THIS WILL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR HEART by Keith Anthony Baird @kabauthor

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Twitter

In a Nutshell: Long novelette/short novella, dark psychological fiction/horror: mind control.

This is a clever, short book about a boy called Zachary who is placed in an institute at a very early age, where he has contact with no humans apart from his carers for some years.  He is found 'parents' at around the age of 5, and from then on every aspect of his life is monitored and controlled by a shadow organisation.  His family, friends, the ups and mostly downs throughout his life—none of it happens by accident.  His formative years are damaging enough, but as the tragedies and losses pile up, he becomes increasingly paranoid and sociopathic.

The story is very well written, and a real page turner; I couldn't work out why any of it was happening or what the outcome was going to be.  In the last third of the book there is a massive twist, completely unexpected—and the purpose of the whole 'experiment' is revealed at last.  I'm usually pretty good at predicting stuff like this, but I didn't guess it.

It's a dark and distressing story, not for the faint of heart, but for anyone who likes low-key, psychological horror, and has an interest in behind the scenes mind control (that's me with both hands up), I'd most certainly recommend it.

THE LONG FALL by Logan Keys and Mike Kraus

3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Amazon Browse

Genre: Post Apocalyptic, Climate Change, SciFi

This is part one of a 10 or 12 short novella series, about an unspecified time in the future when a company called Cybercorp have fashioned some sort of thermal shade over the planet to stop global warming.  Whether or not that is a ludicrous idea I don't know, not being a scientist, but I'm prepared to suspend disbelief if the story is great.  At first, I thought it was going to be; it starts off in Antartica when everything begins to go horribly wrong and the temperature plummets super-fast, killing off a bunch of scientists in horrendous ways.  Then the story moves to a girl who works on the NY Times trying to get home in artic temperatures, and the nanny of some kids in Kansas who would have taken them trick or treating if it wasn't for the sudden blizzard and hurricanes.  Okay, so there were some editing 'ouches', but the suspense/drama/extreme weather stuff in all the different scenarios was so good that I could live with them.

Alas, it then went from good to not so good to hmmmm.  Bad punctuation, bad formatting, cheesy dialogue and grammar that was not so much lazy as had decided to take a duvet day.  It seemed like the first half had been written with more care, but the second half was still in first draft.  Such a shame; I was looking forward to finding a good new series and this could have been terrific if it had been redrafted a bit more and worked on by people who know their stuff.  I will, however, try one of Mike Kraus's solo books, as I know he is very popular.  Meanwhile, if anyone can recommend some good (and well edited) books of this genre (EMP, climate change, pandemic, zombie and general dystopian/post apoc), please let me know; I've been disappointed too many times recently. 

BREADLINE by Alain Dizerens

3 out of 5 stars

Memoir

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

Hmm - a strange one!  It's not very long, probably novelette or short novella length, a memoir of the jobs taken on by the author, from experience of Vietnam, to a distributor for washing powder samples, a nightwatchman, and time on a kibbutz.

The whole presentation is quite 'experimental', a series of memory snapshots with little to link them together.  It needs editing, for sure, and the style is eccentric, but it's not without charm.  I liked some parts, like the author's take on pretentious art critics he encountered while working as a caretaker at a Picasso exhibition, and the banal attitude of the masses who passed by the works of art as if they were wallpaper or worse, and I very much liked his observation about how, when returning from Vietnam, even things like being able to switch on a light or sit in a comfortable chair felt like luxuries, but how quickly one got used to them, and began to complain about stuff that didn't matter, again...

This books reminded me of the early days of self-publishing on Kindle, before writers were urged to make their books conform to professional standards, and to be aware of their market; I imagine that with some re-drafting, more detail and a more enticing cover this would appeal to the reader who seeks the unconventional.  
 

THIEF'S GAMBIT by Scott Marlowe

4.5 out of 5 stars

Fantasy thriller ~ novelette length

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

 Reviewed by me as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team

In this further adventure of the Assassin Without A Name, our hero is recruited by his ex love, Liz, for a special mission.

As with the other books in this series, I felt that its charm lay not so much in the plot itself as in the writing of the incidental parts.  I am not particularly interested in reading long, blow by blow accounts of fights or daring escapes, but I love the bits about the Assassin's life, his thoughts, etc.  I like to picture him in his 'working gear', climbing over his rooftop empire like a cat, unseen by the Black Guard who seek him below, and reading little snippets about his life, like his secret hideout in the deplorable Shambles area of town, where one takes one's life in one's hands simply by entering its streets...

Scott Marlowe has invented a marvellous character, and writes beautifully, with wit and a wonderful turn of phrase.  I'd like to see a novella telling about the Assassin's early life, something that makes more use of the writer's powers of observation, character portrayal and presentation of atmosphere.  Again, this reminded me very much of some of Roald Dahl's stories; the style of writing is very similar.  Good stuff!

The Goddard Affair by Scott Marlowe reviewed HERE 

The Killing Knife by Scott Marlowe reviewed HERE

  

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 

 

THE SILENCE OF JULIET MANN by Joanne Phillips

5 out of 5 stars


Novelette, Stammering, Family drama


Originally posted on Amazon HERE on 20 December 2013

I thought this was so good - just the right length for the story, very 'real', and not just because it deals with such an unglamorous subject, ie, stammering (not stuttering!). So well told, it flowed beautifully. I know that it was written from personal experience (although not autobiographical), which made it much more interesting because it taught me about something new.

At first I thought, hmm, surely Juliet's parents would have done more to help her, and how come her fiance didn't realise the extent of her problem? But then this was explained, very feasibly, just as I was wondering - I just thought I'd mention that, in case anyone has similar queries.

Please, if you know anyone who suffers or has suffered from this problem, pass it on - it's what would be termed 'inspirational', I think, but without being schmaltzy; the tone is just right.