-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
REVIEW: Sundial by Catriona Ward
Sundial, much like its atmospheric veracity, blew me away. I stood in the desolated desert and allowed the dust and the sound of longing carried by the wind to scratch at my skin. I’ve never been one for extremes, especially the heat but this novel made it more claustrophobic, more suffocating, and felt myself clawing for the cool. Sundial had everything that I love in a horror story…oppressing sense of dread. A threat that is entirely human. A will to protect and survive. Horror isn’t exclusively about ghost stories, the supernatural, and things that go bump in the night. Horror examines just how the humanity (or lack thereof) of our…
-
REVIEW: The Marsh House by Zoë Somerville
The Marsh House seeps in atmospheric brilliance. It has the uncanny ability to remind you just how boring your life is. The novel tackles relationship breakdowns from multiple angles. A mother and daughter. A house in the country. Creepy diary entries. Personally, living in a cold, damp property in the middle of winter is a dead cert no for me but the protagonist had a story to unfold. It’s December 1963 and Malorie escapes to the country with her daughter, Franny. Her life is changing far quicker than she could have ever anticipated. Her relationship with Franny’s father, Tony has broken down. Partly due to his multiple infidelities and Malorie’s…
