**** Glasgow villain Malkie Thompson has ambitions. Feeling constrained by his boss McAlister, he decides to take over and establish his own firm, and if that means getting rid of anyone who stands in his way, that’s fine with him. This is a novella that introduces Mark Newman’s Crime Syndicate series. The plot rolls along…
Month: July 2020
‘Noel’ by AJ Griffiths-Jones
***** When a rain-drenched Dutch traveller hitches a lift to a rural French monastery, the monks take care of him. But when the young man dies, detectives Mallery and Hobbs launch an investigation and the monastery’s seventy inmates quickly fall under suspicion. The mystery deepens when the Dutchman’s grandmother arrives, as the old woman introduces…
‘The Rock’ by Robert Daws
**** Detective Sergeant Tamara Sullivan finds herself exiled to Gibraltar as punishment for disobeying orders during a police operation. Together with her new boss DCI Gus Broderick, Sullivan investigates the suspicious death of a police constable, leading to the discovery of a dark and sinister secret. This is the first adventure in the Sullivan…
‘Absolute Proof’ by Peter James
***** When journalist Ross Hunter gets a phone call from a person claiming to have proof of God’s existence, he’s tempted to dismiss the old man as a nutcase. But after meeting Dr Cook, Ross finds himself intrigued, if a little sceptical. Following an urgent call with the offer of further proof, Ross discovers Cook’s…
‘High Force’ by LJ Ross
***** (Audio Book) Following the escape from prison of murderer Keir Edwards, one of DCI Ryan’s best detectives is missing. Kidnapped from her own home by the notorious serial killer, Ryan knows Edwards will flaunt his new-found freedom and won’t hesitate to slice up his most recent captive. With Detective Sergeant Frank Phillips at his…
‘Midtown Huckster’ by Leopold Borstinski
***** Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for ‘Midtown Huckster’ (Alex Cohen #3) by Leopold Borstinski. Thanks to Emma at Damppebbles Blog Tours for including me. My Review: Working with mobster Lucky Luciano, Jewish gangster Alex Cohen needs to find a new way to make money. But when his boss is nabbed for…
‘The American Crusade’ by Mark Spivak
*** May 2001. Islamic terrorists crash a Boeing 737 into the Mall of America, killing three thousand people. With the nation in fear for their lives, Vice President Robert Hornsby has the opportunity to stamp his fervent beliefs on his country and become the most powerful vice president in American history. But can Hornsby succeed…
‘Arthur Rex Brittonum’ by Tim Walker
***** Arthur, King of the Britons, and only son of the late King Uther, now rules over the northern regions, but he still has to take on the Saxons in order to succeed. This is the fifth instalment of Tim Walker’s ‘A Light in the Dark Ages’ series and while it is clearly part of…
Oh, What a Lovely Murder
Ever since Blackwood’s Magazine published Thomas De Quincey’s satirical essay, ‘On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts’, in 1827, the British (and of course the rest of the world) have been fascinated by the slaughter of our fellow man in all its many permutations and variations. De Quincey’s musings were prompted by the…
‘Flying Start: How To Make Your Own Luck At Work’ by Carol Gillespie
**** When starting out on their careers, many people want to be noticed, supported and promoted. Looking at the six natural behaviours, Carole Gillespie describes what we must do to build confidence and encourage others to feel safe in trusting us. Aimed mainly at the so-called Generation Z (17-24-year-olds), this short book is an easy…
Colin Garrow 