The Boat House by Mark Sennen

"No one’s seen him in years…

An isolated boat house. A reclusive old man. A body.

DI Charlotte Savage’s first ever case as a detective.

AN 11-PAGE SHORT STORY, INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT OF TELL TALE."

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This is a very short story which introduces Charlotte Savage. Well it does that but not much more. It starts off really well with excellent descriptions of characters and places and I certainly got the author’s attempts at building the tension but then as soon as it starts to get interesting, it ends. One minute, Savage is in a bit of strife and the next, she’s back at the Police Station. I found it very disappointing and a bit of a damp squib!

However, what this also does is provide a glimpse at Mark Sennen’s next, full length, novel “Tell Tale” and this looks like it could be something good if the first couple of chapters are anything to go by.

Overall, The Boathouse was a story without the meat on the bones but a good way to pique the interest of the reader.  I would add though that if the peek at the new book wasn't included, this short story would make me think twice about reading anything further from this author so maybe that's a warning ;)

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK Avon via www.netgalley.com for inviting me to provide an impartial review.

darkness, darkness by John Harvey

"The final DI Charlie Resnick novel, from the Cartier Diamond Dagger winner and Sunday Times bestselling author of Cold in Hand.

Thirty years ago, the Miners' Strike threatened to tear the country apart, turning neighbour against neighbour, husband against wife, father against son - enmities which smoulder still.

Resnick, recently made up to inspector, and ambivalent at best about some of the police tactics, had run an information gathering unit at the heart of the dispute.

Now, in virtual retirement, and still grieving over the violent death of his former partner, the discovery of the body of a young woman who disappeared during the Strike brings Resnick back to the front line to assist in the investigation into the woman's murder - forcing him to confront his past in what will assuredly be his last case."

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What a great book!

The storyline took me back to my early teenage years and I recall watching the news about the miners strike with my parents but, not coming from a mining community and being quite young, I never fully appreciated what was really happening. I have since seen a couple of things that have touched on the subject but I felt this book brought me new perspectives to this difficult time in British history particularly from the point of view of the striking miners, the "scabs" and the families caught on both sides. Although this is a work of fiction, I found it very believable with a feel of authenticity and I particularly enjoyed the way the author switched from the present to the past throughout which, for me, worked very well.

The book was full of interesting and colourful characters many of whom have their own demons to deal with not least Resnick himself who I felt came across as a sad and melancholic man who appears disillusioned with not only his work but also his life. Many of the characters had “issues” outside of the main focus of the book and I felt these were seamlessly woven throughout which added further dimensions to this engrossing story. This is all written at great pace which kept me engaged throughout and, to cap it all, it kept me guessing who the killer was right until the end.

Where have I been? I must have had my head in the sand for many years not to have come across John Harvey and Charlie Resnick before! This is Resnick's last case and my first foray into the world of this very interesting character ... it won't be my last and I will go back to the start of the series in order to find out how it all began.

I am grateful to the publisher, Randomhouse UK Cornerstone and www.netgalley.com for sending me a copy in return for an honest review and for introducing me to another new author to add to my ever-growing list of great writers.

At Death's Door: Flash Fiction by Larry Dean Jackson

"Thomas is visiting his grandmother's grave when he makes a discovery that could change his life -- for the worse."

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A very short story that was an interesting premise but not long enough to really form too much of an opinion on. To be honest, I could take it or leave it - I think the problem is that it is too short (about 3 pages on the Kindle) and there is therefore no time to develop any thoughts on the characters or care about them.

I have read other short stories by this author - this is not one of the best but I did get it for free from Amazon during a promotion so can't complain.

The Litter by Kevin R Doyle

"A novel of dark suspense concerning a band of feral children terrorizing the residents of an inner city."

Description from Night to Dawn Magazine & Books website - http://bloodredshadow.com/

"They kept to the shadows so no one would know they existed, and preyed on the nameless who no one would miss. Where did they come from, and who was protecting them? In a city that had seen every kind of savagery, they were something new, something more than murderous. And one woman who had thought she had lost everything there was to lose in life would soon find that nothing could possibly prepare her for what would come when she entered their world."

300 pages

Expected publication: February 13th 2015 by Night to Dawn Magazine and Books

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I was sent a copy of this book by the author, prior to it being published, in return for an honest review. I have read and reviewed another of this author’s works - The Group - which I enjoyed but The Litter is very different.

The main premise of the story is about a band of feral children however, it could quite easily be about any gang terrorising any community and I feel, whether intended by the author or not, that it has a deeper message about the consequences of the breakdown of society and how those living on the fringes of society are outcasts and invisible to the majority of the population. I was saddened by the experiences of the young boy and know that young people all over the world are in similar, horrendous circumstances but this isn’t just a story about young, homeless people.

The Prologue set the scene and described the setting so well it could have been any rundown and impoverished area in any city or large town. The excellent descriptions of the people and places continued throughout the book and really brought it to life.

The main characters are well developed and interesting with the relationships between some of the characters providing another aspect and depth to the story. In the main, the characters are believable however I do think that one of the main characters, Karen, was a bit like one of those cliché actors in a horror movie who doesn’t respond as you would in normal life - like going into a scary, run down and dilapidated basement when you know damn well you wouldn’t do that in a million years! However, because her personality and makeup is so well told, the author just about gets away with it but I did find myself “tutting” at her a couple of times.

Overall, it is well written, has good suspense with some gruesome and stomach churning descriptions and generally a good read.

My Little Rabbit by James DeSantis

My Little Rabbit
by James DeSantis

"That sound. It wants me. It needs me. I can hear it getting closer now. Why is it chasing me? If it catches me it'll murder me. I can't stop running. I have to escape. I have to survive."

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I was sent a copy of this short story by the author in return for an honest review and I want to thank him for this.

Short stories, I think, are usually difficult to get into as no sooner have you started them, you are finishing but this one was different. I can't say an awful lot without giving too much away but I think James really excelled here in capturing the fear being experienced by the main character, Jenna, and how successful he was in providing one explanation of how the mind tries to deal with and cope with difficult situations.

At the end of the story, James provides an explanation for all the moments in the story that connect. This is optional reading but I found it quite useful as I felt it enhanced the story and the meaning behind it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good, short, scary story that has more to it than first appears.

Another Day At The Office by James DeSantis - short story

Another Day At The Office

by James DeSantis

"Stuart has a beautiful home, a wonderful wife, and a decent paying job. So why, on his day off, is he at the office seeking out his co-workers for questioning? You can't be the best customer service representative without being able to "fix" the problems, right?

James DeSantis brings another horror-thriller to the table with his brand new short story "Another Day At The Office". He continues to spread throughout different genres to give all readers something interesting to read through next."

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A very short story (16 pages) that started off fairly normally but quickly turned into something quite different. Unfortunately, because it is so short, I can’t go into much detail because I don’t want to give away any spoilers but it was well written at good pace. There wasn’t much time to feel much for the characters but I definitely got a sense of where the main character, Stuart, was coming from even though I don’t agree with his methods.

I was a little confused about the nightmare part but I liked the way it linked with another of the author’s books - Killing Your Boss - which I enjoyed and reviewed on my blog - http://haziegaze.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/short-story-review-killing-your-boss-by.html. For me, I don’t think this is in the same league as Killing Your Boss but that was a longer story.

Overall, not a bad short read but maybe it’s a bit too short to really grab you.

Thank you to the author, James, for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

The Mysterious Miss Mayhew by Hazel Osmond

"Tom doesn't need any more women in his life. He already has his hands full with his five year old daughter, an estranged wife who keeps blocking his efforts to get divorced and a mother who might be having an affair with the vicar. When Fran Mayhew turns up - years younger than him and with all the tact of a dinosaur with its backside on fire - she's just another tricky person to deal with.

And what's she doing in his remote part of Northumberland crawling around in graveyards anyway?

But soon Tom discovers that there's more to Miss Mayhew than meets the eye - and it's not just his heart he's in danger of losing."

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This book is quite a large step away from what I normally read. I think it was the cover design that first drew me to it and then the description made it all the more appealing with the phrase “the tact of a dinosaur with its backside on fire” bringing a smile to my face and thoughts that this could be right up my alley for a change …. and it was.

The characters were excellent; a real mixed bag and totally believable - some of which I am sure I have come into contact with over the years although I won’t say which ones!

Tom - the main character and the one whose point of view the story is mostly told - is a single father who, from my perspective anyway, seems to be doing a pretty good job although he does have his faults (don’t we all) but who is trying to hold everything together under intense pressure from his ex-wife, Steph (a truly horrible person) and the owners of the magazine he runs, the Mawsons (equally as horrible). I think telling the story from Tom’s perspective is genius and a refreshing change from the norm.

Hattie is Tom’s 5 year old daughter and who, in my opinion, is the star of the book. She is not your typical 5 year old girl - she has a love of wrestling and pirates and is so innocent and truthful with her observations it makes her totally believable. Hattie is funny and caused many a “laugh out loud” moment for me (the testicles incident being just one of them!) but she also provided some of the heartbreakingly sad moments … did I mention how truly horrible Steph is?!!

Fran - the Mysterious Miss Mayhew - an unconventional and straight-talking lady who, initially, comes across as being a little uptight but despite only getting to know her through her 10 point “Things I have learned today” diary entries, she very quickly grows on you. It’s amazing how much you can get to know a character just from 10 points and I applaud the author as I imagine this must have been very difficult to write having to condense the information into those 10 small chunks.

The story flows easily with a great mix of mystery, humour, tension and romance. Humour is a very fickle thing - everyone has their own tastes and preferences so I think it’s particularly difficult to appeal to the masses but I feel it was done so naturally by the author that it should appeal to anyone with even a tiny sense of humour.

Overall, I am really pleased that I took a punt and requested a copy via www.netgalley.com and am grateful for the publisher, Quercus Books, for sending me it and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a great story with fantastic characters.