CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Land of Shadows - Rachel Howzell Hall

Release Date: 23/05/14
Publisher:  Titan

SYNOPSIS:

Detective Inspector Hanlon. She'll break but she won't bend. A woman with a habit of breaking the rules and a fierce loyalty to the few people she respects. Her boss, Corrigan. Looks like a street copper promoted above his ability. Underestimate him at your peril. Enver Demirel. Known in the boxing ring as Iron Hand. Now soft and gone to seed. But he would do anything for Hanlon. Now the kidnap of a 12-year-old diabetic boy has blown the case of some missing children wide apart and the finger is pointing at the heart of the Met. Corrigan sends in the only cop in his team who would care more about the life of a boy than about her own career. Hanlon. And then he sends Demirel to spy on her...


REVIEW:

Crime is a guilty pleasure of mine and to be honest I love spending time delving into the criminal mind as well as getting to see the Police work behind the scenes as the story arc is investigated. What occurs within this tale is a crime scene that brings back vivid memories from years before and when the reader gets to the meat of the matter, the emotional aspect really works well.

Back this up with solid crime work, cracking dialogue and all round great prose generated a story that I was pleased I spent the time with. Great stuff.

STEAMPUNK REVIEW: The Chronicles of Light and Shadow 2 and 3: A Clockwork Heart, Sky Pirates - Liesel Schwarz

Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher:  Del Rey

SYNOPSIS:

The honeymoon is over...A plague of clockwork zombies is afflicting London, and as more people mysteriously disappear, so grows the panic. For Eleanor Chance, she is still figuring out her abilities as the oracle, and how to keep the dark designs of the Shadow realm at bay. But then Marsh, her newly-wed husband, is abducted. Can she save him from the fate of a clockwork heart before it's too late? Book two in The Chronicles of Light and Shadow series, from the award-winning author of A Conspiracy of Alchemists.


REVIEW:

To be honest for me, this book felt a little flat, the storyline wasn’t really that sure on where it was going and when the reader looks deeper into the overall arc, it felt that a few things were added to bulk the book out rather than something dynamic and to the point. What occurred within was a tale that whilst Steampunk could easily have been any sort of UF type of tale out there which also felt that the reader was being treated with kid gloves almost as if the author had to quickly get it dealt with due to deadlines.

Add to this a lead character that didn’t gel with me, a villain that never really reached full potential and all round I was very disappointed with this offering. A great shame.

Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher:  Del Rey

SYNOPSIS:

Whatever it takes...Eleanor Chance has made it her mission to find her husband who has been cursed to roam the netherworld. But her plans are scuppered when a band of sky pirates attack, led by a man hell-bent on revenge. And rumour has it the Council of Warlocks has fallen under the sway of the nefarious Shadow Master - who wants her dead at any cost. Being chased from all sides, Elle will have to channel all of her powers as the Oracle to try to save the man she loves...


REVIEW:

Sadly for me whilst the original story was pretty solid, these last two so far have felt flat. They never seem to grip the glory of the original and whilst they’re so so, they’re not something that really gets going throughout almost as if writing to deadline has not allowed the pieces to become as polished or fixed as they perhaps should have been.

Whilst some out there will enjoy them, for me, I just couldn’t get into the story within, due to the same sort of problems that I’ve had previously of not being able to get a firm grip with the principle player. All round a great shame for me as I did have high hopes for the series.

VIDEO GAME NEWS: Lords of the Fallen Release Date Confirmed - Square Enix

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Calloused Thumbs,
We've had some news on the forthcoming Lords of the Fallen from Square Enix and whilst it's been a game on our own personal radar for quite some time we always like to know when the title is coming out so that we can let our readers know.

Lords of the Fallen will be released on 31st October 2014 for the following formats:
PC,
PS4
Xbox One.

In Lords of the Fallen, you are Harkyn, the best of the worst of humanity. A convicted criminal, Harkyn is given a chance for redemption. But just as the rulers of the world get close to finding a way to banish all evil from humans, an army of the long-ago defeated god attacks the human realm. Released from prison, Harkyn and his mentor, Kaslo, set out on a mission to stop the war.

And for your delectation here is the current trailer to whet your appetite:

As well as the stage demo from E3:

 


Hopefully we'll see you on the battlefield and hope to punish the Fallen God's army,



Gareth and Lady Eleanor

VIDEO GAME NEWS: Jagex Supports United for Wildlife on Runescape - Jagex

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Calloused Thumbs,
Jagex Games Studio, makers of the multi-award winning fantasy MMORPG, RuneScape, has supported a campaign by United for Wildlife, a collaboration between seven of the world’s most influential conservation organisations brought together by the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, to help promote the protection of rhinos in the wild.

Starting today, RuneScape players will have an opportunity to show their support of wild rhinos, and support for the United for Wildlife campaign, by learning about the animals’ plight as they answer a series of one-a-day questions over the next fortnight. Successful players will unlock a white rhino pet if they answer three questions correctly, and a rare black rhino pet if they correctly answer ten. During the two week period and for a fortnight afterwards, the rhino pets will provide players with an experience boost during their RuneScape adventure.

Furthermore, two young conservationists supported by Fauna & Flora International, one of the seven charities that make up United for Wildlife, are to be immortalised in the game after having their voices recorded for use as special in-game characters. Trang Nguyen from Vietnam and Mauricio Guerra from Colombia, will provide facts and help further explain the plight of rhinos across sub-Saharan Africa, to players as they move about the game. The partnership with United for Wildlife is the latest charity initiative supported by RuneScape and Jagex, following previous success stories over recent years.

 “United for Wildlife is a fantastic initiative that aims to preserve some of the world’s most endangered species in the wild. The RuneScape team is really proud to play our part in this important conservation project,” said Neil McClarty, brand director of RuneScape. “Our community has always shown amazing support for the many charity campaigns we’ve been involved with over the years, and we fully believe that they will continue this by throwing their support behind United for Wildlife's latest drive.”

“As a member of the United for Wildlife collaboration I’m delighted that we’ve been able to combine our collective conservation aims with RuneScape’s passionate audience,” said Ros Aveling, deputy CEO, Fauna & Flora International. “Innovative approaches to reaching a younger audience, who are traditionally hard to engage in conservation, are vital to the success of United for Wildlife and to the protection of critically endangered wildlife.”
(Images in the article appear coutesy of ZSL.)

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Time to Die - Alex Howard

Release Date: 08/05/14
Publisher:  Head of Zeus

SYNOPSIS:

Detective Inspector Hanlon. She'll break but she won't bend. A woman with a habit of breaking the rules and a fierce loyalty to the few people she respects. Her boss, Corrigan. Looks like a street copper promoted above his ability. Underestimate him at your peril. Enver Demirel. Known in the boxing ring as Iron Hand. Now soft and gone to seed. But he would do anything for Hanlon. Now the kidnap of a 12-year-old diabetic boy has blown the case of some missing children wide apart and the finger is pointing at the heart of the Met. Corrigan sends in the only cop in his team who would care more about the life of a boy than about her own career. Hanlon. And then he sends Demirel to spy on her...


REVIEW:

What many people tend to forget is that within stories, are that there are more people within the story than just the principle character. They need fleshing out and have to feel real to the people in the background looking into this world. It’s a tricky line to tread and whilst you don’t have much time to get it done without it feeling like your bogging the story down with unnecessary baggage it is still something that has to be done in order to get the tale across.

Whilst I wasn’t a huge fan of the lead character here, I did love the way that Alex has managed to generate a whole host of supporting cast that feel as real as DI Hanlon. It also has great pace and whilst the subject is horrific within, its something that helps bring it all back to the reader as real world meets fiction in an intense investigation. It has some solid police work within, the reader is given a glimpse behind the curtain and all round with the dialogue it works very well for me as a reader. Back this up with a solid understanding of prose and all round it’s a cracking read.

FANTASY REVIEW: Paladin's Legacy 5: Crown of Renewal - Elizabeth Moon

Release Date: 27/05/14
Publisher:  Orbit

SYNOPSIS:

Eight kingdoms in danger, an enemy that cannot die...Count Jeddrin has received a grisly message. His son, Filis, is dead, brutally killed by Alured the Black - the first move in his plan to take the eight kingdoms. But Filis managed to send his own message, telling of the dark forces that control Alured, warning of something more than human behind the man's eyes...Meanwhile, Dorrin Verrakai, last of a long line of magelords, must forever leave the home she loves in order to protect powerful magic relics created by her ancestors. For their power is desired both by Alured, and by the dark elves infesting the kingdoms. Searching for answers, her friend and King, Kieri, considers waking the magelords from their ancient slumber...


REVIEW:

The fifth and final part of the Paladin Legacy and to be honest with you what a hell of a way to see the final volume of the series end. As usual with Elizabeth the prose is razor sharp, the key aspects hard hitting with the action being hard fought giving the reader a story that really fulfils the fantasy need within.

Back this up with great characters and of course great detail alongside the wrapping up of so many threads that have left readers questioning for years. All round a satisfying read and one that is definitely going to prompt a whole series reread when I have the time. Magic.

URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: Doctor Sleep - Stephen King

Release Date: 22/05/14
Publisher:  Hodder

SYNOPSIS:

An epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon. King says he wanted to know what happened to Danny Torrance, the boy at the heart of The Shining, after his terrible experience in the Overlook Hotel. The instantly riveting DOCTOR SLEEP picks up the story of the now middle-aged Dan, working at a hospice in rural New Hampshire, and the very special twelve-year old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals. On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless - mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the 'steam' that children with the 'shining' produce when they are slowly tortured to death. Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him and a job at a nursing home where his remnant 'shining' power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes 'Doctor Sleep.' Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival ...The first print run of DOCTOR SLEEP in paperback has two jacket styles. These are only available while stocks last and if you are ordering online we cannot guarantee which cover you will receive.


REVIEW:

Kubrick’s film of The Shining still scares the hell out of me and whilst I still get that delicious chill from the book, I always what would happen to Danny after the events in the original. Within the book, Danny, an alcoholic like his father, has to face his own hard truths as he discovers more children with their own versions of “The Shining” which leads him to face the darkness within.

All round it’s a book that whilst not truly classic King (as it’s not as dark) does have the hope of redemption within, backed up with the identifiable King writing style as well as solid prose and decent dialogue all round gave me a book that I had fun reading.

HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEW: Sisters of Treason - Elizabeth Fremantle

Release Date: 22/05/14
Publisher:  Michael Joseph

SYNOPSIS:

Sisters of Treason is a powerful and moving story of passion and peril in Tudor England, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel. Mary Tudor clings fearfully to the English throne. Seeing the threat posed by her cousin, Lady Jane Grey, the Queen orders her execution. But what of Lady Jane's young sisters - Katherine and Mary? Cursed with royal blood, they must endure the perils of a Tudor court, closely observed by its paranoid Queen. Entranced by the drama, intrigue and romance of court life, young Lady Katherine's desire for love leads her to make ill-advised and dangerous liaisons. Burdened with a crooked back, her younger sister, Lady Mary - the 'mouse' - is seen as no threat and becomes privy to the Queen's most intimate secrets. Yet Mary, who yearns to escape court dramas, knows her closeness to the Queen could be her undoing. For the Queen is childless and in ill-health. If she should die, her fearsome sister Elizabeth will inherit the crown. Then Katherine and Mary will find court a maze of treachery and danger - where possessing royal blood is the gravest crime of all...Praise for Elizabeth Fremantle: "A great read. Sisters of Treason totally transports the reader to the Tudor court, with all its tensions and games". (Katherine Webb, author of The Legacy). "A major new voice in historical fiction". (The Bookseller). "Rich and enticing". (Stylist). "Electric". (Good Housekeeping). "Wildly entertaining". (Huffington Post). Elizabeth Fremantle holds a BA in English and an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck. As a fashion editor she has contributed to many publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair and The Sunday Times. Sisters of Treason is her second novel, following on from Queen's Gambit.


REVIEW:

Historical Fiction taking the readers on the journey through the lives of the Grey Sisters through the turbulent times of the Tudor’s. Wonderfully written with solid prose and of course following the tragic course of events from a failed try at the throne, all round gives the reader a story that was not only hard to put down but one that wrenches at the heart strings.

All round it’s a book that was a pure joy to read, taking the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions and along with cracking dialogue goes to show why the author is one to savour with a nice glass of wine.

VIDEO GAME NEWS: Transformers Universe MMORG Roll's Out for Beta - Jagex

Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Calloused Thumbs,

Our friends at Jagex Game Studio have asked us to let you know that Transformers Universe MMORPG is now live for beta.

Here's what they had to say:  

TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE, the free, 3rd-person MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game, is proud to announce it’s going in to open BETA and is now open to all gamers from this Friday (July 4th).

Going in to Open BETA means now players can simply register and instantly jump straight into the action as a TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE Commander.

This weekend we’re going to be celebrating this fantastic milestone with a double XP weekend, 24 hour live twitch stream (3pm GMT 5th July – 3pm GMT 6th July) and $75,000 in prizes to be won over this weekend.

“We’re delighted to be opening our game to the public, a game we believe is worthy to be Jagex’s second massively multiplayer online game!” said Mark Gerhard, Jagex’s CEO & CTO. “Our BETA community have been having enormous fun playing, as have we, often being schooled by them! Everyone has been absolutely fantastic throughout the closed BETA and provided us with great feedback which we continue to implement into the game service through our weekly updates.” 

He continued: “True to our heritage we’ve pioneered a game in which all content can be enjoyed for free, simply through play. With almost two million battle victories recorded during the closed BETA, our players evidently had the most fun – and success – while playing together with their friends in teams. I’ve been delighted to see teams invent strategies and tactics that we had not even imagined, and can’t wait to see what new players come up with."

Now is your time to take control of an ever expanding squad of all-new Transformers warriors in heated battles of skill across multiple maps and game modes. With a range of customization available in the form of weapons, armour and powercores, each one of these unique Transformers warriors can be modified to match your playing style.

PC and Mac players can choose to install or play the game directly in their browser @ www.transformersuniverse.com

TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. ©2014 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved."

Let the Oil and Energon flow,  


 

Gareth and Lady Eleanor

FACTUAL REVIEW: Josephine - Kate Williams

Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher:  Arrow Books

SYNOPSIS:

This is the incredible rise and unbelievable fall of a woman whose energy and ambition is often overshadowed by Napoleon's military might. In this triumphant biography, Kate Williams tells Josephine's searing story, of sexual obsession, politics and surviving as a woman in a man's world. Abandoned in Paris by her aristocratic husband, Josephine's future did not look promising. But while her friends and contemporaries were sent to the guillotine during the Terror that followed the Revolution, she survived prison and emerged as the doyenne of a wildly debauched party scene, surprising everybody when she encouraged the advances of a short, marginalised Corsican soldier, six years her junior. Josephine, the fabulous hostess and skilled diplomat, was the perfect consort to the ambitious but obnoxious Napoleon. With her by his side, he became the greatest man in Europe, the Supreme Emperor; and she amassed a jewellery box with more diamonds than Marie Antoinette's. But as his fame grew, Napoleon became increasingly obsessed with his need for an heir and irritated with Josephine's extravagant spending. The woman who had enchanted France became desperate and jealous. Until, a divorcee aged forty-seven, she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Napoleon and his young bride produced a child.


REVIEW:

To be honest this was a book that I became interested in purely for the fact that I wanted to read up a little bit more from the female point of view in the French Revolution and whilst I was fully aware of Napoleon during this time, I really didn’t know anything about his first wife Josephine (or rather Marie Josèphe Rose (her birth name.)

So whilst I had originally picked this up on a whim to learn more, what I managed to obtain from this book was a figure of strong womanhood, who not only managed to change herself like a chameleon to suit her social status’ but also managed to escape the guillotine a fete in itself. She was charismatic, she was a fascinating character and whilst many tend to think that Napoleon was the power in the relationship, in reality it was more an equal footing for both.

All round this book not only kept me glued but when backed up with solid research which is presented in an easy to follow manner, all round I was hooked from the first chapter onwards. Great stuff.

SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Bel Dame Apocrypha 2: Infidel - Kameron Hurley

Release Date: 01/05/14
Publisher:  Del Rey

SYNOPSIS:

This is a stunning follow-up to The Arthur C. Clarke Award. It is shortlisted. God's war. No matter where you go, the Bel Dames will find you Nyx used to be an assassin, part of the sisterhood of the Bel Dames. Now she's babysitting diplomats to make ends meet and longs for the days when killing was a lot more honorable. So, when her former 'sisters' lead a coup against the government, she's the perfect choice to stop them. In a rotten nation of giant bugs and renegade shape shifters, Nyx must forge unlikely allies and rekindle old acquaintances if she is to survive. Otherwise, this time, the bodies she leaves scattered across the continent may include her own...


REVIEW:

Having loved Kameron’s first book, God’s War, I couldn’t wait to see what he’d hit back with next and boy, was I in for a treat as I opened the title. There’s solid combat, great twists and when added to a principle character that the readers will love to spend time around who for all her lethality has a dependency on alcohol, all round made her feel quite approachable.

Add to this great pace, solid prose and more than a twist or two all round game me a book that really didn’t let me catch my breath. Magic.

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Sea of Stone - Michael Ridpath

Release Date: 06/05/14
Publisher:  Corvus

SYNOPSIS:

"Oli and Magnus Jonson have spent years trying to escape from the shadows of their past. Raised by their grandparents in Bjarnarhofn, a remote farmstead in Iceland, both brothers had to endure brutal violence at the hands of their grandfather. Now, two decades later, the past has returned to haunt them both. When Constable Pall Gylfason gets a dispatch call to investigate a suspected homicide in a remote farmstead, he is surprised to find that Detective Magnus Jonson is already at the scene. Magnus identifies the dead man as his estranged grandfather. As Pall begins to review the crime scene it becomes apparent that forensic evidence has been tampered with and that Magnus' version of events doesn't add up. Before long, Magnus is arrested for the murder of his grandfather. When it emerges that his younger brother, Oli, is in Iceland after two decades in America, Pall begins to think that Magnus may not be the only family member in the frame for murder...Can Magnus prove his innocence without implicating his brother? And can both men get to the heart of the twisted secrets that blighted their childhoods? What unfolds is a tale of familial ties and bloodthirsty vengeance, of isolated communities scarred by the tragedies of the past - and of a final, painful reckoning."


REVIEW:

The latest Magnus Jonson title and this time our detective hero is the key suspect in the murder investigation of his grandfather. Its definitely a book that will glue the reader as we glimpse the investigation from the other side of the case and when added to some cracking sleight of hand, top notch twists and solid police work, the reader is really in for a special treat.

Back this up with great prose, wonderful pace and of course that delightfully bleak landscape all round generates a story that is nigh impossible to put down. Cracking.

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Under a Silent Moon - Elizabeth Hayes

Release Date: 08/05/14
Publisher:  Sphere

SYNOPSIS:

In the crisp, early morning hours, the police are called to a suspected murder at a farm outside a small English village. A beautiful young woman has been found dead, blood all over the cottage she lives in. At the same time, police respond to a reported female suicide, where a car has fallen into a local quarry. As DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather the evidence, they discover a link between these two women, a link which has sealed their dreadful fate one cold night, under a silent moon. Told in a unique way, using source documents that allow readers to interpret the evidence alongside DCI Louisa Smith and her team, Under a Silent Moon is an unsettling and compulsively readable novel that will keep you gripped until the very last page.


REVIEW:

OK, as a reader, when I find an author I like, I make a note of their name so when a new title comes out, they make it further up the TBR list to be tackled sooner rather than later. (After all why begin with starters when you can go straight for the chocolate cake. LOL)

So having read Elizabeth’s writing before I couldn’t wait to see what her latest investigation novel would bring, after all I liked the principle character, loved the way that she set the story up and then also brought to the table solid police investigative techniques. Expecting more of the same from this, her latest, I couldn’t wait to get started, however upon concluding, I found that it didn’t advance the character for me, she didn’t grow and overall felt a little bit flatter than the first. All round, it’s an OK book however without the growth I was hoping for it was just average.

SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Terra - Mitch Benn

Release Date: 08/05/14
Publisher:  Gollancz

SYNOPSIS:

No-one trusts humanity. No-one can quite understand why we're intent on destroying the only place we have to live in the Universe. No-one thinks we're worth a second thought. And certainly no-one is about to let us get off Rrth. That would be a complete disaster. But one alien thinks Rrth is worth looking at. Not humanity, obviously, we're appalling, but until we manage to kill every other living thing on the planet there are some truly wonderful places on Rrth and some wonderful creatures living in them. Best take a look while they're still there. But on one trip to Rrth our alien biologist causes a horrendous accident. The occupants of a car travelling down a lonely road spot his ship (the sort of massive lemon-coloured, lemon-shaped starship that really shouldn't be hanging in the sky over a road). Understandably the Bradburys crash (interrupting the latest in a constant procession of bitter rows). And in the wreckage of their car our alien discovers a baby girl. She needs rescuing. From the car. From Rrth. From her humanity. And now 11 years later a girl called Terra is about to go to school for the first time. It's a very alien experience...T ERRA is a charming and hilarious satirical fable. A story about how odd and alien we are. And a story about how human odd aliens are. It tells the story of a girl who grows up in a very different world, who gains a unique perspective on our world and a unique perspective on her new home. A girl who can teach us and them a lot. A girl living in an extraordinary world that is spiralling into a terrible war.


REVIEW:

I know the name of the author but to be honest I’m not that familiar with his humour so to be honest his celeb status really wasn’t anything to me. I read this book knowing nothing of him and to be honest what I read was a book that brought some warm humour, played with the expected Sci-Fi tropes and then wrapped it all up with a fun new look at a strange world through the eyes of the human.

It’s definitely fun, it has something for readers of all ages (young as well as old) and also is something that I found to be warm, engrossing as well as entertaining. All round a book that I was pleased to read and I’ll definitely look forward to other instalments. A great find.

FANTASY REVIEW: Mirror Sight - Kristen Britain

Release Date: 15/05/14
Publisher:  Gollancz

SYNOPSIS:

Karigan G'ladheon is a Green Rider - a seasoned member of the royal messenger corps whose loyalty and her bravery have already been tested many times. And her final, explosive magical confrontation with Mornhavon the Black should have killed her. But rather than finding death, and peace, Karigan wakes to a darkness deeper than night. The explosion has transported her somewhere - and into a sealed stone sarcophagus - and now she must escape, somehow, before the thinning air runs out and her mysterious tomb becomes her grave. Where is she? Does a trap, laid by Mornhavon, lie beyond her prison? And if she can escape, will she find the world beyond the same - or has the magic taken her out of reach of her friends, home and King forever...? 'Kristen Britain is one of the most astonishing fantasy writers wroking today' Tess Gerritsen, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author


REVIEW:

I’ve been a huge fan of Kristen’s Green Rider series, so every time I get the chance to return to her imaginative and wonderfully developed world you’ll find me shutting out the real world to embark on the latest adventure.

So sitting back with my reading supplies, I couldn’t wait to see what the pages held in store. Yet for all this, I couldn’t help but think what the hell had happened to the principle character. She’d changed drastically and whilst I originally thought perhaps I was remembering her wrong a reread of what has come before proved to me that Kristen was trying to fit more into what’s popular within the genre rather than what the readers bought her books for in the first place.

Add to this a plotline that felt flat, a convoluted overall arc and all round I was greatly disappointed. I really hope that this will be rectified in future outings.

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Lord Peter Wimsey Investigates: The Late Scholar - Jill Paton Walsh

Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher:  Hodder

SYNOPSIS:

A new murder mystery featuring Lord Peter Wimsey - now a Duke - and his wife Harriet Vane, set in an Oxford college in the 1950s. Peter Wimsey is pleased to discover that along with a Dukedom he has inherited the duties of 'visitor' at an Oxford college.When the fellows appeal to him to resolve a dispute, he and Harriet set off happily to spend some time in Oxford. But the dispute turns out to be embittered. The voting is evenly balanced between two passionate parties - evenly balanced, that is, until several of the fellows unexpectedly die.The Warden has a casting vote, but the Warden has disappeared. And the causes of death of the deceased fellows bear an uncanny resemblance to the murder methods in Peter's past cases - methods that Harriet has used in her published novels .


REVIEW:

OK, I’m a new reader to the series so whilst this review is based upon Jill’s writing, I can’t say that I can speak for fans of the series written by Dorothy. Firstly, whilst I do realise that the characters have appeared in multiple novels before, I did feel that they were more a stereotype rather than something designed more for the modern reader, being characters more for the time period to which they were created written rather than a number of modern day counterparts that a number of readers will expect.

They are solid enough and whilst for me dated, they did give me a story that was a little different to my norm. It was an adventure, it was something that worked for me and whilst I probably won’t be revisiting for quite some time, was a book that I was pleased that I tackled as it gave me something to mull over whilst reading newer set crime titles. All round an interesting bit of fun but for me, not something I’ll be returning to any time soon.

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: Inquest - Paul Carson

Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher:  Arrow Books

SYNOPSIS:

The compelling new novel from the No.1 Irish bestselling author of Betrayal. Perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs, M R Hall and Benjamin Black. Dr Mike Wilson is a pathologist with a troubled past and a naturally suspicious mind. As the new Dublin city coroner, he is used to investigating violent, unusual or unexplained deaths. But one case worries Mike. A lot. Patrick Dowling was found hanging in woodland late the previous year. The investigation ended the moment the autopsy result was announced. Suicide. Dowling had been a drug addict with poor life expectancy. Case closed. Then Mike discovers that Dowling's file was on a previous coroner's desk. A man who was shot dead by an unknown gunman. Coincidence? Mike doesn't think so. But as Mike digs deeper, his life comes under threat. Then he and his family are attacked. Just how far is he prepared to go to uncover the truth?


REVIEW:

I love a story that tries something different and for me this thriller by Paul Carson delivered as I was taken into an Ireland that had a realistic backstory that brought modern history to the fore alongside generating a read that was not only gripping but something that was nigh impossible to put down.

The prose was sharp, the key character someone that I was more than happy to share headspace with and all round allowed me to delve into something that I wouldn’t normally have given reading time to as I’m not really a fan of modern history. All round a great piece of writing and definitely an author I’ll keep an eye on for future releases.

GUEST FEATURE: Character Profiles for the Weight of Blood - Laura McHugh

Hail Mighty Readers,
With today being the release of Laura McHugh's Debut in Hardback  (released by Hutchinson) we were lucky enough to get our hands on the authors own character profiles which we hope will grab your attention and give this great author a chance to spend time with you.

So here for your delight they are:
Lucy:
Seventeen-year-old Lucy Dane has always longed to escape the isolated mountain town where she grew up. Her father’s family has lived in Henbane for generations, but Lucy is treated like an outsider thanks to the mother she never knew, a captivating stranger who arrived in town amid a swirl of rumors and disappeared in the hills not long after Lucy’s birth. She’s desperate to learn more about her mother, but most of what she knows is pieced together from local myth. Lucy is on her own while her dad travels for work, and she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Not much scares her, and she knows that her protective uncle and her elderly neighbor, Birdie, are looking out for her. When one of Lucy’s few friends, slow-minded Cheri, is found murdered, Lucy is haunted by the knowledge that she didn’t do more to protect her. She becomes determined to find Cheri’s killer, and in the process she uncovers long-buried secrets about her mother’s disappearance that force her to question everything and everyone around her.

Lila:
Lila’s mother and step-father provided a normal, loving life for her on their Iowa farm, but when they are killed in an accident, Lila is shuffled between a series of foster homes, often causing problems with her impulsive behavior. As she ages out of the foster care system, Lila is alone and running out of options. Her last chance is a job on an Ozark farm, and she’s determined not to ruin it by getting involved with the wrong people and making reckless choices as she’s done so many times in the past. When she arrives in the remote town of Henbane, she finds herself an object of rumor and suspicion; the locals don’t trust strangers, and Lila isn’t one to blend in. What she wants more than anything is a place to call home—something she hasn’t had in a very long time—though she’s not expecting to find it Henbane, where even the landscape feels threatening.

For more information and to keep up with Laura please visit her website.

CRIME THRILLER REVIEW: The Weight of Blood - Laura McHugh

Release Date: 03/07/14
Publisher:  Hutchinson

SYNOPSIS:

This is a gripping debut psychological crime novel about family lies and dark secrets in an isolated community as a series of women go missing. People still whisper about Lucy Dane's mother who vanished years ago from the town of Henbane, deep in the Ozark mountains. When one of Lucy's friends is found murdered, Lucy feels haunted by the two lost women: by the mother she never knew, and the friend she couldn't protect. But her search for answers, in a place where secrets are easily concealed, leads her to a chilling discovery. And with this revelation, she must grapple with the meaning of family, the secrets we keep, and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.


REVIEW:

To be honest I think that for a great many people its going to be a marmite book, that is to say, a title that you’re either going to love or hate. For me, I really enjoyed it. I loved the gritty feel, the way that the Lucy, came across, the strength of her difference against the insular philosophy of the culture to which she is raised.

Its definitely something that works very well, for me as the author, Laura, brings it across with ease allowing the reader to not only see but feel how it is to be in a culture such as this. All round, along with sharp prose and gritty realism, the reader is treated to one hell of a story that really doesn’t let up from start to finish so much so that when you get to the heart of the matter (or rather the meat of the story) you’ll discover that some things are never quite what you expect let alone believe. Great writing.

FACTUAL REVIEW: A Curious Guide to London - Simon Leyland

Release Date: 25/05/14
Publisher:  Bantam Press

SYNOPSIS:

From petticoat duels and lucky cats to the Stiffs Express, Lord Nelson's spare nose, the Piccadilly earthquake and the Great Beer Flood of 1814, A Curious Guide to London takes you on a captivating, wildly entertaining tour of the city you think you know, unearthing the capital's secrets and commemorating its rich, colourful and unusual history. Brimming with tales of London's forgotten past, its strangest traditions and its most eccentric inhabitants, this book celebrates the unique, the unusual and the unknown. Perfect for tourists, day-trippers, commuters and the millions of people who call London home, this alternative guidebook will make you look at the city in a whole new light.


REVIEW:

Ah, the glories of what I like to term as a “Bathroom book.” Something you can delve into that is full on not only fascinating tidbits of London’s weird facts but something that will entertain as well as fascinate the reader. For me, I love finding out the weird and wonderful, the unusual, the stranger than fiction facts and for me this book is something that as a writer I’m keeping on hand for inspiration.

It’s quirky, its wonderfully laid out and all round a book that will make a wonderful gift to anyone from London or has an interest in the different. Cracking.

HISTORICAL FICTION REVIEW: The Valhalla Saga 2: Blood Will Follow - Snorri Kristjansson

Release Date: 05/06/14
Publisher:  Jo Fletcher Books

SYNOPSIS:

Ulfar Thormodsson and Audun Arngrimsson survived the battle for Stenvik, although at huge cost, for they have suffered much worse than heartbreak. They have lost the very thing that made them human: their mortality. While Ulfar heads home, looking for the place where he thinks he will be safe, Audun runs south. But both men are about to discover that they cannot run away from themselves. For King Olav has left the conquered town of Stenvik in the hands of his lieutenant so he can journey north, following Valgard in the search for the source of the Vikings' power. And all the while older beings watch and wait, biding their time, for there are secrets yet to be discovered...


REVIEW:

The cracking second outing for Snorri’s principle characters as the curse from the original really starts to take its toll on our heroes. It’s wonderfully imaginative, has great prose and for anyone looking for some top notch action fiction , this series from Jo’s stable is definitely one I’d recommend.

Add to this cracking pace, solid action sequences and characters that you really can’t wait to spend time around and all round I was a more than happy reader. Great stuff.