Preview: Blood Tears by Michael J Malone

Blood Tears, the debut crime novel from award winning poet, book reviewer, brilliant blogger and fellow Scotsman Michael Malone is published in June 2012 by Five Leaves Publications.

Here is the lowdown on what’s in store for crime fiction fans:

A body is discovered: the terrible mutilations spell out the wounds of the Stigmata.

For Glasgow Detective Inspector Ray McBain the killings are strangely familiar......and then the dreams begin.

Blood Tears is the first in a series of books featuring Ray McBain, a detective who has too many friends in the underworld for his own good, but enough to support him when he is forced to go on the run.

June 2012 seems a long way off but Michael has kindly provided me with an advance copy so check back soon for a full review.

Please visit the author’s blog, May Contain Nuts for more information on the book and loads of other cool stuff.

Preview: Beautiful, Naked & Dead by Josh Stallings

The author himself has kindly sent me a review copy of this book.

Check out the brief synopsis:

BEAUTIFUL, NAKED AND DEAD is hard-boiled crime novel. Moses McGuire a suicidal strip club bouncer is out to avenge the death of one of his girls. From his East L.A. home, through the legal brothels of Nevada and finally to a battle with the mob in the mountains above Palo Alto, it is a sex soaked, rage driven, road trip from hell.

Sounds pretty cool.

Check back soon for a full review.

In the meantime you can visit www.joshstallings.net for more information.

Preview: Black Flowers by Steve Mosby

Steve Mosby has kindly sent me his latest novel and if it's anything like his previous books it'll be a gripping read.

I'm wary of even the slightest spoiler so just a very brief teaser for this preview post:

This is not a story about a girl who disappears. This is the story of a little girl who comes back.
As if from nowhere, she appears one day on a seaside promenade, with a black flower and a horrifying story about where she’s been. But telling that story will start a chain reaction of dangerous lies and deadly illusions that will claim many more victims in the years to come.

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J Watson

I've read a couple of sample chapters for this one that were supplied by Transworld Publishers.

It sounds very interesting and has already been optioned for film.

Here is a brief synopsis:

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...'

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight.And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

Preview: Winds Of Change by Jason Brannon

Permuted Press have sent me a copy of this for review.

Here is a brief synopsis, sounds pretty cool.

A shooting star marks the beginning nightmares for the small town of Crowley’s Point. Those who venture outdoors instantly transform into piles of salt. Is it the result of biological experimentation gone awry? A terrorist’s plot? Or is it the fulfillment of a horrific Biblical prophecy?

For more information visit www.permutedpress.com and check back soon for a full review.

A - Z Challenge: C

C is for........................The Cobra by Frederick Forsyth.

The lovely people at Transworld Publishers have sent me a copy of this for review.

I've never read Forsyth but this sounds pretty cool.

Synopsis:

The Cocaine industry is worth billions of dollars a year to the drug cartels who spread their evil seed across Western society. Its usage causes incalculable misery, poverty and death. Slowly, gradually, inexorably it is spreading...it is a blight which must be stopped.One man, Paul Devereaux, intellectual, dedicated, utterly ruthless and ex-CIA special ops, is given what seems like an impossible task. At his disposal, anything he wants - men, resources, money. He will not stop until he has completed his mission.Up to now the drug trade has been used to world governments attempting to prevent them plying their trade. But up to now, those governments have played by the rules. That is about to change. The rules no longer apply... and a dirty war is about to get a whole lot dirtier...

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Lake Charles by Ed Lynskey

Author Ed Lynskey has kindly sent me an advance copy of his new book, Lake Charles, for review.

If the striking cover art is anything to go by I'm sure it'll be an interesting read.

Product Description:

Ed Lynskey, one of the most acclaimed modern crime noir authors, returns to the Smoky Mountains with a new hardboiled tale of murder, passion, and intense action.

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: The Infection by Craig DiLouie

Craig DiLouie, author of Tooth And Nail (see review elsewhere here)

has sent me a copy of his new novel The Infection for review.

Details below:

A mysterious virus suddenly strikes down millions. Three days later, its victims awake with a single purpose: spread the Infection. As the world lurches toward the apocalypse, some of the Infected continue to change, transforming into horrific monsters.In one American city, a small group struggles to survive. Sarge, a tank commander hardened by years of fighting in Afghanistan. Wendy, a cop still fighting for law and order in a lawless land. Ethan, a teacher searching for his lost family. Todd, a high school student who sees second chances in the end of the world. Paul, a minister who wonders why God has forsaken his children. And Anne, their mysterious leader, who holds an almost fanatical hatred for the Infected.

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Poison Door by Steve Malley

Steve Malley was (and still is, so hurry over to www.stevemalley.com ) offering a free ebook of his new novel Poison Door to anyone who will post a review.

I couldn't let that pass me by.

Synopsis:

Sarah Crane is one tough cop. In a country where police don't carry guns but criminals do, she has to rely on the strength of her wits and the skill of her bare hands. Faced with a series of brutal murders and the disappearance of young women no one else seems to miss, she'll stop at nothing to get to the truth. In troubled young Michelle, Sarah sees a reflection of her own dark past.

Tommy Knowles is a vicious killer. From a London orphanage to the shores of New Zealand, he has risen from life on the streets to control this small country's heroin trade. Now his own success has led him to the edge of disaster. To secure the weapons he needs in the fight for his life, Tommy will trade as many innocent lives as necessary to secure his survival.

Michelle Swanston is fourteen and in danger. Safer on the Christchurch city streets than she is in her own home, Michelle's night wanderings take her into a hell worse than any she ever imagined. With no way of knowing who she can trust, no one else she can rely on, this terrified young girl is determined not to go down without a fight...

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Between Summer's Longing And Winter's End by Leif GW Persson

Thanks to Lynsey at Transworld Publishers who has sent me a copy of this for review.

Synopsis:

The death of an unknown American in Stockholm, though tragic, should be an open-and-shut case, a simple suicide. But when Superintendent Lars Martin Johansson begins to delve beneath the layers of corruption, incompetence and violence currently strangling the Stockholm police department, he uncovers a complex web of treachery, politics and espionage. Johansson quickly realises that there is nothing routine about this little death as it quickly catapults him from mere domestic drama straight to the rotten heart of Sweden’s government.

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Dark Side by Belinda Bauer

Ben Willis at Transworld Publishers has kindly sent me a copy of
Belinda Bauer's new book Dark Side for review.

If it's even half as good as Blacklands, her fantastic debut, we are in for a treat.

Synopsis:

Shipcott in bleak mid-winter: a close knit community where no stranger goes unnoticed. So when an elderly woman is murdered in her bed, village policeman Jonas Holly is doubly shocked. How could someone have killed and left no trace?Jonas finds himself sidelined as the investigation is snatched away from him by an abrasive senior detective. Is his first murder investigation over before it’s begun? But this isn’t the end of it for Jonas, because someone in the village is taunting him, blaming him for the tragedy, and watching every move he makes...

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Ashes by Matthew Crow

Legend Press have provided me with a copy of Ashes by Matthew Crow for review.

It sounds like it'll be up my street:

A lawless land of violence and deprivation, The Meadow Well Estate is a no-go area for police and non-residents alike and a hotbed of ritual violence. No-one dares enter of their own accord, and few make it out alive. But Jack was one of the good ones. Recently released from prison, he is determined to turn his life completely around: by getting out.
When, however, rumours spark of the police's involvement in the death of two young joy riders,the anxieties of the estate flare into a week-long riot, causing burnt out wrecks at every turn and capturing the attention of the local and national media. Can Jack resist the call of the indiscriminate fury, or will the desperation of Meadow Well claim him once more?

Check back soon for a full review but in the meantime check the Legend Press website http://www.legendpress.co.uk/ for more info.

Preview: Memory Leak by Trevor Schmidt

Trevor Schmidt has been kind (and brave) enough to send me a copy of his novel Memory Leak which is due for release early 2011.

Check back soon for a full review but in the meantime here is the synopsis:

Every night, Jonathan Hart dreams of a cracked wasteland in the setting sun. By morning the image retreats to his subconscious mind. Again, he finds himself in a city of symmetrical people, where he is anonymous in his perfection. A voice in his head tells him there is more to life than following the will of his supreme leader, Liam Mail, and that there is more to his own life than he can remember. That there are things he can’t remember about the city of symmetricals that could tear down the fabric of his world. Now, Jonathan must fight against the forces that suppress his memories before his mind is damaged beyond repair. Can Jonathan expose the twisted truth about the symmetrical elite, and in doing so restore society to its flawed asymmetrical origins? Or will his efforts explode and create a MEMORY LEAK?

Preview: CassaStar by Alex J Cavanaugh

Congratulations to my Blogging friend Alex J Cavanaugh as his book CassaStar is launched on Tuesday 19th October.

It promises to be a wild ride for sci-fi fans. You can visit Alex's blog via the link in "Visit These Places", in the meantime here are the details and cool trailer for CassaStar.

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To pilot the fleet’s finest ship…

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitude, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron’s chagrin, the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

Preview: The Expendables

The Expendables hits UK cinemas today.

Head over to http://www.dvdreview.co.uk/ to see my rundown of the muscle-bound cast which includes some of their previous efforts that you might have missed.

Check back soon for a full review.

Preview: Tooth And Nail by Craig DiLouie

In another first for myself and the blog, author Craig Dilouie has been kind / courageous enough to send me a copy of his new book to review.

It's a Zombie apocalypse story told from the perspective of the soldiers fighting to save their dying country.

Check back soon for a full review.

In the meantime check out www.infectedwar.com for more information.