Reprobation

This debut novel knocked my socks off!

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Book description -

Are you one of the elect?

Dr. Helen Hope is a lecturer in eschatology – the study of death, judgement, and the destiny of humankind. She is also a Calvinist nun, her life devoted to atoning for a secret crime.

When a body is found crucified on a Liverpool beach, she forms an unlikely alliance with suspect Mikko Kristensen, lead guitarist in death metal band Total Depravity. Together, they go on the trail of a rogue geneticist who they believe holds the key – not just to the murder, but to something much darker.

Also on the trail is cynical Scouse detective Darren Swift. In his first murder case, he must confront his own lack of faith as a series of horrific crimes drag the city of two cathedrals to the gates of hell.

Science meets religious belief in this gripping murder mystery.

My review - 

This unusual and very enjoyable book takes a look at Calvinist Christianity and its predestination doctrine, and entwines a bit of speculative genetics. The author comes up with a murder mystery very far out of the ordinary. I enjoyed the characters and their interaction, particularly Helen, the nun, and the death metal musician. The writing flows well and it was a joy to get my teeth into the story. It would be good to take some of the characters a bit further. Highly recommended.

About the author -

Catherine Fearns is a writer from Liverpool, UK. Her music journalism has appeared in Pure Grain Audio, Broken Amp and Noisey, and her short fiction and non-fiction in Offshoots, Toasted Cheese, Succubus and Metal Music Studies. She has a degree in History from Oxford University and a Masters from the London School of Economics.
Catherine began her career as a financial analyst, but after having four children she retrained as a breastfeeding counsellor. She is obsessed with heavy metal, and tries to combine it with writing as much as possible.

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Just a thought - If you're cold, buy a book. You'll still be cold but you'll have a book.

Homicide in Herne Hill

This is the fourth in this cosy crime series by Alice Castle and I'm rather addicted to them!

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Book description -

Beth Haldane, SE21’s premier – and only – single mum amateur sleuth, is really pleased to find a new friend at the school gates, in the shape of irrepressibly bouncy Nina. As well as a way with words, Nina has a puzzle she wants Beth to solve, centred on the solicitor’s office where Nina works in Herne Hill.

But as the mystery thickens, threatening to drag in not just Nina and her boss, but the yummy mummies of Dulwich, too, Beth is about to find out just how far some people will go to keep up appearances. 

Join Beth in this fourth instalment in the London Murder Mystery series for her toughest case yet.

My Review - 

This is the fourth book (though they would all work alone) in a series by Alice CJust a thought -astle. The writing is funny and perspicacious, including remarks on keeping up with the yummy mummies and the problems of rearing a ten year-old boy in modern times. There’s tension between Beth and her current boy-friend (or is he yet?) Harry, the police officer and this heightens her self-doubt about snooping. Yet again she finds a body. Yet again, you know she’s too nosy but you’d be the same! I love this series. Highly recommended for cosy crime lovers.

About the author - 

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle had a long career as a feature writer on national newspapers including the Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice grew up in south London and, after a brief stint in Brussels (where her first novel, Hot Chocolate, is set) she is back where she belongs, dreaming up adventures for her heroine, amateur detective and single mum Beth Haldane. Alice is married with two children, two stepchildren and two cats. Find out more about her London Murder Mystery series on her website, www.alicecastleauthor.com. Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 by Crooked Cat Books and was #1 in the Amazon Satire/Detective charts in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain and Germany. The Girl in the Gallery came out in December 2017 and the third in the series, Calamity in Camberwell, will be published on 13th August 2018. Homicide in Herne Hill will follow in autumn 2018, with more books in the pipeline.

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Just a thought  - 'I find television very educating. Whenever somebody turns on the set, I go into another room and read.' Goucho Marx

Cyber Sisters

A collaboration between Kelly Clayton and Grant Collins gives me slight shivers. It really happens to some people.

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Book description -

Do you know who you’re talking to online?

Marianne Sinclair has it all. She’s rich, well-connected, and smart. Or is she? 

For Marianne has been scammed online. When she meets others in the same position, Marianne’s secret fears become reality, as her past threatens to poison her future. 

Who can you trust?

Four women are victims of cybercrime, and one is left on the brink of destruction.

They’ve taken everything, even your self-respect. Do you fall down, or fight back?

My review - 

Bang up to date, this book warns us of the dangers lurking within the internet. A group of women have fallen for online scams and meet at a night class dealing with internet security. These characters are wonderfully drawn. One is worldly-wise and is cross with herself for falling for a scam. Others’ downfall was a kind heart, but they’ve all lost money. Some more than that. The authors have made our little inner fears into a cracking story where people find their past creeping in to affect the present. It’s superb, exciting and ultimately satisfying.

About the authors -

Kelly Clayton is originally from Scotland but has lived in the Channel Island of Jersey for most of her life. An avid reader, Kelly has been writing for as long as she can remember but decided to get serious a few years back. The reason why is a story in itself and there is a TV clip that can be accessed through Kelly's Facebook page that explains what lay behind her motivation to get that first book published.

Kelly's first novel, Blood In The Sand, was published in 2015, Blood Ties came out in November 2016 and Blood On The Rock was released in October 2017. The three books are part of The Jack Le Claire Mystery series, mainly set in Jersey but venturing to other locations as well. They can be read as part of the series or as stand-alones.

Kelly is working on a fourth Le Claire book, which is due to be published in 2018 . Grant Collins is her husband. 

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Just a thought - You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. 

C S Lewis

Sextet

Another book from Mark Fowler in which he treats a common theme (twins) in a unique way.

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Book description -

Penny and Susan Henderson, seventeen year old twins, share a sibling rivalry that Cain and Abel would have been proud of. As children they played a game: Good Susan, Bad Penny. A game their doting parents knew nothing about. 

Following a misunderstanding over a boy, Penny arranged a vicious attack on Susan, six youths leaving her for dead. Susan hasn’t spoken since the attack, and languishes on a psychiatric unit. Medical experts diagnosed deep trauma. 

Penny resurrects the old game to experiment on her sister, commencing a series of grisly murders and composing six corresponding pieces of music. With Penny’s composition approaching its climax, Susan breaks her silence. 

With devastating consequences ... 

My review -

Susan and Penny are seventeen year-old twin sisters. They are both pianists and from their earliest days have been convinced they could heal through music, Susan being the better at this. After a trauma caused by Penny, Susan is in a nursing home, totally blanking out everyone and everything. Penny decides she must offer six ‘sacrifices’ as well as write a six-piece composition to cure her sister.

This is a real head-twister of a story in which nothing is exactly as it seems. Nobody truly understands anyone else and innocent people suffer. I always feel that Mark Fowler has a unique take on what could be an ordinary story and this is no exception. A great crime thriller.

About the author -

Mark is the author of the crime series featuring Tyler and Mills. The first book to feature the detectives, RED IS THE COLOUR, was shortlisted for the 2018 Arnold Bennett Book Prize. The second book, BLUE MURDER, can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. 

He is also the author of THE MAN UPSTAIRS, featuring hard-boiled detective Frank Miller, and SILVER, a psychological thriller. Mark's first book, COFFIN MAKER, continues to defy any attempts to categorise it. His latest book, SEXTET, is a dark psychological suspense thriller.

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Just a thought - Readers are not sheep and not every pen tempts them.

The Beauty Killers

I've read the first two in this series from Ann Girdharry. They are just that bit different featuring Kal Medi as a resourceful woman out to right wrongs.

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Women will go missing. And none will return.
A collector who lures women
And then keeps them

A string of beautiful women go missing.
And when an undercover policewoman disappears, Kal and Marty take the case.

They track a killer who lures women, captures them and keeps them.

But it soon becomes clear the case is even more sinister than they imagined. 
A high-level detective is linked to a cover-up and Kal and Marty are caught in a complex,
evil conspiracy.
The clock is ticking to find the missing women and it seems the perpetrator has more than one accomplice...

My review - 

Kal and her friend Marty are invited by DCI Spinks to help with a missing persons case which now involves a police officer. The case becomes personal for Kal and things escalate fast. This is the third in the author’s Kal Medi series and I think it’s the best to date. That’s saying something as I loved the earlier ones. The scenes are well drawn so you can really picture them and the characters, with their human flaws, are very easy to relate to. Another great story in this brilliant series. I heartily recommend it. About the author - Ann Girdharry is a trained psychotherapist.  She worked for many years in the UK as a manager in the not-for-profit sector. Today, she lives in Montpellier, France with her husband and two children. She enjoys travelling and has lived in the USA, Norway, France and UK.

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Just a thought - Readers make writers and writers make readers. Carl McKever

The Summer of the Bear

Bella Pollen is a new author to me and this book was chosen for out local book club. I may never have read it otherwise.

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My review -

It took a while for this story to get going, for me, bobbing about as it did between the points of view of various characters. Once it gripped me it didn’t let go. Some of the characters were unlikable. The bereaved Letty, losing sight of her children’s need in her own grieving. Alba, monstrous  middle child. But I adored Jamie with his deep connection to his late Dada. The story of the father’s death and its repercussions is beautifully interwoven with the family’s problems and the story of the castaway bear. A great read.

About the author -

Raised in New York , Bella Pollen is a writer and journalist who has contributed to a variety of publications, including American Vogue, The Spectator, The Times & The Sunday Telegraph.

Author of four previous novels, Midnight Cactus, Hunting Unicorns, Daydream Girl and All About Men, Pollen has tackled a broad spectrum of subjects from the decline of the British Aristocracy to the immigration issues of the US/Mexican Border.

With Summer of the Bear, Pollen returns to a place beloved of childhood holidays, an isolated and wind swept island off the west coast of Scotland where a young boy believes an escaped bear may hold the key to his diplomatic father's sudden death. Part mystery, part ghost story, part family drama, Pollen has delivered a riveting and magical story about a family rocked by loss and bereavement. Pollen is married with four children and divides her time between London and the American mid-west.

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Just a thought - You know you've reead a good book when you turn to the last page and feel you've lost a friend. Paul Sweeny.

Dead Crow

David Haynes tells a brilliant horror story and Dead Crow, which has a touch of sci-fi in the mix, is no exception.

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My review -

What a fantastic name for a down-at-heel little town. This story is fast-moving and so well described I can visualise it – I’d love to see it made into a film. There are dodgy goings-on by the mayor of the town and the underfunded police department are trying to look after the townsfolk against what turn out to be tremendous odds. There are creatures invading the town with the rising floodwater. Clear your diary – I read this in 24 hours. This is horror with a sharp sci-fi edge to it and I enjoyed it immensely.

About the author

David Haynes has been making up stories since he was very young. His first story entitled, "How the Greenhouse Actually Got Smashed, Dad!" got him into trouble and went unpublished. Nevertheless, the stories continued and the desire to write them down grew stronger. 

David now writes stories in the genre he loves the most - the dark, mysterious and delicious world of horror! The two main influences on his writing are Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe who he considers masters of the shadowy world.

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Just a thought - some books you read. Some books you enjoy. But some books just swallow you up, heart and soul. Joanne Harris.

Her Last Move

John Marrs never fails to tell a good tale. This one's a corker.

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My review -

She is on the police team trying to catch a killer. He has a list of his victims and he’s working through it very quickly so the police won’t have time to work out if there’s a pattern. Some of his victims are, or were, members of the emergency services. We see the story unfold from his side and from the police’s viewpoint. Gradually the two begin to mesh.

As always, John Marrs creates a page-turning story with complex characters. His people are deeper than many a fictional character. We can see how they have become the people they are, and have sympathy for them, even when they behave monstrously. It’s a gripping tale from start to finish and I had a lump in my throat at the end.

About the author -

John Marrs is the author of #1 Best Sellers The One, The Good Samaritan, When You Disappeared, and Welcome to Wherever You Are. 
After working as a journalist for 25-years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time writer.

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Just a thought - It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.  Oscar Wilde

Murder Served Cold

I love a cosy crime or mystery story that's packed with humour. This one, by Paula Williams, is excellent.

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My review - 

This is a murder mystery told by Katie (call me Kat), newly returned to her home village. It positively sparkles with gems of village life and I swear I know some of the characters. There are numerous dodgy goings-on and lots of people have the motive to get rid of the village trouble maker. It’s a very accessible, readable and humour-filled story and I enjoyed it immensely.

About the author

Paula Williams is living her dream. She's written all her life – her earliest efforts involved blackmailing her unfortunate younger brothers into appearing in her plays and pageants. But it's only in recent years, when she turned her attention to writing short stories and serials for women's magazines that she discovered, to her surprise, that people with better judgement than her brothers actually liked what she wrote and were prepared to pay her for it.
Now, she writes every day in a lovely, book-lined study in her home in Somerset, where she lives with her husband and a handsome but not always obedient rescue Dalmatian called Duke. She still writes for magazines but now also writes novels. A member of both the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Crime Writers' Association, her novels often feature a murder or two, and are always sprinkled with humour and spiced with a touch of romance. 
She writes a monthly column, Ideas Store, for the writers' magazines, Writers' Forum and has a blog at paulawilliamswriter.wordpress.com. 

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Just a thought - Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx

Goth of Christmas Past.

Debbie McGowan's new book, Goth of Christmas Past. A good reading touching on many aspects of growing up and becoming independent.

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My review -

Krissi and Jay have been friends since school and the story hops back and forth between the present day run-up to Christmas and past occasions with their friends and family. The characters are from the author’s Hiding Behind the Couch series, which I haven’t read. There was a large cast, both the main characters’ friends and their parents’ friendship circles and at times I wished I had read the earlier books. Nevertheless, the story stands well on its own. There are danger points and threats, and both Krissi and Jay have their own baggage. The author excels at characterisation and this is what draws you in. They feel real, and you care. It’s not a Christmassy story in the traditional sense but it’s a community pulling together at that time of year. A very good read.

About the author

Debbie McGowan is an award-winning author of contemporary fiction that celebrates life, love and relationships in all their diversity. Since the publication in 2004 of her debut novel, Champagne—based on a stage show co-written and co-produced with her husband—she has published many further works—novels, short stories and novellas—including two ongoing series: Hiding Behind The Couch (a literary ‘soap opera’ centring on the lives of nine long-term friends) and Checking Him Out (LGBTQ romance). Debbie has been a finalist in both the Rainbow Awards and the Bisexual Book Awards, and in 2016, she won the Lambda Literary Award (Lammy) for her novel, When Skies Have Fallen: a British historical romance spanning twenty-three years, from the end of WWII to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967. Through her independent publishing company, Debbie gives voices to other authors whose work would be deemed unprofitable by mainstream publishing houses.

I haven't read a Debbie McGowan book I've been disappointed in.

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Just a thought - We lose ourselves in books. We find ourselves there too.