Havana Sleeping

Havana Sleeping

Rating: 3/5

Buy or Borrow: Buy 

Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Havana in the 1850s is a city as dangerous as it is exotic. The murder of a humble night watchman at the British Consulate seems to worry neither the Consul nor the police.

But one person cared for the old man. The enigmatic courtesan Leonarda will not rest until she understands the mystery of his death.

In wintry England, George Backhouse is plucked from obscurity in the Foreign Office and given an unexpected promotion. His task: to travel to Cuba and take a stand against the illegal slave trade still flourishing there.

But Havana is a tinderbox of intrigue. As the great powers of the region conspire against each other with increasing ruthlessness for control of the island, Backhouse comes to see that the most innocent of actions could spark a devastating war.

To protect their interests, the powers-that-be in Whitehall are prepared to turn a blind eye to many things. Leonarda will not.

But what of George Backhouse? 

I've gotta say, this was fascinating and intriguing, and I found the authors notes at the end a welcome addition! They were concise, but told you a fair bit, and where a nice addition at the end of the book after you've read the entire story. 

I found this book quite atmospheric to be honest, I went on holiday to Cuba when I was younger, we didn't stay in Havana but we did visit it and it was a colourful and fascinating place, and this was evident in the book, albeit a Havana from a different time period. I did get a real feel for Havana in the 1850's, and you could practically feel yourself there. 

However, I did find the book hard to get in to, I did find the place and the politics and everything fascinating and intriguing, but I did struggle to keep reading at points, especially in the first half as there where lots of different plot threads and some of them I couldn't work out the significance of. 

While I did want to know what happened next, I wasn't glued to the page, I was interested, but I wasn't totally engrossed. A few of the scenes fell a bit flat for me, and a few of the reveals didn't have the shock element for me. 

I initially found George hard to get on with when I was reading, but as the book went on, I got a better idea of him and he turned out to be quite courageous and I did end up liking him by the end, so the end of the book made me all kinds of sad! 

I hate unsolved mysteries, fiction or fact, they annoy me because I always have to know what happened, who did it and so on. You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've watched documentaries about various historical mysteries and gotten annoyed because I couldn't work out who'd done it or even come up with something, and I'm fascinated by all the theories. 

So this book drove me mad, because it's not the actual answer, and then the notes with what happened, and it was so obviously dodgy because nothing was stolen so yeah. I WANNA KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED DAMMIT! 

But yes, while the book was a struggle to get in to and didn't have me engrossed 100% of the time, it was intriguing and it was fascinating to learn about the politics of the time, as well as being an atmospheric read, it really gave you a feel for Havana at the time. 

Terminal

Terminal
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!

The Virals are back and a month after the events of Exposure they're working with Chance, ya know..the same Chance that accidentally infected himself, using his lab connections specifically, to try to work out what exactly has happened to their DNA and what the future holds for their powers, the answer? It will continue developing and ya know it could kill them. 

But it soon becomes apparent that there's another pack of Virals, rogue ones called the Trinity, created by the same strain that infected Chance, one of them is obvious...Chance's partner, but they need to work out who the other two are. Especially as these new Virals aren't exactly friendly...

....it started with warnings. Really specific warnings, and soon it becomes clear that this new group want to be the dominant pack and want Tory's pack gone. They'll stop at nothing to get rid of them. Destroying everything and setting them up to be caught by a shady government agency who has just started coming after them. 

Did I not already mention the shady government people? You know...stealth helicopters? Enquiring about them from acquaintances? Pretty much trying to capture them all to poke and prod at them? No? Yeah well that's happening and the other Virals are determined to turn Tory and the pack over. 

But Chance has been hiding something, a cure for being a viral, and with the net closing in on them from all sides, a shocking revelation later, and a trap gone wrong....Tory and co are going to have to make a very difficult decision.....

Holy shit! This installment though! It was so tense, the entire way through, there was one point where I was holding my breath as I was reading and there was never a moment when I wasn't totally glued to the page, totally engrossed in what was going on, I couldn't put this down for anything, not even eating.

The book starts so incredibly, creepily perfect. We get a mysterious surveillance report, detailing a conversation between Tory and Chance, then the creepy prologue and it's the perfect start to the book to be honest, it sets up the tone for the book, a problem and intense danger both at the same time. This time the stakes are even higher, this isn't them facing a killer or following clues, this is them fighting to not be kidnapped and never seen again, secreted away in a lab and dissected.

This book had an entirely different tone, it was tense from the go, and majorly creepy with the suited guys following them about, the stakes where higher than ever before. It's like a mysterious book, with hints of war in it, because seriously, there where some serious tactics going on in this, and then it was like any alien film or book you've ever read where something alien or different or supernatural is hunted and then locked in a lab to be taken apart. There's no clues, no treasure to follow and find, this is pure survival and it was...well...intense. It's the only word.

I've gotta say, I liked the creepy surveillance reports, it kept the book fresh and it was interesting to see what was going on that they didn't know about, what others knew about them, I mean they talked to Hannah and the Gamemaster and other various people, and it was interesting to see how some of them where doing, what became of them and what they saw that they shouldn't have. The first one reminded you of the events at the end of Exposure, and set the tone like I said, the rest added intrigue and a hell of a lot of it.

One thing I have to note...Madison being nice. I love it. She's on the football team with Tory and wants to be friends, and I enjoy the fact Tory could be about to have another female friend, even though at the end of the book she was kinda keeping her distance because of something Ella did, but still. She didn't even tell the MIB's what she saw, and we all know she saw Tory's eyes. Although her and Jason...didn't see that coming, I still find it a bit weird, and I'm unsure if we'll see less of Jason at this point?

The entire group's dynamics have changed at this point, Chance is working with them, trying to solve how what happened...happened, and what's likely to happen next. None of it good, they might not be done evolving and then they might die. But anyway, Ben and Chance don't really get along, and the gang have trust issues with Chance. As much as I like Chance, I had trust issues with him, I mean when the agents nab them? I sat there for 5 minutes thinking I'd pegged him wrong the entire time, then carried on reading and was like "as if the author just played my emotions that easily!". 

Whitney continues to tick me off, but she slightly redeemed herself in this book. I mean, what annoys me most about her is her making Tory do this cotillion gig, then not even letting her do the project she wants to do, like I said before, I can't stand being forced to do things I'm not down for, and it grates me seeing it happen in the book, especially as Kit goes along with Whitney, oblivious to his own kids discomfort. Like seriously dude? I was so gutted when they announced they where getting married, but then when Kit dropped the moving bomb, Whitney surprised me, it was so...un-Whitney.

This book was a bit of a shocker character wise. Chance said he's in love with Tory, and seeing as I ship them, I was all "awwww" and super excited, Madison, Whitney being surprisingly not stupid for once, but most importantly Ella.

This book had SO MANY twists I did not see coming. SO MANY. Cole. Jason and Madison. Chance.  Ella. Most importantly Ella. I seriously did not see it coming, but I got the most sinking feeling ever at the description of the third member of the Trinity, I just didn't want to believe it. Like wow. She REALLY hated Tory and I was SO gutted, so so gutted. I love their friendship and I love Ella, she's one of my favourite characters! But it was all good in the end, and look at Tory being all forgiving and yeah. I'd be hella mad if things hadn't been resolved but it's all good.

I am, however, still incredibly gutted about the bunker. Like where are they going to meet now?! How could you destroy it?! Nooooooo! It's one of my favourite locations in the book, and always makes me jealous that I don't have one!

There was romance in this book guys, in between the action and danger and shocking twists, subtle romance, but it was there. So like, I ship Chance and Tory, and he said he loved her and she was having some feelings and there was a kiss that was described as waaaaay better than her kiss with Ben, but whatever. My ship sunk. She chose Ben, so don't worry there's no love triangle. I was gutted, especially when Chance was all moving on like 5 seconds later with Ella. But whatever. Ben and Tory are quite cute I suppose. We just need to find Shelton and Hi someone now muahahhaaaa

Terminal is everything I have come to expect from this series, slick, engrossing, action packed, funny, intriguing, fascinating, I learned some cool science things, the book took a different spin than the others keeping it fresh, and it was genuinely enjoyable. The books just keep getting better and better to be honest, there's always a new twist, a new element, a new take, and the virus is ever evolving. The books, Terminal being no exception, are always unpredictable and full of shocking twists you don't see coming, and they always have killer endings.

I've had a prowl on GoodReads, and there's no other book listed. Now things have been wrapped up quite nicely....mostly....if you don't count the fact Tory's eyes where glowing blue at the very end. I'm assuming there's another book, if there is, I'm even more excited, because clearly they aren't as Viral free as they thought, and it's changed or something and who knows what the hell happens next! On the other hand, if this was the last book, then that's cool, it's been wrapped up quite nicely, the blue eyes thing leaves you hanging a bit, but it's also pretty obvious what has happened, and it's equally as fun to imagine for yourself what might happen next, or become of them. It's a strong series, and if this is the end, then it had a strong end, if it's not, then I look forward to another awesome instalment, but I can understand if the series has come to a natural end with no other way forward.

This week has been a bit of a journey and I can't thank the publisher enough for sending me not just Terminal, but the first four books so I could read them all. I've read all the books back to back and been on quite the journey with Tory and her friends, and I was hooked from the first page of the first book, never wanting the adventures to end, and I'm quite sad now I've finished the final book in my possession. It's fast become a favourite series of mine, each book incorporates some element I find intriguing and it's such a fresh series, serious, full of danger, but with some laughs courtesy of Hi and Shelton!

So yeah....Virals week is officially over. Whether this is the end for Tory or not, I'm gonna be re-reading this series for a loooonngg time! 

Wolf Winter

Wolf Winter
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!

There are six homesteads on Blackåsen Mountain.

A day's journey away lies the empty town. It comes to life just once, in winter, when the Church summons her people through the snows. Then, even the oldest enemies will gather.

But now it is summer, and new settlers are come.

It is their two young daughters who find the dead man, not half an hour's walk from their cottage.

The father is away. And whether stubborn, or stupid, or scared for her girls, the mother will not let it rest.

To the wife who is not concerned when her husband does not come home for three days; to the man who laughs when he hears his brother is dead; to the priest who doesn't care; she asks and asks her questions, digging at the secrets of the mountain.

They say a wolf made those wounds. But what wild animal cuts a body so clean? 

Okay so GoodReads synopsis to retain the air of mystery because if I do my own synopsis it's going to be like "gush gush gush, actual information, gush gush, gives away entire plot accidentally, gush gush guussh" and no-one wants that! It's not often I get surprise book post, but man I could hug Hodder for sending me this. 

I LOVED this. As soon as you start reading, you're intrigued, you're drawn in and as you carry on reading you fall deeper and deeper in to the story until it's been hours and you've finished it and you have no idea what the time is or any sense of anything but the book. I was so involved in the story, I was pretty much useless to anyone trying to talk to me! 

The world engulfs you, so it's kind of perfect to read curled up by the fire with a blanket because there's lots of snow and you feel the snow, the atmosphere starts to effect you and you feel the suspense, the danger, you feel the mood of the book, you can feel how haunting and dark it is. Said darkness, not to mention the cold, are practically physically real while you read. It's so incredibly vivid, I feel like I hopped in the Tardis and spent my afternoon in Swedish Lapland circa 1717. It's truly a book you can get lost in. 

The world building is simply breath-taking, the book is so beautifully written and described with such beautiful turns of phrase, the book just makes you keep wanting more, you keep wanting to read the beautiful words on the page, stay in the world, and the ending....you kind of decide for yourself, but I'm just desperate to be lazy and have another book! 

I love history, so I loved this, I loved the setting, I loved reading about it, seeing the way of life of the time, what was normal back in that time period and the superstitions, tales, and so on. I seriously can't get enough of it and I'm currently obsessed with finding out more about this time and this particular area of the world. 

The characters are beautifully created, they where each strong, you connected to each of them, they where so full of depth, it was a strong cast! It was fascinating to read the dynamics of the community, the relationships, the people of the time. We have three groups in this book, the Lapps aka natives, the settlers our homestead occupiers, and the people who live in town. We mostly see the settlers world, as it where, because Maija and her daughter are the main protagonists, and the murder was in their territory, but you get a good look at all three groups, a feel for them, and an understanding of how they all connect together, and to see how they all trust each other when someone comes prying in to things. 

I had no idea what was going to happen next, where the story was going, who the culprit was, I was pretty much along for the ride, going with whatever conclusion the character had....convincing myself it was right because of certain evidence, then, like the character, being wrong. I love books that are unpredictable! Nordic Noir Thriller indeed GoodReads! The plot was rich and intricate and was about so much more than a murder. Survival is a huge them of the book, you may have already guessed this from the title, but ya know...there's a seriously hardcore winter going on. 

Wolf Winter should be read by YOU, yes you, because it is utterly, incredibly atmospheric, beautifully written and imagined, utterly breathtaking, and truly fascinating as well as intriguing. Full of suspense, it combines two genres, historical and thriller, smoothly and with a smidgen of darkness making it original. Not to mention the unique and vivid setting! 

The Serpent Papers

The Serpent Papers
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!

Barcelona, Summer 2003. Three women are sacrificed to an unknown purpose, skin carved with a cryptic alphabet, tongues cut from their mouths. Sent beautiful, sinister letters - clues, or confessions? - Inspector Fabregat cannot decipher the warnings within. As Barcelona explodes in revelry on the Festival of St Joan, Natalia Hernandez, flower of the National Theatre and Catalan idol, lies broken on the steps of the Cathedral. The city bays for blood, Fabregat chases a shadow-like suspect and signs that whisper of secrets beyond his grasp. Barcelona, Winter 2014. Anna Verco - academic, book thief, savant - unearths letters hidden for centuries from a lightning-struck chapel in Mallorca. What they reveal compels her and Fabregat to reignite the Hernandez investigation. Every page she turns conceals a coded message; every street she treads leads her deeper into the labyrinth. As Fabregat baits her with suspects, and threats darken her steps, Anna hunts her own prey - the book that began it all, a medieval revelation written in the language of witches and alchemists: The Serpent Papers. Anna believes this book will unlock the mystery. She does not yet know she is the key.

Okay, how best to describe this? I loved this, I loved the history, so richly written, embedded throughout the story, everywhere you turn, the breaks in the narrative for the letters and other bits and pieces of information, that add to the story without slowing down the pace. And what a pace it was! Absolutely perfectly paced, with an engaging and smooth narrative sprinkled with, like I said, breaks for other bits of information that help you understand what's going on, give you insights, help paint the background and the history basically! 

I for one, usually read fairly easy crime books, and by easy, I mean easily written, easy to work out what's going on and so on, this was beautifully written and certainly requires all of your concentration, you need to keep up to speed with what's going on if you have any hope of coming up with a suspect of your own. I for one, thought it was someone, and I was wrong, the book was unpredictable and I didn't know what was going to happen next, I didn't know who the killer was, I didn't know who Natalia really was, at one point I did think the worst of her! I loved not knowing where the story was going to go next. It's a very intelligent book, cleverly written, with many different aspects and sides to it, all woven together. 

There was one minor problem I had with the book, and that was that at the beginning I did get a bit confused as the narrative felt a bit disjointed, and I wasn't sure when or where we where, but that was just at the beginning and only one or two times, and I did get used to it and I found the plot too compelling to let it bother me too much! Just a fair warning that it might be hard to get your head around in the beginning. 

I've read books pertaining to alchemy before, but this had a more academic feel to how it was written in the book and inserted in to the storyline, I feel like I'd like to know more about this area of history, but I fear I'm not intelligent enough! I was utterly baffled by the alphabet/code, like I understood the basic principal of it (thanks to the book!) but in practice I was so many shades of "whoa". History I can do easily, reading and so on, but I fail at the more scientific aspects of education! 

I felt like I learned a lot from the book about alchemists and such and that area of history, without the pace of the book being sacrificed nor the plot, it all slotted smoothly in between books, and you got a very broad understanding of the principles and how they related to the murders. I'm unsure if I should actually call the whole alchemy thing history actually...is it more legend...or? I don't know, but I was loving it, or the parts I could understand anyway! 

Barcelona is a place I've always wanted to go, the rich setting with it's history and art came alive from the pages of the book, and did nothing to slow my desire to go there in person one day! 

Overall, while I think this book may be a bit of a struggle in the beginning, overall it's so compelling you have no choice but to carry on reading to learn more and find out who the killer is and try to put all the clues and information you have together to try to come to your own conclusion! Rich history, rich setting, a complex plot, and a vivid world, I'm excited to see more from the author! 

Black Ice

Black Ice
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: Copy courtesy of NetGalley

Britt Pheiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants;but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

Britt is forced to guide the men off the mountain, and knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there and in uncovering this, she may become the killer's next target.

But nothing is as it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

So, I'm a massive fan of the Hush Hush series, so when I saw this new book from the author on NetGalley, I had to grab it because I was so excited for more from the author and I was excited to see what direction this was going to go in!

Black Ice really draws you in, straight from the little chapter with the girl being murdered, you instantly want to know who did it, and why, and from that point on, you spend the entire book trying to work out who the killer is, I will admit, at about 75% I had worked out who Mason/Jude was, his relation to the dead girl, and who the killer was, but it was a merry chase. Every male character I'm like "WAS IT YOU?!". Black Ice keeps you guessing the entire way through the book, it keeps you intrigued, and it doesn't make it easy to guess. You also have the little puzzle of why Mason and Shaun are running and who they really are to work out near the beginning as well.

The book was fairly action packed, there was a moment when it slowed down, but for the most part there was action all the way through and plenty going on. I loved the romance, it's understated, subtle, not the whole point of the story. The story is a thriller, with hints of romance, and I loved how Fitzpatrick kept it as a thriller and didn't let the romance over power the story. It was a very believable romance, very natural and slow to develop and happened organically in an unusual situation.

I loved Britt, we spend the book fully in her shoes, feeling what she feels and being totally connected to her. You're right there with Britt trying to work out what to do, when she thinks Jude is the murderer, you think he is too (unless you're me, in which case you have a slight doubt....very slight...okay...not so slight) and I loved that at that point Britt reacted very naturally, like it was a weird situation, but I was so impressed with how she was fully like "He's a murderer and I slept with him" instead of letting the budding romance blind her, even if she was wrong, The same can be said for the actual killer. I thought she was so strong, and she was a real survivor, she wasn't a damsel in distress, she kept on being smart, making plans, and surviving, and it made me totally love her.

I didn't like Korbie at all, if I'm honest, she was kind of a shitty friend to Britt, the girl who's been her BFF and actually kept her alive ya know? She didn't believe Britt about the murderer and nearly got her killed. She wasn't in it much though, so it's all good!

I just can't get over how much of a rollercoaster this book is, I mean I liked Calvin at first and was like "yeah get back to Calvin *insert romantic music here* then obviously, I changed my tune! I thought Mason was a fantastic male lead, even when I thought he was a bad guy he was trying to protect Britt, and he helped Korbie out, not that she appreciated it, and he was willing to protect her and the ending was so sweet. Shaun was also a fantastic villain, he had the whole "I seem charming but check out the bad vibes I'm throwing off that are oozing off the page".

Fitzpatrick is fantastic at creating characters, main and secondary, who jump off the page, come alive, and make you feel all kinds of emotions, whether it's hatred, annoyance, love, or whatever. You always feel a connection to the female lead, and I just love how Fitzpatrick creates these characters that are full of depth and you can't work out what their angle is.

Black Ice is a thriller with  romantic undertones, the plot is complex and very twisty, it'll keep you guessing and it'll take you on a rollercoaster of a ride, the characters will capture your attention and the setting is so vivid it could be used to cool off in Summer! I'm excited to see what Fitzpatrick is going to do next!

The Chase

The Chase
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of Bookbridgr

There's an artifact the Chinese would like returned to them in the Smithsonian. Except the US can't give it back because it happens to be a reaaaally good fake, due to the fact the original was stolen. Fox and O'Hare are teaming up once again, once they obtain the identity of the thief of the Rooster, things become....slightly more difficult. It turns out that he's the former White House chief of Staff, Carter Grove, who's the leader of BlackRhino security, a private security firm made up of ruthless killers. Getting the Rooster back is going to require a mid-air heist, but that's not the hard part. When Grove discovers he's been robbed, he wants his Rooster back. And revenge. Then there's the fact Fox can't let it go that Grove just so happens to have a large collection of stolen goods from some of the biggest thefts in history. You know what that means? Fox and O'Hare are going to take him down....

I appear to be in a small minority of people who did actually rather enjoy this book, I thought it was quite good fun, and an easy read! Unfortunately I haven't read the first book, but I found it easy enough to understand what was going on, what had gone and so on, you could quite probably read this as a stand alone, because previous events are mentioned.

The Chase is action packed from beginning through to end, there's never a dull moment. The plot keeps steaming on, they pull of the heist and their mission, but then something else happens, and it's a big, rolling adventure. Fast paced, we go on an adventure along with Nick and Kate, and you're never quite sure what's going to happen next.

I'm fully shipping Nick and Kate and waiting for them to get together. I mean....they have to, right?! They go so well together, and the banter had me chuckling, and it really reminded me of Castle and Beckett, not to mention the show White Collar in general. Not to mention the Oceans Eleven of it all with the team! Admittedly it's a team of oldies, an actor and a tech genius, but still! I loved Boyd, as an actor, I really enjoyed him and found myself chuckling along and agreeing with him!

The setting is vivid, the characters have depth and the narrative is entertaining and engaging. Not to mention the work gone in to how to pull off the heists! The book takes you all over the world, with our rag tag group, there's bad guys, dodgy assassins, and sinister threats over frozen yogurt. There's danger and suspense everywhere, and this book won't fail to make you laugh.

Roll on the third book in the series! Excited to see what's going to happen to my ship! ;)

The Mysteries

The Mysteries
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher!

Ever since Ian Kennedy's father went missing when he was a kid, and he subsequently found him a few years later, he's been obsessed with mysterious disappearances, and fell in to becoming a PI looking for missing persons. It all started when he was sent to Scotland to track down a family friends missing daughter, in what was not only his first, but also his strangest case. A case he has told no-one about.

So when Laura Lensky knocks on his door one day, and says her friend recommended him to her as he's dealt with a similar case, he's immediately intrigued and wary. Laura's  missing daughter Peri has been gone for two years, and police don't want to know. You see, Peri called her mother 5 months after she originally disappeared saying she was fine, while that solved things for the Police, it just made her mother need to know what was going on, all the more.

But Peri isn't a runaway, while the Police may think it, Peri's mother Laura, and boyfriend Hugh, know it's a different case. Ian realizes why, when he agrees to be Laura's last ditch attempt to locate her daughter. Why? Because when he questions Hugh about the last night he saw Peri he tells an incredibly strange and unbelievable story, one that not only has parallels to his first case....but also sounds eerily similar to an old Celtic myth. But there's something strange going on....something....unexplainable.

Being that it's called The Mysteries, it will come as no surprise that this book is FULL of mysteries. It starts with a mystery, solves a mystery, showcases some other mysteries and ends with a mystery. Well it's a mystery if you don't have your own little idea of what Ian did. For the third review this week I find myself saying, "if you don't like not having a definitive answer....you will have a problem with this book".

I originally started reading this, unsure what to expect, I figured it was going to be a mystery book, girl goes missing, and the whole Celtic myth thing was just something the kidnapper was doing because he or she was weird. I was so very wrong. There are Sidth involved. As soon as I saw that word, I knew exactly what I had gotten myself in to. I don't want to boast, but I was quite the obsessed Merlin fan, and so ya know...they had an episode or two about said Sidth. It's this element that ensures The Mysteries stands out from other books in it's genre.

There's so much that's unique about this book, and so much that I loved. There's the way it starts off as a series mystery book, then adds these...magical elements, initially only mentioned in small chunks, as little tidbits, until the story of Amy's case unfurls and then there's  more magical/mythical elements as they search for Peri.

The thing I loved most was that you'd have a chapter on the present day narrative, involving Peri's case and such, that is the main story that is going on in this book. After a point in the book, you then have Amy's case/story woven in and being told alongside Peri's, to explain why Peri's case seems so familiar. But that's not all, along with these, you have chapters with different people's names at the top, I've not done a google search yet to see if any of these stories are true or not, I'm under the impression they are, but I loved the inclusion of them. I loved how they changed. We get little chapters, a couple of pages long, about different people and how they disappeared, if they where found and so on, each is different to the other, but I loved how they changed in intent? Content? I'm not sure which word to use.

You see they start as stories about people who disappeared, one a British Ambassador, who just vanished in to thin air and was thought to have been assassinated by the French, for example, one's like that, that seemed strange and improbable, but had plenty of rational explanations. As the book continues, and as the stranger elements of Peri's case come out, as the story of Amy's case comes out, and as the Sidth and the magical element is introduced, these little chapters on different missing people changed to stories about people who'd been taken by the fairies and came back, or in some very old cases, some old lore was used, and they where rescued by people before the fairies could take them to the Otherworld.

I loved that, because the entire tone of the book changes, it's intent changes, and I just really loved it. The individual cases also added a break from the narrative, so you could process what had happened in the previous chapter, and refreshed you. I just really enjoyed the obvious slow changing of the book.

On much the same note, I loved the lore/mythology of the book, and it's something I'd quite like to check out more, pay a trip to the library and so on, to find out  more. There's only so much you can glean from a 40 or so minute episode of Merlin, and I was eager throughout the book to learn more of the mythology, not just the Celtic Myth linked to Peri, but I was fascinated by the older missing persons cases in the book, about how to deal with fairies almost. The whole they have to trade with you thing, and so on. It was fascinating and so fantastically woven in to the main story, a story that you're under the impression is just a regular mystery book. The fairies and the mythology are subtle at first, then it gradually becomes more and more until the book changes.

I feel like I'm not describing it adequately but it's so hard to explain!

To be honest, I'll probably never look at missing persons case in the same way again, I mean I was reading this until about 4am, and I freely admit I was so involved in what was going on that I jumped a foot in the air when it started to loudly piss it down with rain. I seriously couldn't put this book down, putting it down even for to make a cup of tea, and I found myself thinking about it, running theories through my head and trying to work out what was going on, and I'm SO pleased to say this is one of the few books where it's near impossible to workout, so you're constantly surprised, shocked and amazed.

I really loved The Mysteries, it's fast paced, intriguing, impossible to put down, full of surprises, full of mythology and lore that's totally fascinating, and just totally unique to anything else. I can't sing its praises enough to be honest, it's a total mash-up of mystery, thriller, fantasy and even fairy tale!

Hang Wire

Hang Wire
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: As always with Adam Christopher...Buy!
Source: Copy courtesy of Angry Robot!

It all started with a fortune cookie. Ted Hall was just minding his own business, out for dinner with his friends for his birthday, when his fortune cookie literally exploded. Next thing he knows, he's flat on his back in the restaurant with fortunes drifting around him like snow.....all saying the same thing; "You are the master of every situation". That's when things started to get freaky. Ted's been blacking out, sleep walking and not remembering anything. Not only do his somnambulant  wanderings appear to coincide with murders by the now notorious Hang Wire Killer, but the night he wakes up covered in blood seems to confirm that something is very, perhaps murderously, wrong.

Meanwhile the circus has come to town, including a centuries old man being kept alive by a strange entity. Joel Duvall, the manager of the Olde Worlde Funfair, and the creator of it, has started to talk to his machines....and they're talking back. He's not the only one acting strange. The Celtic dancers are starting to take their pagan act way too seriously, with bonfires and strange rituals among other things. Then there's Highwire, the new acrobat drawing in all the crowds, his frequent absences are causing tension among the other performers, tension that's spilling out in to brawls among performers. Let's not forget the missing roll of cable.

Out in the city, an ancient Hawaiian God is living in a hut on the beach teaching tourists how to ballroom dance. He thought he was the only left on our planet. He was wrong. He's joined by an Ancient Korean King, Tangun and the Chinese trickster Nezha (sort of), together they are all searching for an ancient menace, lurking beneath the streets of San Francisco, but it soon becomes clear this menace beneath has a friend, something not from this world. Together they create a primal evil that if left unchecked and unopposed, will destroy the world. Can our ragtag band of heroes prevent that from happening?

I love, love, love Adam Christopher's books ever since I discovered Empire State, so when I was emailed about being on the Blog Tour for Hang Wire, I jumped at the chance, and can happily inform you I've passed my day lost in another world entirely, and I'm sad for it to be over!

We open the book with some newspaper clippings from 1811, 1812 and 1871...pay attention, these are setting the scene and all will become clear later. The story then turns to San Francisco 1906, where the city is gripped by an earthquake, where Robert (remember him, he's important later) is using his superhuman strength to lift rubble of citizens, he can sense a darkness stirring in the earth. Then we catch up with Joel Duvall, in Indian Territory where Oklahoma is now, in 1889 (might want to remember him too), our hapless cowboy is on his way to claim some land, but the coin his father gave him is tugging him to a strange cave...and his destiny. Then of course we come to modern day San Fran, and meet Ted having a fight with a fortune cookie, and two circus performers having a fight with each other, and from there...a story blossoms in to an adventure.

We can consider the scene very atmospherically set, and by this stage you're overcome with excitement and intrigue, and you have to know more about these two and what's going on, you know they're important, but you don't yet know why. And that Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you are hooked in to the story in mere minutes. I love how Christopher does this, he has a true knack for setting the scene quickly, but with maximum impact, from the first line you're transported to the world he's created, and it's there you remain until the end.

Adam Christopher has a true knack for world building, and the world built in Hang Wire was truly all encompassing and astounding. You feel like you're right there with the characters, wherever they may be. Everything can be imagined clearly, and you're totally oblivious to the rest of the world, unable to put the book down until the very end, when all the mystery is solved. The prose can only be described as atmospheric, complete with creepy circus scenes, and cinematic, it's truly fantastically written.

As well as drawing you in straight away, Hang Wire keeps you in it's thrall, unable to put the book down even when you realize you've just managed to burn pasta for the first time in history. Christopher has a way of keeping you engaged, keeping you intrigued and keeping you reading very subtly, as an undertone to the main action, he's a sneaky one! Hang Wire is fast paced from the outset, and the flow is never broken. Christopher has truly mastered the art of jumping from point of view's and from time zones.

Once the main story starts, we're in the present time, broken up with interludes where we follow Joel through the years, as we discover what happened to him, and how he got to the point he's at in the present day, as well as finding out a bit about what's going on. Having the flashes back to Joel's past written as interludes, not only keeps the flow of the book in tact, but it's an interesting way to take a break from the action in the present day, and find out things you need to know without being boring. There is nothing in the book that doesn't belong, doesn't fit the flow, and there are no pages of useless words that bear no relevance to the story, or do bear a relevance but take forever to get to the point. Christopher is a master at presenting everything fluidly, and concisely.

Now the characters....I don't want to go in to too much depth with them, as I don't want to spoil a surprise. All of the characters in Hang Wire are very well written, they jump off the page. You can relate to them, and they're very real and very human (as human as fictional characters can be that is). There's real depth to them, and you find out more about them as the book goes on, and lets just say some of them have quite a few sides, and leave it at that. The characters Christopher creates are so vibrant, so unique, and all have their own personalities, even the secondary characters can stand alone, and they stay with you long after you've finished reading.

Hang Wire's plot is truly phenomenal, and really, I expected nothing less. The plot of Hang Wire is a very, very intricate web, made up of multiple threads. Threads from the past, threads from the present, threads of mystery and threads of murder. The books murder storyline turns out to not be as simple as you think it is, rarely is anything that mundane in an Adam Christopher novel. When reading Hang Wire, you need to keep in mind that not all is as it seems, and things you read but think are irrelevant, never are. It all loops round to the big reveal, when everything clicks in to place. Hang Wire is a truly rich plot with so much going on, you just don't want to put the book down.

Leading up to the big reveal, and throughout the course of the book, I have to admit, I believed whatever the author wanted me to believe. It took a while for a few identities to click in to place, which led to the inevitable forehead smack, and it took a while for me to piece together certain things already mentioned with things in the present. Never, at any point, did I suspect Ted's true identity, shamefully, I was thinking he was the killer, how foolish of me, I really should know better! I also never guessed at the identity of the real killer, or what the grand plan was, not to mention that I never fully managed to piece everything together before it was all revealed to me.

And that is the joy in an Adam Christopher novel, not only do you get more than you bargained for, but you get a story with so many threads you can't even begin to guess the reveals, so you get to be surprised throughout and kept in a state of intrigue that keeps you reading, all set to the backdrop of fantastical worlds filled with fantastical characters, and a plot and world of an incredibly huge scale. Never will you be disappointed with a Christopher Adam's book, and Hang Wire may in fact be his best yet. I fear I may be haunted in my dreams by the incredibly creepy carnival!

A Murder In Auschwitz

A Murder In Auschwitz
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy!
Source: Copy courtesy of Goodreads Giveaways!

Auschwitz 1944, an SS officer is found standing over the body of a comrade, the smoking pistol still in his hand, a murder in a place full of murders. The officer is adamant of his innocence. With no confession, a court martial is forced, asked to pick a fellow officer to defend him, he picks the only man he can feel he can trust. But, he makes one other request, to have a prisoner, a Jew, also a lawyer to help his defending officer build his defence case. In exchange for the chance to see the family he was seperated from, former criminal defence lawyer Manfred Meyer is forced to build a defence for him. Meyer must unravel the deceit, the lies and the secrets surrounding the SS officer murdered, and the defendant.

Berlin 1929, we start to follow Manfred Meyer and his family through their lives in Berlin. We follow Meyer as he rises from intern, to assistant to a leading Criminal Defence lawyer at a highly respected law firm, following along his cases get more complex. We follow the lives of Meyer and his family as the Nazi party eventually comes to power, things slowly start to change, life becomes more and more difficult for Meyer as a Jew in Berlin. Then when the knock comes at the door, we follow Meyer on a terrifying train journey to the place where so many lost their lives. Where so many innocents where murdered.

I was sent a copy of this book that I had one from Goodreads in exchange for a review, and it's one of the best I have received. This book for me, brought so many memories flooding back. When studying History at school, we went to visit a concentration camp in Berlin, and while not exactly the same as Auschwitz, it bared many of the same hallmarks, the shooting wall, the chambers where experiments where carried out, crematoriums, and similar bunks. As I was reading, I kept flashing  back to that trip and everything I had seen which made this book even more emotional for me.

Stephenson must have done a hell of a lot of research for this book, there was lots of detail about the process entering Auschwitz, and the day to day life of the prisoners, as well as the build up to Nazi power and what went on once they where in power. Everything described I could picture so clearly despite never having been to visit Auschwitz myself. The story is a cycle, starting with Meyer and his life leading up to the ending when he first arrives at Auschwitz in alternating chapters with the second thread of the story starting with him arriving, and his life at the camp including the murder trial of the SS officer. It was really very brilliantly written, with lots of threads, historical accuracy and the alternating chapters kept it fresh and engaging.

The flow of the book was very smooth, moving easily between the different years in the chapters. The book was very fast paced, lots happened, and everything fit together perfectly. I was hooked right from the first page, the writing was very atmospheric and very haunting. The characters where also very well written, and had plenty of depth, I also got the impression that a certain SS soldier, may not agree with what was going on, but didn't want to be killed himself so went along with it, something I'm sure many of them felt. There was a very authentic and real feel to the book, when I started reading the book, I briefly wondered if this wasn't a history book, and not a work of fiction.

A Murder In Auschwitz is incredibly well written and researched, expertly weaving the many threads in to one complex plot. The mystery is very intriguing, I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I couldn't tell who the killer was, I was at the author's mercy, believing everything I was presented with. I couldn't put the book down, the love Meyer had for his wife was truly beautiful, and the mystery kept me intrigued right up until the end. While the processes of Auschwitz are described in concise detail, some of the details are truly horrifying to think about, but there wasn't too much in depth detail, or dwelling on the more gruesome aspects of life at the camp.

A Murder In Auschwitz is an incredibly emotional read, I ended up finding myself crying once or twice, and the entire book has a huge impact on you, even after you've finished reading. A truly beautifully written book, by a very talented author. I'd never have guessed this was his first book!