Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 18 August 2022.
This review can also be found on the Canberra Weekly website.
Make sure to also check out my extended reviews for Stay Awake, The Unbelieved and The Accomplice.
Tag: Steve Cavanagh
Book Haul – 18 July 2022
I have been having an absolutely fantastic couple of week for books, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, several of which I have been eagerly awaiting for some time. I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below and they should make for some amazing reads.
The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh
I just received the cool new entry in Steve Cavanagh’s awesome Eddie Flynn legal thriller series, The Accomplice, which sees conman lawyer Eddie Flynn defending the wife of a notorious serial killer. I have already read this book (see review above) and it was extremely good. Highly recommended!
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
I am pretty happy to have received an advance copy of the new book from fast-rising Australian author, Megan Goldin, Stay Awake. I have been looking forward to Stay Awake for a while, especially after enjoying Goldin’s last two novels, The Escape Room and The Night Swim, and this new book sounds particularly impressive. Featuring a trippy thriller narrative about a woman who wakes up without her memory, Stay Awake has so much potential and it is sure to be an excellent and fantastic read.
The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth
I have already started reading the next book in the haul with the powerful historical drama, The Crimson Thread by Australian author Kate Forsyth. Set in Crete during World War II, The Crimson Thread follows two Australian soldiers and a young Cretan woman as they attempt to weather the Nazi invasion while also dealing with their own dangerous love triangle. I am rather enjoying this books so far and I should probably finish it off in the next day or so.
Upgrade by Blake Crouch
I was particularly excited to receive a copy of Upgrade by the always impressive Blake Crouch, who has produced some outstanding and trippy science fiction novels recently. This latest science fiction thriller looks at illegal genetic engineering and follows a man who has been “upgraded” into something more than human. I already know that this book is going to be pretty damn epic and I will try and read Upgrade as soon as I can.
The Orphans by Fiona McIntosh
I also received an advance copy of the new historical drama from Fiona McIntosh, who has another impressive sounding Australian novel coming out soon with The Orphans. I have had a good time with some of McIntosh’s previous historical dramas, including The Champagne Wars, The Diamond Hunter, The Pearl Thief and The Spy’s Wife, and this new book has an interesting and moving narrative to it that will great to check out.
Dark Rooms by Lynda La Plante
Another awesome book I just received is Dark Rooms, the new Tennison novel from the leading lady of crime fiction, Lynda La Plante. Serving as a prequel to the Prime Suspect television series, the Tennison series has featured some amazing books so far, including Good Friday, Murder Mile, The Dirty Dozen, Blunt Force and Unholy Murder, all of which have made me a pretty major fan. This new novel, Dark Rooms, features another intriguing murder mystery, that will not only see Tennison investigate a wealthy London family over a series of bodies, but will also feature a visit to Australia. I am very excited to check Dark Rooms out and it is sure to be an outstanding read.
The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis
I also received a copy of the powerful and intense debut thriller from Vikki Petraitis, The Unbelieved. This intriguing book will follow a female detective who transfers to a small Australian town, only to discover that a dark and shocking secret waits for her there. The Unbelieved is probably going to be the grimmest novel on this list and I am very certain it is going to be a gripping and moving read.
Picture You Dead by Peter James
The final book on this list is the latest thriller from bestselling author Peter James, Picture You Dead. The latest book in his Ray Grace series, Picture You Dead will see the protagonist dive into the world of fine art when a couple find a rare masterpiece and are subsequently targeted by a dangerous criminal. I haven’t had much chance to read many of James’ novels before (except his standalone book Absolute Proof), but I might try and check out Picture You Dead as it has a fascinating story to it.
Well that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh
Publisher: Orion (Trade Paperback – 26 July 2022)
Series: Eddie Flynn – Book Seven
Length: 323 pages
My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
The murder trial of the year is in session as brilliant legal thriller author Steve Cavanagh returns with his latest Eddie Flynn novel, The Accomplice.
Last year I had the great pleasure of reading a very fun and compelling thriller novel with The Devil’s Advocate, which was the sixth book in the Eddie Flynn series by talented author Steve Cavanagh. I had heard of Cavanagh before last year, and indeed I already had a couple of his other books currently sitting on my to-read shelf, but this was the first real chance I had to read one of his novels. I ended up being really impressed with The Devil’s Advocate, which pitted the series’ conman turned lawyer protagonist against a murderous southern prosecutor in a story that was wildly entertaining, extremely clever, and highly addictive. As such, I have been rather eager to see what Cavanagh would write next, and his next book, The Accomplice, had been high on my upcoming books list for a while. Well, I just received an advance copy of The Accomplice a couple of days ago and I immediately picked it up and started reading because it had such an awesome story idea behind it.
Carrie Miller is the most hated woman in America! A seemingly normal and unassuming housewife, the world was shocked to discover that Carrie’s husband, Daniel Miller, was the notorious and brutal serial killer known as the Sandman. After terrorising New York for months and killing 14 people, the Sandman suddenly vanished just as the police arrived to arrest him. While the Sandman may have been gone, Carrie was still there, and everyone, including the police, FBI, media, and the entirety of America, believes that she knew about her husband’s crimes and helped to cover them up.
As the start of her trial begins, a desperate Carrie turns to the one defence attorney that could save her, former conman and legal genius Eddie Flynn. Convinced of her innocence and determined to help, Flynn reluctantly takes on her case. However, this will be the most difficult case of his life, as he must convince a jaded jury and the rest of the world that Carrie had no knowledge of her husband’s crimes and took no part in the murders. But with Carrie already convicted by the media, and no evidence or witnesses that can back up her story, Eddie will have a real fight on his hands.
As Eddie prepares for the case, a dangerous new problem enters the picture. After a lengthy absence, the Sandman has returned to New York, and he’s determined to save his wife from a life sentence. Even with the police, FBI and rogue serial killer specialist Gabriel Lake on his tail, the Sandman begins a new reign of terror, targeting the prosecution’s witnesses and members of the FBI. With the stakes higher than ever, can Eddie prove Carrie’s innocence before the killer strikes again or will he and everyone he cares about face the wrath of the Sandman?
Cavanagh hits it out of the park again, providing readers with a brilliant and intense thriller that is dark and fun at the same time. Combining fantastic legal elements with a gripping psychological narrative about a dangerous killer, The Accomplice was another impressive read from Cavanagh that was well worth the wait.
This seventh Eddie Flynn novel has a really awesome and intense story to it that takes the reader on an impressive ride that is near impossible to stop. Starting off with a great introduction to the case, the story quickly loops in Eddie Flynn and his team, while also bringing back the great villain in the Sandman. Following some subsequent exposition and background to the case, Eddie gets into planning the defence, only to have a substantial shock hit him as the Sandman strikes in several different directions. As the various characters attempt to deal with the issues surrounding the Sandman’s new attacks, Eddie is forced to defend his client in impossible circumstances as the trial starts.
Thanks to his great use of multiple character perspectives, which follows everyone including Eddie, his team, and even the Sandman himself, you get a great view of the events occurring throughout the book. The middle of this impressive novel is filled with some excellent sequences depicting the killers’ current brutal actions, the desperate search for him that envelopes several main characters, and Flynn’s always impressive legal scenes. I loved the awesome changes in tone and focus that occurred between these various chapters, and there is an intriguing and powerful contrast between the intensive cat-and-mouse games surrounding the killer and the more legal focused scenes. All the perspectives come together in a big way towards the end of the book, and The Accomplice has a fantastic and wildly entertaining finale. There are some pretty cool twists loaded up here and Cavanagh does a great job setting them up throughout the narrative. I was kind of able to predict how one of the main ones would turn out, but I was pleasantly surprised by the other, and looking back it was cleverly set up and then hidden by the other secrets. The author ends The Accomplice on a great note, and readers will come away wildly entertained and very impressed with how everything was so neatly wrapped up.
Cavanagh was in the zone when he was writing The Accomplice, and I deeply enjoyed how the entire story came together. Like most of Cavanagh’s novels, the pacing in The Accomplice was spot on and the reader is never really given a chance to relax or put the novel down, which ensures that they try really hard to get through everything in one go (it worked on me). There was an excellent blend of styles throughout The Accomplice, and Cavanagh once again did a great job of combining the darker subject matter of a disturbed killer, with the lighter scenes that focused on Eddie Flynn’s outrageous behaviour. The scenes focused on the Sandman were particularly dark and gripping, especially as you get to see directly into his diseased mind, and the use of them throughout the novel really helped to amp up the drama and threat, while also moving the narrative along in some impressive directions. Likewise, you get some intriguing and powerful character driven scenes from some of the other major characters, such as Flynn’s investigator Bloch and newcomer Gabriel Lake, as they get obsessed with finding the Sandman and bringing him to justice.
However, my personal favourite scenes in the book are those that deal more with the legal thriller aspects of the book. I am always a sucker for a good legal battle in fiction, and Cavanagh, a man who knows a thing or two about the law, does a brilliant job of showcasing trials, legal prep work, and the formation of a defence case throughout his novels. The court sequences scattered throughout the novel are very well written, and it was fascinating to see the author’s take on certain prosecution and defence strategies (some of the names for the strategies were quite amusing) as the protagonists do their darndest to blow a hole in the seemingly airtight case against their client. I really loved how Cavanagh once again let Eddie go wild during the court case, and he uses all his knowledge and flair for the dramatic to manipulate the court in some inventive and often hilarious ways. Most of Eddie’s appearances in the court are wildly entertaining, and his over-the-top shenanigans so much fun to behold, especially when he takes down every smug opponent and obstacle in a big way. The author has a lot of fun setting up some of these events throughout the book, and it is really entertaining to see the protagonists coming up with their eccentric plans, as the hints about what they are going to do are left purposely vague to capture the reader’s attention. I have so much love for Cavanagh’s ability to bring some wacky ideas into the court setting, and I can’t wait to see what convoluted and hilarious strategies the protagonist employs in any future books.
On top of the great story and distinctive sequences, Cavanagh also excels at character creation and development, which adds an extra impressive layer to the narrative. The Accomplice features an interesting complement of characters, from the established cast of the previous books to some exceptional new figures whom the current case revolves around. Naturally, most of the focus falls on the protagonist of Eddie Flynn, who is once again brought into an impossible case. Flynn has another strong turn in The Accomplice and gets up to all his old tricks to win. This results in quite a few entertaining and hilarious moments, and most of the book’s strong humour is because of Flynn’s more outrageous behaviours. However, parts of this case do really get to Flynn and show that deep down he’s a good and flawed figure who lets his work dig into him. Watching certain stresses and griefs take their hold on him really adds to the drama and intensity of the book, and I really appreciated how Cavanagh portrayed him throughout this latest novel.
On top of Eddie, the author brings back the central legal team, who are very strongly featured throughout this seventh book. This includes Eddie’s mentor and advisor, Harry Ford, who continues to be a solid and calming presence for much of the book. Harry serves as an excellent foil to the more outgoing Flynn, and they work well together as a team, especially during some scenes that see Harry have a bigger impact on the story than usual. The other two key members of the staff are the firm’s other associate, young lawyer Kate Brooks and investigator Blotch, who are well utilised throughout The Accomplice. Both bring something very different to the story, whether it be Kate’s relative innocence and determination to help wronged women, such as their client in this book, or Blotch’s investigative knowhow, capacity for violence, and general determination. Both prove a good match for Flynn throughout this book, and I really liked the major impacts they have on the story, as it resulted in a much more varied and fun narrative. There is also a great look at their strong friendship, which has lasted since childhood, and it was fun to see more examples of Blotch’s overprotective nature, especially when it comes to a thieving neighbour.
Finally, there are also some excellent new characters utilised in The Accomplice, who each bring something very different to the table. Due to their stronger involvement with this particular case, be it suspect, perpetrator or hunter, Cavanagh does spend a bit more time introducing and developing these new characters than the existing cast, and you end up getting to know them extremely well. This includes Flynn’s new client, Carrie Miller, the wife of the infamous Sandman, who finds herself under attack from pretty much the entire country in this book. Carrie cuts a fascinating figure as a result, and while you are constantly wondering just how innocent she is, you get to see her at her most vulnerable as everyone she knows has turned against her. I particularly enjoyed some of her insights (her choice of favourite film is excellent), and the journal entries that the author scatters throughout the novel really enhances her tale and gives greater context to her present actions.
In addition, Cavanagh also introduces the character of Gabriel Lake, a former FBI agent turned private investigator who specialises in catching serial killers. A brilliant man with interesting ideas about the way to hunt killers which goes against the established theories of the FBI, Lake is an integral part of the plot, as he helps Flynn with his case in the hope of catching the Sandman. However, there is also a deep well of anger within Lake, due to both his past and his personal connection to the Sandman case, and this becomes a major problem for the protagonists as the book goes on. You never quite know what Lake’s motivations or intentions are, and he ends up adding an entire extra layer of complexity to an already twisty plot.
The final character I need to mention is the killer known as the Sandman. While I won’t go into too much detail here about them to preserve some plot details, they serve as a sinister and threatening figure throughout the story, and their presence really impacts the events of the narrative. Cavanagh goes out of his way to make the Sandman appear as deadly and deranged as possible, and it was fascinating to get a glimpse into his mind, especially as he truly believes that the Sandman is his true persona. Watching him work his deadly skills in several disconcerting point of view chapters really adds to the intensity of the narrative, and he ended up being a particularly impressive literary villain. I really had a great time with all these amazing and complex characters, be they old and new, and Cavanagh has once again really showcased his excellent skill when it comes to writing damaged people.
Unsurprisingly, I had a wonderful time with The Accomplice and Steve Cavanagh continues to impress me as one of the more entertaining thriller authors out there today. This latest Eddie Flynn novel has all the series trademark flair as Cavanagh presents the reader with another unique and captivating case. I loved how The Accomplice featured a great combination of a dark killer, hilarious legal scenes, a twisty thriller plot, and some well-established characters, which result in an incredible and addictive narrative. A deeply enjoyable read, I really must go back and check out some of the earlier Eddie Flynn novels when I get a chance. Highly recommended!
WWW Wednesday – 13 July 2022
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading?
Kagen the Damned by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)
I am still listening to the Kagen the Damned audiobook by Jonathan Maberry, although I have made some steady progress in the last week, and I am currently over the half-way mark. I am still really enjoying this impressive and exceedingly dark fantasy novel and I extremely intrigued about how it is going to turn out. I will hopefully finish Kagen the Damned off completely in the next week or so, and I reckon that Maberry still has some major shocks and dangerous twists to come.
What did you recently finish reading?
Black River by Matthew Spencer (Trade Paperback)
Van Horstmann by Ben Counter (Paperback)
Runefang by C. L. Werner (Paperback)
The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh (Trade Paperback)
What do you think you’ll read next?
Essex Dogs by Dan Jones (Trade Paperback)
That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2022
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this latest Top Ten Tuesday participants need to list their top anticipated releases for the second half of 2022.
2022 has so far been a pretty amazing year for books, with some outstanding and impressive novels coming out and blowing me away. However, the year is far from over and there are so many incredible and epic-sounding novels set for release in the second half of 2022. To fill out this list I have scoured my list of anticipated upcoming releases and tried to work out which of the books coming out between the start of July and the end of December I am most looking forward to.
This proved to be a rather hard list to finalise, mainly because of how many awesome novels are coming out in the next six months. I honestly had enough awesome upcoming novels on my radar to turn this into a Top 20, but I decided instead to make some hard decisions, and I ended up cutting out several impressive upcoming releases, leaving me with a list mostly featuring books from some of my favourite authors. Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects which upcoming novels I am going to have the most fun reading. Due to how much potential that I think the entries on this list have, several have previously appeared in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, as well as on my recent Winter TBR list. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2022.
Honourable Mentions:
The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh – 21 July 2022
Oath of Loyalty by Kyle Mills (based on the books by Vince Flynn) – 13 September 2022
Friends Like These by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez – 1 November 2022
Death to the Emperor by Simon Scarrow – 8 November 2022
List (by release date):
Upgrade by Blake Crouch – 12 July 2022
An awesome sounding new science fiction thriller from the exceedingly talented Blake Crouch, this is sure to be an incredible read.
Glacier’s Edge by R. A. Salvatore – 9 August 2022
One of my all-time favourite authors, R. A. Salvatore, returns soon with another entry in his long-running Drizzt Do’Urden series. This new upcoming novel will serve as a sequel to his 2021 novel, Starlight Enclave, and sounds like another fantastic adventure novel.
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – 13 September 2022
I am very excited to see that captivating science fiction talent, Tamysn Muir, will continue her impressive, space-necromancer-centric, The Locked Tomb series later this year with Nona the Ninth. Following on from the highly entertaining Gideon the Ninth (one of my favourite debuts of 2019) and the incredible Harrow the Ninth (one of my favourite book and audiobooks of 2020), Nona the Ninth has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to see how this trippy series continues.
The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman – 15 September 2022
There was no way that I was not going to include the latest entry in the hilarious and clever Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman on this list. The sequel to The Thursday Murder Club (one of the best debuts of 2020) and The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet that Missed looks set to bring back the titular team of retirees as they solve new murders around their retirement village. Easily going to be one of the funniest and most addictive reads of the year, I am very excited for more of Osman’s entertaining hijinks.
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik – 20 September 2022
There are few upcoming books that I am more excited to read than The Golden Enclaves, the third and final book in Naomi Novik’s epic The Scholomance series. Novik has really killed it with the first two books in this series, A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate, which followed a destructively gifted magical student as she tries to survive the deadliest magical school around. These first two books were both incredible reads, and I am very, very keen to see how this series ends in The Golden Enclaves, especially after the massive cliff-hanger Novik left The Last Graduate on. I have no doubt that this will live up to my extremely high expectations and this should prove to be pure and unadulterated awesomeness.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Convergence by Zoraida Cordova – 4 October 2022
I have been really enjoying the recent High Republic sub-series of Star Wars extended fiction, especially the main novels (Light of the Jedi, The Rising Storm and The Fallen Star), and whole new phase of The High Republic is about to start later this year. While I am a little hesitant about the massive backwards time-skip (the entire second phase is set a substantial time before the first High Republic phase), I am very curious to see what sort of story is set out in the Convergence by Zoraida Cordova, which will set the tone for this second phase.
Usagi Yojimbo: Crossroads by Stan Sakai – 11 October 2022
I am extremely happy to be getting another volume in one of my favourite comic book series, the Usagi Yojimbo comics, later this year with the upcoming volume Crossroads. This will be the second Usagi Yojimbo volume coming out this year (see my review for Tengu War!) and I am so very happy to get more Usagi action and excitement this year. I already know this is going to be a brilliant comic, and Crossroads will no doubt contain more impressive stories and eye-catching artwork.
The Voyage of the Forgotten by Nick Martell – 3 November 2022
Another deeply impressive fantasy series ending this year is Nick Martell’s The Legacy of the Mercenary Kings series, which finishes off with The Voyage of the Forgotten in a few months’ time. I have had such a brilliant time with this series, as both The Kingdom of Liars and The Two-Faced Queens have been truly epic and captivating reads with intense and complex stories. As such, I am extremely eager to read The Voyage of the Forgotten to find out how everything is going to end. While I am a little sad that this series will only contain three novels, I know that this finale is going to be an exceptional novel that will easily top my best of 2022 lists.
Desert Star by Michael Connelly – 8 November 2022
I have been having a ton of fun with Michael Connelly’s spectacular crime fiction novels lately and I am very excited to get another Ballard and Bosch book in a few months’ time with Desert Star. Following on from such great novels as Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire and The Dark Hours, this upcoming book has an impressive sounding story to it and I am very excited to get involved in another powerful Connelly mystery.
City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 8 December 2022
The final book on this list is the highly compelling City of Last Chances by bestselling author Adrian Tchaikovsky. Set in a rebellious magical city, City of Last Chances sounds like an extremely cool and intriguing fantasy novel, and I am very curious to read more from this highly regarded author, especially after having a great time reading his Warhammer 40,000 debut, Day of Ascension, earlier this year. I look forward to seeing what amazing fantasy epic Tchaikovsky has planned for City of Last Chances, and I am sure it will end up being extremely great.
That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out, and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that every one of the books I mentioned above has some amazing potential, and most, if not all, will probably end up with a full five-star rating from me. I cannot wait to see what awesome and exciting stories the entries on this list contain, and I think that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2022. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.
Book Haul – Second Hand Books – 5 June 2022
Hello all, some of you may have noticed that I haven’t been posting for a couple of weeks. Well there is no need to worry I have just been away on a much needed holiday and haven’t had much of a chance to do any writing. I just got back today and I thought I would celebrate by doing a book haul post. Specifically I thought I would do a post looking at all the second hand books I managed to grab while I was away.
So, it turns out that even when I’m on holiday I’m unable to stop thinking about books. Throughout my trip I visited several of Australia’s very best second-hand bookshops and spent a descent amount of time perusing the shelves and finding some awesome reads. I actually ended up with quite a collection of fantastic novels as a result, including quite a few Warhammer novels, which I have been rather enjoying lately. I am extremely happy with this book haul and it is going to keep me extremely busy for the next few months, although it looks like I’m not going to be short of content for my Throwback Thursday posts. So let us see what I managed to pick up.
Broken Honour by Robert Earl
The first book I managed to get was the fantastic and fun Warhammer Fantasy novel, Broken Honour by Robert Earl. This was an exciting and enjoyable novel about a group of prisoners who are released to act as mercenary soldiers against a rampaging army of beastman. I have already read and reviewed this awesome book and it ended up being a lot of fun.
Space Wolf by William King
I was also lucky enough early in my travels to find a copy of Space Wolf by William King. As the name suggest, this novel examines the legendary Space Marines chapter, the Space Wolves, and shows a young recruit as he encounters the trials and tribulations of becoming a Space Marine. I was quite excited to read this novel, especially after loving King’s Gotrek and Felix novels (make sure to check out my reviews for Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, Dragonslayer and Beastslayer), and this was another book that I have already managed to read. I deeply enjoyed Space Wolf and I will hopefully get a review up for it soon.
The Defence by Steve Cavanagh
I also picked up a copy of The Defence by Steve Cavanagh, the first book in his excellent Eddie Flynn series. I had a lot of fun reading the latest book in this series, The Devil’s Advocate, last year, and I look forward to going back and checking out how the series started.
Over the Edge by Jonathan Kellerman
Another series that I was quite keen to go back to the beginning of was the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman. I have been deeply enjoying the latest entries in this series over the last couple of years (check out my reviews for The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine and City of the Dead), and I thought it would be good to see some of the earlier books. As such I ended up grabbing a copy of the third novel, Over the Edge, mainly because it had such an interesting story to it. These books tend to be pretty self-contained, so it should be pretty easy to dive into, and I am sure that I am going to get really addicted to this older mystery.
The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade – Volume One by Dan Abnett and Mike Lee
Back in the day I was a massive fan of the Malus Darkblade comics so I just had to grab a copy of this massive volume when I saw it. Containing the first couple of Malus Darkblade novels, this book will follow the titular Dark Elf as he journeys through the wilds attempting to find several ancient relics in order to reclaim his soul from a demon. Facing off against monsters, creatures of Chaos and his own treacherous people, this is an epic adventure series and I cannot wait to fully sink my teeth into it.
Van Horstmann by Ben Counter
An interesting Warhammer Fantasy novel that sees a talented wizard go to the darkside and attempt to unleash a deadly dragon hidden under a magic school. Sounds like an excellent and fun read to me.
Kingsblade by Andy Clark
An entire book about the Imperial Knights (giant war walkers), yes please! Of course I am going to have a blast with this one.
Faith & Fire by James Swallow
I have heard some great stuff about James Swallow’s writing and I cannot wait to see his take on the infamous Sisters of Battle in this awesome sounding novel.
Forged in Battle by Justin Hunter
Another interesting soldier-focused book in the Warhammer Fantasy realm, Forged in Battle sounds like a fun and action-packed read that I will no doubt have an amazing time with.
Grudge Bearer by Gav Thorpe
I really love the Warhammer Fantasy dwarfs (who doesn’t), so picking up a novel about them attempting to settle one of their legendary grudges was a real no-brainer for me. Plus, it is written by the legendary Gav Thorpe so you know it is going to be good.
Oathbreaker by Nick Kyme
The more the dwarves, the better!
Grey Seer by C. L. Werner
I was particularly happy to pick up a copy of Grey Seer by C. L. Werner as it sounds like an amazing read. Grey Seer focuses on the Skaven character of Grey Seer Thanquol, a legendary schemer and sorcerer who was a major antagonist of the early Gotrek and Felix novels. Grey Seer spins off from William King’s novels and sees Thanquol get dragged into some deadly Skaven politics. Thanquol was an exceedingly entertaining antagonist in the Gotrek and Felix books and I can’t wait to see what happens when they get a novel all to themself.
Runefang by C. L. Werner
A very fun book about a group of adventurers setting out into territory controlled by the undead in order to find one of the legendary Runefangs. This sounds like an extremely cool story, and I am very tempted to check it out as soon as possible.
The Konrad Trilogy by David Ferring
I was lucky enough to find good quality copies of the entire Konrad saga, including Konrad, Warblade and Shadowbreed, and I look forward to reading them. One of the earlier Warhammer Fantasy series, the Konrad books sound like impressive fantasy adventures and I look forward to seeing how different the earlier books were to the more recent additions of this canon.
Space Marine by Ian Watson
The final book I received was Space Marine by Ian Watson. Just like the Konrad novels, Space Marine was one of the earliest novels in the entire Warhammer 40,000 canon, and shows a different side to the extended lore that was ironed out over the years. Following a group of Imperial Fist cadets, Space Marine has an intriguing story to it, and I am very curious to see the early days of the extended universe.
Well that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
Top Ten Tuesday – Books on My Winter 2022 TBR
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was around comfort reads, however, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as this Tuesday is just before Winter (Summer for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), this is the ideal time to put this up.
For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 June 2022 and 31 August 2022. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated books and fantasy novels of the year. Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads. I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2022.
Honourable Mentions:
Firefly: What Makes Us Mighty by M. K. England – 19 July 2022
Another awesome tie-in to the beloved Firefly franchise, What Makes Us Mighty is England’s first entry in this series and will see the crew stuck amid a deadly revolution. This sounds like an exciting and fun read that I will no doubt have a blast with.
Seventeen: Last Man Standing by John Brownlow – 26 July 2022
The Pride by Tony Park – 26 July 2022
Australia’s leading thriller author, Tony Park, returns with another intense and action-packed adventure set in Africa with The Pride. This time his recurring protagonist, Sonja Kurtz, must contend with gangsters and poachers across multiple countries as she finds herself dragged into another deadly conspiracy. Easily going to be one of the best Australia novels of 2022, I am extremely excited for this book.
Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis – 16 August 2022
Top Ten List:
Master of Furies by Raymond E. Feist – 1 June 2022
The Omega Factor by Steve Berry – 7 June 2022
In the Shadow of Lighting by Brian McClellan – 21 June 2022
The Martyr by Anthony Ryan – 28 June 2022
Upgrade by Blake Crouch – 12 July 2022
One of the leading names in science fiction, Blake Crouch, will soon unleash his next mind bending, futuristic thriller with Upgrade, sure to be one of the best books of the year. Crouch’s latest novel will deal with genetic manipulation as a new protagonist finds himself being upgraded against his will as he is dragged into a terrible, world-ending plot. I have some major hopes for this book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith by Adam Christopher – 19 July 2022
The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh – 26 July 2022
Glacier’s Edge by R. A. Salvatore – 9 August 2022
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin – 16 August 2022
All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Herman – 30 August 2022
Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. Each of the above should be extremely epic, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.
Waiting on Wednesday – The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh
Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday I look at an awesome upcoming legal thriller that is likely to be one of the most entertaining reads of 2022 with The Accomplice by Steve Cavanagh.
Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the sixth book in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series of legal thrillers, The Devil’s Advocate, which turned out to be a wildly addictive novel with a fun and captivating story. Following the adventures of titular protagonist Eddie Flynn, former conman turned expert defence attorney, the Eddie Flynn novels have been some of the more interesting and unique thrillers of the last few years, with Cavanagh coming up with a range of awesome and complex scenarios for his protagonist to wiggle through.
I deeply enjoyed my first foray into this series, especially as The Devil’s Advocate featured, amongst other distinctive inclusions, a murderous district attorney, corrupt cops, a range of ridiculous and entertaining legal strategies, as well as several improbable but hilarious twists. As such, I have been keeping a close out for Cavanagh’s next novel and I was very excited when I saw that The Accomplice is coming out soon.
The Accomplice, which is currently set for release in late July 2022, will be the seventh book in the Eddie Flynn series and will present the author’s cocky and exceedingly likeable protagonist with another seemingly impossible legal scenario. This time, Flynn will have to prove that the most hated women in America, the wife of a notorious and at-large serial killer, didn’t know anything about her husbands’ crimes. While this is already a pretty cool scenario, Cavanagh will apparently raise the stakes even further by throwing in a potentially murderous and guilty client, a rogue former-FBI agent and the returning serial killer who plans to murder anyone associated with the case, including Eddie Flynn.
All these elements sound pretty damn epic and I am deeply intrigued to see how it all comes together. Based on how much I enjoyed The Devil’s Advocate I am highly confident I am going to have a wonderful and enjoyable time with The Accomplice, and I am sure it will be one of the more zany and unique novels of the year.
Plot Synopsis:
THE MOST HATED WOMAN IN AMERICA
The Sandman killings have been solved. Daniel Miller murdered fourteen people before he vanished. His wife, Carrie, now faces trial as his accomplice. The FBI, the District Attorney, the media and everyone in America believe she knew and helped cover up her husband’s crimes.
THE LAWYER
Eddie Flynn won’t take a case unless his client is innocent. Now, he has to prove to a jury, and the entire world, that Carrie Miller was just another victim of the Sandman. She didn’t know her husband’s dark side and she had no part in the murders. But so far, Eddie and his team are the only ones who believe her.
THE FORMER FBI AGENT
Gabriel Lake used to be a federal agent, before someone tried to kill him. Now, he’s an investigator with a vendetta against the Sandman. He’s the only one who can catch him, because he believes that everything the FBI knows about serial killers is wrong.
THE KILLER
With his wife on trial, the Sandman is forced to come out of hiding to save her from a life sentence. He will kill to protect her and everyone involved in the case is a target.
Even Eddie Flynn…
Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2021
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday was 2021 releases I was excited to read but didn’t get to, however, I addressed that topic in my post last week. So instead of covering that, this week I will look at my favourite new-to-me authors that I discovered in 2021. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019 and 2020 versions), and it is one that I always have fun doing.
Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes some that were written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with. 2021 was a good example of this as there were an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me. This included some debuting authors, as well as more established writers whose work I only got around to this year. Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional reads, some of which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2021, and I really feel the need to highlight them here. As a result, this list may feature a bit of overlap with my top books, pre-2021 books and audiobooks lists of 2021 that I have previously published on this blog.
To appear on this list, the book had to be one I read last year and be written by an author who I was unfamiliar with before 2021. If I had not read anything from this author before last year, it was eligible for this latest list, although I did exclude debut novels as I had another list prepared for them. Despite this, I ended up with a massive list of potential inclusions on this list, as it appears that I read a ton of great new authors in the last year. Despite my best efforts, I had a very hard time whittling this list down, so in the end I decided to face the inevitable and leave it as a top 20 list. While I still had to exclude several great authors whose books I really liked, I think that I came up with a good overall list that represents which authors I am really glad that I decided to try out for the first time last year.
Top Twenty List:
William King – Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer, and Dragonslayer
Well, let us start this list off with an author I read multiple books from in 2021 with William King. I was in a real Warhammer mood in 2021, and as part of the that I decided to check out the iconic Gotrek and Felix series that was initially written by King. This great series follows a deranged dwarf Slayer and his reluctant human companion as they travel around the Warhammer Fantasy world looking for a monster bad enough to give Gotrek the heroic death he desperately wants. I really love this amazing series and I ended up reading the first four of King’s Gotrek and Felix books in 2021, Trollslayer, Skavenslayer, Daemonslayer and Dragonslayer, each of which were a lot of fun. I have even kept reading King’s books in 2022, having only recently read and reviewed the fifth Gotrek and Felix novel, Beastslayer. I fully intend to keep reading this series this year when I get a chance, and I reckon I will finish off King’s entire run on this series extremely soon.
Jeremy Robinson – The Dark and Mind Bullet
The other new-to-me author who I read more than one book from in 2021 was Jeremy Robinson, an awesome author known for his over-the-top science fiction and horror books. I was initially drawn to Robinson’s interesting dark horror read, The Dark, which sets a group of protagonists against a deadly demonic invasion, and which had a brilliant story to it. I ended up enjoying it so much that I decided to check out any other books that Robinson had coming out in 2021 and that led me to his latest release, Mind Bullet, which follows a psychic assassin who finds himself being hunted by a cadre of unconventional and superpowered hitmen. I had an absolute blast reading these cool books, and the both received easy five-star ratings from me. Due to how much fun I had with these books I plan to read a hell of a lot more from Robinson this year, especially as he has some cool releases on the way.
Tess Sharpe – The Girls I’ve Been
One of the more interesting authors I checked out in 2021 was young adult author Tess Sharpe who wowed me with her cool novel, The Girls I’ve Been. This fantastic novel followed a teenage former con-artist who is forced to revert to her old ways to save herself and her friends from vicious bank robbers. Clever, compelling and deeply thrilling, I have so much love for this novel and I cannot wait to see what cool books Sharpe rights in the future.
John Gwynne – The Shadow of the Gods
One of the best new-to-me authors I read last year was legendary fantasy author John Gwynne. Gwynne, who has written some very highly regarded dark fantasy books in the past presented The Shadow of the Gods last year, which was the first book in his new Bloodsworn Saga series. I initially hadn’t planned to read this book but after hearing so many positive reviews about it I changed my mind and was extremely glad that I did. The Shadow of the Gods was an epic and captivating read that featured action and adventure in an awesome, Viking-inspired fantasy landscape. This was such an incredible book (with a really amazing cover) and it made me an instant fan of this author. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next, and I really need to go back and read some of Gwynne’s earlier series.
I was also lucky enough to read the fantastic historical thriller Resistance towards the end of last year written by relatively new author Mara Timon. Resistance was a sequel to Timon’s 2020 debut City of Spies and contains a great story about a female spy dropped into occupied Normandy shortly before the D-Day landings. This was an excellent spy thriller and I look forward to seeing what other cool books Timon writes in the future.
Nate Crowley – The Twice-Dead King: Ruin
Another great new-to-me author of Warhammer fiction I read last year was the insanely talented Nate Crowley who presented his first The Twice-Dead King novel, Ruin. Ruin followed a banished Necron prince as he attempts to save his former empire from internal corruption and destructive outside forces. Breathing amazing life into essentially dead characters, this was a fantastic and intense Warhammer read that I had a great time with. I cannot wait to see how the series continues in 2022 and I will also try to read some of Crowley’s other cool Warhammer releases.
I was very excited to check out a book from Japanese thriller author Kotaro Isaka last year with Bullet Train. A translation of his 2010 novel Maria Beetle, this book featured a complex and quirky tale about several assassins trapped on the same bullet train. I had an incredible time with this book, especially as Isaka loaded it with some amazing twists and very unique characters. Thanks to the success of this book, and the cool upcoming (if somewhat whitewashed) film adaptation of Bullet Train, several of the author’s other novels are being translated and I look forward to seeing what other crazy adventures he has come up with.
Kelly Rimmer – The Warsaw Orphan
Another great new author I found in 2021 was historical drama writer Kelly Rimmer whose latest book, The Warsaw Orphan, was an outstanding and powerful read. Set in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation, this book follows a group of people who attempt to save Jewish children from the Ghetto. A heartbreaking and riveting read, The Warsaw Orphan was an amazing book and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Rimmer’s stuff in the future.
One of the best books I had the pleasure to read in 2021 was Project Hail Mary, an impressive and clever science fiction novel by bestselling author Andy Weir. I have been meaning to read some of Weir’s books for years, especially after seeing the movie adaptation of The Martian, but I never got the chance. As such I was extremely keen to read his latest book when it came out last year and boy did Project Hail Mary deliver. Containing an epic and brilliant story filled with realistic science, I loved every second I spent reading this book and I honestly could not put it down. I am now a firm fan of the author and I fully intend to read the rest of Weir’s works as soon as possible.
Josh Reynolds – Kal Jerico: Sinner’s Bounty
There was no way that I couldn’t check out fantastic author Josh Reynolds this year especially after I saw that he had brought back one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 characters, Kal Jerico. This cool new book, Sinner’s Bounty, sets the titular bounty hunter and his friends on an insane journey into the depths of their Hive City to retrieve a wanted man. Forced to contend with rival bounty hunters, monsters, mutants, and gangs, this was an amazing read and I will be checking out more of Reynolds’ Warhammer books in the future, especially if they feature Kal Jerico.
I was very lucky to grab a novel from amazing Australian author Sarah Bailey this year. Her latest book, The Housemate, was a brilliant novel that saw a disturbed reporter attempt to solve a notorious crime that had been haunting her for years. Incredibly powerful, compelling and intense, this was one of the best Australian books of 2021 and I will be very interested to see what other cool books Bailey writes in the future.
Steve Cavanagh – The Devil’s Advocate
Easily one of the more entertaining books I read in 2021 was the fun and wildly addictive legal thriller by Steve Cavanagh, The Devil’s Advocate. The sixth book in his Eddie Flynn series, The Devil’s Advocate was a great novel that saw its former conman turned defence attorney protagonist attempt to stop a murderous prosecutor determined to send an innocent man to death row. I had an amazing time with this compelling and over-the-top read, and I now really want to go back and read the rest of the awesome novels in this cool series.
Another instant favourite new author I checked out last year was impressive well-established fantasy author Anthony Ryan. Ryan is another author who I have been meaning to read for a while and it turns out I have been really missing out. His latest book, The Pariah, was an excellent and compelling first entry in a great new series that follows a young scribe as he journeys around a fantasy world trying to find his purpose. An epic first book, I cannot wait to see how this series continues and I know I am going to love it.
John Grisham – The Judge’s List
Perhaps one of the biggest names on this list is bestselling author John Grisham, who has been at the top of the crime fiction genre for decades. Grisham is one of those massive authors whose work I have been meaning to read for a very long time but never got the chance. Well, that all changed last year when I received a copy of his latest book, The Judge’s List, which sets some clever protagonists against a dangerous serial killer who is also a sitting judge. I had an incredible time with The Judge’s List, and I am fully planning to check out the rest of Grisham’s catalogue to see what I have been missing out on.
Wow there were so many awesome new-to-me Warhammer authors I checked out last year and one of the best was Dan Abnett. Abnett has written a ton of awesome Warhammer novels over the years, but the first book of his I decided to check out was First and Only, the initial book of his iconic Gaunt’s Ghosts series. Following a regiment of Imperial Guard soldiers as they fight through a gauntlet of traitors, rivals and conspiracies, this was an outstanding novel and I cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of this impressive series.
A. W. Hammond – The Paris Collaborator
I had a great time checking out thriller author A. W. Hammond for the first time in 2021. Hammond, who also writes under the name Alex Hammond, produced an exceptional and fun historical thriller last year with The Paris Collaborator. Set in the last days of the German occupation of Paris, this cool book follows a French investigator who is hired to find several missing men around the city. Filled with cool action, intense twists and some excellent historical moments, this was a great read and I will be keeping an eye out for more of Hammond’s novels in the future.
Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman – All of Us Villains
I am slightly cheating here by including two authors in the one entry, but as this was the first time I had read anything from either of them and they were collaborating on the same book, I think I can make an exception. These two authors were Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman, a great team of established authors who collaborated for the first time to create the amazing All of Us Villains. All of Us Villains was an excellent and entertaining young adult fantasy book that followed seven champions forced into a magical death tournament with the entire world watching. Loaded with amazing characters and brutal magic, this was an awesome book and I am extremely glad I decided to check out this intriguing team of authors last year.
Max Barry – The 22 Murders of Madison May
I had been meaning to read something from talented Australian author Max Barry for a while, especially as he has written some great and compelling sounding science fiction reads. I finally got a chance last year when I received a copy of Barry’s latest book, The 22 Murders of Madison May. This was a cool book that saw a women attempt to stop a deranged stalker from killing every version of his obsession, actress Madison May, in the multiverse. I deeply enjoyed this complex and entertaining story and I will have to grab some more stuff from Barry in the future.
Grady Hendrix – The Final Girl Support Group
One author I have been hearing a lot of buzz around over the years is Grady Hendrix, who has written several intriguing and unique horror hybrid novels. Due to all the positive stuff I have heard about this author I decided to check out one of their books last year with their 2021 release, The Final Girl Support Group. Set in a world were the survivors of iconic slasher scenarios have formed a support group, this cool novel follows these paranoid and damaged protagonists as they attempt to survive a new monster who is determined to kill them. An impressive homage to iconic slasher films that cleverly deconstructs the genre, this was a very fun read and I am extremely glad I decided to check out Grady Hendrix last year.
The final top new-to-me author I read last year was Australian author S. R. White, who released their second novel Prisoner. This was an enjoyable and captivating Australian murder mystery novel that had a very gritty and realistic feel to it, especially in some impressive interrogation scenes. An excellent novel from a great new author I will have to read more of in the future.
Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list. I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2021. I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads. Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2021 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting list.
WWW Wednesday – 15 September 2021
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading?
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester (Trade Paperback)
I just started reading a fantastic historical drama with The Riviera House by Natasha Lester. The Riviera House is a compelling and exciting multi-generational story that follows the attempts of some brave women as the attempt to safeguard France’s art from the Nazis.
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)
I was in the mood for something fun to listen to, so I decided to head back to the awesome Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. After previously enjoying Storm Front, Fool Moon and Grave Peril, I knew I would have a great time with the fourth book in the series, Summer Knight. This fourth book sees Dresden caught between two warring faerie courts and forces him to investigate the murder of one of their champions. I am making some good progress with this book and should hopefully finish it off in the next few days.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh (Trade Paperback)
The Dark by Jeremy Robinson (Audiobook)
Star Wars: The High Republic: Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott (Audio Drama)
The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Audiobook)
Corporal Hitler’s Pistol by Tom Keneally (Trade Paperback)
The Widow’s Follower by Anna Weatherly (Trade Paperback)
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie (Audiobook)
That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
The Unseen Library 