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The Louisiana Republic – Maxim Jakubowski

New York, and the world, have been transformed by an unexplained global catastrophe now known as ‘the Dark. Once a modest researcher, has now become an involuntary detective.

He is recruited by her elder sister to find the missing daughter of a local gangster in a city in chaos where anarchy and violence are just a step away. He soon discovers the case is anything but straightforward and compellingly close to home. Compromising photographs and the ambiguous assistance of a young woman with ties to the criminal gangs lead him to New Orleans, which has seceded from the rest of America in the wake of the Dark.

A perilous journey down the Mississippi river, murderous hit women and sidekicks, and the magic and dangerous glamour of the French Quarter become a perilous road to nowhere and to madness in his quest for the amoral daughter, his own lost love and his sanity. Will he find the missing women or lose himself?

My thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Blog Tours for my review copy and the chance to join the Louisiana Republic Blog Tour.

Been staring at a blank document for 10 minutes trying to find a way to begin a review of The Louisiana Republic…tricky…very tricky as this is the book which I loved for its striking difference to everything else I have read recently.

Okay, I think we are in.

The Dark has changed the modern world as we know it, a dystopian America is the setting for The Louisiana Republic and it is not a place for the faint of heart. Savage criminal gangs are running rampant through the cities and there is more than one President (some may see this as an improvement on our present reality). Battles are being fought over key strongholds, libraries are revered (because of what the Dark is) and people are required to learn lost skills.

Into this mix steps a gorgeous femme fetale who wants to recruit the our lead character (a detective) to find her missing sister. He should have said no, but that would have made a much shorter book. The missing sister is a legend among purveyors of specialist pornography. Before the Dark she was happy to pose for any picture which people would request and people had some very extreme requests. Her father used his vast wealth to try to remove every trace of these images from the hands of strangers, he also disowned his daughter and most certainly does not want some private detective to find her. No problem – he has a number of employees who can deliver very persuasive messages!

I should probably make it clear that The Louisiana Republic is not going to be to everyone’s taste. It is dark, violent, sweary, ~~shaggy,~~ though I think “erotic” is the official designation and dystopian thrillers are not to everyone’s liking. The deeper I got into The Louisiana Republic the more I lost the link to a releatable reality – and the more I enjoyed what I was reading. It is not easy to create a new world and breath such compelling life into the society you have built whilst also keeping the main story spinning along.

There are not many books like The Louisiana Republic but when a story like this comes along I cherish the opportunity it gives me to enjoy something so very different.

The Louisiana Republic is published by Caffeine Nights and is available in digital and paperback format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Louisiana-Republic-fantastic-distopia-erotica-ebook/dp/B07C5SJDHJ/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1526326337&sr=1-8

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October 25

When A Killer Strikes – RC Bridgestock

“Boss, we’ve got a body”.

Detective Sergeant Vicky Hardacre, greets him at the scene, but what awaits them behind the blood red door of Colonial House is undoubtedly a murder. The approach identifies several prime suspects. But who is telling the truth; and who is lying?

Before the killer can be caught, another body is discovered, this time in a putrefying mixture of mud and slime, lain among the remnants of decaying food within a waste-bin shelter. Now it’s the task of the man in charge to make the call.

Are the two murders connected?

There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by working long hours, within strict budgets, and the usual pressure from above to obtain quick results.

However, Dylan is distracted by personal matters, with Jen being keen to seal the deal on a renovation project. He suggests they delay finalising the purchase; until he discovers the significance of the house, and that it’s about to be demolished.

In his absence, Jen’s pleas for help from his estranged siblings are answered, resulting in hidden secrets coming to light, as Dylan continues, through a twisting and turning plot, to ensure justice is done in respect of the murder victims, whose bright hopes for the future were cruelly snatched away.

My thanks to Darren at Caffeine Nights for my review copy and the opportunity to join the tour.

The 8th DI Dylan novel from husband/wife writing team RC Bridgestock and it seems they are building a strong case to support the theory that two heads may indeed be better than one. This was my first RC Bridgestock novel and it will not be my last – huge enjoyment reading When a Killer Strikes.

My books of preference are crime thrillers, I particularly like when a book I have enjoyed becomes part of a series. I love to see characters developed over a number of books, relationships develop and the players come and go as the different stories dictate. To learn that When A Killer Strikes was the 8th in a series was such a thrill as I have some serious catching up to do and I cannot wait to get started!

I found When A Killer Strikes to be a very powerful read and quite unsettling too. A young girl has been murdered in her own home. There seems no obvious suspect and the police will have their work cut out to identify a suspect pool and then narrow down their investigations.

That investigation is very much the key to the story (no lone detective wandering round chatting to suspects and making a grand reveal) this is a real police procedural where the reader gets to feel that they are part of the squad, uncovering clues and discovering who has been telling lies. It felt like a “proper” crime novel and I thought it had a very authentic voice. NB, I subsequently discovered that Bob Bridgestock had served in the police for many years…no hiding that realistic edge to the story!

Running alongside the murder story was the brilliant cast of characters. Arriving late to a series is never ideal but I loved the interplay between the members of the investigative team – a camaraderie and bond was clear to see and their personal lives crept into the book to give them depth and presence away from their day job. When you can believe in characters and relate to their experiences it lets me become more involved in their stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed When A Killer Strikes – entertaining, cleverly worked and with characters I wanted to read about. More like these please…

When A Killer Strikes is published by Caffeine Nights and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Killer-Strikes-Dylan-novel-ebook/dp/B075FXLK6Q/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

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October 12

I Know Your Secret – Graham Smith

“What would you do if your most intimate secrets got into the wrong hands?”

Set in modern day Cumbria, I Know Your Secret is a police thriller in which a priest is found crucified to the stone floor of his church. Fearing more attacks on the clergy, DI John Campbell and his team of misfits race to find the killer before he strikes again.

Meanwhile, DI Harry Evans, spends his days attending the trial of his wife’s rapist and his nights interfering in the investigation.

Can they catch the killer before he strikes again?

My thanks to Caffeine Nights for my review copy

DI Harry Evans has featured in two previous Major Crimes books and also in Graham Smith’s Snatched From Home. He is very much master of his home patch in Carlisle but is facing the prospect of imminent retirement and with that he may well lose the last thing that is important to him.

As the description above mentions Harry is also having to contend with the trial of his wife’s rapist. Previous books outlined events leading up to this confrontation but you do not need to have actually read them to keep up with the events in I Know Your Secret, it stands up well as a jumping on point for new readers.

I Know Your Secret opens with a very powerful murder. A priest is crucified on the floor of his chapel. Cumbria’s finest are called to investigate and Harry’s replacement (DI John Campbell) is leading the team. I like Campbell, he is battling against the demands of being a supportive new father, battling the influence of the outgoing Harry Evans who does not want to give up his patch and battling against the constant pressure of understaffing and minimal resources.

Graham Smith balances the central characters well. We switch between Campbell’s investigation, Harry’s interventions, the court case and….did I mention a Killer and Blackmailer? As you may have guessed from the title I Know Your Secret is a tale about secrets. With secrets comes knowledge and with knowledge comes power – or sometimes blackmail.

There is loads going on in I Know Your Secret and Harry Evans is determined to be at the centre of everything. It will take its toll, physically and mentally Graham Smith is putting DI Evans through a personal Hell – it makes for intense reading.

Dark in all the right places, I Know Your Secret is a nicely constructed police procedural with some clever twists that caught me off guard.

I Know Your Secret is published by Caffeine Nights and releases on 17 October and can be ordered by clicking here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Know-Your-Secret-intimate-secrets-ebook/dp/B01LSVRL5G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476224783&sr=8-1&keywords=i+know+your+secret

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October 7

Shadow of the Beast – Michael Fowler

The discovery of a skeleton buried beneath the altar of an old chapel should not have raised an eyebrow, but this one was different. This one had been savagely murdered, and all the evidence points to the blood-thirsty killer the press have dubbed ‘The Beast of Barnwell’; a killer who has already served time for the brutal murder of a young girl and is now free.

Is this his handiwork?

In the midst of the enquiry, a 22 year old woman is abducted on her way home from work. Is there a link?

To add to Hunter’s workload his former boss, Michael Robshaw, is deliberately mown down and left for dead.

Why?

In his search for the truth Hunter returns to his undercover roots – with deadly consequences

My thanks to Darren at Caffeine Nights for my review copy. Also to Noelle the Crime Book Junkie who invited me to join the Shadow of the Beast Blog Tour.

Shadow of the Beast is the 5th Hunter Kerr novel which means I join a series without knowing the backstory. This did not have the slightest impact upon my enjoyment of the story but there were references to events gone by – always a reward for a returning reader! Michael Fowler has done a great job of ensuring new readers have enough information to keep up with new developments, important info is conveyed with a simple, quick efficiency and the story keeps a good pace.

In Shadow of the Beast we have a bit of a gruesome opening – construction workers have uncovered a skull during the excavation of an old abandoned building. The police are called and further (more careful) digging uncovers the rest of a skeleton. It is clothed in garments from the 1980’s and alarmingly the police find that a cow’s head has been substituted for the original skull.

The narrative jumps to another part of the city where the reader gets to witness a hit and run accident take place. Only this is no accident, the driver reverses over the fallen body of the victim before speeding off into the night. The consequences of this deed will shake Kerr’s team to its foundations and stretch the department resources to their limits both physically and mentally.

A cold case from 30 years ago and an active investigation with no obvious motivation, the narrative is nicely split and I was totally hooked. Then came the best treat of all – the dawning realisation that Michael Fowler must have served as a police officer – as this was one of the finest police procedurals I have read for some time and had an authenticity in many scenes which not every crime novel can capture.

Despite not having had the advantage of reading the books that preceded Shadow of the Beast I really warmed to Hunter Kerr and the rest of his squad, the interaction between the team and their obvious friendship and mutual trust made me want to keep reading – if the characters engage me then I know I am reading a strong story.

As with many of the books that I have read from publishers Caffeine Nights there are some delightfully dark twists in Shadow (did I mention that skull thing?)The best way to hold my attention and keep those pages turning is to ensure the twists and surprises keep coming, Shadow of the Beast did just that and I will be adding more of Mr Fowler’s books to my reading list – he can tell a great story.

Shadow of the Beast is published by Caffeine Nights and is available to download by clicking through on this link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Beast-Hunter-Kerr-Novel-ebook/dp/B01LYIGKMX/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475793360&sr=8-3&keywords=shadow+of+the+beast

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September 24

Breathe: Meat Puppet Trilogy Book 1 – David Ince

Sebastian suffers from acute asthma. He’s ex-military, but the asthma meant he never saw combat. It’s held him back his whole life, and now he has a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove. Working as a courier, Sebastian arrives in town with a bag to deliver. He doesn’t know what it contains, he doesn’t want to know, but he’s pretty sure it isn’t drugs or money.

An hour before the hand over he hooks up with Isobel, a weary nurse in need of a ride. But Isobel is slave to a man she calls Mr Punch, the overlord of a criminal empire built upon manipulation, blackmail and fear.

Anonymous and terrifying, Mr Punch is almost legend, haunting the lives of ordinary people, forcing shopkeepers, office workers and nurses to become henchmen and assassins. Believing he is trapped between Mr Punch and his mysterious employer, Sebastian’s best chance of survival is to run. But running isn’t Sebastian’s style. It’s not an option for a man with acute asthma.

My thanks to Caffeine Nights for my review copy.

It is a wonderful thing when you start to read a book and get totally gripped from the first page. Breathe did just that for me and I was devastated when it finished. However, the over riding sensation was one of shock – David Ince is not into sugar coating and the characters in his book get a very rough ride.

Sebastian is our lead character, acting as a courier (of what he prefers not to know) he manages to lose a bag he was meant to deliver to some rather unpleasant ‘businessmen’. This is not the greatest of his immediate problems as someone has locked him into a room and two men are waiting outside to kill him – just as soon as his starring role in a traumatic home-movie has ended.

Falling back on his military training Sebastian manages to escape from the room and soon negotiates 24 hours to track down the lost bag he was due to deliver. Thus begins a desperate race against time for Sebastian as the consequence of failure will almost certainly result in his death at the hands of the aforementioned ‘businessmen’.

Sebastian will have his work cut out. Although he does not know it, he is a pawn in the game of the notorious ‘Mr Punch’ – a sinister figure who blackmails everyday people turns them into killers and thugs. Mr Punch and his associates have decided that it is time for Sebastian to die and they are not interested in any 24 hour grace period to recover a lost bag.

Breathe is fast paced, action packed and often brutal and unforgiving. I want to rave about how good it was, share certain scenes with you and tell you how I was blindsided by some of the twists. But that would spoil your enjoyment – this is a book you simply have to read for yourself.

Breathe is the first part of the Meat Puppet Trilogy (which is quite possibly the best named trilogy I have encountered for many a long year!) Having rushed through Breathe I cannot wait to see where David Ince takes us in the next book. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long to read it.

An outstanding 5* read – Breathe is going top of September’s recommendations and it will take something pretty special to stop me thinking about some of those plot twists! I cannot recommend this enough – a must read for crime fans.

Breathe is published by Caffeine Nights and is available in paperback and digital formats.

Caffeine Nights: http://caffeine-nights.com/our-books/4581879870

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June 13

The Major Crimes Team: Lines of Enquiry – Graham Smith

The Cumbria Major Crimes team is under immense pressure to get results. DCI Harry Evans and his subordinates, DS Neil Chisholm, DC Lauren Phillips and DC Amir Bhaki must juggle cases while tragedy stalks them. Up in Glasgow, DI John Campbell is preparing to replace Evans, whose renegade ways have brought enforced retirement.
Together they must investigate a man killed in his own home, a vigilante group chasing a suspected paedophile, a river dammed for no obvious reason and a woman whose cries of ‘wolf’ turn to ‘rape’. Meanwhile DC Phillips goes undercover off the books.

Thanks to Caffeine Nights for my review copy

Lines of Enquiry will not be the longest book I read this year, at 108 pages I managed to read it in two train journeys. This is not a criticism but if you were picking up a copy online you should probably be aware that this is a small (but perfectly formed) treat.

Lines of Enquiry introduced me to DCI Harry Evans and the Cumbria Major Crimes Team. Through 5 short stories (though there is a thread running through the whole book) the focus shifts between different personnel and a different crime/incident is covered. Although I not normally a fan of short stories, Graham Smith held my attention throughout and I felt I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to Harry.

As an introduction to the various characters this was a fun read and I would be keen to read more as I liked the author’s pacing and style. One story in particular, Dealing With Drugs, was unexpected in the direction it began but it is nice to see something differing from the norm – too cryptic?

Graham Smith gets added to my TBR pile as I want to see what else is to come. One to watch out for as, based upon Lines of Enquiry, there are some interesting times ahead.

You can get a copy of Lines of Enquiry through the Caffeine Nights website: http://www.caffeinenightsbooks.com/store/p159/The_Major_Crimes_Team_Volume_1_-_Lines_Of_Enquiry.html

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March 5

Dark Country – Darren E Laws

Three related famous country and western singers are kidnapped over a period of 50 years. Only one body has ever been found.

Battling a debilitating illness, FBI agent Georgina O’Neil joins forces with newly licensed private investigator, Leroy La Portiere to find Susan Dark, the latest in the Dark family to go missing as she is on the verge of national stardom. But Georgina’s search for the truth is hampered by an illness which is affecting her judgement. Is there one perpetrator or is this a series of elaborate copycat crimes?

The hunt to find Susan leads them deep into a densely forested area as they follow a bloody trail and a deadly cat and mouse pursuit that will have fatal consequences for all.

Thanks to Caffeine Nights for my review copy

This is the second book from Darren E. Laws to feature Georgina O’Neil (the first was Turtle Island). In these circumstances I always like to give consideration within my review over whether the reader is disadvantaged if they have not read the previous story, in this case I would suggest you are not. There are clearly events from Turtle Island which are picked up again within Dark Country, however, they are introduced and explained at appropriate points in the story and you are given sufficient background to allow continuity and progression.

Dark Country has a great hook – three generations of one family are kidnapped over a 50 year period. Each of the abductees had established a successful career as a Country & Western singer and the latest kidnap victim (Susan Dark) was actually working on an album which would have featured her voice alongside that of her mother and grandmother.

The lead character is FBI Agent Georgina O’Neil. She has a debilitating medical condition which has impacted upon her ability to return to full active service with the FBI. Events in Dark Country find Georgina working with her friend Leroy La Portiere (a newly appointed Private Investigator) who has been enlisted by Susan Dark’s record producer to track down the missing singer.

One slight irk I had with Georgina’s illness is that she seemed to be in possession of recuperative powers only previously exhibited by Marvel Comics hero Wolverine – bouncing back from some major surgery to undertake a grueling cross country chase. Laws DOES acknowledge that Georgina is not in full health and IS suffering but this element of the story was a little too far a stretch at times.

All good crime stories need a bad guy and we certainly have that in Dark Country. Risk of Spoilers prevent too much detail at this stage, however, there are some nasty types to be found here. Descriptions of murders creep towards a horror feel at times (which is right up my street but may offend the more sensitive reader).

Events in Dark Country build to a really explosive conclusion with a mass standoff between the key players in a remote location. This played out really well and had me hooked as the end of the book approached. Just when I thought I had seen the story play out there was a nice wee twist to confound me further.

Dark Country is good fun but I wonder if killing off Country & Western singers may upset some potential readers? This is a good one for the horror loving crime fan. Review score of 3.5/5 – see it through to the excellent endgame!

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