The Silent House of Sleep by Allan Gaw

Today I am delighted to be taking part in the tour for The Silent House of Sleep by Allan Gaw, organised by Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours, on behalf of Bloody Scotland, as Allan will be taking part in this year's festival - more on that below. I was gifted an Scooby the publisher but read from my own purchased paper copy.

 

The Blurb

Winner of the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize

Death is a lonely business . . .

No one who meets Dr Jack Cuthbert forgets him. Tall, urbane, brilliant but damaged, this Scottish pathologist who works with Scotland Yard is the best the new DCI has seen. But Cuthbert is a man who lives with secrets, and he still battles demons brought back from the trenches.

When not one but two corpses are discovered in a London park in 1929, Cuthbert must use every tool at his disposal to solve the mystery of their deaths. In the end, the horrifying truth is more shocking than even he could have imagined.

My Review

The Silent House of Sleep introduces us to policing and pathology in the late 1920s. Dr Jack Cuthbert has a reputation for being careful and thorough, and he's the pathologist you want on the case. And especially this one, with the discovery of two bodies, found in the strangest pose....

I first read this last year when it was nominated for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2024. It went on to win, from a field of really strong entries, and I could see why. And it stood up really well for a cheeky wee re-read. It's a brilliant book and Allan's experience and knowledge shine through. He has clearly researched the history of pathology, and the flashbacks to the war feel very authentic. And haunting.

I really liked Jack. He's polite and well mannered, calm and determined, and not afraid to say what he needs to, even when it receives a less than warm welcome from the police. He is careful and precise in his work, and will not be hurried. Even the few who don't like him feel a grudging respect for him. Mostly, anyway. But he is a complex man act and struggles, privately, not only with the horror of whether saw in the war, but also with his own feelings and emotions. 

The case is satisfyingly complex, with some twists and turns along the way, and some pretty gruesome moments. This isn't a story of high drama, there is no big denouement. There is a conclusion, of course, one that involves a lot of sadness, but this is a quiet crime novel, a study of people and processes, a celebration of diligent hard work. Don't misunderstand me, it's not gentle, nor does it shy away from the horrible stuff, but it's slower, more considered. It's different from the more action based stuff that I normally read, and I welcome that change. I thoroughly enjoyed The Silent House of Sleep, and am looking forward to seeing what Dr Jack Cuthbert gets up to next.


The Author

Allan Gaw is a Scot who lives and works near Glasgow. He studied medicine and is a pathologist by training but a writer by inclination. Having worked in the NHS and universities in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and the US, he now devotes his time to writing.

Most of his published work to date is non-fiction. These include textbooks and regular magazine articles on topics as diverse as the thalidomide story, the medical challenges of space travel and the medico-legal consequences of the Hillsborough disaster.

More recently, he has been writing short stories, novels and poetry. He has won the UK Classical Association Creative Writing Competition, the International Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize, the International Globe Soup 7-day Writing Challenge and was runner-up in the Glencairn Glass/Bloody Scotland Short Crime Fiction Competition. He has also had prose published in the literary journal, From Glasgow to Saturn and anthologies from the Edinburgh Literary Salon and Clan Destine Press in Australia. His poetry has been published by Dreich, Soor Ploom Press and Black Bough Poetry. His debut poetry collection, Love & Other Diseases, was published in 2023 by Seahorse Publications.

The Silent House of Sleep is his debut novel and is the first in the Dr Jack Cuthbert Mystery series.

You can read more about him and his work at his website: https://researchet.wordpress.com/ .


Bloody Scotland Panel

Allan will be appearing at Bloody Scotland this year. You can book your tickets at BloodyScotland.com

Setting the (Crime) Scene: Lin Anderson, Simon Toyne, Allan Gaw

Friday 12th September - 12:30, The Albert Halls

We make a deep incision into the world of crime fiction and science fact as we talk forensics with three authors whose books deliver thrills, chills and blood-spattered spills.

A gangland slaying and a missing movie star are at the heart of Whispers of the Dead, the sensational new Rhona MacLeod thriller from Lin Anderson. Forensic criminologist Laughton Rees faces a race against time to stop a killer in Simon Toyne’s exhilarating new novel Dead Water. Allan Gaw’s pathologist Dr Jack Cuthbert runs the gauntlet between fascists and razor gangs in 1930s Glasgow in To the Shades Descend.

This event will be chaired by Professor James Grieve.

An Evil Mind by Chris Carter #blogathon

Those of you who follow me on social media may have seen me mention some tough times. Things have been difficult in my wee world for the last while, and will likely continue to be for some time going forward. As a result my reading (amongst other things) has suffered and this poor wee blog has been severely neglected. I have tried, and occasionally failed, to keep the few commitments I had made, but didn't have the bandwidth to post anything extra. And, honestly, I still don't know if I have the capacity to do more but I'm really gonna try because this is something I love, and is a positive thing for me. So it might be a bit up and down but I'm gonna try to run with it and be more present on here. Hope you come along with me.

Right, now all of that is out of the way, welcome to today's post, which is part of our epic Chris Carter blogathon. We're up to book six, An Evil Mind. My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for the invitation. I read and reviewed from my own bought copy.

 

The Blurb

A freak accident in rural Wyoming leads the Sheriff's Department to arrest a man for a possible double homicide, but further investigations suggest a much more horrifying discovery – a serial killer who has been kidnapping, torturing and mutilating victims all over the United States for at least twenty-five years.

The suspect claims he is a pawn in a huge labyrinth of lies and deception – and he will now only speak to Detective Robert Hunter . . .

My Review


In An Evil Mind, Hunter, who was about to head off on holiday, is seconded by the FBI, and meets an old friend. But this is no warm, fuzzy reunion. Far from it. And Hunter is pushed to the limit...


Those off you who have been following my reviews of this series, or anyone who has read Carter's books will know by now that the deaths in these books are dark, twisted, horrifying and very creative. The crimes described in this book are no different. Here, though, some have taken place in the more distant past, and I found these easier to read than some of the crimes in previous books which have more immediacy about them. Is that bonkers? I don't know. Because they are no less horrific. But for whatever reason, this was a less difficult read for me than some of the earlier books in the series.


What I loved about this book was that we get loads of psychological stuff and discussions about criminal behaviour. The author's experience and knowledge clearly shine through but it's never preachy or dull - I found it all fascinating. And we learn a lot more about Robert Hunter's past, stuff that hadn't been shared previously, so that was really interesting.


Carter is a master at building tension and threat, and every denouement of his I have read has made my heart beat faster and louder. And here we were again. It's dark, scary and messy - I don't think I took a breath the entire time I was reading it!


an Evil Mind is another great entry in the series, although it works well as a standalone too. As we move on to book seven, I'm keen to see if Carlos comes back. I missed him in this one, so hoping he'll be back next time. We'll see...


The Author

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.

One by One by Chris Carter #blogathon

Unfortunately, various life stuff has kept me away from the blog for a long while but I am back today with my review of the fifth book in the epic Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter, One by One, as part of the blogathon. My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me. I read my own purchased ebook.

 

The Blurb

Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD's Homicide Special Section receives an anonymous call asking him to go to a specific web address - a private broadcast. Hunter logs on and a horrific show devised for his eyes only immediately begins.

The LAPD, together with the FBI, use everything at their disposal to electronically trace the transmission down, but this killer is no amateur, and he has covered his tracks from start to finish. And before Hunter and his partner Garcia are even able to get their investigation going, Hunter receives a new phone call. A new website address. A new victim. But this time the killer has upgraded his game so that anyone can take part . . .

My Review

Here we are at book five in the fantastic Robert Hunter series, One by One, by Chris Carter. Now, I am, by nature, quite feart, as we would say in Scotland, generally anxious about all sorts of things, and a real scaredy-pants when it comes to horror - never read or watch it. But I'm reading this series, which in my view, is the darkest of dark crime, with plenty of truly horrifying moments. And I'm enjoying the imagination and the creativity of the author, although it's very, very dark stuff.

Robert Hunter is invited to view a private show online, Just for him, and his team. And he has to make an awful decision whilst he's watching. But that is just the beginning, as Robert and Carlos are drawn into an evil game which will test both men to their very core.

Every time I read a book in this series, I think the crimes can't be any worse in the next one. But Chris Carter's imagination seems to know no bounds and something more awful always pops up. I wonder if he draws on any of his interviews with criminals for material. The crimes in One by One are truly horrific - I had to skip a couple of pages of details at one point - but they also have things to say about people's love of reality tv and social media, their trust in what they see, and for some, their willingness to make an awful choice with the push of a button.

What I've found with this series is that, no matter how horrific the crimes are, or how much the perpetrator seems to be enjoying themselves, the original reason behind them, the breaking point, is terribly sad, and this book is no different. At the centre of all this horror is a heartbreaking story.

Carter is a master at building anticipation, tension and dread. The storyline is detailed and satisfyingly complex, and I like that the author includes scientific, psychological and technical information, without it ever feeling clunky. The denouement is terrifying and heartstopping. Another great entry in the collection.


The Author

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.

The Death Sculptor by Chris Carter #blogathon

I've got another slice of the dark for today's post because we're on the next instalment of the epic Chris Carter blogathon and today I'm presenting my review of the forth Robert Hunter book, The Death Sculptor. It's a scary book but it's good to have Hunter back! My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me on the tour. I read from my own e-copy.

The Blurb

'Good job you didn't turn on the lights . . .'

A student nurse has the shock of her life when she discovers her patient, prosecutor Derek Nicholson, brutally murdered in his bed. The act seems senseless - Nicholson was terminally ill with only weeks to live. But what most shocks Detective Robert Hunter of the Los Angeles Robbery Homicide Division is the calling card the killer left behind.

For Hunter, there is no doubt that the killer is trying to communicate with the police, but the method is unlike anything he's ever seen before. And what could the hidden message be?

Just as Hunter and his partner Garcia reckon they've found a lead, a new body is found - and a new calling card. But with no apparent link between the first and second victims, all the progress they've made so far goes out of the window.

Pushed into an uncomfortable alliance with confident investigator Alice Beaumont, Hunter must race to put together the pieces of the puzzle . . . before the Death Sculptor puts the final touches to his masterpiece.

My Review

So, we've made it to book four! And I think the crimes are getting more horrifying as we move through the series which fills me with a certain amount of fear as I move onto book five and beyond. But, for now, back to book four and The Death Sculptor. Hunter and Garcia are confronted with a whole new level of twisted and grotesque when they are called to a murder scene on what should've been their day off. The victim is riddled with cancer and probably only had a couple of weeks left to live. His murder seems pointless but the killer definitely has a point to make... Hunter and Garcia can find no obvious motive, even with the help of the DA's whizz investigator Alice, and it's not too long before another body is found, and another 'message' left for them to decode. 

It's great to see Robert Hunter back again, he's such a deep, interesting character. And whilst, of course, you could read this as a standalone, I love that through following the series I am learning more about the Hunter and the other characters. I am particularly enjoying seeing Garcia developing, as he learns from Hunter. I also like the police captain, Barbara Blake, a no-nonsense, straight up woman who completely supports her people. And it was nice being introduced to Alice in this book, I hope we might see her again in future stories.

The crimes, as I've come to expect from Carter's books, are gruesome and horrifying, but also very creative! The man has some imagination! I didn't find this as hard a read as the previous book, but the phrase at the top of the blurb 'Good job you didn't turn on the lights' and the meaning behind it haunted me for some time. 

I have found with these books that when it comes down to it, the reason behind the crimes, the reason and the way the perpetrator is carrying them out, is a sad one. Something that has become unbelievably twisted but is still sad, and that was the case here too. I loved how the connections were made to finally solve the crimes, leading to a super tense, but very satisfying, denouement. The Death Sculptor is another cracking entry in this series and I'm looking forward (a little trepidatiously, mind!) to book five. 

The Author

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.

The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli (translated by Joseph Farrell)

I'm delighted to help mark the publication of The Darkest Winter by Carlo Lucarelli,  translated from the Italian by Joseph Farrell, with my stop on the blog tour. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for my invitation and to the publisher of my review copy. 

The Blurb

In November 1944, in the worst winter ever known in Bologna, in the depths of the war, the bomb-scarred streets are home to starving refugees who have fled the advancing Allies. The Fascist Black Brigades, the officers of the S.S. and the partisans of the Italian Resistance compete for control of the city streets in bloody skirmishes.

Comandante De Luca, who has proved himself "the most brilliant investigator" in Bologna, but who is now unwillingly working for the Political Police in a building that doubles as a torture facility, finds himself in trouble when three murders land on his desk: a professor shot through the eye, an engineer beaten to death, and a German corporal left to be gnawed on by rats in a flooded cellar.

De Luca must rapidly unravel all three cases with ten lives on the line: ten Italian hostages who will face a Nazi firing squad if the corporal's killing is not solved to the German command's satisfaction.

As he navigates a web of personal and political motivations – his life increasingly at risk – De Luca will not stop until he has uncovered the dangerous secrets concealed in the frozen heart of his city.

The Darkest Winter is published in the UK by Open Borders Press (an Orenda Books imprint) and released today.

My Review

Well, The Darkest Winter has it all going on! Set in 1944 Bologna, ex policeman De Luca, now a member of the Political Police, almost accidentally comes across three dead bodies in a small area of the city over a short period of time. He is then tasked to solve all three - one for his own people, one for the resistance and one for the Germans. And the fates of ten innocent Italians rest on the latter. Poor De Luca has a heavy weight on his shoulders, although for some of the enquiries he is helped, or maybe that should be hindered,  by policeman Petrarca. 

The setting of this book was so interesting to me, as I knew nothing about Italy, particularly Bologna, during the war, so it was great to learn about it. The author paints a very vivid picture for the reader. I could imagine the animals in the street, where refugees from the countryside have brought them to the designated safe area where they will hopefully be safe from bombs and danger. And the fear that De Luca and his colleagues have for the Germans is well described. 

This is a book you really need to focus on, as there are three different murders to solve, each involving different personnel with different titles. There is a very helpful glossary at the end of the book but I must confess I occasionally struggled to follow things, and sometimes got confused with dialogue as to which character was talking. But overall, I followed along fine and really enjoyed the three storylines. 

The characters are really well drawn. My favourite was Vilma, secretary to De Luca's boss - she was particularly colourful. De Luca came across as a fairly isolated man, but one who loved getting his teeth into crime solving, as he had done when he was a regular policeman. He's dogged and determined, doesn't give up, even in the face of opposition. I worried about all the sleep he was losing, though! 

Overall I really enjoyed The Darkest Winter, a crime novel containing three twisty storylines and a great protagonist in the centre of it all. The characterisation is brilliant but, I think, for me, the best part was getting a completely different view of life in wartime, and learning more about the situation in Italy at that time. Great. 

The Author

Carlo Lucarelli was born in Parma in 1960. While researching for his thesis on the history of Italian law enforcement, he became intrigued by the Italian police force’s role in the political upheavals of the 1940s during and after the Second World War. From this seed sprouted his De Luca trilogy, later to grow into an oeuvre of more than twenty crime novels focusing on various characters. Lucarelli hosted the popular late night Italian television programme Blu notte misteri d'Italia, on unsolved crimes and mysteries, and he is the founder of the Italian crime-writing collective Gruppo 13. He is also a journalist and has worked for multiple Italian newspapers.


The Translator

Joseph Farrell is Professor Emeritus of Italian in the University of Strathclyde. He has also been theatre reviewer, translator of film scripts, novels and plays, and author of several works including a travelogue on Sicily, a biography of Dario Fo and Franca Rame as well as the biographical study, Robert Louis Stevenson in Samoa. His translations include works by Leonardo Sciascia, Vincenzo Consolo, Dario Fo and Valerio Varesi as well as Carlo Lucarelli.

The Night Stalker by Chris Carter #blogathon

On this bright sunny day, even here in Scotland, I've got a slice of the dark for today's post because we're on the next instalment of the epic Chris Carter blogathon and today I'm presenting my review of the third Robert Hunter book, The Night Stalker. And it's a tense, creepy one! My thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for inviting me on the tour. I read from my own e-copy.

 

The Blurb

When an unidentified female body is discovered laid out on a slab in an abandoned butcher's shop, the cause of death is unclear. Her body bears no marks; except for the fact that her lips have been carefully stitched shut.

It is only when the full autopsy gets underway at the Los Angeles County morgue that the pathologist will reveal the true horror of the situation - a discovery so devastating that Detective Robert Hunter of the Los Angeles Homicide Special Section has to be pulled off a different case to take over the investigation

But when his inquiry collides with a missing persons' case being investigated by the razor-sharp Whitney Meyers, Hunter suspects the killer might be keeping several women hostage. Soon Robert finds himself on the hunt for a murderer with a warped obsession, a stalker for whom love has become hate.

My Review

So we've reached the third book in the epic Robert Hunter series, and this was the most difficult read for me so far. It reads well as standalone, with plenty of back story, so don't worry if you haven't read the first two books, but I always think it's a richer reading experience if you read a series in order from the beginning.

The book opens with a bang - literally! Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia find themselves investigating a murder knowing nothing about the murder or the identity of the victim. And that's just the beginning... They also cross paths with Whitney Myers, an ex cop turned PI, who is looking for a musician reported missing by her father. Hunter is impressed by Myers but he's also not a man who trusts easily. He is a fascinating character and we learn a wee bit more about him in this book - he can lip read, for example!

The storyline is tense throughout but especially so at the end which kept me right on edge. I'm not going to go into the story in any detail for fear of spoilers, but I found it a difficult read due to the nature of the crimes - there was a light on at night when I was alone in the house and reading this! . I think this might be a harder read for female readers, particularly. But all this series are on the darker side of dark crime, so as long as you're prepared for that going in, you'll be fine. And the plotline is satisfyingly twisty and complex with bits of science and psychology dropped in here and there. And the odd red herring. And plenty, plenty of threat and peril. 

From its explosive beginning to its nail biting end, The Night Stalker is a ride. Albeit a pitch black one. But it's a plot that won't let you go until it's wrung every emotion out of you, including sadness for the victims, but also the story behind it all, whilst horrifying and shocking, is sad as well. So, all in all, a satisfying read, but an uneasy one for me, that I've thought about a lot since I finished it. Strapping in now for part four!

The Author 

Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions. He now lives in London, UK.

Lovers of Franz K by Burhan Sönmez (translated by Sami Hêzil)

Something different on the blog today. Lovers of Franz K by Burhan Sönmez and translated from Kurdish into English by Sami Hêzil is my first read from Open Border Press, an imprint of Orenda Books. But thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the for for my review copy. 

The Blurb

West Berlin, 1968. As a youth uprising sweeps over Europe in the shadow of the Cold War, two men face each other across an interrogation table. One, Ferdy Kaplan, has shot and killed a student. Kommissar Müller, the other is trying to find out why.

As his interrogation progresses, Kaplan’s background is revealed piece by piece, including the love story between him and his childhood friend Amalya, their shared passion for Kafka, and the radical youth movement they joined. When it transpires that Kaplan’s intended target was not the student but Max Brod, Franz Kafka’s close friend and the executor of his literary estate, the interrogation of a murderer slowly transforms into a dialogue between a passionate admirer of Kafka’s work, who is attempting to protect the author’s final wish to have his manuscripts burned, and a police commissioner who is learning more about literature than he ever thought possible from a prisoner in his custody.

In this gripping, thought-provoking tribute to Kafka, Burhan Sönmez vividly recreates a key period of history in the 1960s, when the Berlin Wall divided Europe. More than a typical mystery, Lovers of Franz K. is an exploration of the value of books, and the issues of anti-Semitism, immigration, and violence that recur in Kafka’s life and writings.

My Review

This was something very different for me. It's a rare move away from crime, although a crime has definitely taken place at the beginning of the book. A young man has been shot dead, another injured and Kommissar Müller is trying to establish the motivation behind Ferdy Kaplan's crime. This novella, just over 100 pages long, plays out in the interview room and during Kaplan's trial, with short excerpts giving details of key moments in Kaplan's life. These passages apart, the book is pretty much all told in dialogue, mostly conversations between Müller and Kaplan, with hardly any contextual details such as facial expressions. If made for a very interesting read. 

Ferdy Kaplan is a deep and thoughtful young man. He hasn't had an easy life, born in Germany to a German mother, who was a Nazi supporter and a Turkish father. They were both killed when Ferdy was young, and he was injured. He was sent to live in Istanbul, where he grew up, met Amalya, his first love, and developed an interest in politics. But he also developed a love of literature and shared that joy with Amalya. 

The timing and setting of this book are key. There is a youth uprising across Europe and the authorities fear this incidents could be the start of a wave of incidents, or be racially motivated. And whilst Kaplan is honest with them, he is also quite obtuse in his answers, frustrating both the police and the court. But eventually, Kaplan and Kommissar Müller reach a kind of understanding as the young man explains the reason behind his crime, and his passion for Franz Kafka and others. It's a fascinating discourse and one I'm sure I could read again and pick up yet more from. 

Can a man's spirit be murdered when he is already dead? I don't know. But Lovers of Franz K presents us with that question, among others. There is an admiration of Kafka's work clear throughout. I have only read one of his works but have others - maybe it's time to visit them. Kaplan displays a real passion for Kafka, a slightly idealised one perhaps, but I can't help but admire that. Every one should be passionate about something, and stand up for what they believe in, what they think is right. I don't know if that's what the author wanted to convey here, but that's the message I'm leaving with, amongst others. 

The Author

Burhan Sönmez, now President of PEN International, was born in Turkey in 1965. His mother tongue is Kurdish, which was stigmatised in Turkey during his youth. While practising law and campaigning for human rights in Istanbul, he was seriously injured during a murder attempt by the Turkish police in 1996 and left the country, receiving treatment in Britain and remaining in exile there for several years. Sönmez is a Senior Member of Hughes Hall College and of Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He was awarded the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation "Disturbing the Peace" award in 2017 and won the E.B.R.D. Literature Prize for Istanbul, Istanbul. Lovers of Franz K is Sönmez's sixth novel and the first written in his mother tongue.