Chopin’s Ghost Legendary pianist Fryderyk Chopin haunts would-be rock star Robin Hanley, painting the boy’s dreams with confusing thoughts and images. As Robin grows, his musical talent grows with him, but as he becomes a successful musician, he finds the continuing visions increasingly troublesome. Faced with an unusual talent for changing the weather and the…
Author: colingarrow
‘The Ruins’ by Daniel Bristow-Bailey
The Ruins Fifteen-year-old Edward leaves his family to stay at the labyrinthine palace of Lord Norbert where he is to be tutored in the ways of Saxon nobility, before being baptised into the Christian faith. But the young man has much to learn and soon realises his new environment is positively seething with political intrigue,…
‘Gnarled Bones and Other Stories’ by Tam May
Gnarled Bones and Other Stories Exploring ideas about loss, fear, and guilt Tam May tells stories that don’t hold back. From orphaned siblings and tainted musicians, to strange art, divorce and the circus, here are five explorations of what it is to be human. Ms May’s tales are beautifully crafted, portraying characters who are deeply…
‘In The Land of Broken Time: The Incredible Journey’ by Maria and Max Evan
In The Land of Broken Time: The Incredible Journey When the circus comes to town, young Christopher sneaks off to the big top where he makes two new friends – a girl, Sophie and Duke, a talking dog. The three of them steal away in a hot air balloon to a magical land peopled by…
‘Chase: The Hunt for the Mute Poetess’ by Thomas Dellenbusch
Chase: The Hunt for the Mute Poetess Hamburg security consultant Enrique “Rique” Allmers bumps into a young woman in the local fish-market and quickly realises she’s in trouble. Pursued by two thugs, Rique manages to get the girl to safely, but there’s another problem – she is deaf. Enlisting the help of his team of…
‘Bad Girls (An Eden Mystery)’ by Laurel Heidtman
Bad Girls (An Eden Mystery) Coming from a troubled family background, Marnie Becker’s future starts looking up when her uncle, former Chicago cop, Cal Becker, offers to pay her through University. The pair move to a new town, but before Marnie has a chance to adapt to her new challenge, she is abducted. Thinking she…
‘Screams in the Woods’ by Michael R Martin
Screams in the Woods Private detective Christine Lynch finds herself immersed in history when she takes on the case of two missing men. Beginning her investigation into a 19th-century mine explosion, she must discover what links the disaster with the men’s disappearance. However, she soon realises that unearthing the truth could put her own life…
‘The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ by Johanna Craven
The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea In 1692, high-born runaway Catherine stows away on an English merchant ship to escape a family who believe her to be a witch. But the young French woman discovers her choice of transport isn’t what she expected. Captained by veteran sailor Ben Archer, the ship’s crew are no…
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories Festive-themed collection of fifteen short stories penned by writers from around the world. There’s a nice variety of tales here, including not-quite traditional family get-togethers, some interesting takes on Christmas and its meaning and a few stand-out tales from some very talented authors. I particularly enjoyed the strange…
‘The Lover’s Portrait’ by Jennifer S. Alderson
The Lover’s Portrait Threatened by Nazi blackmailers, a Dutch art dealer conceals stock from his gallery leaving a tangled trail of clues to art treasures buried somewhere in Amsterdam. Years later, when art history student Zelda Richardson gets an internship at a prestigious Amsterdam Museum, she takes on the job of tracking down the history…
Colin Garrow 