Bastard Verdict – James McCrone

You don’t have to win, just don’t lose.

High stakes and low politics combine with deadly effect in the new thriller, Bastard Verdict, by James McCrone.

A second referendum on independence looms, and a Scottish official enlists elections specialist Imogen Trager, a by-the-numbers, if rarely by-the-book investigator, to look into irregularities in the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum. Imogen uncovers a trail of criminal self-dealing, cover-ups, and murder leading to the highest levels of power. None but a very few know the truth. And those few need it to stay hidden at any cost.

Imogen will risk what’s left of her standing, her career–and maybe her life–to get at the truth.

I received a review copy of Bastard Verdict via Netgalley and was invited to host this leg of the blog tour by Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours.

In the United Kingdom if you mention a contentious referendum result most people will immediately think of the 2016 “Brexit” vote. If, however, you live in Scotland then your first thoughts may well shift to the 2014 Independence Referendum. This YES/NO vote split the country, families disagreed, friends fell out and the media first showed their true colours by brazenly ditching any suggestion of impartiality…you see! It still causes high emotion.

The “Indy Ref” is almost 9 years in the past (a generation if you’re Irish but apparently not if you’re Scottish) the outcome still raises passions and many, many people believe there were significant trust issues surrounding the vote and the result. In Bastard Verdict James McCrone turns attention to the turmoil, incorporates the suspicions and unusal practices into a cracking thriller He brilliantly taps into the paranoia which his protagonists will experience as they look to see if there was Governmental interference in the vote and it makes the story a tight and tense affair.

Imogen Trager is an FBI agent but she is working at Glasgow University as a guest lecturer following her involvement in an extremely high profile case in the US where she exposed vote tampering in the Amercian elections. Imogen became toxic at home as the fallout from her investigations cast huge ripples through the American political system. She is in Scotland where she will be safely out of the way! But soon after her arrival Imogen is approached by a high ranking official of the Scottish Government. He indicates he would like Imogen to spend some time looking at the 2014 Independence referendum, she is a specialist in identifying election irregularities and he says the 2014 election “was stolen”. But his request comes with a warning, if Imogen is going to look at the vote she must be very careful – if she does find any evidence of wrongdoing then this can only have been orchestrated by some very powerful people. Those people would not want anyone to shine a spotlight on their interference.

McCrone has also tapped into live political issues. In Bastard Verdict there is a strong suspicion the UK Goverment is seeking to announce a new policy initiaive to make Great Britain stronger. This patriotic excercise in London would also seriously undermine the authority of the devolved governments and would see several key areas which are legislated in Edinburgh cede back to London’s control. If Imogen can identify interference in the Independence Referendum it will seriously undermine any London attempts to wrestle control away from Scotland – suddenly a vote nine years ago has a very real and imminent deadline if doubt is to be cast upon the outcome.

As someone that closely followed the 2014 election I was very aware of some of the “unusual” elements surrounding the vote. James McCrone uses real questions (never fully answered) as fictional plot points which drive Imogen’s investigations forward. When there is suspicion of sensitve infomration being revealed people start to die. But the forces working against Imogen and her small cohort of colleagues are worried and mistakes are being made – the reader gets to follow both sides of the process we see when robberies are arranged, when surveillance is deployed and who is calling the shots. Knowing Imogen is getting deeper into danger keeps the reader turning the pages.

Election vote counting doesn’t sound like the most likely backdrop for a crime thriller but James McCrone steps up and makes it an utterly absorbing read. I loved this story and have already been recommending it to many of my friends.

Bastard Verdict publishes on 18 May 2023 and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0999137743/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3

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May 5

Moscow Exile – John Lawton

Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in Washington, D.C. with her second husband, but enviable dinner parties aren’t the only thing she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is surprised to cross paths with Charlotte, an old flame of his, who, thanks to her gossipy parties, has a packed pocketbook full of secrets she is eager to share.

Two decades later, in 1969, Joe Wilderness is stuck on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, held captive by the KGB, a chip in a game way above his pay grade – but his old friends Frank and Eddie are going to try to spring him out of the toughest prison in the world. All roads lead back to Berlin, and to the famous Bridge of Spies…

My thanks to Ayo Onatade for the opportunity to join the blog tour for Moscow Exile.

My introduction to John Lawton’s books. First impressions of a new author are always important and I very much enjoyed the story and the style of the telling when I read Moscow Exile. The narrative zipped along and there always seemed to be something happening to push events forward. What I did find perplexing was when I looked at the blurb and found it was the fourth book in the Joe Wilderness series – I think I was around the half-way mark in the story before the lead character rocked up. Not that I was too conerned, I was enjoying the exploits of Charlotte Mawer-Churchill.

Charlotte,for me, was the vibrant and entertaining character I wanted to read about. We first join her in England in 1939 where she’s working in the background of parliament, helping her older husband steer his way through political waters and making a large contribution towards the thinking of government. During the course of the early war years she happens to cross paths with a dashing American, Mr Avery Shumacher. Charlotte didn’t mean to fall in love with Mr Schumacher but these things happen and her husband, recognising Charlotte needs to leave their marriage, helps co-ordinate a divorce. Charlotte Mawer-Churchill becomes Coky Shumacher and will be a post-war socialite hostess in Washington DC. She brings black musicians to play for the wealthy white families at her parties and ensures her home is a hub of engagement.

Washington is where the action is. Charlie Leigh-Hunt was living a life of fun in London, leaving a trail of one night stands in his wake until Burgess and McLean were discovered to be sharing information with the Russians. Their unexpected defection leads to Charlie being posted to Washington – get to America and report to Kim Philby – is the order he receives and before he can catch up on himself he is the sole agent in the American capital as Philby gets recalled to London. Charlie is the main man on the ground and the actions of his former colleagues have cast a shadow over the UK’s presence in Washington, he will have to do some serious damage limitation before he can even contemptate doing his job – if he knew what his job was supposed to be.

I really enjoyed the nuanced behavoiur of the central characters and their conversations are witty, serious and suitably cautious for a spy thriller. John Lawton slickly blends real people (I refer you to Philby and Burgess) with his fictional cast and it sells the perception of authenticity which great spy stories have.

Lawton’s lead character does make his appearance as the story develops – Joe Wilderness is in captivity, held by the enemy in foreign lands so there are plans afoot to get a rescue sorted. Charlies and Coky (she doesn’t like Charlie and Charlotte) will play a key role in the story and I easily felt myself slipping into their world as the story unfolded around me.

Returning readers will certainly have some advantage over new readers (like myself) as these are complex and well established players in a complicated diplomatic game which plays out over a number of countries. There are plenty of characters to keep track of, plots and situations which create dilemma and tension and the whole story is terrific fun to read. I enjoyed Moscow Exile, it reminded me I should be reading more spy thrillers – I always enjoy them but seldom get the oppotunity to get stuck into a new series. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Moscow Exile is published by Atlantic Books and you can order a copy of the book here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/moscow-exile/john-lawton/9781804710098

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April 28

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Adam Maxwell

I am assembling the Ultimate Library. I began this project back in January 2021 and the plan is to curate the best collection of books for readers. I only want the Library to feature the “best” reading sections, books that someone loves and would recommend any library visitor should read.

I could not possibly do this alone so I invite guests to join me and ai ask them to nominate which books get added to the Library shelves. I refer to my Library as the Decades Library and that’s because of the two rules I ask my guests to follow when making their selections:

1 – Choose ANY five books

2 – You can only select one book per decade from five consecutive decades

Sounds simple – until you try to make your own selections, finding five books from five consecutive decades does cause some angst apparently.

Now we know why we are here it’s time to pass control over to my guest curator – Adam Maxwell. I’m a huge fan of Adam’s Kilchester novels, good heist stories seem so rare these days but he’s delivering some belters – check out The Dali Deception and you’ll see what I mean.

Over to Adam…

What can you say about Adam Maxwell that he hasn’t already said about himself?

Crime writer – certainly.

Idiot – without doubt.

Genius – unlikely.

Liar – absolutely.

Having written is a variety of genres in the murky past, the days he dedicates himself to writing crime-comedy in his Kilchester series of books. Set in a fictional city in the North of England, Kilchester is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, the denizens of which he’ll have you cheering for by the end of the books…

Described variously as ‘Oceans 11 meets Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels… in book form’, ‘Glorious fun’ ‘If Hunter S Thompson wrote an Ealing comedy’ and ‘Joyous’ (the latter by the owner of this very blog). In Kilchester, Maxwell creates a fast-paced, darkly funny & effortlessly cool series of heist thrillers that you won’t be able to put down.

According to his LinkedIn profile Adam previously worked as a Private Detective and has spent many years hiding from the consequences of his actions in the wilds of Northumberland where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

If you want to find out more about him:

Amazon is a good place to start https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adam-Maxwell/e/B00EUAZN2Q

Or you can check out his website and get yourself a free ebook https://adammaxwell.com/

DECADES

Can I just start by saying aaaargh! Choosing books for Decades was a seemingly simple task that quickly descended into being dangerous overthunk by yours truly. I nearly started in the 1930’s just to ensure I could get Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse. But that meant I would have missed out on too many others so… a balance was struck. And that balance starts in the decade of my birth.

1970s

The Hot Rock – Donald Westlake

Crime and comedy. In the cinema audiences can’t get enough. In the book world… it’s readers who can’t get enough. Since it’s the genre I write in, it felt appropriate to include some of the cream of the crop of humorous crime and The Hot Rock doesn’t disappoint.

After Dortmunder is released from prison with nothing but ten dollars to his name he quickly becomes embroiled in a plan to steal a priceless emerald. The book somehow manages to achieve a perfect balance between hard-boiled and farce and, reader, that is no mean feat. As talented as the crew are, they just can’t seem to keep the damned rock in their dishonest mits without their plans unravelling in front of their eyes.

The book spawned a slew of sequels and was adapted for the big screen by none other than William Goldman in an adaptation that starred Robert Redford.

1980s

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul – Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams is remembered by most as having written the clatteringly marvellous ‘Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy’. This is not that book.

Featuring ‘holistic private detective’ Dirk Gently, this series inadvertently convinced me that not only was it possible to meld comedy and crime fiction but to make it a work of utter genius. The genius part is something I have yet to achieve but… crime and comedy… tick!

The story whirls around Thor (not the Marvel one), a supernatural deal with a green bug-eyed monster with a scythe, a Coca-Cola vending machine and a very, very angry eagle.

To say more would ruin it but if you’ve not dipped your reading toe into Adams’ Dirk Gently series then you really should remedy that. Quickly.

1990s

Get Shorty – Elmore Leonard

No… not the movie based on it with Danny DeVito. Not the TV show either… This is a library and we have no space for such frivolities.

Another hugely influential author for me, Elmore Leonard is the King of Criminals like Agatha Christie is the Queen of Crime. Only American. And more modern. Never mind, that’s a rubbish comparison. What was I talking about?

Yes! Elmore Leonard more often than not makes the criminal the protagonist and has you rooting for the bad guys from the outset. Get Shorty features Chili Palmer, a small-time loan shark from Miami who finds himself in Los Angeles. He soon comes to realise that the movie business is very much like the loan-sharking business and decides he wants a piece of the action.

The result is a laugh-out-loud explosion of petulant stars, terrified producers and drug deals gone bad all told with Leonard’s laconic style.

2000s

The Truth – Terry Pratchett

‘A lie can run around the world quicker than the truth can get its boots on…’

Any writer who puts humour in their books aspires to be as good as Terry Pratchett. And we all fail to be as good as he was. The Truth is the 25^th Discworld novel and a standalone making it all the more accessible.

It charts the Discworld’s first newspaper’s rise and fall and lights a fire in your belly about the importance of a free press while mixing it up with threats to life, a recovering vampire’s suicidal fascination for flash photography and a man who keeps begging the editor to publish pictures of his humorously-shaped potatoes.

One of the hardest things about choosing books for Decades is balancing which book from which decade but with Pratchett’s writing spanning four decades it was more ‘which Pratchett decade am I in love with currently?’

2010s

The Sacred Art of Stealing – Chris Brookmyre

I’ve talked about funny/crime books quite a bit so far but frankly, the biggest crime here is that no-one has chosen one of Chris Brookmyre’s books in any Decades selection so far. It is my utter pleasure to remedy that.

The Sacred Art of Stealing feels in the tradition of Elmore Leonard’s Out Of Sight as it features a burgeoning romance between a thief and a police officer. Brookmyre’s take on the situation is all his own and the black humour that courses through the novel’s veins balances perfectly with the violence while nodding to more literary fare along the way.

Since writing this I’ve discovered that The Sacred Art of Stealing was actually published in 2003… it was the audiobook that appeared in 2013 but such is my belief that it should be included in the Decades library that I will personally kill anyone who disagrees with my inclusion of this phenomenal tome*

*Killing will likely be in print rather than in person. Apologies to the suicidal, deranged and/or violent readers out there.

Pratchett and Douglas Adams in a single week with the added joy of Elmore Leonard and Chris Brookmyre – what a cracking mix! Huge thanks to Adam for making time to pick his five Decades selections.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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April 27

The Monk – Tim Sullivan

To find a murderer, you need a motive . . .

THE DETECTIVE DS George Cross has always wondered why his mother left him when he was a child. Now she is back in his life, he suddenly has answers. But this unexpected reunion is not anything he’s used to dealing with. When a disturbing case lands on his desk, he is almost thankful for the return to normality.

THE QUESTION The body of a monk is found savagely beaten to death in a woodland near Bristol. Nothing is known about Brother Dominic’s past, which makes investigating difficult. How can Cross unpick a crime when they don’t know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk?

THE PAST Discovering who Brother Dominic once was only makes the picture more puzzling. He was a much-loved and respected friend, brother, son – he had no enemies. Or, at least, none that are obvious. But looking into his past reveals that he was a very wealthy man, that he sacrificed it all for his faith. For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder. But greed is a sin after all…

I recieved a review copy from the publisher. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for the opportunity to host this leg of the blog tour.

Tim Sullivan’s DC George Cross novels have been on my radar for some time. One of the best things about being a bookblogger is knowing every single day you will more than likely become aware of a new book which someone has loved. You mentally take note and vow to read said book. Then you realise there are simply not enough hours in the day to read all the books you want to read. But the regular and recurring praise for the George Cross thrillers were such that I was determined to find time to read them. And I am so glad I did!

First the housekeeping; The Monk is book five in the series and I haven’t read the previous four. There’s always going to be a different reading experience for returning readers than a new reader will encounter – characters are more familiar and those returning readers know various elements of their background. That said, I had no problems following events in The Monk and was comfortable with the characters and their dynamics within the story. If, like me, you are new to DS Cross you can dip into the series here and not feel lost.

And I do feel you should consider dipping in as The Monk was terrific, a murder mystery where the reader follows the investigation alongside the police. You will hear facts and learn of events at the same time as the police and that linear narrative was a real treat, I felt I was involved all the way through the process which is something of a rarity in my recent reads.

The police had been alerted to a missing Monk, he had not seen seen by his cloistered brethren for a few days. So when a dog walker finds a battered, bloody and very dead man wearing a monks robes it’s not too much of a stretch for them to identify the victim of this brutal crime.

The real challenges begin here for DS Cross and his colleagues. Who would want to kill a Monk? Why was this such a brutal crime? They head to his monestary to begin their investigation and learn more about how Brother Dominic lived his life before his shocking death. What they find is a quiet, popular man who kept his previous life, before the church, a secret from his brothers.

Secrets never stay secret for long in a murder investigation and Cross learns Brother Dominic was once a successful city banker, before the Financial Crisis of 2008. Did something happen all those years ago which had someone holding a grudge? More recently Brother Dominic had upset a high profile businessman when his expert valuation of a religious artefact priced the piece significantly below what had been paid for it. Could a wealthy and ruthless entrepreneur have arranged for the death of a Monk?

Discovering the truth was reading joy. I got wholly engrossed in the story and immediately vowed to catch up on the earlier George Cross books. Great fun – read it!

The Monk is available today and can be bought in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-monk/tim-sullivan/9781804545607

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April 17

Blood Runs Cold – Neil Lancaster

She was taken against her will.

On her fifteenth birthday, trafficking victim Affi Smith goes for a run and never returns. With a new identity and secure home in the Scottish Highlands, she was supposed to be safe…

She escaped once.

With personal ties to Affi’s case, DS Max Craigie joins the investigation. When he discovers other trafficking victims have disappeared in exactly the same circumstances, he knows one thing for certain – there’s a leak somewhere within law enforcement.

She won’t outrun them again.

The clock is ticking… Max must catch Affi’s kidnappers and expose the mole before anyone else goes missing. Even it if means turning suspicions onto his own team…

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley

This blog is nine years old. Therefore I can confidently state that ten years ago I had little awareness of books which were approaching publication. I would make time to find out when the next new book by Terry Pratchett or Lee Child would be published but, other than that, I relied upon spotting new books on the tables at Waterstones or if my friends at my local library gave me the heads-up about new books I should be reading. Support your local library people!

Now I follow my favourite authors on Twitter. I rely upon other bloggers flagging up books I need to be looking out for and I am actively tracking the next publication date of several authors so I can get my next fix of some of my favourite characters. One of the authors I make no secret of tracking is Neil Lancaster. His Tom Novak thrillers were (and still are) brilliant reads but then Neil introduced DS Max Craigie to the world and I was an immediate fan.

Craigie works within Police Scotland and his remit can take him all around the country which gives the author scope to showcase the best, the busiest or the remotest corners of Scotland. Alongside partner Janie Calder, their foul-mouthed boss (Ross) and and Norma their computer and data whizz, the four are working slightly under the radar within the police to identify and remove corruption within the force. The nature of the crimes they investigate and the fact they can’t always trust the personnel they are working with on any given investigation means in every book there is a constant tension that their plans may be scuppered at any moment.

Turning my focus to Blood Runs Cold – terrific. Again. It’s another Neil Lancaster crime thriller which is perfectly paced, delivers on the entertainment, makes you care about the characters (and not just those recurring faces) and I didn’t want the book to end. As a reader I don’t think I could be asking for more.

Particularly enjoyable was the lead in to this investigation and how Craigie becomes involved. In the Scottish Highlands a young Albanian girl is heading out for a run. She’s run before – fleeing from the Albanian gang who had asked her to carry drugs for them. Now she has been placed in the Highlands with a family and a support network and she has been thriving, her natural athletic ability has given her a chance to compete in the national running trials but it has also put her on the radar for the gang she escaped and they want her back. For Affi, going for a run is going to be a terrible mistake.

When Affi fails to return home at the planned time her parents are frantic. They tell Affi’s care worker who, in turn, tells her husband – Max Craigie. Craigie initially doesn’t know what he can do to assist but when he does reach out to the local police they are happy to have some assistance. Soon Craigie and Janie are discovering some unusual activity and making a little progress. Their enquiries will see them pitted against Albanian gangsters and traffikers. These are dangerous criminals and the stakes are high. Higher still when it becomes apparent the gangs are relying upon some members of the police force to keep their activites running.

I really don’t want to post spoilers so I will simply say this story kicks ass. I don’t always enjoy reading about the bad guys in crime stories but in Blood Runs Cold I found both the heroes and the villains to be hugely entertaining. The author makes excellent use of humor to keep some of the more intense and bleak moments on the right side of enjoyable and it makes the story shine. Four books in to this series and it is going from strength to strength.

Blood Runs Cold is published in hardback, digital and audiobook format on 13 April 2023. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BF76PZV8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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April 5

Murder Under The Tuscan Sun – Rachel Rhys

An isolated castle, a deadly crime. Is this real or a nightmare?

In a remote castle high up in the Tuscan hills secrets are simmering among its glamorous English residents:

The ailing gentleman art-dealer
His dazzling niece
Her handsome Fascist husband
Their neglected young daughter
The housekeeper who knows everything
and Connie, the English widow working for them.

Every night, Connie hears sinister noises and a terrible wailing inside the walls. Is she losing her grip on reality?

Or does someone in the castle want her gone?

I received a review copy from the publishers and was invited to join the blog tour by Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours.

I find myself reading another historical thriller. While I’d normally say this was most unlike me, it really isn’t at the moment – I have been loving the recent selection of books I’ve picked up which have transported me back in time and has allowed the respective authors to set their characters into some utterly fascinating locations. No surprises for guessing where the events of Murder Under the Tuscan Sun will play out – the lure of an Italian setting drew me to the title, the added bonus of seeing Rachel Rhys as the author convinced me this was a book I wanted to read. I was NOT disappointed with this decision.

Murder Under the Tuscan Sun (hereafter “Tuscan Sun”) very much benefits from the wonderful job Rachel Rhys has done in capturing the feel of the Tuscan castle and surrounding area where heiress beauty, Evelyn Manetti, and her handsome husband, Roberto, live. Into their grand residence where the Manetti’s live with Evelyn’s young daughter, her ailing uncle and the local woman that acts as their housekeeper arrives Connie Bowen.

Connie is approaching fifty years of age, she’s lost her husband after a largely loveless marriage and also lost her beloved daughter; so it’s just Connie and her son James. James does what he can to support his mother but her finances are tight and, to James’s horror, she has found a position in Italy where she will be a career/companion for Mr North – once a renowned art expert but now in poor health.

Connie helped treat soldiers who had been injured during the First World War, despite her lack of formal training she feels able to care for one individual and is thrilled to be offered the post. She makes plans to depart for Florence much to James’s horror.

On arrival at the Manetti’s beautiful home things seem ideal, a young besotted couple living in a beautiful corner of Italy and Evelyn is delighted Connie will be able to look after her uncle. But soon things start to sour. The Manetti’s relationship with Evelyn’s daughter is strained and distant. Mr North is an objectionable patient. Their beautiful home is dark and terrifying of an evening – stories of the ghost of a young girl who played violin can’t be forgotten when Connie hears violin music in the dead of night.

Connie continues to try to make the very best of her new role but it’s draining and challenging. Her hosts are an odd couple and Connie is horrified to discover Mr Manetti is a fascist and a prominent member of a right wing party. His treatment of his wife concerns Connie and how both Manetti’s treat their housekeeper also shocks her. Connie’s confidence starts to wane and the lack of trust and support she receives compounds this.

Tuscan Sun is very much Connie’s story and Rachel Rhys masterfully charts her concerns, frustrations and her slide into self-doubt. There are clearly many things amiss in this idyllic home but can Connie keep her wits about her to provide the care and support her patient needs and can she keep on the good side of her employers to ensure her employment does not end in disgrace or disaster?

This is a beautifully written story and a masterful depiction of human behaviours and emotion. There is a constant edge of unease and concern for Connie and much of what she is prepared to accept, in deference to her employers, and because of the conduct expected at that period in history, caused this reader some frustration. Kudos to Rachel Rhys here for getting me so invested in these characters.

Murder Under the Tuscan Sun, fabulous writing, claustrophobic thrills, brilliantly realised characters – great reading to be had here.

Murder Under the Tuscan Sun is available now in paperback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/murder-under-the-tuscan-sun/rachel-rhys/9781529176575

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April 3

No More Games – Gordon J Brown

Glasgow, 1974 – a time of power cuts, strikes and the three-day week. Twelve-year-old Ginger Bannerman is playing in the local woods when he stumbles across a gunman in hiding. The man has incriminating evidence of police corruption and forces Ginger to steal a tape recording from a major criminal’s flat. But when Ginger discovers that his dad, a police constable, is mentioned on the tape, his world is turned upside down. With both the gunman and the criminal in hot pursuit, he must prevent the tape falling into the wrong hands if he’s going to save himself and his family. Things have suddenly got very serious.

I was grateful to recieve a review copy from the author

Ginger and Milky are 12 years old. They go to high school in Glasgow and it’s 1974. Best friends who look out for each other and are about to have a life changing encounter.

You’re going to hear about this encounter, and all the subsequent consequences that spiral from it, as someone is reminiscing and telling their story. The storyteller isn’t sure his audience of one (you will be the second listener) will actually stay to hear the whole story but if they do listen there’s a suggestion of a job to be completed at the end of it.

The story begins with a dead body. In Milky and Ginger’s secret den of all places. Milky has found the body and he seeks out his best friend to share the discovery and seek guidance on what they should do. Once they have assured themselves there really IS a dead body in their den neither boy is prepared to approach the dead guy but that problem quickly becomes irrelevant when their corpse wakes up. Terrified and fascinated in equal measure the boys make their high speed escape.

When Milky returns to the den the next day the dead guy is gone but he’s left something behind…a gun. While the boys are debating what to do with a loaded gun (obviously one of them wants to try it out) the “dead guy” returns to collect his property and a standoff ensues. Again the boys will have to escape from an older (and slower) pursuer but speed won’t help when the man you’re running from knows where you live.

Soon Milky and Ginger are being followed by people that want to involve them in affairs outwith their youthful comprehension. Return the gun. Don’t tell your parents. It’s going to end badly for you if you don’t do as we say. Unfortunately for Ginger and Milky there is a suggestion of corruption within the Glasgow police, their encounter with the gunman brings them directly into this situation.

Someone is keen to utilise their knowledge of these corrupt officers, someone else is already paying these officers and wants to continue to benefit from their services. Both parties are powerful and dangerous individuals and two twelve year old boys are not going to disrupt their plans.

Ginger will soon find himself in possession of a tape which could shine a light on the dark corners of the corruption in the police station – but there’s a suggestion his Dad’s name is on that tape. Can Ginger and Milky risk exposing Ginger’s own father as a criminal?

Huge Kudos to Gordon J Brown for making this story sing from first page to last. The scene setting (Glasgow in 1974) is perfectly captured, the rental televisions, the rolling power cuts, the school janitor sneaking a nip of vodka during class time and the two boys behave exactly how you’d expect two twelve year-old’s to behave. It all feels so very real and the story just flows from one predicament to the next.
No More Games was absolutely mesmerising. Time will slide past, totally unnoticed, as you get caught up in Ginger and Milky’s story. Their problems just snowball from chapter to chapter and every decision they make seems to drag them deeper and deeper into the mire. You will want to know who is telling Ginger’s story and you’ll want to know who is listening. You’ll will them to survive, you’ll hope their problems are not as bleak as they appear and you’ll love how 1970’s Glasgow comes alive for you.

No More Games is published by Red Dog Press and is available directly from the publisher here: https://www.reddogpress.co.uk/product-page/no-more-games

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March 31

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Alice Bell

Welcome back to the Decades Library. This is my ongoing quest to assemble a Library which features only the very best reading recommendations, the books recommended by authors, bloggers, publishers and journalists – booklovers all.

I started this challenge back in January 2021. Each week a guest joins me and I ask them to help curate my new Library. I want them to recommend some of their favourite books, the unmissable ones which they believe everyone should read. But I ask each of my guests to follow two simple rules when making their choices. Gotta have rules, without rules there is anarchy and if you have anarchy and books in the same place then someone may fold down the corner of a page. *shudders*

The two rules are thus:

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

This week (spoiler) we are kicking off in the 1940’s and we end up with one of my favourite books of the 1980’s (it’s actually one of my favourite books EVER, but it was published in the 80’s)

This week I am delighted to be joined by Alice Bell, author of the upcoming new release: Grave Expectations. When I saw Alice was a deputy editor at Rock Paper Shotgun I gave serious consideration to making the library a multi-media experience and ask her to nominate her five decades selections for videogames too, but if Manic Miner didn’t represent the 1980s then I’d have a sad-face day.

So lets stick with books and hand over to Alice so we can see her selections:

Alice Bell grew up in South West England, in the sort of middle-of-nowhere where teenagers spend their weekends drinking Smirnoff Ice in a field that also has at least one horse in it.

She is the deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun, a popular PC gaming website, and in 2019 she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the UK games industry.

After spending several years in London, Alice now lives in Cork in Ireland. She has probably read more detective fiction and watched more episodes of Midsomer Murders than you.

Alice is on Twitter as @ABeeWords.
Grave Expectations publishes on 4 May 2023 and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BLRKD54J/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

DECADES

1940s – I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

This pick hamstrung me a little, because it set, to within a few degrees, the other decades I could work with. But I couldn’t not choose it! It was the first book I thought of, and is always one of the answers I give to the ‘what is your favourite book ever?’ sort of questions. It’s the diary of a young girl who lives in a falling-down castle with her poor and eccentric family, and their lives are thrown into turmoil when some Americans who are a) handsome b) youngish and c) rich turn up – which is all anyone can hope from an American, isn’t it? It’s a wonderful book full of humour and pathos, and there was a decent film adaptation years back as well. I suppose if it came out now it would be classed as YA, but I really think of I Capture The Castle as timeless and ageless.

1950s – A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie

I had to get Agatha on my list somewhere, and luckily she’s prolific enough I could have got here in any of my decades or more. A Murder Is Announced really is one of her best, though. I’ve always favoured Marple over Poirot (which might be an unpopular opinion), partly because her adventures always seem that little bit more whimsical and strange. In this one a murder is, indeed, announced in a local paper, which confuses Letitia Blacklock, the owner of the house named in the appointment. Several of her friends turn up to see if one happens – who wouldn’t? I’d be there with great big bloody bells on – and, indeed, it does. It’s a real showcase of Christie’s wit as well as her prowess at crafting fiendishly difficult mysteries. The Queen of Crime indeed!

1960s – In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

True crime is an unstoppable monolith these days, and there’s a good argument that Capote’s In Cold Blood was the template for its modern incarnation (including, I should say, probable editorialising on the part of the creator when the facts didn’t work quite well enough for a good story). I have the morbid fascination with ‘orrible murderers that a lot of women my age have, and In Cold Blood is remarkable in how it chronicles the personality and psychology of two family annihilators who killed the Clutter family of Western Kansas, creating a holistic picture of them and their crime – most especially Perry Smith. But Capote also gives great detail on the victims themselves and the wider community. It’s a sad story told in great and elegant detail.

1970s – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye was Morrison’s first novel, and it’s an extraordinary one, about the young life of Pecola Breedlove, an African American girl regarded as ugly because of the darkness of her skin – though it’s obviously about much more than that, too. It’s a short book, and largely told from the point of view of Claudia MacTeer, whose parents foster Pecola for a short time. I think it’s the book of Morrison’s that sticks out most to me because I read it when I wasn’t much older than the characters in it, so it really stuck with me. Although I think it sticks with anyone when you read it. The writing is so emotive, the story so artfully constructed – right down to the chapter titles.

1980s – Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

This is not, technically, the first of The Witches books in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, but in my heart it is, because it’s the first to feature the whole coven. It’s also, quite possibly, my favourite Discworld book, although that changes based on the time of year, how warm my toes are, etc. and so on. I think I get a lot of my own writing style and sense of humour from reading so much Pratchett in my formative years (she says, hopefully), and the witches were always the ones I enjoyed most. Wyrd Sisters is a version of Shakespear’s Macbeth from a sideways point of view and with extra magic, and it has what I think is the best opening of a Pratchett book. Right away he sets the scene and the tone in fantastic style. He’s an inimitable writer, really.

Any time I get to add a new Terry Pratchett book to my Decades Library it’s a great day, factor in the very welcome addition of Jane Marple too and Alice has absoultely smashed this out of the park. Huge thanks to Alice for making such great selections. All five books will be added to the Library shelves immediately.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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March 30

Blake’s 7: Origins – Big Finish Anthology

Big Finish Productions, the audio production company and publisher best known for its range of Doctor Who audio releases, have published a stunning limited set of Blake’s 7 hardback novelisations. Blake’s 7: Origins released on 27 March, 2023, marking 45 years since the original broadcast of the first season’s final episode.

Blake’s 7 debuted on BBC television in 1978 and quickly developed a cult following of fans eager to enjoy the exploits of Roj Blake and his gang of rebels in their battle against the sinister Federation. Considered far ahead of its time, it ran for four series, and helped influence much of the science fiction we see on our screens today.

Now, for the first time, the complete first season of Terry Nation’s classic sci-fi adventure series will be published as a collection of brand-new hardback novelisations, featuring lavish photos and artwork, and released as a single hardback box set limited to just 1,500 copies. These books will not be available to buy separately.

Each adaptation comprises two stories from the TV series and has been written by a well-known sci-fi author, including Una McCormack and Paul Cornell.

There are seven books in the collection, each book features two stories from the opening series.

The Way Back/Space Fall by Paul Cornell
Cygnus Alpha/Time Squad by Marc Platt
The Web/Seek-Locate-Destroy by Gary Russell
Mission to Destiny/Duel by Jaqueline Rayner
Project Avalon/Breakdown by Steve Cole
Bounty/Deliverance by Una McCormack
Orac/Redemption by James Goss

I recieved digital review copies of the Blake’s 7: Origins collection from Jamie-Lee at Black Crow PR.

I grew up watching Doctor Who and Blake’s 7. They were an integral part of my childhood. The sheer volume of Doctor Who books, toys, magazines etc meant the Doctor’s adventures would always be the most accesible stories and my love of Doctor Who has endured for over 40 years. But all these decades later I still remember the excitement of sitting down to watch a new episode of Blake’s 7.

My strongest memory of watching the show was that it was darker than Doctor Who, much more edgy, and bleak – it felt bleak – and it felt more grown up. Perhaps I was too young to apprecaite many of the finer elements of the scripts but having revisited some of the stories from the first season, courtesy of the books contained in the Origins collection, I do feel it likely I missed many nuances due to my relative youth at the time.

Thanks to the geniuses at Big Finish, the “great ideas factory” I can now revisit Blake’s 7 and enjoy the full first season and experience those early adventures in full. And I can do it in written format (my favourite medium). As much of my initial Doctor Who exposure can through reading the Target paperbacks of the old episodes this is a similar experience (though the beautiful books in this collection are much more classy than my tatty target paperbacks).

I haven’t had time to read all fourteen stories yet so I had to pick and choose which authors and stories I read. All seven of the authors contributing to the Origins collection are well known to me and I have many of their other work on my bookshelves. Big Finish have picked some of the very best writers to work on these books and I loved the stories I selected to read. The original source material was well represented and the tone felt spot on each time.

My first selection was Mission to Destiny and Duel which were written by Jaqueline Rayner. Jaqueline wrote some of my favourite Doctor Who novels and I always enjoy her writing style so a perfect place to start. And for this crime book reader it turned out to be an excellent decision as Mission to Destiny has shades of Christie’s And Then There We’re None.

The crew find a ship circling alone in space. When they teleport over to the seemingly abandoned ship it they find the crew asleep – or more accurately, drugged. As they revive the unconscious crew members they discover they were on a mercy mission to bring a valuable piece of technology back to their home planet as it will help save their crops and keep their civilisation alive. But dark forces are at work and one of the crew doesn’t want the mission to succeed – he’s killing off the crew members one by one, nobody is safe.

The story is slickly told, the claustrophobic tension from this deep space thriller is well conveyed and the author has made the small cast feel important to me in very short space of time. An excellent start.

When Mission to Destiny ended the book ran straight into Duel. This was a story more focused on Blake and the regular cast. The Federation are determined to capture the crew of fugitives and send an old enemy of Blake to hunt them down. Once again the energy and tension from the original story is captured well and it was another great read.

I have no doubt the other books in the Origins collection will also delight fans as these stories delighted me. I will be savouring each and I think I will stop dipping into the stories randomly and read them in order.

The collection is presented in a gorgeous slipcase, each of the seven volumes are hardback books and you’ll struggle to find a better ensemble of authors contributing to a single collection than this one. There are plenty of Blake’s 7 fans out there, this would be a stunning addition to any fan’s collection. Big Finish knock it out the park once again.

Blake’s 7: Origins is available now and limited to just 1,500 copies. Secure yours now: https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/blake-s-7-origins-2814

Publisher: Twitter @Bigfinish / Instagram: bigfinishprod
Black Crow: Twitter & Instagram: BlackCrow_PR

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March 27

Her Deadly Game – Robert Dugoni

Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career.

Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense.

As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.

My thanks to Sophie Goodfellow at FMcM Associates for the opportunity to join the Blog Tour for Her Deadly Game and for the review copy I recieved to participate in the tour.

Her Deadly Game is one of the best books I have read for ages, I absolutly loved the mix of courtroom thriller and muder mystery. From the very early pages the reader is presented with a brutal murder, a vulnerable victim and what seems to be a clear-cut case for the police and the prosecution. But then the doubts and distractions creep in. There are strange elements at the murder scene which lead Defence Lawyer. Keera Duggan, to believe the case against her client – the victim’s husband – can be strongly contested. But if Vince LaRussa did not kill his wife, then who did?

There were so many elements to Her Deadly Game which I loved that I’m not sure where to start and I know I will not do the book justice.

I will start with Keera – a dogged warrior in the courtroom and daughter of a well known courtoom brawler – her father’s reputation as a fighter and the best man to have in your corner when the case is going against you is legendary. But Keera’s father has been battling an addition for too long and his reputation for hitting the bottle has cast something of a cloud over his status in the courtrooms. Keera has joined the family firm (against her will) after leaving the state prosecution service following a failed relationship with one of the lead prosecutors. He has engineered Keera’s caseload to be reduced to scaps and she knew his vindictive nature would mean her career would stall.

Next high point from Her Deadly Game was the crime. A woman home alone for the evening is shot in the back of the head. The police determined she had three visitors over the course of the evening. A family lawyer, her oldest friend then her husband returned home from a charity event. It was the victim’s husband (Vince) that found her body but the family lawyer and her friend both claim they left the house while Ann LaRussa was still alive. It appears Vince did kill his wife yet there is no evidence that would link him to the crime.

The crime scene has some random and unexplained things. Airconditioning turned off on one of the hottest days of the year. A broken glass on the floor, a strange mark on a kitchen appliance. Are any connected to the murder? If so then how? Puzzling out the crime scene will keep Keera distracted and frustrated but there’s a mysterious figure keen to help her enquiries (albeit indirectly).

Before an explanation can be found the prosecution decide to move for a fast trial and seek conviction of Vince LaRussa for the murder of his wife. Vince is determined to prove his innocence and feels stalling a trial would make him look guilty so a fast move to a courtroom drama happens.

The next great element of Her Deadly Game. I LOVE courtroom dramas when they are played out as well as this one. Keera is up against her former lover (extra edge) and neither side is willing to make concessions. The niggle continues into their trial and there are confrontations and mind games from both sides. The judge is notoriously strict so she isn’t entertaining the unpredictable displays from the legal teams. It all makes for cracking reading.

Suffice to say there were plenty of twists to the case, surprises in the ongoing investigations too and I found the story utterly compelling. The author sets up lots of questions as the story unfolds and the challenge for the reader is to try to work out where they may be heading. My curiosity was piqued very early on and until I reached the finale no other books were getting a look in – this was all I wanted to read!

I would be happy if I enjoyed all my books as much as I did this one

Her Deadly Game publishes in Hardback, digital and audiobook format on 28 March 2023. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09V575VRP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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