Pan's Labyrinth - 20th Anniversary Re-release

20th Anniversary re-release for Guillermo Del Toro's Oscar winning film, the 4K restoration is being released across the UK from 30th October.

Ever since being first released in 2006, and following the restoration being premiered at 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the film has been restored from the original 35mm negative bringing the film of such visual wonder to the big screen again with greater detail. 

Set in Spain 1944, in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the film follows young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who moves with her pregnant mother (Adrian Gil) to a military outpost with her tyrannical stepfather Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez), who is a fascist officer. Ofelia befriends the staff especially housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) who is aiding the resistance unbeknownst to Vidal

Fascinated by the natural and lush landscape she is now living amongst, Ofelia discovers an ancient labyrinth ruled by a faun (Doug Jones in groundbreaking puppetry and costume design). The faun believes Ofelia to be the lost princess of a kingdom, and she must complete three tasks across the next few days. This mixture of fantasy entwined with the brutal hardship and decisions of war that she sees everyday brings a collision of worlds that young Ofelia must navigate to help her pregnant mum.

A winner of three Academy Awards (Best Cinematography, Art Direction and Make-Up) and three further nominations (Best Original Screenplay for GDT, Foreign Language Film and Original Score); this was still in the time of only five films being nominated for Best Picture - that year was the beatification of Martin Scorsese finally with The Departed - and surely would have obtained a nomination in an expanded field. 

The film is a wonderful mixture of fantasy, magical realism (so prevalent in Latin culture), the influence of children's literature with the parallels of C.S. Lewis' Narnia tales and the ever present threat of war with fascism breathing down the neck of freedom. Spain would remain under the fascistic rule of Franco for nearly thirty years following the conclusion of World War Two, the scars still remain. 

Del Toro would helm further great works, and his need to remain true to the power of cinema with physical effects, real sets and believable make-up has continued in his Oscar winning films such as The Shape of Water and last year's Frankenstein. 

A masterpiece that came out of nowhere, go see this film on the big screen and witness a film that will stand the test of time similar to films such as The Wizard of Oz it is so influenced by.

Pan's Labyrinth is out in selected cinemas from 30th October.

My thanks to StudioCanal for the review opportunity.

A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things

Limited Edition Blu-Ray/DVD release of Barns-Graham documentary

Mark Cousins' delves into the rich history of renowned and unheralded Scottish artist, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham.

A deeply inspirational figure whose life was changed by an event in May 1949, when she ventured to the Grindelwald glacier in Switzerland. The alpine climb transformed the way she saw the world from then on.

A modest celebration of an artist who deserves more praise for her extensive catalogue of varied painting and landscaping across the decades of her career. Having absconded from native Scotland to St Ives, her life altered and she became a key figure of the British Art movement post World War Two. 

Her ability is linked to her synesthesia, her ability to hear colours and see sounds to combine a multitude of highly faceted works across the spectrum.

Using her photos and journals to elevate her works from drafts to the fine end points we have as her legacy, Cousins is also keen to show how the rampant misogyny of the period unfairly relegated her to the footnote that is so undeserved.

Cousins narrates himself, as well as Tilda Swinton voicing Barns-Graham's journal entries; there is a keenness to provide a tribute to her works and the film is very much a success in this sense.

A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things is out now on Blu-Ray in a collectors edition, and available on demand for home viewing.

This home entertainment release coincides with a major retrospective at Tate St Ives which brings together over 170 paintings, drawings and rarely seen archival materials. It will be the largest and most comprehensive survey of Barns-Graham’s work ever presented. The exhibition opens on 24 October.

Presented in a folded card digipack, the dual format edition has lots of bonus features including 2 brand new short films directed by Mark Cousins, Making A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things (15 mins), I Fill My Mind and Eyes (11 mins); the first chance to see Recent Discoveries from The Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Archive (18 mins) and a quadrant version of Mark Cousins’ acclaimed gallery installation work Like a Huge Scotland (15 mins). The package also contains 3x art cards of Barns-Graham paintings, a print of her ‘Statement on Work, 1968’ and new writing from Mark Cousins on films about painters.

The dual format limited edition will be released on 19 October and is available to pre-order now at www.conic.film/suddenglimpse. It will also be available to buy at Tate St Ives, at selected retailers and from The Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust.

My thanks to Conic Film for the review opportunity.

The Portuguese House

 

New Iberian film from Avelina Prat

Fernando is a college Geography teacher, who appears to be happily married to his Serbian wife, Olga. One day he returns from work and she has left him, returning to Belgrade. After reporting her disappearance, the police state they cannot do anything as she has left willingly. Fernando promptly takes a spontaneous trip to a Portuguese coastal resort for a break. 

When at the hotel, he meets the gardener, Manuel and they swiftly start a friendship. Sadly, Manuel suffers a heart attack. In another pique of spontaneity, Fernando decides to take over Manuel's identity and goes to his next job tending to a luxurious stately home. Here Fernando begins a new life with a new name and role in the family dynamic becoming close to the matriarch, Amalia.

Starring the sadly departed, Manolo Solo as Fernando the film acts as a part valedictorian performance in one of Solo's last roles. He carries for Fernando, a life unlived and how the unexpected possibility of a new beginning can offer. On his first day on the job as Manuel, he plants a small tree it much like him ripe to grow and blossom in new grounds. 

As Fernando, he lead a life of little discovery a man who hardly knew his wife and had become accustomed to the rigmarole of teaching life. As a Geography teacher, he passes on knowledge about the world - a world that remains largely unchartered to himself.

Yet as Manuel, a gardener hired unseen, he is now a blank canvas. He interacts with lovely people daily, listens and is attentive to people's needs; the job allows him to get his hands dirty and at night he can be at peace. Solo's performance is of added gravitas due to his passing (after a short battle with cancer) and lifts the film to one of grandeur thanks to his performance. 

As Amalia, Maria de Mederios is familiar to film fans and here in her native Portugal she gives Amalia a grace and fortitude amidst her quiet underlying problems. 

This is a rich text of a film, stepped in literary traditions for the cine-literate and fans of European cinema. The pace is not rushed, it is a stark reminder that within this world is the possibility of humanity amongst the chaos. There are multiple scenes of friends talking to each other and enjoying each other's company - solitude is welcome on occasion but we all yearn for connection when available. 

The film garnered three nominations at the Goya Awards (Spanish Oscars) last year; including one for Best Screenplay for Prat's script as well as nods for the two main leads. 

A warm glow and hug of a film that hopefully will live long in the memory of those who have the opportunity to indulge in it. A film perfect for Autumn, the season of new beginnings and calming down.

THE PORTUGUESE HOUSE is available from AX1 Entertainment and out on limited release. My thanks to them for the review opportunity

A Thousand Silent Cries - Karen Millie James

The third novel in the series featuring investigator/medium Cydney Granger by author Karen Millie James.

The Gist

Known for uncovering truths others cannot see, Cydney has built her career investigating secrets, deception and hidden motives. But this time, the mystery centres on someone close to her.

When her friend’s husband, renowned barrister James Carrington QC, becomes the target of a series of increasingly sinister threats, Cydney discovers he is not the man he claims to be. Thirty-six years earlier, James was the sole survivor of an IRA bombing that killed his parents and destroyed his childhood. Given a new identity and hidden away from those responsible, his past was buried along with the truth about what happened that day.

Until now. 

As Cydney digs deeper, she uncovers a trail stretching from Belfast to London, exposing decades-old secrets, hidden identities, corruption and betrayal rooted in the legacy of The Troubles. The man responsible for the bombing has resurfaced and, after decades in the shadows, is determined to eliminate the last witness to his crimes.

With her closest friends under threat and a ruthless killer closing in, Cydney finds herself in a race against time to uncover the truth before history repeats itself.

Because some crimes are never forgotten. They simply wait for the right moment to strike again.

The Review

This tightly wound narrative revolves around the unearthing of long hidden secrets and what happens when those secrets come home to roost.

This narrative involves the history of the IRA and how people may or may not have passed away during the Troubles. The story starts with a much troubled marriage, a love that has hit the rocks following the tragic passing of a four year old child after a protracted illness. Fils is a psychiatrist who cannot get through to her absent husband, James Carrington, a long standing barrister of note in the Royal Court of Justice who has put career before his home life.

The story becomes more long winded when ghosts of James' past re-appear with names not as they seem. Cydney is on the case and this coupled with one of Fils' patients, a young girl Rachel seeking sanctuary from her home after a period of molestation by her own father leading to his imprisonment for which her mother blames her.

While this is a well told story with an interesting depiction of domestic abuse and psychological torture, this is a read that did not grip this reader fully. Parts of the narrative lacked cohesion and at times the narrative went on unnecessary tangents which was to the detriment of the overall premise.

Nevertheless, returning readers to the series will not be disappointed. The climax in the hospital was well handled and paced bringing a nice end to the gripping proceedings.

This is the third in the series following The Shadows Behind Her Smile and Where in the Dark.

A Thousand Silent Cries is out now from Vinci Books on all formats

My thanks to Midas PR for the review opportunity 

Cotton Queen

Debut film by Sudanese director Suzannah Mirghani

Set in a cotton-growing village in Sudan, the film centres on teenage Nafisa, who has been raised on her grandmother's tales of anti-colonial resistance. She becomes caught up in a village power struggle when a young businessman returns from abroad with genetically engineered cotton and plans for modernisation. What unfolds is Nafisa finding her own quiet power amongst the chaos around her.

Blending themes of feminism and womanhood, along with the rich tapestry of folklore and storytelling; Mirghani's skilful debut is also a tale about the continuing battle of tradition and modernity. While the world is coming to terms with the impending doom of artificial intelligence (AI) and that threat to lives and employment, Nafisa is a vessel for transformation changing both herself and her community.

Mirghani has a nuanced observational eye detailing her film with tender and careful costume design and a boldness of stark cinematography by the film's conclusion; a lot is said within the frame combining controlled performance and set design to bear fruit.

Hailing from Sudan, filmmakers especially females are having a purple patch currently with contemporaries such as Soudade Kaadan providing further proof that women from minority backgrounds can tell just as a good a story that looks back to critique the current day circumstances.

Mihad Murtada as the lead Nafisa gives a solid leading performance but special kudos belongs to Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud as the matriarch/grandmother Al-Sit - the one who may hold the key to overcoming the new opponent to the village status quo.

Out in cinemas now on limited release, this is the third such title from Sudan from TAPE Collective (a group that focuses on subversive filmmaking with a focus on representation, identity and heritage).

The Stepmother - Sheila Bugler

New standalone thriller by Sheila Bugler out September 24th

It is a day like any other when Sarah arrives at the school gate to pick up her two stepchildren, Izzy and Patrick.
But when the twins don't run out to meet her like normal, Sarah knows something must be wrong.
Sarah can't believe what she's hearing when the teacher informs her that their father, Mike, removed them from school earlier in the day. All of Sarah's calls to Mike go to voicemail.
Worse is to come when Sarah is told by police that as she and Mike are not legally married, and he is the children's father, there is nothing they or Sarah can do.
Then she receives a text message from Mike: Don't go home. It's not safe.
What has Mike been hiding? Where are their children? How can Sarah get her family back? Before it's too late...

Bugler has written a number of books across the last ten years, this reviewer has read the majority of them. After a short series, she has nestled into this ability to write gripping novels based in and around the South East of London, away from her home town of Eastbourne. 

This book like all of Bugler's has a very good plot to begin with - all seems well for our heroine Sarah, she lives a happy life and goes about her day of picking up her stepchildren from school at the end of the day. Only when she arrives, the children have already been picked up by their birth Dad, Mike, who is now not picking up the phone. 

Panic sets in for our heroine as her routine is disrupted by this strange change of events. As she tries to find out the reason for this change of circumstances, Sarah gets more and more wound up leading to some desperation and a growing dependency on red wine, when it comes to light that Sarah and Mike's marriage is not legal meaning she has no legal authority as guardian to the two children.

As with most Bugler protagonists, they become investigators as the police exhaust all their avenues of enquiry, meaning Sarah must uncover the truth as a battle of wills is apparent in a tense psychological setting. 

What follows is a tale of familial differences and relationships that have been cast aside when selfishness comes along. The depiction of abuse and bullying by a later toxic male is well handled and fits in well with this current climate of combating the supposed alpha males who believe they are right just by the fact of which chromosomes they muster.

This confronting the mainstream is across Bugler's work - strong females who are misunderstood by authority or must battle to be heard. The title of the book is an inversion of media stereotypes; normally the Step-person is a figure of evil or malevolence from across literature and Disney movies - here we are afforded a female who is a figure of nobility and goodness. 

A strong paced final act means this book ends on a high and will leave the audience satisfied, my hope being that a large audience does enjoy this book and leads them to more of Bugler's back catalogue which is growing stronger by each thrilling novel released.

The Stepmother is released by Hodder & Stoughton on 24th September

NTTA Looks Back: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe or The Cast, The Script and the Scraping Barrel

My wife is a secondary school drama teacher, she loves drama and the power it has to create emotion and connect audiences (think the end of Hamnet); yet as a teacher of a failing and lazy generation she is always at great pains to tell the young boys and girls that drama and theatre is not merely about learning lines; if you want to go into law, it might be good to know how to speak publicly with confidence, or if you are more creatively inclined, why not endeavour to learn about lighting, costume or set design to help with the formation of a production.

The reason a film blog starts with a drop of drama, is that my wife is putting on a school production of C.S.Lewis' seminal work The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. During an evening of preparation on her end, we put on the 2005 film adaptation of the film from Disney Studios. I had seen bits of the film but never the film in full, and so this is a debrief on a full first time watch of the film.

Directed by Andrew Adamson, the director of the first two animated Shrek films, this his first foray into live-action cinema; it is a faithful adaptation of the classic Narnia story. Featuring a mixture of established adult talent - Tilda Swinton, James McAvoy (on the crest of stardom) and Jim Broadbent, along with four newcomers as the Pevensie children and very famous voice actors led by Liam Neeson as Aslan the formidable lion.

What struck this viewer from the outset of the film, is how only four years after the first Harry Potter film and six years after the first Lord of the Rings film; this was Disney's genuine attempt to obtain a new age franchise after the success the previous two iterations gave to Warner Bros. and New Line cinema. 

Lets do the check-list and recipe for success, Disney felt you needed. Beloved children's literature story with something for children and adults. Check. The first entry in a series of possibly five to seven films. Check. A New Zealand director. Check. Key casting of future Hollywood stars in the key roles of the children. Rain check.

And that for me was the problem with the viewing experience, the four children cast in the roles of Lucy, Susan, Edmund and Peter are sadly nowhere near the level of the three cast in the Potter series which was definitely lightning in the bottle.

This goes hand in hand with CGI that looks a bit ropey in a post LOTR world, some scenes are shot in near darkness making it hard to see who is where on screen. This was a similar problem that faced the Philip Pullman adaptations - an imagined fantasical world but from a bygone WW2 era just did not go hand in hand with the new millennium audience with technology at their fingertips. Nevermind the christian symbolism and allegory that runs throughout Lewis' tale. 

However, one note of the film is that the script was doctored or overseen by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; the duo who would go on to write the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (beginning with Captain America (2011) and up to Avengers: Endgame (2019)), some of the best written films of this century. It should be noted that the battle scenes between Aslan and Edmund's army and the opposition of the witch's army is not too dissimilar to the battle in Wakanda during Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in terms of scope and stakes culminating in the return of a hero on the battlefield.

When the overlong film does conclude, the children learn about sacrifice and there is a richness to imagination being fermented in the youth. There is however, an overall feeling of the film not quite fulfilling its objective and being as good as it should be. However, it does have a great final line delivered by Jim Broadbent

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is available to stream on Disney+ along with Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Moonlight Robbery - David Barker

Children's author David Barker returns with a new standalone YA heist thriller

This reader first became aware of Barker's output when he wrote adult tilted thrillers around the then impending doom of water as the next valuable commodity, and the thing that wars may well be fought over. His high-thrilled conspiracy thrillers across the Gold trilogy was well told.

Those books at the tale end of this century's first decade may not have connected with as deserving an audience as it should have. Barker then transitioned to young adult fare starting with the dystopian boarding school set mysteries of Pax. Those three books again showed Barker's talent for tight plots and proudly wearing the influences on his sleeve.

The new book, Moonlight Robbery, combines two of Barker's passion - science and space exploration. We meet Max, a young orphan who lives under the stairs of his grumpy Uncle and Aunt in a moon colony. He lives with them following the death of his parents, so far so JK. However, Max is then cast aside by his Uncle and banished or pushed out to the vast of the moon-base he lives on. 

From then on the narrative never lets up on the pacing - Max falls in with the Jetsams, a band of scavengers who live off-the-grid and without the highly trusted wrist tabs that hold people's identities. Max has one so the Jetsams led by Fagin-like Quinten sees the opportunity to use Max to their advantage. Max is entrusted with Art (short for Artemisia), a young girl with a gift for pickpocketing.

Barker has fun with taking the genre of a fish-out-of-water, such as Oliver Twist but putting in new words for our familiar terms. Every time a character messes up, they say 'Craters!' as a sign of self-admonishment. He uses science fiction for the technology, jetpacks from Bond's foray in Moonraker for instance - but while these influences are at times obvious, the keen sense of plotting and control of tone is effective throughout.

When they first meet, Art knows more than Max because she has lived in the slums longer, and Max's naivety gets them into trouble. Later on, though, when Art is captured, it is Max who has to grow up very quickly and with his ability to code and handle technology expertly - there is a shift between them when the damsel is in distress.

At just over 200 pages, this is a speedy read but entertaining nonetheless. A biting read at the present day control of corporations over natural resources but transplanted to the yet uninhabited moon surface. We will be moving to the moon in a few more decades time for sure, and the work of NASA and the recent Artemis launches bode well for that. However, Barker like all good science fiction writers does feel there should be a note of caution before colonising the moon.

Moonlight Robbery is out from Tiny Trees on 17th September on all formats.

My thanks to Tiny Trees for allowing me the opportunity to review and be part of the blog tour on 16th September

Alex Gerlis Interview

Alex Gerlis granted me the opportunity to ask him some questions following the release of his most recent book CITY OF TRAITORS which I reviewed last month. The book is the third book in the Double Agent series - released by Canelo - and it will reach it's thrilling finally next year.

This is the third book of the series, what was the original genesis of this series?

I wanted to cover a sweep of European history - from Stalin's purges and the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s, the Second World War, the start of the Cold War and the events of 1956

- The book is so well researched, do you enjoy research?

I do yes - and I also find that the research throws up interesting plot and storylines

- Do you like to travel as much as Charles Cooper?

I enjoy travelling, yes - perhaps not in the same way as Cooper and certainly not in clandestine circumstances but I like to visit the key locations covered in my books.

- Was this all plotted out and meant to be a four part series from the outset?

yes, I always envisaged this as a four-part series and I had a sense of what period and - to an extent - what events would be covered in each book and I also had an idea of how it would end. I've actually just written the end of the final book and it's far closer to the original ending I had in mind than I'd have expected. I like a book to develop and evolve as I'm writing it, but with a series you do have to be a bit more disciplined.

- The series has grown as it's gone on, from London to Europe to now America, was that deliberate?

Yes, I like the idea of including different countries. America was always part of the plan - it works with the plot.

- What is your typical writing day?

There's no absolutely typical writing day, I don't have a strict routine in that sense but I do try to write in the mornings and then from mid/late afternoon for 2/3 hours - but I often work around whatever else is going on in my life.  

- What spy books are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?

Icarus 17 by Charles Cumming and Appointment in PAris by Jane Thynee. Both very good.

City of Traitors is out now from Canelo on all formats. 

City of Traitors - Alex Gerlis

 

Third part of British spy series set amidst the end of WW2

Alex Gerlis is a prolific British spy thriller author, who has hit gold with this series he has christened the Double Agent series. 

As the end of the Second World War in Europe looms, a new conflict is in its early stages: who will control Europe when the war ends?

Soviet double-agent 'Archie' is now a British diplomat in the United States, feeding information on the Special Relationship back to Moscow Centre. Meanwhile, erstwhile Soviet agent 'Bertie' – Charles Cooper – is sent on a perilous mission to Italy before being drawn towards Berlin as the Allies draw near their goal.

Gerlis takes pride in his research and it pays off. As Archie travels to America's capital to obtain delicate information about the production of the nuclear bomb and the Manhattan project for his Soviet leaders; Bertie is up against it in the Italian Alps.

The zig-zag and whipcrack nature of the chase of both men is exhilarating and the book does culminate in quite a gripping finale. The pay off of all pay offs we hope will appear in the fourth book which takes place during the height of the Cold War in the 1950s when we discover true identities.

There is a real joy to imagine these places; as a well travelled reader I have travelled to America numerous times but never DC and a lot of Europe remains a mystery to me but this book along with a recent Simon Michael novel set in France has made me want to venture out to the continent and visit our neighbours by train or plane. Much like Charles Cooper did in the first book Every Spy A Traitor.

The moments for Charles/Bertie in Berlin are so gripping as he recovers culminating in a climatic showdown where he saves his own skin yet the pace of writing by Gerlis coupled with that attention to detail of period and place makes for a riveting read.

The credit that must be extended to Gerlis is that as the scope of his Double Agents has grown across the series with locations getting further away from the centre of London to Cambridge to Europe to North America, Gerlis has not been overawed by this expansion of horizons and his characters have reflected him in taking it all in his stride. 

City of Traitors is out from Canelo on Thursday 13th August on all formats.

Bridge of Sighs - Ken Lussey

Brand new adventure yarn from Ken Lussey

Out from Arachnid Press, Ken Lussey returns with the fourth book in the series featuring Callum Anderson and his now wife, Jenny as they investigate another murder mystery in the Scottish Highlands.

The book starts five decades previously as a light aircraft takes off and does not return, crashing into the sea with no pilot accounted for. Meanwhile, someone is attempting to stop developers working on the Sutherland Viking Haven with unexplained damage occurring along the North Coast 500.

Events turn sinister as a body is found in a burn-out Inverness shop, and when another killing takes place the risks take place closer to home for the inquisitive pair.

Lussey came to this reader's prominence with his WW2 RAF tales featuring Bob Sutherland and his femme fatale Monique DuBois. Again Lussey has a married couple at the forefront of his work (a sign of a happily married gent), and this allows the pair to bring strengths to the party and we enjoy their partnership both professionally and romantically.

Not to say they do not come with baggage; Jenny is a recovering alcoholic with two daughters who are attempting to find their feet in the world. Callum is a divorced man himself, and so he is wary of making the same mistakes a second time around.

That is a theme running throughout the book, second chances and history repeating. The same developers who hope to profit from ruining a Viking Haven are ironically not much different from the pillaging Viking warriors before them, whereas they hide behind laws and suits as opposed to horned helmets.

As ever, Lussey paints a lovely picture of the Scottish Landscape which at times makes this read like the best Scottish travelogue with details of roads to travel and places to stop with nods to history and social context. 

While this book may not reach the heights of previous books in the series notably last year's Thicker Than Water, it nevertheless is a welcome return to the now married Anderson clan.

Bridge of Sighs is available on all formats now from Arachnid Press 

What The Dying See - MJ Lee

Book Twelve in the DI Ridpath series by MJ Lee out 2nd July

I have read all the Ridpath books by the most esteemable MJ Lee. Each book is brisk, pacy and full of tension - he continually creates a pervading mood of doom amidst the Manchester gloom as Ridpath and his team strain to solve the cases. 

This one might well be one of his best - there is the mixture of personal struggle, corruption and politcking that Ridpath must overcome. Perhaps the ending is a little too neat, but it serves again as a reminder that this is one of the most consistent series of recent years and hardly anybody I know in my reading circles know about it. This remains a crime itself that this work has not garnered the wider audience it deserves.

Lee is a neat concise writer; he uses social history for context of the fictional crimes he creates, and yet he is also challenging the governmental structures in place that batter and marginalise the ageing and elderly population of our country. The notion or idea of a second Shipman imbues throughout the book, that fear of the vulnerable being attacked. At times, this reader got angry when reading and rightly so, the elderly should always have our respect and live with dignity.

Those who have given so much in their lives to live are getting forgotten by middle management. In this book, the criminal works for the Department of Work and Pensions, the DWP become this eerie complicit being in destroying people who through circumstance seek to continue working but either through ill will or bad luck they find themselves alone with no support structure, except the benefit cheque that someone behind a desk thinks they do not deserve. Lee has taken his agenda and made a constructive point of satirising or challenging the government to change the ways. 

As ever, the geography and painting of Manchester as this gothic and yet burgeoning metropolis is done effectively - set around late November/early December he evokes weather and mood, the harshness of the rain sheeting upon our characters. 

Lee balances Ridpath's bridging the dual roles he has between the Greater Manchester Polic (GMP) and reporting to the coroner. The coroner herself has her own problems, with people thinking she should step aside due to an injury sustained two books previously. Ridpath, a single parent following his wife's untimely passing, has a teenage daughter, Eve and while she is not as present as in previous books, Eve is paramount to Ridpath's stability and grounding. 

As mentioned previously, this is one of the better books in the series. Effective, gripping and written with such fluidity perhaps this may be the book to breakout for Lee in this instance. 

What The Dying See is published by Canelo on 2nd July on all formats.

Surviving Earth

Written and directed by Thea Gajic, tells the story of Vlad, a Slovak refugee who fled Yugoslavia during the conflict of the 1990s and settled in Bristol. A talented harmonica player who works as a counsellor, his band 'Balkan Express' are on the verge of success in the local music scene. 

However, past traumas and addictions come back to haunt him threatening the relationships he has strived to build up and threatening the peace he has found in the relationship with his daughter. 

A quite illuminating film experience, a low budget film that is shot beautifully and technically sound - the relationships between Vlad and his band-mates feel authentic, the problems feel realistic. This is a knowing and well written film capably performed by a strong cast led by Slavko Sobin as Vlad and Olive Gray as his daughter, Maria.

The setting of Bristol, a small yet vital city on the outskirts of the big metropolitans, is central to the film's premise with the underground art cultural scene in full flow. The cinematography of Olan Collardy (Rye Lane) makes the small city look picturesque and inviting. 

This is a nuanced film touching upon feelings of insecurity, belonging in a community that is not your own, the ageing man and father in the modern day society. The use of folk music brought up to the present day is symptomatic of the current craving for nostalgia or simpler times in our world amidst the ongoing AI/tech boom that we live in fear of.

Shot with such care and with Vlad reminded us of British archetypes - notably, the angry young man from the 1960s - when ambition and the clamour to be better still resonates in this confusing age. Vlad yearns to be better than himself but he cannot get out of his own way at times and the guilt he feels for fleeing his homeland and not willing to return to see his ageing mother.

Funded by the BFI, distributed by Metis Films this is a film that speaks to the need for stories about the working class and refugee experience in this country. This is a reminder that addiction and insecurity are universal themes, they are not exclusive to the first world, white person experience - problems have a tendency to find you in any walk of life.

Heartfelt and honest, this film will garner a response in all who see it; the only hope is that it finds that audience in cinemas and home release.

Surviving Earth is out on limited release from 24th April.

In Praise Of....Star Wars Sessions

This past Saturday, I had the privilege to attend the first iteration a gathering called Galaxypalooza. A Star Wars fan convention in Rayleigh, Essex that is a con but on by fans for fans. The two men, who do probably Britain's best Star Wars podcast called Star Wars Sessions are Matt Hudson and Luke Bligh. Both live in Essex, and they are impassioned and proud Star Wars fanatics. Their long running podcast has been running for seven years and has over 300 episodes, it has built a devoted following. 

Galaxypalooza was as much a dedication and admiration to the two Essex legends and all they do for the Star Wars community. Both men are humble and genuine in their fandom, they do not attack bad content supplied in the Disney era of George Lucas' vision, they are constructive in criticism but do not fawn when something is good.

There episodes range from covering new releases to video games and books. The main feed podcast was a God send to this writer during the pandemic of 2020 and an appreciation was born. Saturday afforded me the opportunity to say thank you to the guys themselves getting to chat in person along with all their followers.

For me it was a 45 minute journey by car, but for others who I spoke to they travelled by train from Carlisle the day before; car from Northampton on the morning to make a 9am opening. Vendors, artists and merchandise sellers came from Norfolk and Surrey, cosplayers by the dozen came from Kent and Medway.

  

This was a gathering of joy and verve, like minded people all sharing in the wonder of a galaxy far far away. The venue at times felt too small and perhaps next year the clamour for a redo may lead to a larger venue; yet these are mere quibbling points on a day that will be long remembered.

A word now upon the panels which took place in the first floor. Eight different panels took place ranging from Lego builders to fan films and Emmy Award editors to the hosts themselves discussing the Greatest Television show of all time, Andor. The Star Wars Sessions guys themselves spoke to three performers from the series - minor characters but nevertheless, all were hugely grateful for the opportunity to work in something which universally adored.

Surrounding the panel where signers for those autograph hunters. From creature performer, Ross Sambridge to Ross Beadman, who was the youngling Jedi who asks the newly anointed Lord Vader, 'Master Skywalker. What shall we do?' Others have portrayed stormtroopers (Torin Pocock) or Imperial officers (Jonathan Cass) in the two season of Andor. All the guests when interviewed spoke of their own love for the original trilogy, fans one and all.

After a long day of talking and conversing in the ways of the force, it became apparent that while it was goodbye for now, any doubter in the power and reach of Star Wars would have been dismissed as all ages and creeds were present. If you wore a helmet or brandished a lightsaber, all were welcome. And you left safe in the knowledge that if you were at Galaxypalooza on 6th June you departed knowing you had friends everywhere.

Follow Star Wars Sessions here: Star Wars Sessions - Probably Britain's Greatest Star Wars Podcast

Seconds To Midnight - David Orson Newton

 

Taut thriller set in 2029 on the brink of World War 3

Orson Newton's thriller is a page turner in every sense of the word. A brisk unputdownable read with short chapters and a very of the moment narrative.

The year is 2029, Europe is teetering on the brink of war - conscription has been launched in the UK, a storm is coming but from many angles. As the Doomsday clock ticks down, the proximity to catastrophic global disaster is very much on the horizon as the seconds wind down.

The best science fiction always maintains an element of believability and fact - the worry of nuclear holocaust is something that many people have been living with for much of their adult lives (for this reader post-Chernobyl the threat is clear) yet for my parents the Cuban Missile Crisis of twenty plus years earlier was the first alarm.

In this book, British Intelligence launches Operation Iris and Artemis (concurrent timeframe with new Space shuttle programme to the moon), yet the blurring of human instinct and machine intention blur boundaries. At the heart of the operation is Omnia - an artificial superintelligence so advanced it does not answer to its creators.

The fear of AI and how it is slowly seeping into our everyday lives with many of us either submitting or combatting helps with the understanding of the novel's motives. While the machine may have the answers, the humans are the ones who will be held responsible.

Characters are detailed but do not last long in the memory, the most memorable being the mother and her missing/awol soldier son, her interaction with him over a megaphone and her asking him to come out of hiding does stay with you.

However, most characters are conduits for the ultimate message of what is at stake for humanity in the years to come. 

This prescient novel with its real world comments is good read, short bursts of action throughout maintain attention. The tone and message reminded me of the Gold trilogy by David Barker, another novelist that touched upon the next war being about water and the need to inhabit the moon for new resources.

A fascinating and ultimately frightening read, the short sharp chapters reads like a constant warning of what lies ahead for us if we do not change things.

My thanks to Midas PR for the review opportunity and being a part of the blog tour

Seconds to Midnight is released by Chiselbury on April 23rd.

Watch Them Fall - Marion Todd

 

Marion Todd's 10th book in the DI Clare Mackay series. Published 12th March 2026

Synopsis

A body is hauled out of St Andrews harbour. The cause of death a blow to the back of the head.

DI Clare Mackay and her team are immediately suspicious. This was no accident. Local Dennis Gibb was murdered.

Meanwhile a string of burglaries across town divide Clare's attention and she is drawn into a world of property developers, holiday lets and protestors determined to put a stop to the new building works.

When another person linked to Dennis is murdered, the investigation becomes even more urgent and Clare is led down a winding path to local secrets, hidden animosity and dodgy business deals

Review

Having followed Todd's series from the beginning and the terrible harbinger of doom and murder that pervades and invades upon the historic town of St. Andrews and the nearby Dundee area with the awe-inspiring Tay Bridge structure. You are struck by this melding of tradition and wishing to become more current; this collision between old and new values. 

Many writers and film directors especially comment how hard it is to make contemporary thrillers and dramas due to the impact that the mobile phone has had in making conversations, phone calls and tracking much easier. People find it harder to hide, and for police officers such as our erstwhile DI Clare Mackay, it is harder for her to do police work when technology is at your fingertips.

Todd has always used Mackay as a conduit and an expression of how hard it is for women to continue and grow into their roles as competent individuals as well as be home-makers and partners. Some of the best moments of writing is of Mackay returning home to an empty house, bar her trustworthy pet dog Benjy, and how regularly she eats something quick, downs a glass of red wine and crashes out in bed. 

In this tenth book of the series, these moments are ramped up. Her partner, Al, is only home from work for weekends on Thursday night. This need to be with him while having a job that interferes at weekends compounds this air of depression encircling Mackay while threads of the investigation unravel beyond her control.

This is brave writing from Todd, this pervading sense of doom comes to a head when a march and counter-protest about expected building developments ends in tragedy for the police force. For Mackay it is all too much at times, and Todd has written less a crime thriller but a modern drama for our times. 

As ever, she writes with such confidence within the social conversations of her police force; the detail given to investigations and police interviews. Todd continues to grow as a writer, her books read so fluently it beggars belief she is not more widely known.

Watch Them Fall is out from Canelo on 12th March on all formats.

My thanks to Canelo for approving an advanced review copy on NetGalley.