Steven Hobbs

Steven is a new author who has written a really intriguing story with both past and present elements in there.  I really got into this book.

Stone Ties

Amazon.com Stone Ties

My review - 

This is a story which links the 18th Century and the present day through the love of stone. Simeon is a consultant and researcher who is fascinated by the work of an historic sculptor he knows only as The Northern Master. Flora is a lively, talented and enigmatic sculptor whose work he buys. They meet and the monogram of MJ and the initials JD turn up in various places adding mystery and intrigue to the plot.

There are two deftly handled time frames here, both the present day narrative and the story of those working in the 18th Century at the Cathedral in Worcester. We meet those producing sculpture for monuments as well as those carving to renew the fabric of the building. Simeon is determined to find the name of the sculptor whose work he has so admired. The story is exciting as it reaches a climax both now and in the past. It’s a thrilling and unusual story, beautifully written and very engaging in its subject matter. There’s a short author note at the end so that we can see where some of the inspiration came from. However, I wouldn’t underestimate the role of the author’s imagination. This is a great bit of storytelling.

Lisa Hinsley

This is a true account of Lisa's experiences when diagnosed with bowel cancer.  It's frank and very down to earth. I've enjoyed some of her fiction and hope people will read this and appreciate her bravery and her hearty attitude to life.

Coping? (Part 1)

Amazon .com  Coping? (Part 1)

My review -

This is a true life account of Lisa Hinsley's recent diagnosis of bowel cancer. I've read and enjoyed a number of Lisa's fiction books and knew she had this diagnosis and was determined to keep a diary of her experiences. It's not a long book and is intended as a Part 1. She details her treatment to date and the prognosis. Her cancer has also affected her liver and there are plans for a further operation to address this. 

Lisa is a strong young woman of 40 with a very supportive family. Her chances, compared to the usual bowel cancer patient of older years, are bound to be better. We can follow her own feelings on the matter in this really down-to-earth account. I found it completely gripping and was with her all the way. I still am, and hope for her full recovery.

Nigel Bird

I've read a few of Nigel's short stories and novellas.  He's got a great style and a good imagination.

The Rocks Below

Amazon. com The Rocks Below

My review - 

This novella tells the story of the aftermath of a massive storm off the East coast of Scotland.  As people are clearing up the devastation, strange things happen.  People and animals go missing.  Amongst the debris strewn across the beaches, there are some huge boulders, which a local geology lecturer decides to analyse.

This story is a compelling read.  It’s told from a number of viewpoints as we accompany various local people in the days after the storm.  The characters have some life, which often doesn’t happen in a shorter work.  The hapless geologist, unsure of herself as a person, as well as professionally, dreams of a Nobel prize.  The retired policeman is a real salt of the earth chap – the kind you’d like as a neighbour.  There have been local protests about ‘fracking’ – a process used to fracture rocks to extract fuels – and there are concerns from members of that group.  There’s altogether a lot to think about in a short book.  Highly recommended!

Ali Cooper

Before my reviewing days I read and enjoyed Ali Cooper's books, The Girl on the Swing and The Cave.  When I saw she had a Young Adult story - first in a trilogy - newly available, I knew I had to read it.

The Cat and the Cathedral

Amazon.com  The Cat and the Cathedral

My review - 

This story, the first part of a trilogy for Young Adults, is nevertheless a great read for older adults too. I have always read YA fiction as the impatience of the young demands that the story-teller should get on with it! Here the action begins straight away. Four young friends follow a cat into some underground tunnels and find themselves witnesses to a strange, probably secret, ceremony in their local Cathedral. The story unfolds from here and the youngsters find it difficult to know who to trust.

Ali Cooper's writing is clear and elegant. She sets a scene well and we feel the intrigue, the fear, the suspicion in the youngsters' minds as adults react in ways they wouldn't have expected. I found the climax rather portentous. I feel more is coming and it looms! I shall look forward to following this story through the next episode.

Seb Kirby

This is Seb's second James Blake story.  If, like me, you're a sucker for a thriller with added conspiracy theory, you'll enjoy it a great deal.  It's a sequel to Take No More, his first novel.

Regret No More

Amazon.com   Regret No More

My review - 

As the title suggests, this continues the story of James and Julia Blake, first encountered in Take No More. Once again, it concerns dark deeds in the world of art and people supported by drug money. Julia is seven months pregnant when their safe hideaway under the Witness Protection programme is compromised. The author catches the fears a woman has for her unborn child - if Julia is killed, two lives are lost. The Blakes flee and go into hiding and James' brother Miles, who Julia blames for her situation in Italy, comes in to help. She doesn't know if she can trust him. The Lando family are out to eliminate anyone who knows of their latest money making scam and someone's let the cat out of the bag, incriminating several big names.

This is a tense and exciting thriller with settings in London and across the Atlantic. James and Julia are out of contact and each doesn't know if the other is safe or even alive. We meet ruthless hit-men, members of different law enforcement agencies; often we can't tell the good from the bad. There's a heart-stopping chase and a massive explosion and a body in a London hotel. If you enjoyed Take No More you really have to read this one!

Alex Roddie

Another new author to me and I found some of his descriptive writing quite sparky.  He's good at characters too, even in a short story like this one.

Crowley's Rival

Amazon .com  Crowley's Rival

My review -

This is my first venture into the world of Alex Roddie; a world of historical mountaineering adventures. I feel precarious here. I wear flat shoes and I occasionally fall off kerb edges! However, I soon discovered when reading this short story, that there is much more to his writing than the mechanics and techniques of mountain climbing. This story - a precursor to a full length novel, gives us a meeting between two great mountain climbers who immediately struck up an antipathy. Each was egotistical and cocky about his prowess and each was sure he was the best.

The characters, within the limits of a short story, were well developed. I can see why they disliked one another. I wouldn't have taken to either! Their enmity was strong enough to put other lives in danger. Apart from the interpersonal relationships we see here, there's a great deal to be admired in the writing. It's never less than competent and in places, it glows. It's easy to be swept up in Alex Roddie's admiration for the solitude of high places, the grandeur and beauty of the long views and the sound of rushing water. A short read, but a great one.

Adam J Nicolai

This is a new author to me and I was bowled over by this story.

Alex

Amazon. com  Alex

My review - 

Ian is a father in crisis. His five year old son was murdered six months ago and since then, his marriage has hit rock bottom and his wife has left. He ‘hears’ and later ‘sees’ his son Alex in their home and is given messages in the form of things he recalls Alex saying in life. The reader watches Ian’s life unravel around him. He’s given warnings for lateness at work as he regularly sleeps badly but wakes late. We ask ourselves what’s going on in his life and I was as puzzled as he was.

This is a first novel by an American author and I found it utterly gripping. I wondered, as Ian himself did, if he was losing his sanity, if there was something supernatural going on, if he were becoming schizophrenic. There were many possibilities, all feasible from the writing. The little boy, Alex, whom we meet only in snatches, comes over as a lovely, loving, earnest little boy and his father decides he is trying to impart a message. The journey we take with the two of them and with Alina, Ian’s estranged wife, is a thrilling, intriguing and oddly compelling one. I can really recommend this as a book you’ll not want to put down.