Tag: Murder

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Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase (@EvePollyChase) (@MichaelJBooks)

Hi, all:

I bring you the review of a book by an author whose novels (well, a couple of them) I’ve reviewed before and loved them. And this time, it is no different.

The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase

The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase

Read the new novel from Eve Chase, author of The Glass House and The Birdcage

—
Notting Hill, London. One May evening, seventeen-year-old Maggie Parker’s mother walks out of their front door and doesn’t return . . .

With her little brother in tow, desperate to find her mother, Maggie is drawn into a labyrinthine world of antiques and shadowy figures. There she befriends someone else living on their wits. But can he help solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance?

Twenty-one years later, in a Parisian apartment, Maggie’s phone rings and her hard-won grown-up life shatters. While in London, the new owner of the Parker’s old house is excavating the basement, unaware of what might lie beneath.

Sweeping from bustling London streets, the boulevards of Paris to an old English country house, The Midnight Hour is a thrilling, richly woven story about a golden family with a hidden past – and a woman trying to turn back the hands of time before it’s too late.

About the author:

Eve Chase is an internationally bestselling British novelist who writes rich, layered and suspenseful novels, thick with secrets, unforgettable characters and settings. Her latest novel, The Midnight Hour – ‘Her best yet…I loved every word’ – Claire Douglas – publishes June ’24, in the UK. Other novels include, The Birdcage, The Glass House (The Daughters of Foxcote Manor, US) a Sunday Times top ten bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club pick, The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde (The Wildling Sisters, US) which was longlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award, and Black Rabbit Hall, winner of Paris’ Saint-Maur en Poche prize for Best Foreign Fiction. She works in the Writer’s Shed at the bottom of her garden, usually with Harry, her golden retriever.

Say hello @evepollychase on Instagram, X, and Facebook

My review:

I thank NetGalley and Michael Joseph/Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel, which I freely chose to review.

This is the third novel by Eve Chase I have read, and they have all been wonderful experiences.

As was the case with the previous two novels, the story is set in two different time-frames (although not so far from each other this time): the first takes place mostly in London (Notting Hill, and the filming of the movie of the same name keeps popping up) 1998, and the second, in 2019, in a variety of locations (London, Paris, a wonderful farmhouse in The Chilterns…). Two of the protagonists tell the story, a brother and a sister: Maggie, who has become a writer of historical romance and lives in Paris, and her younger brother, Kit, who is an antique dealer and lives in London. Despite the distance, they are very close to each other, and we discover why through the novel, we also uncover many more secrets and mysteries, although in some cases the protagonists are as surprised (if not more) as we are.

Apart from the two different dates, the narration is told from different perspectives (person and time-wise). We hear from Maggie in the first person when she narrates (in the past tense) what happened to her family in 1998. Her mother was a famous model, and when we meet her and the rest of the family, the father had recently died; they had had to leave their house and move to London, where their mother was more likely to find modelling jobs. The chapters from the past are interspersed with chapters told in the third-person and present tense from both, Maggie and Kit’s points of view, and it becomes evident that although they both remember the same events, Maggie knows much more than Kit does, and her attempts at protecting her brother and others from learning the (disturbing) truth of what happened get more and more difficult as the action advances and secrets are slowly revealed.

Chase has a penchant for depicting complex family relationships, full of lies, secrets, mysteries, and even false identities. And she is also wonderful at capturing places and eras and making readers feel as if they were there. Notting Hill becomes a protagonist in the story, and we get to meet some colourful characters and pretty menacing ones. Other locations are also important to the novel, but not to the same extent.

I don’t want to spoil the story for future readers, but as is the case in her previous novels, there is a mystery (more than one) at the heart of the book, an unsolved crime, although this is no standard mystery novel and the intrigue builds up slowly (yes, there are red herrings and twists and turns galore); there is a wonderful love story that ends up in a separation in difficult circumstances; there are adopted children; there are mothers that decide to give up their children; fathers looking for their sons; authors suffering writers’ block; a mysterious man everybody is trying to find; there are lies and lies to cover other lies…

In some ways, this is a coming-of-age story, as we witness Maggie having to step up and take her mother’s place, but she isn’t the only one who has to grow up and accept her responsibilities. It is also a story about families, identities, and who and what makes us who we are. It is a story about forgiveness and about learning to accept the limitations of others and our own. And it is a novel about a bunch of people who slowly realise they have more in common than they knew.

Eve Chase writes beautifully about people, places, and emotions, and there are so many quotable lines that it is impossible not to highlight large parts of the book as one reads. Although this is not my favourite of her novels, I love the ending, and regarding the mystery… Most readers will get an inkling of what is being hidden, but what I particularly liked was how each new revelation was followed by an “a-ha” moment as one realised that every little detail fitted together and everything that seemed puzzling as one was reading ended up making perfect sense. This is a novel beautifully written and beautifully constructed, and I recommend it to all fans of Eve Chase, readers who enjoy lyrical and superb writing and aren’t looking for fast and frantic action, but enjoy a slow build-up and having time to get to know the characters and what makes them tick.

And here, just a couple of quotes from the novel, to give you a sense of the writing and the powers of observation of the author:

‘…that their little family is different from others. Like a three-legged stool, it requires a deft distribution of weight not to tip over – and it is currently lying on its side.’

‘Maggie also knows, first-hand, that grief doesn’t disappear. Like a spill of glitter, you keep finding little bits everywhere, for ever, and in the oddest places.’

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for another wonderful novel, thanks to all of you for visiting, liking, sharing, and remember to keep smiling and enjoying your summer (or winter, depending on where you are)!

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Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog Possessed by Death. A Crimes of Inhumanity novel by John Dolan (@JohnDolanAuthor)

Hi, all:

One of my favourite authors has been at it again. And I couldn’t resist. So here is Johan Dolan’s latest novel.

Possessed by Death. A Crimes of Inhumanity Novel by John Dolan

Possessed by Death. A Crimes of Inhumanity Novel by John Dolan

“After all my years of turmoil and dangerous living, I’ve achieved my Happy Ending. And the plain fact is that I don’t know what to do with it.”

Following a perilous decade in Thailand, private detective David Braddock has relocated to London with his new wife and family.
However, he soon finds that time hangs heavy on his hands, and the gruesome murder of his neighbour draws him back into his previous profession with potentially lethal consequences…

About the author:

“Makes a living by travelling, talking a lot and sometimes writing stuff down. Galericulate author, polymath and occasional smarty-pants.”

John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between Thailand and the UK.

He is the author of the ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ mystery series and the ‘Children of Karma’ mystery trilogy.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6550683.John_Dolan

My review:

I have been following John Dolan for quite a few years now, and I’ve read his two main series, a related story, the book about the father of the main character in those novels, David Braddock, and some totally unrelated on their subject but clearly related in style, one-off books. I am happy to buy and read any books this author publishes because they never disappoint. Like many of his followers, I have a special fondness for David Braddock and his family, an Englishman we met in Thailand (Ko Samui), and whose adventures as a therapist and private PI we’ve been following ever since.

In this novel, he is happily married and has returned to London with his recently found daughter (I won’t tell you the whole story), his stepson, his Thai wife, Da, and he keeps in touch with his Thai mother-in-law, who also lives in England, and with his daughter by his first wife, who lives abroad. While his children are busy at school, and his wife works as a successful estate agent, he has some private therapy patients (his methods are non-standard, as expected) and is very bored.

He becomes also increasingly preoccupied with death, and as tends to happen when we start worrying about something, death seems to follow him around. His next-door neighbour is killed in strange circumstances, and he ends up involved in finding his body and becomes suddenly famous. People linked to his past start making an appearance, others he has only met since he returned to the UK disappear, and his wife insists he gets therapy himself, as she is convinced he is depressed. Da knows David well and is very insightful about her husband, his thought processes, and his moods, and it isn’t a surprise that she thinks he is low. This is the David Braddock we know, but he is not quite himself. He finds it difficult to adapt to life in the England he has found upon his return, to his new role, and a less adventurous lifestyle. Apart from suggesting a therapist, Da also finds him a case to keep him busy and entertained. Both things have an effect, but, the “simple” missing person’s case he starts investigating leads him into all kinds of difficulties and complications. And it also makes him question a lot of things about himself, from his sleuthing skills to his sanity and everything in between.

I won’t go into a lot of detail about the book’s plot, but I will mention topics such as London underground’s ghost stations, violent computer games, terrorist/criminal organizations, paedophiles, homeless hostels, and the homeless population, UK politics…

The book, narrated in the first person by Braddock, is written with all the wit, the dark sense of humour, and the precise use of language we are used to, and we are also treated to the character’s flights of fancy, his philosophical digressions, and in this particular novel, plenty of thought given to mortality, fate, karma, and the differences between his current life and his past. Not only underground ghost stations feature in this novel, but ghosts from David’s past as well. And although some might be down to his mental state, you’ll have to read the novel to decide if that is always the case.

As it pertains to a mystery/thriller book, there are twists, turns, red herrings aplenty, secrets, false clues, and more than a few surprises. The ending of the story (which, of course, I won’t reveal either), plays with the idea of Braddock as a modern Sherlock Holmes, and I hope it hints (as the subtitle of the novel does) at new beginnings. Because, I think I speak for most of the readers when I say we don’t want to say goodbye to David Braddock yet, if ever.

The author shares a note at the end of the book where he talks about his research and clarifies which changes he has made in the novel, in particular about some of the settings, so people who might be wondering about those will be satisfied. And others, I’m sure, will be thinking about joining a tour of the London underground ghost stations next time they visit the city.

I’ve been wondering if this novel could be read by somebody with no previous knowledge of the character and his circumstances and be enjoyed. Readers will find plenty of references to Braddock’s previous life and adventures, and I think this would suffice for new readers to get a sense of who the character is and where he and those around him are coming from. I am sure that anybody who reads this novel first and enjoys it will be so intrigued by all the references to his life and cases that they will want to catch up with the rest, and, readers who have read the rest of the Braddock’s novels will enjoy catching up with him and seeing how he adapts to his new life. So, I don’t hesitate to recommend this novel to anyone and everyone who enjoys good quality writing, a sharp, witty, and somewhat dark sense of humour, and especially those who love London and enjoy discovering its secrets. Let’s hope there are many more novels to come yet.

Here are just a couple of samples of some of the gems you can find in this novel.

This is the actual opening:

Devesh Banerjee could easily be mistaken for Marilyn Monroe if Marilyn had been male, in her late sixties, bald, brown-skinned, morbidly obese and missing the lower half of her body.

And another one.

It seems my dear wife has invented an alternative version of the popular game Rock-Paper-Scissors. I’m going to call it Man-Woman-Logic.

Man beats Woman.

Logic beats Man.

Woman beats Logic.

Thanks to John Dolan for returning to one of our favourite detectives and bringing us more stories, thanks to all of you for writing, and for liking, sharing, commenting, and, most of all, for always being there and for your ongoing support. Keep smiling!

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Book reviews TuesdayBookBlog

#TuesdayBookBlog AN END TO ETCETERA by B. Conklin (@rbconklin1) Believe Nothing. Doubt Everyone

Hi, all:

I bring you another great find I picked up from Rosie’s Book Review Team. You know I have a personal connection and interest in books related to mental health, and therapy, and those where the psychology of the characters plays an important role, so you’ll understand why I was immediately attracted to this one. I am not going to enter into issues of diagnosis or evaluate how accurate the book might be, as my experience with young patients is very limited, and I’ve never worked as a therapist, but I can tell you that this is pretty impressive. And some.

An End to Etcetera by B. Robert Conklin

An End to Etcetera by B. Conklin

A boy. A shadow. A murder.

Or not?

Pathological liar? Sociopathic killer? Or just a troubled kid seeking attention? These are the questions that haunt therapist Selena Harris as she undertakes the most challenging case of her career.

Sitting on a couch two feet across from her is an ordinary-looking teenager who confessed in a text, inadvertently broadcast to his entire school, to murdering an autistic child left in his care. With no evidence to support Leal Porter’s testimony, authorities have referred him to Selena for counseling.

Challenging her professional distance is the emotional bond she develops with this lonely, isolated boy, whom classmates describe as “that scrawny kid who talks to himself at his locker.” Although Selena believes the alleged victim is the product of her client’s fevered imagination, she harbors one major doubt:

What if she’s wrong?

Selena can relate to Leal’s feeling of isolation, especially as she has returned to her small hometown on the heels of a divorce to take care of her father, who has suffered a debilitating stroke. In Leal’s case, however, he’s a school outcast due to his predisposition to tell tall tales to worm his way out of trouble.

Stepping outside the confines of her office in a quest for clues, Selena is determined to separate fact from fiction. But nothing in her experience prepares her for the harrowing revelation of the inner demon that lurks beneath the surface of Leal’s confession.

Katherine Burkman, author of April Cruel, writes: “What is fascinating about An End to Etcetera is the nature of the relationship between a psychologist and her thirteen-year-old patient. As a whodunit, we are not sure of what has been done or who is responsible, as we watch both patient and therapist evolve. Extremely well-written, the suspense involves more than that in your usual mystery, since it is the mystery of life itself. The writing pulls you in and won’t let you go.”

Author B. Robert Conklin

About the author:

B. Robert Conklin (he/him/his) lives, writes, and works, not necessarily in this order, in Columbus, Ohio, where he helps his spouse nurture the creativity of their three Gen-Z kids, who seem determined to take less-traveled paths of their own. In his leisure time, he takes nature walks with his family’s two ferrets and practices the craft of cartooning.

His credits include stories in Blue Moon Literary & Art Review, THAT Literary Review, and Kestrel, with another accepted for publication in The Strong Stuff: The Best of Fictional Café, Volume II. With a teaching background in composition and literature, he has also co-authored a college textbook to help emerging writers connect with their world.

His day job involves developing e-learning modules and hosting internationally attended webinars on the topic of nondestructive testing—a profession geared to keeping airplanes from crashing, bridges from collapsing, and nuclear reactors from imploding.

Visit him on Twitter @rbconklin1 or at brobertconklin.wordpress.com

My review:

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team (author, check here if you are interested in getting your book reviewed) and thank her and the author for this opportunity.

The author has published stories before, and not only that, but he has studied and taught writing, and although this is my first contact with his work, his level of expertise is evident in all aspects of this novel: plot, characterisation, style…

The description provides enough clues as to the general plot, and in order to avoid spoilers, I will try not to elaborate too much on that aspect of the book. This psychological thriller (for lack of a better categorisation) digs deep into the mind of its characters, and it has a way of grabbing readers’ attention and making us question everything we read and our own minds.

This is a book beautifully constructed. The story is narrated in third-person, from alternating points of view, those of Selena, the therapist (a child and adolescent psychologist), and of one of her patients, Leal, although there are many extras and the story is anything but straight-forward, both in the plot and the way it is told. The writing is beautifully descriptive, and a lot of the novel is taken up by lengthy descriptions of the therapy sessions between the two main characters. Those, though, as Selena notes, consist of Leal narrating a story. This might (or not) be the story of what happened, and what landed him in trouble at school. Nobody seems to believe his version of events, and he insists on narrating that story in chronological order, in maddening detail, despite any attempts made by Selena at changing the pace, bringing up other issues, and trying to complete her report for the school in a timely manner. Selena, who has plenty of insight into what her behaviour should be like and into the need to keep professional boundaries with her patients, starts to pursue other avenues of information, to try to corroborate or disprove the account Leal is offering her. Her efforts keep being thwarted. Some of the people who appear in the boy’s story are no longer there, others are never available or have their own agendas and won’t cooperate fully, and her personal life (especially her pregnancy and her father’s illness) intrudes as well. After all, she has just moved back to live with her father in the small town where she was born, she is going through a divorce, and this pregnancy came quite unexpectedly after some painful losses. The more we read, the more we question everything, sometimes agreeing with the therapist, sometimes wondering about her own mental state.

There are clues and things that might make readers uneasy and raise doubts, and although this is not a standard mystery, readers need to keep their wits about them. Selena keeps sending e-mails to a mentor/lover and perhaps more, with details of the case, in an attempt at supervision. We get access to dreams, a deep mindfulness session with Leal that might uncover things even he is not aware of, and we can’t help but wonder how a boy so young could be as articulate as he is at times. Selena starts going beyond being a detective of the mind (soul, even) and starts digging too deep into matters, putting herself in situations that might not only be unethical but also truly dangerous.

There are plenty of secrets and half-truths in the story, with characters such as Thuster (who might or might not be only a shadow embodying the darkness inside Leal and all of us), a mother who has something to hide, a couple with a strained relationship, a woman who cannot let go of her relationships, a brother who refuses to grow, a disappeared priest, an artist with a peculiar painting style, women with tattoos, mannequins, guns, drownings, non-conventional families, therapists enmeshed in their therapies… The word “leal” means “loyal” in Spanish, and indeed, trust and loyalty are at the heart of the story.

Those of you who love unreliable narrators (as I do) will have a field day with this story. As per the ending… It is one of those endings that makes you reconsider the whole of the novel you have just read. I found it both, satisfying and disturbing. Disturbing because the ending of this novel, which keeps you guessing and second-guessing yourself all the time, does not disappoint in that aspect either. Satisfying because you do get answers to all your questions, although are those “the right” answers? As is the case with the best novels, this one will keep you thinking long after you have turned the last page.

A sample of the writing:

For those of you who might be intrigued by the title, it comes from a conversation between the therapist and Leal’s mother:

She said she just wants it to end —the etcetera.

The etcetera? I asked her what she meant.

You’ll find out soon enough, she told me. With Leal, there’s always one more thing—one damned thing after another to worry about.

Here, Selena is e-mailing her mentor and supervisor, telling him what the experience of her sessions with Leal is like.

And yet, all the while, I have the feeling there is more going on inside his head than is coming across verbally. His focus is perpetually inward. It’s as though there is a feature-length movie unfolding in his imagination, complete with dialogue, pans and zooms, soundstages—who knows, even CGI—and I am like a hungry dog, grateful for tidbits, leftovers, thrown from a table holding a smorgasbord out of my reach.

An example of the type of descriptive writing I so liked:

The wind died away and the surface of the lake became very calm, as still as green glass. She sat by the shore, hands on her stomach, feeling the movements within coming more and more strongly now, so she knew it wouldn’t be long. The farther shore of the lake became a distant world, foreign and invisible, shrouded in mist, and the stars of the night sky opened like holes puncturing the canvas of a wide purple umbrella.

I recommend this book to those who love beautiful writing, mind games, stories that make you dig deep into the psychology of the characters, especially if you don’t expect lots of action and a fast pace. Some of the topics that come up in the story might be disturbing (there is domestic violence, and some violent scenes, although not too explicit or extreme) but this is a novel more disturbing by what it makes us think of than what it actually says. You have been warned.

Thanks to Rosie and her team for the support, thanks to the author for his novel, and thanks to all of you for reading. Remember to share with anybody you think might enjoy it, and keep smiling!

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Book reviews

#Bookreview Baking Bad: Notes from My Diary by John Dolan (@JohnDolanAuthor) Brief, extremely dark humour and the opposite of a morality play

Hi, all:

For those of you who are looking for something different, non-seasonal, brief, and who appreciate an extremely dark sense of humour, I recommend this short read by John Dolan. But be warned. It isn’t for everyone.

Baking Bad: Notes From My Diary by John Dolan

Baking Bad: Notes from My Diary by John Dolan

“I need to spend some time reburying in the garden. Next door’s dog has dug up a foot.”

Thus begins a surreal journal the like of which (if you’re lucky) you have never encountered before.
Author John Dolan’s unnamed diarist plumbs the depths of black comedy in a way that might make your hair stand on end. Not recommended for the PC-aware or those with a weak stomach.
Contains helpful tips on cooking and on murdering people.
https://www.amazon.com/Baking-Bad-Notes-My-Diary-ebook/dp/B089R7BH7S/

Author John Dolan

About the author:

“Makes a living by travelling, talking a lot and sometimes writing stuff down. Galericulate author, polymath and occasional smarty-pants.”

John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between Thailand and the UK.

He is the author of the ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ mystery series and the ‘Children of Karma’ mystery trilogy.

My review:

I am a fan of John Dolan, and he is one of the few authors who can make me read genres I don’t usually read, and whom I trust implicitly. That doesn’t mean he cannot surprise me. Quite the opposite. His sense of humour can be very dark and sharp, and he (and his characters) know how to keep a poker face, which means that sometimes one doesn’t quite know when he (and they) are being serious. But mistaking their statements for jokes when they are told in earnest can be dangerous.

I love his two mystery series set in Thailand, his most recent novel (Land of Red Mist), but this book is one that has more in common with some of his shorter and darkly humorous writings, like Fun with Dick, The Ortford English Dictionary, or Jim Fosse’s Expense Claim.

As I did when I reviewed the Dictionary, I must warn readers that this is not a book for people looking for an easy and gentle read, and if taken too seriously, it is bound to offend most readers.

This is a very short book, and it takes the form of the diary notes of a character who is a bit peculiar. He likes to bake, but let’s say that he uses some unusual ingredients. (Don’t miss the recipes!) He is not terribly fond of pets, and although he claims to be looking for love, his methods are not the best. And his family…

He works at a laboratory specialised in animal testing, and to give you a taster of what this short read is like, this is what he says about it:

“Today marks my third anniversary of working at the lab. I believe I have found my vocation among the dead, the dying and the tortured.”

I found it extremely funny, but it is one of those books that as you read it you’re both, laughing and horrified at the kind of things that are making you laugh. You are thankful you haven’t met an individual like him in real life (hopefully!) but he is so blatant and has so few inhibitions that there is something appealing about him (as a fictional character, of course).

I recommend this book to people who appreciate a dark and extreme sense of humour, are not easily shocked, and are looking for a short but intense read. Be warned, though. The character is unredeemable, and this is not a morality play, but rather the opposite.

Thanks to the author for making me gasp and laugh out loud, thanks to all of you for reading, liking, and commenting, remember to share with anybody who might enjoy it, Happy 2023, and don’t forget to keep smiling!

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Reviews

Review of ‘Hungry Ghosts’ by John Dolan.

Today I bring you another review. A few months ago I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first book in the ‘Time, Karma and Blood Series’ by John Dolan, ‘Everyone Burns’. And I could not pass the opportunity to read and comment the second one.  I leave you my five stars review, a link to the book in e-format and paperback and a link to my review of the previous book, just in case you missed it.

Hungry Ghosts, 'Time, Blood and Karma' Book 2 by John Dolan
Hungry Ghosts, ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ Book 2 by John Dolan

Hungry Ghosts (Time, Karma and Blood Series Book 2) by John Dolan. Family secrets, family feuds, betrayals and ghosts.

‘The spirits of the dead are all around us, but it is we, the living, that are the true hungry ghosts.’ I could not agree more with the reflections of David Braddock, the detective-cum-philosopher and therapist who is the protagonist of Hungry Ghosts, the second book in the ‘Time, Karma and Blood Series’ by John Dolan. I read the first book in the series Everyone Burns and when I reviewed it I mentioned that I thought this would be a five star series but the first book left me wanting more and with too many questions pending. Be reassured, Hungry Ghosts delivers on all the promises of the first and more, and although, of course this being a series everything could not be resolved, the novel answers many of the questions, whilst opening new avenues for inquiry and intriguing plots.

‘Sometimes I come across as superficial. Of this I am aware. However, you may be confident that inside my head I am forever plumbing new shallows, finding novel ways to express the obvious, reheating old jokes.’

David Braddock, one of the most peculiar detectives I’ve met in fiction (and I am aware all famous detectives have quirks and characteristics that make them memorable) is back with a vengeance. Or rather, he is the intended victim of a revenge attempt. Vending the rules, although it appears to be the standard MO in Thailand, does not come without consequences even there. People die, lives are destroyed, and strange alliances are made and broken. Not your standard day at the office.

If Braddock still retains many of the characteristics we’ve come to expect of most males detectives (he has an array of love interests, two of them married, one related to him by first marriage…), we get to see more of his soft/emotional side. His strange relationship with his first wife (now dead), his daughter (away in England), his housekeeper (not his maid, as he insists throughout the whole book. She is clearly much more than a housekeeper, as signaled by the fact that they have never had sex), his mother-in-law, and crucially, his father. Family secrets abound, not only those of the Braddock family, but also of other families. Fathers and sons with troubled relationships are mirrored on both sides of the law (although the lines are very fine and there is no black and white here, rather different shades of grey), and even Braddock’s Zen master, the Old Monk, has sons who are on opposite sides of the law.

The author shows his talent by using a variety of points of view throughout the novel that allow us to understand better the events and the motivations behind the actions of the characters. We share in the murderer’s frame of mind, the Chief of Police of Samui and his wife (and Braddock’s lover), the detective’s sister in law, the gangsters… We might side with Braddock but we are privy to the thoughts and feelings of others and are a step ahead. That is why the twist at the end is even more effective. We should have seen it coming but we were too taken by the action and the story, and rooting for the flawed hero to realise that…

John Dolan treads carefully and manages to recap enough information to allow somebody who has not read the first novel to enjoy and make sense of this one, whilst at the same time not boring somebody who has recently read ‘Everyone Burns’, and just nudging their memory (especially with the unfamiliar names) along.

David Braddock is fast becoming one of my favourite detectives. Although an amateur at both detective work and psychology (or therapeutic interventions), he has a natural flair for both. I couldn’t help but think that he might make an interesting team with Mary, the psychiatrist who gets involved in all sorts of crimes in my stories. It’s a thought.

Hungry Ghosts has gang-warfare, police corruption, revenge, murders and violence, secrets and revelations, honey traps and meddling employees, witty repartees and reflections (‘I need to simplify my life so far as women are concerned. Maybe I should get castrated and have done with it.’), ghosts and padrinos (Thai style). I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next and what will come of the sudden epiphany Braddock experiences in this book. As he observes: ‘We are the artisans of avoidance, the fabricators of falsehoods. We sell ourselves snake-oil and we call it medicine.’ I’m sure there will be more revelations to come and I suspect the author might take us in unsuspected directions. I am getting a ticket for the next trip. Are you?

Links:

e-version:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ENZAURQ/

Paperback:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0957325622/

Here I leave you a link to my previous post about ‘Everyone Burns’.

https://olganm.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/review-everyone-burns-time-blood-and-karma-book-one-by-john-dolan-counselling-politics-and-detection-in-thailand/

Thanks for reading, and you know the drill, if you’ve enjoyed it, like, share, comment, and don’t forget to CLICK!

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Escaping Psychiatry launch

1, 2, 3…Escaping Psychiatry is live!

Hi all:

Finally the so long expected time has come. My book Escaping Psychiatry has seen the light. As you know I’m a forensic psychiatrist by day and a writer any spare time I can find, and although this book is not about my personal experiences (thankfully. You’ll see what I mean when  you read it), the main character, Mary, is a psychiatrist and writer, like me. It is a work of fiction (well, several) but…

Banner for Escaping Psychiatry. By Ernesto Valdes
Banner for Escaping Psychiatry. By Ernesto Valdes

Escaping Psychiatry has it all: intriguing characters, noir style, thrilling pursuits, dangerous situations, crime, serial killers, religion, family secrets, murder, psychological insights, mental illness, trauma, debates about prejudice and morality, heated trials, police investigations, corruption, and mystery. If you enjoy Wire in the Blood, Cracker and Lie to Me and you are not scared of going deeper and darker, dare to read on.

Escaping Psychiatry is a collection of three stories (‘Cannon Fodder’, ‘Teamwork’ and ‘Memory’) with the same protagonist, Mary, a psychiatrist and writer. She is trying to develop her literary career but circumstances and friends conspire to keep dragging her back to psychiatry. Professional, emotional and very personal challenges confront Mary. Will she manage to escape psychiatry unscathed?

http://viewBook.at/EscapingPsych

And in Barnes and Noble (Nook):

http://bit.ly/1f0qHfL

I have published the three stories in electronic format separately before (I’ve unpublished them now to avoid confusion), but this edition collects them all, with a great cover by Ernesto Valdés, and a brand new epilogue that promises more adventures. I am working on publishing it in other electronic formats and paper copies should be available soon…ish. I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks so much for reading, and if you’ve enjoyed it, don’t forget to like, share, comment, and of course, get CLICKING!

I leave you some links to previous posts with samples:

https://olganm.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/plans-for-2014-escaping-psychiatry-is-coming-have-a-look-and-check-free-sample/

https://olganm.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/focus-on-escaping-psychiatry-series-3-novellas-psychiatrist-thrillers-crime-and-tasters/

Categories
Autores Invitados

Autora invitada Nicole Fergusson. Gothic, vampiros y hombres lobos.

Hoy tenemos como invitada a la escritora Nicole D. Fergusson. Ella muy amablemente nos ofrece no solo la descripción de su obra Gothic (Gótico) sino también un extracto de la obra y enlaces a su cuenta de Twitter y a su blog.

Descripción

Dahlia está empezando una nueva vida. Nueva universidad, nueva casa, nuevos amigos. Esta vez no va a estar rodeada de hombres lobo y vampiros. Ha luchado desde que tenía 8 años para evitar llevar una vida llena de seres sobrenaturales. ¿Qué importa que sienta más atracción por el vampiro en su clase que por el novio universitario normalito que se ha echado? ¿O que sus parientes hombres lobo empiecen a desaparecer uno a uno? Nada. Lo que quiere es una vida normal cueste lo que cueste. Es lo que siempre ha querido. Una vida normal. Exactamente eso es lo que lleva toda su vida esperando.

¿No?

Gothic%20cover[1]

 Y ahora el fragmento de su novela:

̶ Eso es raro….̶ Elliott se detuvo.

̶ ¿Qué pasa? ̶ Pero entonces Dahlia se dio cuenta de lo que pasaba. Aunque ella no tenía el olfato de un hombre lobo, si que tenía el oído de un ser humano. Y se oía un gruñido intenso delante de ellos.

̶ ¿Hola? ̶ dijo moviéndose poco a poco hacia adelante. Elliott la agarró del brazo y la empujó detrás de él.

̶ ¿Qué…? ̶ empezó Dahlia.

El agresivo sonido se había redoblado en intensidad. Dahlia se dio cuenta de que Elliott más que gruñir estaba siseando y haciendo ruidos guturales. Estaba contenta de que Elliot la hubiese acompañado a los dormitorios. Normalmente siempre había gente rondando por la universidad, pero justo en aquel momento, no había ni un alma.

Elliott estaba agachado en postura de lucha, como si esperara un ataque violento.

Dahlia vigilaba con atención esperando lo que fuese a aparecer desde su punto de mira detrás de Elliott, echando un vistazo sobre su hombro de vez en cuando por si acaso los atacantes intentaban sorprenderlos por la espalda. Alguien andaba detrás de los hombres lobo, y ella había crecido con un montón de ellos.

Su corazón se le subió a la garganta cuando vio un lobo rubio salir de entre los arbustos y dirigirse hacia ellos. Le hubiera reconocido en cualquier sitio, pero eso no la hacía sentirse más amable y bien dispuesta hacia él. No le agradecía el susto que les había hecho pasar.

̶ ¡Luca! ¿Qué demonios estás haciendo? ̶ Eso lo dijo Dahlia en un duro tono entre los dientes, antes de girarse a mirar atrás de nuevo, esta vez para asegurarse de que no hubiese ningún estudiante despistado a punto de encontrarse cara a cara con un hombre lobo. Luca era mucho más grande que cualquier perro doméstico que ella conociera, y no llevaba correa, lo que quería decir que Dahlia se vería en un lío de todas formas si aparecía un estudiante. ̶ ¡Sabes que esto no es prudente!

Elliott no relajó la postura, ni permitió que Dahlia pasase por su lado en su intento de cantarle las cuarenta al ‘lobo’, lo que no ayudó nada la situación. Solo hizo que Luca gruñera más alto.

Mirando ahora a uno y ahora al otro, Dahlia se quedó con la boca abierta cuando se dio cuenta de qué iba la cosa.

̶ ¡Hay que joderse! ¿En serio?

Dahlia, indignada, le hizo bajar el brazo a Elliott de una palmada y le empujó fuera de su camino. Se detuvo justamente entre Elliott y Luca y los obligó a bajar las miradas, desafiando a cualquiera de los dos a hacer un movimiento territorial.

Elliott pasó de mirarla a ella a mirar al ‘lobo’ hasta que finalmente se la quedó mirando a ella. Luca finalmente dejó de gruñir, relajando los surcos de su hocico, pero sin expresión de arrepentimiento. Dahlia les miró fijamente a los dos, enfadada.

̶ Tú ̶ le ordenó a Luca, sin que su tono dejara ningún opción a la negativa. ̶ Encuentra un sitio privado donde cambiar y ven a mi habitación. ̶ Ella le enseñó los dientes. Él no podría acceder instintivamente a sus palabras, pero el gesto le quedaría claro.

Luca la siguió mirando un rato, intentando proclamar su dominio, pero Dahlia estaba demasiado airada como para jugar juegos de hombres lobo. Al cabo de un momento, él emitió un quejido, se dio la vuelta y se marchó con el rabo entre las patas, desapareciendo entre los arbustos.

Dahlia no le dio tiempo a Elliott a hacer una escena. Lo cogió de la manga y lo arrastró a su dormitorio, garantizando así que Luca no se dedicaría a tomarse su tiempo para cambiar antes de apresurarse a su habitación.

Estuvieron callados un minuto y entonces Elliott dijo: ̶ ¿Y por qué no me das a mí el discursito de : ̶ ¡Elliott, chico malo! ¡Vete a mi habitación!.

Ella casi se detuvo al oir eso, pero en lugar de hacerlo siguió arrastrándole hacia los dormitorios, con tanto empeño que casi le hizo caerse.

̶ ¿De verdad vas a intentar eso conmigo, Elliott, después de ese despliegue de idiotez alimentado por la testosterona? Me dan ganas de enviaros a los dos al rincón de los niños traviesos (‘the naughty corner’).

Elliott se calmó algo, y dijo más bajo: ̶ Había oído que tenías hombres lobo en la familia…̶  mientras cruzaban el hall.

̶ ¿Ah, sí? Preguntó Dahlia. ¿Y entonces qué fue eso de antes?

Elliott frunció el cejo. ̶ Creí que estabas en peligro.

̶ No corro peligro con mi propio hermanastro. ̶ masculló Dahlia.

Elliott sonrió sin ganas. ̶ No es que viniera con una pancarta proclamando eso.̶ Se paró en el dintel de la puerta y por un segundo Dahlia creyó que lo estaba haciendo solo enojarla más, antes de darse cuenta de que necesitaba una invitación.

Ese hecho la hizo desinflarse. Las dos, Annabelle y Meredith habían insistido en decirle que jamás debía decir la palabra: ̶ Entra ̶ cuando un gesto con la mano bastaba o se podía sugerir de otra manera, a menos que fuera de día. Gestos con la mano y otras sugerencias no eran invitaciones lo suficientemente fuertes como para permitir que un vampiro entrase en una nueva residencia.

Pero este era Elliott y, aunque estaba enfadada con él, Dahlia racionalmente sabía que nunca haría nada para hacerle daño. No lo había hecho cuando ella había estado visitándole en su residencia privada, y eso era casi igual que haberle invitado a que bebiera de ella.

̶ Elliott, por favor entra. ̶ le dio a la vez que oyó el sonido de Luca entrando en tromba por la puerta doble que daba entrada a su edificio.

̶ ¡Dahlia! ¡No!

Luca reapareció, y en forma humana, nada menos, justo a tiempo para ver a Elliott cruzar la puerta de la habitación de Dahlia. Se abalanzó dentro de la habitación con un gruñido, y agarró a Elliott por la garganta. A Elliott le sorprendió el ataque inesperado, pero sus reflejos fueron más rápidos que el movimiento de Luca, y antes de que el lobo pudiera aprovecharse de su ventaja Elliott lo había tirado contra la pared, haciendo caer dos cuadros que ella había colgado cerca.

̶ No soy peligroso para Dahlia ̶ le informó Elliott en forma calmada y tranquila, virtualmente repitiendo las palabra que Dahlia había dicho sobre Luca justo antes.

̶ !Luca, Elliott, no! ̶  repitió Dahlia, y entonces fue cuando Elliott dio un paso atrás, alejándose de Luca una vez había dejado las cosas en claro.

Luca se quedó junto a la pared un segundo más, recuperando el aliento y mirando a Elliott. Entonces se volvió a Dahlia.

̶ ¿Cómo se te ocurre invitarle a tu habitación? ¡Ya sabes las reglas!

̶ No conoces a Elliott ̶ le respondió Dahlia sin inflexión alguna. ̶ Si le conocieras sabrías que es tan poco probable que me hago daño como lo sería que me lo hiciera Annabelle.

Los dos hermanastros se miraron intensamente mucho rato. Elliott se quedó a un lado, pero al cabo de un rato, dio un paso atrás y se sentó en la cama, esperando a que acabasen. Luca lo vio y se rio entre dientes.

̶ Parece estar la mar de cómodo aquí.

̶  Y eso podría ser un problema ni no me acabases de ver invitándole a entrar. ̶ Dahlia cruzó los brazos sacudiendo la cabeza. ̶ Ahora en serio, Luca. Ya no tengo dieciséis años. Tú y la manada no tenéis control sobre a quién invito o no invito a mi habitación.

Luca hizo rechinar los dientes. No iba a dejarlo. ̶ Alguien está matando hombres lobo.

̶ Y yo no soy un hombre lobo ̶ dijo Dahlia, ignorando completamente el hecho de que ella misma había estado preocupada por la confusión debida a sus conexiones con la manada unos minutos antes.

Elliott, en un momento inspirado de autopreservación decidió no sacarlo a relucir.

̶ Y yo que pensaba venir aquí y darte una sorpresa ya que no te pude ver la noche pasada.

Los dientes de Luca estaban todavía encajados, pero ahora parecía triste. Esa tristeza hizo que Dahlia evitara darle una respuesta irónica sobre como de sorprendente había resultado volver y ver a un lobo rondando el edificio. Él continuó, como si hubiese leído sus pensamientos. ̶ Me sorprendió oler a vampiro. Puedo hacer más daño como lobo que como hombre.”

Elliott asintió con la cabeza. Luca lo vio, aunque Dahlia no lo hiciera. Mirando a Elliott, Luca preguntó, refunfuñando:

̶ ¿Y entonces éste quién es?

Dahlia suspiró. Se suponía que los hermanos mayores tenían que ser pesados, ¿no? ¿No se lo habían dicho al menos una docena de chicas en el instituto? Al menos ella se llevaba bien con el suyo, la mayoría del tiempo. ̶ Éste es Elliott. Es un amigo. Uno de mis amigos, y de Annabelle también. ̶ añadió Dahlia, para dejar claro cómo le había conocido. Luca sabía que su tía Annabelle no toleraba a idiotas y nunca había sido una mujer cruel, a pesar de ser una vampira.

Lucha echó un vistazo de nuevo hacia Elliott. “Entonces vale.”

Dahlia se giró hacia Elliott. “Elliott, este es Luca. Su padre básicamente fue como un padre para mí cuando el mío…nos abandonó.” Todavía se le hacía un nudo en la garganta cada vez que hablaba de él. Ella siguió hablando muy rápidamente. “Luca prácticamente me adoptó como hermana pequeña.”

Elliott volvió a asentir. ̶ Y tú la has estado protegiendo desde entonces. Muy encomiable.

Luca entrecerró los ojos mientras miraba a Elliott, intentando decidir si se estaba burlando con su cumplido. Elliott le devolvió la mirada sin pestañear. Al final Luca asintió brevemente y murmuró: ̶ Gracias.

Dahlia dejó escapar un suspiro de alivio. Pero no le duró mucho.

̶ Tan entretenida como es esta amistosa reunion… ̶  fue todo lo que le dio tiempo a decir antes de que sonara su teléfono.

Los dos chicos dieron un salto. Elliott siseó, gruñó, y los dos se pusieron inmediatamente en guardia.

̶ Oh, Jesús, que no se mueva nadie. ¡No quiero que ninguno de los destruya mi teléfono!

Los dos chicos se ganaron una mirada de: ̶ ¿No puedo quitaros los ojos de encima ni dos minutos sin que volváis a luchar? ̶  a la que al menos los dos tuvieron el buen gusto de poner cara de avergonzados. No estaba segura de si fue por su comportamiento tan tonto o por darse cuenta de que casi acabaron en una pelea de boxeo con algo que solo podría considerarse un arma letal en manos de Russell Crowe.

Fabuloso! Y ahora los enlaces:

Para comprar la novela en Amazon haced click aquí:

http://www.amazon.com/Gothic-ebook/dp/B009UVPUU0/

Para contactar a Nicole.
En Twitter: https://twitter.com/faerywhimsy
Para seguir su blog: http://nicole-d-fergusson.blogspot.com.au/

Y su página de Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleDFergusson

No os olvidéis de hacer click!

Gracias a Nicole por venir de invitada y a vosotros por leer!

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