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.

Nigel's Holiday by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith

This short story I picked up because we use the same cover designer (Patti at Paradox book covers) and we both like to use cats in our stories. This was only 18 pages long but it will give you a sense of Tabitha Ormiston-Smith's writing and great sense of humour. I'm sure I'll review something else of hers soon.

This short story will speak to the writers amongst us but also to anyone who has come to a point in their career where we hit a big wall. In Nigel’s case it is the dreaded writer’s block that also triggers some problems in the bedroom. He thinks he takes the inspired decision to take a break in Roumania. Being a Gothic romance writer he reckons that a visit to Dracula’s castle will be just the thing to get all the juices flowing again. I liked this short story and flawed Nigel as its main character. He gets himself into some silly situations and I felt sorry for him while being amused at the same time. The cover attracted me in the first place and the cat is as mysterious, ehm well as all cats. We never know what they are thinking. It is a short story and it left a lot of promising avenues unexplored. (Like who is the mysterious Sophie) I think this story can go further; the characters and the writer’s wit could elaborate this into a novel.

Turning The Tables: A gripping thriller about the ultimate heist by Julia Underwood

I picked this book up as it was free at the time and it starts in St Tropez, which is not far from where I live. The action swiftly moves to London and I was gripped by this well written and tense thriller. Loves the 70's London setting and rated this 5 stars.

This is a very British crime caper. A group of ordinary Londoners take on the shady world of the casinos and try to siphon off some cash they all so desperately need. I enjoyed reading about their meticulous planning, done in a suburban house in Fulham whilst enjoying a cheap bottle of wine and some sandwiches. Julia Underwood has set this story in 1976 and she describes that year in vivid detail, the fashion, the difficult economic times due to high oil prices and interest rates and that incredible hot summer. (Yes I’m old enough to remember that!) I was on tender hooks when Chris; the guy that is going to play blackjack sits down at the table of the inside man Pete. There is almost from the start a feeling of impending doom. They know that the casino is run by people who would use violence if they ever discover their scam, but are they smart enough to stay under the radar? Well you’ll just have to read the book. I would recommend this if you love a crime thriller that involves the murky world of gambling or a good old fashioned British crime caper.

Dreamland by Julie E. Clements

This is one for the younger ones and any one who enjoyed reading Peter pan and C.S.Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was not surprised that the writer names C.S.Lewis as one of her influences. I don't mind reading children's books, if they are well written, has a dose of humour and contain a message that is also relevant to adults. This book had all those elements so I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars.
Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.

Children love to escape to a different world that is filled with adventure. Worlds like Narnia and Neverland have enthralled our little readers for generations. Here we are introduced to Julia E.Clements Dreamland; a wondrous place that takes the shape of a young boy, Danny’s, imagination. But apart from magical creatures and adventure the book also contains a very powerful message. Danny has lost his father and struggles to come to terms with that. He finds it impossible to talk to his mother as he doesn’t want to reopen any wounds. As often happens, our anxieties, grief and anger manifest itself in our dreams as something scary and dark. Danny will have to trust the ones dearest to him to conquer his demons. A lovely adventure story with a positive message which young boys and girls will love.

The Lyon Affair: A French Resistance novel (The Indigo Rebels Book 2) by Ellie Midwood

You might know by now that I love reading historical fiction. This writer came across a wee while back and I loved her characters. Often women who have to make difficult choices and not always take the right ones. This book is no exception. I hugely enjoyed the Indigo Rebels by Ellie Midwood and the follow up I'm glad to say is also a 5 star read.
 Click on the pic. to take you to Amazon.
 

This is the second book in the Indigo Rebels series. It follows on from the Indigo Rebels, but the action moves from Paris to Lyon in the Free French zone and Dijon which is very much in occupied territory. It is a sequel but it would stand on its own. We are introduced to a number of new characters that take their lives in their hands by joining the resistance. What I like most about Ellie Midwood are her very human characters, and here we are introduced to two complex ones in the shape of Blanche and father Yves. Blanche is embittered by her past. Born of a German soldier and a French mother who alleged that she was raped, she has been shunned and teased since childhood. She joins the resistance to get back at the Germans that ruined her childhood. Blanche doesn’t find the kinship she so craves with her fellow resistance fighters and starts to wonder if it was really the Germans that ruined her childhood.  The other character I loved was Father Yves, a man with a dark past who is reluctantly drawn into the resistance, where he struggles with his vow to not harm again. There are many others but I don’t want to give away too much. Just pick up this book and let the heroes and villains reveal themselves. Some nail biting action too as they find out they have a traitor in their midst.