Natural Selection by Stephen Leather: A Spider Shepherd Short Story

"A good introduction to a great character"

Blurb from Goodreads:

"An action-packed short story featuring Dan “Spider” Shepherd during his days on the SAS selection course. Shepherd is tested to his limits - and is given his nickname.

Natural Selection is about 14,000 words, about thirty pages, perfect if you have half an hour to spare."

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I am a huge Stephen Leather fan and particularly love his character Dan “Spider” Shepherd. This short story introduces “Spider” and, for those of us who are already familiar with him, provides a little insight into his early years during selection for the SAS and the origins of his nickname. For those who aren’t, this short read provides an introduction to a great character and series of books that you will quickly become addicted to.

Even though this is a short story, it provides a good indication of the excellent writing style and skills of Stephen as an author and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good action story with great characters.

I downloaded this story from Amazon for free and as of today, 31st January 2016, it remains free so give it a go, you have nothing to lose.

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Stephen Leather is one of the UK's most successful thriller writers. He was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. Two of his books, The Stretch and The Bombmaker, were made into movies. You can find out more from his website - http://www.stephenleather.com/

Twitter - stephenleather

Fractured by Clár Nί Chonghaile

"A great debut"

Blurb from the book:

"Journalist Peter Maguire has been kidnapped in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. He does not know where he is or what is going to happen to him. He is filled with fear and, as the days go by, this dread of the unknown is shot through with remorse for the mistakes of his past.

Peter's mother, Nina comes to Somalia to wait for her son’s release. His plight forces her to relive another trauma—the fatal shooting in Liberia of Shaun Ridge, a young photographer she once loved, and Peter’s real father.

Abdi, a Somali teenager working with Peter’s captors strikes a tenuous friendship with the prisoner based on a shared feeling of captivity. He decides to help Peter escape. Together they set off into the barren vastness of a land filled with danger.

These three people must journey into one of the world's most dangerous places, the human mind, to answer the question: are we ever truly free?"

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This is a debut novel by this particular author and, to be honest, not one that I would have chosen to read myself but was lucky enough to have been sent an advance copy from the publisher, Legend Times Group, in return for an honest review and I am really pleased they did as I really enjoyed it.

The setting of the story is mainly Somalia and the author brilliantly captures and describes this war-torn country. In parts, it’s as bleak as the main characters’ lives but, in others, the author manages to bring out the beauty that the country so obviously has.

The story is told from 3 perspectives - Peter, Nina and Abdi. Peter is a journalist held hostage; Nina is his mother who has flown out to try and help secure his release and Abdi is a Somali teenager who is a participant in the “care” of the kidnapped Peter. I didn’t particularly warm to Peter despite his plight; he came across as an arrogant, selfish young man however, once his background is revealed. his actions become more understanding but he remains, to me, not a particularly likeable person. Nina is the voice of a mother who feels blame and responsibility for what has happened due to the choices she has made in her life which, like all the characters, is well explored throughout the book.

Abdi is a young man whose life has been filled with tragedy and I warmed to him almost immediately despite him being mixed up in the kidnapping of Peter. Abdi is as much a prisoner as Peter and he sees the similarities between them both - resigned to the fact they have no future. Abdi provides an insight into life in a war-torn country of being afraid to step outside because of a real fear of death at any moment - no wonder thousands risk their lives escaping similar situations - who would want to live like that?

The pace of the book is steady and well written but I do have one criticism; some of the language is a bit stilted, for example the author writes “I did not know” when “I didn’t know” would have been more natural and helped the flow a little better. I understand this happening in some of the conversations where English is the second language but not when Nina or Peter are reflecting to themselves or having an internal dialogue.

Overall though, I have few complaints and applaud the author on a great debut. The subject matter is topical given what is happening in various countries around the world and although it is a work of fiction, it is the strength of the author’s writing and her ability to make you think the characters are real people in real situations which makes this book very plausible and realistic - I actually think this would make a pretty good film.

I would be very interested to read Clár's next novel and hope it doesn't take 11 years to write that one.

Fractured is available to purchase on 1st February 2016.

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Author website - http://www.legendtimesgroup.co.uk/legend-press/authors/1054-clar-ni-chonghaile

Twitter - clarnic

Hidden by Emma Kavanagh

"A great read but keep your wits about you!"

     

Description from Goodreads:

“A gripping psychological thriller by a former police psychologist. Perfect for fans of Nicci French, Tana French and S. J. Watson.

HE'S WATCHING

A gunman is stalking the wards of a local hospital. He's unidentified and dangerous, and has to be located. Urgently.

Police Firearms Officer Aden McCarthy is tasked with tracking him down. Still troubled by the shooting of a schoolboy, Aden is determined to make amends by finding the gunman - before it's too late.

SHE'S WAITING

To psychologist Imogen, hospital should be a place of healing and safety - both for her, and her young niece who's been recently admitted. She's heard about the gunman, but he has little to do with her. Or has he?

As time ticks down, no one knows who the gunman's next target will be. But he's there. Hiding in plain sight. Far closer than anyone thinks…”

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I haven’t read anything by Emma before but I was drawn by the blurb so requested a copy via NetGalley and was provided one by the publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone Digital in return for an unbiased review and I am thankful for that as I really enjoyed it.

The story starts with a mass shooting in the lobby of a hospital - this is chilling stuff especially given tragic events in past months. The story then goes back some days before and provides a background and insight into the leading characters including the killer whose identity is not divulged until almost the end. I think this was brave - setting out the ending at the beginning but then, isn’t that what happens in real life? A horrific event occurs and we then go backwards and try to develop a timeline of events leading up to it?

I am aware that other readers have found the time-switching a little confusing but I loved the format and found it really helped to build the tension, introduce the characters and create the sub plots within the main story which were as absorbing as the main story itself. I admit that if you don’t keep your wits about you, it’s easy to get a little lost but, bear with it and just go with the flow.

The characters are interesting and believable with each having to carry their own baggage of problems whilst trying to carry on with their “normal” lives. This, I feel, is the major plus side to this novel - the complex characterisation and delving into the psyche of each person.

One negative - I didn’t really get a sense of the location and although I’m aware the book is set in Swansea, there was nothing in the story that set it apart from any other city or town in the UK which I think was a little disappointing as I like to be transported to new, interesting or intriguing places when I read and this just didn’t do it for me.

Overall though, I found this a riveting read and would recommend it to people who enjoy a great psychological thriller with great characters, sub-plots and red herrings which keep you not only enthralled with the story but guessing who the perpetrator is to the end.

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Author twitter: @EmmaLK

Whilst you're here, why don't you download a free copy of "The Affair" - a short story by Emma featuring and introducing one of the main characters from this story, Charlie.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

WHSmith (UK)

Go on .... what have you go to lose?!?

My Torturess by Bensalem Himmich

"Thought-provoking and difficult to read"

Description from Goodreads:

"In this harrowing novel, a young Moroccan bookseller is falsely accused of being involved in jihadist activities. Drugged and carried off the street, Hamuda is "extraordinarily rendered" to a prison camp in an unknown location where he is interrogated and subjected to various methods of torture.

Narrated through the voice of the young prisoner, the novel unfolds in Hamuda’s attempt to record his experience once he is finally released after six years in captivity. He paints an unforgettable portrait of his captors’ brutality and the terrifying methods of his primary interrogator, a French woman known as Mama Ghula. With a lucid style, Himmich delivers a visceral tale that explores the moral depths to which humanity is capable of descending and the limits of what the soul can endure."

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This was a difficult book to read - not only because of the subject matter but also because of the way it was written. I found it difficult to follow and unnatural in its prose but this could have been as a result of the process of translation rather than the way the author intended.

The story follows Hamuda, a bookseller from Morocco, after he is “arrested” and interred in an unknown place in horrific conditions. There he is held without trial whilst experiencing unspeakable and unthinkable acts of violence both physical and psychological.

Whilst this is a work of fiction, it does make you wonder and question how much is actually close to the truth of what really happens with “prisoners” who go through the practice of rendition and how far Governments will go to garner information. How those “prisoners” survive, even if they undergo only half of what Hamuda did, is beyond me.

As I said, a difficult book to read but one which is thought-provoking with a lot of talking points.

Thank you to the publisher, Syracuse University Press, for providing me with a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Line Unseen by Joe Hart - Free download

"A good quick read"

Description:

“From the author of LINEAGE, SINGULARITY, and EVERFALL comes this short story of supernatural horror.

A man, walked on his entire life by others, discovers his wife's infidelity, and decides to do something about it. After a deadly encounter in an alleyway he must look into the depths of himself to find the line unseen, and face the horror beyond.”

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This is a short story I picked up for free from Amazon and, to be honest, because it’s free I didn’t expect too much but was actually pleasantly surprised. Although it’s short - about 28 pages on my Kindle and around 9,000 words - it packs a lot into a short space of time.

The book is well written, the characters believable and well developed and the story is interesting with just the right amount of gore. There is tension and atmosphere with a twist at the end which leaves you wondering where your line is and where it will take you.

Overall, a good quick read and a good introduction to the works of this author which I would highly recommend especially as I have read one of his full length novels - The River is Dark - which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I would also like to mention how great I think the cover is - it’s really eye-catching and ominous - well done to the person who came up with that.

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Author website: http://www.joehartbooks.com/

Author twitter:  @AuthorJoeHart

You can still download a free copy of this short story from Amazon UK and US, Barnes & Noble, WHSmith and others … go get it and enjoy!