My Review (5 stars out of 5) Abandoned by her husband in 1980s Glasgow, Agnes Bain hopes for a new start. But she soon seeks solace in alcohol, while her children do all they can to keep her from harm. Her youngest son, Shuggie, knows he’s different to other boys but if he can set…
Author: colingarrow
‘Tangled Lines’ by LM Pirie
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Fisherwoman Isla MacLeod is caught in a net of isolation. Toiling alongside her grandfather, the work doesn’t give her time for relationships and it’s getting her down. Her friend Morag sets Isla up on Highland Hearts dating site, but Isla thinks there isn’t much chance of meeting anyone…
‘Solid State’ by Kenneth Womack
My Review (5 stars out of 5) In February 1969, the Beatles began working on their final album – Abbey Road. The album included ‘Come Together’ ‘Something’, and ‘Here Comes the Sun’, some of the band’s most memorable songs. Subtitled The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles, this is another of…
‘House of Thieves’ by Rachel Walkley
Welcome to my spot on the Blog Blitz for House of Thieves, via Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources Blurb At Terrington Hall, objects are treasured while people are forgotten. Chief conservator Amy is restoring the Hurly family’s guilt-stained hoard when a theft forces her to hire Harrison, a security adviser on a personal quest to…
‘Avalon Sky’ by Jill Todd
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Seeking respite in rural Somerset, TV historian Kit and his wife agree to compile a village history for a friend. When the friend disappears and his dog is found dead, Kit sets about tracking the killer. But the historian has his own issues to deal with, and things…
‘A Jury of His Peers’ by Jake Needham
My Review (4 stars out of 5) For lawyer Charlie Trust, 1994 begins with a bang when the Northridge Earthquake devastates a massive area of LA. As Charlie and everyone else deal with the aftermath, a well-publicised trial collapses with a hung jury, and Charlie and Sandy find themselves in line for representing one of…
‘Dragons in Their Heads’ by Joy Mutter
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Set in a castle in the Scottish Highlands in 2026, three dragon eggs are discovered in separate locations. The people who find them are tossed into a magical and scary world where their lives are turned upside down, and where the threat of instant death is ever present.…
‘Under the Stairs An Anthology of Homebound Horror’ by Adam Vine et al
My Review (4 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) This is an audiobook, but I also bought the eBook version which contains some interesting illustrations to go along with the narratives. Exploring the theme of losing the sense of ‘home’, this is a collection of twenty-four horror stories and begins with a warning that some tales…
‘A Wordsmith’s Guide to Writing Authentic Dialogue’ by Elizabeth M Hurst
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Elizabeth M Hurst has written much about the craft of writing, as well as study guides, critical essays and novels, so it’s fair to say she knows what she’s talking about. This book is about dialogue – what it should do, what it shouldn’t do, and how to…
‘Time and Time Again’ by Ben Elton
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Former soldier and celebrated explorer, Hugh ‘Guts’ Stanton, embarks on an adventure that could change history. Summoned to Cambridge University by old friend Professor McCluskey, Stanton learns of the secretive Order of Chronos and their collection of documents submitted to the university by Sir Isaac Newton. Stanton is…
Colin Garrow 