Category: dark humour

Cooking for Cannibals by Rich Leder

Fountain of youth? More like murderous medication! Carrie Kromer pushes the boundaries of science, not her social life. The brilliant behavioural gerontologist’s idea of a good time is hanging out with her beloved lab rats and taking care of her elderly mother and the other eccentric old folks at the nursing home. So no one is more surprised than Carrie when she steals the … Read More Cooking for Cannibals by Rich Leder

Afraid of the Christmas Lights: An Anthology of Crime Stories

by Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Rachael Blok, Heather Critchlow, Sara Collins , Elle Croft, James Delargy, Clare Empson, Jo Furniss, Sophie Hannah, T.E. Kinsey, N.J. Mackay, S.R. Masters, Phoebe Morgan, Dominic Nolan, Robert Scragg, Victoria Selman, Kate Simants, Adam Southward, Harriet Tyce Festive Shorts from the Biggest Stars in Crime Fiction My Review Some of my favourite authors amongst these including Victoria Selman, Phoebe Morgan and James Delargy. I’ve selected a few of the ones I enjoyed the most to review. An Unexpected Present by … Read More Afraid of the Christmas Lights: An Anthology of Crime Stories

Kill a Stranger by Simon Kernick

They took your fiancée.They framed you for murder.You’re given one chance to save her. To clear your name.You must kill someone for them.They give you the time and place.The weapon. The target.You have less than 24 hours.You only know that no-one can be trusted…and nothing is what it seems. My Review Very clever plotting with lots of twists and turns. Who can you trust? … Read More Kill a Stranger by Simon Kernick

The Thriller Collection by Alan Gorevan

An unmissable collection for fans of fast-paced reads. Three action-packed books in a single volume. #TheThrillerCollection #TheForbiddenRoom #TheHostage #HitandRun @AlanGorevan @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours Facebook @damppebblesblogtours  The Forbidden Room: You and your partner are looking forward to a romantic break in the rugged landscape of West Cork, on the south west coast of Ireland. Cliff walks, seafood dinners and spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. But a storm … Read More The Thriller Collection by Alan Gorevan

An Irrational Fear of Dogs by Veronika Jordan

Extracts from An Irrational Fear of Dogs by Veronika Jordan @cookiebiscuit #shortstories Double Bill (Extract) Goodbye Sarah. I bet you thought we would be friends forever. How wrong you were. The two of us were going to stand here and watch as Bill’s coffin was lowered into the ground. We pictured ourselves distraught, crying on each other’s shoulders, coming together in our shared grief, … Read More An Irrational Fear of Dogs by Veronika Jordan

A Diet of Werewolves – A Modern Fairy Tale by Veronika Jordan

‘I’m not like other men,’ said Dan. ‘I’m not even like other werewolves.’ ‘I don’t understand Mr Shaffer,’ the psychiatrist shuffled his papers and coughed. ‘…like other werewolves. There is no such thing as a werewolf or lycanthrope as it’s really called. It exists only in myths and legends. Please explain further.’ ‘I can do better than that,’ Dan was slowly sipping a blended … Read More A Diet of Werewolves – A Modern Fairy Tale by Veronika Jordan

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved killings. But when a local property developer shows up dead, ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ find themselves in the middle of their first live case. The four friends, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron, might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our … Read More The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Vintage Crime by Martin Edwards (Editor)

Vintage Crimes is a CWA anthology with a difference, celebrating members’ work over the years. The book gathers stories from the mid-1950s until the twenty-first century by great names of the past, great names of the present together with a few hidden treasures by less familiar writers. The first CWA anthology, Butcher’s Dozen, appeared in 1956, and was co-edited by Julian Symons, Michael Gilbert, … Read More Vintage Crime by Martin Edwards (Editor)

Family Business by Mark Eklid

Family historian Graham Hasselhoff thought there were no skeletons in his cupboard. That is, until the day he met the son he never knew he had. @MarkEklid #FamilyBusiness #BlogTour #RandomThingsTours @AnneCater @RandomTTours Getting to know Andreas, who is now the boss of a road haulage firm, soon leads him to a trail of arson, beatings, mysterious warnings – and murder. Can his son really … Read More Family Business by Mark Eklid

The Resident by David Jackson

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer, and he has nowhere left to hide. At least until he finds an abandoned house at the end of a terrace on a quiet street. And when he discovers that he can access three other houses through the attic space, the real fun begins. Because the one thing that Brogan enjoys even more than killing, is playing games … Read More The Resident by David Jackson

Purple People by Kate Bulpitt

A curious scheme is afoot in Blighty. Attempting to tackle spiralling levels of crime and anti-social behaviour, the government has a new solution: to dye offenders purple. For once, even journalist Eve Baxter is shocked – she’s spent years gathering the world’s weird and wacky news, but has never seen anything as loopy as this. Learning of these shamed ‘bruises on society’, the nation … Read More Purple People by Kate Bulpitt

My Top 8 Books of 2020 so far

According to Goodreads I have already read 53 books this year and it’s only part way through June. But here is a list of my favourite eight books so far. I have tried to include a number of first time authors as well as established authors. They are in no particular order: Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau I just loved this book. It’s 1911 and … Read More My Top 8 Books of 2020 so far