The Dark
Blood – AJ Smith
This is the
2nd in The Chronicles of the Long War series. (FYI - The Black Guard
was the first.) And it is bloody brilliant. I do love me some epic fantasy and
this book delivers on all angles. A carefully constructed world – just
familiar and yet different enough to engage – great plotting, wonderful baddies and
heroes you want to spend time with. Not read any fantasy for a while? Get stuck
into this.
Cold in July
– Joe R Lansdale
This book,
from which the movie was made, had me scratching my head and asking, why the
hell have I not read everything this man has ever written? He is tremendous.
His characters are as quirky as a frog in a hat and his prose sharp and telling.
Go read it already.
Walter
Mosley – Rose Gold
A Walter
Mosley release is an occasion in my house. What can I say, I’m a fan. And in
this book, one of my favourite ever characters to be committed to print – Easy
Rawlins – is back on the case.
Wonderful
stuff.
Jay Posey –
Morningside Fall
Legends of
the Duskwalker Book 2 – follow up to “Three” the 2013 release from Angry Robot.
This is sci-fi, but if you are not a fan of that genre don’t be put off – it’s
gritty, truly action-packed and in your face. The action just does not let up
for 400 odd pages. Just begging to be made into a movie!
Dominique
Manotti – Escape
Two men
escape from prison in a rubbish lorry. They part company,
with Carlo heading to Milan and Filippo trekking over the
mountains. Carlo is killed in a shoot-out with armed police and Filippo pitches
up in Paris where he takes to writing a story Carlo told him in prison. A
publisher loves it and it becomes a sensation throughout Europe. But the police
don’t believe it is fiction – and the brown stuff goes splat onto the fan.
Manotti is a
gifted writer, racking up the tension nicely thankyouverymuch. She also adds a
touch of social, economic and political history for those readers who expect
more from their authors than “just” action.
Deon Meyer –
Cobra
Benny
Griessel is back!!! Yeah, it’s totally worth three exclamation marks. Meyer is
one of the best out there. He conjures up a tension that will have you reading
into the wee hours. Go on, pick up one of his books. The man is a crime-writing
genius.
1914 –
Goodbye to All That (Writers on the conflict between life and art)
You have to
stretch yourself as a reader now and again, yeah? So get your baby blues stuck into this. It’s
a truly fascinating collection of essays from a bunch of writers not afraid to
give it some up close and personal stuff. You will be moved. You will be
fascinated. Trust me.
What about you? What have you enjoyed reading this month?
