Daily Archives: December 7, 2011

Already Gone by John Rector – Book Review

Jake Reese is an ordinary guy with an ordinary job, trying to block out the memory of his violent past by planning for the future with his new wife, Diane. But the past has a habit of refusing to stay buried…When two men attack Jake in a car park and cut off his ring finger, he tries to dismiss it as an unlucky case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when events take a more sinister turn and Diane goes missing, Jake knows he can no longer hide from the truth. As he embarks on a mission to find Diane, Jake finds himself dragged back into the life he thought he had walked away from forever and the days ahead begin to unfold in terrifying ways…

A little over a year ago I read and reviewed Cold Kiss by John Rector, a dark tale of two strangers who make one mistake after another – a book I incidentally loved – when they stumble across a stranger in a bar. A classic Noir title, Cold Kiss is as strong a debut as you could hope for so it was with eager anticipation I began reading his latest title Already Gone a few days ago and although not in the same vein as Cold Kiss it was one of the quickest reads I’ve had in 2011. If ever there was a book I would class as “I couldn’t put that down” this year, Already Gone is without doubt at the top of that category.

The book is a veritable page turner and, set at an enviable pace, it just begs to be read. The narrative is crisp, well written and delivered at such a breakneck speed that I finished the book in a little under …

Lynn Shepherd talks Charles Dickens

A little over twelve months ago I read Murder at Mansfield Park by Lynn Shepherd and was blown away by the narrative, storytelling and characterisation, so much so the book was one of my top reads for 2010 and to this day holds a special place on my shelf for a number of reasons. Murder at Mansfield Park, published by Corsair, is now available as an E-Book download.

I hadn’t expected to enjoy it, it’s not the sort of book I would normally read but such was its endearing prose I found myself spellbound and if anyone has any doubt about whether the book is for you why not take time and read my review of Lynn’s book or just listen and watch Lynn enthusing about the title in her video.

“When one of the principle cast members is brutally killed, the book moves up a gear and becomes an enchanting murder mystery. Can one class a murder as enchanting?! The grim discovery of the body in a muddy ditch introduces us to an assured thief-taker, or private detective to you and me – Charles Maddox.”

In the second of Lynn’s videos the author talks about her new murder mystery Tom-All-Alone’s – a book inspired by Charles Dickens’ Bleak House – which is published early next year by Constable & Robinson in the UK to coincide with the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth in February 1812 – the book also serves as Lynn’s personal tribute to the renowned author who died aged just 58 years old.

If you’d like to learn more then please do visit Lynn Shepherd at her website.…

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