Demon by Matt Wesolowski

I'm so excited to be on the tour for one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I always look forward to a release from Matt Wesolowski. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to Orenda Books for my review copy. I will be buying a paperback copy to go with the rest of  the set. 

 

The Blurb

In 1995, the picture-perfect village of Ussalthwaite was the site of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable, in a case that shocked the world. Twelve-year-old Sidney Parsons was savagely murdered by two boys his own age. No reason was ever given for this terrible crime, and the ‘Demonic Duo’ who killed him were imprisoned until their release in 2002, when they were given new identities and lifetime anonymity. Elusive online journalist Scott King investigates the lead-up and aftermath of the killing, uncovering dark and fanciful stories of demonic possession, and encountering a village torn apart by this unspeakable act. And, as episodes of his Six Stories podcast begin to air, King himself becomes a target, with dreadful secrets from his own past dredged up and threats escalating to a terrifying level. It becomes clear that whatever drove those two boys to kill is still there, lurking, and the campaign of horror has just begun…

Demon is published by Orenda Books and was released a week ago today on 20th January 2022. 

My Review

Before I even start, can we just take a moment to share the love for this cover? Isn't it brilliant? Orenda's cover designer, Mark Swan, is a wizardy genius. 

Anyway, to business! This is the sixth book in the fantastic Six Stories and features six episodes. 666. I suspect this isn't a coincidence given the title of the book and the crime it details. It follows Six Stories, Hydra, Changeling, Beast and last year's Deity. You don't need to have read any of all of the previous books to enjoy this one but I do recommend you catch up with them at some point because they're brilliant. For those of you not familiar with the series, it follows online journalist Scott King's Six Stories in which he investigates (fictional) true crimes interviewing six people close to the crime across six episodes (chapters). Demon looks at the horrific murder of 12 year old Sidney by two boys of the same age he thought were his friends. The crime took place over 25 years ago but it's clear there's still a lot of darkness surrounding Ussalthwaite to this day. 

Matt is a master world builder. The towns, villages and communities he creates seem so real I Google them every time, utterly convinced they must be actual places. But they're not, they just feel that way. And they really do. The same with the characters he creates. Every one of them is a fully formed, fleshed out person with a whole history and a future. The podcast format is brilliant because we 'hear' some of the characters speak. For me it's a completely immersive experience - I really feel like I'm listening to the voices of the interviewees telling their stories. I defy you not to feel heartbroken for Terry in Episode Four looking back as an adult on some of his behaviour as a child and or passionate for change when thinking about vilification by the press and public of anyone who is accused of a crime despite knowing nothing about them. But all of the episodes help build up very full pictures of our three main characters, and I felt sorry for them all at various points throughout the book but particularly Sidney. And there are letters shared between every episode, along with other relevant pieces of media, which nearly broke me. It was interesting to see how this case, as others have done, touched our host himself. 

As with all of the previous books there is an element of horror, otherworldliness, and I felt that was really strong in Demon, stuff that simply can't be explained, happening to all sorts of people. Real shiver down the spine stuff - especially for me who gets spooked easily! And the crime being discussed is, at least on the surface, truly horrific. But Matt has also delivered thoughtful, passionate and sometimes blistering comment on  justice, rehabilitation, vilification by the press, the power of social media, education, social services and politics. Demon is an absolutely cracking, totally absorbing, dark and atmospheric read which shows us that we don't have to look to the spiritual or ghostly to find the horror in the world. There was a hint this might be it for Scott King, at least for a while - I'm keeping everything crossed that Matt Wesolowski brings Scott back soon but looking forward to whatever comes next from Matt! 

 

The Author

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care. Matt started his writing career in horror, and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous UK and US based anthologies such as Midnight Movie Creature, Selfies from the End of the World, Cold Iron and many more. His novella, The Black Land, a horror story set on the Northumberland coast, was published in 2013. Matt was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2015. His debut thriller, Six Stories, was a bestseller in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia, and a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, and TV rights were sold to a major Hollywood studio. A prequel, Hydra, was published in 2018 and became an international bestseller, Changeling (2019), Beast (2020) and Deity (2021) soon followed suit.

Do check out what other bloggers had to say about Demon!   

Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen (translated by Don Bartlett)

It's my first blog tour stop of 2022, yay! And taking the honour of Bitter Flowers by Gunnar Staalesen, translated into English by Don Bartlett. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

PI Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when three complex crimes land on his desk.

A man is found dead in an elite swimming pool. A young woman has gone missing. Most chillingly, Veum is asked to investigate the ‘Camilla Case’: an eight-year-old cold case involving the disappearance of a little girl, who was never found.

As the threads of these three apparently unrelated cases come together, against the backdrop of a series of shocking environmental crimes, Veum faces the most challenging, traumatic investigation of his career.

A stunning, sophisticated, tension-packed thriller – the darkest of hardboiled Nordic Noir – from one of Norway’s most acclaimed crime writers.

Bitter Flowers is published in just a few day on 21st January by Orenda Books.

My Review

This is the second Varg Veum book that I've read after Wolves at the Door nearly two years ago. I've still not caught up with the series (hangs head in shame) but this worked perfectly as a standalone.

Private Investigator Varg Veum is just coming back to work after some problems with alcohol and a short stay in rehab. His physiotherapist from the rehab centre has found him a job watching a house whilst the owners are away. She takes him to show him around but things take a sinister turn whilst they are there. Initially investigating a murder and a missing person Veum focuses on the case of a young girl who went missing several years ago. But there seem to be links in that case to both the others ...

Varg Veum is an easy man to like, for me, anyway. He's a decent man, who has a keen sense of right and wrong and works hard to do the best he can. But we learn about his flaws, his previous reliance on alcohol, which was perhaps explored in a previous book, and his ongoing road to recovery. He has a generally good relationship with the police but there was definitely a sense that they just tolerated him sometimes!

The storyline is complex and involving with three threads running through it, tied in with a case of what seem to be environmental crimes. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, something I struggled with early on. A couple stood out for me: Siv, because her story was so sad but she was so richly described and provided some of the most moving moments, and Silje, who is only in it very, very briefly but touched me. All the characters, though, are richly drawn and easy to imagine. The denouement, reminiscent of a Hercule Poirot moment (as mentioned in the book) is terrific but unexpectedly sad.

But what really made this book for me was Staalesen's writing, with thanks to Don Bartlett for his excellent translation. Gunnar Staalesen's descriptive words are beautiful and evocative whether he's talking about looking out to sea, a hot day in the city, even Veum's increasing reliance on alcohol. There's a moment where two characters are lovemaking after taking a walk together: 'We...could go on long rambles over each other's terrain, smell the summer scents on our skin, hide our faces in moist miss and snake out cravings in new springs.' Loved that, beautiful. And the book is full of writing like that, I could give you so many examples but better you read them for yourselves. One wee one, though, that made me smile was '...lines of terraced houses, so new they smelt of mortgages...'.

Bitter Flowers is a complex, descriptive and beautifully written tale of family drama and terrible secrets. Varg Veum is at the centre of it but he is surrounded by a huge cast of finely drawn supporting characters. I really enjoyed it.


The Author

One of the fathers of Nordic Noir, Gunnar Staalesen was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1947. He made his debut at the age of twenty-two with Seasons of Innocence and in 1977 he published the first book in the Varg Veum series. He is the author of over twenty titles, which have been published in twenty-four countries and sold over four million copies. Twelve film adaptations of his Varg Veum crime novels have appeared since 2007, starring the popular Norwegian actor Trond Espen Seim. Staalesen has won three Golden Pistols (including the Prize of Honour); Where Roses Never Die won the 2017 Petrona Award for Nordic Crime Fiction, and Big Sister was shortlisted in 2019. He lives with his wife in Bergen.

Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022

Happy New Year! 

Time and circumstances conspired against me publishing my end of year round up at the actual end of the year. But I couldn't let 2021 disappear completely over the horizon without giving a shout out to some of the fantastic books I read. 

2021 wasn't a great year, was it? An improvement on 2020, yes, but still not great. And, personally, I struggled, and continue to do so, with poor mental health and general life stuff. I have a ton of people to thank for supporting me through 2021 but as this a bookish post, I want to give a shout out to some of the people from that community who've been there for me: Abbie Osborne, Michael MacKenzie, Louise Fairbairn, Douglas Skelton and Caro Ramsay.

My reading has suffered and so has this little blog. I met all my blog tour deadlines - just - but didn't get around to posting anything else, and I haven't shared stuff (my own and those of others) as widely as usual. I suspect that might continue for a wee while but working hard on getting everything back on track. I read a total of 76 books but only reviewed 56 of them, well down on my 99 from 2020. I also listened to six audio books, which was a new and enjoyable experience for me. Not a chance I can narrow all that down to just a top ten for the year but will share the details of those I enjoyed the most (click through the title for my review, where applicable). 

From the books I read but am still to review the standouts were Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison (going to try to squeeze in a quick re-read in time for the Bloody Scotland Book Club (Facebook) on 26th January) and Blacktop Wasteland by SA Cosby. My favourite audio book was The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, read by Louise Brealey but I also loved All That Remains by Professor Dame Sue Black, read by the author herself. 

From the books I reviewed, my favourites (in roughly the order I read them) were:

The Art of Death by David Fennell

'An original, gripping and exciting crime thriller full of tension with two cracking leads. It's current and relevant, and should make us all think more carefully about the information we share publicly online.' 

The Point of No Return by Neil Broadfoot

'A brilliant, tense, action packed crime thriller that hurtles along from beginning to end. The scene setting and characterisation are spot on. It's about misjudgements, love, loyalty, obsession and murder. And it's a story about fathers and sons. Loved it and wholeheartedly recommend it.' 

I Know What I Saw by Imran Mahmood

'A beautifully written tale of loss, brokenness, forgotten memories, remembered truths, a search for redemption, weaved into a story of murder and mystery. I enjoyed the author's style of writing, his descriptions have a lyrical way about them. It's not a fast paced book, especially the first half, but the quality of the writing is such that it doesn't need to be - you'll be hooked anyway. This is one for your TBR pile!' 

A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton

'A story of murder, wrongdoing, truth seeking and love. It's beautifully written, very atmospheric, weaving Scottish history in with the criminal underworld of today. Skelton has, as always, delivered a well developed plot and a satisfying denouement with a red herring or two thrown in along the way. I devoured it in two days and think it might be my favourite of the series yet. It will be amongst my books of the year. If you haven't read anything by Douglas Skelton I would urge you to do so, and this series is a great place to start.' 

The Great Silence by Doug Johnstone

'Yes, The Big Silence is a crime story. But it is so much more. It talks about love, loss, family, grief, determination, sadness, hope and resilience. It's beautifully written and populated by a large cast of fully formed characters, some of whom will break your heart, at the centre of which are Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah, strong, independent women. If this is the end of the series, I'm sad, but what a glorious journey it's been. I'm sure this will be amongst my favourite books of the year and I can't wait to see what Johnstone brings us next'. 

Darkness Falls by Alex Knight

'A tense, exciting, intelligent, fast paced, action filled crime thriller populated by well rounded characters. It's an absolute banger! Highly recommend this one.'

Me & the Monkey by Andy Darby

'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. 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.'

The Huntsmen by Tony Forder

'The subject matter is dark and may not be for everyone but this a cracking story told well. The Huntsmen is a really strong start to the new series introducing a unique partnership in Chase and Laney and delivering a beautifully written piece on family, love, pain, evil and redemption. There's a crime or two in there too!' 

The Quiet People by Paul Cleave

'A story of doubt, desperation, disbelief and determination. A mission to find out the truth, one way or another. It has things to say about the press, and about society's tendency to judge people without knowing the facts, without knowing if we're right or wrong  It was a book that kept me on edge - I'm a parent and whilst my kids are grown up now, when they were younger one of them disappearing was my worst nightmare. My emotions were tossed and thrown all over the place as the story raced from one nail biting incident to the next. I thought one thing one minute, then another the next. Believed one person, then another. It's jam packed full of action, very tense and will absolutely keep you glued to the page. Loved it.'

 

No Way To Die by Tony Kent

'... is everything you could want from a thriller. It's explosive, action packed and tense. It's full of shocks and surprises. It pulls you in from the first chapter and keeps you there. You won't notice the time passing, I promise you. Tony Kent has delivered all that and done it with heart. There were moments amidst the chaos and shooting that I found really quite moving. In case you are still wondering, I loved this book!' 

Fall by West Camel

'Fall is a fascinating book. With gorgeous descriptions and accurately drawn characters it tells of family, friendship, love, anger, resentment and redemption. But it also talks about prejudice, injustice and inaction. Someone, Aaron I think, says at one point 'We should say something.' This strikes me as something we should all take on board as there is still so much prejudice, discrimination and injustice going on around us. But this book also speaks to me of the importance of staying close to the ones we love, talking to them even when we don't want to, not letting ill feelings fester away. And finally, it's about the beautiful, devastating power of words. I will be thinking about Fall for a long time yet.' 

But my two very favourite books, and the ones I gifted multiple times over the festive period, from 2021 were:

This is How We are Human by Louise Beech

'A book about desperation, bad choices, love and letting go. I defy anyone not to be moved by this book. It will make you laugh and make you cry. It will break your heart then make it sing. It will educate you. And I suspect it will stay with you for a long time. My favourite book of the year so far. Just beautiful.' 

The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen 

'An absolute gem of a book. Antti Tuomainen has brought together the slightly absurd and the everyday and created a fantastic story with a brilliant central character. Who else would write a crime story where the hero is an actuary?! This is a beautifully told tale, full of humour and warmth, and jeopardy, with keen observations on society and relationships. There was absolutely nothing I didn't like. It was just perfect and I loved it. Roll on the next book!'

So, there you have it, my books of 2021. I read so many good books it was really hard narrowing it down to these few. I've no idea how some people manage to get down to a smaller selection! 

I haven't really made any bookish resolutions for 2022 as I've not kept the ones I made in the last two years! But given how my health is just now I'll be taking on less blog tours and trying to #beatthebacklog (brainchild of Lisa at Owl Be Sat Reading) by attacking my bookshelves and Kindle library!