BLOG TOUR: Marshal of Snowdonia Paperback – Simon McCleave

Living and working in Snowdonia was always retired detective Frank Marshal's dream. Until a phone call asking for his help turns it into his worst nightmare.

Retired detective Frank Marshal lives in a remote part of Snowdonia with his wife Rachel who is suffering from dementia. Working as a park ranger, Frank gets a phone call from close friend Annie, a retired judge. Her sister Meg has gone missing from a local caravan park and she needs his help to find her.

As Frank and Annie start to unravel the dark secrets of Meg's life, it seems at first that her disappearance might be linked to her nephew and a drug deal gone wrong. In a shocking twist, their investigation leads them to a series of murders in North Wales from the 1990s and a possible miscarriage of justice.

Can Frank and Annie uncover the sinister truth so they find her sister in time to save her? Or will a brutal serial killer add Meg to his list of victims?

Marshal of Snowdonia is the first book in the Frank Marshal Crime Thriller series from multi-million bestselling author Simon McCleave. If you like dark thrillers, psychologically complex characters and shocking twits, then you'll love Simon McCleave's pulse-pounding new novel.

What did I think?

Marshal of Snowdonia is the first book in a new series from crime thriller author Simon McCleave and what an absolute belter it is - I  raced through it and couldn't put it down.  It's the first book by Simon McCleave that I have read and it has certainly whetted my appetite to read more of his books.

Once a detective, always a detective - that's how I see Frank Marshal.  Frank may have retired but he doesn't hesitate to do a little investigating of his own when his friend's sister goes missing.  Annie is close to her sister Meg but there's a lot about her life that she doesn't know.  Uncovering Meg's secrets leads Frank and Annie into a web of danger and sheds new light on a series of murders that the police thought were solved.

This book is so good and I loved everything about it.  The plotting is exquisite as the story twists and turns to shock, surprise and delight the reader.  The character development is breathtaking as I really felt as if I got to know Frank throughout the course of the book, making me look forward to his next adventure.

Unpredicatable and unputdownable, Marshal of Snowdonia is an outstanding crime thriller novel and an electrifying start to an exciting new series.  Very highly recommended.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Narcoball: Love, Death and Football in Escobar's Colombia - David Arrowsmith

Pablo Escobar had one obsession. Not drugs, not money, not power... football.

Narcoball uncovers the incredible story of Colombian football during the early 1990s - shaped by drug lords, rivalries, and ambition. With untold insights from the players and politicians, it uncovers a football empire backed by cartels - where victory was a currency of its own, and defeat, a matter of life and death.

This is a different story of Pablo Escobar and his rival. A tale of clandestine deals that reshaped Medellin's football clubs, where fortunes were won and lost. It unveils the extraordinary bonds that Escobar forged with football's luminaries and why his influence reached unprecedented heights, leading to the astonishing 5-0 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires, the murder of referees, and the ruthless coercion of officials culminating in the killing of Andres Escobar - the Colombian defender who paid the ultimate price for an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. It is also an examination of a people's relationship with both the sport and the nefarious leaders that brought both pride and terror to their communities.

Set against the U.S War on Drugs, international threats, and government clampdowns, this is a gripping exploration of Colombian club football under Escobar's rise and fall.

 

What did I think?

As a longstanding football fan, I was immediately drawn to Narcoball.  I mean, who could forget Carlos Valderrama in Italia '90?  Not just for his impressive hair but for his silky footwork. Then there's Andrés Escobar whose coldblooded murder shocked the world of football in 1994.  This is as much their story as it is Pablo Escobar's and it is absolutely fascinating.

I didn't know much about Pablo Escobar before reading Narcoball so it was really interesting to read about his life and to understand more about the man beneath the famous drug lord.  One thing I'll say about Pablo Escobar, he really loved football.  It is both eye-opening and jaw-dropping to read about the lengths he went to in order to see and play the beautiful game.

Colombia were one of the most exciting teams in Italia '90 and were tipped for the title in USA '94, but what the world didn't know was that the players had a huge weight on their shoulders.  As if the pressure of playing in the World Cup wasn't enough, their lives were at risk if they didn't perform well.  Andrés Escobar was the unfortunate player who lost his life after scoring an own goal and I think it's important to remember him as it's such a waste of a young life and he should still be alive today.

If I didn't know that this was a true story, I would think it was a Hollywood blockbuster filled with guns, drugs, gangs, bribery, prison and a relentless chase for the capture of a wanted man.  It's absolutely astounding that all of the things in the book actually happened.  There is also a photograph section in the middle of the book to really bring the story to life.

David Arrowsmith's research is meticulous and his love of the game is evident throughout this engrossing book.  Narcoball is a must-read for both football fans and true crime fans.  I really enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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About the author:

David Arrowsmith was the Director of Development at leading UK factual TV producer Zig Zag Productions. He has worked in television for over 20 years - developing unscripted ideas and acting as Executive Producer on key projects for companies such as October Films, DSP, Channel 5, Granada Television, and the BBC. He is passionate about history, and just some of his key commissions include '1966: Who Stole the World Cup?', 'Britain's Bloodiest Dynasty', '8 Days That Made Rome', and 'Adolf & Eva: Love & War'. He was also involved in the development of the award-winning, Nobel Peace Prize-nominated documentary 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields'.

David was born and raised in London but is proudly half-Colombian. In fact, he is the great-grandson of a former president and directly descended from four more. He has played football for over 35 years and has no plans to stop just yet.

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Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead is a once-in-a-generation novel that breaks and mends your heart in the way only the best fiction can.

Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.

In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster care. For Demon, born on the wrong side of luck, the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day. The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there.

Suffused with truth, anger and compassion, Demon Copperhead is an epic tale of love, loss and everything in between.

 

What did I think?

Oh my goodness, what a stunning book.  It's a weighty book at 560 pages long but it fully immerses the reader in the deep south of America where poverty is rife and people struggle day to day to simply survive.  The survivors are the lucky ones.

I thought it would take a while to get into the book with it being so chunky but I was hooked from the very first page.  The writing is raw and visceral which gives Demon his unique and memorable voice from the moment he is born.  I could have read much more than 560 pages of this sublime writing that's for sure and I already have my eye on Barbara Kingsolver's back catalogue.

Although I own a vintage copy, I have never read David Copperfield and I will definitely read Demon Copperhead again after reading David Copperfield to fully appreciate Barbara Kingsolver's brilliance in this modern day retelling.  Dickens gets a mention too which is a really nice touch.

I am struggling to put my feelings into words about this book as it totally consumed me and I don't think Demon will ever leave me.  It's heart-wrenching at times, especially the things that Demon has to go through at such a young age, and it's sobering to think that Demon's story is mirrored by countless youngsters in real life.

Harrowing, gritty and completely extraordinary, Demon Copperhead is a stunning novel that unreservedly deserves a place on my shelf of favourite novels.  Very highly recommended.

I chose to read a gifted copy for the Tandem Collective readalong and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Necropolis (The Necropolis Series Book 1) - Guy Portman

Danger and deceit come naturally to a sociopath.

Public sector worker Dyson Devereux has just discovered there is a large reward on offer for the capture of a genocidal fugitive. Dyson thinks he knows exactly where to find him. All the scheming sociopath needs now is a plan. It has to be good, otherwise he will be in big trouble.

But the obstacles to his mission are mounting. To compound matters, work colleagues are becoming ever more aggravating, and his girlfriend has gone off the rails.

Will Dyson get the reward he feels he so richly deserves, or is his destiny to be a life of toil in the Burials and Cemeteries department at Newton Council?

 

What did I think?

What a great start to a new series!  It feels wrong to say I loved sociopath Dyson Devereux but I really did love him.  His witty thoughts and observations had me laughing out loud and I often found myself agreeing with him.  Uh-oh!  Am I a sociopath?  No, I'm just not a great fan of people.

Dyson works for the local council in Burials and Cemeteries but behind his professional persona is a dark and dangerous killer.  Cross him and you'll find a part of you in his keepsake tin.  He reminisces about past kills, fantasises about new ones and the only personal pronoun in his dictionary is 'it".

Dyson's thoughts about his work colleagues are absolutely hilarious and one particular colleague has caught his eye.  Could a member of Dyson's team be a missing war criminal?  Dyson has a new target but it's one he must deliver alive in order to collect the huge reward.  

Aside from the escapade with the wanted fugitive, Dyson has a rather surprising personal life.  His girlfriend (I was surprised he had one) is mixed up with some shady characters and there's a pretty graphic drug-fuelled sex scene that some readers of a sensitive disposition may find uncomfortable to read.  

Hilarious, disturbing and completely entertaining, Necropolis is a highly original dark comedy.  It's like Dexter, The Office, American Psycho and The Benny Hill Show all rolled into one and I absolutely loved it.  My only disappointment was coming to the end of the book, and the ending is a little abrupt to ensure that everyone who reads Necropolis will be eager to read the next book, Sepultura. 

Many thanks to Guy Portman for sending me a digital ARC to read and review.  I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Silent Brother - Simon Van Der Velde

 

The Past Never Dies

When his beloved little brother is stolen away, five-year-old Tommy Farrier is left alone with his alcoholic mam, his violent step-dad and his guilt. Too young to understand what has really happened, Tommy is sure of only one thing. He is to blame.

Tommy tries to be good, to live-up to his brother’s increasingly hazy memory, but trapped in a world of shame and degradation he grows up with just two options; poverty or crime. And crime pays.

Or so he thinks.

A teenage drug-dealer for the vicious Burns gang, Tommy’s life is headed for disaster, until, in the place he least expects, Tommy sees a familiar face…

And then things get a whole lot worse.

What did I think?

Wow - what a book!  The Silent Brother left me speechless, breathless and completely stunned.  Simon Van Der Velde has written a gritty, poignant, dark and disturbing masterpiece.  Set in the east end of Newcastle, this is what it would have been like if The Sopranos and Shameless had been set here.

Tommy Farrier has had a tragic life and oh how I felt for him.  His mam cares more about booze than she does her own children, so it's no surprise when Tommy's younger brother is taken into care.  This harrowing event shapes Tommy's whole life and the shadow of it hangs over his every move.  To survive, Tommy joins the Burns gang and this sets him on a dark and dangerous path with seemingly no escape...

Simon Van Der Velde has captured the heart and soul of Newcastle in this breathtaking book and the unique voice of Tommy is portrayed beautifully.  It's heartbreaking to read at times, especially as you start to care for the characters, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.  Poverty and crime often go hand in hand, like two sides of the same coin, and the story is very true to life as so many children will have followed in Tommy's footsteps.

Beautifully written, The Silent Brother is a raw and gritty thriller that really has the wow factor.  Do not miss this one!  It's an absolute masterpiece and I don't have to think twice before awarding the full five stars - I'd give it more if I could.  I'll definitely be reading it again and I really can't recommend it highly enough.

I received a digital ARC from the author and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Parklife - Lucy Nichol

Dumped, drunk and desperate for oblivion…

It’s 1996. Emma’s been rejected by the man she loves and sacked from the job she hates. Feeling like she’s hit a new low, she finds herself serving ice-cream and phoney smiles at the park.

Best mate Dave’s loved up, and her dad’s finally emerging from years of unemployment. Everyone’s life is on the up while Emma’s plummeting towards rock bottom. 

Every day she gives a free ‘99 to the lonely old man who sits on the park bench and reminds herself that life could be much worse.

But soon, even sprinkles and monkey’s blood can’t hide the truth. She’s in deep trouble and losing sight of the edge. Who will help her up when she falls?

What did I think?

Sometimes you know you want to read a book without even reading the blurb and that was definitely the case for me with Parklife.  I mean, just that dropped ice cream on the cover sums up the feeling of the book as Emma is definitely down on her luck.

I was delighted to catch up with Emma again after reading and loving The Twenty Seven Club so it was heartbreaking to see her in such a bad place.  Emma is an addict, hooked on booze and pills, but she doesn't think she has a problem.  Her boyfriend John has broken up with her and even her whippet Trev would rather stay with Emma's best mate Dave.  When she loses her job too, she thinks she can't sink any lower...but unfortunately she can.

I love Lucy Nichol's writing; it's proper Yorkshire as she says it how it is.  I felt very emotional reading Emma's story as there are so many people like her in real life, many of whom won't be lucky enough to have a support network around them.  Although it's quite a dark storyline, it's lightened up with Emma's blossoming friendship with Les, who visits the park each day to feed the ducks, and some musical entertainment down The Angel.

Of course, I couldn't miss Trev out of my review and it always puts a smile on my face to read about my favourite whippet.  It's almost like you could feel how worried he is about Emma too.  Best mate Dave and landlady Dor are on fine form and their affection for Emma is heartwarming to see.  I absolutely loved reading this book and could write so much more about it but I urge you to experience it for yourself.

Raw, honest and hopeful, Parklife is a sensitive portrayal of addiction and how it can hurt those you love the most, but they never stop loving you.  It's so beautifully written and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About the author:

Lucy is a mental health campaigner and PR consultant, and a former columnist with Sarah Millican's Standard Issue magazine.  She has written for The Independent, The I Paper, NME, Red Magazine, Den of Geek, Men’s Fitness, Metro and Huff Post.  Lucy has worked with several mental health and recovery charities over the years including Recovery Connections, The Road to Recovery Trust, Mind, Time to Change and Action on Postpartum Psychosis.

You can also sign up to Lucy’s author newsletter.

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BLOG TOUR: Blood Lines (Steph Grant Murder Mystery Series Book 2) - Lin Le Versha

Set within the mysterious beauty of coastal Suffolk, this gripping new crime series is a dark murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end when the final shocking twist is revealed. Lin Le Versha is not to be missed, the brilliant new talent on the British crime writing scene.

Eighteen year-old Darcy Woodard appears to have it all – intelligence, good looks and artistic gifts. His teachers adore him, as does former policewoman Steph Grant, who is now the receptionist at Darcy's college.

But beneath the surface - all is not as it seems.

Adopted and mixed race, Darcy is convinced he doesn't fit in. He tries to ignore the racial taunts.

There's Darcy’s dysfunctional mother Esther who is trapped in a literary time warp.

Then there's his sister Marianne, who Darcy desperately wants to protect from the dark forces that surround her.

Then tragedy rocks Darcy’s life when a drugs gang forces its way into his life and all the people he cares for.

What can Steph and her former boss DI Hale do to protect the local community? And can they really trust Darcy to help them defeat the county lines gang?

Blood Lines is the second thrilling book in the Steph Grant murder mystery series by the brilliant Lin Le Versha.

 

What did I think?

Blood Lines is the second Steph Grant Murder Mystery book and although I haven't read Blood Notes, the first book in the series, you can absolutely read this as a standalone as I really enjoyed it.

Set mainly on a college campus, it's pretty dark in places as Lin Le Versha takes her readers on a tour of the dark and dangerous drug underworld.  Drugs are rife in the college and the principal decides to take action, with the help of former policewoman and college receptionist Steph Grant and her partner DI Hale.

I love how the Woodard family are incorporated into the story.  Steph knows Darcy and Marianne from college, but she just happens to meet their mother Esther when they are both visiting the local cinema on their own.  Steph soon becomes a friend of this incredibly dysfunctional family but when Darcy seems to turn up at every strange event, Steph realises there's more to this family than meets the eye.

Dealing with drugs, the plotline is quite dark but Lin Le Versha injects (no pun intended) an element of lighthearted humour in the form of Steph's dog Derek.  I mean just him being called Derek made me smile and I loved him tagging along with Steph as she tries to bring down the leader of the drug gang.  I also really enjoyed the college setting with the inevitable power struggles as some tutors vie to show their authority.

Blood Lines is a gripping, fast-paced, dark and twisty murder mystery; it's entertaining and surprising and I definitely want to read more of Steph Grant's story.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Man Down - Mark Pepper

Matt Spiller drives a souped-up taxi, suffers from SAD, and has a troublesome past.

It’s Christmas Eve, and one of his fares is about to become extremely problematic.

Helen Spiller still loves her husband, but can no longer live with his moods.

She’s a wonderful mum, with a screw quietly working loose in her head.

Now, their eldest daughter has hooked up with a very bad boyfriend.

Spiller thinks he has the skillset to handle all these problems.

He’s dead wrong.

 

What did I think?

Mark Pepper stole my weekend; I simply couldn't put his new book down!  Man Down is just brilliant: gripping, gritty, funny and totally addictive.  I already know that Mark Pepper is an outstanding writer as I absolutely loved his previous novel, Veteran Avenue, and I'm delighted to report that Man Down is every bit as good.

Main character Matt Spiller makes one heck of a first impression; this is one man I won't forget in a hurry - he makes Die Hard's John McClane look sane.  The same could be said for his wife Helen; the blurb mentions a 'screw quietly working loose in her head' and just you wait to see what happens when that screw finally comes loose.  It's unforgettable!

Take a bow, Mr Pepper!  Man Down is outstanding.  I gave it so many virtual rounds of applause as the scintillating plot played out.  It's so full of thrills and spills that it had my heart beating 19 to the dozen and I had a few gasp out loud moments too.  I also loved the humour written into the book through the characters' speech - they sure don't hold anything back.

With an ingenious and highly original plot, Man Down is an unforgettable fast-paced thriller.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Red Dog Press

Amazon

About the author:

Mark lives in Manchester with his wife of 30 years, Jeannifer, and his daughter, Jade. 

In his day job, Mark is an Intelligence Analyst for a financial regulator in Washington DC. He is a qualified secondary school drama teacher, and worked as an actor for fifteen years, having graduated from RADA in 1990. 

His first two novels, The Short Cut and Man on a Murder Cycle, were published by Hodder & Stoughton, and his third, Veteran Avenue, originally published by Urbane and now by Red Dog Press. Veteran Avenue, is mainly set in LA, and is currently being developed as a TV series by the actor Warren Brown. 

Find him on twitter @PepSixSix

BLOG TOUR: The Rule - David Jackson

 

MY DAD SAYS BAD THINGS

HAPPEN WHEN I BREAK IT...

Daniel is looking forward to his birthday. He wants fish and chips, a big chocolate cake, and a comic book starring his favourite superhero. And as long as he follows The Rule, nothing bad will happen. But Daniel has no idea that he's about to kill a stranger.

Daniel's parents know that their beloved and vulnerable son will be taken away. They know that Daniel didn't mean to hurt anyone, he just doesn't know his own strength. They dispose of the body. Isn't that what any loving parent would do? But as forces on both sides of the law begin to close in on them, they realise they have no option but to finish what they started. Even if it means that others will have to die...

Because they'll do anything to protect Daniel. Even murder.

What did I think?

I enjoyed David Jackson's previous novel, The Resident, so much that I didn't even read the blurb before picking up a copy of The Rule.  This meant that my introduction to Daniel evoked such feelings of protection and affection that I could completely understand everything that his dad did for him.  

I absolutely adored Daniel from the start; he's so genuine, caring and enthusiastic but it broke my heart in two that he has to follow The Rule.  The Rule is there for a very good reason and it's clear that his parents love him dearly, so they're only doing it to protect him.  When actions outside of their control results in Daniel breaking The Rule, a chain of events is set in motion that mean the Timpson family will never be the same again.

Oh this book is really good.  I experienced a wealth of emotions, predominantly relating to Daniel but I also really felt for Daniel's parents Scott and Gemma.  Scott will go to any lengths to protect his son but I don't think he could have ever expected to go this far.  When the police start investigating a murder, the Timpson family need to keep their cool but Gemma is a quivering wreck and Daniel is as honest as the day is long so I was constantly on the edge of my seat just waiting for someone to say the wrong thing.

With an added layer of police procedural, I really enjoyed reading about DI Hannah Washington.  Hannah has a heartbreaking backstory but she is one tough cookie and when it looks like she is being thrown under the bus by her superiors, she is not going down without a fight.  I also enjoyed the various interactions with career criminal Barrington Daley and some of his lines had me laughing out loud.

Brilliantly written and wonderfully plotted, The Rule is a fast-paced, gripping thriller (and a little bit of a horror as there is some wilful damage to books).  It's filled with so much tension and suspense that it's impossible to put down and I couldn't read it fast enough to find out what would happen next.  It's another awesome page-turner from David Jackson and I loved it!

I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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Housewife - Karen Crawford

 

Wife. Mother. Drug Lord.

Erica Forsythe is a wealthy New York City housewife who feels undervalued and unappreciated. On a rainy day, she dashes into a diner, where she meets a mysterious man. 

Plagued by boredom and loneliness, Erica decides to go home with the intoxicating stranger. She is seduced by the dangerous and lurid world of a notorious drug cartel and abandons her family.

Becoming a high-ranking member of the cartel, Erica believes she has found the excitement she has been craving, but her world shatters when she spirals into the true darkness and violence of working in the drug trade.

What did I think?

Housewife is something very different from Karen Crawford.  I absolutely love her Taryn Winter series set in Las Vegas but the streets are definitely much darker and more dangerous in New York City, where Housewife is set.

Erica may appear to have it all; a wealthy husband, three healthy children and a New York City penthouse, but as The Beatles said: 'Money can't buy me love'.  Feeling ignored by her family, Erica is finally noticed by someone when she meets an exciting and attractive man in a diner and her world changes forever, although not necessarily for the better.

It does feel as if fate had a hand in Erica meeting Alejandro that day as they seem very much in love.  Normally, I wouldn't be able to understand a mother walking away from her family but it's easy to empathise in Erica's case.  Erica is so selfish and superficial so its no wonder that her children are also self-absorbed - they are the monsters that she created.  Of course, her husband must also shoulder some of the blame but he is a typical patriarch and sees his role as the breadwinner, bringing home the money to keep his family in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed.

Entitled, rich and selfish, there's nothing much to like about Erica or her family but it was heartbreaking to read about her descent into the darkness of drug addiction and the effect of her disappearance on her family.  It's incredibly disturbing to see how quickly drugs can take hold and it was very harrowing to see the devastating effects of addiction.  As she rises to the top of the drug cartel, Erica is in contact with very few people and the warning signs of her addiction go unnoticed.  I've always said that you never notice the decline of someone you love as you see beyond the outer shell; so as mad as I was at Alejandro for not doing something to help Erica, I could also understand that he may not have seen it.

With characters you will love to hate, Housewife is like a cross between The Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Billions.  It's harrowing, disturbing and emotive but sobering in its powerful message about addiction and recovery.

Many thanks to Karen Crawford for sending me an ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Just a Small Town - Paul Linggood

 

A small town that could be anywhere: industry in decline, streets in decay, many have left, while those left behind take short-term joy in drugs. Four young people are among the left behind. Alex consumes heroin to escape his abusive father. Jim hides from guilt after the death of the friend he didn't save. Chelsi's brother killed a local boy, and ostracism pushes her towards a rival gang, prostitution and loneliness. Danny is a hustler but needs protection from the drug gang that supplies him. Can any of them survive the addiction, gang life, isolation and manipulation? Their small town could be anywhere.

What did I think?

Now and again you find a book that stays with you so long after reading that you can't get it out of your head, that book for me is Just a Small Town.  It's quite a short book at only 180 pages but every single word has been chosen carefully resulting in a gripping, gritty and brilliant read.

Just a Small Town is a clever title in itself as it could be set absolutely anywhere, you just need to read your local newspaper to see similarities to this book in your own area.  The story follows four young people who live in a deprived area and it's heartbreaking to see them transform from innocent children to doing whatever they need to do to survive.  Only the strong survive in this town.

I love how each chapter is dedicated to a particular character and their various guises as they change over time.  It made me so angry to see how these youngsters were groomed and manipulated and it's even more shocking when you realise that this sort of thing does actually happen in real life.  It's so thought-provoking and I think we really need to help deprived areas to give children a chance at life; no child should have to grow up so quickly and in such difficult circumstances.  I'll get off my soapbox now!

Just a Small Town is an exceptional book and a brilliant debut; Paul Linggood brings this eye-opening story to life through his outstanding writing that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could.  The writing is so vibrant and the characters are so well developed and multi-dimensional that I could almost see them leaping from the page.  I don't want to give anything away but I have to say that the ending is just brilliant.  Have a virtual round of applause Mr Linggood. 

One of the best debuts I have read this year, Just a Small Town is a tour de force from Paul Linggood and highly recommended reading.  This is a perfect book to discuss at book club or with friends; I'll certainly be talking about it for a long time!

Many thanks to Paul Linggood for sending me a copy of his book to read and review; all opinions are my own.

My rating:

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BLOG TOUR: Layer Cake - J. J. Connolly

 

Layer cake (n): a metaphor for the murky layers of the criminal world.

Smooth-talking drug dealer X has a plan to quietly bankroll enough cash to retire before his thirtieth birthday. Operating under the polished veneer of a legitimate businessman, his mantra is to keep a low profile and run a tight operation until it’s time to get out .

When kingpin Jimmy Price asks him to find the wayward daughter of a wealthy socialite who’s been running around with a cokehead, he accepts the job with the promise that after this he can leave the criminal world behind with Jimmy’s blessing. Oh, and he needs to find a buyer for two million ecstasy pills acquired by a crew of lowly, loud-mouth gangsters, the Yahoos. Simple enough, until an assassin named Klaus arrives to scratch him off his list, revealing this job is much more than it seems at first.

From the glitz of the London club scene of the 1990’s to the underbelly of its criminal world, Layer Cake is the best in British crime fiction.

What did I think?

I didn't realise that Layer Cake was a book before it was a film until the 20th Anniversary edition of the book was advertised.  I watched the film before I read the book so I was intrigued to see how they would compare.  I really wanted to be able to say that the book was better, which it is to a degree, but J. J. Connolly wrote both the book and the screenplay so the film storyline follows the book very closely indeed.  Reading the book actually enhanced the film for me as I got to know the characters better and accessed more details of the story.

One thing I struggled with at first was the usage of slang in the book so I found myself stopping to google things every few minutes.  It does give massive authenticity to the story but I could've done with a little glossary at the end of the book where I could look up things like boob, lolly pops and lionels.  The slang is completely necessary though as it immerses the reader into the heart of drug-fuelled London and it feels like the main character is talking to you and taking you into his confidence.

There is no honour among thieves and there are no friends in the drug scene.  It's all very cutthroat and it's a business that the main character, X, wants to retire from as he approaches his 30th birthday.  The drug scene is kind of like a beehive with a king instead of a queen at the top and various levels of workers beneath him, hence the title of the book: Layer Cake.  X just wants to make enough money so that he can spend his days sitting on a beach sipping cocktails in the sun, but getting out of the business might not be that easy.  When he is given a strange task to find a missing girl, X becomes the hunter and the hunted.

Dark, gritty, brutal and brilliant, Layer Cake is a stunning portrayal of the British drug scene in the noughties.  The writing is so vivid and fresh that you feel as if there is a movie being projected into your brain from J. J. Connolly's intense and authentic words.  You've seen the film, now read the book; it's an absolute classic.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

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Dead Rock Stars - Guy Mankowski

‘The first page of my sister’s diary was a picture of Frances Farmer, facing a drawing of Ophelia. My sister’s psychic accomplices were all tragic figures…’

Emma Imrie was a Plath-obsessed, self-taught teenage musician dreaming of fame, from a remote village on the Isle of Wight. She found it too, briefly becoming a star of the nineties Camden music scene. But then she died in mysterious circumstances.

In the aftermath of Emma’s death, her younger brother, Jeff, is forced by their parents to stay at the opulent home of childhood friends on the island.

During a wild summer of beach parties and music, Jeff faces up to the challenges that come with young love, youthful ambition and unresolved grief. His sister's prodigious advice from beyond the grave becomes the only weapon he has against an indifferent world.

As well as the only place where the answers he craves might exist…

What did I think?

Dead Rock Stars is something quite different from what I would usually read and that's what makes it so unique and completely brilliant.  Through the voice of Emma Imrie, Guy Mankowski transports the reader from banal family life in the Isle of Wight to the drug-fuelled music scene in Camden, leaving us unsure as to which one actually did the most damage.  Emma releases her pain through her music and her band has just been discovered when her life is tragically cut short.

Jeff has been sheltered from the truth about his sister's death but he can't make sense of losing her at such a young age.  When Jeff finds Emma's diary he finds a way to be closer to her and also to find out what really happened in the lead up to her death.  Why didn't he just ask his parents, you ask?  Well that's because this is one messed up dysfunctional family and they'd probably lie to him without giving it a second thought.

Reading Emma's diary felt terribly voyeuristic; there was so much pain and brutal honesty contained in it that I felt guilty for reading it, yet simultaneously couldn't tear my eyes away from the page as I approached the inevitable conclusion.  Through the sheer talent of Guy Mankowski's writing, Emma's voice is so clear and distinct from that of Jeff that it really feels as if her diary is real.  

I loved the character of Jeff; I wanted to wrap him up in cotton wool as it seemed like he was growing up too fast but sometimes protecting someone is doing them more harm than good.  When left to his own devices, Jeff reminded me of a polaroid photograph as I saw him develop before my eyes.  He just needed to know the truth in order to move on and I think that's a valuable lesson to be learned.

Brutally honest and devastatingly moving, Dead Rock Stars is an emotional and highly original read.  I feel like I have had a glimpse behind the music industry's shiny golden curtain and found a sheer drop into darkness, depravity and despair.  An outstanding read and highly recommended.    

 

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon