Review: The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood

Despite only being 17, Eleanor has not led an easy life. her mother passed away when she was just 9, but thankfully, she had Mrs Pembroke, who took her in and raised her like a daughter., but the relief was short lived, because after three years, Mrs Pembroke followed Eleanor’s mother to the land of the dead. And then everything changed. Instead of continuing her life as Mr Pembroke’s ward, Ella was made a housemaid, forced into a life of service and poverty, and constantly under the dark and oppressive shadow of the master of the house, who is a little too interested in the young women in his employ.

Despite this, she has one silver lining: the library. In the depths of night, Eleanor sneaks into the forbidden room to let her mind escape through stories.  And it’s during one of these midnight sojourns that Eleanor’s life changes completely.

She’s not alone in the library, this time. There’s a black-eyed woman with her, with a startling proposition: she will grant Eleanor seven wishes, in exchange for the young woman’s soul. Only, there’s a catch – each wish comes at a very steep price.

The premise of selling your soul to the devil is certainly not a new, but JJA Harwood might just make you forget that. Shocked by the carnage each wish creates, and the ultimate price she will have to pay, Eleanor strives to make something of her life without the assistance of any supernatural forces. But she can’t – each time she tries to resist the allure of that simple word, fate, or perhaps the woman with the black eyes, forces her hand, and soon enough Eleanor is down to a final wish, without much to show for her trouble.

Thankfully, she has a plan to ensure she never has to give up her soul, nor the final wish which ties it to her. But will it work?

The Shadow in the Glass is more than a cautionary tale of the dangers of ambition and the downsides of making a deal with the devil. Apart from being the literal embodiment of the warning to be careful what you wish for, it’s a tale of a desperation, with a strong social commentary carefully used as background. Eleanor’s gradual descent into depravity and desperation are starkly contrasted to the romance and bright future our protagonist longs for. The Shadow in The Glass is a page-turner and an exhilarating journey from the first sentence.  

The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood is published by Harper Voyager, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Son of The Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Danso has found himself in a unique position. Despite not being High Bassai, he is a novitiate, and while his position in the guild is tenuous, he seems totally unconcerned with decorum. Instead, Danso seeks the truth behind stories, including that of his mother’s past. His fixation has landed him in hot water a few times, much to the ire of his intended, Esheme.

Yet when events beyond Danso’s control force the land of Bassa to close its borders, and for Danso to be expelled from his university, his life changes beyond recognition. But that’s nothing compared to his discovery of a strange warrior from a distant land, with the ability to wield magic, and a price-tag on her head.

Ands it’s that discovery, along with his insane desire to help this exile, that REALLY lands him in trouble, and places his life, and the lives of everyone he loves, in danger. Because it turns out Danso has a secret of his own, which could unsettle the very history upon which the kingdom of Bassa was founded.

African fantasy has just found itself a king in the form of Suyi Davies Okungbowa. I’ve yet to discover another writer who can effortlessly weave African mythology and history with a dazzling display of fantasy to create something new and delicious. Son of the Storm is more into just a foray into the birthplace of humanity (and probably magic). It is a cleverly crafted social narrative that exposes injustices and discrimination while the camouflage of epic fiction. Okungbowa has created a page-turner that is as addictive as it is compelling. He has reintroduced to the world to the power for Africa, and an African story, and I am hooked.

But there’s a downside.

Just as the characters start to feel like real people, and the trek across unknown lands really hits its stride, we are left with an (admittedly very good) cliffhanger, and the torture of waiting for the next instalment. Which means that we have what feels like an eternity to wait before the story continues. I hate that – I want more already, so excuse me while I learn to transform a sulk session into patience. In the meantime, join the party and grab a copy of Son of the Storm before Hollywood finds it first!

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa is published by Orbit, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Serial Killers of Russia by Wensley Clarkson

Wensley Clarkson has made a career of getting into the minds of the world’s deadliest and darkest murderers. And this time, he’s heading to unchartered territory: Russia. Serial Killers of Russia comprises the true events behind nine of Russia’s deadliest serial killers, and how these murderers evaded capture for so long.

If you though serial killers were purely an American phenomenon, prepare to be proven wrong. Just because we haven’t heard about these homicides before doesn’t mean they never happened – as Clarkson explains, it’s all due to something equally terrifying: Russian politics, and the refusal of the nation to admit to anything that might tarnish its reputation in the West.

It’s immediately apparent from the start of this book that Clarkson is incredibly confident. He claims that his experience with true crime writing and documentaries has given him an unusual and in-depth understanding of what makes a psychopath tick. Yet it pains me to say that the execution falls a little flat.

After several disclaimers of the morbid nature of the crimes, and warning to squeamish readers, this book isn’t as advertised. Perhaps it says something about the macabre nature of human interest and today’s media, but many of the crimes included in the volume are nowhere near as scary as Hollywood’s offerings. Instead, there is a glaring over-reliance on extreme adjectives which constantly forces the reader to remember that this is bad shit. But there are only so many times you can use words like heinous, gruesome or horrific in a sentence before the language loses its appeal and becomes distracting.

And then there are those inconsistencies. Despite promises of insights from killer’s minds, the majority of commentary about the mental state of these murderers comes in the form of unnamed experts, who seem to know a great deal about the inner workings of these homicidal maniacs without revealing how. Furthermore, Clarkson spends a great deal of time lamenting the state of Russian politics, and how this has affected the country’s lackluster policing. Yet his constant reminders that the Russian police force were inept and corrupt, with no interest in solving murders or putting in the work are peppered with notes from detectives, eyewitness testimonies (from sources that also remain nameless) and arrest details that prove the contrary. Altogether, this lends Serial Killers of Russia a degree of implausibility which reads more like fiction than non-fiction.

But it’s not all bad. The details about Russia’s socio-economic past are incredibly intriguing, and do wonders for helping the reader understand the various ways these killers could stalk their prey so successfully, while evading capture for so long.

Serial Killers of Russia by Wensley Clarkson is published by Welbeck, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

Teddy Crutcher takes immense pride in his work. He’s a teacher, tasked with shaping the minds of some of the wealthiest kids in the country, at an elite school. Despite not coming from a wealthy background, he’s good at his job. In fact, he’s just been awarded the coveted Teacher of the Year award.

But not everyone thinks he deserves this honour.

There’s Zach, the straight A-student whose grade he just destroyed, and Fallon, a disgruntled former pupil who never misses a chance to send him a scathing email.

Yet when Fallon suddenly becomes his co-worker, everything changes, and not least because she arrives amid a series of unusual deaths at the school.

Now, Teddy must deal not only with a colleague dead set on revenge, but he’s also got to try find a way to help students like Courtney, a top pupil arrested in connection with the deaths.

Teddy knows that Courtney didn’t do it, but who did?

For Your Own Good is another brilliant example of Samantha Downing’s ability to create characters so realistic they could leap off the page. Even if they’re annoying as hell. The desire to like Teddy is continuously tested by his masterful unlikability.

Our protagonist thinks himself the only adult in a world full of children, but his actions and attitude are juvenile to the extreme, and the lows he stoops to would impress limbo dancers the world over. Yet despite his prominence in the story, Teddy remains a mystery – the character with the least developed backstory, and the most reluctant to part with his secrets.

And the frustration that is created by Teddy Crutcher simply existing is exquisite. He challenges the reader with his outlandish beliefs and opinions, while also managing to highlight the many perceived inadequacies of today’s youth. In a nutshell, Teddy Crutcher is a creation of pure genius, and an impressive literary tool.

There’s a downside to having a main character so enveloped in mystique and taboo, and so carefully juxtaposed against the supporting cast. It’s that it becomes difficult to navigate a complicated plot without giving away your hand. Unfortunately, this causes a few awkward plot holes; some clues are thrown in a little too haphazardly, with timing that’s a little too fortuitous. In the world of literary twists, Downing is royalty, but this time around, you can spot a few of those smaller red herrings long before they’re old enough to smell fishy.

For that reason, For Your Own Good cannot be called a perfect novel; but it’s pretty damn close, and absolutely worth reading. Right now.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing is published by Michael Joseph, a Penguin Random House company.

Review: Dream Girl by Laura Lippman

Gerry Andersen is supposed to be writing his next best-seller. Instead, he’s finding it increasingly difficult to write. So when he is bed-bound after an accident, it seems the perfect excuse to write, and an equally attractive excuse for not writing.

The truth is, ever since he wrote the critically acclaimed ‘Dream Girl’, he just doesn’t seem to have another great story in him. When he created the character of Aubrey, he created literary perfection, and he’s not sure he can repeat that. To make matters worse, he might be losing his mind. His forced bed rest has put him at the mercy of his assistant, and an oddball night nurse. Yet neither of these women seem to believe him when he complains that someone pretending to be Aubrey has been harassing him. After all, how can someone that never existed torment an aging writer?

As the situation escalates, Gerry can’t help but wonder just what this fake Aubrey wants, and exactly how much she is prepared to do to get it.

Dream Girl is an ingenious novel that sees our protagonist carefully dance between fact and fiction, as his past actions and present predicament collide into a single, messy situation, and someone is going to get hurt. In Gerry’s trip to what he considers the top of the food chain, he’s been blissfully unaware of the damage he’s left in his wake, and now it’s time for him to be reminded, and pay the price.

Laura Lippman has written the aging white male to perfection – while we’re initially shown the world through his eyes, and according to his whims, soon enough, there are inconsistencies in Gerry’s views and opinions that leads to cascades of warning bells, as we finally discover the truth of Gerry’s life and writing. Dream Girl is a perfect and thrilling representation of ‘us vs them’, with a delightful and nuanced discussion of action, reaction, and consequences.

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman is published by Faber & Faber, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka

Kimura’s world fell apart when his son was pushed from a roof. But having a son in a coma has allowed the former assassin to do two important things; get sober and seek revenge. When he finds out that the person responsible for pushing his boy is on a train, he decides to take matters into his own hands and ensure that the culprit never reaches his stop. But there’s a catch. The person he’s hunting is just a fourteen-year-old boy, and he’s not the only hitman on the train. Five professional killers boarded the train, but not everyone will make it to their stop alive.

As Kimura’s plans fail, he realizes that the young psychopath he’s tracking is embroiled in something far bigger than he could have expected, and that he has no idea who is really orchestrating the elaborate plan that requires so much death. The only question now is who will make it to the end of the line, and at what cost?

Bullet Train is full of surprises. After a slow and jerky start, the narrative picks up momentum that is delicious and hypnotic. Slowly, the various threads woven by Isaka come together to form a complex tapestry that’s as mesmerizing as it is clever. Truly, Bullet Train is an unexpected gem that’s pure adventure and a great ride. Train puns aside, this book is marvelous – the plot is intricate and carefully thought out, with a cast of amazing characters that win you over even in their darkest moments.

Not only does Isaka tease the dark nature of humanity and the inevitable downfall of pride and rage, but he makes us question traditional storytelling and characters – with a juvenile mastermind and deaths left, right and centre, Bullet Train is more than just a clever whodunnit – it’s an exercise in predicting the unexpected, and not being distracted by the many twists and red herrings. And it’s wonderful.

Bullet Train has a little bit of everything – action, comedy, suspense, a dash of the macabre, and most importantly, elegant prose that creates a delightful juxtaposition to the criminal nature of its contents. What more could you want?

Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka is published by Harvill Secker, an imprint of Vintage; a Penguin Random House company.

Review: Exit by Belinda Bauer

The last couple of years of Felix Pink’s life have been hell. After his son loses his battle against cancer, it’s just Felix and Margaret, until she passes, too. Now it’s just Felix and his dog, Mabel. At seventy-five, he knows he doesn’t have much time left, but he’s using it well. You see, Felix is an Exiteer. He works for a company that ensures other families don’t suffer the way he did – they accompany terminally ill patients to the afterlife, to ensure the dying are surrounded by a calm, respectful presence. It’s not a job for everyone, which is why Felix understands when his partner, Chris, resigns.

But when Felix sees his new partner, 23-year-old Amanda, he has doubts. And when she accompanies him to her first job, things go terribly wrong, but it’s not just her fault. Shockingly, they helped the wrong person Exit. They killed the wrong man. To make matters worse, it seems they were set up.

As Felix tried to navigate his new existence as a murderer, he also wants to make amends. Determined to make sense of the error, he starts to investigate, and discovers that there is far more to the sordid affair than he could ever have imagined.

Exit is an unexpected treat from the first sentence. Not only do we have an unconventional protagonist in the form of a boring and bumbling pensioner, but it’s so well written and so cleverly woven together that it made me wonder why more books don’t feature aged and unexpected protagonists. The world, or a life, can’t always be saved by an angsty teen with Hollywood hair.

But there’s more to a good book than a good hero. In Exit, Belinda Bauer has carefully woven together a complicated story that is so thoroughly edited it makes it near impossible to predict the ending – and I’ve made a lifelong habit of predicting the end to whodunnits. It’s beyond refreshing to not see how the entire plot will play out by Part Two.

Bauer is ticking all the boxes. Excellent protagonist in an impeccable story, complete with poetic prose and a gratifying dash of the macabre? There’s nothing to fault in this book. So what are you waiting for – go on and read it. Thank me later.  

Exit by Belinda Bauer is published by Bantam Press, an imprint of Transworld Publishers, a Penguin Random House company.

Review: The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor

After Reverend Jack Brooks leaves Nottingham following an unfortunate incident among her congregation, she is transferred to the small town of Chapel Croft. With a teenage daughter in tow, Jack worries how they will adjust to the village, which is steeped in superstitious history and myth. However, from their first day in Chapel Croft, both Jack and her daughter Flo can’t shake the feeling that the odd occurrences in Chapel Croft are more than just superstition – someone has to be behind it. Not only is Jack receiving threatening notes, but Flo has been having strange vision of burning girls, and her growing paranoia is spoiling the only friendship she’s yet to make.

Soon, Jack finds herself delving into the village’s past to come to terms with its history, and the strange events set into motion by her arrival. More than anything, she wants to keep Flo safe and away from harm, no matter the cost. But how much can a reverend do when faced with a possible murderer?

The Burning Girls hits all the right notes to be a great book. An excellent and twisted narrative is enhanced by well-written prose and just a sprinkling of horror and the supernatural. CJ Tudor has a talent for showing us the dark side of humanity, and making us enjoy it. This book will have your adrenalin kicking up a notch a few times, and it’s the best feeling in the world. Not since the likes of Stephen King have thrillers been so nuanced and edgy, and it is marvelous. I cannot wait for my next hit, so I really hope Tudor is holed up somewhere in an office hunched over her keyboard, because the world needs more of what she has to offer.

The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor is published by Michael Joseph, a Penguin Random House company, and is available in South Africa from Penguin Random House South Africa.

Review: The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck

What started off as an unusual but straight-forward case for Detective Jessica Niemi soon spirals into a literal witch hunt. When famous fantasy author Roger Koponen’s wife is killed in the couple’s home in what seems to be a parody of a murder from his own books, Jessica’s team are at a loss. But then when more bodies start appearing, each matching a grisly scene from Koponen’s books, Jessica can’t help but notice an eerie connection between the murders, and her own life.

As Jessica hunts a twisted serial killer, she can’t help but wonder if these murders have something to do with her, and her own tragic past. Either way, then the team needs to catch the killer before Jessica herself becomes the next victim, and also while not revealing any of her carefully guarded secrets.

The Witch Hunter is a truly bewitching read, if you’ll pardon the pun. As you flit across the pages, you can’t help but wonder if Max Seeck hasn’t applied some magic of his own. From a carefully crafted plot and loveable characters, to prose that is beautifully crafted and doused with an intriguing macabre undertone, this book offers someone for everyone. The Witch Hunter is the perfect marriage of whodunit and horror, with just enough of the occult to get your heart racing.

The only problem with this book is that is ends too soon, and on a cliffhanger of sorts. While I’m already eagerly anticipating the next installment in what promises to be an amazing series, I can’t help but feel a little cheated that I didn’t get to spend more time with the characters. All that’s left to do now is try ignore my need for closure, and stalk Max’s social media for hints about a sequel, because the world needs to see way more of Jessica Niemi.

The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck is published by Welbeck Fiction Limited, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers

Review: The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi

May Owens always considered herself a goodly girl, and yet she is in prison. Orphaned, starving, and without options, the young woman’s hunger forced her hand. And while her fellow cellmates are sentenced to various grisly punishments, her crime of stealing a loaf of bread receives an entirely unexpected punishment, and the price is a heavy burden indeed.

For her crime, May is sentenced to be a Sin Eater; a woman cast out by the society that branded her to take upon her body the sins of the dying. For each sin named, there is an accompanying food that must be eaten before the dying can return top the Maker. Yet the reward for the Sin Eater’s task is thankless – they may not be touched, spoken tom, or looked out – they are the incarnation of sin, and they are feared and hated throughout the land.

Despite the awful punishment, and the loss, confusion and anguish which follow it, May tries her best to adjust to her new life under the silent and hostile gaze of the town. However, when the new Sin Eater accidentally uncovers a royal scandal that could change the very nature of her life, she must decide the best path to take; break her vow and speak up, or maintain her silence and her duty while people die.

There’s something darkly seductive about The Sin Eater. Between lines of dancing prose dwells a story that’s as shocking as it is intriguing, in which the world as we know it has been tweaked and shaped into a dazzling story about life’s unseen horrors. Campisi presents a belief system that it skewed, and a royal bloodline plagued by dissent, jealousy and murky secrets. Here, history is unreliable, witchcraft is blossoming, and religion is a many-faceted monster that causes as much good as it does pain. And yet the system remains unchallenged, fostering a sense of discomfort which builds throughout the narrative, culminating in well-earned pity for the protagonist, as well as a roaring anger at the multiple injustices of the world – both fictional and not.

The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi is published by Mantle, an imprint of Pan MacMillan.

Review: The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk

Mitzi has a very unique talent that’s invaluable to the film industry. The secret to taking a film to the next level lies in the details, and this is where Mitzi comes in – she’s responsible for the sound effects in a film – from a head being smashed in, to a stab wound – she knows just how to mimic the right sound to leave the audience traumatized and wanting more. But what the producers who furiously bid millions of dollars for her sound clips don’t know is that Mitzi has a special talent for getting her work to be so realistic. It’s murder.

Each hair-raising soundbite that Mitzi releases into the world started off as a recording of a real murder, and Mitzi has a collection of hundreds of clips, some of which were made by her father, before she got into the profession.

So when Foster Gates hears what he thinks is a clip of his long-missing daughter screaming in a film, he tracks Mitzi down to question her, and doesn’t like what he learns.

Chuck Palahniuk has a vastly underrated talent – he makes the macabre fascinating. As he delves into a possible underbelly of a well-known industry like Hollywood, he sows seeds of doubt and derision, and it’s glorious. Few writers have the skill to make a seemingly implausible storyline so convincing and engaging, and yet Palahniuk does it every time he writes a new book.

That’s not necessarily to say he’s glorifying the seediness of the world, but in making readers uncomfortable, he’s starting important conversations and raising an important point; there’s no escaping the ugliness of the world. Reading a Palahniuk novel often feels like a bad trip – situations and events are turned on their heads, and a quiet unease permeates the storyline, but that’s exactly what makes his work so appealing. Simply put, he’s a pioneer, and the world he’s creating is a dark mirror or truth.

The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk is published by Corsair Books, an imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: The Gilded Cage by Camilla Lackberg

When Mathilda left for Stockholm, she thought she’d left misery behind her. It was the start of a new chapter, and a new life. So that required a new name. Faye was everything Mathilda was not – she was a smart student, attractive, and confident. So when she met Jack Adelheim, an atrtractive, powerful young man at university, she thought they would be perfect together. Fast forward a few years, and Faye seems to have everything she could ever want. She’s a wife to one of the wealthiest and most influential men in Sweden, she doesn’t have to work, and she has a beautiful daughter. But Faye is hiding secrets.

Over the years of their marriage, Jack’s adoration has turned to resentment, and their marriage is far from the perfect picture the world sees. in fact, what was once a life of luxury is nothing more than a gilded cage. And it’s getting worse – the more distant and resentful Jack becomes, the more Faye panics and despairs, because Jack is her world.

So when Jack suddenly decides that he’s done with Faye, she needs to pick up the pieces of her life. She needs to remember that she was once smart and powerful in her own right, and that she doesn’t need Jack. What she needs is revenge – she needs to destroy him.

The Gilded Cage is an unexpected delight. Hidden among the drama of a failing marriage is a dark secret. Camilla Lackberg has also presented a surprising knack for making a thriller dead sexy – this book is everything that 50 Shades wishes it could be – a mature, dark sexuality pervades a hair-raising thriller that results in a narrative that tugs at every emotion, becoming the equivalent of literary crack, It’s that good.

Lackberg has also managed to sneak important messages in between the action of her tale. We’re afforded a sly look into the world of abuse in its many forms – from physical to psychological – in an attempt to explain how a life can slowly be unwound and poisoned, until only a shell remains. With nothing to lose, we can go to extraordinary lengths to protect ourselves. Fast paced, clever, and sneaky – this book is everything you need for the ultimate escapism.

The Gilded Cage by Camilla Lackberg is published by Harper Collins, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Gallows Rock by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

When Huldar’s team is called to investigate a suicide within sight of the presidential palace, it seems straight-forward enough. Remove the hanging corpse before any of the political big-wigs can spot the body. However, once they arrive at the scene, it is evident that this hanging was no suicide. As if a murder disguised as a suicide wasn’t bad enough, when the police search the dead man’s apartment, it contains a four-year old boy not related to the victim, with no recollection of how he got there.

As Huldar and Freja team up to find the little boy’s home, it becomes increasingly obvious that the there’s a link between the murder, and the child’s missing family, they just don’t know what it is yet, and time is running out.

Sigurdardottir hasn’t earned the title of the Queen of Nordic Noir for nothing – this fourth installment in the Freja and Huldar series is simply brilliant. Not only does Sigurdardottir have a talent for dark story-telling, but she has created characters they never bore, and are still fresh and interesting after several installments. Add to this her flair for the macabre, and you have all the makings of a great book, that keeps you hooked from the first page.

Gallows Rock is a brilliant commentary on the social ills of class, wealth, and gender-based violence, all while being action-packed and deliciously dark. The author has a definite skill for discussing important themes through a lens that’s dusted with a bit of horror and a dash of the mind-blowing, making her books enjoyable and addictive, and Gallows Rock is no exception. With good writing and a great story line, what more could you want?

Gallows Rock by Yrsa Sigurdardottir is published by Hodder & Stoughton, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Firewatching by Russ Thomas

 

DS Adam Tyler works cold cases, but his newest case is a pretty hot one. Amid the discovery of a burned corpse bricked away in a cellar, someone has been setting fire to buildings across the city, and somehow, Tyler is convinced that the two cases are linked. Unfortunately, by the time he can prove this, he may have compromised his position on the case by becoming involved with the main suspect.

But regardless of his personal involvement, the arson cases are soon taxing the city’s law enforcement to breaking point, and if they don’t find the person responsible, it could end badly for the city. With no new leads to the murder case, it’s tough to piece together who is responsible for the body in the cellar, although once they identify the victim and his sordid past, it’s hard to believe anyone would pass up the chance to get rid of him.

Firewatching has some very clever and novel narrative devices in play – including a key witness to the cold case that now suffers from dementia. While this excellently builds tension and prolongs the mystery, there are aspects that Thomas overuses, such as the detective’s homosexuality. Every pages, the reader is reminded of this fact, giving the impression that the author is concerned we’ll forget the detective’s sexual orientation.

Despite this, Tyler is an immensely intriguing character with enough emotional baggage to make him relevant for several books – the perfect introduction to a series. Add to this the writer’s flair for the macabre, and we have the first in what will likely be a long series of great stories. Russ Thomas has a knack for penning the unexpected, and making any outlandish details so believable that he can master any narrative – it’s impressive and enviable, and an indication of true talent.

Firewatching by Russ Thomas is published by Simon & Schuster, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: I Will Miss You Tomorrow by Heine Bakkeid

It’s safe to say that Thorkild Aske has hit rock bottom. The former Internal Affairs investigator not only lost his job, but attempted suicide and ended up in a psychiatric hospital for a while. However, now that he’s served his time for accidental death he caused, it’s time for him to once again join the world. Though he is banned from police work for life, he somehow gets roped into a private investigation into the disappearance of a young Dane. As he delves into the investigation and goes in search of the missing diver, he comes face to face with his past, and memories the spirited woman who was key to his downfall.

I Will Miss You Tomorrow makes superb use of the unreliable narrator. In his near constant drug-addled state, Thorkild spends his days balancing on the edge of a very thin divide between truth and fantasy – between witnesses and hallucinations. Despite this, he seems convinced of the truth, even though the doctors and police have their reservations. With a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Thorkild seeks not only the truth, but the redemption that accompanies it.

An interesting mix of fantasy and gritty dark crime drama, this book is an unexpected treat that seeks to humanize the detective genre, and the stone-hearted people who create the face of the genre. 

Despite his flaws, his dependency on anti-psychotics and pain medication, and his hesitancy to actually investigate, Thorkild proves himself to be an excellent detective, and a decent human being.

I Will Miss You Tomorrow is the first of a series, and while the protagonist seems to lack the staying power we generally associate with series, I can’t help but feel excited to see what happens next. If you like your whodunnits to have as much heart as they do grim reality, this book is for you. An easy read that transports you to the cold and storm north of the world, it’s a great adventure, and worth every second.

I Will Miss You Tomorrow by Heine Bakkeid is published by Raven Books, a Bloomsbury company, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Lydia was happy. She was surrounded by things she loved – her husband, Sebastian, their son, Luca, and her book store. Then, at a family barbecue, everyone she loved was taken from her – her entire family brutally massacred with the exception of Luca. And all because her husband wrote an expose on a drug cartel.

Now, Lydia needs to escape not only her hometown of Acapulco, but her country – as long as she’s alive, she’ll be hunted by the cartel. But how do you escape a country when the cartel has everyone on their payroll – from the police to the staff at the check-in counters at the airport? Lydia and Luca have no option but to flee as migrants, trusting their lives to a coyote and the vast desert that lies between them and freedom – between Mexico and the USA.

American Dirt is an incredibly moving and gripping story – not least because of Cummins' grace at describing the macabre realities of Mexican migrants, but at her ability to highlight the plight of millions of people who are otherwise ignored and invisible. Through the power of the pen, Cummins illuminates just a fraction of the deplorable state of immigration for migrants, and yet just this small piece is enough to leave you reeling.

Not only is American Dirt well-written, with flowing prose made all the more poetic with tasteful insertions of Spanish, but it is a poignant social commentary that speaks to the strength of character of people who have nothing to lose; who have had everything taken from them, and yet persevere. This book is a testament to the cruelties we inflict on each other, while at the same time, emphasizing the enormous strength that can be found if only we are allowed to hope.

Reading this book will make you uncomfortable, outraged, and shocked, yet grateful that so much is presented in such a beautiful package. In a world of complacency and fake news, this is exactly what we need.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins is published by Tinder Press and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo

Seonkyeong is in the prime of her life – newly married, with a promising career in lecturing criminal psychology. Perhaps this is why she receives an unexpected phone call from the Director of the Association of Criminal Psychology. He explains that a recently arrested serial killer, who has not said a word in custody, has requested an interview with her. Having never met the murderer, Seonkyeong is baffled as to his request, but agrees to help the Director and the police by conducting the interview and finding out where the other victims are.

However, the first interview does not go to plan. Seonkyeong leaves after only a few minutes in the maximum-security prison, feeling dejected. When she returns home, she’s met by another surprise; her husband has brought his daughter Hayeong to live with them.

Hayeong, whose mother had died recently, was living with her grandparents until a fire broke out in their building in the night, killing the elderly couple. For such a young girl, Hayeong has faced immense loss. Seonkyeong decides to do her best to give the girl a loving home, and prevent any psychological distress. However, Hayeong’s emotions are so unpredictable, and she flies into such fits of rage, that her new step mother begins to wonder if there’s more to the young girl’s loss than they realise. Unable to connect with Hayeong or make a breakthrough with the incarcerated killer, Seonkyeong feels a failure on all fronts, until a sudden revelation places her not only in the know, but in immense danger.

It’s been a long time since I last encountered a book with such tension, that was so immense yet so carefully crafted. After finishing the last page, satisfied and bleary-eyed in the early morning, my mind was still reeling with the story. The Only Child is as excellent as it is unpredictable, making it both exciting and riveting. Mi-Ae Seo has cleverly woven together two stories that, on the surface, share no common thread. As we jump between a fragile child and a hardened killer, Seo emphasizes her skill in documenting human cruelty and the terrible scars they leave. Her characters are unique and incredibly real, emphasizing a sense of realism an eligibility, and leading to immense emotional involvement. Seo’s work has a darkness about it, fueled by the many secrets hidden by the characters, which is richly offset by action and unexpected tenderness. This book is truly a work of art.

The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo is published by Point Blank, an imprint of Oneworld Publications, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

One day, Kya watched her mother walk away from their home and never return. Soon thereafter, her brothers and sisters begin to move away, until Kya remains alone with an abusive father. However, he soon leaves, too, leaving the little girl completely alone in a run-down shack in the swamp. While she tries to survive on her own, and keeping her distance from the townspeople who disparage her family, Kya becomes a recluse shrouded in mystery, earning her the name ‘The Marsh Girl’.

Despite her isolation and loneliness, Kya’s world is filled with beauty and adventure through the marsh that is her home. While she never goes to school, she creates her own education in nature, becoming an expert in the animal and plant life that surrounds her. In addition, she is tutored in reading and mathematics by a local boy, who realizes Kya’s intellect in potential through the tiny glimpses he is afforded into her life.

Despite her shaky relationship with the townspeople, and her unusual lifestyle, Kya grows up into a beautiful, smart young woman, who catches the eye of Chase, the local heartthrob. When Chase’s body is discovered in the marsh, the police and townspeople are convinced that Kya is responsible. Suddenly thrust into the spotlight, Kya must overcome her aversion to the town and prove her innocence.

Where the Crawdads Sing is nothing short of a triumph. Owens has created something that merges different styles, genres and topics into a solid, polished gem. Kya’s story is a clever coming of age novel and whodunnit, playing on the reader’s emotions to such an extent that Kya feels real and tangible; a friend you welcome into your life. Owens has a talent for creating characters that are complex, challenging and human – both flawed and fantastic. Equally impressive is her ability to create tension of the best kind; it has you yearning to skip ahead a few pages to see what happens and know more.

Kya’s relationship with nature is an additional attraction – Owens' descriptions and imagery make you feel as though there’s a budding environmentalist in you, inspiring a sense of adventure into the unknown marsh waters, and appreciation for the wild.

There’s nothing to fault in this book, and I cannot praise it enough – everything from characters to setting to plot is impressive, convincing and moving. This book will speak to the hearts of any reader, and will no doubt linger in your thoughts long after you finish it; a sign of a truly great book.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is published by Corsair Books, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

It would be safe to say that a murder would be the low point of your week. However, for the New York Police Department, this murder is just the start of a nightmare. Following the appearance of an unrecognisable corpse on a Sunday, the city is also victim to an elevator accident on Monday. And again on Tuesday. And Wednesday. With evidence that the elevators have been tampered with, and the possibility of the entire city being a target, Manhattan is basically on lock down. In an area with so many homes and offices above the ground, without elevators, chaos erupts.

Barbara Matheson, a journalist with a penchant for pointing out the failings of the mayor, could easily use the elevator crisis as fuel for her column. However, when she starts to see a pattern between the incidents that leads back to the mayor, she must overcome her distaste for him, swallow her pride, and warn him.

I know what you’re thinking (I mean that I hope that I know what you are thinking – there’s no way to be sure, I’m no psychic) – just how can a thriller be set on an elevator – besides the possibility of going into free-fall, or getting stuck, is there anything really dangerous about it? If I hoped correctly, and you’re nodding at my pseudo-psychic ability to make deductions, I am pleased to tell you that we were both wrong!

Elevator Pitch is gritty, dark, and immense fun. I thought, pretty early into this story, that I had it all worked out, went to far as to allow myself to consider that I’d predicted the ending. I am delighted to inform you that I was way off the mark. It turns out, Linwood Barclay has an immense skill; the ability to blindside. Satisfying and sexy, this book hits all the marks. Elevator Pitch is a great addition to the thriller genre; it’s a next-level ride that will leave you floored.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay is published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Review: Corrupt Bodies by Peter Everett

In the 1970s, minor actor Peter Everett decided he needed a change. In his 30s and with acting prospects at a worrying low, he decided to take the plunge into death. Determined to follow his passions, Everett decided to seek a job at a mortuary. Despite having no experience or qualifications behind his name, this proved easier than many current job seekers would expect. Needless to say, the first day in a mortuary confirmed that Everett had found his niche. Fast forward a few years, and he’s added to his experience with the right qualifications, and is set to be the Superintendent of Southwark Mortuary.

Having been at the helm of one of the UK’s busiest mortuaries, you would expect stories akin to those of your favourite TV show (cough, cough, CSI) – capable professionals uncovering microscopic clues to solve cases, and putting the dead to rest amid a puffy cloud of righteous justice. However, after reading Corrupt Bodies, you will unfortunately discover that the going on at a mortuary are far from the justice-soaked corridors that Hollywood would have you believe.

Everett’s position at Southwark was not coveted – in fact, it soon became apparent to him that the morgue was in a great deal of trouble. With bodies being robbed, disappearing, or incorrectly cremated or buried, the only thing in the Southwark corridors were whispers of dodgy dealings. Through incredible hard work, determination, and perseverance, Everett managed to transform Southwark into a crime-free zone. However, the process was not without casualties – in unveiling the criminality at his own mortuary, Everett accidentally stumbled onto a far larger scandal. Mortuaries across the country were implicated in fraud, theft, and malpractice, and it was all due to the Superintendent at Southwark.

Everett’s story is captivating, scandalous, and thrilling in equal parts. He has an undeniable talent as a story-teller, making the macabre and the morally cloudy both fascinating and incredibly educational. Corrupt Bodies is an adventure into the dark world behind death, and the terrible acts committed when one turns a blind eye; the dead are silent no more – they have a  voice, in the form of Peter Everett.

Corrupt Bodies by Peter Everett is published by Icon, an imprint of Faber & Faber, and is available in South Africa from Jonathan Ball Publishers.