The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone

I'm delighted to share my review today of The Space Between Us, the latest release from Doug Johnstone. The book featured on last week's Between the Covers on BBC 2 and went down very well with host Sara Cox and her guests. That was before I'd started it so the comments really whet my appetite for what was to come. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

 

The Blurb

Connecting will change everything…

When three people suffer strokes after seeing dazzling lights over Edinburgh, then awake completely recovered, they’re convinced their ordeal is connected to the alien creature discovered on a nearby beach… an adrenaline-soaked, deeply humane, life-affirming first-contact novel from one of Scotland’s most revered authors…

Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They don’t know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes …

... only to wake up the following day in hospital, miraculously recovered.

When news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call 'Sandy' and goes on the run.

But they aren’t the only ones with an interest in the alien … close behind are Ava’s husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandy’s arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagine…

The Space Between Us was published by Orenda Books on 2nd March 2023.

My Review

So, after having a bit of a thing for it when I was a teenager, I haven't really read any sci fi (or fantasy other than JK Rowling and Terry Pratchett) for a whole chunk of time. But, and I've only read four of his books (a surprise to me, thought it was more), I knew that Doug Johnstone was an author I trusted to deliver a good story. So I took a deep breath and dived in...

Lennox is being confronted by bullies in the park, Ava is running away from her husband and Heather is making tough decisions on the beach when they all see lights flash across the Edinburgh night sky before passing out. They wake up the following day to discover they are amongst an unprecedented number of people who suffered catastrophic strokes during the night. Some have died, some are very ill but these three strangers have fully and completely recovered. The day after being stricken down. Whilst trying to absorb this news the trio catch a tv news report about a giant sea creature which has washed up on an Edinburgh beach. Although strangers, the three feel bound to each other, and to the strange creature on the news. And so their adventure begins... 

I've been to the cinema a few times recently and each time I've seen an advert which ends with the line, and I'm paraphrasing a bit here: '...because as every writer will tell you, it's the characters you remember long after the story itself'. I mention it here because, whilst I can't imagine forgetting this story for a long time, it was the characters that really shone for me. Each of them was lost in some way, each of them has been through difficulties. Lennox was particularly poignant. A teenager who has spent his whole life in care with no family of his own, bullied for his mixed race heritage. Retreats from the world via music in his headphones, listening to what I'm sure are cool bands (because Doug Johnstone is cool) but I wouldn't know because I am deeply uncool - just ask my kids. But when a complete stranger reaches out for help, he doesn't hesitate. When she later asks why he helped, he simply replies 'Because you asked.' A lesson for us all there, I think. Ava is heavily pregnant and desperate to escape her bullying, controlling husband. I so felt for her - vulnerable, frightened yet finding an inner strength she didn't know she had. And Heather. Consumed by grief and in poor health, she's not sure there is anything left worth fighting for. Ewan is a more peripheral character but still fully fleshed out, with pain of his own. Sent to cover the story of the strokes and the creature on the beach, he soon becomes swept up in the adventure. He broke my heart a wee bit, actually. 

And then there is Sandy. I never expected to be waxing lyrical about a seven metre tall cephalopod alien but here I am. To be honest, I never imagined I'd use the word 'cephalopod' in a book review! Sandy is an amazing creation from a far off world, full of beautiful colours and lights and an odd but gentle way of communicating. A kind of hive mind, they have become separated from others like them and are desperate to find the others. The gentleness and protectiveness they show their human rescuers is beautiful to read. And the experiences they give Ava, Heather and particularly Lennox are incredible. 

Although this is in so many ways a fantastical tale, it doesn't feel like that at all. It's so easy to accept an alien suddenly appearing on an Edinburgh beach. And that our three protagonists feel connected to it. This, I think, is down to Doug's beautiful writing. Whether he's writing about the stars in the night skies above our heroes when the meteor hits - described differently for each of them, the beautiful scenery in the North of Scotland or the tentative relationships building between Lennox, Ava and Heather, and with Sandy, it's a joy to read. 

Yes, The Space Between Us is a sci fi first contact novel. But it's also a thriller. And a road trip story. And definitely a movie waiting to happen. It touches on the care system, domestic abuse and coercive control (don't even get me started on Michael) love, loss and grief. We meet a shadowy government agent (see, I told you, movie gold) who will stop at nothing to capture Sandy. We see our protagonists learn things about themselves and each other, and reach out to those they thought lost to them. Most of all, for me anyway, this is a tale of belonging, being connected, how family is not always what you're born into and, ultimately, what it is to be human. My faith in Doug Johnstone to deliver was not misplaced. A triumph.

The Author

Doug Johnstone is the author of fourteen previous novels, most recently Black Hearts (2022). The Big Chill (2020) was longlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year and three of his books, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade, and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of writers. He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club, and has a PhD in nuclear physics. 

If She Lives by Erik Therme

Today is my stop on the blog tour for If She Lives, the third book in the Harlow series, by Erik Therme. Thanks to Zoé-Lee O'Farrell at Zooloo's Book Tours for inviting me and to Erik for my review copy.

The Blurb

Tess Parker knows tragedy better than most. After surviving the death of her daughter and kidnapping of her nephew, Tess is ready to return to normal life. But her troubled past has other plans, and when an old threat re-emerges, Tess must seek the help of an unlikely ally to set things right.

No matter what the cost.

If She Lives is published by Thecker Books and came out on 12th March this year.

Goodreads Link - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62084348-if-she-lives

Buy Links - https://geni.us/7hMqchj

My Review

This is the third book in the Harlow series and, having read the first two, it was good to catch up with Tess. In If She Dies and If She Wakes (if you search Erik's name on the blog, you''ll find reviews of more of his books), Erik fair put Tess through the wringer and I was ready for more of the same. But I read the second book a while ago and so was grateful for a conversation early on in this book which recaps much of the back story. This will be particularly  useful to anyone reading this as a standalone. 

We find Tess living with sister-in-law Torrie and nephew Levi, taking a break from husband Josh, with whom she still maintains a good relationship. She's got much closer to Torrie since the last book and as she's not working, she helps look after little Levi. Josh is keen for her to co me home but she is enjoying the emotional space. But whispers persist about the possible return of someone from her past, a traumatic event forces her (and Torrie) to re-evaluate her immediate future and then, to try to ensure everyone she cares about stays safe, she ends up involved in a dangerous plan with another face from the past. Are you still keeping up?! So sorry, it's really hard to summarise the plot without giving spoilers! 

As with all of Erik's books I've read, I found this to be a quick, easy and enjoyable read. His books are very character driven with well crafted key players. It's easy to like Tess and to be rooting for her throughout, particularly after all the awful stuff she's dealt with before (other members of her family have been through the mill too) although I sometimes get a little.frustrated at some of the unwise (in my mind) decisions she makes. From the rest of the key players, teenager Willow was a stand out for me. She's obviously been through some stuff and that's made her old beyond her years. But how much of that is an act? And why? This is very much a female led story with the majority of the main characters women, and strong ones at that, each in their own way, and I loved that. Finally, the relationship between Tess and Meg fascinates me - not friends, not enemies, but always connected.

The storyline zips along with Tess racing across country away from danger, reluctantly responsible for two teenagers. Things, inevitably, do not go as planned, leading to a tense, and ultimately sad, denouement. It was great to catch up with Tess in If She Lives, an enjoyable and tense character centred read. And I really, really hope Tess gets a quieter life now! 

The Author

Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he can be found cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature. Join Erik’s mailing list to be notified of new releases and author giveaways: http://eepurl.com/cD1F8L


Author Social Media Links

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ErikTherme.writer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eriktherme
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikTherme
Website: https://www.eriktherme.com

Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothaus

I'm jumping forward from 16th century Italy to a Japan of the future for the last of today's reviews - Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothaus. This was a book I nearly said no to as I just wasn't sure from the blurb that I would enjoy it - it's a long way from my usual fare. And I'm not the biggest fan of the cover, so I very nearly passed on it. But I am so, so glad I said yes! More of that below. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy. I will be buying my own paperback copy.

The Blurb

A young man meets an enigmatic waitress in a Tokyo café, and they embark on an journey with profound implications for everyone … an emotive, EPIC and absolutely UNFORGETTABLE speculative literary novel set in a near-future Japan.

It’s our world, but decades into the future … An ordinary world, where cars drive themselves, drones glide across the sky and robots work in burger shops. There are two superpowers and a digital Cold War, but all conflicts are safely oceans away. People get up, work, and have dinner. Everything is as it should be…Except for seventeen-year-old John, a tech prodigy from a damaged family, who hides a deeply personal secret. But everything starts to change for him when he enters a tiny café on a cold Tokyo night. A café run by a disgraced sumo wrestler, where a peculiar dog with a spherical head lives alongside its owner, enigmatic waitress Neotnia…

But Neotnia hides a secret of her own – a secret that will turn John’s unhappy life upside down. A secret that will take them from the neon streets of Tokyo to Hiroshima’s tragic past to the snowy mountains of Nagano.

A secret that reveals that this world is anything but ordinary – and it’s about to change forever…

Beautiful Shining People is published by Orenda Books and will be released this Thursday. 

My Review

Oh my heart! I was left reeling at the end of this one and it was so unexpected! As I mentioned in my intro I was unsure that this would be a book for me, full as it is of bots, drones, driverless cars, meta lenses and quantum coding, but I was intrigued enough to take a look. 

John is a young American man in Tokyo to finalise the sale of  his app to a tech giant. His background has been difficult and we know fairly early on that there is something about his appearance that troubles him deeply but not what it is. Struggling to sleep in a new city and new time zone he finds a cafe open late into the night offering ear cleaning. Here he meets ex sumo Goeido, pet dog Inu and beautiful young waitress Neotnia. That ear cleaning changes his life forever, as it does the lives of Neotnia and Goeido. 

You can tell a lot about someone by the way they treat service people, waiters and the like. John is unfailingly polite, and interested in them, even when they're bots with heads shaped like burgers. I loved that. He's a kind young man, with a good heart who cares about his family. But he is full of sadness and carries burdens that he shouldn't have to. Meeting Neotnia knocks him sideways. A couple of years older, very beautiful and interested in him. It was beautiful to read their burgeoning friendship. I loved Goeido too. It takes us a while to get to know him, especially as he doesn't speak English, but it's worth it when we do. And Inu? Well, you really need to read about this very unusual dog.

The scene setting is amazing. Although set in the future and therefore a very different world, I was able to picture Tokyo, colourful, full of adverts stretching storeys high and music, streets teeming with people. I loved the description of the Akihabara area of Tokyo in the run up to Halloween 'If a cosplay convention had a baby with the world's largest street carnival, this would be the offspring.' And this description of a different group of people made me smile 'They're hipsters, dressed retro like it's the 2020s all over again.' Away from Tokyo, in the mountains of Nagano, I would love to see the Orange torii over the waterfall there (not sure it's real, though it certainly felt it), so dangerous yet so beautiful and very important in this story (would have been my choice of cover, actually). 

There are a lot of techy bits in this book, relating to coding and such, and I'm not really sure that I understood them all. But that doesn't matter one bit because this book is full of heart and emotion and that's what's important here. The storyline will hook you and you will be on this journey with these young people. It's gripping and surprisingly tense, particularly at the denouement, which I read twice to make sure I hadn't missed anything. You see, I cried through the first read. The second one too, actually. Proper ugly cried. I definitely had a book hangover after this book. 

In Beautiful Shining People, Michael Grothaus has given us a novel set in a world powered by tech I don't understand. But the beautiful story within its pages addresses huge themes that will touch everyone - family, friendship, love, loss, grief and, ultimately, what it means to be human. It's stuck with me and I'm sure it will with you too. I am so glad I took a chance on this as it will be amongst my top books of the year for sure. Very highly recommended.  

The Author

Michael Grothaus is a novelist, journalist and author of non-fiction. His writing has appeared in Fast Company, VICE, Guardian, Litro Magazine, Irish Times, Screen, Quartz and others. His debut novel, Epiphany Jones, a story about sex trafficking among the Hollywood elite, was longlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and named one of the 25 ‘Most Irresistible Hollywood Novels’ by Entertainment Weekly. His first non-fiction book, Trust No One: Inside the World of Deepfakes was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2021. The book examines the human impact that artificially generated video will have on individuals and society in the years to come. Michael is American.

The Darkest Sin by DV Bishop

Following on from City of Vengeance, I moved straight on to the second Ceseare Aldo book, The Darkest Sin, in preparation for today's stop. Big thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

'He is fast becoming a serious rival to C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris . . . Highly recommended' – Historical Novel Society

Florence. Spring, 1537.

When Cesare Aldo investigates a report of intruders at a convent in the Renaissance city’s northern quarter, he enters a community divided by bitter rivalries and harbouring dark secrets.

When a man’s body is found deep inside the convent, stabbed more than two dozen times, the case becomes even more complicated. Unthinkable as it seems, all the evidence suggests one of the nuns must be the killer.

Meanwhile, Constable Carlo Strocchi finds human remains pulled from the River Arno that belong to an officer of the law missing since winter. The dead man had many enemies, but who would dare kill an official of the city’s most feared criminal court?

As Aldo and Strocchi close in on the truth, identifying the killers will prove more treacherous than either of them could ever have imagined . . .

The Darkest Sin is an atmospheric historical thriller by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence and is the sequel to City of Vengeance.

The Darkest Sin is published by Pan McMillan and was released as an ebook, audio book and in hardback on 3rd March 2022 and I'm paperback on 2nd March 2023.

My Review

I read this straight after City of Vengeance (you can find my review here) and was glad to be immersing myself in Aldo's world once more. In fact, I'm gutted the third one, Ritual of Fire, isn't out yet (due 1st June this year) because I just wanted to keep going! 

Anyway, to the story. Aldo is following up on a report of intruders at one of the city's many convents, when a man's body is discovered within the convent walls. And it seems that no one other than the nuns has been at the convent. Meanwhile, Strocchi has a couple of days off to travel out of the city to introduce his new wife to his mother. But whilst away he also makes a discovery, one that he can't help but follow up on, even though it might affect his relationship with Aldo. 

I'm sure you could read this as a standalone but a lot happened in the first book that is referenced (and explained to a degree) here so I definitely think you would benefit from reading City of Vengeance first. 

As with the first book, nothing here is simple, and the story is much bigger than it first seems. There is plenty here to help new readers get to know Aldo and what kind of man he is and I've said more about this in my other review. He's a man you'll root for. I really liked that we found out a wee bit more about Aldo's early life in this book, it fleshes him out even more. But the secrets he keeps are threatened again here and I found that as tense as the main storyline. 

I struggled a little bit with all the different nuns at the convent but loved the idea of the listening nun, whose sole role it is to listen to every conversation between a sister and any visitors  to ensure that no impropriety takes place. I really liked the mother superior too. 

Again, this was an immersive read. I loved all the sights and sounds of Florence and the large cast of characters Aldo meets in his job. Well researched and and beautifully written, The Darkest Sin is another fantastic book from Bishop. I don't know what's in store for Aldo in Ritual of Fire and beyond but, for now, I let out a cheer at the very last line of this book. I bet you do too. 

The Author

DV Bishop writes the award-winning Cesare Aldo mysteries set in Renaissance Florence. The first, City of Vengeance, received the New Zealand Booklovers Award for best novel, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. The second, The Darkest Sin, was published in March 2022, and Cesare Aldo returns in Ritual Of Fire in June 2023.

Bishop was awarded a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship while writing City Of Vengeance. The novel won the Pitch Perfect competition at the 2018 Bloody Scotland international crime fiction festival, and was a Sunday Times Crime Club Pick of the Week. Global bestselling author David Baldacci called the novel 'a first-class historical thriller ... a tour-de-force.'

City of Vengeance by DV Bishop

Tell me you have too many books without telling me you have too many books? I was accepted onto the Love Books Tours blog tour for The Darkest Sin (review here), the second Cesare Aldo novel by DV Bishop, so rushed to the library to borrow the first one, City of Vengeance, to read in preparation. I blasted through it in a couple of days and returned it to the library. Went onto Amazon to check something for this review and discovered I had bought it as an ebook last September. If I recall correctly, it was after David's excellent panel at Bloody Scotland with Oscar De Muriel, Douglas Skelton and Anna Mazzola, three other writers of historical fiction you should check out. So, the lesson learned is to check my Kindle more frequently (I prefer physical books when possible so my poor Kindle gets a bit neglected). But, I am delighted to still have a copy of City of Vengeance, because it's a book I might well visit again. Let me tell you why.

 

The Blurb

Shortlisted for the 2021 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger 2021


City of Vengeance is an explosive debut novel in an historical thriller series by D. V. Bishop, set in Renaissance Florence, which continues with The Darkest Sin.

Florence. Winter, 1536. A prominent Jewish moneylender is murdered in his home, a death with wide implications in a city powered by immense wealth.

Cesare Aldo, a former soldier and now an officer of the Renaissance city’s most feared criminal court, is given four days to solve the murder: catch the killer before the feast of Epiphany – or suffer the consequences.

During his investigations Aldo uncovers a plot to overthrow the volatile ruler of Florence, Alessandro de’ Medici. If the Duke falls, it will endanger the whole city. But a rival officer of the court is determined to expose details about Aldo’s private life that could lead to his ruin. Can Aldo stop the conspiracy before anyone else dies, or will his own secrets destroy him first?

'An impressive and immersive debut set in a beautifully realized sixteenth-century Florence' Antonia Hodgson

'Richly atmospheric . . . transports you to another time and place' Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh


My Review

I've recently come to enjoy more and more historical crime so I was keen to get into this, and found it very enjoyable and easy to read.

We first meet Cesare Aldo, an officer of the Court of the Otto di Guardia e Balia, he is escorting a Jewish moneylender back to Florence. The same man is later found dead in his home and Aldo is assigned to investigate the murder, although with resistance from the Jewish community. Meanwhile, Constable Strocchi finds a young woman dying following a severe beating. But all is not as it initially seems...

Cesare Aldo is a fascinating character. He seems to be admired by those below him but generally disliked by his superiors, particularly Officer Cerchi, a thoroughly horrible man. I had strong feelings about him! Aldo is certainly unusual - a single man who chooses to live in a bordello. I got the impression that he doesn't trust easily, or allow many people to get close to him, so it was lovely to see the hesitant beginnings of a possible friendship or more. Whatever his colleagues think about him, Aldo is a good man, and a good officer with a strong sense of right and wrong. But who will also step out of line when he feels he needs to.

The plot is detailed, exciting and satisfying, as is the subplot. Characters are fully fleshed out, even the more minor ones. A favourite for me was Zippo, a tavern owner, informer and general colourful fellow.

But what makes this book for me is the absolute attention to detail. It has clearly been incredibly well researched and the author's love for his subject shines through the page. Florence is a character in itself, the sights, the sounds, the smells. So atmospheric. I loved learning how people lived, loved, dressed and treated others. Really interesting.

For me, reading City of Vengeance was a completely immersive experience. Vivid scene setting, gripping storyline and engaging characters who I was totally invested in. Can't wait to move on to The Darkest Sin.


The Author

DV Bishop writes the award-winning Cesare Aldo mysteries set in Renaissance Florence. The first, City of Vengeance, received the New Zealand Booklovers Award for best novel, and was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize. The second, The Darkest Sin, was published in March 2022, and Cesare Aldo returns in Ritual Of Fire in June 2023.

Bishop was awarded a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship while writing City Of Vengeance. The novel won the Pitch Perfect competition at the 2018 Bloody Scotland international crime fiction festival, and was a Sunday Times Crime Club Pick of the Week. 

See No Evil by David Fennell

To help celebrate today's paperback release of See No Evil, the second DI Grace Archer novel, by David Fennell I am delighted to re-share my review which was originally published in May last year. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers for asking me to be involved today and to the publisher for the review copy I received last year.

 

The Blurb

For this killer, it’s death at first sight…

Two men are found dead in London's Battersea Park. One of the bodies has been laid out like a crucifix - with his eyes removed and placed on his open palms.

Detective Inspector Grace Archer and her caustic DS, Harry Quinn, lead the investigation. But when more bodies turn up in a similar fashion, they find themselves in a race against time to find the sadistic killer.

The hunt leads them to Ladywell Playtower in Southeast London, the home to a religious commune lead by the enigmatic Aaron Cronin. Archer and Quinn suspect Cronin's involvement but his alibis are watertight, and the truth seemingly buried. If Archer is to find the killer, she must first battle her way through religious fanatics, London gangsters - and her own demons...

My Review

I absolutely adored David Fennell's debut, The Art of Death, where we first met DI Grace Archer. It was quite a ride, and a dark one at that. So I was super excited to read this one and jumped at the chance to review it. And, as with the previous novel, I raced through it, couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

Two men are found dead in Battersea Park. One body has been left untouched. The other, however, has been horribly mutilated and left laid out in a ritualistic fashion for anyone to find. Archer and partner DS Harry Quinn are stumped, particularly as there seems to be no connection between the two men, not any obvious explanation for why their bodies have been treated differently. More mutilated bodies appear and it's a race against time for Archer and her team. But Grace also hears some personal news that knocks her sideways and she struggles not to let that impact the investigation.

Grace is brilliant. She's not always popular at work because she stands up for what's right and is willing to expose colleagues who aren't so bothered with doing the right thing. There's an incident early on in the book which is a fantastic example of this and I was cheering her on. She has her demons, dark, scary ones, that come to visit often, and she is clearly affected by events in the past. But she is always focused and determined. She's a beautifully written character and I particularly love her relationship with her grandad. We really see her caring side then, especially here when their relationship is put to the test to a certain extent. Talking about Grandad, I adored his friendship with Cosmo.

Whilst Grace might be unpopular with some colleagues, she is always supported by Harry and analyst Klara. There's such an interesting dynamic, particularly between Grace and Harry as they're people who we might not expect to get along. But they are a rock solid team and Klara is a welcome addition. Aaron Cronin is so well written, charming and creepy all in one. Well, he certainly gave me the creeps anyway! But the standout character for me was Kain - he has really stayed with me. I guess what I'm trying to say is all the characters are really well drawn, very three dimensional, and I was interested and invested in them all.

The story is disturbing with discussions on some sensitive subjects. It's a book that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps hold of you until the explosive denouement. It's difficult to talk about the plot without giving anything away, but it's a delight you should discover for yourself. The subplot, such a strong storyline in itself, is weaved through beautifully, the pacing is spot on and there is an overriding sense of tension and general creepiness. There were plenty of times I thought I knew where things were going only to be proved wrong. It's one of this books and I loved that about it. And the ending hints at more to come for Grace, which would be wonderful, so I'm crossing my fingers and toes for that.

See No Evil is a fast paced, tense and gripping race against time. It's a tale of hate and revenge. It's beautifully written, well plotted and populated by a wide ranging, colourful cast of characters. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it and I would highly recommend it if you like your crime on the dark side. 

The Author

David Fennell was born and raised in Belfast before leaving for London at the age of eighteen with £50 in one pocket and a dog-eared copy of Stephen King's The Stand in the other. He jobbed as a chef, waiter and bartender for several years before starting a career in writing for the software industry. He has been working in CyberSecurity for fourteen years and is a fierce advocate for information privacy. David has played rugby for Brighton and has studied Creative Writing at the University of Sussex. He is married and he and his partner split their time between Central London and Brighton.To find out more, visit his website: www.davidfennell.co.uk. Follow him on Twitter: @davyfennell