searching for the hashtag or keeping an eye on the publisher social accounts:

#TheLateTrain

@headlinepg

@CrimeFilesBooks

I love how the cover has the feel of an old railway poster and the teaser blurb had me hooked – that was before the extra detail which Alan shares in the video!

Get your orders in early as I suspect we will be hearing a lot more about this one as September draws near.

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March 27

The Murder House – Michael Wood

They were the perfect family. It was the perfect crime.

It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen…

The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined.

Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought…

I recieved a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

I have been falling behind with my reading. I go through periods where the day job can change a couple of times in a year. When this happens the books I want to read don’t get picked up as quickly as I would like. This is particularly problematic when I am following a series and before I read the newest book I suddenly find there is a new “newest” book and I have slipped back and find myself two books behind where I want to be.

While Matilda Darke has been moving on with her life and getting into new scrapes I was firmly stuck at the end of the magnificent The Hangman’s Hold. I was too far behind and I promised myself I would visit The Murder House without further delay – a good decision! Michael Wood has an unflinching approach to his stories and The Murder House is not pulling any punches. Matilda and her team are called upon to investigate the brutal murders of a family, slain in their home on the day of their daughter’s wedding. The murders appear frenzied, multiple stab wounds and one victim’s head has practically been severed. Not one for the faint hearted.

Despite the carnage the police are able to find evidence which points to a suspect. A known petty thief and burglar who appears to have gone on the run around the time the murders took place. Matilda has her doubts that a small time crook would escalate so suddenly to multiple killer but the evidence cannot be disputed, the suspect had escaped from a jail in Barnsley and vanished. His recapture is imperative. For the reader we get to see the suspect’s flight from Sheffield and his attempt to reach the South Coast. He is fleeing and he wants to make it to mainland Europe, knowing full well that the police are on his tail.

Although Matilda is the star of the show, Michael Wood makes lots of time for the rest of her team too. The brutality of the murder they are investigating is taking its toll and Matilda will need to be the best of all bosses if she is to keep her colleagues focussed. However, one of her most trusted colleagues has had enough and confirms his intention to resign. Matilda is now fighting to save a promising career, keep the core of her team intact and trying to find time to catch a killer. What she really doesn’t need is her past cases to catch up with her – of course that’s exactly what is about to happen.

Returning readers will know that Matilda is plagued by her high profile failure when she botched the handover of a ransom payment when she was meant to recover a kidnapped boy. The boy, Carl, has haunted her since – presumed dead but the constant doubt remains that he may be out there somewhere and desperate to be reunited with his mother and father. Now Carl’s mother has received a telephone call and the voice on the end (she is sure) is Carl’s. There is no new evidence other than a voice on the other end of the phone but Carl’s mother wants someone to help. Matilda has no time but reaches out to an old colleague, now retired, to spend time with Carl’s parents.

These scenes are also traumatic. The feeling of loss and frustration for the boy’s parents are hard to enjoy. Their son is gone and their marriage is in trouble, I could not help but hope they would get some comfort and resolution or even just respite from their worry. No spoilers but the case which has haunted Matilda for five books isn’t going to quiety slip into the background.

I have missed out a lot in my brief overview of The Murder House, there’s lots to enjoy in this book and (as I always do) I enjoyed my return to Matilda Darke’s world. This really is one of the best new ongoing series, five books in and the stories are going from strength to strength. A few nods to past events which may go over the head of new readers but it should not stop anyone picking up The Murder House as a stand-alone thriller and finding themself lost in a pacy page-turner.

The Murder House 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/B07TNPVC25/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

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March 26

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Chris McVeigh

Time for a new guest to nominate the five books they want added to my Ultimate Library. Today I am delighted to welcome Chris McVeigh to Grab This Book. Chris is Fahrenheit Press. He runs the show, decides which books they publish and will light up your Twitter feed with his feisty, punkish attitude.

Fahrenheit Press offer noir, thrillers, chillers and even some “spice”. They also do a cracking line in bookish merch. You can visit their website here – http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/ Buy some books and support an indy publisher. If you buy a physical copy of any of their books then Fahrenheit also give you a digital copy to upload to your favourite e-book reader.

What’s the deal with my Ultimate Library? Well for new visitors a quick recap: If a Librarian (me) wanted to fill a brand new Library starting with zero books I wondered which books I should be looking to put on the shelves. I wanted the unmissable, the best, the essential reads. But I knew I could not take on this task alone so I am inviting bookloving guests to help me with this mammoth undertaking – there are two rules which each guest must follow:

Rule 1 – Select Five Books
Rule 2 – They can only select one book per decade over any five consecutive decades

I call this my Decades project. If you are on Twitter search for online conversations using the #Decades hashtag.

Just two rules yet Chris joins previous guest-curator Heather Martin in finding a way to “flex” those rules. I may need to crack down on anthologies in future!

You can visit the Library here: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=5113

Decades

It’s fair to say books have always been a big part of my life.

Professionally I’ve been involved in the publishing industry for the best part of 30 years but my relationship with books stretches back even further to my weekly visits to the local library when I was a kid. Like a lot of working-class households, we didn’t actually own any books of our own. That doesn’t mean we weren’t well-read though. My ma & da came from a background of the self-taught, politically aware, working class that was such a feature of Glasgow life right through the first half of the 20th century. There was very much an attitude of “we might be poor, but we’re not stupid” – the public libraries in Glasgow were the backbone of that philosophy.

I started reading voraciously as soon as I was old enough to get my library ticket and I haven’t really stopped since.

The books on this list are the ones that have endured for me through my own 5 decades – though looking at the list I realise I found most of them in my late 20s & early 30s.

Keep The Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell (1936)

Like most people, I’d been aware of George Orwell from school where Animal Farm and 1984 were on the curriculum. I didn’t come across Keep The Aspidistra Flying though until I’d skipped off to London to seek my fortune and picked I up a battered old 23^rd hand copy somewhere on Camden High Street.

I was a cocky little shit – thought I was smarter than I was and was certain I was destined for better things. As far as I could see the only thing that kept getting in my way was a total lack of opportunity and the enduring absence of any funds – nothing to do with me poncing about in dive bars all day, talking about becoming a Rockstar – clearly it was all Thatcher’s fault.

The main protagonist of the book is fella called Gordon Comstock and it was his constant tallying and re-tallying of resources – cigarettes left, booze in hand, booze desired, number of days till payday – that first caught my attention because that was basically my life at the time. I’ll be honest though, the finesse and the fierce deep satire which Orwell throws at almost every character in the book was lost on me until I went back and re-read it in my 30s. Since then I’ve gone back to it time and time again and I always find something new to enjoy.

The Glass Bead Game by Herman Hesse (1943)

This book, honestly don’t know where to start.

The impact this book has had on my life is frankly ridiculous. I came to it young (too young) when I found a battered copy my hippy older brother had squirrelled away somewhere. It’s probably the book I’ve bought most often – in different editions for myself, or more usually as gifts for the people closest to me – but no matter where I’ve been or what’s happened in my life that very first copy, now battered beyond belief and pretty much spineless, has stayed with me – it’s on the shelf right in front of me now as I’m writing this.

As a precocious 14-year old I didn’t know much more than I liked the cover and the title sounded cool – both those things are still true btw.

The scope of the book is huge and takes in themes ranging from Eastern mysticism, classical music, mathematics, art, power structures, free will, and the challenges faced by individuals when faced with forces of fate that seem so much bigger than any person on their own could hope to overcome.

Obviously at 14 I didn’t have a clue about any of this and I didn’t really get stuck into the meat of the book first time around, it was really just a bedroom prop that made me look a bit smarter and cooler than your average Glasgow Joe (at least that’s what I imagine I thought).

A couple of years later I read an interview with David Bowie where he name-checked The Glass Bead Game, Herman Hesse and the I Ching – that was it – I was hooked – bought myself some yarrow stalks (okay, a box of toothpicks) and set myself up as part-drunk, part-punk & part mystic. Honestly, I really was a precocious little turd back then. Great cheekbones though.

Anyway, point is that once I stopped using the book as a fashion accessory and actually got stuck into it properly in my late 20s/early 30s it genuinely changed my life. It helped me change the way I looked at the world, it helped me celebrate and make peace with the dozens of different selves that were living in my head at that time. This book was only one part of my journey through some very difficult times, but it was an important one and it’s become a talisman for me because of it.

Oh, and it won Herman Hesse the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946 – so it’s not just me.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953)

It’d be weird if this wasn’t on my list, right?

Only those closest to me know this because I keep it on the down-low but I’m a total Science Fiction geek. Always have been. When I want some time away from the world, you’ll find me slumped on the sofa working my way through a 20-episode binge of Star Trek, Stargate or BattleStar – not to fussy which – as long as it’s got shiny spaceships and lycra uniforms, I’m totally on board.

Fahrenheit 451 wasn’t the sci-fi book that kicked me off on this lifelong secret pleasure (that was probably Asimov’s Foundation series) but it’s the one I keep going back to.

Its importance in my life isn’t all about the book itself though it’s got a lot to do with the way it’s been re-imagined graphically by so many artists over the years. I must have collected 20+ different editions with different covers over the years.

The imagery of 451 Degrees Fahrenheit being the temperature when paper combusts has always fascinated me and when I set up a digital publishing consultancy it seemed like a no-brainer to call it FourFiftyOne – remember these were the days of 2008/9 when many people thought eBooks would replace paper entirely within a decade. Those who go way back with me will remember that my social media handle for the first ten years social media existed was @4fifty1. When I decided to set up a new publishing company back in 2015 it seemed only natural to continue the brand and that’s how Fahrenheit Press came to named.

The book’s not bad either.

A State Of Denmark by Derek Raymond (1964)

For many people crime writer Derek Raymond is regarded as the founder of British Noir (though mention this in the vicinity of a Ted Lewis fan and they’ll most likely dispose of your body in the trunk of a crushed car). Suffice to say though that if you like your crime fiction gritty you should definitely read Derek Raymond’s Factory Series.

A State Of Denmark though, isn’t part of that series, it was published some twenty years before back in the mid-60s under his original pen-name Robin Cook. Brought back into print by Serpent’s Tail in the mid-80s I first came across it in the early 1990s.

It’s literally a book in 2 parts – the story is split between Italy and the UK – and set in a dystopian near-future where Italy has become a sort of haven for bohemian free-thinkers while back in Britain, Scotland, Ireland & Wales have declared independence and England has sleepwalked itself into a dictatorship where political dissenters are held in internment camps and all non-white immigrants have been deported.

It’s pretty grim stuff in parts to be fair but the writing, particularly about Italy, will raise you up – I first read it on a trip around Sicily and the book and the island have been intertwined for me ever since.

Politics in recent years has thrown this book back into sharp relief and when I re-read it again last year I found it more relevant than ever.

A proper hidden gem which I promise you wont regret hunting out.

The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies (1970-1975)

Fifth Business
The Manticore
World of Wonders

Bit of a cheat this one as it’s really 3 books in 1 but as I first read it in a single-volume I’m going to include it anyway.

I didn’t go to university or college, closest I ever got to a qualification was my City & Guilds in Floristry. In almost all the ways that matter, these books were my university.

I was first given a copy of this trilogy in the late 80s by the father of a girlfriend. They were one of those hugely posh, well-off, North London, liberal families. Christ knows what they must have thought when their beloved daughter dragged me back to them – all leather, and make-up, and carrying working-class chips on both shoulders. The romance didn’t last long but against all the odds me and her dad hit it off. He noticed I was smarter than I was pretending to be, and he started lending me a few books he thought I’d like. They weren’t really the sort of books I’d come into contact with before but I’d read them and then we’d chat about them.

The Deptford Trilogy was his ace in the hole – he suggested that whenever I came across a word or anything I didn’t recognise I should go and look it up and see where it took me. There was no internet in the 80s so that meant more trips to the library and that’s exactly what I did. All those years I spent boozing it up in Camden and trying to be a rock-star I was also spending afternoons in the library reading up on Rabelias, Hieronymus Bosch, Bach, Rimbaud and a hundred other subjects that I’d scribbled down in my notebooks while reading The Deptford Trilogy (and subsequently the other two trilogies in the series). Every time I came across anything I didn’t know I looked it up and each time I did my knowledge spread like a spider’s web. The internet definitely makes research quicker, but I’m really pleased it didn’t exist back then because every single book I read sank deep into my brain, it was an effort to find out the stuff I wanted to know and it lodged inside. The whole process set a habit that became a pattern ever since and to this day I still don’t really trust anyone who never asks questions or pretends they know everything.

This probably makes these books by Roberston Davies sound worthy and dry – I promise they’re anything but, the storytelling is better than almost anything else I’ve ever read, they’re funny and joyful and mischievous and wise. I’m always constantly surprised that he isn’t more well known than he is. If you haven’t read them you’re in for a real treat.

Okay, that’s my 5 books from 5 decades, thanks to Gordon for asking me to take part in this – such a belting idea – I’ve really enjoyed the whole thing.

I am extremely grateful to Chris for giving up some of his time to share his selections. He did suggest a bottle of bourbon may be needed to help him remove some of his favourite books from his final five, I hope the decicion making process wasn’t too traumatic.

Decades Will Return

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March 23

The Reacher Guy (Audiobook) – Heather Martin

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

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

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

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

Having read the book before Christmas I then bought the audiobook through my Audible membership – this is an audiobook review with an explanation as to why I doubled up!

I don’t really read non-fiction. There are a number of reasons behind this but key ones are that I am a speed/skim reader and I really struggle to focus on non-fiction books for any length of time (see also short story anthologies). Secondly, I am TERRIBLE at remembering names so when books dwell on people, as biographies tend to do, I quickly get confused about the players in the chapter and lose interest. Third, I seldom find a person or subject I want to read about in depth. If those issues were not enough to contend with, I have a fiction TBR which is screaming to be read.

Some time ago, when I was a good deal younger than I am today, I picked up a new book called Killing Floor. As many people have since discovered it was a brilliant read and the twenty-three subsequent Lee Child novels were pretty darned fine too. Lee Child has been a regular go-to reading choice in our house and only a new Terry Pratchett Discworld book could rival the anticipation of the next Jack Reacher book.

Over twenty years of Reacher Fandom was a pretty good reason to read The Reacher Guy. I wanted to know more about the man who came up with all those exciting stories, the man who calculates the physics in a fight scene and the man who has a cover quote on quite a few of the books featured in this blog – how can he read so prolifically and still have time to write? The Reacher Guy answered my questions and gave a remarkably frank insight to the character who is Lee Child and the man he was before the books began.

Heather Martin has been extremely thorough when it comes to getting to the core of James Grant. The early chapters of the book focus on his childhood years and the family around him. His grandfathers, his parents who let him down at a young age and the friction which seems to have never abated throughout his life, school friends, old teachers – all are explored and there are examples of how their relationship with the young Mr Grant formed the man he would become and influenced the characters he would create.

The early years and Grant’s background are expanded by the author to take in much of the social history of the time and if Jim Grant lived in Coventry then Heather Martin went to Coventry to see where he lived. It seems to bemuse Lee Child that Dr Martin would visit Jim Grant’s house but that gives you some idea of how this book addresses the relationship between the biographer, the author, his alter-ego and his internationally recongised lead character.

I found the tangents taken in the narrative to be fascinating. One page you are reading about a family photograph taken by a brick wall then the next page could be about men returning from the war and how they were patched up or left to fend for themselves. The book takes many unpredicable turns and the only comparison I could draw (from my limited exposure to non-ficti0n) was the narration style of Bill Bryson who can comfortably steer the reader from a paragraph about an attic to five pages on churchyard burial practices in the 18th century. It is engaging and informative and when you have the story being narrated by the wonderful Juliet Stevenson you don’t really want these narrative deviations to end.

As Jim Grant grows older his experiences change and readers are treated to stories of The Beatles and gigs which the music loving Grant was able to attend. Then comes the meeting with his future-wife and the need to settle and get a job to support a family. He excelled in his professional career too and hearing how he secured a job he loved and then mastered is oddly abosorbing. Who enjoys hearing about someone else’s day job?

What struck me throughout The Reacher Guy was the constant reminder that Lee Child makes up stories for a living. He attends many events and has to answer many questions about his background. The book does make it clear that many tales he tells are likely to have been somewhat embellished down the years. Heather Martin meets old acquintances of Grant/Child and these old friends are quite happy to pop the fictional bubble which has been blown around some of these recollections and clarify some more practical detail. Nevertheless there is no doubting that Jim Grant had a fascinating life before he first took readers to Margrave, Georgia.

The final third of the book is where we leave Jim Grant and join Lee Child. The mentions of Jim are much less frequent as once the writing begins Jim Grant is moved to the background and only Lee Child gets to meet publishers, editors and producers. These are the pages the Reacher fans will be lapping up. Hearing how the books were formed, how characters got named, where hard work and grafting got a substantial manuscript down to a page-turning sensation.

When I read The Reacher Guy I skimmed too much of the detail. I picked up the audiobook as you can’t skim details in audio – you need to let every word be heard. What a great decision that turned out to be. Juliet Stevenson has a wonderful voice and she perfectly captures the mood of each chapter. There are times where Jim Grant does not always come out of a situation looking in the best of lights – Stevenson’s narrative sounds sharp and disapproving almost as though she is not happy with what she is having to relay to us. Yet in times of success and celebration the light congratulatory tones are uplifting.

It’s a weighty book and a lenghty listen but both can be considered time well spent. The paperback will be out later in the year but a savvy shopper can currently pick up the hardback at less than half of the cover price. For a guy that doesn’t read non-fiction, I read the Hell out of this book. Will be recommending this for some time to come.

The Reacher Guy is published by Constable and is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086L3VD1T/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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