Essex crime with Blackwater by James Henry

'You can take the boy out of Essex, but you can't take Essex out of the boy'.

New crime thriller 'Blackwater' by James Henry sets up a cracking new series, set in Colchester,  Essex in the 1980s, and featuring DI Nick Lowry. I was intrigued when this book arrived through the door as, living in Essex my whole life and remembering the 80s with nostalgic fondness, what was not to like, as well as being a bit bored of every detective series seemingly set in Scotland or Brighton it was time for a change. The story here focuses on a complicated web of bodies washed up, army cover ups, corruption and missing persons, all linked to drugs shipments and the landscape and population of the blackwaters.

Setting the book in that era was a great idea, no mobiles, Internet or other modern distractions to take the reader from the story. Some of my favourite parts of the book are those that show policing as it used to be, before 9/11 and terrorism, along with in politically correct means of getting criminals to talk and actual doing the job rather than paperwork, in one scene 'the police airwaves crackled' with 'the general public and its daily grind', 'a granny arguing with Woolworths staff over stealing a ballpoint; truanting school kids vandalising a phone box', just enough of the past to make reading this book so much more enjoyable than modern detective crime.

The characters who here are almost fully formed and totally believable, despite the tendency with crime series to waste the first novel setting up relationships and complex issues to be revealed in later books. This novel has moments of humour, just enough mystery and intrigue to keep crime fans happy and a real sense of place, along with a cracking side story concerning Lowry and his wife Jaqui, a younger woman and set up from the start as not all her husband thinks she is in their marriage, entwining both of them closer to the investigation than he would like to admit.

Blackwater certainly worked for me and I'd highly recommend it when it is released by riverrun on 14 July 2016 in the UK along with others in the series which I will eagerly keep an eye out for.

New release 'A Siege of Bitterns' by Steve Burrows

If you like wild birds and crime (not criminal birds) then you'll love this tongue in cheek UK crime thriller by Steve Burrows which I'm pleased to say is part of the Birder Murder series.

A Siege of Bitterns is set in Norfolk and features Domenic Jejeune, a high flying police inspector with a glittering career, bought in to the local rural police to add glamour to the force after the murder of a prominent celebrity and enthusiastic birder Mr Brae. Right from the start we see Jejeune as a man not to be messed with, and I for one liked his style and way of policing, as well as lack of personal demons, so prevalent in so many detective fiction titles around at the moment.

I wasn't sure what to make of this when my review copy popped through the door, as I hadn't really considered crime and bird watching as fiction material. I'm pleased to say they work perfectly in this novel, which I'd say would be perfect UK holiday reading, especially if you are around the area the book is set in Norfolk.

One reason this book worked so well for me is the characters. Burrows has made a really believable couple in Jejeune and his partner (journalist Lindy) and her support of him taking on his new role, which he sees as out of his comfort zone really bought the pair alive for me. As Jujeune comments to himself while watching her chatting to friends 'Human tastes...a mystery far beyond the abilities of a simple policeman'.

This book made me feel happy, the crime itself, although complex and challenging for the inspector is almost an add on for the authors clear love of birding, something which shines through the text and made me want to get my binoculars out and see something different, a rare gull or even the elusive bittern itself. Who knew Ian Fleming was a birder, even allegedly naming James Bond after the author of a bird guide?

'I thought there always had to be a reason for everything in nature?' Says one character, 'Is fun not reason enough?', in the case of this book, fun and birds go together well. I look forward to the next in the series, bring on the birds.

Thanks to realreaders.co.uk and One World publishers for this review copy.

Ghosts of the desert by Ryan Ireland

The back cover of this book describes it as a 'harrowing and hypnotic' literary crime hybrid, and although this statement is certainly true I would describe it more as harrowing due to the graphic content of the story.

Told in a non linear flashback style, we encounter Norman, a scholar studying desert ghost towns and escaping from past actions he can't quite reconcile with the present. I found the first few pages hard to follow as we see Norman warned off a site he is researching, then seemingly kidnapped and part of a cult group, living on the Utah desert.

The thing I found impossible to get past when reading the book, although I enjoyed the gradual revealing of Norman's life in society and his actions leading to the start of the book, was the graphic sexual element, which the author seemed to almost revel in. This type of mysogny and sexual violence is fine for a reason or to further a character, but the book contains so much graphic sexual violence I almost gave up reading half way through as it seemed for the sake of it, rather than to take the story anywhere.

As cult leader Jacoby tells Norman, 'Live out here for a time an you'll learn there's no bottom, no limit to what you can do, what your capable of'. Just like Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Ghosts of the desert leads to the question of who is civilised? Those who wear the mask of normality but are monsters underneath, or those who show themselves for what they are, except Conrad said it better.

Out in the UK 5 May 2016, thanks to the publisher for this advance copy.

Pre release review of Coffin Road by Peter May

I really wanted to like this book as a big fan of the China thrillers by the author Peter May. Maybe I read too much or there are too many similar storylines out there but this book just reminded me of too many others to be truly great. The amnesia and feeling out of place when you don't know who you are has been done brilliantly in the past few years with Final Minute and Before I go to sleep being standouts so the opening of Coffin Road and a man washed up on a Scottish Hebrides beach seemed more of the same.

Coffin Road is the story of Neal Maclean, washed up on a freezing beach with little recollection if anything apart from his taste in coffee, whisky and the name if his dog. With 'friends' Jon and Sally determined to find out who he is and what happened to him, his confusion grows as his suspicions of their actions and intentions increases.

Being told in the first person by an unreliable narrator does help ratch up the tension here, with the reader as confused by events and who is who as the character, however that also tends to leave the book as a once read only rather than a repeat as the ending and big reveal is all the more memorable. I did enjoy this book but don't think it is May's best work, although the characters were well written and the novel was gripping it just wasn't for me this time.

Thanks to www.realreaders.co.uk for the advance copy, Coffin Road is out in January 2016

Review: Dodgers by Bill Beverly

Review: Dodgers by Bill Beverly

I was excited and intrigued by the idea of this book when I received a free review copy from www.realreaders.co.uk but almost gave up after the first 10 pages, where a strange narrative style, short sentences, slang language and accents put me off so much I almost abandoned the book, however, suddenly in chapter 2 it shifted style and we got down to some decent writing and a way into the characters and their lives.

The book focuses on Los Angeles wanna be gangster East, only a boy, owes his boss after a police raid leaves him open to blame and needing to get back in the bosses good books. By taking on a risky but unavoidable job East must prove himself and become all he hopes to be and more, the result of independence and respect in East's life is loss of childhood and innocence. The book doesn't shy away from gang violence and the reality of Americas hidden poor in society as well as the price of drug and alcohol addiction. In the end, the very things that put me off the book to start were what made it real as I carried on.

Part road movie, part journey of discovery, the author has found influences in classic 19th century children's adventure as well as more modern gangster novels such as Goodfellas, leaving a blend which although far from unique has enough action, violence and suspense to keep my interest.

Dodgers is released in March 2016

The Deceivers by John Masters

Although first published in 1952, John Masters novel still has something to say about identity, disguise and what is willing to be gained or lost in the pursuit of justice.

The story is set in 1825 and focuses on William Savage, living in colonial India as an authority figure for Imperial Britain in a small village. After his marriage he returns to his station to find unrest and conflict due to the decision of one villiager (after her husband has been deemed dead after not returning from travel) to become a Suttee (or Sati) and burn herself on his funeral pyre.  William's subsequent deceit and decision to prevent this act begins his descent into crime and murder, with little way back to the civilisation he has left behind.

Although many of Masters early novels are biased towards colonial power in India and elsewhere, having read this book again after many years and the benefit of research into postcolonial India and Empire it is clear to me that not only is Master's attempting to critique the assumptions of colonial powers to prevent cultural activities but also to allow for the fear present under the surface of the British, of the unknown and savage part of their new home.

Despite its age The Deceivers is well worth reading and has been educational in looking at how British authors in the decades after Indian partition and independence chose to write about colonial India and the culture there.

Why do we need another book review blog?

more importantly, why read mine?

As an avid reader of most types of fiction and non-fiction (except chick lit which I can't abide) I wanted to find a way to start actively thinking about why I enjoy or dislike a certain book rather than just moving on to the next one.

So each week or more depending on how many books I read, I will post about new titles I've read, some may be older classics, some pre releases but hopefully something new to try and ideas for getting into new authors.

Come back next week for book 1