Sunday 17 April 2016

Toxic Minds by Gordon Bickerstaff


This is the fourth in the Gavin Shawlens series, but Gavin takes a back seat in this one.  Alexa is a leading scientist in the fracking industry - which means she has many enemies.  This story is about her fall from grace and her family falling apart.

I found the first part of this book a bit lacking.  I wasn't too interested in what was happening to Alexa's daughter, even though this was a main storyline.  But after a third of the story I got more interested and read the rest in one sitting as it turned into more of a thriller than a family saga.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DPMDYUM/?tag=jookuf-21


Sunday 10 April 2016

Boo by David Haynes

Clowns, or clownz - fun circus characters or evil monsters?  There's no doubt which type this book is about, the nasty, evil, serial killing type.

Maldon wants to smile again.  His smile was taken away when he was a child when he saw his parents get murdered by a clown.  The voices in his head say he needs to take other people's smiles away from them.

This is a creepy story (as usual from this author) with a mystery as to how the various characters' lives cross.  There are hideous murders, but told with a hint, rather than the gory detail, which for me makes it more hideous.  It's often not what's said, just hinted towards that makes this story all the more tense.

My favourite character is Stan the retired greyhound.  He wants to be brave for Ben, his owner, but doesn't know how to.

Yet another fantastic story from this author who has switched his horror from Victorian macabre to modern fears.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E1ND4RM/?tag=jookuf-21