Life Sentence by AK Turner

I really enjoyed Cassie Raven's first outing in Body Language so was excited to read this new one. Life Sentence was published by Jaffre on 14th April 2022. Many thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for inviting me onto the tour and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

Following her first outing in Body Language (published 2019), Camden mortuary technician Cassie Raven returns to solve another ingenious forensic mystery.

Mortuary technician Cassie Raven believes the last thoughts of the dead linger like static in the air...

Cassie has always had a strange affinity with death, ever since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was four. At least that's what she grew up believing...

But that was a lie. Cassie's father is alive. He was convicted of murdering her mother and spent years behind bars. Now he's out - and he's looking for her.

He swears he didn't do it. And Cassie wants to believe him.

To find the truth, she must turn detective. As she seeks answers, help is to be found in inexplicable places - for the dead are ready to talk.

My Review

Cassie has recently discovered that what she thought she knew about her parents is all a lie and that her father is in prison for murdering her mother. Until she discovers that he's out and determined to convince her that he's innocent. She so wants to believe him but isn't willing just to take him at his word. So, whilst she also looks into the death of a young man who comes across her table much of this book is taken up with her own story as she seeks to find the truth. 

I really like Cassie. She sports an alternative, goth style that you maybe wouldn't expect from a mortuary worker but she shows such deep care and respect to the bodies that she prepares, it's quite touching. And, occasionally, they 'speak to her. A sensitive soul, she is rocked by what she's finding out about her family and we see how it affects her relationship with her beloved grandmother. This is a beautifully written relationship with the love between grandmother and granddaughter radiating from the pages. 

Also interesting are Cassie's relays with young pathologist Archie and policewoman Phyllida. Archie is posh, well spoken, always well dressed in smart, expensive clothes. The opposite of Cassie, they shouldn't really get on but they do. They've formed a firm friendship and Turner teases of more. And Phyllida, uptight and by the book, is both irritated by and fascinated with Cassie, and vice versa. It's quite an odd dynamic, but one that really works, and it's a relationship I'm totally invested in.  

The main storyline is emotive, sad, shocking and heartbreaking. It's told with sensitivity, with a growing understanding for Cassie but with an increasing sense of threat. It's very atmospheric as Cassie immerses herself in the musical world in which her father used to be long, and I loved seeing her joy in the progress her friend was making following homelessness and addiction. The sub plot involving the death of a young man, a boy really, is also heartbreaking but, again, sensitively told. 

In Cassie Raven, AK Turner has given us an engaging protagonist, one the reader is rooting for throughout, and one with an unusual gift. Life Sentence is a story about death, life, love, family, jealousy, heartache and making up. About how events of the past can have a profound impact years later. Brilliantly and sensitively told, it never drags and is a really enjoyable read. 

The Author

AK Turner's first foray into crime fiction was a detective thriller trilogy, written under the pen name Anya Lipska, following the adventures of Janusz Kiszka, a fixer to London's Polish community. All three books won critical acclaim and were twice optioned as a possible TV series. In her other life as a TV producer and writer, AK makes documentaries and drama-docs on subjects as diverse as the Mutiny on the Bounty, the sex lives of Neanderthals, and Monty Don's Italian Gardens.

Quicksand of Memory by Michael J Malone

Delighted today to be sharing my review of the new book from one of my fave peeps. Quicksand of Memory by Michael J Malone came out in paperback on 14th April 2022, from Orenda Books. Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me into the blog tour and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

Scarred by their pasts, Jenna and Luke fall in love, brimming with hope for a rosy future. But someone has been watching, with chilling plans for revenge … An emotive, twisty, disturbing new psychological thriller by the critically acclaimed author of A Suitable Lie and In the Absence of Miracles.

Jenna is trying to rebuild her life after a series of disastrous relationships.

Luke is struggling to provide a safe, loving home for his deceased partner’s young son, following a devastating tragedy. 

When Jenna and Luke meet and fall in love, they are certain they can achieve the stability and happiness they both desperately need. 

And yet, someone is watching. 

Someone who has been scarred by past events. 

Someone who will stop at nothing to get revenge… 

Dark, unsettling and immensely moving, Quicksand of Memory is a chilling reminder that we are not only punished for our sins, but by them, and that memories left to blacken and sharpen over time are the perfect breeding ground for obsession, and murder…

My Review

I look forward to a new book from Michael Malone because I know I'm in for a treat and Quicksand of Memory absolutely delivers. 

Luke is setting himself up as a therapist, working from home as he brings up Nathan, the young son of his late partner, helped by her mother. He is only just starting out on this road and to supplement his income he works part time as a doorman. He is clearly a good man but we are given hints of a past, one that might not have been so rosy. The full picture is teased out tantalisingly throughout the book. 

Jenna is struggling with her mental health. She's trying to juggle part time work with the care of a demanding and  ungrateful mother after illness changed her. And the death of a former partner has affected Jenna more than she realised. She turns to Luke for help but as soon as the questions get difficult she leaves the session. However, that brief meeting was enough to ignite a spark between them and they hesitantly begin a relationship. 

Whilst the story is about Luke and Jenna's budding relationship, the main character has to be Danny. He's been dead for many years but he had such an impact on those around him, his influence is still felt in the present day.  

Luke and Jenna are both easy to like and you can't help but cheer them on. One of Malone's strengths is his characterisation. Luke and Jenna come fully formed and fleshed out with pasts, problems, hopes, fears and dreams. They are flawed. And they feel very real. Their tentative but burgeoning relationship makes us smile. But the shadow of Danny is never far away and there are other threats to their happiness. 

We learn about Danny through flashback scenes with him and Luke. In Danny, Michael Malone has created a truly toxic, controlling character, a man who strikes fear in many around him but who can present a completely different face to others. He's duplicitous and he really provoked some quite strong feelings in me. We feel his presence throughout the book. 

I must also mention Jamie, a young man with a difficult childhood. He comes to Alex for help and they develop a loose friendship. But Jamie is troubled and easily influenced by those around him. For me, he was a standout character, just heartbreaking, beautifully written. 

As well as writing novels, Michael Malone is also a poet and that shows in his beautiful writing. I noted a couple of examples but there are many others. 

'Jenna's smile was small, timid. A mouse peeking out from behind a wall'. My favourite couple of lines from the book. 

'...set off the tears. A silent slide of emotion down her cheek...'

'The wind lifted, signed in her ear...'

Quicksand of Memory is a study of memory, how it affects us, how we all view and remember things differently. Realising that not everything we believed was true. It's a story of love, friendships - healthy and toxic, heartache, revenge, pain and hope. How one person can still be affecting the lives of those close long after he's gone, the ripples of his actions still being felt. It's about breaking free. There are some real shocks in this book, and some uncomfortable moments for the reader, but it is so beautifully written and full of flawed, human characters that you will care about, root for and cry over, written with care and compassion. Just a gorgeous book. 

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 psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died, In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.


Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!

The Shot by Sarah Sultoon

Today is my stop on the blog tour for a book that I'm still struggling to find the words for - not great for a review, I know! It's The Shot by Sarah Sultoon published this month by Orenda Books. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy. I will be purchasing a paperback copy.

The Blurb

An aspiring TV journalist faces a shattering moral dilemma and the prospect of losing her career and her life, when she joins an impetuous photographer in the Middle East. A shocking, searingly authentic thriller by award-winning ex-CNN news executive Sarah Sultoon.

Samira is an up-and-coming TV journalist, working the nightshift at a major news channel and yearning for greater things. So when she’s offered a trip to the Middle East, with Kris, the station’s brilliant but impetuous star photographer, she leaps at the chance.

In the field together, Sami and Kris feel invincible, shining a light into the darkest of corners… except the newsroom, and the rest of the world, doesn’t seem to care as much as they do. Until Kris takes the photograph. With a single image of a young Sudanese mother, injured in a raid on her camp, Sami and the genocide in Darfur are catapulted into the limelight. But everything is not as it seems, and the shots taken by Kris reveals something deeper and much darker… something that puts not only their careers but their lives in mortal danger.

Sarah Sultoon brings all her experience as a CNN news executive to bear on this shocking, searingly authentic thriller, which asks immense questions about the world we live in. You'll never look at a news report in the same way again...

My Review

Immediately on finishing this book, I took to Twitter. This is what my tweet said: 'I have just this minute finished The Shot by Sarah Sultoon. I have no words. There are tears running down my face. I have no idea how I am going to write a review of this powerful, extraordinary, heartbreaking book. That might have to be it.'

That was a few days ago. I've thought about the book often in the intervening time and I still feel the same! But I'll have a go at something more. 

Sami is keen to make her way in the world of TV journalism and determined to get off the night shift. Finding herself in the right place at the right time she is sent to Kabul with veteran photographer Kris. She is horrified by what she sees but proves to be an insightful journalist, keen to get the human story, the angle that no one else has got. With Kris she produces some powerful work which she is sure will make a difference back home, make people care, take action. Except it doesn't, and she can't understand that. Kris is much more world weary, has no such expectations, just a heart for the people he photographs and videos. The same happens with their assignment in Baghdad but finally their work from Darfur does make a difference, have an impact. But at what cost to Sami and Kris?

I am as guilty as the next person of watching the news and being horrified at what I see on screen, maybe even shedding a tear. And then turning off the TV, going to bed and not giving what I saw any further thought, like so many of us don't. The backdrop when I was reading this book and still as I write this review is the awful war in Ukraine. This has touched us - we are fundraising, collecting donations, attending demonstrations for our government to do more. Why has it touched us like this when there have been, and are, wars and atrocities all across the globe that haven't garnered this level of attention? Is it because it's closer to home? Is it because the people look like us (I realise that's controversial but maybe an uncomfortable truth, I don't know - it's a discussion I've had more than once in recent weeks)? Or is it maybe because of how it is presented in the media? Is it because we are seeing, and reading, the dreadful human cost of it all?

And this is what The Shot is about. That picture that captures a nation's imagination. Those words that mobilise a nation into action. But it's about so, so much more than that. It's also about the cost to the people bringing us those images and words. 

Sami is desperate to make a name for herself but unprepared for the sights she sees. To be honest, who would be? It must be so much worse up close and in the flesh, as it were, than it is on our screens. It takes her aback, scares and upsets her, but it sets a fire in her belly, and she doesn't understand why that isn't the same for everyone else when she comes back home. Kris only knows how to be a photographer/cameraman. Working pretty much all the time, he's forgotten how to be a husband and father, if he ever knew in the first place. He was probably like Sami once, naive and idealistic, but not any more. He's seasoned, world weary and maybe seems a little numb to it all. But that's really not the whole picture (pun intended). He has his own way of looking at war and its victims and there is a powerful, devastating moment towards the end when someone else gets it. Which is immediately preceded by a beautiful piece of writing echoing and reflecting an equally beautiful piece of writing in the prologue. 

So far I've skirted around what I actually thought about The Shot because, honestly, I'm struggling to put it into words. I was telling someone about it a week or two back and the tears just sprang up unbidden. The blurb states 'You'll never look at a news report in the same way again...' - never has a truer word been written. We see the devastation of war up close, the damage, the pain, the grief. We see the background workings of a TV news station, which was fascinating, and I'm sure pretty accurate, as Sarah Sultoon is more than qualified to tell us that kind of stuff. And we see the heartbreaking impact of it all on two souls in the middle of the maelstrom. An action packed, heartstopping, heartbreaking thriller, The Shot is not an easy book. Often uncomfortable reading, it's hard to call it enjoyable. But my goodness, it is incredibly powerful and impactful, and absolutely worth reading. A book that will stay with me for a very long time. 

The Author

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe’s migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs. As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and a Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television. When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog while she imagines what might happen if... Her debut thriller The Source is currently in production with Lime Pictures, and was a Capital Crime Book Club pick and a number one bestseller on Kindle.

Blood Sentence by Keith Nixon

I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Blood Sentence, the first book in a wee while from Keith Nixon, a favourite of mine. Big thanks to Zoë at Zooloo's Book Tours for inviting me and to the author for my review copy.

The Blurb

Three bodies, one suspect. That suspect is you…

When the unidentified corpse of an apparent suicide victim is found hanging above a complex pattern of forty photographs of children, Detective Inspector Jonah Pennance of the Met’s specialist Sapphire Unit is brought in to investigate.

A post-mortem reveals the suicide was murder, and Pennance realises he knows the man. But as the body count rises, all the signs point to a care home in Kent – a place that Pennance is all too familiar with.

The problem is the only person connecting the victims is Pennance – and he has a solid motive for wanting them dead… Can Pennance prove his innocence?

Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride, and Peter James Blood Sentence is the first book in the explosive series featuring Detective Inspector Jonah Pennance.

Blood Sentence was published by Gladius Press on 28th February 2022.


Buy Links

Amazon UK 
Amazon US

My Review

First of all, I just want to say how delighted I am that Keith Nixon is back! He never really went away, of course, he's just been beavering away in the background but I'm so pleased he's back with something new for us. I won't list the previous books of his I've read and reviewed as there are eight of them but if you put his name in the search bar they'll all come up.

So, to Blood Sentence. A new series and thus a new protagonist - DI Jonah Pennance, a member of a team which investigates the exploitation and abuse of children, the stuff of nightmares. A phone call from Wales drags him away from his brand new case - a man has been found dead in a car registered to Jonah Pennance. And so it begins...

Jonah Pennance is an easy man to like but I'm looking forward to getting to know him better in future books. He seems quite a straightforward, straight up kind of guy, but when we meet him he is still mourning the death of his sister six months earlier, although they weren't close. He is no nonsense, and has a good relationship with his colleagues and superiors. There's been a wee bit of history with partner Simone but they're through that now and have a comfortable relationship. I think, though, there's a wee bit of 'Will they, won't they?'. Pennance's life hasn't always been straightforward though and during the course of this book he has to confront some painful memories.

The storyline features illegal drug testing on vulnerable people but somehow there is also a link to Pennance's past. Nixon teases the two threads throughout the book until a very surprising and ultimately very sad conclusion. Oh, and there is a jealous wife in the mix too! There's a lot going on, and the story moves around the country so we get to visit London, Anglesey, Colwyn Bay, Thanet, Hastings and St Leonard's. And in our visit to Thanet it was great to see some familiar faces from Keith's Solomon Gray series (Pennance himself appeared in Dig Two Graves). But it never feels too busy, as the author has weaved it all together perfectly. The pharmaceutical elements to the story seem authentic and well researched and there is also an historical abuse of power discussed - obviously fiction but I fear it mirrors many real situations.

In Blood Sentence, Keith Nixon has given us a taut, suspenseful thriller that's full of intrigue. But it's full of heart too and great characters. A fabulous start to a new series and I can't wait to see what's next for DI Jonah Pennance and his team.


The Author

Keith Nixon is the best-selling author of sixteen novels and one million words in print, including the Margate based Solomon Gray series of over 250,000 copies in circulation and reached no.1 on Amazon in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

Keith lived near the gritty seaside town of Margate, where many of his novels are based, for 17 years before relocating to the edge of the Peak District with his family where he lives today. Keith works in a senior sales role within a high-tech industry and has regularly travelled all over the globe.

His novels are published by Gladius Press and Bastei Lubbe (German).


Author Social Media Links

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Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds by John Everson.

I have a friend, author M.R. MacKenzie, who is a huge fan of the cult Italian gialli films of the 70s. I've still to watch one (cos I'm a bit of a scaredy cat 😂) but I've heard a lot about them from him and it was that which led me to today's book. Welcome to my blog tour stop for Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds by John Everson. With big thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.
 

The Blurb

Somebody is murdering the Songbirds…

A modern Giallo, Everson's homage to the stylish Italian mystery thrillers. Somebody is murdering the Songbirds. When Eve Springer arrives in Belgium to study with the world famous Prof. Ernest Von Klein at The Eyrie, an exclusive music conservatory, it’s the fulfilment of a lifelong dream. But that dream is soon to become a nightmare.

When the star of the school’s piano program is strangled with a piano wire, the only clue to the killer is a grainy picture of the victim during her final moments, mouth wide and screaming, posted on the girl’s own Facebook account, alongside a classic music video. What does it mean? Eve soon finds herself taking the girl’s place as the enclave’s star pupil, in line for a coveted scholarship and a new member of the famed jazz combo, the Songbirds.

When Eve is drugged and another Songbird murdered at a campus party, she suddenly finds herself on the list of suspects. Another picture is posted online of the victim in her final moments, and this time, Eve is sure the hands around the girl’s throat… are hers! Could she have killed the girl while under the influence of whatever someone had slipped in her drink? The police and others at the Eyrie are suspicious; the murders began when she arrived. Her new boyfriend Richard insists that she could not be the killer. But who would want the Songbirds dead? One of the other Songbirds, like Gianna, the snarky sax player who seems to hate everyone? Or Philip, the creepy building caretaker and occasional night watchman? Or could it be Prof. Von Klein himself, who seems very handy with a camera and has a secret locked room behind his office where the light always seems to be on after dark?

Whoever it is, Eve knows she needs to figure it out. Because when a dead canary is left as a bloody message on the keys of her piano, she knows her own life may be in deadly danger.

Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds was published last month by Flame Tree Press. 

My Review

Before I start, can we just give some love to this cover? Very 70s, very cool, very giallo. 

This is one of those stories where pretty much everyone is a suspect, including our protagonist Eve, who at one point becomes a very unreliable narrator. After all, the murders don't start until she arrives from the US. The Eyrie is a dream come true for Eve, especially when she's picked to play as part of jazz group The Songbirds. Jazz is her passion, as Professor Von Klein discovers at their first meeting. But on joining the group, Eve discovers she is replacing a just murdered girl. And then she opens the piano to discover a dead canary on the keys... As more Songbirds begin to die, Eve takes matters into her own hands and decides to investigate. But so many suspects...

The majority of action takes place within The Eyrie itself, with occasional visits to the local coffee house where the band regularly perform) so there is a claustrophobic feel throughout. And we meet the black clad figure roaming the corridors early on, so there is always a degree of threat. There is quite a large cast of characters but some aren’t around long enough for us to really get to know them.  Eve is terrified, but determined to get to the bottom of things, often finding herself in the wrong place at the right time as far as the police are considered. I must also mention Professor Von Klein. Outwardly upstanding and well respected, but there are definitely some shady goings on privately. He was actually one of my favourite characters, not because I particularly liked him but because he is well drawn, fully fleshed out, and I was invested as to his whole story. 

And then there are the murders. The reason I haven't watched a giallo yet is because I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to jump scares on screen. Here there weren't really jumps because of the fulsome narrative but the killings sure are creative! And related to music in some way. For female readers, there is one particularly that might make you wince. But all hugely inventive, and entertaining, if you see what I mean. 

Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds is full on. The action starts in the first few pages and doesn't let up until the exciting, and actually quite sad, denouement. There is a colourful cast of characters and I loved the nod to jazz. I would love to have listened to one of The Songbirds shows. I wonder if the audio book, if there is one, contains any pieces of music - would be really cool if it did. And, as mentioned above, there are some clever crime scenes. My only slight gripe was that was perhaps too much narrative, too much information given and not enough opportunity for the reader's imagination to really spark up. But is Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds a modern day giallo, as the author aimed for it to be? It certainly feels that way to me and it's a worthy tribute to those films of the past. 

The Author

John Everson is a former newspaper reporter, a staunch advocate for the culinary joys of the jalapeno and an unabashed fan of 1970s European horror, giallo and poliziotteschi cinema. He is also the Bram Stoker Award winning author of twelve novels, including his latest New Orleans occult thriller, Voodoo Heart and The House by The Cemetery, a novel that takes place at a real haunted cemetery Bachelor's Grove – John Everson is a former newspaper reporter, a staunch advocate for the culinary joys of the jalapeno and an unabashed fan of 1970s European horror, giallo and poliziotteschi cinema. He is also the Bram Stoker Award winning author of twelve novels, including his latest New Orleans occult thriller, Voodoo Heart and The House by The Cemetery, a novel that takes place at a real haunted cemetery Bachelor's Grove – near where he grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. His first novel, Covenant, was a winner of the prestigious Bram Stoker Award, and his sixth, NightWhere, was a finalist for the award. Both dealt with demonic and erotic horror themes.

 

His novels have been translated into Polish, German, Czech, Turkish and French. Praised by Booklist, Cemetery Dance and Helnotes;  Kirkus Reviews called his work ‘hard to put  down’, while author Edward Lee said, ‘Everson is a MASTER of the hardcore; he's the rare kind of writer who's so good  you can't proceed with your day until the book is finished.’ 

Over the past 25 years, Everson has also published four collections of horror fiction; his short stories have appeared in more than seventy-five magazines and anthologies. He has  written licensed tie-in stories for The Green Hornet and Kolchak The Night Stalker and novelettes for The Vampire Diaries and Jonathan Maberry's V-Wars universe. V-Wars was turned into a 10-episode NetFlix series in 2019 that included two  of  Everson's  characters, Danika and Mila Dubov. For more on his obsession with jalapenos and cult cinema, as well as on his fiction, art and music, visit www.johneverson.com. 

Badlands by Gary Kruse

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Badlands by Gary Kruse. Thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

Surf. Sand. Smugglers. Murder.

Willow has run as far as she can.

From her home.

From the friends she betrayed.

From the family who betrayed her.

From her own name.

But a cry for help will bring her back.

Back to face her family.

Back to face the sins of her past.

Back to face the darkness at the heart of Cornwall.

In the search for her sister, Willow will face deception and betrayal, before she’ll find love – and herself. But will she uncover how close the enemy is, or will she become another victim of the Badlands?

Badlands was published through Darkstroke on 21st January 2022.

Purchase Link

http://mybook.to/badlandsdarkstroke

My Review

Anyone who has ever been to Cornwall will know it's beautiful, and not somewhere you'd naturally expect to find darkness and crime. But in Badlands it's against that beautiful backdrop that the action happens, and believe me, none of it is beautiful. 

Willow ran from home years ago, fled to the other side of the world, changed her look, changed her name and didn't look back. Until a mysterious, unsigned text arrives that Willow is certain is from her sister Ellie and that Ellie is in trouble. So she comes back to St Agnes in Cornwall to find her. In doing so, she must face the family and friends she left and confront  old wounds.

This is a book you need to pay attention to as various characters are don't use their given names. Also, there is a dual timeline aspect with details of events before Willow left teased throughout the book. But the author jumps between the two timelines without warning, so you need to keep your wits about you. Once I'd got used to it, I enjoyed that element as I feel it helps keep the reader's interest. 

The plot is generally fast moving and tense and there is an overriding sense of darkness. As Willow, and the reader, discovers more about Ellie's life she learns more about that darkness and in an exciting denouement finally confronts the source of it. I really like Willow. She's unapologetic, all tattoos and dreadlocks, and absolutely determined to discover the truth, not letting herself be put off by uncomfortable reunions. It's not a happy book but there is one lighter thread running through which is very welcome. 

There is a character in this book that will make your skin crawl. Outwardly decent and upstanding, he's actually evil and controlling. And yet, he feels he can justify everything he does. He elicited some very strong emotions in me. 

I was delighted to see that Kruse makes use of that beautiful Cornish coastline and brings it into the story. It's a character in it's own right. 

Badlands is a tense story of a broken family, damaged friendships, betrayal, deception, control, violence and murder. It's fast moving and keeps the reader turning the page. Full of action and heart, with a brilliant protagonist, I enjoyed it.

The Author

Gary Kruse is a multi-genre writer of flash fiction, short stories and novels. He lives with his family in Hornchurch on the Essex/London border.

He began writing as a teenager after seeing The Craft in the cinema and wondering what would happen if the coven of witches from The Craft came face to face with the Lost Boys (the vampires, not Peter Pan's crew!).

His work has appeared online and in print anthologies and his short story Mirror Mirror was shortlisted in the WriteHive 2021 Horror competition, and subsequently featured in the Duplicitous anthology.

His short story Hope in the Dark won first place in the November 2021 edition of the Writers' Forum Short Story competition.

Badlands is his debut novel.


Author Social Media Links

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Darker Days To Come by Tony J Forder

I'm really pleased to be taking part in the blog tour for Darker Days To Come after being introduced to DI Jimmy Bliss last year. Big thanks to Donna Morfett for inviting me and to the author for my review copy.

  

The Blurb

Darker Days to Come, by Tony J Forder, is the the ninth full-length novel in his widely acclaimed UK crime series, based in Peterborough and featuring DI Jimmy Bliss. 

DI Bliss and his team absorb two new cases which don’t initially present as major crimes.

But who is the man who stepped in front of an express train? Did he willingly commit suicide or was he coerced? And what, if any, connection is there to an abandoned vehicle whose owner cannot be traced?

As Bliss and his team dig deeper they soon realise there are three people now missing – a journalist, a mother, and her young daughter. But as the investigations continue, the team struggle with too many unanswered questions. What they do know is that lives are at risk, and the chances of finding all three still alive decrease with each passing hour...

Darker Days To Come was published on 14th March 2022.


Buy Link

Darker Days to Come: getbook.at/DDtC

My Review

This is only my second Jimmy Bliss novel after The Autumn Tree because I (still) haven't had chance to catch up with the earlier ones. But I loved The Huntsmen, the first in the new Chase and Laney series and standalone Fifteen Coffins was one of my favourite reads of 2020. But back with Bliss, although there is still some back story I want to catch up with, everything I needed to know was in this book meaning that, whilst it's part of an established series, it works well as a standalone. 

Darker Days To Come is a slow burner, and focuses more on the police procedural side of things. Which means we see more of Jimmy's team as each of them brings their own skills to the team and the investigation. Tony Forder has created a very real, varied, and for the most part likeable, bunch of characters and it was fun getting to know them all a bit better. 

At the outset, nobody is sure that the two crimes featured in the story are serious enough for the Major Crimes Team or if they are even crimes. An abandoned car with minute traces of blood on the floor and a man who committed suicide on a railway track. But Jimmy can't let them go, his gut tells him there is more to it. And when the team can't trace the owner of the car and it looks like the family of the dead man might be missing, it looks Jimmy's instincts were right. But still no one is sure. 

I really like Jimmy. He's a stand up guy, firm but fair, with a lot of respect from, and for, his team. He sometimes suffers from a health issue but takes that in his stride, as do his team. He's more mellow in this book than the last and there is a conversation Jimmy has with partner Penny that made me cry - you'll know The one when you read it. Talking about Penny, Jimmy's relationship with her is one of my favourite things about these books. Tony Forder has written a fabulous platonic relationship between a man and woman who clearly have a lot of love and respect for each other - don't tend to see that much in books so I find it really refreshing. And I adore their mickey taking of each other, they are vicious (in a fun way)! I met Molly for the first time in this book although I know she's featured in previous books. Her relationship with Jimmy is refreshing and helps us see a different side of him. One of their conversations fair warmed my heart. 

But, of course, Darker Days To Come is a crime novel and things do get complicated, dark and threatening. Two seemingly unrelated stories slowly weave together until we reach a tense conclusion but there is plenty of jeopardy along the way. This is a slow burn of a story which allows us to focus on the team, on the characters within it, and above it, and Jimmy himself. And I think characterisation is one of Tony Forder's biggest strengths - he has created a protagonist and team of supporting players that the reader cares about, is invested in. The addition of a good storyline is the cherry on the cake. Really enjoyable.

The Author

Tony J Forder is the author of the bestselling DI Bliss crime thriller series. The first seven books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, If Fear Wins, The Reach of Shadows, The Death of Justice, Endless Silent Scream, and Slow Slicing, were joined in December 2020 by a prequel novella, Bliss Uncovered. The series continued with The Autumn Tree in May 2021.

Tony’s other early series – two action-adventure novels featuring Mike Lynch – comprises both Scream Blue Murder and Cold Winter Sun. These books were republished in April 2021, and will be joined in 2022 by The Dark Division.

In addition, Tony has written two standalone novels: a dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, and a suspense thriller set in California, Fifteen Coffins.

The Huntsmen, released on 4 October 2022, was the first book in a new crime series, set in Wiltshire. It featured DS Royston Chase, DC Claire Laney, and PCSO Alison May.

Tony is in the process of moving to Sussex with his wife and is a full-time author. He is currently working on DI Bliss #10 and the second DS Chase novel.

All of Tony’s links can be found on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TonyJForder