Crustaceans by William Meikle

October 14, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Crustaceans by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Killer Crabs Take Manhattan!

A welcome return to those tomes of pure enjoyment that we read with guilt in our early teens, in the tradition of James Herbert’s THE RATS and Guy N. Smith’s NIGHT OF THE CRABS.

It begins with a dead whale on a Boston shoreline–not in itself an unusual occurrence. But the things that claw their way out of the blubber are very unusual indeed.

Giant crabs descend on a small coastal town and, having feasted, make their way to Manhattan, hunted and harried by a SWAT team tasked with ridding the city of the menace…before the menace gets big enough to rid itself of the city.

When flesh eating crabs chew their way out of a dead, beached whale, it’s enough to draw some very serious attention. A number of unusual events revolving around a new found species of crabs soon has the Armed forces sitting up and taking notice, especially when some of their own are taken. It soon becomes clear the crabs are growing – and converging on Manhattan. A small team race to answer why – and how large will these things grow to?

I have been a huge fan of William Meikle’s for a number of years now and this story did not disappoint. A republishing of a previous novel of his I found this was everything about his writing that I love. Giant, monstrous beasties eating everyone in sight. A small and dedicated team hunting them down. Plenty of action, monsters and a rollicking good pace.

Readers who enjoy B grade horror movies and books along the same lines – ones that are here for a good time with plenty of fun – should find this a thoroughly enjoyable tale. I love this author’s S-Squad series and while this isn’t one of that series he admits it was where some of his earlier ideas for that did germinate. Sit back with a large cold drink, switch off your brain and be prepared for a fun, fast paced and excellently written tall tale. With just enough reality to make you think this is a wonderful monster story and one I will happily reread again soon.

With some memorable and enjoyable characters, giant monster crabs that are determined to take over everything and some exceptional fire power, this is a fun and rambunctious story and a brilliant addition to my Meikle library. Recommended.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Operation North Sea by William Meikle

August 2, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Operation North Sea by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The chill grey waters of the North Sea off the Scottish coast are treacherous at the best of times and become even more so when something attacks an offshore oil rig.

An old friend calls for S-Squad’s expertise but what they find is a bigger enemy by far than any they have previously encountered.

This time they’re going to need bigger guns.

The lads from S-Squad are sent just a short jump away onto an oil rig on the chilly waters of the North Sea off the Scottish coastline. While they’re sent away with an old friend what they hadn’t anticipated was the monster they find lurking beneath the dark water is far, far bigger than even they could have imagined.

I really love this series and thoroughly enjoyed this addition. Short and very fast paced, this time more guns and fire power weren’t helpful against the biggest beastie the boys have faced yet. I thought this quick story was exceptionally well thought out by the author and I was very happy with the progress of some of the characters – Wiggins in particular. His character is certainly growing and learning, and I found that a joy to read. A few of the small interactions between Wiggins and Captain Banks in particular really had me feeling there was room for more to come in the next few books.

As always – this series is a rollicking good time. Fine literature and twisty turning complex plots is not the aim of the game here. Rather this is a loud, brash and joyous good time with plenty of drinking, swearing, monsters and bravery. I adore these squaddies and this series and while it’s certainly not needed to have read any of the previous books you’re missing out if you haven’t.

With monsters, brave soldiers and a whole bunch of collateral damage this is a fun and frivolous read that is sure to brighten anyone’s day. I love this series and found this to be a wonderfully good time. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Operation Congo by William Meikle

June 4, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Operation Congo by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A mission to the Congo starts badly for S-Squad and gets worse fast as they trace a team of captured WHO medics to a lost world in the interior.

The Squad are isolated, split up, and face terrors long since thought extinct.

Mokele-mbembe walks this jungle.

And he is not alone.

The S-Squad has been sent deep into the jungles of Congo, far from where even a satellite phone can call for help. A WHO team of medics have been captured and more than just the natives are restless. As usual things quickly move from bad to worse as the team is split up and the monsters start coming from all directions. Can the team and their targets return back to safety?

I absolutely love this series and I was thrilled the Scottish lads finally managed to get a ticket to somewhere warm. I also really enjoyed how a few of the squaddies had some profound growth in their character arcs and this was a true joy to read – along with the big beasties and everyone needing to steer clear of being a tasty snack for the monsters.

If you’ve read even one of the previous books (and I can’t recommend strongly enough you give them all a whirl – this is the best series) you’ll know roughly what to expect. Our team of Scottish heroes are sent into the back of beyond to rescue a group of civilians. Things are nothing like what they appeared to be at first glance and soon monsters are trying to eat everyone in sight.

With loads of bullets flying and more than a few wise cracks from our squaddies this is yet another delightful romp of a book. I was particularly impressed with both the high number (and decent quality and placement) of the quotes managed by the squaddies referencing the movie, Aliens. A few scattered quotes are normal for this series, but in this book the author really outdid himself.

If you’re looking for a complicated plotline or an intricately woven story this won’t suit what you’re after. But if you love a bunch of wise-ass soldiers being brave, fighting the monsters and rollicking along then this is definitely the book for you. I love this series and can strongly recommend them all – especially this addition.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mysterious Island 3: Here Be Dragons by Greig Beck

February 14, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Mysterious Island 3: Here Be Dragons by Greig Beck
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Below the English town of Ipswich a tunnel boring team is digging through solid rock when unexpectedly, they break into an ancient cave system filled with animal bones. Strangely, there were also the remains of men, knights in armor, some crushed, and some seemed to have had their bones and flesh melted. And there was one more thing found: a huge, egg-shaped ruby that glowed like a setting sun.

Just over 2000 miles away, still trapped on the lost island of Lemuria, Troy and Anne know that the time of monstrous beings long thought only existing in our legends or lurking in our nightmares, was returning.

But they now have a chance of escape – they have found the fabled submarine, the Nautilus.

Together, Troy, Anne, the secretive Elle, and the huge Viking woman, Yrsa, work together to break free so they can warn the world of the terror that is coming.

Under the earth on a mysterious island, Troy, Anne, Elle and the huge Viking warrior Yrsa are working together to escape the lost island of Lemuria. They’ve been gone for almost two years, but after surviving death many times they remain determined to return to their world. Will they be successful?

Meanwhile in the town of Ipswich in England a team is boring a tunnel unexpectedly find they break through into an ancient cave system filled with animal bones. The team discover an enormous, egg shaped ruby and all too soon human greed takes over on a journey that can’t be reversed.

This is the third – and technically final – book in the “Mysterious Island” trilogy by Greig Beck. While I do feel this book can be enjoyed by itself and much of the plot is very well explained just be reading this book alone, I do strongly feel the characters, the overall story arc and much of the deeper emotions will be better enjoyed if readers start at the beginning with the first book. I was very relieved and pleased that the bulk of the story throughout this full length novel was centered around Troy, Elle and Anne returning back home. This was the part of the story I was most heavily invested in from the previous two installments.

That said, I thought it was exceedingly clever of Mr. Beck to have incorporated from the beginning a secondary plotline about a new egg/dragon ruby being found in England and the new problems arising from this. A part of me felt very vindicated for Anne – human greed being what it is I nearly despaired of anyone believing her theory about these “dragon rubies” and having Anne proven correct felt wonderful to me. I was also deeply satisfied that even though I felt he was seriously slow on the uptake – Troy finally managed to work out who he could trust and who would turn on him when the opportunity arose.

I must point out that a number of Mr. Beck’s books don’t end on a traditional Happy Ever After (and not even a Happy For Now) style of ending. This is absolutely one of those series. There are a few twists at the end. One of them was fairly clear – to me at least – from early on in this book but another was quite a sharp plot twist right at the end of the book that I really didn’t see coming. Readers who like all their loose threads neatly tied up might not find this to be a fully satisfying ending, so be warned. This also does not have anything close to a traditional ending so readers should be aware of that, as well, going in.

Mr. Beck has loosely mentioned on Facebook that there may be a fourth installment coming. I think I’d be equally fine whether that happened or not. While I completely understand the ending might not be comfortable for everyone and might not be my own personal preference – with exceptional writing, brilliant characters and a fabulous plot a few small niggles can be easily overlooked.

A brilliant trilogy with a solid plot, dragons and Vikings and deep under-ground worlds, adventure and plenty of danger, I feel this book straddles numerous genres and should be a fabulous read for everyone.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Operation Mongolia by William Meikle

July 27, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Operation Mongolia by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

It’s supposed to be a routine job, walking a pair of stranded archaeologists out of the Gobi Desert.

But when the rains come unexpectedly, S-Squad’s troubles are only starting.

There is something in the sand, something red and wriggling.

Thirsty for water.

Hungry for flesh.

When Captain Banks and his team of squaddies are told to head over to the Gobi Desert and collect two archaeologists stranded with Chinese Rebels nearby the entire team hopes they will finally have a simple, regular assignment. And all is going well, initially. They meet up with the two boffins, the squad is ready for the long walk out of the desert to their rendezvous point with a helicopter. Everything is all sorted out. Only then the rains hit and something red, wriggling and with plenty of teeth is waiting for them under the sand – and these critters are thirsty.

I absolutely love this series and am eagerly working my way through them all. They are quite short stories – about 130 pages each or so – but filled with oversized, B-grade monsters, the squaddies are believable, utterly ribald and a bunch of laughs, and usually the plot isn’t overly complicated. I find them wonderful escape fiction when work or life is dragging me down a bit. If you want something deeply plotted, or with a complex puzzle then this isn’t the series you’ll want to grab. If you’re in the mood for something lighthearted with plenty of shoot ‘em up style, a few crass and tasteless jokes and banter with a whole bunch of action and big monster sized beasties – this will suit you perfectly.

I do like how a number of the squaddies are now becoming quite familiar. These books can all absolutely be read independently of each other – and in virtually any order – though I did notice there were a few single sentence long Easter Eggs recalling previous adventures in a few places that really made me chuckle. I found personally it really added a nice zing to the story for me, but I absolutely feel readers who find this book by itself should be very happy to crack it open and give it a try having not read anything previously by this author.

A rambunctious and fun read, this was a lovely lazy afternoon I feel was very well spent. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Operation: Norway by William Meikle

June 7, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Operation: Norway by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

It’s supposed to be a simple sanitation job, a post war scientific base that needs cleansed of anything that might prove incriminating to British and Norwegian governments.

But when the S-Squad try to complete their mission they are pursued in the mountains and fjords by something out of legend.

They have woken a sleeping beast.

Now it’s angry, ready for a fight. And it’s bringing its friends along.

Captain Banks and his crew have been promised extended leave and their next few missions to be in warmer, easier climates. Only none of that was to be when Banks is called into the office of his Corporal and instead of their leave being approved, he is given a new and urgent mission. Promised it’s a quick in-and-out and just a look-see with potentially an explosive “sanitation” of the site, Banks is hoping for once their mission might be straightforward and relatively easy.

I really enjoy these S-Squad stories by William Meikle. With big beasties, a well-versed group of Army squaddies and a strong hint of paranormal (and very mild horror) these are the best kind of B-grade monster movies in a quick story that I could ever imagine. The stories are usually shortish (about 150 pages) but they are always high action with loads of explosions and shooting and quite a fast pace to them.

Readers looking for something strongly intellectual or high brow won’t find that here. These are fun, fast paced, action shoot ‘em up style of stories with monsters and beasties and a whole load of rambunctious fun.

This time our favourite squaddies are in Norway, and I was really pleased with the atmosphere the author created. With such a short page length I feel Meikle did a brilliant job keeping the tension high and slowly fed the reader enough hints and tips to both what had occurred in the past – and therefore what we could expect our squaddies to unearth – for me to be eager to continue reading. When the action begins it’s all the usual S-Squad fast paced romp and I feel readers who enjoy this series, and this style of writing will be as happy as I was.

Fun, frivolous and a romping good tale – this was a great story and excellent addition to the series. Recommended.

Filed Under: Horror, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Beyond Odin’s Gate by Greig Beck

January 19, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Beyond Odin’s Gate by Greig Beck
The Mysterious Island: Book 2
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The legend of Lemuria, the Mysterious Island, and all its wonders and dangers were all too real. And it has been found.

But the ancient stories of the great treasure and great horrors that existed through the ice rift and beyond Odin’s Gate, could never have prepared them what they discovered – monstrous creatures that lived in the sea, in the air, and on land. And now Troy Strom and Anne Walsh are trapped there amongst them.

But they have a plan, and if they can retrieve the Heart of Odin, the massive ruby, they can use it to escape. Until then they must learn to live on a primordial island amongst horrifying life forms that defy the normal rules of evolution. To survive they need to travel into the dragon’s lair, and there find the truth about the ancient dragon of myth and what it guards, and also discover the fate of the first Viking clan that set foot there and what they had become.

The legend of Lemuria – the Mysterious Island – has been discovered and the tales of adventure and monsters are all too real. Troy Strom and Anne Walsh are trapped down there, with the creatures and wonders. But if they can retrieve the Heart Of Odin – a massive ruby – it can be used by them to escape. Only their enemies – Elle and Tygo – are not far behind them, even more determined to once again have the Heart Of Odin in their hand, and this time they don’t plan to leave without it.

I found this to be an exciting action/adventure story, filled with paranormal and amazing creatures and monsters. I feel the story covers a number of genres, from Mystery to mild Horror, to Paranormal and Adventure. While it’s the second book in what I expect shall be a trilogy I do feel readers could pick it up and enjoy it without having read the previous installment. I strongly feel for maximum enjoyment the first book should have been read before this – but the plotline, characters and story arc is very well explained by the author so it isn’t strictly necessary. Equally, some new characters and plotlines are introduced here in this book so it adds a lot to the overall arc – that of Lemuria and the mysterious hidden island – and definitely nudges the reader towards interest and curiosity on what will happen in the final installment of the trilogy.

I really enjoyed the fact there were a number of new types of monsters (very hungry monsters) in this book and Beck really needs to be commended on his imagination. I found the monsters he created were realistic, scary and very easy to picture. The fact the monsters managed to eat a fair number of random characters was just a bonus for me. Readers who like monster/horror style of adventure novels should definitely feel Beck does justice to this genre in the book. I was found the book quite amusing/ironic that just as a number of parties were trying to find their way into Lemuria and find the Heart of Odin, equally there was Troy and Anne trying to find their way out. That situation tickled my funny bone.

Overall, I thought this was an exceptionally well written story – full of adventure, monsters, a few really solid plotlines and plenty of interesting characters. I definitely feel Beck is an excellent author and am eager for the final installment in this trilogy. The pace of the story was fast enough to keep me gripped to my seat but didn’t feel too rushed or like it skimmed over anything. There were a few plots interwoven together and as they’re all so clearly linked to the one larger story arc, I feel this helps give the whole book a good cohesion and feel as if we’re rollicking along on a crazy – and monster filled – adventure together. A great book and I’m very eager for the next one to come along.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sea Hunters: Shonisaurus by William Meikle

January 11, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Sea Hunters: Shonisaurus by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

John Seton, a grizzled British sailor, is a sea monster hunter.

When he takes on a job for an exclusive yacht club in South East Asia he expects it to be a simple one. It’s only one beastie after all.

But all too soon John and his crew discover that they are in big trouble.

An ancient terror from the deep has risen,

And it is out for revenge.

John Seton is a well-seasoned British sailor and a sea monster hunter to boot. He’s pretty much seen it all. But when he and his crew are hired for an exclusive job in Manila, John isn’t expecting anything too difficult. Very quickly he realizes just how wrong is initial assumptions were.

I’m a total sucker for “big beastie” types of stories – and I was actually really impressed and excited to find this wasn’t (exactly) a Jaws/Megalodon shark book. Sure, in an over-simplified way there is nothing groundbreaking or new here. But that in no way detracts from the fact it’s an easily read, highly enjoyable and fast paced paranormal/beastie mystery/horror style of novel. I am amazed and embarrassingly proud of the fact I spent the majority of the book equally rooting for random characters to get eaten by the beastie as much as for the captain to capture the monster.

Readers looking for high-brow literature absolutely won’t find that here. I adore the rough-and-tumble nature of the crew and John and find their sweary Scottish/British nature an absolute hoot to read. I found I really enjoyed the small cast of characters but was pleased Meikle spent a bit of time fleshing them all out so I as the reader could get to know them all a bit. That was lovely and added quite a bit of depth to the book in my opinion.

Readers who enjoy a “hunting the monster” type of mystery should find this absolutely fits the bill. I really enjoyed it and am hopeful there might be more in a similar vein coming down the track soon. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Operation: Syria by William Meikle

September 21, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Operation: Syria by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A trip to a war zone to rescue trapped archaeologists finds the S-Squad in a remote desert region of lost cities and temples. They quickly discover that they are not alone among the ruins.

First they find the bodies, then they find the webs, then they’re in real trouble when the spiders attack.

Big spiders.

Lots of them.

Captain Banks had been about to ask his commanding officer for some leave for their team after they had come through a number of bizarre missions in a very short timeframe. Instead, Captain Banks is told his team is needed to leave for Syria – immediately – to rescue a group of archaeologists who have issued an emergency call after being attacked by rebels. Banks and the S-Squad gear up, hoping this will be a quick in and out, but they quickly discover that the rebels are the least of their concerns.

I have read a number of these books and always find them a delightful romp of a tale. On the shorter side of a full-length novel, I’ve found they are always quick into the action with plenty of large-scale monsters, a bunch of energy, plenty of sweary Scottish squaddies and a dollop or two of fun and plot. They are easy to read, and I love the authors tone and pace – I’ve always found them quick and a delight to read. They’re an adventurous blast in so many ways I love them. If you’re a fan of B grade “monster” movies this is an excellent series to sink your teeth into.

There is always an interesting amount of character growth in these stories, but I have to be honest the characters are more the vessels for the plot and storyline – not the driving force. This time the monster-of-the-day is enormous spiders and I enjoyed how the author meshed this with the archaeologists and the dig they were working on. While the plot wasn’t overly convoluted, that wasn’t what I wanted or needed for this story and I absolutely felt that the balance between action, monsters and the characters (both the archaeologists and the S-Squad team) was really well handled.

Switch off your brain, grab a drink then relax and enjoy this fast paced, fun and light story. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to dig into the next.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mysterious Island by Greig Beck

September 16, 2022 By Leave a Comment


Mysterious Island – Lemuria by Greig Beck
Book 1
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

On a desolate beach in far northern Scotland, the winter storms have been washing up all manner of things since time began. But buried in the center of one smaller iceberg is a shard of ancient Viking pottery telling a partial tale of a hidden mysterious island beyond the ice and mist, that was home to a great treasure and even greater horrors.

Thawing in the same block of ice was a rotting flap of skin that refused to be identified but had similar skin patterns to a creature not seen for 100 million years.

Now, Troy Strom and the enigmatic Elle Burgan race to find the mysterious island of legend, while staying ahead of a group of brutal killers who claim to be the rightful owners of the greatest prize of all – Odin’s heart.

Troy Strom met Elle Burgan when they were children, and both drawn to the larger than life displays of Viking history in the museum. As adults they reconnected again on the path to finding the mysterious hidden island of Lemuria – an ancient take they both believed truly existed. They quickly discover they’re not the only people on this trail, and the dangers lurking everywhere aren’t just from the adventure and hidden monsters – but from the other seekers as well.

I really enjoyed this full-length novel. While it’s only the first in a trilogy it has all the hallmarks of an exceptional adventure tale – a hidden location, dangerous monsters, secret treasure and riches and of course a huge cast of merciless killers determined to take it all for themselves. A fair bit of this story is “setting up” for the next two installments, but I was pleased the author still kept the tension high and the pace moving forward at a good clip.

There is a wide cast of characters, some just cameos with a defined purpose and others part of the various larger teams that will clearly be part of the reader’s journey through all three books. I feel some more action-orientated readers might feel the pace of this book, particularly in the beginning, is a little slow. There is quite a bit of foundation to lay – a lot of the history and Viking lore, a strong and realistic explanation of how the various puzzle pieces were discovered and helped lead our teams to finding the location of the mysterious island and also just the logistics of setting up such an expedition. Personally, I feel this was all done really well, and with enough movement, murder and mayhem to keep the pace moving right along and not lagging in the slightest. I also felt a lot of this history, background and knowledge was vital to help explain why the search for this island was so important and how it could have stayed hidden for so many centuries.

Even though this is the first book in a trilogy I feel the story is quite well contained within just this book and absolutely I feel it can be read by itself. There isn’t really a cliff-hanger style of ending which I was very grateful for, but equally it’s quite clear there is another book that will carry the story on as there are plot points left unfinished. This is an excellent first installment though and while I hope the remaining two books come soon – there is not that feeling of being left hanging to make me irritated and impatient with the wait.

Beck is a brilliant author when it comes to adventure, monsters and a rollicking good tale. He excels at blending history and monsters; danger and adventure and I feel this is a book where all those exceptional talents of his really shine. I feel many readers will love this book as much as I did, and I can’t wait for the next two in the series to be released.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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