#BlogTour - Fatal Isles by Maria Adolfsson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A remote island. A brutal murder. A secret hidden in the past...

In the middle of the North Sea, between the UK and Denmark, lies the beautiful and rugged island nation of Doggerland.

Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby has returned to the main island, Heimö, after many years in London and has worked hard to become one of the few female police officers in Doggerland.

So, when she wakes up in a hotel room next to her boss, Jounas Smeed, she knows she's made a big mistake. But things are about to get worse: later that day, Jounas's ex-wife is found brutally murdered. And Karen is the only one who can give him an alibi.

The news sends shockwaves through the tight-knit island community, and with no leads and no obvious motive for the murder, Karen struggles to find the killer in a race against time.

Soon she starts to suspect that the truth might lie in Doggerland's history. And the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes that even small islands can hide deadly secrets...

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which might be best described as a Scandinavian police procedural, but isn’t, really... FATAL ISLES by Maria Adolfsson was originally published in Sweden as ‘Felsteg’ (The Wrong Step in apparently the literal translation and is, for me, a better title; the only thing I didn’t like about the book was the title). It is the first novel in the Doggerland series about DI Karen Eiken Hornby, who we first meet as she sneaks away from an ill-advised post-Oyster Festival liaison with a man who turns out to be her boss. When the boss’s wife is found murdered later that morning, Eiken’s life becomes even more complicated. 

The plot is not rushed. It takes its time, is full of twists and turns, and is populated by a large cast of characters, all well-drawn and convincing. The story is dark and gripping but there are occasional moments of humour, particularly in the interactions between some characters. But it is to the author’s, and translator’s, credit that FATAL ISLES’s greatest strength is its sense of place. Doggerland is perhaps the most realistic character in the book, possibly surprising as it doesn’t actually exist. Or, rather, doesn’t really exist anymore. What I initially thought to be one of the Danish islands is actually Maria Adolfsson’s reimagining of the last part of the land bridge which one connected Great Britain to Continental Europe, and which sank into the North Sea over 7000 years ago. 

The author creates a place with elements of both UK and Scandinavian society. She describes the history, geography and geology, the customs, the people, even the town planning and zoning, with a verisimilitude that is stunning and very subtle, all done within the confines of, and serving, the story. Karen Eiken too reflects the pluralism, having left Doggerland for a life in London, returning years later with her own emotional burden. She is an intriguing character and will, along with the way Adolfsson brings the story to a satisfying conclusion while building a supporting cast of equal intrigue, bring me back for further instalments. I hope it’s not too long. 

Thanks to @AdolfssonMia @ZaffreBooks and @Tr4cyF3nt0n for the opportunity to discover and review this superb novel.

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Review: Exit

Exit by Belinda Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have heard a lot of good things about Belinda Bauer and have bought several of her books on these recommendations, but I hadn't got round to reading any of them until EXIT when given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. I have to say it was not at all what I expected, which I think was some form of physiological thriller, perhaps a domestic noir. EXIT is actually a gentle, funny, sometimes darkly so, mystery about 'assisted' suicide gone wrong.

Felix Pink is a 75 year-old widower, an 'Exiteer', part of a group who attend to those who want to take their own lives, to end their own suffering, to be with them at the end but, crucially, do nothing to cause the actual death. When Felix, and his new, inexperienced, young partner, attend to their latest 'client' something goes terribly wrong and Felix believes he has made the biggest mistake of his life. But later, as he tries to atone for his mistake, Felix begins to believe he may have been setup. Meanwhile, a young detective, Calvin begins to investigate the death and the role that two strangers seen on CCTV may have had in it.

The book is beautifully written and the audiobook narration by Tim McInnerney is sympathetic and entertaining. The main characters are realistic and charming, as are many of the supporting cast. Despite the subject matter, some of the scenes are truly comical and, although I felt those from Felix's viewpoint worked significantly better than those from Calvin's, I really enjoyed the book to its poignant conclusion and will be going back to read those other Belinda Bauer book on my TBR pile.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Audio for access to the audiobook.

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Review: The Survivors

The Survivors by Jane Harper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have always been a sucker for 'returning home' novels and, in recent years, perhaps any year, Jane Harper's THE DRY was one of the best. THE SURVIVORS is a close second. Like her debut, this novel concerns a man returning home after a tragedy. Kieran returns to Tasmania, to a small coastal town where, several years ago his brother, Finn, died in circumstances for which Kieran has always felt guilt. Finn did not die alone and others blame Kieran too. Not long after Kieran, his girlfriend and their baby daughter arrive back in Evelyn Bay another suspicious death occurs...

Jane Harper has spun another tale of going home, to suspicion, to gossip, to retribution? THE SURVIVORS is tightly plotted and suspenseful, but it is the author's ability to draw realistic, fully-rounded and flawed characters, and her sense of place which makes the book stand out. You can feel the sand blowing against your shins, hear the waves crashing around the feet of the statues which stand in the surf and which give the novel its title. But, of course, the real survivors are those whose lives have been impacted by decisions made in the past. The book is a tour de force which builds to a climax as storms, both physical and metaphorical, rise and threaten to devastate everything in their path.

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#BlogTour - Kill a Stranger by Simon Kernick

To save a life, could you take another?

How far would you go for the one you love?

And how well do you really know them?

They took your fiancée.
They framed you for murder.

You’re given one chance to save her. To clear your name.
You must kill someone for them.

They give you the time and place.
The weapon. The target.

You have less than 24 hours.

You must make an impossible choice.

        

KILL A STRANGER moves at a relentless pace from the start with DCI Cameron Doyle's revelation that he is interrogating three suspects all of whom he believes are lying. What follows is presented in the statements of these three suspects. We meet Matt, who returns home after a night on the town to discover his fiancé dead in their bed. Except the body is not his fiancé, Kate, but a stranger. Kate has been kidnapped and, to secure her release, Matt is told he must dispose of the body, and he must kill another person.

Kate is another of the suspects and she relates the story of her kidnapping and captivity. The third suspect is Sir Hugh Roper, a successful but somewhat shady businessman.

Through the statements of these three, occasionally interrupted by the DCI's commentary, the plot crashes forward at breakneck speed. Simon Kernick writes in short chapters, switching viewpoints as the characters tell their versions of the story, often contradicting each other, and ending each with a cliffhanger. Each of his unreliable narrators has something to hide, is not telling the whole truth, and Doyle is struggling to decide which, if any of them, is closest to revealing what really happened. That Doyle too has something of an agenda, having had previous run-ins with Sir Hugh, makes the reader wonder if he is trying to push the case in his own preferred direction.

It would be unfair to reveal anything else but KILL A STRANGER is a fast-moving thriller, full of misdirection and red herrings which Kernick brings to a satisfying, if surprising, conclusion. 
        
About the Author
Simon Kernick is a number one bestseller and one of the UK's most popular thriller writers with huge hits including RELENTLESS, THE LAST 10 SECONDS, SIEGE and THE BONE FIELD series.

Thanks to @hachetteUK @headlinepg and @Tr4cyF3nt0n for the invitation to take part in the BlogTour.

Review: Blacktop Wasteland

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"You start down a road like this and before you know it you can't find your way back. You lose yourself."

BLACKTOP WASTELAND is simply stunning, a dark, fast-moving, thrill-ride; funny and heart-breaking. At its centre is Beauregard 'Bug' Montage, a road racer, a mechanic, a former getaway driver, a tragic anti-hero of Shakespearian proportions, a black man whose struggle to provide for the family he clearly loves draws him back for one last big score. S.A. Cosby has delivered a story that echoes classic 1970s movies, The Driver and The Friends of Eddie Coyle spring to mind, as well as Elmore Leonard and Charles Willeford, and more recently, Jordan Harper and Bill Beverly.

The book is full of deeply flawed and well-rounded characters, dialogue that rings true, and the best written car chases I have ever read, you can hear the engines screaming and smell the rubber burning. One of the best novels I have read this year and destined to be a classic. I can't wait to see what he does next.

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Review: Letters from the Dead

Letters from the Dead by Sam Hurcom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sam Hurcom's debut, A SHADOW ON THE LENS, was one of the surprises of 2019, a genre mashup which was a great read. Hurcom's follow up, LETTERS FROM THE DEAD, continues the story of forensic photographer, Thomas Bexley. It is 1905, a year after the terrifying events of the previous book, and Bexley has not recovered. Mentally disturbed, drinking heavily, he loses whole days, weeks even, to blackouts; he does not work, avoids human contact, and believes he is haunted by the dead. Bexley is a mess but is pulled out of his fugue state, at least partially, when his estranged mentor, Elijah Hawthorn, is identified as the chief suspect in a series of kidnappings, and presumed murders, carried out by 'The London Wraith'. Bexley sets out to prove Hawthorn innocent.

As in his last novel, Sam Hurcom weaves a story which crosses genres. There are elements of Sherlock Holmes and Hammer Horror, The 39 Steps and, particularly early on, Scooby Doo (and I really mean that as a compliment) as Bexley evades his former colleagues in Scotland Yard and travels to Scotland, drawn by letter from Hawthorn, a letter sent several months previously. Accompanied by the sister of one of The Wraith's victims, Bexley follows a series of clues which lead to an even bigger mystery. Here the novel becomes a little DaVinci Code-like (albeit with better prose) as the plot is driven by coincidence and I admit my heart sank a little. But...suddenly it ALL changes and the changes cause Thomas Bexley, and the reader, to doubt everything that has gone before. It is a masterstroke.

Ultimately, Hurcom stops short of going where I really wanted him to but still delivers s thrilling, disturbing, and very satisfying second novel and I look forward to his third.

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Review: The Searcher

The Searcher by Tana French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

'A small place. A small town in a small country. It seemed like that would be easier to make sense of. Guess I might have had that wrong.'

THE SEARCHER is Tana French's latest captivating novel. Like her last, THE WYCH ELM, the book is a standalone, unconnected to her excellent Dublin Murder Squad series, although the protagonist in this case is a policeman or, at least, a ex-policeman. Cal Hooper is a 48 year-old retired Chicago detective, disillusioned and somewhat burnt out, who has relocated to a small village in the west of Ireland, to a dilapidated cottage which he intends to fix up, as he rebuilds and mends his psyche. Cal is befriended by Trey Reddy, a local kid whose brother has disappeared, he begins to investigate, initially reluctantly; less so as it becomes clear that not everyone in the village wants Trey's brother found.

THE SEARCHER is a slow-burn, unhurried, character-driven story, full of the gorgeous, descriptive, evocative writing for which Tana French is known. After a phone call to his daughter, Cal feels 'a sense that somehow, inspire of having been on the phone all that time, they haven't had a conversation at all; the whole thing was made of air and tumbleweed.'. A character has 'the look of a woman who's had too much land on top of her, not in one great big avalanche but trickling down little by little over a lot of years.'

It is perhaps not accidental that the title of the novel is almost that of John Ford's 'The Searchers'. The feel of the novel is that of a western set in rural Ireland, particularly a scene in which Cal and another character keep watch through a restless night, anticipating some attack on the house. This is not the romanticised Ireland of The Quiet Man or, if it is, it is now blighted by unemployment and the drugs trade. There is a melancholy, a feeling of inevitability to the events of the novel. And it is very, very good.

I have liked all of Tana French's books. FAITHFUL PLACE is my favourite and THE SEARCHER, whose theme and tone echoes that earlier book, comes very, very close.

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#BlogTour - The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly

 

THE MOST IMPORTANT CASE OF HIS LIFE. ONLY THIS TIME THE DEFENDANT IS HIMSELF

"The law of innocence is unwritten. It will not be found in a leather-bound code book. It will never be argued in a courtroom. In nature, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the law of innocence, for every man not guilty of a crime there is a man out there who is. And to prove true innocence the guilty man must be found and exposed to the world."

* * * * *

Heading home after winning his latest case, defense attorney Mickey Haller - The Lincoln Lawyer - is pulled over by the police. They open the trunk of his car to find the body of a former client.

Haller knows the law inside out. He will be charged with murder. He will have to build his case from behind bars. And the trial will be the trial of his life.

Because Mickey Haller will defend himself in court.

With watertight evidence stacked against him, Haller will need every trick in the book to prove he was framed. But a not-guilty verdict isn't enough. In order to truly walk free, Haller knows he must find the real killer - that is the law of innocence...

* * * * *

THE LAW OF INNOCENCE is seventh in Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer series, a sequence which has become one of the best legal thriller series around and truly the equal of Connelly's Harry Bosch series. The books have a different feel to the Bosch novels, both through the first person narration of Mickey Haller, the eponymous Lincoln Lawyer and Harry Bosch's half-brother, and by Mickey's less strict 'code' than that by which Bosch lives. Mickey is a fast talking dealer, a man with a sense of right and wrong but who is prepared to bend the rules, muddy the waters, when necessary to get the right verdict. This time his task is made much more difficult as Haller is the accused, whose decision to defend himself is further hampered by  a prohibitive bail leading to his incarceration.

The real joy of the series, as with all great series, is the characters, the interactions between Haller and his team, including his investigator, Cisco, Harry Bosch, and two (!) ex-wives. The dialogue is sharp and snappy, the plot moves like a snake, the threat to Haller, from the dogmatic prosecution and from fellow prisoners, feels real and has the potential for lasting consequences. The courtroom scenes are truly thrilling.

While there are callbacks to previous novels, the book can be read as a standalone, although those who start here should be prepared to devote some considerable time in going back to the start and catching up - I don't believe you could read this and not want more...

While it doesn't play a huge part in the plot, this novel is the first that I have read, especially by a renowned authors, in which Covid-19 appears. As the plot develops, Haller becomes aware of news stories about a virus in Wuhan, he starts to see people wearing masks in the street and then in the jail. It is well done and adds to the verisimilitude. It is ironic that I am reviewing the book on a day when America is counting votes in an election so affected by Coronavirus.

THE LAW OF INNOCENCE is a fine addition to a fine series. I really enjoyed spending time with Haller, Cisco, Maggie McFierce and the rest. I love the Harry Bosch books, and it is close, but the Haller novels may now be Michael Connelly's preeminent series. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

Thanks to Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers and to Orion Fiction/Hachette for the advance review copy.

Review: The Chalet

The Chalet by Catherine Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1998, in La Madiere in the French Alps, two ski instructors lose a pair of brothers in poor weather. Only one of the brothers returns. 

22 years later, in similarly bad weather, two couples stay in one of the resorts chalets, along with a baby, a nanny and employees of the chalet company. Each of these people have secrets; at least one of them is connected to the events of 1998.

THE CHALET is a claustrophobic thriller in a setting of which I know very little. I have never been skiing, or visited a resort such as La Madiere. It is to Catherine Cooper's credit that she uses her intimate knowledge of such resorts to take the reader there. It is even more impressive that she makes this group of pretty unlikeable characters compelling. Each of these individuals is hiding something; none of them are particularly sympathetic. And yet, we care what happens, as the truth is gradually revealed slowly through the first person, unreliable narration by several of the main characters and the judicious use of flashbacks.

I really enjoyed THE CHALET, a thrilling, and chilling, debut. Thanks to Harper Fiction for the review copy.

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Review: A Song for the Dark Times

A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Proof that retirement is not the end. Ian Rankin made the decision many years ago that his central character, John Rebus, would age in real time meaning that he was forced to leave the police force several novels ago, yet the subsequent books have been no less thrilling or entertaining. A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES is no exception.

Rebus heads north having received a call from his daughter, Samantha, whose partner, Keith, has gone missing. Back in Edinburgh, Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox investigate the murder of a James Bond-worshipping Saudi playboy student. The narrative alternates between the two plots connected by the relationship between Rebus and Clarke as they stay in touch by phone. And, when Siobhan's investigation turns up someone from near to the village in which Rebus's daughter lives, the cases become more intertwined.

As always though, it is the characters who drive the story. We enjoy spending time with the cantankerous John Rebus, and we worry about the COPD which has caused him to leave his flat, due to the struggle with stairs. He is getting old and Siobhan worries about him, even as she is exasperated by both Rebus and Fox. I really hope there are many more Rebus mysteries to come but, should the day come, and it will be a sad day, there is great potential in Clarke's and Fox's love/hate relationship.

And what happens after that last chapter? I cannot wait to find out.

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#BlogTour - The Trials of Koli by M.R. Carey

EVERYTHING THAT LIVES HATES US

Beyond the walls of Koli's small village lies a fearsome landscape filled with choker trees, vicious beasts and shunned men. As an exile, Koli's been forced to journey out into this mysterious, hostile world. But he heard a story, once. A story about lost London, and the mysterious tech of the Old Times that may still be there. If Koli can find it, there may still be a way for him to redeem himself - by saving what's left of humankind.

THE TRIALS OF KOLI is the second novel in M R. Carey's breathtakingly original Rampart trilogy, set in a strange and deadly world of our own making.

M. R. Carey has been making up stories for most of his life. His novel The Girl With All the Gifts was a word-of-mouth bestseller and is now a major motion picture based on his own screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on X-Men and Fantastic Four, Marvel's flagship superhero titles. His creator-owned books regularly appear in the New York Times graphic fiction bestseller list. He also has several previous novels, two radio plays and a number of TV and movie screenplays to his credit.

'It was kind of like there was a crowd of people all around me and they was shouting. But they were dead people, gone into the ground a long time before, and their voices did not carry. Only the marks was left, like voices that had froze and fell to the ground.'

In THE BOOK OF KOLI M.R. Carey introduced Koli, a fifteen year-old boy, exiled from his medieval-like village in post-apocalyptic England, several hundred years in our future. In THE TRIALS OF KOLI our titular hero and his new companions continue their journey south, drawn by the 'Signal' which promises London and Koli's dream to bring people together, to increase the 'gene pull' and reverse the decline of healthy human childbirth in the villages. It is fun to fall back into the rhythms of Koli's vernacular, his voice Huckleberry Finn-like but very much his own, as he narrates the travellers' journey to find the source of the Signal by way of places such as Birmagen and encounters with the armies of Half-Ax.

But there is a second voice, Spinner. In the first novel, Koli tells us, “The two sides is this: I went away, and then I come home again.” Spinner's story keeps us up to date with what has happened in Mythen Rood following Koli's expulsion by the Ramparts and how both the actions of the ruling class and external influences have changed the place to which Koli intends to return. This narrative is just as enthralling as Koli's as, in a strangely prescient turn of events, the village is struck by a deadly illness the effects of which the Ramparts are powerless to arrest. In an attempt to end the deaths, Spinner is drawn into a conspiracy which could change the political structure of Mythen Rood forever.

TRIALS picks up immediately after the events of THE BOOK OF KOLI and the plot really speeds up. Along the way Carey touches on many issues which reflect our own society, the tribalism and intolerance, the war on facts and truth, the apparent intention of those in power to keep the population stupid and compliant... Like its predecessor, THE TRIALS OF KOLI is as thought provoking as it is entertaining and thrilling. I can't wait to see where the trilogy goes and how M.R. Carey brings Koli's story to a conclusion.

Thanks to @MsAnnaJackson @michaelcarey191 @orbitbooks and  @Tr4cyF3nt0n for the opportunity to take part in the BlogTour.