ANN CLEEVES - THE WOMAN ON THE ISLAND (2022)

 

Synopsis/blurb ...

Ann Cleeves returns with a delicious short story featuring DCI Vera Stanhope.

Set before The Rising Tide, Vera goes on a day trip to Holy Island, eager to escape the pressures of work. When there she is reminded of the day decades earlier when she, as a teenager, went with her father Hector on another day trip, and the mystery woman he met there . . .

Vera already knew then that Hector kept secrets, but this time the fledgling investigator was determined to find the truth, never realizing it would mean taking her first step onto a path to becoming a detective.

A short read to kickstart the month of October. I'm in a bit of a reading slump. I've had a few books on the go, but haven't really been able to get into them so far. A short story from a new-to-me author, one whose characters I've enjoyed seeing come to life on the TV, will hopefuly give me a bit of impetus.

Half the 24 page Kindle freebie is devoted to the story itself. The other half is a preview/first two chapters introduction to The Rising Tide. 

The story is set on Holy Island and could almost be classed as Vera's first case with a bit of snooping on her dad. She follows him when he meets a woman on the beach. I'm guessing Vera has a difficult relationship with Hector, her father. Prudence dictates, she doesn't ask him what he's been upto. Years later, she meets the woman again and gets the answers to some questions that have obviously stayed with her through time.  

I enjoyed the writing and the description of the island. I liked the little bit of ambiguity at the end of the tale. Vera's tenacity, intelligence and inquisitive nature and already well established as a teenager.

4 stars from 5

I'm minded to read at least one of the Vera Stanhope (and Jimmy Perez - Shetland) novels one day, though I'm not in a rush to pick one up immediately. Hopefully Ann Cleeves has given me back my reading mojo! Time will tell.      

Read - October, 2022

Published - 2022

Page count - 24

Source - purchased copy, albeit an Amazon FREEBIE

Format - Kindle

LIAM SWEENY - MOONLIGHTING AT THE BODY DUMP (2022 - MAYBE, MAYBE NOT)

Synopsis/blurb ...

None as yet. 

I got a sneak peek at an unpublished manuscript which depending on the author's thoughts/muse/inspiration may get a tweak or two and eventually get published. Or may not depending on how he prioritises his current WIPs. 

Thoughts then mainly for my own amusement and to satisfy my own OCD tendencies.

I read it through and really liked it.

We have a main character, who works at illegal body disposal for criminals usually, though anyone if they have the money and the discretion to accompany it. He's in the criminal life, though prefers to operate on the fringes, kind of semi-independently. His links to organised crime go back to his youth.

He likes the girl at the grocery store, but is too shy to do anything about, preferring to imagine the 'what could be scenario' in his head. She takes up with a guy, who he thinks is bad news. 

The plot thickens with the murder of his best friend and a threat to 'supermarket girl', by some big hitters running some child trafficking ring for nefarious purposes. Our guy (name escapes me) hooks up with another dude to get to the bottom of things. Things go a bit pear-shaped before our man ends up in total conflict with his former childhood friends.

Oh and just to add some more intrigue to the shenanigans, his aged Granny, God Bless Her, was a Russian sniper in the war and a dab hand at taking out Nazis. Time has not diminished her feistiness and attitude.

To be fair, the script needs a bit of a polish, (probably not as much as these garbled, twisted thoughts of a review). I enjoyed the story, there's a certain quirkiness to the tale. I can't recall reading about a main character with our man's speciality. The characters and relationship dynamics are interesting, particularly in regards to the object of his affections. Eventually he does make a move in the direction of romantic fulfillment, which was a result. Shit or get off the pot as my mum used to say. (She didn't actually.)   

4 from 5

Liam Sweeny has been read and enjoyed before - Street Whispers, last year. I'll be reading him again in the future.

Read - September, 2022

Published - not yet, maybe never

Page count - 284

Source - uncorrected manuscript from author

Format - PDF read on laptop

CRAIG A. HART - SERENITY ENGULFED (2018)

 

Synopsis/blurb ...

When Shelby's daughter, Leslie, fails to show up at his cabin for her long-planned visit to northern Michigan, he's concerned, but makes excuses.

When her car is found abandoned by the side of a tree-lined highway, he fears the worst.

When her cellphone appears on his front porch, he knows something terrible has happened, and that he is to blame.

Enlisting the help of the new county sheriff, Shelby launches a search for Leslie, all the while dealing with a prostitute in fear for her life, a sexy writer interested in writing his life story, and the long-banished ghosts of his own past.

Familiar enemies resurface in this blazing new thriller that finds Shelby racing against time to save the most important person in his life: his own child.

Serenity Engulfed is the fifth installment in Craig A. Hart's series of eight books featuring ex-boxer Shelby Alexander. I've enjoyed the previous four and this one was no exception. It never scaled the heights of amazing, but it was entertaining enough.

Decent main character, whose company I enjoy. Interesting dynamics between Shelby and best friend Mac, who always seems to pop up in Shelby's life when the brown stuff hits the fan. There's also a new sheriff in town, hopefully an honest one! She's a feisty Irishwoman, who seems to have a gift of second sight, anticipating Shelby's moves and actions, as he attempts to resolve his daughter's disappearance/kidnapping in his own inimitable way - decisive action and let's not worry too much about legalities.  

There's other things happening as well. A prostitute gets a severe beating and an ex-girlfriend tries to get Shelby to step in and help. We get a bit more detail on Shelby's upbringing and past and some of it comes to the fore with a few ghosts and demons to overcome. There's even time for a bit of flirting with one of the locals, an ex-school friend of Shelby's who assists with some groundwork in Shelby's hunt for his girl.

Fast moving, enjoyable, and entertaining enough. Maybe the odd story strand  - a writer interested in writing a book on Alexander - was a bit unnecessary, as I don't think it really added anything to the tale, other than padding it out for a bit.

Overall, not bad - 3.5 stars from 5

Serenity Submerged (2017),  Assignment: Athens (2017), Serenity Avenged (2017), Serenity Stalked (2017)  and Serenity (2016) are my previous encounters with Hart's work. 

Read - (listened to) September, 2022

Published - 2018

Page count - 160 (3 hrs 50 mins)

Source - Audible purchase

Format - Audible

DOUGLAS R. BROWN - A WICKED LINE (2022)

 

Synopsis/blurb ...

From the author of "A Firefighter Christmas Carol" comes a different kind of serial killer tale.

There is a wicked line that vigilantes must never cross.

The year is 1994, and Jackson Foster’s life is about to change forever.

After an encounter with a drunk driver leaves him scarred and depressed, Jackson is desperate to find a way out of his personal hell. When he discovers the thrill of punishing criminals the law can’t or won’t deal with, he thinks he’s found a way. But what if he gets a little too much enjoyment from meting out justice? And what if his “justice” is anything but?

There is a wicked line that vigilantes must never cross. Jackson is heading straight for it.

"This book is brilliantly conceived and equally well-narrated. You’ll find in it a uniquely crafted blend of fast-paced action, humor, the dark thoughts that dwell in us, mercurial twists, etc. cast against a creepy background that’s unquestionably enjoyable!" ~Reedsy review

I didn't mind the writing style, and didn't mind the narration. Some of the interchanges between the main character Jackson Foster and his best friend were enjoyable, as were some of the 90s cultural references. That was it for plusses.

The rest I didn't like. I didn't buy the plot of the main character's motivation - to become a crusader for justice vigilante style. (And I'm usually a sucker for a revenge tale and some street justice!) I just found it contrived, and lame and ridiculous. The rest of the book was a hard slog, akin to swimming through treacle I'm afraid.

I couldn't empathise with the main character, who struggled after a life changing accident. I just felt annoyed at his self-pity and wallowing, while his wife tried to keep the family afloat as chief breadwinner and main carer for their young boy. Jackson larded it around doing sweet FA, before reinventing himself as a vigilante. That was the cue for much eye-rolling which pretty much didn't stop until we were done.

One to quickly forget and move on from. Next! 

In the interests of balance - the guy from Reedsy who read it loved it and there are a couple of 5 star reviews on Amazon for it. Some people obviously liked it. At the end of the day it's only my opinion and as they say - opinions are like a-holes. Everyone's got one.

2 stars from 5

Read - (listened to) September, 2022

Published - 2022

Page count - 344 (7 hrs 30 mins)

Source - Audible 

Format - Audible

SEPTEMBER 2022 - ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY - 6 OF THE BEST!

 Six more good looking books ...

Colin Conway - Cutler's Bargain (2022) - review copy from author

Cutler's Bargain is the fifth in the author's Cutler series. I've enjoyed the previous entries in the series, even though, Cutler isn't my favourite of Colin Conway's characters.

Cutler's Return

Cutler's Chase

Cutler's Friend

Cutler's Cases

What will it take to stop a drug war? John Cutler is about to find out.

Private investigator John Cutler only wants a peaceful day of drinking at his favorite bar. When a woman interrupts his afternoon with the promise of a lucrative payday, things heat up in his world.

Soon, Cutler is embroiled in a world of drugs, gangs, and double-crosses—all things he would like to avoid. For a man trying to live a better life, he’s hanging around the worst of society.

To avoid more spilled blood, Cutler must use something other than his fists—he’s going to have to use his wits.

Cutler’s Bargain is the fifth book in this gripping series from Colin Conway, the author of the 509 Crime Stories and the Flip-Flop Detective. If you like hard-hitting crime fiction, then you’ll love this book.

Grab Cutler’s Bargain today and join the action!

Frank Zafiro - Live and Die This Way (2022) - review copy from author

Fourth entry in Frank Zafiro's SpoCompton series, I've loved the first three!

At Their Own Game

In the Cut

All the Pieces Fall

Billie Jo Higgins may be small, but she is a skilled burglar, using her craft to keep her and Toby, her addict twin brother, afloat in a hard world. It is a difficult life, but the two are surviving. They take care of each other.

Then B.J. stumbles into the wrong house at the wrong time and sees something she shouldn't. The explosive secret she now holds is dangerous, and the person it threatens immediately pursues B.J. with the solitary intent of silencing her forever.

Suddenly, "survival" takes on a whole new meaning...

(*NOTE: Jack McCrae mysteries, Sandy Banks thrillers, and Stanley Melvin PI Stories also take place in the shared universe of the SpoCompton series)

Matt Orlando - Truncated: Apocalyptic and Loving It! (2017) - Amazon purchase

Not quite sure how I 'discovered' this book, but it looks like fun.

A darkly hilarious look into the apocalypse… and us.

Bill is a small fish in the big ocean that is Orange County California. He just can’t reach the top, and he just can’t let that fact go. He’s miserable and miserably bored. But when a series of natural and man-induced calamities brings the apocalypse into high gear, Bill’s life finally gets interesting. He’s a lone wolf in a crazy new world and he’s loving it. That is, until he becomes the reluctant leader of a band of misfit survivors who are putting a damper on his newfound coolness. With any luck, they’ll make it to his mom’s in NorCal without getting shot.

Anthony Neil Smith - Trooper Down (2023) - review copy from Net Galley

Not out until next year and not much of a blurb, but I'm a fan of Anthony Neil Smith's work. A no-brainer that I would want to read this.

Psychological thriller in the Hitchcock tradition told in first person by a South Dakota State Trooper who is shot in the head and tries to redeem himself.

John H. Arbor - Joe Broderick's Woman (1978) - purchased copy

Trucker crime! Recently featured and reviewed by Paperback Warrior, I thought I'll have some of that.

A NOVEL OF CRIME, ADVENTURE, AND LOVE

TO KEEP HIS WOMAN, JOE BRODERICK TAKES ON THE CRIME LORD, SARTORIUS ROTH. BUT ROTH WANTS TO TERRORIZE HIS OWN SYNDICATE. TO DO THIS HE PLANS TO EXECUTE JOE'S WOMAN IN FRONT OF HIS OWN MEN. THE CLOCK IS RUNNING AND JOE MUST BEAT IT IF HE'S TO SAVE ALETHA'S LIFE. 

Scott Turow - Suspect (2022) - review copy from Isis Audio

Scott Turow is an author I've been meaning to read for years. Now's my chance.

The scandalous new novel from the godfather of the legal thriller.

Lucia Gomez is a female police chief in a man’s world and she’s walked a fine line to succeed at the top. Now a trio of police officers in Kindle County have accused her of soliciting sex for promotions and she’s in deep.

Rik Dudek is an attorney and old friend of Lucia’s. He’s the only one she can trust, but he’s never had a headline criminal case. This ugly smear campaign is already breaking the internet and will be his biggest challenge yet.

Clarice ‘Pinky’ Granum is a fearless PI who plays by her own rules. Her 4-D imagination is her biggest asset when it comes to digging up dirt for Rik but not all locks are best picked.

It’s cops against cops in this hive of lies. And it will take more than honeyed words from the defence to change the punchline and save the Chief from her own cell.

ED KURTZ - FREIGHT (2018)

 

Synopsis/blurb …

To Enoch and Doc, two down and out men working as railway brakemen in an impoverished Texas town, it seemed like a simple enough heist: steal the copper wire off a train in the middle of the night.

But the boxcar contains more than metal. Soon lives are at stake and an unfathomable evil has to be dealt with. And there is no one in Blackwood, Texas for the job but a no-account ex-con.

"In less sure hands, Freight would be an unending train of grief, but Ed Kurtz has this amazing ability to present the darkest corners of society, and then reveal the good and decent human heart that beats underneath." -Rob Hart, author of The Woman from Prague

A tough, hard-hitting novella about some of the worst of mankind, contrasted by humanity, decency and kindness. Flip sides of a coin.

Enoch Ford is an ex-con working casually on the railways. He's kind of drifting around, enjoying a few drinks and some cards with the boys after shift and dossing down in a cheap motel or flophouse. He partners up with Doc to steal some copper wire from a freight car in the middle of the night. Instead of wire, they encounter crates of plastic dolls and something a lot more precious - three small, young, frightened children who speak nary a word of English. They have been trafficked and abused and put to work. 

Against Doc's wishes and advice Enoch takes the kids. And someone now wants his property back.

Good, bad, evil, humanity, decency, indifference, conscience - all prominent in this short, compelling narrative. 

I enjoyed this one. I liked the main character, owning his previous mistakes and trying to get on with his life. Albeit still up for a bit of theft to keep the wolf from the door and fatten the old wallet. When presented with a difficult dilemma his choices are an inconvenience to him and put him in danger. Doc equally had more good than bad in him, but was less compelled to intervene and cautioned against Enoch's actions. There's a contrast between being a bystander or witness to evil and having the fortitude to take action. 

Before the end there's bloody conflict, violence and death and in conclusion some reflection. 

4.5 from 5

Ed Kurt's work has been enjoyed before - A Wind of Knives back in 2017.

Read – September, 2022

Published – 2018

Page count – 56

Source – Kindle Unlimited

Format - Kindle

SIMON KING - PRISON DAYS BOOK 1 (2018)

 

Synopsis/blurb …

Stabbings. Rapes. Murders. Welcome to Maximum-Security.

Simon King works in one of the country’s worst maximum-security prisons. These are the true diary entries that describe the nightmare world beyond the walls. It’s a raw and brutal look into the day-to-day running of a place where the prisoners decide your fate.

Get ready for an uncensored trip behind the razor wire, as you experience life inside a place holding the worst offenders imaginable. Experience the horrific assaults, murders, prison gangs and day-to-day chaos that makes this one of the worst jobs on earth. Can you handle a trip into maximum-security?

Prison Days Book 1 is the first in the series. If you enjoy reading about real-life crime, with all its raw and honest details, then you will love the Prison Days series.

Unlock Prison Days Book 1 today and begin your journey behind the walls of one of the most challenging places on the planet.

An interesting account of an Australian prison guard’s daily routine looking after some not particularly nice people. The short book of 60 odd pages is presented matter-of-factly in date order. I can’t remember whether the journal entries ran longer than a week or not, but it’s a moot point, as it’s certainly long enough to get a feel for the author’s working life and how a maximum-security facility in Australia runs. King has shifts on different units within the prison, with varying categories of prisoners and duties depending on where he is and who he's interacting with.

We meet inmates and staff members. We encounter strip searches, cell searches, head-counts, meal times, the issuing of medications, lockdown, smuggling, contraband, a falling out among cellmates, violence, self-harm, camaraderie, trust, friendship, the aftermath of violent rape in the company of the victims, the perpetrator, the medical support team, the investigation and the horror at the apathy and lack of care by the previous shift officers who didn’t want to deal with the allegations and complaint as it was close to their shift end. There's other medical emergencies, in the form of two heart attacks - one an inmate, one a colleague. There's CPR up close and uncomfortable. One man survived, one didn't.

We learn the importance of vigilance, concentration and common sense and respect. As King says, it's the prisoners who get to decide whether he goes home at the end of his shift or not. He's not there to judge the inmates, as that's already happened. He has to remain unemotional and detached, while still remaining human.

The author says it takes a special kind of person to do his job. I'd have to agree. Not a career option I'll be considering a switch to. 

4 from 5

This opener is the first in a series of about 15 books on Simon King's experiences as a prison guard. I'll probably read a few more and see how I go. I don't know that they will all have something new to offer, but I'm pre-judging.

Read – September, 2022

Published – 2018

Page count – 61

Source – Kindle Unlimited

Format – Kindle