BEELITZ-HEILSTÄTTEN: Where Ghosts Never Die by Marina Osipova @marosikok #RBRT

 4.5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Timeslip terror, Pandora's Box opened...

A most interesting and unusual book.  Obsessed with seeing the place of her birth, a ghostly, derelict German military hospital near Berlin, Marion has no idea what will happen to her once she is inside, and what she will uncover, later.

I loved the timeslip element of this story, with Marion travelling back in time to the First World War, and finding herself working at the hospital as a nurse, tending to the injured men.  One in particular sends shivers of repulsion through her, though she doesn't know why; I liked how Ms Osipova endowed her with vague recollections about her life before, frustrating to her.  She knows something about various people, various elements of her life, but not what those 'somethings' are.  In the case of this patient, we know who he is, but Marion does not.

There are other truths to uncover about her present day life, as age-old documents are unearthed and she seeks the horrifying truth about the handsome young doctor she fell in love with during her dip back into the past, before the mind virus of Nazi Germany infected so many previously sane people.

This book is gripping, masterfully atmospheric, and unpredictable throughout - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dark Presence by John Turiano

 3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Mind control, stalking and murder

Kimbra has not had an easy life, and in her job as a psychometrist administering neuropsychological and psychological tests on volunteers for a company called Quantum Thunder, it only gets more confusing.

We're provided with a fair bit of backstory on Kimbra, which is good, as one needs to know why and how she got to the point in her life when the book begins, with the murder of her former best friend is murdered.  Suspects abound; I changed my mind several times!

A new Quantum Thunder drug is being tested, to determine and influence the minds of those perceived as having psychic or telepathic abilities.  Kimbra decides to take it, which is when her life becomes even more frightening and confusing.

It's a good story and the writing jogs along nicely, making it a pleasantly 'easy read'.  I never really 'felt' Kimbra, though; the details are all there, but, as I often find with male writers, the male characters seemed more real than the female ones.  But that was okay.  She worked, for the plot.

I do have one negative comment, I'm afraid; the book needs a better edit/proofread as there are many, many run-on sentences (comma splices), and the punctuation is a bit off in places.  Aside from that, though, I enjoyed this story.

BRIDGE OF DREAMS by Kevin P Keating #RBRT

 4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Three novellas comprising science/speculative fiction, history, future meanderings, space, science versus religion, with surprising happenings and story developments.

These three novellas are connected, sometimes more than others, but each one can be read separately.

With all of them I adored some parts, becoming totally immersed in the wonderful storytelling.  The writing itself is stunningly good, the prose atmospheric and illustrative of the time.  I particularly liked the 1950s small town America setting of the first tale, which I thought was the best one.  I loved how there were so many stories within the stories, a literary style that has long been a favourite of mine; I like to have my reading mind taken off on meandering tangents.

The stories are all set around the fictional town of Heavenly Hill in Ohio, spanning a time period of 200 years (1857 - 2057), with connections throughout.  Now and again I felt that the 'speculative' aspect could have been reined in a little as a few of the ideas did not seem fully formed.  Then again, perhaps that's the nature of the genre.  

Before the stories begin there is a long introduction and explanation of why the stories were written, which I confess to only skimming; I prefer to read this sort of text at the end of a book.  Like a character's backstory, the 'why' only matters to me once I've got to know what's inside.  It's a hard book to review, without summarising each novella, and sufficient information is given in the blurb.  Maybe the only question that needs answering is 'did I enjoy this?'.  I did.  I looked forward to getting back to the book each time I left it, and my eagerness to turn the pages only waned a little in the last of the three.  I liked the little surprise story at the end, too.

Bridge of Dreams is unusual, immersive and clever.  I recommend!

SAFE HAVEN by Peter Hargraves #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Steampunk dystopian fantasy

I've never read anything with the label 'steampunk' before, and knew little about it aside from hot air balloons, so was interested to read this.  It is set in what I believe is the 22nd Century, after much chaos and many wars.  Much of the eastern US is called 'Newingland' (New England), and which is reminiscent of Gilead in A Handmaid's Tale.  Then there is Catamount, the city of genetically modified cougars...

The story's main characters are Margaret, locked into marriage with the authoritarian Barran, and Wolfe, a brave adventurer who finds imaginative ways around the laws of the lands in which he finds himself.  Its primary theme is that of escape, from Barran and restrictive authorities.

I loved the world-building, which is, of course, all-important in a story such as this; it's well thought out and explained, while steering away from information dumps.  The writing was a delight in places, and I found myself quickly drawn in.

Whereas I was completely convinced by this strange world and give a definite thumbs up to the writing style, I felt that Margaret's character and the relationship between her and Wolfe needed a bit more 'meat' to it.  On the whole, however, I did enjoy this book.  It works!

BURKE AND THE WAR OF 1812 by Tom Williams @TomCW99 #RBRT

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: military historical fiction, one of a series, all of which are stand-alone.

A terrific book.  I didn't know anything about this war (as outlined on the cover), and found the whole account (fiction based on fact) absolutely fascinating.

James Burke and his sidekick William Brown, an NCO in the regular army, are sent to certain areas of the developing US, under instruction to persuade the First Nation warriors to fight with Britain and Canada against the US.  They must also find out they whens and hows of the coming attack in order to deliver this intelligence to the British - which means going 'under cover' as fur traders, to the Shawnee.

I have not read much at all about the early part of the 19th Century, and it struck me how different it was from the later part of the century, when the 'Second Industrial Revolution' was taking place; Burke's world was before technology started to speed up.  The descriptions of their day-to-day life and the ways of the First Nations absorbed me; the book is extremely well-researched without making one overly aware of this, which is an art in itself.  I also enjoyed the detail about America itself, wondering what Burke would have thought had he known what the country would become.

James Burke is a man of his class and time, and Tom Williams is confident enough not to worry about reflecting this, which was appreciated.  I liked the character of William Brown very much, and found Chapter 4, in particular, absolutely riveting - this is the first chapter from his rather than Burke's POV.

Highly recommended.

THE GATES OF POLISHED HORN by Mark A Rayner #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Speculative/Science Fiction short stories.

My favourite genre to read is imagined views of our near future, so many of the stories in this speculative/science fiction collection hit the spot for me.  As with all collections of its type, some I loved, some I liked and some I felt needed a bit more thinking through, though of course such an opinion can only be subjective.

These were the four that stood out most for me:

The Height of Artifice - a man addresses his younger life in theatrical circles, and ponders why why the woman he loved never loved him back.  Delightfully sad.  And kind of funny at the end.

After The Internet - in 2036, a fifty-five year old professor struggles with the youth of the day, who have no understanding of life before the current interconnectedness.  'Explaining a world before the datasphere was like trying to explain the General Theory of Relativity to a fish.  He could do it, but the fish wouldn't understand'.

Probably my absolute favourite: The Gallant Captain Oates - possibly the shortest of them all, at less than three whole pages.  Yes, it's the story of Captain Lawrence 'Titus' Oates who, as a member of the famous South Pole expedition headed by Robert Falcon Scott, even more famously said, "I am just going outside and may be some time".  His comrades knew and understood that he was sacrificing himself for the greater good because his injuries were slowing the whole party down ... but was he?

Mark Rayner has, in two short sentences, put a completely different spin on the story.  It's brilliant, and hilarious.

I also loved Under the Blue Curve, in which Henry, a natural storyteller born after his own time, meets his great love Elisa.  She sees a way to profit from his gift in a way that is beyond Henry's meagre understanding of the current technology.  Sad, amusing, uplifting.

To sum up, when Mark A Rayner is good, he's very, very good.  I'd definitely read something else by him.

ADVENT OF LIBRA by Chris Wimpress #RBRT

3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: A dystopian future UK

This book opens in an undetermined time in the near future of this country, I think about 10 or 15 years hence, and introduces us to three generations of a dysfunctional family around whom it is based.  Grandmother Stella is in a care home, her daughter Kelly a divorced, alcoholic therapist who relaxes by vaping skunk.  Kelly's niece Lara is secretly involved with a group of dangerous insurgents.

This group is called Libra, weaponised entitled youth who blame the older generations for every ill in their lives and feel it is their right to 'snuff' the 'stiffs', in other words terrorise towns, set light to care homes and murder the 'boomers' who apparently have no right to live their lives out in peace and comfort.  A particularly nasty piece of work called Alyssa is under the impression that they're 'living off her taxes'.

Some parts of this novel reflect the current times, with the media failing to report incidents that don't reflect the narrative the government want to promote, and Kelly's belief that the use of facial recognition technology is there to 'keep them safe'.  Much in the imagined future is feasible indeed - failing businesses, night time curfews - but I couldn't quite buy into the whole Libra idea; they didn't seem to have much agenda apart from mayhem and murder.  Where did they get sufficient weaponry to gain victory over the entire army and police force?  Who was funding them?  I felt that there were large gaps in the world-building; groups of insurgents generally have a few billionaires with their own agenda to back them.  There was, for instance, no indication of exactly how they managed to blow up the massive Tyne Bridge.  We were just told that they had.  And aside from the police and army, people themselves tend to form into groups and fight back.

The book could do with a better proofread, though I did enjoy reading it and there was interesting detail about Stella, Kelly and Lara's past, but I just couldn't quite believe in it.  Then again, many variations on our inevitable dystopian future are being written these days, and feasibility is always subjective.  

THE GERMANS HAVE A WORD FOR IT by T R Thorsen #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazo

n (universal link) - available from February 26th.

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: A lonely man turns to AI to resurrect his late wife.

I enjoyed this book, which explores the possibilities of AI in a most disturbing way.  Davis is distraught after the sudden death of his wife, and learns of an app that can simulate Rachel's mode of texting, so that he can receive text messages that seem as if they're written by her.  At first he thinks the idea too bizarre, but he can't help himself being drawn in by the idea.  Almost immediately he finds great comfort in what he reads on the screen.  Like Rachel is still with him.

Rachel #2 soon wants him to upgrade the app, so that he can 'see' her, too.  Before long, his relationship with her develops as might a relationship with a live woman.  The problems start when she starts making demands.  Wanting everything a woman might require from a relationship.  Everything Rachel wanted, and more.

Davis has no idea what he has got himself into, and does not understand how the fine line between human and artificial intelligence can blur - or how the latter can upscale itself in leaps and bounds.

It's a clever, unusual story, and a cautionary tale indeed!

BACKUP by Guy-Roger Duvert #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: 

An interesting story, a terrific idea - I loved the plot.  Some time in the future, everyone lives squashed into high, high buildings in the cities, your social standing indicated by your position up or down the enormous skyscrapers.

Aidan and his expectant wife Lucy live not far from the bottom, as he is a lowly cop.

In use by the powers that be is a system by which a person can download his entire psyche so that if he dies, he may be cloned and come back to life, as it were.  Aidan is not interested until he and partner Natasha are invited to the Backup HQ, and offered a chance to go through the system free of charge - which is when the trouble starts and he discovers the ways in which this particular form of transhumanism is open to all kinds of abuse.

I liked a lot of the detail in this book, the world-building; I particularly liked the idea of never being able to get away from advertising, even more so than now, as promotional drones constantly hover outside the windows of one's apartment.  I also like the writing style in this clever take on the dystopian future that could be waiting for us.  My only criticism is that I found it unnecessarily complicated, having to remember whose psyche was in which body and who was supposed to be where when.  I felt that with a less complex plot and a bit of tidying up, it could have been even better.

TALES OF THE FORTHCOMING by Steven Blows #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: see cover!

At 98 pages, this is a book of 10 well-written short stories that I recommend for a couple of hours of enjoyable reading, if imaginative science fiction mixed with fantasy/supernatural is your thing.  As I went on, I noticed how refined the characterisation is, something I appreciated very much; the ability to create characters that reveal themselves straight away shows talent indeed.

The stand-out story for me was A Time After Time, in which Jorge becomes increasingly sceptical and worried about a world-changing event eagerly anticipated by almost everyone except him.   I was completely immersed in the atmosphere of this one.

Other highlights were the very funny Possibilities, with its excellent final sentence that made me laugh out loud, and Unbeknownst: three ghosts show a troubled young woman that she has so much life yet to live.

I also enjoyed reading Highway 72, in which a young traveller fails to listen to a warning from one who knows better.  Then there's Delayed Departure, about a man in a hurry at a railway station in a 'theme park in space' and the amusing Family Dinner & Troubling Times - a young human male meets his alien girlfriend's family for the first time, though these two could have done with more satisfying conclusions.  On the whole, though, I'd say they're all good.  The author has a habit of writing a clause as a new sentence ('Snow covers the ground in a smooth sheet of white.  Anything underneath it hidden from sight'), but that's something a professional editor could soon nip in the bud - I'd be most happy to read anything else he writes.  

COLD IN THE EARTH by Thorne Moore @ThorneMoore #RBRT

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Cold case crime solving, mostly non-police

I'm not a fan of crime fiction, but I AM a fan of Thorne Moore's writing, so I chose this from the review team list without hesitation.  It's not a police procedural, as the main person doing the detective work is Rosanna Quillan, an ex-DC who is persuaded by a friend to do some digging.

Six young girls went missing in the early - mid 1990s, but the perpetrator was only ever charged with two of the murders; the other cases remained open but went cold.  The grieving families must wait another twenty-five years for truths and physical remains to be revealed.

The most interesting character in this book was, for me, Margaret Gittings, mother of the murderer; I'd have loved to have read her whole story from her own point of view!  Then there is 11-year-old Lolly, with whom the story opens. Clever, clever, Thorne Moore - Lolly's first chapter is brief and without resolution, which meant, of course, that I eagerly read the whole book within two days so I could find out what happened to her!  I also liked Malcolm, the retired officer who dealt with the case initially, after it was bungled by a less than diligent colleague.

The story zips along so convincingly, perfectly paced, and I very much liked that, although a fledgling romantic interest for Rosanna was present, Ms Moore did not feel the need to wrap it all up with hearts and flowers.  It's good.  And there's a lovely little twist at the end, even after the remainder of Lolly's story (which was worth waiting for) is revealed.

BACKYARD HERBAL REMEDIES by Krista Edwards #RBRT

 A Beginner's Guide to Identifying, Foraging and Wildcrafting Herbal Remedies Straight from Nature

4.5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: See the subtitle above!

At 141 pages, this is a nicely sized book for the subject, with the information so easy to take in.  I'm always up for reading more about non-Big Pharma remedies for life's minor ills, and this certainly expanded my knowledge.  From one of my go-to online stores for such items, I've already ordered a violet preparation, as there are not many violets growing in winter in NE England (!!) {for skin rash and mucus}, a bag of dried cleavers {arthritis, lymph nodes, phlegm} and mullein {cough, sinuses}.  So thanks, Krista!

Each chapter contains full details of which ailments the herb/plant can treat, along with recipes about how to prepare, the other plants it might be combined with, and any warnings/pitfalls.  I'll definitely be taking this out and about with me in the spring; I may get the paperback, but the small black and white photos on the Kindle version are, whilst not ideal, enough to identify a plant.

I liked how the book was written, too, in a chatty way with a few amusing asides thrown in.  Nice one.  If you're interested in this subject, I recommend!

LAKE OF WIDOWS by Liza Perrat #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Emotional family drama.

Lake of Widows is set in France in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when not all attitudes had caught up with the Swinging Sixties and Women's Lib movement elsewhere in the West.  The main character is Adrienne, a timid woman lacking in confidence, who doesn't realise how much her whole personality has been subtly eroded by her manipulative husband, until an event when out shopping sends her head into rebellious overdrive, and she doesn't go home.

Then there is Blanche, who lives by a lake dear to Adrienne's heart; she is struggling with the reality that her husband is a treacherous conman.  Most of all I was interested in the story of Suzanne, a First World War wife whose life takes a turn for the worst when her husband returns from the Front.  All three women's lives intertwine in this beautiful setting, as they discover their own expectations for themselves, finding courage they did not know they possessed.

I found the part set in an insane asylum most interesting - I've read and watched a few books and documentaries that show how the treatment of the emotionally sick was, even in the 1970s, positively Dickensian.  I also loved Suzanne's story - I would have liked to read more about her and her husband.  As for the writing itself, it will make you want to visit L'Auberge de Léa, and stay there!

NOWHERE MAN by Deborah Stone #RBRT

 3.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: complex domestic, psychological drama

This is the sort of story that makes you keep turning the pages because, even if you're pretty sure what's going on, you suspect that there might be another twist, and maybe even one more... 

Deborah Stone has a relaxed, flowing writing style that made this book an 'easy read'.  The plot was well structured, with the complex web of events and deceptions slotting together nicely, and all the intricacies and character history being woven in at just the right time.   

I did have a few issues with the novel as a whole, though.  For the plot to work as well as it did, both Diana and Angie needed to be unusually insular, with little or no social life, or awareness of anything outside their own tiny corner of the world.  The reasons for this are revealed over the course of the book but, having said that, many of the attitudes seemed to come from another era.  I wondered, at first, if the story was set in the 1970s or 80s.  A secondary character, Julia, I also found problematic; in her first scene she manages to eat almost an entire sponge cake, which was amusingly written, giving the extra detail that fleshes out a secondary character so well.  I thought the pudding was somewhat over-egged, though, her self-indulgence highlighted in almost every scene she was in.  I found the dialogue unrealistic, too, with these characters.

The males, however, worked much better.  Daniel's story was good to read, while Ben and Patrick were convincing, as was Diana's mother.

To sum up, the plot is compelling, and I did enjoy it - I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a cracking plot and is able to suspend disbelief - but aside from a couple of mentions of WhatsApp, the online world with all its possibilities (especially where scammers, tracking people down and the general gleaning of information are concerned) seemed to barely exist.  As a contemporary story, it didn't feel quite feasible.

USS PRIMIS: The First Starship by M H Altis #RBRT

 3 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link) - available on Sept 30.
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Saving humanity by moving it 500 light years away - what could possibly go wrong?

At the start of this book, the story reminded me of Raised by Wolves, an HBO series I thought was inspired, in which androids are sent to a far away planet to raise children from protected embryos, after Earth is all but destroyed.  Great concept!  In the case of USS Primis, it's a team of astronauts with human and animal embryos, and the planet to which they travel in hypersleep is 500 light years away.  I loved the author's idea for how the sun is destroyed - that in a peace treaty, all nations agree to fire their nuclear weapons into space, with disastrous consequences.  No idea if this is what would happen, but it works here!

In a way this was like two novels  The setting up of the story was, I felt, far too long.  The first half is mostly told in captain David's 1st person, in the form of a captain's log/diary, etc.  He gives a description of each crew member, outlining various intricacies of their personality; I think this works on the screen but not in a novel, where it feels like an unnecessary 'information dump'.  In a film you see the face, which makes them more likely to stick in your head.  I prefer to discover a character by their thoughts, words and actions rather than being given an outline of their character traits.  Though the writing certainly flows and is most accessible, David's 'banter' mode of narrative in the first half of the book didn't really work for me.

After the character descriptions was a long section about their two months quarantine before lift-off day, which I found neither necessary nor convincing, as the crew seemed more like a group of students than mature, experienced astronauts, aware of the gravity of their mission.  I felt I was waiting for the story to start, all the way through the first half.

Then, book two.  So much better, and not what I expected at all.  Another great twist in the tale, this time told by an omniscient narrator.  No more details because *spoilers* - you should be as surprised as I was.  I am most interested in the short stories in which the plot moves in a different direction; I'd love to read about life on Nova.

To sum up - I think it needs a good, thorough developmental/copy edit by someone who really knows their stuff, to get rid of errors, and also to think through some of the content - the novel must surely be set far into the future, but the lifestyle and cultural references about the world they've left behind made it sound like they set off in 2024, or earlier.  I was also unconvinced by David not knowing (and being surprised) that the AI could track the exact whereabouts on the ship of any of the astronauts.  Wouldn't that be a most basic facility?  And one of them clearly has extremely dark psychological problems - would she have been chosen for a mission such as this?

However, it's a fabulous basic story with masses of potential, and the writing itself has a great deal of promise.  With input from an experienced editor who really knows their stuff, the best of both could be brought out.   

THE ARCHITECT OF GRAYLAND by Evelyn Arvey #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
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How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: SciFi fantasy; a kidnapping across time.

A most curious book!  Long, at 500 pages, but interesting enough for me to keep turning.  At no time did I think it could have been cut down, as one often finds with longer books

The plot: Elaine wakes up in a world of grey.  There is nothing there at all, just acres of grey all around - she isn't even wearing any clothes, and she has no water to drink.  Worst of all, she has no memory of what came before.  Of who she is, where she is from, how she got to this place.  To survive, she must find ways to work with her environment to feed herself, keep warm, find others.

We soon discover that she has been kidnapped from the present and dumped into the distant future, into 'the Domain', by a historical anthropologist under pressure to produce an enthralling spectacle, that the habits of the 'primitive human' may be observed.  Not only is Elaine the subject of Professor Mirri's research, but the public are able to watch her story unfold.  Unbeknownst to Elaine (and others she meets later), she has become a celebrity amongst the viewers.  It brought to mind a futuristic version of the first series of the Big Brother House, when the contestants had no idea how popular the show had become, on the outside!

I did enjoy this book and it's a wonderfully original idea, unfolding slowly, though I was disappointed by the lack of resolution, for both myself and Elaine.  I still had so many unanswered questions when the book suddenly finished.  I needed to know how the subjects were extracted from present to future, how they were chosen, what year in the future we were looking at - thousands of years away, I imagine, because the humans had actually evolved physically in some rather alarming ways - the reveal of this was so well done and quite shocking.  However, I so wanted to know more about life itself in this strange time, whereabouts in the world Professor Mirri lived.  I wanted more information, generally; I am sure that the sparsity of such was an artistic choice that will work well for some, though I was frustrated by it - just a personal preference!   

MOMENTS OF CONSEQUENCE by Thorne Moore @ThorneMoore #RBRT

5 GOLD stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member, but I'd already downloaded it anyway.

In a Nutshell: Short stories, dark themes.  Mostly.

What a treat this book is. It's not very often that you read a short story collection in which every one is a gem, but such is the case with Moments of Consequence. Every single one is beautifully written and perfectly plotted whilst wending its way down unexpectedly murky corridors. Some bloody ones, too, like the horrific Chef's Special, in which the main character comes up with an ingenious way of dealing with her staff problems, and It Was Late June, an every day story of country folk in a village that just happens to have an active Satanic society. These two are seriously gruesome, dark humour at its best. As is A Midsummer Nightmare, a brutal tale of revenge.

My favourites:

Dare Devil: about three students who, drunkenly, dare each other to commit the perfect murder.

Dances on the Head of a Pin: two time-lines, two main characters. One, in modern times, tries to interview random passersby about transubstantiation. The other, in the perilous days of Bloody Mary Tudor, is condemned for not believing in this (that the communion sacrament is the actual body and blood of Christ).

The Food of Love: a 'foodie' wife, who fails to see the the impact her obsession is having on her marriage...

Away in a Manger: about a homeless young artist, at Christmas time.

Piggy in the Middle: The story of Mary Bennett, the forgotten middle daughter in Pride and Prejudice.

As You Sow: A mother laments the choices her adult children have made, considering them a personal affront. I love stories like this in which the reader can read between the lines about what's actually going on, whereas the blinkered narrator cannot.

...and the last one, Footprints, showing snapshots of everyone who lived in a house, going back down the decades. I too am, as Thorne Moore says, fascinated by houses and the secrets they reveal. Footprints made me think of books by Norah Loft: The House Trilogy, and A Wayside Tavern.

All the stories are long, something to get your teeth into. It's stunningly good, all the way through. Highly, highly recommended - can't emphasise this too much!

THE TWILIGHTS by Harald Johnson @AuthorHarald #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: 80 years post-asteroid falling on Earth.  Post-apocalyptic

My favourite genre, so I was all over this when I saw it on Rosie's book blog review list, and I very much enjoyed Harald Johnson's Neander series.

All writers of post-apocalyptic books provide a different take on how society will rebuild and develop once it has fallen apart, and this was an interesting one.  The asteroid fell 80 years ago, which was initially followed by a period of cold, but then it started warming up.  The first part of the book is set in Texas, which I believe is quite warm anyway!

Mr Johnson has come up with an unusual stance on the customs of survivors - most are 'Duskers' who celebrate the evening twilight (the 'Dawners' prefer the 'twilight' of the morning) by generally engaging n drunken debauchery, amongst other activities.  David, the protagonist, is one who prefers the quiet and solitude of the morning.  He shares his cave with Trish; soon, they are joined by Paul, and Porthos (canine).  The focus of the plot is their journey north to find colder weather and a better way of living, and, as with all the best post-apocalyptic journeys, they are beset with danger and problems along the way, though they do meet up with some who help them.

An aspect I liked very much about this book was the explanations about various survival techniques (especially the transport), and I had the feeling the author had thought of every possible pitfall - even how to surmount the problem of perished bicycle tyres.

Now and again I felt the story needed a bit more detail and atmosphere, but it's good, and I enjoyed reading it.

ONE TUESDAY, EARLY by Annalisa Crawford @AnnalisaCrawf #RBRT

 4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: mysterious psychological drama.

A curious and interesting book that kept me turning the pages from the outset.  Finn and Lexi have been together for five years and have their ups and downs, until one morning after a drunken night when Lexi wakes up in a strange, alternative reality.  From Finn's point of view, she's disappeared.  Left him, and everything else in her life.  The chapters alternate from his and her points of view, with Lexi's being written in the second person, which should have felt awkward but for the most part worked very well.

As the story goes on, we see Lexi stuck in this strange place in time, and Finn dealing with his life without her - or not dealing with it.  I realised what was happening to Lexi about half-way through, though the ending still held plenty of surprises.  The book is extremely well-written and edited, nicely paced, and Ms Crawford can certainly tell a tale.

It's a particularly hard story to review without giving spoilers, but the next part might be a bit spoiler-ish, so please be aware!

The entire story spans 20 years, and I was quite a way through before I thought, hang on, why isn't this woman's disappearance being investigated more thoroughly?  By the police, and her aunt, who'd brought her up and was like a mother to her?  By her close friends, who loved her?  Nobody appeared to do anything other than ring up Finn to ask him if he'd heard from her.  This bit didn't ring true for me.  If realistic investigations had been carried out, the plot would have fallen apart.  I still enjoyed it, though, and was able to suspend my disbelief.  Mostly.

PRIDE & PESTILENCE by Carol Hedges

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Book 11 of the Victorian Detectives murder mystery series

Eleventh book in the series, and I have not given any of them less than five stars!  Pride and Pestilence sits up there with the rest, a hugely enjoyable tale of social climbing scoundrels, unscrupulous journalists, class wars and weary detectives aiming to sort the urgent from the time-wasting, the villains from the victims.

Detective Leo Stride has now retired, but finds himself all at sea; researching old police records for the purpose of writing his memoirs is a welcome escape from bumbling around helplessly in the social and domestic world inhabited by his wife, and also provides an irresistible opportunity to sidle into in some of Cully and Greig's new cases.  Is he still needed?  Of course he is!

The discovery of a plague pit within a building site sparks off rumours of a resurgence of the pestilence of 200 years earlier, and the way in which the tabloid press use this to instil fear into the public (and sell more papers) is most entertaining, and indeed echoes events of a more recent time.

It's great.  Loved it.  Read the whole series, starting now!