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: , , , , , , ,

A Cat’s Garden of Secrets by Jacqueline Diamond

February 13, 2024 By Leave a Comment


A Cat’s Garden of Secrets by Jacqueline Diamond
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

Awakening magical powers? Yes! Solving a murder, sure. But turning into a cat? Who, me?

On the weirdest day of my life, my cat starts talking, my car kidnaps me to a charming hidden village, and I inherit a mystical library. Plus, I discover I have superpowers!

As an orphan who grew up in foster care, I had no idea I came from an enchanted land full of furry shapeshifters, including—surprise!—me. Or that I had a gifted grandmother, who’s been murdered. Now it’s up to me, with the help of a handsome, otherworldly detective and my know-it-all cat, to uncover the truth… if someone doesn’t kill me first.

Identity matters…even for folks who don’t know much about where they come from yet.

The mystery elements of the storyline were handled nicely. This was one of those books that wove multiple genres together seamlessly. While it did feel like slightly more of a mystery to me than anything else, the fantasy themes were strong as well. There’s something to be said for authors who pull this off. It’s not an easy thing to do by any means, and I tip my cap to Ms. Diamond for following the rules of all of the genres she included here while still leaving space for a few surprises.

I struggled to keep track of the large cast of characters in this novella. There simply wasn’t enough time or space to develop dozens of different people and animals, and the ones that were given more attention were still only able to reveal limited parts of their personalities due to how many of them there were. As interested as I was in the world building and storyline, this prevented me from choosing a higher rating.

With that being said, the world building was handled nicely. Sometimes I found myself wishing I really could travel to Loobly and explore all of the magical things to be found there. I’d recommend taking notes about how the characters know each other and what the mysterious terms they use mean unless you have a photographic memory as recalling all of these details will be extremely important later on. There were a lot of moving pieces in this tale, but the complexity of it truly pays off later on.

A Cat’s Garden of Secrets kept me guessing.

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

A Murmuration Of Opas by William Meikle

February 12, 2024 By Leave a Comment


A Murmuration Of Opas by William Meikle
Publisher: Weird House Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Mankind is spreading through the Solar System but, as yet, is still alone in the vastness of space.

That is all about to change.

A small team of intrepid scientists and engineers have made the long trip through the dark to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, and set up camp on an icy plain under the looming watch of Jupiter above them.

Initial samples show that the planet is host to primitive, unicellular life.

A submersible makes its first dive under the moon’s icy surface and finds signs that the life forms may not be quite so primitive after all. They uncover an indigenous species that shows signs of being capable of swarming together to achieve goals impossible for a single cell, a colonial organism that they nickname Opa. These Opas swarm in several different configurations in the cold dark ocean beneath.

The teams A.I. is set the task of deciphering the science behind the Opa’s dances, a swirling, and swooping that looks very similar to the movements of great flocks of birds back on Earth. Science is done, samples are taken back to the lab on the surface… and that’s when the trouble begins.
The Opas have been given a chance to roam in a new environment. A human environment.

Mankind is not the only species hungry for exploration. The Opas escape into the expedition’s living quarters.

They are curious, and hungry.

They are voracious for food…

And they will kill every living organism in the space station!

A small team of intrepid scientists and engineers have made the long journey to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. While at first, they believe only primitive, unicellular life is possible, under the ocean’s icy surface the team soon finds signs that some of the cells can swarm together to achieve goals impossible for a single cell. They nickname the organisms Opa. The Opas can swam into many different configurations and soon samples are captured and sent back to the lab for study. Only now the Opas have a new environment within which to swam and explore – and eat.

I have enjoyed many of William Meikle’s horror and paranormal books and this was an excellent addition to the pile I’m growing. While I am usually not a fan of Sci-Fi or inter-space styles of stories, the fact I am such a fan of Meikle led me to give this book a try and I’m really glad I did. Meikle is exceptional at writing “monster eats all the humans” sorts of stories and this was another fast paced and excellent adventure.

Readers who are used to Meikle’s other tales should be warned this one does feature a fair bit more heavily on the Sci-Fi front than his others. While there is absolutely a strong element of “monster eats everyone” to the story this didn’t really kick into high gear until after the first quarter or so of the book. The Europa moon and otherworldly nature of the setting featured heavily in the beginning, as well as introducing our six main characters and letting the reader get a feel for their dynamics and interactions. Speaking personally, I found this different focus was very well written and I did enjoy it, but I have to be honest that I was present – and really largely interested in – the monsters aspect to the story so I was pleased when this part took center stage.

Readers looking for something different – particularly Sci-Fi fans or readers who enjoy the “monster eats everyone” style of story should find this is definitely up their alley and I found this a well-paced book with relatable and interesting characters and a whole bunch of vivid imagination. A story I will re-read in the future.

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

The Perfectly Fine Neighborhood

February 9, 2024 By 1 Comment


The Perfectly Fine Neighborhood edited by Kayleigh Dobbs, Stephen Kozeniewski, and Wile E. Young
Publisher: French Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBTQ, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary, Horror
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

For all of human history ghosts were real and they were everywhere. Then, one day, after a horrible cataclysm, they all disappeared.

That was the story of THE PERFECTLY FINE HOUSE.

But there are more tales to be told from that world. And a thrilling lineup, ranging from horror legends to relative newcomers, have joined forces to bring you:

– a roadside attraction featuring a real, dead serial killer

– a pair of twisted sisters whose sibling rivalry only begins with suicide

– a hitman hired to facilitate a ghostly sexual liaison

And more!

The first unhaunted house was just the beginning. Come, stake your claim in…

THE PERFECTLY FINE NEIGHBORHOOD

If you love paranormal horror, I have quite the treat for you!

One of the biggest strengths of this anthology had to do with the wide variety of approaches the contributors took to the theme. A few of them were a little too gory for my tastes, but I still found their stories to be well written and memorable. Horror fans who love the bloody side of the genre may have completely different responses to them, of course, and I thought it was wonderful that so many different writing styles and horror subgenres were included to suit all sorts of readers. I wish I had space in this review to cover every tale, but I will have to limit myself to only speaking about three of them for the sake of brevity.

In “Jurisdiction,” Eddie and his fellow officers tried to figure out who or what had been killing ghosts. I thought the premise of this tale was a clever one, and I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the conclusion. Eddie’s interest in this case overshadowed everything else in his life, including his relationship with his partner. This was an interesting way to realistically showcase some of the protagonist’s flaws while also keeping the pacing strong and steady until the final scene. I was left yearning for more and would love to read a sequel if Mr. Vincent ever decides to write one.

Thomas decided to kill his wife in “The Perfectly Fine Family” so that she could join him in his peaceful afterlife. Honestly, that was not a decision I would expect a ghost to make, so I was immediately sucked into his story as he planned out the ideal way to ensure he and Marie would be together forever. There was a surprising streak of humor in the storyline as well that suited the characters perfectly. Horror and humor should be mixed together more often in my opinion!

While I generally shy away from stories about serial killers, “Addict to Slaughter” had such a creative spin to the topic that I soon became insatiably curious to find out more about John Miller and his terrible compulsion to kill others. The twist showed up early and will probably be something most horror fans figure out early on. Knowing there is more to his life that meets the eye was all I needed to remain interested.

The Perfectly Fine Neighborhood was deliciously scary.

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

The Boy Who Saw by Simon Toyne

February 7, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Boy Who Saw by Simon Toyne
Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Solomon Creed, the enigmatic hero introduced in The Searcher, must stop a killer tied to a conspiracy stretching back over generations to the dying days of World War II.

Solomon Creed has no recollection of who he is, or where he comes from. The only solid clue to his identity is a label stitched in his jacket that reads: “This suit was made to treasure for Mr. Solomon Creed.”

The jacket fits perfectly, and so does the name, but there is a second name on the label, the name of the tailor who made the suit and an address in southern France. Solomon heads to France in search of this man, hoping to discover more about who he is. But instead of answers he finds a bloody corpse, the Star of David carved into his chest and the words “Finishing what was begun” daubed in blood on the wall.

When the police discover Solomon at the crime scene they suspect he is the murderer and lock him up. Solomon must escape to clear his name and solve the mystery of why the last remaining survivors of a notorious Nazi death camp are being hunted down and murdered. Only by saving these survivors from evil can Solomon hope to piece together the truth about a decades-old conspiracy as well as discover the key to his own identity.

Solomon Creed has come to the small down of Cordes in France, looking for the tailor whose name is sewn in the exquisitely made men’s suit jacket he wears – the one giving him the only name he knows himself by. When Solomon finds the elderly tailor has been murdered – only hours before Solomon reached him – he knows solving the murder, and protecting the vulnerable, seven year old Leo are critically important. Can Solomon save the young boy?

This is the second novel about Solomon Creed, but I found it to be a very well woven story that stands exceptionally well alone. I was pleased the author gave a good amount of Solomon’s story without any massive info-dumps and managing to simultaneously keep the plot moving along at a good clip.

Readers should be aware that the Holocaust features quite heavily in this book, as does a lot of the more recent racial and political right-wing rhetoric. I felt the author did an exceptional job keeping it all tasteful, but Toyne doesn’t pull any punches of how a lot of society continues to be swayed and continues to voice their hatred. It is quite heavy reading in some respects and while I do feel there is an element of hope and peace retained in this, I could well understand how it won’t be an easy read for everyone.

That said I really enjoyed the characters and continue to be dazzled by Solomon and his quest to discover who he is and what his past history is all about. I was very relieved a number of answers were found – and given – but I hope and suspect there might be one more book coming down the line somewhere; possibly a concluding book where the rest of the mysteries surrounding Solmon might finally be unveiled.

For readers looking for a well plotted murder mystery with a lot of moving parts and plenty of weight and depth to it this should be a good and interesting read.

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

In Plain Sight by Marion Todd

February 6, 2024 By Leave a Comment


In Plain Sight by Marion Todd
Publisher: Canelo Crime
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A child’s life is at stake. Which of the residents of St Andrews is hiding something – and why?
When a baby girl is snatched from the crowd of spectators at a fun run, the local police have a major investigation on their hands. DI Clare Mackay and her team are in a race against the clock when they learn that the child has a potentially fatal medical condition.

As Clare investigates she realises this victim wasn’t selected at random. Someone knows who took the baby girl, and why. But will they reveal their secrets before it’s too late?

DI Clare Mackay has just returned from a short holiday in France. While still technically on leave, she attends a local fun run with a number of her police team members only to be present when an infant girl is stolen from her parents. Knowing how critical the first few hours are, Clare and her team immediately begin investigating, only for them to raise more and more questions the longer they look at the parents and the events leading to the baby’s abduction. Can Clare and her team work out what’s happening before disaster strikes?

This is the second DI Mackay book and I’m beginning to really enjoy the series. I feel this book can certainly picked up by itself – as the second Clare is still a newcomer to both the unit and the area and so there isn’t a huge amount of history or past links between the team members and the main characters, so that would make picking this story up alone a lot easier.

I found it a very well written police procedural style of story. The pace was a little slow in areas I felt, but overall, the plot was well written and complicated enough it had me guessing quite a fair way into the book. Readers looking for a heavily action-orientated story or something a bit more movie-ish with a fast action plot might not find this suits what they’re after, but readers wanting some good characters, a strong female lead, and a decent plot should find this certainly fits the bill well.

While the baby’s abduction is central to the plot, I was pleased this wasn’t a grim or darkly plotted book. There was no titillation nor any graphic violence so readers who are wary of those things should feel free to give this book a go. The plot is quite police procedural based – and not darker as a plot like this could have moved into that area if written in a different style.

A solidly plotted mystery with well balanced and strong characters, I found this to be a good read.

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Iced by Felix Francis

January 29, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Iced by Felix Francis
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Seven years ago, Miles Pussett was a steeplechase jockey, loving the rush of the race. But after an unfortunate event, he left horseracing behind and swore he would never return. Now he gets his adrenaline rush from riding headfirst down the Cresta Run, a three-quarter-mile Swiss ice chute, reaching speeds of up to eighty miles per hour.

Finding himself in St Moritz during the same weekend as White Turf, when high-class horseracing takes place on the frozen lake, he gets talked into helping out with the horses. Against his better judgement, he decides to assist, but things aren’t as innocent as they seemed.

When he discovers something suspicious is going on in the races, something that may have a profound impact on his future, Miles begins a search for answers. But someone is adamant about stopping him—and they’ll go to any length to do it.

Miles Prussett is a former steeplechase jockey but now gets his adrenaline rushing shooting head first on a toboggan down a Swiss ice chute reaching speeds in excess of eighty miles per hour. While he swore seven years ago never to return to horse racing, he finds himself inexplicably helping out with the White Turf, a high-class racing event that takes place once a year on a frozen lake. Miles uncovers suspicious activity around the horse racing, and against his better instincts he starts to look into it. It’s only too late when he realizes his questions might have consequences and someone is determined to stop him no matter the cost.

I was really pleased to find I enjoyed this book right from the beginning. I am a little hit and miss with Felix Francis so it was a pleasure to find I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was a little surprised that most of the book delves back and forth in time, the story both explaining how Miles comes to be assisting in the horse race out on the ice, but also how he rose – and then left – the horse racing community from his younger teenage years. I found the author did an excellent job balancing the two timelines, weaving them together to both culminate on the ice in the Championships under the freezing conditions and to where Miles presently was. I feel this back and forth from the past to the present could have gone very badly and Francis did some exceptional writing to make it both well paced and retain my interest throughout.

About a third of the way into the book the mystery aspect to the story really picked up and I feel most readers should thoroughly enjoy both the different setting to the story as well as the more usual mystery aspects to the plot. I felt this was quite a different outlook both on a more regular Dick Francis/Felix Francis horse-racing based mystery book and I really enjoyed the fresher perspective to the story as a whole.

Readers who enjoy any of the Francis previous books should find they can appreciate this story to an equal degree, and readers who simply enjoy a well plotted and paced mystery should find this story really suits them.

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

Bamburgh by LJ Ross

January 23, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Bamburgh by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY…

When a cantankerous old woman dies at her home in the sleepy, picturesque village of Bamburgh, DCI Ryan doesn’t think much of it—except, that is, for the small matter of it having been his wife who happened to find her body. Then another body turns up amongst the sand dunes at the base of the mighty castle fortress, and he decides it can’t be a coincidence…

Meanwhile, after a recent revelation about her sister, DC Melanie Yates’ quest to avenge her death is becoming an obsession—much to the concern of those around her. With a new DCS to contend with and hundreds of cold case files to sift through, the chances of uncovering a dormant killer seem unlikely. But as Melanie delves deeper into the secrets of the past to uncover the truth, she soon realises it lies much closer to home…

Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit, set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape.

For the first time in fifteen years since the murder of her twin sister, DC Melanie Yates has concrete evidence the monster she has searched for is not only still active, but remains nearby. Determined to eke out her revenge, Melanie is not deterred when she is sidelined from the investigation. Meanwhile DCI Ryan and his team are kept busy not just with the hunt for this murderer, but also discover an old woman dead in her home near the sleepy township of Bamburgh. They wouldn’t have thought much of it, except they had all met the lady shortly before her death at a masquerade ball at the castle, and DCI Ryan’s wife was the one to discover her body. Can the team work these two cases in tandem and find justice before it’s too late?

I found this to be a well balanced and interesting story. While the series is quite long, I feel readers should certainly be able to pick this book up with very little history and still enjoy the two murder mysteries contained inside. Though I do admit I found it far more emotional and deeper for having known the complexities tying all the main characters together and their histories.

I have to be honest and I was quite disappointed with a number of Melanie’s decisions in this book. Despite multiple conversations with her team-mates and her partner, Melanie consciously decided to chose a path not just of revenge but also of taking actions where the future ramifications were quite dire. I can fully sympathise with Melanie’s character, and I can even comprehend how in the moment she wasn’t thinking about the future or where her actions were going to lead. But I really struggled to feel empathy when a number of her choices were entirely selfish and destructive to her loved ones and Melanie recognized this – but chose to keep going anyway. I really disliked how Melanie put her personal need for revenge above the safety and emotional wellbeing of her supposed life-partner and the love and friendship of her nearest and dearest. I’m not sure I can forgive her character for acting like this.

To be fair, this absolutely made the plot more interesting, and made the danger lurking much stronger and a more conflicted and interesting read. Indeed, this overshadowed pretty much everything else in the book for me, personally – this massive metaphorical bomb going off in the character’s lives and relationships overshadowed most of the rest of the book for me. It made gripping reading and was very well written. I also have to admit that much of this plot – and its seriousness – would have sailed right past me had I not known and understood the histories between all the characters. I do feel the book and its main plots would have still been quite enjoyable as a read had I picked this up with no prior history, but for sure the depth would not have been there without that prior knowledge.

An enjoyable read – and quite explosive for fans, I expect – this is a well written police procedural with a good murder mystery, a small but delightfully layered cast of characters and a series I plan to continue to enjoy more of.

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

Roulette by Thomas Locke and Jyoti Guptara

January 19, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Roulette by Thomas Locke and Jyoti Guptara
Publisher: Down & Out Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Don’t trip. It could cost your life…

They call it Roulette because there’s no way of knowing what kind of ecstasy awaits. A rollercoaster ride through any one of seven heavens—or straight to hell.

A new and dangerous substance has suddenly appeared at the rave scene of Gainesville, Florida. When former special agent Eric Bannon comes to investigate, the local sheriff doesn’t know whether to be relieved someone is finally taking the rave issue seriously, or disturbed about who has answered the call. The inquiry must be kept quiet. But why are senior government officials turning a blind eye to such a dangerous drug?

As the county hospital’s senior ER nurse, Carol Steen has seen her share of small-town trouble. Her greatest concern is the snobbish new doctor. Stacie Swann is everything Carol detests: fresh out of med school, too many years her junior, drop-dead gorgeous—and with a bad attitude. Why did Stacie, an upcoming surgical star, leave her prestigious residency at the University of Florida medical center and take up station in their remote clinic?

To Stacie, the nosey nurse is only a bitter reminder of what the medical establishment took from her, landing her in Middle of Nowhere, Florida. But when the night’s emergencies are rushed in, the two ladies begin to bond over a common challenge.

What appears to be a simple case of overdose turns into an ER nightmare. Patients seem to be suffering symptoms from multiple drugs. None are detectable.

Eric arrives at the clinic in time to witness the victims’ transformation from near-coma to bestial strength and ferocity. Eric and the ladies track the drug’s origin to clandestine operations based within the university student body. These young people both finance the production and facilitate the human trials of the world’s most exciting new high.

Roulette makes you feel like your best self, times ten. Because it’s no longer the old you.

Carol and Stacie’s patients belong to the 1% of consumers exposed to Roulette’s true purpose, a purpose so heinous it will rewrite not just history, but the human genome.

As opposition mounts from within his own government, Eric must face off with experimental science and the question: In the battle to control the future of humanity, do they really want to fight fire with fire?

What are the chances of winning when the payout is a negative expected return? Playing roulette is a game of chance; when you compare the outcome to playing with an experimental drug what can possibly happen?

The book started off during a normal shift at the Alachua County Medical Center. Readers are introduced to senior ER nurse Carol Steen, who knows and does her job very well. But as the shift progresses Carol and medical resident doctor Stacie Swann find that their patients have been introduced to something more than the normal prescription drug party.

Carol’s husband, local sheriff Dewey Steen, is aware of the effects of this new drug, as are other law enforcement officers, such as former special agent Eric Bannon who is assigned to Gainesville, Florida to investigate this new and dangerous drug.

This book is an easy read, has a very interesting storyline and I enjoyed the characters, however I wanted more to happen or more detail to what happened to the wolf-like people. Is the book paranormal, romance or a thriller? I felt that it touched on a lot of genres, but it is missing some of the substance that would make this an edge of your seat, cannot put the book down thriller. The book seemed to be more character driven since a higher percentage of the novel focused on the main characters and their lives versus the details surrounding the fallout from the drug. While there are brief mentions on how and why the drug was created, I am thinking some of the “slowness” could have something to do with the narration or point of view being told that leaves the gaps and missing details. There are heightened moments of suspense and excitement, but it felt like this story has been told before. I don’t want to give spoilers, but the reason the drug was invented was something that we’ve seen many times before.

I was able to put the book down for a few days with no rush to see how it ended. Not saying that as a bad thing it just did not draw me in as much as I’d hoped. There was action that heightened the reading experience and I did have some anticipation on how the story would play out. The book kept my attention well enough, and I was able to finish reading it. The writing style is easy to read and follow, it has very short chapters which I prefer and the plot flows with a good pace. Car chases, kidnapping, being on the verge of realistic and supernatural, this is a thought provoking read that made me think what if there was such a drug introduced to society.

This 280-page book has a wide cast of characters with an abrupt ending that leads me to believe there will be a sequel.

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

Blood Runs Cold by JM Dalgliesh

January 19, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Blood Runs Cold by JM Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Believe in nothing… and kill for something…

When a man’s dismembered body is discovered at an abandoned quarry on the north Norfolk coast, DI Tom Janssen and his team must wade through his secretive life to figure out how he met his end.

The victim was a quiet man, well respected by those who knew him, and someone often willing to help local charities with his free time. Presenting an image of himself to the world of a simple, inoffensive individual, he never allowed anyone close enough to look behind the mask. As his associations become clearer, the team realise that there are others with secrets of their own… but are they willing to kill to keep them that way?

With a community reeling from such a gruesome and seemingly macabre act of violence the pressure is on to get a result. When the investigation crosses paths with another operated by the Major Crimes Unit, Tom begins to question who the real victim is and why, to some, the murder is such a low priority?

Kids messing around with fireworks in a local abandoned quarry manage to unearth a dismembered body. DI Tom Janssen and his team try hard to uncover who the mutilated corpse might belong to. With no official means of IDing the body they finally settle on a secretive – but generally well liked – man who they feel might be the victim, only to discover the more they search the harder it is to work out what really happened. With pressures from both outside and within the local team, can Tom and his team find some justice?

I have been greatly enjoying this series and feel this book is an excellent addition to it. While the members of the team have been working well together now for a number of years, I don’t feel like a reader should shy away from picking up this book if they haven’t read any of the previous ones. There is history between the team, yes, but it’s all fairly clear how they work well together and there’s not many in-secrets or group dynamics that can’t easily be picked up on. Readers shouldn’t worry about reading this or the other books out of order.

I thoroughly enjoyed how through most of the book the identity of the victim remained in doubt. While yes, the team had a good idea of who the body was and tried to piece together what had occurred, this in itself was what most of the mystery of the story was and I enjoyed this as a different style of plot. I admit the pace of this book might read a little slow to some readers – instead of rushing around and chasing many clues with an over-arching feeling of dread or rush, this was very much a slow and methodical working together of secrets and puzzle pieces. I admit this was a different tone of book, but I enjoyed it.

Readers looking for an interesting, layered plotline with a British police procedural flavour should find this is an excellent book to enjoy. I found the characters varied and the book retained my attention throughout. I am eager to try more – both in this series and others – by this author.

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