Having always been an avid reader, it wasn’t until I started publishing my own books that I realised the importance of having them reviewed on sites like Amazon and Smashwords. When I started writing reviews of the books I read, the early ones were either books I’d wanted to read for a while, or those…
Category: Books
Heroes and Collectives
How many central characters should a novel have? One or two? Three? Or… Most novels have a hero or heroine, or in some cases, a pair of heroes or heroines. In creating what I hoped would be a new thriller series, I realised I’d gone a bit overboard in character-creation mode and for a while,…
‘The Storms of Padstow’ by Joy Mutter
My Review (5 stars out of 5) This is the second book in the Nuru and his Crows series, another dark erotic thriller steeped in magical realism. Model Eloise Le Brun falls foul of African fortune teller Nuru and his two pet crows. As the magician’s weird spells start to work, Eloise finds her life…
‘And Brother it’s Starting to Rain’ by Jake Needham
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Now retired from Singapore CID, Sam Tay has time on his hands. When John August comes calling asking a favour, Sam isn’t sure what to make of it. August needs help tracking down a woman involved in a murder plot – a plot to kill John August. Knowing…
‘Postmortem’ by Patricia Cornwell
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Richmond, Virginia. A serial killer has murdered three women in their own bedrooms. With no obvious connection between the victims, the police are baffled. Chief Medical Officer Dr Kay Scarpetta is called in when a fourth body is discovered. With few clues and lots of unanswered questions, Scarpetta…
‘The Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories’ by Johnny Mains
My Review (3 stars out of 5) The series known as the Pan Book of Horror Stories ran for 30 volumes between 1959 and 1989. In this latest version, editor Johnny Mains has collected a host of new stories along with several from the original series. As a teenager, this series was one of…
‘Telling Tales’ by Ann Cleeves
My Review (5 stars out of 5) When fifteen-year-old Abigail Mantel is murdered, her own father’s girlfriend is jailed for the crime. Ten years later, evidence comes to light proving Jeanie Long’s innocence—which means Abigail’s killer is still on the loose. Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope is sent to the village of Elvet to look at…
‘She’ll Never Tell’ by Maggie James
My Review (5 stars out of 5) When her mother dies suddenly, Olivia Gilchrist’s world crumbles. But following the post-mortem, Olivia hears news that challenges everything she has known about herself and her mother. At first disbelieving, Olivia decides she must discover the truth and sets out to trace anyone who might be able to…
‘A Deadly Deal’ by Simon Fairfax
*** NB This post first appeared as part of the Blog Tour for ‘A Deadly Deal’ via Rachel at Rachel’s Random Reads. My Review London, 1986. Newly qualified surveyor Rupert Brett’s job in the brokering industry may be the making of him. But the ruthless nature of the business isn’t what he’d expected, and he…
‘Are You Actually Going to be Prolific or Just Make Excuses?’ by Brandon Q Scott
*** This is another tome in Brandon Scott’s series about writing, publishing and getting things done. With his usual bulldog approach, the author lays down his ideas for writing quickly and efficiently. While he’s quite right about (especially) indie authors needing to put out new books regularly, he does make it sound a little like…
Colin Garrow 