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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: 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…
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The Resident by David Jackson | Review
When I first requested an advanced readers copy of The Resident, I was very excited! There has been so much hype on book-twitter and a lot of blogger friends loved it. I am very weary of getting involved in hyped books because I really don’t want to be disappointed. I expected a strong psychological thriller but boy…this beast packed a spine shattering punch! Imagine my delight when from chapter one onwards – I knew this was going to be the kind of dark and depraved that I live for in a crime novel. The title and that mind-blowing cover set my imagination crazy. Imagine a serial killer actually living in…
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A Famished Heart by Nicola White | Review
A Famished Heart is the second book in the Vincent Swan series. It’s set in Dublin in the 1980’s and captures the atmosphere and the times there quite accurately. Before actually picking up this read, I found the synopsis to be extremely thought-provoking. If I’m completely honest, I’ve always found the things people do in the name of religion deeply puzzling. As an atheist it just isn’t on the same wavelength, I can’t put myself into their shoes but, I can try to understand where they are coming from. Unfortunately, the book didn’t gleam that understanding for me. I’ll openly admit that this is the first book that I have…
