Showing posts with label Bard Constantine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bard Constantine. Show all posts

Thursday 5 July 2018

Dieselpunk Epulp Showcase Kindle by John Picha , Grant Gardiner , Bard Constantine, Jack Philpott, & 1 more

I was vaguely aware of this genre as I had read something by one of the above authors; Bard Constantine, before. I liked his book the Troubles shooter a lot and with this book being free it was a no brainer that I picked it up. The thing with showcases is always that you are going to like some things more than others and they are only snippets of books so in that respect it was a little unsatisfying. But a good sampler that deserves 4 stars.



Want to know what diesel punk is? Well here is your chance to sample some kindred spirits that write in the genre. There are many styles but they all draw their inspiration from 1940 film noir and comic book culture. I’ve read a book by Bard Constantine before and his characters talk like they walked off a Humphrey Bogart movie. John Picha’s Hero Pandora Driver is more like one of the larger than live comic book characters. So all in all a fun mix of styles, subjects and a good coherent sample selection with links to take you to the various authors sites if you like their work. Best off all it is currently free!  I will be checking a few of these authors out.

Wednesday 27 December 2017

Top 5 of 2017

I was stunned when Goodreads told me I had read and reviewed 51 books in 2017. That is nearly one a week. I do love reviewing as it is the best way to help a (Indie) writer. I've became part the books go social reviewers group on Facebook. Its a great community of writers and reviewers. What I like about it most is that it is a large group and it has writers in all sorts of genres so I can pick and choose what appeals to me. I thought with 51 books read I should come up with a top 5. The 5 star reviews that shone extra bright. Number one and two were easy but then it got harder. So here is my Top 5.

1. The future of London series by Mark Gillespie.
A sharp and satirical alternative version of history. This book won because it had everything; Satire, action and some real human characters (Even a cat!) 

2. Moristoun by Kevin McAllion 
A very Scottish book that totally surprised me. 

3. Dance of Chaos by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith 
Laugh out loud, very Australian, comedy.

4. The Indigo Rebels by Ellie Midwood 
Historic fiction with strong female characters.

 5. The Troubleshooter by Bard Constantine
Original take on the film noir genre. (Bogart meets blade runner)

Tuesday 28 November 2017

The Troubleshooter: New Haven Blues by Bard Constantine

I'm a sucker for a freebie and I'm so glad to have picked this one up when it was free. I'm a big fan of the film noir like the Maltese falcon and books by Raymond Chandler who wrote the Big Sleep amongst others. This writer has managed to capture that spirit, but has set it in a post apocalyptic world. The dialogue is sharp and very funny. I couldn't put this book down and it gets a deserved 5 star. I think you will see a few more Bard Constantine books coming past this blog.



I loved this book. The writer himself described it as a mix between Blade runner and Bogart and it is a pretty good description. Imagine Sam Spade being bundled in a time-machine but wakes up in a futuristic world called New Haven. He misses some of his memories and now goes by the name of Mick Trubble, but his instincts are as sharp as ever.  The dialogue and vocabulary oozes 1940 film noir and is sharp and witty. The plot was a real surprise to me (The item Mick has to retrieve had me giggling) and bit by bit we discover who Mick Trubble is and the secrets behind new haven. The action keeps coming at a furious pace but is interspersed with a good deal of humour and plot twists. This was a really entertaining read. There is a list at the back of New Haven speak, but I didn’t need it to know what the writer was on about. So listen up you cats, put on your Bogarts, get into your Wheelers and head over to Amazon. Take it from this broad who knows a thing or two about books.