Colin Garrow's Blog, page 48
December 5, 2019
‘Silent Winter’ by Maggie James
Silent Winter When Drew Blackmore is beaten up and abducted, he finds himself in a desperate situation – chained up and left with scarcely enough food to survive, he struggles to work out what he must have done to deserve such treatment. Meanwhile, his wife Holly runs to Drew’s brother for help, but as the…
December 1, 2019
‘Kids Who Kill: Austin Sigg’ by Kathryn McMaster
Kids who Kill: Austin Sigg When ten-year-old Jessica Ridgeway goes missing on a snowy day in Westminster, Colorado, police are shocked to discover she has been raped, tortured, murdered and dismembered. With an expectation that they are hunting an adult male who fits the usual sex-offender profile, the force are bewildered when a seventeen-year-old teen…
‘The Private Lie’ by Keith Dixon
The Private Lie When Private Eye Sam Dyke sets out to help his son find a missing girlfriend, the canny sleuth falls fouls of a pair of Liverpool gangsters. But with a stock in trade involving bribery, murder and finger-snipping, Dyke will have to keep his wits about him if he’s to avoid going the…
November 30, 2019
‘On Writing Horror’ by Mort Castle
On Writing Horror Revised edition of the handbook with contributions from Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, Joyce Carol Oates and many others. Exploring everything from what horror is, to how to avoid falling into the trap of rehashing old tropes, there’s something here for everyone. I originally bought the paperback version of this, but due to…
‘Home Work’ by Julie Andrews
Home Work (Audiobook) This is the second volume of the actor’s memoirs, beginning with the story of Julie’s arrival in Hollywood and the movies that made her famous: Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. It details the ups and downs of her marriages, the growth of her family as well as her work as…
November 28, 2019
‘The Hellbound Heart’ by Clive Barker
The Hellbound Heart Clive Barker’s superlative novella tells a gruesome tale of greed, love and desire, as the hedonistic Frank determines to explore the intricacies of a strange and magical box. Given that the book prompted a great movie series (Hellraiser et al) which Barker also directed, I’m puzzled that it’s taken me this long…
November 23, 2019
‘Stasis’ by Ernesto San Giacomo
Stasis After spending years living as a Libertarian refugee, Kurt Williams returns to his former community. But what he finds is not what he expects. This is another of Ernesto San Giacomo’s short stories and like his story collection Ragged Souls, the author’s use of language and style is a real treat. Painting a kind…
November 19, 2019
‘In the Woods’ by Tana French
In the Woods As a twelve-year-old, Adam Ryan played in the woods with his pals, Peter and Jaime. But Adam was found later, traumatised and alone, and his friends were never seen again. Now an adult with a new name (Rob) and a different accent, detective Adam enjoys a close relationship with his work partner…
November 16, 2019
Indie Author Interview – Claire Buss
Fantasy and sci-fi author Claire Buss explains how she juggles Peppa Pig and creative play with her kids to make time for writing, marketing and everything else… As you write in several genres, do you start each new book with a specific genre or style in mind, or does it evolve naturally? I don’t write…
November 13, 2019
‘Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead’ by Owen Mullen
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead When whistle-blower Gavin Law goes missing, Glasgow PI Charlie Cameron sets out to track him down. But Charlie soon discovers there’s a lot more to the mystery than he first thought. Could a surgeon who left a woman brain-damaged have killed Law to keep him quiet? Or has the…
