THE KILLING KNIFE (Tales of the assassin without a name) by Scott Marlowe

 4 out of 5 stars

Novelette, fantasy, adventure, dark humour

On Amazon UK HERE

On Amazon.com HERE

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber's book review team

This is a novelette sized book, rather than full length.

The nameless assassin lives in a fantasy world that reminded me a little of those described in Game of Thrones, particularly the lands of Pentos, Bravos, etc, over the seas.  This is not to say it is in any way a copy of such; I mention this just to give an indication of the type of location.  For those unfamiliar with Game of Thrones, think a combination of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves mixed with ancient Rome, perhaps!

I liked the structure of this book.  The Killing Knife is actually three stories in one, all linked, as are other installments in the series, also available.  I thought the beginning was excellent, and liked the first, short story the best, though they are all well written, intelligent and amusing.  The nameless assassin is an oddly endearing sociopath, I suppose; the way in which he considers himself apart from and superior to most other beings is artfully illustrated.  The only time he shows a little emotional connection and vulnerability is when he is in the vicinity of Liz, his former lover and some time partner in crime.

Marlowe is a talented writer who clearly understands how to hold the reader's attention, and I would recommend this to anyone who likes tales of fearless, alpha male type adventurers told with a smooth wit. 

THE GODDARD AFFAIR by Scott Marlowe reviewed HERE 

 

KILLING INSTINCT by Darcia Helle

4.5 out of 5 stars

Underworld crime thriller

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
 

I bought this novel because I read a description of it in one of those lists of '50 indie books worth reading', and I'm glad I spotted it! Great story, about an organisation set up to satisfy the requirements of all manner of sickos (torture, rape, etc), and an excellent explanation of how the 'dark net' works, too - the underground internet. The book is extremely well put together, with no superfluous detail, no wandering from the plot. Darcia Helle has done something clever - she has written likeable hitmen. I loved Sean, who has that Jack Bauer thing going on.

The other thing that impressed me about this is that it's a pretty grisly novel written by a woman, and it's not girly at all. The women are the sort of women I want to read about. The guys are alpha males. This is actually the third in the Michael Sykora series, which I didn't realise until I was a little of the way in, but it's very neatly executed so it reads perfectly well as a stand alone. One of the elements that makes it so very readable is that the dialogue is terrific - always appropriate, realistic, sharp and sometimes amusing. I'll definitely be reading more of these books (starting with No Justice, which I believe is the first), and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a good murder thriller and isn't too squeamish!

ELI'S COMING by Darcia Helle reviewed HERE