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Meantime by Frankie Boyle – REVIEW
Meantime is beautiful in its harsh and brutal narrative. The writing is crystal clear, each word soaks into your skin like the bleak Scottish rain. No happy endings but it is intricate, it settled under my skin and had me craving more. Every mistake carves a deep and unsettling wound. If one sentence could sum it up it would be that. Meantime captures the banal and lively existence of being Glaswegian like a seesaw that drops you into oblivion. There are many downs, but it’s occasionally peppered with some good. It holds a different kind of magic, one where the disappointment from the referendum eats at the shoes of people…
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Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey – REVIEW
Just Like Home bleeds from the core. It’s a meteorite crashing into your orbit and turning your world upside down. Viscerally intimate. Just Like Home…Jesus Christ on a burning bike! A story that defied the rules of reality, but do you think it cares? Nope, the rule book was torn up and buried. A story with an original plot, strong characters, and a writing style that could cut glass. Just Like Home is the living embodiment of a house being the keeper of secrets. It sees all, breathes all, and doesn’t say anything. It soaks up the blood and pumps it into the walls, it doesn’t make a mess anymore…
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BLOG TOUR: The Bay by Allie Reynolds
The Bay promises a tranquil visit, it promises clear oceans, it promises sandy beaches, it promises murder. Reading this story promises you such emotion you feel as though you have run a marathon. You’ll sweat, you’ll ache, and you’ll feel out of control. Endorphins galore, this is the best kind of story and when you find one with such pleasurable pain you are going to want to shout about it! Allie Reynolds captures the beauty of Australia without scrimping on the danger because with all beautiful things, the threat will also be creeping in the shadows. There’s no Ying without the yang. Kenna arrives in Australia, her friend, Mikki is…
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REVIEW: The Homes by J.B. Mylet
The Homes does exactly what it says on the tin – it’s a coming-of-age tale that will crack even the hardest of hearts. A group of children’s homes set in the outskirts of Glasgow. It acts as a village of cared for children; they say it takes a village to raise a child, and in this case, it’s true. Each cottage has a set of houseparents and the children have as close to a normal upbringing as possible. The characters have had the worst starts in life but with love and discipline, they hope they can leave as well-rounded individuals. After learning that The Homes was based on a true…
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BLOG TOUR: The Box by Dan Malakin
The Box is a one-of-a-kind novel that can only be described as INSTANT BUY. When this beauty dropped through my letterbox, I was instantly excited. A missing daughter. A strange box structure imprisoning her. A handsome man with more than an air of danger. I haven’t read the author’s previous work, so I had no idea what I was in store for – boy was I in for the surprise of my life. So, what does The Box offer? A hard and sharp look at society. Ed Truman on the surface has it all. His law firm is thriving, he supports the victims of domestic abuse and does a lot…
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REVIEW: No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride
No Less the Devil is most definitely a tale of two parts. The first 80% is a taut, twisty detective novel with wit and sarcasm aplenty…the norm for a Stuart MacBride novel. The last 20% however, had me flummoxed. I uttered the words WTF a lot and found myself physically scratching my head. If this was the plot all along it felt incredibly rushed and didn’t make much sense. I can’t give much more away without big spoilers, trust me, you’ll just have to read it for yourself. No Less the Devil opens with the Bloodsmith still being at large. Seventeen months have passed and the officers conducting Operation Maypole…
