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The Hotel – Louise Mumford

Four of them went to the hotel

Four students travel to Ravencliffe, an eerie abandoned hotel perched on steep cliffs on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them leave. The fourth, Leo, disappears, and is never seen again.

Only three of them came back

A decade on, the friends have lost contact. Oscar is fame-hungry, making public appearances and selling his story. Richard sank into alcoholism and is only just recovering. Bex just wants to forget – until one last opportunity to go back offers the chance to find out what really happened to Leo.

Ten years later, they return one last time

But as soon as they get to the hotel things start going wrong again. Objects mysteriously disappear and reappear. Accidents happen. And Bex realises that her former friends know far more than they are letting on about the true events at Ravencliffe that night…

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley

It’s publication week for The Hotel as I sit to write my review. I will cut straight to the chase on this – I really, really enjoyed this thriller/chiller by Louise Mumford and I’m recommending you seek it out. Seriously entertaining. My kind of book which gave me feels of a Dean Koontz tale. Shades of horror, a thumping good mystery and plenty of cryptic suggestions as to what may have ocurred in an old (possibly haunted) buiding which four teenagers felt compelled to visit one dark evening – lives were changed forever.

Ten years ago four friends made a trip to Ravencliffe. High on the rocks above the Welsh coast sat an old hotel, long since abandoned, but fabled to be haunted with stories of a murder on site and strange stories of former residents. The friends (Bex, Richard, Oscar and Leo) took a video camera with them. As horror fans they planned to record their trip and make a feature from it. Little could they know their film would become a cult horror classic – one of their number (Leo) never returned from the expedition and the three surviging friends could not explain much of what occurred that fateful evening.

Ten years on we meet Bex, living in the bustle of London where the crowds give her a degree of anonymity. Oscar is boucing between public appearances at various “cons” where fans of their film regularly gather to discuss the film which told the story of that night at Ravencliffe. Having one of the friends there is a big deal for the fans but Oscar, for reasons which become clear, isn’t the draw which Bex or Richard would be. Richard has battled his own demons over the last Decade – at the time the film was recorded he and Bex were an item but that created a degree of friction within the group.

The defining image of the movie, which had been watched in the minutest detail by an army of fans was that of Leo vanishing from the sheer cliff steps in a flurry of blurred pictures, shouts of panic from Bex and then nothing. What happened to Leo? He hasn’t been seen since that fateful evening and no body was ever found either. It’s had fans speculating for ten years, theories on what happened to Leo, could Bex have treated him better? Did Richard have a problem with Leo? All incredibly difficult for Bex to cope with as Leo had been her oldest friend. She dreads the tenth anniversary of Leo’s disappearance and suspects someone may try to make something of the event.

Bex’s instincts are correct – the film company want to bring the three friends together, back at the Ravencliffe, to make a follow up feature which will revisit their adventure and address some of the speculation. Bex is reluctant until something arrives at her house. Something only one of the four friends could have known about and something which hasn’t been seen for ten years. Steeling all her resolve Bex agrees to participate in the reunion fiming and we go back to the Hotel with a new film crew in tow.

Through a narrative set in present day and also in flashback the reader will hear more about what the four friends faced on their first visit. We also experience shocks and unexplained incidents in the present day. It’s a really effective use of a dual timeline and Louise Mumford makes this a terrific read as you just want to keep reading so you can get to the bottom of what actually ocurred.

As I said at the top of this review – The Hotel comes highly recommended. Not a full on horror tale but a chilling thriller that I gobbled up in quick time.

The Hotel is published on 22 June 2023 and you can order your copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BXGPL8GJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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December 1

Dashboard Elvis is Dead – David F Ross

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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June 5

The Game – Scott Kershaw

Across the globe, five strangers receive a horrifying message from an unknown number.

THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER.

To save them, each must play The Game – a sinister unknown entity that has a single rule: there can only be one winner.

IF YOU LOSE, YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE.

But what is The Game – and why have they been chosen?

There’s only one thing each of them knows for sure: they’ll do anything to win…

WELCOME TO THE GAME. YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING.

I recieved a review copy of The Game from the publishers through Netgalley.

A debut thriller from Scott Kershaw which sees five strangers facing a race against time. Each of the five is playing The Game to save one of their loved ones, each is aware the price of failure will mean the one they love will die. But what is The Game and how will they determine the winner?

That is a terrific hook for me – a thriller which introduces five characters and immediately throws them into the worst situation of their lives. It gives that instant gratifying feeling of grabbing the reader’s attention from the outset then taking them on a breakneck journey into chaos. The “players” in the game come from around the world but are required to converge in the UK by a specificed time. For the players in the US and on mainland Europe this will present something of a challenge but with the stakes so high they simply can’t even consider failure.

The action begins in America where a young child goes missing from the appartment through the night. His mother had been looking after him but the boy seems to have slipped out while she was distracted. It is only when she starts receiving text messages which make it clear where her son actually is that the reality of her predicament kicks in. Her son is gone and if she tells anyone then the people that have taken him will kill him.

While readers come to terms with this situation another drama is unfolding. A man who has been at a hockey match with his friend finds that friend is now in danger if he does not play The Game. A young mother who is struggling to keep her life under any form of control, her husband doesn’t look at her any longer, her young children are constantly demanding and even the family dog seems to be making her life challenging. Then The Game lands and her understanding of challenging will really take on meaning.

That’s just three of the players in the game but there are more and each knows that there can be only one winner – so what could happen when they all converge on a single point to see how the game is going to unfold? Well to tell would spoil the enjoyment of reading The Game but this is an intense ride and even when Scott Kershaw takes us away from the five players there are other plots (another Game?) to add depth and muddy the waters too.

Reading The Game was lots of fun with some moments which also caused me upset or an anxiousness for the predicament of the characters. I really enjoyed how the story resolved the threads and found I was still thinking about some of the characters a week or so after I had finished reading. All too often I put down a book, move on and don’t give it a second thought – this means The Game managed to cut-through my “goldfish memory” and that’s always a good endorsement. Well worth watching out for this one.

The Game is published by Harper Collins on 12 May 2022 and you can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-game/scott-kershaw/9780008530877

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February 10

Never Look Back – A.L. Gaylin (Audiobook)

Some people deserve to die. Others never should have been born at all.

In 1975, 15-year-old April Cooper and her 18-year-old boyfriend embark on a weeklong killing spree that results in the deaths of a dozen innocent people in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley. Was April a willing accomplice or a victim herself, abducted by an obsessed psychopath and forced into committing horrible acts?

No one will ever know for sure, as April and Eric were apparently killed in a bloody shoot-out at the Death Valley compound of their final victims – a family of off-the-grid survivalists known as The Gideons.

In 2015, Robin Brennan’s parents have been involved in a shooting. Her father is dead, and her mother in a critical state, with Robin desperate for her to wake.

But when Jameson Malloy, the host of Closure – a true crime podcast investigating the San Gabriel Valley murder – shows up, Robin soon learns that her parents are maybe not who they say they are….

My thanks to Alex at Orion for providing the review copy of Never Look Back and to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to join the audio blog tour.

Never Look Back is a clever, slow-burn tale where the author teases a tale of secrets and half-truths from her cast to keep readers guessing to the end of the book.

Quentin Garrison is producing a podcast called Closure. He appears a troubled young man and the Closure in the title is to be his personal closure. He wants to cover the story of the murder of his aunt – killed as a toddler during a shooting when now-notorious schoolgirl, April Cooper, and her boyfriend went on a prolonged crime spree in 1976.

His aunt’s death at a young age broke his mother’s spirit and that of her father, Quentin’s grandfather. Seeking to understand how April Cooper could have so comprehensively ruined his own life Quentin is shocked to learn that Cooper may still be alive despite the world believing she died in a fire in 76.

One of the key people who may be able to help Quentin get to the truth is Robin’s father – he studied behavioural psychology. Quentin seeks him out but before he is able to get the answers he seeks both Robin’s parents are attacked in their home. Her father dead, her mother critically I’ll in hospital, Robin begins to dig a bit deeper into who Quentin is and why he may feel her mother can help him trace a murderer who has been presumed dead for over 30 years.

Cooper herself does get a voice in the story as in 1976 she is writing a letter to her future child. It’s an idea one of her teachers had and one which Cooper really embraced. All the events which went down in history after her murderous spree had ended are narrated by Cooper to her future child in letter form. It allows the murderer to tell her side of the story and allows the reader to judge her actions independently.

As I mentioned – Never Look Back is a clever story and the author plants enough seeds of doubt through the narrative that I was never entirely sure which voices could be trusted at any time. That doubt and uncertainty kept me engaged though the book and the resolution was pleasing.

As with every audiobook the enjoyment (no matter how good the book) also relies upon the narrator – if you are investing 10 hours into a story then you need to be sure you are comfortable with the voice telling that story. Never Look Back has two narrators, James Fouhey and Jorjeana Marie. Marie takes the chapters dominated by female roles, Fouhey the male dominated chapters.

It felt Jorjeana Marie had more to cover over the course of the book as both April’s story and Robin’s are the majority of the focus. Quentin has a larger say when the podcast (and his investigation) is foremost. More of Jorjeana Marie’s voice was a decided bonus as I much preferred the chapters where she took the lead.

One peculiarity of the audiobook was the unexpected inclusion of additional sound effects in the opening chapters. One key element of the story gets additional background noises and incidental supporting sound behind the narrators voice. This is a bit of a rarity in the books I listen to (where normally all we get is the spoken word). The additional sound effects were initially startling but I was ready for their continued inclusion throughout the book. It wasn’t until the story ended that I realised the additional effects had stopped after the first ten minutes which made their brief inclusion all the more puzzling.

A slow burn audiobook needs its place in the day – nighttime listening was where I enjoyed Never Look Back the most. The easy drawl of the narrators was best suited to a quieter place and slower pace, it gave the story it’s best chance to shine.

Never Look Back – great story, well told. Audio best enjoyed in relaxed conditions.

Never Look Back is published by Orion and is available in audiobook, paperback and digital format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Never-Look-Back-brutal-mother-ebook/dp/B07KRLG18D/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1581285553&refinements=p_27%3AA.L.+Gaylin&s=books&sr=1-1&text=A.L.+Gaylin

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January 21

Hitler’s Secret – Rory Clements

Autumn 1941. The war is going badly for Britain and its allies. If Hitler is to be stopped, a new weapon is desperately needed.

In Cambridge, professor Tom Wilde is approached by an American intelligence officer who claims to know of such a weapon – one so secret even Hitler himself isn’t aware of its existence. If Wilde can smuggle the package out of Germany, the Third Reich will surely fall.

But it is only when he is deep behind enemy lines that Wilde discovers why the Nazis are so desperate to prevent the ‘package’ falling into Allied hands. And as ruthless killers hunt him through Europe, a treacherous question hangs over the mission: if Hitler’s secret will win them the war, why is Wilde convinced it must remain hidden?

My thanks to Zaffre for my review copy and to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for allowing me the opportunity to host this leg of the blog tour.

War time action thrills are the order of the day in Hitler’s Secret. In 1941 the war is dragging on and Germany, fighting a war both to the East and West, are firmly under control of Adolph Hitler and his National Socialist party. The British and their allies know success in their campaign relies upon toppling Hitler – if the figurehead of the Third Reich could be removed then Germany would surely step down from their fighting.

Clearly the Germans also knew the importance of keeping Hitler safe and also in protecting his image. One man held a position of power and influence which exceeded that of Hitler’s Generals and closest advisers – the “Gatekeeper”. This man, Bormann, worked alongside Hitler in his offices and was responsible for his diary, his appointments and for deciding which telephone calls Hitler would receive and which party members would be granted access to meet with him. Bormann is a powerful man who kept out of the spotlight but a man who would do whatever it took to protect his Leader and his own position of importance. He knows a secret, one which very few people know. He has information which cannot be shared with anyone else; the British cannot have the information as it would be used to damage Hitler. Hitler’s allies cannot know the information as it would undermine his authority and Hitler himself doesn’t even know this information – for him to learn the truth may also cause him to lose focus on the matters at hand. The secret must never be known and if people have to die to ensure the truth remains hidden – so be it.

The problem with secrets is that, invariably, truth will out. As we begin Hitler’s Secret, the British know of the highly sensitive information and they are sending Tom Wilde undercover behind enemy lines to recover a package which will expose Hitler’s Secret to the World. Bormann is also taking decisive steps to have the package destroyed – anyone who comes into possession of the package must also be removed. The chase is on and with everything at stake it’s a mighty story.

Described by the Sunday Times as a “What If” story, I find the Tom Wilde books to be great action thrillers from one of our darkest times. Rory Clements builds on events from the War and weaves his stories into the events of 1941. Familiar people and places will appear and the characters Clements introduces will phase in and around them, it gives the story a feeling of authenticity and makes scene setting very realistic.

Wilde is putting himself against one of the most resourceful figures in the Nazi party. He will need to place his trust in a select few individuals and the feeling of David vs Goliath was ever present as I read Hitler’s Secret.

I don’t read many thrillers set during WW2 but I have read a few books by Rory Clements and each has been a satisfying experience. Perhaps the best way to articulate this would be trying to describe how, after each reading session, I found I was mentally adjusting back to 2020 life and popping the world of 1941 into the background. Clements built the world around me as I read and after putting down the book I could still easily picture the environments he had described.

If you enjoy spy thrillers and stories of wartime heroics then this book is for you.

Hitler’s Secret is published by Zaffre on 23 January 2020 and is available in hardback, digital and audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07VV5RLP8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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January 14

Her Last Goodnight – Michael Scanlon

Eddie stands at his door anxiously waiting for her to arrive, touching the box in his pocket for luck. He doesn’t hear the footsteps behind him until it’s too late…

Detective Finnegan Beck is called to a violent crime scene – a remote house near the rural Irish town of Cross Beg – where a dog lies whimpering beside his beloved owner’s body.

At first it looks like a burglary gone wrong. But Beck spots something his colleagues didn’t. The victim, Eddie Kavanagh, was wearing his smartest clothes. He’d brushed his hair. And, on closer inspection, a small velvet box containing an engagement ring is discovered in his pocket, along with a letter to a nameless woman, which seems to suggest she’s in danger.

Those who knew Eddie have no idea about a female friend though – there’s been no one in his life since a girl who he’d loved and who’d broken his heart decades before.

So who was the woman Eddie was waiting for? And did his connection with her ultimately lead to his murder? When a beautiful young woman is then found beaten to death, murdered exactly as Eddie had been, Beck has to ask – is the danger over? Or is it just beginning?

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley.

The third book to feature Detective Finnegan Beck but my introduction to the series. It’s always a bit of a worry to jump into a series and not be sure if you need to know the background of the characters to enjoy the newest title. Having not read the first two books I can honestly say I didn’t feel there were aspects of the stories where I had no idea what was going on. Important facts and characters were introduced in what felt a natural way so I didn’t feel detail was being shoe-horned into the plot to ensure newbies like me could keep up. Naturally I will expect there are some subtle or less critical details which will slip by unnoticed and I have no doubt a returning reader will pick up on them.

Her Last Goodnight opens with a violent killing of an elderly man. He is in his good clothes, has an engagement ring in a box in his pocket and police find a letter to a lady-friend which suggests the victim (Eddie) was hoping to save someone from a life he did not feel she should be leading. Eddie’s friends are bemused – they had no idea he had a companion and the manner of his death is deeply shocking to the whole community.

Beck is an experienced police officer but Eddie’s death leaves him deeply troubled and Beck isn’t going to be on top of his game during this investigation. The reasons for his discomfort are revealed through the story and as Beck turns to a bottle to help him cope with events the author handles his situation very well. I found Beck’s situation upsetting and the support his colleagues tried to offer was heartening.

While trying to find a murderer Beck uncovers a seedier side to his small town and I was highly amused by the revelation of how two local residents would supplement their income. Their information led to a peek behind the curtains of a quiet suburban house where all was not as it seems.

But for Beck the real mission was to track down a murderer. For the murderer the stakes have been raised and more proactive action is required to keep their secrets safe. The one thing you can count on in a crime thriller – secrets will out.

I read Her Last Goodnight over 2 days, thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to a new series and will be picking up the earlier books to catch up. That’s a sure sign this was a hit with me – I want more.

Her Last Goodnight is published by Bookouture and is available in paperback and digital format. You can order a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B081576NZB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

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