Tag: Multiple Character Perspectives

Nero by Conn Iggulden

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction1 Comment

Nero Cover

Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 28 May 2024)

Series: Nero – Book One

Length: 396 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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One of the absolute best authors of historical fiction in the world today, Conn Iggulden, returns with an exciting new series as he examines the life of Rome’s most infamous Emperor, Nero.

Conn Iggulden is a historical fiction author that I have a lot of respect for, especially as consistently presents intense and compelling reads that focus on some of the most interesting people and conflicts of the historical world.  Starting off over 20 years ago with his iconic Emperor series, which covered the complete life of Julius Caesar, Iggulden has moved through various historical periods and locations with his works.  This includes his impressive Conqueror series, which followed the life and legacy of Genghis Khan, his outstanding War of the Roses books, the fantastic standalone novel The Falcon of Sparta, and his clever Athenian series, made up of The Gates of Athens and Protector.  All these series have been really impressive, effectively balancing historical detail with exciting storytelling, and Iggulden is a favourite author of mine as a result.  Due this I have been really excited for his latest novel, Nero, which provides an intriguing look at the events that led to the ascension of the titular Emperor.

Rome, AD 37.  The greatest city in the world is in turmoil.  The decrepit and vengeful Emperor Tiberius has returned to Rome after a lengthy absence, and his first act is to order the strangulation of the man he left in charge.  As a flurry of sanctioned killings and destruction begins to reign down upon Rome, a young boy is born who is destined to burn everything around him.

Born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, the boy is the son of a former champion charioteer of noble lineage, and Agrippina, the great-granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus.  With family ties reaching all the way back to original emperors, Lucius is already considered an eventual claimant to the Roman throne.  However, there are many within Rome who want power and influence for themselves and care little for the hopes and ambitions of a noblewoman and her young son.

With dark clouds on Rome’s horizon, Agrippina soon discovers that the greatest threat comes from closer to home than she realises in the form of her brother, Caligula.  Banished and robbed of everything, including her young son, Agrippina finds herself at the mercy of those around her.  However, Agrippina does not intend to be powerless forever, and when fate intervenes, she finds herself with the opportunity to influence the very heart of Roman politics.  Can Agrippina ensure the rise of her young son, the boy who will eventually be known as Nero, and will Rome ever be the same again?

This was an intriguing and gripping novel from Iggulden, who continues to show why he is one of the most consistent and entertaining authors of historical fiction.  Nero is a fascinating and thrilling read that cleverly examines the early life of the future emperor from those around him and proves very hard to put down.

Nero contains a typical Iggulden narrative, in which he focuses on a historical figure and follows them from birth to their eventual rise to power.  In Nero’s case, this book is clearly the first part of a larger series as it is dedicated to examining the childhood of the future emperor and the many events that lead to him to the throne.  As such, the focus of this novel is more on his parents, and the various other dangerous Roman figures who were around at this time.  Starting in the latter days of Tiberius’s reign, the author parallels Nero’s birth with the start of Tiberius’s purges in Rome, while also showcasing his troubled parents, including his mother Agrippina, who is essentially the main character here.  This proves to be an interesting start to the book, especially as you get a good look at many of the key figures the story is going to focus on, while also showcasing just how crazy stories recounting the history of Rome can get.

The author quickly moves the story along to the reign of Caligula, which drags the protagonists closer into the limelight due to Agrippina being the new emperor’s sister.  Naturally, it doesn’t take long for affairs to devolve into chaos, and there are some major changes that really impact the lives of the principal cast.  The second half of the book features a decent time skip which brings certain figures back into prominence and allows Agrippina to focus on her ambitions.  Iggulden does a great job showcasing Agrippina’s change of heart and new desire for power, and I liked the intrigue, political machinations and manipulations that were at the heart of this second half of Nero.  Everything leads up to an interesting conclusion, as Iggulden adds in some exciting military action, which contrasts nicely to the political and personal struggles of the first half of the plot.  The book ends on a solid note that ensures readers will come back to the series in the future, especially as the story of Nero is only just beginning.  This proved to be a very intriguing story, and I enjoyed how Iggulden showcased the many infamous historical events and wove a great, character-driven story around them.

Nero had a great tone that was a combination of character driven plot, over-the-top Roman antics and intriguing history, which I really enjoyed.  Loaded with a fast-paced and brutal story, you quickly get absorbed into the many political intrigues and dysfunctional relationships that lie at the heart of the plot, and Iggulden did an outstanding job flipping the perspective around a range of compelling historical figures and showcasing their unique views on intriguing events and the future emperor.  The story is constantly sharp and compelling, I liked how intense events got, especially as Iggulden ensured that certain dark moments of history are shown in all their glory.  I deeply enjoyed the author’s depictions of Roman history, and his take on events really stood out compared to some other series I have read set in the same period.  The chaotic nature of the antagonists, the mood of the city, and the general insanity of the times were all very impressive, and they formed a great background to the outrageous plot.  Iggulden has such a knack for displaying Roman history (as evidenced by his first epic series) and he really makes the ancient city, and iconic figures stand out for all readers.  While he does appear to take a few liberties with the historical record for storytelling purposes (honestly, what historical fictions author doesn’t ?), many of the most iconic moments of the time were captured perfectly, and he constantly ensured that the mood of the city was examined in detail.  I deeply enjoyed this fantastic and captivating historical tale, and Nero proved to be a highly addictive book to check out.

I want to also highlight some of the amazing characters featured in Nero, especially as most of them proved to be awesome takes on major historical figures.  As I mentioned before, the character of Nero himself doesn’t get a lot of time as a perspective figure in this first novel, mainly because he is quite young for most of the plot, although he does get a few intriguing moments in the second half of the book.  Instead, most of the book was dedicated to showing the formative events of his youth, as well as how he ended up in the position to eventually become emperor.  I felt that this was a smart decision on Iggulden’s behalf, and I really enjoyed seeing this in-depth examination of Nero’s history, especially as most Roman historical fiction series tend to include him as an overexaggerated villain rather than a product of the crazy times he grew up in.  I look forward to seeing how he evolves in future books, and it will be interesting to see how Iggulden utilises him as a major perspective character.

With Nero growing into the role, the character who probably gets the most focus is Agrippina the Younger, Nero’s mother and future empress.  Due to the way the plot plays out, Iggulden spends a lot of time exploring this controversial figure, and I rather enjoyed seeing the in-depth examination of the events that preceded her marriage to Claudius.  You get a very complex picture of Agrippina here, including the many tragedies surrounding her family, the violent marriage that resulted in Nero, and the terrible treatment by her brother Caligula.  Iggulden does an excellent job showcasing how these events impacted Agrippina’s personality, and you can see how and why she becomes more ruthless and determined to be the one in control.  While she does a lot of despicable things, Iggulden almost makes her a sympathetic character, although certain dark events stop you from ever truly loving her.  I deeply enjoyed the author’s portrayal of Agrippina in Nero, and she proved to be a compelling and intriguing force.

Other characters of note include Nero’s father, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, a violent drunken former famous charioteer who Iggulden showcases in a manner similar to a modern-day angry failed sports star trying to relive their glory days.  Constantly enraged that the world has left him behind and caught up in events beyond his control, Gnaeus cuts a dark and brooding figure that proves very hard to love.  Despite this, Gnaeus was a very intriguing addition to the plot, and his fraught interactions with Agrippina left a mark that resulted in some intriguing plot points.  I must also mention the great depictions of the three emperors who preceded Nero, Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius.  All three of these emperors are notorious, and Iggulden went out of his way to show their many eccentricities and issues, as well as the impacts that they had on the Roman empire.  I always love seeing authors depict the unique events these figures were responsible for, and Iggulden did not disappoint.  As such, they all end up being major and memorable figures in Nero, which proved to be quite important, as their actions and reigns will no doubt be referenced and compared to Nero in the rest of the series.  Throw in a great collection of other fantastic historical figures, and Nero had a great cast that really brought some amazing monsters from history to life.

Conn Iggulden continues to showcase why he is one of the top authors of historical fiction.  Nero was an outstanding book that masterfully showcases the early life of the infamous emperor with a wildly entertaining story.  Exciting, dramatic and very over-the-top, Nero was an incredible read that I deeply enjoyed.  I look forward to seeing how Iggulden brings this series together in the future, and I am already very excited for the inevitable sequel.

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Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller3 Comments

Devil's Kitchen Cover

Publisher: Bantam Australia (Trade Paperback – 26 March 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 480 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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One of Australia’s very best thriller authors continues her hellacious 2024 with the outstanding and epic read, Devil’s Kitchen.

Candice Fox is a very impressive author who has been doing an amazing job representing Australian authors on the international stage with her epic thrillers.  Starting off with some intriguing outback thrillers, including her Archer and Bennett series and Crimson Lake books (the latter of which have been adapted into the Australian television series Troppo), it didn’t take long for Fox to gain worldwide appeal, especially once she started collaborating with James Patterson.  Fox with Patterson has written several amazing reads, including the Detective Harriet Blue series, The Inn, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, and Fox’s other 2024 read, The Murder Inn.  Fox has also been writing some amazing standalone thrillers in recent years, including Gathering Dark, The Chase and Fire with Fire.  I have had an amazing time with these outstanding books, and they usually end up being some of the top books by an Australian author each year.  However, Fox’s latest novel, Devil’s Kitchen, might be her best thriller yet.

Everyone knows firefighters are heroes, and in the FDNY, no team is more daring or brave than the members of Engine 99.  For years this tightknit band of firefighters has stood against the worst blazes New York has to offer, working together to save lives and keep the city safe.  However, beneath this heroic façade, the four members of Engine 99 harbour a dark secret: they are ruthless and successful thieves.

Utilising their knowledge of fire to create opportunities and destroy evidence, the Engine 99 crew have pulled off several impressive heists and stolen millions of dollars.  With their loyalty, skills and ability to work within the system, the team seems unbeatable.  However, that changes when the family of one member of the team, Ben, goes missing.  Convinced that someone else on the Engine 99 crew had something to do with their disappearance, Ben attempts to make a deal with the law to save them.  However, Ben is unprepared for the carnage his actions will bring down.

Andrea ‘Andy’ Nearland is a professional undercover operative with a dangerous past.  She has spent years learning to get close to people to learn their darkest secrets and will do anything to bring her targets to justice.  Joining the team after obtaining intensive firefighting training, Andy begins the arduous task of gaining the rest of the team’s trust with Ben’s reluctant help.  However, getting through the web of secrecy surrounding the rest of Engine 99 and finding out what happened to Ben’s family will be difficult, especially as the team plots their most ambitious heist yet.  With tensions running higher than ever and her obsessive employer trying to drag her out, can Andy find out all of Engine 99’s dark secrets before it’s too late, or will her tangled web of lies and emotional connections bring her down?

This was a particularly epic book from Fox that I couldn’t put down.  Featuring an ambitious and powerful narrative that pushes the boundaries of relationships, loyalty and doing the right thing, Devil’s Kitchen had me hooked the entire way through, and this was truly an outstanding read.

I really cannot emphasise enough what a great story Devil’s Kitchen had, and this ended up being a dark and compelling thriller.  Featuring a gripping prelude that ensures you get drawn into the story, Devil’s Kitchen is quickly split between the perspectives of main characters Andy and Ben, as Andy begins her infiltration of the Engine 99 crew after Ben contacts the authorities about his crew’s criminal actions.  Joining as a new member with a romantic connection to Ben, Andy attempts to gain their trust, while the crew begins planning a new heist with destructive potential.  What follows is an intriguing game of cat and mouse as Andy uses her skills at infiltration to try and find out all their secrets, even the ones that Ben doesn’t want her to know, all while the rest of the crew battle their suspicions about her motivations.

The plot goes in some intriguing directions as Devil’s Kitchen continues, as all the team’s dark secrets and Andy’s troubled past come to light.  Andy proves to be a very smooth operator as she gets closer to finding out the truth, while Ben is a complex and haunted figure, desperate to save those he cares about, while also hoping to keep his worst secrets to himself.  I loved the many layers of deception, personal struggle and compelling personalities contained within the story, as the protagonists attempt to discover what happened to Ben’s missing family and how it ties into his heist work.  At the same time, Andy and Ben get closer, and Andy is forced to deal with her overprotective employer and former lover, whose jealousy and concern about the situation causes more trouble for her.  The last third of the story is particularly epic, as the truth in all its forms gets out, and everyone is thrown into some desperate directions.  Fox pulls together some excellent twists and turns here, and all the big reveals were suitably shocking and intense.  This was probably one of Fox’s best conclusions, and all the elaborate story threads come together perfectly, ensuring that the reader comes away satisfied with the various solutions to the book’s big mysteries.  At the same time, there are some dark and shocking moments, and I honestly did not expect how tragic Fox would make her conclusion.

I have a lot of love for how Fox brought her story together, and this proved to be a very well-written book.  The intense back and forth between the two perspective protagonists presents the reader with a dramatic and complex read, especially as both have hidden motivations and desires.  In many ways this is almost a psychological thriller, especially as Fox does an outstanding job diving into why Andy desires connections in every identity she takes on, while Ben is caught between his intense loyalty to the crew and his desires to save his loved ones.  This balance of thriller storyline and character arcs really works, and I ended up invested in both Andy and Ben’s unique storylines, even if that threatened to lead to tragedy.  Fox keeps up a fantastic and fast pace for this novel, and I honestly couldn’t put Devil’s Kitchen down at times, I was so engrossed in seeing the next dark turn or compelling character moment.

I have mentioned Andy and Ben a few times, and they really were the tortured heart and soul of the team.  Fox portrayed Ben as an outstandingly complex figure, and you really get invested in his motivations for both staying quiet and trying to end his crew’s heist careers.  Ben is forced to experience some major moral dilemmas in Devil’s Kitchen, and despite his criminal focus, you can’t help but feel bad for him.  While I enjoyed Ben’s chapters and story arc, I found Andy to be the more compelling character and I loved the idea of a master infiltrator who can go undercover and get close to people.  Fox does an excellent job of expanding out her motivations and insights while ensuring that the reader will be interested in finding out more about her past.  These gradually reveal some intriguing details into why she is so good at taking up new identities and her dangerous habit of getting too close to her targets becomes a recurring theme.  I found Andy’s clever perspective to be some of the best parts of Devil’s Kitchen, and her various techniques for getting closer to her targets were extremely clever.  I think there is a lot of potential in an extended series focused on Andy (or whatever her name will be in the future), especially as there are some open doors when it comes to her past.

Aside from Andy and Ben, I have to highlight the three antagonists of the story, the other members of Engine 99.  Made up of a damaged veteran firefighter, an unhinged fixer, and a young trainee with a gambling problem, they, along with Ben, have become a tightknit group, loyal only to each other and dedicated to earning a sufficient retirement.  Due to the story requiring Andy to get closer to them and learn their secrets, you get drawn into their tangled relationships and connections, especially as the secret to what happen to Ben’s family, as well as their latest plot, lies in uncovering that.  I really enjoyed getting to know these three additional figures, especially as you get drawn into their dark motivations and outlooks on life.  They prove to be suitably complex and intriguing antagonists for the story, and it was fascinating to see how Andy and Ben navigate their interactions with them.

Overall, I felt that Devil’s Kitchen was a pretty amazing novel from Candice Fox, and it was one of her most impressive thrillers so far.  Featuring a particularly intense, character-driven storyline focused on lies, deception and misdirection, Devil’s Kitchen had me hooked from the very beginning and I could not rest until I uncovered every single clever twist and outrageous reveal.  An exceptional read from one of Australia’s best authors, I cannot wait to see more from Fox, especially as she has yet another book coming out later this year.

Devil's Kitchen 2

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Warhammer 40,000: Cain’s Last Stand by Sandy Mitchell

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel, WarhammerLeave a comment

Cain's Last Stand Cover

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 1 January 2008)

Series: Ciaphas Cain – Book Six

Length: 10 hours and 30 minutes

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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I’ve been on a real roll with the amazing Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell (a pseudonym of Alex Stewart) lately, which is easily one of the funniest Warhammer 40,000 series out there.  Amazing books like For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand, Death or Glory and Duty Calls have all proved to be highly entertaining, and I like the author’s take on a less heroic figure in the martyr-filled grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe.  As such, when in need of a particularly fun read, I made the very easy choice to power through another entry in this classic series last week with the sixth book, Cain’s Last Stand.  This was an unsurprisingly awesome book, and I loved the intriguing story that emerged.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, legendary hero of the Imperium and self-professed fraudulent coward, has done the near impossible and survived decades of brutal service in the Imperial Guard.  Now effectively retired from active duty, Cain has returned to the planet of Perlia, which he helped save from an ork invasion early in his career, and now spends his time teaching Commissar cadets at the planet’s Schola Progenium.  However, the battle is never truly over for Cain, and soon dark forces begin to descend once again.

Half a galaxy away, Abaddon the Despoiler has launched his 13th Black Crusade, determined to invade the Imperium of Man.  While most of the fighting occurs around the fortress world of Cadia, a splinter fleet has broken off and is heading deep into the Imperium, defeating several forces sent to stop it.  When it becomes apparent that this fleet is heading directly for Perlia, Cain is once again forced into action, especially as he knows exactly what they are coming for.

An ancient alien device of devastating power lies hidden on Perlia, one capable of reshaping reality itself, and Cain is one of the few people who knows it’s there.  With no means of escape available and the fate of the galaxy in the balance, Cain is forced to lead the defence of Perlia against the oncoming Chaos tide.  With only a ramshackle army of local soldiers, militia and students from the Schola under his command, the defence of the planet looks grim, especially when faced with a charismatic Chaos lord and his fanatically loyal soldiers.  Worse, a far greater evil has its eyes on Perlia, one that Cain fears above all else.  Can the legendary hero of the Imperium pull out one last impossible victory before he rides off into the sunset, or has Cain finally met his match at the site of his greatest triumph?

Mitchell continues to bring joy to the dark Warhammer 40,000 universe with this epic sixth entry, which I had so much fun with.  Cain’s Last Stand was an excellent read, and I loved the cool and elaborate story that emerged.

I think Cain’s Last Stand might be one of my favourite stories that Mitchell has so far used for the Ciaphas Cain series, especially because it differs from the standard narrative patterns of the series, while also cleverly tying together some intriguing ongoing storylines.  Set further into the future than any of the previous books, you get to see a nearly retired Cain in action, as the series finally ties itself into the events of the 13th Black Crusade (the original version of it, not the darker recent retcon).  I liked how Mitchell takes the reader back to the setting of the fourth book, Death or Glory, and the initial scenes of Cain as a reluctant but capable teacher, were very fun.  The switch from Tyranids to Chaos as the main threat is handled extremely well, and I liked the continued niggle that even worse enemies are lurking around.  The subsequent reveal that the reason behind the invasion is due to the ancient artefact first hinted at in Death or Glory and then expanded on in Duty Calls was great, and Mitchell does an excellent job of tying the various ongoing storylines together.

The second half of Cain’s Last Stand proves to be a very fun planetary invasion arc, especially as Cain works to rally an unusual array of defenders, including untrained militia, under strength garrison forces, and his own students.  The forces of Chaos prove to be excellent foes for this story, and I liked the much more insidious nature of the threat that emerged, especially as there was a slow build to the reveal.  After plenty of action, clever ploys, some touching tragedy, and so much misdirection from the protagonist, the story eventually heads to the inevitable last stand, which cleverly mirrors a similar event from Death or Glory.  Mitchell does a great job of building up anticipation for this event, and it doesn’t disappoint as there are some excellent action sequences and fun revelations that occurred.  I particularly enjoyed the big bluff that leads to the death of a certain enemy, especially as it was a classic Cain antic.  The final reveal about the actual big bad of the story was well handled, and it leaves this storyline open for the future, which I am very excited for.  An overall excellent addition to the series that builds on the prior novels while offering existing fans something new to enjoy.

Mitchell continues to utilise the fantastic writing style that has made the other Ciaphas Cain books so much fun, and I love how it cleverly enhances the narrative of Cain’s Last Stand.  As always, the cool journal format, equipped with entertaining footnotes and in-universe texts from Inquisitor Amberley Vail, ensures that you get a frank and cynical look at events in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I love the inherent humour that results.  The various action scenes are exciting and fast-paced, and the constant commentary of complaints and annoyance that emerges from the protagonist are very entertaining.  This action and compelling humour are well offset by some of the darker elements of the plot, including some genuinely tragic moments, and you get thrown around the emotional ringer as a result.  This mixture of elements helped to create a much more impactful and complex read, and I appreciated some occasional seriousness to go with the impressive humour.

As with most books in the Ciaphas Cain series, Cain’s Last Stand can be read as a standalone read, especially as the author does a good job of rehashing relevant events from the prior novels.  However, for the full experience, especially when it comes to some fascinating storylines, reading the last two books would be good, and I really enjoyed how the author kept bringing the story back to these prior adventures.  While there was once again some repetition between books as Mitchell reutilises his favourite lines, I felt that the more original story and important connections to previous books ensured that Cain’s Last Stand stood out and got away from some of these minor issues.  An excellently written book that will appeal to both new readers and established fans of the series.

As always, I must give a callout to the outstanding characters featured in Cain’s Last Stand.  This of course includes Commissar Ciaphas Cain, the main protagonist and narrator, whose harrowing adventures we continue to follow.  I’ve talked a lot about the exciting dichotomy of Cain throughout my previous reviews, especially as he can be considered both a hero and a coward, and I loved seeing that occur again in Cain’s Last Stand.  Cain continues to be both a self-serving cad and a peerless commander, and it always fun to see himself plot to survive while discounting his own accomplishments.  His adventures in this book are particularly fun, and the inclusion of the protagonist as a teacher trying to get his methodology of command to Commissar cadets was a great choice from Mitchell and plays nicely on some of his offhand comments in previous books.  This, as well as the return to a planet important to his mythos, ensures that Cain has a lot to think about in Cain’s Last Stand, and I really enjoyed the way his past adventures keep coming back to haunt him.  This was a powerful adventure for Cain, and I always enjoy seeing the protagonist debate his own legacy whilst doing his trademark daring deeds.

The supporting cast for Cain’s Last Stand was also very good, and it provided an interesting mixed of established characters, returning figures, and raft of great new comrades.  This includes Inquisitor Amberley Vail, whose role as the overarching narrator of the book, as well as the person behind the footnotes, ensures that her fun influence is felt the entire way through.  Cain’s faithful bagman, Jurgen, was also a welcome inclusion, and his loyal service and fun interactions with Cain were as great as always.  Jurgen once again showed why he is the true MVP of the Ciaphas Cain series, and you have to love the entertaining contrast between his Baldrick-esque appearance and his impressive abilities.  Other great characters include a favourite character from Death or Glory, an interesting array of fellow teachers from Cain’s Schola Progenium, and other unique comrades for the protagonist.  I particularly enjoyed the class of Commissar cadets who are being instructed by Cain, and it was fun to see the range of different personalities they had.  Throw in a smarmy Chaos warlord whose charisma and influence outweighed his abilities and stature, and you had a great cast for Cain’s Last Stand, and I had a lot of fun seeing Cain interact with them.

I once again had an outstanding time with the audiobook format of this book, and frankly there is no better way to enjoy a Ciaphas Cain novel.  Thanks to the epic and well-cast multiple narrators, readers get an amazing experience when they listen to Cain’s Last Stand, especially as it helps to really capture the crazy nature of the plot.  The main narrators are Stephen Perring and Penelope Rawlins, who voice Cain’s perspective and Inquisitor Vail’s notes respectfully.  Perring once again does an incredible job voicing the main cast of the story, especially Cain and Jurgen, while Rawlins has a lot of fun including her character’s informative, if often sarcastic, comments throughout the plot.  These two main narrators complement each other extremely well, and I always have an awesome time listening to them.  The audiobook also features the talents of additional narrators Richard Reed, John Banks and Phillipe Bosher, each of whom voice fun in-universe texts and pieces of propaganda to liven up the main plot and provide some amusing context for the main story.  I have so much love for how these narrators bring the story together and this proved to be another impressive audiobook to listen to, especially as its great style really fit the fantastic story Mitchell came up with.  With a run time of 10 hours and 30 minutes, this is a very easy audiobook to get through quickly, and I managed to finish it off in no time at all.

Cain’s Last Stand was another amazing entry in the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell, and I have so much love for this entertaining and fun Warhammer 40,000 series.  This sixth book was a particularly impressive entry in the series, and I loved the complex story that emerged, especially as it brings together several previous adventures from Mitchell’s outstanding protagonist.  A clever, exciting and overall funny book that I could not get enough of, Cain’s Last Stand comes highly recommended and I look forward to continuing this series in the future.

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Quick Review – The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Drama, Historical Fiction, Quick Review2 Comments

The Winter Palace Cover

Publisher: Penguin Books (Trade Paperback – 26 March 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 329 pages

My page: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Compelling Australian author Paul Morgan presents an intense and intriguing historical drama that examines the tragic lives of a Polish husband and wife who find themselves torn apart by war and circumstance in The Winter Palace.

Plot Synopsis:

If he had died, I would know it in my heart.

In 1939, Anton, a captain in the Polish army, says goodbye to his wife, Elisabeth. He is leaving to defend their homeland against the invasion by Nazi Germany and Russia. They make a vow that – whatever happens, however much time passes – they’ll meet again at the Winter Palace, their stately home in the Polish countryside.

The winds of war draw them far apart. Anton is captured and sent to Siberia as a POW. He eventually joins a lost army that battles through snowstorms and scorching deserts in Central Asia to find freedom. Anton survives, driven by his determination to join Elisabeth again. She, meanwhile, is forced to be the ‘mistress’ of a Nazi officer before escaping to join the Polish resistance.

As the war ends, Anton and Elisabeth are at the opposite ends of the world. Anton is in Australia. Elisabeth is in Poland, awaiting his return for months and then years. Will they ever meet again at the Winter Palace?

From 1930s Europe to present-day Australia, this is a sweeping story of love that cannot be broken by time, distance, war or even death.

Morgan came up with a powerful and captivating tale in The Winter Palace which really hits hard.  Following Anton, a Polish military captain, and his wife Elisabeth, The Winter Palace features a well-planned-out split protagonist storyline that shows their respective dark journeys during the destructive chaos of World War II.

Both character-focused storylines are interesting and dark in their own ways, especially as the two protagonists go through hell and back as part of their respective war stories.  Anton’s plot follows the fate of the Polish soldiers who were captured during the joint Nazi and Soviet Invasion.  In Anton’s case, he experiences being a Soviet POW, a reluctant Soviet soldier fighting the Nazis, and then a member of the Allies when the Soviets send their freed Polish soldiers to Palestine.  Elisabeth’s story is more Poland focused, as she is forced to become a Nazi ‘mistress’ before escaping and finding purpose, first as a nurse, and then as a member of the Polish resistance.  Both storylines go in some very compelling directions, as the protagonists experience major traumas, tragedies and struggles, all while the two characters are convinced that they will never see their spouse again.

I honestly have a hard time saying which of these two storylines was my favourite, as both hit you in different ways.  Anton’s was possibly the more interesting to me as a fan of military history, and I found his constant struggle to survive the direct imprisonments he experienced to be both moving and intense.  There are some very direct tragedies in Anton’s experiences, including a particularly dark moment in the first half of the book, and I really found the story of the captured Polish soldiers to be extremely fascinating.  However, the other half the book that focuses on Elisabeth is just as dark, if not even more traumatic, especially as the protagonist experiences evil she can’t fight back against, at least not at first.  Watching her overcome her constant oppression and pull together a satisfying life that allows her to help people on many fronts was particularly inspiring, and I really enjoyed how her arc came together.

While these storylines are separate for the entirety of the plot, I felt that Morgan did a good job playing them off each other. The corresponding tragedies, the near misses in finding out each other’s fates, and the decisions they make as a result are all moving and captivating, and you are constantly enthralled to see if or how they will get back together.  I think that the ending Morgan left the book on was particularly moving, and it fit the overarching themes of the tragedy of war and not knowing about those left behind.  I also appreciated how Morgan didn’t overuse the trope of Australian descendants finding out the wartime secrets of their parents or grandparents.  Instead, readers were given a simple but highly effective connection to the present that ended the story on a thoughtful and peaceful note that was a great conclusion to such an intense story.

I really must emphasise how impressed and intrigued I was by some of the historical elements captured in The Winter Palace.  Morgan does an amazing job of showcasing various alterative experiences suffered by the Polish, from the initial invasion all the way up to the end of the war.  This includes a great rundown of how many citizens, especially women, were abused in Poland as the troops rolled in, which ensured a dark aura around the potential homecoming many characters were hoping for.  However, I found the historical details of the Polish soldiers and civilians captured in the opening days of the invasion to be the most interesting.  Watching the various hardships and journeys that these individuals had to go through during the war, including being POWs, having to fight alongside their former captors against the Nazis when they found themselves on the same side as the Soviets, and the transfer of their army to the Middle East to serve with the Allies on the Western front was extremely fascinating and it was an part of history you don’t see often in fiction.  These historical details from Morgan where some of my favourite parts of the book, and I deeply appreciated the compelling story he told around them.

Overall, The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan was an outstanding and compelling historical drama that really grabbed my attention.  Powerful, unflinching and focusing on a complex and dark period of our history, this was an emotionally charged and excellent read that is really worth checking out.

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White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery1 Comment

White Ash Ridge Cover

Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 12 March 2024)

Series: Detective Dana Russo – Book Four

Length: 343 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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One of Australian’s most distinctive new crime fiction authors returns with a complex murder mystery the blends compelling characters with unique methods, White Ash Ridge by S. R. White.

Over the last few years, I have really been enjoying the works of new author S. R. White.  White, a former UK Police officer who emigrated to Australia, has been producing some amazing pieces of Australian outback crime fiction.  His work has so far been part of his Detective Dana Russo series, which follows the titular detective as she investigates complex cases out in the Australian bush.  This series has so far featured three impressive reads, Hermit, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road and these amazing books have been very fun to read, especially as White comes up with some unique crimes which require the protagonist’s more unusual methods to solve.  I have really enjoyed White’s previous books, and I jumped on his new novel, White Ash Ridge, the moment I got my hands on it.

Murder, deceit and controversy are all that are on the limited menu of the White Ash Ridge hotel, especially when tragedy strikes its guests.  An isolated and decaying hotel, hidden away in the Australian wilderness, White Ash Ridge has been booked out by the inner circle of a high-profile charity organisation for urgent discussions about its future.  As the relentless heat raises tensions, the body of one of the charity’s founders is found dead on the track outside, his death caused by a blow to the head.

Called to the scene, Detective Dana Russo anticipates another complex murder case.  With no one else spotted in the area and tensions running high amongst the charity’s founders, it seems likely that one of the four remaining guests at the White Ash Ridge is the murderer.  However, as she begins to investigate, Dana is unprepared for the chaos that is about to descend upon her small command.  The charity the victim work for was founded by two parents whose son was killed after intervening in a violent assault.  The subsequent failed police investigation sparked public outrage and launched the boy’s mother into Australia’s political orbit.

Now thrust into the centre of a controversial family familiar with the police, Dana must quickly solve the case before events get out of hand.  With a lack of physical evidence, Dana and her small team are forced to pull the truth from the four suspects to determine their history with the victim and why anyone would want to kill him.  However, they only have limited time before the overwhelming public interest forces her to let the suspects go, likely at the cost of her career and reputation.  Can Dana convince her suspects, none of whom have any love of the police, to cooperate before it’s too late, or will the killer walk free thanks to the will of the people?

S. R. White delivers another complex, impressive, and highly distinctive piece of Australian crime fiction with White Ash Ridge. Blending White’s unique murder mystery style with great characters and a compelling situation, White Ash Ridge was an amazing read that I could not get enough of.

I have always really enjoyed White’s take on the Australian murder mystery, as his focus is always on finding out all the details of the victims and the suspects to solve the case, often through the medium of interrogation.  This was once again the case in White Ash Ridge, as the protagonists, under pressure to solve the case quickly, need to find out which of the four suspects committed the crime.  As such, the story develops in a very interesting way, as the detectives both investigate in the traditional way, including finding witnesses and evidence, while also diving into the lives of everyone involved in the case.  Much of this revolves around the eight main interviews of the investigation as the protagonists talk to each of the suspects twice to gain the relevant insights into themselves and the murder victim.  White, through his main protagonist, Detective Dana Russo, has a very person-centric take on the interrogation progress, and the resulting character-driven focuses become a key part of the plot.

This proves to be a very clever way to set out this excellent mystery and subsequent investigation, and thanks to White’s expert writing ability White Ash Ridge ended up being an extremely clever and captivating book.  The focus around the charity and its anti-police sentiments added some great intrigue to the narrative, and I liked the ticking clock aspect of the plot it brought in.  All eight of the main interviews were very intense and compelling in their own ways, and you soon get a great idea of the various people drawn into the case.  White combines this expertly with the personal dramas of the protagonists, including some ongoing storylines from the prior books, although the overarching threat of Dana’s new supervisor is getting a little stale at this point.  At the same time, the reader gets the full blast of the Australian wilderness from the unnamed part of the country that White sets his novels in, which adds a lot of character to the story in its iconic and beautiful ways.  The central mystery of White Ash Ridge comes together extremely well, and the eventual solution is smart, intriguing, and very well set up.  The entire story comes together in a powerful way, and I loved this unique mystery which was another strong story from White.

As with all of White’s books in the series, White Ash Ridge is a hugely character-driven read, not only because of the compelling and damaged protagonists, but because his style of writing relies on diving into the lives of the various suspects and victims of the case to solve the crime.  This all results in some exceptional character development and focuses, and I loved how complex and powerful the various stories that emerged were.  Most of the protagonists focused development occurred around returning main character Detective Dana Russo, who serves as the solid and empathetic centre of the investigation.  Dana once again showcases her unique investigation style that focuses on character interactions, history and mindsets to solve the case, which proves to be quite effective at diving into the minds of her targets.  This time Dana is backed up by new detective, Mila Jelovic, who serves as a great support for the main character.  While the development around Dana is a little light in White Ash Ridge, you do get an intriguing and powerful examination of Mila, whose previous undercover work has cost her severely in more than one way.

Aside from the police characters, the reader also gets an intense look at five specific figures who become the focus on the investigation, with the murder victim and the subsequent four suspects.  All five of these people are members of a high-profile charity formed in the aftermath of a botched police investigation, with goals of stopping teen violence and keeping the police accountable.  Due to the way the mystery is set out, there is a lot of focus on these characters and the events that brought them together, which provides the reader with an intriguing backstory to get familiar with.  All five of these characters are interesting and complex in their own way, with various interactions, lies, manipulations and plans bringing them all together.  Probably the most interesting of these is the charity’s figurehead, Keena Flynn, a major public figure following the death of her child.  Due to her previous interactions with the police and politicians, Keena proves to be a tough nut to crack, and her pain, anger and distrust become a major obstacle to overcome.  White does a wonderful job exploring these five characters, and indeed you often get more about them than the police protagonists.  There is such a dark and compelling web of relationships surrounding these characters, and the subsequent reasons for why one of them was killed and by who was pretty impressive and helped to produce an incredible mystery.

S. R. White continues to flourish with another awesome entry in his compelling murder mystery series that is setting him up as one of Australia’s most distinctive crime fiction authors. Expertly combining his ability for complex murder scenarios and character-focused investigation methods to produce an outstanding story, White did an amazing job with White Ash Ridge, and I had an incredible time reading it. One of the cleverest mysteries of 2024 so far, this book comes highly recommended.

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The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Thriller, Young AdultLeave a comment

The Girl in Question Cover

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (Trade Paperback – 9 April 2024)

Series: The Girls I’ve Been – Book Two

Length: 442 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a clever, emotionally charged young adult thriller with some real heart behind it?  Look no further than one of the best books of 2024 so far, The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe.

Back in early 2021 I had the very great pleasure of reading an outstanding young adult thriller that had caught my eye thanks to its intriguing narrative and the promise it was being turned into a Netflix series.  That book was The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, which proved to be an extremely impressive read I had a wonderful time getting through.  The Girls I’ve Been followed Nora O’Malley, a young teenager with a dark past as a con artist, who had managed to escape her abusive mother and gangster stepfather and find happiness with her older sister in a small town.  Caught up in a bank robbery, Nora was forced to bring back her old tricks to save her friends, only for her actions to reveal her location to those hunting her.  The Girls I’ve Been was such a great read, and I had such an amazing time getting through it.  As such, I was very excited when I heard that Sharpe was releasing a sequel this year with The Girl in Question, one of my most anticipated books of 2024, which continued the story from the first novel in a big way.

Former con artist Nora O’Malley is enjoying life while she can.  Having recently finished high school, Nora is excited for the careers and futures that her girlfriend Iris and her best friend Wes are planning for.  However, Nora knows that her own future is bleak and unlikely to be long.  Her secret past has been exposed, and with her murderous stepfather Raymond now free from prison, it’s only a matter of time before he comes to kill her.

Determined not to live in despair while waiting to die, Nora agrees to accompany Iris and Wes on a summer hiking trip.  The long trek through the woods is everything Nora could want to relax, even with Wes’s new girlfriend, Amanda, tagging along, and she is able to put the thoughts of imminent death out of her head.  That is, until Amanda is taken hostage in the night and their camp comes under attack from Raymond’s vengeful goons.

Split up in the woods without backup, help or leverage, Nora, Iris and Wes’s chances seem dire.  But these are no ordinary teenagers.  All three have gone through hell in their lives and none are willing to give up on each other.  Working together to fight back, the three friends seek to survive together.  However, there are unknown players in the woods, and Nora will need to use all her skills at manipulation to keep herself and her friends alive.  But nothing is as it seems, and deep secrets amongst the trio could break them apart well before they are hunted down.

The Girl in Question was another excellent young adult thriller from Tess Sharpe that expertly built on the story from the first book, while taking the characters in some interesting directions.  Sharp, clever, and highly intense, The Girl in Question is guaranteed to keep you on your toes as you get drawn into the action.

Sharpe comes up with a great story for The Girl in Question, taking the protagonists through hell and back as they attempt to survive the dangerous forces coming for them.  Set a couple of years after the events of The Girls I’ve Been, The Girl in Question starts with an intriguing prelude that hints at events to come, before diving into the main story, with Nora and her friends planning a trip into the forest.  Sharpe does a good job of exploring the aftermath of the first book, the strong relationships between the main characters, and the general apprehension felt by the protagonist about her potential upcoming doom.  There are also several hints that the protagonists know far more than they should, and they have secrets they are keeping from everyone.  Soon the characters find themselves stuck in the woods, which quickly results in chaos as the bad guys find them and prepare to kill them.

This first third of the plot is really intriguing and fun, but the action really kicks in for the last two thirds of the book.  Sharpe does a great job of utilising the dark situation the protagonists are stuck in, and I loved the feeling of isolation and desperation that they feel.  There is also a good use of flashbacks throughout this early part of the book to explore more of Nora’s past with the antagonist, especially as it introduces a couple of the goons running around the woods.  All three of the main protagonists react in some great ways, and I loved seeing them take charge and fight back, while also dealing with their own personal issues.  This works until around halfway through, whereupon Sharpe reveals a pretty massive twist that changes the entire direction of the story and makes you realise nothing was what you thought.  There is a great extended flashback that sets up some very interesting character development, before the action returns to present and results in some intriguing interactions.  Sharpe throws in some great moments and reveals leading towards the conclusion, and I for one was very hooked as the elaborate and thrilling story continued.  The final confrontation was everything you would hope it to be as Sharpe ensures that everyone gets what they deserve, one way or another.  Throw in a few fun and often dark final twists and turns, including some well-deserved revenge, and this proves to be quite a fantastic read that I really could not get enough of.

Unlike a lot of other sequels that I read, I felt that The Girl in Question didn’t massively work as a standalone novel; people really need to check out the previous novel first.  While Sharpe does do a decent recap of The Girls I’ve Been for new readers, so many story elements from the first book are referenced in the sequel that you’d be much better off getting through that previous novel in advance.  However, no matter what, you are in for a treat with The Girl in Question, as Sharpe produces a powerful thriller that expertly utilises all the best elements from the first book.  The great changes in perspective, especially between the two main characters, the short, sharp, action-packed chapters, as well as the excellent flashbacks and fun little lists thrown in between chapters work together well to tell a great story.  You really get a great sense of the action, and the slow build towards the various twists works well, especially with the occasional hint of what is to come.  I loved how Sharpe maintained a very quick story pace, and there is honestly not a quiet moment where something thrilling or emotionally charged is taking place.

Like the previous novel in the series, The Girl in Question proves to be an excellent piece of young adult fiction that will appeal to a wide teenage audience and beyond.  While most of the story focus is on the characters or the over-the-top crime thriller elements, Sharpe does take the time to discuss issues relevant to teenagers, like the uncertainty of the future, complicated friendships, and abusive parents, the latter of which is a recurring theme amongst the main characters.  I really appreciated how Sharpe doesn’t talk down to her teenage audience when it comes to these elements, or the dark crime fiction inclusions, and these readers will no doubt love this gritty novel and its fantastic story.

At its heart, The Girl in Question is driven by its compelling central cast, as Sharpe continues to explore the lives of three damaged teenagers as they attempt to overcome their respective pasts, and the dark threats of the future coming for them.  As with the first book, a large amount of the character focus revolves around protagonist Nora O’Malley, the daughter of a notorious con artist who was used as a tool in her mother’s ploys before breaking free in dramatic fashion.  Ever since the events of the last book, Nora has been living in fear as her location has been leaked and her vengeful stepfather is likely coming for her.  This ensures a healthy dose of fatalism in Nora, and she is forced to choose between her instinct to run and her current connections and relationships.  Nora proves to be a real firecracker of a protagonist, and I like how dark she can get as she tries to protect those closest to her.  Determined, manipulative and deadly, Nora walks a thin line between the criminal she was raised to be and the caring person her friends turned her into and must come to terms with what her natural inclination to deceive costs those around her.  I really enjoyed following Nora as a central protagonist and Sharpe takes her storyline in some interesting directions.

In addition to Nora, the other two main characters are Nora’s girlfriend Iris, and their best friend Wes.  Both these characters have grown a lot closer to Nora since the last book, as the trauma of their pasts and the bank robbery they find themselves stuck in have ensured they have become a tight unit.  Of the two, Iris gets most of the focus, and she ends up narrating nearly half the book.  Iris is an interesting counterpoint to Nora, especially as she is a little more innocent and unused to the dangers of Nora’s life and worries about being helpless.  Despite that, she proves to be quite formidable as the book progresses, and indeed she might be the most dangerous member of the group.  Wes, on the other hand, is a solid and compelling addition to the group, serving as the man of action who is desperately trying to keep his friends safe from the dangers around him.  While he is not focused on as heavily as Nora and Iris, Wes is a major figure, and it was interesting to see how his friendship with the two girls has changed him, as well the trauma surrounding him from his abusive father.  The bond between these three characters is a major part of The Girl in Question’s strength, and it was great to see them work together as the novel progressed.  This bond is tested in places, especially as they are forced to lie to each other, but this was an overall nice character dynamic that produced an epic read.  Other characters of note include Wes’s girlfriend, Amanda, whose own secrets plays in an interesting role in the plot, one very good dog, an ambitious FBI agent who takes a stroll in the woods for her own ends, and a bevy of great antagonists, including the big-bad Raymond.  These characters all add so much to the book, and I loved the powerful story arcs around them all.

Tess Sharpe has produced another outstanding young adult thriller with The Girl in Question.  Perfectly following on from the previous novel, The Girl in Question was a powerful, clever and compelling read that had me hooked the entire way through.  This was such an amazing book and I look forward to seeing what unique and powerful young adult adventures Sharpe comes up with in the future.

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Think Twice by Harlan Coben

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller1 Comment

Think Twice Cover

Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 14 May 2024)

Series: Myron Bolitar – Book 12

Length: 419 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Legendary thriller author Harlan Coben returns with another outstanding and twisty read that forces his longest running protagonist into a dark and deadly adventure with Think Twice.

Harlan Coben is an amazing writer who has been setting the world on fire for years with his exceptional thrillers that contain impressive twists and unbelievable turns, all set around distinctive and clever story ideas.  Many of his best books have been turned into fantastic television series, and his work has a habit of transforming into excellent dark content.  I personally have come into the Harlan Coben fandom a bit late, beginning with I Will Find You last year.  I loved the excellent story it contained, and it ensured that I would continue to check out Coben’s work in the future.  I’m very glad that I did, as his latest novel, Think Twice, proved to be a particularly epic read.  The latest entry in Coben’s long-running Myron Bolitar series, Think Twice reintroduces his iconic protagonist Myron Bolitar and sets him loose for his 12th novel.

After many ups and downs, former basketball player and incorrigible troublemaker Myron Bolitar is back in the sports agent game, once again situated in his New York office, surrounded by his unusual friends.  Working hard to bring his business back to its old glory, Myron is unprepared for a ghost from his past to literally come back and haunt him in the strangest way when two FBI agents visit his office, seeking his help to find a suspect in a recent double murder.

The investigation into the murder has revealed DNA evidence that points towards Myron’s former client and rival, Greg Downing.  The only problem is that Greg Downing died three years ago, and Myron was the one who gave the eulogy.  With the FBI convinced that he is lying and knows something about Greg’s whereabouts, Myron is intrigued, especially as his complicated history with Greg has given them an unbreakable connection.

Determined to find out whether Greg could be alive, Myron teams up with his partner in crime, the dangerous billionaire Win, to seek the truth.  Their investigation leads them from New York to Las Vegas to Montana and back again as they attempt to find any hint about what happened to their old client.  But the further they dig, the more it becomes apparent that there is a dangerous killer on the loose who likes to hide their misdeeds in the most sinister of ways.  But is Greg alive and perpetrating these crimes, or is someone else setting him up for the fall? And does that someone now have Myron in their sights?

Wow, now this was such a good thriller.  Coben really pulled out another wild and clever story with Think Twice and I got so drawn into this fantastic read.  Making full use of his interesting story premise, existing character arcs, and habit for outrageous twists, Coben had me hooked the entire way through, and I had so much fun with Think Twice.

I really loved the compelling story that Coben came up with for Think Twice, and frankly I got addicted to it in the opening pages as the reader is swiftly introduced to multiple awesome aspects of the plot.  The initial scenes with main point-of-view character, Myron Bolitar, reveal that a recurring character believed dead is still alive and is the main suspect in a murder case, while separate sequences told from an unknown person’s perspective, reveal intimate details of a unique serial killer stalking the country.  The story quickly develops into a hunt for the presumed dead client, as Myron and Win seek to find and help him before the FBI can.  This turns into a great missing persons investigation for the first third of the novel, as the protagonists hunt across America, digging up clues and coming into conflict with other interested parties in the case, including a sinister mob boss with a fun nickname.

This first third of the book, while a tad slower than the rest of the narrative, proves to be a great introduction to the story, and Coben does an excellent job of setting up some key plot elements and character introductions that pay off well in the rest of the book.  The author keeps the narrative going strong, and you are soon introduced to more mysteries, secrets and threats as the protagonist tries to discover what is happening and who is truly responsible.  There is a great deal of tension and mystery the entire way throughout the story, and I really got caught up in this book, powering through the second half of Think Twice in less than a day.  Coben brings the entire mystery together extremely well, and I think that this book had a very strong conclusion.  There are some great twists in the lead up to the big confrontation, and events get very frenetic and deadly in all the most exciting ways.  After some massive moments, Coben loads up additional twists to really strike the reader hard, and you will come away feeling bruised from the resulting whiplash.  I really enjoyed how these twists came about, and I think that Coben did an outstanding job setting them up and subsequently unleashing them.  This was honestly a brilliant story that had me hooked the entire way through.

The author set a great tone for Think Twice that ensured the reader was constantly engaged and forced to keep reading.  The entire story is very fast-paced, and the outrageous characters featured within are fun and exciting, allowing you to connect both with their unique investigation methods as well as the myriad personal dramas that result from their interactions.  While most of the story is told through the eyes of main character Myron, several key parts of the book are shown from alternative perspectives.  This helped to create a much more intense read, especially the scenes that show the unknown antagonist’s thoughts and kills.  Not only does this help set up some great twists but it also ensures that the reader gets drawn into the resulting game of cat and mouse.  Other perspectives, especially towards the end and helpfully distinguished by changes in font, are also well done and herald some massive events.  Coben did a great job of blending the story’s sports-themed mystery with the more intense, character-driven elements of the plot, and I ended really impressed with how this entire book came together, especially with the clever and compelling twists.

Unlike some of the other Coben books that I have read, Think Twice is part of a series and follows on from the previous mysteries contained in the Myron Bolitar books.  Indeed, the storyline in this 12th entry is strongly related to previous books in the series, especially the third novel, Fade Away, with many of the characters introduced there coming back in a big way.  While there are many references to this previous book, Think Twice still works well as a standalone novel, and Coben ensures that all the key plot elements from Fade Away and other Myron Bolitar books are explained quickly and effectively as the story continues.  As someone who has not read any of the books in the series, I was easily able to follow the plot of Think Twice while still getting drawn into the key character arcs and storylines.  However, I feel that established fans of the series will probably get a little more out of Think Twice, especially when it comes to the continuation of some intense character interactions.  As such, Think Twice is going to appeal to a lot of readers, and someone a little newer to Coben’s work can easily jump into this long-running series with barely any issues.

The final thing I want to highlight about Think Twice are the intriguing and fun characters that Coben features throughout his book.  Coben clearly likes big personalities with complicated feelings, and I had a lot of fun getting to know the cast of this series, especially as there are some distinctive oddballs here.  The most prominent character is series protagonist Myron Bolitar, a former star basketball player turned sports agent, lawyer and occasional investigator.  Myron proves to be a fun protagonist to follow, and I liked his morality and sense of right and wrong, which contrasts well with other key characters.  Coben did a good job of drawing the reader into Myron’s personal issues, of which there are many, especially when it comes to the side characters in this book.  Thanks to the renewed focus on his old rival, Greg Downing, several figures from previous books are reintroduced, including his old flame and his biological son that was raised by Greg.  This leads to substantial drama, especially as the various relationships are strained from previous betrayals and lies.  Myron’s complicated relationships with these returning side characters proves to be a key part of the book, and it was interesting to see him finally get some closure with some characters, while renewing old issues with others.

Aside from Myron and the returning characters from Fade Away, the cast of Think Twice are entertainingly unusual, and it proved interesting to see the fun range of figures the protagonist surrounds himself with.  The former women’s tag-team professional wrestlers who have become Myron’s colleagues was an interesting touch from Coben that I certainly had fun with, and Myron’s entertaining family who interact with him in the background were also entertaining.  The main supporting character you have to talk about is Myron’s best friend and confidant, Win.  Windsor Horne Lockwood III is ultra-rich, ultra-eccentric and just a little bit crazy.  A deadly figure with no moral compass, Win backs his friend up in many ways, and has no problem getting lethal when the situation calls for it.  Win honestly steals most scenes he is in, and he plays off Myron really well, ensuring that they come away as an amusing and effective team.  Throw in a great antagonist with clever methods who remains hidden for much of the book, and Think Twice has some great characters whom Coben uses to their full extent to tell an interesting story.

Thanks to its outrageous story, cool plot concepts and excellent twists, Think Twice proved to be an amazing read that I could not get enough of.  Slick, clever, and highly addictive, Think Twice really showcased Harlan Coben’s ability to pull together a brilliant thriller.  I had such a great time reading Think Twice, and I cannot wait to see what unique story Coben pulls together next.  Highly recommended to both established Coben fans and new readers looking for a distinctive thriller.

Think Twice Cover 2

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Behind a Closed Door by J. D. Barker

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Behind A Closed Door Cover

Publisher: Hampton Creek Press (ebook – 13 May 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 514 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a thriller that’s a little more adult than your typical tale of spies and killers?  Then make sure to check out the cool new book from veteran author J. D. Barker, Behind a Closed Door, that sets a married couple on a dark path of deceit, manipulation and murder.

J. D. Barker is an interesting author for me, mainly because I have previously only read the collaborations he has done with other writers. This includes the compelling Dracula adjacent novel, Dracul, which he cowrote with Dacre Stoker, as well as the intense and powerful novel he wrote with James Patterson, Death of the Black Widow. The second of these books ended up being one of my favourite novels of 2022, and I loved the intense and highly entertaining story the collaboration created.  As such, I have never had the opportunity to read a story purely from Barker’s mind, so I was very intrigued when I got a copy of his new book, Behind a Closed Door.

Husband and wife Brendan and Abby Hollander are facing marital difficulties as their challenging careers and spiralling personal lives take a deep toll.  Desperate to reignite the spark of their marriage, the couple are convinced to download the popular app, Sugar & Spice, which has been taking the world by storm.  The app awards points for daring, romantic and erotic activities between the two, and Brendan and Abby quickly find themselves reconnecting through their amorous exploits.

However, not everything is what it seems with Sugar & Spice, and soon the couple find the app manipulating them in ways they never imagined.  Forced to participate in a series of increasingly taboo tasks, Brendan and Abby are caught up in a series of dangerous seductions, unwanted encounters and terrible lies that threaten to overwhelm them.  Worse, the app begins to request unthinkable criminal acts, the fallout of which paint Brendan and Abby as dangerous killers.  Unable to leave the app’s twisted game, the couple’s only hope is to find the creators and shut it down.  But with more and more people being dragged into the hype around Sugar & Spice, can the Hollanders escape the insidious evil coming for them?

Behind a Closed Door proved to be an exciting and addictive thriller from Barker that I had an outstanding time getting through, thanks to its unique story, compelling characters, and diabolic scenario.

The author starts Behind a Closed Door off slow, as he carefully builds up the protagonists and the dark scenario they are about to enter.  The book initially comes off as a more of an erotic drama then anything else, as there is a focus on the two protagonists coming together as a couple thanks to the Sugar & Spice app.  This continues for a good chunk of the first half of the book, and I must admit that I initially had a hard time getting too involved in the plot.  However, in hindsight, Barker provides some excellent build-up to the plot here, while also hyping up the more adult elements of the book.  Thanks to his excellent use of quickfire chapters and perspective changes, you get to see how adventurous the app initially makes them feel, while also providing intriguing and chilling hints about the events to come.  There is also some excellent initial character development here that pays off big as the story continues.

I personally got more drawn into Behind a Closed Door when the worm inevitably turned, and the app started to force the protagonists into darker scenarios.  This initially results in some substantially heightened drama, as the protagonists attempt to come to terms with some of the dark things they have done, as well as the actions of those closest to them.  I really enjoyed how sinister events became here, especially as both protagonists are pushed in some terrible directions and are drawn even deeper into the app’s dark web.  Previous elements of the plot, such as Brendan’s job, also become a lot more significant, and it goes to show how effectively Barker set things up in the beginning of the story.

The final half of the book is where things really get interesting, as the protagonists find themselves in major trouble.  Forced on the run due to the dark deeds they found themselves drawn to, they must contend both with typical law enforcement, and the many people who have downloaded the app and are being coerced into messing with them.  There are some amazing reveals about the true nature of Sugar & Spice here that draw the entire plot together, and I loved just how desperate things got for the protagonists, especially as Barker just kept throwing elaborate twists and turns at them.  I honestly powered through the final 200 pages of this book in no time at all, it was that damn exciting and addictive, and I deeply appreciated the elaborate and intense action that emerged.  Everything perfectly leads up to Behind a Closed Door’s big conclusion, as the protagonists come face to face with the true evil of the story and are left battered and destroyed by it.  I loved how dark things got towards the end, and Barker cleverly resolves it with some great moments that call back to earlier plot points.  Throw in some exceedingly smart reveals, especially about who was really manipulating the events of the story, and this ended up being an outstanding read that I could not get enough of.

One of the things I most enjoyed about Behind a Closed Door was the excellent and flawed characters that Barker featured throughout it.  The most prominent of these characters are the protagonists Brendan and Abby Hollander, who download the app to reinvigorate their marriage after a series of personal fumbles.  Both characters come into the story feeling very relatable, as the pressures of life are wearing them and their relationship down, and you understand their desire for a fresh start.  As such, you grow close to them and feel their pain as the plot continues, especially as they are forced or mistakenly follow through with the dark desires of the app, while also forgiving them for some dumb mistakes they make.  I really liked how both the characters developed, especially Abby, who grows into quite a strong and resourceful character.  Her actions and ability to make the hard decisions ensure she is the true badass of the story, and I liked how well Barker hid many of her harder qualities and motivations until they needed to come out.

Additional characters of note include the Hollanders’ best friends, who end up helping and hindering them in equal measures, and the assassin duo Romeo and Juliet.  Romeo and Juliet are hardcore Sugar & Spice users who plan to ride the app’s game to a happy ending and prove to be fun counterparts to the protagonists with their willingness to do anything and the role reversal in who is taking control of the situation.  Romeo and Juliet’s twisted relationship is a fantastic part of the plot, and Romeo proves to be a real standout character, especially as he violently tanks his way through the various hurdles of the book’s conclusion.  Barker did a great job with these various characters and their elaborate character arcs of excess and twisted love were extremely fun.

I also must mention the dark and cynical note that Barker includes about technology.  Throughout the course of Behind a Closed Door, Barker is constantly critical about the ways in which humans have become dependent on technology and information, especially through your phones, and this becomes very apparent when the protagonists download the Sugar & Spice app without considering the consequences.  While the nefarious actions of the app in Behind a Closed Door is exaggerated for plot reasons, it speaks to fact that most people (myself included) are willing giving up their personal data and privacy for the sake of a cool app or convenience.  This reliance on technology becomes even more apparent later in the book when the protagonists are forced to go off the grid to survive.  I loved the before and after contrasts as the characters find their own devices and everyone with a phone turning against them, and it was great to see Barker portray everything as being too connected.  This becomes particularly apparent in the last part of the book, especially when you realise the elaborate plan of the antagonist, which ends in a very satisfying way after Barker’s earlier warnings.

Overall, I was very impressed with Behind a Closed Door, which proved to be a particularly epic and addictive thriller.  J. D. Barker has written a deeply compelling and intense thriller that makes excellent use of its more adult trappings and saucy inclusion to tell a complex tale of deceit, lies and betrayal.  Fast-paced, suitably dark, and loaded with memorable moments, Behind a Closed Door was an outstanding book that is really worth checking out.

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Quick Review – Glenrock by Lee Christine

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Quick Review1 Comment

Glenrock Cover

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Australia (Trade Paperback – 30 January 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 320 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Bestselling Australian author Lee Christine brings together a compelling and intriguing crime fiction read with the excellent Glenrock; a fantastic mystery set around the Australian city of Newcastle.

Plot Synopsis:

A murdered judge. Two missing lawyers. A thrilling tale of mystery and suspense from the bestselling author of Charlotte Pass and Dead Horse Gap.

When Justice Maurice Tempest is murdered in the Glenrock State Conservation Area in Newcastle, local detective Senior Sergeant Callan O’Connor is the first on the scene. News of a second body, found in the same location days later, makes what had looked like a revenge killing into so much more.

Angela Avery, formerly a political journalist, is spending a lot of time at the Hunter Valley Prison interviewing a soon-to-be-released forger, Benjamin Reid. When O’Connor’s investigation reveals an interest in Ben, Angela is determined to protect both her source and her fledgling relationship with O’Connor.

Meanwhile, two young, female lawyers have disappeared after making a devastating discovery in an upcoming case. Can O’Connor unravel the connections before the body count rises further? And how much does Angela Avery really know?’…


Glenrock was a great and fast-paced crime fiction novel that I had the great pleasure of reading earlier in the year.  Christine came up with a fantastic story that really drew you in thanks to its multilayered mystery, compelling characters and high stakes.

The main mystery of Glenrock is set around the murder of a prominent judge in the Glenrock National Park area, which sets off an elaborate investigation primarily seen through the eyes of Senior Sergeant Callan O’Connor.  O’Connor is a great central protagonist, and I enjoyed his intriguing insights into the case, especially as it pairs well with his complex family life and adversarial past with the Sydney homicide detective who arrives to take over the case.  While the murder of a judge would be an interesting focus for the book by itself, especially when the apparent murderer is found in the most unlikely of scenarios, Christine raises the stakes by introducing two parallel storylines that combine into one heck of a novel.

The first of these storylines revolves around Angela Avery, a journalist for the local paper who finds herself drawn into the larger murder story thanks to the human-interest story she was writing.  Thanks to her relationship with Callan, which provides a good romantic subplot for the story, Angela gets more involved with the case, especially as her investigation reveals connections to two young lawyers who disappeared the day of the murder.  These two lawyers, who went on the run to save themselves, provide the third overlapping storyline, and it was fascinating to see their attempts to flee, especially as they provide some compelling context to the main mystery.

All three storylines prove to be very entertaining on their own, but their real strength is the way that they wrap together and form a complex, overarching narrative.  Christine ensures that all three character-focused storylines stand on their own before bringing the various characters together in a sensible and compelling way.  I really enjoyed seeing the various story arcs come together, and Christine enhances this with several moving dives into the complex characters.  The focus on O’Connor’s family life is a prominent one, although I was particularly drawn to the character of Angely Avery, the plucky reporter who drives much of the plot’s investigative angle.  Christine draws together a complex and harrowing past for Avery, as her previous reporting experiences resulted in great pain, and I would be very interested to see Christine revisit these characters in the future.  The entire story, including the clever mystery, comes together extremely well, and Christine ensures there are some intriguing twists and reveals that keep you hanging in to the very end.  Throw in some excellent depictions of Sydney and the picturesque area surrounding Newcastle, including Glenrock, and this proves to be quite an impressive read.

Overall, Glenrock was an excellent piece of Australian crime fiction by Lee Christine that I had a wonderful time reading.  The combination of a compelling story, fantastic characters and an intriguing mystery is hard to resist, and readers will come away from Glenrock very satisfied.  An amazing and exciting read from a talented Australian author.

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The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Horror, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller1 Comment

The Gathering Cover

Publisher: Michael Joseph (ebook – 16 April 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 412 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Acclaimed author C. J. Tudor continues her excellent run of clever and dark thrillers with the intense, inventive, and gripping horror murder mystery, The Gathering.

C. J. Tudor is a talented and highly inventive author who has been producing some intriguing reads over the last couple of years. Starting with her 2018 debut, The Chalk Man, Tudor has consistently produced some compelling books with clever horror or psychological thriller elements. Her other books include The Hiding Place (also titled The Taking of Annie Thorne), The Other People, The Burning Girls and The Drift.  While Tudor’s intriguing novels have often stood out to me, generally because their unique plots, I unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity to read any of her prior works, which is something I really regret.  However, this has recently changed as I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Tudor’s latest book, The Gathering, an intriguing murder mystery thriller with some distinctive element behind it.

Welcome to the small town of Deadhart, Alaska, home to a small population of living humans and a colony of vampyrs.  Maligned and hunted beings throughout the world, vampyrs in America now have legal protection from unsanctioned killings, as long as they don’t harm any humans.  While members of the Colony attempt to stay away from humans, old hatreds, prejudices and grudges rear their ugly head when a young teenager is found murdered with his throat ripped out and his body drained of blood.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings and physiology, is sent to Deadhart to determine if a vampyr committed the murder and authorise a cull if the Colony is unwilling to hand over the perpetrator.  Arriving in the small town, Barbara finds the local inhabitants afraid and angry, looking for vengeance for the death of the boy and determined to wipe out the vampyrs for good, especially as this case bears a striking similarity to a previous killing blamed on the Colony 25 years ago.

Beginning her investigation, Barbara soon discovers that there is far more to the case then initially appears.  Much of the evidence has been staged, and no one is willing to tell her the truth about what has really going on in town.  When more deaths occurring throughout Deadhart and the town in uproar, Barbara deputises former Deadhart sheriff Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous killings nearly left him for dead.

As Barbara and Jenson attempt to discover the culprit, it soon becomes clear that someone is attempting to stir up a conflict between the people of Deadhart and their vampyr neighbours.  With both settlements on the warpath, Barbara and Jenson need to dive into Deadhart’s dark history to truly understand the crime before them.  But is the killer a bloodthirsty vampyr, a psychotic human with a taste for chaos, or something far worse?

Tudor absolutely blew me away with this exceptional and highly clever read.  The Gathering was a brilliant book that expertly combined an inventive and well-established concept with a complex murder mystery.  Loaded with intriguing and damaged characters and a dark story of death, revenge and oppression, The Gathering was an extremely awesome book that I could not turn away from.

Thanks to its vampyr focused murder mystery, I knew I was going to really enjoy the plot behind The Gathering well in advance of reading it, and boy was I proven right.  Tudor does a wonderful job quickly and effectively setting the scene, and you are soon introduced to the town of Deadhart, the concept of vampyrs and the particulars of the murder.  What follows is a complex case as protagonist Barbara Atkins is forced to investigate as an outsider, as most of the town is filled with anti-vampyr sentiment.  Further complications are added when Atkins finds a range of dark secrets hidden throughout Deadhart, both in the present and in the past, which have bearing on the modern case.  At the same time, the various residents of Deadhart and the Colony react in different ways to the murder, using it to restart old grudges or bring long-festering hurts to the surface.

The Gathering’s narrative progresses at a fast and compelling pace, and you are soon treated to revelation after revelation, as well as several additional killings.  I loved the combination of a modern-day investigation and dives back into various periods of Deadhart’s history that emerged, especially as clues in the past have huge bearings on the modern story.  Tudor cleverly builds up several simultaneous mysteries and ongoing storylines, and soon the protagonist is not only trying to discover who the killer is but prevent a war between Deadhart and the Colony.  Everything leads up nicely to a pretty epic conclusion, which was well foreshadowed, with some pretty awesome revelations coming to the fore.  I loved how well several compelling character arcs came full circle during this confrontation, and the main antagonist of the plot proved to be quite sinister and well established.  Several other tertiary mysteries are also solved near the end, and Tudor ensures that many storylines are tied off in a satisfying and clever way.  There are some awesome twists at the end, including one surrounding one of the book’s most compelling characters, and this last twist in particular is likely to lead to additional books in the series.  I honestly was the hooked the entire way through this amazing story, and I really appreciate how Tudor brought it together.

I’m a huge sucker for classic for thrillers with distinctive twists to them, and The Gathering was a great example of this.  Tudor managed to pull together a complex murder mystery that not only features an isolated Alaskan town with a dark history and multiple complex and haunted characters, but also contains an elaborate vampiric society and history.  All these elements are used extremely well throughout The Gathering, and I was extremely impressed with how Tudor was able to tie everything so effectively together.  Tudor makes sure to tell multiple character-focused storylines at the same time, which allows for a more multifaceted plot that goes in some very interesting direction.  The split focus on several captivating and distinctive figures works wonders to enhance this, and Tudor uses this to showcase the rising tension in the town, and the various perspectives surrounding it.  There are some great plot lines here, and the way that they interacted and came together was very impressive.  I was particularly impressed by the chapters that kept coming back to an unnamed figure being held prisoner by a mysterious captor.  This storyline was weaved throughout the novel, and I was constantly left guessing about who the figures were and how it would work into the main story.  The reveal surrounding it was not what I was expecting, but I loved how well it set up a major twist at the end.  Other character-focused storylines also proved to be just as compelling, and the way everything came together was very impressive.  I honestly knocked out this book in just over a day, it was that damn good, and I cannot emphasise how cleverly Tudor brought everything together.

One aspect of this book that I really must highlight is just how great a setting Deadhart proved to be as it enhances the plot of The Gathering in so many excellent ways.  The well-written depictions of the frigid Alaskan wilderness and secluding storms allows Tudor to bring together a classic thriller background of an isolated, snowed-in town, where the protagonist is unable to get backup and is forced to rely on unlikely help from the local outsider.  While this always makes for a great story background, Tudor enhances it by building up a dark history around Deadhart and the Colony, that plays so well into the modern storyline.  This unique history of the town was expertly explored by Tudor, and it worked to produce a much more complicated mystery, one dotted with historical grudges and family feuds.  I particularly loved how effectively Tudor explored the growing terror infesting Deadhart as the killings continue, as both the humans and the isolated vampyrs begin to fear what is to come.  This undercurrent of fear and the resulting rage it leads to is almost palpable at times, and you can fully understand how and why the various characters act the way they do.

Another element of The Gathering that really impressed me was how well Tudor set up an alternate world where vampyrs exist.  The whole concept of the vampyrs as biological offshoots with several classic vampiric traits, including blood drinking and an aversion to sunlight, is quickly and effectively established by Tudor, who does a wonderful job of immediately bringing readers into this world.  As the book continues, the reader gets a more in-depth look at the vampyrs, their biology, their psychology, and their history, especially when it comes to their interactions with humans.  This examination of the interaction with humans is particularly key, as Tudor explores the prejudices that emerged, as humans learned to hate the entire species.  Featuring some fantastic parallels between other social rights issues, the relationship between the two species is explored in detail, and then applied to isolated Deadhart.  Watching the prejudices of the town come to light again was a great part of the book, especially as it is well contrasted by looks at the vampyr community.  As the story continues, you soon realise that there are monsters on both sides of the biological line, and figuring out who is crossing this line is a major part of the plot.  Defining vampyrs in both a scientific and social way proved to be very interesting, and I liked the attempts at humanising the figures and making them less of a horror monster.  That being said, there are some dark and scary scenes in The Gathering, especially when the vampyrs get angry.  Overall, the use of vampyrs is in The Gathering was very cleverly, and Tudor really highlighted her writing ability by setting this up so effectively.

The final element of the book I want to highlight is the amazing group of complex and damaged characters featured throughout The Gathering.  Tudor clearly has an aptitude for bringing together a compelling cast, as the reader is treated to a range of different figures, each of whom have their own compelling histories and dark pasts mottled by the troubled relationships between humans and vampyrs.  The most prominent of these is the visiting detective, Barbara Atkins, who is forced to battle mystery, local hatred, and her own unique feelings about vampyrs as she determines whether a cull is required.  Showcased as the calm and reasonable inclusion to the investigation, Barbara finds herself severely tested by the town’s prejudices and mistrust, while trying to find the truth no matter what.  Much of Barbara’s actions are guided by rationality, although there is an intriguing look back into her past, as her own experiences with small towns with vampyr colonies plays a big role in her motivations.  As such, she is an excellent central protagonist, and I loved how well she played the outsider figure coming into town.

In addition to Barbara, The Gathering also features a complex group of locals, each of whom have their own connection to Deadhart’s dark history and the hostile relationship between the town and the Colony.  Standouts include former sheriff Jenson Tucker, whose previous investigation of a vampyr death left him as the town pariah.  Tucker goes through a powerful redemption arc in The Gathering, and he proved to be an able secondary protagonist as he comes to terms with his many secrets.  Other great characters include an ancient vampyr, trapped in the form of a child, whose connection to the dark side of Deadhart becomes a driving force for their revenge.  There is also a mysterious local preacher determined to bring violence to the vampyrs, and who proves to be an intriguing counterpoint to the main protagonist Barbara.  Finally, the various members of an original Deadhart family with a long simmering hatred for all thing vampyr, adds a great amount of drama to the plot, not only because of their connections to the previous killing in town but because their well-established fear of vampyrs leads to much of The Gathering’s conflict.  These characters, and more, are very well written, and their dark attitudes, fearful actions and unique viewpoints add a great deal to this already impressive and emotionally charged novel.

C. J. Tudor deeply impressed me as The Gathering turned out to be one hell of a read. Expertly utilising her inventive and clever alternate world in conjunction with a captivating mystery, Tudor wrote a particularly epic tale in The Gathering, and I had such a lot of fun getting through it. An intense and powerful read, The Gathering is one of the best books I have read so far in 2024 and I cannot recommend it enough.

The Gathering Cover 2

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