Clockwork City by Paul Crilley

The Blurb On The Back:

Cop, drunkard and low-grade magic user Gideon Tau is starting from scratch with only his undead boss and his foul-mouthed sidekick dog to help him find his daughter’s killer.

There they’ll have to contend with Fae gangs fighting for territory, the murder-suicide of two Delphic agents and the Seven Deadly Sins …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second in Paul Crilley’s urban fantasy DELPHIC DIVISION SERIES is an action packed, violent, foul-mouthed and completely fun sequel with a Shane Black vibe that moves the action from South Africa to London while advancing the series arc, introducing new characters and bringing back old ones and ending in a gut punch that makes me desperate to read the next book.

CLOCKWORK CITY was released in the United Kingdom on 14th December 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.

Anatomy Of A Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

The Blurb On The Back:

Sophie’s husband, James, is a loving father and a successful public figure. Yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to engulf him. She’s kept his darkest secret ever since they were first lovers, at Oxford. And if she stood by him then, she can do it now.

Kate is the barrister prosecuting his case. She’s certain that James is guilty and determined he should pay. No stranger to suffering herself, she doesn’t flinch from posing the questions few want to hear. About what happens between a man and a woman when they’re alone: alone in a bed, alone in an embrace, alone in a lift …

Is James the victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding or the perpetrator of something sinister? Who is right: Sophie or Kate? This scandal – which forces Sophie to appraise her marriage and Kate her demons – will have far-reaching consequences for them all.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Sarah Vaughan’s thriller combines court room drama with political intrigue to gripping effect using two strongly drawn female characters whose lives have taken very different paths who are drawn together by one man and a story that – despite a couple of elements - kept me guessing until the end while dealing sensitively and intelligently with the issues of prosecuting sex crimes.

ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL will be released in the United Kingdom on 11th January 2018. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book.

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

The Blurb On The Back:

Do you believe in magic?

Magic comes in all shapes and sizes and colours and tastes and smells and feelings.

Magic may even come in the shape of a book …

When Carter Locke runs away he’s never felt more alone. But then he finds a gang of other young magicians …

and THE MAGIC MISFITS are born!

Street magician Carter knows that magic tricks are just that – tricks. But when he runs away he finds himself alone and in danger from a dastardly carnival ringleader. He could really use some magic now …

A chance encounter with the mysterious Mr Vernon leads Carter to a gang of other young magicians. Can the Magic Misfits use their skills to foil the ringleader’s most evil scheme yet? And will Carter find the real magic hiding in this story?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Neil Patrick Harris’s debut fantasy novel for children aged 9+ (the first in a quartet) features great illustrations by Lissy Marlin and Kyle Hilton, a wonderfully chatty style and a diverse cast of characters while intertwining the fast-paced story with magic trick suggestions and games that kids should enjoy but the plot was a little unoriginal and the diverse supporting cast seldom rose above the page to achieve any real depth.

THE MAGIC MISFITS was released in the United Kingdom on 30th November 2017. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

Master List of Books 2017

1. The Pale Criminal by Philip Kerr (STARTED IN 2016).

2. A German Requiem by Philip Kerr.

3. Fish Boy by Chloe Daykin.

4. The Girl Before by J. P. Delaney.

5. He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly.

6. The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden.

7. Sirens by Joseph Knox.

8. Police At The Station And They Don’t Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty.

9. Nothing But A Circus: Misadventures Among The Powerful by Daniel Levin.

10. Is Islam An Enemy Of The West? by Tamara Sonn.

11. The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman.

12. Corpus by Rory Clements.

13. Nancy Parker’s Spooky Speculations by Julia Lee.

14. Slow Horses by Mick Herron.

15. Dead Lions by Mick Herron.

16. Real Tigers by Mick Herron.

17. Spook Street by Mick Herron.

18. Hoffer by Tim Glencross.

19. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.

20. Perfect Remains by Helen Fields.

21. Prussian Blue by Philip Kerr.

22. Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

23. Fragile Lives by Stephen Westaby.

24. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.

25. A Twist Of The Knife by Becky Masterman.

26. Crimson Lake by Candice Fox.

27. The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir.

28. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

29. Fever by Mary Beth Keane.

30. What Remains Of Me by A. L. Gaylin.

31. The Cruelty by Scott Bergstrom.

32. Tease by Amanda Maciel.

33. The Eye Of Minds by James Dashner.

34. The Plague Charmer by Karen Maitland.

35. Beneath The Surface by Jo Spain.

36. Seven For A Secret by Lyndsay Faye.

37. They Can’t Kill Us All: The Story Of Black Lives Matter by Wesley Lowery.

38. Truevine by Beth Macy.

39. The Last Act Of Hattie Hoffman by Mindy Mejia.

40. Cast Iron by Peter May.

41. Is Science Racist? by Jonathan Marks.

42. A Handful Of Ashes by Rob McCarthy.

43. The Fix by Liam Vaughan and Gavin Finch.

44. Cream Buns And Crime by Robin Stevens.

45. Why Wall Street Matters by William D. Cohan.

46. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney.

47. The Watcher by Ross Armstrong.

48. Symphony For The City Of The Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M. T. Anderson.

49. From Darkest Skies by Sam Peters.

50. The Break Down by B. A. Paris.

51. The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney.

52. Goodly And Grave In A Bad Case Of Kidnap by Justine Windsor.

53. The Book Of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor.

54. The Blood Miracles by Lisa McInerney.

55. Faeries, Fiends & Flying Saucers edited by Kirsty Capes.

56. Beyond The Wall by Tanya Landman.

57. A Dark So Deadly by Stuart MacBride.

58. Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick.

59. A Crime In The Family by Sacha Batthyany.

60. Running Blind by Desmond Bagley.

61. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale.

62. The Cleaner by Elisabeth Herrmann.

63. The Ice by Laline Paull.

64. The Special Girls by Isabelle Grey.

65. Bound by Benedict Jacka.

66. Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell.

67. The Fourth Monkey by J. D. Barker.

68. Islam: The Essentials by Tariq Ramadan.

69. Bad Choices: How Algorithms Can Help You Think Smarter And Live Happier by Ali Almossawi.

70. Big Capital: Who’s London For? by Anna Minton.

71. Before The Fall by Noah Hawley.

72. What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah.

73. Gender, Politics And News: A Game Of Three Sides by Karen Ross.

74. Quieter Than Killing by Sarah Hilary.

75. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths.

76. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.

77. Gather The Daughters by Jennie Melamed.

78. Girlhood by Cat Clarke.

80. The House by Simon Lelic.

81. Three Days And A Life by Pierre Lemaitre.

82. The Party by Elizabeth Day.

83. From Prejudice To Pride: A History Of The LGBTQ+ Movement by Amy Lamé.

84. Before This Is Over by Amanda Hickie.

85. Suffragettes And The Fight For The Vote by Sarah Ridley.

86. Blackwing by Ed McDonald.

87. Playing With Death by Simon Scarrow and Lee Francis.

88. S.T.A.G.S. by M. A. Bennett.

89. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie.

90. The Cutaway by Christina Kovac.

91. 101 Ways To Win An Election by Mark Pack and Edward Maxfield.

92. Silver Stars by Michael Grant.

93. The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley.

94. The Force by Don Winslow.

95. The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne.

96. Your Life In My Hands: A Junior Doctor’s Story by Rachel Clarke.

97. Can The Internet Strengthen Democracy? by Stephen Coleman.

98. Will Robots Take Your Job? by Nigel M. de S. Cameron.

99. Will China’s Economy Collapse? by Ann Lee.

100. The Waking Land by Callie Bates.

101. The Memory Book by Lara Avery.

102. The Taste Of Blue Light by Lydia Ruffles.

103. Show Stopper by Hayley Barker.

104. How To Murder By Your Life by Cat Marnell.

105. The President’s Gardens by Muhsin Al-Ramli.

106. The Dark Net by Benjamin Percy.

107. Fever by Deon Meyer.

108. Woman Of State by Simon Berthon.

109. The Irregular by H. B. Lyle.

110. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty.

111. Flame In The Mist by Renee Ahdieh.

112. IQ by Joe Ide.

113. Shadow Man by Margaret Kirk.

114. My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent.

115. Without A Word by Kate McQuaile.

116. The Devil’s Claw by Lara Dearman.

117. Cruel Mercy by David Mark.

118. I Am Behind You by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

119. The Money Formula: Dodgy Finance, Pseudo Science And How Mathematicians Took Over The Markets by Paul Wilmott and David Orrell.

120. The Loneliest Girl in The Universe by Lauren James.

121. The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch.

122. Last Argument Of Kings by Joe Abercrombie.

123. The Strange Disappearance Of A Bollywood Star by Vaseem Khan.

124. The Future Of Diplomacy by Philip Seib.

125. Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart.

126. There May Be A Castle by Piers Torday.

127. The Way Of The Strangers: Encounters With The Islamic State by Graeme Wood.

128. The Pharmaceutical Studies Reader edited by Sergio Sismondo and Jeremy A. Greene.

129. The Huntress: Sea by Sarah Driver.

130. The Warrior In The Mist by Ruth Eastham.

131. Love And Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch.

132. The Midnight Peacock by Katherine Woodfine.

133. I Am Traitor by Sif Sigmarsdóttir.

134. Monstress Volume One: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda.

135. Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra.

136. The Twelve Lives Of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti.

137. The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan.

138. The Unwomanly Face Of War by Svetlana Alexievich.

139. The Impossible by Mark Illis.

140. Blame by Jeff Abbott.

141. Nairobi Heat by Mukoma Wa Ngugi.

142. Striding Folly by Dorothy L. Sayers.

143. Restless Souls by Dan Sheehan.

144. What Is Russia Up To In The Middle East? by Dmitri Trenin.

145. Narcocapitalism by Laurent de Sutter.

146. Platform Capitalism by Nick Srnicek.

147. Loos Save Lives: How Sanitation And Clean Water Help Prevent Poverty, Disease And Death by Seren Boyd.

148. Need To Know by Karen Cleveland.

149. I, Witness by Niki Mackay.

150. Clockwork City by Paul Crilley.

151. Anatomy Of A Scandal by Sarah Vaughan.

152. The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris.