∀lfa (Alfa) by Lilja Sigurðardóttir (translated by Larissa Kyzer)

I said yes immediately when I was invited onto the blog tour for Lilja Sigurðardóttir's new one, translated into English by Larissa Kyzer, because I have always enjoyed her books. Welcome to my review of ∀lfa (Alfa), a speculative mystery set in 2052. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to Orenda Books for my review copy.

The Blurb

Reykjavík, 2052. Europe is peaceful, prosperous and almost crime-free, governed by Ɐlfa, the artificial intelligence that manages infrastructure, safety and daily life. Mekkín works at the Ministry, close to the core of the system that keeps society running. She lives with her partner, Sabína, an artist.

When Sabína’s brother Birkir, a committed dissident who lives beyond the reach of Ɐlfa, is found brutally murdered, that fragile sense of order begins to fracture. Violent crime has effectively been eliminated, and Birkir’s death is not just shocking, but inexplicable. What was he involved in, and who would dare to commit murder in a world designed to prevent it?

As the investigation unfolds, Sabína is drawn ever deeper into the case. Mekkín’s position at the Ministry brings scrutiny she cannot escape, their relationship begins to fracture, and their teenage son’s recent integration into the system places him uncomfortably close to the forces now circling the family.

As Sabína pieces together Birkir’s final days, the answers begin to point far closer to home than either of them ever expected, forcing her to decide what she is prepared to sacrifice to uncover the truth…

My Review

As I said above I said yes immediately when asked to review this book. I didn't even read the blurb. Lilja Sigurðardóttir is one of those authors whose books I know I'm going to enjoy. So I was surprised, and intrigued, to see that it was a speculative thriller, as it was so different from the other books of hers that I've read. 

It's 2052. Iceland, and the rest of Europe, are ruled by ∀lfa, an AI, constantly monitored by the Seven, a team of IT  developers and coders and their team. Mekkín is one of the Seven, and she doesn't approve of her brother-in-law's off grid existence. Her partner Sabrína loves her brother and tries to help him where she can. Their son Júlíus has turned sixteen and will be learning the future that Alfa has chosen for him. Sabrína's brother Birkir's murder in a supposedly crime free world throughs everything into question, as do events at Mekkín's work party...

I really warmed to Sabrína, who seems a gentle, loving soul, and the women's son, Júlíus, who, to me, seems to be more like Sabrína. I found Mekkín harder to relate to. She seems more into herself, less emotional, outwardly anyway. But I loved Sir Simon, an old, dysfunctional house robot! ∀lfa, I have very mixed feelings about. Whilst I can see a place for artificial intelligence, it scares me. The amount it can already do, the damage it might be doing to our environment and the taking away of people's livelihoods, just look at the creative industries. So it was interesting reading about a world where people generally are happy to be governed by an AI, a world where people don't need to make decisions about their own future, where their health is monitored, where they don't need to drive because an AI powered car will take you where you need to go, where they  don't need cash or card. I don't think it's for me! But Iceland has been governed peacefully since ∀lfa was created 25 years ago, and everything has run smoothly. Until now. 

There are a few flashbacks to 2027 where we meet young teenager Sesselia, who hides out in the basement of a building used by a group of computer guys and girls. She runs errands for them and generally gets rewarded with food. I felt sorry for her as her situation was sad but I couldn't see where she fitted in and the bringing together of the two timelines was very great. And unexpected, for me.

∀lfa was a great read, an idea of a possible future. Of an outwardly perfect system that perhaps isn't exactly what it seems. But whilst one of the main characters is an AI, this is a book about people and relationships. All the characters are well drawn with believable relationships. The book looks at love and trust and the bonds that bond us, but does so in a world ruled by AI. The denouement is tense and scary, and challenges the main characters as to what is really important. A really interesting and enjoyable read. 

The Author

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurðardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written eleven crime novels, including Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavík Noir trilogy, and her standalone thriller Betrayal, all of which have hit bestseller lists worldwide. Snare was longlisted for the CWA International Dagger, Cage won Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year and was a Guardian Book of the Year, and Betrayal was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award and won Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year. The film rights for the Reykjavík Noir trilogy have been bought by Glassriver. Cold as Hell, the first book in the An Áróra Investigation series, was published in the UK in 2021 and was followed by Red as Blood, White as Snow, Dark as Night and Black as Death. TV rights to the series have been bought by a major studio. Lilja lives in Reykjavik with her partner and a brood of chickens.

Dark Accords by Morgan Cry

I was very excited to be invited onto this tour for the new one from an author whose previous work I know, but this book is a complete change in direction, so I was interested to read it. Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Dark Accords by Morgan Cry. Many thanks to Zoe O'Farrell at Zooloo's Book Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy. I am going to the launch event next week and will probably buy my own copy there. 

The Blurb

SOMETHING EVIL IS AFOOT . . .

A COUNTRY ABLAZE WITH FEAR

Scotland, 1662. Accused of witchcraft, Jonet and her lover Malcolm flee across a land ruled by fear and superstition. Their path through the Scottish mainland holds peril and an unexpected rescue mission.

A WOMAN IN DANGER

Reaching Dundee they’re granted sanctuary by Sir George Mackenzie, a smart advocate who has defended witches, only to find him facing a crisis of his own. His secret lover Isobel has been abducted by his nemeses, the unscrupulous Blair brothers, and they are claiming she’s a witch!

A MURDEROUS PLOT IN THE MAKING

Is this personal revenge on Sir George or are darker machinations at play? With time running out, Sir George and his loyal allies set out to uncover the chilling truth – a truth that could alter the course of history in its entirety.

Dark Accords was released on 29th October and is published by Severn House (imprint of Joffe Books).


Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/darkaccords-zbt

My Review

Well, this is a change in direction for Morgan Cry, aka Gordon Brown, with his first historical crime thriller, and the first in a new series. And he's picked witches as the subject for this first first into the past, featuring lawyer Sir George Mackenzie. I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved it. 

The book opens with Jonet McNicol, accused of being a witch, imprisoned in Rothesay Castle on the Isle of Bute. Her lover, Malcolm, isn't going to rest until Jonet is free but at what cost to him? Eventually, the couple are able to make their way across Scotland to Dundee, and the house of Sir George Mackenzie, having added to their number on the way. They are full of tales of daring and danger. At the same time, a young man calls at the house , with a story of his own, one which hits Sir George hard. Suddenly he has issues aplenty to deal with and must decide where and how to start. Meanwhile, we meet Joseph Blair, brother of David Blair. Neither has a good reputation, but Joseph approaches George with a suggestion that could help them both...

You can't help but like George Mackenzie and what he stands for - justice and the truth. He is clearly well respected, and is obviously a thoroughly decent man.I was rooting for him all the way. I really felt for the women who featured, all of whom had been betrayed, treated badly and threatened with death. I think my favourite characters, though, were Hector and Malcolm. Both wise men, both honourable in their own way and I loved Hector in particular, and his unshakeable loyalty to Sir George, and how George often turned to Hector for advice. The Bowsie is certainly an interesting chap, and one you definitely want on your side in a fight! 

I'm going to say very little about the plot for fear of spoilers but there is plenty of tension and peril throughout, and a feeling of threat from beginning to end. I don't know my history very well but things here feel authentic, the landscape, scene setting and language used, and although I did have to look up a lot of words, I liked many I discovered.  

Dark Accords is a strong beginning to a new series. Set in at an interesting time in Scotland's past with an engaging central character, it is well written and feels well researched. The supporting cast are cracking and the denouement is full of tension. What more could you ask for? 

The Author

Gordon Brown, also writing as Morgan Cry, has twelve crime and thriller books published to date, along with a novella and a number of short stories. Gordon is a founding director of Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival and runs a strategic planning consultancy. He lives in Scotland (and when Brexit rules allow, Spain) and is married with two children – who have long since flown the nest. In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, compered the main stage at a two-day music festival and was once booed by 49,000 people while on the pitch at a major football Cup Final.


Author Social Media Links

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/morgancryauthor/
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/GordonJBrownAuthor/

The Deadly Inheritance of Everest MacDonald by AJ West

I loved AJ West's previous book, The Betrayal of Thomas True, so was keen to read this new one. Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Deadly Inheritance of Thomas True by AJ West. Huge thanks as always to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb

1917. As the Great War rages on the continent, Everest Macdonald is summoned to her father's deathbed and entrusted with a final urgent request: she must uncover the truth behind the murder of her uncle, the celebrated Victorian actor William Terriss, a crime that has haunted her family for twenty years.

In 1897, Terriss was stabbed to death outside London’s Adelphi Theatre, a killing that shocked Victorian society. The murderer was swiftly arrested and confined to Broadmoor, the case declared closed. Yet years later, a sealed package of evidence passed to Everest by her dying father casts doubt on the official verdict and the haste with which it was reached.

Drawn back to wartime London, with her husband and children left behind, Everest begins her investigation, following a trail that leads her into the world of late-Victorian theatre, where fame and fortune mask obsession, envy and cruelty. With time running out and her father’s strength failing, Everest must uncover what really happened on the night Terriss died, and shed light on the
unsettling legacy he left behind…

My Review

What drew me to this book, in addition to living the previous book, was that it is rooted in historical fact. Actor William Terriss was murdered at a doorway to the Adelphi Theatre, and he did have a niece, the marvellously named Everest MacDonald. What a brilliant basis for a story. 

I loved Everest in her tweed skirt suit and bow tie - I mean, what an icon! - and her determination to fulfil her father's dying wish to find out what really happened to his brother. She heads off to London, seemingly without giving her husband or children a second thought. She's dogged and careful and aided in no small part by a young woman she meets on her journey who seems somehow familiar. Everest learns lots about her father during the investigation, and her uncle and aunt, and not all of it is favourable.

Through diary entries we learn about some of Everest's father's earlier life in Africa, sometimes featuring his brother Bill. I loved those sections, with the wonderful descriptions of the place, the people and the life. And through diary entries from William's wife Isabel, we learn about his life before he decided to become an actor. And there is some wild stuff in that tale! 

Back in 1917, the investigation is far from simple, and I loved the ghostly, otherwordly element to the story - it was a great read in the days before Halloween - when Everest doesn't know if she can trust her eyes. I loved the denouement, the drama, literally, of it all. 

The Deadly Inheritance of Everest MacDonald was such a great read. Colourful characters brought to life perfectly. The writing is so descriptive it was easy to imagine London in 1917, and Africa in the 1890s, and the other places this book takes us. The story is fascinating and The denouement is a cracker. A winner all round, I recommend you give it a look.

The Author

AJ West’s bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long￾forgotten true story. His second novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, debuted at number two on the Sunday Times bestseller list, and won the CWA Historical Dagger. AJ was also shortlisted for the Booksellers Association Author the Year. An award-winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events. A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.

The Murder Tree by Caro Ramsay

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Murder Tree, the fifth book in the DI Christine Caplan series, by Caro Ramsay. Big thanks to Zoë O'Farrell at Zooloo's Book Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb

Individually, the deaths of three elderly people aren’t suspicious. But when DCI Christine Caplan discovers the victims are linked and the truth of their identities twists the investigation ever‑darker, one question haunts Caplan’s every step: who needs these people dead… and how many names are on their list?

Four siblings. Three dead bodies. One twisted bloodline.

DCI Christine Caplan should be celebrating her daughter's wedding. Instead, a journalist gives her a lead on a potential murder case with four whispered words: Witness protection. Suspicious death.

The dead woman is Juniper Greene — a recluse found alone in her cottage, the doors locked from the inside. Officially, nobody cares. And since Caplan's team is days from being shut down, she has nothing to lose by following the faintest trace of evidence.

What surfaces is a family that shouldn't still exist. Four estranged siblings—two buried, two vanished or living under names that aren't their own. One by one, these relatives are being picked off.

It isn't a family tree.
It's a murder tree.
And someone is chopping it back to the roots.

Caplan has to save the survivors. But can she find them before the killer?

The book came out on 15th October this year and is published by Severn House (Imprint of Joffe Books).

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/murdertree-zbt

My Review

I have the absolute pleasure of knowing Caro in person and she's one of my favourite people. I have read several of her books but this is the first of her Christine Caplan books I've read. I will need to go back as I always prefer to read a series from the beginning for a richer experience, but The Murder Tree worked fine as a standalone for someone jumping in at book five. 

The first thing I should say is that Caro's trademark humour shines through. Yes,it's a murder mystery and a police procedural, but there are plenty of funny moments.

Caplan's ragtag team is in danger of being broken up and she really doesn't want that. She loves where she is and fiercely loyal to her team. But she needs a case. So when a journalist suggests she look into the death of an elderly recluse a year previously, Caplan figures she has nothing to lose. 

We also meet Doro, a young woman with a disabled son, who works as a carer at a local care home, where she looks after Bernie, and relay on three old ladies who live across the square from her for childcare. She's a sweet girl who loves her son, her elderly friends and her patient. But somehow she finds herself in the middle of something she doesn't really understand. 

What starts with one body and an investigation into a cold case turns into an intricate tale of resentment and revenge. A single family being targeted, and Caplan a team race to solve the mystery whilst keeping at bay those that want to shut them down . 

The Murder Tree is the best kind of police procedural. One with an intricate storyline, seemingly unrelated deaths and a mystery to solve. The writing is great, there is plenty of tension and peril, laced with a dose of humour. I liked the characters, Caplan, Craigo and Doro especially,  but they were all well rounded. It was a really enjoyable read with a satisfying denouement and I'm looking forward to catching up with the rest of the series. 

The Author

Caro Ramsay is the Glaswegian author of the critically acclaimed Anderson and Costello series, the first of which, Absolution, was shortlisted for the CWA’s New Blood Dagger for best debut of the year. The ninth book in the series, The Suffering of Strangers, was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2018.


Author Social Media Links

Instagram - https://www.facebook.com/CaroRamsayAuthor
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CaroRamsayAuthor
X / Twitter - https://x.com/CaroRamsayBooks
Website - https://www.caroramsay.com

The Snake by Philip Gladwin

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Snake by Philip Miller, which takes place in the world of SO19, a police armed response unit in London. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the author for my paperback review copy. 

The Blurb

What kind of person knows they may kill before the day is out?

Kate Arden must soon find out.

It's London, 1999. A family tragedy breaks her heart and forces her into a new job with an elite police unit called SO19.

SO19 is all speed, power and adrenaline. There are fast cars, serious weaponry, unpredictable threats. It's disciplined, aggressive, and highly addictive, a very long way from regular policing.

Kate is one of a tight team of firearms specialists. Their job is to protect the people from those who would steal, kill and destroy.

Including one ex-marine sniper with a grudge ...

My Review

Kate suffers a terrible family tragedy and wants revenge. She's in the police but doesn't feel she has the skills she might need so she applies for SO19, a police armed response unit, where she'll be trained in the use of weapons. It also gives her a focus, as she had been struggling mentally since the tragedy. It saves her, to a point, because she finds a degree of comfort in her role. she also finds a familiar face on her team, but not one she particularly wants to see... 

The story is told from two points of view. It's mostly Kate's story, but we also see things from Gretten's point of view, and the reader knows that, at some point, the two main characters will meet.  

I really felt for Kate. The author portrayed her feeling well as she struggles with guilt and grief and further family upset. It's a lot.  She throws herself into her work, her new role as an armed officer, the only woman in a team of men. I was rooting for her from the start. Of course, I know nothing about armed response units but this feels very real and appears to be well researched. Gretton has had a hard time with his own trauma and initially I was sympathetic towards him. But, and I'm sure this happens often in real life, he doesn't get the support he needs for his mental health. And as the story moves on it's harder to feel sympathetic. 

Mental health features a lot in this book, which is not surprising given the job these officers do, and the different traumas that Kate and Gretton have been through, and I think the struggle to cope is something many readers will connect with and may perhaps have experienced (with different triggers, of course).

I enjoyed Kate finding her feet in the team, and the relationships and banter between the members of that team. I liked, too, that we went with them on their callouts. The boy in the horse made me sad, Mog left me conflicted. The tension increased towards the end which was great but the ending was a bit of a let down for me. But I see there is a follow up to The Snake planned, and it would be good to see Kate back in action. An interesting read. 

The Author

Philip Gladwin is a novelist, screenwriter, development executive and educator, with long experience of many different genres across TV, film and radio. Philip has over 60 TV broadcast credits in both primetime and children’s drama. He has developed for many long running TV series, and has been commissioned to write scripts by people like Lynda La Plante, Russell T. Davies and Tony Garnett. He is also strong at series construction, having worked on many bibles and series story documents, and has helped to create seasons of some of the UK's most loved shows, including Casualty, New Tricks, Grange Hill, Holby City and The Bill. The series of The Dumping Ground on which he was series script editor received two BAFTA nominations, including best Childrens’ Drama, and won a Writers Guild Award.

What We Were Hiding by Jonas Saul

We're back into the world of crime today with my stop on the blog tour for What We Were Hiding by Jonas Saul. As you can see below, Jonas has written many books but this is the first of his I have read. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my paperback review copy. 

The Blurb

Ben Redfield built a life he refuses to lose—his business, his marriage, his name. 

So when a rival begins quietly dismantling everything he’s built, Ben doesn’t call the police. He doesn’t call a lawyer. 

He calls his estranged brother—with one instruction: make the problem go away. Clean. Quiet. Untraceable.

Instead, the wrong people start dying.  

Now Ben is exposed. The police are closing in. And someone is always watching.

He wanted one man gone. Now he’s the one being hunted.

Because once you step into a world built on silence, you don’t get to choose who pays the price.

My Review

Ben and his wife Eliza own The Stillwater House, a successful hotel in Savannah. Marcus Vale owns the Nocturne Savannah Hotel. The problem is that Marcus wants The Stillwater House for himself and Ben and Eliza are unwilling to sell it. And that's where the trouble starts. Ben is attacked, there is a fire in part of the hotel. Ben just wants it all to stop, so takes drastic action, which begins a whole new chain of events, far more serious...

The book is told from several points of view. Mainly Ben's and Eliza's but there are also some chapters from Marcus's point of view, and some from Ben's brother, Jason. Everyone has secrets. From each other, and some from the reader, to be discovered along the way. I found I didn't fully engage with the characters but the fast moving story kept me invested. There's a feeling of threat throughout all the  action, and I couldn't figure out how things would end, which was great. 

What We Were Hiding is a quick read, with a story full of action and peril that will keep you hooked. It's a great holiday read to pop in your suitcase. 

The Author

Jonas Saul is the bestselling author of the Sarah Roberts Series - more than two million sold - and has written and published over sixty thrillers. After acquiring an agent, he signed several deals in Los Angeles, with MadRiver Pictures optioning (currently in development) his Sarah Roberts Series -over forty books!

Jonas is regularly invited to be a guest speaker, teacher, or workshop presenter at international writing conferences and film festivals worldwide. He hosts an annual writer’s retreat in Greece, where he currently lives. He focuses his teaching on how to build tension and emotion in every scene and on every page, how he made it as a creator/writer, the path to success in this business, and the pitfalls to avoid. He also hosts a reading retreat in Greece, as well as yoga and hiking retreats with guest authors.

Author Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/jonassaul/

https://www.instagram.com/jonassaul/

The Cutting by Michael J Malone

I have loved all the previous instalments in the eerie, atmospheric Annie Jackson Mysteries by Michael J Malone (search under his name for my previous reviews) so was really looking forward to The Cutting. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part and to the publisher for my review copy. 

The Blurb

The most dangerous voices are the ones no one else can hear…

Evie Cartwright first speaks to the dead as a child. When she leaves home for university, her gift takes a terrifying turn after she witnesses a brutal murder. By morning, she is haunted by a dead serial killer who refuses to leave her alone, and marked by a cut across her neck that never heals.

For the next ten years, Evie is driven from place to place, searching for a way to rid herself of the voice that torments her day and night. When desperation leaves her with nowhere else to turn, she arrives at the remote Highland home of Annie Jackson, hoping she will finally find answers.

As Annie and her brother Lewis begin to investigate, helped by an old friend with specialist knowledge of the occult, they are drawn into a dark and dangerous search that reaches deep into Scotland’s history. And some ghosts are not content to remain in the shadows…

My Review

Well, this was a creepy one! On her first night in a new city, before her university course has even begun, she witnessed a brutal attack, and sees something lurking in the shadows. That same something takes hold of her and refuses to let her go. Using her ability to speak to the dead,  she earns money across the world as a medium, constantly searching for people who might be able to help with her unique situation, before coming back to Scotland. She ends up near Annie's home and after overhearing people talking about Annie and doing her own research, Evie is convinced Annie is the right person to help her. 

Told from three different viewpoints, that of Evie, Annie and Annie's brother Lewis, and we also have flashbacks to a series of events towards the end of the 1700s. Annie knows she can't help Evie directly herself but the two women seek advice and help from Ina Hetherington, who has appeared in the series before. I love Ina. She's warm, welcoming and wise, and nothing much gets past her. She also has a huge knowledge, and a huge library, of the occult. And it's hard not to feel for Evie, having spent so long living with her own personal torment, not able to find peace, although she does make some dubious decisions. Meanwhile, alongside his work, Lewis is continuing his own investigation following events in The Howling, before everything dovetails together.

I love Annie. On one hand, she just wants to be left alone to live in peace, just a few shifts in the local cafe, but otherwise safe in her wee house. But she's also compassionate, and finds it hard to turn away those people who seek her out, looking for help. Like Evie. But,  goodness me, it leads her, and Lewis, into some difficult situations! And at the heart of the mystery there are often legends, voices and ghosts, and the atmosphere is tense, often eerie. As in previous books, the rugged Scottish countryside, plays such an important role it's a character in itself, and adds to the overall feeling of the book. 

The Cutting is another beautifully written entry in the Annie Jackson Mysteries series, telling of an awful crime centuries ago and its reverberations in the modern day. But also a very current mystery with a violent denouement makes up a huge part of the story. I don't know how Annie has the strength to carry on after all that she's been through, Lewis too, but I am very glad they keep at it because we get excellent books like this one. 

The Author

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines
throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His dark psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number one bestseller, and is currently in production for the screen, and five powerful standalone thrillers followed suit. The Murmurs, The Torments and The Howling, the first three books in the Annie Jackson Mysteries series, were published to critical acclaim. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber), he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr, where he also works as a hypnotherapist.