Tag: crime

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Diversity Grants & Awards

I’m really excited to announce I’ve been nominated for the Ditmar Awards for Best New Talent and Best Novella for Bluebells – an LGBTQI, disability dystopian alternate history horror.

I’m a recipient of the 2023 Horror Writers Association Diversity Grants to allow me to continue research for my HWA mentorship project with Lee Murray. The final piece will be an alternate history, gothic horror, GBTQI, disability with Fae versus gangsters in 1920s Sydney.

It’s a great time to be writing with my heart, soul and passion. Very excited to see where diversity in horror and dark fantasy can take us!

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Don’t Fear the Reaper

Publisher’s Description

Four years after her tumultuous senior year, Jade Daniels is released from prison right before Christmas when her conviction is overturned. But life beyond bars takes a dangerous turn as soon as she returns to Proofrock. Convicted Serial Killer, Dark Mill South, seeking revenge for thirty-eight Dakota men hanged in 1862, escapes from his prison transfer due to a blizzard, just outside of Proofrock, Idaho.

Dark Mill South’s Reunion Tour began on December 12th, 2019, a Thursday.

Thirty-six hours and twenty bodies later, on Friday the 13th, it would be over.

Summary

I’ve recently read Don’t Fear the Reaper (Indian Lake Trilogy, #2) the sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw by US Horror author Stephen Graham Jones.

Don’t Fear the Reaper returns us to the town of Proofrock and to the protagonist Jade Daniel’s – four years after court trials – she’s changed a lot and finally cleared of the crimes from the Fourth of July Massacre. In the minds of some Proofrock residents, she’s still to blame for the Fourth of July Massacre. Others still, wait for the return of Indian ghost witch, Stacey Graves. But Jade is fairly certain that venegful ghost is finally in her watery grave. She hopes.

Proofrock is gripped in the worst ice storm of a century. The FBI have been busy trying to convict a Native American serial killer by returning to the scenes of his crimes across many states hoping for bodies of the victims still missing. But Dark Mill South has other plans. Once the FBI are inevitably caught in the snowstorm, he makes his escape and heads for…Proofrock. The body count starts piling up quickly and soon Jade and a few former school survivors of the Fourth July Massacre begin to wonder just how many killings are due to Dark Mill South or is someone else taking advantage of his presence?

Review

Graham-Jones writes a compelling and more rigorous sequel as though he’s found his ground, the audience are running with him as we’re led through the icy killing grounds of Proofrock once more. The pace is fast, the killer (or killers) are quick and cunning. Graham-Jones writes a brilliant crime story as well as a horror-infused homage to the slasher form. A steadily building pace is jerked into rapid action with a few gruesome but effective splashes of violence. Graham-Jones is a master of keeping the equilibrium perfectly poised.

Conclusion

A thrilling and suspenseful homage to the slasher genre with genuine characters and masterfully written. Great for fans of dark fiction, horror, slashers, suspense, mystery and thrillers. A highly recommended read!!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Coyote Songs

Publisher’s Description

In this mosaic horror/crime novel, ghosts and old gods guide the hands of those caught up in a violent struggle to save the soul of the American southwest. A man tasked with shuttling children over the border believes the Virgin Mary is guiding him towards final justice. A woman offers colonizer blood to the Mother of Chaos. A boy joins corpse destroyers to seek vengeance for the death of his father.These stories intertwine with those of a vengeful spirit and a hungry creature to paint a timely, compelling, pulpy portrait of revenge, family, and hope.

Summary

I recently read Coyote Songs by US author Gabino Iglesias after several recommendations and it did not disappoint.

Coyote Songs is a series of independent short stories that feature a family and the introduction of violence into their lives. The shattering of a child’s innocence with unexpected violence drives him to seek revenge. The mother becomes a symbolic portrait of vengeance incarnate and the devastation of a hopeful life. Intertwined is the coyote who assists the desperate to cross borders but becomes increasingly determined to fight back against the abuse of those he has aided to cross into a ‘better life’. The drive for vengeance and violence in both main story arcs intertwine in a compelling resolution.

Review

Coyote Songs was a masterpiece of a novel. The novel consists of a series of stories, often with interlinking characters and an overall story arcs that follows the noir theme of violence and struggle in a horrorscape of a city. Here, hope and revenge are intertwined in a gritty tale of a family’s drive towards increasing violence and revenge. Igleasias is a compelling storyteller and brings these worlds of crime and the supernatural into a thrilling novel.

Conclusion

A thrilling dark fiction combining gothic horror, ghosts, crime, gritty noir, politics and ancient gods. A fantastic and important read. Highly recommended!!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Skeleton Man

Publisher’s Description

Though he may be retired, Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn hasn’t lost his curiosity or his edge. He’s eager to help Sergeant Jim Chee and his fiancée Bernie Manuelito with their latest case—clearing an innocent kid accused of robbing a trading post.

Billy Tuve claims he received the precious diamond from a strange old man in the canyon. Could it be one of the gems that went missing in an epic plane crash decades earlier? Now that it may have resurfaced, it’s attracted dangerous strangers to the Navajo lands.

Proving Billy’s innocence won’t be easy. Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito must find the remains of a passenger who died in the crash—one of 172 lost souls whose remains were scattered across the magnificent tiered cliffs of the Grand Canyon.

But nature may prove their deadliest adversary. To find the proof they need, the detectives must battle a thunderous monsoon and a killer as they plunge deeper into the dark realm of the Hopi Lord of Death—the guardian of the underworld known as Skeleton Man.

Review

I read Skeleton Man (Leaphorn and Chee, #17) by US author Tony Hilerman.

Skeleton Man follows Sergeant Jim Chee and his fiancée Bernie Manuelito as these Navajo tribal police officers investigate Navajo robbery suspect Billy Tuve when he tries to pawn a large diamond from a decade old plane crash over the Grand Canyon. Tuve claims innocence and he received the diamond from a Skeleton Man in the canyons. Sergeant Chee consults retired Lieutenant Jim Leaphorn and the meaning behind the Skeleton Man – a Hopi legendary guardian of The Underworld. Determining if the Skeleton Man Tuve claims he met with and exchanged a knife for a a diamond is crucial to proving his innocence.

The case soon becomes dangerous when private investigators behave unlawfully and a race to recover the decades old remains of a passenger who travelled with diamonds encased and strapped to his wrist during the plane crash. His daughter – unrecognised by the family or company – may finally have her inheritance recognised if she can recover the remains of her father. As the monsoon storms gather above the Grand Canyon and rains threaten to flood the canyon, the answer lies with the mysterious figure of the Skeleton Man.

Final Thoughts

Skeleton Man is a well-written and fascinating historical mystery that combines crime and both Navajo and Hopi folklore and legends alongside a great sense of respect for the canyon landscape and the indigenous peoples who care and guard the land.

Conclusion

A great combination of mystery, history, crime and Navajo and Hopi folklore. A recommended read!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Lantern Men

Publisher’s Description

Everything has changed for Dr Ruth Galloway.

She has a new job, home and partner, and is no longer North Norfolk police’s resident forensic archaeologist. That is, until convicted murderer Ivor March offers to make DCI Nelson a deal. Nelson was always sure that March killed more women than he was charged with. Now March confirms this, and offers to show Nelson where the other bodies are buried – but only if Ruth will do the digging.

Curious, but wary, Ruth agrees. March tells Ruth that he killed four more women and that their bodies are buried near a village bordering the fens, said to be haunted by the Lantern Men, mysterious figures holding lights that lure travellers to their deaths.

Is Ivor March himself a lantern man, luring Ruth back to Norfolk? What is his plan, and why is she so crucial to it? And are the killings really over?

Review

I recently read forensic archaeological crime mystery The Lantern Men (Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, #12) by UK author Elly Griffiths.

The protagonist Dr Ruth Galloway has left the marshes and working at the University of Oxford and living in a townhouse with her new partner. But she is restless and soon requested to work a cold case murders on the marshes of Norfolk. A series of missing women from an artistic retreat and local folklore of lights on the marshes that lead the lost astray are the Lantern Men. But this specific folklore is imbedded the past and present of the retreat – saving the lost on the real and metaphorical marshes and missing women the likely victims of a sinister killer.

Ruth Galloway is the forensic archaeologist that convicted killer Ivor March requests to find two of his victims Detective Nelson is certain he killed. Soon, Ruth is following a trail of history, folklore and tales of the lantern men. But as the psst students and leaders of the retreat become interwoven with legendary and real lantern men, Ruth and Nelson wonder if there’s more than one killer – and more recent missing women on the marshes taken by a very real Lantern Man.

Final Thoughts

I’ve read several Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries by Elly Griffiths and the clever integration of local folklore in The Lantern Men is highly intriguing. The suspense and thriller aspects of a murder mystery were cleverly interwoven with the folklore of the lantern man central to theme and crimes.

Conclusion

A highly recommended mystery – both for it’s history and crime themes. There’s even something for fans folklore and suspense. A great read!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Foxglove Summer

Publisher’s Description

When two young girls go missing in rural Herefordshire, police constable and wizard-in-training Peter Grant is sent out of London to check that nothing supernatural is involved.

It’s purely routine—Nightingale, Peter’s superior, thinks he’ll be done in less than a day. But Peter’s never been one to walk away from someone in trouble, so when nothing overtly magical turns up he volunteers his services to the local police, who need all the help they can get.

But because the universe likes a joke as much as the next sadistic megalomaniac, Peter soon comes to realize that dark secrets underlie the picturesque fields and villages of the countryside and there might just be work for Britain’s most junior wizard after all.

Soon Peter’s in a vicious race against time, in a world where the boundaries between reality and fairy have never been less clear….

Review

I’ve been reading this series for years now and I absolutely love it. Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London, #5) by UK author Ben Arronavitch was as classy, funny, scary, and at times, as gory the others in the series.

Foxglove Summer follows London special branch (spooky stuff) constable Peter Grant when he’s sent out of his comfort zone and into the herodfordshire countryside. He’s there to help determine if there is any magical or unnatural forces behind the sudden disappearance of two pre-teen girls. What he finds is the country is potentially more dangerous than London and semi-visible unicorns with malicious intent are rampaging about the forests at night. Into such danger Peter Grant wades and questions begin to rise over the sudden reappearance of the girls, their odd behaviour and which one might be a fairy changeling? Or both?

Final Thoughts

Foxglove Summer was an unusual departure for Arronovitch and the Peter Grant books which has been squarely set in London. I enjoyed the new secondary characters and the involvement of the Fae in the storyline. A refreshing novel in the Rivers of London series.

Conclusion

Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy, mystery, paranormal, alternate history, crime and dark fantasy. As always delivered with Aaronovitch’s superb craftsmanship. A great, fun read!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Curse of Bronze

Publisher’s Description

Bella Hathaway comes from a family of daredevil adventurers — but she’s a a quiet scholar of magical languages who wouldn’t say boo to a goose.

When her curse-breaker aunt is murdered in the Eldritch Library, Bella inherits a house full of dangerous artefacts & talking furniture. As she investigates her aunt’s death, she finds more mysteries: a hoard of gargoyles, a lost language, a family of werewolves… and a tragic family secret.

Review

I recently read the Gaslamp novella Curse of Bronze (The Gargoyle Mysteries, #1) by Australian author Tansy Rayner Roberts.

The protagonist of this Gaslamp fantasy is Bella who inherits her aunt’s house in London in the Lyceum quarter where the Fae live. The inheritance of the house comes with all the cursed objects within from her aunt Charlotte’s very successful career as s curse breaker.

Unfortunately for Bella, she has no skills in curse breaking but id a qualified linguist. The inheritance of the house can only occur with her aunt Charlotte’s death.

Soon, Bella is taken from the comforts of her antiquarian lifestyle and thrust into solving who killed her aunt Charlotte, why and using an unusual method of turning her to bronze.

Final Thoughts

Curse of Bronze was my first book that is read by Robert’s and I really enjoyed the clever mixture of Gaslamp fantasy and murder mystery. The archaeological tomb raiding was an extra bonus of excitement. Well-written, comfortable read and highly enjoyable.

Conclusion

A recommended novel for readers who enjoy Gaslamp fantasy, mystery and humour. The archaeological angle was also well done. A Great read!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Damnation Games

*** I received an ARC in return for an honest review ***

Publisher’s Description

Alan Baxter, editor of Damnation Games, believes horror is the genre of honesty.

‘With horror, there’s no shying away from brutal reality to supply a happy ending. Even when the evil is overcome, it seldom happens without cost. Survivors are rarely unscathed. Horror looks into the darkness and doesn’t turn away. It confronts it.’

This is also true of crime fiction. The rising dread at the heart of a good mystery has the same affect. That oh shit no feeling in a story that’s a real as the day’s news can have you on the edge of your seat precisely because it could happen – next door. Or in the next room.

Put the two together – crime fiction and horror – and all sorts of nasty business come out of the woodwork. Sometimes literally.

Alan invited a horde of criminally good writers of horror and the supernatural and has produced an anthology of tales set in a variety of locations and eras. The stories herein include urban monsters, Victorian mathematicians, contemporary lawyers, near future police, and outback ghosts.

Review

One of my recent reads was the anthology Damnation Games edited by Australian/UK author Alan Baxter. It didn’t disappoint.

In honour to Clive Barker’s The Damnation Game and other words, the anthology combines the mysterious, horrifying, splatterpunk, crime and supernatural.

Favourites which I found absolute stand-out hits for the uniqueness, skilful writing, unusual concepts of crime while maintaining an atmosphere that was haunting and unique.

In no particular order: “Ghost Gun” by John F D Taff, “Spool” by Dan Rabarts, “Zoo” Gemma Amor, “The Hungry Bones” by Lee Murray, “Dangerous Specimens” by Robert Hood, “Kookaburra Cruel” by Aaron Dries and “The Infinity Effect” by Joanne Anderton.

Final Thoughts

Alan Baxter has drawn together a fine work that has each piece masterfully written and unique. There is something for every reader from gritty supernatural crime, scientific malevolence, horrific gangsters and strange crime. Drawn from authors with unique and seperate backgrounds and writing styles, Damnation Games is remembered well after finishing it and fits beautifully as a tribute to Clive Barker.

Conclusion

Highly recommended. A dive into supernatural worlds and haunting tales. This anthology is gritty, mysterious, horrifying and leaves you wanting for more.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Engines of Empathy

Publisher’s Description

Charlotte Pudding, computer psychologist and recent orphan, is not precisely thrilled with her lot in life (and not just because of the ‘orphan’ bit).

Nevertheless, having her routine disrupted by a shadowy corporation, a man who claims to be a retired god, and the secrets of her own family history isn’t a walk in the park, either.

Charlotte’s quest for answers will lead her on a perilous journey into a religion based on quantum physics, a hunt for unexpectedly rare plant oil, and a fight to the shame against a black-belt in sarcasm.

In a world that runs on peace and harmony, Charlotte is about to discover just how far some people are prepared to go to maintain tranquillity

Review

I recently read the science-fiction novel Engines of Empathy (Drakeforth Series, #1) by New-Zealand born author Paul Mannering.

The protagonist of this quirky science fiction thriller is Londonite Charlotte Pudding. Quickly introduced to a world where everything runs of the empathic energy of people, from cars, fridges, toasters and elevators- a situation arises when empathetic energy stored in giant batteries begins to fail.

Charlotte, a sensible but sometimes quick with a quip, is harassed to find her heirloom family desk may hold one of the greatest mysteries and scandals of empathetic energy. Forced in to an acquaintance and partnership with Vole Drakeforth – a man of dubious means and doubtful character- Charlotte is quickly embroiled in secrets, lies, coverups and scandals which have lasted generations and their exposure threaten the very future of empathic energy.

Final Thoughts

Engines of Empathy was a well-planned, easily inducted world-building for a science fiction that didn’t bog down in detail but introduced it along with the characters and their lives. It was one of the best science fiction world-building I’ve had the pleasure to read for some time. The quirky characters and ridiculous scenarios added to the sense of a Discworld novel. But there is also real depth to Engines of Empathy which made it stand out.

Conclusion

A great recommended read for lovers of comedic science-fiction, innovate world-building, mystery, suspense and rollicking good fun. A must read!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

1920s Gothic Horror

My current work-in-progress is a gothic horror set in the infamous 1920s Razor Gang era in Sydney, Australia.

Some background on the Razor Gangs of Sydney. The more well-known lawless crime eras of Birmingham, Glasgow and New York had their own gangs and warfare on the streets.

In Australia, it was cities of Melbourne and Sydney that were rife with crime gangs controlling brothels, the ‘sly-grog’ of Prohibition Depression, illegal drugs and police bribery. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Sydney’s harbour-side streets were ruled by two women and their gangs: Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh. Both had their seperate illegal business focuses and things ran smoothly enough until members of the gangs started a bloody war with their weapon of choice: the easily come-by straight razor from any barber shop.

In the years of World War I and World War II saw many immigrants and refugees from war-torn Europe, the multicultural nature of Australian population swelled and my project imagines the supernatural beings that would have fled Europe amid the flow of mortal immigrants.