Cell 7
by Kerry Drewery
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Cell 7 by Kerry Drewery. A world where justice and the fate of those accused of murder is decided by the public, but has moved on from the Roman Gladiator 'thumbs up or thumbs down' public vote, to a public vote by telephone. If you are voted innocent you are set free; if you are voted guilty you are committed to death by electric chair. Those awaiting their sentence reside in ever decreasing cells, getting smaller each day, until Day 7 and Cell 7, where they hear their fate. Sixteen year old Martha has confessed to killing a famous celebrity. But has she done it? And if not, why has she claimed the murder? Perhaps she wants to show up the flawed and brutal system by sacrificing herself in the hope of a better world.... Or perhaps she is protecting somebody else... A heart-rending, thought-provoking tale of doomed romance... more»»
Nigel 31st December 2016 [8/10]

Even Dogs in the Wild
by Ian Rankin
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin. Retirement doesn't suit John Rebus. He wasn't made for hobbies, holidays or home improvements. Being a cop is in his blood. So when DI Siobhan Clarke asks for his help on a case, Rebus doesn't need long to consider his options. Clarke's been investigating the death of a senior lawyer whose body was found along with a threatening note. On the other side of Edinburgh, Big Ger Cafferty - Rebus's long-time nemesis - has received an identical note and a bullet through his window. Now it's up to Clarke and Rebus to connect the dots and stop a killer. Even Dogs in the Wild brings back Ian Rankin's greatest characters in a story exploring the darkest corners of our instincts and desires... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st December 2016 [7/10]

Tesseracts Ninehteen:
Superhero Universe
by Claude Lalumiere and Mark Shainblum, Editors
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Tesseracts Nineteen: Superhero Universe by Claude Lalumiere and Mark Shainblum, Editors. Superheroes! Supervillains! Superpowered antiheroes! Mad scientists! Adventurers into the unknown. Detectives of the dark night. Costumed crimefighters. Steampunk armoured avengers. Brave and bold supergroups. Crusading aliens in a strange land. Secret histories. Pulp action. Tesseracts Nineteen: Superhero Universe features all of these permutations of the superhero genre and many others besides! Featuring stories by: Patrick T. Goddard, D.K. Latta, Alex C. Renwick, Mary Pletsch & Dylan Blacquiere, Geoff Hart, Marcelle Dube, Kevin Cockle, John Bell, Evelyn Deshane, A.C. Wise, Jennifer Rahn, Bevan Thoma, Bernard E. Mireault, Sacha A. Howells, Kim Goldberg, Luke Murphy, Corey Redekop, Brent Nichols, Jason Sharp, Arun Jiwa, Chadwick Ginther, Leigh Wallace, David Perlmutter, P.E. Bolivar, Michael Matheson... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st December 2016 [9/10]

Safe at Home
by C. Dennis Moore
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Safe at Home by C. Dennis Moore. Early-twenties Jim and his high school girlfriend Monica have just moved into a third floor apartment in a secure building to start a life together. Everything’s going well at first, even though Jim finds adjusting to living with another person difficult. Then one night one of the residents in the building is murdered. With the security lock on the front door, and considering Jim was the only one in the building who couldn’t prove his whereabouts at the time, all fingers point to him. And when a few more bodies turn up in the building, all at times Jim can’t establish an alibi, things start to get a little tense at home. Jim is haunted by memories of an old 80s hair metal band he didn’t even like, meanwhile the tension between him and Monica gets stronger and stronger until Jim feels his mind is about to snap... more»»
Molly Martin 31st December 2016 [9/10]

The Recruit
by Robert Muchamore
Average Rating [9/10] (5 Reviews)
Darragh has kindly sent in a review for The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. A terrorist doesn’t let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn’t know that a kid has bugged every room in her house, cloned the hard drive on her PC, and copied all the numbers in her phone book. The kid works for CHERUB. They slip under adult radar and get information that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. For official purposes, these children do not exist... more»»
For those that are interested this review has moved The Recruit to number two in the BookLore Top 10.
Darragh Walsh 31st December 2016 [9/10]

The Retribution
by Val McDermid
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The Retribution by Val McDermid, an unforgettable, gripping Tony Hill and Carol Jordan novel (Book 7). There is one serial killer who has shaped and defined police profiler Tony Hill's life. One serial killer whose evil surpasses all others. One serial killer who has the power to chill him to the bone: Jacko Vance. And now Jacko is back in Tony's life. Even more twisted and cunning than ever before, he is focused on wreaking revenge on Tony - and DCI Carol Jordan - for the years he has spent in prison. Tony doesn't know when Jacko will strike, or where. All he knows is that Jacko will cause him to feel fear like he has never known before - and devastate his life in ways he cannot imagine... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th November 2016 [7/10]

The Last Autumn
by Ophelia Juliet
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The Last Autumn by Ophelia Juliet.One piece of music. One boy, one girl. Music brings them together, or maybe not? For years, the piano prodigy, Richard Roberton, avoided the piano. He never dared to play in front of people nor dared to join any completion. His life wasn’t perfect but he had Elizabeth – his best friend. He realized that he was in love with her. But it was too cliché and he didn’t want to sacrifice their eleven-year-long friendship for something he was unsure of. High school was supposed to be most enjoyable times. But for Richard, it is the complete opposite. His best friend started dating another guy, which broke his heart. He envied people who could play the instrument they love. Unfortunately, life doesn't go as planned for Elizabeth. This changed the life of both Richard and Elizabeth... Would they be together at the end? Would Elizabeth able to get out of her life situation? This is a romantic, enthralling and very uplifting story about memory, pain, living, music, loving and dying – simultaneously tragic and promising. Standalone Young Adult Tearjerker Romance... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th November 2016 [8/10]

Whispers through a Megaphone
by Rachel Elliott
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Whispers through a Megaphone by Rachel Elliott. Miriam hasn't left her house in three years, and cannot raise her voice above a whisper. She still lives in the shadow of her dead mother... But today she has had enough, and is finally ready to rejoin the outside world. Meanwhile, Ralph has made the mistake of opening a closet door, only to discover that his wife Sadie doesn't love him... And so he decides to leave his home. Miriam and Ralph's chance meeting in a wood during stormy weather marks the beginning of an amusing, restorative friendship, while Sadie takes a break from Twitter to embark on an intriguing adventure of her own. As their collective story unfolds, each of them seeks to better understand the objects of their affection, and their own hearts, timidly refusing to stand still and accept the chaos life throws at them. Rachel Elliott's loveable characters confront the hardest things in life with delicious humour and steady courage. Because sometimes, our over-connected world can seem too much for just one person... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st October 2016 [7/10]

Expiration Date
by Nancy Kilpatrick (Editor)
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Expiration Date by Nancy Kilpatrick (Editor). Modern lives seem littered with expiration dates. Packaging tells us when our food will go bad; when we can expect appliances to cease functioning; when contracts for the internet finish! But as annoying as these small expiration dates are, they fade to nothing compared to the larger events: when a species goes extinct; when a body of water evaporates, or dies because the PH balance alters; when giant icebergs break apart and glaciers melt forever, threatening the ecosystem of this planet. From the micro to the macro in terms of expirations, we are faced with the one termination with which we are all too familiar - the up-close-and-personal end of life for each of us and for the ones we love. It’s the personal that terrifies us most because it feels the most real. Nancy Kilpatrick has gathered together twenty-five original stories to look at the what-if’s of our expiring future. These stories span a range of emotions. Some will make you laugh, other will make you cry. They are grim and hopeful, sad and joyous, horrifying and comforting. You can expect to be touched in some way... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st October 2016 [9/10]

Heartstrings
by Marilyn Boone
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Heartstrings by Marilyn Boone. Two worlds collide when E.C. Coleman, the star quarterback for Madison High’s football team, shows up at the Samaritan Centre, a place where Anna Holmes volunteers serving meals every week. He is everything she expects, arrogant, self-centred, and only there for a grade. Anna resents the distraction, wanting to stay focused on her dream of a violin scholarship to the university while helping her family with their café. But her younger brother, Aaron, loves football, and Anna would do almost anything to make him happy. Anna has had a difficult time trusting and believing in herself until, Louisa, the mysterious housekeeper at the Samaritan Centre, helps her gain the confidence she needs. At the same time, E.C.’s kindness to her brother is softening Anna’s opinion of him. What will Anna do when she suddenly feels betrayed and grief threatens to unravel her dream? Can she accept that people are not always what they seem, maybe even, E.C... more»»
Molly Martin 31st October 2016 [8/10]

The Surgeon
by Tess Gerritsen
Average Rating [6/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen. He slips into their homes at night and walks silently into bedrooms where women lie sleeping, unaware of the horrors they soon will endure. The precision of the killer's methods suggests he is a deranged man of medicine, propelling the Boston newspapers and the frightened public to name him 'The Surgeon'. The cops' only clue rests with another surgeon, the victim of a nearly identical crime. Two years ago, Dr. Catherine Cordell fought back and killed her attacker before he could complete his assault. Now she hides her fears of intimacy behind a cool and elegant exterior and a well-earned reputation as a top trauma surgeon. Cordell's careful facade is about to crack as this new killer recreates, with chilling accuracy, the details of Cordell's own ordeal. With every new murder he seems to be taunting her, cutting ever closer, from her hospital to her home. Her only comfort comes from Thomas Moore, the detective assigned to the case. But even Moore cannot protect Cordell from a brilliant hunter who somehow understands - and savours - the secret fears of every woman he kills... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th September 2016 [6/10]

Black Glass
by John Shirley
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Black Glass by John Shirley. Taking the fall for his younger brother, Richard Candle went from being a cyber cop to a condemned criminal. After four years of ‘UnMinding’ with his mind suppressed and his body enslaved he's released to discover his brother has slipped back into the underworld of the V-Rat: the virtual reality addict. Meanwhile, Candle's harried by the murderous Grist, the head of the world's biggest multinational. But his real enemy is something else: a conscious program, the Multisemblant, a meld of copied personalities, the dark side of five powerful people, with its own brutal agenda. Human society is sinking ever deeper into a mire of escapism, but Richard Candle, looking for his missing brother, fights his way through the real world of underground stock markets, flying guns, the trash-walled labyrinth of Rooftown, and the fringe of the fringe... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th September 2016 [9/10]

Guilt
by Emma Kaufmann
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Guilt by Emma Kaufmann. Bridget Jones meets Agatha Christie - a whodunit for the 21st century. Psychological suspense tracing the lives of Gilda and Clive, dysfunctional products of a twisted upbringing. As they try and extricate themselves from their gothic past, someone will have to be sacrificed. This is a spine tingling tale of murder, mayhem and emotional catharsis. Clive’s analyst, Dr. Gerber, watches coolly as the drama unfolds. To him, the players are dehumanized, merely case studies in psychopathology. Will Dr. Gerber be able to stop the process from reaching its deadly conclusion? Or is it already too late... more»»
Molly Martin 30th September 2016 [9/10]

Freak the Mighty
by Rodman Philbrick
Average Rating [9/10] (2 Reviews)
Hannah has kindly sent in a review for Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Extraordinarily powerful, uplifting and memorable, the story of reak the Mighty explores an unlikely friendship, and finds optimism and humour in a story of great poignancy. Bring your tissues. Maxwell Kane is feared and bullied because of his mental slowness and enormous size. Maxwell is used to being called Stupid. But this is not the only cross he has to bear; Maxwell's father is in jail for murdering his mother. Kevin is smart, quirky and funny with insatiable curiosity and zest for life but he suffers from a rare genetic condition, which inhibits the growth of his body. Kevin is used to being called Dwarf. And he is used to everyone laughing at him. On account of his size and being some cripple kid. Yet the combination of Kevin and Maxwell is formidable, when together they become Freak the Mighty... more»»
Hannah 30th September 2016 [9/10]

A Cold Death
by Antonio Manzini
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed A Cold Death by Antonio Manzini. Small towns can hide big secrets, but Rocco Schiavone will do whatever it takes to bring them into the light. The second novel in the internationally bestselling series from Italian crime maestro Antonio Manzini. In an elegant apartment in a chilly Alpine town a cleaning lady makes a gruesome discovery: the body of her employer hanging from a chandelier in a dark room in an apparent suicide. Working the case is Deputy Police Chief Rocco Schiavone, banished from his beloved Rome to snowy, small-town Aosta. An incurable cynic, perpetually at war with the world – and the weather – Rocco is unconvinced that Esther killed herself. Armed with his intuition and his inimitable brand of morality, he begins to hunt for a killer. But as he digs deeper into Esther’s life Rocco is increasingly troubled by personal matters: his dissatisfied girlfriend Nora; the very vocal memory of his deceased wife, Marina; and a score that still needs settling back in Rome.... more»»
Chrissi 31st August 2016 [8/10]

Trevelyan's Wager
by David Bassano
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Trevelyan's Wager by David Bassano. This intriguing story investigates timeless themes of life and death, as genetically-modified individuals enjoy eternal youth in great luxury on the mysterious island of Elysium. The trillion-dollar Elysium Corporation has perfected the science of genetically-induced immortality. Decay and death are no longer inevitable. For the right price, you can now enjoy eternal youth, and in great luxury. This is mankind’s ultimate achievement. William del Grappa, a journalist with a taste for the dark side of human life, is invited to this paradise by Sophia Trevelyan, an Immortal of almost mythical intelligence and beauty. Life on Elysium is utterly perfect – or so Sophia thinks, before her indelicate visitor dis-covers a critical flaw... more»»
Nigel 31st August 2016 [9/10]

A Place Called Winter
by Patrick Gale
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale. To find yourself, sometimes you must lose everything. A privileged elder son, and stammeringly shy, Harry Cane has followed convention at every step. Even the beginnings of an illicit, dangerous affair do little to shake the foundations of his muted existence - until the shock of discovery and the threat of arrest cost him everything. Forced to abandon his wife and child, Harry signs up for emigration to the newly colonised Canadian prairies. Remote and unforgiving, his allotted homestead in a place called Winter is a world away from the golden suburbs of turn-of-the-century Edwardian England. And yet it is here, isolated in a seemingly harsh landscape, under the threat of war, madness and an evil man of undeniable magnetism that the fight for survival will reveal in Harry an inner strength and capacity for love beyond anything he has ever known before. In this exquisite journey of self-discovery, loosely based on a real life family mystery, Patrick Gale has created an epic, intimate human drama, both brutal and breathtaking. It is a novel of secrets, sexuality and, ultimately, of great love... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st August 2016 [7/10]

Hubris
by P. A. Wilson
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Hubris by P.A. Wilson. Charity Deacon, a private investigator with a nose for trouble, danger is just a way of life. She witnesses a car crash that hides a brutal murder. The police don't talk to PIs, but maybe they'll explain why the victim had a bullet hole in his head in exchange for the photos and video she collected right at the scene. Her latest client is a young streetwalker named Val. She's used to fending for herself, but her sister Emma has fallen into something big, and anyone who shows too much interest in this particular business is liable to catch a sudden case of death. She needs the help of a pro, and soon, or Emma may not survive to be rescued. As Charity traces each lead with Val in tow, they get closer and closer to the most dangerous criminals in the city — the Chinese gangs that like to kill anyone who gets too curious... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st August 2016 [8/10]

Dire Salvation
by Charles B. Neff
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Dire Salvation, Charles B. Neff’s captivating fifth thriller, the story of a complex murder investigation that propels local law enforcement officers to search for the source of a sophisticated new drug. Set in the Cascade Mountains of Central Washington state, the pace of Dire Salvation is swift, as accelerating action over five days builds suspense at every turn. Calla Ogden's carefully organized life as a social worker in Washington's Central Cascade Mountains begins to fall apart when her half-brother is arrested for murder. The investigation centers on a fish hatchery operated by a local Native American tribe, and soon draws in Mayor Phil Bianchi and Greg Takarchuk, a junior police officer. As Phil and Calla grow close, they confront causes for the murder that bring them face to face with a dangerous new drug and with old events tied to Calla's native heritage. Native lore and modern science combine in a treacherous final confrontation that threatens to sweep away many lives, and with them, new-found love... more»»
Molly Martin 31st August 2016 [8/10]

A Perfect Square
by Isobel Blackthorn
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Michelle Saftich has sent in a review for A Perfect Square by Isobel Blackthorn. When pianist Ginny Smith moves back to her mother’s house in Sassafras after the breakup with the degenerate Garth, synaesthetic and eccentric Harriet Brassington-Smythe is beside herself. She contrives an artistic collaboration to lift her daughter’s spirits: an exhibition of paintings and songs. Ginny reluctantly agrees. While mother and daughter struggle with the elements of the collaborative effort, and as Ginny tries to prise the truth of her father’s disappearance from a tight-lipped Harriet, both are launched into their own inner worlds of dreams, speculations and remembering. Meanwhile, another mother and artist, Judith, alone in a house on the moors, reflects on her own troubled past and that of her wayward daughter, Madeleine. Set amid the fern glades and towering forests of the Dandenong ranges east of Melbourne, and on England’s Devon moors, A Perfect Square is a literary thriller of remarkable depth and insight... more»»
Michelle Saftich 31st August 2016 [8/10]

Tesseracts Eighteen:
Wrestling with Gods
by Liana Kerzner and Jerome Stueart, Editors
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Tesseracts Eighteen: Wrestling with Gods by Liana Kerzner and Jerome Stueart, Editors. A mechanical Jesus for your shrine, the myths of cuttlefish, a vampire in residential schools, a Muslim woman who wants to get closer, surgically, to her god, the demons of outer space, the downside of Nirvana. The 24 science fiction and fantasy stories and poems included in Tesseracts 18: Wrestling with Gods take their faith and religion into the future, into the weird and comic and thought-provoking spaces where science fiction and fantasy has really always gone, struggling with higher powers, gods, the limits of technology, the limits of spiritual experience. At times profound, these speculative offerings give readers a chance to see faith from the believer and the skeptic in worlds where what you believe is a matter of life, death, and afterlife.
Featuring works by: Derwin Mak, Robert J. Sawyer, Tony Pi, S. L. Nickerson, Janet K. Nicolson, John Park, Mary-Jean Harris, David Clink, Mary Pletsch, Jennifer Rahn, Alyxandra Harvey, Halli Lilburn, John Bell, David Jón Fuller, Carla Richards, Matthew Hughes, J. M. Frey, Steve Stanton, Erling Friis-Baastad, James Bambury, Savithri Machiraju, Jen Laface and Andrew Czarnietzki, David Fraser, Suzanne M. McNabb, and Megan Fennell... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st August 2016 [9/10]

Tesseracts Seventeen:
Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast
by Colleen Anderson and Steve Vernon, Editors
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Tesseracts Seventeen: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast to Coast. Editors Steve Vernon and Colleen Anderson have gathered thirty fresh new stories and poems of horror, science-fiction and fantasy from authors residing in EACH of the provinces and territories of Canada. Find out what cold darkness lurks in the heart of a Tuktoyaktuk blizzard. Hear a long-lost legend, lingering by a lonely lighthouse, perched on the shores of Manitoulin Island. Meet a hambone ghostly actor in search of his next gig in the Ottawa Museum of Nature. Learn the colors of the graffiti that tattoo the grey tenement walls of Montreal. In the Maritimes find out how coming events can be foreseen in a few shards of pottery or solve a murder by reliving the memory of a dead man. Explore a distant future, rife with acronym or trace the delicate fancies of the calligrapher’s daughter. Come join us on a magnificent cross-country trek through worlds familiar and unknown and enjoy over two dozen stories and poem - fantastic and frightening; inspirational, illuminating and eerily surreal.
Featuring works by: Catherine Austen, Jason Barrett, John Bell, Dave Beynon, Dwain Campbell, Rachel Cooper, Megan Fennell, David Jón Fuller, Ben Godby, Costi Gurgu, Alyxandra Harvey, Dianne Homan, Eileen Kernaghan, Claude Lalumière, Mark Leslie, Catherine MacLeod, William Meikle, Elise Moser, Dominik Parisien, Rhonda Parrish, Vincent Grant Perkins, Lisa Poh, Timothy Reynolds, Patricia Robertson, Rhea Rose, Holly Schofield, Lisa Smedman, J.J. Steinfeld, Steve Vernon, Edward Willett... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st August 2016 [9/10]

Tesseracts Sixteen:
Parnassus Unbound
by Mark Leslies, Editor
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound by Mark Leslie, Editor. According to Greek Mythology, Mount Parnassus was sacred to Apollo (god of prophecy, music, intellectual pursuits and the arts) and home of the Muses. At the base of the mountain was a fountain named Castalia (a transformed nymph) that could inspire the genius of poetry for anyone who drank her waters or listened to her quiet soothing sounds. The theme for Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound is speculative fiction inspired by literature, music, art and culture. In selecting stories, editor Mark Leslie's goal was to capture not only the spirit of what might be found on Mount Parnassus, but to allow it to be released, freed from the mythological Greek mountain and expanded upon in a way that only speculative literature can "unbind" such a theme.
Featuring works by: Neil Peart & Kevin J. Anderson, Robert J. Sawyer, Ryan Oakley, Steve Vernon, Hugh A. D. Spencer, Sandra Kasturi, Michael Kelly, Rebecca Senese, Randy McCharles, Chadwick Ginther, Stephen Kotowych, Carolyn Clink, J. J. Steinfeld, David Clink, Robert H. Beer, L. T. Getty, Scott Overton, Sean Costello, Virginia O'Dine, Melissa Yuan-Innes, Derwin Mak, Kimberly Foottit, Matthew Jordan Schmidt, Adria Laycraft, and Jeff Hughes... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st August 2016 [9/10]

Accelerating Returns
by Peter Anthony
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Accelerating Returns by Peter Anthony. The Law of Accelerating Returns states that technology in the coming century will be so “rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history.” On one side will stand those who welcome radical advancement in technology, versus those on the other side who attempt to subvert and destroy it. These are the Blockers - rogue extremists who create spectacles of worst-case-scenario science to spur the masses to action. Rule #7 of KillJoy’s Manifesto: A Blocker does not operate underground. He participates in a group. He is mainstream. All things anathema to him, he must embrace and make central to his life. Inspired by Ray Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns, Bill Joy’s Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us, and Hugo de Garis’ The Coming Artilect War... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th June 2016 [9/10]

Froth on the Daydream
by Boris Vian
Average Rating [6/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Froth on the Daydream by Boris Vian, a surrealist and existentialist novel renowned for its poetic and creative language. It relates how Colin's existence darkens gradually when his wife catches an illness than can only be cured with flowers? The world of Froth on the Daydream is a stained-glass cartoon kind of a place, where the piano dispenses cocktails, the kitchen mice dance to the sound of sunbeams, and the air is three parts jazz. Colin is a wealthy young aristocrat, a slim, innocent creature who loves easily. The instant he sees Chloe, bass drums thump inside his shirt, and soon the two are married. Typically generous, Colin gives a quarter of his fortune to his best friend Chick so he can marry Chloe's friend Alyssum. But a lily grows in Chloe's lung, and Colin must spend his remaining fortune on the only available treatment: surrounding her daily with fresh flowers. Chick squanders his share of Colin's money on rare editions of Jean Pulse Heartre, and Alyssum decides her only recourse is to murder the philosopher whose books are ruining her husband. Chick and Colin's money woes force them to sacrifice their carefree lives to soul-crushing work, and even the suicidal mice wear themselves out trying to restore the lustre to the kitchen tiles... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th June 2016 [6/10]

Beat, the Bass Drum
by Dale Hall
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Beat, the Bass Drum by Dale Hall. While doing chores for an old lady in the village to save money for his own drum kit, Jake, through chance or fate, stumbles across a magical musical miracle that might just make his dream of becoming a professional drummer really happen! But beware, not everyone wants Jake’s dream to come true. Dale has played drums for many years, through which he has found out that the drums are part of him, almost as if they are playing instead of him. This inspired the stories of Beat, the Bass Drum. Dale is a great ambassador for music and is very passionate about encouraging young children into the universal world of music. Having performed on television, drumming for popular artists, he is aware of the importance of having a good teacher to encourage you, even when you're making slow progress, but still feels luck is the most important ingredient in life... more»»
Chrissi 31st May 2016 [8/10]

Rapture
by Kameron Hurley
Average Rating [6/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Rapture by Kameron Hurley. After years in exile, Nyxnissa so Dasheem is back in action in service to the bel dames, a sisterhood of elite government assassins tasked with eliminating deserters and traitors. The end of a centuries-long holy war between her country, Nasheen, and neighbouring Chenja has flooded the streets of Nasheen with unemployed - and unemployable - soldiers whose frustrations have brought the nation to the brink of civil war. Not everyone likes this tenuous and unpredictable "peace," however, and somebody has kidnapped a key politician whose death could trigger a bloody government takeover. With aliens in the sky and revolution on the ground, Nyx assembles a team of mad magicians, torturers, and mutant shape-shifters for an epic journey across a flesh-eating desert in search of a man she's not actually supposed to kill. Trouble is, killing is the only thing Nyx is good at. And she already left this man to die... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st May 2016 [6/10]

The Origin of F.O.R.C.E.
by Sam B. Miller II
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The Origin of F.O.R.C.E. by Sam B. Miller II. The first scout ships of the Chrysallaman Empire made contact in 1947. Their mission was simple: find a suitable planet for colonization. Earth - HG-281 - was the perfect target. Rich with land, minerals, and water, the blue planet could boast only of a primitive race of defenders known as Humans, bugs who could be easily squashed by the might of a single Chrysallaman’s mind. When one of the scout ships is unexpectedly brought down, the advance party is forced to return to their home planet 30 light-years away to report and regroup. In their wake, they left behind a broken ship, dead crew members, and a young alien boy who would grow to become one of Earth’s greatest assets - and her greatest ally. The lizard-like aliens would be back, and in force. Mankind must prepare a strategy capable of defending against not only superior technology, but superior psychic ability and strength. It will take an elite group of military personnel, brilliant scientists, a sombrero-wearing alien, and another generation to plant the seeds that will grow into a World Wide Defense, the likes of which the Chrysallamans have never known... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st May 2016 [9/10]

Too Tall Alice
by Barbara Worton
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Too Tall Alice by Barbara Worton. Alice is tall. Not T-Rex or Empire State Building tall. Just four inches taller than the other eight-year-old girls at her school. Her mum says she's tall. Her dad says she's tall. But Alice is worried that being tall isn't okay. "Hi, I’m Alice. I’m eight years old, and I have something to say. It’s not easy to be tall. I know. I’m four inches taller than any of the other girls in my class. And then, I have a friend who’s kind of short, and she’s not too happy about that either. So, I guess it’s just not easy being different. But I think it’s okay to be different … to be you! What’s different, anyway? Boy, I wish I knew." ... more»»
Molly Martin 31st May 2016 [9/10]

Something Coming Through
by Paul McAuley
Average Rating [6/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Something Coming Through by Paul McAuley. The aliens are here. And they want to help. The Jackaroo have given humanity fifteen worlds and the means to reach them. They're a chance to start over, but they're also littered with ruins and artefacts left by the Jackaroo's previous clients. Miracles that could reverse the damage caused by war, climate change, and rising sea levels. Nightmares that could forever alter humanity - or even destroy it. Chloe Millar works in London, mapping changes caused by imported scraps of alien technology. When she stumbles across a pair of orphaned kids possessed by an ancient ghost, she must decide whether to help them or to hand them over to the authorities. Authorities who believe that their visions point towards a new kind of danger. And on one of the Jackaroo's gift-worlds, the murder of a man who has just arrived from Earth leads policeman Vic Gayle to a war between rival gangs over possession of a remote excavation site... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th April 2016 [6/10]

The Genius Dilemma
by Dustin Grinnell
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The Genius Dilemma by Dustin Grinnell. A team of scientists has invented a new smart drug named Trillium. A revolutionary medical breakthrough, Trillium enhances cognitive abilities, creating geniuses. But the researchers are horrified to discover that genius comes at a cost. Leviathan, the CIA’s assassination team, has been tasked with eliminating global threats using any means necessary. When their superior General Beranger learns about Trillium, he believes he’s uncovered a distinct advantage in the fight against terrorism. After convincing the scientists to share the drug with his team, Beranger learns there’s just one problem - Trillium creates cold-blooded psychopaths. The first casualty is CIA operative David Landry who snaps hours after taking the drug. When he goes rogue, it’s up to Special Forces, along with renowned neuroscientist Alan Pierce and psychiatrist Michelle Emmett, to stop them. Armed with a hastily concocted antidote, the team hunts Landry. His destination? Africa. Nasir Lwazi, the Kenyan president, has recently been murdered. Believing Lwazi’s son Thomas is a threat to national security, Landry is on a ruthless mission to destroy him and he doesn’t plan to let anyone get in his way... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th April 2016 [9/10]

Chaos: Worlds Beyond
Volume 1 (Reflections of Infinity)
by C.W. Holcomb
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Chaos: World’s Beyond, Book one of C.W. Holcomb’s the reflections of infinity series. As young gods fall to the Worlds from the stars they are born in, appearing as comets streaking across the sky; sentient magical artefacts call to the minds of men: calling with images and promises of power from Wild Worlds. Massive and strange they hold gigantic monsters and wonders that are beyond the scope of the imaginations of the fearless Tribe of warriors that dare to magically travel to them. C. W. Holcomb's works are based on Ancient Myths and folklore. The first novel of his newest series, Chaos: World’s Beyond is inspired heavily by Greek Mythology; as well as works by well-known authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien and Raymond E. Feist... more»»
Molly Martin 30th April 2016 [9/10]

Birdkill
by Alexander McNabb
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Birdkill by Alexander McNabb. Robyn’s recent past is missing. And she’s not sure she wants it back. Robyn Shaw has amnesia, a recent trauma so great her mind has veiled her memory. When she starts a new life teaching at a research institute devoted to exceptionally gifted children, the last thing she expects is for those blocked events to be lying in wait for her. Plagued by dreams of death and blood that threaten to overwhelm her, Robyn is fragile and vulnerable. When she meets student Martin Oakley plucking sparrows from the air and breaking their necks, she is pitched into a vicious battle that threatens her grasp of her own mind. Attacked from without and within, Robyn struggles to maintain her increasingly tenuous hold on reality as journalist Mariam Shadid races to discover the dreadful secret buried in Robyn’s past before her friend is consumed by insanity... more»»
Chrissi 31st March 2016 [8/10]

Model Behaviour
by Jay McInerney
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Model Behaviour by Jay McInerney. "I'm sick of all this pointless glamour," his glamorous girlfriend said. "I want a simple life." If only Connor McNab had listened. Now Philomena is off to California, allegedly on a fashion shoot, but he doesn't know where she is staying and a sinking feeling tells him that she might never come back. Connor's friend Jeremy Green is no help: he is the 'famous short-story writer' (which they both agree is an oxymoron) with an imminent publication date and some people holding his dog to ransom for reasons too Machiavellian to blurb. Connor's sister Brook, genius mathematician and anorexic, is too busy anguishing over Rwanda and Bosnia. His editor at Ciao Bella is only concerned about the suddenly elusive celebrity of the month. Thanks goodness for Pallas, a knock-out table dancer with a heart of gold... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st March 2016 [7/10]

White Bones
by Graham Masterton
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
A. W. Colclough has sent in a review for White Bones by Graham Masterton. One wet, windswept November morning, a field on a desolate farm gives up the dismembered bones of eleven women... Their skeletons bear the marks of a meticulous butcher. The bodies date back to 1915. All were likely skinned alive. But then a young woman goes missing, and her remains, the bones carefully stripped and arranged in an arcane patterns, are discovered on the same farm. With the crimes of the past echoing in the present, D.S. Katie Maguire must solve a decades-old murder steeped in ancient legend... before this terrifying killer strikes again. Graham Masterton was a bestselling horror writer who has now turned his talent to crimewriting. He lived in Cork for five years, an experience that inspired the Katie Maguire series... more»»
A. W. Colclough 31st March 2016 [8/10]

Deadly Dining
by William Manchee
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Deadly Dining: Stan Turner Book 11 by William Manchee. A triple homicide is caught on tape by a professional photographer yet the person or persons responsible and the motive for this grisly crime are a mystery. This is the kind of high-profile murder case that attorney Paula Waters loves but as she tries to unravel the twisted facts a critical witness is murdered and two others disappear. When the trial finally begins and she thinks she has everything figured out, Stan informs her that she has it all wrong! Paula isn’t happy with Stan’s revelations, particularly since he has been of little help to her during the trial. In the past he has been right there with her from the beginning to the end, but this time he has been busy helping their new associate Jodie Marshall with her civil defence of an ex-Army MP who thwarted a thief in a jewellery store heist but managed to shoot the store owner in the process. Stan has his own troublesome bankruptcy case too... more»»
Molly Martin 31st March 2016 [9/10]

Red Leaves
by Thomas H. Cook
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Red Leaves by Thomas H. Cook. In this affecting crime novel, shortlisted for both the Edgar and the Duncan Lawrie Dagger, Eric Moore watches his safe, solid world disintegrate. When eight-year-old Amy Giordano disappears from her family's house, while Keith, Eric's teenage son, is babysitting, Keith becomes an obvious suspect, and even his parents have misgivings. As time passes without Amy being found, a corrosive suspicion seeps into every aspect of Eric's life. That suspicion is fed by Eric's shaky family history - a father whose plans failed, an alcoholic older brother, a younger sister who died aged seven and a mother driven to suicide. Not even Eric's loving wife, Meredith, is immune from his doubts as he begins to examine and re-examine every aspect of his life. The totally unexpected resolution is both shocking and perfectly apt... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st March 2016 [8/10]

Beacon 23: The Complete Novel
by Hugh Howey
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Beacon 23: The Complete Novel by Hugh Howey. This work contains the five Beacon 23 stories, originally released in serialized form.
For centuries, men and women have manned lighthouses to ensure the safe passage of ships. It is a lonely job, and a thankless one for the most part. Until something goes wrong. Until a ship is in distress.
In the 23rd century, this job has moved into outer space. A network of beacons allows ships to travel across the Milky Way at many times the speed of light.
These beacons are built to be robust.
They never break down.
They never fail.
At least, they aren't supposed to... more»»
Nigel 29th February 2016 [8/10]

The Thrill of it All
by Joseph O’Connor
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The Thrill of it All by Joseph O’Connor. At college in 1980s Luton, Robbie Goulding, an Irish-born teenager, meets the elusive Fran Mulvey, an orphaned Vietnamese refugee. Together they form a band. Joined by cellist Sarah-Thérèse Sherlock and her twin brother Seán on drums, The Ships in the Night set out to chase fame. But the story of this makeshift family is haunted by ghosts from the past. Spanning 25 years, The Thrill of it All rewinds and fast-forwards through an evocative soundtrack of struggle and laughter. Infused with blues, ska, classic showtunes, New Wave and punk, using interviews, lyrics, memoirs and diaries, the tale stretches from suburban England to Manhattan’s East Village, from Thatcher-era London to the Hollywood Bowl, from the meadows of the Glastonbury Festival to a wintry Long Island, culminating in a Dublin evening in July 2012, a night that changes everything. A story of loyalties, friendship, the call of the muse, and the beguiling shimmer of teenage dreams, this is a warm-hearted, funny and deeply moving novel for anyone that’s ever loved a song... more»»
Ben Macnair 29th February 2016 [7/10]

Vic: Fast!
by Jerry Gill
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Vic Challenger 5: Fast! by Jerry Gill. n the search for her eternal love, the re-incarnated cave girl visits family in Australia and when her aunt is robbed Vic pursues the bad guys to a mysterious grotto where legend says a horrible monster guards a family treasure – and finds herself confronted by other equally virulent threats along the way! A swell vacation turns into a fight for survival! All the things you expect from a Vic Challenger novel - bad guys, cryptids, nature, just a mention of social issue, 1920’s nostalgia, and Vic continues her search for her lost love. She is with Lin Li in Australia, visiting family on her mother’s side. It’s a swell vacation, then whamo! The best laid plans of travel writers and their friends often go kaboom! Time after time, Vic and Lin find the relevance to the saying, ‘It’s easy to get dead when you’re slow.’ Savage, unpredictable action! Guaranteed! #5 in the series but each novel stands on its own... more»»
Paul Lappen 29th February 2016 [9/10]

Medicine Buddha/Medicine Mind
by Charlene Diane Jones
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Medicine Buddha/Medicine Mind by Charlene Diane Jones. Neurons that Fire Together, Wire Together. This famous saying describes how we create our habits, thoughts, behaviours even our actions. In this book the seam between Neuroscience, originator of the maxim "neurons that fire together, wire together" and Visualization reveals a pattern. All those moments of meditation, visualization and repetition all have an effect upon you, and the life you are creating. Using Medicine Buddha as the primary Visualization and quoting extensively from luminaries like Norman Doidge, Marco Iacoboni, and many others, the book reveals how Neuroscience describes Visualization Meditation. Further the exploration extends into the realm of pain and pain management, healing from depression and PTSD and much more. Want to know more about how your brain works? Want to learn to work with your mind, instead of against it? Ever wonder about those images from dreams, from when you read a really good book, or just from daydreaming? In this book the seams between our experience of mental visualizations (dream images, daydreams, imagination, or Tibetan icons such as Medicine Buddha) and what the latest in Neuroscience has to say about images, are joined in easy to read, simple language... more»»
Molly Martin 29th February 2016 [8/10]

A Thane of Wessex
by Charles W. Whistler
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for A Thane of Wessex by Charles W. Whistler. Betrayed And Exiled! 845 AD. England. Heregar son of Herewulf lived a privileged existence as a thane on his lands in Somerset until he was arrested- accused of conspiring to murder the King! The accusations were a lie; he expected his neighbours would support him and he would be exonerated-but the main accuser was his neighbour Matlegar, father of Alswythe the girl he loved! He was tried... found guilty... declared an outlaw and sent into exile. Every man's hand was against him. His one chance of survival was to flee to the port of Watchet and seek passage into Wales, and join the Danish Vikings. But when he reached the coast. Watchet was in flames. The Vikings were already there. So now he must choose - join the enemy killing his people and ravaging his land, or go back and warn the thane whose lands would be attacked next - his accuser Matlegar! But how can an outlaw make anyone listen to him... more»»
Paul Lappen 29th February 2016 [9/10]

Public Library and Other Stories
by Ali Smith
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Public Library and Other Stories by Ali Smith. A richly inventive new collection of stories from Ali Smith, author of How to be both, winner of the Baileys Women's Prize and the Costa Novel Award and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
Why are books so very powerful? What do the books we've read over our lives - our own personal libraries - make of us? What does the unravelling of our tradition of public libraries, so hard-won but now in jeopardy, say about us?
The stories in Ali Smith's new collection are about what we do with books and what they do with us: how they travel with us; how they shock us, change us, challenge us, banish time while making us older, wiser and ageless all at once; how they remind us to pay attention to the world we make. Public libraries are places of joy, freedom, community and discovery - and right now they are under threat from funding cuts and widespread closures across the UK and further afield. With this brilliantly inventive collection, Ali Smith joins the campaign to save our public libraries and celebrate their true place in our culture and history... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st January 2016 [9/10]