Sometimes People Die - Simon Stephenson

 

 It is 1999 and a young Scottish Doctor has come back from suspension after being caught stealing and using opioids. He ends up at what can only be described as a struggling hospital, St Lukes, in London because, to be honest, it's probably the only place that will have him. Over the course of the book we meet the various staff and patients of St Lukes in what starts off feeling like a 'year in the life on the ward ' memoir type but soon turns darker when the deaths of some of the patients start to be questioned. Someone is committing murder - but who? The unnamed Scottish Doctor (from now on I'm going to call him USD) who is telling the story is one of the first suspects and as a former opioid user who has now well and truly fallen off the wagon again he does come across as an unreliable narrator, but suspicion soon moves to others.

 The hours USD has to work and the cases he has kind of make the opioid theft and use understandable especially when tragedy strikes even nearer to home halfway through the story. This leaves USD still trying to get to the bottom of things even when an arrest has been made.

 I must say I am not usually one for medical based stories so if it hadn't been for Sometimes People Die being featured on Between The Covers (the BBC2 book club programme hosted by Sara Cox) it would have probably passed me by. Thankfully though it was and the piece by the author and the chat between guests in the studio was enough to convince me to give it a go. It turned out to be one of those books that keeps you reading even when the words are blurring and you know you'll have to reread this in the morning because, just like USD you need to get to the bottom of things.

 By turns dark and humorous too this was a cracking read and Simon Stephenson has quickly gone on my list of authors I will be watching out for. Definitely a five out of five stars for this one.

 If you've never seen Between The Covers I strongly suggest keeping an eye out for it - it's a great way to spend half hour and you never know, you might just find your next big read.

Over My Dead Body - Sweeney Boo

 

Autumnn is here, the nights are drawing in and the books in my tbr pile start to lean towards the darker side. Just the right time then for Sweeney Boo's sumptuous graphic novel. Over My Dead Body is set in and around the Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft (think of it as a girls only Hogwarts - it even has a forbidden forest). The prologue is dark and sets the scene nicely and then we get into the story proper (with added character introduction panels - which was helpful). Our lead character is Abigail (Abby) and she is the mentor for Noreen. But Noreen hasn't been seen since yesterday. . .

The school is getting ready for the Samhain Celebrations and nobody seems to be bothered about finding Noreen (the general response is 'the coven will find her) so Abby decides to take responsibility herself and head off into the Forbidden Forest to find her friend. Maybe not such a good idea as the disappearance mirrors one from years ago when a girl went missing - and there might just have been a demon involved!!! But hey, these books would be boring if the protagonists just did the sensible thing.

The story, as you would expect, has mysteries, scrapes and narrow escapes galore and was great fun (almost Scooby Doo like at times but that's not a bad thing). Where this book really stands out though, and what will probably keep me coming back every Halloween season, is the artwork. Boo has provided us with gorgeous illustrations and the paper quality is top notch. If you love your comics and you love your witchy tales you are going to love this book.

Over My Dead Body is published by Titan Nova and is available to buy now.

Recommended 4/5*

The Lost Metal - Brandon Sanderson

 

 And so we come to the end of Mistborn Era 2 - and what a journey it has been. When this series started I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I know, it's Sanderson, I await every new book eagerly and  it's Scadrial, it's Mistborn but . . . it had a wild west vibe and I really don't like westerns. But I persevered and I'm glad I did because this rapidly became my favourite series and that's mainly down to the two lead characters, Wax and Wayne. Ok, mainly Wayne, that guy just cracks me up.

 As we start The Lost Metal things have moved on 6 years (which, I believe, is the amount of time since we got the last Era 2 book The Bands of Mourning. Right in the heart of it is the ongoing situation with The Set (this series' Big Bad - but, hey, you already knew that) and each of our characters have their own paths to walk to their destinies/conclusions but as always Sanderson doesn't leave you itching to get back to another storyline rather than your current one because they are all THAT RUSTING GOOD! I'm struggling to write without giving spoilers so I'll just say that the world gets that little bit bigger with most of the action taking place outside the main city of Elendil and when it all comes together in the end Sanderson absolutely smashes it out of the park.

 All along Sanderson has said his whole Cosmere (the different worlds his stories are set in and on) are interlinked, all part of one big universe, and that over time there would be crossovers as the whole thing pulls together. I think it is safe to say that The Lost Metal is the most crossovery (is that a word? Well, it is now as I can't think of a better one) of them all so far. This is a book that, realistically, needs the reader to have a pretty good Cosmere knowledge to get the best out of it (or at least have read the previous 3 Era 2 books - but who's going to start with book 4 in a series anyway (or book 7 if you are going to include Era 1 as well). I lost count of the times I stopped reading just to digest and get my head around what had just happened.

 Brandon Sanderson is one of the most popular fantasy authors around at the moment and The Lost Metal gives you a good idea of why. I am looking forward to when I can put aside a whole chunk of time to just dive into the entirety of Sanderson's Cosmere but I fear he has only touched the surface so far.

 One of the book highlights of the year that has very much surpassed what I hoped for from it - All The Stars

 

Children of Memory - Adrian Tchaikovsky

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Earth failed, it sent out arkships to establish new outposts. So the spaceship Enkidu and its captain, Heorest Holt, carried its precious human cargo to a potential new paradise. Generations later, this fragile colony has managed to survive on Imir, eking out a hardy existence. Yet life is tough, and much technological knowledge has been lost.

Then strangers appear, on a world where everyone knows their neighbour. They possess unparalleled knowledge and thrilling new technology – for they have come from the stars, to help humanity’s lost colonies. But not all is as it seems on Imir.

As the visitors lose track of time and memories, they discover the colonists fear unknown enemies and Imir’s own murky history. Neighbour turns against neighbour, as society fractures in the face of this terrifying foe. Perhaps some other intelligence is at work, toying with colonists and space-faring scientists alike? But not all questions are so easily answered – and the price may be the colony itself.

                                                                      >-<

MY THOUGHTS

Well, where to begin. . .?

First things first I guess I can start with a warning - if you haven't yet read Children of Time and Children of Ruin I really suggest you do before reading Children of Memory. There is enough information in the beginning of CoM to give you the general gist of what has gone before but to really get the benefit you really need to immerse yourself in the whole series (you can thank me later). If you have read and enjoyed CoT and CoR you don't really need me to tell you this too is an awesome read.

The main difference here is that although CoM is obviously Science Fiction it leans more towards Science Fantasy with the majority of the story being set on a new world that has been supposedly prepared and terraformed ready for the humans that have left a dying Earth. They have travelled (suspended animation) for 3,000 years and to say the planet Imri is a disappointment -practically nothing that should have been done in preparation for them has been - is an understatement to say the least. Imri felt quite like an early version of the authors Echoes of the Fall series (we'll just have to wait and see I guess). There is a second strand to the book which features his Uplifted spider and octopi races from the previous books and a new uplift creature too (I tried to guess beforehand but was way off the mark) The story jumps around a good bit and takes a bit of getting used to but when it all comes together it goes from being really good to astonishingly good.

I'll be honest, I'm picky with my Sci-Fi, much preferring to settle down with a massive fantasy epic but Tchaikovsky does SF in a way that makes the tech stuff, the sciencey stuff more relatable. It's the Tchaikovsky name that sold me on Children of Time in the first place as I have yet to come across one of his books I have not enjoyed. I'm hoping this series still has a few more books to go yet as it feels there could be more story to tell.

Thanks to Stephen at Black Crow PR for inviting me onto this blogtour and for providing a review arc (my views are my own). Please have a look at the posts by the other bloggers on the tour (below)

                          

The Boy Who Dared - R Coverdale

 

FROM THE BACK PAGE

 A fun camping trip turns dangerous when James, Greg and Ahmed stumble across a dark secret in the beautiful Welsh wilderness. Separated on a mountainside in the dead of night, the boys must face their greatest fears as they are hunted by a ruthless gang. Can they reunite in time to save a hundred starving dogs – and themselves?

MY THOUGHTS

 As a youngster growing up I was a big fan of Enid Blyton's Famous Five and Secret Seven books and Malcolm Saville;s Lone Pine Club. These stories of kids my age having adventures were a big part, I think, of why I loved reading so much. Coverdale's The Boy Who Dared could easily stand with those books. 

 This is the second in the series (preceded by The Boy Who Couldn't) but as someone who hasn't read the first yet (but trust me, I'm reading it soon) I can safely say it works as a stand-alone story.

 Right then, onto the story. James, Greg and Ahmed are off on a camping trip with James's dad. It's all going to be a fun time learning outdoorsy type things and is going great until Dad goes off to the village to get supplies and the lads, as you would expect, boys being boys and all, set out to do some exploring on their own. One of the boys has telepathic skils which alert him to dogs been kept in poor conditions on a nearby farm so they set off to see what is going on. It doesn't take long until they are knee deep in trouble and from there the pace picks up to such as kept reading deep into the night (I finished it in two sittings). There are scrapes and cliff-hangers galore.

 The story is told from the point of view of each character which adds variety as each has their own unique voice.

 I mentioned earlier the books I grew up with and there is good reason for that. I recently went back and dipped into some of these books and although they are aimed at readers 40+ years younger than me they still hold up well as enjoyable reads. The Boy Who Dared is aimed at 9-12 year old readers but is still a good read for older readers too (I'm 55 and loved it)

 I have no problem awarding this a good 5/5* and am looking forward to more in the series.

                                                    R Coverdale  author photo

 Thanks very much to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the BlogTour and for arranging a review copy for me. All views are my own. 

Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree

 

I'll be honest with you, when it comes to Fantasy Fiction I usually know what I like - epic quests, blood and guts with down and dirty characters and, most especially I like my FF books BIG!!

So, by all accounts Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes wouldn't really be one I would expect to be one of the best books on my TBR pile. But hey,if you don't step out of your comfort zone every now and again you never know what you might just be missing out on . . .

This is the story of Viv the Orc Barbarian. After years of fighting, questing, more fighting she's now reached the creaky bones, aching body stage of life. One last payoff and she's ready to settle down and live her dream - opening her own coffee shop. She's found the perfect site, got the artefact that will 'help things along' but the people of Thune have never even heard of coffee never mind tasted it.

Viv has a big job ahead of her but with new friends things just might work out for her - if they can avoid the faces from her past and the criminal underbelly of her present.

Legends and Lattes is all about friendship and togetherness. A 'cosy' read with a sapphic romance element that feels perfect. There's an element of jeopardy but, more than anything, it's just a lovely, enjoyable read with a good mixed cast, and I loved it. I think you will too.

Highly Recommended 7/5* (My blog so I can award it how I want ;-)

The theme of the blogtour is (for obvious reasons) coffees and coffeeshops so here is a photo of Legends and Lattes taken in my favourite coffee shop, Cafe W at Waterstones, Orchard Square, Sheffield. The coffee here is always good, the staff always friendly, the goodies always yummy. If you ever want to find me there's a good chance this is where I'll be.

Thank you to Black Crow PR for inviting me onto the tour and providing the review copy (all views are my own). Please have a look at the other reviews by the bloggers on the tour. Thank you.

Now for THE BIG NEWS . . .

Yup, I'm calling it early. There is still the best part of two months left in the year but Legends and Lattes is taking the crown for BlogCave Book Of The Year 2022 - seriously, that's how much I loved this book.

Origins of The Wheel of Time - Michael Livingston

 

 Welcome to Day 1 of the Blogtour for Michael Livingston's Origins of The Wheel of Time (published tomorrow, 10/11/22).

 For me the journey began ("although there are neither beginnings or endings on the Wheel of Time, but it was a beginning " to quote Robert Jordan himself) way back in 1990 when I spotted The Eye of the World on a shelf in a bookstore in town. It was big, it has a glorious cover, it had maps - I was hooked from that day on. I have read it several times over now and one thing that always intrigued me was the seeming links to our own world's myths and legends.

 And now, Michael Livingston has drawn together information from unpublished notes and from interviews to give us insight to how Jordan created 'Randland' and all its history and myths. And it is just what I hoped it would be.

 The first section of the book is the story of Robert Jordan himself, his life and how he created the mammoth beast that is WoT. I found this fascinating. I thought I knew quite a bit about RJ but this expanded my knowledge a good bit. I really thought I knew him by the end, and that's not an easy thing for an author to pull off.

 The second part of the book is a glossary that links the peoples, places and events of the Wheel of Time with 'the real world' and again, I thought I already knew so much but actually really didn't. I lost track of the times I came across something and thought "ah, of course, that makes sense".

 One of the big links for me was always to Arthurian Legend which I have been fascinated by for as long as I can remember. I don't know if I just took these links for being obvious and just accepted them or what but I can honestly say that this was the first time I thought of an episode from The Dragon Reborn.

SPOILER ALERT

SPOILER ALERT

LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK

 

 In it Rand has to go to the Stone of Tear to claim The Sword That Is Not A Sword that will proclaim him The Dragon Reborn. And I honestly believe this passed me by.

The hero has to go to the STONE of Tear and take up the SWORD. He literally has to take THE SWORD FROM THE STONE!! and it took me 30 years to put the two together. I did feel a bit silly tbh.

 Anyway, I digress, this is a wonderful book, informative, well written and not a difficult read. A worthy companion piece to the original books.

 Oh, and it's got a rather nice brand new redrawn map too.

 The author was a consultant to Team Jordan for some of the battle scenes in the series and although this book was his idea it has the approval and blessing of the Jordan Estate.

Highly Recommended 5/5*

Thank you to Black Crow PR for inviting me onto this blog tour and giving me the chance to open it. Please take a look at the posts by the other bloggers on the tour (below).

Right, I'm off for another re-read armed with The Origins of The Wheel of Time to really get into it.

Havana Fever - Leonardo Padura

 

Description 

Mario Conde has retired from the police force and makes a living trading in antique books. Havana is now flooded with dollars, populated by pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and other hunters of the night. In the book collection of a rich Cuban who fled after the fall of Batista, Conde discovers an article about Violeta del Rio, a beautiful bolero singer of the 1950s who disappeared mysteriously. A murder soon follows. This is a crime story set in today’s darker Cuba, but it is also an evocation of the Havana of Batista, the city of a hundred night clubs where the paths of Marlon Brando and Meyer Lansky crossed.

My thoughts

Yes, I could tell you that I loved this book but that would be to do it a disservice. "I adored it" would be closer to the mark. Mixing the gritty Cuba of today with the glorious Cuba of the 1950s Padura manages to bring both to life in the mind of the reader. A mystery that that covers the decades with retired policeman Mario Conde, now an antiquarian book dealer. I enjoyed both the old and the new Cuba settings but the earlier years worked best for me (mainly because I wanted to be there and experience the bars and music for myself)

 It is part of a series but can be read on it's own as I did. I'll be getting the rest of them soon.

Highly Recommended 5/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me onto this blog tour and providing the review copy (all views and opinions are and remain my own)

Please have a look at the posts by the other bloggers on the Blogtour (below)

Benji and the Gunpowder Plot by Kate Cunningham

Benji hopes that a trip out on Bonfire Night will add excitement to his normally ordinary life.

However, when he accidentally falls down a time hole he has a lot more adventure than he expected. Who are the strange men in the Duck Inn? Who can he trust What is so important about the letter he has been asked to deliver?

Events will take him to the Globe Theatre, down the Thames rapids and into the heart of Parliament.

London in 1605 is darker, dirtier and more dangerous than home, and Benji has no idea how to get back.

Bonfire night, Guy Fawkes night, whichever you choose to call it, has always been a big thing in England, especially when I was younger. We got the general gist of what happened all those years ago when the plotters tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament but Kate novel is a lot more fun than what I remember from school. 

It all starts to go wrong for Benji when he goes off to a local bonfire in the present day and accidentally falls down a 'time hole' which drops him in London in the year 1605. 

Now he's living in History rather than learning about it and things have got a lot more dangerous. 

I was wondering from early on whether Benji's tumble into the time hole was  an accident or planned and things became clearer as the story went on (but I'm not going to tell you either way 😉).

As this is the first of the Time Tumblers books there needed to be a good bit of set-up but that didn't distract from a good fun story that was also educational. I'll be looking out for the rest of the series that's for sure.

4/5* recommended

Thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto this tour and providing me with a review copy (my views though, remain my own and were not influenced in any way).

Please have a look at the reviews by the other bloggers on the Blogtour (below)

The Soho Killer by Biba Pearce

 

From the back cover:

 'Detective Rob Miller gets a call he doesn’t want to take.

 Rob is called to London’s West End on personal business when he gets a call. A body has been discovered in Soho Square.

 The victim has whip marks on his back, a leather mask covering his face and a ball-gag in his mouth. The cause of death appears to be strangulation, but was it murder or a mistake?

 The evidence quickly stacks up against the victim’s partner, Ralph Keaton. Under pressure from his higher-ups, Rob arrests Ralph under suspicion of murder.

 But Ralph is adamant he’s innocent, and Rob’s gut is telling him the same thing. Yet Ralph lied about his alibi for the evening in question.

 Then another man’s body is found: bound, gagged and dumped in the middle of a busy London square without any witnesses.

 This killer is smart. It’s up to Rob to be smarter. But with a baby to look after and his boss breathing down his neck, Rob’s got a lot on his plate.

 Then the killer makes it personal

 Now everything’s on the line . . .'

 The Soho Killer is the latest in Biba Pearce's series featuring Detective Rob Miller and his team. The murders this time around are pretty gruesome and seem to be unfathomable at first but Miller and co. soon get their teeth into the case as the body count rises. The case takes the team to Soho (obviously) and the clubs and nightspots of the area and that reveals truths for one person - and I did feel this was handled really well.

 I only came to this series a month or so ago but it's quickly become one of my favourites as the author has a good way with building the team into a coherent unit, each taking their own responsibilities so it doesn't just become Miller the supercop. There are little nuggets thrown to the reader that promise more will unfold in the books to come (please tell me there will be more!!).

 As is often the case there is a 'twist' at the end and I really didn't see this one coming - to the point that I had to explain to my other half why I was shouting at my kindle. 

 All in all, an excellent addition to what is a very good series (although it can be read as a stand-alone)

4/5* recommended

 Thanks to both Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and to Biba Pearce herself for inviting me onto this blog tour. All views are my own.

 Please have a look at the posts by the other bloggers on the tour (below).

With Dust Shall Cover - O'Neill

 

 Thirteen horrifying tales from the award-winning author of The Nightmare Tree.

 A board game from hell. A cursed heavy metal band. Beings that live in the ceiling. A magical forest that refuses to let go. An artifact that delivers the stuff of dreams. A burden that must be taken.

 Dare you roll the dice?

Contains the chilling stories:

The Shatter Box

Station Master

Midnight Machine

The Swirly People

Green World

Time’s Shadowy Tide

The Competition

The Fresh Blood of Birds

Mister Sleep

Keep Your Head Down

For Always

On Dream-Wings Float

With Dust Shall Cover (novella)

     

                   

 My Thoughts

 Whoo, where to start with this one?!?

 First things first, it's not often I come across a short story with no weak link at all but With Dust Shall Cover is certainly an exception to that rule. Starting with 'Jumanji on steroids' story  The Shatter Box these just seemed to get better with each one. 

 The only thing with shorts is that it's all too easy drop spoilers so all I can do is say if you like punchy, sometimes disturbing horror that has you looking over your shoulder and under the bed this is one for you.

  I haven't read any Paul O'Neill before but you can bank on it that I'll be looking out for more of his books soon as I've finished writing this review - he really is that good.

 And then there's the cover - how cool is that!!

Highly Recommended 5/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the Blogtour. Please have a look at the reviews by the other bloggers (below)

Dredd Vs Death, audiobook

 

The crime is life! The Judgement is death! When Judge Death enters Mega-City One from a parallel dimension, his plan is simple: to find every single living cit and sentence them—to death!

 As someone who grew up with Judge Dredd and 2000AD from the very 1st prog (ok Ol' Stoney Face didn't appear until Prog 2 but you get my drift) reviewing this classic in audio form was an easy choice to make. The series was the first appearance of possibly JD's greatest foe and one that has always stuck with me but all these years later would it still hold up as a story?

 Well, that's a definite yes from me. The actual ideas of Judge Death's 'all crime is committed by the living therefore life is a crime' actually makes a kind of sense in a way but when he comes from his dimension to Mega City 1 to judge the citizens there JD has something to say on the matter.

 As well as introducing the first of the Dark Judges DvD also gave us Judge Anderson of PSI Division who went on to have her own stories in later editions of 2000AD. There were also references to other everyday MC1 things (the one that got me first was BOING) that triggered happy memories, left me thinking 'wow, I'd forgotten all about that'

 So, how about the actual audio recording itself? It took a bit of getting used to as I don't often listen to these and the voice of Dredd wasn't how I imagined Dredd to sound but that's nothing to do with the voice actor, just my opinion and by the midpoint of the story he WAS Dredd. The key thing I guess is that I kept having 'just one more chapter' so it's obvious I was enjoying it. So much so that I'll be looking out others in the series.

Recommended 4/5*

There are other titles in this Black Crow Blogtour (above) and the various bloggers (below) have given their thoughts on these so please have a look at those.

Phyllo Cane and the Magical Menagerie - Sharn W Hutton

 

"Magically magnificent, fantastic and ferocious

at least, that’s what you’d expect of a fire-breathing dragon.

But what if yours won’t come out of its pen to perform? What if the Ringmaster thinks it’s worth more in the apothecary chop-shop than as part of the troupe?

The Beast Whisperer of the Circus of Wonder must bring her beloved dragon back up to its performing peak fast, if she’s to save it, and she thinks she knows what to do.

The unhappy creature needs a mate, but the male sand dragon is a rare beast indeed, and she’ll never be able to catch one alone.

Time for Phyllo to become the Beast Whisperer’s apprentice…"

Well! This was a whole heap of fun 😊 I was fortunate to receive both books in the series for review (Circus of Wonder being the first) so read them back to back. Our main protagonist here is Phyllo Cane, a young chap who comes from a family of Circus Confectioners. After a series of scrapes, incidents and bad luck PC finds the only way to stay with the Circus is to become an apprentice - but not just once, oh no! In Circus of Wonder he became an apprentice Trapeze Artist (with a fear of heights) while with Magical Menagerie he is apprenticed to the Beast Whisperer Tamer Venor and her collection of magical creatures. 

Thanks to Phyllo having to build a portal (part of his training) we get to see more of the world here as he is able to venture out into it in search of new creatures, especially a mate for a depressed Sand Dragon, so the scope is much wider here than with book 1.

Magical Menagerie is a cracking read (for all ages) in a well realised world setting with a lead character it's fun to spend time with.

A well deserved 5/5* (4.7/5 for book 1) Highly Recommended 

Many thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the Blogtour and providing the review copies (which did not influence my opinions at all!)

My review is the last on the tour so all the other reviews (below) are available for your perusal - please have a read of them if you can.

The Calculations of Rational Men - Daniel Godfrey

 ABOUT THE BOOK

THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HER ALLIES HAVE BEEN TARGETED IN A WIDESPREAD NUCLEAR ATTACK
December, 1962. Just months after the Cuban Missile Crisis, the five hundred men of HMP Queen’s Bench have found themselves in the midst of a new thermonuclear nightmare.

WE DO NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF OUR TOWNS AND CITIES. WE SHALL NOT KNOW THEIR FATE FOR SEVERAL DAYS
Prisoners, wardens and soldiers must now work together to forge a new future, even if some inside the shelter can only think of how to turn the situation to their personal advantage.

RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT WILL PRESENT THE GREATEST RISK TO HEALTH. MEDICAL STAFF AND SUPPLIES ARE AVAILABLE.
Caught in the very centre of the power struggles is Dr Joseph Marr. Just days into serving a life sentence for murder, he is given the responsibility for the health of all the men of HMP Queen’s Bench. But the question for him now is: how does he ensure those in the shelter survive?

MY THOUGHTS

Well, this was a brutal read but hey, it's set in a prison and the nuclear option has just been...well ...optioned I guess. What was once a society where prisoners and guards were on separate sides there is no other choice now but for them to work together. 

The status of the outside world is unknown, these could be the end days, the people of HMP Queen's Bench could be all that is left but even for them time and essentials are going to run out eventually. It's up to our lead Dr Marr to do what he can. 

Claustrophobic and tense this alternative history thriller grips from the off and never lets up right to the end - another winner from Dan Godfrey - 4/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me onto this blog tour and please have a look at the posts by the other bloggers involved (below)

Fellstones - Ramsey Campbell

 

'Fellstones takes its name from seven objects on the village green. It’s where Paul Dunstan was adopted by the Staveleys after his parents died in an accident for which he blames himself. The way the Staveleys tried to control him made him move away and change his name. Why were they obsessed with a strange song he seemed to have made up as a child?

Now their daughter Adele has found him. By the time he discovers the cosmic truth about the stones, he may be trapped. There are other dark secrets he’ll discover, and memories to confront. The Fellstones dream, but they’re about to waken.'

 Ever since I was young I've had a leaning towards stories with remote villages and standing stones (I blame Children of the Stones, a weekly serial on kids TV in the 70s) so Fellstones was a winner for me straight away because it has all that and more.

 Paul Dunstan was brought up in the village of Fellstones by The Staveleys after his parents died but left as soon as he was able to - and it's easy to see why. They seem ok but certainly have a plan for Paul's future and to that end are very controlling. So much so that Paul changes his name when he leaves in the hopes they will never be able to track him down. There's something 'off' about the whole village to be fair, not just The Staveleys and although Paul blames himself for his parents deaths it's kinda obvious that other forces were at work.

 Anyhow, The Staveleys daughter, Adele, finds him and begs him to come 'home' to say goodbye to a dying parent. He doesn't want to but goes anyway. On arrival things are as weird as he remembers but there are other things too, memories he'd rather stayed hidden. 

 And the stones, those tall silent sentinels, benign and peaceful looking but not for long. . .

 What Ramsey Campbell gives us here is Folk Horror and Cosmic Horror at it's best. A slow burner, true, but the sense of impending doom pervades throughout, that feeling that you want to turn the page but also you are nervous to do so - and I do so love that feeling.

 I've been a fan of Campbell's books since the 80s and rate this as one of his best. A definite 5* read.

 

 Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me to review this book and to Flame Tree Press for providing a review file. All opinions are my own.

 Please take time, if you can, to read the reviews by the other bloggers on the tour (below).

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men - Shauna Lawless

 

'They think they've killed the last of us...

981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son – and herself – but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long. Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world – like the Tuatha Dé Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians.

Fódla is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. Fódla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war – a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise...'

                                 }-{

 First things first I have to say that despite my best efforts I have not finished this book yet so this is only a 'my thoughts so far' post rather than a full review. But I can see a few late nights ahead as it is a story that grips from the off and isn't easy to put down. 

  Ireland (981AD) feels a magical, mystical place, the perfect setting for the battles, both physical and political between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé Danann. The story felt a bit Game of Thrones like to me (which plays right into my wheelhouse) mainly down to one of the viewpoint characters, Gormflaith, the king's widow, doing everything she can to seat her son on the throne (like a certain Lannister). But TCOGAFM is not a Thrones rip-off, it is very much it's own story - and a very well told one at that (and it is only the start of a series, yay!!😃).

 I've often struggled with Irish name pronunciation and if you are the same then worry not - as well as map in the front of the book there is a cast list with full pronunciation guide. I found it a godsend.

 So, ancient Irish historical fantasy with Immortal races, politics and battles in an atmospheric and well told tale. I'm only just over the halfway point but it's certainly looking like it's going to be a 5* read.

Many thanks to Head of Zeus for inviting me onto the Blogtour and providing the review copy. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

 Please have a look at the reviews by the other bloggers (below) and come back later for my full review.

The Last Girl To Die - Helen Fields

 

 'In search of a new life, seventeen-year-old Adriana Clark’s family moves to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. Then she goes missing. Faced with hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to private investigator Sadie Levesque.

Sadie is the best at what she does. But when she finds Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave, a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.

The deeper she digs into the island’s secrets, the closer danger creeps – and the more urgent her quest to find the killer grows. Because what if Adriana is not the last girl to die?'

 I don't know why but I seem to be really drawn to Scottish crime fiction. And when it moves from the usual spots (Edinburgh, Glasgow etc) even more so. There's something about those isolated areas that make things feel just that bit more off. TLGTD is set on the island of Mull and the 'offness' is certainly strong here.

 Our heroine in this standalone (for now at least) is Canadian PI Sadie Levesque who specialises in finding missing teens. She is brought in by the parents of 17 year old Adriana Clark in the hopes that she will be able to do what it seems the local police cannot be bothered to and find their daughter. Unfortunately, as you'd expect from the title, the search doesn't end well.

 The family of the missing (ok, dead) girl are American and only recently arrived on the island. The locals are standoffish at best and weirdly odd at worst so adding a Canadian PI to the mix doesn't make for good relationships between them and the islanders but I'll tell you what, it makes for a good, twisty tale. I had several guesses as to the final outcome but I'm glad to say I was wrong and the end caught me out.

 I would highly recommend this novel (and the author - I enjoyed this so much I'm going on the hunt for her other novels straight away)

4.5/5*

Thanks to Avon Books for the review copy and Midas PR for inviting me onto the tour. All views are my own and not influenced in any way. Also, big ❤️ to the people of Mull - I hope I haven't insulted or upset any of you in any way. My comments are only on the characters in the novel and I am sure you are all lovely people.

 The Last Girl To Die is published in the UK on September 1st 2022.

The Generation Killer - Adam Simcox

 

Welcome to my spot on the Blogtour for Adam Simcox's The Generation Killer (aka The Dying Squad 2) and first off let me apologise for being a day late (work's been busy and I lost track of the date). 

I was itching to get hold of this as soon as I heard about it as The Dying Squad was an absolute corker. So, to start off here's the blurb . . .

'There's a new serial killer on the streets of Manchester - and only a dead cop can stop them.

 Detective Joe Lazarus works for the Dying Squad, solving crimes the living police can't. When the Generation Killer starts wiping out Manchester's innocents, Joe and his new partner Bits have mere hours to catch the murderer. A young woman's life depends on it.

 Joe's former partner Daisy-May has her own problems. Children are going missing in the afterlife, and she's the only one who seems to care. Her investigation uncovers a conspiracy so vast, it threatens both the living and the dead.

 Her predecessor the Duchess can't help this time; she's tracked her treacherous sister, Hanna, to Tokyo, where she's been recruiting the dead. The Duchess must enlist the help of a local detective if she's to have any choice of stopping her.

 Time is running out for the Dying Squad. And if they can't crack their cases, it's the living that will pay...'

 Sounds like a fun ride yeah? Trust me, it was.

  I'll try not to give spoilers but would advise reading The Dying Squad first as coming into The Generation Killer cold will most likely confuse you.

 The Dying Squad are the police of the afterlife - they investigate crimes back in the real world (or The Soil as they call it) that the still living police are unable to and working for the DS is new(ish)ly dead ex copper Joe Lazarus. Joe's whole backstory is covered in book 1 so yeah, go read that first because, y'know, SPOILERS!!

 Back on The Soil there's a new serial killer (the Generation Killer of the title) and the police are baffled. Time to call for The Dying Squad - but there's a problem, the way back is blocked to Joe and co. after events in book 1. It's no real spoiler to say a way back is be found and then the supernatural sleuthing can begin.

 On this case Joe has a new partner, Bits, as his previous partner, Daisy-May, is now the big boss dead side. Bits took a little getting used to for me but he grew on me in the end.

 This could have been a really confusing book as there are three different investigations going on - 2 soul side, and one for Daisy in the Pens (a kind of afterlife holding area between being alive and where you eventually end up) but Simcox handles it all well.

 Did I enjoy it as much as The Dying Squad? Probably more actually, which bodes well for DS3 (please let there be a DS3)

Highly recommend 5/5* (but read book 1 if you haven't already, also a 5* read).