Segnalibro

Michael J Malone has written some intriguing and unusual novels that never shy away from taboo subjects. I find it incredibly exciting to pick up a Malone novel, knowing that I’m in for a thought-provoking, emotional ride. In the Absence of Miracles was a welcome addition to my Kindle. Here’s the blurb:

John Docherty’s mother has just been taken into a nursing home following a massive stroke and she’s unlikely to be able to live independently again. With no other option than to sell the family home, John sets about packing up everything in the house. In sifting through the detritus of his family’s past he’s forced to revisit, and revise his childhood. 

For in a box, in the attic, he finds undeniable truth that he had a brother who disappeared when he himself was only a toddler. A brother no one ever mentioned. A brother he knew absolutely nothing about. A discovery that sets John on a journey from which he may never recover. 

For sometimes in that space where memory should reside there is nothing but silence, smoke and ash. And in the absence of truth, in the absence of a miracle, we turn to prayer. And to violence. 

Shocking, chilling and heartbreakingly emotive, In the Absence of Miracles is domestic noir at its most powerful, and a sensitively wrought portrait of a family whose shameful lies hide the very darkest of secrets. 

As always, Malone hits you square between the eyes with truths that are at once too awful to comprehend, yet providing you with an awareness that this is a very real situation for some people and he compels you to face the pain his characters are feeling, to have some semblance of understanding at how incomprehensible it is that families can inflict such damage on each other, and even worse, can find some kind of justification for it.

Malone phrases his narrative with great sensitivity and the structure of his novel lends itself well to build up the tension and the shock and awe of John’s situation. He also explores the effects of trauma on the psyche and illuminates how different people can be affected by trauma in a variety of ways.

This is a novel about control and abuse of power, and Malone, as with his novel, A Suitable Lie, has framed this in a gripping story that breaks your heart, but more than that, it drives home the reality of the terrible lives some people lead at the hands of those who should have protected them, and the knock-on effects of that upbringing on their future. Malone takes an emotionally charged topic and unerringly unfolds the mystery to provide his readers with a novel that they can’t put down. Malone doesn’t just give you a novel to read, he gives you food for thought, that lasts longer than after the book is back on the shelf.

The White Scorpion by Rob Sinclair

Today sees the release of the latest novel in Rob Sinclair’s James Ryker series. I jumped at the chance of reading the latest instalment of this thrilling series of novels and I have been lucky enough to get an advanced copy.

Here’s the blurb:

Rule number one for an agent of the secretive JIA is to follow orders, no matter what.

But James Ryker has never cared much for rules. He only wants to do…

Today sees the release of the latest novel in Rob Sinclair’s James Ryker series. I jumped at the chance of reading the latest instalment of this thrilling series of novels and I have been lucky enough to get an advanced copy.

Here’s the blurb:

Rule number one for an agent of the secretive JIA is to follow orders, no matter what.

But James Ryker has never cared much for rules. He only wants to do what is right.

Assigned to join of crew of elite security personnel in Chabon, Africa, Ryker’s mission objective is clouded by politics and obfuscation, and he knows only that to protect British interests in the region, he is to infiltrate the close protection team of the government of Chabon, a country with a dark and violent past.

Arriving in Chabon’s crumbling capital, Kilpassa, Ryker finds a country on the brink of civil war. A growing civilian rebellion threatens peace, with claims of atrocities committed by both sides, including the frail government run by enigmatic President Benyu – a former military general who took control of the country in a violent coup.

Drawn into Benyu’s inner circle, it soon becomes clear to Ryker that in Chabon, the lines between good and bad, and right and wrong, are nearly impossible to identify.

With a crisis of epic proportions unfolding before his eyes, Ryker knows one thing for sure: with or without the backing of his superiors, he must take drastic action, and quickly, or risk putting millions of innocent lives in danger.

Up to this point, Sinclair has depicted his main protagonist, James Ryker, as a tormented soul who, while brilliant at what he does, often lets his past affect his judgement. At the end of book four, Ryker agreed to return to the JIA fold, and this Ryker in book five is more focussed, less emotionally driven and his mission objective takes precedent, no matter what.

As a reader who feels like I know this character well, it was a pleasure to read him as someone who had finally put his demons to rest, at least to a large extent. There are reminders there but unlike before, Ryker is in control and it feels like this is a new beginning for the character.

Sinclair writes exceptionally well, building up the tension at regular intervals and his usual no-holds-barred approach to vivid descriptions is ever present. To be able to grow his character’s mindset over the course of a series is a great skill, and it would have been unsurprising if Ryker had still been the tortured soul of the previous novels. It would have still been a great book, no doubt, but what Sinclair has done with The White Scorpion has effectively moved him on and sees him use his past more effectively to do what he’s good at, which makes a much more interesting read, to see that kind of progression in a well-loved character.

For me, this the best James Ryker novel yet. Sinclair has again built up an exciting plot for his character to showcase his skills, and by making him less vulnerable, he has made Ryker take a fresh approach, setting up the series afresh for more adventures with the new and improved Ryker. I read this novel really quickly as I couldn’t put it down and I would highly recommend reading it. This is a fantastic addition to an already brilliant series, and I can’t wait for book six!

Book Blurb:

From the bestselling author of the acclaimed DCI Lambert series comes The Controller, a gripping serial killer thriller introducing Sam Lynch and Special Agent Sandra Rose. 

  It is six years since special agent Samuel Lynch left the FBI following the disappearance of his son, Daniel. Lynch believes an underground organisation known as The Railroad is responsible and has never stopped searching. 

  When Special Agent Sandra Rose investigates a house invasion gone wrong, she discovers the assailant has the legendary, and infamous, Railroad tattoo carved onto his back and he claims to know Daniel’s whereabouts.

  Rose draws Lynch in to her case, and together they become embroiled in an unparalleled world of violence and evil.

  It seems that to see his son again, Lynch will have to confront his greatest fear and face the ultimate test: an encounter with the Railroad’s enigmatic and deadly leader, The Controller.

    About Matt Brolly:

Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law, Matt Brolly completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. He is the bestselling author of the DCI Lambert crime novels, Dead Eyed, Dead Lucky and Dead Embers. The fourth in the series, Dead Time, was released by Canelo in May 2018 and a prequel, Dead Water, will be published in September 2019. In 2020 the first of a new crime series set in the West Country of the UK will be released by Thomas and Mercer (Amazon Publishing).

  The Controller, released in May 2019, is the first of a new thriller series set in Texas. Matt also writes children’s books as M.J. Brolly. His first children’s book, The Sleeping Bug, was released by Oblong Books in December 2018. Matt lives in London with his wife and their two young children. You can find out more about Matt at his website MattBrolly.co.uk or by following him on twitter: @MattBrollyUK

    Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattBrollyUK @MattBrollyUK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattbrollyauthor/

Website: https://www.mattbrolly.co.uk/

  Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Controller-Lynch-Rose-Book-ebook/dp/B07P8953TK/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?keywords=the+controller+matt+brolly&qid=1557341148&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Controller-Lynch-Rose-Book-ebook/dp/B07P8953TK/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=the+controller+matt+brolly&qid=1557341298&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

    Publishing Information:

Published by Oblong Books in ebook format on 24th May 2019

Turbulent Wake by Paul E. Hardisty (Orenda Books)

Paul E. Hardisty’s Claymore Straker series has been a triumph for Orenda Books. I have enjoyed reading the books so far in that series immensely, so I was excited and intrigued to hear that Hardisty was writing a novel that wasn’t in this series. Here’s the blurb:

A bewitching, powerful and deeply moving story of love, loss and grief. This extraordinary departure from the critically acclaimed…

Paul E. Hardisty’s Claymore Straker series has been a triumph for Orenda Books. I have enjoyed reading the books so far in that series immensely, so I was excited and intrigued to hear that Hardisty was writing a novel that wasn’t in this series. Here’s the blurb:

A bewitching, powerful and deeply moving story of love, loss and grief. This extraordinary departure from the critically acclaimed thriller writer Paul E Hardisty explores the indelible damage we can do to those closest to us, the tragedy of history repeating itself and ultimately, the power of redemption in a time of change. Paul drew on his own experiences of travelling around the world as an engineer, from the dangerous deserts of Yemen, the oil rigs of Texas, the wild rivers of Africa, to the stunning coral cays of the Caribbean.

Ethan Scofield returns to the place of his birth to bury his father, with whom he had a difficult relationship. Whilst clearing out the old man’s house, he finds a strange manuscript, a collection of vignettes and stories that cover the whole of his father’s turbulent and restless life.

As his own life unravels before him, Ethan works his way through the manuscript, searching for answers to the mysteries that have plagued him since he was a child. What happened to his little brother? Why was his mother taken from him? And why, in the end, when there was no one left for him, did his own father push him away?

The blurb itself would have been enough to encourage me to read this novel. The premise is intriguing, thought-provoking and mysterious. Hardisty writes with such intellect and brings his own personal career experiences into his novels that you feel much more educated after reading.

Like Claymore Straker, Ethan and his dad, Warren, are troubled souls. Their lives prior to the present day of the novel have been that fraught with challenges and traumatic experiences that it is not difficult to see why Ethan feels like he is misplaced. It is clear that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” but the novel explores if that is as a result of Warren’s behaviour and experiences before and during Ethan’s childhood, or if Ethan has made his own path.

The narrative structure serves the premise well, with Warren’s manuscript of stories that detail pivotal points in his life interspersed with Ethan’s take on how his own life is progressing (or not), and of his relationship with his Dad before and after the illuminating manuscript. Like many Orenda Books novels, it strays from a linear narrative which increases the tension and keeps the reader guessing.

Like with the Claymore Straker novels, Hardisty beautifully describes the variety of locations that both Ethan and Warren find themselves in. His narrative is rich in stunning, figurative language that is intertwined into the story to make the reader feel (or at least, wish) they are in these gorgeous locations.

Hardisty does not disappoint with this beautifully written novel. With diverse characters and a variety of sumptuous settings, this, like many other Orenda Books, is a work of art. I would recommend any Hardisty novel, but this one in particular is a beauty.

Breakers by Doug Johnstone (Orenda Books)

I’m sure you have gathered by now, I’m a big Orenda Books fan, and recently, there has been a run of absolutely brilliant books from the Orenda bookshelves. I was excited by the blurb of Doug Johnstone’s Breakers. Here it is:

Seventeen-year-old Tyler lives in one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas. Whilst trying to care for his little sister and his drug-addicted mother, he’s also coerced into…

I’m sure you have gathered by now, I’m a big Orenda Books fan, and recently, there has been a run of absolutely brilliant books from the Orenda bookshelves. I was excited by the blurb of Doug Johnstone’s Breakers. Here it is:

Seventeen-year-old Tyler lives in one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas. Whilst trying to care for his little sister and his drug-addicted mother, he’s also coerced into robbing rich people’s homes by his bullying older siblings.

One night whilst on a job, his brother Barry stabs a homeowner and leaves her for dead. And that’s just the beginning of their nightmare, because they soon discover the woman is the wife of Edinburgh’s biggest crime lord, Deke Holt.

With the police and the Holts closing in, and his shattered family in terrible danger, Tyler is running out of options, until he meets posh girl Flick in another stranger’s house. Could she be his salvation? Or will he end up dragging her down with him?

The first thing I want to say about this book is that if you like your novels with hearts and flowers, you might want to steel yourself before reading this novel. But read it, you should. The narrative is incredibly powerful – it’s gritty and gory, with its roots firmly in the downtrodden and criminal underworld of Edinburgh. Johnstone depicts this slum-like, deprived location with such resonance that the reader cannot help but want to see Tyler and his little sister, Bean, get out of this desperate situation.

However, this novel is deeper than a hard luck story. This is a novel of bad luck and bad choices. Tyler, Bean and Flick are all victims of their parent’s circumstances, and as children in this situation, they are fighting battles they really shouldn’t have to. Johnstone shows their resourcefulness despite their lack of available resources and their resilience after particularly harrowing experiences. As a mother, this novel tugged at my heartstrings from start to finish, and I found myself wanting to know how Tyler, Bean and Flick turned out.

What Johnstone shows is that you can break a cycle of turning to crime when poverty-stricken or indeed, lacking in parental guidance. It doesn’t matter who you are or what background you are from, everyone has a story and their own demons to battle. As a narrative, this is a proper page-turner of a novel that you don’t want to put down. It’s fast paced, shocking at times, and Johnstone uses every literary tool in the box to develop a multi-faceted novel that generates a multitude of emotions in the reader.

I love this novel. It wasn’t an easy read in that there was a strong sense of realism in the narrative, in terms of the surroundings/location, and the situation of these children, but Johnstone shows light in the dark and hope in the seemingly hopelessness of Tyler’s situation. Also, by putting Tyler and Flick together despite their considerably different backgrounds highlights the misconception that money brings you happiness. Undoubtedly, Orenda Books has yet another successful novel on their hands. I will be recommending this novel to anyone who loves a gritty page turner.

Worst Case Scenario by Helen Fitzgerald (Orenda Books)

It is often the case that authors selected to be published by Orenda Books tend to explore the road less travelled, choosing topics that are rarely written about and challenging the reader’s perceptions. It is what makes Orenda Books novels so special. One of their latest signings is Helen Fitzgerald, and like other Orenda authors, I had full expectations that I would be taken on a literary…

It is often the case that authors selected to be published by Orenda Books tend to explore the road less travelled, choosing topics that are rarely written about and challenging the reader’s perceptions. It is what makes Orenda Books novels so special. One of their latest signings is Helen Fitzgerald, and like other Orenda authors, I had full expectations that I would be taken on a literary journey that I had not been on before. Here’s the blurb:

Mary Shields is a moody, acerbic probation offer, dealing with some of Glasgow’s worst cases, and her job is on the line. Imprisoned for murdering his wife, Liam Macdowall has published a series of letters to the dead woman, in a book that has made him an unlikely hero – a poster boy for Men’s Rights Activists. Liam is released on licence into Mary’s care, but things are far from simple. Mary develops a poisonous obsession with Liam and his world, and when her son and Liam’s daughter form a relationship, Mary will stop at nothing to impose her own brand of justice … with devastating consequences.

Fitzgerald’s uses her main character, Mary, as a vehicle to explore a number of thought-provoking and often taboo topics, such as male domestic violence, paedophilia, and the dreadful state of our social care system. Fitzgerald doesn’t hold back in her approach. This is a gritty novel that doesn’t show the main protagonist as a hero, or even in a favourable light most of the time. Mary Shields is your proverbial “car crash”, though a lot of it isn’t really her fault. However, Worst Case Scenario gives a good overview of the life of someone who works in social services, the impossible challenges that they are expected to overcome, and the unfairness of a system that is designed to help people in need.

What I loved about the narrative in this novel is its no-holds-barred bluntness. No sugar-coating, just an honest depiction of a damaged character who, at heart, wants to do right by everyone who deserves it. True, Mary makes a lot of horrendously bad decisions that cost her, but often, this is down to the restraints placed on her by the job that she does. Also, we can’t underestimate the effects of the menopause on a woman’s state of mind!

Helen Fitzgerald has written a brilliant novel that, in true Orenda tradition, is uniquely formed and not afraid to talk about subjects many authors would stay well away from. Like Mary, I felt completely exhausted and in need of a glass of wine by the time I finished it, but to me, that’s a great response to have to a novel. It’s such a cleverly written novel with perfect balance of humour, poignancy and intrigue. I look forward to reading other novels by this author in the future.

Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech (Orenda Books)

I am always excited when I hear about a new Louise Beech book release. Since her first novel How To Be Brave, Beech has consistently written beautiful novels that pull at every possible emotion throughout. I had no doubt that Call Me Star Girl would be just as amazing.

Here’s the blurb:

Tonight is the night for secrets…

Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago –…

I am always excited when I hear about a new Louise Beech book release. Since her first novel How To Be Brave, Beech has consistently written beautiful novels that pull at every possible emotion throughout. I had no doubt that Call Me Star Girl would be just as amazing.

Here’s the blurb:

Tonight is the night for secrets…

Pregnant Victoria Valbon was brutally murdered in an alley three weeks ago – and her killer hasn’t been caught.

Tonight is Stella McKeever’s final radio show. The theme is secrets. You tell her yours, and she’ll share some of hers.

Stella might tell you about Tom, a boyfriend who likes to play games, about the mother who abandoned her, now back after twelve years. She might tell you about the perfume bottle with the star-shaped stopper, or about her father … What Stella really wants to know is more about the mysterious man calling the station … who says he knows who killed Victoria, and has proof. Tonight is the night for secrets, and Stella wants to know everything… With echoes of the chilling Play Misty for Me, Call Me Star Girl is a taut, emotive and all-consuming psychological thriller that plays on our deepest fears, providing a stark reminder that stirring up dark secrets from the past can be deadly…

I have come to expect Beech’s novel’s to take me on a journey into the life of someone who is strong, yet fragile, with a complexity of emotional baggage that defines their life no matter how much they try to reject it. In a series of flashbacks, from the perspectives of multiple characters, a picture is built up of Stella’s life in the build up to her final show, her vulnerabilities, her strengths, and the origins of these traits. Beech lays out a jigsaw of emotional pieces for the reader to put together and as always, the narrative is clever, unexpected and jam-packed with poignant, tear-jerking scenes.

What I absolutely love about Beech’s novels is that each novel is unique in plot, structure and hits a multitude of different genres in each book. In Call Me Star Girl, there’s elements of mystery, crime, ghost, romance, domestic noir and even a little erotica. I love that I can’t categorise it as this genre or that genre, but as a stunningly crafted work of art that ticks every box of the perfect read checklist.

Every so often, an author comes along that has the ability to blow you away with every single piece of literature that they offer up. Beech is undoubtedly one of those authors. Despite knowing to expect a rollercoaster ride from her previous novels, there’s many twists, turns and loop-the-loops that the reader just isn’t prepared for. Every.Single.Novel. Beech has an extraordinary skill for creating the perfect novel time and time again, and she is the author whose novel I look out for each time I hear that a new one is released. She is undoubtedly jewel in the Orenda Books crown. Call Me Star Girl is a wonderful addition to Louise Beech’s masterpieces and I cannot recommend it enough.

The Ringmaster by Vanda Symons (Orenda Books)

Orenda Books is on fire at the moment, releasing one brilliant book after another, so I was very excited to read The Ringmaster by  Vanda Symons, and to be on the blog tour. Although this is part of a series, this is the first of Symons’ book I have read.

Here’s the blurb:

Death is stalking the South Island of New Zealand… Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of…

Orenda Books is on fire at the moment, releasing one brilliant book after another, so I was very excited to read The Ringmaster by  Vanda Symon, and to be on the blog tour. Although this is part of a series, this is the first of Symon’s book I have read.

Here’s the blurb:

Death is stalking the South Island of New Zealand… Marginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin, and her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens, and Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus…

Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…

The Ringmaster throws the reader into the action from the off, and it doesn’t seem to slow its pace throughout. Symon brilliantly keeps the reader on tenterhooks right from the Prologue, and like all Orenda Books, it is a quintessential page-turner. DC Sam Shepherd is a determined, intuitive detective who, although is new to her detective training, she possesses that skill of all good literary detectives, an ability to spot the anomaly that most other detectives would miss, linking up seemingly separate pieces of evidence to make a case.

The narrative itself is incredibly powerful, and there is one particular scene where Sam has to act against all her natural instincts for the greater good that is very poignant and emotionally charged. (You’ll know it when you get to it, believe me!) Symon captures the scene perfectly and adds another layer of emotional baggage to the already overloaded Sam.

The Ringmaster is a great novel and I didn’t feel any the worse for not having read any other novels in the series, as Symon gives just enough detail to read as a standalone whilst being given just enough information as is relevant to the plot of this novel. It has, however, made me want to read other Sam Shepherd novels, as she is a strong, feisty detective who looks adversity in the face and gives a good old shove out of the way. This would be a brilliant holiday read, so if you’re looking for a book to read on the beach, I can highly recommend this one.

The Courier by Kjell Ola Dahl (Orenda Books)

Orenda Books are well-known for publishing fictional works of art from across the globe. In particular, they have been successful in attracting some of the best writers in the Nordic Noir scene, Kjell Ola Dahl being one of them. The Courier has taken off like a rocket since its release and I can understand why. Here’s the blurb:

In 1942, Jewish courier Ester is betrayed, narrowly avoiding arrest…

Orenda Books are well-known for publishing fictional works of art from across the globe. In particular, they have been successful in attracting some of the best writers in the Nordic Noir scene, Kjell Ola Dahl being one of them. The Courier has taken off like a rocket since its release and I can understand why. Here’s the blurb:

In 1942, Jewish courier Ester is betrayed, narrowly avoiding arrest by the Gestapo. In a great haste, she escapes to Sweden, saving herself. Her family in Oslo, however, is deported to Auschwitz. In Stockholm, Ester meets the resistance hero, Gerhard Falkum, who has left his little daughter and fled both the Germans and allegations that he murdered his wife, Åse, who helped Ester get to Sweden. Their burgeoning relationship ends abruptly when Falkum dies in a fire.And yet, twenty-five years later, Falkum shows up in Oslo. He wants to reconnect with his daughter. But where has he been, and what is the real reason for his return? Ester stumbles across information that forces her to look closely at her past, and to revisit her war-time training to stay alive…Written with Dahl’s trademark characterization and elegant plotting, The Courier sees the hugely respected godfather of Nordic Noir at his best, as he takes on one of the most horrific periods of modern history, in an exceptional, shocking thriller.

One of the most distinguishing features of this novel is its staccato short, present-tense sentence structure, allowing the reader to embrace the tension that builds up in each scene. As a reader, you are forced to take continuous pauses in the narrative to make sure you have the same time to take in what is happening as the various characters.

Starting in present day, Dahl flips between 1942 and 1967 to disjoint the narrative just enough to replay what has happened and the repercussions of these occurrences. The narrative never stands still, constantly moving from one period of time to another to describe Ester’s activities during the war and how these activities return to throw her life into turmoil after seeking out a more normal life.

Dahl takes the reader on a journey of discovery of spy activities in the Second World War and how years later, the effects are still felt. Ester is trying to leave her experiences behind her but her attempt at living a quiet life gets disrupted by her past. Her involvement in the war efforts then, still invokes the same curiosity in her, which Dahl portrays beautifully.

Generally, Nordic Noir or historical novels wouldn’t be my genre of choice, yet The Courier combines these two brilliantly and I have really enjoyed reading it. Yet again, I have been reminded never to disregard a book because of the genre it falls into. The Courier is going to be a great success, of that I have no doubt. It would make a brilliant film, in my opinion. Orenda Books consistently release books that engross me from start to finish, and The Courier is no exception.