Just finished reading: The Uninvited by Liz Jensen

December 12, 2012December 12, 20123 Comments

The Uninvited book cover

A vivid, unsettling look at a possible future

What the cover says: “As chilling murders by children grip the country, anthropologist Hesketh Lock has his own mystery to solve: a bizarre scandal in the Taiwan timber industry. He has never been good at relationships. Asperger’s Syndrome has seen to that. But he does have a talent for spotting behavioural patterns, and an outsider’s fascination with group dynamics.

Hesketh has no obvious reasons to connect the South East Asian case with the atrocities back home. Or with the increasingly odd behaviour of his beloved step son, Freddy. But when his Taiwan contact dies shockingly, and more acts of sabotage and child violence sweep the globe, Hesketh is forced to make connections that defy the rational principles on which he has staked his life, his career and – most devastatingly of all – his role as a father.”

The Uninvited isn’t the usual type of book I read. Is it crime, thriller, paranormal, science fiction or something else?

I’m not sure.

But whatever it is, it’s an interesting and thought provoking read, with an unusual take on the impact of environmental change.

It’s summarised on the dust-jacket as ‘part psychological thriller and part dystopian nightmare’. And I guess that’s right.

Either way, if you’re looking for something rather different – with engaging characters, a set of seemingly unconnected and unnervingly brutal incidents to piece together, and a theme that will keep you thinking long after the story is finished, this could be for you.

Indie Spotlight: The Missing by Karl Vadaszffy

December 1, 2012December 1, 2012Leave a comment

The Missing cover image

What the cover says: “John Simmons is en route to London with his girlfriend, Jennie Michaels, whom he intends to propose to that evening. He pulls into the London Gateway Services, leaving Jennie in the car. But when he returns, she has disappeared. Frantic with worry, he turns to the police for help. The police doubt that Jennie exists: there is no trace that she ever existed.

John, convinced Jennie was not a figment of his imagination, sets out in a desperate attempt to find the woman he fell in love with. He has the help of Detective Sergeant Kate Nielsen, herself haunted by a botched undercover operation that led to her being raped four years earlier.

Everything he can remember of Jennie – where she worked, where she lived – turns out to be untrue. Nielsen, following John as he lurches from one lead to another, begins to wonder if Jennie could be the eleventh victim of a serial killer. Their investigation becomes increasingly urgent and threatens to bring back dark and murky images from Nielsen’s past.”

John Simmons is in a nightmare situation. His fear for Jennie and his determination to find her make him a sympathetic and compelling character. Even though everything he thought was true about his girlfriend turns out to be false, he won’t give up. Finally, he persuades DS Kate Nielson to help him.

But as John becomes increasingly desperate to find Jennie, and his behaviour becomes more and more erratic, DS Kate Nielson’s challenges grow. Her boss thinks John is delusional, and Kate herself begins to doubt if Jennie ever did exist.

But when another woman is brutally attacked and murdered, John’s convinced there’s a connection. As John and Kate hunt for the killer, they become targets themselves.

The race is on. Can Kate find Jennie and catch the killer before she becomes the next victim?

The Missing is an action packed, high tension read. The stakes continue to rise, and the list of suspects continues to grow, while the question ‘Did Jennie Michaels really exist?’ adds further complications.

Part police procedural, part action thriller, part psychological thriller, with more than enough twists to keep the reader guessing until the end, this is a debut novel well worth checking out.

Debut novelist, Karl Vadaszffy, is published by Peach Press in eBook format. You can find out more at his website: www.karlvad.com

The Missing is the first book in the DS Kate Nielson series.

What’s on your Christmas List?

November 26, 20122 Comments

Pile of gorgeous gifts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s that time of year when the radio starts playing christmas songs, the shops are full of gift ideas, and you start thinking about what gifts you’ll be getting for your nearest and dearest.

So what’s on your list?

Are you planning on getting your friends and family (or yourself) a bookish gift this year?

Perhaps a book that’s delighted you and kept you reading late into the night, or a pretty eReader cover you just know will be perfect, or a voucher for one of the book shops so your loved one can pick their own books.

What’s your top tip for book lovers gifts?

Guest review on the Mean Streets Crime Fiction blog: Snakes and Ladders by Sean Slater

November 24, 2012Leave a comment

This week I’ve been guest reviewing over on the awesome Mean Streets Crime Fiction review blog.

Here’s a sneaky peek at my review:

A smart, rapid-paced crime thriller that’ll keep you guessing to the end

Detective Jacob Striker is facing the most shocking case of his career. Called to attend a suicide death in a bad part of town, Striker expects to find another life lost to drug addiction. But this time the victim isn’t just another sad statistic, it’s someone Striker knows. And he’s sure it wasn’t suicide.

Striker and his partner, Felicia, investigate, uncovering connections between the victim and the support group overseen by psychiatrist Dr Erich Ostermann. As they delve deeper in the goings on at the Riverglen Mental Health Facility, Striker discovers his good friend and recent patient of Ostermann, Larisa Logan, has gone missing.

Striker battles to discover the identity of mysterious killer ‘The Adder’ while also searching for Larisa. With every lead Striker finds, The Adder makes a brutal move. As the body-count rises, Striker risks his professional and personal lives to bring the killer to justice.

Detective Jacob Striker is a bold and likable character. He’s smart, brave and wants to do the right thing – even if it’s not exactly following orders. He’s also a single parent, trying to care for his troubled teenage daughter while staying on top of his cases. Larisa, his work partner (and on/off lover) is equally smart, courageous and focused, and together they make a formidable team.

And they need to be …

Hop over to the Mean Street Crime Fiction blog to read the rest http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/crimefiction/2012/11/snakes-and-ladders-by-sean-slater/

Events: Crime Fiction Academy taking applications for Spring 2013 intake

November 18, 2012Leave a comment

If you’re an aspiring crime writer and are close to (or get get to and spend a while in) New York, you might want to check this out …

The Crime Fiction Academy are now taking applications for their spring 2013 workshops.

This blog post by Jonathan Santlofer, the CFA Director, talks about why the CFA was set up, and what participants can expect from the programme: http://publishingperspectives.com/2012/09/crime-fiction-academy-where-a-listers-teach-aspiring-bestsellers/

You can find out more, and learn how to apply here: http://www.centerforfiction.org/crimefiction

Crime Fiction Academy: Where A-Listers Teach Aspiring Bestsellers (publishingperspectives.com)
Crime Fiction Academy gives aspiring authors some basic training (nydailynews.com)

Good Reads Choice Awards 2012: Mystery and Thriller – cast your vote now!

November 15, 20122 Comments

Good Reads Choice Awards logo

That’s right, it’s time to vote for your Good Reads Choice Awards 2012: Mystery and Thriller books.

The folks over at Good Reads organise these awards to showcase the top reader voted for books of the year.

Right now it’s the semi-final round (2 of 3 rounds) and there are twenty books to pick from including those by Lee Child, Tana French, Harlan Coben and Gillian Flynn.

So, what are you waiting for? Click along to cast your vote for your favorite mystery and thriller books here: http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-mystery-thriller-books-2012#74616-Best-Mystery-&-Thriller

To find out more about the Good Reads Choice Awards and the voting process visit

http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2012

Lose Yourself in Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: A Book Review (paulineprobynblog.wordpress.com)
Broken Harbour by Tana French (vulpeslibris.wordpress.com)

Learning from the CWA’s ‘Is Crime the new Literary Fiction?’ event

November 14, 20121 Comment

The Panel

On Monday I went along to the Crime Writers’ Association panel event ‘Is Crime the new Literary Fiction?’ With Sophie Hannah, Lee Child, Peter James and Benjamin Black (John Banville) as panellists it made for a lively and entertaining evening.

In the first part of the session, the panellists discussed the question, reflecting that some of the best fiction in the twentieth century is crime fiction, and yet you do encounter snobbery about the genre. What came across really clearly was each of the panellists’ passion for the crime thriller genre and their love of writing it.

As the discussion broadened, each of the panellists talked about how they approach their writing, what interests them about the genre, and the importance of great characters and great stories.

As an aspiring crime thriller writer, the key takeaways from the session for me were:

On thinking about character’s in action, the discussion on psychological depth was really interesting: how everyone is a psychological puzzle and that choosing who to trust and what will happen when a character does/doesn’t embodies the puzzle questions we ask ourselves in life.

That there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to writing – that it could be starting with an essence of plot, or planning everything in advance, or not knowing what happens in the next line let alone the next chapter.

That characters and story are both important in crime fiction – that you need strong, likable and memorable characters and a great story including a puzzle and a satisfactory conclusion.

And, on pace, that stories don’t have to be fast paced, but they do have to be compelling. Pace is about variation.

It was a fabulous evening and I’d like to say a huge thank you to the panellists, and to the Crime Writers’ Association for organising the event.

ps. CTG was delighted to meet Lee Child and Peter James after the panel finished, and had a true fan-girl moment when discussing a shared love of coffee with Lee Child.

Daily Ponder: Book spotting on the Train

November 12, 20122 Comments

Kindle (Photo credit: Simply Bike)

In just a few hours I’ll be heading up to London for the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) hosted panel discussion “Is crime the new literary fiction?” that’s being held at Kings Place.

One of the things I always like to do on the train ride to London and back (and on the tube) is to check out the books my fellow travelers are reading. Are they crime thrillers, romance, science fiction, fantasy, historical or something else? And, more importantly, have I read them, and do they look like the type of thing I’d like to read.

I’ve even had quite a few bookish conversations with fellow commuters, and got some excellent recommendations from them. But, it’s not quite as easy as it used to be. That’s because of eReaders. I just can’t (or not as secretly) take a sneaky peep at the cover of the book being read. Although, that said, if I’m standing on the train, and someone sitting nearby is reading on an eReader (especially if the font size is set to large) it is possible.

But, not to be deterred (and, of course, being of a rather nosy disposition!) I’ll be book spotting on the train as I travel.

I wonder what crime thriller books I’ll glimpse today …

Do you love books? (writerinplay.wordpress.com)

Book Review: Love is Murder – Thriller 3 edited by Sandra Brown

November 11, 20121 Comment

Love is Murder book cover

I don’t often read short stories, but this book is a little different.

The dust jacket promises:

“Prepare for heart-racing suspense in this original collection by thirty of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing romance suspense today … Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, woman (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers – these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.”

And it doesn’t disappoint.

But be warned, this is romance with a deadly twist! From Lee Child’s ‘I Heard a Romantic Story’ – an explosive tale of tough choices in the face to duty – to Roxanne St Claire’s ‘Diamond Drop’ – following Donovan Rush on a diamond pick-up with a sexy twist – and Patricia Rosemoor’s ‘Hot Note’ – a glimpse into Detective Shelley Caldwell’s romantic life as well as working a case – there’s something for romantics and crime fiction enthusiasts alike.

What’s especially great about this collection is the bite-sized nature of the stories – you can devour a whole story in your lunch break, a short train ride, in the bath, or whenever you’re able to grab a few stolen moments to read. Although, if you’re going to carry the hardcover book around with you, be warned, it’s pretty big and heavy!

Highly recommended.