The Killer Next Door - Alex Marwood - Guest Book Review

Published by Sphere

Guest book review by Janice Lazell-Wood

Synopsis

No. 23 has a secret. In this bedsit-riddled south London wreck, lorded over by a lecherous landlord, something waits to be discovered. Yet all six residents have something to hide.

In the dead of night, a terrible accident pushes the neighbours into an uneasy alliance. But one of them is a killer, expertly hiding their pastime, all the while closing in on their next victim...

Review

No.23 Beulah Grove is a rotten old house divided into bedsits, and it’s owned by the most revolting of landlords, Roy Preece, a vile and obese creature with no morals or hygiene.  He’s desperate for the sitting tenant of the house to die, so he can sell up, move away and live comfortably on the rent proceeds, but she’s not dying nearly quickly enough, so he hatches a plan to help her on her way, a plan that goes horribly wrong.  A plan that leaves the residents unable to go to the police, for fear of their own secrets being discovered, for they have many secrets amongst them…

Cher is an underage care home runaway, living a dangerous day to day existence, Thomas is lonely, boring and just wants some friends, Hossein is an Iranian asylum seeker, Collette is on the run from some very nasty men after doing a bunk with lots of their money, there’s a mysterious man who keeps himself hidden away, playing his music at all hours and interacting with no-one, and finally, there’s sitting tenant Vesta, the matriarch of the group, a woman approaching 70, who’s lived in the house all her life, with nothing to show for it but dusty ornaments and a tea set that once belonged to her parents.

One of these residents is a murderer and we are given full access to their modus operandi in all its graphic and gory detail.  If you can stomach the novels of Mo Hayder and Val McDermid, you’ll be ok reading this, if not, then be warned, it’s not for the fainthearted.  There are shades of how real life killer Dennis Nilsen disposed of his victims here, as well as great detail on how the Egyptians took care of their dead…  The fact that the novel is set during a heatwave, just cranks up the rancid atmosphere of the house!

For me, this was a page turning psychological thriller, one that was devoured in a day.  I have just one gripe, the ending.  It left a question unanswered, however, don’t let this put you off.  Read, enjoy, and treat yourself to a restorative G&T afterwards, you might just need it!

Thanks to Lindsay for the chance to read and review this novel.  I look forward to reading more by the author, Alex Marwood.

Many thanks to Janice for reading and reviewing this novel for The Little Reader Library!

The Vanishing Witch - Karen Maitland - Guest Book Review

Published by Headline

Guest book review by Lisa Weir

Wow!  Just....WOW!!

A riveting, page-turning whopper of a book that had me captivated – in fact, positively bewitched – from the start.  Blending history, superstition, folklore, murder, mystery and witchcraft sublimely, this book is an absolute must-read for fans of historical fiction.

Set in Lincolnshire in 1380, we are swept away to the time of King Richard II, when, led by his advisor John of Gaunt, he raises taxes to an all time high; a price that the majority of peasants cannot pay leading to the infamous peasant’s revolt.

One such peasant is river boatman Gunter, struggling to pay not just the new taxes but the rents owed by him to rich landowner and wool merchant Robert of Bassingham.

Robert has his own problems with his cargoes going missing, losing him money but fortunately he has the friendship of a new widow to appease him; Mistress Catlin is as divine a specimen of womankind as ever there was and Robert becomes enchanted with the young widow, a welcome change from his scold of a wife but when his wife passes away and he takes Catlin to be his new bride, things don’t go as well as he would have wished in his new little family as jealousy and suspicion between servants and sons abound.

And who is the mysterious friar seen following the players of this novel?  What part has he to play in the bad luck and woes that befall Robert one after the other?

As the peasants struggle and eventually lead a rebellion that has seen no precedent and as Robert gradually loses control of all he holds dear, the reader becomes enmeshed in a world that comes alive in with the medieval superstition, the fear of witchcraft and the plain cruelty and greed that renders the rich richer and the poor poorer in these squalid and fearful times. 

I was utterly lost in this medieval world; each chapter is headed by a spell, charm or ancient lore which fascinated me; the author’s knowledge of the true facts of the Peasant’s Revolt and of ancient folklore are woven together so brilliantly they lend a magical and mysterious element to the story as the reader is tantalized by the puzzling events surrounding the characters and tries to work out whether witchcraft is indeed at work or if it is just the exaggerated workings of our brains throwing us off the real scent.....It might be a big read but it’s a read that will have you spellbound and leave you 100 per cent satisfied. 

Huge thanks to Lisa for reading and reviewing this novel for The Little Reader Library! Lisa blogs at The Book Addicted Housewife, do visit her fab book blog too!


Read an interview with the author on JaffaReadsToo blog.

Dead Gone - Luca Veste

Today I am very pleased to be part of the blog tour for Dead Gone by Luca Veste! 

Below you'll find an excerpt from the novel and my thoughts on the book.

About the novel...

DI David Murphy and DC Laura Rossi investigate the murder of a student at the City of Liverpool University. Attached to her is a letter from her killer, which details a famous unethical psychological experiment performed on the victim, resulting in her death. Convinced at first that the murderer is someone close and known to the victim, Murphy dismisses the letter as a bid to throw them off the scent…until more bodies are found, each with their own letter attached.

On the other side of the city, Rob Barker, an admin worker at the university, is dealing with his own loss. His partner has been missing for almost a year, with suspicion from all around her firmly pointed at him.

As the two seemingly unconnected events collide, it becomes apparent Murphy is chasing a killer unlike any he’s faced before.

One who kills to discover more about life...

Read an extract from 'Dead Gone'…

Dead Gone Extract

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My review

I was intrigued immediately; after an opening extract about death, then I read of 'Experiment Two', before I reached chapter one of this novel, and I was drawn straight into the story. There is a woman, alone, scared, captive in the dark.  I began to wonder who she is, what is this experiment, and if this is number two, what happened to number one? Then the main narrative takes us to 'Day One' of what will be the police procedural element of the tale; a body is found in a park, and DI David Murphy and DS Laura Rossi of Liverpool North division are in charge of leading the investigation. We are then taken back in time to the year before, and there is a man, Rob, whose partner has not returned home, and I was suspicious, it made me wonder again. 

There is communication from the killer, he spells out the fact that he is experimenting with death, and is fascinated by the psychological aspect of death, killing his victims in the name of horrible, shocking experiments. The team soon realise that they've got a serial killer on their hands.

This is a tale packed with intrigue; Luca Veste makes the reader suspicious and evokes fear in the reader with his dark plot. DI Murphy in particular has a strong backstory which is slowly revealed to us during the novel; he has difficult memories, disturbing dreams, and is haunted by a terrible loss in his past. DS Rossi is an interesting character too, and I was keen to read on and find out more about her, and see how the two would work together.

I was engrossed by the second strand of the tale about the missing woman and I really liked how this unfolded gradually alongside the narrative involving the current investigation. The narrative structure added interest and involved the reader, and the chilling plot keeps the reader guessing, arousing our suspicions and tempting us to make connections - keeping us turning the pages with eagerness. The author's knowledge of locations in his home city of Liverpool makes for an atmospheric, authentic sense of place, and one that is portrayed roundly, with light and shade. The story skips along at a good pace and is satisfyingly complex and absorbing. This is a dark, original and thrilling debut by a promising new crime writer. 

Source - review copy

Publisher - Avon Harper Collins - 5th December 2013 as an ebook, 16th January 2014 in paperback

Find the author on twitter @LucaVeste
Find the ebook here

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About the author…

Luca Veste

Luca Veste is a writer of Italian and Scouse heritage, currently living on the wrong side of the River Mersey. He is married with two young daughters, and is himself one of nine children.

He is currently a mature student, studying Psychology and Criminology at the University of Liverpool.

Luca is the editor of the Spinetingler Award nominated charity anthology series ‘Off the Record,’ which raises money for children’s literary charities. He also has short stories in numerous publications.

A former civil servant, actor and musician, he now divides his time between home life, university work and writing.

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Visit the other blogs on the tour…

The Little Book of Murder - Neil R. Storey

'The cases of murder spattered across the pages of history provide a dark mirror for so many aspects of the less seemly world of the past.'

Written by true crime historian Neil R. Storey, The Little Book of Murder brings together in one slim hardback volume the details of many chilling, horrifying and terrible murderous crimes from history, including unusual facts and trivia about some of these cases and about the perpetrators, and featuring numerous black and white sketches alongside the text. 

The contents of the book are divided into twelve sections, including 'Serial Killers', 'Murder not Proven', 'Infamous Murders', and 'Poisoners - Masters of the Silent Killer.' The part entitled 'Murderous Britain' is divided into regions, with details of crimes given according to where they occurred. 'The Black Museum' chapter lists the fascinating and sometimes bizarre items that are held in various crime museums and private collections across the world, including the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard, from knives and guns to a rolling pin and a tin opener. The pages within 'A Date with Murder' allow you to identify crimes with reference to the date they were committed.

The author states in his introduction that the book 'is aimed at all those armchair crime buffs who, like me, occasionally scratch their heads and try to recall the basic facts of some notorious or curious case of murder from the past.'

It's one of those books which you can very easily dip into, intending to read just an excerpt or two, but then find yourself reading just a little more as it's so gruesomely fascinating…! There were many that I had heard of through other books I've read, the Ratcliffe Highway Murders and the Road Hill House Murder being two examples, or through films I've seen, such as  Fritz Lang's 'M' about the Monster of Duesseldorf, and there were many that I hadn't heard of before. If this book leaves you wanting more, the author has included suggestions at the back of the book for further reading, and has also listed 'some cinema and TV films based on true murder cases.'

Even though reading about some of these murders frightens me, and I don't recommend reading this book last thing at night or in a dark place alone unless you're of a strong constitution, there is a macabre intrigue to these accounts and an ongoing fascination with such notorious crimes. It will appeal greatly to curious readers, whether crime fiction enthusiasts or true crime fact fans, who have a craving for more information about crime scenes, murderers and their victims, unsolved mysteries, and detecting criminals.  

Source - review copy

Publisher - The History Press

Snow White Must Die - Nele Neuhaus

Translated from the German 'Schneewittchen muss sterben' by Steven T. Murray

Published in the UK by Pan Macmillan

Although the fourth book in the series (as I understand it) of crime novels by Nele Neuhaus, featuring Detective Superintendent Oliver von Bodenstein and Detective Inspector Pia Kirchhoff of the Division of Violent Crimes at the Regional Criminal Unit in Hofheim, this is in fact the first book in that series to be translated into English.

The story is set in the small village of Altenhain, near Frankfurt in Germany, and features an intriguing scenario. We meet Tobias Sartorius as he is released from prison, having served over ten years for the murder of his girlfriend Stefanie – the Snow White of the book’s title – and his friend Laura. His conviction, when he was just twenty-years-old, was brought about due to circumstantial evidence – the two girls’ bodies have never been found. Needless to say, when Tobias returns to his hometown, he doesn't meet with a very warm welcome, plus he finds his parents have separated, his father is a broken man, and Tobias can see little future for himself now.

His return causes a strong reaction and reminds many people in the village of a past that many of them would rather not think about, and brings things to the surface that they would have preferred to keep concealed. As tensions rise, and violent attacks are made on Tobias and his family, detectives Kirchhoff and von Bodenstein are called in to look into the events and keep watch over this unsettled village that has had its equilibrium severely rattled. The more the detectives, in particular Kirchhoff, learn about the place and the past, the more they start to realise that there is a lot about the murders eleven years ago of Snow White and Laura that is still unknown. But the villagers quickly close ranks and it’s clear they won’t give up their dark secrets without a fight, and things go from bad to worse when another young woman goes missing.

I really enjoyed escaping into this mystery story. I could sense the suspicion and intrigue brewing within the small village and I was gripped as the secrets were uncovered and the surprising and shocking revelations came out throughout the tale. There is an intriguing and varied cast of characters, including Amelie, a newcomer to the village from Berlin, and I grew to care about some of them and feel for the innocent victims of the wrongs that had been and were still being perpetrated. Nele Neuhaus conveys the sadness and pain still suffered by those affected by the deaths years ago. As I read, I began to question what had happened in the past, and I had my suspicions as to who was hiding something; I think there are clues along the way that can be picked up on, though I’d be surprised if anyone could figure it all out. For me this wasn’t one of those crime novels that I absolutely raced through very fast, it was a little slower, but I don’t mean that in a particularly negative way, only that there was more to think about and contemplate with the many characters and strands to the well-plotted tale, and it kept me engrossed and guessing throughout.

We have some short sections that delve into the background and home lives of both of the two lead detectives, too, with a headache for Kirchoff regarding her house, and with a serious shock for von Bodenstein with regards to his personal life.  In a way I wanted to stay with the main storyline, but the diversions were never too long and they add colour and insight into the way the pair behave professionally. In respect of the personal lives of the detectives, it’s a bit of a shame that we have the fourth book in the series translated first, but this is what seems to happen from time to time with translated fiction.

Nele Neuhaus initially self-published her novels, and now is traditionally published. I enjoy reading fiction in translation, and in particular that set in Germany. I’ve read several reviews of this novel and noted that many UK reviewers have commented on the US English of this translated version. I can see their point; at times I was a little unsure about some of the ways things had been rendered, but if it were a choice of a US English translation or none at all, I’ll still take this one. After reading and enjoying this one, I would definitely read more and I certainly hope others in the series will be translated; otherwise I might have to follow my husband’s suggestion and try reading another of the books in the original German. It’s nice to see this translated novel on the Richard and Judy Autumn 2013 book club list.

Reviews from other bloggers - Raven Crime Reads | Crime Fiction Lover | Kittling: Books