From The Dead by Mark Billingham

The Blurb On The Back:

THE BODY

A decade ago, Alan Langford’s charred remains were discovered in his burnt-out car. His wife Donna was found guilty of conspiracy to murder her husband and sentenced to ten years in prison.

THE LETTER

But just before she is released, Donna receives a nasty shock: an anonymous letter containing a photo of her husband. The man she hates with every fibre of her being – the man she paid to have murdered – seems very much alive and well.

THE RACE AGAINST TIME

How is It possible that her husband is still alive? Where is he? Who sent the photo, and why?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 9th in Mark Billingham’s bestselling Tom Thorne crime series is an introspective affair with Thorne forced to re-evaluate both an old case and his current relationship. I didn’t mind the relationship element (although I did think it missed the humour that usually exists between Thorne and Hendricks) but the actual mystery storyline didn’t work for me because I couldn’t root for either the victim or the woman convicted of his murder. The Thorne series is always worth reading, but this one wasn’t as good as some of the others.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy

The Blurb On The Back:

”My power is practically limitless,” Melcholia said softly. “I’d describe the sensation to you but words would not be sufficient. To understand what it’s like to be a god, you’d really have to be a god. Like me …”

The Death Bringer has risen.

Faced with a possible cataclysm that could change the world, Skulduggery and Valkyrie have seven days to uncover the Necromancers’ secret before it’s too late.

The clock is ticking.

Lord Vile is loose.

And after this one, nothing will ever be the same again.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 6th in Derek Landy’s bestselling MG dark fantasy series is another dark and thrilling adventure. Although I didn’t like the main twist towards the end (mainly because it raises too many issues with the previous books) the different plot strands are expertly brought together, there’s some comic zombie fun and a great cliff hanger that will ensure I keep reading on.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt

The Blurb On The Back:

Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn’t share his brother’s appetite for whiskey and killing, he’s never known anything else. But their prey isn’t an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm’s gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living – and whom he does it for.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2011, Patrick deWitt’s novel takes the Western format and adds a road story, which make for a brutal, compelling and ultimately human read that follows two violent anti-heroes and their attempts to improve themselves in violent times. I found this affecting, human and wonderful and really look forward to reading deWitt’s next book.

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Blurb On The Back:

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very peculiar photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine’s children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow – impossible though it seems – they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ransom Briggs has taken an interesting concept in mixing vintage photographs with a fantasy story but while I really loved the photographs, I found that they didn’t really add much to the story other than to slow down the pace and make for cumbersome scenes. Although I liked Jacob’s strong voice, the fantasy story itself never really caught fire for me and despite the open ending, I doubt that I’ll be reading on.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

Changeling – Zombie Dawn by Steve Feasey

The Blurb On The Back:

Trey Laporte may be a werewolf, but is he animal enough to take on a zombie army and survive?

The ultimate battle is approaching. The dark vampire Caliban and his evil sorceress are determined to take over the human world once and for all. Demon hunter Lucien Charron and his kick-ass daughter are readying for the fight. But suddenly Trey has had enough of their unending combat with the twisted Netherworld …

As Caliban’s bloodthirsty zombie army takes shape will Trey decide to follow his destiny or turn away? Can the human world survive without the last hereditary werewolf on its side?!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The conclusion to Steve Feasey’s enjoyable CHANGELING series left me a disappointed mainly because there aren’t enough pages to adequately deal with all the storylines and developments, meaning that some plot strands are under-developed and others rushed. However, it’s still a pacey read and I enjoyed the zombie element. I would have preferred it had there been more of a sense of jeopardy for the main characters, but I look forward to reading Feasey’s next book.