Review of Blackwater by Conn Iggulden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fiction – Quick reads – Crime Thriller – Violence

📖 This is such a strange book for me. None of the characters are particularly likeable yet the book was enjoyable.

✍️ Davey is the protagonist of the story. The book opens with him standing in the Sea at Brighton, fully clothed and contemplating his life. Through a series of flashbacks, we are introduced to Davey’s older, slightly bullying brother. Then we are told of Carol, Davey’s wayward straying wife. When Carol captures the eye of Denis, a well-known gangster type, Davey soon finds himself in trouble and calls on his brother to help.

🗣 I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:

I think my brother killed him. I’d never had the nerve to ask outright, but our eyes had met as the coffin dropped down into the hole between us. I hadn’t known how to look away, but before I could he’d winked at me and I’d remembered all the secret cruelties of his life.

👓 Without giving too much away, one of the greatest things about this book was the twists at the end. I didn’t predict it at all and love it when something like that catches you out. It is dark and probably not what I would normally read but that is one of the great things about the quickreads series is that it encourages you to try something you might not otherwise.

👫 This is such a strange book as Davey who tells the story isn’t the most likeable character. Yet the author does a great job of intriguing the reader enough to make you want to know what happens to Davey and his straying wife.

🗺 I’ve been trying to think of authors that write similarly to this and the only one that comes to mind is Louise Candlish (The Skylight novella particularly springs to mind).

💭 Overall View: Certainly a quirky book. I imagine if you are into dark crimes or unreliable narrators this will be right up your street.

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Meet the Author – C.J. Grayson

Most Tuesday nights in my household are a bit dull. Normally I make a bit of tea, walk the dog, perhaps do a bit at the allotment if the weather is dry, then it’s persuading the toddler that it’s bath and bedtime. Not this week!
This week I had the joy of spending my Tuesday night attending a local author event at Cockerton Library in Darlington to meet crime novelist C.J. Grayson.

Grayson launched his debut novel, Someone’s There in 2019 and followed this up with the Byrd and Tanzy Trilogy based in his home town, Darlington.

Chris’s talk was really inspiring, he happily covered everything from his busy home life, writing inspirations, the self-publishing process and aspirations for future books. I took some notes and thought I would share them here (any errors I do apologise, I was trying to do this both subtly and hastily so that I could keep up).

· What was the first thing you ever wrote?

Chris told us how he wrote a book as a teenager and then again in his early twenties. Looking back he jokingly confessed they weren’t very good but the drive to write his stories was there from a young age.

· What inspired you to write your book?

Chris told us how his wife is always forgetting his phone and how it sparked the core of his first novel. He tells how the main protagonist rings his wife’s missing phone, but when he remembers seeing it downstairs earlier in the kitchen, he goes to hang up, only for it to be answered by strangers who’ve broken into the house. The strangers are looking for something specific. He said from there the novel grew quite organically until it formed “Someone’s there” his debut novel.

All of his novels have started from that initial ‘what-if’

· Do you do a lot of research?

Chris told us that his books require a lot of research particularly the crime/police/procedural elements to his novel as this is not his background. He also said he uses a police officer friend to help proofread his books to try to keep them as accurate as the story allows.

· Are there any locations that have a special connection for you or the book?

Chris told us how all of his Byrd and Tanzy Trilogy is based in Darlington, with several well-known areas appearing. He said he had even used his childhood home as one of the locations used in the novel.

· Who do you enjoy reading?

Chris enjoys reading most crime novels although admitted he didn’t get as much time as he’d like to read (do any of us?!). His favourite genre to read is crime and he has been enjoying the novels by L.J. Ross.

· What’s next?

Chris is currently working on his 5th novel….HIDDEN PIECES with a new setting in Manchester and a new female protagonist DS April Fisher.

Big thank you to C.J. Grayson for a wonderful evening’s entertainment (and to Cockerton Libraries, the fantastic hosts). I have my signed copy of his trilogy eagerly added to my to-read pile and can’t wait to crack on with it.

Check out C.J. Grayson’s Amazon Author Page for more info and see his wonderful collection of publications. His books start at just 99p or are FREE to read for those with Kindle Unlimited subscriptions.

Or follow him at:

https://www.facebook.com/cjgraysonauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/cjgrayson_writer/?hl=en

Would you like to be featured?

If any New2writing followers have an upcoming book and would like to be featured, please drop me an email at kl.caley@yahoo.co.uk.

Review of The Skylight by Louise Candlish

The Skylight: Quick Reads 2021 by Louise Candlish

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The skylight is a crime thriller set in a built-up suburban area. Simone and Jake live on the top two floors of a shared building. Their neighbours Gus and Alina live downstairs and live a life Simone is envious of. Simone soon realises she can watch them through their skylight (and does frequently).

When Simone sees Jake, her partner spending time over at the neighbours house her envy steps up a gear and Simone begins a neighbourly feud which could have deadly consequences.

I liked this book. It is part of the “quick reads” collection which I like to intersperse between larger novels. The idea of this collection is exactly as it says on the tin (or should that be cover), a shorter than normal book by world-leading authors. One of the things I quite like about these books is that they force the authors to cut out a lot of the waffle that sometimes goes on in books. This keeps the stories quite fast-paced with a lot happening in less time. The Skylight is a fast-paced plot-driven story, it meets the quick read criteria perfectly.

I often think it’s useful to see an extract of a book to get an idea of the writing style. Here is a brief extract so that you can see a sample of the writing yourself:

‘I just saw Alina in the hall,’ he tells me one evening.
‘Oh yes? How is our local mean girl?’
‘Simone,’ he protests.
‘Well, she is.’
‘I’m sure she’s okay underneath it all.’
What, without her clothes on, I think.

This story is told from the viewpoint of Simone, a classic unreliable narrator. Simone tells the reader a story that cannot be taken at face value. It’s difficult to tell if she is insane, deluded or just malicious but you can feel the tension from her from the very first page. This makes the story all the more believable, how many people can’t stand their neighbours. Add in extreme jealousy to that mix and it’s a boiling pot ready to bubble over.

I don’t know how others would take it but I particularly loved the ending. Sharp and clever.
My first time reading Louise Candlish’s work but I would definitely be interested in reading a full novel if this is her calibre of storytelling.

Overall View: Under 100 pages. Dark, deceptive, witty, tension-filled. Amazing work in so few pages.

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Review of Blackout by Emily Barr – 5 Stars

Blackout by Emily Barr

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Crime Thriller

Premise: Sophie should have a perfect life. she has the perfect man, Rob, a hard-working school teacher, and now a new-born baby son called Arthur. When she wakes up in Paris, in a strange house, on her own and recognising no-one she panics. No passport, no money, she needs to get back to London back to her family and figure out what on earth has happened to her.

I liked this book. It is part of the “quick reads” collection which I have begun looking through lately. The idea of this collection is exactly as it says on the tin (or should that be cover), a shorter than normal book by world leading authors. One of the things I quite like about these books are that they force the authors to cut out a lot of the waffle that sometimes goes on in books. This keeps the stories quite fast paced with a lot happening in less time. Blackout is no exception, with a clear-cut and fast-paced plot it meets the quick read criteria perfectly.

I always think it is useful to see an extract of an author’s writing and in this book, there are quite a few action-focussed parts to choose from but I thought this one is quite interesting as its intriguing without giving too much plot away:

“It is Thursday. The day that should be Monday is actually Thursday. Even at my worst I never lost three whole days. Nobody loses three days. It is not possible. Days come one after the other, from the day you’re born until the day you die. If you stay in bed for a day, the day still happens. If you black out in a coma or something, you wake up in hospital. You do not wake up in a mysterious room in Paris.

I went back and forth on whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars but I settled on 5 as despite the books small size it captured quite a few themes; relationships, trusts, childhood memories, post-partum depression, estrangement (to name a few), and I think that is an amazement achievement for an author.

I also liked the character Sophie, she was an interesting mix of vulnerable and strong and I think she came across as very likeable.

I had never read any of Emily Barr’s work before, but I will certainly look forward to reading more of her works.

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Review of The Kept Woman: (Will Trent Series Book 8) by Karin Slaughter – 5 Stars

The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the Will Trent series. It took a while at first to warm to it I’ll admit, mostly due to the fact that I really liked the Grant County series with Jeffrey and hated that he was killed off. Will (the main character in the Will Trent series) was initially as a character too…well… good – too nice – too sweet – too vulnerable. It was certainly a change of pace from Jeffrey. That said I still loved Sara Linton, the character that crosses both series. I also very quickly liked Will’s partner in the series – Faith. Now that we are in the eighth book of the Will Trent series, Karin Slaughter has really found her stride. The characters are so lifelike and complicated yet you cannot help but like the good guys, hate the bad guys and well feel conflicted about those that straddle the worlds of good and bad.

In this novel, we catch up with Will and Sara trying to live their happily ever after and things seem right on track. That is until an ex-police officer is found dead at an abandoned nightclub owned by a famous sports hero who has just escaped a rape charge Will was trying to file against him. Things go from bad to worse when the team examines the scene and all signs point to Will’s ex-wife Angie being the culprit of the attack. Not only does it look like she was involved but the amount of blood lost at the scene means she could be in real danger. Sara’s scene-of-the-crime diagnosis is that they only have a few hours to find Angie before she bleeds out

This book looks big but it is fast reading. Real page-turning action reading. The writing style is fluid, intriguing, and completely engrossing. And the plot… well, it is absolutely jam-packed twists, murder, drama, deception, secrets, lies, heartache and mystery.

I quite liked the way this book was laid out too. The first half follows Will, Sara and the investigation team. Whilst the middle shines the spotlight on Angie. It gives a real insight into her past, her impulse reactions, her motivations and her desire to have Will to herself. She truly is such a conflicting character who you will love, hate, love, hate. Somehow this makes Will’s storyline even more intriguing.

Whilst this is the eighth book in the series I think it could be read as a standalone. In fact, most of the series can as I read it completely out of order initially, so if you see it at a bargain price don’t let the order put you off.

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Review of How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst – 5 Stars

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before I even opened this book I was hooked, of all the taglines I have seen this has got to be one of the best – “They told her she killed her baby, She served her time, What if they lied?”
This book is about a woman named Susan Webster who is accused of killing her baby Dylan whilst suffering from terrible post-partum depression. Susan has no recollection of the incident but all those around her; doctors, police & even her husband tell her she has done this terrible crime. When she gets out of prison and starts her new life as Emma she receives a photo of a small child claiming to be Dylan. Throwing her fresh start out the window Susan (with some help from a journalist and her previous prison inmate) begins to hunt down the truth. Can she find it in the web of lies that surrounds her?
This is Jenny Blackhurst’s debut novel and she hasn’t half burst her way onto the crime fiction scene. Her writing style is very fluid, sharp and clear keeping you gripped from the very first page. Loads of twists and turns and hints of information and characters dropped in at just the right time. So many underlying secrets that you can’t tell who is a goodie and who is a baddie.
Psychological thriller huge genre with similar stories out there yet this still stands out very much on its own as a great storyline and excellent writing. If you liked Before I go to Sleep by SJ Watson style of suspense writing then I think you will enjoy this novel.
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Wow! Dazzling Debut Novel. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

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Review of Malevolent by E.H. Reinhard – 4.5 Stars

Malevolent by E.H. Reinhard

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A woman arrives at an airport, the next time she is seen is when she is found dead in an alley in a dumpster wearing only green lingerie. Worse she has holes drilled into her head and a powerful drug in her system. Soon the press label the killer psycho surgeon and it’s easy to see why. Can Lieutenant Carl Kane and his partner hunt down this killer before more woman show up?

This book his pretty intense, certainly gory as other readers have pointed out in reviews, so if you’re a bit squeamish there will be a few chapters to skip over. I did get this book for free and although a fan of detective crime fiction was unsure what to expect from this new author in a field that is already pretty full with the likes of Mark Billingham, Ian Rankin, amongst countless others. That said I actually found myself really enjoying this book. It was very well written.
Not going to lie, the book is dark. That just makes you want the good guys to catch the bad guys, even more. Kane himself is quite likeable, with a good spark between him and his partner. Kane lives alone with his cat, he even finds time for a love interest.

The only real negative I would say is there are a few places that there is a lot of descriptions going on that’s purpose seems to be just to fill out the pages a little, especially in comparison to the mostly sharp action-filled pace of writing Reinhard seems to adopt for the majority of the book. Then again, this could be to give the book a bit of a relief from the fast pace.
All in all, a fabulous start to a great new series. Book works perfectly as a standalone novel but there is plenty of room for the character to grow and I expect this will be a long-running series. Not for the faint of heart, perfect for those that enjoy the grittier side of crime drama. Action heavy, fun, fast-paced novel.
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Review of Harry’s Torment by Michael Beck

Harry’s Torment by Michael Beck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an unusual crime thriller set (mostly) in the ports, checking the Lorries that come and go for drugs, cigarettes etc. It is an interesting premise and one that I had not previously come across. The department have to integrate with a lot of others and those that are in charge get frustrated that the credit for a good catch never falls to them.
This is a multi-viewpoint story, often told from the perspective of one-time respected top dog Harry who is in charge of a local unit, but his methods and manner is out-dated and when he is side-stepped for promotion by a younger, less experienced, female his world starts to become that bit more difficult. The story also follows Clint a shy, easy-going officer whose main focus is doing a good job, unfortunately this is often at the detriment of his home life.
The story had an interesting plot, with lots of drama from the first page. This novel is incredibly well researched by the author, which I think gives it a really interesting feel for the predicaments the characters have found themselves in. The gritty, dark, drug-dealing underworld is truly brought to life in this dramatic story.
The characters are incredibly well written and I can see them returning in future novels, this would make a great crime thriller series. These books will appeal to fans of Ian Rankin or David Baldacci style writing; dark, gritty, and quick-paced, crime thriller with a very smart plot and plenty of action.

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Review of Under the Ice by Aaron Paul Lazar – 4 Stars

Under the Ice by Aaron Paul Lazar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Apparently this is number nine in the Gus LeGarde Mystery series. So I would give this author a pat on the back with how well this book is written. Having not read a single previous book in the series I dropped right into this one, picked up the characters, the locations and their lives all without realizing it was the ninth in the series until the very end when prompted to buy another in the series.

As mentioned above the characters and locations are all well written and you are immediately drawn into this busy family and their lives together. The story is mainly about Gus Le Garde and his step-daughter, Shelby. She is the main reason the book has dropped a star from me. Apparently she was in a coma from the age of 6 to 15, then came out and is living a normal teenage life, with the teenage attitude accompanied and even learning to drive. All a little bit far-fetched.

That aside, the storyline is actually really good. Shelby has discovered boys and dating, has the typical teenage angst and more importantly her biological father is getting out of prison and has apparently turned over a new leaf. Plenty to keep Gus on his toes and concerned about her. But with several grandchildren cluttering up the house, a serious flu and his best friend becoming so paralysed with fear he is practically homebound, Gus certainly has his work cut out for him. Can he keep it all together?
Guy is a likeable character who you do root for quickly. He is just nice, an all round good guy who seems to come up against problem after problem.

This novel is somewhere in between the genres of cosy mystery and thriller. Something that can be read quite quickly, easily and manages to keep the reader engaged.

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