Release Date: 27/08/15
Publisher: Mulholland Books
SYNOPSIS:
Michael Hendricks is not a good man.
He doesn't deserve a good life.
But he is very good at his job.
He's the killing kind.
He doesn't accept contract kills. He doesn't work for any criminal organisation. And he never kills civilians. He only hits hitters.
He's not the kind of guy you call if you want to pop somebody who's pissed you off or done you wrong.
He's not a guy you call at all - he calls you.
And when he does, you'd be advised to take his call. Because it means that someone wants you dead, and time is running out to save your life.
It's not a bad way to make a living, but it's a great way to make enemies.
And now both the FBI and the mafia have Hendricks in their sights, he's about to learn just how good he really is...
REVIEW:
OK, this book isn’t going to set the world alight but there are times you want a high octane thriller that has plenty of action and a plot that you don’t really have to think about relying more on the friction generated by the principle hero and villain in much the same way you go for the odd early Arnie film.
Chris knows what he does well and brings in in spades with this thriller. Add to this reasonable prose and some fairly basic dialogue and all round it’ll entertain as well as help you relax.
Release Date: 14/08/14
Publisher: Mulholland Books
SYNOPSIS:
When Yuko Moriguchi's four-year-old daughter died in the middle school where she teaches, everyone thought it was a tragic accident. It's the last day of term, and Yuko's last day at work. She tells her students that she has resigned because of what happened - but not for the reasons they think. Her daughter didn't die in an accident. Her daughter was killed by two people in the class. And before she leaves, she has a lesson to teach...But revenge has a way of spinning out of control, and Yuko's last lecture is only the start of the story. In this bestselling Japanese thriller of love, despair and murder, everyone has a confession to make, and no one will escape unharmed.
REVIEW:
This was an unusual read for me as it dealt with child murderers and vengeance. Its something that is completely different to any other books out there and for me, whilst quite a thin title was one that allowed me to delve into a fiction that I normally wouldn’t have read. It is very well written and whilst its not only uncomfortable to read, it was a tale that as it unfurled allowed me to think and examine a number of things that are often overlooked in busy modern lives.
All round a tale that made me not only uncomfortable but was a story that I was pleased I put the time into. Definitely something to read if you’re looking for something not only different but one that makes you think and will stay with you long after the final page is turned.
Release Date: 06/09/13
Publisher: Mulholland Books
SYNOPSIS:
Acclaimed author Joe Lansdale's landmark tale of love and vengeance at the dark dawn of the East Texas oil boom. Jack Parker knows all too well how treacherous life can be. His parents did not survive a smallpox epidemic. His grandfather was murdered. Now his sister Lula has been kidnapped by a bank robber. Alongside bounty hunter Shorty, an eloquent dwarf with a chip on his shoulder, and Eustace, the grave-digging son of an ex-slave, Jack sets off to rescue Lula. In turn-of-the-century Texas, that quest is likely to turn dangerous. Murderous outlaws find their homes in the remote wilderness. Oil wells spurt liquid money from the ground. And blood and redemption still rule supreme.
REVIEW:
I love a crime mystery that tries to do something a little different and whilst this book is set last century it has all the wonderful delight of bringing an old west to the modern reader as the principle protagonist brings together perhaps the strangest posse to help rescue his captured sister.
Its definitely quirky, has hints of Louis L’Amour and to be honest was definitely something that I had a lot of fun reading. I loved the principle character and the interactions between the supporting cast, add to this an author who clearly has a love of the old west as he weaves magical story bringing the best as well as the worst to the fore. Add to this great pose and pace, some wonderful turns of phrase as well as a colourful use of dialogue and all round I was more than a happy reader.
Release Date: 18/07/13
Publisher: Mulholland Books
SYNOPSIS:
Kyle West is a wanted man. Fleeing the country seemed like the only option when the US Justice Department came after him. But now he's trapped in Cambodia, frantically trying to find a way to clear his name and make it home. His luck seems to change when he meets a fellow American at a bar. Julian Robinson has his own reasons to want to be someone different, and he and Kyle agree to swap passports. The deal seems too good to be true. Unfortunately for Kyle, it is. Because Julian Robinson is not who he seems. And with Russian oligarchs, Chinese operatives and CIA officials on his tail, time is running out for Kyle to find out who he really is...
REVIEW:
Whilst this is a debut novel, it is a book that was written by one of the authors of the Safe House Screenplay so you know, if you’ve seen the film, that this title had a lot to not only live up to but a hell of a lot to deliver for the reader market.
What unfurls within is a story that doesn’t let up from the very beginning bringing paranoia, double dealing government agencies, all tied up with a lead character hanging onto the edge of life by the tips of his fingers. Its hard to put down, has great prose as well as a high octane pace and brings it altogether with a storyline that has quite a few twists and turns so much so that you’re never that sure which way the coin is going to land. All round a great book and one that I was more than happy to spend the time with.
Release Date: 04/07/13
Publisher: Mulholland
SYNOPSIS:
The first death looked like a suicide. But someone had tucked a picture of an angel and a handful of white feathers into the banker's pocket - before pushing him in front of a Tube. A killer is stalking the Square Mile, an avenging angel intent on punishment. But why these victims? What were their sins? Psychologist Alice Quentin swore she'd never get involved with police work again. Her duty is to the living, not the dead. But she owes detective Don Burns a favour, and when he comes begging for help, how can she refuse? In order to find the murderer, Alice and Don must dig deep into the toxic heart of the City. A place where money means more than life, and no one can be counted innocent.
REVIEW:
Kate is one of those authors who surprised me last year with her debut crime release and whilst a debut introduces you to the public, it’s often said that it’s the second book that makes or breaks you as you have to not only meet a deadline but keep the same quality that brought the new readers to you.
What this book by Kate does is build upon the success of the first. The prose is sharp, the arc wonderful with cracking misdirection as well as characters that the reader just wants to spend time with. All round a cracking book and one that I really have enjoyed to the max. Can’t wait to see what Kate hits back with next.
Hail Mighty Readers,
Our friends over at Mullholland Books have let us know about this opportunity for you to become a Mullholland Blogger and to get ahead on the published titles from them the details are as follows:"Do you love suspense fiction? Crime novels, thrillers, police procedurals and supernatural suspense? If you love these books then Mulholland Books is the imprint for you, bringing exciting American thriller writers to the UK alongside British crime authors who deliver what thrill-hungry fans demand.Mulholland Books UK are offering you the chance to become a MULHOLLAND DRIVER in 2012 – one of a team of bloggers who get the chance to read and review Mulholland Books ahead of the curve. We have developed an online community of crime and thriller readers and would love to offer you the chance to be a part of it.We are looking for two new additions to the team, book lovers who can’t get enough of compelling, fast-paced, page-turning reads. If you would like to become a Mulholland Driver please send an email to lucy.zilberkweit@hodder.co.uk explaining why you’d like to join us, the name of your blog and your address. We will then post you a copy of the fantastic GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark – email us your review for a chance to win spot on the team.Looking forward to hearing from you all soon!"
Release Date: 10/11/11
SYNOPSIS:
Mulholland Books presents...ASSASSIN OF SECRETS The agent: Jonathan Chase, the United States' top operative. He will protect and serve his country at all costs. The target: the Zero Directorate, a shadowy organisation who are kidnapping, interrogating and murdering spies. He knows that they will come for him...but not if he finds them first. Chase is on the hunt. But the Directorate lies in wait, and the inescapable truth is that the closer he gets to stopping his enemies, the closer his enemies get to him.
REVIEW:
Due to it being revealed that the book is at the centre of a plagarism scandal, I have deleted the review that I had previously given this title.
We're sad that this happened but as such felt that it was only fair in light of the circumstances.
Release Date: 13/10/11
SYNOPSIS:
Mulholland Books presents...HELL AND GONE There are some criminals so dangerous the world can never know about them. They can't be held in regular prisons. They must never be released. They're here - in a secret underground prison miles away from anywhere. And now, so is Charlie Hardie. The shadowy organisation running the jail sent him there as punishment for getting in their way. But he's not a prisoner. He's in charge. He can leave any time he wants, he's told. There's just one catch: if he goes, everyone in the prison dies, including innocent guards. But when Charlie realises his family may be in danger, he knows he must protect them at any cost. Even if it means blasting his way out, one inmate at a time...
REVIEW:
OK, I love a good crime novel and when one throws a spanner into the conventions that readers have come to expect, it’s a title that really has to be read and enjoyed, almost as if the spirit of Hannibal Lector were standing over you with a delectable Chianti. In this title, the second one in the Charlie Hardie series, what the reader expects is not only turned on its head but gobbled up, chewed up and spat out to give you something that is as unpredictable as the characters which really give you that extra level of adrenaline during your read.
All in the characters are interesting, the plot line hard and fast and when added to Duane’s choice of prose as well as pace it’s a title that will thrill and spill in equal amounts as you wonder what the outcome will be from the very beginnings as this white knuckle story won’t let go.
Release Date: 19/09/11
SYNOPSIS:
Anyone's life can change in an instant. In Matthew F. Jones's acclaimed novel, one man's world is overturned with a single shot. Trespassing on what was once his family's land, John Moon hears a rustle in the brush and fires. But instead of the deer he was expecting, he finds the body of a young woman, killed by his stray bullet. A terrible dilemma is made worse when he stumbles upon her campground - and the piles of drugs and money concealed there. Moon makes his choice: he hides the corpse, and takes the cash. His decision will have consequences he can neither predict or control.
REVIEW:
Mulholland continue to go from strength to strength as this release proves. Whilst a well-known US classic, this title is one that many in the UK may not have heard of let alone read, yet when you pick it up, it’s a novel that will remain with you long after the final page has been turned.
It has a great lead character, inner turmoil and of course a whole host of dilemma’s that the character has to figure his way out of as he tries to cleanse his own conscience. Add to this some wonderfully descriptive prose, cracking pace and a hint of Lady Macbeth about the whole piece leaves this chilling story working its way through the reader’s imagination longer than a cold winter’s night. A must read.
Release Date: 18/08/11
SYNOPSIS:
Valentine Pescatore is a rookie Border Patrol agent, just trying to survive the Line. Until he pursues a suspect across the border into Mexico, and finds himself in serious trouble.
Isabel Puente is a beautiful US agent investigating a powerful Mexican crime family. She offers Valentine a chance - if he works with her as an undercover agent she'll make his problems go away. But soon their relationship is no longer strictly professional.
Over the border in Tijuana, anti-corruption chief Leo Mendez is working to bring criminals to justice. In a city where anyone can be bought, he's made enemies on both sides of the law.
All three have the same aim: to bring down the cartels. But in a world built on lies, how do you know who to trust? As the violence escalates, the stage is set for a showdown full of bloodshed and betrayal.
REVIEW:
I love a good crime story and whilst this one felt a little clichéd from the book back, I thought that since I was at a loose end to give it a go.
What unfurled was a lot better and with characters that were fully rounded gave me a tale of love, temptation, crime and passion accompanied of course by potential treachery as well as murder. For me, it hit all the right notes as the characters survived the story from one scrape to another, the prose was sharp and the action really didn’t let up except when the author knew that the reader would need a lull in order to capture their breath before the next high octane sequence. All in a wonderful piece of escapism and one that really will capture the readers imagination.
