Book: The Four Legendary Kingdoms by Matthew Reilly

After a wait of around 7 years Matthew Reilly returns to the Jack West Jr. series and the adventurer finds himself in a whole lot of trouble from the get go.

West awakens with a shaven head and shoeless in a prison cell and is quickly attacked by a Minotaur! How’s that for an opening?

From there its all familiar Matthew Reilly territory as we are treated to a series of challenges (complete with descriptive maps and graphs) that West must complete in order to save the planet from impending destruction. There are hazards and lethal opponents galore but Jack finds an ally amongst all the dangers in the form of a character that fans of Matthew Reilly will be very familiar with. It’s a guest appearance that contributes greatly without ever stealing the show.

Reilly acknowledges the time gap since the last novel as the characters have all aged accordingly. Jack’s daughter Lily, a little girl in the previous books, is now 20 years of age. Thankfully Horus the Falcon, a hero in the first book of the series Seven Ancient Wonders, is still around even if not quite so heroic.

Fans of adventure stories and conspiracy theories will have a blast but I wouldn't recommend jumping in without having read the previous novels.

The Four Legendary Kingdoms by Matthew Reilly is available now in Hardback and e-book.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.      

Book: The Apostle by J.A Kerley

Strange religious murders and an ailing Preacher are the focus of the latest Carson Ryder novel which sees the welcome return of his old partner, Harry Nautilis.

Newly retired Nautilis is employed as a driver / bodyguard by an up-and-coming tv preacher who is soon summoned to stand in for the sickly veteran. This takes Harry to Miami where he soon teams up with his old buddy Ryder as they compare notes and attempt to solve the latest series of grisly murders. 

Jack Kerley took a chance when he decided to relocate his novel series from Alabama to Miami. Uprooting the main character and surrounding him with new faces was a test for even the most loyal fan.

For the most part it has worked as the Miami novels have been fresh but the absence of Nautilis has been noticeable and his re-introduction brings a much needed grounding to the Ryder series v.2. The promotion of Carson’s enigmatic brother Jeremy to a regular character is also welcome.

12 books in and these books remain as intriguing and entertaining as ever but I wouldn’t recommend The Apostle as either a starting point or a stand alone novel. Start right back to the beginning with The Hundredth Man or join the Miami series with The Death Box to get the most from The Apostle.

Visit www.jackkerley.com for more information on the author and his books.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended  

Book: Larry by Adam Millard

Back in the 70s Larry “Pigface” Travers was a prolific serial killer who went on several Friday The 13^th type summer camp killing sprees.

Move on 40 or so years and Larry is in his sixties and living with his eighty year old Mum..but the urges have come back.

Larry decides (against his Mother’s advice) to don his Pig mask one more time and pay a visit to this years inhabitants of the camp. Are his creaking old bones up to it?

Adam Millard has produced a serial killer comedy that works pretty well. Larry is hilarious as he huffs and puffs his way around attempting to terrorise some teenagers with names like Freddy, Jason and Myers.

Laughs spliced into horrific murders make for a gory but highly entertaining quick read and in the great tradition of cheesy horror films a sequel will be with us soon. You can’t keep a decrepit killer down!

Ric’s Rating: Good.    

Book: The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones

Stephen Lloyd Jones’ debut novel is a tale of murder, revenge, love and erm Hungarian folklore. The Hozzsu Eletek are a rare breed of people. Blessed / cursed with exceptionally long life they also have the ability to replicate the appearance of any other person. One of their kind is a misguided young man who is eventually outcast and hunted by his own. Desperate and alone Jakab decides to dedicate his long life to tracking down and killing the descendants of those responsible for what he sees as a terrible humiliation and betrayal.

The book jumps between present day, the late seventies and the eighteen hundreds as we follow all the relevant participants in the story. We have a young Jakab, a university lecturer and his daughter Hannah, who along with her family provide the most exciting chapters of the book.

This is quite the epic tale and a bit of a challenge for someone used to regular crime fiction. The challenge was almost too much at times but that was down to the slow pace of some passages, not the quality of the writing, which is superior throughout.

The String Diaries is interesting and entertaining but lacks the tension required to compel the reader to continue with the next chapter, especially when it takes you away from the action.

Give it a try if you fancy something a bit different but be prepared to stretch your imagination.

Ric’s Rating: Dodgy      

Book: The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier

Meet eighty year old Edward Shank, former chief of police, highly respected pillar of the community.... and serial killer.

During his police career Shank famously cornered and shot dead a serial killer but unbeknown to anyone it was Shank himself who was the killer known as The Butcher.

Long retired and about to move into an old folks home Shank decides to let his Grandson in on the secret and although his body might not be what it used to be the old man is helpless to prevent the urges which are beginning to return on a frequent basis.

Jennifer Hillier’s first stand-alone thriller delivers an anti-hero unlike any other. Edward “The Chief” Shank is a thoroughly despicable but totally captivating character who completely dominates the book. The supporting cast of grandson Matthew, his girlfriend Sam and detective Sanchez add important elements but when The Chief appears it feels the same as when an acting legend with great screen presence appears in a movie.

In fact, The Butcher is prime movie adaptation material and my ideal choice for the part would be Clint Eastwood. Until that happens make sure you catch this absorbing and unique serial killer story.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: The Cold Cold Sea by Linda Huber

A family day out at the beach takes a tragic turn when 3 year old Olivia Granger goes missing. Time passes and with no sign of Olivia she is presumed drowned.

Meanwhile 5 year old Hailey Marshall starts school and her Mother Jennifer couldn’t be any more proud.

As we follow both families it isn’t clear where this story will take us but slowly the horrible truth begins to reveal itself.

Following her impressive début novel, The Paradise Trees, Linda Huber returns with another tension filled tale depicting a young girl in a very worrying situation. As the growing sense of dread builds you anticipate certain things happening, only for events to transpire somewhat differently.

I’m not entirely sure that this sits comfortably under the crime fiction umbrella. Yes, there is a crime being committed, but there is no sign of the hackneyed genre favourites of serial killer and streetwise detective. This is far removed from those types of novels but it is no less entertaining whilst also managing to instil an excruciatingly uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach.

The Cold Cold Sea also gives us a wonderful main character that has you completely emotionally invested in her. I haven’t rooted for a character as much since Thor the dog in Wayne Smith’s story.

With only her second book Linda Huber has written a wonderful tale that puts the reader through the wringer and then drags them back again. Thankfully every suspense filled page is worth it.

The Cold Cold Sea is available now from Legend Press. 

Ric’s Rating: Essential

Book: The Nightmare Place by Steve Mosby

Detective Inspector Zoe Dolan is experiencing a recurring dream that gives her the strange feeling that something awful is coming. This is happening while she is working on a troubling case. There is a rapist on the loose who stalks women and then attacks them in their own home, he is known as The Creeper.

Steve Mosby’s latest sinister crime story grips from the chilling first chapter until the last. As well as the ongoing investigation we have a dispute between neighbours and a volunteer helpline worker who soon regrets doing the right thing.

Short  chapters make this a quick easy read which is over all too soon. A real pity as Mosby isn’t the most prolific of writers.

For more information on the author and his work visit www.theleftroom.co.uk and click on the Steve Mosby label below for more reviews and an interview.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer

Patrick Fort has Asperger’s Syndrome so he sees the world around him a bit differently than most people do. When his father is the victim of a hit & run Patrick decides to try to understand death. This leads him to an anatomy class where the dissection of a human body focuses Patrick’s mind on the cause of death and he doesn’t believe the cause listed here.

Meanwhile a recovering coma patient makes a startling discovery but struggles to communicate with anyone in a position to act on the information he has.

Belinda Bauer again manages to absorb the reader into a fascinating murder story woven around a coming-of-age tale featuring a brilliant main character who overcomes many obstacles in both the investigation he begins and the awkwardness of teenage life.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: Poppet by Mo Hayder

DI Jack Caffrey investigates the bizarre goings on at a local Mental Hospital while also attempting to find closure for the troubled Mother of a missing young woman in the latest thriller from Mo Hayder.

Some years ago I read Hayder’s fantastic debut book, Birdman, which was closely followed by The Treatment. Those books lived long in the memory as they effortlessly combined a surreal feeling of horror with repulsion at the criminal acts described within their pages. The books also introduced the character of Jack Caffrey, a police officer haunted by the disappearance of his Brother when they were both children.

Much to my surprise Hayder’s next novel did not feature Caffrey, and neither did the next. Cafferey eventually reappeared in 2008’s Ritual but I hadn’t got round to catching up with him….until now.

Having long left events of the first two books behind we join Caffrey in Bristol, where reports of strange sightings of a figure known as The Maude followed by some particularly nasty incidents bring a concerned Mental Health Nurse to his office.

Can Caffrey get to the bottom of the mysterious sightings and will colleague Flea Marley tell him what happened to that missing girl?

Having read this sixth instalment of the Jack Caffrey series I now can’t wait to get my hands on the ones I missed. The author yet again manages to create a truly eerie atmosphere, the type of which is usually only found in quality horror novels, and combine it with fascinatingly macabre crime scenes. Throw in an interesting and complex cast of characters and you have a novel that will appeal to both crime and horror fans despite having a rather predictable twist.

Poppet is available everywhere now.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.  

Book: The Survivor by Sean Slater

It’s Detective Jacob Striker’s first day back on the job following stress leave and what a day it turns out to be. He gets called into the office of his Daughter’s school to discuss her absenteeism and while he’s there a massacre takes place. For the first time ever Striker is glad his daughter has skipped school! After the shoot-out Striker and his partner peruse a fleeing gunman but do not manage to capture him.

After starting with a literal bang this cop v killer tale descends into an onslaught of clichés. The author seems to have taken elements from all the police procedurals he’s read and tried to include them here.

We have the depressed rebellious cop who only takes shit from his equally rebellious daughter and one of the things she rebels against is his affair with his partner!

The Survivor had plenty of promise and I usually don’t mind stereotypical characters but I just didn’t like this main character enough to see past it all. 100 odd pages were enough.

Ric’s Rating: Abandoned.

Book: The Pack by Jason Starr

Simon Burns’ life changes dramatically when he unexpectedly loses his job. Gone are the office politics and deal making meetings. These are replaced with the responsibility of caring for his 3 year old son. With a marriage already on the rocks how will Burns adapt to his new role?

Relief from the stress comes when Simon meets a trio of full-time Dads at a local playground and the guys immediately welcome him into their company. Following a night out with the guys Simon wakes up in a very strange place and that’s just the beginning of his new experiences….

Ok, the guys are Werewolves, headed by the mysterious Michael but this isn't a typical stalk, slash and devour horror story. The guys all have their own problems to deal with, especially Michael, making this much more a human drama than a cheap gore-fest. There are also wonderful moments of toddler – related humour that any parent can relate to.

The Pack is an excellent horror / thriller / comedy and with a sequel already available I can’t wait to take another bite! Hoowwwlll !!

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended   

Book: The Death Box by J.A Kerley

In the 10th book of JA (Jack) Kerley’s Carson Ryder series the author decides to take a chance and relocate the main character to Miami, leaving behind his previous life and friends in Alabama.

After an unenthusiastic welcome from his new colleagues Ryder is called to an alarming discovery. Numerous bodies have been buried in a cistern type box which has then been filled with concrete.

The investigation leads the dogged Detective to a despicable people trafficking organisation headed up by some truly awful individuals.

Kerley has a knack for bringing characters in for one book but never returning to them. Some are perhaps worthy of spin- off novels. However, this new setting for Ryder feels like a whole new beginning and I have the feeling that several of the new supporting cast will turn up again. Old favourite Harry Nautilus is gone (forever?) but the brilliant Jeremy (Ryder’s fugitive Brother) does appear with a vague promise of more future interaction.

Kerley’s story-telling and ability to present well-rounded characters ensure that this series easily survives the bold move and fans should embrace this change rather that be sceptical of it. The Death Box also works very well for anyone new to the books.

Easily one of the best ongoing detective novel series around.

Ric’s Rating: Essential

Book: Instinct by Ben Kay

When eminent entomologist Dr Laura Trent is approached by a secretive group known as MEROS she is intrigued by their proposal but unable to take the offer of employment.

Things change when her Son goes missing and MEROS reveal themselves as being responsible.

Dr Trent finds herself blackmailed into helping the shady organisation control their most fearsome project, genetically altered wasps.

The giant wasps are held in a remote laboratory in Venezuela but a new, and more aggressive, batch have killed a scientist and are threatening to escape.

Trent and the team, made up of soldiers and scientists, must keep the situation contained but the vicious insects are hungry and they want out.

I was looking forward to the wasps marauding through cities and towns but after the opening scene the flying killers are contained to the MEROS lab, where the entire novel takes place.

While attempting to escape the facility the team must pass through a long forgotten section known as the abdomen which was sealed off when the mutated insects got out of control.

This brings some much needed variety to proceedings as along with the wasps there is a plethora of other giant nasties for the humans to deal with.

The characters all have a full background story which helps the reader become engaged in their plight.

Instinct is an entertaining read and would work well on film but I so wanted the insects to get loose. Maybe we’ll get that in a sequel.

Ric’s Rating: Good.       

Book: The Hardcore Truth by Bob Holly

Professional wrestling was at its most popular in the late 1990s and early to mid 2000s. During that time two rival companies (WCW and WWF) were competing for the biggest audience share.

This rivalry spawned the “attitude” era, a time when the WWF wisely chose to aim their product not at children but at 18-30 year old males. The resulting edgier content was a resounding success, leading to the eventual demise of WCW.

During this era many popular wrestlers emerged, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) became household names while old pros like The Undertaker and Ric Flair enjoyed continued spells in the limelight. Amongst the mid-card wrestlers was Bob Holly, a guy who had toiled for years in the business after being saddled with the gimmick of being a wrestling race car driver. The more adult orientated programming gave Holly an opportunity to showcase his genuine toughness and Hardcore Holly was born. This was a tough guy in the anti-hero mould of Jake “The Snake” Roberts but with the believability that he could legitimately beat-up most other wrestlers. This is his story.

In general I’m not a big fan of (auto) biographies, I usually find that no matter how interesting a person is I quickly tire of their tales of high school woe and childhood. Holly is an exception. I was a fan of his during the attitude era of wrestling and this continued until his departure form the top company in 2008. I even got to see him once when he appeared in Glasgow so I was keen to hear what he had to say.

The man (just like his wrestling persona) pulls no punches. Names are named. Jerry Jarrett (Jeff Jarrett’s Dad), Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall (to name but a few) are exposed here as Holly provides details of their questionable behaviour. He also covers wrestling’s most controversial subjects like the Bret Hart screw job, Owen Hart’s death and the Chris Benoit murder / suicide.

Holly could not have addressed these subjects (and others) in the frank manner that he does if this had been endorsed by WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and the book is all the better for it. Between these issues is the tale of a man giving his all to the business only to be thwarted every time the chance of real success came along.

At times The Hardcore Truth can be a bit of a wistful lament but Holly’s no-nonsense insight into the most successful and controversial period in the history of professional makes interesting reading for anyone who was a fan at the time.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.             

Book: The Paradise Trees by Linda Huber

Alicia Bryson returns to the village of her childhood when she hears that her Father’s health has deteriorated. Unfortunately she does not have many happy memories of the house or the man himself, as he was often abusive and violent towards his daughter.

This time though her own daughter, Jenny, is with her and hopefully the little girl will create better memories for herself during the summer spent at Granddad’s.

Unbeknown to Alicia is the fact that their arrival has not gone unnoticed. A stranger has seen them and begins to formulate a plan that will send them both to “Paradise”.

The story is told from the perspectives of Alicia and The Stranger and quickly becomes a bit of a guessing game as to who The Stranger is. Could it be the local Doctor, the pet shop owner, the care home manager or even Jenny’s own Father who comes back into her life after a long absence.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Alicia and The Stranger the story moves along swiftly towards the tension filled finale.

Often uncomfortable but totally compelling The Paradise Trees is an excellent debut novel by Linda Huber and I’ll certainly look out for her future work.

Available now from Legend Press.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.

Book: Stolen Prey by John Sandford

An entire family has been murdered in the most horrific scene Lucas Davenport has ever seen. The level of violence and ruthlessness makes him immediately suspect the involvement of a Mexican drug cartel but he can find no evidence whatsoever to support this theory.

A tale of robbery, greed, drugs and murder follows featuring a whole host of unsavoury characters which includes: Three Mexican hitmen, disgruntled bank employees, a questionable Mexican cop and his assistant, along with Virgil Flowers who now has his own spin-off series of books.

While attempting to get to the bottom of all this Lucas must cope with an arm injury caused when he became the victim of opportunistic muggers. Will he catch up with them?

Being familiar with this series definitely enhances the reading experience as this one on it’s own doesn’t quite have the excitement of previous efforts, but as part of the series it’s another reasonably satisfying outing for Davenport and Co. largely thanks to the gripping finale.

Ric’s Rating: Good.        

Book: Sinema 3: The Troy Consortium by Rod Glenn

Hannibal Whitman returns in the third instalment of Rod Glenn’s serial-killer thriller series.

The world thinks Whitman is dead but he has been secretly rescued, rehabilitated and trained by a secretive organisation known as The Troy Consortium. Their purpose is to eliminate any form of threat to Great Britain that the courts can’t deal with.

Whitman, his appearance altered, is soon set up with a new identity, but it isn’t long until the consortium hand him his first murderous assignment.

Things work well for a while and despite Han’s longing for certain elements of his previous life he begins to settle into his new persona, and excels in his work for the consortium.

Events take a surprising turn when the powers-that-be decide to get rid of all of their “assets” leaving Han and his new-found allies no option but to fight back.

Following some spectacularly violent action scenes, which have become the hallmark of this series, we find ourselves back in the setting for the first Sinema novel, Haydon.

Haydon is now a ghost town of Whitman’s making which is haunted by the spirits of former friends that became victims in the notorious “experiment”.    

The reformation of a diabolical character continues here as this time out we are firmly behind Whitman, especially when a feared adversary threatens his former lover.

Sinema 3 is a continuation of the previous books and won’t work if you haven’t read the others, but if you’re a fan of serial-killer stories that aren't predictable whodunits then do yourself a favour and read this fantastic trilogy.

Click the Rod Glenn label for my reviews of the previous books and more.

Ric’s Rating: Essential.    

Book: The Good Girl by Sinclair Macleod

Insurance investigator turned private detective Craig Campbell returns in Sinclair Macleod’s sequel to The Reluctant Detective.

This time out Campbell takes on the case of a missing girl in St. Andrews, a Scottish town famous for its University and golf course which attracts visitors from all over.

The girl in question is a farm worker from Poland who came to Scotland so that she could help support the family back home. Her disappearance is reported by a fellow worker who is gravely concerned.

The investigation leads Campbell from the migrant worker community to the student body of the town and then into the world of escorts and prostitution.

Throw in a brilliant sub-plot with Craig’s feisty Mother looking into the discovery of a dead baby and you have all the ingredients of an excellent thriller that manages to retain a light-hearted tone thanks to Campbell’s humorous outlook.

Before picking this up I’d recommend reading the first in the series as there are several references to past events. In any case I always find that any book in a series is more enjoyable if you know the characters history.

The Good Girl is another brilliant example of the current Scottish crime fiction scene.

Ric's Rating: Highly Recommended

Book: Murder By Prophecy by Gary Kassay

Detective Inspector Duke Becker and the Special Investigations Unit (Homicide) of New York City return in this sequel to the brilliant Murder In Silence, from cop-turned-author Gary Kassay.

This time Becker and the team are in pursuit of a serial-killer known as The Prophet, a killer who sends taunting letters to the Chief Of Police, who may know more than he is admitting to.

This novel is no whodunit, we are immediately introduced to Samuel Maxwell, a man hell-bent on avenging the brutal murder of his family by becoming The Prophet and eliminating those he holds responsible.

All the winning elements from the first book are back. Duke and the gang are on fine form and the reader again finds themselves able to relate to the character that would traditionally be presented as the bad guy.

Before picking this up I’d advise reading Murder In Silence as there are lots of recurring characters, even some peripheral characters are back. Wheelchair-bound Fred Haynes and reporter Marielle Wilson both return and it’s a nice touch, as all too often authors quickly ditch good characters for no apparent reason.

Maxwell’s meticulous planning leaves the cops struggling to keep up but will he succeed in his mission or will the lure of a possible new life knock him off course?

Exciting, fast-paced and loads of fun Murder By Prophecy is a cool follow-up to a fantastic series opener and I can’t wait to see what Becker and the team encounter next.

Click the Gary Kassay label for my review of Murder In Silence and more.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended. 

Book: Birthdays For The Dead by Stuart MacBride

Detective Ash Henderson has a secret. Everyone thinks his daughter ran away years ago but he knows different, because he has the pictures. Ash’s daughter was taken by the notorious serial killer known as The Birthday Boy but he can’t tell anyone or he’ll be taken off the case.

When victims are found Ash must work with the eccentric psychologist Dr MacDonald as she attempts to build a profile of the man they are tracking down.

In this novel Stuart MacBride takes a break from his successful Logan McRae series but manages to retain his trademark humour amongst some very grisly goings on.

As well as finding the killer Ash has the local gangsters to contend with but as a former bare-knuckle fighter he’s not one to back down from a confrontation. This set-up makes for some fantastic scenes. Mr Pain paying Ash a visit and a fabricated lead which ends in big trouble provide added drama to an already enthralling tale.

Some parts of the story’s climax are pretty predictable but that doesn’t detract from what is another superior crime fiction book from one of Scotland’s top authors.

Ric’s Rating: Highly Recommended.