“..as this book will show, the past rarely lies still in its grave; it is continually dug up, reanimated and occasionally even weaponized.”
Following t“..as this book will show, the past rarely lies still in its grave; it is continually dug up, reanimated and occasionally even weaponized.”
Following the conclusion of WWII, there had been some skepticism on the part of the government about whether or not Canadians would ever want to learn about it. With The Fight for History, Cook’s goal is to “track and untangle the complicated, contested, and ever-shifting meaning of that war over the past seventy-five years.”
While this is the first of his books I’ve read, Tim Cook has been writing about war for years. In fact, he’s certainly no stranger to the Second World War itself having previously written two large volumes covering Canada’s contributions to the conflict. This time around, he examines the effect of the war on Canadian life following Germany’s defeat. What would the government do with the tens of thousands of returning veterans? With monuments and museums dedicated to The Great War, where would World War Two fall in history? What about the thousands of Canada’s fallen overseas? How would we honor them?
One of the many shocking things I had learned reading Cook’s book was that Canadians just didn’t want to talk about the war. In fact, even many of those who had returned from the front had no interest in digging up horrors of war, choosing instead to bury it and move on with their lives. It wasn’t until we were able to put some time between ourselves and the end of the war that we became interested in examining it at all.
I was blown away by the apathy on the part of Canadians both at the public and government level. By the time we had shown any interest in the actions of our armed forces, our allies in the United States and Britain had already gone full-steam ahead with telling their own stories through books, movies and television. By focusing heavily on themselves and having those stories make up the backbone of the official accounts of the war, it left Canada under-represented in history. I found this the most interesting. While the war could not possibly have been won without the Americans, their complete disregard for Canada’s role in the battle against The Third Reich has been a constant point of contention among Canadian veterans over the years....more
Following the events of the previous novel, The Woman in the Woods, Detective Charlie Parker alongside his friends Louis and Angel travel to Europe toFollowing the events of the previous novel, The Woman in the Woods, Detective Charlie Parker alongside his friends Louis and Angel travel to Europe to track down a pair of killers and stop them before they can complete and use a book that could bring about the end of the world as we know it - The Fractured Atlas.
A Book of Bones is meant to be the finale to an arc that began with the twelfth novel in the series, The Wolf in Winter. In The Wolf in Winter, Parker comes into contact with The Familiasts, a religious group that fled England centuries ago by traveling to America and founding Prosperous, a village in rural Maine. In the four books that would follow, Parker would nearly lose his life in an attempt to bring down a vast network of those who seek to procure a book that could bring about hell on Earth.
This book sees Parker and company travel the globe as they hunt Quayle and Mors, the aforementioned devious duo, that sees our protagonist hit Arizona, Texas, Amsterdam and England. This is a pretty big change for the series which mostly kept our heroes inside the United States - most notably Maine. In an interview to promote the book, Connolly said by placing the action in Europe, he was able to explore a much deeper and far richer history than he would be able to do in the US.
Therefore, due to an emphasis placed on exploring religious folklore, A Book of Bones is one large book, coming in at a hefty 720 pages. Not only are we following Parker, Louis and Angel, we periodically check in with a handful of English cops investigating the murder of a young woman linked to those looking to finally complete the Atlas as well as a couple of cold-hearted killers contracted by Quayle to leave bodies lying. Connolly also takes ample time to explore Quayle’s very long and very detailed history throughout his century-long quest to get his hands on the completed Atlas. So, as you can see, the plot is both intricate as well as sprawling in its nature.
The consequence of presenting the story in this manner is that we spend a limited amount of time with Parker. As much as I enjoyed the new characters introduced into the “Parker-verse”, I was craving more of Charlie’s brash behaviour and witty remarks. That being said, Parker, Louis and Angel are beginning to show signs of age. All three men have ventured into their fifties and having a difficult time with their evolving limitations. While I’m not advocating that they all be shipped off to retirement homes - fifty isn’t exactly old (it's the new forty, right?) - but for those in their line of work, they’re certainly no spring chickens. While Parker is just as determined and stubborn as ever, he has two decades of wear and tear that is finally beginning to catch up with him, same goes for Louis, who suffered significant damage in The Woman in the Woods that a younger version of himself would have never permitted. As for Angel, he’s battling cancer, so he’s not exactly on the top of his game either. It’s a stark reminder that Connolly made the decision to have them age in real-time. Probably best to have them share some of the pages with others.
Following the book’s conclusion, Connolly pens a brief afterword looking back at Every Dead Thing, the first novel in the Charlie Parker series. I thought it was entertaining and enjoyed hearing a bit of the history surrounding his struggle to get the novel published as well as his writing process.
A Book of Bones finishes up present-day Charlie Parker for now as we’ll see Connolly travel back to a period shortly after the first novel but prior to Dark Hollow (the second novel) for a new story next year. Connolly said there will be no supernatural elements in this one, so I’m intrigued to see Parker go back to his roots.
A strong entry into the Parker saga - now seventeen novels deep - A Book of Bones helps to further solidify Connolly as a writer at the top of his game producing one of the best long-running series around....more
The narrator and her boyfriend Jake are embarking on a trip to Jake’s parents’ farmhouse during a snowstorm. Along the way, the narrator tells the stoThe narrator and her boyfriend Jake are embarking on a trip to Jake’s parents’ farmhouse during a snowstorm. Along the way, the narrator tells the story of her relationship with Jake, how they met and their time together up to this point – a point where she’s thinking of ending things between them.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the definition of a “page-turner”. I blew through this in two days and to be honest, it would have been a lot quicker had I not had to do things like work or sleep. As I was reading this story, I knew there was going to be a shocking turn of events at some point, but I didn’t know what it would be. Scenarios raced through my mind as I tried to predict the novel’s big twist. I probably had half a dozen ways the story would go before the big reveal and even then, it wasn’t one I predicted.
There is a consistent feeling of uneasiness and dread permeating the entire novel that for the most part, kept the paperback glued to my hands. There is one section in particular that for me, is deeply unsettling and straight up terrifying. If you’re a fan of his new novel Foe, you’ll probably enjoy this (and vice-versa) as they have a similar tone and style.
This isn’t going to be for everyone. Honestly, when the novel finished, I was utterly confused and had no idea what I had just read. Sometimes, that can be a hindrance. In this case, I welcomed it. I immediately went online to see what other people thought of it – what their theories were about the final twenty pages or so. I can’t imagine what I would have done if I didn’t have the internet as a resource. Is that the sign of a good book? If you can’t figure it out on your own, is it poorly written? I guess that is up to the reader to decide.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go convince everyone I know to read this so I can talk to them about it....more
David Sedaris returns with a new collection of essays dealing with getting older, medical woes and the fallout of his sister’s passing.
My partner AlaiDavid Sedaris returns with a new collection of essays dealing with getting older, medical woes and the fallout of his sister’s passing.
My partner Alaina and I went to a live reading a few weeks ago. It was my first time seeing David read from his work in person and he’s just as charming and hilarious as his writing would have you believe. Afterwards, he stuck around to sign copies of his books. David is known for taking the time to actually talk to his readers rather than just scribble his name and move on to the next in line, so the two hour wait time was a bit of a marathon session for us (although, really, Alaina did all the waiting while I walked around the bookstore).
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This is only the second of David’s books I’ve read (I listened to the audiobook for Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls) and I can easily say I thoroughly enjoyed it. David’s musings on his frustrations with littering, overused words and the behaviour of the general public had me laughing often. But it’s not all humor though - there are some deeply personal stories in here where he often questions his own mortality as well as those closest to him. It’s a sobering look at life and coming to grips with the fact that the road ahead is much shorter than the road in your rear-view mirror.
After finishing Calypso, I truly think that the best way to take in writing is through audiobooks. David has a very distinct voice as well as delivery that adds another layer to his essays. Besides, I was hearing his voice in my head the whole time anyway, so might as well listen up....more
In the introduction to Bouchercon’s 2017 anthology PASSPORT TO MURDER, editor John McFetridge noted in his call for submissions that they were lookingIn the introduction to Bouchercon’s 2017 anthology PASSPORT TO MURDER, editor John McFetridge noted in his call for submissions that they were looking for stories that contain “actual travel or the desire to travel with or without passports” as well as a “strong suggestion of murder or a desire to commit murder”. What we’re left with is a fairly solid collection of twenty-two stories showcasing desire, death and murder most foul.
I know, I know.. I’m late reviewing this one. Bouchercon was in October of last year! Why am I so slow? Listen, I grabbed nearly three dozen books last fall from the convention, it’s going to take me some time to get through them. Give me a break.
OK, now that I’ve got that out of the way – on to the review. I didn’t enjoy every story in the collection, but that’s pretty commonplace with anthologies; stories that are designed to be quick reads, so you can quickly forget ones that didn’t work for you and move onto the next after a few short pages. That said, there are some great stories in here: THE DEAD by Scott Loring Sanders, HERE TO STAY by Tanis Mallow, AS YE SOW by Craig Faustus Buck, and DIRTY LAUNDRY by Marie Hannan-Mandel. I also enjoyed THE QUEEN-SIZE BED by Rosemary McCracken which contained four characters from the Ottawa area, so it was interesting to see real-life places I recognize in a story.
The great thing about this anthology – as well as anthologies from years past – is that each story is donated by the author and proceeds from book sales are contributed to a charity of the convention’s choice. In 2017, it was Frontier College, an organization that aims to improve literacy levels in Canada by providing education to those who seek assistance with their learning and have been overlooked or left behind by the formal educational system.Sadly, I won’t be attending Bouchercon in 2018, but based on my enjoyment of this collection, I might look at grabbing this year’s anthology. It’s entertainment for a good cause!...more
The Woman in the Woods is the sixteenth book in Connolly’s long-running Charlie Parker series yet it somehow feels just as fresh as the first. It’s haThe Woman in the Woods is the sixteenth book in Connolly’s long-running Charlie Parker series yet it somehow feels just as fresh as the first. It’s hard to dive deep into the plot without potentially giving away some light spoilers from prior books, so if you want to remain a virgin to the series, maybe skip this review and go pick up Every Dead Thing already.
The remains of a woman are discovered partially buried in the forest. Evidence suggests that she had given birth shortly before her death but there is no second body to be found. A lawyer takes a special interest in the case and hires Charlie Parker to investigate the whereabouts of the missing child. Unfortunately for Parker, he’s also dealing with the fallout from actions perpetrated by his longtime friend against the son of local crime kingfish Bobby Ocean.
What follows will take Parker through an underground railroad for abused women provided by those that seek to separate them from their tormentors. Hot on his heels is a pair of villains unlike anything Parker has faced before – two merciless killers obsessed with procuring a book dubbed “The Fractured Atlas” that threatens to unmake existence.
Earlier this week, I caught an interview with John from a few years back when he appeared on the podcast, The Bestseller Experiment. Connolly talked about the importance of crafting a compelling character that will make the reader want to return to your long-running mystery series over and over again. Charlie Parker is a wonderful example of patience and long-term planning.
While the series has always maintained elements of the supernatural, ever since Parker’s near death experience at the conclusion of The Wolf in Winter (book twelve), Connolly has ramped up the fear factor maintaining a consistent evolution in storytelling. The Woman in the Woods is no exception. There’s enough gruesome gore and horror to keep series fans satisfied. However, Connolly does not neglect his bread and butter – Parker is at his core a detective and there’s also an intricate mystery here that makes The Woman in the Woods a true page-turner.
To be able to get sixteen books deep in any series is an accomplishment in and of itself, but to keep that series riveting is another thing altogether. Connolly clearly isn’t content just to phone it in and rest on his laurels – this is a tightly-wound, thrilling story that had me on the edge of my seat, dreading the ending knowing I’d have to wait at least another year for the follow-up....more
Ways to Die in Glasgow follows a handful of characters as they maneuver around the disappearance of gangster-turned-acclaimed-true-crime-author Rab AnWays to Die in Glasgow follows a handful of characters as they maneuver around the disappearance of gangster-turned-acclaimed-true-crime-author Rab Anderson.
I caught the author, Jay Stringer, at this year’s Bouchercon during the Best Paperback Original panel and not only was he hilarious, he was one of the few authors that impressed me so much that I ran to purchase his book immediately after to ensure I got it signed.
In a novel with no shortage of memorable characters, Jay narrows it down to three through whom he chooses to tell the story – P.I. Sam Ireland; the drug-addled nephew of Rab, Mackie; and the detective at his wit’s end, Andy Lambert. Jay saddles each with varying narrative styles with Ireland and Mackie employing first person and Andy in the third. To be honest, this was something I always disliked, but in the past few years, I’ve grown to appreciate it when authors work to apply it well. Each style provided distinct ways to deliver information, opening up the world of Glasgow and giving a recognizable voice to each character, further enriching the story.
However, I felt the true standout of this story was Jay’s sense of humour. He peppers the book with quick jabs of comedy helping to lighten some of the harsher scenes. It takes real talent to make me laugh during a violent, bloody assassination attempt without coming across as both cringe-worthy and forced. Also, as a die-hard wrestling junkie, I appreciated a character who was both a fan and not a complete mess of a human being – traits an individual rarely seems to hold simultaneously.
I’m looking forward to picking up the second book in the series, which by the way, has the best title since “Trigger Mortis” with “How to Kill Friends and Implicate People”. Without a doubt, Jay Stringer has a unique voice in crime fiction and I urge you to check him out....more
LIGHTNING MEN picks up two years after the events of DARKTOWN as those left standing continue with their lives in 1950s Atlanta.
Officer Denny “Rake” RLIGHTNING MEN picks up two years after the events of DARKTOWN as those left standing continue with their lives in 1950s Atlanta.
Officer Denny “Rake” Rakestraw’s neighborhood – an implied “whites only” neighborhood – is beginning to see the arrival of several black families. A group of residents, including Denny’s wife Cassie, pool their money together in an effort to buy out these new homeowners, however, a separate group has adopted a different approach – post hateful signs showing the SS Nazi insignia. As a WWII veteran who had laid his life on the line attempting to eradicate this ideology, Rake hopes to seek out those responsible for the hateful rhetoric. Complications arise when Rake discovers his brother-in-law Dale is a card carrying member of the KKK and may be involved.
Lucius Boggs and partner Tommy Smith, stumble upon a group of smugglers bringing reefer and moonshine into Darktown. Again handcuffed by the limitations of their employers, the Atlanta Police Department (APD), Boggs and Smith, fearing corrupt white officers may be playing a more aggressive role than before in keeping their “off-the-books” investigation from gaining ground, cannot seem to touch the man they believe responsible. Boggs, recently engaged to Julie, a woman he met through the course of a prior investigation, discovers her ex-boyfriend and father to her child, Jeremiah, has returned from a stint in jail. With Boggs’ father already disapproving of the engagement, how will Boggs juggle the responsibility of his job with the threat of a jealous ex-con waiting in the wings?
I was wondering how Mullen would top the corrupt cops and corrosive racism in Darktown – I guess he just had to keep the asshole cops, throw in the KKK and add another Nazi sympathizing hate group, The Columbians, and you’ve got a veritable bounty of bigotry for our heroes to contend with.
Although they’re few and far between, Mullen has a real knack for writing action scenes. They’re used to great effect and only when characters are seemingly pushed to their breaking point making the scenes particularly explosive and violent. I can’t remember the amount of times I was on the edge of my seat during a shootout or a fistfight/brawl.
I didn’t much care for the love triangle between Boggs, Julie and Jeremiah, but I understood its significance within the larger picture given where it ends up. There’s nothing outright wrong with it, but many of the scenes lacked substance and felt like padding to an already rich plot. Boggs’ partner, Smith, gains a lot of ground in proving to be an integral character moving forward and Rake is a world-class shit-disturber throwing wrenches in as many people’s plans as possible.
With Darktown, and now Lightning Men, Mullen offers stories of adversity in the hard-nosed world of mid-20th century America. While both books contain elements of the mystery and thriller genre, both are more about the struggle to achieve social change in an era of widespread fear and resistance sadly making it a somewhat timely read in 2017....more
Have you witnessed a violent crime? Committed a horrific murder? Witness protection not your thing? Worried that jail will be boring? Come on down to Have you witnessed a violent crime? Committed a horrific murder? Witness protection not your thing? Worried that jail will be boring? Come on down to Caesura (..it rhymes with Tempura)! In exchange for some light brain surgery, you’ll wake up with a new identity* and no memory of your ghastly past!** You’ll be given your own beautiful detached home complete with neighbors who will offer a helping hand as you adjust to your new surroundings.*** Worried about law and order? Need not worry as Sheriff Calvin Cooper is sworn to serve and protect**** Call us today and feel the freedom of isolation!
* Chose a first and last name from a list of vice presidents and movie stars. ** Permanent memory loss not guaranteed. *** Neighbors may display homicidal tendencies. **** The actions of the sheriff may not be within job description.
Adam Sternbergh’s The Blinds takes place in a remote Texas county miles from civilization in any direction. The community, made up of a mixture of innocent witnesses and reformed criminals, is part of an experiment to perfect targeted mind erasure. While they’ve lived in relative peace for eight years, townsfolk start dropping like flies. Can Calvin Cooper solve the mystery or will the death rate continue to climb?
I picked up The Blinds after briefly meeting the author at a Harper-Collins signing event as a part of Bouchercon 2017. I had read a few reviews on Goodreads but it had mostly flown under my radar until a recommendation from Chris Holm on Twitter catapulted this one to the top of my to-read pile. Social networking can be a wonderful thing, no?
For the first one hundred pages or so, Sternbergh does such an excellent job with his world-building that I was gushing to anyone who would listen about how much I enjoyed the premise. So while it would have been easy for Sternbergh to rest on the story’s originality like many plot-driven novels, he uses it to build into a tightly-crafted thriller where misdirection is used to great effect. I never quite knew who to believe or where I was headed as the pages turned, which is always something I appreciate when it comes to my crime books.
This is a solid story about trying (and failing) to outrun your past. We are, all of us, the sum of our experiences and no amount of mind manipulation can keep our true selves hidden forever. Sternbergh explores what it means to define our present by our past, no matter how horrific our actions may have been. In the end, we’re left with a novel that weaves fact and fiction together forming a patchwork of moral ambiguity.
The door is left open for a sequel and although I would have been happy with a standalone, I’d welcome another visit from these characters further down the road....more
In the summer of 1986 a small movie theatre in Oklahoma City becomes a deadly crime scene following a botched armed robbery. All but one of the employIn the summer of 1986 a small movie theatre in Oklahoma City becomes a deadly crime scene following a botched armed robbery. All but one of the employees are murdered by masked gunmen. Flash-forward to present day and the lone survivor - Wyatt Rivers - is working in Las Vegas as a private investigator. Now, Wyatt travels back to OKC, the town he left all those years ago, to look into claims of harassment by the niece of a frequent client.
That same summer in that same city, a young woman vanishes while enjoying an evening at the State Fair. All these years later her sister, Julianna, is desperate for closure. She’s been living a stagnant life as a nurse, unable to move on emotionally from her sister’s disappearance. She still pokes and prods at the detective assigned to the case thinking that if she shakes hard enough, something will come loose and tumble to the ground. While the case is colder than moonlight on a tombstone, hope arises when someone believed to be a suspect suddenly resurfaces.
While the central mysteries drive the plot, Lou Berney’s novel is less about whodunit and more about how those left behind learn to cope with loss. There are some strong passages written here that illustrate the effect trauma can have on the mind, regardless of how much time has passed. Having avoided his hometown for nearly thirty years, Wyatt’s memories are triggered by the familiar, often stopping him in his tracks as the traumatic events race through his mind. I felt this was used to great effect. Rather than massive info-dumps, we get history woven into Wyatt’s current case.
That being said, the novel isn’t all gloom and doom throughout. Wyatt’s smarmy disposition allows some humor to come through helping to lighten tension; not unlike letting air out of a balloon. It helps to balance out Julianna’s weighty scenes as her obsession for closure has an adverse effect on her personal and professional life. I had a tough time with a few of her choices; even with her intense need for answers, one decision in particular left me scratching my head.
While the eventual revelation took me by surprise, I figured out the culprit behind Wyatt’s case early on, so I found the mystery itself to be somewhat weak. However, The Long and Faraway Gone had so many moving parts that it didn’t really dampen my experience. If you’re looking for a good non-series mystery novel, Lou Berney’s The Long and Faraway Gone is a solid choice....more
Queenpin is the story of a young woman, who remains unnamed throughout, plucked from a two-bit nightclub where she’s cooking the books for a pair of hQueenpin is the story of a young woman, who remains unnamed throughout, plucked from a two-bit nightclub where she’s cooking the books for a pair of half-wits and placed under the wing of the powerful Gloria Denton, a big player in the world of organized crime. Under Gloria, our narrator develops into a student of the game by dressing the part, living the part and finding the confidence she never knew she had. However, as the old saying goes, nothing gold can stay. She falls in love with a hapless gambler named Vic who threatens to completely upset the apple cart.
I firmly believe Megan Abbott is a time traveler. This book could have easily been written in the 40s at the height of the genre – it’s like a puzzle piece that fits perfectly into the picture that writers like Chandler and Hammett were assembling at the time. While Abbott uses all the common noir tropes, the story feels fresh and dangerous rather than recycled. I think a lot has to do with the genre flip – think Double Indemnity but with an infinitely more dangerous target.
I think what initially drew me to noir was the dialogue. Back then if you weren’t lying, you were giving someone the hard truth. Characters were less likely to meander around the point and more likely to spit out lines like they were in a hurry using a bottomless well of wit and snark. That said, Abbott is a student of the game and it shows in spades. My eyes danced along the pages, trying to keep up with Queenpin’s contemptible cast.
While Megan has been having a wealth of success with her foray into modern, young-woman noir, I’d love to see her return to this time and setting for another go-around. Abbott is one of my favorite authors working today and I’m looking forward to seeing her at Bouchercon 2017 in Toronto....more
Following a mandate from the Mayor’s office, Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith are two of the first round of black men hired as policemen to serve the AtlaFollowing a mandate from the Mayor’s office, Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith are two of the first round of black men hired as policemen to serve the Atlanta Police Department in post-war America. Despite being officers of the law, Boggs and Smith are painfully limited in what they’re authorized to do. Sure they can carry guns, but they’re not permitted inside police headquarters, drive police vehicles nor are they allowed to participate in cases involving white men or women.
White officers Dennis “Rake” Rakestraw and his partner Dunlow, offer two sides of the law. While Rake, a rookie, is more forward-thinking and liberal, Dunlow represents the more “traditional” side of the force – a closely-guarded, deeply-racist “man’s man” of a cop who allows his bigotry to dictate his law enforcement methods.
DARKTOWN picks up following the discovery of a deceased young black woman buried in a trash heap following a gunshot to the chest. Boggs and Smith had previously seen the woman as a passenger in a vehicle operated by a heavily intoxicated former white police. However, they’re not permitted to arrest white civilians, so they call in two white officers to pull over the driver. Later, when Boggs and Smith go back to reference their report following Rake and Dunlow’s investigation, all mention of the inebriated individual is scrubbed from record.
Going against department protocol as well as his better judgment, Boggs undergoes his own investigation surrounding the woman’s murder. Can Boggs and Smith succeed inside a hopelessly corrupt and racist system? Will Rake break free from his partner’s toxic influence?
A few weeks ago, a school in Mississippi decided to take To Kill a Mockingbird off the shelves and out of the minds of students. The reason? The subject matter made children uncomfortable. Cooler heads prevailed and the book would find itself back into circulation (with parents giving their child permission to read it), but the decision to remove it came from a place of ignorance. The whole point of that book is to make you feel uncomfortable, to make you question institutionalized racism. Thomas Mullen’s DARKTOWN isn’t saying anything new when it comes to the treatment of the black population (and neither am I), but I can damn sure tell you that at times, this was nowhere near a comfortable read and like To Kill a Mockingbird, I’m glad it exists.
In order to properly tell this story, Mullen can’t hold back – and he doesn’t. “Nigger” is used an astonishing amount of times but makes sense considering how liberally the slur was thrown around back then. While the term unfortunately hasn’t gone the way of the dinosaur, I can say that it’s not something I hear daily (although, to be honest, it’s not like I’m the target of said word) so reading it over and over again was something I couldn’t let wash over me.
Both Rake and Boggs are big damn hero cops that on the surface are seemingly incorruptible. When I was younger, I always preferred villains as they’re usually more complex and interesting but there’s something admirable about the hard-nosed “good guy” fighting against corruption both internally and externally. I like how Mullen played this against the backdrop of institutionalized racism. Rake’s drive to get the white police officers out of the black neighborhoods while commendable on the basis of keeping racist cops away from black citizens, still ends up promoting segregation rather than finding a way to push out the crooked lawmen. Baby steps, I guess.
While the mystery was well-crafted, DARKTOWN is less about the “whodunit” and more about how extraordinarily difficult it was for the black officers to move within the system. Their installation within the police force came from a place of obligation, not acceptance, so their reluctant colleagues make it tough for them to fully utilize the power that comes with being a police officer. With this being the first in a series, I’m interested to see the many ways Mullen will test the uneasy relationship between Rake, Boggs and Smith going forward....more
“The world was on fire and no one could save me but you..”
A deadly plague dubbed “dragonscale” – a disease that causes its carriers to burst into flam“The world was on fire and no one could save me but you..”
A deadly plague dubbed “dragonscale” – a disease that causes its carriers to burst into flames shortly following the appearance of black and gold scale-like patterns on their skin – is sweeping the nation. Small town nurse Harper Grayson becomes infected following a long stint working in a Massachusetts area hospital. When she and her husband discover she’s pregnant, the decision whether to keep the baby leads to a pretty nasty split. With nowhere to go, and looking for a safe haven to bring her child to term, Harper hooks up with a group of similarly infected individuals hiding out in a backwoods summer camp named Camp Wynward. The residents there seem to have found a way to control the infection and Harper is hoping she can survive long enough to see her child arrive safe and sound.
After turning the final page last week, I noticed it took me nearly a month to read this sucker. Sure, it’s nearly 800 pages, but I’ve flown through any one of James S.A. Corey’s Expanse novels in nearly half the time – so why did it take me a few weeks to reach the end of Joe Hill’s barnburner of a novel?
Likely because it suffered from what I thought was a slow start. Although the tension does pick up about a quarter of the way into the story, those first hundred or so pages felt like a real slog to get through. Granted, while there was a lot of groundwork to be laid concerning the breakdown of society and the spread of dragonscale, I found that Hill lingered a little too long on Harper’s life before joining up with the Wynward crew.
Once Harper arrives at camp and we’re introduced to a whole slew of new characters, the novel seems to shift to a “Lord of the Flies” style story complete with backstabbing and power-struggles. A lot of the more integral characters strongly develop and evolve reasonably to suit the changing atmosphere of the camp. Those in power seem to be willing to do anything to maintain control and keep the camp off the radar of the “cremation crews”, groups of self-governed militarized killers who hunt down and burn those afflicted with the mysterious malady.
The mark of a good central conflict is when an author can make both pros and cons for those occupying either side of a fundamental disagreement. While I thought that Harper was correct to defy authority, the actions of those at the head of the camp – while extreme – were done for the right reasons. Harper was reckless on a few occasions and her actions did put the camp at risk. On the other side, Carol Story, the daughter of camp patriarch Tom, went a little nuts on the paranoia scale and while she could have done things a lot differently, she wasn’t exactly power hungry. I thought the dynamic between both the perceived “good” and “evil” sides went a long way in keeping things interesting and the tension at a ridiculously high level.
Joe Hill had me a little worried at the beginning of the story but I stuck with it and it paid off in a big, big way. The Fireman is a high-octane thriller that will leave you severely singed....more
In 2011, the mysterious disappearance of Maura Murray caught the eye of freelance investigative journalist James Renner. But this wasn’t exactly new tIn 2011, the mysterious disappearance of Maura Murray caught the eye of freelance investigative journalist James Renner. But this wasn’t exactly new territory for Renner. Years before, he had dug into the disappearance of Amy Mihaljevic, a case that left Renner with PTSD. Why would he want to subject himself to this scenario again, you ask? As the title says, it’s an addiction. Renner has an undying thirst for the truth and True Crime Addict takes the reader inside the author’s quest to quench it.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a hell of a great read. While it did start a little on the slow side, it didn’t take long for Renner to push the pedal to the metal. Extremely short chapters (we’re talking three-to-four pages in length) help to speed up the book making you feel like you’re flying through the story. This is likely why I gulped down huge chunks of it in single sittings (“only one more chapter, then I’ll go to bed. OK, that was pretty short, only one more.. etc”).
Along with his frustrations in trying to break open the Murray case, Renner weaves in bits of his own history (one particular part of his past is not the easiest read), detailing both his childhood, career and current struggles with his son’s violent and strange tendencies. I thought this was an excellent choice. Not that I see anything wrong with an entire book delving into the case itself, I just felt that adding in these pieces of information kept things fresh and interesting – especially when you consider where the story ultimately ends up.
With True Crime Addict as well as his previous book about the disappearance of Amy Mihaljevic (Amy: My Search for Her Killer), Renner has proven to be an accomplished non-fiction writer. I’ve been hearing great things about his fiction work and if those novels are as gripping as True Crime Addict, I have no doubt I’ll enjoy them....more
For a long time, this book was my “white whale”. Up to recently, I had three of Joe Hill’s novels (Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, NOS4A2) in hardcover and aFor a long time, this book was my “white whale”. Up to recently, I had three of Joe Hill’s novels (Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, NOS4A2) in hardcover and although 20th Century Ghosts was easily accessible in paperback or for download on my Kindle, I felt I needed to match my existing format and seek out the rare hardbound edition.
With every second-hand bookstore I entered, this illusive short story collection was front and centre in my mind. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t find it. A few months ago I had all but given up until my lovely girlfriend surprised me with a copy for Christmas! Did I mention it was signed? My name might not be “Tom” but who cares? Close enough.
20th Century Ghosts is a collection of short stories dealing with the subjects of death, loss and fear. Although Joe Hill is an accomplished horror novelist, not everything in here will give you the willies. In fact, although one of the better stories - the collection’s namesake, 20th Century Ghost - features a spooky specter, it’s more nostalgic and sweet rather than scary.
There are some great ones in here that I really enjoyed. “Best New Horror” tells of a magazine editor who has fallen into a rut - both professionally and personally - before coming across a new story so enthralling that it sets him on a quest to find its reclusive author. “Pop Art” did a real number on me and is probably my favourite of the bunch. It is a sad, coming of age tale about two friends who experience profound loss - did I mention one of them is an inflatable human?
I still struggle with short story collections in that I’m so accustomed to long-form fiction that reading several tales in one session tends to burn me out a lot faster. I need to process a story after I finish one and then refocus on another. Maybe they’re better read in short bursts. I should probably adapt this strategy in the future.
20th Century Ghosts is a glimpse into Hill’s past as several of the stories were written just as he was starting out as a published author - a time when he was relatively unknown and people didn’t know he was Uncle Stevie’s boy. It’s worth checking out for die hard fans and genre fiction enthusiasts alike....more
A mysterious disease dubbed “the ‘gets” is ravaging the human population. Starting off slowly, it hinders your ability to remember where you parked orA mysterious disease dubbed “the ‘gets” is ravaging the human population. Starting off slowly, it hinders your ability to remember where you parked or where you left your wallet. In time, it advances to the point where you forget to breathe and your heart forgets to beat.
A new substance, believed to be a miraculous cure-all healer, is discovered at the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the lowest known point in the ocean. It isn't long before a state of the art research center, populated with a select few brilliant scientists, is constructed eight miles below sea level.
When a sub resurfaces carrying the mutilated body of one of the researchers and communications from the station cease, two brave individuals are sent deep into the unknown to investigate.
The Deep is Nick Cutter’s follow up to his first novel, The Troop - you know, the one that scared Stephen King. Cutter must’ve known that he had to up the ante this time around and what’s scarier than a story set eight miles below sea level? Answer: not much.
While the story does take its time in building to the truly terrifying stuff, the final one hundred pages are absolutely insane. I’m talking edge of your seat, nightmare worthy material. In the Troop, Cutter relies on the fear of infection and disease and while those two elements are certainly present in The Deep, he’s more so playing on the true psychological madness of claustrophobia and everlasting darkness.
The Deep is set to hit bookstores a little under one year following The Troop (January 2015), I worry that I may get spoiled by a steady stream of Cutter material. Either way, I can’t wait for book three.
Side note: if this ever gets made into a movie, Jim Parsons is the PERFECT actor to fill the shoes of Clayton.
“You spend a long time waiting for life to start – her past year or two filled with all these firsts, everything new and terrifying and significant – “You spend a long time waiting for life to start – her past year or two filled with all these firsts, everything new and terrifying and significant – and then it does start and you realise it isn’t what you’d expected, or asked for.”
The Fever follows Dennie Nash, a young girl caught up in the hysteria of a mysterious illness sweeping through her high school. It begins with Dennie’s best friend, Lise, as she falls victim to an unexplained seizure. Lise is quickly hospitalized, leaving doctors unable to explain the culprit. As additional girls begin to display similar symptoms, panic sets in among parents and students alike leaving the sleepy northeast town reeling.
Megan has proven in the past that she knows her way around the intricate world of high school with her novels “Dare Me” and “The End of Everything”, so it’s no surprise she knocks it out of the park yet again with The Fever.
Megan’s writing is similar to a murky haze that settles over a town slowly wandering through a cloud of confusion. Parents and children are all desperate to latch onto anything that can possibly explain the illness, as potential solutions fall on deaf ears. Is it due to poor air quality within the school? A recent HPV vaccination gone wrong? Everyone has a theory and no one can confirm the cause.
From this frenzied base is where Megan decides to set the events of The Fever in motion. Dennie’s relationship with both her once tight-knit family and her friends slowly unravels. Dennie’s contact with her estranged mother becomes more sporadic when her mother is unwilling to return to Dryden to comfort her daughter. Dennie’s friends, wrapped in delirium, are becoming distant leaving Dennie with seemingly nowhere to turn for relief from the chaos.
As humans, we often aren’t aware of our true nature until our backs are against the wall, until we’re forced to finally act within our own best interests. By putting her characters in this situation, it’s like Megan turned the volume up to eleven. Everyone is seemingly on high alert – emotions are amplified leading to sporadic actions from all involved. This especially made the book “unputdownable” as I raced through the last one hundred pages while riding the train to Bouchercon two weeks ago.
Although her follow-up novel, You Will Know Me, put an end to her current time writing atmospheric adolescent stories, The Fever stands out as one of her strongest. Go read it!...more
A deeply-flawed, drug addicted telepath acts as a police consultant to help bring down a serial killer. The stakes are raised when a vision puts him iA deeply-flawed, drug addicted telepath acts as a police consultant to help bring down a serial killer. The stakes are raised when a vision puts him in the killer’s path. Can he bring down this murderous monster or will his premonition come sooner than expected?
I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a fair review.
Alex Hughes has crafted a compelling universe for her characters to play in. A self-admitted cop show junkie, Hughes mashed her love of police procedurals together with speculative fiction to create Clean, the first novel in her Mindspace Investigation series. The story picks up sixty years after the devastating Tech Wars, an event fought with computer viruses and self-aware machines. If it wasn’t for the psychic powered force known as The Guild, we’d all probably end up like Neo, floating in a pink sack powering our mechanical masters.
Where Hughes’ talent truly lies is in her world building. She’s clearly put a lot of time and effort into constructing the Atlanta of tomorrow. The scenes in which characters descend into Mindspace – a tool used by telepaths to detect changes and abnormalities in our environment undetectable by us normies – were fascinating and easy to grasp (fishbowl analogy was excellent). Given the events of the Tech Wars, the US government has scaled back its overwhelming reliance on technology. Heavy filtering procedures are in force when sending emails, net access is limited and hard copies are once again essential when it comes to paperwork. It’s not often you read a novel based in the future featuring flying cars but with reduced levels of technology.
Hughes mirrored a lot of the great hard-boiled protagonists by saddling the telepath with an addiction – a narcotic dubbed Satin – he cannot easily overcome. Knowing he’s only one mistake away from finding himself out on his ass, it leads to some intense scenes where he’s teetering on the edge without much to keep him grounded. That being said, the only real constant in his life is Swartz, his addiction sponsor, who is determined to keep him on the straight and narrow. While their interactions are minimal, their importance keeps the story moving forward. I would’ve actually liked a little more between the two.
Aside from his feelings for his partner Isabella Cherabino, he doesn’t have much going for him. In fact, my only real gripe involves some of the back and forth between the two. There’s clearly some chemistry there, but I found the telepath came across as whiny or annoying when he pined for her. I’m not advocating for the roles to be reversed – I’d dislike it either way – I guess I just wanted less romance; something that while not overwhelming, disrupted the flow of the story.
I’m very interested to see where this goes from here. Luckily for me, I’ve got the sequel on deck!
**Sidenote** The telepath does indeed have a name but it’s being withheld in this review as it would spoil one of the strongest moments in the novel.
I grew up in a Sydney, a town within Cape Breton Island on Canada’s east coast. Cape Breton is known for its breathtaking beauty, sprawling wildernessI grew up in a Sydney, a town within Cape Breton Island on Canada’s east coast. Cape Breton is known for its breathtaking beauty, sprawling wilderness and rich culture. But I’ve also seen the other side. The youth population being forced to leave due to a struggling economy. Drug riddled communities with citizens forced to live on government handouts. I’m not singling out Sydney here – the same could be said for any town, and that’s why Cataract City works. It’s immensely relatable. It takes Niagara Falls, Ontario, a town containing one of nature’s seven wonders and instead of concentrating on its centrepiece, shines a light on the sometimes seedy life of a ‘townie’ – people who are stuck, people who can’t seem to get away.
Owen and Duncan are boyhood friends forever bound following a near-death experience. As they grew older, both embarked on different paths as Duncan would serve eight years in the Kingston Penitentiary following a botched cigarette smuggling mission for local crime kingpin Lemmy Drinkwater. Owen on the other hand, would serve under a badge, having to live with the guilt of being the one to catch and arrest Duncan.
Duncan doesn’t blame Owen however, as he knows the difference between right and wrong, and upon his release, he has but one goal – take down Drinkwater.
Davidson’s steady, flowing prose performs effortlessly with the intense, gritty nature of the story. There are certain scenes written with a style of beautiful brutality that I believe will stick with me for quite some time. While it’s not on the level of the madness he explores in his Nick Cutter novels, it’s certainly a hallmark that I’ve come to expect from his work.
Having read both The Troop and The Deep, Cataract City has cemented Davidson as an author I can see myself reading for years. Luckily for his readers, he’s a busy man with two books due out this year with hopefully many more on the horizon.
Still reeling from the effects of The Wrong Goodbye, Sam Thornton is tasked by his handler Lilith to take out the mysterious Brethren, a group made upStill reeling from the effects of The Wrong Goodbye, Sam Thornton is tasked by his handler Lilith to take out the mysterious Brethren, a group made up of former Collectors who have severed their ties with Hell.
I received an ARC of The Big Reap from Angry Robot in exchange for a fair review. Thanks to our literary robot overlords!
The opening scene of The Big Reap will have a spot among my favorite openers ever. Not only does Chris bring you up to speed if this happens to be your first Thornton novel (and seriously, who starts on the third book of any series - go read those first two!), he also takes us back and tells the story of Sam’s first collection. That particular story is told over the course of the novel as Chris presents it side-by-side with Thornton’s crusade against the forces of the Brethren. Both stories are equally compelling so when he switches back and forth, you’re not exactly dying to get back to the other.
Like the first two novels, Holm continues with his excellently choreographed action scenes. There’s some high octane stuff here involving Thornton having to use his environment to gain advantages. It’s a wonder how Holm can make the character so damn confident when he always seems to just barely come out on top. Sam never seems to have a solid game plan and often relies on thinking in the moment – something that keeps the action moving swiftly with consistently unpredictable results. All of these factors leave us with a story that is a real blast to read.
Sam is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. While he carries with him the attitude of a blockbuster movie action star, he’s also a tragic character at heart. As his journey progresses, he realizes just how hopeless his future really is. It would be easy for Holm to give us a character with big bravado who constantly comes out on top but instead gives us a character that learns, develops and grows with each story. He's like John McClane from the first Die Hard movie – not the John McClane that developed over time and became an indestructible superman.
In my opinion, this is Holm's finest work yet. Taking nothing away from the first two books in the series, The Big Reap has raised the bar for any potential sequels.
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