The Cathedral Of Known Things by Edward Cox

The Blurb On The Back:

Divided, hunted and short on resources, the surviving members of the Relic Guild are in real trouble. Their old enemy the Genii and their resurrected master have infiltrated Labrys Town and taken over the city.

So the Relic Guild must flee their home on a dangerous journey across the worlds of the Aelfir. One that will lead them to a weapon which might destroy the Genii. Or the whole universe …

And forty years before all this, the war which led to the fall of the Genii continues. And what happened to the Relic Guild then will change the course of their desperate future flight.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second in Edward Cox’s fantasy trilogy shows off more of his imaginative, well-structured world with another action-filled plot divided between two time periods (the current fight against the Genii and the war against Lord Spiral held 40 years ago). There is more character development here for Van Bam, Hamir (who has fast become my favourite), Denton and Marney and Sam is given new layers, which continue to hold my interest. I also found Fabian Moor to have more depth in this story, particularly in a scene where his faith in his plan is severely shaken, but his fellow Genii remain stock characters at best, and two-dimensional evil doers at worse. The time shifts worked better for me as Cox starts to draw out how the events from 40 years ago have shaped those happening today – I particularly enjoyed the slow reveal of Denton and Marney’s mission and the effect this has on them although Van Bam’s earlier adventure has a telegraphed reveal (despite the welcome introduction of new players, the Nephilim) – and I enjoyed seeing the return of side characters from those old missions in the Relic Guild’s current flight. Once again, Cox opts to finish the novel with another cliff hanger (a personal bug bear of mine) but the complexity of the plot lines coupled with the development of a number of the characters guarantees that I will check out the last book.

Thanks to Amazon Vine for the review copy of this book.

Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan

The Blurb On The Back:

A schoolgirl goes missing in Cambridge. The police are convinced she has run away from home.

Margot Lewis, one of the girl’s teachers, is the agony aunt of the Dear AmyDear Amy,

Please help me.

I’ve been kidnapped by a strange man. He says I can never go home. I’m afraid that he’ll kill me.

Please help me,
Bethan Avery

This must be some cruel hoax. Because Bethan Avery has been missing for nearly two decades. Margot takes the letter to the police, hoping they will brush this off as a sick joke. But they do no such thing.

They will tell her something about these letters which confirms her darkest fears – and tangles her up in the search for the sender which could save one life, and cost Margot her own …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Helen Callaghan’s debut psychological thriller is a complex page-turner with deft characterisation that held my interest to the very end. What really makes this book is Margot’s first person voice which really nails the complexity of her character. Driven by anger and determination, she’s got a sharp sense of humour but is nevertheless vulnerable and lacking in confidence, thanks in part to an unpleasant and on-going divorce (the scenes between Margot and her manipulative ex, Eddy are particularly well handled). I really enjoyed the way Callaghan weaves Margot’s past into the story and shows how it affects her reactions and I also enjoyed the third person scenes showing Katie’s point of view, which pulse with tension and jeopardy. Martin is an interesting foil for Margot – more analytical and keeping his own secrets – but I would have liked a bit more personal interaction between the two and wasn’t that interested in the inevitable romantic undertones. I did guess one of the big twists in the book, but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of how it played out and although this works well as a standalone, I could happily read another book about Margot and look forward to reading Callaghan’s next novel.

DEAR AMY will be released in the United Kingdom on 19th May 2016. Thanks to Amazon Vine for the ARC of this book.

Kill Shot by Vince Flynn

The Blurb On The Back:

Mitch Rapp is a man on a mission.

For months, Mitch has been working his way through a list of the men responsible for the Pan Am Lockerbie bombing – bullet by bullet.

His next target – a Libyan diplomat – should be easy. Prone to drink and currently in Paris without a bodyguard, Rapp quickly tracks the man down and sends a bullet into his skull while he’s sleeping. But at the moment he squeezes the trigger, the door to the hotel room is kicked open and gunfire erupts around him.

A wounded Rapp escapes with his life, but when the news breaks in France he is a wanted man. His handlers have only one choice. Rapp has become a liability, and he must not be taken alive. Alone in Paris, on the run from the authorities and from his own employers, Mitch Rapp must prepare to fight for his life.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Vince Flynn’s action thriller (the second prequel in the MITCH RAPP SERIES) is a fast-paced action thriller but the result is never really in question, which means that the stakes aren’t there to make this a gripping read. Rapp is from the predictable school of action heroes – the best at what he does, he’s always one step ahead of everyone else and, obviously, always in the right. The supporting characters are painted in broad brushstrokes and this isn’t really a book for those who like strong female characters as all of them (from Irene Kennedy, Rapp’s handler to Detective Neville who’s investigating the hit) are shown as being led by their emotions who need the men to tell them what to do and how to behave. Flynn handles the action scenes well but the corruption storyline veers dangerously close to ridiculous (especially as certain characters refuse to acknowledge what’s right in front of them) and Rapp’s main antagonist is so obviously out to lunch that it beggars belief he’d ever be allowed to keep his job. Ultimately, this is a book in the square-jawed hero kicking ass ilk and if that’s your thing then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this – although I kept turning the pages, I’m not sure that I’m invested enough in this to read more in the series.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book.