Lee Allen's Blog, page 10

Michael Russell's The City Underground - Review

The City Underground by Michael Russell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A gripping wartime thriller set in neutral Ireland.

Josie Kilmartin seeks the services of private investigator Emmet Warde in a final attempt to find the truth behind the disappearance of her brother two decades earlier.

Initially warned off by Special Branch, Emmet finds himself a pawn in their inquiries when a German spy is broken out of prison, as Josie’s links with the IRA become clear.

DI Stefan Gillespie, with troubles of his own, is assigned to enlist and keep close watch on Emmet. But as the hunt for the spy continues, the case becomes increasingly complex and dangerous.

'The City Underground' is the seventh novel in the Stefan Gillespie series by Michael Russell. Set in late 1941, the narrative centres around a cold case of the disappearance of a young man during the Irish War of Independence. Stefan is soon pulled into the case following the escape of a German spy from Mountjoy Prison, presumably aided by the IRA. Mixing espionage, political intrigue and private eye noir, this is a multi-faceted historical thriller that explores the history of the IRA and Ireland's politics during the world wars and in the midst of the Second World War, while the country was officially neutral, neither affiliated with Britain and the forming Allies, nor the Axis powers led by Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy.

Differing from the previous novels in the series, the book is set entirely in Ireland, with a brief cross of the border into Northern Ireland later in the novel. Without an active inquiry, aside from the pursuit of the prison escapees, this novel is less police procedural and evolves more from the espionage and private investigation angles, with Stefan ultimately going rogue on a mission to save a man's life against Special Branch orders. Meanwhile, the sub-plot of Stefan's personal life continues to evolve in the background, with his son, Tom, now at a Methodist boarding school near to his headquarters at Dublin Castle. Layered with slow-burning, smouldering suspense, moments of action blended with mystery and ghosts of the past, this series continues to be historical crime fiction at its finest.

The historical context and exploration of historical events never fails to be both interesting and engaging, as much a part of the tapestry of the novels as the characters and plot, also featuring many characters and events inspired by historical fact. The novel explores battles that get fought in relative silence, where no war has been declared or when war is believed to be over, delving into aspects of the Irish War of Independence and Irish Civil War as well as the current global war. The final chapter is a chilling display of the continuing power of evil even after its apparent defeat, while it also has implications for what may be coming in the future of the series. In the meantime, the series is set to continue with ‘The City of God’.

Rich in detail and brooding atmosphere, ‘The City Underground’ is another enthralling chapter in both Stefan’s life and career and Irish political history.



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Stephen King's Fairy Tale - Review

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A dark and magical storybook fantasy.

Charlie Reade comes to the aid of the reclusive Mr Bowditch when he finds him injured, and quickly forms a bond with the old man and his dog, Radar.

Charlie discovers that Mr Bowditch's property hides a secret - a subterranean passage through which is the gateway to an enchanting and mysterious other world.

As Radar nears the end of her life, Charlie is desperate to find a way to give her more years. He embarks on a perilous journey into this other realm, risking capture by the monstrous evil that has taken hold there.

'Fairy Tale' is an epic character-driven fantasy novel by Stephen King, a captivating and enchanting fairy story for grown-ups. Narrated from the perspective of main character Charlie, we experience the tragedy of his mother's death at an early age and his father's descent into alcoholism before, at seventeen, he meets Mr Bowditch, crotchety and isolated, and Radar. It is these relationships which anchor the tale, the emotional heart around which the otherworldly fairy tale events flourish.

The narrative riffs on many traditional fairy tale themes, melding them together into a shared universe – at times I was reminded of elements of TV series 'Once Upon a Time'. Jam-packed with allusions, nods and references to classic fairy tales, as recorded by the Grimm brothers, the colourful Disney adaptations and inspirations, plus even 'Star Wars' and the Lovecraft universe and much more, this meta approach allows us to explore the notion that our storytelling has been influenced by tales and events from across time and space and from other worlds - absorbed into our mythology and folklore, our religion and our fiction; the magic of storytelling on a spiritual level, timeless stories revisited again and again.

Thrilling and immersive, overflowing with action and exploration, emotional and heart-wrenching moments, and the escalating threat keeping the suspense bubbling as Charlie is pulled deeper and deeper into the mystery, this is a gripping novel that keeps you hooked from the opening chapter to the final moments - a slice of pure escapism, with the nostalgia of familiarity and the suspense of thrilling adventure rolled into one. As with many of King’s novels, the plot and characterisation are on an epic scale, a journey vividly realised through the depth of character development, detailed world-building and fast-moving plot, while, like all the best fairy tales, there is deeper meaning laced between the lines.

A truly magical novel, 'Fairy Tale' is a fantastical thrill-ride that both enthrals and entertains, and proves that we're never too old to go down the rabbit hole.



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The Ghost Tree

Book II in my series for children - "The Ghost Legends" - will be:

THE GHOST TREE

A dark and twisted fairy tale of myth, mystery and magic...

For many years, the Ghost Tree was said to reveal the secret of your future love. The legend has been lost to time, the mystical tree forgotten as the forest grew around it. But some legends are never truly lost, only waiting to be rediscovered…

Six years have passed since Chloe and Lewis went into the forest on Halloween night in search of the Ghost Train…

Now, having moved into their Great Grandpa’s old cottage, they will learn of the Ghost Tree and the secrets it hides within…

Danger awaits around every corner. Perhaps, sometimes, a horror you thought it safe to forget will come back to haunt you.

"The Ghost Tree" will be released in ebook and paperback on 23rd September, 2023.

Now available to pre-order for Kindle on Amazon!

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to be the first to see the cover reveal very soon.

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Lynda La Plante's Trial and Retribution - Review

Trial and Retribution by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The novelisation of the classic police procedural legal thriller.

Five-year-old Julie Harris never gets home for her dinner. As the hours go by, fears mount that she has been abducted.

DI Pat North is leading the police search for the little girl. When the worst happens and her body is discovered, a murder investigation is launched, headed by Detective Superintendent Mike Walker.

Walker and North soon apprehend their prime suspect, continuing to build the evidence against him. As the case nears trial, there are still questions left unanswered. Can the verdict ever bring justice for Julie?

'Trial and Retribution' is the first in the police procedural series by Lynda La Plante, novelised from the intense and emotive first season of the TV series of the same name. Introducing us to Mike Walker, Pat North and the team, we delve deep into their first investigation, following the abduction and murder of a little girl.

'Trial and Retribution' was first broadcast in 1997. Starring David Hayman as Det. Supt. Walker and Kate Buffery as DI North, it has often been labelled as La Plante's follow-up to her highly acclaimed 'Prime Suspect'. It ultimately ran for twelve seasons - comprising fourteen of La Plante's trademark feature-length mini-series and the final two seasons featuring traditionally shorter two-part episodes. High in quality across its writing, casting and direction, pioneering in its use of split-screen technology to convey multiple perspectives and the multi-faceted nature of criminal investigation, the series garnered critical acclaim and huge popularity - it was and remains a landmark crime drama.

The series' signature is that we follow the case from beginning to end - starting with the crime itself and its discovery, seen from multiple perspectives through victims and witnesses, following the ensuing police investigation, with particular attention to detail with both forensic science and police procedure as the officers follow and gather evidence, culminating in the trial as the evidence is presented, examined and assessed. As such, this is a combination of both police procedural and legal thriller – with this depth into the full criminal justice process within a single narrative still a relative rarity.

Every character is impeccably developed, following each of their entwined stories through the evidence and a compelling psychological depth. The effect of such a devastating crime is explored with empathy and respect - for the victim's family, the community, and the investigators. Walker, on page and screen, is a riveting character - an old school detective, incredibly driven, committed and passionate about his work. Between Lynda and actor David Hayman, they developed a powerhouse character in Mike Walker, so perfectly realised on the page as much as the screen and the driving force of the narrative, going on to lead the series throughout its duration.

Exploring difficult themes of child abduction, sexual assault and murder, as well as domestic violence, this is a dark and intense thriller. Despite the heaviness of its subject matter, it’s a fully immersive and fascinating novel - relentless and gripping from the first page, as the scene is set for this horrific crime, through to its tense conclusion as the verdict is read and we are left to decide if justice has been served.

My personal experience with the series began with 'Trial and Retribution VI' on screen. It was then through the series of six novelisations, beginning with II, that I first experienced the preceding five stories, before a DVD release of I-IV finally arrived in 2004, followed by V-VIII in 2005. Now the series is making a return to print (and audio), I couldn't resist revisiting them. Alongside 'Widows', this series introduced and cemented me as a lifelong fan of Lynda's work. Needless to say, I loved this story as much revisiting it again as I did when I first both read and watched it!

Tragic and captivating, ‘Trial and Retribution’ is an enthralling police thriller, marking the beginning of a masterpiece series.



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Elizabeth J. Brown's The Foundling - Review

The Foundling by Elizabeth J. Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


An emotional and gripping prequel to the 'Brimstone Chorus' series.

Following the death of his mother, Edmund's father no longer wishes to care for him and Edmund finds himself abandoned at a Foundling orphanage.

Since he was very young, Edmund has experienced phenomena he does not understand - strange occurrences surrounding him when his emotions run wild.

Finding himself targeted and ostracised, Edmund begins to realise a power may reside within him and, in time, something terrible may reveal his true nature.

'The Foundling' is a prequel novella to the 'Brimstone Chorus' series by Elizabeth J. Brown. Set in 1758, over two centuries before the events of 'The Laughing Policeman', this is a superb introduction to the series, a short prologue introducing us to the series’ magical and otherworldly elements through Edmund's experiences and how he must come to learn to control this volatile power, seeding what is to come in the succeeding centuries.

Well-written and deftly paced, the plot is woven perfectly in development of Edmund's character and allowing us to meet the other characters through his eyes. Throughout you deeply empathise with Edmund - the tragedy of his family life leaves him stranded alone, his situation and his powers making him an outsider amongst his peers. Even as he develops friendships, there remains something other about him, never quite fitting in. Of course, that means he becomes the object of persecution, while some come to fear him.

Neatly concluding this chapter of Edmund's life, the novella leaves us poised and eager for more. I would love to revisit this period in future novels in the series. Reminiscent of a concoction of elements often familiar to dark fantasy and horror for younger readers given an adult edge and blended with a pre-gothic vibe for the Georgian period, this novella - along with the first novel 'The Laughing Policeman' - felt very much in the same vein as the anticipated and abandoned 'Dark Universe' movies - bringing together a breadth of supernatural phenomena and entities into a single world, deliciously dark yet still full of adventure.

The second novel in the series (and third story chronologically), 'The Fractured Few', will be released soon. I'm excited to see where the series will take us as we delve deeper into the magic and the horror!



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John Saul's Comes the Blind Fury - Review

Comes the Blind Fury by John Saul

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A vintage tale of classic, haunting horror.

Michelle moves to her new home in Paradise Point with her family, shortly starting at her new school. A happy and loving child, Michelle appears to be settling well into her new life.

At home she finds an old doll, christening it Amanda. But Amanda is no mere doll. Once, she was flesh and blood, a sweet, blind girl who suffered at the hands of bullies and met her death on the treacherous cliffs.

Amanda reaches out to Michelle through the mists from beyond the veil. Amanda's soul has been twisted by pain, intent on vengeance, and all will feel her wrath.

'Comes the Blind Fury' is a 1980 horror novel by John Saul, set in the US East Coast village of Paradise Point, a small community seemingly on the edge of civilisation. On one level, the novel is a light and breezy read, drawing you gently into the narrative, while the horrors linger beneath the surface in an intense and emotive plot; I love horror with psychological depth and an authentic feel, driven by the characters and slowly unravelling the mystery behind supernatural events.

Haunting every page is what remains of a sweet, tormented child, desolate and alone for decades in her death, becoming consumed by hatred and a desire for vengeance. Through another innocent, and living, child who is just looking for a friend, she wreaks her havoc. The characters of the children are all captured and developed brilliantly, driving the story while the adults fail to grasp the true nature of what's happening around them until it's too late. Michelle and even Amanda are especially relatable, the sting and the isolation as a result of bullying embedded in many of our psyches. The devastating impact of their actions, juxtaposed with this innocence warped and twisted out of shape by suffering, is tragic.

I adored the coastal setting, the rugged beauty of the cliffs and the ocean perfectly realised, while a deliciously gothic atmosphere pervades each chapter - through the creeping paranormal events and vivid settings, while secrets of the past threaten to reach from the grave. This is the sort of vintage horror story that may have made you fall in love with the genre in the first place, blended effortlessly with mystery and the macabre, building suspense and momentum until we dive headlong into a treacherous finale, secrets revealed and more tragedy unfolding before the final chilling moments.

The majority of Saul's books are now out of print. Discovering a long lost book feels like uncovering something from the past, much like the relics of the fiction itself. Digital publishing now lets you enjoy many of these, but there is nothing quite like the magic of the printed word. This certainly won't be the last I read of John Saul's work.

Devastating and thrilling, 'Comes the Blind Fury' is an example of paranormal horror at its finest.



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Peter James' Dead Man's Time - Review

Dead Man's Time by Peter James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Another gripping volume in the case files of Roy Grace.

An elderly woman is tortured during a robbery at her home and left for dead, launching a major police inquiry led by Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.

Ninety years earlier, the victim and her brother left New York following the murder of their mother and kidnapping of their father. That legacy has haunted them and may have a bearing on the present day crimes.

As Grace and the team investigate, another operation to hunt down the killers is underway, one intent on vengeance rather than justice.

'Dead Man's Time' is Peter James' ninth novel in the Roy Grace series, featuring an investigation into a vicious crime that has its origins nine decades earlier, entwined with the history of the Irish Mafia and one family's place in it. Travelling from Brighton to Marbella and New York, with a few scenes set in Munich, we uncover crimes stretching across the globe and back in time, the narrative deftly blending elements of a standalone organised crime family revenge thriller within the continuing police procedural series.

Starting less than two months following the conclusion of the last book, picking up on the ongoing threads, Roy Grace is struggling to juggle his responsibilities to the new major investigation and to new baby Noah and his partner Cleo. Meanwhile, a face from his past continues to plot revenge, and more secrets continue to bubble away, unbeknownst to Grace. There are some deeply emotional moments for many of the recurring characters, while the rising threat against Cleo and Noah leaves us on the edge of our seats.

Peter James continues to be at the top of his game, delivering another taut, suspenseful thriller, balancing a keen sense for detail and depth with its lightning pace, the various plot threads entwining as we reach the final chapters and a mystery reaching back decades is solved. Always intriguing, always gripping, this high quality series continues to deliver something a little different in each case, while maintaining that sense of familiarity with returning to a world and characters that we love about a series.

'Dead Man's Time' is a tense, enthralling thriller, leaving us poised to dive into the next in the series - 'Want You Dead'.



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London Clarke's Dunmoor - Review

Dunmoor: a compelling journey in gothic suspense by London Clarke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A Regency Gothic supernatural suspense thriller.

Abandoned by her rogue of a husband, Lady Helena Winters finds herself drawn to his childhood home, Dunmoor, where the origins of his troubles may be buried.

Dunmoor has been refashioned as an orphanage for foundlings, a venture led by Luke Lennox, who already finds himself up against many who wish to see its failure.

Within the walls of Dunmoor, and in the nearby Black Friars Forest, resides a darkness, now disturbed and threatening to engulf all within its reach.

'Dunmoor' is the first novel in a duology by London Clarke, exploring the dark history of Dunmoor, its current inhabitants haunted by the evil that lingers around the property, having claimed it for its own. Set towards the end of Britain’s Regency period, it blends the genre niches of Regency romance and gothic horror to mould a story that has both a classic and historical feel - like Jane Austen meets Shirley Jackson - combined with a modern edge, notably in the portrayal of its central female character and exploration of themes of child neglect and abuse, allowing us to view this prejudice and mistreatment through the progressive views of key characters.

At the centre of the narrative is Lady Helena Winters, whose husband has vanished, leaving her with huge debts and a damaged reputation. Alongside Helena’s story, we follow the challenges faced by Luke Lennox in opening Dunmoor as both a home and school for children whose families are unable or unwilling to raise them and whom society would otherwise neglect and abandon. Helena shares Luke’s ideals and finds herself helping him whilst also beginning to uncover her husband’s history. Throughout, Helena battles her attraction to Luke, with moments of burgeoning desire threatening to spill into passion, while the secrets the house hides are slowing revealed through the creeping suspense that seeps through the prose, building to dark revelations, the evil threatening to fully overwhelm and overcome both Dunmoor and all those in its clutches.

Clarke does a brilliant job of portraying this era of history, exploring social attitudes and the class system, particularly with regard to the place of women, “parent-less” children and employees of those with power and influence. Helena's predicament affords her a degree of independence, allowing the narrative to realistically explore the period whilst not leaving her reliant on the permissions and whims of men. Meanwhile, the gothic atmosphere is richly developed and the imagery of nature reclaiming the mansion, the subterranean passageways and the foreboding depths of the forest all vividly realised, as we hurtle into an intense and claustrophobic climax. The novel ends with a tantalising cliffhanger, which hints at what’s to come in book two, promising to delve deeper into the depravity and horrors that personally link Helena to Dunmoor through her husband and his family's legacy.

Lavishly gothic and dripping in suspense, 'Dunmoor' is a thrilling opening chapter, leaving us in eager anticipation of the second book, 'House of Brutes and Angels'.



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Stephen King's Duma Key - Review

Duma Key by Stephen King

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A neo-gothic chiller that burrows down to your soul.

In recovery from an accident that robbed him of an arm, ended his career, and marked the beginning of the end of his marriage, Eddie takes a lease on a beach home on the Florida island of Duma Key.

While Eddie begins to heal, he discovers a talent and passion for painting. As he becomes consumed by creative spirit, the ghosts of Duma Key begin to stir.

Within his artwork, Eddie discovers messages from the past and the future, and through them a power he would have never believed possible. But an entity both dark and malignant is restless, and through Eddie's work wishes to reach back into the world.

'Duma Key' is a supernatural suspense novel by Stephen King. Part tragedy, part ghost story, part character epic, the novel explores and plays on themes both gothic - the isolated location, abandoned and decaying property, the past haunting the present, and 'madness' and mental illness approached from the dual perspectives of Eddie's trauma and Elizabeth's dementia; and those that have become Stephen King's own staples - the artist replacing the writer as the creative soul at the story's heart, an exploration of psychic phenomena, and a group of characters uniting to combat a monstrous and evil enemy.

As always with King's novels, we delve deep into the minds of the core characters and their relationships, how their backstories and family histories entwine and impact the current events of their lives. Eddie makes for an endearing, yet troubled and flawed, protagonist, as he tells us his story, taking us back to the aftermath of the accident that almost killed him and left him mentally and physically maimed. We gain an insight into the process of his healing and how he begins to build a new life, forming new friendships with his neighbours Wireman and Elizabeth. His family and past relationships also form a key component of the story, most notably that with his youngest daughter Ilse, while perhaps his most significant relationship is that with his art, full of frenzy and passion and something otherworldly.

So many things in this novel spoke to me - most of all its coastal setting and the discovery of the healing nature of creating art. Blending elements of horror, gothic, suspense and thriller into one slow-burning narrative created an entirely immersive experience – complete with moments of chilling unease; vivid and atmospheric scenes – particularly evocative were those on the beaches and deep in the jungle that grew around the ruins of Elizabeth’s former family home; and bursts of action and adventure, coiled within an unravelling mystery, coalescing into an enthralling and emotionally resonating narrative that has the feel of a piece of artwork in prose.

Haunting and nightmarish, 'Duma Key' is an excavation of the human soul and an escape to an idyllic paradise that is never quite what it seems.



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Lynda La Plante's Pure Evil - Review

Pure Evil by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An electrifying police thriller, unearthing horrors which may lurk closer than we imagine.

DS Jack Warr is assigned to finalise the case against Rodney Middleton, who has been arrested and charged with a serious assault. It should be a straightforward task, but something just doesn't fit. Not only was the crime senseless, but the suspect practically volunteered both himself and the weapon to police.

As Jack keeps digging, against the wishes of his senior officer, he receives some alarming and disturbing news from his friend and mentor DCI Ridley, who has been mysteriously absent from work. Ridley has been implicated in a crime, and implores Jack to help him prove his innocence.

As both investigations uncover ever more insidious crimes, Jack follows the remaining trails, uncovering chilling evidence of the most depraved of minds and darkest of souls.

'Pure Evil' is the fourth in Lynda La Plante's Jack Warr series, centring on the dedicated and skilled detective who struggles to be a team player and isn't averse to bending the rules when it comes to the pursuit of justice. Jack finds himself faced with the challenge of juggling two separate investigations, that without his habit of pursuing his own intuitions and enquiries may never be resolved; one official and escalating rapidly, the other under the radar in aid of his old boss and friend - both cases surrounding horrific crimes that by their nature appear intrinsically evil.

Entwining police procedure, forensic science and offender psychology, the plot unfolds at a lightning pace while adeptly juggling intricate detail and emotional depth. The nature of the crimes uncovered through the unfolding investigations is endlessly fascinating - some things are so horrifying that you cannot look away, and La Plante has effortlessly woven this into the story. Nevertheless, the victims and their loved ones are always treated with respect, while the effect of such horrific crimes on the investigators is also explored. With allusions to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, it’s very much set in our current time – simultaneously feeling both modern and in the vein of a classic, often reminiscent of the best of two of Lynda's previous police procedural series (on both page and screen), 'Trial & Retribution' and the Anna Travis series.

One of the elements I've always loved about La Plante's police procedurals, which goes back to her very first with 'Prime Suspect', is how she delves into the personal lives of her characters; we get to know them as human beings, with all their trials and tribulations. Jack Warr's family life is as gripping as the police investigations - testament to Lynda's ability to create characters we both care about and cannot help but be drawn to and riveted by. Whilst being superlative police procedurals, these stories are also driven by the core characters, resulting in always very human stories. As well as this, and in juxtaposition to the horror of the crimes, there are also flashes of humour - I found myself laughing out loud at some interactions. As always, Lynda La Plante delivers an absorbing and exhilarating novel, leaving you in eager anticipation of the next.

Sinister and chilling, 'Pure Evil' is a relentlessly compulsive police procedural, packed with suspense, intrigue and mystery.



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