Grab This Book – Page 40 – Helping readers find great books they may otherwise miss

Control – Hugh Montgomery

Not all doctors are heroes . . .

Renowned surgeon Michael Trenchard locks his office door and prepares for a relaxing evening. But what follows is a living nightmare when later he is discovered in a locked-in coma, the victim of an auto-erotic asphyxiation.

It is left to Doctor Kash Devan, Trenchard’s young protégé, to uncover the truth. And what he discovers is chilling . . .

In his ruthless pursuit of wealth and success, Trenchard has left a trail of wrecked lives, and angry people, behind him. Which of Trenchard’s victims hated him so much that they wanted to ruin not only his reputation, but his life as well?

I received a review copy from the publisher. My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the chance to join the blog tour.

There are far too few hospital based thrillers these days. I love a medical thriller and, like many others, I grew up reading Robin Cook novels so I knew I could rely upon a new hospital drama arriving once a year. Then the hospitals seemed to fade from the pages of crime novels (other than the morgues) and the courtrooms took over. So when I read the blurb for Control and realised the lead character was a junior doctor and the victim was his boss I had high hopes. I was not disappointed.

Control was exactly what I have been missing. A tense thriller set in a hospital where doctors and nurses are the key players and the patients could be suspects, witnesses or even a killer. Nobody is above suspicion and there are some very nasty twists in the tale to make readers aware as to how much you can be at the mercy of your medical staff.

Control had me hooked. The narrative is driven by Kash, a young doctor who finds himself working under the powerful and influential surgeon Michael Trenchard. Trenchard is very much the man in control of his staff but there are signs that his authority is not welcomed by everyone.

The early part of the story settles the reader into life at the hospital. Kash is run ragged coping with all his responsibilities and there seems little time for himself. Yet he finds a way to balance life with the unrelenting work demands and we see how young doctors are expected to cope in the modern NHS.

But before we get too comfortable with hospital life a dramatic incident. Trenchard is found in his office, barely alive, and it appears he has accidentally lost control during an auto-erotic asphyxiation. Kash is one of the first on scene and tries to save his mentor’s reputation but his efforts will be largely futile.

Kash refuses to believe Trenchard could have indulged in auto-erotic asphyxiation and he is sure the surgeon would not have indulged in his office at the hospital. As such Kash starts to ask questions and challenge the findings of the police. Unfortunately for Kash someone doesn’t want him to look too closely into what actually occurred.

Clever writing and some very nasty medical twists and turns made Control one of my favourite reads of the summer – highly recommended.

Control is published by Zaffre and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07M7KQKP9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

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August 17

The Warehouse – Rob Hart

Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.

Amidst the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour. Yet, beneath the sunny exterior, lurks something far more sinister.

Paxton never thought he’d be working Security for the company that ruined his life, much less that he’d be moving into one of their sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, perhaps Cloud isn’t so bad. Better still, through his work he meets Zinnia, who fills him with hope for their shared future.

Except that Zinnia is not what she seems. And Paxton, with his all-access security credentials, might just be her meal ticket.

As Paxton and Zinnia’s agendas place them on a collision course, they’re about to learn just how far the Cloud will go to make the world a better place.

To beat the system, you have to be inside it.

My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things for the chance to join the blog tour. I received a copy of the book from the publishers through Netgalley.

I read and reviewed The Warehouse back in May and at the time I flagged it as a book which was one to watch out for. I loved the cleverness of the writing and the chilling look at a possible future society.

Now, for the blog tour, I am re-sharing my original review and urging everyone to pick up The Warehouse without further delay – it’s a corker!

We are in a future where society is coping with a harsh reality, society’s tolerance has all but vanished and people are reliant upon the global retail giant: Cloud. Cloud provides hundreds of thousands around with world with jobs, residential places at their vast warehouses, consumers can want for nothing as Cloud offer it all.

Stepping into the Cloud Warehouse in Rob Hart’s novel is Paxton. He ran his own business, a firm with a product which people found useful and which allowed him to be moderately successful. When Cloud noticed his small success they approached Paxton to work with him, a deal was reached but margins were squeezed and trading got tougher and tougher. Eventually Cloud forced Paxton’s firm out of business and we meet him as he approaches Cloud with a view to getting a job with them.

During the selection process Paxton meets Zinnia. Zinnia is not keen to strike up a conversation with Paxton as she is applying for a job with Cloud for a very different reason. Security and employment is not Zinnia’s primary motivation – she is working undercover to infiltrate the Cloud building with a view to uncovering some of the secrets of the firm’s operation.

Both Paxton and Zinnia enter The Warehouse with very different agenda but both are trying to keep a secret. Over the course of the story we see how they will become indoctrinated to the way of life of Cloud. Compliant to the unique rules which Cloud operate. Conscious of the need to fit in and to meet the expectation of their employer or face the consequence of being Cut.

Rob Hart has created a fascinating micro-world in which to set his story. The clever use of chapters where mundane tasks are completed show just how hard Zinnia has to work to keep her cover in place and shows the routine Cloud expect from their employees. I loved the idea of a corporate giant taking over our lives (but it is also rather chilling as you ponder if this could actually become prophetic).

Great book – grab it now!

The Warehouse is published by Bantam and is available to buy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HBTSLC1/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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August 15

The Darkest Lullaby – Jonathan Janz

The old house waited. For years there had been rumors that the owner, Lilith Martin, had been part of an unholy cult. People spoke of blasphemous rituals, black rites filled with blood, sex…and sacrifices. Then Lilith died and the house sat empty. Until now.

Lilith’s nephew, Chris, and his wife, Ellie, are moving in. Ellie isn’t happy about living in such a dark, foreboding place, but she wants to get pregnant and this house has a lot more room to raise a baby than their apartment. Unfortunately, she and Chris will soon learn that Lilith has other plans.

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for my review copy and to Anne Cater at Random Things for the chance to join the blog tour.

I think there must come a point in every horror book or film where the viewer/reader asks “why don’t they just leave this place?” In The Darkest Lullaby I think I reached this point around the time my Kindle told me I had read 40% of the story.

Clearly Jonathan Janz also appreciated his characters should have been getting the Hell out of Dodge as he worked in a couple of nice twists to ensure Chris and Ellie (our couple in peril) have to remain in their creepy house in the woods. No escape for Ellie from her husband’s odd and threatening behaviour. No escape for Chris from the strange woman he is compelled to follow into the woods. No escape from the strange things in the old run down house. Uh oh.

I have read a few of Jonathan Janz’s books and he is great at building up the tension, has no qualms about bumping off characters in grizzly and disturbing ways and you cannot be sure if the good guys will survive (or if they even are the good guys). For fans of a good-old horror tale you can’t go far wrong with Janz’s books.

In The Darkest Lullaby we have an entity who wants to use her nephew to find a way to return from the grave…if she even made it to her grave! Chris and Ellie move into Chris’s aunt’s old home in the hope of finding peace and a nice place to start a family. However soon after they arrive Chris starts to behave oddly and Ellie becomes increasingly alarmed by strange goings on in the house.

As the story unfolds we learn that Lillith, Chris’s aunt, had an unhealthy obsession with her nephew and a really strong dislike of Ellie. That really can’t be a good combination!

The Darkest Lullaby is one for the horror fans. Bloody, unsettling and with strong adult themes. A late night page turner which kept me reading…mainly so I could find out which characters survived!

The Darkest Lullaby is published by Flame Tree Press and is available in digital and paperback format here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkest-Lullaby-Fiction-Without-Frontiers/dp/178758271X/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=jonathan+janz&qid=1565820624&s=gateway&sr=8-16

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August 6

Holiday Reading – Part 2

Time to do some catching up. I have spent a large part of July reading and a tiny part of July writing reviews so it’s time to redress the balance. I finished over a dozen books during my summer break and that is too many to fit into a single catch-up post so I shall break these down into double headers.

Black and Blue – David Rosenfelt

Doug Brock hasn’t had it easy since his getting shot in the line of duty as a New Jersey state police officer. Between the amnesia and having to solve two murder cases, it hasn’t been the most restful recovery. Now, the cold case department is checking evidence from a murder case Doug was investigating before the accident, but the DNA points to a man Doug eliminated as a suspect and he remembers none of it. Doug begins to reinvestigate what turns out to be a series of unsolved killings and must retrace his steps to discover why he would have let the suspect go free. What he uncovers may be more dangerous than any case he’s faced yet.

My thanks to Minotaur Books for my review copy

David Rosenfelt has written a lot of books but this is my introduction to his work. David has released 19 books in the Andy Carpenter series, all with a distinctly canine theme, I shall be turning my attention to those very soon. However, it should be noted that Black and Blue does not feature Andy Carpenter (and I don’t recall many dogs) this one is a Doug Brock thriller – I inhaled it in just two sittings.

Brock is a cop in New Jersey. He was shot in the line of duty and lost a lot of his memories – not them all but enough that he cannot remember much of his life over the last few years prior to the shooting. This has created issues with his fiancee and means some cases he worked are a total mystery to him.

In Black and Blue one of Brock’s older cases may have become pertinent to an active investigation and he will need to revisit his original case notes to try and identify who may be responsible for a shooting. Did Brock let a killer walk free?

As Brock and his colleagues review likely suspects the body count increases. The most elusive of killers, a sniper, seems to be working through a list of intended victims whilst taunting the police about their lack of progress in stopping his “work”.

The dynamic between Brock and his colleagues was engaging and gave some lighter moments away from the murder scenes. Pacy, action packed and with a good number of twists to keep me reading. Perfect holiday reading.

Black and Blue is published by Minotaur Books and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Blue-Doug-Brock-Thriller/dp/1250133149/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=david+rosenfelt&qid=1565117369&s=gateway&sr=8-8

Exit Wounds – edited by Paul B Kane and Marie O’Regan

A brand-new anthology of crime stories written by masters of the genre, including Jeffery Deaver, Val McDermid and Lee Child.

A brand-new anthology of crime stories written by masters of the genre. Featuring both original in-universe stories and rarely-seen reprints, this collection of masterful short stories brings together some of the genre’s greatest living authors.

This was perfect reading for a summer vacation. I was able to pick up and set down the book for short reading bursts between activities and day trips. While stop/start bursts is frustrating when working my way through a novel, these bite sized, unsettling tales were ideal.

I don’t read many short story anthologies so I am not sure what the correct etiquette may be for a review. As such I don’t plan to discuss each story individually (there are nineteen) but as I go along I will highlight a few which stood out.

First I need to highlight the quality of the collection. Val McDermid shares a Tony Hill and Carol Jordan story, James Oswald treats us to a Tony McLean chiller (one of my favourites in the collection), Lee Child, Dean Koontz and Dennis Lehane are joined by Steph Broadribb, Sarah Hilary and AK Benedict and I still haven’t mentioned more than half of the authors!

Two of the stories which stuck with me long after I put the book down were Dead Weight by Fiona Cummins and Disciplined by Martyn Waites. Some voices across the book just strike a chord with me or I found the twist was unexpected (and possibly nasty). It has been almost 3 weeks since I finished the last story in the collection but these two stories were the ones I thought of first when I sat down to prepare my review.

This is a cracking collection from Titan Books. The stories are dark and disturbing and the quality of tales assembled in a single volume is terrific.

Exit Wounds is available to order here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exit-Wounds-K-Benedict/dp/1785659189/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=exit+wounds&qid=1565123235&s=digital-skills&sr=8-1

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July 30

Holiday Reading – Part 1

Thin Air – Lisa Gray

Private investigator Jessica Shaw is used to getting anonymous tips. But after receiving a photo of a three-year-old kidnapped from Los Angeles twenty-five years ago, Jessica is stunned to recognize the little girl as herself.

Eager for answers, Jessica heads to LA’s dark underbelly. When she learns that her biological mother was killed the night she was abducted, Jessica’s determined to solve a case the police have forgotten. Meanwhile, veteran LAPD detective Jason Pryce is in the midst of a gruesome investigation into a murdered college student moonlighting as a prostitute. A chance encounter leads to them crossing paths, but Jessica soon realizes that Pryce is hiding something about her father’s checkered history and her mother’s death.

To solve her mother’s murder and her own disappearance, Jessica must dig into the past and find the secrets buried there. But the air gets thinner as she crawls closer to the truth, and it’s getting harder and harder to breathe.

The first book to feature PI Jessica Shaw and it’s a cracking start to what I hope will be a long running series. Shaw is an immediately likeable main character and Thin Air places her at the heart of the narrative.

Shaw discovers she is a kidnap victim, taken from her family at a very young age and seemingly brought up by a family who are not her own. Determined to investigate her own past and a seemingly forgotten crime Jessica heads to LA where she shall encounter a cop called Pryce.

Pryce is investigating the brutal murder of a student who, despite her wholesome image, has been hiding a secret life from her friends.

The two investigations have a very different feel, Pryce in the immediate and unsettling present while Jessica digs into events long forgotten. Lisa Gray balances the twin narrative superbly and the story zipped along pulling me deeper into the lives of Shaw and Pryce.

Tension packed thrillers are my reads of choice and this was everything I had hoped it would be. I need some more Jessica Shaw in my life.

Thin Air is published by Thomas and Mercer and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thin-Air-Jessica-Shaw-Book-ebook/dp/B07G8NTJVP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KRU874PGPUKX&keywords=thin+air+lisa+gray&qid=1564515932&s=gateway&sprefix=thin+air%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1

Blood & Sugar – Laura Shepherd-Robinson

June, 1781. An unidentified body hangs upon a hook at Deptford Dock – horribly tortured and branded with a slaver’s mark.

Some days later, Captain Harry Corsham – a war hero embarking upon a promising parliamentary career – is visited by the sister of an old friend. Her brother, passionate abolitionist Tad Archer, had been about to expose a secret that he believed could cause irreparable damage to the British slaving industry. He’d said people were trying to kill him, and now he is missing . . .

To discover what happened to Tad, Harry is forced to pick up the threads of his friend’s investigation, delving into the heart of the conspiracy Tad had unearthed. His investigation will threaten his political prospects, his family’s happiness, and force a reckoning with his past, risking the revelation of secrets that have the power to destroy him.

And that is only if he can survive the mortal dangers awaiting him in Deptford . . .

I decided I needed to take a variety of titles when I packed the holiday reading so I included Blood & Sugar to ensure I had a historical thriller to get my teeth into…1781 here I come.

I didn’t read the blurb on this book, choosing to go in cold and see where the story would take me. Pleasingly it took me to an engaging tale of murder, slavery and deception.

Historical novels have to capture the feeling of the correct time and place if I am going to stand any chance of losing myself in a story. Obviously I have no point of reference to life in 1781 but I felt Laura Shepherd-Robinson did a fantastic job when describing the world and time which her protagonist, Captain Corsham, inhabits. Much of my mental world building came from the additional, incidental detail which the author included – it became immersive.

So to Corsham. He is visited by the sister of one of his old friends. Her brother is missing and she fears for his safety as he had been making powerful enemies. Corsham’s friend had been an outspoken critic of slavery and would side with the slaves as he tried to secure a better life for them. His actions were very much at odds with the norms of society in the 1780’s and Corsham agrees to help find his old friend.

As you may expect, a well-to-do gentleman asking tricky questions in some of the more “earthy” parts of the city will soon attract unwelcome attention and it is not long before Corsham finds himself in peril.

Historical novels are always a bit of a departure from my normal reading but Blood & Sugar was a very welcome change to the usual diet of police procedurals. Laura Shepherd-Robinson has penned a slick thriller with some brutal and unflinching moments. Many of the biggest names in crime fiction have been lavishing praise on Blood & Sugar – it is easy to see why.

Blood & Sugar is published by Mantle and is available to order here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Sugar-Laura-Shepherd-Robinson/dp/1509880771/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1564517200&sr=8-2

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July 12

Tightrope – Marnie Riches

What happens when a private investigator ends up being the one uncovered?

Having lost everything after a failed marriage, Beverley Saunders now lodges in the basement flat of a house owned by her best friend Sophie and her husband, Tim. With Bev’s former glittering marketing career in the gutter, she begins to do investigative work for other wronged women, gathering dirt on philanderers, bosses and exes.

But when Beverley takes on the case of Sophie’s friend Angela, who is seeking to uncover grounds for divorce from her controlling husband, Jerry, the shadow Science Minister, she soon discovers that she isn’t the only one doing the investigating…

Beverley has a secret history she doesn’t want coming out – but will she manage to stay hidden long enough to give Angela the freedom she deserves?

My thanks to the publisher for my review copy which I received through Netgalley.

Tightrope conjured up the image of a figure in the spotlight. An individual carefully focused on balancing everything to avoid an untimely end. Standing up with a purpose in mind but leaving themselves open to have their mistakes fully exposed for all to see.

Beverly Saunders, is very much on that tightrope and is the scene-stealing star of the latest stormingly-good thriller from Marnie Riches. She is taking herself out of her comfort zone to help the friend of a friend but it will place her against dangerous opposition.

Bev is a private investigator and she is asked to look into the private life of a Member of Parliament – a much loved member of the shadow cabinet. The MP in question is not the nicest of individuals and Bev’s dilemma is how far she can go in obtaining evidence of his darker side.

Unfortunately for Bev she is accruing dangerous enemies. Unbeknownst to her, Bev is being watched by a dangerous predator who calls himself The Wolf. At the start of Tightrope is a darkly disturbing scene where The Wolf shows off his power in front of his friends. That display led to a life being lost so readers know the danger Bev is facing.

Returning visitors will know I have enjoyed previous books by Marnie Riches. She nails the dark, disturbing tension and always delivers a cracking thriller which I don’t want to end. She also knows the power of a well timed quip or killer comeback line so Bev is the feisty, smart mouthed hero I love to read about.

I’ve been struggling to get through a few of my recent reads. Quite a few books I’ve started will not be finished and won’t get reviewed here. Thank goodness then for Tightrope – started and finished in a single day and most definitely giving me a book to recommend as you plan your summer holiday reading. Not said this for a while…Grab This Book!

Tightrope is published by Trapeze and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1409181944?aaxitk=JCQBGncMIYYw4T3IpYXMDg&pd_rd_i=1409181944&pf_rd_p=0192e6ab-5959-4731-9929-242726c28327&hsa_cr_id=8050159480502&sb-ci-n=productDescription&sb-ci-v=Tightrope%3A%20A%20gritty%20crime%20thriller%20with%20a%20darkly%20funny%20heart

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July 2

One Way Out – A. A. Dhand

A bomb detonates in Bradford’s City Park.

When the alert sounds, DCI Harry Virdee has just enough time to get his son and his mother to safety before the bomb blows. But this is merely a stunt.

The worst is yet to come.

A new and aggressive nationalist group, the Patriots, have hidden a second device under one of the city’s mosques. In exchange for the safe release of those at Friday prayers, the Patriots want custody of the leaders of radical Islamist group Almukhtaroon – the chosen ones.

The government does not negotiate with terrorists. Even when thousands of lives are at risk.

There is only one way out.

But Harry’s wife is in one of those mosques. Left with no choice, Harry must find the Almukhtaroon, to offer the Patriots his own deal.

Because sometimes the only way to save lives, is to take them.

I received a review copy from the publisher. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the chance to host this leg of the One Way Out Blog Tour.

Book four in the Harry Virdee series and the stakes are raised to the highest level.

Bradford is under attack, a devastating bomb blast causes carnage in a city park. Harry, his mother and his young son managed to flee the park and get to safety just moments before the explosion. Had it not been for the warning delivered by the terrorists this may have been a very short Harry Virdee story!

Once he ensured his mother and son would be safe Harry is immediately drawn back into the action. However not all his family are safe as Harry’s wife is trapped inside one of the city mosques. The terrorists have placed bombs inside a mosque but won’t reveal which one – if any of the visitors to any of the city mosques try to leave then the mosque with the bomb will be destroyed – hundreds will die.

The dilemma for the authorities is straightforward…turn over the leaders of a radical Islamist group to a Nationalist group or face the consequences of the mosque being destroyed. Four lives for a thousand. With the world watching who can make that decision?

It would be crass to use the phrase “blown away” when discussing One Way Out, however, this book delivers high drama and is a gripping read. I have raced through One Way Out over the last couple of days.

Harry’s family relationships have caused him significant conflict over the first three books. Matters take interesting turns in book four. This is great for returning readers and new readers will understand what is happening – but having books 1-3 under your belt will mean you get more punch from certain scenes.

As ever A. A. Dhand puts his characters through the wringer. Harry will rush in and place himself in danger as he battles to save his wife and the city he loves. The action comes thick and fast and the ticking clock which counts down on the fate of the trapped worshippers in the mosques means I kept reading to see how the predicaments could be resolved.

The Harry Virdee books should be on your reading wishlists. A. A. Dhand is not just putting Bradford on the crime fiction map, he is ripping up your old maps and crafting new landscapes with Bradford at the heart of everything. Don’t miss this one.

One Way Out is published by Bantam Press and is available in Hardback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PLNK6KY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

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June 17

The Desire Card – Lee Matthew Goldberg

Any wish fulfilled for the right price. That’s the promise the organization behind The Desire Card gives to its elite clients – but sometimes the price may be more menacing than anyone could ever imagine.

Harrison Stockton has lived an adult life of privilege and excess: a high-powered job on Wall Street fuels his fondness for alcohol and pills at the expense of a family he has no time for. Quite suddenly all of this comes crashing to a halt when he loses his job and at the same time discovers he almost certainly has only months left to live.

Desperate, and with seemingly nowhere else left to turn, Harrison activates his Desire Card. What follows is a gritty and gripping quest that takes him from New York City to the slums of Mumbai and forces him to take chances, and make decisions, he never thought he’d ever have to face. When his moral descent threatens his wife and children, Harrison must decide whether to save himself at any cost, or do what’s right and break his bargain with the mysterious group behind The Desire Card.

The Desire Card is a taut, fast-based thriller, from internationally acclaimed author Lee Matthew Goldberg, that explores what a man will do to survive when money isn’t always enough to get everything he desires.

My thanks to Emma at Damppebbles for the chance to join the blog tour. I received a copy of The Desire Card from the publishers, Fahrenheit Press, so I could participate in the tour.

Harrison Stockton has given everything he has to his employer. His family hardly see him, he works long unforgiving days, skips his medicals and lives life to an excess which has led to a deterioration in his physical appearance and his health is suffering. But that is coming to an end as Harrison is about to be fired. He hasn’t made the grade and his ruthless employer has decided he doesn’t get any more chances.

Naturally Harrison is devastated and tries to persuade his employers they should keep him. But the damage is done and Harrison is gone. However in a small chink of humanity there is a special addition to his severance – a card which offers the bearer the chance to have their desire fulfilled. Naturally there is a price to pay.

Harrison struggles to get his family to accept him now that he is jobless. They are so used to his absence they cannot adjust to him being around – naturally Harrison has no idea what his family do from day to day.

Harrison’s employment woes are not his only concern. A terminal liver condition leaves him facing an early death and rhe chance of finding a donor is slim.

Reaching out to an old friend in India Harrison travels to Mumbai. His friend has located a liver donor and can operate at his private clinic if Harrison can pay his way. The trip will change Harrison’s life but perhaps not how he expected.

When facing impossible choices can Harrison resist the lure of The Desire Card? One call to the mysterious people who operate the card and his problems could be solved. However the costs are high – how desperate does a man have to be?

The Desire Card is a terrific thriller – consequences and dilemmas, truth and many, many lies made this an engrossing read. Harrison is not the most likeable of characters but there is a compulsion to keep reading about him. Master of his own downfall or a weak man who will do what he can to survive? Pages flew by as I followed his story and I have no doubt you would experience the same pull to this tale.

The Desire Card is published by Fahrenheit Press and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_the_desire_card.html

If you order a paperback copy of the novel, Fahrenheit Press also give you a digital copy – cool stuff!

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June 13

A-Z of Skateboarding – Tony Hawks

For more than twenty years, Tony Hawks has been mistaken for Tony Hawk, the American skateboarder. Even though it is abundantly clear on his website that he is an English comedian and author, people still write to him asking the best way to do a kickflip or land a melon. One mischievous day he started writing back in a pompous tone, goading his correspondents for their spelling mistakes and poor grammar, while offering bogus or downright silly advice on how to improve their skateboarding. Featuring entries on parents’ pain, disappointment, underachievers, Quorn and the Vatican, this is his A to Z guide to the world of skateboarding, as seen through the eyes of someone who knows absolutely nothing about it.

I received a review copy from the publishers and was invited to participate in the blog tour by Anne Cater of Random Things Tours. My thanks to both.

For many people the name Tony Hawk will immediately bring to mind the image of a skateboarding legend.

If you hear Tony Hawks being mentioned your first thought may also be of that skateboarding legend but you would be wrong! Has Tony Hawk ever been on Top of the Pops? NO. Has Tony Hawk ever hitchhiked around Ireland WITH A FRIDGE? NO. And has Tony Hawk ever played a game of tennis? Well maybe…but I’ll wager he has never taken on the Moldovan national football team at tennis. So Tony Hawk can do some stunts on a skateboard and become famous but he hasn’t accomplished half of the successes of Mr Tony Hawks.

Confused? No need. The English comedian and frequent contributor to Radio 4 has reached the end of his tether when it comes to being confused with the American skateboarder who has a somewhat similar name. Twenty years of frustration have led to Mr Hawks penning a “helpful” A-Z of Skateboarding advice – largely dominated by a running thread that getting on a skateboard is a pretty terrible idea.

Not content with just delivering the helpful 26 tips spanning the A-Z classification we are also treated to an insight into some of the correspondence Tony (from England) receives which is intended to reach Tony in America. Delightfully our author (Mr Hawks) also shares some of the replies he sends to the correspondents. Given these are mainly young(ish) American kids or their parents it remains unclear how many of them may get the joke. Which is a shame really as the replies are hilarious.

The A-Z of Skateboarding is not to be taken seriously if you are actually looking for skateboarding advice, but should certainly be kept in mind when looking for a fun wee read. With Father’s Day looming in the UK this would be a top idea to gift a Dad in their 20’s to early 40’s – this seems the optimum age range to get the Tony Hawk references and to understand just what those American Kids are trying to articulate.

I laughed often as I read this one and I suspect I drove Mrs Grab slightly crazy as I read her some of my favourite lines. I don’t read nearly enough funny books these days – this was a very welcome addition to my week.

The A-Z of Skateboarding is published by Unbound and is available in digital and hardback editions. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Skateboarding-Tony-Hawks/dp/1783526734/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1560457198&refinements=p_27%3ATony+Hawks&s=books&sr=1-4&text=Tony+Hawks

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June 13

Dead is Beautiful – Jo Perry

“These books are weird, unique, funny and sad all at the same time.”

DEAD IS BEAUTIFUL, finds Rose leading Charlie from the peace of the afterlife to the place he hates most on earth, “Beverly Fucking Hills,” where a mature, protected tree harboring a protected bird is being illegally cut down.

The tree-assault leads Charlie and Rose to a to murder and to the person Charlie loathes most in life and in death, the sibling he refers to only as “his shit brother,” who is in danger.

Charlie fights-across the borders of life and death–for the man who never fought for him, and with the help of a fearless Scotsman, a beautiful witch, and a pissed-off owl,

Charlie must stop a cruel and exploitative scheme and protect his beloved Rose.

My thanks to Emma at Damppebbles for the chance to join the blog tour. I received a copy of Dead is Beautiful from the publisher – Fahrenheit Press.

The 4th book in the Charlie and Rose adventures and one of the most loved (and unusual) series which I follow. Here are the need to knows:

Charlie is dead. Shot in the chest and life extinct.

Rose is a dog. She too is dead. Left tied up with no access to food or water until life drained away.

Charlie and Rose can visit the living world if they choose to do so but cannot interact or influence anything which happens.

Dead is Beautiful can be read as a stand alone story but I’d urge you to read all the Charlie and Rose books as they are hugely enjoyable.

Now you’re caught up on the basics – lets consider Dead is Beautiful. Guided by Rose, Charlie finds himself in Beverly Hills or “Beverly Fucking Hills” as he calls it – this area seems to represent everything Charlie hated about society when he was alive.

The story begins with a tree being felled – Rose is a frenzy of spirited activity as she tries to prevent (ineffectively) the destruction of a protected tree which is home to an equally protected species of owl. Fortunately for Rose a very naked woman is also nearby and willing to put herself into harms way to save the owl from murder.

Needless to say the presence of an angry woman and the arrival of the police to investigate an attempted murder allegation grants both owl and tree some reprieve. However, there are people at work who need that tree gone and will not permit a small owl to thwart their plans – they consider there are much bigger priorities to address.

As you may have gathered, Dead is Beautiful takes a dark humoured view on society and our priorities. Charlie and Rose will watch events unfolding and guide the reader through the story, the reader learns what is happening as they do.

For Charlie the events in Dead is Beautiful will be personally challenging as this return to the real world sees him encountering his “shit brother”. Clearly there was no love lost between the brothers and Charlie finds it hard to be sympathetic to the problems his brother will face. Actually he rather enjoys quite a lot of the misfortune which shall befall his elder sibling.

Although they cannot interact with the real world there is a distinct threat for Charlie to face in Dead is Beautiful and the consequence of his failure was just too grim to consider. The fact ghosts can also be unpleasant bullies should (with hindsight) not have been too much of a shock but when a ghostly bully turns on our heroes I can’t say I enjoyed seeing them reeling.

I did very much enjoy the bonus appearance of an outspoken Scottish punk who was happy to have a vocal and very direct opinion on many things which were occurring. I always enjoy seeing a fellow Scot displaced from their native land and bringing a touch of “home” to far flung places! These scenes were joyous and had me grinning like a loon as I read them.

Jo Perry once again delivers a cracking story with her oddly paired protagonists. Dead is Beautiful is recommended – as are all the Charlie and Rose stories.

Dead is Beautiful is published by Fahrenheit Press in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_dead_is_beautiful.html

Remember: if you order a paperback copy of a Fahrenheit Press book they also make sure you receive a digital copy of your purchase too.

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