Saturday 25 November 2017

Turning The Tables: A gripping thriller about the ultimate heist by Julia Underwood

I picked this book up as it was free at the time and it starts in St Tropez, which is not far from where I live. The action swiftly moves to London and I was gripped by this well written and tense thriller. Loves the 70's London setting and rated this 5 stars.



This is a very British crime caper. A group of ordinary Londoners take on the shady world of the casinos and try to siphon off some cash they all so desperately need. I enjoyed reading about their meticulous planning, done in a suburban house in Fulham whilst enjoying a cheap bottle of wine and some sandwiches. Julia Underwood has set this story in 1976 and she describes that year in vivid detail, the fashion, the difficult economic times due to high oil prices and interest rates and that incredible hot summer. (Yes I’m old enough to remember that!) I was on tender hooks when Chris; the guy that is going to play blackjack sits down at the table of the inside man Pete. There is almost from the start a feeling of impending doom. They know that the casino is run by people who would use violence if they ever discover their scam, but are they smart enough to stay under the radar? Well you’ll just have to read the book. I would recommend this if you love a crime thriller that involves the murky world of gambling or a good old fashioned British crime caper.

Monday 20 November 2017

Dreamland by Julie E. Clements

This is one for the younger ones and any one who enjoyed reading Peter pan and C.S.Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was not surprised that the writer names C.S.Lewis as one of her influences. I don't mind reading children's books, if they are well written, has a dose of humour and contain a message that is also relevant to adults. This book had all those elements so I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars.
Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.



Children love to escape to a different world that is filled with adventure. Worlds like Narnia and Neverland have enthralled our little readers for generations. Here we are introduced to Julia E.Clements Dreamland; a wondrous place that takes the shape of a young boy, Danny’s, imagination. But apart from magical creatures and adventure the book also contains a very powerful message. Danny has lost his father and struggles to come to terms with that. He finds it impossible to talk to his mother as he doesn’t want to reopen any wounds. As often happens, our anxieties, grief and anger manifest itself in our dreams as something scary and dark. Danny will have to trust the ones dearest to him to conquer his demons. A lovely adventure story with a positive message which young boys and girls will love.

Wednesday 15 November 2017

The Lyon Affair: A French Resistance novel (The Indigo Rebels Book 2) by Ellie Midwood

You might know by now that I love reading historical fiction. This writer came across a wee while back and I loved her characters. Often women who have to make difficult choices and not always take the right ones. This book is no exception. I hugely enjoyed the Indigo Rebels by Ellie Midwood and the follow up I'm glad to say is also a 5 star read.
 Click on the pic. to take you to Amazon.
 


This is the second book in the Indigo Rebels series. It follows on from the Indigo Rebels, but the action moves from Paris to Lyon in the Free French zone and Dijon which is very much in occupied territory. It is a sequel but it would stand on its own. We are introduced to a number of new characters that take their lives in their hands by joining the resistance. What I like most about Ellie Midwood are her very human characters, and here we are introduced to two complex ones in the shape of Blanche and father Yves. Blanche is embittered by her past. Born of a German soldier and a French mother who alleged that she was raped, she has been shunned and teased since childhood. She joins the resistance to get back at the Germans that ruined her childhood. Blanche doesn’t find the kinship she so craves with her fellow resistance fighters and starts to wonder if it was really the Germans that ruined her childhood.  The other character I loved was Father Yves, a man with a dark past who is reluctantly drawn into the resistance, where he struggles with his vow to not harm again. There are many others but I don’t want to give away too much. Just pick up this book and let the heroes and villains reveal themselves. Some nail biting action too as they find out they have a traitor in their midst.
 

Thursday 9 November 2017

Forgotten Reflections: A War Story by Young-Im Lee

I think this is the first book I've read by a Korean writer and it turned out to be a good read. It requires a bit of patience and a little knowledge about Korea and the civil war would help. So if you have and do, this is a 5 star.
Click on the picture to take you to Amazon:



This is quite an epic and complex book, told from several perspectives and time lines. It is also a beautifully written book about the Korean civil war and the Korea of today. Its prose is quite poetic at times, that and the to me unfamiliar Korean names and words, took a bit of time to get used to. But by part two I started to get really into the story and was hooked to the very end. The main character is Iseul, we learn about her past and the men that play a role in her life. Her granddaughter realises when Iseul develops Alzheimer’s that she knows very little about her. When Iseul mumbles a name, her granddaughter sets out on a quest to find out about the man on her grandmothers lips. Jia, the granddaughter is a young girl struggling with the pressures of modern Korean life. Through her we hear the writer’s voice, who has some reservations about what direction South Korea is heading. It is an interesting insight into the Korea of now. I was however more intrigued with the story set in the 1950’s when brother was fighting brother. Also demonstrated in this book, that not even a son could fully trust his father when war raged. There are many beautiful snippets, either real or fictional, that war can also bring the best out of people and that love can be a very powerful motivator. An epic well thought out book that I can recommend to anyone interested in post war politics, history and who likes a good love story.

Friday 27 October 2017

Tales of the Fantastic: A Fantasy & Paranormal Sample Anthology

This sample anthology features a number of Indie writer and showcases some of their work. I picked it up because it was free and I already read and reviewed some of Grant Leishman's work.

Here is what the blurb says about the other writers:
Six daring authors from around the globe met in an online fantasy/paranormal author team. We present to you:

Daccari Buchelli, a British fantasy novelist, who developed a love for reading at a young age. He found himself drawn to Fantasy genre, with its magical worlds and mythical beings. When away from his trusty ball point pen, Daccari enjoys sketching, as well as horror films, and curling up with a good book and a rich coffee.

Alex E. Carey, a U.S. novelist, was born in Texas and moved to North Carolina for college. When not at work on her latest book, she enjoys reading, walking trails, gem mining and spending time with her family and their three dogs.

David Gilchrist, a UK novelist from Scotland, is a writer of words, a lover of music and a designer of electronics. He has loved fantasy since first reading Lord of the Rings and has been devouring the genre ever since. Wherever his reading takes him, he always finds his way back to dragons, magic and fantasy.

Grant Leishman, a former New Zealander living in the Philippines, started out in finance and journalism, but finally found his true calling in life as a full-time author. When he's not writing, he loves spending time with his family and interacting online with his readers and other authors.

Caitlin Lynagh, originally from Wales, now living in England, received degrees with honors in Biology and Geology. Though she loves science, she also loves writing, and so her first fantasy novel, Anomaly, was born. She also enjoys traveling, reviewing books, and interacting with her readers.

Kim Ross, a born Novocastrian, resides in Australia with her family and their golden retriever. When she isn't writing, she enjoys belly dancing and performs professionally with the Silk Caravan Belly Dance Troupe.

Here is my 4 star review:


I got this book when it was a free promotion. I was already familiar with the work of Grant Leishman and thought this was a good opportunity to try some of his author friends’ work. This book contains sample chapters of novels, short stories and flash fiction. It is mostly in the fantasy genre, hence the title. This book wants to showcase 6 independent writers and tempt the reader to buy the full book via the links at the end of their segment. There are certainly a few writers that caught my eye, I was sorry to arrive at the end of their sample. It is a real mixed bag of styles and topics and some bits are going to appeal more than others. But it is a showcase and in this the book has achieved its goal.