The Red Hollow - Natalie Marlow

Second novel of Birmingham Noir by Natalie Marlow 

out 28th March from Baskerville

Natalie Marlow's highly anticipated sophomore novel set in the fracitious 1930s Birmingham backstreets made more relevant to people by the astronomical success of Peaky Blinders, Marlow has crafted a fascinating protagonist in William Garrett, a private detective who resides out of Needless Alley (title of the first book). Garrett has daily dalliances with the ne'er-do-well's of Birmingham's backstreets and he must maintain his head above the parapet as he always deals with problems.

While the first book became a gripping whodunnit, in this second novel Garrett and his now wife become entangled in what can be described as a what-dunnit. They are called to the titular stately manor on the outskirts of Warwickshire countryside to oversee a mysterious sequence of deaths in this house that now operates as a male-only sanatorium, overseen by Dr. Moon whose patients are leaving premises.

On the wettest day of the year, local flooding makes it hard for Garrett and Queenie to arrive at the site, and the tale of the mysterious mermaid who may or may not be responsible for the murder that has occurred. Disturbances that appeared to be pranks are now being claimed upon the ghost of the Red Hollow, a girl who seeks revenge upon the men who killed her. 

The placing of the narrative in a bottle format or self-contained environment is a clever tweak and acts as a homage to the works of Agatha Christie especially The Mousetrap. This is in stark contrast to the debut novel where Garrett was discovering different landscapes, traversing those places that do not exist anymore with Marlow/Garrett acting as our guide. 

In this novel, the limitations of the narrative by restricting it in one setting does a disservice to Garrett's potential as a character, one who needs to discover due to his job title and by restricting him to one location is a shame.

This reader hopes that Marlow returns Garrett to the cobble streets of the second city - the different districts encourage different cultures and language. In this setting, you have Garrett always being the smartest person in the room where you always felt he would overcome the problem he faces eventually in this instance. 

That is only a small note of criticism, credit where it is due, the professional relationship Garrett has with Phyll Hall, a fresh detective, is a winning one. They are a platonic pair who finish each other's sentences and the pain he feels when trouble arrives at Phyll's feet is clearly felt and well handled along with the precarious nature of the situation Garrett/Phyll have gotten themselves into.

Marlow also cleverly melds the influences of Gothic influences of British literature with the back and forth dialogue that effortlessly flies off the page, a book of atmospheric pressure that resonates creating a taut and scary tale. Marlow a self-confessed film fan brings those influences of the Haunting and The Innocents to her advantage in creating the eerie environment.

William Garrett is back and he will return. This is a character you cannot wait to see more of the future.

The Red Hollow is out on 28th March from Baskerville/John Murray Press

On the Run - Max Luther

 

Second book of Alex Drayce released 14th March by Canelo

Set in Las Vegas, Alex Drayce is a private bodyguard looking after wealthy businessmen under threat of assassination.

He is given the opportunity for quick cash aiding Carlos Garcia with finding his daughter. Yet what is meant to be a simple task spirals out of control.

Soon Alex is on the run with a bloodthirsty gang and the Las Vegas police force after him.

A rip-roaring thriller that does not ease up on pace and narrative. Graphic in detail and with a lot of language but necessary to the plot, not entirely to my liking personally speaking.

Read in a few sittings and easy to delve back into now and then.

Canelo granted me access to this book on NetGalley for my review.

THE BURNING TIME - Peter Hanington

 

New William Carver novel out July 6th from Baskerville 

Timely and perscient, Hannington has written a novel that is both of our time and for our time as we follow investigative journalist William Carver who attempts to take down an Australian inventor, Clive Winner who may or may not hold the secret to global warming.

William is tipped off by a Whitehall insider who fears that the influence Winner is having over the current PM is doing an injustice to government policy when ulterior motives may be more apparent for the antipodean.

Globe-trotting from Spain to Washington DC and Sydney to London; Hannington has captured the spirit of Jason Bourne for journalism with a fast paced taut thriller that is unputdownable.

Paranoid thriller tropes abound from suspicious disappearances to the general sense of being followed along with the presence of the lazy eyed henchman who strikes fear into all who cross paths with him.

Short, sharp chapters maintain attention and the tight plotting moves along a pace keeping the reader enthralled with intrigue and panic, and how refreshing to see a journalist be the hero for once in narrative fiction.

A must for new people to the series and character in the same vein as Mick Herron

THE BURNING TIME is out 6th July from Baskerville 

My thanks to Baskerville for the review copy.

The Mess We're In - Annie MacManus

 

Brand new book from Annie MacManus THE MESS WE'RE IN from Wildfire books

Renowned DJ Annie Mac returns with her second book, set in the early 2000s it follows a young Irish girl named Orla who moves from Cheltenham to London to follow her dream of becoming involved within the music scene. This goes hand in hand whilst living with an up and coming indie band called Shiva in the digs of Kilburn.

Orla wants to make music, but juggling a temp job in new PR company RedStar and a pub job whilst partying every night is not helping. Meanwhile, in Ireland her parents marriage is falling apart and she is not speaking to her Da.

As Shiva strife to breakthrough, the hedonism gets bigger and relationships within the house are strained.

A story about a young woman making sense of living in a strange land but finding yourself through the rhythm of life. Annie Mac delivers in a big way with this nostalgic look at the boom in music and how being in the music business remains one of the coolest aspirations for many people

THE MESS WE'RE IN is out now from Wildfire Books.

My thanks to Headline for the review opportunity.

Hide and Seek - Ken Lussey

 

Fifth book in the Bob Sutherland series by Scottish based author, Ken Lussey, out 26th May from Arachnid Press.

It is April 1943. Set in and around Stirling Castle, Bob and his bride-to-be Monique Dubois are attending a secret meeting at the castle to discuss details of national security.

Meanwhile, medical student Helen Erickson is followed from London to her aunt's farm in Perthshire, why is she being followed? Is it about the work her mother is taking part in at Bletchley Park?

An old adversary is murdered mysteriously whilst the secret meeting is taking place, Bob and the MI11 team are called in to investigate when everyone has a motive to the victim.

Lussey has in the past six years created this quite wonderful world of World War Two espionage and mystery surrounding this lone central character of Bob Sutherland and yet in each book through the four previous (Eyes Turned Skywards, The Danger of Life, Bloody Orkney and The Stockholm Syndrome) there has been perpetual growth of Bob as an officer and a gentleman, he and Dubois have grown closer together from flirting to close to being married and in the last book Bob killed a man with his gun breaking his virginity.

What is so good about this book in comparison to others previously, is that there is a genuine sense of not coming next. While others have followed traditional narrative paths, for instance in the Stockholm Syndrome the daring pair are in the Swedish capital meaning the action is contained within that city. Here we start in Stirling Castle, yet there was a short prelude where German crew seek asylum and land in Scotland. We then go to Stirling Castle and after the murder, Monique is on the trail of Helen while Bob must investigate the murder himself. 

The separation of the pair for narrative reasons is cleverly done because again it helps to let the pair grow, but Monique's chase of Helen across the Scottish Highlands and train tracks means it is her story we are more engrossed upon. The scene where Helen and Anthony discover the carnage at the aunt's farm was to this reader reminiscent of the opening to No Country for Old Men told with such assuredness that comes from a writer confident in the characters he has created.

While that is daring and driven, Bob's castle death is closer to an Agatha Christie novel and those famous drawing room murders where everybody is a suspect.

Drawing from a wealth of influences and his own Royal Air Force career, Lussey has again written an entertaining page-turning novel that delivers in spades of enjoyment and tension.

Hide and Seek is out in Paperback from Arachnid Press on 26th May 

What The Shadows Hide - MJ Lee

 

Book 9 in the DI Ridpath series written by MJ Lee

Ridpath is back and this time, someone is attacking his work colleagues. The Ridpath series has been going for about 5 years, I started reading during before the pandemic and have continued reading the series in parallel with his publication buddies - Marion Todd and Sheila Bugler.

Lee writes and paints the story with such clairty and brilliance, it is amazing he can maintain the pace of the narrative. In this story, Ridpath is again towing the line between his work for the Coroner's office and the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Force, he is essentially doing the work of two men yet he does not lose any of his everyman status as a single father at home to a teenage daughter, but a rebel at heart when it comes to his work.

Ridpath is able to rub people up the wrong way quite easily (I know the feeling), perhaps because he is the one able to get results which endears him to those who work closely enough to him and makes him look like trouble to those who are now too long in the tooth.

The narrative of What The Shadows Hide revolves around a case christened Romeo and Juliet, as two young people (when they passed) who were discovered entombed behind a doorway in an abandoned building during works. With no identification in their possession, the problem is trying to identify the two souls and this leads to the use of DNA genealogy technology to help by a freelancer who was an ex-cop. The GMP want results and Ridpath wants to help his chief coroner Challinor in finding results - yet things take a turn when Challinor is attacked herself in a brutal assault. This attack happens early on in the book so that is not giving anything with the plot and it leaves Ridpath with his deputies - Parkinson to find the answers. They are against the clock to find the solution.

After so many books in any series, you worry that will the character lose its lustre yet the best instances of it not happening - Jack Reacher and Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible franchise - is because the care taken to the story being told. Tom Cruise got Christopher McQuarrie to write, and Lee Child always was able to adapt by taking his creation and dropping him in a new unfamiliar terrain. 

Lee restricts Ridpath to the Greater Manchester postcodes with only mentions of such far flung destinations as Cheshire and Derbyshire, yet Manchester is a vast bastion of differing class structures and like most cities has high rise buildings in its centre and the two up, two down households on the periphery a constant reminder to local governments that reality exists.

What The Shadows Hide is an outstanding read, it is rip-roaring, page-turning and full of vibrancy and zest that is so pleasing to enjoy. Written with reckless abandon and verve by a writer hitting his stride thanks to a great story. Highly recommended.

What The Shadows Hide is out on March 23rd from Canelo Crime

The author MJ Lee is on Twitter @WriterMJLee

The Empty Room - Brian McGilloway

 

Brand new thriller from novelist Brian McGilloway out from Little Brown Group

McGilloway returns following last year's excellent BLOOD TIES with another standalone novel, this time focusing on the disappearance of a daughter from her small Northern Irish village, leaving her Mum distraught at the thought she may have been abducted and subsequently murdered.

McGilloway is a writer of high intellect and all his novels are paced so well. In this novel it is written from the point of view of the mother Pandora, we follow her as we find out about the daughter, Ellie, missing and then the investigations by police before news comes to shake her to her core; from the dissolution of her marriage to the loss of friendships. The plot tells us as much about instant coverage of media and calls to mind other abduction scandals that have hit the headlines in this social media age, for example, Shannon Matthews.

Written with clarity and precision, McGilloway does not disappoint again with his new work, at times gut wrenching in the emotional pull of the narrative, the depiction of walking grief for Pandora is so brilliantly handled you can only hope the book reaches a wider audience.

THE EMPTY ROOM is available now on all formats.

Thanks to the author for arranging a review copy.

Agent in Berlin - Alex Gerlis

 

New spy thriller by Alex Gerlis from Canelo out 4th November

Alex Gerlis is a writer of spy thrillers, following in the great heritage of British spy authors such as John Le Carre and Frederick Forsyth, he bases his tales in the past in and around the second world war primarily, looking back at the past and finding tales to create historical fiction with a huge dose of influence by accurate depictions of figures who were in and around the actual turning of history.

His most recent book, Agent in Berlin, is set around the spymaster ring set up by British intelligence in the German capital as a reaction to the worrying trend of fascism and Nazism rising in profile from 1933 with the abhorrent attack on the Jewish people. Gerlis tells the story of spymaster, Barnaby Allen who recruits a network of allies from all sides to forge a bond against the Third Reich as they begin to gain power. He recruits a German homosexual, an American journalist and the wife of a Nazi commander amongst others, despite constant danger the ring discover plans for a new German fighter plane better than the illustrious Spitfires and Hurricanes.

The tension wracked up by the author in his numerous scenes are so well handled; depicting a time of terror and worry in a prominent city that slowly becomes more and more like a prison, the colour evaporating from the buildings and its inhabitants as Germany go on a course of cleansing of those they believe to be inferior to the supposed superior Aryan race.

The key character or agent Allen endorses is that of a spy in the Japanese embassy, who finds intelligence that Japan in an alliance with Germany are to attack the United States and bring them into the war. The action runs from 1933 when the seed is sown and up to early 1942 after Pearl Harbor has taken place with USA now making it a second world war.

There is a lot of pleasure to be taken from the reading of this novel, from Gerlis' well researched on life in Berlin to the touching points of the 1936 Berlin Olympics when in the character of Jack Miller he has a conduit of a fish out of water but also a spectator at something truly ground-breaking such as Jesse Owens' miraculous achievements under the hateful eyes of Der Fuhrer. 

The character, Miller also side bars into football commentary travelling around to see Schalke and Hamburg those heralded footballing hotbeds of Germany during the war and it allows Gerlis - a life-long Grimsby Town supporter - to use his love of football as a plot device, which for this reader was greeted with great relish. Some of the games mentioned are factually correct in the Bundesliga as well as the Olympic ties

In conclusion, this is my second Gerlis read. I read Prince of Spies last year and while that was a continuing story in a series. This stand alone novel is full of tension and drama, handling the arcs of all characters expertly with an end result bringing a neat resolution to proceedings.

Agent In Berlin is released from Canelo on Thursday 4th November 

Bloody Orkney - Ken Lussey

 

A new Bob Sutherland story set during WW2

Ken Lussey is an author based in Scotland, and he has come to prominence in recent years by writing an entertaining series of novels helmed by the charming protagonist Bob Sutherland, an Air Force captain who becomes a member of Military Intelligence 11 (MI-11), think of it as a forerunner for that guy with a licence to kill.

Sutherland with his partner, in more ways than one, Monique Dubois, investigate nefarious going-ons amongst bases up and down the Scottish Highlands.

An unidentified body has been found, and people are staying quiet about how the body got there and why. Sutherland and Dubois travel to Orkney one of the most heavily defended anchorages in the world especially during 1942 at the height of the second global conflict.

Men are in danger and the safety of the homeland could be compromised, it is down to Bob and Monique to solve the case as quickly as possible before more lives are at risk.

With these military espionage thrillers, there is always a certain amount of exposition with context having to be explained due to the situation the world and the characters find themselves in and when reading you have to allow the auther some leeway in this regard, and for the first third of this novel this reader struggled to maintain concentration and flow, however, by the second half of the novel Lussey is able to create another rip-roaring page-turner that is exhilarating and memorable - an author like perhaps Fleming, not afraid to put his hero in jeopardy and make the reader wonder if it may happen.

The climatic shootout amidst a church layout is brilliantly handled and he gives scope for more action to come from the intrepid duo with three years left of the war, this course is most certainly not run yet.

This reader for one cannot wait for more from Bob Sutherland via the pen of Ken Lussey.

Bloody Orkney is out now from Arachnid Press

Next In Line - Marion Todd

 

Fifth book in the DI Clare Mackay series, Marion Todd does it again

Marion Todd is an author this reviewer has followed since the inception of her lead protagonist in the debut novel See Them Run which was released back in late 2019. A lot has happened to not just Mackay but the rest of the world and to the DI also; from losing a fiance to her re-locating away from Glasgow to the more sedate but just as murderous St. Andrews, to then losing a new boyfriend to a job relocation in Boston, USA. Clare Mackay remains as a resolute and durable character who has much to overcome in her own life as well as solving the swath of murders that ruin the picture postcard quaintness of the university town; the influence of Marple and Midsomer resonate through the five book series thus far.

This new novel NEXT IN LINE tells the story of a murder by shooting at a remote holiday cottage of a business entrepreneur celebrating his 40th birthday, at the same time Clare is overcoming a personal obstacle by attending the wedding of her ex-fiance Tom when the call comes in of the new case. Clare has started a new burgeoning relationship with DCI Alastair Gibson who seems charming and perfect for the DI.

As the case grows, it becomes known that the victim Russell Fox, is related to a TV presenter Gaby (imagine Holly Willoughby), who was at the same wedding as Clare that a brief prologue allows us to introduce each other. The title refers to the idea of family and hereditary traits - Gaby is the next in line, yet there is a dead brother from the 2004 Christmas Tsunami with no body ever recovered; and cleverly, the title also extrapolates Clare's current relationship status with Gibson next in line to her heart while she still vulnerable from the leaving of Geoffrey previously.

Throughout the novel, the compassion between Clare and Gaby is key to show that women can be safe around police forces and the empathy of a victim's family is key to any investigation - the recent unseemly details of the last hours of Sarah Everard's life in the case against Wayne Couzens brought the conduct of police to light.

The camaraderie continues between Clare and partner, Chris, a tenacious soul who always has Clare's back and will fight her corner no matter the situation - the loyalty of the siblings in blue is paramount to a good case and story.

As ever, with familiar Canelo Crime publications, there is an editorial richness to the swiftness of narrative pacing as we go from suspect to suspect amongst the cases. Coupled with the work of MJ Lee, these two authors should be read side-by-side of how to write tightly constructed detective stories - you never lose sight of the fact thanks to the week long structure that time is of the essence and the need for resolution is not faraway.

Gripping, enticing and pleasing in equal portions, this book much like Todd's other tomes was devoured in short order and this reader looks forward to the next crime thriller starring DI Clare Mackay.

Next In Line is out from Canelo on 21st October

When The Guilty Cry - MJ Lee

 

The Seventh book in the DI Ridpath series is out now on Canelo 

MJ Lee returns with another entry into the DI Ridpath series, another tale of crime and conspiracy in the Greater Manchester area while overcoming personal difficulties.

Fans of my blog will know that I have followed the genesis, birth and growth of DI Ridpath ('just Ridpath') from the beginning under the penmanship of Mancunian author, MJ Lee. This series is a thrilling clash of thrills, spills and chills - combining the thumb turning efficiency of Lee Child with the prolific nature of James Patterson. Lee is able to weave a wonderful world of police work, the pressures they are under to get results whilst there being changes in the world as computer analysis and data seemingly attempts to alter the hunches a policeman would have had in the past.

This tale set amidst the still ongoing global pandemic makes the book feel current and now with its heart on the pulse of current affairs much like the work of pulp and dime novels would have been in a by-gone era; and there is a by-gone quality to our lead character. He seemingly is a maverick who works with the coroner but also has a foot in the police camp - this makes him a rogue in some people's eyes but also respected by others, and not adverse to putting some people's noses out of joint.

This case starts with the discovery of human hands in a backpack by a team of YouTube ghost hunters in an old abandoned children's home. The case then collides with that of an 11 year disappearance of a 16 year old in 2009 and the requirement for a death certificate to be approved to the family of that young girl. Ridpath uncovers the connection between the two cases thanks to a missing social worker who looked the other way when sexual abuse occurred at the children's home with shady callbacks to one Jimmy Saville.

The book does take a while to come together, but the timeline of one week for everything to unravel helps propel the second half of the book to something that is all consuming and impressive.

Lee writes again with such panache that it does surprise this reader that the book is not read by a larger more deserving audience. Go read this book and you shall not be disappointed.

WHEN THE GUILTY CRY is out now on all book formats

The End of Men - Christina Sweeney-Bird

Debut novel from Christina Sweeney-Bird out from Harper Collins in April 2021.

This debut novel by Ms. Sweeney-Bird is due for release in April of 2021, a full year since lockdown took a hold of the UK following the gradual rising and growth of Covid-19 across the globe having started in Wuhan, China in January 2020 moving westward around the globe landing fully in Italy mostly in mainland Europe before hitting our shores in the United Kingdom in late February and early March culminating in the life-changing decision to go into lockdown and all the societal changes that came with it.

Now, S-B (a freelance writer from London who has appeared in the Independent/Huffington Post who started writing her book in March 2018) has done a neat twist on the virus thriller and while the Covid-19 pandemic has had no discrimination against who it kills, S-B takes the premise of a plague that only attacks the male, this means losing half the population in the world - and what are the effects of this upon the world in due course.

Author of The End of Men - Christina Sweeney-Bird

S-B goes to lengths to consider what will happen, 90% of the world's male population vanishes (much like The Leftovers or Thanos' snap) and it is left to the women of the world from not only finding a vaccine to save the planet, but how to shepherd the world back to normality - women have to take up all the labour jobs left by no men (rubbish collection, lorry driving, electricians) as well as taking up high positions in government and legislation.

The breakneck pace of the book (and I devoured this book in 4 days) starts in Glasgow, as a young and fit man comes into Glasgow with supposed flu symptoms - yet no matter how much A&E doctor Amanda Maclean does to stem his temperature, inject him with steroids he dies within a matter of hours. The fear grips the ward and Maclean attempts to reach out to her medical community to raise the alarm of a possible pandemic, she is shunned due to past indiscretions and ignored. Ultimately, S-B makes the case that it would not be avoided and the plague would have happened.

As a piece of science fiction, which as a genre always makes us more aware of our own world than we realise, it shows how the human race must adapt to make the world viable and liveable again; the writer also cleverly shows females of all ages, races and classes to show the extent of the pressure of all that happens - from losing loved ones and the grief that is overcoming to all yet the need to carry on is paramount yet each women gets her moment to shine. 

What is most pleasing about this book is that following some recent reading of books to review which were nothing but underwhelming this was a book that made this reader glad to be reading for pleasure, getting great joy from the experience and as a male reader a unique insight into the female psyche when it comes to fight or flee and strive to survive.

I first wrote this review in January of this year, early into the second lockdown of our nation. The most surprising and pleasant thing of re-reading my review ahead of the release this Thursday 29th April, is that this remains the best book I read during that lockdown period - ironically, looking into the possible threats of a true global killer where nearly half the population is gone. 

This is a book about the endurance of the human spirit and the resilience of the human heart in adapting to a major change in the social structure of our everyday life - it is a book that resonates with this reader still and it surely will be one of the book's of the years. It was a privilege to review this title and to share the word of mouth of this topic work.

The End of Men is published by HarperCollins/Borough Press on Thursday 29th April,

Exclusive Interview with Christina Sweeney-Bird, author of THE END OF MEN

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Christina Sweeney-Bird, author of the brilliant new novel THE END OF MEN published by Borough Press

What was the genesis of The End of Men and when did you start writing the first draft? 

I read WORLD WAR Z by Max Brooks when I was 21 or 22 and found it hugely engaging. I completely believed that the zombie war it described was real and found the breadth of stories around the world in that book very compelling. Then I read THE POWER by Naomi Alderman in early 2018 and found myself thinking, what would the world look like if women weren’t more physically powerful than men but completely outnumbered them? I felt that telling that story through many viewpoints would be the most engaging way to do it. I started writing it on 1 September 2018

When the pandemic took hold in early 2020, what were your instant reactions? 

I remember first hearing about it and not quite knowing how to feel. It felt so bizarre that the kind of news that normally belongs in fiction was now on BBC News and being emailed around by friends and colleagues going, ‘Have you seen this?’ Then, as I read more about it,  I felt total horror. Having done a lot of research into pandemics in the course of researching THE END OF MEN, as soon as I saw that the virus was spreading I thought, ‘Oh God it’s going to go global’. 

What research did you incorporate into your novel to gain knowledge of the different countries your novel visits? 

I grew up in Glasgow and live in London so those two settings came very naturally to me. Other than that, I find films, TV and plenty of online research tend to help with getting a sense of a place.

When did you decide to go away from the Amanda Maclean narrative as a lone central protagonist story and instead a tale of all women in this story?  

Right from the beginning I knew I would have lots of narrators, it was just a question of how many. The first draft had over 40 points of view which I then reduced down in the course of a heavy rewrite with my agent. Amanda and Lisa are the two most consistent POVs - they didn’t change much in the rewrite, I just expanded their stories. 

You start the story in Scotland, Glasgow specifically with such affection is this where you are from originally? 

Yes, I grew up in Glasgow and my parents are both from Glasgow. It’s such a wonderful city and has such a no-nonsense, determined sensibility. It made perfect sense that Amanda would be in Glasgow as the pandemic began.

What is your background as this is your debut novel? 

I studied Law at Cambridge University and work as a corporate litigation lawyer in the City. I always wanted to write and would start writing a novel every summer from the age of 15 (and inevitably fail to get past 10,000 words). As time went on, I read more and got better until when I was 25 I managed to finish my first novel which had taken two years. That novel was in a different genre and didn’t land me an agent but I had some encouraging responses from the agents I sent it to. I started writing THE END OF MEN as soon as I finished that novel, knowing it was an idea I wanted to explore, and here we are!

What is your personal Covid-19 history, how have you adapted much like your female characters?

 

I caught COVID in March 2020 which was challenging but also I’m very lucky to have only been ill for two weeks and now fully recovered. I think I have adapted pretty well to the changed world but I’m very aware that circumstances differ enormously and your circumstances have a huge influence on how affected you are. I read somewhere that we’re all in the same storm but we’re not in the same boat. That really resonated. I’m able to work from home (both as a lawyer and an author) and spent a lot of Spring with my family in Glasgow but not everyone is able to do that.

How do you feel the world will adjust/adapt (a central theme of the novel) post-pandemic? 

I have a fundamental belief in human resilience and optimism. I truly believe that people can adapt to almost anything. I think - no matter how the pandemic itself plays out - we will manage to adjust and hopefully keep our healthcare systems, the arts, workplaces and other industries going.

What are your hopes for the novel come April? And can you mention your relationship with Borough Press? 

I hope the book reaches as wide an audience as possible and I would love to be able to in person book events if it’s safe to do. Borough have been really brilliant. My editor, Carla, has been such a champion right from the first days after my agent sent the book out on submission and the publicity, marketing and other teams are so clever and innovative. I feel very lucky to be working with them.

What have you been reading lately as your twitter feed attests to, what can you recommend? 

I’ve been in an Ann Patchett phase; I read THE DUTCH HOUSE and COMMONWEALTH both of which I absolutely adored. I read a lot of romance and YA fantasy (my comfort genres) so I’ve read five Julia Quinn novels over the last few months. Her most popular series, the BRIDGERTONS, is now a Netflix show being aired in December and if you like the sound of witty, feminist, engaging historical romance you’ll love her. I’ve also become a huge Sarah J Maas fan over lockdown. Oh, and THE LAST ACT OF LOVE by Cathy Retzenbrink was gorgeously written and made me cry.

Any advice for freelancers or young writers out there? 

Keep going! So many authors take multiple books to get an agent and/or publishing deal so don’t be disheartened if it doesn’t happen straight away. Finish the manuscript; you can’t do anything with an unfinished book. And read, read, read. Both broadly across different genres and deeply in the genre you’re writing in. I think it’s Caitlin Moran who says that no one else will ever have read the exact mix of books you’ve read so make sure you’re reading lots of different things to make your voice as unique and interesting as possible. I find romance helps with writing compelling characters, thrillers make my writing more gripping, women’s fiction teaches how to pace well and literary fiction/memoir teaches you beautiful, illustrative turns of phrase. Different types of books help in different ways.

THE END OF MEN is published by Borough Press/Harper Collins on Thursday 29th April 

Blood Ties - Brian McGilloway

 

New book in Ben Devlin series by Brian McGilloway

Brian McGilloway won huge acclaim last year with the brilliant novel THE LAST CROSSING, before that he wrote a series of books featuring Ben Devlin a maverick of sorts in the police force near the borderlands of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland with all the political ramifications that go with the character's proximity.

The Last Crossing was a standalone novel and a mediation on the coping of grief when one event can haunt you but also set you on a path in your life with no looking back.

On more familiar ground with a returning lead protagonist, Devlin is investigating a case that also looks back at the past and how it can have such a grip on people. 

'How can a dead woman avenge herself on her killer twenty years after her murder?'

That is the question posed to Devlin as he investigates a murdered body in a bedsit, a chill washes over him when the identity of the victim is Brooklyn Harris. Devlin knew of the case when Harris was convicted of murdering one Hannah Row on a night out which included sexual assault of the young victim on that occasion. As a minor, Harris was granted a new name when released from prison and yet his passing throws light on the question of how to grief for any victim, irrespective of the nefarious nature of the person involved.

As Devlin attempts to investigate he finds obstacles by people and colleagues who feel that particular victim - Harris - should be buried as quickly as possible in essence good riddance to bad criminals. 

McGilloway crafts a novel full of intrigue and compulsion, touching on religion, the pressure on the youth from peers, vigilant justice against sexual assaulters in the social media age and Devlin having to cope with the impending Covid-19 pandemic upon his loved ones especially his ailing father who he removes from a care home and takes in to be near him.

The swiftness with which McGilloway can go from one narrative thread to another so neatly and succinctly is a skill that familiar readers will be aware of but new readers will greatly appreciate.

A writer of real intelligence has again created a work of fiction that is both real and emotive basing it within a very familiar world as the fear of a pandemic takes over, but a gripping and entertaining crime read of real nous and skill

Blood Ties is available now on all formats.

My thanks to DHH Literary Agency for the review opportunity.

The Law of Innocence - Michael Connelly

THE NEW LINCOLN LAWYER NOVEL OUT 10TH NOVEMBER

Highly enjoyable entry into the Mickey Haller universe with guest appearances by half-brother, Harry Bosch.

Ordinarily with Haller stories, he is facing down the law on the side of the victim, chasing for clues and crooked cops as he seeks justice for the person he is defending and sometimes those he defend are not all they seem.

In this new story from the prolific Connelly, Mickey - the famous Lincoln Lawyer so well adapted in the 2011 thriller directed by Brad Furman and written for the screen by John Romano, and famously portrayed by the smooth-talking Matthew McConnaughey - is himself charged with murder after a routine traffic stop finds a body in his trunk, one that Mickey cannot explain but as the victim is a former client of his who owed him money it gets all a bit convoluted. 

The book descends into more a courtroom tussle, and puts Mickey in a difficult situation. He has to prove that he is not innocent just not guilty which is the law within the courtroom, he is worried that his professional career will suffer if he is not properly acquited and wishes an apology from the court and District Attorney if possible. Constantly the law of innocence is asked as Mickey staves off the first degree murder charges against him.

                                  

The swiftness of plot and effortless character arc and narrative is second to none; the inclusion of Bosch is deliberate but not overbearing, as a secondary character from his own universe may overtake proceedings but Bosch serves as an important part of Mickey's defence team to seek the truth.

I spent the whole time with the voices of Matthew McConnaughey and Titus Weliver in my head; this would be a tale ripe for adaptation - and Connelly makes it very much of the here and now with the tale taking place over November 2019 to March 2020 with the threat and worry over a possible pandemic incoming to the populus of Los Angeles, with little touches such as people wearing masks and general unknowingness of an impending doom.

As a fan of Connelly's work and the Amazon Prime original series Bosch this is thoroughly enjoyable fare of the highest order from a writer working at full speed and the top of his game.

The Law of Innocence is published on November 10th from Orion Books

When The Past Kills - MJ Lee

Book Five of the DI Ridpath series is out on September 24th from Canelo

MJ Lee has developed quite a niche in recent times, his creation Detective Ridpath first appeared in the latter part of 2018 and since then Lee has written with a breakneck pace of regularity providing the fifth tale of his cancer survivor Detective Inspector who has to overcome office politics, his own career aspirations and the criminals of the Manchester underworld.

From the second tale Where The Dead Fall, which was this reviewer's introduction to the series, Ridpath has this relatable everyman quality that comes across in the page; not once in the second book did this reader feel left out of a secret club with the first book narrative being relayed quickly and called back at times without leaving the reader none the wiser.

In this new book When The Past Kills, Ridpath is centre to an investigation where people who wrongly jailed an innocent man before getting the guilty coroner are being subjected to assaults, scare mongering, one by one a chain of command is being followed including online deaths to the dark web, hangings by live feed - Ridpath is in a race against time before he becomes the next victim of the serial attacker.

Lee writes with such a whipcrack rhythm full of short chapters incorporating a range of character arcs, story development and dialogue which is both expositional but gripping; set amidst the gloom of Manchester - Lee is at pains to paint this city as much of a character as his protagonists.

Every Ridpath book is one to relish, as it serves up tales that are full of tension and enjoyment - a sense of satisfaction is apparent and this book also features one hell of a cliffhanger, leaving his reader eagerly anticipating Book 6 which will hopefully drop

When The Past Kills is out on 24th September from Canelo Publishing and all formats

When The Dead Speak - Sheila Bugler

The second novel by Eastbourne based novelist Sheila Bugler out from Canelo

Bugler turned some heads with her debut novel I Could Be You released at the start of this year (which seems like ages ago), featuring a gripping page-turning tale set in and around the Southern coastal stretch of Eastbourne with train trips to South London.

This time Bugler takes a tale that is very much based upon you never really know what goes on in your own town and how secrets stay with families.

Dee Doran returns, typically tenacious and takes it upon herself to find out what has happened to a missing Polish immigrant set against a police investigation of a young woman, which her boyfriend detective cannot work on due to a conflict of interest.

Told with real care and precision by Bugler who builds out from the relationships we hold dear, it is key to see how relationships are tested by a see-all community and how such relationship is held in public view.

Again featuring a strong female protagonist, Bugler weaves a narrative that is gripping and finishes strong after a somewhat slow beginning, akin to her contemporary and Canelo stable mate, Marion Todd

For fans of Fiona Barton's work, this is a novel that can be devoured in quick time.

When The Dead Speak is out on July 9th from Canelo 

Lies To Tell - Marion Todd

The 3rd book in the DI Clare Mackay series is released from Canelo on 25th June, written by Marion Todd

Marion Todd is a Scottish writer, which is perhaps wrong to put here in that stable of Scotland as a writer, but the book she writes is so of the region that it makes sense to attach that stigma to her.  Todd is also what you would consider no spring chicken, and is a writer making up for lost time.

Her Clare Mackay character has now appeared in three books, and each book has appeared within the last 15 months in a brilliant period of publishing by Canelo which they have done before with MJ Lee's DI Ridpath series which has had four releases in as many years.

This is not unusual for writers to be prolific, John Grisham and Lee Child the biggest selling writers on the planet release a new work like clockwork with James Patterson operating now a factory line of consumption for thriller readers.

Yet, this is not like pulp fiction or dime novels, Todd is writing a character that is both relatable, honest and eye-opening; to get a woman of a certain age writing about a woman of a certain age who is good at her profession yet struggling with the perception that she should be settling down for a family in the eyes of other people and society.

Mackay showed in the second book In Plain Sight, that she is an industrious individual, pragmatic and believable, respected by her peers in the pursuit of rescuing an abducted child.

Lies To Tell finds Mackay again at the crossroads of her relationship status, her love Geoffrey (a professor) has moved to Boston for his work and Mackay is enjoying her work, work is busy as always in the police force yet the action picks up straight away with her being picked up by her superior Alan to go to a meeting with a mysterious computer specialist Gayle, who may or may not know about a possible leak in the St. Andrews squad in relation to an ongoing trial.

Gayle asks to be positioned in the headquarters to try and sniff out the leak, then a sub-plot of students going missing yet with lots of money in their bank accounts open up a can of worms.  This is coupled with Mackay succumbing to temptation with Alan her superior, and becoming friendly with Gayle. If Todd did not take the plot so seriously, the narrative of Mackay having two very heavy sessions at home would be played for comedy yet Mackay knows this is a break in character and a sign of weakness which her partner, loyal Chris mentions to her.

Personally, this reader found the book a bit harder to get into compared to the two previous books written by Todd, this may have been my personal circumstances yet my adage is start slowly but finish strong especially in crime or thriller tomes - and this rings true of the plot for this novel with Todd cleverly painting this ominous air of paranoia and fear for Mackay as she gets deeper into understanding the source of the leak and for this Todd should be praised. The ending is dynamic and gripping which is exactly what you need and for this reader expects of her after three novels now.

Lies To Tell is out on 25th June from Canelo Press.

Fair Warning - Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly returns with a new gripping thriller for the page turner this Summer.

Connelly the writer behind Harry Bosch, returns with another character he has written before - Jack McEvoy; a journalist for a consumer website who is on the hunt for a serial killer of women.

McEvoy himself has his baggage, a broken relationship with his love who was his source and she lost her job for that, to save him jail time.

Connelly as ever is in the Los Angeles setting as his milieu and playground; traversing from Downtown to Hollywood to Pasadena to Cedars Senai. These landmarks are all prevalent in our minds eye so a well read reader will be able to picture most of the action, it is down to Connelly to keep us entertained.

That he does in bundles as McEvoy has to combat two policemen who have it in for him as a suspect when a body pops up not far from McEvoy. That sets in motion the wheels for the narrative of a story that involves genetics and genealogy as the plot revolves around women with broken history looking for a link for their past which they believe to be an answer in their own DNA, using those online DNA profiling.

The twist is that the dark web gets ahold of this private information, and then sell it to women-hating cell groups who then pick off women who are risky propositions and then easy targets for a serial killer.

McEvoy untangles this dark web of intrigue and uncovers a conspiracy involving unsavoury characters whose motives are nothing but welcoming, culminating in a showdown with the character calling himself 'The Shirke' so named after a carnivorous bird, a man who believes himself to be atop of the flighted food chain.

Connelly cleverly writes his narrative to build McEvoy as both an investigator but also the fear of being a suspect, and how closely the police work with the awareness and fear themselves of making mistakes a theme familiar to viewers of the Bosch television series.

As ever, Connelly writes with a swiftness and clarity which is refreshing as ever and will be enjoyed by old and new fans alike. One of the world's best thriller writers has done it again.

Fair Warning is out now on all formats.

Brian McGilloway Q&A

Last week I reviewed the new release from Brian McGilloway, the New York Times Bestselling author, with his new thriller The Last Crossing. A stand alone novel that looks at how actions can have ever lasting consequences.

After excitedly reading the book, the author granted me the pleasure of an interview which I can share with you now.

What was the genesis of The Last Crossing following your series of books, why a standalone novel now?

With each book, I simply write the story I want to tell. Usually, that fits in to one of the two series, but with this book it didn’t. I liked the idea of looking at 3 ordinary people who do something terrible for what they all believe to be justified reasons and who have to face that again 30 years later. I was interested in how each would have changed, how what they had done would have changed them, and the manner in which each had attempted or failed to reconcile themselves with what they had done. From the beginning, I knew this wasn’t going to be a police procedural, nor did I want it to be.

How easy was it to juggle the two timelines was it like writing two stories at same time or separately then edited?

No, I wrote one straight into the next using concatenation where the final phrase of one chapter opens the next. It was to create continuity between past and present and also to link the two more closely. It’s a technique used in a medieval poem called The Pearl which I’ve tried to use a few times before – most obviously in Little Girl Lost where I had two narratives connected in this way in the first draft. After hitting a block about three quarters of the way through, I realised it wasn’t working for that book and removed both it and the entire second narrative. I’ve been wanting to use it since and thankfully, in this book, the technique suited the structure and theme more obviously and finally worked for me. I found using it helped create impetus in the actual writing of the novel.

You are from Londonderry, the Troubles was more a way of life than a snapshot, was it easy to write about from memory having been born there?

I love Derry and am very proud to have grown up there. It suffered a lot through the years of violence to the extent that its personality and sense of identity have been changed by it in some ways. That reflects the way in which all of us who grew up through it were similarly changed by it in ways – some more obviously than others. The book, I hope, reflects the various gradations of impact the violence had on the various characters.

The story is about looking back at life's regrets do you have any?

I suppose we all have moments of wondering ‘what if?’ – the Road Not Taken moments. With the story between Tony and Karen, I’d say the influence of Tom Waits’ Martha is there – someone looking back on how their life’s course has gone in a completely different course from the one they’d expected and how we react when faced with that realisation as we meet someone we once loved. Larkin’s Dockery and Son deals with a similar moment of terrible clarity. My own regrets tend to focus on friendships lost more than choices not made – we all make our choices and live with them after all. I’m very lucky and blessed in so many ways, it would be churlish to regret.

What are your hopes for the book? 

It’s a book of which I’m quite protective. I just hope it finds any kind of readership and finds kindred souls to whom it speaks. It’s a challenge to get people reading Northern Irish fiction, so finding someone who’d not ordinarily have read fiction from here would be a bonus!

Did the speed and economy of the book come from editing or down to the jumping back and forth of timelines to induce this whip crack nature of looking back and forward ?

I suspect it’s a reflection of how I write. The book was written very quickly once I got started – and benefitted from the support of a number of friends and crime writing peers who read it and encouraged me along the way. I tend to write in short bursts – maybe an hour or so per day – and aim to keep things moving. I get bored with slow narratives myself, if I’m honest.

Do you miss teaching full time?

No – I still teach full time. I took a sabbatical for two years when my kids were younger to help look after them but have been back teaching for 5 years now. I still love it – though it does make writing a book a year almost impossible for me at least, thus the longer break between books. The characterisation of the younger character in the novel who drives the other three around was informed by great advice from a group of my former students who’ve all kept in contact with each other and me. It’s a privilege to introduce young minds to great literature for the first time and to spend your days talking about books you love.

What advice would you give to any would be authors?

Trust your instincts. Read widely, but don’t try to guess the market or write for the market – instead produce a work of which you are proud and can stand over and it’ll find a readership eventually. Writing is about connecting with a reader – the size of the readership will vary from book to book, but the essential connection stays the same and that’s the important bit.

How have you coped with self-isolation?

We’ve four kids so with six of us in the house altogether it’s been pretty busy. Plus I’m still teaching remotely, so the days pass quickly enough. I’ve great plans to get another book written and to read loads: I’m chipping away slowly at both…

My thanks to Dome Press for the review opportunity.