Black Reed Bay by Rod Reynolds

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Black Reed Bay by Rod Reynolds, my second book by him following last year's Blood Red City. Thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

 

The Blurb

When a young woman makes a distressing middle-of-the-night call to 911, apparently running for her life in a quiet, exclusive beachside neighbourhood, miles from her home, everything suggests a domestic incident. Except no one has seen her since, and something doesn’t sit right with the officers at Hampstead County PD.

With multiple suspects and witnesses throwing up startling inconsistencies, and interference from the top threatening the integrity of the investigation, lead detective Casey Wray is thrust into an increasingly puzzling case that looks like it can have only one ending.

And then the first body appears, and Casey’s investigation plunges her into a darkness she could never have imagined...

Black Reed Bay introduces a breathtaking, powerful and addictive new series, fronted by the fantastic Detective Casey Wray, from the CWA-nominated author of Blood Red City and The Dark Inside.

 

My Review

A young woman makes an emergency call to the Hampstead County Police Department saying that someone is trying to kill her. She managed to say where she is before getting cut off. But where she says she is doesn't match up with where the call came from. There are several other calls t o the police about the agitated woman at the beach front complex including one from the man she was with, giving the police an obvious starting point. Detective Casey Wray is assigned to the case and sets about solving it with her team. But things get much more complicated when a body is discovered very close to where Tina Grace disappeared...

Casey Wray is a brilliant character. She's straight up, dedicated, absolutely knows right from wrong and has worked hard to achieve respect within her department. She doesn't have as much confidence in herself as some of those around her do, particularly partner Dave Cullen and her boss and mentor Ray Carletti, both of whom she is close to. I loved her relationships with them both and the mutual banter and mickey taking. As with a lot of police personnel in the books I read, I worry about her working too hard! She needs a holiday, or at least a good night's sleep! She has no home life and no obvious relationships outside of the job. And Reynolds fair puts her through the wringer emotionally in this book - that poor woman!

Another stand out character for me was Maggie Grace, mother of missing Tina. No husband, one child missing, the other angry and unpredictable, she is on her own, desperately trying to keep it together. But the longer it goes on, the harder it gets to do that. She is beautifully written.

I know this is the beginning of a planned series and I'm not sure if Robbie McTeague will feature in further books. I hope so, he intrigues me, not quite sure what to make of him.

The story line is dark and the whole book has that kind of feel in spite of some lighter moments. It felt quite claustrophobic. I mean that in a positive way, in that it's very atmospheric, disaster and threat looming over Casey at times. I found myself holding my breath as I read, and certainly didn't see a couple of let things coming. And there was one of those moments that I found just heartbreaking.

 

Black Reed Bay is a mighty fine crime thriller. Part police procedural, it focuses more on individuals, relationships, secrets and lies. It explores fear,  grief, heartache, desperation and joy through a dark but well written story. It's raw and emotional. I thought the characters were exquisitely written, particularly Casey and Maggie. I think Casey Wray is one strong, determined woman we're going to see plenty of in the future. And I, for one, can't wait! 

The Author

Rod Reynolds is the author of five novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian has called the books ‘pitch-perfect American noir’. A lifelong Londoner, Rod’s first novel set in his hometown, entitled Blood Red City, was published by Orenda Books in 2020. Black Reed Bay is out this month.

Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. He lives with his wife and family and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters. Follow him on Twitter @Rod_WR.

Me and The Monkey by Andy Darby

I'm delighted to be helping close the blog tour for Me and The Monkey by Andy Darby, possibly the most bonkers book I've ever read! Gloriously entertaining. Huge thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel 's Random Resources for inviting me and to the publisher for the marvellous package I received (picture at the end of the post).

The Blurb

Well there’s this talking monkey who won me in a game of Othello in a coffee shop in Amsterdam. He came back to Cornwall with me and has become a prolific reader and dabbler in magic. He also has past life flash backs – the most prominent of which are the Nam special forces ones. We have partially deceased girlfriends who apparently eat dead bodies. The Monkey created a sort of black hole in the spare bedroom and now we have a team of nerds investigating it and trying to stop ‘things’ coming out of it. A bunch of Oriental hit men who appear to believe he is a god attempted to steal The Monkey’s magic lolly pop sticks, but he managed to blow them up in their caravan. We are off to Cambodia in search of a temple from which came a monkey faced pendant with glowing eyes and we seem to have upset an international cabal who are out to get us. Oh, and did I mention that The Monkey likes a cigar and we regularly get very drunk on Jack Daniels…

Me and The Monkey is published by Bad Press Ink and was released on 10th July 2021.


Purchase Link

http://getbook.at/MeandTheMonkey

My Review

I chose this book because the blurb sounded out-there bat shit bonkers, and who doesn't need a bit of that? Particularly at the moment. And you know what? This book absolutely delivers. I spent much of the time giggling and shaking my head in disbelief. 

The blurb gives you a good idea of what to expect - it's hard to expand on that information without giving things away. It's insane, in a good way. A cigar smoking, hard drinking, talking, intelligent Monkey, a slightly bemused but easy going guy (the unnamed Me), a couple of nerds, some undead girlfriends, a black hole in the spare room floor, Eastern assasins, shamen, sourcerers, Cambodia, Scotland and Wales all feature. And Cornwall. And Jack Daniels. Lots of Jack... And it's all told in a series of diary entries/blog posts I told you, it's madness! 

To give you a little flavour of it, this is the first time we meet The Monkey...

'At the moment The Monkey is sitting on the back of the sofa wearing a mask made of ham - he looks strangely like Justin Bieber...'

Darby had me with that line. Laughed out loud. And below is one of my favourite diary entries...

'The Monkey wants to know why they buried Richard III in a car park. He thinks it may be because he didn't return his supermarket trolley but just left it in one of the bays, so they killed him and buried him there as a warning to others. Ah drugs...'

As I mostly read crime and psychological thrillers, normally when I wonder what it's like in the mind of those authors it's because their subject matter is so dark. With Andy Darby, I can't even begin to imagine where these wild ideas came from! I 'm assuming they were fuelled by copious amounts of Jack Daniels...

Me and The Monkey is crude in places, violent in places, bloody in places, original and absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud loads and quoted random lines at folk. Bonkers and brilliant, the work of a crazy genius, and I loved it. Can't wait for the follow up. 

The Author

Andy Darby, would-be Viking, and lover of the bizarre. Mission – infest the world with his strange creations. He is the author of Me and The Monkey.

Son of a WW2 Commando, growing up in 1970s Birmingham, as a teenager Andy became a fan of heavy metal, fronting several metal bands over the years. His passion for martial arts also began in the 70s and has continued to the present. Competing as a bodybuilder and playing American Football for the Birmingham Bulls took up much of his 20s.

Following a mixed career involving working in a jewellery factory, spraying cars, and office work, he finally managed to follow his other passion, art, and began a career as a designer. A marketing department honed his skills, and he became aware of the world of designing for live events, joining a small production company, and eventually becoming creative director of their larger parent company. Moving to Cornwall he decided it was time to go freelance setting up his own business focusing on motion graphic design.

In the late 1990s he began to get the urge to write and his laptop drive is littered with the unformed creations that have popped into his head. Me and The Monkey is his first novel, coming to life as an experiment in having the discipline to write something every day during a period when he was travelling extensively for work. The story was written during train journeys, flights, backstage at events, 2am in hotel rooms, even during stops at motorway service stations, and was often written on his phone or iPad.

Andy lives on the north coast of Cornwall with his artist wife, teenage daughter, cat, two ponies, and constantly growing library. He still secretly thinks he could be a big wave surfer regardless of what reality tells him.

My Book Post

A Lifetime Ago by Jim Ody

Today is my stop on the blog tour for A Lifetime Ago by Jim Ody. Thanks to Zoe-Lee O'Farrell at Zooloo Book Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

 

The Blurb

This is a tale about how the events of one day have such catastrophic consequences on the future.

Hudson Bell is a consultant for the police. A former DI, he spends his days helping to find missing children.

May and her son go on a road trip to celebrate his birthday; Robert and Nadia buy their dream house by the sea.

But as each look to enjoy a new life, none of them can shake off what happened on that fateful day. One of them blames the others and will stop at nothing to seek revenge.

One accident and five lives changed forever.

A Lifetime Ago was published by Question Mark Press on 13th March 2020 and is available to purchase on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

My Review

Hudson Bell is a haunted man. He has been deeply affected by something that took place four years earlier - he left his job in the police, his relationship ended, friendships were damaged and despite counselling and therapy sessions he rarely gets a good night's sleep. And he is driven to help the police find missing children. Little Darren has been missing for two months and Bell is determined to find him. But he never expects the trail to lead where it does.

I loved Hudson. His heartbreak and grief comes right off the page, you sense his brokenness. He has, perhaps, chosen his current work as he is seeking some kind of redemption. We feel his anguish when cases don't go the way they should. May is another character carrying the weight of grief and pain and it's damaged her and her relationship with her young son. She is beautifully described. Jez,on the other hand, is a bit of light relief and I couldn't help but smile at some of his moments. The story is quite dark and needs some light now and then. Jez provides this, as does Laura to a lesser extent.

I enjoyed seeing the story, and back story, unfold from different perspectives, it's a really effective way to build and add layers to the plot. I also liked moving between the past and present, it kept me on my toes! There's a good pace and Ody successfully weaves everything together reaching a tense and bittersweet denouement. I actually found it quite sad, but glad there was maybe a chink of light for Hudson. An easy, effective and enjoyable read. It's dark though, and due to the subject matter, it might not be for everyone, but I really liked it and think Ody successfully explores the butterfly effect, the ripples through time from one single event.

 

The Author

Jim writes dark psychological/thrillers, Horror and YA books that have endings you won’t see coming, and favours stories packed with wit. He has written over a dozen novels and many more short-stories spanning many genres.

 
Jim has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd. When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife, three beautiful children and two indignant cats in Swindon, Wiltshire UK.


Author Social Media Links

Facebook 
Instagram
Twitter 
Amazon 

Darkness Falls by Alex Knight

Gosh, I've been quiet for a while, haven't I? Apologies, life and all that, you know how it is. Anyway, I'm back with an absolute banger! Darkness Falls by Alex Knight is out today and I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy. And goodness, I fair raced through it - couldn't turn the pages fast enough! If that wasn't enough, I also caught up with Alex a few days back to chat about the book, and other things - find out more below.

The Blurb

Twenty years ago, her brother was murdered. Tonight, she's found his killer.

Thessaly Hanlon is four hours into a long drive home through the night when she pulls into a 24-hour roadside diner to take a break. She's exhausted, but when she hears a chillingly familiar voice from the next booth, she wonders if he'll ever sleep again.

The voice is unmistakable. It belongs to Casper Sturgis, the man who murdered Thessaly's brother two decades before, and then disappeared without a trace.

Thessaly makes the decision to follow the killer. As Thessaly begins to unravel the second life of Casper Sturgis, she finds that digging into the past can have deadly consequences...

Darkness Falls is published today by Orion.

My Review

This is the second book from Alex Knight following last year's Hunted, which I loved. They are both standalones so you don't need to worry which order you read them in but I would recommend you read them both.

Darkness Falls follows the fabulously named Thessaly Hanlon. Although 20 years have passed, she still remembers the night her brother as murdered as if it was yesterday. And she remembers the man who murdered him just as clearly. He disappeared after that might and has never been caught. On a dreadful night, with awful weather which reminded me of a wet Glasgow evening, she pulls off the road at a small rest stop diner to get dry and drink coffee. All that changes when she heard the voice of Casper Sturgis, the man who killed her brother. The police don't take an active interest, after all it's a twenty year old crime and only a brief sighting, but Thessaly can't let it lie and sets out to find Sturgis herself.

It's a fantastic opening and the pace never lets up. This is a cat and mouse chase with a difference - here the mouse is chasing the cat, and taking all kinds of risks to do so. I loved Thessaly. She's strong, intelligent and determined to get justice for her brother. She doesn't always make good choices, but who does? She's really well written, believable. One thing I love about this book is that it's populated by strong women. In fact, men, with one notable exception, don't come out of this well at all. As well as Thessaly, there is Casey, a scared wife who wants to do right by her son, Washington, a dogged police officer who becomes involved, even Kayla, a young waitress who goes out of her way to help Thessaly. All beautifully written, perfectly rounded characters. To be fair, all the guys are brilliant characters too, just not necessarily one's I'd want to share a beer with...

I don't want to say too much about the plot for fear of spoilers. I'll just say that tracking down Sturgis is not a simple task, and Thessaly puts herself in peril more than once. The whole thing has a tense claustrophobic feel about it. This comes, partly, I think, from the incredibly exciting denouement, and partly because the number of key players is so small.

Darkness Falls is a tense, exciting, intelligent, fast paced, action filled crime thriller populated by well rounded characters. As I said in my opener, it's an absolute banger! Highly recommend this one.


The Author

Alex Knight was born in Glasgow and studied English at the University of Stirling. He works as a systems administrator by day, and writes thrillers by night. Alex lives near Glasgow with his wife and three children.


Author Chat

I caught up with Alex a couple of days ago for coffee and a chat.

Darkness Falls was his lockdown project and, as he says in the acknowledgements, he thinks that probably influenced his writing a little, changing the setting for the ending amongst other things. As I mentioned above, I certainly thought it had a claustrophobic feel about it. I commented on the fact that the majority of the key characters are women, and well written ones at that. For Alex, the important thing is getting the character right, so it almost shouldn't matter what gender they are. In fact, Thessaly was originally going be a guy - I wonder what his name would've been?! Talking of which, I asked Alex about coming up with names. He told me some come easily, some are inspired by something he's seen or read and often he'll use placeholder names for the early drafts, only slotting in the final choices later.

I'm always interested in the research authors do. I know, from previous conversations, that Alex is a big fan of good old Google for this, although for this book he also did some background reading for one or two elements of the storyline. I asked him, if he had to disappear, really disappear like Casper Sturgis did, where in the US would he go? The answer was North California, with its beautiful mountains and forests, but generally better weather than here in Scotland! Did he think he would change his name to stay hidden? Possibly. But given Facebook notifies his other alter ego (Mason Cross) whenever he posts a picture under his real name because it thinks he's an imposter he might not have to! My favourite story of the morning.

I also want to know what authors have been listening to, what was on the Spotify playlist. Alex chooses mainly film scores, without lyrics to distract him, and has found an excellent Australian radio station that plays just that. Much of Darkness Falls was written in his back garden in the good weather we had over lockdown and as a result Taylor Swift made it into the playlist too. Alex felt she had the right vibe for the book as you will see when I asked him to name three songs or pieces of music that would be on the Darkness Falls soundtrack. They are:

- Darkness on the Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen (this was the working title of the book)
- Mornin' Glory by Bobbi Gentry (plays in the book)
- Exile by Taylor Swift

Finally, I asked Alex what he's currently working on and he got all secretive! 

'I'm working on a couple of things but nothing I can talk about', which all sounds super exciting. He also has a side project on which he's committed to write at least a hundred words a day for the whole year. He's usually writing between 5000 and 6000 words a month on this so it's growing quite quickly. I do know a teeny bit about this one and am fairly certain you won't be disappointed when it finally comes to be.

Actually, there was one other question. Alex is a big comic fan, would he like to write a graphic novel?
'Would love to! Just need DC or Marvel to ask me.' You heard it here first.

 

Thanks so much to Alex for taking the time to catch up and answer these and many other questions. If you're heading to Stirling this weekend for Bloody Scotland, Alex is taking part in the 'Shocking Twists and Big Reveals' panel on Friday evening. If you're not heading through in person but would still like tot attend, online tickets are available for individual events or for the whole weekend, and it's a cracking line up this year. More information is available from the Bloody Scotland website.